I'll believe it when the fic is finished.
And something spoilery I'm curious about, given that the Switch release is Thursday:
Which timeline is the story set in?
Candidate for Goddess (FI)
- Thread starter dingbat779
- Start date
And something spoilery I'm curious about, given that the Switch release is Thursday:
Valley Girl
- Location
- PA
AN: It's a party @UbeOne! Shake it!
Valley Girl
The time had finally come, to dispose of that hollow Fury and meet the trap set for us. However, Bui Valley was actually pretty far from Zelwinds. Walking was ruled out, otherwise it would have taken a whole day for us to travel there. It was thanks to Lola that we managed to get a ride, with one of her contacts driving a truck. We did have to work it off in exchange, though. His last three shipments were stolen by giant magpies, so we were to help him in guarding them. 'Giant magpies, as in those things attracted to shiny stuff. Troublesome.'
"I'll drive you to the Bui Valley on the way to my destination. Don't worry. It should only take me a few hours to drop off the shipment. I can make it back to pick you up in plenty of time," the driver promised.
"We'll need at least four hours," Fang said.
"Hmmm… doable. Lola said you guys are trustworthy," he smiled pleasantly, looking even happier that there were five Fencers to guard his shipment.
Marianna, however, was suspicious of what he was transporting. The elegant Fencer made an excuse to check the shipment, just in case something did go missing. As it turned out, he was transporting solar panels. 'Bright, shiny solar panels. No wonder the magpies were stealing them.' The driver was using an open-air truck, which explained how the monsters knew what his cargo was.
"Okay, then! Guns and bows to the front. Keep an eye on the sky. If the magpies are big enough to make off with a truck, we need to be careful," Galdo said.
"Got it," I said, keeping my Fury trained towards the sky. {Amethyst, how far can you sense the magpies?} I asked her. 'Such a skill would be the closest we have to early-warning radar.'
{You should be able to see them in a clear blue sky. The birds are attracted to shiny things, as you know. With the sun shining, it would make the panels sparkle.} Amethyst said. 'So much for sensing beyond visual range…'
{Why didn't he cover the truck bed?} Konton asked.
{Good question.} Amethyst mused.
{Want to ask later?} I remarked. Konton did raise a fair point.
{Good idea.} Amethyst said, even as Konton preened.
The first leg of the journey was made in near-silence. Some small talk was made, but that was more to pass the time. The sky remained clear and untroubled for most of the morning, but as we passed by the volcanic mountains, a brief rainstorm kicked up, obscuring visibility. There was a slim chance of the magpies attacking, but a greater chance of a soaking, and… we were drenched in minutes. Fang and Galdo didn't appear affected, while Chiaki had her hood pulled up miserably. Marianna merely glared at the sky as her dress was plastered to her body, while in my case, I quickly took out my red hooded cloak from my inventory and wore it. The conditions remained unpleasant, however.
After the rain, we were subjected to intense heat as the truck rumbled through a desert. With the sky clear once more, we had to watch out for avian pests again. At least our wet clothes were dried out, but now we all needed hoods, which my cloak already provided in my case. Marianna, for her part, pulled a white sunhat out of her inventory as a concession to the sun. Flying monsters could be spotted off in the distance, but we weren't heading closer. It was with a sense of relief that we drove away. However, I could dimly make out a flying mecha. With our luck, we would probably have to fight it later, though a part of me would like to dismantle it and see how it works…
On another note, there was something I was occasionally wondering about, sometime after we purged the hollow Fury's influence from Chiaki. I hadn't had the opportunity to broach the topic, but thinking of our destination, and disposing of that Fury, brought it to mind once more. "I was thinking, could Sherman be under similar circumstances as Chiaki was?" I asked the others. 'It might explain the zealotry.'
Of the rest, it appeared only Chiaki had given it any thought. She tugged her hood down further while retreating into herself. Oops... I tried to comfort her with a gentle pat on the back.
Marianna, though, outright scoffed. "Some people have a change of heart, and it doesn't take mind control either. Sherman's past included a sister who became a bandit. He killed her because his sense of 'justice' couldn't conceive of a criminal in his family. Sherman was already damaged before all this." Oh goodness...
"How do you know that?" Fang asked in disbelief.
"Because he used it to justify imprisoning us. I admit, we weren't the best people, but we were thrown in prison without a trial. Our only prospects were death or servitude. How is that justice?" Marianna clenched her hands angrily, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She dashed the tears away.
"Yeah… Dorfa's higher-ups were jerks… but the Justice Society was even arresting normal employees," Galdo sighed.
"Were they being executed, too?" Fang asked in a subdued voice.
"N-No. They were being held until the investigation concluded… Oh Goddess that sounds so bad… There is no justification," Chiaki choked on tears. Marianna reached over to grip her shoulder comfortingly.
I continued patting her back, trying to comfort her in my own way. "Who was Sherman before he became… this?" I asked Fang and Galdo. After all, they knew him the most.
"Honestly? I thought he was kind of fake the whole time. Even if he did help us out a lot. Tiara and Eryn thought I was jealous," Fang shrugged off-handedly.
"I thought he was your friend," I said. 'Now to easily say he was the target of suspicion all this time? They weren't so casual when we faced off against him.'
"..." Fang looked away from me.
"Sherman was our friend, which is why it's hard to see him like this. Fang just doesn't want to acknowledge it," Eryn appeared at his side. The fiery Fencer shot a glare at his partner, but didn't contradict her.
"Fang and I didn't trust him at first, but he proved himself. He became a friend and ally," Galdo rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry," I could only say. 'That must have been painful… and now they put their faith in me. I hope to uphold it…'
?!
There was no warning. One moment, all was silent, and the next? Claws and beaks. The magpies, which we were supposed to be on the lookout for, appeared while we were distracted. Chiaki went down with a beak to the skull, a flash of red staining her hair, while Marianna fell back on the floor, Fury already in motion, but without the leverage to fight back effectively. Galdo let out a roar as a feathery menace tried to bear him down, while in Fang's case, there was no sign except for angry cursing back the way we came. He was actually knocked completely out of the truck.
'We should have been alert!' I thought, as painful claws struck my back and suddenly drove me to the floor of the truck. In response, I called on my magic, a Lightfall of beams, to drive it back and give me space. The birds were, fortunately, forced back by my quick reaction. Marianna quickly busied herself with healing our injuries, while I maintained my luminous barrage for a while longer.
"Shit!" Galdo knelt down to administer an Angel Feather to Chiaki. The fallen girl shook off the grogginess before trying to stand. Fortunately, he pulled her back down before she got caught in the counterattack.
"Try this on for size!" Fang roared as, in Fairize, he leaped back to the truck. While in midair, he turned Eryn into a gatling bazooka and opened fire on the feathery menaces. The birds hastily scrambled out of the way.
Still recovering from the attack, I waved my hand, weaving a certain spell to Stop them in their tracks, for they kept flitting about too much. "Stop!" I intoned.
The birds nearest to me froze in place. Thanks to the spell, it showed what we were fighting. The magpies were relatively big, about the size of my torso. There were six of them frozen and two rapidly flying away. At our feet were three of them, dead. It just seemed like dozens with how fast they struck.
Cleaning up the remaining enemies was made easier because they couldn't dodge, though we still had to be careful to avoid destroying the shipment. Unfortunately, a check after the battle showed that four panels were broken, but it couldn't be helped. On a hunch, and with no other way to repair them, I tried to cast Heal on the broken panels, in case my spell worked on objects. However, it just kind of hung there in midair for a moment before collapsing. Oh well...
{Konton, can you fly up and provide overwatch? Let's not get caught off-guard again.} I requested of her, before turning to the others. "I'm so sorry…"
Konton tried to do as I asked, but she was very quickly left in the dust by the truck. She appeared back in her Fury, panting.
{That did not go well… I quickly hit the end of my Fury's tether.} Konton panted.
{Nice try, Konton.} Amethyst said soothingly.
{Sorry…} I apologized to both Fairies. We really should have been alert.
Chiaki hugged me. "It's okay."
"Hey, don't worry about it. We want you to ask questions, especially since your questions usually help us," Fang was quick to reassure me.
"We were all distracted." It was closest Marianna would come to forgiving me.
However, my mood wasn't helped by what happened. "Shouldn't have asked when we were busy keeping watch…" I hung my head. If not for our toughness, we could have died…
"Nobody's perfect. We've all made some pretty boneheaded mistakes," Galdo said cheerily.
Chiaki didn't let go of me for the rest of the ride, while I watched the skies above. I figured it was half to comfort me, and half to comfort herself. "Thank you," I said afterwards.
Fortunately, the driver didn't seem too upset at the loss of a couple of panels. In fact, he was insured. The real problem would have been if he didn't have any panels at all. We did find out why he didn't cover the shipment, though. Near the Bui Valley, the wind was so strong that it was actually pushing the truck around. If he had a cover, the vehicle would have been shoved about even worse.
"Over here! There's a way to pass through the winds!" Fang yelled over the sound of the roaring gale. We clung tightly to one another while making our way to a wind break, a sheer cliff face that the winds glanced off of but didn't create a downdraft. With this kind of pressure, a single downdraft could be lethal.
"We're throwing the Fury down the gorge here!?" Chiaki yelled.
"Further in! No one in their right mind would look for it here!" Fang shouted back.
"Then let's go!" I replied, for I wanted to get this over with. I had to try and look ahead, rather than down. Just imagining the heights we were in wasn't helping at all.
The path opened out onto a plateau connected to other plateaus by bridges and narrow earthen walkways. Of course the monsters had to reflect the location... Griffins and giant birds were everywhere. There were even snakes slithering along the ground just to trip up the unwary. If not for all the training we did beforehand, this would have looked more daunting.
"If not for the steep drop, this would be almost like the Zawaza Plains," Chiaki said.
"This would be a lousy place to train," Marianna offered her two cents.
"So, how do we handle this?" Galdo asked.
"We conserve our strength, and keep our senses about us," I suggested. We had to be prepared to meet whatever was laid out for us.
"Right. That's why I didn't throw out the usual Furies to help us train. Galdo and I know the way. Let's just head straight for our destination and maybe find a new Fury," Fang decided.
"Might want to check for anything unusual or out of place…" I added out of caution.
"Galdo? Check for ambushes. Marianna? Keep your eyes peeled for Fencers. Nepgear? Watch for mechanical traps. Chiaki? Watch the sky," Fang delegated.
"What will you do?" Marianna asked.
"Basically blow away the chaff," Fang turned Eryn into the large gatling bazooka again.
"All right," I answered Fang, Nepgear's knowledge coming to mind. Now I knew what indicators to look for.
Fang took point as we made our way along the northern path. The winds were still powerful, but thankfully not as bad as down below. He kept us away from the sides of the mountain, as a downdraft here could be disastrous. The most perilous parts of the trek were purely natural hazards.
I did my role, looking over each section of the area for anything unusual, and, with Amethyst's help, stretching out my senses for anything odd, like magic or something. What I found, and learned to avoid, were shallow holes in the ground, small ones that contained coiled snakes as the serpents preferred to hide from the stronger winds. Galdo, for his part, was able to spot weak points in the cliffs. The paths were especially treacherous as an incautious step could send someone plunging to the ground below.
Fang seemed obscurely disappointed that he didn't have to blow anything away, for our path was clear of human obstructions. Chiaki hung back further and further as part of our plan to spring the enemy ambush. She stayed within Marianna's sensing range, but we soon lost sight of her. Giselle sent a ping to our Fairies to assure us that she was fine.
"Okay guys. This is really suspicious," Galdo finally said.
"Where is the ambush?" Marianna agreed as she drew closer, instinctively seeking to close the gap in our formation.
"The best place for ambush would be right after we find the Fury," Fang insisted.
"It could also be where we least expect one," I pointed out. We only knew that there was a trap. We didn't know when and how it would be sprung, so we couldn't let our guard down.
After the magpie ambush, we were all on edge. If not for Giselle's continued pings, our concern for Chiaki would be distracting. She was safe and somewhere in range to see us, but we couldn't see her. Then, Marianna suddenly stiffened.
"There's a Fencer nearby," she called over the wind.
"Can you tell how strong?" Fang asked.
"Moderate. Maybe a little stronger than Chiaki," Marianna reported.
"They could be using guys armed with rifles or something," Galdo warned. Just because there was only one Fencer didn't mean the enemy was helpless.
"What else can you sense?" I asked.
"Hmmm… water. That's all I can tell. The Fencer uses Water," Marianna shook her head.
"Maybe we should ambush them instead?" Fang grinned ferally.
"If we catch them off guard… Maybe we can get some information too!" Galdo enthused.
"That's not a bad idea actually," Marianna admitted.
"How do we do that?" I inquired. The prospect of turning the tables was an attractive one.
"I can sense the Fencer over there…" Marianna pointed to an outcropping of rocks. Perfect for someone to set up an ambush.
"Okay. Galdo? Go around to the rear but wait for my signal. Marianna, go with him. I'll give the signal, Eryn can ping you. When you make your charge I'll come in from the front. Nepgear? I want you to do something a little different," Fang smirked.
Fang's plan for me was to use my HDD to fly around to the side, to come at the Fencer from the one angle they wouldn't possibly expect. However, I had a concern. "I might get blown away by the wind."
"Oh. Yeah, that would be bad. Okay, you can stay just out of sight and cover us with your rifle," Fang amended the plan. Any plan that involved extreme air currents was vetoed. Eryn sent a communication ping to Giselle.
The plan was ready and everyone was in position. Galdo and Marianna reached their objective. Fang pointed to where I could remain hidden, but had a clear view of the area. I just had to do a little climbing, but it was on the lee side of the mountain. Once we were certain there was only a single person, it was time to move. Fang sent the signal, Galdo and Marianna charged up from the rear, while he rushed the front. A high-pitched shriek, however, easily carried over the wind. I got to my position in time to see…
Tiara, seated at a table like the first time we met her, surrounded on all sides by guns and bows.
{Uh oh,} I said to my Fairies. That did not make a good impression to the girl who didn't know of Fang, and there was also a chance of this being a ploy to lower our guard. {What else can you see?} Was there something we missed?
{She's the only Fencer in sight.} Amethyst groaned. It wasn't a matter of a false positive. Tiara was the one who set off Marianna's Fencer detector.
{Awkward is awkward.} Konton mentally squirmed in embarrassment.
{What if she's a decoy? A bait?} I asked the two. I couldn't help but remain wary, for being lured out was not a good prospect.
{I sent a message to Eryn. She'll see that Giselle gets it.} Amethyst said. It was too good a theory to ignore.
{Thanks.}
"Why are you here!?" Tiara stood suddenly, Cui turned into a double glaive.
"We're here looking for a Fury! No one wanted your dumb ass!" Fang's mouth ran away with him again. Tiara turned red and stammered.
"N-now wait a minute… Don't think you can distract me by turning me on! Wait! I didn't mean to say that!" Tiara flailed her free hand in embarrassment.
"We don't have time for this! Did she already take the Fury?" Marianna reminded Fang of why we were here.
"Of course I did! I was told there was a Fury here for the taking. One of my contacts, S. Herman, told me it was here," Tiara replied primly.
"Who the Heck is 'S. Herman?'" Fang asked.
{That's Sherman!} I exclaimed to my Fairies. What a choice of alias there, mister!
The message spread quickly, eliciting a strong response from everyone. Tiara continued to talk, oblivious to the fact we stiffened in alarm.
"Well I don't know. He sends me everything in writing…" Tiara said.
"Down, down, down!" Chiaki yelled from atop her perch. A spinning arrow shot through the air, laced in Thunder, and sheared through the wind. It found its mark in the side of a pure white mecha with gold highlights and wings. The arrow detonated with thunderous force as one of its cannons exploded. Wait, that was the flying mecha I saw earlier!
It was as large as CFW Brave and resembled him to a degree. It used to have what looked like a Buster Rifle, but it was now just Busted. In its other hand was a sword twice the size of Fang. A second arrow streaked in, but it struck the gold lion on the torso to no effect.
"What's going on!?" Tiara cried in alarm, but switched her weapon to a bow regardless.
"Damn it! It was an ambush, but not by Fencers!" Fang kept his weapon switched to ranged. The mech was smart by not landing, and instead stayed hovering in midair. It was so bulky the wind didn't even budge the warmachine.
In my case, I first casted buffs on all of us, that is, Defensive and Offensive Cheers. We had to be at our best to face it. A round of Buffing and Debuffing was only half-effective, for the Buffs functioned just fine, but it was completely immune to Debuffs.
"Here it comes!" Marianna skipped back as the warmachine brought back its sword arm. The machine swept the sword through the forward line. Fang, Galdo, and Marianna were already clearing the strike zone. It responded by firing the vulcan guns on either side of it's head, stitching up the startled fighters with bullets.
Not wanting to show myself yet, I attempted to summon something to fight on my behalf, and the first thing that came to mind were the spherical drones from my Bits Combination. With just a thought, they appeared nearby. I felt the spell dig into my energy, but this meant I didn't need the EXE Drive to use them. I directed them to fan out and strafe the mecha, shooting their laser cannons from different directions, aiming for joints and other weak points.
For a moment, a thought occurred to me, that I may have chosen the wrong spell, that the drones would be blown away by the wind. However, I noticed that they were flying as if unaffected, and I could sense a kind of magic protecting them. Huh...
The mecha wasted time trying to swat the smaller moving targets. Each individual beam wasn't that damaging, but it seemed particularly wary of the red gem on its chest. Tiara used the distraction to cast heal on the injured frontliners. She might not know us, but at least she wasn't a hindrance. Chiaki fired another arrow from a different location. The arrow hit the red gem, causing the mech to flinch, actually flinch.
"Go for the gem!" Fang stopped trying to use the powerful, but inaccurate launcher. He switched to the more accurate gun. The shots struck true before the mecha suddenly turned away from him.
In my case, I had my drones redirect their attacks towards the crimson gem, while dodging the mecha's attacks. It could turn its back on Fang, but not on the drones. The machine 'bellowed' as capacitors charged. It turned back to us with the gem blazing like an angry sun.
"No!" Tiara jumped in front of the mecha, a digital barrier comprised of octagons appeared around her. Just in time too, as the beam bore down on her relentlessly. The mecha made a strange 'sigh' sound as the beam cut off with a whine.
"You damn idiot!" Fang would have called her something worse, if she didn't drop to her knees in exhaustion.
"The machine is vulnerable! Flirt later!" Marianna yelled, even as she used one of her special techniques to strike the overheated gem. The mecha groaned as the strained crystal took further abuse.
While my drones pressed their attack on the gem, I aided their efforts with another spell. Remembering the fight against Sherman, I called upon a Prismatic Burst of my own, aimed right at the crystal. Since the explosion of light would immediately appear under the target, it wouldn't reveal where it was cast from.
"Here we go…!" Galdo brought his scythe around, snapping off a blade of wind for the gem. The continual pressure from the Prismatic Burst, followed by the wind blade, caused it to crack.
"Nooo…! Stay in the air! Come on! Keep flying!" A panicked voice came from within the machine. The flying mecha was powering down as the gem flashed rapidly.
"Ah, damn it! There's someone in there!" Fang called out.
"Then he shouldn't have come after us," Marianna didn't hesitate to put an arrow into the center of the gem. There came a sharp detonation as the overtaxed crystal exploded into shards. The pilot's despairing cry dwindled off, swept away by the wind. She turned towards Fang with a challenging look, chin raised defiantly.
"What?" Fang asked.
"Aren't you going to scold me for killing him?" She asked.
"Why? He was here to kill us and there was no way to rescue him," Fang gestured over the sharp drop.
In my case, I wasn't sure what to make of it. On one hand, we had to defend ourselves. On the other hand...
"Seriously, we need to stop the drama already," Chiaki said as she landed beside me.
"And there it goes!" Galdo casually tossed the hollow Fury over the end without fanfare. It vanished into the deep crevasse without a sound, troubling us no more.
"Why did you throw a perfectly good Fury away like that?" Tiara reminded us that she was there.
I walked over to them, catching my breath from the magic I used. "It's a malignant one… It influences its wielder for the worse."
"It's hollow. There is no Fairy inside," Eryn added.
"So, that was what Cui felt. What was all that?" Tiara asked.
"It was a trap set for us. Though why you were dragged in as well is a mystery," Marianna said.
"Sherman mentioned that the Blood of the Vile God runs in her veins," Chiaki said.
"What nonsense is that?" Tiara looked genuinely confused.
"He said that you told him… but I don't think 'you' told him," Chiaki mused.
"More stuff from before we came back in time," Fang pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Time travel? Blood of the Vile God? You people are insane!" Tiara understandably exclaimed. To those not in the loop, it would sound out-of-this-world.
"And you're in danger because a psycho with an agenda wants to kill you. Whether you believe us or not, that is one thing that's true," Fang insisted.
"Can we do this somewhere else? We have to catch our ride back and the wind is really rubbing us raw," Galdo said. His mastery of the Wind element didn't seem to protect him from the fierce gusts.
"Good point. Let's go," I replied.
The truck was waiting for us by the time we got down the mountain. Tiara had to be almost guided along by Chiaki and Eryn. The poor Water Fencer was in shock over the revelations thrown at her. If she was of the blood of the Vile God, I couldn't sense anything, and Konton couldn't either. The only ones who knew what went on before were Fang and Galdo. Galdo didn't seem to know either, but Fang was too knowing. Something happened to Tiara that haunted him. He just couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"When we get back, we're taking some time off to decompress," Marissa said. The matronly Fairy didn't usually assert herself, but her tone brooked no contradiction.
"You won't hear an argument from me," Amethyst appeared at my side.
"Tiara looks batter dipped and fried," Konton grimaced.
"I can tell, she's overwhelmed," Chiaki nodded. Giselle in her lap as per usual.
"Ugh. I need to get a new dress and wash my hair. Bui Valley was not kind," Marianna tried to pat her windswept hair down in vain.
"Yeah we need a break. Too much rushing around lately," Galdo shook his head.
"Agreed," I replied, my head slightly tilted down. It wasn't just because of being spent from the trek and the battle. {Was it really okay, what we did…?} I asked Amethyst. Someone actually died by our hand...
{There was no way to save him. He wouldn't have stopped. The machine was already malfunctioning. I don't agree with Marianna giving him a final send off, but the machine could have exploded and hurt us too.} Amethyst said.
{He chose to come after us.} Konton said in a subdued tone. Neither one of my Fairies were happy even if they accepted what happened.
{All right…} I hugged both Fairies, seeking their comfort. Neither was I happy, but if the other option was dying…
The ride back was made in silence. A break from all this did sound nice. Amethyst held me in her lap as Konton snuggled to my... bosom, which made me slightly blush in embarrassment. We sat like that all the way back to Zelwinds.
Valley Girl
The time had finally come, to dispose of that hollow Fury and meet the trap set for us. However, Bui Valley was actually pretty far from Zelwinds. Walking was ruled out, otherwise it would have taken a whole day for us to travel there. It was thanks to Lola that we managed to get a ride, with one of her contacts driving a truck. We did have to work it off in exchange, though. His last three shipments were stolen by giant magpies, so we were to help him in guarding them. 'Giant magpies, as in those things attracted to shiny stuff. Troublesome.'
"I'll drive you to the Bui Valley on the way to my destination. Don't worry. It should only take me a few hours to drop off the shipment. I can make it back to pick you up in plenty of time," the driver promised.
"We'll need at least four hours," Fang said.
"Hmmm… doable. Lola said you guys are trustworthy," he smiled pleasantly, looking even happier that there were five Fencers to guard his shipment.
Marianna, however, was suspicious of what he was transporting. The elegant Fencer made an excuse to check the shipment, just in case something did go missing. As it turned out, he was transporting solar panels. 'Bright, shiny solar panels. No wonder the magpies were stealing them.' The driver was using an open-air truck, which explained how the monsters knew what his cargo was.
"Okay, then! Guns and bows to the front. Keep an eye on the sky. If the magpies are big enough to make off with a truck, we need to be careful," Galdo said.
"Got it," I said, keeping my Fury trained towards the sky. {Amethyst, how far can you sense the magpies?} I asked her. 'Such a skill would be the closest we have to early-warning radar.'
{You should be able to see them in a clear blue sky. The birds are attracted to shiny things, as you know. With the sun shining, it would make the panels sparkle.} Amethyst said. 'So much for sensing beyond visual range…'
{Why didn't he cover the truck bed?} Konton asked.
{Good question.} Amethyst mused.
{Want to ask later?} I remarked. Konton did raise a fair point.
{Good idea.} Amethyst said, even as Konton preened.
The first leg of the journey was made in near-silence. Some small talk was made, but that was more to pass the time. The sky remained clear and untroubled for most of the morning, but as we passed by the volcanic mountains, a brief rainstorm kicked up, obscuring visibility. There was a slim chance of the magpies attacking, but a greater chance of a soaking, and… we were drenched in minutes. Fang and Galdo didn't appear affected, while Chiaki had her hood pulled up miserably. Marianna merely glared at the sky as her dress was plastered to her body, while in my case, I quickly took out my red hooded cloak from my inventory and wore it. The conditions remained unpleasant, however.
After the rain, we were subjected to intense heat as the truck rumbled through a desert. With the sky clear once more, we had to watch out for avian pests again. At least our wet clothes were dried out, but now we all needed hoods, which my cloak already provided in my case. Marianna, for her part, pulled a white sunhat out of her inventory as a concession to the sun. Flying monsters could be spotted off in the distance, but we weren't heading closer. It was with a sense of relief that we drove away. However, I could dimly make out a flying mecha. With our luck, we would probably have to fight it later, though a part of me would like to dismantle it and see how it works…
On another note, there was something I was occasionally wondering about, sometime after we purged the hollow Fury's influence from Chiaki. I hadn't had the opportunity to broach the topic, but thinking of our destination, and disposing of that Fury, brought it to mind once more. "I was thinking, could Sherman be under similar circumstances as Chiaki was?" I asked the others. 'It might explain the zealotry.'
Of the rest, it appeared only Chiaki had given it any thought. She tugged her hood down further while retreating into herself. Oops... I tried to comfort her with a gentle pat on the back.
Marianna, though, outright scoffed. "Some people have a change of heart, and it doesn't take mind control either. Sherman's past included a sister who became a bandit. He killed her because his sense of 'justice' couldn't conceive of a criminal in his family. Sherman was already damaged before all this." Oh goodness...
"How do you know that?" Fang asked in disbelief.
"Because he used it to justify imprisoning us. I admit, we weren't the best people, but we were thrown in prison without a trial. Our only prospects were death or servitude. How is that justice?" Marianna clenched her hands angrily, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She dashed the tears away.
"Yeah… Dorfa's higher-ups were jerks… but the Justice Society was even arresting normal employees," Galdo sighed.
"Were they being executed, too?" Fang asked in a subdued voice.
"N-No. They were being held until the investigation concluded… Oh Goddess that sounds so bad… There is no justification," Chiaki choked on tears. Marianna reached over to grip her shoulder comfortingly.
I continued patting her back, trying to comfort her in my own way. "Who was Sherman before he became… this?" I asked Fang and Galdo. After all, they knew him the most.
"Honestly? I thought he was kind of fake the whole time. Even if he did help us out a lot. Tiara and Eryn thought I was jealous," Fang shrugged off-handedly.
"I thought he was your friend," I said. 'Now to easily say he was the target of suspicion all this time? They weren't so casual when we faced off against him.'
"..." Fang looked away from me.
"Sherman was our friend, which is why it's hard to see him like this. Fang just doesn't want to acknowledge it," Eryn appeared at his side. The fiery Fencer shot a glare at his partner, but didn't contradict her.
"Fang and I didn't trust him at first, but he proved himself. He became a friend and ally," Galdo rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry," I could only say. 'That must have been painful… and now they put their faith in me. I hope to uphold it…'
?!
There was no warning. One moment, all was silent, and the next? Claws and beaks. The magpies, which we were supposed to be on the lookout for, appeared while we were distracted. Chiaki went down with a beak to the skull, a flash of red staining her hair, while Marianna fell back on the floor, Fury already in motion, but without the leverage to fight back effectively. Galdo let out a roar as a feathery menace tried to bear him down, while in Fang's case, there was no sign except for angry cursing back the way we came. He was actually knocked completely out of the truck.
'We should have been alert!' I thought, as painful claws struck my back and suddenly drove me to the floor of the truck. In response, I called on my magic, a Lightfall of beams, to drive it back and give me space. The birds were, fortunately, forced back by my quick reaction. Marianna quickly busied herself with healing our injuries, while I maintained my luminous barrage for a while longer.
"Shit!" Galdo knelt down to administer an Angel Feather to Chiaki. The fallen girl shook off the grogginess before trying to stand. Fortunately, he pulled her back down before she got caught in the counterattack.
"Try this on for size!" Fang roared as, in Fairize, he leaped back to the truck. While in midair, he turned Eryn into a gatling bazooka and opened fire on the feathery menaces. The birds hastily scrambled out of the way.
Still recovering from the attack, I waved my hand, weaving a certain spell to Stop them in their tracks, for they kept flitting about too much. "Stop!" I intoned.
The birds nearest to me froze in place. Thanks to the spell, it showed what we were fighting. The magpies were relatively big, about the size of my torso. There were six of them frozen and two rapidly flying away. At our feet were three of them, dead. It just seemed like dozens with how fast they struck.
Cleaning up the remaining enemies was made easier because they couldn't dodge, though we still had to be careful to avoid destroying the shipment. Unfortunately, a check after the battle showed that four panels were broken, but it couldn't be helped. On a hunch, and with no other way to repair them, I tried to cast Heal on the broken panels, in case my spell worked on objects. However, it just kind of hung there in midair for a moment before collapsing. Oh well...
{Konton, can you fly up and provide overwatch? Let's not get caught off-guard again.} I requested of her, before turning to the others. "I'm so sorry…"
Konton tried to do as I asked, but she was very quickly left in the dust by the truck. She appeared back in her Fury, panting.
{That did not go well… I quickly hit the end of my Fury's tether.} Konton panted.
{Nice try, Konton.} Amethyst said soothingly.
{Sorry…} I apologized to both Fairies. We really should have been alert.
Chiaki hugged me. "It's okay."
"Hey, don't worry about it. We want you to ask questions, especially since your questions usually help us," Fang was quick to reassure me.
"We were all distracted." It was closest Marianna would come to forgiving me.
However, my mood wasn't helped by what happened. "Shouldn't have asked when we were busy keeping watch…" I hung my head. If not for our toughness, we could have died…
"Nobody's perfect. We've all made some pretty boneheaded mistakes," Galdo said cheerily.
Chiaki didn't let go of me for the rest of the ride, while I watched the skies above. I figured it was half to comfort me, and half to comfort herself. "Thank you," I said afterwards.
Fortunately, the driver didn't seem too upset at the loss of a couple of panels. In fact, he was insured. The real problem would have been if he didn't have any panels at all. We did find out why he didn't cover the shipment, though. Near the Bui Valley, the wind was so strong that it was actually pushing the truck around. If he had a cover, the vehicle would have been shoved about even worse.
"Over here! There's a way to pass through the winds!" Fang yelled over the sound of the roaring gale. We clung tightly to one another while making our way to a wind break, a sheer cliff face that the winds glanced off of but didn't create a downdraft. With this kind of pressure, a single downdraft could be lethal.
"We're throwing the Fury down the gorge here!?" Chiaki yelled.
"Further in! No one in their right mind would look for it here!" Fang shouted back.
"Then let's go!" I replied, for I wanted to get this over with. I had to try and look ahead, rather than down. Just imagining the heights we were in wasn't helping at all.
The path opened out onto a plateau connected to other plateaus by bridges and narrow earthen walkways. Of course the monsters had to reflect the location... Griffins and giant birds were everywhere. There were even snakes slithering along the ground just to trip up the unwary. If not for all the training we did beforehand, this would have looked more daunting.
"If not for the steep drop, this would be almost like the Zawaza Plains," Chiaki said.
"This would be a lousy place to train," Marianna offered her two cents.
"So, how do we handle this?" Galdo asked.
"We conserve our strength, and keep our senses about us," I suggested. We had to be prepared to meet whatever was laid out for us.
"Right. That's why I didn't throw out the usual Furies to help us train. Galdo and I know the way. Let's just head straight for our destination and maybe find a new Fury," Fang decided.
"Might want to check for anything unusual or out of place…" I added out of caution.
"Galdo? Check for ambushes. Marianna? Keep your eyes peeled for Fencers. Nepgear? Watch for mechanical traps. Chiaki? Watch the sky," Fang delegated.
"What will you do?" Marianna asked.
"Basically blow away the chaff," Fang turned Eryn into the large gatling bazooka again.
"All right," I answered Fang, Nepgear's knowledge coming to mind. Now I knew what indicators to look for.
Fang took point as we made our way along the northern path. The winds were still powerful, but thankfully not as bad as down below. He kept us away from the sides of the mountain, as a downdraft here could be disastrous. The most perilous parts of the trek were purely natural hazards.
I did my role, looking over each section of the area for anything unusual, and, with Amethyst's help, stretching out my senses for anything odd, like magic or something. What I found, and learned to avoid, were shallow holes in the ground, small ones that contained coiled snakes as the serpents preferred to hide from the stronger winds. Galdo, for his part, was able to spot weak points in the cliffs. The paths were especially treacherous as an incautious step could send someone plunging to the ground below.
Fang seemed obscurely disappointed that he didn't have to blow anything away, for our path was clear of human obstructions. Chiaki hung back further and further as part of our plan to spring the enemy ambush. She stayed within Marianna's sensing range, but we soon lost sight of her. Giselle sent a ping to our Fairies to assure us that she was fine.
"Okay guys. This is really suspicious," Galdo finally said.
"Where is the ambush?" Marianna agreed as she drew closer, instinctively seeking to close the gap in our formation.
"The best place for ambush would be right after we find the Fury," Fang insisted.
"It could also be where we least expect one," I pointed out. We only knew that there was a trap. We didn't know when and how it would be sprung, so we couldn't let our guard down.
After the magpie ambush, we were all on edge. If not for Giselle's continued pings, our concern for Chiaki would be distracting. She was safe and somewhere in range to see us, but we couldn't see her. Then, Marianna suddenly stiffened.
"There's a Fencer nearby," she called over the wind.
"Can you tell how strong?" Fang asked.
"Moderate. Maybe a little stronger than Chiaki," Marianna reported.
"They could be using guys armed with rifles or something," Galdo warned. Just because there was only one Fencer didn't mean the enemy was helpless.
"What else can you sense?" I asked.
"Hmmm… water. That's all I can tell. The Fencer uses Water," Marianna shook her head.
"Maybe we should ambush them instead?" Fang grinned ferally.
"If we catch them off guard… Maybe we can get some information too!" Galdo enthused.
"That's not a bad idea actually," Marianna admitted.
"How do we do that?" I inquired. The prospect of turning the tables was an attractive one.
"I can sense the Fencer over there…" Marianna pointed to an outcropping of rocks. Perfect for someone to set up an ambush.
"Okay. Galdo? Go around to the rear but wait for my signal. Marianna, go with him. I'll give the signal, Eryn can ping you. When you make your charge I'll come in from the front. Nepgear? I want you to do something a little different," Fang smirked.
Fang's plan for me was to use my HDD to fly around to the side, to come at the Fencer from the one angle they wouldn't possibly expect. However, I had a concern. "I might get blown away by the wind."
"Oh. Yeah, that would be bad. Okay, you can stay just out of sight and cover us with your rifle," Fang amended the plan. Any plan that involved extreme air currents was vetoed. Eryn sent a communication ping to Giselle.
The plan was ready and everyone was in position. Galdo and Marianna reached their objective. Fang pointed to where I could remain hidden, but had a clear view of the area. I just had to do a little climbing, but it was on the lee side of the mountain. Once we were certain there was only a single person, it was time to move. Fang sent the signal, Galdo and Marianna charged up from the rear, while he rushed the front. A high-pitched shriek, however, easily carried over the wind. I got to my position in time to see…
Tiara, seated at a table like the first time we met her, surrounded on all sides by guns and bows.
{Uh oh,} I said to my Fairies. That did not make a good impression to the girl who didn't know of Fang, and there was also a chance of this being a ploy to lower our guard. {What else can you see?} Was there something we missed?
{She's the only Fencer in sight.} Amethyst groaned. It wasn't a matter of a false positive. Tiara was the one who set off Marianna's Fencer detector.
{Awkward is awkward.} Konton mentally squirmed in embarrassment.
{What if she's a decoy? A bait?} I asked the two. I couldn't help but remain wary, for being lured out was not a good prospect.
{I sent a message to Eryn. She'll see that Giselle gets it.} Amethyst said. It was too good a theory to ignore.
{Thanks.}
"Why are you here!?" Tiara stood suddenly, Cui turned into a double glaive.
"We're here looking for a Fury! No one wanted your dumb ass!" Fang's mouth ran away with him again. Tiara turned red and stammered.
"N-now wait a minute… Don't think you can distract me by turning me on! Wait! I didn't mean to say that!" Tiara flailed her free hand in embarrassment.
"We don't have time for this! Did she already take the Fury?" Marianna reminded Fang of why we were here.
"Of course I did! I was told there was a Fury here for the taking. One of my contacts, S. Herman, told me it was here," Tiara replied primly.
"Who the Heck is 'S. Herman?'" Fang asked.
{That's Sherman!} I exclaimed to my Fairies. What a choice of alias there, mister!
The message spread quickly, eliciting a strong response from everyone. Tiara continued to talk, oblivious to the fact we stiffened in alarm.
"Well I don't know. He sends me everything in writing…" Tiara said.
"Down, down, down!" Chiaki yelled from atop her perch. A spinning arrow shot through the air, laced in Thunder, and sheared through the wind. It found its mark in the side of a pure white mecha with gold highlights and wings. The arrow detonated with thunderous force as one of its cannons exploded. Wait, that was the flying mecha I saw earlier!
It was as large as CFW Brave and resembled him to a degree. It used to have what looked like a Buster Rifle, but it was now just Busted. In its other hand was a sword twice the size of Fang. A second arrow streaked in, but it struck the gold lion on the torso to no effect.
"What's going on!?" Tiara cried in alarm, but switched her weapon to a bow regardless.
"Damn it! It was an ambush, but not by Fencers!" Fang kept his weapon switched to ranged. The mech was smart by not landing, and instead stayed hovering in midair. It was so bulky the wind didn't even budge the warmachine.
In my case, I first casted buffs on all of us, that is, Defensive and Offensive Cheers. We had to be at our best to face it. A round of Buffing and Debuffing was only half-effective, for the Buffs functioned just fine, but it was completely immune to Debuffs.
"Here it comes!" Marianna skipped back as the warmachine brought back its sword arm. The machine swept the sword through the forward line. Fang, Galdo, and Marianna were already clearing the strike zone. It responded by firing the vulcan guns on either side of it's head, stitching up the startled fighters with bullets.
Not wanting to show myself yet, I attempted to summon something to fight on my behalf, and the first thing that came to mind were the spherical drones from my Bits Combination. With just a thought, they appeared nearby. I felt the spell dig into my energy, but this meant I didn't need the EXE Drive to use them. I directed them to fan out and strafe the mecha, shooting their laser cannons from different directions, aiming for joints and other weak points.
For a moment, a thought occurred to me, that I may have chosen the wrong spell, that the drones would be blown away by the wind. However, I noticed that they were flying as if unaffected, and I could sense a kind of magic protecting them. Huh...
The mecha wasted time trying to swat the smaller moving targets. Each individual beam wasn't that damaging, but it seemed particularly wary of the red gem on its chest. Tiara used the distraction to cast heal on the injured frontliners. She might not know us, but at least she wasn't a hindrance. Chiaki fired another arrow from a different location. The arrow hit the red gem, causing the mech to flinch, actually flinch.
"Go for the gem!" Fang stopped trying to use the powerful, but inaccurate launcher. He switched to the more accurate gun. The shots struck true before the mecha suddenly turned away from him.
In my case, I had my drones redirect their attacks towards the crimson gem, while dodging the mecha's attacks. It could turn its back on Fang, but not on the drones. The machine 'bellowed' as capacitors charged. It turned back to us with the gem blazing like an angry sun.
"No!" Tiara jumped in front of the mecha, a digital barrier comprised of octagons appeared around her. Just in time too, as the beam bore down on her relentlessly. The mecha made a strange 'sigh' sound as the beam cut off with a whine.
"You damn idiot!" Fang would have called her something worse, if she didn't drop to her knees in exhaustion.
"The machine is vulnerable! Flirt later!" Marianna yelled, even as she used one of her special techniques to strike the overheated gem. The mecha groaned as the strained crystal took further abuse.
While my drones pressed their attack on the gem, I aided their efforts with another spell. Remembering the fight against Sherman, I called upon a Prismatic Burst of my own, aimed right at the crystal. Since the explosion of light would immediately appear under the target, it wouldn't reveal where it was cast from.
"Here we go…!" Galdo brought his scythe around, snapping off a blade of wind for the gem. The continual pressure from the Prismatic Burst, followed by the wind blade, caused it to crack.
"Nooo…! Stay in the air! Come on! Keep flying!" A panicked voice came from within the machine. The flying mecha was powering down as the gem flashed rapidly.
"Ah, damn it! There's someone in there!" Fang called out.
"Then he shouldn't have come after us," Marianna didn't hesitate to put an arrow into the center of the gem. There came a sharp detonation as the overtaxed crystal exploded into shards. The pilot's despairing cry dwindled off, swept away by the wind. She turned towards Fang with a challenging look, chin raised defiantly.
"What?" Fang asked.
"Aren't you going to scold me for killing him?" She asked.
"Why? He was here to kill us and there was no way to rescue him," Fang gestured over the sharp drop.
In my case, I wasn't sure what to make of it. On one hand, we had to defend ourselves. On the other hand...
"Seriously, we need to stop the drama already," Chiaki said as she landed beside me.
"And there it goes!" Galdo casually tossed the hollow Fury over the end without fanfare. It vanished into the deep crevasse without a sound, troubling us no more.
"Why did you throw a perfectly good Fury away like that?" Tiara reminded us that she was there.
I walked over to them, catching my breath from the magic I used. "It's a malignant one… It influences its wielder for the worse."
"It's hollow. There is no Fairy inside," Eryn added.
"So, that was what Cui felt. What was all that?" Tiara asked.
"It was a trap set for us. Though why you were dragged in as well is a mystery," Marianna said.
"Sherman mentioned that the Blood of the Vile God runs in her veins," Chiaki said.
"What nonsense is that?" Tiara looked genuinely confused.
"He said that you told him… but I don't think 'you' told him," Chiaki mused.
"More stuff from before we came back in time," Fang pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Time travel? Blood of the Vile God? You people are insane!" Tiara understandably exclaimed. To those not in the loop, it would sound out-of-this-world.
"And you're in danger because a psycho with an agenda wants to kill you. Whether you believe us or not, that is one thing that's true," Fang insisted.
"Can we do this somewhere else? We have to catch our ride back and the wind is really rubbing us raw," Galdo said. His mastery of the Wind element didn't seem to protect him from the fierce gusts.
"Good point. Let's go," I replied.
The truck was waiting for us by the time we got down the mountain. Tiara had to be almost guided along by Chiaki and Eryn. The poor Water Fencer was in shock over the revelations thrown at her. If she was of the blood of the Vile God, I couldn't sense anything, and Konton couldn't either. The only ones who knew what went on before were Fang and Galdo. Galdo didn't seem to know either, but Fang was too knowing. Something happened to Tiara that haunted him. He just couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"When we get back, we're taking some time off to decompress," Marissa said. The matronly Fairy didn't usually assert herself, but her tone brooked no contradiction.
"You won't hear an argument from me," Amethyst appeared at my side.
"Tiara looks batter dipped and fried," Konton grimaced.
"I can tell, she's overwhelmed," Chiaki nodded. Giselle in her lap as per usual.
"Ugh. I need to get a new dress and wash my hair. Bui Valley was not kind," Marianna tried to pat her windswept hair down in vain.
"Yeah we need a break. Too much rushing around lately," Galdo shook his head.
"Agreed," I replied, my head slightly tilted down. It wasn't just because of being spent from the trek and the battle. {Was it really okay, what we did…?} I asked Amethyst. Someone actually died by our hand...
{There was no way to save him. He wouldn't have stopped. The machine was already malfunctioning. I don't agree with Marianna giving him a final send off, but the machine could have exploded and hurt us too.} Amethyst said.
{He chose to come after us.} Konton said in a subdued tone. Neither one of my Fairies were happy even if they accepted what happened.
{All right…} I hugged both Fairies, seeking their comfort. Neither was I happy, but if the other option was dying…
The ride back was made in silence. A break from all this did sound nice. Amethyst held me in her lap as Konton snuggled to my... bosom, which made me slightly blush in embarrassment. We sat like that all the way back to Zelwinds.
Sad, but from what I've seen so far, the game does not pull punches about what the level of power you're throwing around means for the average person on the receiving end of it.
Although I am a bit miffed that IFI was of the opinion that it was okay to release the game 3 hours later than the usual time for eShop releases...
Although I am a bit miffed that IFI was of the opinion that it was okay to release the game 3 hours later than the usual time for eShop releases...
Splitting the Party
- Location
- PA
AN: Time to rawk @UbeOne
Splitting the Party
When the next day came, Fang gathered the team in the living room, Eryn standing right beside him. Even Tiara was there, though she had no idea why. The girl in light blue sat huddled on the sofa, while Chiaki sat at her side to offer what support she could. By now, she was a champion at overcoming fright. Giselle, meanwhile, held Cui in her lap. Marianna, for her part, looked as if she didn't sleep much the night before. The normally immaculate woman was pensive, her partner gazing at her in concern. As for Galdo, he appeared fine on the outside, but the way he tapped his bicep said much more. Marissa could be seen cuddling up against him for comfort. After a moment, he draped an arm around her shoulders. Finally, Amethyst sat beside me, with Konton on my shoulder.
Everyone was tired and in dire need of a rest, a long one. Taking small breaks wasn't helping this time. Lola, our information broker, looked around the room with worried eyes. Despite her... mercenary ways, she did seem to care about us.
"You're probably wondering why I called you here. Marissa usually comes to me the night after a big job to suggest we take a break. Luckily for you guys, I didn't need someone to point that out this time. Lola, you see, came to me with a job. She said a new Fury appeared in Bui Valley. Now, I would normally say 'let's go' but…" He took a long look at Tiara, Marianna, and Galdo.
"No, Fang," Galdo started to rise, but an upraised hand stayed him.
"I'm not going alone. Calm down, okay? I'm putting it up to a vote. Do we let this Fury go for now, or do I take volunteers? A quick trip, I already have the transport arranged, run straight to the goal, and back. Lola assures me that no one knows this information. She even told them there was a Fury at the Inverted Tower," Fang smiled wryly.
"Why wouldn't there be a Fury there?" Tiara asked in a subdued manner.
"It's one of the Shrines of the Goddess. Aside from a lot of rubble, we never found a Fury. Lola also said there's no 'Fairy Resonance,'" Fang shrugged.
"A vote, huh? Fine. I oppose," Galdo said outright. Normally they were on the same wavelength, always backing the other's plans, but that wasn't the case this time. Fang nodded with respect to his friend.
"I agree," Chiaki said clearly.
"Fine, agree. I can still fight," Marianna said.
"Even if you agree, you're sidelined. You didn't sleep last night and you're not at your best," Fang stated bluntly. Marianna looked like she wanted to argue, but a wave of exhaustion forced out a yawn. She nodded, grudgingly, but didn't rescind her vote.
"I… I'm not sure..Do I get a vote?" Tiara asked softly.
"Everyone here gets a vote. Even Lola," Fang nodded to her and Lola.
"Opposed," Tiara sighed. Cui hopped into her arms and nuzzled the girl's face comfortingly. She managed a wan smile for her partner.
"I'll go along with whatever the majority decides. Even if I think… It might not be worth it this time," Lola said. "I'll even give you your money back…" She reluctantly made the offer, as if it were dragged from the depths of her soul.
"A stalemate is the same as 'all opposed,'" Fang said.
{What do you think, Amethyst? Konton?} I asked them. {I'd rather not go…} I wasn't feeling my best, either.
{That's all that matters. Fang isn't getting angry at Galdo for backing out. I think he's showing real leadership qualities.} Amethyst took a Purple Heart-like stance.
{I think he's more worried about pushing Tiara and whatever is troubling Marianna. He really shouldn't be trying to lead a mission right now.} Konton remarked. The fact that her partners didn't want to go was fine with the smallest Fairy.
I slightly nodded at their comments, my decision now clearer to me. "I vote for 'oppose'."
"Fair enough. Okay! First off, Lola? Keep the money. You still provided information and a distraction. We're going on a picnic," Fang rubbed his hands together.
"Picnic!?" The startled outburst was so disjointed it came out as one shout. I wasn't expecting a picnic, either.
"Picnic. Best place for it would the Sol Plains. The monsters are few and we're so powerful a backhand from Tiara would kill 'em…" 'Hey!' Tiara retorted, but he continued. "...Best place I can think of since if we're around town? We'll start looking for stuff to do."
"A picnic on the Sol Plains… You're a maniac, you know that right?" Galdo chuckled.
"Pfft… Tiara was having a tea party so it's not that strange," Eryn playfully stuck her tongue out.
"I am an experienced Fencer! Such a place holds no threat to me," Tiara grumped, but at least she was out of her funk.
"This is ridiculous…" Marianna sighed.
"Does that mean you 'don't' want the double chocolate cake?" Fang asked.
"...but if you insist," her tune changed quickly.
"Oh this is wonderful! Galdy-kins was starting to look a little worn…" Marissa hugged her partner tightly.
"So this is why Fang is the leader…" Chiaki murmured.
"Mm," I agreed with her. "Good food is good motivation…"
Taking an honest-to-goodness break would do the party a world of good. The inn's chef put together a sizeable picnic lunch for all the big eaters. There was a festive atmosphere as the Fencers marched off once more to do battle… with food. The Sol Plains were a short distance from Zelwinds, categorized by their sparse and weak monsters. Since the denser concentrations were further inside, the group set up at the entrance.
Compared to the last time I was here, days ago when I first woke up as Nepgear, I was no longer helpless nor afraid. I was so much stronger now. Those giant insects, ravens and draconic things? They were small fry compared to Zawaza's monsters, to the mecha, to Chiaki, to Gehaburn, to Sherman. I felt I could handle them easily this time.
"I'll keep an eye out for any pesky ants!" Konton puffed her chest out bravely.
"I'm sure you will do a fine job," Amethyst patted the cute little Fairy with a finger.
"Thanks," I said, joining in the pats. "Oh, and please keep an eye for flies, too." Those might land on the food, after all.
"I will not fail!" Konton gave a comical salute.
Amusingly, Konton's vow spread to the other Fairies. Furies flew out of Fang's 'pocket' disgorging their Fairies into the air. This was the first time we ever saw all of the Fairies in their full glory before, in all shapes and sizes. There were beautiful female Fairies, muscular male Fairies, child Fairies, animal Fairies, and even giant robot Fairies. Some, however, defied description. All had something in common, though: they were happy to be out in the sun.
Unsurprisingly, the monsters in the distance moved a little further away.
In the meantime, I lent a hand to setting things up. Fang decided to delegate responsibility. Translation: He lounged in the shade while everyone else worked. Galdo joined him as well. Chiaki gleefully joined in on the activity while Marianna gave instructions. Marissa and Eryn patently ignored her, but the bossy woman didn't seem to notice. Tiara was the odd woman out as she prowled around the edge of the gathering. Finally Cui had enough and ordered her to join in. The puppy Fairy's barks were surprisingly expressive.
"By the way, I remember seeing machine ruins here last time," I said, recalling those days ago when I saw that strange formation of metal and forgotten machines. Since I wasn't hopelessly lost this time, I found myself curious about them. "What are those?"
"I'm not really from around here…" Fang yawned.
"Yeah I've seen 'em before, but it wasn't really my thing," Galdo shrugged.
The others didn't seem to know either, except for one. Chiaki was practically vibrating in her seat with a huge smile. Her extremely energetic attitude briefly threw Giselle for a loop. She hadn't seen Chiaki when the blonde Fencer was shifting into History Mode.
"Oh, I know the answer to this one! A very long time ago, there was a civilization dedicated to the Goddess. The technology we possess today is scavenged and reverse-engineered from that ancient society. What you are seeing are the relics and husks of a once vast city. The reason some areas are so full of monsters is because the creatures are attracted to the latent magic. However, the Sol Plains were excavated to the point that few of the ancient power sources remain, at least none that are close to the surface. Unfortunately, no one has conducted a more thorough study," Chiaki pouted at the end.
That reminded me of Prothean ruins from another setting, a case of advanced technology based on that of precursors. Why did the ancient society here fall into ruin, though? "Want to take a look later? We might find something new," I suggested, a smile on my face. I couldn't help it. My Nepgear side wasn't the only one interested in it.
"You want to? Of course you do! You asked me to show you around to all the historical places in Zelwinds," Chiaki beamed.
The half-expected shipping jokes failed to materialize. Then again, the jokes were getting old and today was a day to relax. As the picnic went on, people started to wander away to do their own thing. Konton found a plum as big as herself. The littlest Fairy was very much fond of those. She would be busy through the afternoon just getting through it all. Amethyst was wearing a version of Nep's Parka Dress and was stretched out in the shade. She was in good company with Fang and Galdo, who were also napping. Marissa and Eryn spoke quietly with Tiara as the girl needed someone to talk with. Marianna sat demurely on the picnic blanket with a parasol. Every so often, she would glance speculatively in Fang's direction. Khalara snored away next to Cui.
With the Fairies out cavorting, it would take a very brave, foolish,or determined monster to disturb the peace. Hopefully none here matched that description…
Noticing that Chiaki wasn't busy, I went over to her. Now was a good time for some exploration. "Let's visit the ruins," I said. If there were monsters there, I figured my beam saber and my magic would suffice, as well as her skills. If there were more powerful ones than I thought, my HDD would be enough to take care of them.
"Okay! Want to come along, Giselle?" Chiaki asked her partner.
The Gothic Fairy hopped to her feet. "Certainly! If… Nepgear doesn't mind," Giselle blushed at the thought of possibly intruding.
"I won't mind," I quickly replied. The more, the merrier, plus there was strength in numbers.
"Let's go," Chiaki brushed off her skirt.
The area where the largest ruins were was a fair distance from the entrance. However, it rapidly became apparent that the monsters were simply not a threat at all. Even backhanded swipes and strikes were more than enough, such that we secured the clearing in minutes. One of the larger mecha Fairies, colored gold and white, took up sentry duty.
"I once came out here with a Fairyologist. She studied Fairies and their interaction with the world. It was she who sparked my curiosity about history. I would have loved to have seen this place before the excavators came. You can see here… and here… where the machines damaged the ruins," Chiaki pointed out the places where incautious hands ruined history.
I frowned at that. "Were there efforts to preserve this place?" UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the like were a thing in my world, after all.
"There were, but Dorfa argued that they bought the rights. The courts sided with them, as usual," Chiaki muttered.
"Oh," I could only say, sighing. That sounded like the archetype of large corporations or organizations chasing only the money, at the expense of… a lot of things. "So, how come the ancient society fell to ruin?" I asked, changing the topic a bit. Was it an outside force? It turning on itself? Nuclear warfare? A self-fulfilling prophecy of destruction? Degradation of the environment? Something else?
"Some of the tales said it was because of the Descendants of the Vile God. Others still spoke of a Fury whose power was so great, it eclipsed any the world knew of before. Many people vied for the right to hold it, only to tear themselves apart. The truth, sadly, remains unknown. My mentor once said that if we could find the entrance, some light may be shed on the subject. I didn't know what she meant. If there was an entrance to a secret location, Dorfa's machines would have found it," Chiaki shook her head while walking around the clearing.
That only made me more curious. "Maybe we could go inside and look? They might have missed something." We also had to be careful, though. Who knew what was within?
"Inside? But these are mostly hollow shells… I mean the excavation tunnels are here," Chiaki gestured at where the ground was thoroughly tamped over.
"Looks like there are some mechanical devices in this shell," Giselle pointed to a mass of broken machinery at the back of an odd structure. It resembled the upturned prow of a boat leading into a fifteen foot tunnel.
I approached the devices and examined them, looking through Nepgear's knowledge for help. Taking a closer look revealed that the broken machinery was, for the most part, fake. There was no rhyme or reason. If it was reassembled, it would look like a mass of tubes. It might have been a trick of the light, but there seemed to be a small crevice under the wreckage. A leap of faith would be needed to reach into the strange hole. No light seemed to touch the dark.
Not wanting to actually take said leap, to be on the safe side, I reached for my magic and shone a light through the hole, like a flashlight. The magic halted at the edge of the darkness. Chiaki peeked over my shoulder.
"Strange… Could it be an illusion of some sort?" Chiaki mused curiously, but she wasn't curious enough to reach in herself.
"I'll try something first," I said, taking a small rock and throwing it into the darkness. The faint 'clunk' was followed by a 'clank' and another 'clunk.' The clanks and clunks continued for a time before a sudden grinding, and a shriek of rusty gears, echoed in the chamber. More worryingly was the sudden squeal as the floor dropped out from under me, making me cry out in surprise and fright as I fell.
Chiaki quickly used Fairize and caught me on the way down. She used a quick burst of wind to cushion the landing from bone-jarring force to merely uncomfortable. The blonde Fencer set me down in the pool of light coming from above, while I shivered from the sudden drop. That wasn't something I wanted to experience again... A look up at the ceiling revealed the trapdoor was completely broken and hanging open. HDD would let us escape if the need arose. Chiaki then reverted to conserve energy.
The area was sparse, but in surprisingly good condition. Aside from the dust, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. Straight ahead was a door just slightly ajar due to a root extending through the gap from the ceiling. Near the back of the room was a statue that looked as if it were just finished. The image of the Goddess held her eyes to the heavens with an arm upraised.
"I-Interesting…" I said, still a bit jittery, my fall still fresh in my mind. Now I had to check the floor and our steps in case of trapdoors like that one. On that note, we had to be cautious in case of booby traps.
"Oh wow!" Chiaki exclaimed softly. A brief flash, and she took a picture of the statue. As if that wasn't enough, she decided to take more pictures. Specifically of the moulding, the architecture, and even her companions. 'This must be like heaven to her.'
"Gunlight is close by. I could signal him if we need a lift out," Giselle said, likely referring to the mecha Fairy.
"Leave? But we just got here!" Chiaki waved her arms animatedly.
"H-Having an escape route is a lifesaver," I commented. Old places like this normally weren't the most stable, and in fiction, had a habit of collapsing later on.
"That is true… I just can't wait to tell Harley what we found! If I ever see her again… She went missing in the wilds months ago," Chiaki's surge of excitement was replaced by a brief flash of melancholy. However, she shook it off to be in the here and now. Giselle hugged her waist regardless, eliciting a pleased smile.
I gave her a gentle pat on the back. "Was she the Fairyologist who inspired you?"
"Yes! Oh, she would have loved seeing all the Fairies we have… Maybe we can find the truth of why the civilization fell!" Just like that, Chiaki's excitement returned at full blast. She was visibly restraining herself from going for the door.
"Yeah… but let's make sure we live to tell the tale," I said. I was curious, too, but again, that trapdoor… My life was also Amethyst's and Konton's, after all.
On that note, I remembered something. They ought to know where I was in case something were to happen. As such, I mentally contacted them, informing them of my situation.
{Want us to come?} Amethyst asked. Across the link, it was obvious both Fairies wanted to be there, but were respecting it if I wanted time alone.
{Yes, please. We'd be safer if you're here…} I replied.
{We're coming!} Konton caroled happily. Almost as soon as she made that declaration, the pair of Fairies dropped through the trapdoor. Just because they were giving me space didn't mean the two weren't nearby.
"We were almost here from the moment you screamed," Amethyst hugged me, eliciting a smile and a comforted feeling from me.
"Thanks," I said to her.
"Looks like a party," Konton turned around in circles, curiously cataloguing the room.
"Yup," I said. "So, let's start with the door?"
"We should probably do this cautiously. Sometimes old ruins have traps and security measures. There are confirmed reports of rogue defense systems attacking intruders," Chiaki said.
"I can just squeeze through the crack in the door," Konton didn't wait before acting. She was small enough to drift between the crack. After a moment, she came back, "Nothing on the other side except a hallway going left to right," she reported.
"The hallway might lead to somewhere," I remarked.
Amethyst took hold of the doors and shoved with surprising force. The two halves almost leaped apart at the Fairy's show of strength. Konton and Giselle were flabbergasted at the sight, while the purple-haired Fairy dusted off her hands.
"S-strong…" Chiaki mumbled.
"Yeah…" I concurred, not expecting that show of strength, either. Wow... "I'm thinking we go left first."
The left hallway went down about twenty meters and hooked to the left. Konton stayed just ahead to act as early warning. It was quiet, too quiet... yet nothing terrible jumped out at all. Chiaki, for her part, was using her camera to catalogue the various murals on the wall, while I observed the art. The next hallway ended at another door with a blinking device, which was sputtering and flickering as if running low on power. How did it still have energy, anyway? Talk about advanced tech.
"The fact that anything still has power down here is amazing…" Chiaki marveled. The device almost looked like a card reader connected directly to the door.
"Is this going to turn into a fetch quest where we have to find a keycard?" Konton asked.
"Would the universe truly be so predictable?" Amethyst argued.
"I subscribe in the belief of the perversity of the universe," Giselle deadpanned.
"The universe is a pervert. Got it," Konton nodded wisely.
"That is not what I meant!" Giselle stamped her foot.
"Easy there, Giselle. Konton is just winding you up," Amethyst said.
"I see a Tsundere, I tease a Tsundere," Konton said.
"What is a 'soon-dairy?'" Chiaki asked.
"A Tsundere? That's, hm… not easy to define. Uh… someone who is fiery or harsh on the outside, but warm on the inside?" I suggested. It kinda felt like a case of 'I know one when I see one', what with them having certain mannerisms and wordings, like with Noire and Uni.
"But Giselle is a cuddlebug!" Chiaki proved it by hugging Giselle. The smaller Fairy hugged her back.
"And if we tried to hug her?" Konton smirked.
"I can make localized black holes," Giselle stated flatly.
"Hmmm… not enough heat. You're right. Not a Tsundere," Konton decided.
"A Kuudere, then?" I lightheartedly asked, referring to being calm and standoffish on the outside, yet soft on the inside.
"Ah! Good catch, Nepgear. Wow, I can't believe I failed the 'dere test," the littlest fairy shook her head sadly.
Giselle's cheeks puffed out even as Chiaki patted her hair. The Gothic Fairy looked as if she were about to erupt and endanger her Kuudere status.
"Can we please get back to the door?" Amethyst sighed, reminding us of the situation at hand.
"Right," I said, taking a breath as I went back to a more serious mood. "Maybe the device could be hacked?" I preferred not to have to find the keycard.
Using Nepgear's memories, it was a simple thing to pop the cover, as a cloud of dust slowly drifted to the floor. The inside was a mess, but the wires were easy to recognize. It was a simple key door, but not in the usual manner. A key would be inserted in the lock to complete the circuit, opening the door. Now that I saw what was needed, all it took was carefully twisting the ID wires together, making sure not to electrocute myself. A brief spark and a hum heralded the shriek of old gears. Amethyst took hold of the door and shoved it open further. An avalanche of skeletal remains fell over her eliciting a scream of shock.
"Looks like they got a bone to pick with you," Konton said.
"You're not that humerus," Giselle said.
"Give her a hand… Oh dear!" Chiaki didn't mean the pun as a skeletal hand hit the floor.
Amethyst stared at the skull lodged in her cleavage for a long moment.
"Most action I've received in centuries," she sighed.
In my case, I was surprised, gasping at the falling bones, only to be concerned for Amethyst, then amused at the onslaught of puns. "Very punny," I said. "Are you okay?"
"Physically I'm fine, but my pride is mortally wounded," Amethyst plucked the skull from her bosom and set it to one side.
"You forgot to let me check~!" Konton caroled sweetly.
"But then we wouldn't know Amethyst needed to be boned," Giselle said without changing expression.
"Now that's just cold," Chiaki tried not to giggle.
"I would ask for help, but I'm pretty sure you would misinterpret," the older Fairy sighed even as her lip quirked with suppressed amusement.
"So what did we find?" Konton took a peek in the room and blinked. Then blinked again. "Oh Nep…" Her jaw dropped.
"What is it… Oh dear," Chiaki also froze.
"I'm not sure what to say…" Giselle stared with wide eyes.
What I saw before me were a whole lot of… Furies, all with a layer of dust on them. "What the goodness?" I reacted much like the others. I wasn't expecting this at all!
"One of them is live, but the others aren't… At least not enough for me to tell," Konton said as she floated around the room.
"There has to be at least thirty Furies in here!" Chiaki exclaimed.
The designs were more ornate than the ones we found in the field. Each one looked as if it belonged to nobility. Konton was carefully checking each one to determine if any of them were still alive. Giselle stood closer to Chiaki for comfort. Even Amethyst stood closer, and so was I, the room having a somber mood to it. It was like being in the presence of a mass grave. The littlest Fairy was performing a frankly ghoulish task.
"I… think they're better off resting in peace here…" I softly spoke. I didn't want to desecrate this place.
Konton let out a low whistle. Without any warning, she suddenly expanded to human size, something I hadn't seen before. The former littlest Fairy grinned before drawing one of the Furies out. She brought it over to us as the smile slowly left her face.
"This one is still alive, but is a bit traumatized. Leaving it here would be a bad idea," Konton handed the Fury to Chiaki.
The blonde blinked in surprise. "Why me?" She asked.
"This one only started reacting when I was closer to you. I think if anyone can help them, it's you," Konton said gently.
"I will do my best," Chiaki promised.
"As if you could do any less," Amethyst smiled.
"My Fencer is the best," Giselle said loyally.
"You'll be fine." A supportive smile could be seen on my face.
"Do we continue? I already told Eryn where we are," Amethyst said.
Konton poofed back into her small form and fell on my shoulder. She gave an exaggerated pout at suddenly timing out.
"I can keep going. Just can't use my big form again," Konton grumbled.
"The fact you even had one is surprising," Chiaki remarked.
"Yeah I'm awesome like that," Konton said without a trace of conceit. Her faith in herself was staggering.
"Never seen that form before…" I commented. Now I wondered what happened to the ancient Fury. "So, what did the Fairy say?" I added, my inquiry directed towards Chiaki.
"I can't get them to communicate. I just keep getting this feeling of loneliness and depression. They've gone so far past horror they've gone into catatonia. I think they were buried with the dead…" Chiaki hugged the unawake Fury. That sounded similar to a practice of burying live servants, concubines and the like with their kings and such, a horror, indeed...
"There may be others," Giselle said in a subdued tone.
"Then let's continue," I suggested. For one thing, we hadn't gone to whatever was on the other side of the hallway yet, and these ancient Fairies may want a breath of fresh air, away from this tomb...
There was, indeed, still the matter of the other hallway. Konton took up a scouting position once again. At the end of the other hallway there was a left and a right path. The right path ended with another door while the left seemed to lead to a dead end.
"Do you sense anything to the left?" I asked, in case it was a false end, an illusion or disguise. I stretched out my senses as well, to try and find out. There didn't seem to be anything to sense.
"There is something further below us…" Konton pondered the dead end before turning towards the door. I wondered what it could be. Maybe it was something big, as was usually the case?
"I hope this door doesn't lead to a mass grave too," Chiaki said. Giselle took her hand comfortingly.
"No one will hurt you while I'm around," she promised. Her Fencer cooed over how cute she was.
"I won't just yank the door open this time," Amethyst shivered.
"Okay," I said, mentally bracing myself for what could lie ahead.
The door was locked the same as the other, such that it was but the work of moments to unlock the door. This time, Konton went first to see what was inside and immediately darted back out.
"There's a long flight of stairs… and I think there was something moving down there…" Konton said a bit breathlessly.
"How dark is it?" Chiaki asked.
"Dark enough that I could barely make out movement. Even with my sight," Konton said.
"Uh oh…" I found myself shivering at the thought of the unknown down there. Jump scares weren't my thing. "We'll need a light." I shone a small, luminous ball from my palm for emphasis.
"Want to call Gunlight? Then again he wouldn't fit down here…" Giselle grimaced.
"A hand light will do," Chiaki added a luminous ball of her own.
Amethyst exhaled and jerked the door to the side, then leaped back in case whatever was down there reacted. The sudden radiance from the twin lights caused the thing down below to shriek and flee deeper.
I accompanied the others as we proceeded, glancing at the surroundings around me. It was rather confining in here, and it was as if something hidden would come out anytime.
At the bottom of the stairs, it widened out into another room. There was no light save for our hand lights. The same shrieking could be heard from multiple corners as slithering things scuttled deeper in the darkness, making me flinch.
Amethyst shifted into gunblade form while Giselle took rapier mode. The swell of power as the Fairies fully resonated was a relief to us. I kept my light strong and my Fury on hand as we continued to explore, still on edge at the thought of encountering one of those screeching critters.
There were four exits to the room. The stairs we entered, a passage to the left, one to the right, and straight ahead. Silvery eyes gleamed in the darkness, unmoving and silent. Chiaki changed her position to stand where she wasn't blocking my sword arm. Konton returned and joined with Amethyst again just in case.
It was difficult to bear the suspense any longer. "How about shining it right into them…" I murmured to the others, waiting for an objection. If none are given, I would then amplify my light, directing it right into their sensitive eyes. Chiaki simply aimed her light right where I did. The light struck the creature's eyes, eliciting an even greater shriek as the silvery orbs visibly sizzled.
{It's not even an attack!} Konton exclaimed.
{Wow...You and Chiaki are a bad matchup for these guys…} Amethyst noted with surprise.
Not taking chances, I waved my hand, summoning a Convergence of light beams and making it slam into the beast. The brilliant flare of magic caused the entire room and hallway to erupt in blazing light. For just a moment, the things in the darkness were highlighted in stark relief. The largest was a thing of fright, the size of a crocodile with four lizard-like legs and a segmented tail. Rows of teeth filled a slathering maw. All around were countless creatures of the same type as the larger one, the Convergence erasing the latter in moments. The bright flash, however, robbed us of our night vision.
{There they are!} Next, I called down a Lightfall, showering the area, thus where they were, in luminous spears of white. I couldn't take chances, not with how many of them there were. Chiaki cast her own wide area spell in the opposite direction, just to fill the entire area with killing light.
"There are quite a lot of them," Chiaki noted grimly.
{They're one-hit point wonders, but there's so many!} Amethyst remarked.
{A Zerg rush,} I concurred. I glanced around, readying myself in case there were more where they came from.
As soon as the darkness descended once more, an unnerving, keening screech filled the air. The sound of thousands of tiny claws skittering along every surface could be heard. There was no way to tell from which direction they came. Chiaki's Lightfall split the dark as hundreds of tiny monstrosities died.
There were just too many of them! I didn't know how long we could last. We weren't in the best shape for a prolonged battle. "Do we proceed, or fall back?" I asked the others out of caution. We had the option to continue this another time, when we were more prepared for something like this. We came to relax, not to fight. I was expecting occasional monsters, not this kind of scourge!
"Let's go," Chiaki immediately voted to leave. Giselle called her support from the Fury.
{Our energy is limited.} Amethyst said.
{Man, an actual Zerg Rush. I mean, they're not Zerg, thank Nep, but they're relentless!} Konton said.
The best thing about the endless wave was the one WP per monster killed. One WP didn't sound like much, but it added up with the hundreds of creatures present, though they didn't give Experience. The rush would be easier to handle with more people, however. We quickly backed out of the room towards the stairs. Once we were halfway up, and the faint light grew stronger, they stopped following.
We kept moving towards the exit, considering ourselves done with the expedition for the moment. Gunlight was waiting for us at the trapdoor, the mecha Fairy easily lifting us out and back into the daylight. Amethyst found a heavy piece of broken machinery outside, and with Gunlight's help, moved it in front of the entrance to hide the trapdoor from view.
"That was… a thing…" I said to my companions, catching my breath from our escape. "Are you okay…?"
"Yes… It was a bit claustrophobic down there. The monsters wouldn't have been an issue if there wasn't so many," Chiaki stretched.
"Agreed." It reminded me of an old saying, something about a scorpion which could be overcome by a swarm of ants. Quantity had a quality all its own.
The picnic supplies were packed by the time we returned. Fang wanted to know what we were up to because of all the dust. Chiaki belatedly brushed off her shoulders, while Amethyst causally shook a finger bone out of her dress. The party realized we must have been fighting as their WP increased rapidly too.
"You found a hidden ruin filled with swarming monsters?" Fang asked.
"Yup," I said. "A whole lot of creepy crawlies." That was enough excitement for the day.
"We also found a Fury. However the poor thing is traumatized," Chiaki patted her waist where the Fury rested in her belt.
"Lost ruin, free WP, and maybe more Furies? We really should come back and explore it more," Fang decided.
"Right now my stomach is too full to think of fighting," Galdo sighed contentedly.
"We can come back later," Marianna agreed.
"Perhaps this won't be so bad…" Tiara smiled briefly.
A mysterious voice drifted through the clearing, "...If you survive that long."
The relaxed mood evaporated as everyone readied themselves for battle. They stood in a wide circle facing outward with Galdo facing inward, just in case. The mysterious person appeared in the middle, some kind of dark gray teddy bear, but demented and human-sized. The white grin plastered on his torso didn't help matters.
"What's this about?" I asked, feeling on edge at the thought of a possible boss fight. The stranger's words sounded hostile to me.
"Hey! Do you know a guy named Pippin?" Fang asked. Wasn't that a green, bear-shaped bonus weapon in Re;Birth 2?
"Pippin…? Ah, so you know my worthless son. I am Pappin," Pappin introduced himself.
"Your son…? I didn't know he had a father… Who was the mother?" Galdo mused to himself, but didn't lower his guard. There was something about this person that screamed danger.
"He isn't a Fencer… but this aura is overwhelming…" Marianna noted tensely.
"We outnumber him. Take advantage of that and force him to split his attention!" Fang instructed. A flash of light, and suddenly, our leader was flying away from the group with a gash across his chest.
"Wha!?" Chiaki suddenly screamed as he appeared in her guard. She brought her Fury down in time to block his stroke. The sheer power behind it still caused her to crash into a cliff wall. Both Fencer and Fairy cried out in pain.
Noticing what was going on, I casted Defensive Cheer on ourselves as quickly as I could. He was so fast…!
"Eh…!?" Tiara brought up her barrier in time to intercept the strike. She let out a cry of shock as the barrier shattered like glass. Before he could capitalize on the opening, Marianna rocked towards him in Fairize. Pappin easily evaded the lance charge.
"Resorting to your tricks already?" Pappin asked mockingly.
"Why are you attacking us?!" I could not think of an explanation for this sudden, unprovoked fight. While that was said, I tried to heal Fang, followed by Chiaki.
Pappin vanished from sight and appeared in front of me. His katana flashed left, right, diagonal, and down. "I am here to slay the enemies of Justice."
My eyes widened. 'He's one of Sherman's!' I parried the swipes as best I could, all the while trying to make some space between us. However, each strike hit with the force of a hammer, driving me back.
"Get off her!" Galdo also used Fairize and fired a barrage of arrows. Pappin leaped back while casually striking the arrows from the air.
While that was happening, I drew on the power of my Shares. Choosing HDD for its mobility and flight in an open area like this, I activated the mental switch for it. A flash of light later, and I looked just like Purple Sister, outfit and processor unit and everything. However, I couldn't call myself that, not when I had my own identity. As Nepgear said to me before, I wasn't Purple Sister. I was me.
Taking to the sky, I strafed Pappin, firing at him with my gunblade while on the move. However, he proved to be very much hard to hit.
"Big mistake…" Fang's eyes took on a serious cast as his already potent energy rose higher. He used Fairize just as a corona of flame erupted from his back like wings. Eryn flew through the air as the swordsman executed his own blinding series of strokes. Pappin parried the strikes with ridiculous ease.
"What is this monster…?" Tiara cast recovery spells like they were going out of style. She stayed out of range now. Pappin blurred from sight to try and stop her from casting anymore.
"Grand Impact!" Chiaki cried as she executed her Fairize special. Her armor shone with divine light as she hovered in midair. Pappin broke off his assault to fortify his guard. Just in time as she rocketed across the field like a missile. He slashed just in time to deflect the very tip of her rapier while sidestepping quickly. The explosion of radiance burst outward with shocking force.
"Not bad-!" Pappin was cut off by Giselle's whispered. {Negative Impact.}
The radiance abruptly switched direction as a blue/black distortion of space appeared. All of the magic from Chiaki's special was drawn back in with great force. However, Pappin threw his sword with remarkable accuracy, striking Chiaki in the stomach.
"Hurk…" Chiaki fell to her knees as the spell dissipated. Pappin panted from the close call.
"Hiyah!" Fang brought a greataxe around to strike the exhausted assassin. Pappin still had some life left in him as he vaulted back and tore his sword from Chiaki's stomach.
{Even Sherman wasn't this strong!} I said to Amethyst. I took a moment to place a Hyper Heal on the injured Chiaki, before continuing my attack. What could we do?
{You could try our combo attack!} Konton exclaimed.
{At this rate he's going to outlast us.} Amethyst concluded grimly.
{But he's fast! How are we supposed to hit him?} I replied to Konton. Divinity Breaker was too risky to use, and I was in HDD, not Fairize. In any case, I simply kept moving and firing.
{Divinity Breaker can be used in HDD or Fairize.} Konton assured me.
Galdo flew past while reverting from Fairize. Marianna was already unconscious on the ground. Even casting Slow on Pappin didn't hinder him much. He resorted to sword waves. Fang was back on his feet but he didn't appear to be in good shape either.
"Stand still, mongrel…" Tiara growled as she pointed Cui in gun form in Pappin's direction. She took aim and opened fire with a rapid barrage of water bullets. The swordsman slashed the bullets out of the air...only to get struck as they burst right in his face.
"Indirect attacks… Pin him down! Indirect attacks!" Fang suited action to words as he brought out the Launcher and opened fire.
"Right!" Galdo slashed his scythe in wide arcs sending wind blades to surround the enemy. Each wind blade that struck the water or grenades disoriented Pappin further. Marianna and Chiaki added their support in the form of magic. The evil grey teddy was growing more frantic as more shots got through.
{Oooh… I think we have an opening. Use your biggest attack!} Amethyst exclaimed.
{Got it!} I said, taking Konton's suggestion and readying my, or rather, our Divinity Breaker.
The HDD version was subtly different as I rocketed into the air at full speed. At the apex of my ascent, I held the Fury over my head, which took the Greatsword Form before doubling in size. Energy coalesced in the blade as I descended towards the battlefield, a battle cry upon my lips. Pappin didn't even have a chance to look up as the sword drop struck him on the crown. A thunderous roar shook the ground as the pure force cracked the land. The assassin was struck so hard he augered through the ground. Dirt covered his form completely as if he were buried.
I couldn't take chances, but the choice was taken from me as Amethyst reverted, and so did I, for I could no longer sustain my HDD. "What do we do now?"
"Finish him off, I guess…" Fang winced. The others were starting to suffer an adrenaline crash. Anyone still in Fairize reverted as their Fairy partners were too tired to sustain the form. Konton and Amethyst were in a similar position, and I could feel my tiredness creeping up on me.
{Divinity Breaker in HDD doesn't break bonds. Just hits really, really hard. I wouldn't be surprised if that punched his ticket.} Konton said with exhaustion coloring her voice.
"I must say that was quite invigorating," Pappin sat up from the mound of dirt. The party froze in shock as he didn't even appear wounded. He held up a small cracked figurine smugly.
{Sacrificial Doll…! Damn it!} Amethyst raged. 'A Substitute like in Pokemon? I had no idea!'
He stood up from his grave and dusted himself off with deliberate casualness. "I underestimated you. Good show. I know where I went wrong this time. Mistakes were made."
"What are you going on about?" Fang tried to shift Eryn to weapon form, but the exhausted Fairy flopped to the ground.
He pointed right at me, "You will die first." With that grim pronouncement, he vanished at high speed.
My energy spent, my Fairies unable to continue, and with no other options left, I could only bring out my beam saber and brace myself for impact. At that moment, I was so scared. I didn't want to die…
Pappin's voice carried on the wind, "You have a warrior's instincts, girl… I look forward to meeting you again."
"The presence is gone…" Marianna prodded her skull lightly, wincing at each bruise found.
"Urp…" Chiaki threw up on the ground. Her recently healed stomach rebelled.
"W-why did he run…?" Galdo cradled his head painfully.
"Maybe he was weakened…?" Tiara suggested.
"Damn it all… We were more outclassed than when we faced Sherman," Fang punched his hand before wincing. His hands were covered in minute cuts.
"He's going to come back for Nepgear. How do we stop him?" Chiaki wiped her mouth weakly.
"We get stronger. I don't know of anything else we could do. Too bad she couldn't use the attack she did on Sherman…" Fang groaned. He glanced in my direction. It wasn't a slight.
"What did it do?" Marianna asked.
"She cut straight through his defenses. One moment he was standing, and the next? Down," Galdo said.
On a side note, I was getting more and more used to being referred to in the feminine manner, like with Nepgear calling me her sister that night. It wasn't awkward anymore. Rather, it felt more like a part of me.
"I… need to get stronger first…" I said. Horizon Cut, the attack in question, was still greyed out in my mind, locked out of my reach. The thought of someone actively after me made me shudder...
{So you want to get stronger?} Purple Sister suddenly asked.
Nepgear? She was here? I hadn't noticed! {I have to… for them and for myself…}
{You have improved immensely on the outside. I think that it's time you strengthen your spirit. Are you ready?} She asked.
I nodded, for I had to do this. {I am.}
{This won't be easy, but if you're willing, we can do this. Come to me tonight like you did to explore your soul.} Purple Sister's voice faded away.
I would probably be able to sneak away as soon as we got back to the Inn. What should have been a day of relaxation turned into a day of trials instead...
Splitting the Party
When the next day came, Fang gathered the team in the living room, Eryn standing right beside him. Even Tiara was there, though she had no idea why. The girl in light blue sat huddled on the sofa, while Chiaki sat at her side to offer what support she could. By now, she was a champion at overcoming fright. Giselle, meanwhile, held Cui in her lap. Marianna, for her part, looked as if she didn't sleep much the night before. The normally immaculate woman was pensive, her partner gazing at her in concern. As for Galdo, he appeared fine on the outside, but the way he tapped his bicep said much more. Marissa could be seen cuddling up against him for comfort. After a moment, he draped an arm around her shoulders. Finally, Amethyst sat beside me, with Konton on my shoulder.
Everyone was tired and in dire need of a rest, a long one. Taking small breaks wasn't helping this time. Lola, our information broker, looked around the room with worried eyes. Despite her... mercenary ways, she did seem to care about us.
"You're probably wondering why I called you here. Marissa usually comes to me the night after a big job to suggest we take a break. Luckily for you guys, I didn't need someone to point that out this time. Lola, you see, came to me with a job. She said a new Fury appeared in Bui Valley. Now, I would normally say 'let's go' but…" He took a long look at Tiara, Marianna, and Galdo.
"No, Fang," Galdo started to rise, but an upraised hand stayed him.
"I'm not going alone. Calm down, okay? I'm putting it up to a vote. Do we let this Fury go for now, or do I take volunteers? A quick trip, I already have the transport arranged, run straight to the goal, and back. Lola assures me that no one knows this information. She even told them there was a Fury at the Inverted Tower," Fang smiled wryly.
"Why wouldn't there be a Fury there?" Tiara asked in a subdued manner.
"It's one of the Shrines of the Goddess. Aside from a lot of rubble, we never found a Fury. Lola also said there's no 'Fairy Resonance,'" Fang shrugged.
"A vote, huh? Fine. I oppose," Galdo said outright. Normally they were on the same wavelength, always backing the other's plans, but that wasn't the case this time. Fang nodded with respect to his friend.
"I agree," Chiaki said clearly.
"Fine, agree. I can still fight," Marianna said.
"Even if you agree, you're sidelined. You didn't sleep last night and you're not at your best," Fang stated bluntly. Marianna looked like she wanted to argue, but a wave of exhaustion forced out a yawn. She nodded, grudgingly, but didn't rescind her vote.
"I… I'm not sure..Do I get a vote?" Tiara asked softly.
"Everyone here gets a vote. Even Lola," Fang nodded to her and Lola.
"Opposed," Tiara sighed. Cui hopped into her arms and nuzzled the girl's face comfortingly. She managed a wan smile for her partner.
"I'll go along with whatever the majority decides. Even if I think… It might not be worth it this time," Lola said. "I'll even give you your money back…" She reluctantly made the offer, as if it were dragged from the depths of her soul.
"A stalemate is the same as 'all opposed,'" Fang said.
{What do you think, Amethyst? Konton?} I asked them. {I'd rather not go…} I wasn't feeling my best, either.
{That's all that matters. Fang isn't getting angry at Galdo for backing out. I think he's showing real leadership qualities.} Amethyst took a Purple Heart-like stance.
{I think he's more worried about pushing Tiara and whatever is troubling Marianna. He really shouldn't be trying to lead a mission right now.} Konton remarked. The fact that her partners didn't want to go was fine with the smallest Fairy.
I slightly nodded at their comments, my decision now clearer to me. "I vote for 'oppose'."
"Fair enough. Okay! First off, Lola? Keep the money. You still provided information and a distraction. We're going on a picnic," Fang rubbed his hands together.
"Picnic!?" The startled outburst was so disjointed it came out as one shout. I wasn't expecting a picnic, either.
"Picnic. Best place for it would the Sol Plains. The monsters are few and we're so powerful a backhand from Tiara would kill 'em…" 'Hey!' Tiara retorted, but he continued. "...Best place I can think of since if we're around town? We'll start looking for stuff to do."
"A picnic on the Sol Plains… You're a maniac, you know that right?" Galdo chuckled.
"Pfft… Tiara was having a tea party so it's not that strange," Eryn playfully stuck her tongue out.
"I am an experienced Fencer! Such a place holds no threat to me," Tiara grumped, but at least she was out of her funk.
"This is ridiculous…" Marianna sighed.
"Does that mean you 'don't' want the double chocolate cake?" Fang asked.
"...but if you insist," her tune changed quickly.
"Oh this is wonderful! Galdy-kins was starting to look a little worn…" Marissa hugged her partner tightly.
"So this is why Fang is the leader…" Chiaki murmured.
"Mm," I agreed with her. "Good food is good motivation…"
Taking an honest-to-goodness break would do the party a world of good. The inn's chef put together a sizeable picnic lunch for all the big eaters. There was a festive atmosphere as the Fencers marched off once more to do battle… with food. The Sol Plains were a short distance from Zelwinds, categorized by their sparse and weak monsters. Since the denser concentrations were further inside, the group set up at the entrance.
Compared to the last time I was here, days ago when I first woke up as Nepgear, I was no longer helpless nor afraid. I was so much stronger now. Those giant insects, ravens and draconic things? They were small fry compared to Zawaza's monsters, to the mecha, to Chiaki, to Gehaburn, to Sherman. I felt I could handle them easily this time.
"I'll keep an eye out for any pesky ants!" Konton puffed her chest out bravely.
"I'm sure you will do a fine job," Amethyst patted the cute little Fairy with a finger.
"Thanks," I said, joining in the pats. "Oh, and please keep an eye for flies, too." Those might land on the food, after all.
"I will not fail!" Konton gave a comical salute.
Amusingly, Konton's vow spread to the other Fairies. Furies flew out of Fang's 'pocket' disgorging their Fairies into the air. This was the first time we ever saw all of the Fairies in their full glory before, in all shapes and sizes. There were beautiful female Fairies, muscular male Fairies, child Fairies, animal Fairies, and even giant robot Fairies. Some, however, defied description. All had something in common, though: they were happy to be out in the sun.
Unsurprisingly, the monsters in the distance moved a little further away.
In the meantime, I lent a hand to setting things up. Fang decided to delegate responsibility. Translation: He lounged in the shade while everyone else worked. Galdo joined him as well. Chiaki gleefully joined in on the activity while Marianna gave instructions. Marissa and Eryn patently ignored her, but the bossy woman didn't seem to notice. Tiara was the odd woman out as she prowled around the edge of the gathering. Finally Cui had enough and ordered her to join in. The puppy Fairy's barks were surprisingly expressive.
"By the way, I remember seeing machine ruins here last time," I said, recalling those days ago when I saw that strange formation of metal and forgotten machines. Since I wasn't hopelessly lost this time, I found myself curious about them. "What are those?"
"I'm not really from around here…" Fang yawned.
"Yeah I've seen 'em before, but it wasn't really my thing," Galdo shrugged.
The others didn't seem to know either, except for one. Chiaki was practically vibrating in her seat with a huge smile. Her extremely energetic attitude briefly threw Giselle for a loop. She hadn't seen Chiaki when the blonde Fencer was shifting into History Mode.
"Oh, I know the answer to this one! A very long time ago, there was a civilization dedicated to the Goddess. The technology we possess today is scavenged and reverse-engineered from that ancient society. What you are seeing are the relics and husks of a once vast city. The reason some areas are so full of monsters is because the creatures are attracted to the latent magic. However, the Sol Plains were excavated to the point that few of the ancient power sources remain, at least none that are close to the surface. Unfortunately, no one has conducted a more thorough study," Chiaki pouted at the end.
That reminded me of Prothean ruins from another setting, a case of advanced technology based on that of precursors. Why did the ancient society here fall into ruin, though? "Want to take a look later? We might find something new," I suggested, a smile on my face. I couldn't help it. My Nepgear side wasn't the only one interested in it.
"You want to? Of course you do! You asked me to show you around to all the historical places in Zelwinds," Chiaki beamed.
The half-expected shipping jokes failed to materialize. Then again, the jokes were getting old and today was a day to relax. As the picnic went on, people started to wander away to do their own thing. Konton found a plum as big as herself. The littlest Fairy was very much fond of those. She would be busy through the afternoon just getting through it all. Amethyst was wearing a version of Nep's Parka Dress and was stretched out in the shade. She was in good company with Fang and Galdo, who were also napping. Marissa and Eryn spoke quietly with Tiara as the girl needed someone to talk with. Marianna sat demurely on the picnic blanket with a parasol. Every so often, she would glance speculatively in Fang's direction. Khalara snored away next to Cui.
With the Fairies out cavorting, it would take a very brave, foolish,or determined monster to disturb the peace. Hopefully none here matched that description…
Noticing that Chiaki wasn't busy, I went over to her. Now was a good time for some exploration. "Let's visit the ruins," I said. If there were monsters there, I figured my beam saber and my magic would suffice, as well as her skills. If there were more powerful ones than I thought, my HDD would be enough to take care of them.
"Okay! Want to come along, Giselle?" Chiaki asked her partner.
The Gothic Fairy hopped to her feet. "Certainly! If… Nepgear doesn't mind," Giselle blushed at the thought of possibly intruding.
"I won't mind," I quickly replied. The more, the merrier, plus there was strength in numbers.
"Let's go," Chiaki brushed off her skirt.
The area where the largest ruins were was a fair distance from the entrance. However, it rapidly became apparent that the monsters were simply not a threat at all. Even backhanded swipes and strikes were more than enough, such that we secured the clearing in minutes. One of the larger mecha Fairies, colored gold and white, took up sentry duty.
"I once came out here with a Fairyologist. She studied Fairies and their interaction with the world. It was she who sparked my curiosity about history. I would have loved to have seen this place before the excavators came. You can see here… and here… where the machines damaged the ruins," Chiaki pointed out the places where incautious hands ruined history.
I frowned at that. "Were there efforts to preserve this place?" UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the like were a thing in my world, after all.
"There were, but Dorfa argued that they bought the rights. The courts sided with them, as usual," Chiaki muttered.
"Oh," I could only say, sighing. That sounded like the archetype of large corporations or organizations chasing only the money, at the expense of… a lot of things. "So, how come the ancient society fell to ruin?" I asked, changing the topic a bit. Was it an outside force? It turning on itself? Nuclear warfare? A self-fulfilling prophecy of destruction? Degradation of the environment? Something else?
"Some of the tales said it was because of the Descendants of the Vile God. Others still spoke of a Fury whose power was so great, it eclipsed any the world knew of before. Many people vied for the right to hold it, only to tear themselves apart. The truth, sadly, remains unknown. My mentor once said that if we could find the entrance, some light may be shed on the subject. I didn't know what she meant. If there was an entrance to a secret location, Dorfa's machines would have found it," Chiaki shook her head while walking around the clearing.
That only made me more curious. "Maybe we could go inside and look? They might have missed something." We also had to be careful, though. Who knew what was within?
"Inside? But these are mostly hollow shells… I mean the excavation tunnels are here," Chiaki gestured at where the ground was thoroughly tamped over.
"Looks like there are some mechanical devices in this shell," Giselle pointed to a mass of broken machinery at the back of an odd structure. It resembled the upturned prow of a boat leading into a fifteen foot tunnel.
I approached the devices and examined them, looking through Nepgear's knowledge for help. Taking a closer look revealed that the broken machinery was, for the most part, fake. There was no rhyme or reason. If it was reassembled, it would look like a mass of tubes. It might have been a trick of the light, but there seemed to be a small crevice under the wreckage. A leap of faith would be needed to reach into the strange hole. No light seemed to touch the dark.
Not wanting to actually take said leap, to be on the safe side, I reached for my magic and shone a light through the hole, like a flashlight. The magic halted at the edge of the darkness. Chiaki peeked over my shoulder.
"Strange… Could it be an illusion of some sort?" Chiaki mused curiously, but she wasn't curious enough to reach in herself.
"I'll try something first," I said, taking a small rock and throwing it into the darkness. The faint 'clunk' was followed by a 'clank' and another 'clunk.' The clanks and clunks continued for a time before a sudden grinding, and a shriek of rusty gears, echoed in the chamber. More worryingly was the sudden squeal as the floor dropped out from under me, making me cry out in surprise and fright as I fell.
Chiaki quickly used Fairize and caught me on the way down. She used a quick burst of wind to cushion the landing from bone-jarring force to merely uncomfortable. The blonde Fencer set me down in the pool of light coming from above, while I shivered from the sudden drop. That wasn't something I wanted to experience again... A look up at the ceiling revealed the trapdoor was completely broken and hanging open. HDD would let us escape if the need arose. Chiaki then reverted to conserve energy.
The area was sparse, but in surprisingly good condition. Aside from the dust, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. Straight ahead was a door just slightly ajar due to a root extending through the gap from the ceiling. Near the back of the room was a statue that looked as if it were just finished. The image of the Goddess held her eyes to the heavens with an arm upraised.
"I-Interesting…" I said, still a bit jittery, my fall still fresh in my mind. Now I had to check the floor and our steps in case of trapdoors like that one. On that note, we had to be cautious in case of booby traps.
"Oh wow!" Chiaki exclaimed softly. A brief flash, and she took a picture of the statue. As if that wasn't enough, she decided to take more pictures. Specifically of the moulding, the architecture, and even her companions. 'This must be like heaven to her.'
"Gunlight is close by. I could signal him if we need a lift out," Giselle said, likely referring to the mecha Fairy.
"Leave? But we just got here!" Chiaki waved her arms animatedly.
"H-Having an escape route is a lifesaver," I commented. Old places like this normally weren't the most stable, and in fiction, had a habit of collapsing later on.
"That is true… I just can't wait to tell Harley what we found! If I ever see her again… She went missing in the wilds months ago," Chiaki's surge of excitement was replaced by a brief flash of melancholy. However, she shook it off to be in the here and now. Giselle hugged her waist regardless, eliciting a pleased smile.
I gave her a gentle pat on the back. "Was she the Fairyologist who inspired you?"
"Yes! Oh, she would have loved seeing all the Fairies we have… Maybe we can find the truth of why the civilization fell!" Just like that, Chiaki's excitement returned at full blast. She was visibly restraining herself from going for the door.
"Yeah… but let's make sure we live to tell the tale," I said. I was curious, too, but again, that trapdoor… My life was also Amethyst's and Konton's, after all.
On that note, I remembered something. They ought to know where I was in case something were to happen. As such, I mentally contacted them, informing them of my situation.
{Want us to come?} Amethyst asked. Across the link, it was obvious both Fairies wanted to be there, but were respecting it if I wanted time alone.
{Yes, please. We'd be safer if you're here…} I replied.
{We're coming!} Konton caroled happily. Almost as soon as she made that declaration, the pair of Fairies dropped through the trapdoor. Just because they were giving me space didn't mean the two weren't nearby.
"We were almost here from the moment you screamed," Amethyst hugged me, eliciting a smile and a comforted feeling from me.
"Thanks," I said to her.
"Looks like a party," Konton turned around in circles, curiously cataloguing the room.
"Yup," I said. "So, let's start with the door?"
"We should probably do this cautiously. Sometimes old ruins have traps and security measures. There are confirmed reports of rogue defense systems attacking intruders," Chiaki said.
"I can just squeeze through the crack in the door," Konton didn't wait before acting. She was small enough to drift between the crack. After a moment, she came back, "Nothing on the other side except a hallway going left to right," she reported.
"The hallway might lead to somewhere," I remarked.
Amethyst took hold of the doors and shoved with surprising force. The two halves almost leaped apart at the Fairy's show of strength. Konton and Giselle were flabbergasted at the sight, while the purple-haired Fairy dusted off her hands.
"S-strong…" Chiaki mumbled.
"Yeah…" I concurred, not expecting that show of strength, either. Wow... "I'm thinking we go left first."
The left hallway went down about twenty meters and hooked to the left. Konton stayed just ahead to act as early warning. It was quiet, too quiet... yet nothing terrible jumped out at all. Chiaki, for her part, was using her camera to catalogue the various murals on the wall, while I observed the art. The next hallway ended at another door with a blinking device, which was sputtering and flickering as if running low on power. How did it still have energy, anyway? Talk about advanced tech.
"The fact that anything still has power down here is amazing…" Chiaki marveled. The device almost looked like a card reader connected directly to the door.
"Is this going to turn into a fetch quest where we have to find a keycard?" Konton asked.
"Would the universe truly be so predictable?" Amethyst argued.
"I subscribe in the belief of the perversity of the universe," Giselle deadpanned.
"The universe is a pervert. Got it," Konton nodded wisely.
"That is not what I meant!" Giselle stamped her foot.
"Easy there, Giselle. Konton is just winding you up," Amethyst said.
"I see a Tsundere, I tease a Tsundere," Konton said.
"What is a 'soon-dairy?'" Chiaki asked.
"A Tsundere? That's, hm… not easy to define. Uh… someone who is fiery or harsh on the outside, but warm on the inside?" I suggested. It kinda felt like a case of 'I know one when I see one', what with them having certain mannerisms and wordings, like with Noire and Uni.
"But Giselle is a cuddlebug!" Chiaki proved it by hugging Giselle. The smaller Fairy hugged her back.
"And if we tried to hug her?" Konton smirked.
"I can make localized black holes," Giselle stated flatly.
"Hmmm… not enough heat. You're right. Not a Tsundere," Konton decided.
"A Kuudere, then?" I lightheartedly asked, referring to being calm and standoffish on the outside, yet soft on the inside.
"Ah! Good catch, Nepgear. Wow, I can't believe I failed the 'dere test," the littlest fairy shook her head sadly.
Giselle's cheeks puffed out even as Chiaki patted her hair. The Gothic Fairy looked as if she were about to erupt and endanger her Kuudere status.
"Can we please get back to the door?" Amethyst sighed, reminding us of the situation at hand.
"Right," I said, taking a breath as I went back to a more serious mood. "Maybe the device could be hacked?" I preferred not to have to find the keycard.
Using Nepgear's memories, it was a simple thing to pop the cover, as a cloud of dust slowly drifted to the floor. The inside was a mess, but the wires were easy to recognize. It was a simple key door, but not in the usual manner. A key would be inserted in the lock to complete the circuit, opening the door. Now that I saw what was needed, all it took was carefully twisting the ID wires together, making sure not to electrocute myself. A brief spark and a hum heralded the shriek of old gears. Amethyst took hold of the door and shoved it open further. An avalanche of skeletal remains fell over her eliciting a scream of shock.
"Looks like they got a bone to pick with you," Konton said.
"You're not that humerus," Giselle said.
"Give her a hand… Oh dear!" Chiaki didn't mean the pun as a skeletal hand hit the floor.
Amethyst stared at the skull lodged in her cleavage for a long moment.
"Most action I've received in centuries," she sighed.
In my case, I was surprised, gasping at the falling bones, only to be concerned for Amethyst, then amused at the onslaught of puns. "Very punny," I said. "Are you okay?"
"Physically I'm fine, but my pride is mortally wounded," Amethyst plucked the skull from her bosom and set it to one side.
"You forgot to let me check~!" Konton caroled sweetly.
"But then we wouldn't know Amethyst needed to be boned," Giselle said without changing expression.
"Now that's just cold," Chiaki tried not to giggle.
"I would ask for help, but I'm pretty sure you would misinterpret," the older Fairy sighed even as her lip quirked with suppressed amusement.
"So what did we find?" Konton took a peek in the room and blinked. Then blinked again. "Oh Nep…" Her jaw dropped.
"What is it… Oh dear," Chiaki also froze.
"I'm not sure what to say…" Giselle stared with wide eyes.
What I saw before me were a whole lot of… Furies, all with a layer of dust on them. "What the goodness?" I reacted much like the others. I wasn't expecting this at all!
"One of them is live, but the others aren't… At least not enough for me to tell," Konton said as she floated around the room.
"There has to be at least thirty Furies in here!" Chiaki exclaimed.
The designs were more ornate than the ones we found in the field. Each one looked as if it belonged to nobility. Konton was carefully checking each one to determine if any of them were still alive. Giselle stood closer to Chiaki for comfort. Even Amethyst stood closer, and so was I, the room having a somber mood to it. It was like being in the presence of a mass grave. The littlest Fairy was performing a frankly ghoulish task.
"I… think they're better off resting in peace here…" I softly spoke. I didn't want to desecrate this place.
Konton let out a low whistle. Without any warning, she suddenly expanded to human size, something I hadn't seen before. The former littlest Fairy grinned before drawing one of the Furies out. She brought it over to us as the smile slowly left her face.
"This one is still alive, but is a bit traumatized. Leaving it here would be a bad idea," Konton handed the Fury to Chiaki.
The blonde blinked in surprise. "Why me?" She asked.
"This one only started reacting when I was closer to you. I think if anyone can help them, it's you," Konton said gently.
"I will do my best," Chiaki promised.
"As if you could do any less," Amethyst smiled.
"My Fencer is the best," Giselle said loyally.
"You'll be fine." A supportive smile could be seen on my face.
"Do we continue? I already told Eryn where we are," Amethyst said.
Konton poofed back into her small form and fell on my shoulder. She gave an exaggerated pout at suddenly timing out.
"I can keep going. Just can't use my big form again," Konton grumbled.
"The fact you even had one is surprising," Chiaki remarked.
"Yeah I'm awesome like that," Konton said without a trace of conceit. Her faith in herself was staggering.
"Never seen that form before…" I commented. Now I wondered what happened to the ancient Fury. "So, what did the Fairy say?" I added, my inquiry directed towards Chiaki.
"I can't get them to communicate. I just keep getting this feeling of loneliness and depression. They've gone so far past horror they've gone into catatonia. I think they were buried with the dead…" Chiaki hugged the unawake Fury. That sounded similar to a practice of burying live servants, concubines and the like with their kings and such, a horror, indeed...
"There may be others," Giselle said in a subdued tone.
"Then let's continue," I suggested. For one thing, we hadn't gone to whatever was on the other side of the hallway yet, and these ancient Fairies may want a breath of fresh air, away from this tomb...
There was, indeed, still the matter of the other hallway. Konton took up a scouting position once again. At the end of the other hallway there was a left and a right path. The right path ended with another door while the left seemed to lead to a dead end.
"Do you sense anything to the left?" I asked, in case it was a false end, an illusion or disguise. I stretched out my senses as well, to try and find out. There didn't seem to be anything to sense.
"There is something further below us…" Konton pondered the dead end before turning towards the door. I wondered what it could be. Maybe it was something big, as was usually the case?
"I hope this door doesn't lead to a mass grave too," Chiaki said. Giselle took her hand comfortingly.
"No one will hurt you while I'm around," she promised. Her Fencer cooed over how cute she was.
"I won't just yank the door open this time," Amethyst shivered.
"Okay," I said, mentally bracing myself for what could lie ahead.
The door was locked the same as the other, such that it was but the work of moments to unlock the door. This time, Konton went first to see what was inside and immediately darted back out.
"There's a long flight of stairs… and I think there was something moving down there…" Konton said a bit breathlessly.
"How dark is it?" Chiaki asked.
"Dark enough that I could barely make out movement. Even with my sight," Konton said.
"Uh oh…" I found myself shivering at the thought of the unknown down there. Jump scares weren't my thing. "We'll need a light." I shone a small, luminous ball from my palm for emphasis.
"Want to call Gunlight? Then again he wouldn't fit down here…" Giselle grimaced.
"A hand light will do," Chiaki added a luminous ball of her own.
Amethyst exhaled and jerked the door to the side, then leaped back in case whatever was down there reacted. The sudden radiance from the twin lights caused the thing down below to shriek and flee deeper.
I accompanied the others as we proceeded, glancing at the surroundings around me. It was rather confining in here, and it was as if something hidden would come out anytime.
At the bottom of the stairs, it widened out into another room. There was no light save for our hand lights. The same shrieking could be heard from multiple corners as slithering things scuttled deeper in the darkness, making me flinch.
Amethyst shifted into gunblade form while Giselle took rapier mode. The swell of power as the Fairies fully resonated was a relief to us. I kept my light strong and my Fury on hand as we continued to explore, still on edge at the thought of encountering one of those screeching critters.
There were four exits to the room. The stairs we entered, a passage to the left, one to the right, and straight ahead. Silvery eyes gleamed in the darkness, unmoving and silent. Chiaki changed her position to stand where she wasn't blocking my sword arm. Konton returned and joined with Amethyst again just in case.
It was difficult to bear the suspense any longer. "How about shining it right into them…" I murmured to the others, waiting for an objection. If none are given, I would then amplify my light, directing it right into their sensitive eyes. Chiaki simply aimed her light right where I did. The light struck the creature's eyes, eliciting an even greater shriek as the silvery orbs visibly sizzled.
{It's not even an attack!} Konton exclaimed.
{Wow...You and Chiaki are a bad matchup for these guys…} Amethyst noted with surprise.
Not taking chances, I waved my hand, summoning a Convergence of light beams and making it slam into the beast. The brilliant flare of magic caused the entire room and hallway to erupt in blazing light. For just a moment, the things in the darkness were highlighted in stark relief. The largest was a thing of fright, the size of a crocodile with four lizard-like legs and a segmented tail. Rows of teeth filled a slathering maw. All around were countless creatures of the same type as the larger one, the Convergence erasing the latter in moments. The bright flash, however, robbed us of our night vision.
{There they are!} Next, I called down a Lightfall, showering the area, thus where they were, in luminous spears of white. I couldn't take chances, not with how many of them there were. Chiaki cast her own wide area spell in the opposite direction, just to fill the entire area with killing light.
"There are quite a lot of them," Chiaki noted grimly.
{They're one-hit point wonders, but there's so many!} Amethyst remarked.
{A Zerg rush,} I concurred. I glanced around, readying myself in case there were more where they came from.
As soon as the darkness descended once more, an unnerving, keening screech filled the air. The sound of thousands of tiny claws skittering along every surface could be heard. There was no way to tell from which direction they came. Chiaki's Lightfall split the dark as hundreds of tiny monstrosities died.
There were just too many of them! I didn't know how long we could last. We weren't in the best shape for a prolonged battle. "Do we proceed, or fall back?" I asked the others out of caution. We had the option to continue this another time, when we were more prepared for something like this. We came to relax, not to fight. I was expecting occasional monsters, not this kind of scourge!
"Let's go," Chiaki immediately voted to leave. Giselle called her support from the Fury.
{Our energy is limited.} Amethyst said.
{Man, an actual Zerg Rush. I mean, they're not Zerg, thank Nep, but they're relentless!} Konton said.
The best thing about the endless wave was the one WP per monster killed. One WP didn't sound like much, but it added up with the hundreds of creatures present, though they didn't give Experience. The rush would be easier to handle with more people, however. We quickly backed out of the room towards the stairs. Once we were halfway up, and the faint light grew stronger, they stopped following.
We kept moving towards the exit, considering ourselves done with the expedition for the moment. Gunlight was waiting for us at the trapdoor, the mecha Fairy easily lifting us out and back into the daylight. Amethyst found a heavy piece of broken machinery outside, and with Gunlight's help, moved it in front of the entrance to hide the trapdoor from view.
"That was… a thing…" I said to my companions, catching my breath from our escape. "Are you okay…?"
"Yes… It was a bit claustrophobic down there. The monsters wouldn't have been an issue if there wasn't so many," Chiaki stretched.
"Agreed." It reminded me of an old saying, something about a scorpion which could be overcome by a swarm of ants. Quantity had a quality all its own.
The picnic supplies were packed by the time we returned. Fang wanted to know what we were up to because of all the dust. Chiaki belatedly brushed off her shoulders, while Amethyst causally shook a finger bone out of her dress. The party realized we must have been fighting as their WP increased rapidly too.
"You found a hidden ruin filled with swarming monsters?" Fang asked.
"Yup," I said. "A whole lot of creepy crawlies." That was enough excitement for the day.
"We also found a Fury. However the poor thing is traumatized," Chiaki patted her waist where the Fury rested in her belt.
"Lost ruin, free WP, and maybe more Furies? We really should come back and explore it more," Fang decided.
"Right now my stomach is too full to think of fighting," Galdo sighed contentedly.
"We can come back later," Marianna agreed.
"Perhaps this won't be so bad…" Tiara smiled briefly.
A mysterious voice drifted through the clearing, "...If you survive that long."
The relaxed mood evaporated as everyone readied themselves for battle. They stood in a wide circle facing outward with Galdo facing inward, just in case. The mysterious person appeared in the middle, some kind of dark gray teddy bear, but demented and human-sized. The white grin plastered on his torso didn't help matters.
"What's this about?" I asked, feeling on edge at the thought of a possible boss fight. The stranger's words sounded hostile to me.
"Hey! Do you know a guy named Pippin?" Fang asked. Wasn't that a green, bear-shaped bonus weapon in Re;Birth 2?
"Pippin…? Ah, so you know my worthless son. I am Pappin," Pappin introduced himself.
"Your son…? I didn't know he had a father… Who was the mother?" Galdo mused to himself, but didn't lower his guard. There was something about this person that screamed danger.
"He isn't a Fencer… but this aura is overwhelming…" Marianna noted tensely.
"We outnumber him. Take advantage of that and force him to split his attention!" Fang instructed. A flash of light, and suddenly, our leader was flying away from the group with a gash across his chest.
"Wha!?" Chiaki suddenly screamed as he appeared in her guard. She brought her Fury down in time to block his stroke. The sheer power behind it still caused her to crash into a cliff wall. Both Fencer and Fairy cried out in pain.
Noticing what was going on, I casted Defensive Cheer on ourselves as quickly as I could. He was so fast…!
"Eh…!?" Tiara brought up her barrier in time to intercept the strike. She let out a cry of shock as the barrier shattered like glass. Before he could capitalize on the opening, Marianna rocked towards him in Fairize. Pappin easily evaded the lance charge.
"Resorting to your tricks already?" Pappin asked mockingly.
"Why are you attacking us?!" I could not think of an explanation for this sudden, unprovoked fight. While that was said, I tried to heal Fang, followed by Chiaki.
Pappin vanished from sight and appeared in front of me. His katana flashed left, right, diagonal, and down. "I am here to slay the enemies of Justice."
My eyes widened. 'He's one of Sherman's!' I parried the swipes as best I could, all the while trying to make some space between us. However, each strike hit with the force of a hammer, driving me back.
"Get off her!" Galdo also used Fairize and fired a barrage of arrows. Pappin leaped back while casually striking the arrows from the air.
While that was happening, I drew on the power of my Shares. Choosing HDD for its mobility and flight in an open area like this, I activated the mental switch for it. A flash of light later, and I looked just like Purple Sister, outfit and processor unit and everything. However, I couldn't call myself that, not when I had my own identity. As Nepgear said to me before, I wasn't Purple Sister. I was me.
Taking to the sky, I strafed Pappin, firing at him with my gunblade while on the move. However, he proved to be very much hard to hit.
"Big mistake…" Fang's eyes took on a serious cast as his already potent energy rose higher. He used Fairize just as a corona of flame erupted from his back like wings. Eryn flew through the air as the swordsman executed his own blinding series of strokes. Pappin parried the strikes with ridiculous ease.
"What is this monster…?" Tiara cast recovery spells like they were going out of style. She stayed out of range now. Pappin blurred from sight to try and stop her from casting anymore.
"Grand Impact!" Chiaki cried as she executed her Fairize special. Her armor shone with divine light as she hovered in midair. Pappin broke off his assault to fortify his guard. Just in time as she rocketed across the field like a missile. He slashed just in time to deflect the very tip of her rapier while sidestepping quickly. The explosion of radiance burst outward with shocking force.
"Not bad-!" Pappin was cut off by Giselle's whispered. {Negative Impact.}
The radiance abruptly switched direction as a blue/black distortion of space appeared. All of the magic from Chiaki's special was drawn back in with great force. However, Pappin threw his sword with remarkable accuracy, striking Chiaki in the stomach.
"Hurk…" Chiaki fell to her knees as the spell dissipated. Pappin panted from the close call.
"Hiyah!" Fang brought a greataxe around to strike the exhausted assassin. Pappin still had some life left in him as he vaulted back and tore his sword from Chiaki's stomach.
{Even Sherman wasn't this strong!} I said to Amethyst. I took a moment to place a Hyper Heal on the injured Chiaki, before continuing my attack. What could we do?
{You could try our combo attack!} Konton exclaimed.
{At this rate he's going to outlast us.} Amethyst concluded grimly.
{But he's fast! How are we supposed to hit him?} I replied to Konton. Divinity Breaker was too risky to use, and I was in HDD, not Fairize. In any case, I simply kept moving and firing.
{Divinity Breaker can be used in HDD or Fairize.} Konton assured me.
Galdo flew past while reverting from Fairize. Marianna was already unconscious on the ground. Even casting Slow on Pappin didn't hinder him much. He resorted to sword waves. Fang was back on his feet but he didn't appear to be in good shape either.
"Stand still, mongrel…" Tiara growled as she pointed Cui in gun form in Pappin's direction. She took aim and opened fire with a rapid barrage of water bullets. The swordsman slashed the bullets out of the air...only to get struck as they burst right in his face.
"Indirect attacks… Pin him down! Indirect attacks!" Fang suited action to words as he brought out the Launcher and opened fire.
"Right!" Galdo slashed his scythe in wide arcs sending wind blades to surround the enemy. Each wind blade that struck the water or grenades disoriented Pappin further. Marianna and Chiaki added their support in the form of magic. The evil grey teddy was growing more frantic as more shots got through.
{Oooh… I think we have an opening. Use your biggest attack!} Amethyst exclaimed.
{Got it!} I said, taking Konton's suggestion and readying my, or rather, our Divinity Breaker.
The HDD version was subtly different as I rocketed into the air at full speed. At the apex of my ascent, I held the Fury over my head, which took the Greatsword Form before doubling in size. Energy coalesced in the blade as I descended towards the battlefield, a battle cry upon my lips. Pappin didn't even have a chance to look up as the sword drop struck him on the crown. A thunderous roar shook the ground as the pure force cracked the land. The assassin was struck so hard he augered through the ground. Dirt covered his form completely as if he were buried.
I couldn't take chances, but the choice was taken from me as Amethyst reverted, and so did I, for I could no longer sustain my HDD. "What do we do now?"
"Finish him off, I guess…" Fang winced. The others were starting to suffer an adrenaline crash. Anyone still in Fairize reverted as their Fairy partners were too tired to sustain the form. Konton and Amethyst were in a similar position, and I could feel my tiredness creeping up on me.
{Divinity Breaker in HDD doesn't break bonds. Just hits really, really hard. I wouldn't be surprised if that punched his ticket.} Konton said with exhaustion coloring her voice.
"I must say that was quite invigorating," Pappin sat up from the mound of dirt. The party froze in shock as he didn't even appear wounded. He held up a small cracked figurine smugly.
{Sacrificial Doll…! Damn it!} Amethyst raged. 'A Substitute like in Pokemon? I had no idea!'
He stood up from his grave and dusted himself off with deliberate casualness. "I underestimated you. Good show. I know where I went wrong this time. Mistakes were made."
"What are you going on about?" Fang tried to shift Eryn to weapon form, but the exhausted Fairy flopped to the ground.
He pointed right at me, "You will die first." With that grim pronouncement, he vanished at high speed.
My energy spent, my Fairies unable to continue, and with no other options left, I could only bring out my beam saber and brace myself for impact. At that moment, I was so scared. I didn't want to die…
Pappin's voice carried on the wind, "You have a warrior's instincts, girl… I look forward to meeting you again."
"The presence is gone…" Marianna prodded her skull lightly, wincing at each bruise found.
"Urp…" Chiaki threw up on the ground. Her recently healed stomach rebelled.
"W-why did he run…?" Galdo cradled his head painfully.
"Maybe he was weakened…?" Tiara suggested.
"Damn it all… We were more outclassed than when we faced Sherman," Fang punched his hand before wincing. His hands were covered in minute cuts.
"He's going to come back for Nepgear. How do we stop him?" Chiaki wiped her mouth weakly.
"We get stronger. I don't know of anything else we could do. Too bad she couldn't use the attack she did on Sherman…" Fang groaned. He glanced in my direction. It wasn't a slight.
"What did it do?" Marianna asked.
"She cut straight through his defenses. One moment he was standing, and the next? Down," Galdo said.
On a side note, I was getting more and more used to being referred to in the feminine manner, like with Nepgear calling me her sister that night. It wasn't awkward anymore. Rather, it felt more like a part of me.
"I… need to get stronger first…" I said. Horizon Cut, the attack in question, was still greyed out in my mind, locked out of my reach. The thought of someone actively after me made me shudder...
{So you want to get stronger?} Purple Sister suddenly asked.
Nepgear? She was here? I hadn't noticed! {I have to… for them and for myself…}
{You have improved immensely on the outside. I think that it's time you strengthen your spirit. Are you ready?} She asked.
I nodded, for I had to do this. {I am.}
{This won't be easy, but if you're willing, we can do this. Come to me tonight like you did to explore your soul.} Purple Sister's voice faded away.
I would probably be able to sneak away as soon as we got back to the Inn. What should have been a day of relaxation turned into a day of trials instead...
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
This story, as always, is great fun to read. Though it is a bit Skippy at times.
Deep Dive
- Location
- PA
AN: In which I meld Persona and Kingdom Hearts for @UbeOne.
Deep Dive
The weary warriors made their tired way back to Zelwinds. Our day-off was interrupted by an assassin, leading to a fight for survival. Pappin was unbelievably strong and clever if bringing a Sacrificial Doll was any indication. Strangely, our near-defeat wasn't as dispiriting as expected. Instead, it felt more like a baptism of fire that we survived. However, the assassin was now looking to kill me personally...
The inn was a welcome sight after an exhausting day. Once inside, our weary group gravitated towards the sitting area. Fang collapsed face first on the sofa, while Eryn didn't even ask permission and stretched out on his back. However, he didn't even stir. Galdo sat in an armchair with Marissa in his lap, while Marianna muttered something like "nap" and waved with Khalara tucked under her arm. Chiaki sat on the floor, back against the sofa, with Giselle in her lap. The traumatized Fury lay on the floor beside her, while Tiara sat on the loveseat with Cui.
"That sucked…" Fang groaned.
"Yeah. How did he find us...?" I asked. After all, he came out of the blue, and our picnic was unannounced. Lola even tried to lay a false trail for the Justice Society yesterday. At least he just appeared in front instead of immediately attacking.
"Best guess? They were already watching the inn," Tiara suggested.
"Wouldn't be the first time the enemy attacked us at home," Galdo rubbed his eyes.
"Actually, they were watching the front gate," a new voice interrupted. Tiara and Chiaki jumped, eyes wide with alarm. I was also unsure about the unknown presence, though that would had been useful had we known this morning. Galdo and Fang, however, started to smile.
Two strangers walked into the room, one of them a black-haired woman with emerald eyes. She was rather light on clothing, her orange bolero-like coat doing little to cover her midriff in front. The other person, meanwhile, was a guy who had a mustache and… pointy ears? Anyway, his attire was the rugged type in earth tones, and his fur-trimmed vest wasn't covering his chest, much like Galdo's alternate outfit.
"Hey, Harley. Welcome to the party. What's up, Bahus?" Fang waved, causing me to raise an eyebrow. 'Wait, Harley, as in the Fairyologist Chiaki talked about?'
"You know these two?" Tiara eyed the newcomers warily.
"They're time-traveling with us. At least I think they are," Fang suddenly didn't look so sure.
"Relax, Fang. We know who you are. There seem to be some new faces though…" Harley looked around.
"Well, this is Nepgear and that's…" I smiled and waved as he introduced me. He then started to introduce Chiaki, only for a sudden sonic attack to disorient everyone. It took a few moments to realize the 'attack' was actually Chiaki.
"Harley!" Chiaki leaped up with surprising energy and tackled the woman in the midsection. Harley ended up stumbling back into Bahus. 'Yup, that's the one.'
"Chiaki! Now this is a pleasant surprise," Harley patted her hair fondly.
"Her mentor was Harley… I'm not surprised. I should be, but it makes too much sense…" Galdo muttered.
I considered informing the Fairyologist about the ruins Chiaki and I discovered, but a more worrying topic was what was on my mind. I opted to address that first. "So, what's this about watching the front gate?" I asked. We would have to take a different route next time, and maybe wear disguises too.
"Instead of trying to find where you could be hiding, they're watching the front gate. I know a way into the city. It's a little cramped, but manageable," Harley said.
"I'm just glad I'm a Fairy," Bahus said.
"Cramped how?" Fang asked suspiciously. Was it the sewers or something?
"There's an old tunnel leading right to the lake outside. Some swimming is involved," Harley shrugged.
"I suppose a little water is better than assassins…" Tiara sighed.
"I'll manage," I replied. I knew how to swim, and I was stronger now than before all this. Now that there was a solution to the surveillance problem… "Oh, by the way, Chiaki and I found something interesting earlier."
"You did?" Harley was still patting Chiaki. The blonde realized she hadn't let go of the taller woman and tried to back up, but Harley just hugged her tighter. She wasn't going anywhere.
"We found an entrance into the ruins in the Sol Plains," Chiaki said.
"That's great news! Congratulations, you two," Harley grinned.
"Too bad we also had a run-in with Pappin, Pippin's father," Fang groused.
Speaking of Pappin… {Where can we get Sacrificial Dolls?} I inquired of Amethyst. Such things like what the assassin was using could be a lifesaver during our missions.
Amethyst appeared along with Konton, the little Fairy perching herself on my head. A warm presence, they were.
"I don't know where to find Sacrificial Dolls. Those would come in handy…" Amethyst agreed.
"Sacrificial Dolls? The recipe calls for ingredients that are usually difficult to find," Lola popped up out of nowhere. Her sudden appearance caused everyone to jump, myself included.
"We'll have to look into it," Fang decided.
"We should probably get back to collecting Furies. Hopefully summoning the Goddess can fix all this…" Galdo said dispiritedly, Marissa hugging him tightly in response.
I wasn't sure if that would be a cure-all. The idea of summoning her felt more like a first step, and that was only if she was willing and able to help. "Well, there's that Fury at Bui Valley, and we could do the S-Rank thing at the Goddess statue…" I mentioned, recalling that second part from before, right after defeating Gehaburn. "Also, how can we find and pursue leads regarding Junown?" That woman was the source of the Justice Society's addictive substance, as well as the one behind the hollow Fury once used by Chiaki.
"Yeah, I can release the S-Rank Fury from the Goddess Statue. I'm surprised no one tried to do it yet," Konton said.
"We'll decide in the morning. Right now my brain is fried…" Fang groaned.
"I'll look into Junown for you. Just leave it to me," Lola saluted.
"Thanks."
The decision was made to go to bed early. Dinner was accompanied by desserts made by Bahus. The burly Fairy, interestingly, was an accomplished pastry chef. His sweets were so good as to make even Tiara openly drool. Oh, the pudding was heavenly… rivaling even Compa's, according to my Nepgear memories.
Come to think of it, there was something that I recalled just now, since I wasn't distracted by more immediate matters. {Oh, I just remembered. How is Tiara more chill towards us? Didn't she call us crazy?} I commented to Amethyst. Maybe she saw something I missed?
{I have no idea. Seems to be something we should have been told.} Amethyst sounded put out.
{Maybe we could just ask her?} Konton suggested.
{Okay,} I concurred. "So, um… Tiara?" I cautiously ventured with a question. "If it's all right to ask, how are you more accepting of us?"
Tiara blinked as she came back down from her euphoria over dessert. She glanced over at Fang before looking around the table. The others were curious too, it seemed.
"The main reason? I really don't believe you. Time travel is such a crazy notion. I've just accepted that you believe. You people are crazy, but… you're also my only chance to live… What with the Justice Society after me…" Tiara trailed off miserably. Cui jumped up on the table and butted her head against the Fencer's.
Fang bit his lip. Apparently, he already heard this. Was the reason he didn't say anything because of how it affected Tiara? No one was quite sure what to say. Rather than answering with words, they answered with actions. Tiara looked surprised as everyone brought their chairs closer to hers.
I joined in as a gesture of support. "I understand," I said. Out-of-context stuff was out of context, after all. "We'll protect each other." It wasn't one-sided protection, but rather, a case of fighting alongside one another, which was more equal to me. Tiara, in response, smiled tremulously, but it was honest.
The rest of dinner passed as we bolstered each other. A sense of comfort and camaraderie settled over the inn. We parted ways after the meal, with Amethyst and Konton starting to get ready for bed.
In my case, after doing the same, I sat on my bed, taking a deep breath. It was time to meet Nepgear in my soul once more, to strengthen my spirit, and as such, I closed my eyes, mentally diving into myself like last time. I didn't know what awaited me, but I had to undergo what was needed, nervous as I was...
The Sharicite hung suspended in the darkness as I descended. So far, it didn't seem all that different until I got closer. It was like a strong force began to pull me towards the Crystal, making me widen my eyes in surprise. The last time I touched it, Nepgear held me back. Now, however, there was nothing to stop me as I was pulled directly into the Sharicite. The hard surface gave way like water, and it felt cold against my skin. I found my clothes changing to a simplified form of Nepgear's bodysuit.
I frantically glanced around me, wrapping my arms around myself to regulate the coldness. What was going on? How was I still breathing, quite rapidly even, despite the watery substance? Why did my outfit become different? Where was I this time? I had questions, but no answers to satisfy them. It was, frankly, scary. I didn't know what to do.
"Calm yourself…" A woman who looked like Neptune and Nepgear appeared. In fact, she more closely resembled Amethyst. The outfit she wore was a white toga that floated around her like wispy silk underwater. I could see her smiling kindly at me.
"O-Okay…" I hesitantly said. I could even speak despite all the non-suffocating water around me. I tried to slow my breathing, mentally counting to ten as I went. One, two, three, four…
…
"This is all in your mind. 'Way to state the obvious' right? We are now in the very core of your Self, the very center of your being. In this place, you will face trials. I realize that normally, a journey to the center of the mind is about casting off the desire for power. However, we are not in a normal situation. Someone is actively working to counter your influence. They are your true enemy, manipulating things from the shadows," she warned.
I felt calmer now, more prepared to respond, though the nerves of going through trials didn't quite leave me. "Sherman and the Justice Society were just puppets?" I asked. It was always a man behind the man, wasn't it? "Who is the mastermind? What can we do?"
"Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything else. What I can do is act as your guide. I will be brutally honest. You only get one chance at this. Fail, and the potential is gone forever," she said with a grave look.
Only one take at it…? I didn't like having such large stakes thrust upon me, but I was already here. The only way was onward. Not taking it at all was the equivalent of not succeeding at it. Whether I ended up passing or not, I had to keep moving forward. "I'll give it my all," was all I could say. I gazed forward, trying to mentally ready myself.
"Take heart… You have all the tools you need…" Her voice trailed away as she disappeared.
The water started to turn dark, reflecting the void beyond the crystal. Down below, a crystalline platform appeared. It looked like a stained glass window divided into six pieces. The picture looked like Nepgear curled up in sleep, and around her were six blank spaces.
It reminded me of a Dive to the Heart, except this wasn't my Heart, but rather, my Soul. Despite standing on nothing, I wasn't falling. Rather, I felt like I was floating, the "water" keeping me aloft. With nowhere else to go, I cautiously approached the platform, or in Kingdom Hearts terms, the Station. It felt kinda like swimming there, or just thinking my way forward.
The Station welcomed my approach. When I was just ten feet from the ground, gravity asserted itself and brought me down gently, feet-first. The six blank spaces flashed with black light, before indistinct shapes appeared. They looked humanoid with empty eyes, and all were facing me.
I wasn't sure if they were friendly or not. Those voids for eyes weren't indicating anything. But then, I also wasn't sure if attacking first was a good idea. I checked if my inventory and beam saber were with me, and they were. I could feel their presence. However, I made sure not to bring anything out, lest I agitate the humanoids. "Hello?" I called out. I still readied myself if they turned out to be enemies, though.
The nearest one started to take on definition. In moments, it resembled Fang except in grayscale. His face was curiously blank of emotion. "What is strength?"
This was the question and answer portion of the Dive, wasn't it? I had to think carefully. It felt like a test of character, and I had no idea what criteria it would grade me by. I could only answer what felt right to me, but what would that be? What was strength to me? Maybe it could mean 'power'? But that felt shallow, and incomplete. Strength of character and inner strength were a thing, too, not just outward expressions of it. Maybe it could mean 'ability' or 'capability to do things'? No, that wouldn't work for similar reasons as 'power'. Also, things like weakness, or humility, or meekness, or compassion, could be strengths in their own right. What could it mean, then?
Eventually, I thought of a definition that I felt right about, and encompassed the kinds of strength I could think of. "Strength is… qualities that can be used for the good of others and oneself, the common good."
Fang nodded, "That's not a bad answer…" The shadowy figure disappeared into the circle.
I let out a held breath, relieved that he approved. I then approached the next humanoid, wondering what he or she would ask me next. The next shadowy figure took on the form of Galdo, and he eyed me the same way that Fang did. "Do you always stand your ground?"
That… was a good question. There were times I did make my stand, but there were also times I opted to flee. It was highly contextual; there was no absolute on whether one should always stand or always run. The latter was sometimes thought of as cowardice, but the former could also be thought of as recklessness or stubbornness. Again, it was dependent on context. We stood against Sherman when he used his Skyfall. We retreated after we fought him, all tuckered out. We stood our ground against Gehaburn, not letting it pass. We retreated in the face of endless swarms of one-hit-point monsters, considering it too risky to continue at our weakened state. "That depends. It's foolish to pointlessly waste our lives. Tactical retreats serve a purpose, but when what we stand for is at stake, when others are in danger, when the lines and stakes are drawn… it's better to stand one's ground."
Galdo smiled, "Yeah. I can agree with that." He vanished once more into the circle.
I smiled as well, for my response was met with approval. I then walked towards the third person among the ones here, who was revealed to be Marianna. She had a hand on her waist while looking me in the eye, "Why do you fight?"
I closed my eyes for a bit, examining myself for why I did fight, why I kept going despite everything. Everyone had a reason, and so did I. However… honestly, I wasn't entirely altruistic, as much as I wanted to be, or probably should be. "I'm not perfect. I'm not entirely selfless. I do fight to help Fang and the others. I do support what they are trying to achieve, to right the wrongs, to make a better place where Justice isn't misused. However, it's also for… my own life. I do have a world and home to return to… but I know I'm not done yet. I'll finish what I was sent here for..." I bent my head downward. If someone were to offer me a way home right now, I would decline. I had unfinished business. I would only consider leaving once I had fulfilled my purpose here.
A peculiarly gentle look crossed Marianna's face, "There are worse answers…" She disappeared into the circle.
I wasn't sure what to make of that. It was like my answer was average or so-so, but I had to be honest with myself. I wasn't perfect. I then moved towards the fifth humanoid, who revealed themself to be Chiaki. She tilted her head, "What does it mean to be honest?"
Wow, what an appropriate question right now… "It means staying true to oneself, acknowledging one's strengths and flaws. It means being true to others, not having pretenses in between."
Chiaki gave a thumbs up, "I can agree with that." She smiled before vanishing once more.
That… lifted my spirits, knowing that she was okay with what I said. The only thing left to do was to see what the last person had in mind for me to answer. As I approached the last figure, they turned into Amethyst. My Fairy partner folded her arms, "Is honesty important to you?"
I thought about it for a while, before I nodded. "Yes."
Amethyst smiled, but her eyes looked sad, "Perhaps it is…" She gazed at me for a moment longer before vanishing into the circle.
Why did she give a sad look? Did I… say something wrong? But she was gone before I could ask. Now, there was just me and the Station. Perhaps I had to go to the center? As such, I made my approach. The six that I spoke to appeared in the center.
Fang stepped forward first, "'Strength is… qualities that can be used for the good of others and oneself, the common good.' That is your truth," he vanished once more. The image of Nepgear glowed softly.
Galdo stepped forward next, "'It's foolish to pointlessly waste our lives. Tactical retreats serve a purpose, but when what we stand for is at stake, when others are in danger, when the lines and stakes are drawn… it's better to stand one's ground.' That is your belief," he vanished as Fang did. The image of Nepgear glowed brighter.
Marianna stepped forward, "'I'm not perfect. I'm not entirely selfless. I do fight to help Fang and the others. I do support what they are trying to achieve, to right the wrongs, to make a better place where Justice isn't misused. However, it's also for… my own life. I do have a world and home to return to… but I know I'm not done yet. I'll finish what I was sent here for.' Strong words from a meek person, but all true," she vanished as well. A radiance started to emerge from Nepgear.
Chiaki came forward next, "'It means staying true to oneself, acknowledging one's strengths and flaws. It means being true to others, not having pretenses in between.' You have a good heart," she disappeared with a smile. The radiance intensified.
Amethyst lowered her head with a disappointed frown. "You answered so quickly. There is something you haven't been honest about. You haven't told anyone your true identity. Is that what it means to be honest?" She raised her head with glowing eyes.
Her piercing look made me flinch, made me examine myself… She was right. Upon thinking about it, she was right. I… I kept things to myself, like my situation. So that was why she had that sad look earlier. I could only look down in shame. "I'm sorry… you're right. I… I haven't been as honest as I should be…"
"No one is perfect. Anyone expecting perfection is a fool. You are not," Amethyst's eyes stopped glowing. She stepped closer and warmly embraced me before disappearing like the others. The radiance emanating from Nepgear's image covered the platform. Within the six circles appeared the ones who spoke to me. The sixth circle, however, held a darkened image of me as Nepgear.
Another part of the Dive was fighting one's shadow. The closer I got to the light, the longer my shadow would become… was that dark Nepgear my shadow? Or was it because I didn't get Amethyst's question right the first time? I first approached the other five, to see if they had anything to say. What I received from the others were smiles and generally friendly gestures. The last circle's version of me, however, wasn't in grayscale. As I drew closer, color started to appear. Her hair was dark purple with bright blue eyes and red pupils. The bodysuit she wore was inverted to mine, black where the white should be. In her hand was a glowing red sword.
"Life shines brightest the closer to death we dance… Whose radiance will cleave away the darkness? Yours… or mine," she grinned while slowly taking a ready stance.
I had to ready myself, too. She seemed intent to start a fight. As such, I brought out my purple beam saber and took a defensive stance. "If you're my shadow, why can't we get along? Why fight each other?" I asked.
Shadowgear tilted her head, "Why shouldn't we fight?" She asked.
"Does it always have to be violence? We could be friends," I said.
"How would that work? I am a metaphysical representation of your darker impulses given form. Do you actually want to be friends with the negative aspects of yourself?" Shadowgear asked.
So she really was my dark side, the inverse of Uzume to my non-tainted Kurome... On one hand, that meant she was part of me, something I accepted, for I wasn't perfect. However, on the other hand… developing oneself meant being better than their own darkness, wasn't it? That reminded me of something, the concept of holy war. As I remembered, it wasn't physical nor large-scale. Rather, it was spiritual and personal. It was defined as waging a battle against one's own sins, and… perhaps that was the idea here. "I… I think I understand now," I said to my shadow. "I'll grow by overcoming you, right?" There was also the idea of dying to one's sins, in order to renew oneself, but I didn't think that was meant to be taken literally.
This situation reminded me of a friend of mine who would try to apply Persona logic, were he in my shoes. However, I wasn't familiar with Persona, let alone its intricacies. Instead, I had to do what I felt was fitting for me.
Shadowgear tilted her head once more, "How would you overcome me?" She tapped the hilt of the sword off her hip curiously.
"By being better than you," I responded. "I accept you as a part of me, but I have to be better." Uzume accepted Kurome's hatred, yet still fought and overpowered her in the end. Perhaps the same thing applied here.
"Make up your mind. Are you accepting me or fighting me? I mean I'm up for a scrap if you like…" Shadowgear retook her ready stance with a smirk.
Oops, I came off as indecisive… but then I remembered what I came here for, and that was to strengthen my spirit. How would I do that? ...I would have to do that by being better than what I was. That meant defeating the darkness within me. "I'll fight you," I said, taking a defensive stance once more.
The shadow's eyes turned pure gold, "Yeah… Okay… Let's go!" Shadowgear vanished in a burst of darkness before coming up out of my shadow, blade extended.
In response, I rolled out of the way, her rising attack reminiscent of Vanitas's from a certain game. Then, I quickly summoned some beams of light to Converge towards her. However, she summoned a glyph of darkness to break the spell.
"Hya!" Shadowgear sprinted forward with her sword held aloft. The blade glowed a malevolent red as she executed a modified version of Celestial Severance. Each slash trailed shadows as she sought to overwhelm my defenses. First came the rising slash with both hands, followed by a heavy double-handed downward stroke. She followed that with a repeating series of fast, diagonal slashes aimed for my shoulders and across my back. Shadowgear vanished again, summoning a darkness glyph beneath me. Then, she descended from above to stab through me just as the glyph erupted in waves of shadow.
Surprised that she was already employing one of my strongest attacks, I dodged what I could avoid and deflected what I couldn't, for taking the blows head-on wasn't viable to me. Still, I couldn't give up, even though the attacks that got through did hurt, making me cry out in pain. To strike back, I once more used a few Converging spears of light, expecting her to summon that shadowy sigil. Right after casting my spell, I rushed towards her from a flanking direction, intending to attack her with a series of swipes while she was distracted by the beams.
The dark doppelganger thrust her hand out as the darkness glyph appeared again. A wave of darkness rolled out from the glowing sigil, but it didn't seem to hurt. She vanished into the darkness moments before the light hit and banished her construct. Shadowgear reappeared at the other end of the platform with a smirk on her face.
"Come on… I'm you. I know everything you're going to do. This is just sad. Entertain me!" Shadowgear laughed as she cast Defensive Cheer and Offensive Cheer.
Troublesome… 'Wouldn't that mean I would know her intended actions, too? I mean, she is my darkness, a part of me.' An option was to rush her, but that felt like obliging her, playing into her hands. Instead, I used both Cheers as well, to even the odds. Then, I observed and waited, trying to stretch out my senses and read her movements. I was used to fighting with my allies, not on my own like this…
"Good idea. Take your time and assess the situation. You leaped straight to fighting me even though I was willing to talk. The problem now is that I don't feel like playing nice. If you can't hit me just once, and soon, your journey will end. One," Shadowgear brought her sword up and slashed it downward with both hands, creating a rippling line of explosions along the ground.
I felt bad about myself. Once again, I made a mistake, like with Amethyst. I should not have given up on diplomacy so soon… how could I be better? How could I make it right? "I'm sorry…" I said, dashing to the side to avoid the detonations. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to hit her, but I had to figure it out soon. She was counting. So far, the Convergence wasn't working, what with that shadowy sigil getting in the way. Instead, I observed her further. There had to be a way through.
"Trying to suss out my attack pattern? Smart. I might repeat myself out of habit. Grow complacent as you just dodge. Not a bad idea. Two," Shadowgear sent another shockwave along the ground followed by a wide, glimmering blue energy slash that expanded as it traveled.
She added on to the previous attack, and she wasn't approaching me. She was attacking me from a distance. With Convergence being blocked by her, I had to use something else. As such, I leaped to the side to avoid both horizontal and vertical attacks. Then, I casted a Prismatic Burst directly at her. Since it wasn't a projectile that needed travel time, it was much quicker, which would mean little time to bring up the sigil.
She was now forced to dive to the side to avoid the light. Shadowgear gave a brief nod of respect even as she thrust her hand out. Six dark missiles streaked out from behind her, aiming right for me. They twisted through the air and self-adjusted their course. "Three…"
Intercepting her missiles with beams of light, I thought of what to do next. Prismatic Burst forced her to move… a long shot came to mind. I started with casting Stop, in case that worked. Then, I summoned lines of light that were aimed not at her, but rather, around her, to pin her down, after which I summoned a Prismatic Burst at her.
Shadowgear's eyes widened as the Stop spell connected. She was already powering through, but it slowed her down enough that the centralized Prismatic Burst went off smoothly. The shadowy doppelganger was thrown into the air by the force of the blast. Shadowgear came down in a three-point stance, blade swept off to the side, with wisps of darkness wafting off of her.
"Very good… Now I can stop holding back!" Shadowgear twirled in place while throwing up her sword. A shaft of black code partially obscured her form, but I could still see the sword piercing her chest. The darkness was blown away by gale-force winds as her transformation was revealed. It was certainly a Fairize, but it was darker and more intimidating and ornate in purple and black and red, and with a bigger chest. Her costume was more revealing than that of my Fairize and my HDD, comparable to Green Heart's outfit, but her processor unit was larger and more grandiose, somewhat resembling Sherman's Fairize, but even bigger. Her sword received an upgrade too, becoming a larger, more ornate version of my usual gunblade, now with edges glowing with red energy. It reminded me of the weapon I possessed while I had both my Fairize and HDD on… was her new form what my final form would look like later on? ...Could I request for more clothes if that was the case? I didn't want to expose my midriff and cleavage like that...
I could also feel the roiling darkness off her... I would have to take on a more powerful form, too. I looked into myself for those two mental switches… and both HDD and Fairize were available. Wait, Fairize? {Amethyst, are you there? Can you hear me?} I asked. Maybe she was here in spirit.
{No matter where you go, I will always walk beside you.} Amethyst promised.
{Thank you. Is Konton here, too? I'm sorry; I should have known I'm never alone…} I sighed with regret. I could have asked for her help a while ago. She could have caught what I missed. Why didn't I think of that…? Now, however, I had to make the most of the present, for I found her, and that was what mattered. Once more, I had to choose between the two forms, whether to take HDD's flight, or Fairize's defense. Considering that this was an open area, and considering that I relied more on mobility… the former felt like the more fitting choice. As such, I activated the switch for HDD, diving into my Shares. I could feel once more the comforting warmth of my bonds of faith with my friends. I felt them strengthening me, as I donned the appearance, outfit and processor unit of Purple Sister, and wielded her MPBL. Yeah, I was never alone… they were with me all along, in my heart and soul. 'I won't lose to my darkness. For them and for myself… We're in this together.'
"Are you asking for Konton? Sorry, but she can't hear you right now. If you want her back, you have to defeat me," Shadowgear held out her hand, palm up to show the sleeping figure of Konton, which made me shake myself and clench my fist. 'How dare she…!' She smirked as a globe of darkness enveloped the tiny fairy and vanished into her body, making me narrow my eyes into a glare. Her upgraded MPBL came up, spitting five-inch shells of condensed dark mana.
'That's it. I'll make sure she won't threaten us ever again...' My anger at Konton's situation was tempered into more of a cold fury, intent on saving her and erasing the one who kept her prisoner. In the meantime, I had a feeling those shells would detonate on proximity, much like those on the dual-purpose guns of warships. As such, I flew to the side as quickly as I could, summoning a few beams of light to intercept the shells. Then, I opened fire, my gunblade on fully automatic as I unloaded bullets onto my shadow.
Shadowgear smirked again as she demonstrated her own superior mobility. A red haze outlined her form as she blurred swiftly out of the way. The dark doppelganger unloaded her own stream of bullets just ahead of me. Her own hand slashed from left to right triggering a wave of shadowy explosions to the left, right, and behind me.
'The only way is up or down!' Eyes widened, I reacted by swerving upward, after which I casted Stop, followed by Prismatic Burst and gunfire from my weapon. She was more powerful now, but so was I.
Shadowgear briefly slowed as before, long enough to get struck. She was briefly obscured by the Prismatic Burst and repeated shots. When the lightshow settled, she was revealed to be completely unharmed. The dark one grinned as four bits flew out from behind her back as the pauldron blades detached to orbit Shadowgear.
"64-Bit Massacre," Shadowgear intoned before flying straight for me. The bits multiplied rapidly behind her before sweeping around behind me. She sent her flying blades on a spinning collision course with me. The bits opened fire with the same bullets Shadowgear was using in a violent stream of suppression fire. Each time the spinning blades crossed at my position they spiraled out only to return from a different angle. The doppelganger herself danced around in a similar manner to Celestial Severance, cutting at me from multiple angles.
"What the goodness?!" There were just so many attacks, coming in from so many vectors! I casted Defensive Cheer and focused on dodging and parrying and countering, but there were just so many! If I were a regular person, this would have killed me many times over. As it was, it hurt, a lot. I attempted to heal myself through what damage I took. There had to be a way through. She was so strong, but surely she wasn't invincible. This wasn't an impossible challenge. There had to be a way. I wasn't leaving Konton with her!
Shadowgear flew backward rapidly as the blades reattached to her pauldrons. "Not bad at all…" She acknowledged with a nod. The doppelganger refreshed her Offensive and Defensive Cheers. A familiar smirk crossed her face as she slashed her blade to the left and right. Shadowy clones appeared at her sides with glowing red eyes. The clones started to circle to the left and right of me.
She kept unveiling more and more tricks! I had to take down those clones, too. As such, I moved back, knowing that I shouldn't let them surround me. It'd be troublesome to take them out one by one… Fortunately, I could feel an upwelling of power within me, such that I could use one of my strongest attacks.
"Celestial Severance!" An array of magic circles surrounded me, firing homing lasers at the clones as I zigzagged towards the original, slashing at the clones along the way. Briefly spinning to spray bullets at the enemies around, I followed it up with a two-handed rising slash at Shadowgear, sending her flying. Then, I dashed to and fro, pressing the trigger of my gunblade to amplify each diagonal slash I made at her. Next, I stabbed through her, charging energy through the tip of my blade, before pressing the trigger again. A narrow cylinder of white energy shot through as I pulled back from her, yellow sparks coruscating about her. "Eat this!" Finally, I gathered more energy into my weapon, before unleashing it in a large beam of spiraling white and purple. Much like before, the attack ended with a sphere of black and blue engulfing her, purple prisms surrounding it.
As it irritatingly turned out, the clones didn't appear to take any damage from the attacks. She kept switching places with the clones for the duration of the maneuver. When the attack ended, both clones vanished into smoke. Shadowgear waved her finger back and forth in a naughty-naughty gesture, making me narrow my eyes once more.
"Ooh, so close but so far!" She smugly vanished and reappeared in front of me, executing a downward stroke. She vanished again before diving out of my shadow once more. In response, I moved to deflect both attacks, flowing into fierce counter-slashes of my own.
Her blade clashed with mine both times. She flash-stepped back before unloading a wide spread of bullets. The bullets glowed with an unstable blue light before exploding into a cone of smaller bullets.
I dashed to the side, spinning my blade to block what I couldn't dodge. Then, I casted Stop again, before unleashing a barrage of bullets at her. {What am I missing?} I asked Amethyst. Shadowgear felt like a puzzle to me, one I had to crack. I had to free Konton from her.
{No matter what you do, you just can't seem to overcome her defense. What is all this?} Amethyst was worried and puzzled in equal measure. This time, she didn't have an answer, either.
The Stop didn't work this time. In fact, Shadowgear blurred forward again with her MPBL held straight forward. The blade extended to twelve feet in length as she tried to run me through.
For just a moment, I thought of letting her stab me so that I could get to her at the same time, but that was way too risky, and it was not like me to let myself get hurt like that. Also, the increased reach of her sword precluded attempts at stabbing back. As such, treating the elongated blade like a polearm, what I did instead was to bat it aside, then rush inside her guard and slash while she was dealing with the inertia of her weapon. "There!"
Shadowgear looked surprised as her blade was thrown wide. The slash caught her across the midsection with a spray of black pixels revealing lines of code beneath the skin. Her eyes flashed pure gold as her shadow suddenly extended the entire length of the floor. She dropped into the ground of the Station below me without reappearing. Shadowy chains erupted from the ground in a seething mass tipped with claws and blades, all seeking to snatch at my limbs.
The unnerving maneuver reminded me of two monsters from another setting, the Shadow Stalker and the Dark Thorn, which had a habit of possessing their surroundings, like the ground below them. Flying out of the way and beating back the chains that got too near, I endeavored to head below the altitude of the platform's surface, out of sight and out of reach.
However, from the bottom of the platform, an intimidating, four-storey tall figure of darkness emerged. She resembled Shadowgear, but as a Dark CPU with thousands of hook tipped chains waving from her back. The Dark CPU slashed her clawed gauntlets through the air with surprising speed. Multiple Stop, Strength Down, and Defense Down were cast back to back.
I felt bound in place, and weakened at the same time. It was a struggle to move, for it was like someone had put me in an invisible straitjacket. I knew I was a sitting duck right now, and I really didn't like that. For a moment, I felt helpless as Konton was, but then, I had to do something. I focused on trying to cast Ur-Heal, a status-curing spell that I had but had yet to use, in an attempt to dispel the debuffs from me and move.
The chains were already encircling me as the spells wore off. Amethyst then suddenly appeared in a shower of sparks and slashed through the chains with a single gesture. Her eyes flared with power as a serious look crossed her face, "I am sick of this! No one touches my Fencer!" The anger of the Fairy pulsed in time with the power of HDD. I felt her power merging with mine, the familiar feeling of Fairize, except I was in HDD. However, it didn't stop, but rather, it kept going. It continue flowing into me, her physical body disappearing as I felt her spirit manifesting within me. I could feel her heartbeat with mine… this feeling… it was like that time I faced Gehaburn, but it was even stronger now. I felt my Fairize's mental switch activate as light engulfed my world.
The comforting feeling of warmth and power emanated all over me. Was I taking on my final form? I looked as my bodysuit partially peeled back on itself, revealing more of my skin, and as my processor unit and weapon expanded themselves, becoming grandiose as they looked just like what my dark side was using, albeit in purple, white and blue. I felt my chest growing, too… I wrapped my arms around myself to try and preserve my reduced modesty, for as I feared, my midriff and cleavage were now exposed, just like how Shadowgear's was. {Could I get more clothes than this, please?} I asked Amethyst.
"YOU'RE OPEN!" The Dark CPU bellowed gleefully as chain blades and bolts of raw force fired in a relentless volley.
{Can you worry about that later!?} Amethyst yelped.
{Sorry!} Eyes widened as I felt the impact of numerous projectiles raining upon me, my instincts acted as I flew and weaved to evade and deflect the rest, some of which got through because of my distraction. 'Amethyst was right; I should have focused on the battle first!' Still, I felt so much faster, tougher, lighter and stronger in this form, such that it would had been worse if I wasn't powered-up. In return, I fired back, magic circles and gunblade blazing as unforgiving beams and bullets of blue light streaked towards the Dark CPU. I felt that my new state was akin to NEXT Form, and as such, it would be more efficient to use my empowered skills rather than my newfound EXE Drive, the latter of which turned out to be… the Horizon Cut that was previously locked from me. Despite the power of that attack, I didn't want to risk being forced out of my new form in the process, at least not this soon.
The seemingly endless tide of attacks trickled down until nothing remained. Shadowgear stared in disbelief at her torso plate, where several cracks spread outward from the impact point. A brilliant light shone from within as she tried to hold it closed, "No no no! You can't! NO!" She screamed as a firefly spark slipped from between her fingers, making me smile.
{Phwa! Free at last! Free at last! Thank Nep I'm free at last!} Konton shot towards me like a micro comet, filling me with relief. She merged with the MPBL, causing it to flash and shimmer. A targeting reticule popped up along the barrel of the weapon. A blue circle appeared beneath the Dark CPU, freezing her completely.
"You can't do this! Release me, dammit! Release me…!" Shadowgear struggled, but nothing she did worked.
Konton's warm presence with me was a reminder of what my shadow did to her. "Never!" Taking the opening provided to me, I didn't hesitate to press the trigger as I took aim at Shadowgear. This was for Konton, for Amethyst, for my friends and the Furies who had put their faith in me…
"Hyperdimension Shot!" The name of the attack was shouted from the gun. A bolt of solid blue energy the size of a battleship round burst through the trapped CPU. She let out a cry of dismay as the extradimensional property of the attack caused the cracked armor to be sucked inward. A vortex of energy swirled inside of the torso. Shadowgear tried to cover the wound, but inside it just started pulling her hands further in. Space warped as her hands stretched out and distorted. Her head vibrated as she tried to hold it up, but it was too much. She started to curl inward, all the while screaming about the unfairness of it all. 'The irony of that… she was the unfair one to me.' Minutes passed as the Dark CPU continued to struggle.
"I… will… not… die!" Shadowgear shot out of the ailing body. She dived into the platform only to appear on top. The doppelganger collapsed to her knees in exhaustion as the gestalt entity vanished without a trace.
I wasn't going to give her an opening, not this time around. Not after she imprisoned Konton and took advantage of my modesty. I wasn't making that mistake again. As such, I barraged her with explosions of condensed light, intending to end her once and for all.
However, a barrier of pure force covered Shadowgear in a protective dome. The blasts struck, but were easily dissipated. As the field died down, she reverted back to her original state. Her coloration was no longer purely shadow, as she held a hand over her chest, "Goodness… That was a tough fight."
Wha…? That threw me in for a loop. Why was she acting like that now? Did the addition of color to her mean something? "It was," I said. {Should I continue attacking, or…?} I asked both my Fairies. I couldn't help but be on guard.
Shadowgear smiled faintly as she held out her hand in a gesture of reconciliation. "You didn't refuse me or deny my existence. All things are a balance of Light and Darkness. I am meant to represent your desires. I will never be your enemy. Just don't shoot at me next time," she winked playfully.
So she was right. We could have just talked things out. "You're saying… we could have been friends all along? I'm so sorry…" I said, my head bent down. I could have avoided the whole fight, the pressure of trying to beat her… then I looked at her once more, remembering what she did. "But what about Konton? Why did you imprison her?"
Shadowgear smirked and morphed into Konton, "I'm the culmination of your darker desires and the remnants of Gehaburn. Technically, I never imprisoned her since she is me. I would never kill you. You seemed to believe you had to overcome me. Be completely honest with me. Didn't it feel good to legitimately win? You accomplished your goal."
I felt my anger fading away into more of regret as she explained herself. I nodded, acknowledging her point. "Yes, it did… but I could have done better. It feels like one-starring an event when I could have three-starred it…" I remembered answering Amethyst's question wrong the first time. I remembered fighting Shadowgear instead of talking some more. I knew I wasn't perfect, but still.
Konton hugged me tightly, which I returned, "You totally three-starred this. If you didn't then, this whole Dive would have failed. Don't you get it? You successfully synchronized HDD and Fairize. You've unlocked your NEXT Form." She laid her head on my shoulder.
"Good point." So that was the catalyst Nepgear was referring to before. It did come at a time when I needed it. "Though, um… could I get more clothes for the new form? I feel a bit exposed in it…" I shyly requested, blushing slightly.
"Uhhh… Huh. I guess so? We would have to experiment, I guess. We're kind of short on people who can make new Processors, you know," Konton reminded me. Even some of Purple Sister's baseline Processor Cores were risque.
"Yeah…" I remembered the Lilac Mk2 and Mk3 processor units, the costumes of which were basically bikinis. "Oh, by the way, what would have happened if I accepted you a while ago instead of fighting you?"
"Hmmm… You would have still had some doubts. A feeling that you should have given it a try. The result would have still been NEXT, but not as evolved. I should say not as evolved for combat. You would have had a more support type power," Konton explained.
That helped ease my feeling of regret. It was okay to fight her, after all. It wasn't the wrong choice, just a different path, well, the more challenging one. However, what mattered is that things turned out well in the end. It was time to move forward. "Okay. So, let's be friends?"
"We'll always be friends. I'm as close as your heart," Konton patted the MBPL.
{You're so sweet.} Amethyst cooed.
"Time to get some real sleep. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you wake up," Konton smiled.
"Good night, Amethyst, Konton," I said, warmly smiling in return.
My weary mind was laid to rest amidst the waves of my soul. Amethyst and Konton were never far away throughout the night. The Sharicite Crystal shone with a pristine pale purple radiance. The concerns of tomorrow were washed away. All was peaceful and would remain so until morning.
Deep Dive
The weary warriors made their tired way back to Zelwinds. Our day-off was interrupted by an assassin, leading to a fight for survival. Pappin was unbelievably strong and clever if bringing a Sacrificial Doll was any indication. Strangely, our near-defeat wasn't as dispiriting as expected. Instead, it felt more like a baptism of fire that we survived. However, the assassin was now looking to kill me personally...
The inn was a welcome sight after an exhausting day. Once inside, our weary group gravitated towards the sitting area. Fang collapsed face first on the sofa, while Eryn didn't even ask permission and stretched out on his back. However, he didn't even stir. Galdo sat in an armchair with Marissa in his lap, while Marianna muttered something like "nap" and waved with Khalara tucked under her arm. Chiaki sat on the floor, back against the sofa, with Giselle in her lap. The traumatized Fury lay on the floor beside her, while Tiara sat on the loveseat with Cui.
"That sucked…" Fang groaned.
"Yeah. How did he find us...?" I asked. After all, he came out of the blue, and our picnic was unannounced. Lola even tried to lay a false trail for the Justice Society yesterday. At least he just appeared in front instead of immediately attacking.
"Best guess? They were already watching the inn," Tiara suggested.
"Wouldn't be the first time the enemy attacked us at home," Galdo rubbed his eyes.
"Actually, they were watching the front gate," a new voice interrupted. Tiara and Chiaki jumped, eyes wide with alarm. I was also unsure about the unknown presence, though that would had been useful had we known this morning. Galdo and Fang, however, started to smile.
Two strangers walked into the room, one of them a black-haired woman with emerald eyes. She was rather light on clothing, her orange bolero-like coat doing little to cover her midriff in front. The other person, meanwhile, was a guy who had a mustache and… pointy ears? Anyway, his attire was the rugged type in earth tones, and his fur-trimmed vest wasn't covering his chest, much like Galdo's alternate outfit.
"Hey, Harley. Welcome to the party. What's up, Bahus?" Fang waved, causing me to raise an eyebrow. 'Wait, Harley, as in the Fairyologist Chiaki talked about?'
"You know these two?" Tiara eyed the newcomers warily.
"They're time-traveling with us. At least I think they are," Fang suddenly didn't look so sure.
"Relax, Fang. We know who you are. There seem to be some new faces though…" Harley looked around.
"Well, this is Nepgear and that's…" I smiled and waved as he introduced me. He then started to introduce Chiaki, only for a sudden sonic attack to disorient everyone. It took a few moments to realize the 'attack' was actually Chiaki.
"Harley!" Chiaki leaped up with surprising energy and tackled the woman in the midsection. Harley ended up stumbling back into Bahus. 'Yup, that's the one.'
"Chiaki! Now this is a pleasant surprise," Harley patted her hair fondly.
"Her mentor was Harley… I'm not surprised. I should be, but it makes too much sense…" Galdo muttered.
I considered informing the Fairyologist about the ruins Chiaki and I discovered, but a more worrying topic was what was on my mind. I opted to address that first. "So, what's this about watching the front gate?" I asked. We would have to take a different route next time, and maybe wear disguises too.
"Instead of trying to find where you could be hiding, they're watching the front gate. I know a way into the city. It's a little cramped, but manageable," Harley said.
"I'm just glad I'm a Fairy," Bahus said.
"Cramped how?" Fang asked suspiciously. Was it the sewers or something?
"There's an old tunnel leading right to the lake outside. Some swimming is involved," Harley shrugged.
"I suppose a little water is better than assassins…" Tiara sighed.
"I'll manage," I replied. I knew how to swim, and I was stronger now than before all this. Now that there was a solution to the surveillance problem… "Oh, by the way, Chiaki and I found something interesting earlier."
"You did?" Harley was still patting Chiaki. The blonde realized she hadn't let go of the taller woman and tried to back up, but Harley just hugged her tighter. She wasn't going anywhere.
"We found an entrance into the ruins in the Sol Plains," Chiaki said.
"That's great news! Congratulations, you two," Harley grinned.
"Too bad we also had a run-in with Pappin, Pippin's father," Fang groused.
Speaking of Pappin… {Where can we get Sacrificial Dolls?} I inquired of Amethyst. Such things like what the assassin was using could be a lifesaver during our missions.
Amethyst appeared along with Konton, the little Fairy perching herself on my head. A warm presence, they were.
"I don't know where to find Sacrificial Dolls. Those would come in handy…" Amethyst agreed.
"Sacrificial Dolls? The recipe calls for ingredients that are usually difficult to find," Lola popped up out of nowhere. Her sudden appearance caused everyone to jump, myself included.
"We'll have to look into it," Fang decided.
"We should probably get back to collecting Furies. Hopefully summoning the Goddess can fix all this…" Galdo said dispiritedly, Marissa hugging him tightly in response.
I wasn't sure if that would be a cure-all. The idea of summoning her felt more like a first step, and that was only if she was willing and able to help. "Well, there's that Fury at Bui Valley, and we could do the S-Rank thing at the Goddess statue…" I mentioned, recalling that second part from before, right after defeating Gehaburn. "Also, how can we find and pursue leads regarding Junown?" That woman was the source of the Justice Society's addictive substance, as well as the one behind the hollow Fury once used by Chiaki.
"Yeah, I can release the S-Rank Fury from the Goddess Statue. I'm surprised no one tried to do it yet," Konton said.
"We'll decide in the morning. Right now my brain is fried…" Fang groaned.
"I'll look into Junown for you. Just leave it to me," Lola saluted.
"Thanks."
The decision was made to go to bed early. Dinner was accompanied by desserts made by Bahus. The burly Fairy, interestingly, was an accomplished pastry chef. His sweets were so good as to make even Tiara openly drool. Oh, the pudding was heavenly… rivaling even Compa's, according to my Nepgear memories.
Come to think of it, there was something that I recalled just now, since I wasn't distracted by more immediate matters. {Oh, I just remembered. How is Tiara more chill towards us? Didn't she call us crazy?} I commented to Amethyst. Maybe she saw something I missed?
{I have no idea. Seems to be something we should have been told.} Amethyst sounded put out.
{Maybe we could just ask her?} Konton suggested.
{Okay,} I concurred. "So, um… Tiara?" I cautiously ventured with a question. "If it's all right to ask, how are you more accepting of us?"
Tiara blinked as she came back down from her euphoria over dessert. She glanced over at Fang before looking around the table. The others were curious too, it seemed.
"The main reason? I really don't believe you. Time travel is such a crazy notion. I've just accepted that you believe. You people are crazy, but… you're also my only chance to live… What with the Justice Society after me…" Tiara trailed off miserably. Cui jumped up on the table and butted her head against the Fencer's.
Fang bit his lip. Apparently, he already heard this. Was the reason he didn't say anything because of how it affected Tiara? No one was quite sure what to say. Rather than answering with words, they answered with actions. Tiara looked surprised as everyone brought their chairs closer to hers.
I joined in as a gesture of support. "I understand," I said. Out-of-context stuff was out of context, after all. "We'll protect each other." It wasn't one-sided protection, but rather, a case of fighting alongside one another, which was more equal to me. Tiara, in response, smiled tremulously, but it was honest.
The rest of dinner passed as we bolstered each other. A sense of comfort and camaraderie settled over the inn. We parted ways after the meal, with Amethyst and Konton starting to get ready for bed.
In my case, after doing the same, I sat on my bed, taking a deep breath. It was time to meet Nepgear in my soul once more, to strengthen my spirit, and as such, I closed my eyes, mentally diving into myself like last time. I didn't know what awaited me, but I had to undergo what was needed, nervous as I was...
The Sharicite hung suspended in the darkness as I descended. So far, it didn't seem all that different until I got closer. It was like a strong force began to pull me towards the Crystal, making me widen my eyes in surprise. The last time I touched it, Nepgear held me back. Now, however, there was nothing to stop me as I was pulled directly into the Sharicite. The hard surface gave way like water, and it felt cold against my skin. I found my clothes changing to a simplified form of Nepgear's bodysuit.
I frantically glanced around me, wrapping my arms around myself to regulate the coldness. What was going on? How was I still breathing, quite rapidly even, despite the watery substance? Why did my outfit become different? Where was I this time? I had questions, but no answers to satisfy them. It was, frankly, scary. I didn't know what to do.
"Calm yourself…" A woman who looked like Neptune and Nepgear appeared. In fact, she more closely resembled Amethyst. The outfit she wore was a white toga that floated around her like wispy silk underwater. I could see her smiling kindly at me.
"O-Okay…" I hesitantly said. I could even speak despite all the non-suffocating water around me. I tried to slow my breathing, mentally counting to ten as I went. One, two, three, four…
…
"This is all in your mind. 'Way to state the obvious' right? We are now in the very core of your Self, the very center of your being. In this place, you will face trials. I realize that normally, a journey to the center of the mind is about casting off the desire for power. However, we are not in a normal situation. Someone is actively working to counter your influence. They are your true enemy, manipulating things from the shadows," she warned.
I felt calmer now, more prepared to respond, though the nerves of going through trials didn't quite leave me. "Sherman and the Justice Society were just puppets?" I asked. It was always a man behind the man, wasn't it? "Who is the mastermind? What can we do?"
"Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything else. What I can do is act as your guide. I will be brutally honest. You only get one chance at this. Fail, and the potential is gone forever," she said with a grave look.
Only one take at it…? I didn't like having such large stakes thrust upon me, but I was already here. The only way was onward. Not taking it at all was the equivalent of not succeeding at it. Whether I ended up passing or not, I had to keep moving forward. "I'll give it my all," was all I could say. I gazed forward, trying to mentally ready myself.
"Take heart… You have all the tools you need…" Her voice trailed away as she disappeared.
The water started to turn dark, reflecting the void beyond the crystal. Down below, a crystalline platform appeared. It looked like a stained glass window divided into six pieces. The picture looked like Nepgear curled up in sleep, and around her were six blank spaces.
It reminded me of a Dive to the Heart, except this wasn't my Heart, but rather, my Soul. Despite standing on nothing, I wasn't falling. Rather, I felt like I was floating, the "water" keeping me aloft. With nowhere else to go, I cautiously approached the platform, or in Kingdom Hearts terms, the Station. It felt kinda like swimming there, or just thinking my way forward.
The Station welcomed my approach. When I was just ten feet from the ground, gravity asserted itself and brought me down gently, feet-first. The six blank spaces flashed with black light, before indistinct shapes appeared. They looked humanoid with empty eyes, and all were facing me.
I wasn't sure if they were friendly or not. Those voids for eyes weren't indicating anything. But then, I also wasn't sure if attacking first was a good idea. I checked if my inventory and beam saber were with me, and they were. I could feel their presence. However, I made sure not to bring anything out, lest I agitate the humanoids. "Hello?" I called out. I still readied myself if they turned out to be enemies, though.
The nearest one started to take on definition. In moments, it resembled Fang except in grayscale. His face was curiously blank of emotion. "What is strength?"
This was the question and answer portion of the Dive, wasn't it? I had to think carefully. It felt like a test of character, and I had no idea what criteria it would grade me by. I could only answer what felt right to me, but what would that be? What was strength to me? Maybe it could mean 'power'? But that felt shallow, and incomplete. Strength of character and inner strength were a thing, too, not just outward expressions of it. Maybe it could mean 'ability' or 'capability to do things'? No, that wouldn't work for similar reasons as 'power'. Also, things like weakness, or humility, or meekness, or compassion, could be strengths in their own right. What could it mean, then?
Eventually, I thought of a definition that I felt right about, and encompassed the kinds of strength I could think of. "Strength is… qualities that can be used for the good of others and oneself, the common good."
Fang nodded, "That's not a bad answer…" The shadowy figure disappeared into the circle.
I let out a held breath, relieved that he approved. I then approached the next humanoid, wondering what he or she would ask me next. The next shadowy figure took on the form of Galdo, and he eyed me the same way that Fang did. "Do you always stand your ground?"
That… was a good question. There were times I did make my stand, but there were also times I opted to flee. It was highly contextual; there was no absolute on whether one should always stand or always run. The latter was sometimes thought of as cowardice, but the former could also be thought of as recklessness or stubbornness. Again, it was dependent on context. We stood against Sherman when he used his Skyfall. We retreated after we fought him, all tuckered out. We stood our ground against Gehaburn, not letting it pass. We retreated in the face of endless swarms of one-hit-point monsters, considering it too risky to continue at our weakened state. "That depends. It's foolish to pointlessly waste our lives. Tactical retreats serve a purpose, but when what we stand for is at stake, when others are in danger, when the lines and stakes are drawn… it's better to stand one's ground."
Galdo smiled, "Yeah. I can agree with that." He vanished once more into the circle.
I smiled as well, for my response was met with approval. I then walked towards the third person among the ones here, who was revealed to be Marianna. She had a hand on her waist while looking me in the eye, "Why do you fight?"
I closed my eyes for a bit, examining myself for why I did fight, why I kept going despite everything. Everyone had a reason, and so did I. However… honestly, I wasn't entirely altruistic, as much as I wanted to be, or probably should be. "I'm not perfect. I'm not entirely selfless. I do fight to help Fang and the others. I do support what they are trying to achieve, to right the wrongs, to make a better place where Justice isn't misused. However, it's also for… my own life. I do have a world and home to return to… but I know I'm not done yet. I'll finish what I was sent here for..." I bent my head downward. If someone were to offer me a way home right now, I would decline. I had unfinished business. I would only consider leaving once I had fulfilled my purpose here.
A peculiarly gentle look crossed Marianna's face, "There are worse answers…" She disappeared into the circle.
I wasn't sure what to make of that. It was like my answer was average or so-so, but I had to be honest with myself. I wasn't perfect. I then moved towards the fifth humanoid, who revealed themself to be Chiaki. She tilted her head, "What does it mean to be honest?"
Wow, what an appropriate question right now… "It means staying true to oneself, acknowledging one's strengths and flaws. It means being true to others, not having pretenses in between."
Chiaki gave a thumbs up, "I can agree with that." She smiled before vanishing once more.
That… lifted my spirits, knowing that she was okay with what I said. The only thing left to do was to see what the last person had in mind for me to answer. As I approached the last figure, they turned into Amethyst. My Fairy partner folded her arms, "Is honesty important to you?"
I thought about it for a while, before I nodded. "Yes."
Amethyst smiled, but her eyes looked sad, "Perhaps it is…" She gazed at me for a moment longer before vanishing into the circle.
Why did she give a sad look? Did I… say something wrong? But she was gone before I could ask. Now, there was just me and the Station. Perhaps I had to go to the center? As such, I made my approach. The six that I spoke to appeared in the center.
Fang stepped forward first, "'Strength is… qualities that can be used for the good of others and oneself, the common good.' That is your truth," he vanished once more. The image of Nepgear glowed softly.
Galdo stepped forward next, "'It's foolish to pointlessly waste our lives. Tactical retreats serve a purpose, but when what we stand for is at stake, when others are in danger, when the lines and stakes are drawn… it's better to stand one's ground.' That is your belief," he vanished as Fang did. The image of Nepgear glowed brighter.
Marianna stepped forward, "'I'm not perfect. I'm not entirely selfless. I do fight to help Fang and the others. I do support what they are trying to achieve, to right the wrongs, to make a better place where Justice isn't misused. However, it's also for… my own life. I do have a world and home to return to… but I know I'm not done yet. I'll finish what I was sent here for.' Strong words from a meek person, but all true," she vanished as well. A radiance started to emerge from Nepgear.
Chiaki came forward next, "'It means staying true to oneself, acknowledging one's strengths and flaws. It means being true to others, not having pretenses in between.' You have a good heart," she disappeared with a smile. The radiance intensified.
Amethyst lowered her head with a disappointed frown. "You answered so quickly. There is something you haven't been honest about. You haven't told anyone your true identity. Is that what it means to be honest?" She raised her head with glowing eyes.
Her piercing look made me flinch, made me examine myself… She was right. Upon thinking about it, she was right. I… I kept things to myself, like my situation. So that was why she had that sad look earlier. I could only look down in shame. "I'm sorry… you're right. I… I haven't been as honest as I should be…"
"No one is perfect. Anyone expecting perfection is a fool. You are not," Amethyst's eyes stopped glowing. She stepped closer and warmly embraced me before disappearing like the others. The radiance emanating from Nepgear's image covered the platform. Within the six circles appeared the ones who spoke to me. The sixth circle, however, held a darkened image of me as Nepgear.
Another part of the Dive was fighting one's shadow. The closer I got to the light, the longer my shadow would become… was that dark Nepgear my shadow? Or was it because I didn't get Amethyst's question right the first time? I first approached the other five, to see if they had anything to say. What I received from the others were smiles and generally friendly gestures. The last circle's version of me, however, wasn't in grayscale. As I drew closer, color started to appear. Her hair was dark purple with bright blue eyes and red pupils. The bodysuit she wore was inverted to mine, black where the white should be. In her hand was a glowing red sword.
"Life shines brightest the closer to death we dance… Whose radiance will cleave away the darkness? Yours… or mine," she grinned while slowly taking a ready stance.
I had to ready myself, too. She seemed intent to start a fight. As such, I brought out my purple beam saber and took a defensive stance. "If you're my shadow, why can't we get along? Why fight each other?" I asked.
Shadowgear tilted her head, "Why shouldn't we fight?" She asked.
"Does it always have to be violence? We could be friends," I said.
"How would that work? I am a metaphysical representation of your darker impulses given form. Do you actually want to be friends with the negative aspects of yourself?" Shadowgear asked.
So she really was my dark side, the inverse of Uzume to my non-tainted Kurome... On one hand, that meant she was part of me, something I accepted, for I wasn't perfect. However, on the other hand… developing oneself meant being better than their own darkness, wasn't it? That reminded me of something, the concept of holy war. As I remembered, it wasn't physical nor large-scale. Rather, it was spiritual and personal. It was defined as waging a battle against one's own sins, and… perhaps that was the idea here. "I… I think I understand now," I said to my shadow. "I'll grow by overcoming you, right?" There was also the idea of dying to one's sins, in order to renew oneself, but I didn't think that was meant to be taken literally.
This situation reminded me of a friend of mine who would try to apply Persona logic, were he in my shoes. However, I wasn't familiar with Persona, let alone its intricacies. Instead, I had to do what I felt was fitting for me.
Shadowgear tilted her head once more, "How would you overcome me?" She tapped the hilt of the sword off her hip curiously.
"By being better than you," I responded. "I accept you as a part of me, but I have to be better." Uzume accepted Kurome's hatred, yet still fought and overpowered her in the end. Perhaps the same thing applied here.
"Make up your mind. Are you accepting me or fighting me? I mean I'm up for a scrap if you like…" Shadowgear retook her ready stance with a smirk.
Oops, I came off as indecisive… but then I remembered what I came here for, and that was to strengthen my spirit. How would I do that? ...I would have to do that by being better than what I was. That meant defeating the darkness within me. "I'll fight you," I said, taking a defensive stance once more.
The shadow's eyes turned pure gold, "Yeah… Okay… Let's go!" Shadowgear vanished in a burst of darkness before coming up out of my shadow, blade extended.
In response, I rolled out of the way, her rising attack reminiscent of Vanitas's from a certain game. Then, I quickly summoned some beams of light to Converge towards her. However, she summoned a glyph of darkness to break the spell.
"Hya!" Shadowgear sprinted forward with her sword held aloft. The blade glowed a malevolent red as she executed a modified version of Celestial Severance. Each slash trailed shadows as she sought to overwhelm my defenses. First came the rising slash with both hands, followed by a heavy double-handed downward stroke. She followed that with a repeating series of fast, diagonal slashes aimed for my shoulders and across my back. Shadowgear vanished again, summoning a darkness glyph beneath me. Then, she descended from above to stab through me just as the glyph erupted in waves of shadow.
Surprised that she was already employing one of my strongest attacks, I dodged what I could avoid and deflected what I couldn't, for taking the blows head-on wasn't viable to me. Still, I couldn't give up, even though the attacks that got through did hurt, making me cry out in pain. To strike back, I once more used a few Converging spears of light, expecting her to summon that shadowy sigil. Right after casting my spell, I rushed towards her from a flanking direction, intending to attack her with a series of swipes while she was distracted by the beams.
The dark doppelganger thrust her hand out as the darkness glyph appeared again. A wave of darkness rolled out from the glowing sigil, but it didn't seem to hurt. She vanished into the darkness moments before the light hit and banished her construct. Shadowgear reappeared at the other end of the platform with a smirk on her face.
"Come on… I'm you. I know everything you're going to do. This is just sad. Entertain me!" Shadowgear laughed as she cast Defensive Cheer and Offensive Cheer.
Troublesome… 'Wouldn't that mean I would know her intended actions, too? I mean, she is my darkness, a part of me.' An option was to rush her, but that felt like obliging her, playing into her hands. Instead, I used both Cheers as well, to even the odds. Then, I observed and waited, trying to stretch out my senses and read her movements. I was used to fighting with my allies, not on my own like this…
"Good idea. Take your time and assess the situation. You leaped straight to fighting me even though I was willing to talk. The problem now is that I don't feel like playing nice. If you can't hit me just once, and soon, your journey will end. One," Shadowgear brought her sword up and slashed it downward with both hands, creating a rippling line of explosions along the ground.
I felt bad about myself. Once again, I made a mistake, like with Amethyst. I should not have given up on diplomacy so soon… how could I be better? How could I make it right? "I'm sorry…" I said, dashing to the side to avoid the detonations. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to hit her, but I had to figure it out soon. She was counting. So far, the Convergence wasn't working, what with that shadowy sigil getting in the way. Instead, I observed her further. There had to be a way through.
"Trying to suss out my attack pattern? Smart. I might repeat myself out of habit. Grow complacent as you just dodge. Not a bad idea. Two," Shadowgear sent another shockwave along the ground followed by a wide, glimmering blue energy slash that expanded as it traveled.
She added on to the previous attack, and she wasn't approaching me. She was attacking me from a distance. With Convergence being blocked by her, I had to use something else. As such, I leaped to the side to avoid both horizontal and vertical attacks. Then, I casted a Prismatic Burst directly at her. Since it wasn't a projectile that needed travel time, it was much quicker, which would mean little time to bring up the sigil.
She was now forced to dive to the side to avoid the light. Shadowgear gave a brief nod of respect even as she thrust her hand out. Six dark missiles streaked out from behind her, aiming right for me. They twisted through the air and self-adjusted their course. "Three…"
Intercepting her missiles with beams of light, I thought of what to do next. Prismatic Burst forced her to move… a long shot came to mind. I started with casting Stop, in case that worked. Then, I summoned lines of light that were aimed not at her, but rather, around her, to pin her down, after which I summoned a Prismatic Burst at her.
Shadowgear's eyes widened as the Stop spell connected. She was already powering through, but it slowed her down enough that the centralized Prismatic Burst went off smoothly. The shadowy doppelganger was thrown into the air by the force of the blast. Shadowgear came down in a three-point stance, blade swept off to the side, with wisps of darkness wafting off of her.
"Very good… Now I can stop holding back!" Shadowgear twirled in place while throwing up her sword. A shaft of black code partially obscured her form, but I could still see the sword piercing her chest. The darkness was blown away by gale-force winds as her transformation was revealed. It was certainly a Fairize, but it was darker and more intimidating and ornate in purple and black and red, and with a bigger chest. Her costume was more revealing than that of my Fairize and my HDD, comparable to Green Heart's outfit, but her processor unit was larger and more grandiose, somewhat resembling Sherman's Fairize, but even bigger. Her sword received an upgrade too, becoming a larger, more ornate version of my usual gunblade, now with edges glowing with red energy. It reminded me of the weapon I possessed while I had both my Fairize and HDD on… was her new form what my final form would look like later on? ...Could I request for more clothes if that was the case? I didn't want to expose my midriff and cleavage like that...
I could also feel the roiling darkness off her... I would have to take on a more powerful form, too. I looked into myself for those two mental switches… and both HDD and Fairize were available. Wait, Fairize? {Amethyst, are you there? Can you hear me?} I asked. Maybe she was here in spirit.
{No matter where you go, I will always walk beside you.} Amethyst promised.
{Thank you. Is Konton here, too? I'm sorry; I should have known I'm never alone…} I sighed with regret. I could have asked for her help a while ago. She could have caught what I missed. Why didn't I think of that…? Now, however, I had to make the most of the present, for I found her, and that was what mattered. Once more, I had to choose between the two forms, whether to take HDD's flight, or Fairize's defense. Considering that this was an open area, and considering that I relied more on mobility… the former felt like the more fitting choice. As such, I activated the switch for HDD, diving into my Shares. I could feel once more the comforting warmth of my bonds of faith with my friends. I felt them strengthening me, as I donned the appearance, outfit and processor unit of Purple Sister, and wielded her MPBL. Yeah, I was never alone… they were with me all along, in my heart and soul. 'I won't lose to my darkness. For them and for myself… We're in this together.'
"Are you asking for Konton? Sorry, but she can't hear you right now. If you want her back, you have to defeat me," Shadowgear held out her hand, palm up to show the sleeping figure of Konton, which made me shake myself and clench my fist. 'How dare she…!' She smirked as a globe of darkness enveloped the tiny fairy and vanished into her body, making me narrow my eyes into a glare. Her upgraded MPBL came up, spitting five-inch shells of condensed dark mana.
'That's it. I'll make sure she won't threaten us ever again...' My anger at Konton's situation was tempered into more of a cold fury, intent on saving her and erasing the one who kept her prisoner. In the meantime, I had a feeling those shells would detonate on proximity, much like those on the dual-purpose guns of warships. As such, I flew to the side as quickly as I could, summoning a few beams of light to intercept the shells. Then, I opened fire, my gunblade on fully automatic as I unloaded bullets onto my shadow.
Shadowgear smirked again as she demonstrated her own superior mobility. A red haze outlined her form as she blurred swiftly out of the way. The dark doppelganger unloaded her own stream of bullets just ahead of me. Her own hand slashed from left to right triggering a wave of shadowy explosions to the left, right, and behind me.
'The only way is up or down!' Eyes widened, I reacted by swerving upward, after which I casted Stop, followed by Prismatic Burst and gunfire from my weapon. She was more powerful now, but so was I.
Shadowgear briefly slowed as before, long enough to get struck. She was briefly obscured by the Prismatic Burst and repeated shots. When the lightshow settled, she was revealed to be completely unharmed. The dark one grinned as four bits flew out from behind her back as the pauldron blades detached to orbit Shadowgear.
"64-Bit Massacre," Shadowgear intoned before flying straight for me. The bits multiplied rapidly behind her before sweeping around behind me. She sent her flying blades on a spinning collision course with me. The bits opened fire with the same bullets Shadowgear was using in a violent stream of suppression fire. Each time the spinning blades crossed at my position they spiraled out only to return from a different angle. The doppelganger herself danced around in a similar manner to Celestial Severance, cutting at me from multiple angles.
"What the goodness?!" There were just so many attacks, coming in from so many vectors! I casted Defensive Cheer and focused on dodging and parrying and countering, but there were just so many! If I were a regular person, this would have killed me many times over. As it was, it hurt, a lot. I attempted to heal myself through what damage I took. There had to be a way through. She was so strong, but surely she wasn't invincible. This wasn't an impossible challenge. There had to be a way. I wasn't leaving Konton with her!
Shadowgear flew backward rapidly as the blades reattached to her pauldrons. "Not bad at all…" She acknowledged with a nod. The doppelganger refreshed her Offensive and Defensive Cheers. A familiar smirk crossed her face as she slashed her blade to the left and right. Shadowy clones appeared at her sides with glowing red eyes. The clones started to circle to the left and right of me.
She kept unveiling more and more tricks! I had to take down those clones, too. As such, I moved back, knowing that I shouldn't let them surround me. It'd be troublesome to take them out one by one… Fortunately, I could feel an upwelling of power within me, such that I could use one of my strongest attacks.
"Celestial Severance!" An array of magic circles surrounded me, firing homing lasers at the clones as I zigzagged towards the original, slashing at the clones along the way. Briefly spinning to spray bullets at the enemies around, I followed it up with a two-handed rising slash at Shadowgear, sending her flying. Then, I dashed to and fro, pressing the trigger of my gunblade to amplify each diagonal slash I made at her. Next, I stabbed through her, charging energy through the tip of my blade, before pressing the trigger again. A narrow cylinder of white energy shot through as I pulled back from her, yellow sparks coruscating about her. "Eat this!" Finally, I gathered more energy into my weapon, before unleashing it in a large beam of spiraling white and purple. Much like before, the attack ended with a sphere of black and blue engulfing her, purple prisms surrounding it.
As it irritatingly turned out, the clones didn't appear to take any damage from the attacks. She kept switching places with the clones for the duration of the maneuver. When the attack ended, both clones vanished into smoke. Shadowgear waved her finger back and forth in a naughty-naughty gesture, making me narrow my eyes once more.
"Ooh, so close but so far!" She smugly vanished and reappeared in front of me, executing a downward stroke. She vanished again before diving out of my shadow once more. In response, I moved to deflect both attacks, flowing into fierce counter-slashes of my own.
Her blade clashed with mine both times. She flash-stepped back before unloading a wide spread of bullets. The bullets glowed with an unstable blue light before exploding into a cone of smaller bullets.
I dashed to the side, spinning my blade to block what I couldn't dodge. Then, I casted Stop again, before unleashing a barrage of bullets at her. {What am I missing?} I asked Amethyst. Shadowgear felt like a puzzle to me, one I had to crack. I had to free Konton from her.
{No matter what you do, you just can't seem to overcome her defense. What is all this?} Amethyst was worried and puzzled in equal measure. This time, she didn't have an answer, either.
The Stop didn't work this time. In fact, Shadowgear blurred forward again with her MPBL held straight forward. The blade extended to twelve feet in length as she tried to run me through.
For just a moment, I thought of letting her stab me so that I could get to her at the same time, but that was way too risky, and it was not like me to let myself get hurt like that. Also, the increased reach of her sword precluded attempts at stabbing back. As such, treating the elongated blade like a polearm, what I did instead was to bat it aside, then rush inside her guard and slash while she was dealing with the inertia of her weapon. "There!"
Shadowgear looked surprised as her blade was thrown wide. The slash caught her across the midsection with a spray of black pixels revealing lines of code beneath the skin. Her eyes flashed pure gold as her shadow suddenly extended the entire length of the floor. She dropped into the ground of the Station below me without reappearing. Shadowy chains erupted from the ground in a seething mass tipped with claws and blades, all seeking to snatch at my limbs.
The unnerving maneuver reminded me of two monsters from another setting, the Shadow Stalker and the Dark Thorn, which had a habit of possessing their surroundings, like the ground below them. Flying out of the way and beating back the chains that got too near, I endeavored to head below the altitude of the platform's surface, out of sight and out of reach.
However, from the bottom of the platform, an intimidating, four-storey tall figure of darkness emerged. She resembled Shadowgear, but as a Dark CPU with thousands of hook tipped chains waving from her back. The Dark CPU slashed her clawed gauntlets through the air with surprising speed. Multiple Stop, Strength Down, and Defense Down were cast back to back.
I felt bound in place, and weakened at the same time. It was a struggle to move, for it was like someone had put me in an invisible straitjacket. I knew I was a sitting duck right now, and I really didn't like that. For a moment, I felt helpless as Konton was, but then, I had to do something. I focused on trying to cast Ur-Heal, a status-curing spell that I had but had yet to use, in an attempt to dispel the debuffs from me and move.
The chains were already encircling me as the spells wore off. Amethyst then suddenly appeared in a shower of sparks and slashed through the chains with a single gesture. Her eyes flared with power as a serious look crossed her face, "I am sick of this! No one touches my Fencer!" The anger of the Fairy pulsed in time with the power of HDD. I felt her power merging with mine, the familiar feeling of Fairize, except I was in HDD. However, it didn't stop, but rather, it kept going. It continue flowing into me, her physical body disappearing as I felt her spirit manifesting within me. I could feel her heartbeat with mine… this feeling… it was like that time I faced Gehaburn, but it was even stronger now. I felt my Fairize's mental switch activate as light engulfed my world.
The comforting feeling of warmth and power emanated all over me. Was I taking on my final form? I looked as my bodysuit partially peeled back on itself, revealing more of my skin, and as my processor unit and weapon expanded themselves, becoming grandiose as they looked just like what my dark side was using, albeit in purple, white and blue. I felt my chest growing, too… I wrapped my arms around myself to try and preserve my reduced modesty, for as I feared, my midriff and cleavage were now exposed, just like how Shadowgear's was. {Could I get more clothes than this, please?} I asked Amethyst.
"YOU'RE OPEN!" The Dark CPU bellowed gleefully as chain blades and bolts of raw force fired in a relentless volley.
{Can you worry about that later!?} Amethyst yelped.
{Sorry!} Eyes widened as I felt the impact of numerous projectiles raining upon me, my instincts acted as I flew and weaved to evade and deflect the rest, some of which got through because of my distraction. 'Amethyst was right; I should have focused on the battle first!' Still, I felt so much faster, tougher, lighter and stronger in this form, such that it would had been worse if I wasn't powered-up. In return, I fired back, magic circles and gunblade blazing as unforgiving beams and bullets of blue light streaked towards the Dark CPU. I felt that my new state was akin to NEXT Form, and as such, it would be more efficient to use my empowered skills rather than my newfound EXE Drive, the latter of which turned out to be… the Horizon Cut that was previously locked from me. Despite the power of that attack, I didn't want to risk being forced out of my new form in the process, at least not this soon.
The seemingly endless tide of attacks trickled down until nothing remained. Shadowgear stared in disbelief at her torso plate, where several cracks spread outward from the impact point. A brilliant light shone from within as she tried to hold it closed, "No no no! You can't! NO!" She screamed as a firefly spark slipped from between her fingers, making me smile.
{Phwa! Free at last! Free at last! Thank Nep I'm free at last!} Konton shot towards me like a micro comet, filling me with relief. She merged with the MPBL, causing it to flash and shimmer. A targeting reticule popped up along the barrel of the weapon. A blue circle appeared beneath the Dark CPU, freezing her completely.
"You can't do this! Release me, dammit! Release me…!" Shadowgear struggled, but nothing she did worked.
Konton's warm presence with me was a reminder of what my shadow did to her. "Never!" Taking the opening provided to me, I didn't hesitate to press the trigger as I took aim at Shadowgear. This was for Konton, for Amethyst, for my friends and the Furies who had put their faith in me…
"Hyperdimension Shot!" The name of the attack was shouted from the gun. A bolt of solid blue energy the size of a battleship round burst through the trapped CPU. She let out a cry of dismay as the extradimensional property of the attack caused the cracked armor to be sucked inward. A vortex of energy swirled inside of the torso. Shadowgear tried to cover the wound, but inside it just started pulling her hands further in. Space warped as her hands stretched out and distorted. Her head vibrated as she tried to hold it up, but it was too much. She started to curl inward, all the while screaming about the unfairness of it all. 'The irony of that… she was the unfair one to me.' Minutes passed as the Dark CPU continued to struggle.
"I… will… not… die!" Shadowgear shot out of the ailing body. She dived into the platform only to appear on top. The doppelganger collapsed to her knees in exhaustion as the gestalt entity vanished without a trace.
I wasn't going to give her an opening, not this time around. Not after she imprisoned Konton and took advantage of my modesty. I wasn't making that mistake again. As such, I barraged her with explosions of condensed light, intending to end her once and for all.
However, a barrier of pure force covered Shadowgear in a protective dome. The blasts struck, but were easily dissipated. As the field died down, she reverted back to her original state. Her coloration was no longer purely shadow, as she held a hand over her chest, "Goodness… That was a tough fight."
Wha…? That threw me in for a loop. Why was she acting like that now? Did the addition of color to her mean something? "It was," I said. {Should I continue attacking, or…?} I asked both my Fairies. I couldn't help but be on guard.
Shadowgear smiled faintly as she held out her hand in a gesture of reconciliation. "You didn't refuse me or deny my existence. All things are a balance of Light and Darkness. I am meant to represent your desires. I will never be your enemy. Just don't shoot at me next time," she winked playfully.
So she was right. We could have just talked things out. "You're saying… we could have been friends all along? I'm so sorry…" I said, my head bent down. I could have avoided the whole fight, the pressure of trying to beat her… then I looked at her once more, remembering what she did. "But what about Konton? Why did you imprison her?"
Shadowgear smirked and morphed into Konton, "I'm the culmination of your darker desires and the remnants of Gehaburn. Technically, I never imprisoned her since she is me. I would never kill you. You seemed to believe you had to overcome me. Be completely honest with me. Didn't it feel good to legitimately win? You accomplished your goal."
I felt my anger fading away into more of regret as she explained herself. I nodded, acknowledging her point. "Yes, it did… but I could have done better. It feels like one-starring an event when I could have three-starred it…" I remembered answering Amethyst's question wrong the first time. I remembered fighting Shadowgear instead of talking some more. I knew I wasn't perfect, but still.
Konton hugged me tightly, which I returned, "You totally three-starred this. If you didn't then, this whole Dive would have failed. Don't you get it? You successfully synchronized HDD and Fairize. You've unlocked your NEXT Form." She laid her head on my shoulder.
"Good point." So that was the catalyst Nepgear was referring to before. It did come at a time when I needed it. "Though, um… could I get more clothes for the new form? I feel a bit exposed in it…" I shyly requested, blushing slightly.
"Uhhh… Huh. I guess so? We would have to experiment, I guess. We're kind of short on people who can make new Processors, you know," Konton reminded me. Even some of Purple Sister's baseline Processor Cores were risque.
"Yeah…" I remembered the Lilac Mk2 and Mk3 processor units, the costumes of which were basically bikinis. "Oh, by the way, what would have happened if I accepted you a while ago instead of fighting you?"
"Hmmm… You would have still had some doubts. A feeling that you should have given it a try. The result would have still been NEXT, but not as evolved. I should say not as evolved for combat. You would have had a more support type power," Konton explained.
That helped ease my feeling of regret. It was okay to fight her, after all. It wasn't the wrong choice, just a different path, well, the more challenging one. However, what mattered is that things turned out well in the end. It was time to move forward. "Okay. So, let's be friends?"
"We'll always be friends. I'm as close as your heart," Konton patted the MBPL.
{You're so sweet.} Amethyst cooed.
"Time to get some real sleep. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you wake up," Konton smiled.
"Good night, Amethyst, Konton," I said, warmly smiling in return.
My weary mind was laid to rest amidst the waves of my soul. Amethyst and Konton were never far away throughout the night. The Sharicite Crystal shone with a pristine pale purple radiance. The concerns of tomorrow were washed away. All was peaceful and would remain so until morning.
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
ACCEPT YOUR DIVINITY! BECOME THE GODDESS OF THIS NEW WORLD!!
(We all know that is how this is going to end
)
(We all know that is how this is going to end
)
Lazy Days
- Location
- PA
AN: Actual downtime for @UbeOne? What madness is this?
Lazy Days
My eyes fluttered open as I found myself roused from my sleep. Taking a glance around, I noticed that I was back in my room, sunlight peeking out from the window, not in my soul. I was also back in my normal form, with my sleeping attire on, not in my, um, fanservice-y NEXT Form. I blushed a little as I remembered how it felt… then sighed as I also recalled what I went through. Physically, I was fine now, but mentally… it was far from relaxing. While it did go well, and I did become stronger because of it, the trial was also intense, and dangerous too. My shadow was serious in the fight, and so was I...
I was reminded that I would have to disclose to the others my own circumstances. I had to walk the talk, after all, but first… I looked for my two Fairies, and they were nearby, already awake. "Good morning, Amethyst, Konton," I softly greeted them with a smile. "Are you two okay...?"
Amethyst sat on the bed and hugged me, "We were just waiting for you to wake up. It was hard waiting, but we thought you needed the rest."
Konton sat down on the other side and hugged me from behind, "I'm so glad you passed." I felt that she was using her full-sized form instead of her regular one.
I returned their warm embrace. "Thanks, and me too..."
"We could just curl up in bed together until noon," Amethyst beamed.
"Lazy Fairy," Konton teased.
"You don't want to get up either," the taller Fairy said.
"Guilty," she giggled.
I closed my eyes for a moment, before opening them again. The prospect of getting more rest turned out to be an attractive one. "Sure..." I replied, feeling like a sleepy Plutia. I wasn't fully awake, anyway.
{Hey! Gonna get some more sleep. Disturb us at your own peril!} Konton called to the other Fairies.
{No problem! Rest well. Chiaki and Giselle are downstairs. The rest of us are heading out to get the Fury from Bui Valley.} Eryn said.
{You're leaving us here alone? Aren't you worried about the mayhem we'll cause?} Konton teased.
{The only mayhem I see is if Chiaki decides to join you.} Eryn said dryly.
{Chiaki is already napping on the sofa.} Giselle said.
{Perhaps it's an assault by sleep ninjas!} Konton joked.
{We'll be well rested when we die.} Giselle remarked.
Amethyst giggled at the byplay, while I chuckled in amusement. {Good luck with the Bui mission...!} Lying down on my bed, I prepared to descend once more into the comfort of darkness...
Nothing happened at all except for an all-important nap. Meanwhile, it seemed that Chiaki had finally dragged herself from the arms of Morpheus to go upstairs, for there was a knock on the door, along with her voice calling through that it was time for lunch. Konton waved a hand and the door opened, revealing the blonde Fencer, carrying a tray of food, along with Giselle, carrying a carafe of tea and glasses.
"Mmm… Could you serve us in bed?" Amethyst asked, though only half-seriously.
"Sure. Just relax and let us take care of you," Chiaki beamed while setting the tray on a rolling table. There was just enough room for everyone on the bed to reach it.
"I think she was kidding…" Konton giggled.
"Hey, it gives me an excuse to hang out here," Chiaki stuck out her tongue before sitting on the end of the bed, with Giselle joining her.
After a bit of arranging, there was enough room for everyone. Amethyst sighed contentedly at not having to get up. Konton giggled, "You're so lazy, Ame."
"Lazy, am I? What does that make you?" Amethyst asked.
"Lazy," Konton said unashamed. Chiaki and Giselle giggled.
"Team Lazy," I lightheartedly added. I couldn't recall the last time I had a meal in bed… it felt nice experiencing it once more. When everyone was ready, I joined in the assault on the food, which looked like a thin-crusted, four-cheese pizza along with salad on the side. "Thanks, Chiaki, Giselle."
"What are friends for?" Chiaki dug into her own meal.
"This sort of thing is alright," Giselle smiled lightly.
While eating, something occurred to me. Chiaki and Giselle could be the first ones besides my Fairies to know my story, so to speak. However, I wasn't sure how to broach the topic, and I couldn't help but feel nervous about how they'd take it, even if we already knew of Fang's time-traveling, something that was also out-of-context. {Um… ideas on how to tell them where I'm from…?} I asked Amethyst.
{Maybe ask Chiaki where she's from and segue from there?} Amethyst suggested.
{The only one who would take it as well as her would be Fang.} Konton said, which made sense. Fang was pretty laid back about most things unless it was a mission.
{Okay,} I replied. During a lull in the eating, I put it into action. "So, I was thinking... remember Fang's time-traveling?"
"Of course. Honestly, it made more sense to be time-traveling than to suddenly be ignorant of the Zelwinds area," Chiaki shrugged.
"Yup," I said, nodding in agreement. "How about you? May I know where you're from?"
"I used to live in a small village just south of here. The Dorfa Corporation sent a Fencer there to claim our Fury. I was saved by Sherman and the Fencer was slain," Chiaki said.
That explained her previous loyalty to Sherman, which was understandable. "In my case… actually, it's weirder than Fang's…" I started, as I put together my words on the matter.
"Whatever it is, I'll still be your friend," Chiaki promised.
"Thanks," I replied. "Thing is, I'm not from here. Fang came from a different time. I came from… a different world entirely. I… didn't even look like this before..." I pointed to myself.
"A different world?" Chiaki looked startled, but also a little intrigued. Giselle didn't appear surprised at all. Either that, or she had an amazing poker face.
"Yes," I answered. "Fairies? Fencers? Furies? Only here do I see them, not where I'm from."
"What's it like?" Chiaki asked curiously.
"No Fairies? Sounds boring," Giselle remarked.
"I know, right?" Konton shrugged.
"Girls…" Amethyst shook her head at their antics.
I sighed. A world without Fairies was certainly out-of-context here. "Hm… that's broad. Where to start… well, there are things that are the same. Modern conveniences, for one. At least some of the technology, too. But there are differences, like, magic is also something new to me."
Chiaki dropped her pizza, and her jaw, at the news, "No magic?"
The Fairies shuddered at the idea of a world without magic.
...I did not expect them to react like that. Magic must be really important to them. "Yeah. Plenty of science and tech, but no magic. Stage tricks are nothing like this." I put up a small ball of light to show what I meant. This was magic-magic, not sufficiently advanced tech masquerading as such. It wasn't everyday I could experience it.
"You poor thing…" Giselle shook her head sadly.
"Oh, for crying out loud… Not everyone can use magic here, either. Only Fencers and some descendants of Fencers," Amethyst sighed. Huh, I thought everyone had magic here.
"But no magic at all!" Giselle flailed cutely.
"Humanity is capable of working miracles with the tools they have available. Underestimating their ingenuity would be a mistake," Konton nodded firmly.
"Agreed," I said. "The tech in my world was mostly from the ground up, developed over the centuries. There were ancient civilizations, but nothing like the ruins we found yesterday."
"I have to admit I could see the appeal. To be able to mold destiny with your own two hands…" Chiaki mused. She pulled Giselle in for a side hug.
"But I think you could already do that," I replied. "If we had something like the Sol Plains ruins, we'd reverse-engineer it, too. What matters after is what to do with it." Nothing wrong with learning from the past, and there were multiple paths to development.
"Then that's what I want to do. I want to explore the ruins of the Sol Plains. To see history with my own eyes," Chiaki turned sparkling eyes on me.
"Infinite horde of critters," Giselle deadpanned.
"We just need more firepower," Chiaki insisted.
"If explosives aren't solving your problem, you're not using enough of them," Amethyst nodded sagely.
"Boom for the Boom God!" Konton saluted.
I laughed at their antics. "Dakka for the Dakka Throne!" While I wasn't familiar with the referenced setting, I knew the meme.
After an explanation on what 'dakka' was, Chiaki started laughing as well.
"Were you worried I might turn you away?" Chiaki asked with a fond smile. It was clear by her expression she accepted the story.
"I was," I answered with a nod. I didn't want to lose our friendship.
"What did you mean this isn't what you looked like before?" Giselle asked. It seemed that it didn't slip her mind.
"If it's too private, you don't have to say," Chiaki was quick to mention.
She gave me the option to back out, but I had to be honest with them. "What I meant was… this wasn't my body before. Before I woke up in the Sol Plains, I didn't look like this…" I once more pointed at myself.
"If you're too uncomfortable, you don't have to say anything else," Chiaki said comfortingly. Giselle opened her mouth, but quickly shut it at Amethyst and Konton's stare. The Gothic Fairy sat back with a pout.
"It's okay," I said. It was nice of her to be accommodating, but I… I had to keep going. Taking a breath to gather my thoughts, I continued, my voice a bit quieter this time. "But… would you believe me, if… only here did I know what it's like... to be a girl…?" I shivered, being more nervous this time. Being from a different world was one thing, but what I said was even weirder than that.
Giselle looked bad for trying to force the issue. Her Fencer sat very still as she tried to process what I said. Chiaki sat with her hands folded. She didn't answer immediately. The blonde opened her mouth a couple times, but didn't seem to know what to say. A whole range of emotions passed over her face, which, with the silence, wasn't helping my nerves. Coming to a decision, Chiaki reached over and took my hands, surprising me.
"No matter what, you are my friend. It's who you are inside that matters most to me. I admit it's a shock, but our friendship is more important," she said quietly.
A small smile graced my face at the support, as I held her hands in return. She really was a friend. "Thank you," I said. "If anything, I've gotten… more comfortable with it over time. It's a part of me." A part of me, in fact, felt that… I could come to like being like this...
"You're a very strong person. Thank you for being my friend," Chiaki smiled gratefully.
"You're welcome," I replied. A quiet moment passed before I thought of something, a lighter topic for a change. "So, what do you have in mind after lunch?" I didn't really have a plan, and I felt like hearing what the others were thinking of first.
"Good question. I was just going to nap some more," Chiaki stretched languidly. "I really needed the rest after the nonstop action."
"Pretty much what I was going to do as well," Giselle said.
"Yeah, I was gonna be a couch potato," Konton chuckled.
"All of this laziness… is what I would like to say, but really? Rest is best. Who knows when we'll have to go without a break again?" Amethyst shrugged.
An afternoon nap didn't hurt… and I was used to taking such naps anyway. Goodness, I really felt like a sleepy Plutie today. "Hm… sleep sounds nice…"
...
The rest of the team returned two days later from the Fury hunt. They would have been back sooner, but Fang decided they needed time at a hot spring. The women were glowing and the men looked relaxed.
"The Fury wasn't even that hard to retrieve. We beat the monsters who were guarding it and that was that. I remembered a hot spring resort on the way back, so we stopped there overnight," Fang said.
"I forgot what it felt like to be pampered…" Marianna purred. The normally straight-laced woman smiled happily.
"It was nice to get a chance to reconnect with everyone," Harley grinned.
"She just wanted an excuse to see us in towels," Eryn snarked.
"Harley is just a little Fairy obsessed," Marissa admitted.
"The food was so good…" Galdo sighed in remembrance.
"If Fang keeps making good decisions like this, I might stop calling him crazy," Tiara smirked.
"Hey! I make plenty of good decisions, devil woman!" Fang railed. The Tsundere blushed and acted coy over his words.
"She has issues," Giselle remarked.
"Shhhh…!" Chiaki shushed her, even if it was clear that she agreed.
"Looks like you enjoyed the outing," I said. Good thing their mission was a success, though I felt like I kinda dodged a bullet there. I wasn't ready to try something like the hot springs, for I had not been to one in the first place, and I wasn't sure if the hot water would be appealing to me. That, and I needed more time to be more comfortable with my body. "So, what's next?"
The next ones to disclose my story to would be… Fang and Galdo, but this wasn't the right timing for that. Too many people, and I had just finished telling Chiaki and Giselle about it two days ago…
"The next Fury is at the Katticus Ice Caves. Make sure to dress warmly," Fang said. Good thing I had that red cloak in my inventory, thanks to that ice cave comment days before, when we went shopping for new clothes.
"I bought the thermal underwear," Eryn chirped. Oh, I remembered that from before, and I couldn't help but feel a bit warm at my cheeks. How did she buy that for everyone? 'Talk about a brick joke…'
"Thermal underwear? Why?" Marianne asked.
"The Katticus Ice Caves are very cold. As in arctic temperatures," Harley said seriously.
"Is Eryn saying she bought underwear for all of us?" Tiara asked.
"I know your sizes. Don't worry," Eryn assured her. Despite her intention, Tiara didn't look reassured.
"Most people don't like to hear you bought underwear for them. Unless you're dating," Marissa reminded Eryn.
"And only in private," Marianne said dryly.
"Marissa buys my underwear all the time," Galdo didn't see anything wrong. 'I didn't need to know that…'
"She practically mothers you. That's different," Bahus came in with refreshments.
"How did we end up here?" Giselle asked, seemingly confused at the turn of events.
"Allow me to teach you the way of tropes…" Konton landed on Giselle's shoulder, once more in her small form.
"Poor Giselle is doomed…" Amethyst lowered her head in regret.
"Stop trying to corrupt my Fairy!" Chiaki pulled Giselle into her lap.
"Is it corruption, or enlightenment?" I jokingly asked the two of them.
Before I could get a reply, however… "Did you two have a good time while we were gone?" Fang asked Chiaki and myself.
"We slept, lounged around, and talked," Chiaki smiled blissfully.
"Pretty much. It was very restful," I added. It was a welcome respite from trials and tribulations.
"I figured you wouldn't be up to going on a job after you did… whatever that was. Eryn said you were 'deepening your spiritual connections,'" Fang said. His Fairy wasn't wrong there.
"Wow… Your bond is so much stronger…" Eryn stared at us, as in my Fairies and I, in surprise.
I smiled. The NEXT Form was truly symbolic of our bond, though on a side note, it might not be the most helpful in an ice cave. "Yup… we grew stronger together," I said.
"Tonight we feast, for tomorrow we freeze!" Fang tried to inject some enthusiasm into his statement. He was as thrilled with freezing temperatures as anyone else.
Tomorrow, we would be going to the Katticus Ice Caves, the coldest place in the entire region. Fang and Eryn's talk of thermal underwear spoke of experience. I would have a chance to experience the extreme cold for myself, something I wasn't used to. Good thing I had two days of rest before this hunt. Only time would tell if I had to use my newfound power.
Lazy Days
My eyes fluttered open as I found myself roused from my sleep. Taking a glance around, I noticed that I was back in my room, sunlight peeking out from the window, not in my soul. I was also back in my normal form, with my sleeping attire on, not in my, um, fanservice-y NEXT Form. I blushed a little as I remembered how it felt… then sighed as I also recalled what I went through. Physically, I was fine now, but mentally… it was far from relaxing. While it did go well, and I did become stronger because of it, the trial was also intense, and dangerous too. My shadow was serious in the fight, and so was I...
I was reminded that I would have to disclose to the others my own circumstances. I had to walk the talk, after all, but first… I looked for my two Fairies, and they were nearby, already awake. "Good morning, Amethyst, Konton," I softly greeted them with a smile. "Are you two okay...?"
Amethyst sat on the bed and hugged me, "We were just waiting for you to wake up. It was hard waiting, but we thought you needed the rest."
Konton sat down on the other side and hugged me from behind, "I'm so glad you passed." I felt that she was using her full-sized form instead of her regular one.
I returned their warm embrace. "Thanks, and me too..."
"We could just curl up in bed together until noon," Amethyst beamed.
"Lazy Fairy," Konton teased.
"You don't want to get up either," the taller Fairy said.
"Guilty," she giggled.
I closed my eyes for a moment, before opening them again. The prospect of getting more rest turned out to be an attractive one. "Sure..." I replied, feeling like a sleepy Plutia. I wasn't fully awake, anyway.
{Hey! Gonna get some more sleep. Disturb us at your own peril!} Konton called to the other Fairies.
{No problem! Rest well. Chiaki and Giselle are downstairs. The rest of us are heading out to get the Fury from Bui Valley.} Eryn said.
{You're leaving us here alone? Aren't you worried about the mayhem we'll cause?} Konton teased.
{The only mayhem I see is if Chiaki decides to join you.} Eryn said dryly.
{Chiaki is already napping on the sofa.} Giselle said.
{Perhaps it's an assault by sleep ninjas!} Konton joked.
{We'll be well rested when we die.} Giselle remarked.
Amethyst giggled at the byplay, while I chuckled in amusement. {Good luck with the Bui mission...!} Lying down on my bed, I prepared to descend once more into the comfort of darkness...
Nothing happened at all except for an all-important nap. Meanwhile, it seemed that Chiaki had finally dragged herself from the arms of Morpheus to go upstairs, for there was a knock on the door, along with her voice calling through that it was time for lunch. Konton waved a hand and the door opened, revealing the blonde Fencer, carrying a tray of food, along with Giselle, carrying a carafe of tea and glasses.
"Mmm… Could you serve us in bed?" Amethyst asked, though only half-seriously.
"Sure. Just relax and let us take care of you," Chiaki beamed while setting the tray on a rolling table. There was just enough room for everyone on the bed to reach it.
"I think she was kidding…" Konton giggled.
"Hey, it gives me an excuse to hang out here," Chiaki stuck out her tongue before sitting on the end of the bed, with Giselle joining her.
After a bit of arranging, there was enough room for everyone. Amethyst sighed contentedly at not having to get up. Konton giggled, "You're so lazy, Ame."
"Lazy, am I? What does that make you?" Amethyst asked.
"Lazy," Konton said unashamed. Chiaki and Giselle giggled.
"Team Lazy," I lightheartedly added. I couldn't recall the last time I had a meal in bed… it felt nice experiencing it once more. When everyone was ready, I joined in the assault on the food, which looked like a thin-crusted, four-cheese pizza along with salad on the side. "Thanks, Chiaki, Giselle."
"What are friends for?" Chiaki dug into her own meal.
"This sort of thing is alright," Giselle smiled lightly.
While eating, something occurred to me. Chiaki and Giselle could be the first ones besides my Fairies to know my story, so to speak. However, I wasn't sure how to broach the topic, and I couldn't help but feel nervous about how they'd take it, even if we already knew of Fang's time-traveling, something that was also out-of-context. {Um… ideas on how to tell them where I'm from…?} I asked Amethyst.
{Maybe ask Chiaki where she's from and segue from there?} Amethyst suggested.
{The only one who would take it as well as her would be Fang.} Konton said, which made sense. Fang was pretty laid back about most things unless it was a mission.
{Okay,} I replied. During a lull in the eating, I put it into action. "So, I was thinking... remember Fang's time-traveling?"
"Of course. Honestly, it made more sense to be time-traveling than to suddenly be ignorant of the Zelwinds area," Chiaki shrugged.
"Yup," I said, nodding in agreement. "How about you? May I know where you're from?"
"I used to live in a small village just south of here. The Dorfa Corporation sent a Fencer there to claim our Fury. I was saved by Sherman and the Fencer was slain," Chiaki said.
That explained her previous loyalty to Sherman, which was understandable. "In my case… actually, it's weirder than Fang's…" I started, as I put together my words on the matter.
"Whatever it is, I'll still be your friend," Chiaki promised.
"Thanks," I replied. "Thing is, I'm not from here. Fang came from a different time. I came from… a different world entirely. I… didn't even look like this before..." I pointed to myself.
"A different world?" Chiaki looked startled, but also a little intrigued. Giselle didn't appear surprised at all. Either that, or she had an amazing poker face.
"Yes," I answered. "Fairies? Fencers? Furies? Only here do I see them, not where I'm from."
"What's it like?" Chiaki asked curiously.
"No Fairies? Sounds boring," Giselle remarked.
"I know, right?" Konton shrugged.
"Girls…" Amethyst shook her head at their antics.
I sighed. A world without Fairies was certainly out-of-context here. "Hm… that's broad. Where to start… well, there are things that are the same. Modern conveniences, for one. At least some of the technology, too. But there are differences, like, magic is also something new to me."
Chiaki dropped her pizza, and her jaw, at the news, "No magic?"
The Fairies shuddered at the idea of a world without magic.
...I did not expect them to react like that. Magic must be really important to them. "Yeah. Plenty of science and tech, but no magic. Stage tricks are nothing like this." I put up a small ball of light to show what I meant. This was magic-magic, not sufficiently advanced tech masquerading as such. It wasn't everyday I could experience it.
"You poor thing…" Giselle shook her head sadly.
"Oh, for crying out loud… Not everyone can use magic here, either. Only Fencers and some descendants of Fencers," Amethyst sighed. Huh, I thought everyone had magic here.
"But no magic at all!" Giselle flailed cutely.
"Humanity is capable of working miracles with the tools they have available. Underestimating their ingenuity would be a mistake," Konton nodded firmly.
"Agreed," I said. "The tech in my world was mostly from the ground up, developed over the centuries. There were ancient civilizations, but nothing like the ruins we found yesterday."
"I have to admit I could see the appeal. To be able to mold destiny with your own two hands…" Chiaki mused. She pulled Giselle in for a side hug.
"But I think you could already do that," I replied. "If we had something like the Sol Plains ruins, we'd reverse-engineer it, too. What matters after is what to do with it." Nothing wrong with learning from the past, and there were multiple paths to development.
"Then that's what I want to do. I want to explore the ruins of the Sol Plains. To see history with my own eyes," Chiaki turned sparkling eyes on me.
"Infinite horde of critters," Giselle deadpanned.
"We just need more firepower," Chiaki insisted.
"If explosives aren't solving your problem, you're not using enough of them," Amethyst nodded sagely.
"Boom for the Boom God!" Konton saluted.
I laughed at their antics. "Dakka for the Dakka Throne!" While I wasn't familiar with the referenced setting, I knew the meme.
After an explanation on what 'dakka' was, Chiaki started laughing as well.
"Were you worried I might turn you away?" Chiaki asked with a fond smile. It was clear by her expression she accepted the story.
"I was," I answered with a nod. I didn't want to lose our friendship.
"What did you mean this isn't what you looked like before?" Giselle asked. It seemed that it didn't slip her mind.
"If it's too private, you don't have to say," Chiaki was quick to mention.
She gave me the option to back out, but I had to be honest with them. "What I meant was… this wasn't my body before. Before I woke up in the Sol Plains, I didn't look like this…" I once more pointed at myself.
"If you're too uncomfortable, you don't have to say anything else," Chiaki said comfortingly. Giselle opened her mouth, but quickly shut it at Amethyst and Konton's stare. The Gothic Fairy sat back with a pout.
"It's okay," I said. It was nice of her to be accommodating, but I… I had to keep going. Taking a breath to gather my thoughts, I continued, my voice a bit quieter this time. "But… would you believe me, if… only here did I know what it's like... to be a girl…?" I shivered, being more nervous this time. Being from a different world was one thing, but what I said was even weirder than that.
Giselle looked bad for trying to force the issue. Her Fencer sat very still as she tried to process what I said. Chiaki sat with her hands folded. She didn't answer immediately. The blonde opened her mouth a couple times, but didn't seem to know what to say. A whole range of emotions passed over her face, which, with the silence, wasn't helping my nerves. Coming to a decision, Chiaki reached over and took my hands, surprising me.
"No matter what, you are my friend. It's who you are inside that matters most to me. I admit it's a shock, but our friendship is more important," she said quietly.
A small smile graced my face at the support, as I held her hands in return. She really was a friend. "Thank you," I said. "If anything, I've gotten… more comfortable with it over time. It's a part of me." A part of me, in fact, felt that… I could come to like being like this...
"You're a very strong person. Thank you for being my friend," Chiaki smiled gratefully.
"You're welcome," I replied. A quiet moment passed before I thought of something, a lighter topic for a change. "So, what do you have in mind after lunch?" I didn't really have a plan, and I felt like hearing what the others were thinking of first.
"Good question. I was just going to nap some more," Chiaki stretched languidly. "I really needed the rest after the nonstop action."
"Pretty much what I was going to do as well," Giselle said.
"Yeah, I was gonna be a couch potato," Konton chuckled.
"All of this laziness… is what I would like to say, but really? Rest is best. Who knows when we'll have to go without a break again?" Amethyst shrugged.
An afternoon nap didn't hurt… and I was used to taking such naps anyway. Goodness, I really felt like a sleepy Plutie today. "Hm… sleep sounds nice…"
...
The rest of the team returned two days later from the Fury hunt. They would have been back sooner, but Fang decided they needed time at a hot spring. The women were glowing and the men looked relaxed.
"The Fury wasn't even that hard to retrieve. We beat the monsters who were guarding it and that was that. I remembered a hot spring resort on the way back, so we stopped there overnight," Fang said.
"I forgot what it felt like to be pampered…" Marianna purred. The normally straight-laced woman smiled happily.
"It was nice to get a chance to reconnect with everyone," Harley grinned.
"She just wanted an excuse to see us in towels," Eryn snarked.
"Harley is just a little Fairy obsessed," Marissa admitted.
"The food was so good…" Galdo sighed in remembrance.
"If Fang keeps making good decisions like this, I might stop calling him crazy," Tiara smirked.
"Hey! I make plenty of good decisions, devil woman!" Fang railed. The Tsundere blushed and acted coy over his words.
"She has issues," Giselle remarked.
"Shhhh…!" Chiaki shushed her, even if it was clear that she agreed.
"Looks like you enjoyed the outing," I said. Good thing their mission was a success, though I felt like I kinda dodged a bullet there. I wasn't ready to try something like the hot springs, for I had not been to one in the first place, and I wasn't sure if the hot water would be appealing to me. That, and I needed more time to be more comfortable with my body. "So, what's next?"
The next ones to disclose my story to would be… Fang and Galdo, but this wasn't the right timing for that. Too many people, and I had just finished telling Chiaki and Giselle about it two days ago…
"The next Fury is at the Katticus Ice Caves. Make sure to dress warmly," Fang said. Good thing I had that red cloak in my inventory, thanks to that ice cave comment days before, when we went shopping for new clothes.
"I bought the thermal underwear," Eryn chirped. Oh, I remembered that from before, and I couldn't help but feel a bit warm at my cheeks. How did she buy that for everyone? 'Talk about a brick joke…'
"Thermal underwear? Why?" Marianne asked.
"The Katticus Ice Caves are very cold. As in arctic temperatures," Harley said seriously.
"Is Eryn saying she bought underwear for all of us?" Tiara asked.
"I know your sizes. Don't worry," Eryn assured her. Despite her intention, Tiara didn't look reassured.
"Most people don't like to hear you bought underwear for them. Unless you're dating," Marissa reminded Eryn.
"And only in private," Marianne said dryly.
"Marissa buys my underwear all the time," Galdo didn't see anything wrong. 'I didn't need to know that…'
"She practically mothers you. That's different," Bahus came in with refreshments.
"How did we end up here?" Giselle asked, seemingly confused at the turn of events.
"Allow me to teach you the way of tropes…" Konton landed on Giselle's shoulder, once more in her small form.
"Poor Giselle is doomed…" Amethyst lowered her head in regret.
"Stop trying to corrupt my Fairy!" Chiaki pulled Giselle into her lap.
"Is it corruption, or enlightenment?" I jokingly asked the two of them.
Before I could get a reply, however… "Did you two have a good time while we were gone?" Fang asked Chiaki and myself.
"We slept, lounged around, and talked," Chiaki smiled blissfully.
"Pretty much. It was very restful," I added. It was a welcome respite from trials and tribulations.
"I figured you wouldn't be up to going on a job after you did… whatever that was. Eryn said you were 'deepening your spiritual connections,'" Fang said. His Fairy wasn't wrong there.
"Wow… Your bond is so much stronger…" Eryn stared at us, as in my Fairies and I, in surprise.
I smiled. The NEXT Form was truly symbolic of our bond, though on a side note, it might not be the most helpful in an ice cave. "Yup… we grew stronger together," I said.
"Tonight we feast, for tomorrow we freeze!" Fang tried to inject some enthusiasm into his statement. He was as thrilled with freezing temperatures as anyone else.
Tomorrow, we would be going to the Katticus Ice Caves, the coldest place in the entire region. Fang and Eryn's talk of thermal underwear spoke of experience. I would have a chance to experience the extreme cold for myself, something I wasn't used to. Good thing I had two days of rest before this hunt. Only time would tell if I had to use my newfound power.
Just "a little"? It seems like 90% of the events with her and a fairy that isn't Bahus are basically borderline sexual harassment!
Seriously, that place is a running joke throughout the game.
Cold Shoulder
- Location
- PA
Cold Shoulder
The entrances to Zelwinds City were being watched even more closely by the Justice Society. Just the side gates alone were manned by two squads apiece. It was a good thing that Harley knew of a secret way out of the city. However, the downside was that it was the aqueduct. It wasn't quite a sewer, but the stench of mold and rotting fish was far from pleasant. In order to keep our cold weather gear dry, we had to carry them above our heads through the water.
"How are we going to get to the ice caves?" Galdo asked.
"Lola asked a merchant friend of hers to wait for us outside the city," Fang replied.
That was nice to know, but then, I realized something, which I pointed out. "...By the way, why are we even carrying these manually? We have inventories." The clothes within mine turned out to be unaffected by the water, so I proceeded to put my winter attire in there and cover my nose.
Blank stares greeted my statement. Slowly, sheepishly, the party started to stow their clothes in their inventories. I could hear Konton laughing hysterically at the looks on their faces.
"Hey! If you put your wet clothes in the inventory they come out dry!" Harley exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her, before quickly turning away. She wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing at all, and with no hint of embarrassment, either.
"H-Harley! Put your clothes on!" Chiaki squeaked.
"Have you no modesty?" Marianna demanded.
"What a lewd display!" Tiara gasped.
"She never changes…" Eryn rubbed her forehead.
"Did you think she would?" Marissa asked.
Fang and Galdo merely kept their eyes averted firmly, cheeks flaming.
While that was useful information, there was a momentary sight that was best erased from my mind. "Goodness…" I said, blinking it away. I never thought someone could be so shameless.
"Right. So that happened… Harley? Get your clothes on. Come on. Our ride is just around the bend here…" Fang didn't even look back.
Lola's friend was driving a van with a crate of valuables in the back. We weren't expected to guard anything. He wasn't expecting trouble as it was a main road.
"I've taken this road dozens of times. Everything will be just fine," the driver promised.
Everyone started checking gear and readying our Furies, just in case. {That's what they say…} I muttered to my Fairies. In these uncertain times, it wasn't a guarantee. I still remembered the magpie attack from before.
{No kidding. There's still bandits and the like.} Amethyst remarked.
{Better to be prepared than to be dead.} Konton agreed.
It was weird. We were ready for an ambush, or something to delay us, but instead the drive went without a hitch. The road was perfectly clear. There wasn't even a sudden rain shower. Fang facepalmed from the passenger seat. The driver didn't laugh, even if his lips did curl up with amusement.
"I told you this would be a cinch. Thing is I can only get you to the snow fields. My van can't cross snow and ice," the driver said apologetically.
"That's fine. Mind if we use your van to get changed?" Fang asked.
"Nah. That's fine," the driver waved him off.
The driver took a short walk behind a tree to 'answer the call of nature', while Galdo stayed nearby just in case. Fang got changed first and then took over for his buddy. The Wind Fencer was quick getting changed as well. The girls decided to just go at the same time… while I was the last one. While it should technically be a case of 'we're all girls here', I wasn't ready to go with them. I did change outfits as quickly as I could when it was my turn, though. Being a girl for the past days meant that it wasn't as awkward anymore, though only while alone. My body was becoming more and more comfortable to me over time.
"The first time we came to the Katticus Ice Cave, we walked the whole way. Tiara kept calling Eryn and me lazy for wanting to hitch a ride," Fang said with mingled fondness and aggravation.
"I did what? I must have been insane…" Tiara shook her head. She wasn't fully convinced of time travel, not yet, but she wasn't dismissing it out of hand.
"You had a reason for being so driven before. You wanted to revive the Goddess and dispel the stigma of your blood. Without that…" Eryn shook her head. I was now reminded of the Vile God blood that Tiara had, but that didn't mean she wasn't a good person.
"Yes… I can see that… I would have been driven to prove that I wasn't the Vile God reborn," Tiara realized.
"We never thought that. You were just Tiara, y'know?" Galdo smiled.
"This is all very sweet, but can we get a move on?" Marianna sighed before turning towards the snow fields and walking away. She looked pensive.
"Come on. We're losing daylight," Fang agreed it was time to move.
"Are we going to enter the cave at night?" Chiaki asked.
"Nah. We'll use a cabin we found nearby," Fang explained.
"Are we even sure the cabin is there?" Marianna asked.
"It was the last time I checked a month ago," Harley said.
"You were up here last month?" Galdo asked.
"The monsters inside were too strong for me. I was trying to get the Fury, but it was impossible alone," the Fairyologist shook her head.
"At least we know what to expect," Chiaki patted her on the back.
Time passed by so quickly if it was already nearing sunset. I hadn't noticed at all. "What's the cabin like?" I asked.
"I think it was a ranger cabin actually. It looked to be in good condition and well-stocked," Harley said.
"Didn't you stay there at all?" Marissa asked.
"For a night and left the next morning," she replied.
"That's good to know," Eryn said.
As we went deeper through the snow fields, the temperature steadily dropped. London during Christmas wasn't this cold... Fang called it a preview of the Ice Cave. There was white snow as far as the eye could see, broken only by the sight of evergreen trees. It was a sight I was unaccustomed to with my own eyes, having only seen snow for myself years ago, and it was something to behold…
The cabin, an hour's walk from the cave, was a good-sized building set on thick wooden supports, leading to a wide, wraparound porch. "Who or what usually manages it?" I asked. If it was stocked and maintained, then it was surely not something that was abandoned to time and the elements.
"That's a good question. I didn't see anyone while I was here last," Harley said.
"It wasn't nearly this nice when we first saw it," Fang shook his head.
"No one was caring for it before time reset?" Marianna asked curiously.
"Well, it's not like this would be the only thing that changed," Galdo said reasonably.
The cabin was locked, but the key was found under the windowsill. There was a stock of firewood alongside the building. Inside the cabin, it looked almost homey. Armchairs sat in front of the fireplace with throw rugs adding a splash of color. Chiaki looked around slowly, "Are you sure that no one is living here?"
"I didn't see anyone when I was here last," Harley said.
"Doesn't mean this isn't someone's home," Galdo replied.
"We'll leave some money on the table for anything we use," Fang headed off any argument that might be brewing.
"That works," I said. We'd just have to take good care of the things here, but... {Is there a way of finding out for sure?}
{Check to see if the fire was recently used. Fang could do it since he's a fire attribute.} Amethyst said.
A moment later, Eryn was informed of it. "Hey, Fang! Amethyst said you could see if the fire was used recently. I completely forgot…" She said, laughing at her forgetfulness.
"Huh. That's a thing? Alright then…" Fang walked over to the fireplace and held out a hand. The fireplace sparked and caught flame. "There was still usable wood in the fireplace."
"Then somebody does live here," Tiara came back from checking the cabin.
"There's no way we're going back out in this!" Khalara piped up from where he sat by the fire. Cui nodded firmly in agreement.
"It's not that bad… out… side…?" Chiaki stared out the window as a driving snow came down.
"Damn it… I should have remembered how late in the year it was…" Marianna was clearly upset with herself.
"Maybe we could leave an apology note along with the money?" I suggested. I didn't want to stay out in the freezing weather, but being in someone else's home without permission wasn't nice, either.
"Good idea," Tiara smiled.
The snow was coming down hard outside. Icy spatter hit the windows intermittently. It was as if Jack Frost had a vendetta against the world. A distant clap of thunder told of approaching lightning. I didn't associate lightning with blizzards, but it did happen in this case. The fire was a welcome shield against the cold outside. Bahus was at the kitchen stove preparing a big pot of stew and fresh bread, the perfect counter to a truly miserable night.
In the meantime, I decided to explore the cabin out of curiosity, while waiting for the food to be prepared. The bedroom doors, it turned out, were shut with a note written by Chiaki saying "Keep Out." She was certainly taking precautions to avoid people going to places they shouldn't be. The cabin was surprisingly spacious on the inside, with two other bedrooms. Marissa was laying out blankets on the floor for sleeping, unless someone wanted to double or triple up on the twin-sized beds.
"Need assistance?" I offered to her. Since I had nothing else to do, maybe I could help out?
"That would be nice," Marissa smiled. She frowned minutely, "I've been meaning to ask, but how are you holding up? You always seem so calm and self-sufficient. I usually make a point of checking on everyone, but you've never really needed it."
Me, self-sufficient? I didn't feel that way. I owed a lot to my friends here. I wouldn't be here without them, and without my Fairies, but anyway. While helping her with the mattresses and blankets, I decided to talk about what I told Chiaki and Giselle before. "I'm kinda okay, but…" I said. "There's something about me that I have to tell you guys…"
"What would that be?" Marissa asked with concern.
I found it a little easier to talk about it now, since Chiaki and Giselle already knew. "It's… about where I'm from. You're from another time. I… came from another world."
Marissa stared in surprise. "Like the Vile God and the Goddess?" She blurted out.
{The Vile God and the Goddess came to this realm from another.} Amethyst helpfully explained.
Interesting… to think I ended up here as a CPU, as someone who was considered divine, like those two were... "Yes," I answered.
"The power you hold isn't purely as a Fencer, is it?" Marissa realized.
I nodded. "Yup."
"You are our friend. It doesn't matter where you came from. You're here now and that's what matters," Marissa hugged me.
I returned the embrace, smiling a bit at her gesture of support. "Thanks… but I may or may not go back eventually… if I can go back…" I didn't know if that was possible, but I wouldn't be recognized like this… part of me wanted to go back after I was done, but...
"Bonds of the heart are not so easily broken," she said with a smile, something that I agreed with.
{That's some Kingdom Hearts stuff right there.} Konton said.
{These references make sense to you and only confuse me.} Amethyst complained. Marissa giggled at her put upon tone.
"Mhm," I said to Marissa, then clarified for Amethyst. {Konton is referring to another place where Hearts and bonds are very important.}
"You are one of us and always will be," Marissa cupped my cheek fondly.
I momentarily tensed, before relaxing. I wasn't used to her doing that. "Thank you," I said, for it felt nice and warm to be part of them. Hopefully she would be accepting of what I was going to say next, as Chiaki and Giselle were. "It's… not only about me being from another world."
"What is it, Nepgear?" Marissa asked.
I took a deep breath. "This wasn't my body before. I wasn't… even a girl…" My head was slightly tilted downward.
"How does that work?" Marissa tilted her head in confusion.
"I went to sleep at home, then I woke up in the Sol Plains like... this," I pointed to myself. Home remained far away…
"How do you feel about being a woman?" Marissa asked.
I closed my eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "It's… becoming more and more comfortable, a part of me." Come to think of it, back in my world, it was… admittedly more appealing, more relaxing, to roleplay online as girls than as guys. 'I wonder…'
"I admit it isn't easy to wrap my head around. However, Nepgear is Nepgear. Maybe that's all I need to remember," she smiled warmly.
Her smile was returned with my own. "Thanks," I said, grateful for her acceptance of me.
"Thank you for trusting me enough," the matronly fairy hugged me.
Once more, I reciprocated her embrace. "You're welcome... Let's finish the blankets?" It felt light, now that one more person knew, and was fine with, the truth about me.
The work passed quickly. Amethyst came out of the Fury to help arrange the blankets, while Konton did a circuit around the windows for a 'draft check.' The others found something to do in the meantime, which was mostly just sitting around and annoying Bahus while the muscular Fairy was trying to cook. Fang was forced to bring them to heel and kick the lot of them out of the kitchen.
"You shall not desecrate Holy ground!" Fang declared thunderously.
"He's really into Bahus' cooking…" Eryn laughed nervously.
"That's right, Fang! Keep out the heretics!" Galdo thrust his fists into the air.
"...So is Galdo...apparently…" Tiara backed away slowly.
That brought a chuckle out of me. "To be fair, he does need to focus," I commented, regarding our fairy chef.
A dark shape passed by the window. A moment later, another shape glided by as well. The sound of crunching snow could be heard faintly outside.
My eyes widened, for what I saw and heard might not be good. "Guys? We might have a problem…" I said. Chances are, it could be an angry homeowner, or it could be intruders of the malicious kind. {Can you sense who that is?}
{I sense two Fairies. Both feel benign.} Konton said. The door opened as she spoke admitting a rather strange pair. The first looked familiar, a cheery green version of Pappin (that's Pippin, isn't it?), while the other one, a girl with midriff bared (in the blizzard? Seriously?) and wearing black and blue as well as an eyepatch, didn't. Judging by the looks on Fang's, Galdo's, Marissa's, Eryn's, and Harley's faces, they knew the pair.
"Ho ho ho! Now isn't this a pleasant surprise! Lost in a snowstorm only to return to a hot meal and friends!" The green fellow exclaimed. His companion was either very quiet or very shy.
"Hello," I greeted, smiling a bit. "Come on in." Staying in the snow any longer was unlikely to be appealing.
"Pippin! Is that Ethel?" Eryn looked surprised to see the girl. For a brief moment, Fang looked sad before shrugging off his melancholy. He did give Tiara a longer look, as if assuring himself she was still there. Maybe something bad had happened to Ethel in the past?
"Indeed it is Ethel. I found her in my travels. She needed a steady hand but I think we're making progress," Pippin preened.
"Mmm…" Ethel fidgeted at all the attention.
"Master Pippin is a generous soul," a well-dressed Fairy said. Featuring short dark hair, he also wore gold wire-rimmed spectacles and a butler's uniform.
"He certainly is, Souji," the Fairy standing next to Ethel replied. Her appearance was like that of a kitsune in white and blue dress, complete with snow-colored ears and tail.
For now, I listened to the conversation. Pippin was certainly more pleasant than his father. {Did something happen to Ethel before? From what I saw of Fang…} I said to Amethyst.
{You should probably ask him. I have no idea.} Amethyst shook her head.
"Please Karin, you're too kind," Pippin laughed jovially.
"Why aren't you dressed?" Marianne tugged Ethel over to the fire. The shy girl looked plainly bewildered at the elegantly dressed woman's actions.
"Hmmm…" Ethel hummed before turning to Karin for help.
"As an Ice-attribute Fencer, the cold doesn't affect her," Karin supplied helpfully. Interesting...
"That is only a short term solution. Even Ice Fencers can get sick," Marianne stated firmly. Oh, so it did have its limits.
"Don't try to argue. You won't win," Khalara chortled.
"Here, Ethel… Sit by the fire…" Marissa joined Marianne. Ethel was forced to concede as Karin wasn't going to try and talk them down.
The warmth of the fireplace was a welcome respite. While I did like the cold, I had my limits, too. "Um, may I ask something about Ethel?" I quietly said to Eryn. While I could ask Fang, it might be a sore spot at the moment.
"What is it?" Eryn stood a little closer to me.
"Did… something happen to her before?" I continued, glancing at Fang to show what I meant.
"Ethel… She only knew how to kill. We weren't able to talk her down and… well… we ended up killing her…" Her wings drooped.
I didn't know… my expression fell as a result. "I'm sorry…"
"Hey, it's okay… She's alive now and Pippin is taking care of her," Eryn gave me a hug. Amethyst draped an arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah," I said, grateful for the gestures of support. Hopefully Ethel would have a better life this time around.
"Kill kill kill kill kill," Ethel said softly. Marianne and Chiaki looked confused and alarmed, while in my case, hearing it for myself was unsettling as well. Pippin still had a ways to go.
"Ethel said 'she isn't sure how to handle all of this,'" Karin translated.
"How do you get that from… well…'kill?'" Chiaki asked.
"I can hear her heart, of course," Karin beamed. The other Fairies in the room nodded as it made perfect sense.
{Does it really work that way?} I inquired from Amethyst.
{Kind of. You need a strong relationship with your Fairy. What we're doing isn't 'normal' by average Fencer standards. To be honest, this is more something a pair with years of experience would do. Then again, it could be because of all the life and death situations we've been thrust into that our mental 'voice' is so strong.} She mused.
{Makes sense.} I concurred. A strong bond meant a close understanding of one another.
"What!?" Pippin burst out suddenly. Fang nodded gravely in response.
"He was catching Pippin up on what happened so far," Eryn explained.
It was probably about a certain knight templar and a certain assassin, wasn't it? Speaking of the latter… "May I know why… Pappin is so different?" I quietly queried. His death threat, the first I had ever received, continued to cast a shadow.
"My father was once a strong and just warrior. I don't know what happened to make him like this. However, if he does want to kill you, I will make him pay dearly. He has become an enemy of Justice and I will see him defeated!" Pippin declared as he approached me.
"Cool…" Ethel breathed. Everyone did a double take as it was the first word she said besides 'kill.'
I wondered if it was because it was about killing… and on another note, it seemed that Pappin was like Sherman, someone who lost their way while fighting for justice. Could there be something in common? "Thank you," I replied to Pippin, relieved at the support. "Sherman's backstory seems the same. Could the two cases be related?"
"Hmmm… Both claim to follow 'Justice' and both work for the Septerian Club. There is something to what you say," Chiaki noted.
"Kill kill kill?" Ethel asked.
"Ethel asked 'what are you doing here?'" Karin translated.
"We're here for the Fury in the Katticus Ice Caves. The problem is the blizzard outside," Fang gestured at the window.
"We will have to see what it looks like tomorrow morning. Maybe Fang could use fire to melt the snow?" Galdo suggested. 'Wouldn't that tire him out?'
"And exhaust himself before we even get to the cave," Marianne said dryly.
"Hopefully the blizzard doesn't last too long," Harley sighed.
"If it does, the food stores won't last," Bahus lamented. Going hungry wasn't a good prospect at all.
Being caught between two issues wasn't pleasant… "We'd have to wait out the storm, unless there's some way to safely plow through it," I remarked. Freezing to death was a more immediate problem compared to our amount of supplies.
"Can't use Fairize to just bull our way through. Fang would be exhausted if he melted us a path. Maybe we could use Launchers and blow away the snow?" Galdo suggested.
"Would that even work?" Chiaki asked, something I wondered as well.
"A very violent approach, but it could work. Launchers have unlimited ammo like all Fury weapons. It doesn't even drain a Fairy's energy," Harley said. 'Talk about being spammable…'
"Who has a Launcher?" Fang asked while raising a hand. Harley and Ethel did as well.
{I can unlock your Launcher, Amethyst.} Konton said. Wait, she had a Launcher mode, too? I didn't know! That would had been useful on the bigger foes.
{That would be appreciated.} Amethyst replied.
I then raised my hand. "Uh, only now."
"Four Launchers should make getting through the snow a snap!" Eryn beamed.
"What an example of mundane utility…" Tiara gawked.
"The best kind of utility," I joked. Using one's powers for non-combat purposes was amusing to me.
In the meantime, I felt a new menu of sorts open up to me, detailing the new weapon mode. It came with its own set of skills, namely, Launch, which fired a volley of rounds; Spin Barrett, which rifled the barrel for more damage (wait, what, doesn't that only increase the effective range via spin-stabilized shells?), Full Barrett, which fired an entire clip of shells; Cluster Barrett, which fired a cluster bomb; Outlet Barrett, which was death from above with rounds; Round Barrett, which was an aerial attack on launched enemies; and Full Open Barrett, which was basically 'fire everything'. They were mostly different ways of shooting enemies, much like with the gun skills…
The whole set cost 260 WP, and I had 2456 in total. Purchasing them left me 2196 to increase my stats, that is, P-Atk, P-Def, M-Atk, M-Def, Range, and Fury Form, which were at ranks 9, 8, 8, 8, 8, and 8, respectively. I decided to increase the '8' stats to 9 for a well-rounded build, which cost 400 each, for a total of 2000. Now I had 196 left, which I opted to save for next time. I felt stronger now, and… so that was how to use the Launcher form…
{Is it scary that we're planning on using Launchers like snow plows?} Konton snickered.
{Yup, but it works.} I smiled. It was unconventional, true, but in this case, more dakka really was the solution.
Bahus once more outdid himself on the meal, despite the limited supplies. Fang and Galdo would have eaten like they usually did, but Tiara reminded them of the food situation. The fact she was holding Cui in gun form had nothing to with it at all (Wait, what?). Ethel, despite her small size, ate as much as Fang and Galdo. She actually pouted at being told she couldn't have more. Bahus almost gave in, but Pippin was quick to stop him.
It was certainly a delicious meal, much like his cooking last time. Too bad I couldn't eat more of it, but yeah, we had to ration things a bit. "Was the gun really necessary?" I commented. It seemed excessive to me.
"I was just going to shoot them with water," Tiara pointed Cui in gun form and gave a light squeeze of the trigger. A jet of water squirted out like a spritzer, making me raise an eyebrow. Was that sincere, or just a last-minute excuse?
"Totally not what we were thinking," Fang deadpanned.
"I didn't know Cui could be used like a water gun," Galdo grumbled.
"I wouldn't actually use bullets on you!" Tiara exclaimed.
"Kill kill kill kill…" Ethel muttered.
"'You people worry me', Ethel said," Karin translated.
I found it ironic, considering who that comment came from. Speaking of that… {Is it okay if you can ask Karin why Ethel is... like that?} I asked Amethyst. I wasn't sure if it was all right to inquire directly, and it was indeed worrying for someone to only know how to kill. Was she like those specially trained assassins in fiction?
{Let's wait until someone else brings it up…} My Fairy decided.
I nodded. Perhaps it was more prudent that way.
Meanwhile, the blizzard outside didn't stop. A howling wind developed, sending sheets of ice whipping across the windows. Even the bravest were eyeing the pitch-dark night with trepidation. The lights flickered, making me flinch and eliciting a startled cry from Chiaki. Giselle held her Fencer comfortingly. If she did it from the safety of Chiaki's lap, no one laughed. Conversation was effectively killed as the weather cast a pall over everyone. Almost as if to underscore the situation, the lights died completely. The only light was coming from the merrily crackling fire.
"At least we still have the fire," Fang tried to inject a bit of cheer in the group.
A dull 'whump' came from the fireplace as a thick mass of blackened snow doused the fire, making me sigh. 'Thanks a lot, Murphy.'
"Right. Before I cause anything else to fail catastrophically, let's go to bed," Fang decided.
The immediate issue was that without the fireplace, there was no heat. In order to keep warm, we were going to have to sleep together, something which I wasn't used to.
…If I was going to do that, it might as well be with those I was closest to, which would be less awkward for me. {Could I be with you and Konton, please?} I asked Amethyst.
My Fairies were quick to agree and offer assurances. Our team huddled together in one of the smaller bedrooms with the blankets turned into a nest. The 'walls' of the nest were high to trap the heat. Amethyst slept at my back with Konton at my front. The others nestled down around us in an outward spiral of cuddling. Chiaki and Giselle took the spot near my head with Galdo and Marissa near my feet. Somehow I was made the center of this odd gathering. Pippin huffed with gentle amusement as Ethel used him for a plush toy with Karin at her back. Souji curled up at hers. Fang and Eryn slept close together by the door. Nearby Tiara lay with Cui in her arms. Marianne was directly opposite Fang by the window as if mirroring his protective position. Harley tried to cuddle with an unamused Konton before Bahus lead her away. What was that about?
Tomorrow was the Katticus Ice Caves. We only had to make it through to morning. This would be the greatest challenge we faced yet. Surviving the frigid cold. For tonight we could enjoy the warmth of each other's company. Literally.
The entrances to Zelwinds City were being watched even more closely by the Justice Society. Just the side gates alone were manned by two squads apiece. It was a good thing that Harley knew of a secret way out of the city. However, the downside was that it was the aqueduct. It wasn't quite a sewer, but the stench of mold and rotting fish was far from pleasant. In order to keep our cold weather gear dry, we had to carry them above our heads through the water.
"How are we going to get to the ice caves?" Galdo asked.
"Lola asked a merchant friend of hers to wait for us outside the city," Fang replied.
That was nice to know, but then, I realized something, which I pointed out. "...By the way, why are we even carrying these manually? We have inventories." The clothes within mine turned out to be unaffected by the water, so I proceeded to put my winter attire in there and cover my nose.
Blank stares greeted my statement. Slowly, sheepishly, the party started to stow their clothes in their inventories. I could hear Konton laughing hysterically at the looks on their faces.
"Hey! If you put your wet clothes in the inventory they come out dry!" Harley exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her, before quickly turning away. She wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing at all, and with no hint of embarrassment, either.
"H-Harley! Put your clothes on!" Chiaki squeaked.
"Have you no modesty?" Marianna demanded.
"What a lewd display!" Tiara gasped.
"She never changes…" Eryn rubbed her forehead.
"Did you think she would?" Marissa asked.
Fang and Galdo merely kept their eyes averted firmly, cheeks flaming.
While that was useful information, there was a momentary sight that was best erased from my mind. "Goodness…" I said, blinking it away. I never thought someone could be so shameless.
"Right. So that happened… Harley? Get your clothes on. Come on. Our ride is just around the bend here…" Fang didn't even look back.
Lola's friend was driving a van with a crate of valuables in the back. We weren't expected to guard anything. He wasn't expecting trouble as it was a main road.
"I've taken this road dozens of times. Everything will be just fine," the driver promised.
Everyone started checking gear and readying our Furies, just in case. {That's what they say…} I muttered to my Fairies. In these uncertain times, it wasn't a guarantee. I still remembered the magpie attack from before.
{No kidding. There's still bandits and the like.} Amethyst remarked.
{Better to be prepared than to be dead.} Konton agreed.
It was weird. We were ready for an ambush, or something to delay us, but instead the drive went without a hitch. The road was perfectly clear. There wasn't even a sudden rain shower. Fang facepalmed from the passenger seat. The driver didn't laugh, even if his lips did curl up with amusement.
"I told you this would be a cinch. Thing is I can only get you to the snow fields. My van can't cross snow and ice," the driver said apologetically.
"That's fine. Mind if we use your van to get changed?" Fang asked.
"Nah. That's fine," the driver waved him off.
The driver took a short walk behind a tree to 'answer the call of nature', while Galdo stayed nearby just in case. Fang got changed first and then took over for his buddy. The Wind Fencer was quick getting changed as well. The girls decided to just go at the same time… while I was the last one. While it should technically be a case of 'we're all girls here', I wasn't ready to go with them. I did change outfits as quickly as I could when it was my turn, though. Being a girl for the past days meant that it wasn't as awkward anymore, though only while alone. My body was becoming more and more comfortable to me over time.
"The first time we came to the Katticus Ice Cave, we walked the whole way. Tiara kept calling Eryn and me lazy for wanting to hitch a ride," Fang said with mingled fondness and aggravation.
"I did what? I must have been insane…" Tiara shook her head. She wasn't fully convinced of time travel, not yet, but she wasn't dismissing it out of hand.
"You had a reason for being so driven before. You wanted to revive the Goddess and dispel the stigma of your blood. Without that…" Eryn shook her head. I was now reminded of the Vile God blood that Tiara had, but that didn't mean she wasn't a good person.
"Yes… I can see that… I would have been driven to prove that I wasn't the Vile God reborn," Tiara realized.
"We never thought that. You were just Tiara, y'know?" Galdo smiled.
"This is all very sweet, but can we get a move on?" Marianna sighed before turning towards the snow fields and walking away. She looked pensive.
"Come on. We're losing daylight," Fang agreed it was time to move.
"Are we going to enter the cave at night?" Chiaki asked.
"Nah. We'll use a cabin we found nearby," Fang explained.
"Are we even sure the cabin is there?" Marianna asked.
"It was the last time I checked a month ago," Harley said.
"You were up here last month?" Galdo asked.
"The monsters inside were too strong for me. I was trying to get the Fury, but it was impossible alone," the Fairyologist shook her head.
"At least we know what to expect," Chiaki patted her on the back.
Time passed by so quickly if it was already nearing sunset. I hadn't noticed at all. "What's the cabin like?" I asked.
"I think it was a ranger cabin actually. It looked to be in good condition and well-stocked," Harley said.
"Didn't you stay there at all?" Marissa asked.
"For a night and left the next morning," she replied.
"That's good to know," Eryn said.
As we went deeper through the snow fields, the temperature steadily dropped. London during Christmas wasn't this cold... Fang called it a preview of the Ice Cave. There was white snow as far as the eye could see, broken only by the sight of evergreen trees. It was a sight I was unaccustomed to with my own eyes, having only seen snow for myself years ago, and it was something to behold…
The cabin, an hour's walk from the cave, was a good-sized building set on thick wooden supports, leading to a wide, wraparound porch. "Who or what usually manages it?" I asked. If it was stocked and maintained, then it was surely not something that was abandoned to time and the elements.
"That's a good question. I didn't see anyone while I was here last," Harley said.
"It wasn't nearly this nice when we first saw it," Fang shook his head.
"No one was caring for it before time reset?" Marianna asked curiously.
"Well, it's not like this would be the only thing that changed," Galdo said reasonably.
The cabin was locked, but the key was found under the windowsill. There was a stock of firewood alongside the building. Inside the cabin, it looked almost homey. Armchairs sat in front of the fireplace with throw rugs adding a splash of color. Chiaki looked around slowly, "Are you sure that no one is living here?"
"I didn't see anyone when I was here last," Harley said.
"Doesn't mean this isn't someone's home," Galdo replied.
"We'll leave some money on the table for anything we use," Fang headed off any argument that might be brewing.
"That works," I said. We'd just have to take good care of the things here, but... {Is there a way of finding out for sure?}
{Check to see if the fire was recently used. Fang could do it since he's a fire attribute.} Amethyst said.
A moment later, Eryn was informed of it. "Hey, Fang! Amethyst said you could see if the fire was used recently. I completely forgot…" She said, laughing at her forgetfulness.
"Huh. That's a thing? Alright then…" Fang walked over to the fireplace and held out a hand. The fireplace sparked and caught flame. "There was still usable wood in the fireplace."
"Then somebody does live here," Tiara came back from checking the cabin.
"There's no way we're going back out in this!" Khalara piped up from where he sat by the fire. Cui nodded firmly in agreement.
"It's not that bad… out… side…?" Chiaki stared out the window as a driving snow came down.
"Damn it… I should have remembered how late in the year it was…" Marianna was clearly upset with herself.
"Maybe we could leave an apology note along with the money?" I suggested. I didn't want to stay out in the freezing weather, but being in someone else's home without permission wasn't nice, either.
"Good idea," Tiara smiled.
The snow was coming down hard outside. Icy spatter hit the windows intermittently. It was as if Jack Frost had a vendetta against the world. A distant clap of thunder told of approaching lightning. I didn't associate lightning with blizzards, but it did happen in this case. The fire was a welcome shield against the cold outside. Bahus was at the kitchen stove preparing a big pot of stew and fresh bread, the perfect counter to a truly miserable night.
In the meantime, I decided to explore the cabin out of curiosity, while waiting for the food to be prepared. The bedroom doors, it turned out, were shut with a note written by Chiaki saying "Keep Out." She was certainly taking precautions to avoid people going to places they shouldn't be. The cabin was surprisingly spacious on the inside, with two other bedrooms. Marissa was laying out blankets on the floor for sleeping, unless someone wanted to double or triple up on the twin-sized beds.
"Need assistance?" I offered to her. Since I had nothing else to do, maybe I could help out?
"That would be nice," Marissa smiled. She frowned minutely, "I've been meaning to ask, but how are you holding up? You always seem so calm and self-sufficient. I usually make a point of checking on everyone, but you've never really needed it."
Me, self-sufficient? I didn't feel that way. I owed a lot to my friends here. I wouldn't be here without them, and without my Fairies, but anyway. While helping her with the mattresses and blankets, I decided to talk about what I told Chiaki and Giselle before. "I'm kinda okay, but…" I said. "There's something about me that I have to tell you guys…"
"What would that be?" Marissa asked with concern.
I found it a little easier to talk about it now, since Chiaki and Giselle already knew. "It's… about where I'm from. You're from another time. I… came from another world."
Marissa stared in surprise. "Like the Vile God and the Goddess?" She blurted out.
{The Vile God and the Goddess came to this realm from another.} Amethyst helpfully explained.
Interesting… to think I ended up here as a CPU, as someone who was considered divine, like those two were... "Yes," I answered.
"The power you hold isn't purely as a Fencer, is it?" Marissa realized.
I nodded. "Yup."
"You are our friend. It doesn't matter where you came from. You're here now and that's what matters," Marissa hugged me.
I returned the embrace, smiling a bit at her gesture of support. "Thanks… but I may or may not go back eventually… if I can go back…" I didn't know if that was possible, but I wouldn't be recognized like this… part of me wanted to go back after I was done, but...
"Bonds of the heart are not so easily broken," she said with a smile, something that I agreed with.
{That's some Kingdom Hearts stuff right there.} Konton said.
{These references make sense to you and only confuse me.} Amethyst complained. Marissa giggled at her put upon tone.
"Mhm," I said to Marissa, then clarified for Amethyst. {Konton is referring to another place where Hearts and bonds are very important.}
"You are one of us and always will be," Marissa cupped my cheek fondly.
I momentarily tensed, before relaxing. I wasn't used to her doing that. "Thank you," I said, for it felt nice and warm to be part of them. Hopefully she would be accepting of what I was going to say next, as Chiaki and Giselle were. "It's… not only about me being from another world."
"What is it, Nepgear?" Marissa asked.
I took a deep breath. "This wasn't my body before. I wasn't… even a girl…" My head was slightly tilted downward.
"How does that work?" Marissa tilted her head in confusion.
"I went to sleep at home, then I woke up in the Sol Plains like... this," I pointed to myself. Home remained far away…
"How do you feel about being a woman?" Marissa asked.
I closed my eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "It's… becoming more and more comfortable, a part of me." Come to think of it, back in my world, it was… admittedly more appealing, more relaxing, to roleplay online as girls than as guys. 'I wonder…'
"I admit it isn't easy to wrap my head around. However, Nepgear is Nepgear. Maybe that's all I need to remember," she smiled warmly.
Her smile was returned with my own. "Thanks," I said, grateful for her acceptance of me.
"Thank you for trusting me enough," the matronly fairy hugged me.
Once more, I reciprocated her embrace. "You're welcome... Let's finish the blankets?" It felt light, now that one more person knew, and was fine with, the truth about me.
The work passed quickly. Amethyst came out of the Fury to help arrange the blankets, while Konton did a circuit around the windows for a 'draft check.' The others found something to do in the meantime, which was mostly just sitting around and annoying Bahus while the muscular Fairy was trying to cook. Fang was forced to bring them to heel and kick the lot of them out of the kitchen.
"You shall not desecrate Holy ground!" Fang declared thunderously.
"He's really into Bahus' cooking…" Eryn laughed nervously.
"That's right, Fang! Keep out the heretics!" Galdo thrust his fists into the air.
"...So is Galdo...apparently…" Tiara backed away slowly.
That brought a chuckle out of me. "To be fair, he does need to focus," I commented, regarding our fairy chef.
A dark shape passed by the window. A moment later, another shape glided by as well. The sound of crunching snow could be heard faintly outside.
My eyes widened, for what I saw and heard might not be good. "Guys? We might have a problem…" I said. Chances are, it could be an angry homeowner, or it could be intruders of the malicious kind. {Can you sense who that is?}
{I sense two Fairies. Both feel benign.} Konton said. The door opened as she spoke admitting a rather strange pair. The first looked familiar, a cheery green version of Pappin (that's Pippin, isn't it?), while the other one, a girl with midriff bared (in the blizzard? Seriously?) and wearing black and blue as well as an eyepatch, didn't. Judging by the looks on Fang's, Galdo's, Marissa's, Eryn's, and Harley's faces, they knew the pair.
"Ho ho ho! Now isn't this a pleasant surprise! Lost in a snowstorm only to return to a hot meal and friends!" The green fellow exclaimed. His companion was either very quiet or very shy.
"Hello," I greeted, smiling a bit. "Come on in." Staying in the snow any longer was unlikely to be appealing.
"Pippin! Is that Ethel?" Eryn looked surprised to see the girl. For a brief moment, Fang looked sad before shrugging off his melancholy. He did give Tiara a longer look, as if assuring himself she was still there. Maybe something bad had happened to Ethel in the past?
"Indeed it is Ethel. I found her in my travels. She needed a steady hand but I think we're making progress," Pippin preened.
"Mmm…" Ethel fidgeted at all the attention.
"Master Pippin is a generous soul," a well-dressed Fairy said. Featuring short dark hair, he also wore gold wire-rimmed spectacles and a butler's uniform.
"He certainly is, Souji," the Fairy standing next to Ethel replied. Her appearance was like that of a kitsune in white and blue dress, complete with snow-colored ears and tail.
For now, I listened to the conversation. Pippin was certainly more pleasant than his father. {Did something happen to Ethel before? From what I saw of Fang…} I said to Amethyst.
{You should probably ask him. I have no idea.} Amethyst shook her head.
"Please Karin, you're too kind," Pippin laughed jovially.
"Why aren't you dressed?" Marianne tugged Ethel over to the fire. The shy girl looked plainly bewildered at the elegantly dressed woman's actions.
"Hmmm…" Ethel hummed before turning to Karin for help.
"As an Ice-attribute Fencer, the cold doesn't affect her," Karin supplied helpfully. Interesting...
"That is only a short term solution. Even Ice Fencers can get sick," Marianne stated firmly. Oh, so it did have its limits.
"Don't try to argue. You won't win," Khalara chortled.
"Here, Ethel… Sit by the fire…" Marissa joined Marianne. Ethel was forced to concede as Karin wasn't going to try and talk them down.
The warmth of the fireplace was a welcome respite. While I did like the cold, I had my limits, too. "Um, may I ask something about Ethel?" I quietly said to Eryn. While I could ask Fang, it might be a sore spot at the moment.
"What is it?" Eryn stood a little closer to me.
"Did… something happen to her before?" I continued, glancing at Fang to show what I meant.
"Ethel… She only knew how to kill. We weren't able to talk her down and… well… we ended up killing her…" Her wings drooped.
I didn't know… my expression fell as a result. "I'm sorry…"
"Hey, it's okay… She's alive now and Pippin is taking care of her," Eryn gave me a hug. Amethyst draped an arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah," I said, grateful for the gestures of support. Hopefully Ethel would have a better life this time around.
"Kill kill kill kill kill," Ethel said softly. Marianne and Chiaki looked confused and alarmed, while in my case, hearing it for myself was unsettling as well. Pippin still had a ways to go.
"Ethel said 'she isn't sure how to handle all of this,'" Karin translated.
"How do you get that from… well…'kill?'" Chiaki asked.
"I can hear her heart, of course," Karin beamed. The other Fairies in the room nodded as it made perfect sense.
{Does it really work that way?} I inquired from Amethyst.
{Kind of. You need a strong relationship with your Fairy. What we're doing isn't 'normal' by average Fencer standards. To be honest, this is more something a pair with years of experience would do. Then again, it could be because of all the life and death situations we've been thrust into that our mental 'voice' is so strong.} She mused.
{Makes sense.} I concurred. A strong bond meant a close understanding of one another.
"What!?" Pippin burst out suddenly. Fang nodded gravely in response.
"He was catching Pippin up on what happened so far," Eryn explained.
It was probably about a certain knight templar and a certain assassin, wasn't it? Speaking of the latter… "May I know why… Pappin is so different?" I quietly queried. His death threat, the first I had ever received, continued to cast a shadow.
"My father was once a strong and just warrior. I don't know what happened to make him like this. However, if he does want to kill you, I will make him pay dearly. He has become an enemy of Justice and I will see him defeated!" Pippin declared as he approached me.
"Cool…" Ethel breathed. Everyone did a double take as it was the first word she said besides 'kill.'
I wondered if it was because it was about killing… and on another note, it seemed that Pappin was like Sherman, someone who lost their way while fighting for justice. Could there be something in common? "Thank you," I replied to Pippin, relieved at the support. "Sherman's backstory seems the same. Could the two cases be related?"
"Hmmm… Both claim to follow 'Justice' and both work for the Septerian Club. There is something to what you say," Chiaki noted.
"Kill kill kill?" Ethel asked.
"Ethel asked 'what are you doing here?'" Karin translated.
"We're here for the Fury in the Katticus Ice Caves. The problem is the blizzard outside," Fang gestured at the window.
"We will have to see what it looks like tomorrow morning. Maybe Fang could use fire to melt the snow?" Galdo suggested. 'Wouldn't that tire him out?'
"And exhaust himself before we even get to the cave," Marianne said dryly.
"Hopefully the blizzard doesn't last too long," Harley sighed.
"If it does, the food stores won't last," Bahus lamented. Going hungry wasn't a good prospect at all.
Being caught between two issues wasn't pleasant… "We'd have to wait out the storm, unless there's some way to safely plow through it," I remarked. Freezing to death was a more immediate problem compared to our amount of supplies.
"Can't use Fairize to just bull our way through. Fang would be exhausted if he melted us a path. Maybe we could use Launchers and blow away the snow?" Galdo suggested.
"Would that even work?" Chiaki asked, something I wondered as well.
"A very violent approach, but it could work. Launchers have unlimited ammo like all Fury weapons. It doesn't even drain a Fairy's energy," Harley said. 'Talk about being spammable…'
"Who has a Launcher?" Fang asked while raising a hand. Harley and Ethel did as well.
{I can unlock your Launcher, Amethyst.} Konton said. Wait, she had a Launcher mode, too? I didn't know! That would had been useful on the bigger foes.
{That would be appreciated.} Amethyst replied.
I then raised my hand. "Uh, only now."
"Four Launchers should make getting through the snow a snap!" Eryn beamed.
"What an example of mundane utility…" Tiara gawked.
"The best kind of utility," I joked. Using one's powers for non-combat purposes was amusing to me.
In the meantime, I felt a new menu of sorts open up to me, detailing the new weapon mode. It came with its own set of skills, namely, Launch, which fired a volley of rounds; Spin Barrett, which rifled the barrel for more damage (wait, what, doesn't that only increase the effective range via spin-stabilized shells?), Full Barrett, which fired an entire clip of shells; Cluster Barrett, which fired a cluster bomb; Outlet Barrett, which was death from above with rounds; Round Barrett, which was an aerial attack on launched enemies; and Full Open Barrett, which was basically 'fire everything'. They were mostly different ways of shooting enemies, much like with the gun skills…
The whole set cost 260 WP, and I had 2456 in total. Purchasing them left me 2196 to increase my stats, that is, P-Atk, P-Def, M-Atk, M-Def, Range, and Fury Form, which were at ranks 9, 8, 8, 8, 8, and 8, respectively. I decided to increase the '8' stats to 9 for a well-rounded build, which cost 400 each, for a total of 2000. Now I had 196 left, which I opted to save for next time. I felt stronger now, and… so that was how to use the Launcher form…
{Is it scary that we're planning on using Launchers like snow plows?} Konton snickered.
{Yup, but it works.} I smiled. It was unconventional, true, but in this case, more dakka really was the solution.
Bahus once more outdid himself on the meal, despite the limited supplies. Fang and Galdo would have eaten like they usually did, but Tiara reminded them of the food situation. The fact she was holding Cui in gun form had nothing to with it at all (Wait, what?). Ethel, despite her small size, ate as much as Fang and Galdo. She actually pouted at being told she couldn't have more. Bahus almost gave in, but Pippin was quick to stop him.
It was certainly a delicious meal, much like his cooking last time. Too bad I couldn't eat more of it, but yeah, we had to ration things a bit. "Was the gun really necessary?" I commented. It seemed excessive to me.
"I was just going to shoot them with water," Tiara pointed Cui in gun form and gave a light squeeze of the trigger. A jet of water squirted out like a spritzer, making me raise an eyebrow. Was that sincere, or just a last-minute excuse?
"Totally not what we were thinking," Fang deadpanned.
"I didn't know Cui could be used like a water gun," Galdo grumbled.
"I wouldn't actually use bullets on you!" Tiara exclaimed.
"Kill kill kill kill…" Ethel muttered.
"'You people worry me', Ethel said," Karin translated.
I found it ironic, considering who that comment came from. Speaking of that… {Is it okay if you can ask Karin why Ethel is... like that?} I asked Amethyst. I wasn't sure if it was all right to inquire directly, and it was indeed worrying for someone to only know how to kill. Was she like those specially trained assassins in fiction?
{Let's wait until someone else brings it up…} My Fairy decided.
I nodded. Perhaps it was more prudent that way.
Meanwhile, the blizzard outside didn't stop. A howling wind developed, sending sheets of ice whipping across the windows. Even the bravest were eyeing the pitch-dark night with trepidation. The lights flickered, making me flinch and eliciting a startled cry from Chiaki. Giselle held her Fencer comfortingly. If she did it from the safety of Chiaki's lap, no one laughed. Conversation was effectively killed as the weather cast a pall over everyone. Almost as if to underscore the situation, the lights died completely. The only light was coming from the merrily crackling fire.
"At least we still have the fire," Fang tried to inject a bit of cheer in the group.
A dull 'whump' came from the fireplace as a thick mass of blackened snow doused the fire, making me sigh. 'Thanks a lot, Murphy.'
"Right. Before I cause anything else to fail catastrophically, let's go to bed," Fang decided.
The immediate issue was that without the fireplace, there was no heat. In order to keep warm, we were going to have to sleep together, something which I wasn't used to.
…If I was going to do that, it might as well be with those I was closest to, which would be less awkward for me. {Could I be with you and Konton, please?} I asked Amethyst.
My Fairies were quick to agree and offer assurances. Our team huddled together in one of the smaller bedrooms with the blankets turned into a nest. The 'walls' of the nest were high to trap the heat. Amethyst slept at my back with Konton at my front. The others nestled down around us in an outward spiral of cuddling. Chiaki and Giselle took the spot near my head with Galdo and Marissa near my feet. Somehow I was made the center of this odd gathering. Pippin huffed with gentle amusement as Ethel used him for a plush toy with Karin at her back. Souji curled up at hers. Fang and Eryn slept close together by the door. Nearby Tiara lay with Cui in her arms. Marianne was directly opposite Fang by the window as if mirroring his protective position. Harley tried to cuddle with an unamused Konton before Bahus lead her away. What was that about?
Tomorrow was the Katticus Ice Caves. We only had to make it through to morning. This would be the greatest challenge we faced yet. Surviving the frigid cold. For tonight we could enjoy the warmth of each other's company. Literally.
Pippin, eh. I'm not all that big a fan. But Ethel, she's a good one, and some of the things she can pack into a simple "kill, kill, kill, kill!" are hilarious.
Bahus, in addition to be Harley's fairy, is also her long-suffering minder. Pity him.
Also, Ding, couple quick questions:
For those not familiar with Harley, well... know who Katsuragi is? The busty, grabby blonde from Senran Kagura? They're similar, except Harley has black hair in a small ponytail and is only really interested in fairies. Oh, and she has no sense of feminine modesty or shame, which is surprising given her build.
Bahus, in addition to be Harley's fairy, is also her long-suffering minder. Pity him.
Also, Ding, couple quick questions:
Is mentioning the existence of the three routes a spoiler or not?
And just to make sure: this fic is taking place in a heavily butterflied version of the Evil Goddess route, correct?
And just to make sure: this fic is taking place in a heavily butterflied version of the Evil Goddess route, correct?
- Location
- PA
Best Served Cold
- Location
- PA
Best Served Cold
There was some consternation the next morning. Through the window was a solid wall of white. Opening the front door revealed a perfect door print in the snow.
"We're going to have to dig our way out before employing Launchers," Fang grimaced. Launchers plus close quarters equalled Bad Things.
My eyes widened at the sight, then I sighed. That was going to be troublesome. Sooo muuuch snooowww…! I looked at the faces of the others, then looked back at the snow. Ugh… wait, Launchers weren't advisable because they were explosive, but what about something that pierced, like a beam?
{What if we used an energy beam from the MPBL?} I asked Amethyst. I wasn't too sure about the idea, though.
{It has to be safer than Launchers. Maybe you could just aim towards the cave and pull the trigger.} Amethyst chuckled.
That brought a bit of a smile out of me. {I wish.} Hehe... if only it was that easy.
I proceeded to face the doorway and aim my gunblade. "I'll try an energy beam," I said. If there were no objections…
"If you aim about… that way… the cave is in that direction," Pippin said.
"Here. I'll give you a Boost," Chiaki cast a spell to boost Attack.
{That should do nicely. Konton? Ready?} Amethyst asked.
{Ready!} Konton exclaimed.
The two Fairies started to cycle their energy in preparation for MPBL. Amethyst and Konton cycled the energy around until the barrel started to emit heat. The party wisely cleared the blast zone as the air itself charged. When the energy reached critical mass, it stabbed out like a lance. The snow in the doorway vanished in a burst of steam filling the room with heated mist.
"That's some hot stuff!" Eryn giggled.
"Nepgear IS pretty hot," Chiaki joked.
"Ah, chill out guys," Galdo chuckled.
"I wasn't expecting you to actually hit the cave!" Pippin peered through the hole. Parts of the melted snow were falling off into the path but it was still perfectly serviceable.
The comments elicited laughter from me, especially Chiaki's. On another note, I did not expect the beam to clear us a path in one blow. Then again, it wasn't like I was doing it alone. "Me neither. Let's go while it's clear!"
The temperature outside was just shy of Cocytus. We were grouped together for warmth during the walk. Fang warned that the inside of the cave was much worse. He badgered Harley to wear more clothes this morning just in case. Everyone was bundled up including Ethel. It took Karin, Marissa, and Marianne to force the intractable teen into something warmer. She might have had higher ice resistance than a yeti, but that didn't mean much out here.
"I wish Mother Nature would stop giving us the cold shoulder already…" Marianne sneezed.
"She can be quite frigid at times," Chiaki agreed.
"Ah, cool it already," Galdo waved them off.
"No thanks, it's cool enough out here," Pippin said dryly.
"You think this is cold? You should see Tiara when she's mad," Fang joked.
"She once froze a Fang solid with a glare," Eryn teased.
"I can turn up the heat if you like," Tiara batted her lashes.
"Ah ha ha… No no… that's okay. I'm good," Fang held up his hands in a warding gesture.
His reaction drew a round of laughs from the group, myself included. "Let's stay frosty," I said. The laughs increased, the merriment driving away the cold just a little.
The sight of the cave was ominous. There was precious little light beyond the entrance. Headlamps were passed around to make it easier to navigate inside. In my case, I received one as well. While I had light magic, it was a good idea to conserve my energy.
"I don't remember it being so dark inside," Fang said.
"Then why did you bring headlamps?" Harley asked.
"Because I wasn't sure if what I remembered would be accurate," he admitted. That was good foresight on his part.
"We've had just enough go wrong to be cautious," Galdo said.
"Be careful. The monsters inside will be better adapted than us," Pippin cautioned.
"Wait! Wasn't Harley here already?" Chiaki turned to Harley.
"I was. It wasn't this dark then either," Harley concluded grimly.
"Take it slow and stay alert," Marianne suggested.
"Kill…" Ethel murmured.
"'Be safe everyone' is what Ethel said," Karin spoke up.
{That's still creepy. Not gonna lie.} Konton said.
{Yeah,} I murmured in agreement.
I accompanied the others, keeping my eyes peeled and my Fury on hand. It wasn't easy, what with what felt like shadows all over. Maybe it was just my senses acting up, but still.
The Katticus Ice Cave played host to enemies that didn't seem to fit the theme exactly. Snakes were cold blooded reptiles, right? The floor was crawling with purple ones, making me take a step back. By the light of the headlamp, we could see the enemy, but they could see us. A bellowing roar came from beyond the ring of light, making me flinch for a bit. The snakes were joined by two griffins, frost blue sharks, and a giant made of ice. Quite the welcoming party...
"Ready gang…!?" Fang gripped his Fury.
"Ready," I replied, preparing to shoot. While an option was to employ light magic like within the Sol Plains ruins, it may be better to reserve it for later and use regular attacks first. While the darkness around me was kinda unnerving, the sight of my friends and the feeling of my Fairies was a comforting thing.
The darkness was suffocating as it seemed to absorb all sound. At least the cold could be ignored during the rush of combat. We were left to stumble blindly as even the headlamps didn't pierce the darkness effectively. In response, Chiaki held up a hand. The lights brightened as she used her connection to Light to strengthen the lamps. While it drew more monsters to our position, we were able to see them coming.
As such, I was able to start firing at them, using my Fury's gunblade mode. Along the way, I noticed that Ethel's weapon of choice for range was a bow. She was also frightening in close quarters with a scythe like what Galdo used, what with how much glee she took in swinging the bladed weapon around. Galdo enjoyed a fight, but Ethel seemed to enjoy cutting her enemies down. Pippin, meanwhile, was more at home with in-close melee using Knuckles. He operated well with Ethel in keeping watch on her flank, something the blue haired girl had an issue with doing for herself.
{Then again, when you're a living thresher, it's not often an enemy gets in behind.} Amethyst said philosophically.
{Grim Reapers should not be so Moe.} Konton complained.
{It's weaponized Moe-ness,} I commented, as I laid down cover fire against the enemy mob.
In between the rush of battle was the lull of wandering in a darkened ice cave. Fighting tended to be sweaty business even in a natural walk-in freezer. The cold was seeping in gradually, despite our best efforts. Harley was keeping track of our location in case we had to escape, while Chiaki was standing closer to Fang as he was giving off the most residual heat. He gave her a pat on the shoulder. Our leader knew he was being used as a space heater.
"H-how much f-further…?" Tiara asked. It turned out that as a Water attribute, the cold was doubly bad for her. In response, Fang tucked her under his arm. When she balked, he said "Don't read into it."
If we weren't busy fighting, I would wrap my arms around myself and keep close to the others. Even my winter attire struggled to keep me warm. I felt that using any of my transformed states might be worse, unless they had a magic heating field or something. Just thinking of my NEXT Form made me shiver.
{Relax. Your transformed states are tougher than this. NEXT Form wouldn't even notice if you were dropped in lava.} Konton said.
{That's so broken…} Amethyst said. Still, Konton's words were a comfort in this frigid place.
"We're near the end of the cave," Harley said.
"About time. This cold is doing terrible things for my complexion," Marianne complained.
"The Ice Queen is being out colded by a mere cave?" Fang snarked.
"I can be warm as required," Marianna replied before turning bright red. The heat coming off her face could have fried an egg.
"Who might you be thinking of with such a red face? Hmmm?" Galdo smirked.
"No one at all," Marianne turned her head away from him with a huff of irritation. She walked away with determined strides.
"Look out!" Pippin tackled her suddenly. The green Fencer rolled to a stop covering Marianne's body with his own. Just in time as a grey blur appeared in the space just vacated. Pappin's katana was held out in a classic iaido ending stance.
"Hooo…? Your senses have sharpened, my son… I am impressed," Pappin said as he straightened from his crouch. He swept his katana around back into the sheath.
"Damn it!" Fang started to raise his Fury, only to be forced to dodge.
"He's not alone!" A male voice declared. With white spiky hair and a slender build, he was a swordsman with a grayscale bodysuit, white along the limbs and black in the center.
"You shouldn't have come here…" Another man spoke as he brought his sword around with such might Galdo's arms shook from just blocking. Dark-haired and slightly stockier than the other guy, he was in a dark purple, metallic and black suit, armor-like in texture and complete with trenchcoat.
"Apollonius!? What are you doing here?" Galdo exclaimed.
"Zagi…? Why are you against me?" Marianne sounded almost heartbroken.
"I have to do this, Marianne. Sorry, but this really isn't personal," Zagi looked as if he hated himself for saying it.
"Don't let your feelings get in the way. We have a job to do," Pappin said.
"I don't care about sentimentality. All I want is my pay…" Apollonius said.
'Not him again!' Was my thought as I saw Pippin's father. I didn't want to face him so soon. The darkness around me only added to the unnerving image of the grizzly assassin. Still, I was stronger now, and he wasn't the only one with new allies. Pippin and company were here, too.
I wasn't in the mood for words. Instead, I took a guard stance with my Fury, hands slightly shivering in tension. It was tempting to just start shooting right there and then, to try and preempt them…
{Let's take it from the top! Use NEXT!} Amethyst urged.
{We're not getting sandbagged by this guy again!} Konton declared.
Their words psyched me up. {Yeah!} I concurred. This time, I wouldn't hold back, not when he explicitly wanted my life. 'This time, we blitz him.' As such, I flipped both mental switches, the ones corresponding to both Fairize and HDD, to access my NEXT. My concerns about my transformed outfit were placed in the backburner, for right now, I had bigger issues. Once I felt the surge of power welling out of me, I started with casting Stop on the enemies, followed by firing a barrage of bullets from my gunblade, aimed at Pappin. While an option was to use the new Launcher mode, that could get in the way of my teammates.
Apollonius executed Fairize and covered himself in thick mechanical armor. The activation caused the Stop to fail, but Zagi didn't have that defense. His speed was instantly slowed to a crawl. Pappin managed to deflect the bullets, but only just. The sword shook and rang with each deflection.
"Clear-Blast!" Whatever Apollonius was about to say was cut off by Fang's assault. The Fire Fencer, using his own Fairize, was descending with a downward stroke. Their swords clashed in an explosion of fire and darkness.
"I won't let you die, Zagi!" Marianne charged him directly with her Lance in both hands. She wasn't using Fairize in an attempt to try and take him alive. His slowed state made it difficult for him to evade her assault, but she was hampered by her unwillingness to hurt him.
In response to Pappin's defense, I waved a hand, two Prismatic Bursts detonating on either side of him with the intent of catching him in between the blasts of condensed light. Requiring no travel time, and being indirect attacks, I figured they'd make some headway.
"Kill kill kill." One could be forgiven for thinking Ethel actually meant what she said. The Cold Sniper used her own Fairize, which included cannons over her shoulders. Pitons attached to her calf armor anchored in the ground as she hunched forward to brace. A continual stream of energy lanced out with sudden speed for Pappin.
The Prismatic Bursts merged with the raging stream of icy power. Pappin slashed his katana through the air with preternatural speed, sending a shockwave through the assault. However, he didn't count on the icy nature of Ethel's energy. The Light Attribute of my attack caused brilliant sparks of glimmering radiance to explode in his face. He made to retreat into the darkness, only to slip on the frozen ground.
Pippin activated Fairize before taking advantage of the opening we created. His head was covered in spherical armor, easily the size of his body, with swords jammed through. He did a weird dive kick across the icy floor. His father was left badly out of position and ended up kicked in the head. Pippin spun on his helm and did a forward flip, crashing head-first into Pappin's abdomen.
"You've improved!" Pappin praised us with a wheeze. He stabbed his katana into the ground to regain his balance. That was all he needed to unleash four consecutive slashes on his son. At least that was the way it would have gone, if Chiaki didn't lay down suppression fire.
"Just surrender," Chiaki said as she continued to rain down arrows.
I wasn't sure if he was willing to do so. For that extra edge, I casted a round of Offensive and Defensive Cheers on Pippin and myself, before going on the attack once more, strafing by with bullets from my gunblade joined by beams of light from magic circles, the former of which was aimed directly at Pappin, while the latter was aimed to curve around and strike him from the sides. Attacking from multiple directions was my intent, to try and bypass his defensive skill.
"Apollonius! You don't have to do this!" Galdo tried to reach the Dark Fencer. The only reaction he received was for Apollonius to give a mighty heave and throw Fang back. A torrent of liquid darkness flooded out from his position. The Wind Fencer used Fairize to weather the assault. He was forced to quickly disengage from his opponent, Pappin's swift dodging put him in my line of fire. The bullets continued on unabated into Apollonius. His Fairize armor cracked from a glancing blow.
"Wha…?" The Dark Fencer looked stunned as his reflexive block intercepted the bullets. Cracks formed along the length of his Greatsword. He scowled angrily in my direction before unleashing a burst of darkness with the force of a cannon.
"You won't catch me off guard again!" Chiaki used her lightning fast Rapier assault to keep Pappin away. The gray katana wielder deflected her strokes even as each blow caused his guard to shake. He quickly broke off the assault and tried to get some distance.
"Stop running away, Father!" Pippin descended on his sire with a downward punch. Pappin made to dodge again only to be blindsided by Tiara's repeated gunburst. The bullets of water that she used to splash Fang playfully, smashed into Pappin like a hammer. He slashed through two of the bullets only for a visible chip to form in his sword. Pippin's falling punch struck Pappin in the head uncontested.
Using my speed, I moved to evade the dark blast, and unleashed a Prismatic Burst on Apollonius before continuing my barrage on Pappin. The Dark Fencer weathered the blast with a heavy wince as more cracks appeared on his armor. Blood started to leak from his mouth. With the others already engaging in melee, I opted not to get in their way. That, and close combat was Pappin's forte, rather than mine.
"Kiiiiiiill!" Ethel sprinted at Pappin with her scythe already in motion. Pippin's father picked the lesser of two evils and ducked away from the bullets. He was forced to block the scythe with both arms before the unthinkable happened. His katana, already heavily weakened, snapped at the hilt. The scythe cleaved off his topknot as he dived under the slash.
Progress! I casted Stop once more, intended to prevent him from getting away or doing anything. To me, he remained a dangerous threat, despite the lack of a sword. As such, I didn't let up on my assault. Pappin slowed visibly with a simmering anger in his gaze. Ethel switched from Scythe to Knuckle and belted him in the skull. Pippin dived in from across the room to cross punch him across the face.
Apollonius tried to take advantage of my distraction, but it was futile. A spiraling cyclone of wind and fire swept over him. Fang and Galdo were focusing on him directly, causing the heat and rotation to increase. The Dark Fencer let out a roar and blew the combined spell away in a sudden flare of power. His aura skyrocketed as he screamed his denial to the Heavens. He never saw the Launcher barrage as Harley saw an opening. The dust settled, only to reveal he was still standing. In his hand was his own Launcher. 'What is it about that Firestorm that it never works?!' I thought. It had been a constant since day one!
"Get to the Abyss with you!" Apollonius sprayed the Launcher in all directions. He wasn't aiming so much as trying to cause as much devastation as possible, like he lost all restraint. The Fury-forged grenades flew without direction or purpose. His weapon pulsed and shuddered as black light leaked through the cracks inflicted earlier.
"Marianne!" Zagi tackled Marianne to the ground and shielded her with his body. Their emotional battle unfortunately took a backseat to the immediate issues before. Now it played center stage as the non-Fencer let out a cry of pain as the grenade tore open his back.
"Zagi! Why?" Marianne gripped his shoulders.
"It was for… the children… I'm sorry… At least you're alive…" Zagi chuckled.
"Knock off the damn heroics! Mega Cure!" Tiara cast a wide area recovery spell. Zagi's injuries instantly sealed up leaving him very much alive, and very sheepish.
Good thing she handled the healing. {Can you check for me if Pappin tries to surprise us? I'll deal with the dark knight,} I said to Konton. Being blindsided by the assassin was not my idea of a good time.
I felt a tinge of pity for the guy who had seemingly lost it. Even his Fury and Fairize looked unstable as he was, what with them cracking so easily. However, he was still a threat to us, all the more so with such destructive actions. As such, with Harley having used her Fury's Launcher form, I did the same, shifting mine into such and raining down a volley of explosive shells upon him.
"I won't lose… not here… not to any of you…" His eyes flashed dangerously. The explosives detonated on his aura, causing him to drop to one knee. Despite the failing of his body, the destructive miasma only continued to grow. His armor broke and crumbled inward. Apollonius bared his teeth as the broken armor crawled over his body. A black tar bubbled under the fragments. Moments later, his Fury shattered with a roar. As the ensuing darkness drifted to the floor, it revealed a grotesque sight. He looked like a crude mishmash of a human and a dragon.
"He fully fused with his Fairy…" Harley scowled.
"That's bad… right?" Galdo asked.
{Could that have happened to Chiaki? That tar was very familiar,} I said to Amethyst. Apollonius, it turned out, was in possession of a hollow Fury, like that old rapier. Goodness...
"Kill kill…" Ethel took a wary step back.
"Could that have happened to me?" Chiaki unknowingly echoed my thoughts.
"No. The Fury she held had no Fairy inside. This can only happen if the Fairy and Fencer willingly merge. Their ego borders are completely gone," Harley shook her head. That meant this case was a bit different than I thought. 'I'm not sure if I would be willing to go all the way there…'
"Attack now! Analyze later!" Fang was already moving. His Fury screamed through the air as he channeled his full might into a single slash. Even midway through his transformation, Apollonius was aware enough to fight. The Fire Fencer finished the strike, only to watch the flames splash harmlessly over his form. However the return right punch wasn't stopped. Fang flew back the opposite way before bouncing along the ground like a ragdoll.
We couldn't afford to tackle this one half-baked, especially with Pappin still over there being a factor. As such, I buffed all allies with both Cheers, then fired another volley of shells at the half-dragon. {Can you scan him for a weak point we could use?} I requested of Amethyst. This was something different from a Fairize, so I wasn't sure if, for instance, a Divinity Breaker could be as effective as it was on Chiaki.
The explosives struck his body, causing violent ripples to tremble through the tar-like substance. However, Apollonius continued to transform unabated. The rest of the party spread out to pick their locations and attacked from all sides. Still no effect.
{This is bad. His body is literally burning up trying to maintain that form. I can't tell where his soul begins and his Fairy's spirit ends!} Amethyst cried.
{We can't afford to wait him out either. Pippin and Ethel are keeping Pappin busy, but he might just be playing possum.} Konton fretted.
{Could we deal with Pappin first?} I asked, the creepy bear remaining a major concern. The dragon, I figured, was more predictable, and more of a distraction, despite his more intimidating form.
"Nepgear! Eryn said you want to deal with Pappin? Go ahead. We'll try to see what spells work on Apollonius," Fang called over to me. Amethyst must had told the other Fairy about it.
"Okay!" With permission given to do so, I could now focus on the swifter assassin. As such, I buffed Pippin and Ethel with both Cheers, then casted a consecutive string of Prismatic Bursts on Pappin. Bullets could be defended against, but explosions of light, not as much.
Pippin and Ethel were using hit and run tactics against the dazed assassin. Their Fairies warned them that I was there and casting directly on Pappin. The gray assassin stumbled blearily as his assailants cleared the strike zone before the Prismatic Bursts hit. NEXT Form lent the spells even greater power as proven when the impact sent Pappin rocketing across the cave. He struck the wall so hard that spider web cracks extended out six feet from the impact point. The wounded assassin fell to the ground with rubble falling on his unmoving form.
"Kill…" Ethel stared at where he lay with wide eyes.
"Father… to be treated like an insect on a windshield…" Pippin sighed sorrowfully.
"He might have a Sacrificial Doll. Let's make sure he doesn't…" I said, my weapon still aimed at him. I wouldn't underestimate him, not after all he pulled last time, including that gimmick. I was moments away from just pulling the trigger.
A terrible roar shook the entire cavern from directly behind us. Pippin and Ethel turned swiftly only to freeze, stunned by what they saw. Galdo was sent flying over my head with pieces of his Fairize raining down. He rolled along the ground with deep claw wounds across his chest. Chiaki was already sprinting for him to provide first aid.
{Oh shit!} Amethyst's slip to profanity wasn't normal.
{Ahhhh! That's baaad!} Konton wailed.
{Do we finish off Pappin, or…?} I could only look between where the bear was laying and the monstrosity on the other side. I felt hesitant to actually deal the final blow onto the former, yet I couldn't let him pull a fast one...
Marianne leaped over near the fallen Galdo and set down a protesting Zagi. She rapped him on the head which stopped his complaints. It also knocked him out.
"Oh screw it all!" Harley's gun barked once, sending a bullet screaming for Pappin's downed form. The body jerked but otherwise made no further moves. "Stop getting distracted!" She yelled.
I blinked, her comment snapping me out of my confusion. My Fury still being in Launcher form, I used it to cover the others with a rain of shells upon whatever wounded Galdo so much. {Sorry...} I said to Amethyst.
A feeling of forgiveness came from my Fairies, even if both were still freaked out. The sight that greeted me was a massive serpentine dragon with a Western-style head. It's scales looked like they were made of polished obsidian with a shimmering silver metal underbelly. The dragon's length was enough that it had to remain coiled or risk filling the room. It held up it's surprisingly large claws, the left hand dripping blood and pieces of Galdo's armor.
"Snap out of it Apollonius! What about your sister!?" Fang yelled.
The mindless beast roared as it lashed out with the other claw. Fang was forced to bring up his Fury to block the stroke as it was too fast to dodge. For a terrible moment, there seemed to be a pause as his strength matched the dragon's. Then all at once, time resumed and Eryn's blade was snapped completely in half. Both Fang and Eryn screamed in agony as their synchronization created painful feedback. The dragon beast lashed out in preparation to finish him off.
I had to protect them. I had to decide quickly. Melee-ing was inadvisable because of what had just happened, while the launcher's shells took time to arrive. Instead, I made a wall of Prismatic Bursts with the intent of driving back the incoming attack.
The dragon flinched back hard from the Light. It was surprisingly fast and agile as the serpentine body coiled away from the radiance. The dragon used it's powerful claws to dart along the wall to get around behind me. It spat blobs of steaming darkness in all directions. Ethel, Pippin, and Harley dodged away from the attack. The floor started steaming and bubbling where the blobs hit.
"It doesn't like Light!" Chiaki cast her own Prismatic Burst directly under where it was running. The dragon roared in fury as it was forced to release the wall. It responded by breathing a wide cloud of greenish black miasma over Chiaki and Galdo's position.
"Thunder!" Marianne unleashed a line of golden light through the cloud. Much of it was dissipated from the force of the spell but the rest continued unhindered. Chiaki managed to leap away with Galdo and Marissa in Scythe Form. Brief contact with the cloud caused her clothes and armor to steam with acrid black clouds.
"Careful!" My speed and flight helped to dodge its attacks as well, the acid-like properties of which looked very much concerning. Magic circles appeared around me as Launcher shells flew and as beams of light Converged upon the dragon. While an option was to attempt a Horizon Cut, I wasn't sure of making such an expensive gamble, not when my boosted spells were more efficient.
The dragon let out a furious roar as the light connected. Its tail lashed through the air with a hard crack of displaced air. Fang was sent flying up in the air, only to crash land with a dull thud. The shells burst along the dragon's body to no effect. It turned baleful red eyes on me as it bunched up like a coiled spring. The massive beast rocketed through the air with fanged maw open wide to swallow me whole. It was so fast, much too fast, that I couldn't get out of the way in time.
"Kill…!" Ethel slashed her scythe down, only for the blade to glance off harmlessly. The beast's passage was enough to send her tumbling away.
"No you don't…!" Pippin punched the dragon, only to rebound with a harsh clang.
"Nepgear!" Chiaki didn't bother trying to attack the beast. There was just too much mass and momentum. She gave me a hard push out of the dragon's way, just in time to get struck by the dragon's bladed snout. The blonde Fencer cried out in pain as she was violently pinned to the wall. Blood burst from her mouth from the impact. Her legs shook spasmodically. She glared defiantly into the dragon's eyes with gritted teeth. The beast quickly pulled back as she started to glow with energy. Unfortunately for her, his motion caused the wounded Fencer to fall, losing the spell.
"Chiaki!" I cried out, frantically rushing towards her to cast Hyper Heal. Along the way, I left a Prismatic Burst behind, like an aerial mine, in case the dragon tried to attack me. I didn't want to lose my friends!
The Hyper Heal worked, but she was still unconscious. Gisele was also laid out beside her. The Fairy's outfit was as torn as her Fencer's. Their condition was stable at least. Tiara was healing Fang, but he was still in shock. Eryn wasn't changing back and was still in two pieces. The dragon picked that moment to focus on Fang as the weak link. A loud roar heralded it's charge. Tiara used her Barrer ability to try and hold off the monster but it broke right through. The blue haired Fencer let out a cry as she flew one way with Cui heading another.
"Come on! Why isn't anything working?" Harley yelled as she darted around the dragon with both guns firing. The shots bounced off of its hard hide without any effect. She didn't see the tail that cracked her in the sternum with the tip. The Fairyologist collapsed with a pained gurgle. Pippin was already in motion with a recovery item.
"How do we even stop him? I thought he was burning out, but the bastard is growing stronger!" Marianne exclaimed on the edge of panic. She was trying to avoid drawing the dragon's attention while trying to herd Zagi from the battlefield.
{What can we do...?} Prismatic Bursts were turning out to be something I relied on at the moment, what with me using two in an attempt to keep the charging dragon away from Fang. Then, I tried another Hyper Heal, this time on Eryn. It was painful seeing her Fury form hurt like that.
Retreat felt like an option if we kept getting hurt like this, but that would mean we came all the way here for naught. A small part of me was also curious about the merge, but I felt like it had drawbacks of its own. For now, I had to keep fighting.
"Fang! Come on! We have to get out of here! The dragon will kill us if we stay!" Tiara dragged herself back to his side. An exhausted Cui lay at her side. She was trying to get him to move. The dragon's attention was drawn again to Fang by Tiara's voice.
{We have to use Horizon Cut!} Konton exclaimed urgently.
Everyone was tired or unconscious. Fang was nearly catatonic. The Hyper Heal danced along the blade, but it didn't seem to be working. He looked up at Tiara tiredly. His eyes started to widen as she used her body to protect him.
My eyes widened as well. No! I won't let her die this time! Konton was right; we were short on time. I could no longer afford to conserve my energy. As such, I reached into myself, and with a cry upon my lips, I unleashed everything I had into one, great stroke. For a moment, I was reminded of that first day, of the imaginary figure slashing horizontally, and me following suit.
Horizon Cut created a perfectly fine razor thin slash along the dragon's body. Blackish red blood burst from the wound in a torrent as it's roars turned to squeals of pain. It's tail and head thrashed in agony. Each moment tore the wound further and caused more blood to flow. The dragon turned a gaze of pure hatred on me. As it opened its mouth to express its displeasure, a golden light erupted from Fang.
"No more! Stop hurting my family!" Fang's own pain-filled roar filled the cavern. He proceeded to deck the dragon with his bare fist. The beast let out a bellowing cry of shock as its largest fangs were knocked out. The Fire Fencer stood in a fighter's crouch with one fist clenched. At that moment, he reminded me of an online friend who liked doing just that in roleplays.
"Hrrr…" The dragon started backing up against the wall, bestial cunning in its eyes as it started looking for a way out. It was clearly wary of me and now had something to fear from Fang. Who, even without a Fury, had injured him.
I caught my breath as I landed on the ground. I felt weaker, now that I had exhausted my NEXT Form. I was back to my regular self, winter clothes and all, but now that the dragon was no longer on the attack, we could counter it with our own. It still had a weakness to Light. As such, with a wave of my hand, magic circles surrounded me as I bombarded the monster with luminous spears. "We keep to keep going…!"
The dragon shrank back as the light spears connected. It regarded Fang who was no longer on the ground and instead glowing gold, then it turned to look at me, who was exhausted but still fighting. It was clear the dragon was trying to decide what to do. The beast came to a decision and charged right for me. Fortunately, it was much slower now from all of the injuries.
"Don't you dare!" Fang ran at the dragon and punched it right in the wounded side. The dragon coiled suddenly with a pained hiss. Its tail whistled through the air and connected with the brunette. His aura held, but the blow was hard enough to injure him. Even as he slid back, another golden light began to flare… from his Fury.
{I… am… not through… yet…!} Eryn's voice grew stronger as my magic, the one from my Hyper Heal a while ago, seeped into the blade. She flew across the chamber like a star and slammed into Fang's waiting hand. He twirled the sword and slammed it through his chest in a blinding blaze of light. When the light faded, he was in a much more ornate version of his original Fairize. It was now predominantly black and gold with larger pauldrons. Two round green gems trimmed in red metal floated on either side of him, each with three triangular wedges radiating outward, like bladed wings. Eryn looked even more elaborate with an angelic wing along the blade. Their second Fairize, something I didn't know was possible, was an awesome sight to behold.
"This is the end for you! Force Impact!" Fang held up his sword. A shining blade of pure white radiance soared to the heavens. He brought the sword down in a powerful, cleaving swing. The dragon roared in pure agony as the cleave found his wounded side and widened the injury. He accelerated with flames erupting from the floating gems. His speed increased as he prepared to finish the battle in one blow.
While he went to town on the dragon, I made sure to contribute my own attacks. Beams of light radiated from me as they aimed for the dragon's wounds, intending to take advantage of the openings they provided. {How did that Fairize happen?} I asked Amethyst. Their second wind was an unexpected blessing.
{Your magic DID heal Eryn. The power of HDD is that of a Goddess. You must have given her a boost!} Amethyst exclaimed. The proof of their awakened power was easy to see. So it really was a blessing, one that came from me. Amazing...
The dragon jerked reflexively away from the light and right into Fang's path. Its wound tore open, revealing the softer flesh beneath the scales. He ran his Fury through the exposed wound as the blade radiated intense heat. The fire burned deep inside the body as the dragon's roars turned to screams and wails.
"I'm sorry, Apollonius… I hope you find peace," Fang apologized even as he came to a halt. The raging inferno ignited in the dragon's body continued to burn. Its red eyes turned to a sad look as the dragon's head lowered. Flames soon consumed the eyes as micro-fires burst from the mouth and from the scales.
I looked on with pity, head slightly tilted downward. Here was someone who was consumed by his darkness, so to speak. I agreed with Fang, that hopefully he would find rest wherever he went. Still, I kept my eyes on the rather grisly scene, to be sure that there were no last-minute tricks. {What is it like, to merge like that?} I asked my Fairies.
{You would essentially lose yourself. The Fairy and Fencer become one all the way to their very soul. It's not something to do randomly.} Amethyst said.
{Basically, you're breaking down the wall between You and the Fairy. Essentially losing track of where you begin and they end.} Konton shivered.
Yeah, I wasn't sure I would be willing to do that. Losing myself was, frankly, something to be afraid of. I didn't like the idea of my Fairies losing their identities, either.
"Sound off!" Fang called, his voice filled with weariness, but he remained standing.
The consensus was everyone was alive, but too exhausted. There was still the long walk out of the cave. Groans of dismay greeted the realization.
"Fine, fine… Let's set up camp here… We have a roaring fire already…" Fang's black humor elicited nervous laughter.
"I think… wait… Zagi? Did you move Pappin?" Marianne asked.
"No, I was hiding outside of the cavern," he said.
The place where Pappin lay was empty. Not even a trace of blood remained. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold settled over the group.
"Shit… New plan. We fortify our position. I was only kidding about camping out here, but now we have no choice. If we run into Pappin in the dark we're screwed," Fang said.
"He wouldn't be at top form and missing his katana," Chiaki argued.
"That wouldn't stop my father," Pippin replied grimly.
"He must have had another of those Sacrifice Dolls," Harley sighed. She muttered a tired curse under her breath. That particular item was what I was wary of.
"We didn't have time to search him with Apollonius trying to kill us," Galdo said forcefully. The healing spell worked, but he had a trio of claw mark scars.
"Maybe I should have taken the shot…" I muttered. I thought the bullet from Harley was enough of a double-tap, so to speak. We could had ended him right there and then, but I had never taken someone's life before. I didn't want to kill, yet he could kill us...
Chiaki hugged me, which I returned. It was as much to comfort her as me. Her whole body was shaking as the adrenaline left. Others were starting to pick through the supplies and set up camp. Fang, Galdo, and Pippin moved Apollonius' dragon tail across the cave entrance. At least we would have some warning. A space was left for the burning corpse to vent the smoke. No one was crass enough to try roasting dinner near the body.
While an option was to help the others, Chiaki needed comfort as much as I did, so I continued holding her. I was shaking like a leaf, too, much like she was. The battle was… intense, and scary. That was the strongest opponent we had faced so far, compared to Sherman, Gehaburn, and Pappin. We could had died, even if I was in my strongest form… and now, Pappin remained at large. That, and seeing the dragon's end remained fresh in my mind...
Amethyst and Konton, the latter in her larger form, appeared to hug Gisele. The gothic Fairy snuggled in the taller Fairies' embrace. Zagi helped the exhausted Fencers get comfortable. Even Ethel, whose personal skills weren't the best, was offering a comforting hug to Pippin. Their Fairies were also embracing. Despite the terror, there was kindness and camaraderie to be found.
"So… will we look for that Fury tomorrow?" I asked. It was what we came here for, and I wasn't sure if they were okay with departing empty-handed.
"I can't sense the Fury. I sensed it when we arrived, but it's not here now," Marianne broke the news.
"Did… Pappin take it?" Marissa asked with a tremor in her voice.
"Goodbye, sleep…" Galdo muttered even as he held his Fairy.
"How did Pappin and company know to come here?" I queried. We evaded the front gate this time, so how did they beat us to this cave?
"It can't be Lola," Fang was the first to say.
"We'll ask her to look into it when we get back," Eryn said.
"But if it wasn't her, than who?" Tiara held Cui closer.
"Do we have another enemy spying on us?" Chiaki asked.
"We're too exhausted to think straight. Let's just get some sleep and head out in the morning," Fang suggested.
"How will we know it's morning?" Marianne asked.
"I have a watch with an alarm, Marianne," Zagi said proudly. She patted him on the head eliciting a pleased smile from the man.
"I refuse to read anything into that," Amethyst deadpanned.
"He's moved up from her dog to her lap dog," Khalara grinned.
"Suppress… suppress…" Konton and Giselle chanted together. Goodness, I didn't need that mental image, either.
While everyone was bedding down for the night, there was someone I felt like speaking with, especially now with everything that was happening. As such, I centered myself and dropped down into my soul. The sensation was no different than the previous times. In fact, it was actually easier now, as I saw the Crystal hovering before me. As I approached, it looked like just a reflection of me until the 'reflection' passed through the Crystal. The original Nepgear hugged me in greeting.
"Hi," she smiled.
"Hello, Big Sis," I happily greeted as I wrapped my arms around her. "How have you been?"
"I'm doing great. It's you who seem to be having a rough time," she bit her lip in concern.
"Yeah…" I wearily nodded in acknowledgment. "Lots of things…" She witnessed what I experienced, if I remembered it right.
"Well, why don't you tell Big Sis what she can do?" Nepgear stroked my hair softly.
I was grateful for her being here. "Just stay with me, I guess? Or maybe you have stories from your place…?" It would be nice to hear of interesting moments she had.
"Story time with Big Gear? Okay...Did you ever hear about the time…" Nepgear reclined in mid air while holding me in her lap. She continued to stroke my hair while telling me a story involving Mechs, explosives, and Uni's attempt at pie. Which is why they needed Mechs and explosives.
Nepgear stayed with me through the night while chasing the bad dreams away.
There was some consternation the next morning. Through the window was a solid wall of white. Opening the front door revealed a perfect door print in the snow.
"We're going to have to dig our way out before employing Launchers," Fang grimaced. Launchers plus close quarters equalled Bad Things.
My eyes widened at the sight, then I sighed. That was going to be troublesome. Sooo muuuch snooowww…! I looked at the faces of the others, then looked back at the snow. Ugh… wait, Launchers weren't advisable because they were explosive, but what about something that pierced, like a beam?
{What if we used an energy beam from the MPBL?} I asked Amethyst. I wasn't too sure about the idea, though.
{It has to be safer than Launchers. Maybe you could just aim towards the cave and pull the trigger.} Amethyst chuckled.
That brought a bit of a smile out of me. {I wish.} Hehe... if only it was that easy.
I proceeded to face the doorway and aim my gunblade. "I'll try an energy beam," I said. If there were no objections…
"If you aim about… that way… the cave is in that direction," Pippin said.
"Here. I'll give you a Boost," Chiaki cast a spell to boost Attack.
{That should do nicely. Konton? Ready?} Amethyst asked.
{Ready!} Konton exclaimed.
The two Fairies started to cycle their energy in preparation for MPBL. Amethyst and Konton cycled the energy around until the barrel started to emit heat. The party wisely cleared the blast zone as the air itself charged. When the energy reached critical mass, it stabbed out like a lance. The snow in the doorway vanished in a burst of steam filling the room with heated mist.
"That's some hot stuff!" Eryn giggled.
"Nepgear IS pretty hot," Chiaki joked.
"Ah, chill out guys," Galdo chuckled.
"I wasn't expecting you to actually hit the cave!" Pippin peered through the hole. Parts of the melted snow were falling off into the path but it was still perfectly serviceable.
The comments elicited laughter from me, especially Chiaki's. On another note, I did not expect the beam to clear us a path in one blow. Then again, it wasn't like I was doing it alone. "Me neither. Let's go while it's clear!"
The temperature outside was just shy of Cocytus. We were grouped together for warmth during the walk. Fang warned that the inside of the cave was much worse. He badgered Harley to wear more clothes this morning just in case. Everyone was bundled up including Ethel. It took Karin, Marissa, and Marianne to force the intractable teen into something warmer. She might have had higher ice resistance than a yeti, but that didn't mean much out here.
"I wish Mother Nature would stop giving us the cold shoulder already…" Marianne sneezed.
"She can be quite frigid at times," Chiaki agreed.
"Ah, cool it already," Galdo waved them off.
"No thanks, it's cool enough out here," Pippin said dryly.
"You think this is cold? You should see Tiara when she's mad," Fang joked.
"She once froze a Fang solid with a glare," Eryn teased.
"I can turn up the heat if you like," Tiara batted her lashes.
"Ah ha ha… No no… that's okay. I'm good," Fang held up his hands in a warding gesture.
His reaction drew a round of laughs from the group, myself included. "Let's stay frosty," I said. The laughs increased, the merriment driving away the cold just a little.
The sight of the cave was ominous. There was precious little light beyond the entrance. Headlamps were passed around to make it easier to navigate inside. In my case, I received one as well. While I had light magic, it was a good idea to conserve my energy.
"I don't remember it being so dark inside," Fang said.
"Then why did you bring headlamps?" Harley asked.
"Because I wasn't sure if what I remembered would be accurate," he admitted. That was good foresight on his part.
"We've had just enough go wrong to be cautious," Galdo said.
"Be careful. The monsters inside will be better adapted than us," Pippin cautioned.
"Wait! Wasn't Harley here already?" Chiaki turned to Harley.
"I was. It wasn't this dark then either," Harley concluded grimly.
"Take it slow and stay alert," Marianne suggested.
"Kill…" Ethel murmured.
"'Be safe everyone' is what Ethel said," Karin spoke up.
{That's still creepy. Not gonna lie.} Konton said.
{Yeah,} I murmured in agreement.
I accompanied the others, keeping my eyes peeled and my Fury on hand. It wasn't easy, what with what felt like shadows all over. Maybe it was just my senses acting up, but still.
The Katticus Ice Cave played host to enemies that didn't seem to fit the theme exactly. Snakes were cold blooded reptiles, right? The floor was crawling with purple ones, making me take a step back. By the light of the headlamp, we could see the enemy, but they could see us. A bellowing roar came from beyond the ring of light, making me flinch for a bit. The snakes were joined by two griffins, frost blue sharks, and a giant made of ice. Quite the welcoming party...
"Ready gang…!?" Fang gripped his Fury.
"Ready," I replied, preparing to shoot. While an option was to employ light magic like within the Sol Plains ruins, it may be better to reserve it for later and use regular attacks first. While the darkness around me was kinda unnerving, the sight of my friends and the feeling of my Fairies was a comforting thing.
The darkness was suffocating as it seemed to absorb all sound. At least the cold could be ignored during the rush of combat. We were left to stumble blindly as even the headlamps didn't pierce the darkness effectively. In response, Chiaki held up a hand. The lights brightened as she used her connection to Light to strengthen the lamps. While it drew more monsters to our position, we were able to see them coming.
As such, I was able to start firing at them, using my Fury's gunblade mode. Along the way, I noticed that Ethel's weapon of choice for range was a bow. She was also frightening in close quarters with a scythe like what Galdo used, what with how much glee she took in swinging the bladed weapon around. Galdo enjoyed a fight, but Ethel seemed to enjoy cutting her enemies down. Pippin, meanwhile, was more at home with in-close melee using Knuckles. He operated well with Ethel in keeping watch on her flank, something the blue haired girl had an issue with doing for herself.
{Then again, when you're a living thresher, it's not often an enemy gets in behind.} Amethyst said philosophically.
{Grim Reapers should not be so Moe.} Konton complained.
{It's weaponized Moe-ness,} I commented, as I laid down cover fire against the enemy mob.
In between the rush of battle was the lull of wandering in a darkened ice cave. Fighting tended to be sweaty business even in a natural walk-in freezer. The cold was seeping in gradually, despite our best efforts. Harley was keeping track of our location in case we had to escape, while Chiaki was standing closer to Fang as he was giving off the most residual heat. He gave her a pat on the shoulder. Our leader knew he was being used as a space heater.
"H-how much f-further…?" Tiara asked. It turned out that as a Water attribute, the cold was doubly bad for her. In response, Fang tucked her under his arm. When she balked, he said "Don't read into it."
If we weren't busy fighting, I would wrap my arms around myself and keep close to the others. Even my winter attire struggled to keep me warm. I felt that using any of my transformed states might be worse, unless they had a magic heating field or something. Just thinking of my NEXT Form made me shiver.
{Relax. Your transformed states are tougher than this. NEXT Form wouldn't even notice if you were dropped in lava.} Konton said.
{That's so broken…} Amethyst said. Still, Konton's words were a comfort in this frigid place.
"We're near the end of the cave," Harley said.
"About time. This cold is doing terrible things for my complexion," Marianne complained.
"The Ice Queen is being out colded by a mere cave?" Fang snarked.
"I can be warm as required," Marianna replied before turning bright red. The heat coming off her face could have fried an egg.
"Who might you be thinking of with such a red face? Hmmm?" Galdo smirked.
"No one at all," Marianne turned her head away from him with a huff of irritation. She walked away with determined strides.
"Look out!" Pippin tackled her suddenly. The green Fencer rolled to a stop covering Marianne's body with his own. Just in time as a grey blur appeared in the space just vacated. Pappin's katana was held out in a classic iaido ending stance.
"Hooo…? Your senses have sharpened, my son… I am impressed," Pappin said as he straightened from his crouch. He swept his katana around back into the sheath.
"Damn it!" Fang started to raise his Fury, only to be forced to dodge.
"He's not alone!" A male voice declared. With white spiky hair and a slender build, he was a swordsman with a grayscale bodysuit, white along the limbs and black in the center.
"You shouldn't have come here…" Another man spoke as he brought his sword around with such might Galdo's arms shook from just blocking. Dark-haired and slightly stockier than the other guy, he was in a dark purple, metallic and black suit, armor-like in texture and complete with trenchcoat.
"Apollonius!? What are you doing here?" Galdo exclaimed.
"Zagi…? Why are you against me?" Marianne sounded almost heartbroken.
"I have to do this, Marianne. Sorry, but this really isn't personal," Zagi looked as if he hated himself for saying it.
"Don't let your feelings get in the way. We have a job to do," Pappin said.
"I don't care about sentimentality. All I want is my pay…" Apollonius said.
'Not him again!' Was my thought as I saw Pippin's father. I didn't want to face him so soon. The darkness around me only added to the unnerving image of the grizzly assassin. Still, I was stronger now, and he wasn't the only one with new allies. Pippin and company were here, too.
I wasn't in the mood for words. Instead, I took a guard stance with my Fury, hands slightly shivering in tension. It was tempting to just start shooting right there and then, to try and preempt them…
{Let's take it from the top! Use NEXT!} Amethyst urged.
{We're not getting sandbagged by this guy again!} Konton declared.
Their words psyched me up. {Yeah!} I concurred. This time, I wouldn't hold back, not when he explicitly wanted my life. 'This time, we blitz him.' As such, I flipped both mental switches, the ones corresponding to both Fairize and HDD, to access my NEXT. My concerns about my transformed outfit were placed in the backburner, for right now, I had bigger issues. Once I felt the surge of power welling out of me, I started with casting Stop on the enemies, followed by firing a barrage of bullets from my gunblade, aimed at Pappin. While an option was to use the new Launcher mode, that could get in the way of my teammates.
Apollonius executed Fairize and covered himself in thick mechanical armor. The activation caused the Stop to fail, but Zagi didn't have that defense. His speed was instantly slowed to a crawl. Pappin managed to deflect the bullets, but only just. The sword shook and rang with each deflection.
"Clear-Blast!" Whatever Apollonius was about to say was cut off by Fang's assault. The Fire Fencer, using his own Fairize, was descending with a downward stroke. Their swords clashed in an explosion of fire and darkness.
"I won't let you die, Zagi!" Marianne charged him directly with her Lance in both hands. She wasn't using Fairize in an attempt to try and take him alive. His slowed state made it difficult for him to evade her assault, but she was hampered by her unwillingness to hurt him.
In response to Pappin's defense, I waved a hand, two Prismatic Bursts detonating on either side of him with the intent of catching him in between the blasts of condensed light. Requiring no travel time, and being indirect attacks, I figured they'd make some headway.
"Kill kill kill." One could be forgiven for thinking Ethel actually meant what she said. The Cold Sniper used her own Fairize, which included cannons over her shoulders. Pitons attached to her calf armor anchored in the ground as she hunched forward to brace. A continual stream of energy lanced out with sudden speed for Pappin.
The Prismatic Bursts merged with the raging stream of icy power. Pappin slashed his katana through the air with preternatural speed, sending a shockwave through the assault. However, he didn't count on the icy nature of Ethel's energy. The Light Attribute of my attack caused brilliant sparks of glimmering radiance to explode in his face. He made to retreat into the darkness, only to slip on the frozen ground.
Pippin activated Fairize before taking advantage of the opening we created. His head was covered in spherical armor, easily the size of his body, with swords jammed through. He did a weird dive kick across the icy floor. His father was left badly out of position and ended up kicked in the head. Pippin spun on his helm and did a forward flip, crashing head-first into Pappin's abdomen.
"You've improved!" Pappin praised us with a wheeze. He stabbed his katana into the ground to regain his balance. That was all he needed to unleash four consecutive slashes on his son. At least that was the way it would have gone, if Chiaki didn't lay down suppression fire.
"Just surrender," Chiaki said as she continued to rain down arrows.
I wasn't sure if he was willing to do so. For that extra edge, I casted a round of Offensive and Defensive Cheers on Pippin and myself, before going on the attack once more, strafing by with bullets from my gunblade joined by beams of light from magic circles, the former of which was aimed directly at Pappin, while the latter was aimed to curve around and strike him from the sides. Attacking from multiple directions was my intent, to try and bypass his defensive skill.
"Apollonius! You don't have to do this!" Galdo tried to reach the Dark Fencer. The only reaction he received was for Apollonius to give a mighty heave and throw Fang back. A torrent of liquid darkness flooded out from his position. The Wind Fencer used Fairize to weather the assault. He was forced to quickly disengage from his opponent, Pappin's swift dodging put him in my line of fire. The bullets continued on unabated into Apollonius. His Fairize armor cracked from a glancing blow.
"Wha…?" The Dark Fencer looked stunned as his reflexive block intercepted the bullets. Cracks formed along the length of his Greatsword. He scowled angrily in my direction before unleashing a burst of darkness with the force of a cannon.
"You won't catch me off guard again!" Chiaki used her lightning fast Rapier assault to keep Pappin away. The gray katana wielder deflected her strokes even as each blow caused his guard to shake. He quickly broke off the assault and tried to get some distance.
"Stop running away, Father!" Pippin descended on his sire with a downward punch. Pappin made to dodge again only to be blindsided by Tiara's repeated gunburst. The bullets of water that she used to splash Fang playfully, smashed into Pappin like a hammer. He slashed through two of the bullets only for a visible chip to form in his sword. Pippin's falling punch struck Pappin in the head uncontested.
Using my speed, I moved to evade the dark blast, and unleashed a Prismatic Burst on Apollonius before continuing my barrage on Pappin. The Dark Fencer weathered the blast with a heavy wince as more cracks appeared on his armor. Blood started to leak from his mouth. With the others already engaging in melee, I opted not to get in their way. That, and close combat was Pappin's forte, rather than mine.
"Kiiiiiiill!" Ethel sprinted at Pappin with her scythe already in motion. Pippin's father picked the lesser of two evils and ducked away from the bullets. He was forced to block the scythe with both arms before the unthinkable happened. His katana, already heavily weakened, snapped at the hilt. The scythe cleaved off his topknot as he dived under the slash.
Progress! I casted Stop once more, intended to prevent him from getting away or doing anything. To me, he remained a dangerous threat, despite the lack of a sword. As such, I didn't let up on my assault. Pappin slowed visibly with a simmering anger in his gaze. Ethel switched from Scythe to Knuckle and belted him in the skull. Pippin dived in from across the room to cross punch him across the face.
Apollonius tried to take advantage of my distraction, but it was futile. A spiraling cyclone of wind and fire swept over him. Fang and Galdo were focusing on him directly, causing the heat and rotation to increase. The Dark Fencer let out a roar and blew the combined spell away in a sudden flare of power. His aura skyrocketed as he screamed his denial to the Heavens. He never saw the Launcher barrage as Harley saw an opening. The dust settled, only to reveal he was still standing. In his hand was his own Launcher. 'What is it about that Firestorm that it never works?!' I thought. It had been a constant since day one!
"Get to the Abyss with you!" Apollonius sprayed the Launcher in all directions. He wasn't aiming so much as trying to cause as much devastation as possible, like he lost all restraint. The Fury-forged grenades flew without direction or purpose. His weapon pulsed and shuddered as black light leaked through the cracks inflicted earlier.
"Marianne!" Zagi tackled Marianne to the ground and shielded her with his body. Their emotional battle unfortunately took a backseat to the immediate issues before. Now it played center stage as the non-Fencer let out a cry of pain as the grenade tore open his back.
"Zagi! Why?" Marianne gripped his shoulders.
"It was for… the children… I'm sorry… At least you're alive…" Zagi chuckled.
"Knock off the damn heroics! Mega Cure!" Tiara cast a wide area recovery spell. Zagi's injuries instantly sealed up leaving him very much alive, and very sheepish.
Good thing she handled the healing. {Can you check for me if Pappin tries to surprise us? I'll deal with the dark knight,} I said to Konton. Being blindsided by the assassin was not my idea of a good time.
I felt a tinge of pity for the guy who had seemingly lost it. Even his Fury and Fairize looked unstable as he was, what with them cracking so easily. However, he was still a threat to us, all the more so with such destructive actions. As such, with Harley having used her Fury's Launcher form, I did the same, shifting mine into such and raining down a volley of explosive shells upon him.
"I won't lose… not here… not to any of you…" His eyes flashed dangerously. The explosives detonated on his aura, causing him to drop to one knee. Despite the failing of his body, the destructive miasma only continued to grow. His armor broke and crumbled inward. Apollonius bared his teeth as the broken armor crawled over his body. A black tar bubbled under the fragments. Moments later, his Fury shattered with a roar. As the ensuing darkness drifted to the floor, it revealed a grotesque sight. He looked like a crude mishmash of a human and a dragon.
"He fully fused with his Fairy…" Harley scowled.
"That's bad… right?" Galdo asked.
{Could that have happened to Chiaki? That tar was very familiar,} I said to Amethyst. Apollonius, it turned out, was in possession of a hollow Fury, like that old rapier. Goodness...
"Kill kill…" Ethel took a wary step back.
"Could that have happened to me?" Chiaki unknowingly echoed my thoughts.
"No. The Fury she held had no Fairy inside. This can only happen if the Fairy and Fencer willingly merge. Their ego borders are completely gone," Harley shook her head. That meant this case was a bit different than I thought. 'I'm not sure if I would be willing to go all the way there…'
"Attack now! Analyze later!" Fang was already moving. His Fury screamed through the air as he channeled his full might into a single slash. Even midway through his transformation, Apollonius was aware enough to fight. The Fire Fencer finished the strike, only to watch the flames splash harmlessly over his form. However the return right punch wasn't stopped. Fang flew back the opposite way before bouncing along the ground like a ragdoll.
We couldn't afford to tackle this one half-baked, especially with Pappin still over there being a factor. As such, I buffed all allies with both Cheers, then fired another volley of shells at the half-dragon. {Can you scan him for a weak point we could use?} I requested of Amethyst. This was something different from a Fairize, so I wasn't sure if, for instance, a Divinity Breaker could be as effective as it was on Chiaki.
The explosives struck his body, causing violent ripples to tremble through the tar-like substance. However, Apollonius continued to transform unabated. The rest of the party spread out to pick their locations and attacked from all sides. Still no effect.
{This is bad. His body is literally burning up trying to maintain that form. I can't tell where his soul begins and his Fairy's spirit ends!} Amethyst cried.
{We can't afford to wait him out either. Pippin and Ethel are keeping Pappin busy, but he might just be playing possum.} Konton fretted.
{Could we deal with Pappin first?} I asked, the creepy bear remaining a major concern. The dragon, I figured, was more predictable, and more of a distraction, despite his more intimidating form.
"Nepgear! Eryn said you want to deal with Pappin? Go ahead. We'll try to see what spells work on Apollonius," Fang called over to me. Amethyst must had told the other Fairy about it.
"Okay!" With permission given to do so, I could now focus on the swifter assassin. As such, I buffed Pippin and Ethel with both Cheers, then casted a consecutive string of Prismatic Bursts on Pappin. Bullets could be defended against, but explosions of light, not as much.
Pippin and Ethel were using hit and run tactics against the dazed assassin. Their Fairies warned them that I was there and casting directly on Pappin. The gray assassin stumbled blearily as his assailants cleared the strike zone before the Prismatic Bursts hit. NEXT Form lent the spells even greater power as proven when the impact sent Pappin rocketing across the cave. He struck the wall so hard that spider web cracks extended out six feet from the impact point. The wounded assassin fell to the ground with rubble falling on his unmoving form.
"Kill…" Ethel stared at where he lay with wide eyes.
"Father… to be treated like an insect on a windshield…" Pippin sighed sorrowfully.
"He might have a Sacrificial Doll. Let's make sure he doesn't…" I said, my weapon still aimed at him. I wouldn't underestimate him, not after all he pulled last time, including that gimmick. I was moments away from just pulling the trigger.
A terrible roar shook the entire cavern from directly behind us. Pippin and Ethel turned swiftly only to freeze, stunned by what they saw. Galdo was sent flying over my head with pieces of his Fairize raining down. He rolled along the ground with deep claw wounds across his chest. Chiaki was already sprinting for him to provide first aid.
{Oh shit!} Amethyst's slip to profanity wasn't normal.
{Ahhhh! That's baaad!} Konton wailed.
{Do we finish off Pappin, or…?} I could only look between where the bear was laying and the monstrosity on the other side. I felt hesitant to actually deal the final blow onto the former, yet I couldn't let him pull a fast one...
Marianne leaped over near the fallen Galdo and set down a protesting Zagi. She rapped him on the head which stopped his complaints. It also knocked him out.
"Oh screw it all!" Harley's gun barked once, sending a bullet screaming for Pappin's downed form. The body jerked but otherwise made no further moves. "Stop getting distracted!" She yelled.
I blinked, her comment snapping me out of my confusion. My Fury still being in Launcher form, I used it to cover the others with a rain of shells upon whatever wounded Galdo so much. {Sorry...} I said to Amethyst.
A feeling of forgiveness came from my Fairies, even if both were still freaked out. The sight that greeted me was a massive serpentine dragon with a Western-style head. It's scales looked like they were made of polished obsidian with a shimmering silver metal underbelly. The dragon's length was enough that it had to remain coiled or risk filling the room. It held up it's surprisingly large claws, the left hand dripping blood and pieces of Galdo's armor.
"Snap out of it Apollonius! What about your sister!?" Fang yelled.
The mindless beast roared as it lashed out with the other claw. Fang was forced to bring up his Fury to block the stroke as it was too fast to dodge. For a terrible moment, there seemed to be a pause as his strength matched the dragon's. Then all at once, time resumed and Eryn's blade was snapped completely in half. Both Fang and Eryn screamed in agony as their synchronization created painful feedback. The dragon beast lashed out in preparation to finish him off.
I had to protect them. I had to decide quickly. Melee-ing was inadvisable because of what had just happened, while the launcher's shells took time to arrive. Instead, I made a wall of Prismatic Bursts with the intent of driving back the incoming attack.
The dragon flinched back hard from the Light. It was surprisingly fast and agile as the serpentine body coiled away from the radiance. The dragon used it's powerful claws to dart along the wall to get around behind me. It spat blobs of steaming darkness in all directions. Ethel, Pippin, and Harley dodged away from the attack. The floor started steaming and bubbling where the blobs hit.
"It doesn't like Light!" Chiaki cast her own Prismatic Burst directly under where it was running. The dragon roared in fury as it was forced to release the wall. It responded by breathing a wide cloud of greenish black miasma over Chiaki and Galdo's position.
"Thunder!" Marianne unleashed a line of golden light through the cloud. Much of it was dissipated from the force of the spell but the rest continued unhindered. Chiaki managed to leap away with Galdo and Marissa in Scythe Form. Brief contact with the cloud caused her clothes and armor to steam with acrid black clouds.
"Careful!" My speed and flight helped to dodge its attacks as well, the acid-like properties of which looked very much concerning. Magic circles appeared around me as Launcher shells flew and as beams of light Converged upon the dragon. While an option was to attempt a Horizon Cut, I wasn't sure of making such an expensive gamble, not when my boosted spells were more efficient.
The dragon let out a furious roar as the light connected. Its tail lashed through the air with a hard crack of displaced air. Fang was sent flying up in the air, only to crash land with a dull thud. The shells burst along the dragon's body to no effect. It turned baleful red eyes on me as it bunched up like a coiled spring. The massive beast rocketed through the air with fanged maw open wide to swallow me whole. It was so fast, much too fast, that I couldn't get out of the way in time.
"Kill…!" Ethel slashed her scythe down, only for the blade to glance off harmlessly. The beast's passage was enough to send her tumbling away.
"No you don't…!" Pippin punched the dragon, only to rebound with a harsh clang.
"Nepgear!" Chiaki didn't bother trying to attack the beast. There was just too much mass and momentum. She gave me a hard push out of the dragon's way, just in time to get struck by the dragon's bladed snout. The blonde Fencer cried out in pain as she was violently pinned to the wall. Blood burst from her mouth from the impact. Her legs shook spasmodically. She glared defiantly into the dragon's eyes with gritted teeth. The beast quickly pulled back as she started to glow with energy. Unfortunately for her, his motion caused the wounded Fencer to fall, losing the spell.
"Chiaki!" I cried out, frantically rushing towards her to cast Hyper Heal. Along the way, I left a Prismatic Burst behind, like an aerial mine, in case the dragon tried to attack me. I didn't want to lose my friends!
The Hyper Heal worked, but she was still unconscious. Gisele was also laid out beside her. The Fairy's outfit was as torn as her Fencer's. Their condition was stable at least. Tiara was healing Fang, but he was still in shock. Eryn wasn't changing back and was still in two pieces. The dragon picked that moment to focus on Fang as the weak link. A loud roar heralded it's charge. Tiara used her Barrer ability to try and hold off the monster but it broke right through. The blue haired Fencer let out a cry as she flew one way with Cui heading another.
"Come on! Why isn't anything working?" Harley yelled as she darted around the dragon with both guns firing. The shots bounced off of its hard hide without any effect. She didn't see the tail that cracked her in the sternum with the tip. The Fairyologist collapsed with a pained gurgle. Pippin was already in motion with a recovery item.
"How do we even stop him? I thought he was burning out, but the bastard is growing stronger!" Marianne exclaimed on the edge of panic. She was trying to avoid drawing the dragon's attention while trying to herd Zagi from the battlefield.
{What can we do...?} Prismatic Bursts were turning out to be something I relied on at the moment, what with me using two in an attempt to keep the charging dragon away from Fang. Then, I tried another Hyper Heal, this time on Eryn. It was painful seeing her Fury form hurt like that.
Retreat felt like an option if we kept getting hurt like this, but that would mean we came all the way here for naught. A small part of me was also curious about the merge, but I felt like it had drawbacks of its own. For now, I had to keep fighting.
"Fang! Come on! We have to get out of here! The dragon will kill us if we stay!" Tiara dragged herself back to his side. An exhausted Cui lay at her side. She was trying to get him to move. The dragon's attention was drawn again to Fang by Tiara's voice.
{We have to use Horizon Cut!} Konton exclaimed urgently.
Everyone was tired or unconscious. Fang was nearly catatonic. The Hyper Heal danced along the blade, but it didn't seem to be working. He looked up at Tiara tiredly. His eyes started to widen as she used her body to protect him.
My eyes widened as well. No! I won't let her die this time! Konton was right; we were short on time. I could no longer afford to conserve my energy. As such, I reached into myself, and with a cry upon my lips, I unleashed everything I had into one, great stroke. For a moment, I was reminded of that first day, of the imaginary figure slashing horizontally, and me following suit.
Horizon Cut created a perfectly fine razor thin slash along the dragon's body. Blackish red blood burst from the wound in a torrent as it's roars turned to squeals of pain. It's tail and head thrashed in agony. Each moment tore the wound further and caused more blood to flow. The dragon turned a gaze of pure hatred on me. As it opened its mouth to express its displeasure, a golden light erupted from Fang.
"No more! Stop hurting my family!" Fang's own pain-filled roar filled the cavern. He proceeded to deck the dragon with his bare fist. The beast let out a bellowing cry of shock as its largest fangs were knocked out. The Fire Fencer stood in a fighter's crouch with one fist clenched. At that moment, he reminded me of an online friend who liked doing just that in roleplays.
"Hrrr…" The dragon started backing up against the wall, bestial cunning in its eyes as it started looking for a way out. It was clearly wary of me and now had something to fear from Fang. Who, even without a Fury, had injured him.
I caught my breath as I landed on the ground. I felt weaker, now that I had exhausted my NEXT Form. I was back to my regular self, winter clothes and all, but now that the dragon was no longer on the attack, we could counter it with our own. It still had a weakness to Light. As such, with a wave of my hand, magic circles surrounded me as I bombarded the monster with luminous spears. "We keep to keep going…!"
The dragon shrank back as the light spears connected. It regarded Fang who was no longer on the ground and instead glowing gold, then it turned to look at me, who was exhausted but still fighting. It was clear the dragon was trying to decide what to do. The beast came to a decision and charged right for me. Fortunately, it was much slower now from all of the injuries.
"Don't you dare!" Fang ran at the dragon and punched it right in the wounded side. The dragon coiled suddenly with a pained hiss. Its tail whistled through the air and connected with the brunette. His aura held, but the blow was hard enough to injure him. Even as he slid back, another golden light began to flare… from his Fury.
{I… am… not through… yet…!} Eryn's voice grew stronger as my magic, the one from my Hyper Heal a while ago, seeped into the blade. She flew across the chamber like a star and slammed into Fang's waiting hand. He twirled the sword and slammed it through his chest in a blinding blaze of light. When the light faded, he was in a much more ornate version of his original Fairize. It was now predominantly black and gold with larger pauldrons. Two round green gems trimmed in red metal floated on either side of him, each with three triangular wedges radiating outward, like bladed wings. Eryn looked even more elaborate with an angelic wing along the blade. Their second Fairize, something I didn't know was possible, was an awesome sight to behold.
"This is the end for you! Force Impact!" Fang held up his sword. A shining blade of pure white radiance soared to the heavens. He brought the sword down in a powerful, cleaving swing. The dragon roared in pure agony as the cleave found his wounded side and widened the injury. He accelerated with flames erupting from the floating gems. His speed increased as he prepared to finish the battle in one blow.
While he went to town on the dragon, I made sure to contribute my own attacks. Beams of light radiated from me as they aimed for the dragon's wounds, intending to take advantage of the openings they provided. {How did that Fairize happen?} I asked Amethyst. Their second wind was an unexpected blessing.
{Your magic DID heal Eryn. The power of HDD is that of a Goddess. You must have given her a boost!} Amethyst exclaimed. The proof of their awakened power was easy to see. So it really was a blessing, one that came from me. Amazing...
The dragon jerked reflexively away from the light and right into Fang's path. Its wound tore open, revealing the softer flesh beneath the scales. He ran his Fury through the exposed wound as the blade radiated intense heat. The fire burned deep inside the body as the dragon's roars turned to screams and wails.
"I'm sorry, Apollonius… I hope you find peace," Fang apologized even as he came to a halt. The raging inferno ignited in the dragon's body continued to burn. Its red eyes turned to a sad look as the dragon's head lowered. Flames soon consumed the eyes as micro-fires burst from the mouth and from the scales.
I looked on with pity, head slightly tilted downward. Here was someone who was consumed by his darkness, so to speak. I agreed with Fang, that hopefully he would find rest wherever he went. Still, I kept my eyes on the rather grisly scene, to be sure that there were no last-minute tricks. {What is it like, to merge like that?} I asked my Fairies.
{You would essentially lose yourself. The Fairy and Fencer become one all the way to their very soul. It's not something to do randomly.} Amethyst said.
{Basically, you're breaking down the wall between You and the Fairy. Essentially losing track of where you begin and they end.} Konton shivered.
Yeah, I wasn't sure I would be willing to do that. Losing myself was, frankly, something to be afraid of. I didn't like the idea of my Fairies losing their identities, either.
"Sound off!" Fang called, his voice filled with weariness, but he remained standing.
The consensus was everyone was alive, but too exhausted. There was still the long walk out of the cave. Groans of dismay greeted the realization.
"Fine, fine… Let's set up camp here… We have a roaring fire already…" Fang's black humor elicited nervous laughter.
"I think… wait… Zagi? Did you move Pappin?" Marianne asked.
"No, I was hiding outside of the cavern," he said.
The place where Pappin lay was empty. Not even a trace of blood remained. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold settled over the group.
"Shit… New plan. We fortify our position. I was only kidding about camping out here, but now we have no choice. If we run into Pappin in the dark we're screwed," Fang said.
"He wouldn't be at top form and missing his katana," Chiaki argued.
"That wouldn't stop my father," Pippin replied grimly.
"He must have had another of those Sacrifice Dolls," Harley sighed. She muttered a tired curse under her breath. That particular item was what I was wary of.
"We didn't have time to search him with Apollonius trying to kill us," Galdo said forcefully. The healing spell worked, but he had a trio of claw mark scars.
"Maybe I should have taken the shot…" I muttered. I thought the bullet from Harley was enough of a double-tap, so to speak. We could had ended him right there and then, but I had never taken someone's life before. I didn't want to kill, yet he could kill us...
Chiaki hugged me, which I returned. It was as much to comfort her as me. Her whole body was shaking as the adrenaline left. Others were starting to pick through the supplies and set up camp. Fang, Galdo, and Pippin moved Apollonius' dragon tail across the cave entrance. At least we would have some warning. A space was left for the burning corpse to vent the smoke. No one was crass enough to try roasting dinner near the body.
While an option was to help the others, Chiaki needed comfort as much as I did, so I continued holding her. I was shaking like a leaf, too, much like she was. The battle was… intense, and scary. That was the strongest opponent we had faced so far, compared to Sherman, Gehaburn, and Pappin. We could had died, even if I was in my strongest form… and now, Pappin remained at large. That, and seeing the dragon's end remained fresh in my mind...
Amethyst and Konton, the latter in her larger form, appeared to hug Gisele. The gothic Fairy snuggled in the taller Fairies' embrace. Zagi helped the exhausted Fencers get comfortable. Even Ethel, whose personal skills weren't the best, was offering a comforting hug to Pippin. Their Fairies were also embracing. Despite the terror, there was kindness and camaraderie to be found.
"So… will we look for that Fury tomorrow?" I asked. It was what we came here for, and I wasn't sure if they were okay with departing empty-handed.
"I can't sense the Fury. I sensed it when we arrived, but it's not here now," Marianne broke the news.
"Did… Pappin take it?" Marissa asked with a tremor in her voice.
"Goodbye, sleep…" Galdo muttered even as he held his Fairy.
"How did Pappin and company know to come here?" I queried. We evaded the front gate this time, so how did they beat us to this cave?
"It can't be Lola," Fang was the first to say.
"We'll ask her to look into it when we get back," Eryn said.
"But if it wasn't her, than who?" Tiara held Cui closer.
"Do we have another enemy spying on us?" Chiaki asked.
"We're too exhausted to think straight. Let's just get some sleep and head out in the morning," Fang suggested.
"How will we know it's morning?" Marianne asked.
"I have a watch with an alarm, Marianne," Zagi said proudly. She patted him on the head eliciting a pleased smile from the man.
"I refuse to read anything into that," Amethyst deadpanned.
"He's moved up from her dog to her lap dog," Khalara grinned.
"Suppress… suppress…" Konton and Giselle chanted together. Goodness, I didn't need that mental image, either.
While everyone was bedding down for the night, there was someone I felt like speaking with, especially now with everything that was happening. As such, I centered myself and dropped down into my soul. The sensation was no different than the previous times. In fact, it was actually easier now, as I saw the Crystal hovering before me. As I approached, it looked like just a reflection of me until the 'reflection' passed through the Crystal. The original Nepgear hugged me in greeting.
"Hi," she smiled.
"Hello, Big Sis," I happily greeted as I wrapped my arms around her. "How have you been?"
"I'm doing great. It's you who seem to be having a rough time," she bit her lip in concern.
"Yeah…" I wearily nodded in acknowledgment. "Lots of things…" She witnessed what I experienced, if I remembered it right.
"Well, why don't you tell Big Sis what she can do?" Nepgear stroked my hair softly.
I was grateful for her being here. "Just stay with me, I guess? Or maybe you have stories from your place…?" It would be nice to hear of interesting moments she had.
"Story time with Big Gear? Okay...Did you ever hear about the time…" Nepgear reclined in mid air while holding me in her lap. She continued to stroke my hair while telling me a story involving Mechs, explosives, and Uni's attempt at pie. Which is why they needed Mechs and explosives.
Nepgear stayed with me through the night while chasing the bad dreams away.
Mirriam Grave
The Bemused. The Amused. The Unstable.
- Location
- The edge of a point.
Why does this not surprise me?
- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
Sounds like a delightfully amusing story to tell. GJ, Big Gear!
Living on the Road
- Location
- PA
AN: @UbeOne is a Tinker. That is all.
Living on the Road
Huddling for warmth near the remains of a burning dragon was not pleasant. The rather foul smell of burning flesh, even vented, was still strong. Thanks to my conversation with Nepgear the night before, I got a full night's rest, dreaming of mechs along the way. The others, however, weren't quite so lucky. It was a bleary-eyed and surly group who sat around the campfire the next morning. A quick breakfast was had by those who could even stomach food before we left. The monsters around seemed to realize our irritable mood and steered clear of us.
At the edge of the snowfields, we saw a familiar face. Lola was leaning out of the window of a blue and white camper van. "Hey! I finally found you!" She waved at us.
"What is Lola doing here?" Pippin asked.
"I don't care. I'm cold and I want to sleep somewhere that doesn't smell like roasting dragon…" Marianne growled. Her hair reeked with smoke. None of us smelled fresh. Zagi looked shocked at her sudden fit of temper.
"Point made. We need to get back to the Inn and rest…" Fang groaned. His sudden power-up left him looking weak. Galdo was supporting him on his shoulder while Marissa helped Eryn.
"Found anything interesting?" I asked our info-broker. She was chasing leads regarding Junown, if I remembered right. I was hoping she had usable intel.
"Yeah I did… and you're really not going to like it…" Lola grimaced.
"That sounds ominous," Tiara sighed.
"What now?" Chiaki hung her head even as Giselle clung to her.
"I found out how they were keeping track of you guys. There's a little girl whose brother owed a huge debt to the Septerian Club. She was watching your comings and goings to pay off his debt," Lola said.
I narrowed my eyes. So there was a spy after all. "Who is she, and where is she stationed?"
"Her name is Emily…" Lola started to say, only for Fang to turn pale. He was so pale it looked like he would collapse.
"...Her brother is Apollonius…" Fang whispered. My eyebrows were raised at that name.
"Yeah. How did you know that?" Lola asked.
"We fought him," I answered, my tone neutral. It was hard to forget what became of him.
"You fought my brother!? Where is he!?" A dark-haired girl, dressed in maroon, popped up beside Lola. The blonde info broker almost fell sideways. 'Uh oh…'
"They were going to silence her. I had to get her out of there. She didn't even know what they wanted the information for," Lola explained.
Fang couldn't take any more. He fell to his knees while throwing up violently. Eryn wrapped her arms around his shoulders comfortingly. While his reaction was the strongest, he wasn't alone in looking sick.
In my case, I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling a chill in the air, and not from the cold, either. My head was bowed down, knowing that the girl would never be able to see her brother again. She was a factor in our troubles, but... "I'm sorry…"
Lola could tell what was wrong, judging by our expressions. She turned to Emily with a sad look, "Emily…"
"Was it… was it the wine…?" Emily whispered. 'That addictive wine, again?'
"What do you mean the wine?" Lola asked.
"He was never the same since the wine. He never left the house and basically gave up on living. Nothing I did could snap him out of it. Junown came to our home and offered to give him all the wine he wanted… if he killed you. I didn't know until he was leaving…" Emily's eyes filled with tears. 'That Junown and her club really need to be dealt with.'
"He died on his feet, Emily. I saw it. We all saw it. He was as strong as he ever was," Fang recovered enough to say.
"Yeah…" Galdo agreed.
The others were quick to assure her that he didn't fall easily. Emily's tears didn't stop, but she did look comforte, if only a little.
{The wine stole his will to live. The only thing that brought it back was the promise of more. What devilish thing is this?} Amethyst asked with disgust.
{It's the same crap as the stuff in Chiaki's original Fury.} Konton reminded her.
{I think that's the culprit. Sherman and Pappin may have been drinking it, too,} I conjectured. From my spiritual journey recently, the one with Shadowgear and all, I recalled being informed that there was a hidden enemy, pulling strings behind the scenes. The wine may had been a method of doing so, as were Junown and the Septerian Club. Amethyst and Konton quietly agreed with me.
"Wait… Why are we out here on the road discussing this?" Zagi asked.
"That's… well… We had to run. The Justice Society wasn't content just sitting around anymore. They stormed the inn early in the morning. Good thing one of my contacts warned me or we would have been captured. Don't worry. The Inn staff is safely on their way to one of the outer villages. It's just our faces on the Wanted posters," Lola tried to reassure us.
There went our safe haven… "Where will we go?" I queried.
"I have a friend who offered us his bolthole for when the heat comes on. He's already leaving the region entirely so no one will be there," Lola said.
"Where is the 'bolthole?'" Fang asked.
"Amazingly, it's just on the Sol Plains. He built it inside of one of the ruins," she explained.
"We've been there. How far did he go?" Chiaki asked.
"Not far. He said something about 'weird scratching noises' but that was it," Lola replied.
{He was that close to the darklings in the ruins… Yikes.} Amethyst shivered.
"It's better than nothing," Fang straightened his shoulders.
"Does it have indoor plumbing and bathing facilities?" Marianne asked.
That was a valid concern, and aside from that... "We'll have to clear out the monsters in the ruins," I mentioned. Perhaps we now had a good excuse to explore the interior further, and together.
No one looked thrilled with the idea of our new hideout being a 'fixer upper.' Lola slumped, "No wonder the bugger was letting it go so easily…"
"Monsters…?" Emily's red puffy eyes were still moist, but she was trying to keep moving.
"Easily killed by a flashlight," Chiaki hastened to assure her.
"They are?" Pippin asked.
"Kill kill kill?" Ethel asked. Emily stared at the bunny-hooded girl in shock.
{Forgot her verbal tic…} Amethyst chuckled.
"Ethel said, 'If they're that weak, why are they a threat?'" Karin translated.
"There's so many of them. Like, a swarm," I replied, waving my hands and wiggling my fingers to try and portray their numbers.
Ethel actually shivered, "Kill… kill kill…?"
"'Like… crawly bugs?'" Karin translated.
{Did we find her girly side?} Konton asked.
"Get in. We're burning daylight. I couldn't leave Emily here alone or I would have come to you last night," Lola gestured.
"Who drove up here?" Galdo asked.
"I did," Lola puffed up proudly. Emily looked inexplicably sick.
{This bodes ill…} Amethyst grimaced.
{Agreed.} I nodded.
"I can drive," Zagi offered quickly.
"He is quite good…" Marianne was quick to say.
"I'm not familiar with the roads, but I could also drive," I offered as well. Back in my world, I had a driver's license.
"Thank the Goddess…" Emily muttered under her breath.
We piled into the camper van while Zagi took first shift behind the wheel. With the windows wide open to let fresh air in, it was time for the others to catch up on their sleep. Lola held Emily as the dark-haired girl lapsed into silence. Her face was slack as if she was a million miles away.
Now with time to myself, the amusing Uni story last night gave me an idea. {I'm thinking, what if we do some tinkering sometime…?} I suggested to my Fairies. As for materials and tools, the Sol Plains ruins might have enough of such. I felt like indulging my Nepgear side, so as to distract myself from all that happened recently.
{That would be fun. I heard from Bahus that Harley likes to build her own equipment.} Amethyst said.
{We could get Chiaki involved. She has a keen mind.} Konton added.
{Good idea.} I was sure she would love it, for I remembered her starstruck reaction to being inside the ruins.
When it was my turn to drive, more of Nepgear's memories kicked in to supplement my own skill, which were nice since I hadn't driven a large van before. The vehicle was apparently very new as it hadn't developed a quirk yet. There was no other traffic on the road unless a guy walking along the shoulder counted. Thanks to the van, the trip took only a day instead of longer on foot. We arrived at nightfall as a result, but fortunately monsters were no more dangerous than they were during the day.
"So, which way do we go?" I asked, for I didn't know where in the plains the hideout was.
"Just keep going straight… straight… and turn here," Lola pointed at a narrow crevasse just wide enough for the camper, but it would be a tight fit. "The door is in the wall right there." She indicated a barely visible rock.
"Looks well-hidden," I commented as I approached the false wall. "Uh, how do we check if we were followed?"
The question was a good one. Fang brought out the flight-capable Fairies and asked them to perform a sweep. The Fairies returned nearly an hour later with assurances that no one followed us. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
We unloaded the van and carried everything into the secret hideaway. Lola directed Fang and Galdo to pump a generator to get it started. Soon enough, we had lights to show us the rest of the bolthole. It was a split level with four rooms radiating out from a central area on both floors. There was no shortage of space. The shelves in the kitchen were well stocked with canned goods and freeze dried meals. It wasn't glamorous, but it was food.
Lola directed the flow of traffic while instructing everyone on where to put everything. Emily helped out as much as she could. However, each time she drew closer to Fang, he seemed to flinch. She opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. I couldn't blame him, really, not after what happened. It reminded me of… Tiara and Ethel.
{Ouch… I think his issues come with subscriptions…} Konton winced.
{I think that's true for all of us.} Amethyst sighed.
{Mhm… maybe he met Apollonius before?} I guessed. It was probably how he knew that Emily was his sister.
"I'm taking Fang to bed. He isn't doing well," Eryn said. Fang looked ready to protest, but one look at Emily and his will to resist stopped. His Fairy led him from the room quietly.
"Is… Is he okay…?" Emily flinched as she realized that he wasn't. Lola gave her a side hug for comfort.
"He'll be better," she promised.
Galdo and Marissa came over to me. The blond Fencer glanced around, while he looked uncomfortable, but resolute, "You've got questions, right?" He asked me.
I nodded. "Is it like with… Tiara?" Maybe Fang met the guy in the past?
"Close. We met Apollonius in the other timeline, but it was like Ethel," Galdo shrunk in on himself. Marissa held him comfortingly.
"He refused to back down and we… we killed him…" She whispered.
I glanced at the frosty Fencer, then back at the two of them. "Goodness…" I wouldn't feel well either if I were in Fang's shoes.
"I feel like this is some kind of blessing in disguise," Marianne walked over, a pensive frown marring her features.
"How so?" Amethyst asked as she appeared.
"Our enemies knew where to find us all along. With the repeated blows to us physically and emotionally, we would have crumbled. We're no longer out in the open, and we can take the time to actually heal," Marianne explained. She looked over at Zagi with a fond smile. The spiky haired man was talking quietly with Emily.
"The ruins…" Amethyst reminded her gently.
"We can take the ruins without Fang. We can do it in shifts. It's not like we have to take it all in one go," Galdo said.
"Good planning, Galdo. All of you should take some time to sort your mental health. I suppose it was lucky that we all came together at this time," Pippin said as he joined the conversation. Ethel trailed behind him.
"Fang…" She said softly, her concern clear in her choice of words.
"No translation required. Good job, Ethel," Konton praised the Ice Fencer.
I nodded. Hopefully we would be able to recover this time, and not only in the physical sense. "So, how would we do the shifts?" I inquired.
"Light seems to work the best from what you and Chiaki said. We'll make sure to keep one of you in each party. That way each team gets some downtime," Galdo suggested.
Konton nodded, "I'm relaying what we're talking about to Giselle." Chiaki was helping Zagi with keeping Emily busy. The young girl needed time to recover from her own ordeal.
"Would she like to go first, or after?" I queried. Either way was fine with me.
"Giselle said she'll take first. You need to rest too," Konton smiled faintly.
I caught myself yawning quietly. Blinking at that, perhaps she had the right idea. I did drive for part of the way, and that was for quite a while.
"I'm starting to think we need to figure out double transformations ourselves. If the scale of engagements continues to increase…" Marianne trailed off meaningfully. She had a good point, too. The opposition was increasing in strength as we were.
"You need a Divine connection to make it work. For Fang, it's the fact that Eryn is a fragment of the Goddess. For Nepgear, it's because she has a Divine Spark," Amethyst said regretfully.
"Do we know that for sure?" Marianne asked.
An alternative suddenly came to mind, prompting me to interject. "Could technology close the gap? The ruins might have something." It felt like a long shot, but still. For all I knew, a box of scraps in the cave, so to speak, could be all we needed.
"The past civilization was known to possess technology straight from the Goddess. Who knows what we would find in the ruins," Harley joined the conversation. As a Fairyologist, she would know.
"We could try the mod option like you have with Khalara," Galdo reminded Marianne.
"The stress on both Fencer and Fairy is enormous. We might end up mutating like… Apollonius," she said softly. The other Fencers winced at the prospect.
"Mod option?" I had not heard of that before, but it sounded highly risky.
"It's possible, with a high degree of synchronization, to disengage the limiters on Fairize. The process can also be induced with special drugs. However, if the will of the person is weak, the transformation is like what we already witnessed," Marianne said in a subdued tone.
I glanced at my Fairies, shivering at the idea of overclocking my Fairize. It sounded like a sort of dangerous, forbidden technique. Good thing I had Shares to back me up.
"I could make a booster, but I would like to see what the ancients had first," Harley said.
"Start working on the booster anyway. You'll be staying behind to monitor Fang and Eryn anyway," Galdo said.
"Could I help with that for a bit?" I offered. It wasn't only my Nepgear side that wanted to examine something like that.
"You have experience with this sort of thing?" Harley looked pleasantly surprised.
The memory of helping to create Processor Units through crafting came to me. Thanks, Big Sis. "Something like that," I replied, smiling.
"Fantastic. I always enjoy working with other people. It's just too bad they don't enjoy it too," Harley cast a pouty look over the Fairies. All of them shivered involuntarily, even Amethyst and Konton.
Oh, right, she had a certain… liking, for Fairies. I gave mine a mental hug, through our bond. Amethyst and Konton embraced me in return.
"Kill," Ethel said flatly.
"Uhhh… I think she said what she was really thinking…" Konton sweated.
"I'll be good," Harley said quickly.
"Thank you, Ethel," Marissa patted the bunny hooded girl on the head.
"She's such a sweetheart," Karin hugged her Fencer eliciting a blush.
"I would be admonishing her for threatening others… but I think we can let it slide," Pippin said dryly.
"I can see when I'm not wanted," Harley sniffed. She didn't look too upset, though.
"Say what you want about Harley, but nothing keeps her down," Galdo chuckled.
"When do we start?" Maybe I was a bit more eager than I thought.
"Tomorrow morning. If the look Bahus is giving me is any indication, he's about to put me to bed. Whether I want to go or not," Harley chuckled. Her Fairy was giving the irrepressible woman a stern look.
"Good idea. Let's get some sleep and set up the Ruin detail in the morning," Galdo said.
The Fairy Gunlight offered to act as guard during the night. As a purely mechanical Fairy, he didn't need sleep. Considering what lay beneath us in the ruins, it seemed prudent.
With that part already taken care of, I decided on one last thing before heading to sleep. I went to check on how Emily was doing. I doubted she was all right…
Emily was getting ready for bed in a mechanical manner. The dark haired girl's face was blank as trying to process everything took a toll. She looked up as I approached. "Yes…?" Her voice was full of exhaustion and pain.
"Is there... something I could do?" It felt bad seeing her like that...
"Everyone is being so nice… I just want to hear how he died," Emily rubbed her eyes tiredly.
I nodded. Taking a seat that was beside the bed, I closed my eyes for a moment as I remembered the battle. It was so fast and intense, yet it was clear, too. Then, I opened my eyes and recounted to her what happened, fused form and all. "Sorry…" was what I said afterwards, head slightly bowed down.
Emily buried her face in my side and cried during the tale. She clutched at my shirt as her pain was released. For my part, I silently gave her a hug. Much like with Chiaki before, she needed it.
"I hate them…" Emily whispered. "The Septerian Club stole my brother from me. I hate them so much… I can't… It hurts… My brother's gone and they're still here… It's not right…" She shook as the force of her rage and tears was too much to contain.
I understood why she felt that way, as I continued holding her. At least we were not to blame for what happened. However, I also felt that her emotions might lead to… terrible things. "May I know what he was like before...?" Maybe talking about her brother would help?
Her expression softened, "He was a good big brother. Always working hard to provide money for us. After our parents died of illness, he cared for me. His strength as a Fencer was unmatched. That was when Dorfa came and hired him to be one of their Four Heavenly Czars. There were times he wasn't home, but I never doubted that he loved me." She smiled dreamily as the happier memories relaxed her.
I smiled as well as I continued to listen. It was nice to know that she was cared for.
"The Justice Society ruined Dorfa and my brother lost his job. He had no prospects. Any work he could have done, the Justice Society blacklisted him… I lost my brother the day he discovered the Wine. Now…" Emily's crying slowed, "...I'm alone…" she whispered.
That meant the Apollonius I met was already but a shadow of his former self. However, I doubted it'd be comforting if I said that he was probably at peace. I could see why she felt alone... Words didn't feel helpful right now, so instead, I kept quiet as I kept her company. Emily slowly drifted off towards sleep as my presence acted like a balm.
"Phew… She needed to get it out, but I didn't know how. You're a natural," Lola whispered quietly as she crept into the room. The younger girl smiled approvingly at me.
"I am?" All I did was to listen and hug.
"It's not the big gestures, but the little things," Lola giggled as she lightly stroked Emily's hair.
She had a point there. Actually, speaking of being alone, I remembered that I wasn't when I met Amethyst, followed by Konton. Maybe… "I was alone until I met my Fairies... Would you like one, too?" While I figured that her brother could never be replaced, well…
"Be a Fencer…?" Emily asked wonderingly.
"If you like… I could be your partner…" Lola offered. Emily's head whipped around in surprise. The blonde giggled at her gobsmacked expression.
"You're a Fairy?" She asked. My eyes were widened at that. 'I had no idea!'
{She's a Fairy!?/What!?} Amethyst and Konton squawked, a sentiment I shared.
"Fairy of Light, Lola. I would be happy to be your Fairy," Lola touched her face kindly. Emily's eyes filled with happy tears as she pulled the information broker in for a hug.
I smiled as I looked on. Lola being a Fairy was a pleasant surprise. Now, Emily would no longer be alone.
The knowledge that Lola was a Fairy all along took the others by surprise, too. Even Marianne, who was a sensor, didn't know. Harley didn't react the same way, however.
"I knew there was something that attracted my attention…" She smiled.
"Kill," Ethel hissed softly. Harley's smile froze and broke from her face quickly. The shameless Fairyologist slowly crab-walked away and hid behind Bahus.
That brought a chuckle out of me. It seemed that we would have to keep her honest, so to speak.
Thankfully, that was the only excitement during the night. The morning after, Gunlight reported scratching from the direction of the pantry. Unfortunately, it wasn't rats. He didn't notice any holes even after extensive scanning. Galdo, in annoyance, clicked his tongue.
"I was hoping for at least a day or two before jumping into extermination. Fine. Nepgear, Harley, and Emily will remain behind at base with Fang. The rest of us will go into the Ruins," he said. Emily straightened at hearing her name called.
"Ah… You're trusting me to watch the b-base?" She asked hesitantly.
"Of course I am. You're a Fencer now, right?" Galdo winked drawing a faint blush from the girl. Lola giggled and patted her Fencer on the back.
"Why wouldn't you be trusted?" I asked. She was firmly opposed to the Septerians, after all.
"I just thought that because I'm a kid…" Emily fidgeted.
"That doesn't mean you can't mind the base. We need a safe place to return, right?" Galdo ruffled her hair. She pushed his hand away with a pout. He chuckled a bit before turning to the others, "We'll have breakfast and packed lunch."
Breakfast was a simple affair. Even with Bahus' skill in the kitchen, there wasn't much he could do with freeze-dried dinners. No one, however, complained over the lack of diversity, considering that there was good food at all. Emily carried two plates to where Fang was recuperating with Eryn. She reported that he was eating, but he wasn't very talkative.
"He was very tense the whole time I was there," Emily bit her lip.
"It's not something you did," Lola hugged her.
"I think he just needs time," I suggested. Emily must had been a reminder of what, I figured, he thought of as a failure, that was, not being able to save Apollonius despite the time-travel.
"That's why you need someone to watch the base. He's… lost himself… like my brother did…" Emily hugged Lola tighter.
"He's just really tired. The stress is getting to all of us, but he takes so much on himself…" Galdo said that last part quietly.
"I don't blame him. I think it's like… it's like not being able to save someone, for the second time," I gently conjectured. Tiara, who was silent until this point, picked her head up in surprise.
"Oh…" Tiara looked towards Fang and Eryn's room. The Water Fencer bit her lip in concern.
"Do you want to stay behind?" Galdo asked. Tiara's head whipped around as if surprised.
"How did you…?" She started to ask.
"Marianne, Chiaki, Pippin, Ethel, and I can handle things," Galdo assured her.
"Thank you," Tiara whispered.
Marianne was a short distance away talking to Zagi. "Don't put yourself at risk needlessly."
"Someone has to check on the orphans. Relax. No one pays attention to the non-Fencer," he smiled faintly.
"That doesn't make you any less important," she insisted.
"Heh… How long have I waited to hear you say that?" Zagi asked softly.
"Zagi…" Marianne's eyes filled with sudden tears. She looked surprised as a tear trailed down her face.
"Hey now… No need to cry. I'll be fine," he promised.
"Just… just be careful…" She clenched her fists tightly.
"As careful as I can be," Zagi smiled.
He gave one last jaunty wave before heading out the door. Marianne stared at the door for a time before turning away. She stared defiantly at us as if daring someone to comment. When no one said anything, she relaxed. Her usual mask of haughtiness returned.
"Didn't we have something to do today?" She asked with calculated indifference.
"Well, yeah," I said, slightly frowning. She didn't have to use that tone. In the meantime, where was Harley…?
Harley, as it turned out, was getting her mobile lab set up. The Fairies had nothing to fear from her today as she was in full professional mode. She handed out headlamps to the Ruin Explorers, "This way you can fight and not have to worry about light."
"Thanks Harley," Galdo smiled.
Ethel tried to get the headlamp on Pippin's head, but the sword thing made it difficult. She settled for tying it on with twine. "Kill." She nodded with satisfaction.
"Ah yes… I suppose that works…" Karin tittered.
I checked first if anyone needed assistance with their preparations. Fortunately, they were doing just fine. With that out of the way, the others left on their mission. Lola and Emily set about making the place more liveable. Tiara had Cui stand guard at Fang's door while she went inside. The only ones left were Harley, Bahus, Amethyst, Konton, and me.
Amethyst decided that taking a nap took precedence over anything else, with Konton asleep on her chest. They reminded me of a sleepy online friend, whom I hoped was doing okay. Bahus eyed the pair for a moment before draping a blanket over them. Then, he took a seat and picked up a book.
"Phew. I gotta say, I didn't realize there was quite so much stuff," Harley was finished setting up in one of the spare rooms. Despite Harley's flighty nature, her lab, well, actually more of a hybrid between a lab and a workshop, was surprisingly orderly. Then again, she did just put it together today. The Fairyologist was putting the finishing touches on a fabrication station. "That should do it. It's not perfect, but we can't exactly be choosy, right?" She smiled at me.
"Yup," I replied, returning her smile with my own. There were more barebones cases than this. "So, how do we start?" Both my inner Nepgear and I felt ready.
"I was hoping to pick your brain. What is your area of expertise?" Harley asked.
Big Sister's memories helped me answer the question, and added a lot to my own knowledge. I may had been taking up mechanical engineering in my world, but she knew a lot, lot more on that, and specializing on certain fields, too. No wonder she could make Processor Units, beam sabers, and giant robots. "Mechanical, especially robotics and energy," I said.
"Mechanical, robotics, and energy? I might have hit the jackpot," Harley smiled. "I so rarely get to work with someone in other fields. I know enough about engineering to make my own equipment. Understanding energy is key to working with Fairies as they're essentially made of manifested energy. Which is one of the reasons Fairies are unable to mate with humans. Even if relations aren't all that uncommon…" Despite the lascivious nature of the topic, she was a professional. Apparently, to avoid the flirting, just get her talking about work.
That was… interesting info. "How about you? What do you specialize on, aside from Fairies?" I asked.
"I had to study a variety of subjects to be a Fairyologist. Archaeology, Psychology, Parapsychology, Energy, and Sociology believe it or not. I also learned Engineering, Computer Sciences, and Metallurgy to aid in my work. About nine tenths of my field is coming up with ways to test for the remaining tenth," Harley smiled faintly.
Wow, she knew a lot! It made sense to study the different aspects of Fairies. "Parapsychology?" I asked. That was something I had not heard of before.
"Parapsychology is the interaction of supernatural powers on the mind. Fairies, whether they realize it or not, in fact exert influence on their Fencer. The connection goes both ways, in fact. It's why those of us with talent to be a Fencer are instinctively drawn to Fairies that complete us. Brave when we are meek. Calm when we are angry. Strong when we are weak. Fairies are as varied as their Fencers," Harley unconsciously slipped into a lecturing tone.
I had no idea! Already, I was learning new things. Amethyst, I felt, was braver and more confident than me, for instance. Nodding in acknowledgement, I asked, "So, how does the booster work?"
"This is where it gets tricky. I know from studying the enhancement effect on Khalara that it causes strain on the Fairy. The way it enhances the Fairy is by releasing the limiters placed on them by either the Goddess or the Vile God. Say what you will about him, but he didn't want his Fairies dying from overuse. The main issue is that the strain can be irreversible. By causing them to fight beyond their means too often, it can cause lasting harm. In extreme cases, both Fairy and Fencer would merge… like with Apollonius," Harley sighed softly.
She took a deep breath before continuing, "The 'booster' would be a more natural way of improvement. By drawing in mana from the outside, it would act to reinforce the Fairy and Fencer. I learned more about the process from watching how Konton interacts with Amethyst. Did you know that your second partner converts raw mana into a form Amethyst can use? Normally Fairies can work together through Resonance, but what Konton does is beyond mere Resonance. It's a full synchronization. The Booster would allow for two compatible Fairies to do the same." Harley grinned.
"Nice!" My eyes lit up at the implication of that. I didn't know Konton was that awesome. It also gave me an idea. "Hm, I'm thinking, since a connection to Divinity is what empowers a second form, is there a way to grant others such a spark?" I wasn't sure if such a thing could be feasible or not.
"I don't think so…" Harley started to say only to pause. "...Unless… Konton? Could I see you for a minute?" She asked. Konton picked her head up from Amethyst's chest blearily.
"What do you need?" Konton yawned.
"Where does the Divine energy come from? Is it from you?" Harley asked.
"No. The energy comes from Nepgear. I'm just the *yawn* facilitator…" Konton snuggled down again.
Harley looked like someone told her Christmas came early this year, "That's what I thought. Eryn's Divine Spark is entirely focused on her Fencer. It's a closed loop unable to be tapped. However, yours isn't focused onto one subject. In fact, you have been sharing with with Amethyst and Konton for awhile now. Every one of your spells holds a fragment. We could actually siphon it off from you. As a living source, it would be replenished with some food and rest." The exuberant Fairyologist suddenly hugged me.
Taken aback by it, I found myself squirming. While it was nice to know that I could support my friends that way, it also meant… "O-Only those we trust can know," I remarked. If such a thing got out, malicious elements would try to use me as a human battery, and I didn't want that.
Harley blinked, "Why would we tell anyone else? Oh! You think I want to write a paper based on all this, right? That is what a researcher does normally. The problem is that anything I published now would be used against us. Someday I'll write a book on the events, but that's after we're safe. I wouldn't betray you like that." Her voice took on a kinder tone.
"Thanks," I said. It was good that she understood.
"Now then. We should get to work. I could see you were itching to get started. I have a preliminary idea…" Harley proceeded to do a rough sketch of what she had in mind with notations. The notes pinged a memory as some of the equations reminded me of a Blank Processor. No frills or benefits, just a basic Processor for cycling Share energy.
"That looks like a foundation," I said. "What would you add to it?"
Harley slowly turned to look at me, "Foundation? This is the Booster. You can already see ways to improve it?" She looked stunned.
"Yup," I said. Drawing on Big Sis's knowledge, I visualized how it could be customized. There were different Processors for different situations, since they weren't necessarily 'one size fits all'. Some were focused on magic, for instance, while others were focused on strength or defense. Before I knew it, I was already scribbling out equations describing my thoughts on the matter. Hm, could one make an adjustable Processor that changes its bonuses…?
"Absolutely fascinating… I can see how it would work. What I was thinking was of a system to allow Fairies to synchronize with one another, but you designed an independent unit. Ah! If we did this however…" Harley waded back in and started making her own notations. The idea she had was for 'Install' slots to add extra Furies to increase the power of the Processors. Essentially a system for changing Furies to fit the situation.
"Oooh, nice," I said. That gave the Booster/Processor the flexibility I was thinking of. Next up was optimizing the unit, making it more efficient, so I went to work seeing how the equations could be streamlined and simplified.
Someone lightly bumped my hand and left a plate of food nearby. They did the same to Harley before retreating. The researcher was so engrossed in what we were doing, she didn't seem to notice as the sandwich found its way to her mouth.
"Thanks," I absentmindedly said, blinking. Glancing at a nearby clock showed that it was already lunchtime. Goodness, time flew so quickly! Fortunately, it was finger food, meaning I could munch on it while continuing our project.
Other possible designs came to mind while we worked. There was one for an all-rounder, which had equal boosts across the board. While it wasn't the most exciting thing, it could be helpful as a starting point, and as a safe option. Speaking of safety, there were limits to how we could push the performance of the Processor. I had the option to make it overclocked for even more power, past the bleeding-edge, but I wasn't willing to pay the price for that. Such a unit would be dangerous to use.
In my case, if I were to design my own Processor, it would be focused towards endurance and towards regenerating my mana, allowing me to last while supporting my allies with magic. Fortunately, some of the Fairies already gave bonuses to mana regeneration and consumption, so there was that option.
"We have a good platform for the test unit. We can make a few now, but we'll need more materials. Hopefully the Ruins provides an answer. As it stands we can make three," Harley gave a rough estimate.
"We could give them to the next Ruins team," I suggested. "We'll need to test them, though." As it was, it wasn't exactly proven technology here, so there was an element of risk to it.
"We'll need to be with the next team, then. We're the only ones who know what to look for if something happens, after all," Harley said.
"That's fine," I replied. "We might find materials there, too."
"Now for the last part. We need to extract some of your Divine Spark," Harley smiled as she held up an odd device. There was a crystal on one end and a needle on the other. The needle was almost four inches long and ended in a sharpened tip.
My eyes widened as I shivered. I wasn't expecting something like a blood test! Just because I had already experienced pain in battle, didn't mean I was okay with the sting of a needle.
"Are there non-painful ways…?" I asked. If I could give the energy remotely, I'd do so.
"Hmmm? You think I have to put this in you?" Harley tapped the tip against the pulse in my wrist. The crystal started to glow faintly, "I use this to test Fairies. Try putting a needle in some of them and see how well that goes." She smiled wryly.
"Thank goodness." I let out a breath that I was holding, relieved that it wasn't what I was thinking. In the meantime, I could feel a part of my power flowing out of me.
Another thought came to mind. Instead of a permanently overclocked Processor, what if it was a toggled mode for regular ones? While it could be more controllable that way… there was still the risk of straining the Fairy and Fencer like with the conventional mod option. Hm… maybe it could be for do-or-die cases…
"You have a surprising amount of energy… Do you feel tired, dizzy, achy?" Harley asked. She looked morbidly curious as another crystal joined the four already full ones.
Wait, I had been filling up crystals already? I hadn't noticed at all! Was I that lost in thought? "Not really," I commented. "I was busy thinking of other designs." There was another one that appealed to me, an adaptive Processor that automatically changes its boosts to suit the user's fighting style and condition, like if he or she was fighting defensively or primarily with magic. A sensor, computer, and control system would be present to analyze the user and make the necessary adjustments. While it would be more complex than a fixed Processor, there could be merit to such an approach.
Harley eyed the glowing purple crystals with morbid fascination. She stopped drawing energy and put the device away. "Each Crystal should be enough for one Booster. I was concerned about getting enough energy. Now I'm just stunned at how much energy you're holding…" The Fairyologist placed the crystals in what looked like an egg carrier.
"Ehehe…" My cheeks were slightly warm in embarrassment at the compliment. "Wanna know what I have in mind?" If she said yes, I would tell her about the toggled overclock-mode, and the adaptive Processor.
"Of course I do. You are just full of good ideas~," Harley beamed. She listened avidly to my ideas with a thoughtful expression. The dark-haired woman nodded slowly. "I can see how it would work. Hmmm… We would need more power to make a proper adaptive system. The parts would also need to be lighter and thinner. We'll have to table it for now, but it's something to look into."
"Good point." I nodded in understanding. We would first have to make sure that the Processor worked as intended before going into more complicated designs.
The front door opened to admit the Ruin Explorers. Emily and Lola came out to greet them. It looked like Tiara was still with Fang and Eryn. The search team returned with a jury-rigged sledge carrying the prizes they found. They were weary, but triumphant.
"Whatever they found must be important," Amethyst said from the sofa.
"What did they find?" Konton tilted her head curiously.
"Do monsters usually drop that much stuff?" I asked. Then again, it was probably a horde of skittering bugs… unless the team went scavenging around as well. On another note, I hoped they were okay.
"The stuff the bugs dropped fit in the inventory. This stuff we found in a room on the second floor. It's mostly old machinist parts and some partially ruined electronics. Like actual electronics," Chiaki animatedly told me. My eyes lit up at the idea of examining those.
"The 'bugs' dropped enough SP recovery items that we'll never need them again," Marianne said. Those would be helpful, too.
The thought of the ruins, however, brought something to mind, something I had nearly forgotten. "Chiaki, how's the old Fury doing, the one we found before?" I asked.
"I could feel it stirring. It's waking, but slowly. I haven't wanted to disturb it and instead just let it sleep," Chiaki patted the still dormant Fury. However, it was less dormant, and more resting. Soon, it would wake up. The question was 'when?'
"I hope you can identify what we found, Harley. There was a whole room full of this stuff. We just grabbed some of everything," Galdo pulled back the tarp. The machinery looked worn, but serviceable with some work. It was just hard to figure out what the machines should do without taking them apart.
"Hmmm… It looks like the same metal as the Furies… How is this possible?" Harley held up a fragment of metal. It did indeed look the same as what was used for the Furies, and not the average sort of metal.
"Maybe it was more common before, or maybe it was processed to become that way?" I inferred as I held a different fragment. For all I knew, their metalworking may had been ahead of the times, and enhanced with divine magic, too.
"You know what this means, Nepgear?" Harley turned to me with a wild grin. For some reason, the Fairies fled the room at the sight. Even Amethyst and Konton cleared the room.
"Even better Processors?" I asked. The sight of the Fairies running away was puzzling and concerning though. "Or are you looking for more Fairies?"
{What am I missing?} I asked Amethyst and Konton.
{She gets that look in her eye when it's time for a 'Fairy Examination.'} Amethyst deadpanned.
"We get to study the metallurgy involved!" Harley hugged me exuberantly. Chiaki giggled at the sight.
Once again, I found myself squirming, for it was tight and sudden. "Not so sudden, please…" I squeaked out. Being able to examine the construction of the metal was enticing, though, since it was bleeding-edge materials science.
The others chuckled along with Chiaki. With any luck some, or even all, of this stuff would be useful. The next day would be even more research. So far, things were looking up. However, a strange sound suddenly came from the direction of Fang's room. Several strange sounds, in fact. Cui dived from the second floor to the first and squirmed under the sofa. Lola immediately hurried over to the stereo and turned it on high.
"Who wants to listen to music?" She asked with a fake laugh.
By mutual agreement, no one said a thing.
No one dared.
Living on the Road
Huddling for warmth near the remains of a burning dragon was not pleasant. The rather foul smell of burning flesh, even vented, was still strong. Thanks to my conversation with Nepgear the night before, I got a full night's rest, dreaming of mechs along the way. The others, however, weren't quite so lucky. It was a bleary-eyed and surly group who sat around the campfire the next morning. A quick breakfast was had by those who could even stomach food before we left. The monsters around seemed to realize our irritable mood and steered clear of us.
At the edge of the snowfields, we saw a familiar face. Lola was leaning out of the window of a blue and white camper van. "Hey! I finally found you!" She waved at us.
"What is Lola doing here?" Pippin asked.
"I don't care. I'm cold and I want to sleep somewhere that doesn't smell like roasting dragon…" Marianne growled. Her hair reeked with smoke. None of us smelled fresh. Zagi looked shocked at her sudden fit of temper.
"Point made. We need to get back to the Inn and rest…" Fang groaned. His sudden power-up left him looking weak. Galdo was supporting him on his shoulder while Marissa helped Eryn.
"Found anything interesting?" I asked our info-broker. She was chasing leads regarding Junown, if I remembered right. I was hoping she had usable intel.
"Yeah I did… and you're really not going to like it…" Lola grimaced.
"That sounds ominous," Tiara sighed.
"What now?" Chiaki hung her head even as Giselle clung to her.
"I found out how they were keeping track of you guys. There's a little girl whose brother owed a huge debt to the Septerian Club. She was watching your comings and goings to pay off his debt," Lola said.
I narrowed my eyes. So there was a spy after all. "Who is she, and where is she stationed?"
"Her name is Emily…" Lola started to say, only for Fang to turn pale. He was so pale it looked like he would collapse.
"...Her brother is Apollonius…" Fang whispered. My eyebrows were raised at that name.
"Yeah. How did you know that?" Lola asked.
"We fought him," I answered, my tone neutral. It was hard to forget what became of him.
"You fought my brother!? Where is he!?" A dark-haired girl, dressed in maroon, popped up beside Lola. The blonde info broker almost fell sideways. 'Uh oh…'
"They were going to silence her. I had to get her out of there. She didn't even know what they wanted the information for," Lola explained.
Fang couldn't take any more. He fell to his knees while throwing up violently. Eryn wrapped her arms around his shoulders comfortingly. While his reaction was the strongest, he wasn't alone in looking sick.
In my case, I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling a chill in the air, and not from the cold, either. My head was bowed down, knowing that the girl would never be able to see her brother again. She was a factor in our troubles, but... "I'm sorry…"
Lola could tell what was wrong, judging by our expressions. She turned to Emily with a sad look, "Emily…"
"Was it… was it the wine…?" Emily whispered. 'That addictive wine, again?'
"What do you mean the wine?" Lola asked.
"He was never the same since the wine. He never left the house and basically gave up on living. Nothing I did could snap him out of it. Junown came to our home and offered to give him all the wine he wanted… if he killed you. I didn't know until he was leaving…" Emily's eyes filled with tears. 'That Junown and her club really need to be dealt with.'
"He died on his feet, Emily. I saw it. We all saw it. He was as strong as he ever was," Fang recovered enough to say.
"Yeah…" Galdo agreed.
The others were quick to assure her that he didn't fall easily. Emily's tears didn't stop, but she did look comforte, if only a little.
{The wine stole his will to live. The only thing that brought it back was the promise of more. What devilish thing is this?} Amethyst asked with disgust.
{It's the same crap as the stuff in Chiaki's original Fury.} Konton reminded her.
{I think that's the culprit. Sherman and Pappin may have been drinking it, too,} I conjectured. From my spiritual journey recently, the one with Shadowgear and all, I recalled being informed that there was a hidden enemy, pulling strings behind the scenes. The wine may had been a method of doing so, as were Junown and the Septerian Club. Amethyst and Konton quietly agreed with me.
"Wait… Why are we out here on the road discussing this?" Zagi asked.
"That's… well… We had to run. The Justice Society wasn't content just sitting around anymore. They stormed the inn early in the morning. Good thing one of my contacts warned me or we would have been captured. Don't worry. The Inn staff is safely on their way to one of the outer villages. It's just our faces on the Wanted posters," Lola tried to reassure us.
There went our safe haven… "Where will we go?" I queried.
"I have a friend who offered us his bolthole for when the heat comes on. He's already leaving the region entirely so no one will be there," Lola said.
"Where is the 'bolthole?'" Fang asked.
"Amazingly, it's just on the Sol Plains. He built it inside of one of the ruins," she explained.
"We've been there. How far did he go?" Chiaki asked.
"Not far. He said something about 'weird scratching noises' but that was it," Lola replied.
{He was that close to the darklings in the ruins… Yikes.} Amethyst shivered.
"It's better than nothing," Fang straightened his shoulders.
"Does it have indoor plumbing and bathing facilities?" Marianne asked.
That was a valid concern, and aside from that... "We'll have to clear out the monsters in the ruins," I mentioned. Perhaps we now had a good excuse to explore the interior further, and together.
No one looked thrilled with the idea of our new hideout being a 'fixer upper.' Lola slumped, "No wonder the bugger was letting it go so easily…"
"Monsters…?" Emily's red puffy eyes were still moist, but she was trying to keep moving.
"Easily killed by a flashlight," Chiaki hastened to assure her.
"They are?" Pippin asked.
"Kill kill kill?" Ethel asked. Emily stared at the bunny-hooded girl in shock.
{Forgot her verbal tic…} Amethyst chuckled.
"Ethel said, 'If they're that weak, why are they a threat?'" Karin translated.
"There's so many of them. Like, a swarm," I replied, waving my hands and wiggling my fingers to try and portray their numbers.
Ethel actually shivered, "Kill… kill kill…?"
"'Like… crawly bugs?'" Karin translated.
{Did we find her girly side?} Konton asked.
"Get in. We're burning daylight. I couldn't leave Emily here alone or I would have come to you last night," Lola gestured.
"Who drove up here?" Galdo asked.
"I did," Lola puffed up proudly. Emily looked inexplicably sick.
{This bodes ill…} Amethyst grimaced.
{Agreed.} I nodded.
"I can drive," Zagi offered quickly.
"He is quite good…" Marianne was quick to say.
"I'm not familiar with the roads, but I could also drive," I offered as well. Back in my world, I had a driver's license.
"Thank the Goddess…" Emily muttered under her breath.
We piled into the camper van while Zagi took first shift behind the wheel. With the windows wide open to let fresh air in, it was time for the others to catch up on their sleep. Lola held Emily as the dark-haired girl lapsed into silence. Her face was slack as if she was a million miles away.
Now with time to myself, the amusing Uni story last night gave me an idea. {I'm thinking, what if we do some tinkering sometime…?} I suggested to my Fairies. As for materials and tools, the Sol Plains ruins might have enough of such. I felt like indulging my Nepgear side, so as to distract myself from all that happened recently.
{That would be fun. I heard from Bahus that Harley likes to build her own equipment.} Amethyst said.
{We could get Chiaki involved. She has a keen mind.} Konton added.
{Good idea.} I was sure she would love it, for I remembered her starstruck reaction to being inside the ruins.
When it was my turn to drive, more of Nepgear's memories kicked in to supplement my own skill, which were nice since I hadn't driven a large van before. The vehicle was apparently very new as it hadn't developed a quirk yet. There was no other traffic on the road unless a guy walking along the shoulder counted. Thanks to the van, the trip took only a day instead of longer on foot. We arrived at nightfall as a result, but fortunately monsters were no more dangerous than they were during the day.
"So, which way do we go?" I asked, for I didn't know where in the plains the hideout was.
"Just keep going straight… straight… and turn here," Lola pointed at a narrow crevasse just wide enough for the camper, but it would be a tight fit. "The door is in the wall right there." She indicated a barely visible rock.
"Looks well-hidden," I commented as I approached the false wall. "Uh, how do we check if we were followed?"
The question was a good one. Fang brought out the flight-capable Fairies and asked them to perform a sweep. The Fairies returned nearly an hour later with assurances that no one followed us. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
We unloaded the van and carried everything into the secret hideaway. Lola directed Fang and Galdo to pump a generator to get it started. Soon enough, we had lights to show us the rest of the bolthole. It was a split level with four rooms radiating out from a central area on both floors. There was no shortage of space. The shelves in the kitchen were well stocked with canned goods and freeze dried meals. It wasn't glamorous, but it was food.
Lola directed the flow of traffic while instructing everyone on where to put everything. Emily helped out as much as she could. However, each time she drew closer to Fang, he seemed to flinch. She opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. I couldn't blame him, really, not after what happened. It reminded me of… Tiara and Ethel.
{Ouch… I think his issues come with subscriptions…} Konton winced.
{I think that's true for all of us.} Amethyst sighed.
{Mhm… maybe he met Apollonius before?} I guessed. It was probably how he knew that Emily was his sister.
"I'm taking Fang to bed. He isn't doing well," Eryn said. Fang looked ready to protest, but one look at Emily and his will to resist stopped. His Fairy led him from the room quietly.
"Is… Is he okay…?" Emily flinched as she realized that he wasn't. Lola gave her a side hug for comfort.
"He'll be better," she promised.
Galdo and Marissa came over to me. The blond Fencer glanced around, while he looked uncomfortable, but resolute, "You've got questions, right?" He asked me.
I nodded. "Is it like with… Tiara?" Maybe Fang met the guy in the past?
"Close. We met Apollonius in the other timeline, but it was like Ethel," Galdo shrunk in on himself. Marissa held him comfortingly.
"He refused to back down and we… we killed him…" She whispered.
I glanced at the frosty Fencer, then back at the two of them. "Goodness…" I wouldn't feel well either if I were in Fang's shoes.
"I feel like this is some kind of blessing in disguise," Marianne walked over, a pensive frown marring her features.
"How so?" Amethyst asked as she appeared.
"Our enemies knew where to find us all along. With the repeated blows to us physically and emotionally, we would have crumbled. We're no longer out in the open, and we can take the time to actually heal," Marianne explained. She looked over at Zagi with a fond smile. The spiky haired man was talking quietly with Emily.
"The ruins…" Amethyst reminded her gently.
"We can take the ruins without Fang. We can do it in shifts. It's not like we have to take it all in one go," Galdo said.
"Good planning, Galdo. All of you should take some time to sort your mental health. I suppose it was lucky that we all came together at this time," Pippin said as he joined the conversation. Ethel trailed behind him.
"Fang…" She said softly, her concern clear in her choice of words.
"No translation required. Good job, Ethel," Konton praised the Ice Fencer.
I nodded. Hopefully we would be able to recover this time, and not only in the physical sense. "So, how would we do the shifts?" I inquired.
"Light seems to work the best from what you and Chiaki said. We'll make sure to keep one of you in each party. That way each team gets some downtime," Galdo suggested.
Konton nodded, "I'm relaying what we're talking about to Giselle." Chiaki was helping Zagi with keeping Emily busy. The young girl needed time to recover from her own ordeal.
"Would she like to go first, or after?" I queried. Either way was fine with me.
"Giselle said she'll take first. You need to rest too," Konton smiled faintly.
I caught myself yawning quietly. Blinking at that, perhaps she had the right idea. I did drive for part of the way, and that was for quite a while.
"I'm starting to think we need to figure out double transformations ourselves. If the scale of engagements continues to increase…" Marianne trailed off meaningfully. She had a good point, too. The opposition was increasing in strength as we were.
"You need a Divine connection to make it work. For Fang, it's the fact that Eryn is a fragment of the Goddess. For Nepgear, it's because she has a Divine Spark," Amethyst said regretfully.
"Do we know that for sure?" Marianne asked.
An alternative suddenly came to mind, prompting me to interject. "Could technology close the gap? The ruins might have something." It felt like a long shot, but still. For all I knew, a box of scraps in the cave, so to speak, could be all we needed.
"The past civilization was known to possess technology straight from the Goddess. Who knows what we would find in the ruins," Harley joined the conversation. As a Fairyologist, she would know.
"We could try the mod option like you have with Khalara," Galdo reminded Marianne.
"The stress on both Fencer and Fairy is enormous. We might end up mutating like… Apollonius," she said softly. The other Fencers winced at the prospect.
"Mod option?" I had not heard of that before, but it sounded highly risky.
"It's possible, with a high degree of synchronization, to disengage the limiters on Fairize. The process can also be induced with special drugs. However, if the will of the person is weak, the transformation is like what we already witnessed," Marianne said in a subdued tone.
I glanced at my Fairies, shivering at the idea of overclocking my Fairize. It sounded like a sort of dangerous, forbidden technique. Good thing I had Shares to back me up.
"I could make a booster, but I would like to see what the ancients had first," Harley said.
"Start working on the booster anyway. You'll be staying behind to monitor Fang and Eryn anyway," Galdo said.
"Could I help with that for a bit?" I offered. It wasn't only my Nepgear side that wanted to examine something like that.
"You have experience with this sort of thing?" Harley looked pleasantly surprised.
The memory of helping to create Processor Units through crafting came to me. Thanks, Big Sis. "Something like that," I replied, smiling.
"Fantastic. I always enjoy working with other people. It's just too bad they don't enjoy it too," Harley cast a pouty look over the Fairies. All of them shivered involuntarily, even Amethyst and Konton.
Oh, right, she had a certain… liking, for Fairies. I gave mine a mental hug, through our bond. Amethyst and Konton embraced me in return.
"Kill," Ethel said flatly.
"Uhhh… I think she said what she was really thinking…" Konton sweated.
"I'll be good," Harley said quickly.
"Thank you, Ethel," Marissa patted the bunny hooded girl on the head.
"She's such a sweetheart," Karin hugged her Fencer eliciting a blush.
"I would be admonishing her for threatening others… but I think we can let it slide," Pippin said dryly.
"I can see when I'm not wanted," Harley sniffed. She didn't look too upset, though.
"Say what you want about Harley, but nothing keeps her down," Galdo chuckled.
"When do we start?" Maybe I was a bit more eager than I thought.
"Tomorrow morning. If the look Bahus is giving me is any indication, he's about to put me to bed. Whether I want to go or not," Harley chuckled. Her Fairy was giving the irrepressible woman a stern look.
"Good idea. Let's get some sleep and set up the Ruin detail in the morning," Galdo said.
The Fairy Gunlight offered to act as guard during the night. As a purely mechanical Fairy, he didn't need sleep. Considering what lay beneath us in the ruins, it seemed prudent.
With that part already taken care of, I decided on one last thing before heading to sleep. I went to check on how Emily was doing. I doubted she was all right…
Emily was getting ready for bed in a mechanical manner. The dark haired girl's face was blank as trying to process everything took a toll. She looked up as I approached. "Yes…?" Her voice was full of exhaustion and pain.
"Is there... something I could do?" It felt bad seeing her like that...
"Everyone is being so nice… I just want to hear how he died," Emily rubbed her eyes tiredly.
I nodded. Taking a seat that was beside the bed, I closed my eyes for a moment as I remembered the battle. It was so fast and intense, yet it was clear, too. Then, I opened my eyes and recounted to her what happened, fused form and all. "Sorry…" was what I said afterwards, head slightly bowed down.
Emily buried her face in my side and cried during the tale. She clutched at my shirt as her pain was released. For my part, I silently gave her a hug. Much like with Chiaki before, she needed it.
"I hate them…" Emily whispered. "The Septerian Club stole my brother from me. I hate them so much… I can't… It hurts… My brother's gone and they're still here… It's not right…" She shook as the force of her rage and tears was too much to contain.
I understood why she felt that way, as I continued holding her. At least we were not to blame for what happened. However, I also felt that her emotions might lead to… terrible things. "May I know what he was like before...?" Maybe talking about her brother would help?
Her expression softened, "He was a good big brother. Always working hard to provide money for us. After our parents died of illness, he cared for me. His strength as a Fencer was unmatched. That was when Dorfa came and hired him to be one of their Four Heavenly Czars. There were times he wasn't home, but I never doubted that he loved me." She smiled dreamily as the happier memories relaxed her.
I smiled as well as I continued to listen. It was nice to know that she was cared for.
"The Justice Society ruined Dorfa and my brother lost his job. He had no prospects. Any work he could have done, the Justice Society blacklisted him… I lost my brother the day he discovered the Wine. Now…" Emily's crying slowed, "...I'm alone…" she whispered.
That meant the Apollonius I met was already but a shadow of his former self. However, I doubted it'd be comforting if I said that he was probably at peace. I could see why she felt alone... Words didn't feel helpful right now, so instead, I kept quiet as I kept her company. Emily slowly drifted off towards sleep as my presence acted like a balm.
"Phew… She needed to get it out, but I didn't know how. You're a natural," Lola whispered quietly as she crept into the room. The younger girl smiled approvingly at me.
"I am?" All I did was to listen and hug.
"It's not the big gestures, but the little things," Lola giggled as she lightly stroked Emily's hair.
She had a point there. Actually, speaking of being alone, I remembered that I wasn't when I met Amethyst, followed by Konton. Maybe… "I was alone until I met my Fairies... Would you like one, too?" While I figured that her brother could never be replaced, well…
"Be a Fencer…?" Emily asked wonderingly.
"If you like… I could be your partner…" Lola offered. Emily's head whipped around in surprise. The blonde giggled at her gobsmacked expression.
"You're a Fairy?" She asked. My eyes were widened at that. 'I had no idea!'
{She's a Fairy!?/What!?} Amethyst and Konton squawked, a sentiment I shared.
"Fairy of Light, Lola. I would be happy to be your Fairy," Lola touched her face kindly. Emily's eyes filled with happy tears as she pulled the information broker in for a hug.
I smiled as I looked on. Lola being a Fairy was a pleasant surprise. Now, Emily would no longer be alone.
The knowledge that Lola was a Fairy all along took the others by surprise, too. Even Marianne, who was a sensor, didn't know. Harley didn't react the same way, however.
"I knew there was something that attracted my attention…" She smiled.
"Kill," Ethel hissed softly. Harley's smile froze and broke from her face quickly. The shameless Fairyologist slowly crab-walked away and hid behind Bahus.
That brought a chuckle out of me. It seemed that we would have to keep her honest, so to speak.
Thankfully, that was the only excitement during the night. The morning after, Gunlight reported scratching from the direction of the pantry. Unfortunately, it wasn't rats. He didn't notice any holes even after extensive scanning. Galdo, in annoyance, clicked his tongue.
"I was hoping for at least a day or two before jumping into extermination. Fine. Nepgear, Harley, and Emily will remain behind at base with Fang. The rest of us will go into the Ruins," he said. Emily straightened at hearing her name called.
"Ah… You're trusting me to watch the b-base?" She asked hesitantly.
"Of course I am. You're a Fencer now, right?" Galdo winked drawing a faint blush from the girl. Lola giggled and patted her Fencer on the back.
"Why wouldn't you be trusted?" I asked. She was firmly opposed to the Septerians, after all.
"I just thought that because I'm a kid…" Emily fidgeted.
"That doesn't mean you can't mind the base. We need a safe place to return, right?" Galdo ruffled her hair. She pushed his hand away with a pout. He chuckled a bit before turning to the others, "We'll have breakfast and packed lunch."
Breakfast was a simple affair. Even with Bahus' skill in the kitchen, there wasn't much he could do with freeze-dried dinners. No one, however, complained over the lack of diversity, considering that there was good food at all. Emily carried two plates to where Fang was recuperating with Eryn. She reported that he was eating, but he wasn't very talkative.
"He was very tense the whole time I was there," Emily bit her lip.
"It's not something you did," Lola hugged her.
"I think he just needs time," I suggested. Emily must had been a reminder of what, I figured, he thought of as a failure, that was, not being able to save Apollonius despite the time-travel.
"That's why you need someone to watch the base. He's… lost himself… like my brother did…" Emily hugged Lola tighter.
"He's just really tired. The stress is getting to all of us, but he takes so much on himself…" Galdo said that last part quietly.
"I don't blame him. I think it's like… it's like not being able to save someone, for the second time," I gently conjectured. Tiara, who was silent until this point, picked her head up in surprise.
"Oh…" Tiara looked towards Fang and Eryn's room. The Water Fencer bit her lip in concern.
"Do you want to stay behind?" Galdo asked. Tiara's head whipped around as if surprised.
"How did you…?" She started to ask.
"Marianne, Chiaki, Pippin, Ethel, and I can handle things," Galdo assured her.
"Thank you," Tiara whispered.
Marianne was a short distance away talking to Zagi. "Don't put yourself at risk needlessly."
"Someone has to check on the orphans. Relax. No one pays attention to the non-Fencer," he smiled faintly.
"That doesn't make you any less important," she insisted.
"Heh… How long have I waited to hear you say that?" Zagi asked softly.
"Zagi…" Marianne's eyes filled with sudden tears. She looked surprised as a tear trailed down her face.
"Hey now… No need to cry. I'll be fine," he promised.
"Just… just be careful…" She clenched her fists tightly.
"As careful as I can be," Zagi smiled.
He gave one last jaunty wave before heading out the door. Marianne stared at the door for a time before turning away. She stared defiantly at us as if daring someone to comment. When no one said anything, she relaxed. Her usual mask of haughtiness returned.
"Didn't we have something to do today?" She asked with calculated indifference.
"Well, yeah," I said, slightly frowning. She didn't have to use that tone. In the meantime, where was Harley…?
Harley, as it turned out, was getting her mobile lab set up. The Fairies had nothing to fear from her today as she was in full professional mode. She handed out headlamps to the Ruin Explorers, "This way you can fight and not have to worry about light."
"Thanks Harley," Galdo smiled.
Ethel tried to get the headlamp on Pippin's head, but the sword thing made it difficult. She settled for tying it on with twine. "Kill." She nodded with satisfaction.
"Ah yes… I suppose that works…" Karin tittered.
I checked first if anyone needed assistance with their preparations. Fortunately, they were doing just fine. With that out of the way, the others left on their mission. Lola and Emily set about making the place more liveable. Tiara had Cui stand guard at Fang's door while she went inside. The only ones left were Harley, Bahus, Amethyst, Konton, and me.
Amethyst decided that taking a nap took precedence over anything else, with Konton asleep on her chest. They reminded me of a sleepy online friend, whom I hoped was doing okay. Bahus eyed the pair for a moment before draping a blanket over them. Then, he took a seat and picked up a book.
"Phew. I gotta say, I didn't realize there was quite so much stuff," Harley was finished setting up in one of the spare rooms. Despite Harley's flighty nature, her lab, well, actually more of a hybrid between a lab and a workshop, was surprisingly orderly. Then again, she did just put it together today. The Fairyologist was putting the finishing touches on a fabrication station. "That should do it. It's not perfect, but we can't exactly be choosy, right?" She smiled at me.
"Yup," I replied, returning her smile with my own. There were more barebones cases than this. "So, how do we start?" Both my inner Nepgear and I felt ready.
"I was hoping to pick your brain. What is your area of expertise?" Harley asked.
Big Sister's memories helped me answer the question, and added a lot to my own knowledge. I may had been taking up mechanical engineering in my world, but she knew a lot, lot more on that, and specializing on certain fields, too. No wonder she could make Processor Units, beam sabers, and giant robots. "Mechanical, especially robotics and energy," I said.
"Mechanical, robotics, and energy? I might have hit the jackpot," Harley smiled. "I so rarely get to work with someone in other fields. I know enough about engineering to make my own equipment. Understanding energy is key to working with Fairies as they're essentially made of manifested energy. Which is one of the reasons Fairies are unable to mate with humans. Even if relations aren't all that uncommon…" Despite the lascivious nature of the topic, she was a professional. Apparently, to avoid the flirting, just get her talking about work.
That was… interesting info. "How about you? What do you specialize on, aside from Fairies?" I asked.
"I had to study a variety of subjects to be a Fairyologist. Archaeology, Psychology, Parapsychology, Energy, and Sociology believe it or not. I also learned Engineering, Computer Sciences, and Metallurgy to aid in my work. About nine tenths of my field is coming up with ways to test for the remaining tenth," Harley smiled faintly.
Wow, she knew a lot! It made sense to study the different aspects of Fairies. "Parapsychology?" I asked. That was something I had not heard of before.
"Parapsychology is the interaction of supernatural powers on the mind. Fairies, whether they realize it or not, in fact exert influence on their Fencer. The connection goes both ways, in fact. It's why those of us with talent to be a Fencer are instinctively drawn to Fairies that complete us. Brave when we are meek. Calm when we are angry. Strong when we are weak. Fairies are as varied as their Fencers," Harley unconsciously slipped into a lecturing tone.
I had no idea! Already, I was learning new things. Amethyst, I felt, was braver and more confident than me, for instance. Nodding in acknowledgement, I asked, "So, how does the booster work?"
"This is where it gets tricky. I know from studying the enhancement effect on Khalara that it causes strain on the Fairy. The way it enhances the Fairy is by releasing the limiters placed on them by either the Goddess or the Vile God. Say what you will about him, but he didn't want his Fairies dying from overuse. The main issue is that the strain can be irreversible. By causing them to fight beyond their means too often, it can cause lasting harm. In extreme cases, both Fairy and Fencer would merge… like with Apollonius," Harley sighed softly.
She took a deep breath before continuing, "The 'booster' would be a more natural way of improvement. By drawing in mana from the outside, it would act to reinforce the Fairy and Fencer. I learned more about the process from watching how Konton interacts with Amethyst. Did you know that your second partner converts raw mana into a form Amethyst can use? Normally Fairies can work together through Resonance, but what Konton does is beyond mere Resonance. It's a full synchronization. The Booster would allow for two compatible Fairies to do the same." Harley grinned.
"Nice!" My eyes lit up at the implication of that. I didn't know Konton was that awesome. It also gave me an idea. "Hm, I'm thinking, since a connection to Divinity is what empowers a second form, is there a way to grant others such a spark?" I wasn't sure if such a thing could be feasible or not.
"I don't think so…" Harley started to say only to pause. "...Unless… Konton? Could I see you for a minute?" She asked. Konton picked her head up from Amethyst's chest blearily.
"What do you need?" Konton yawned.
"Where does the Divine energy come from? Is it from you?" Harley asked.
"No. The energy comes from Nepgear. I'm just the *yawn* facilitator…" Konton snuggled down again.
Harley looked like someone told her Christmas came early this year, "That's what I thought. Eryn's Divine Spark is entirely focused on her Fencer. It's a closed loop unable to be tapped. However, yours isn't focused onto one subject. In fact, you have been sharing with with Amethyst and Konton for awhile now. Every one of your spells holds a fragment. We could actually siphon it off from you. As a living source, it would be replenished with some food and rest." The exuberant Fairyologist suddenly hugged me.
Taken aback by it, I found myself squirming. While it was nice to know that I could support my friends that way, it also meant… "O-Only those we trust can know," I remarked. If such a thing got out, malicious elements would try to use me as a human battery, and I didn't want that.
Harley blinked, "Why would we tell anyone else? Oh! You think I want to write a paper based on all this, right? That is what a researcher does normally. The problem is that anything I published now would be used against us. Someday I'll write a book on the events, but that's after we're safe. I wouldn't betray you like that." Her voice took on a kinder tone.
"Thanks," I said. It was good that she understood.
"Now then. We should get to work. I could see you were itching to get started. I have a preliminary idea…" Harley proceeded to do a rough sketch of what she had in mind with notations. The notes pinged a memory as some of the equations reminded me of a Blank Processor. No frills or benefits, just a basic Processor for cycling Share energy.
"That looks like a foundation," I said. "What would you add to it?"
Harley slowly turned to look at me, "Foundation? This is the Booster. You can already see ways to improve it?" She looked stunned.
"Yup," I said. Drawing on Big Sis's knowledge, I visualized how it could be customized. There were different Processors for different situations, since they weren't necessarily 'one size fits all'. Some were focused on magic, for instance, while others were focused on strength or defense. Before I knew it, I was already scribbling out equations describing my thoughts on the matter. Hm, could one make an adjustable Processor that changes its bonuses…?
"Absolutely fascinating… I can see how it would work. What I was thinking was of a system to allow Fairies to synchronize with one another, but you designed an independent unit. Ah! If we did this however…" Harley waded back in and started making her own notations. The idea she had was for 'Install' slots to add extra Furies to increase the power of the Processors. Essentially a system for changing Furies to fit the situation.
"Oooh, nice," I said. That gave the Booster/Processor the flexibility I was thinking of. Next up was optimizing the unit, making it more efficient, so I went to work seeing how the equations could be streamlined and simplified.
Someone lightly bumped my hand and left a plate of food nearby. They did the same to Harley before retreating. The researcher was so engrossed in what we were doing, she didn't seem to notice as the sandwich found its way to her mouth.
"Thanks," I absentmindedly said, blinking. Glancing at a nearby clock showed that it was already lunchtime. Goodness, time flew so quickly! Fortunately, it was finger food, meaning I could munch on it while continuing our project.
Other possible designs came to mind while we worked. There was one for an all-rounder, which had equal boosts across the board. While it wasn't the most exciting thing, it could be helpful as a starting point, and as a safe option. Speaking of safety, there were limits to how we could push the performance of the Processor. I had the option to make it overclocked for even more power, past the bleeding-edge, but I wasn't willing to pay the price for that. Such a unit would be dangerous to use.
In my case, if I were to design my own Processor, it would be focused towards endurance and towards regenerating my mana, allowing me to last while supporting my allies with magic. Fortunately, some of the Fairies already gave bonuses to mana regeneration and consumption, so there was that option.
"We have a good platform for the test unit. We can make a few now, but we'll need more materials. Hopefully the Ruins provides an answer. As it stands we can make three," Harley gave a rough estimate.
"We could give them to the next Ruins team," I suggested. "We'll need to test them, though." As it was, it wasn't exactly proven technology here, so there was an element of risk to it.
"We'll need to be with the next team, then. We're the only ones who know what to look for if something happens, after all," Harley said.
"That's fine," I replied. "We might find materials there, too."
"Now for the last part. We need to extract some of your Divine Spark," Harley smiled as she held up an odd device. There was a crystal on one end and a needle on the other. The needle was almost four inches long and ended in a sharpened tip.
My eyes widened as I shivered. I wasn't expecting something like a blood test! Just because I had already experienced pain in battle, didn't mean I was okay with the sting of a needle.
"Are there non-painful ways…?" I asked. If I could give the energy remotely, I'd do so.
"Hmmm? You think I have to put this in you?" Harley tapped the tip against the pulse in my wrist. The crystal started to glow faintly, "I use this to test Fairies. Try putting a needle in some of them and see how well that goes." She smiled wryly.
"Thank goodness." I let out a breath that I was holding, relieved that it wasn't what I was thinking. In the meantime, I could feel a part of my power flowing out of me.
Another thought came to mind. Instead of a permanently overclocked Processor, what if it was a toggled mode for regular ones? While it could be more controllable that way… there was still the risk of straining the Fairy and Fencer like with the conventional mod option. Hm… maybe it could be for do-or-die cases…
"You have a surprising amount of energy… Do you feel tired, dizzy, achy?" Harley asked. She looked morbidly curious as another crystal joined the four already full ones.
Wait, I had been filling up crystals already? I hadn't noticed at all! Was I that lost in thought? "Not really," I commented. "I was busy thinking of other designs." There was another one that appealed to me, an adaptive Processor that automatically changes its boosts to suit the user's fighting style and condition, like if he or she was fighting defensively or primarily with magic. A sensor, computer, and control system would be present to analyze the user and make the necessary adjustments. While it would be more complex than a fixed Processor, there could be merit to such an approach.
Harley eyed the glowing purple crystals with morbid fascination. She stopped drawing energy and put the device away. "Each Crystal should be enough for one Booster. I was concerned about getting enough energy. Now I'm just stunned at how much energy you're holding…" The Fairyologist placed the crystals in what looked like an egg carrier.
"Ehehe…" My cheeks were slightly warm in embarrassment at the compliment. "Wanna know what I have in mind?" If she said yes, I would tell her about the toggled overclock-mode, and the adaptive Processor.
"Of course I do. You are just full of good ideas~," Harley beamed. She listened avidly to my ideas with a thoughtful expression. The dark-haired woman nodded slowly. "I can see how it would work. Hmmm… We would need more power to make a proper adaptive system. The parts would also need to be lighter and thinner. We'll have to table it for now, but it's something to look into."
"Good point." I nodded in understanding. We would first have to make sure that the Processor worked as intended before going into more complicated designs.
The front door opened to admit the Ruin Explorers. Emily and Lola came out to greet them. It looked like Tiara was still with Fang and Eryn. The search team returned with a jury-rigged sledge carrying the prizes they found. They were weary, but triumphant.
"Whatever they found must be important," Amethyst said from the sofa.
"What did they find?" Konton tilted her head curiously.
"Do monsters usually drop that much stuff?" I asked. Then again, it was probably a horde of skittering bugs… unless the team went scavenging around as well. On another note, I hoped they were okay.
"The stuff the bugs dropped fit in the inventory. This stuff we found in a room on the second floor. It's mostly old machinist parts and some partially ruined electronics. Like actual electronics," Chiaki animatedly told me. My eyes lit up at the idea of examining those.
"The 'bugs' dropped enough SP recovery items that we'll never need them again," Marianne said. Those would be helpful, too.
The thought of the ruins, however, brought something to mind, something I had nearly forgotten. "Chiaki, how's the old Fury doing, the one we found before?" I asked.
"I could feel it stirring. It's waking, but slowly. I haven't wanted to disturb it and instead just let it sleep," Chiaki patted the still dormant Fury. However, it was less dormant, and more resting. Soon, it would wake up. The question was 'when?'
"I hope you can identify what we found, Harley. There was a whole room full of this stuff. We just grabbed some of everything," Galdo pulled back the tarp. The machinery looked worn, but serviceable with some work. It was just hard to figure out what the machines should do without taking them apart.
"Hmmm… It looks like the same metal as the Furies… How is this possible?" Harley held up a fragment of metal. It did indeed look the same as what was used for the Furies, and not the average sort of metal.
"Maybe it was more common before, or maybe it was processed to become that way?" I inferred as I held a different fragment. For all I knew, their metalworking may had been ahead of the times, and enhanced with divine magic, too.
"You know what this means, Nepgear?" Harley turned to me with a wild grin. For some reason, the Fairies fled the room at the sight. Even Amethyst and Konton cleared the room.
"Even better Processors?" I asked. The sight of the Fairies running away was puzzling and concerning though. "Or are you looking for more Fairies?"
{What am I missing?} I asked Amethyst and Konton.
{She gets that look in her eye when it's time for a 'Fairy Examination.'} Amethyst deadpanned.
"We get to study the metallurgy involved!" Harley hugged me exuberantly. Chiaki giggled at the sight.
Once again, I found myself squirming, for it was tight and sudden. "Not so sudden, please…" I squeaked out. Being able to examine the construction of the metal was enticing, though, since it was bleeding-edge materials science.
The others chuckled along with Chiaki. With any luck some, or even all, of this stuff would be useful. The next day would be even more research. So far, things were looking up. However, a strange sound suddenly came from the direction of Fang's room. Several strange sounds, in fact. Cui dived from the second floor to the first and squirmed under the sofa. Lola immediately hurried over to the stereo and turned it on high.
"Who wants to listen to music?" She asked with a fake laugh.
By mutual agreement, no one said a thing.
No one dared.
Jack of Olives
Rolled a '3' on their Con score
- Location
- The land of fruits and nuts (California)
A Nepgear actually getting to do SCIENCE!? What strange parallel world have I found myself in now? 
Mirriam Grave
The Bemused. The Amused. The Unstable.
- Location
- The edge of a point.
So Tiara Route. Gotcha. Not that it wasn't obvious.
Still voting for Chiaki with UbeNep!
Also, I am truly curious as to how Lola will fight with Emily... considering that Lola actually fights by herself in-game. Always loved her character joining the party,
but am curious since she won't be the one swinging a spear...
All the talk about Nepgear's skills... and I think I have only ONCE ran into a fic that had her actively showing off. It was as a part of a Lastation Weapon Expo that she had participated in if I recall correctly. ...mostly as a way to woo Uni to boot. XD
Still voting for Chiaki with UbeNep!
Also, I am truly curious as to how Lola will fight with Emily... considering that Lola actually fights by herself in-game. Always loved her character joining the party,
Which is why I was so confused it didn't happen sooner, considering that I could have sworn we were in the Evil Goddess Route
RIGHT!?!?A Nepgear actually getting to do SCIENCE!? What strange parallel world have I found myself in now?
All the talk about Nepgear's skills... and I think I have only ONCE ran into a fic that had her actively showing off. It was as a part of a Lastation Weapon Expo that she had participated in if I recall correctly. ...mostly as a way to woo Uni to boot. XD
Jack of Olives
Rolled a '3' on their Con score
- Location
- The land of fruits and nuts (California)
I really need to get around to playing that. Stupid RL, getting in the way of my vidya-playing.
UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
It's not a usual occurrence? How come?A Nepgear actually getting to do SCIENCE!? What strange parallel world have I found myself in now?
Jack of Olives
Rolled a '3' on their Con score
- Location
- The land of fruits and nuts (California)
*shrug* A lot of people tend to forget that she's something of a technical genius. There's the occasional instance where she'll make a plot device to help out the party (which usually happens off-screen, or as a setup for a fetch-quest), but most of her inventions in the games are relegated to jokes.
Admittedly, I was playing up my reaction a bit for comedic effect; but it's still nice to see a Nepgear actually being able to bond with others over their shared love of SCIENCE!
- Location
- Earth, Sol System
Got a link?