"I finally found you." Tears poured from J'baki's face as he looked down at his brother. "What are you doing here? Akachi." It was impossible to know exactly what he was feeling. Everything had went away, it was only him and Akachi in this moment.
Akachi's eyes opened slowly as he looked up at his brother. Through slow pained breaths he spoke.
"Ugh J'baki. I must've hit my head pretty hard for you to be crying."
"Akachi. Where have you been?! I'm so glad you're okay."
"What are you talking about? Weren't we training just now?"
"No... You need to relax."
"I don't know brother. I'm not feeling too good. What happened to me?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out!"
"I- The Empress! Where is she? Where are we?!"
"We're at the heart of the tree. But look around. Don't you remember this room?"
Akachi stood and walked over to a shelf positioned right next to a large window. The shelf had many trinkets and a pair of fighting gloves.
"Bro this is wild. How is this possible?"
"Look up."
"AJ. I remember burning that there, no one could ever say this wasn't ours."
"That's right. So many memories. Akachi I- I'm so sorry." J'baki began to cry.
"Oh come on don't start all that."
"No I'm serious! I got us all in trouble. Our sister was taken because of me. How can I not be sorry!"
Akachi walked over to J'baki, sliding the gloves on his hands. He wrapped an arm around his brother, bringing their heads together.
"J'baki. You did what anyone would have done. You're a kid. I'm your big brother I should've taken care of everything, this isn't your cross to bear."
Akachi took his hands off of J'baki's shoulder leaving behind a yellow residue neither of them noticed.
"That night. They were planning on taking her regardless. I went to try and stop them, they had me amplify my voice loud enough to get your attention. When you two arrived they were going to kill us anyhow. If you hadn't freed me, we'd all be dead, instead they just transported us out of there."
"But what about our sister? What about Neyali, she's out there alone. We have to save her."
"Relax. I told you this is not your job. Neyali is safe. There's a reason they wanted her. You should think about it."
"A reason they'd want her?"
"It's been five years J'baki. Have you learned anything about that night?"
"No."
"When you're trying to save someone, you have to pay attention to the little details. Yea you've gotten stronger and built your body up, but the most important muscle is your brain. Use it!"
"Akachi, are you okay?" J'baki half chuckled "I mean I get what you're saying, but when did you get so mature?"
"That night was a wake up call for me to get my shit together J'baki. Everything I've done has been to find you and bring us back home. I've been in this tree for years learning all that I can. Now that it's lead me to you, I can't help but feel absolved. You're alive, you're well, and you deserve a brother who can protect you."
"Anyway. Your big bros got it. I already know where they are holding her and the reason. The Petyans are the manifestations of Petya. Petya takes organic life and makes that life apart of its network. That's what they did to Neyali."
"What do you mean that's what they did to her?"
"What I mean is, they infected her."
J'baki gave his brother a look that screamed you can't be serious right now.
"I know. In the end, they complete their mission. Believe me, I was so broken up when I found that out. Yet it's funny how the universe works. Turns out Neyali is what the petyans call a Monarch. The Monarchs are people who took absolute control over the petyans in their bodies, creating a subnet. It's not ideal, but our sister is worshipped there. That's the best possible thing that could have happened."
J'baki had to sit down. Everything was really fine?
"But The Petyans are here. They're about to connect this tree. Can we really be okay with our sister fighting with these guys."
"We don't know who she's with. Each Monarch isn't connected. As far as I know Yara works alone. She's a Monarch, but she's up there. They say she's connected to the network that transcends both the Petyan and Mycelia networks."
"Yara? The woman from before? THE WOMAN FROM BEFORE."
Reality snapped back to J'baki. Rising to action he walked up to his brother who was facing the sigil of the lovers.
"I have to get to the stadium Akachi! If we go together we can save the tree."
"Save the tree? No, the tree must fall."
"What? Why?"
Akachi held his head stumbling around.
"The tree must be taken. J'baki, do you really think you can stop us?"
"Akachi what are you talking about?"
A fiendish grin spread across Akachi's face as he turned to smile down at J'baki.
"Bro. Don't be naive. There's nothing we can do now."
"I'm going ahead."
"What's the hurry brother? We just met back up. Don't you miss me?"
Akachi grabbed J'baki's arm.
"Get off of me! She said you were almost ready. I didn't even think about it."
Akachi let out a howling laugh. Pulling him closer.
"You never think! That's your problem. You just go through life allowing things to happen and now look at what your brother has become!"
Akachi struck J'baki right in his gut causing him to keel over into his arm.
"You're my brother, and I don't want to infect you. So just stay put until this mess is over."
J'baki lay on the ground grasping madly for air to fill his lungs. Though broken he managed to get out a few words.
"Akachi, why? What are you doing this for?!"
"Oh? So you got up?"
"Sun! Mork!"
"What are those twigs supposed to be for?"
J'baki rose slowly taking a pose showing his inadequacy with the weapons.
"J'baki don't do this."
J'baki took a swing at Akachi he ducked striking his ribs with a devastating blow.
"Not gonna fall this time? Okay then."
J'baki brought down one Tonfa around striking Akachi in the head.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that."
He punched him again, this time knocking him into the sigil on the wall behind them. He walked towards his unconscious brother.
"Seriously what have you been doing the last five years? You planned on getting Neyali back like this? Pathetic. I'm just getting used to this and you don't stand a chance. I told you I'd have to infect "
Akachi pulled out a boring yellow dagger and plunged it into his chest. J'baki's body started to immediately convulse.
"Sorry brother. Once Yara wants you, you're hers."
Akachi made his way out of the room as J'baki writhed in pain. The pain was excruciating, feeling the milky yellow venom course through his veins burning every spore with white hot lava. The venom reached his Beo, triggering all of the venom to cool off. J'baki passed out as his Beo quickly absorbed the rest of the infection into itself. The Beo woke up and manifested itself outside of J'baki.
Isadora and her group, accompanied by Poi and Xerxes, made there way into The Duo Poculum. They marveled at the mushroom canopy that had grown out of the building. It's tendril like gills swaying spores in the breeze.
"This is where the heart is? A coliseum?" Naomi asked.
"This is where the last of our ancestors perished. Where they protected the heart to the bitter end." Xerxes explained.
Xerxes led them into the stone coliseum. They were welcomed by a stone vestibule with intricate art all along the walls and the floor. Mushroom trees had grown in patches around the area. Steps were leading to the center area balcony with five doors leading to the stadium. On the lower levels, statues of different people sat in the four corners between each were double doors. Each leading to halls that held the training rooms.
"Amazing! I bet some awesome fights happened here." Apozon exclaimed, jumping around behind
"This is some intricate architecture, your ancestors must have been a very bright species." Naomi chimed in.
Milo was walking in front between Poi and Isadora, who were both having their own thoughts.
"I can't believe I'm back here." Isadora said softly.
As if their presence activated it. A swirling of dark yellow clouds conjured at the top of the steps. Blonde lightning struck down leaving three figures in its wake.
"Shiiit. We made it back just like I said. Didn't I tell you?" Akachi stood at the top of the steps looking down at the group below. "Did you guys find my brother yet? He should be ready soon."
"M-mister Gray?" Poi asked, confused at the state the man was in. "What are you doing? Where is the Empress?"
"Yoo Poi! What's up! What are doing with the enemy?"
"The enemy? Gray! Yara's the enemy!"
"Yara? The enemy? No no no you got it twisted. The Empress is the enemy. She's been disconnecting Yara for years. Yara is the one who will connect the two networks. Anyone who opposes her is an enemy."
"Molther's won him over. Nothing we say will bring him back." Poi said definitely
The two Mal's next to Akachi leaped down the stairs with a large thud, looming over the group with their milky white eyes.
"Poi how dare YOU betray your mother, Pai was loyal, he's assisting our Monarch now. We will wipe you all out right here."
One of the mals picked up Xerxes by his neck with no remorse.
"Look Akachi, it's an Augen. Didn't mother say she wanted one?" The Mal's eyes started to rush as he enjoyed the groups feeble attempts to stop him. Xerxes turned a dark yellow from the infection of the Mal. He snarled on laughter as he dropped Xerxes to the ground.
"Dude what the hell?!" Milo yelled.
"The virus. It spread so fast." Naomi said. She pulled her scythe off of her back. "Why would you do that?"
"All life must be brought to Yara. Eventually. Don't worry you all are next." The Mal snarled
Xerxes opened his milky eyes, revealing a small curved c where his pupil would be. As he rose he slithered more like a snake than a bipedal being.
"Look at that! It's a Mal7!"
Xerxes floated up to the Mal's level and spoke with the same wise old voice he'd always had. "Let me take care of the group. I'm itching to prove myself."
"You'll have plenty of time for that. You couldn't infect these guys if you tried." The other Mal responded.
Swiftly, Naomi came up with a swish of her scythe cutting one of the Mal's arms off.
"Let's not dawdle!" She yelled, facing the Mal.
"They can infect faster than the others we've run into."
The Mal swung at her with his good arm.
"You bitch."
"Don't let them touch you!" She said feinting his attack.
The group sprang into action, Poi and Isadora ran past the Mal's up the stairs to confront Akachi. Milo rushed to assist Naomi, while Kenash and Apozon faced the Mal with its limbs intact.
"Woah now hey, you two sure you wanna take me on?" Akachi conjured twin hammers in his hands. "Rushing to death?" The hammers came swooshing through the air knocking them both in opposite directions.
Isadora got up in a huff conjuring a sword and shield as she sprinted towards Akachi. Even blows landed between the two while Poi was still recovering from the hit.
Milo and Naomi sturuggled with their Mal. He taunted them endlessly as he kept up easily despite having one arm against two opponents. Milo's wind could do little against the fiend, that was until Naomi brought lighting with every swing of her scythe. With a dashing jolt, she impaled him in the side, leaving him stunned, giving them the upper hand.
"Milo! Aim directly at its chest, and don't you dare miss." She clasped her hands onto his shoulders, sending a current through his arms.
"Don't have to be so bossy lady."
He collected the surrounding wind into an electrical vacuum before blasting it straight through the Mal's heart, exploding him from the inside out. The scythe flew back to Naomi's hands with a lightning crash.
Kenash and Apozon teamed up seamlessly against their Mal. Kenash's chrysanthemum whip strong enough to keep him busy, while Apozon flew around making quick slices and jabs with his rapier.
Kenash whipped his thong around the Mal's arm, pulling him down. The Mal grabbed the whip, Kenash along with it, and slammed him into one of the mushroom trees to the left. As he rolled down the trunk, an icy wind whipped up at the feet of the Mal.
Apozon's wings turned an icy black as they fluttered, freezing the surrounding area. The once thin rapier developed an exoskeleton of ice, freezing more as the seconds passed.
"Go-od D-damn it!" He shivered, cursing the cold. "Kenash, y-you s-uck"
"Are you the one freezing my feet flutter boy? All you're good at is flying around. Fight me head on!"
Apozon fluttered his way to the Mal, the ice was to his waist, the rapier completely hidden by the block of ice encasing Apozon's arm.
"W-what are you g-guys after anyway? Wh-why do all of this? Wh-why attack a source of l-life?" Apozon looked the giant man in the eyes.
"Our mother told us to, only she can provide life, and all life must be hers." The fiend felt almost happy as the ice crept up to his shoulders. "Akachi will kill you all, you're not worthy of your life anymore."
As the ice encased the giant Mal, Apozon began to fall to the ground, his arm completely covered in a block of ice. He landed on the icy ground with a thud panting a shivering in the wake of his victory.