Across the world
Dillon York and Midna's hearts were dour at the cloudy sky and ominous wind. The playground children were hurriedly rushing home in fear it would rain. "Is this because of Kyogre?" Dillon wondered.
"Even though Rayquaza is the God of Sky, Kyogre did share power over the rain and clouds. The elements are upset at his passing."
"Hm…"
A silver-haired girl watched them from the bushes. Her open black jacket exposed her belly, short white shorts beneath it, and a green scarf that matched her combat boots. "Target sighted… Now to await the signal." said Fie, her yellow eyes darkened.
…
Sunni Chariton had gone for ice cream in the Roxas shopping district. The weather made her dreary, and other citizens were running for cover, but Sunni wouldn't be afraid of a little rain. It was at least a delight to watch Mew play around in the rain, changing into a Skitty skipping in a puddle, followed by a Magikarp bouncing about.
Maki Harukawa sat on a further bench, cloaked in a rain coat and umbrella handy. She eyed Mew, keeping her aura level so as not to disturb their senses. One shot at this… or else, Mew will teleport.
…
Killua Zoldyck saw Sector L on a walk through town, palm trees lining the streets. They wanted to clear their heads after the sudden news… but Killua's target was clear with Manaphy beside them. "Kill Manaphy… Manaphy… Melody…" Killua remembered when he and Nagisa first went on their assassin spree. Nagisa specially told him not to attack Melody. She was still grieving at the time. "Because Melody… lost her brother… Killing Manaphy… will also… make her upset… would Nagisa want that?" The darkness waned in his eyes. "But Master Lucci said… all gods… must die…"
Moonbase
Maria made time to come to Moonbase after some business on Mushroom. In the calm of Cheren's office, he put on Maria's top-hat and switched on its attached Past Finder; a special clock that came from the Great Clock itself. "Let's see, Link… trident-thingy… Link… trident-thingy…"
He used these key words to help the clock focus on ancient memories from a past incarnation.
…
…
…
A full grown Link, perhaps in his late 20s, clasped the trident with conviction. It shone an ethereal blue, and four gems were locked into its prongs: yellow, red, blue, and green. "Whoa!" The muscular hero's sharp blue eyes perked up into a childish, chestnut brown. "Boy, you got buff, Link."
"GAAAAHH!" The hero bellowed a manly cry of fear. "What?! Why did I say that?!"
"Oh, sorry, Link. It's me! Cheren! Ring a bell?"
"Wait a… You were that boy from Termina? Ugh, why are you popping on me now of all times?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask about that weapon you're holding."
"I don't have time to explain that! I'm about to fight for my life! Just look around you!"
"Oh…" Cheren only just comprehended the stormy weather stirring the fields of Hyrule. In the distance, a humongous galleon loomed in the gray sky. "It's kind of pretty."
"You might think so, but it's been like this for weeks. New Hyrule was invaded by a dangerous weather spirit and it won't go away. But supposedly… this weapon can destroy him."
"Oh…" Link was likely talking about Skaios. So, this was the day when… "Hey, where did you get this?"
"100 floors of grief, where've you been? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a monster to slay." Link stashed the trident in his pouch and raced toward the galleon.
Cheren pulled the hat off himself. "Well, I know how that story ends… and I don't think I should be around for it. Let's rewind that a little further…" He put it back on. "Link learning about trident-thingy… Link learning about-"
"Ah! You've made it back, young hero."
Cheren suddenly felt exhausted in Link's grown-up frame. Clenching the trident as he limped through a forest, he faced up at a large brown owl in the tree. "It's… you again." he and Link said at once. Cheren recognized Kaepora Gaebora from his own first Terminan adventure. "So, what is this thing?" Link asked. "I don't feel any sort of power from it."
"What you've picked up is a weapon most dangerous. It possesses more power than the Master Sword, Ganon, or any foe you've known. That trident… has the power to fell gods. You should know, Link… that before that being arrived on this world, many gods have tried to stop him. He was too fast and too strong. But that weapon you hold is one that cannot be touched by gods or spirits. Knowing it is here, knowing you were able to attain it… perhaps it is your destiny to fell this wicked spirit, Link."
"But it still doesn't feel powerful."
"Its true power can only be drawn by those of four sacred swords. Link… I believe you've seen three of these swords."
"You mean…" Cheren thought ahead to the gems that were placed in the trident, while Link thought of the swords in question. The yellow gem belonged to the Master Sword. The blue one belonged to the Phantom Sword. The green one belonged to the Sword of Four Seasons. And the red one…
"Wait! Just… who created this weapon, anyway? You have to know, if you know how it works."
"Hoot hoot…unfortunately… neither my master nor I know of its origin." Kaepora replied. "We only know how it works. Perhaps, in time, you may learn the full truth. Now… would you like to hear what I said again?"
"Nope!" Cheren popped the hat off.
"Soooo, what did you learn?" Hat Kid asked. "Come on, I wanna know about this trident-thingy, too!"
"Can you promise not to tell any of the other operatives?"
"Mm-hm!" Maria made the zipping gesture over her mouth.
Cheren withdrew the weapon. "A long time ago, Link used this trident to stab out Skaios' eye."
"Whoa… you mean that's how…"
"Yep. I found out Link got it from the Pit of Trials like I did. I didn't learn anything about its origins, but it used the gems of four sacred swords."
"Is that weapon going to help us somehow?"
"I…I don't know. But if it is, we do have three of the Sacred Swords. I wonder if the Four Seasons Sword is still in Termina."
Nagisa was listening from beneath the floor. He had pulled open a floor panel in the cafeteria and crawled his way through, concealing his chi. So, that's what you have. Then those other swords must be…
"CHEREN, CHEREN!" Larry burst in, startling them. "It's an emergency!"
"What, what's happening?!"
"The Earth is facing severe, worldwide weather patterns! We can barely get in contact with most of our sectors! But, if the call from Sector H or the Nimbi mean anything… I think the Volcano and Sky Gods have been killed!"
"BOTH OF THEM?!"
Across the world
"You want to DIVE in that thing?!" Anthony shouted at his little sister.
"I have to, Anthony!" Diancie insisted. "I may not have the powers I used to, but I'm still an Earth God! I'm sure I can help stop the eruption! Besides, I'm not 2nd Age like the other Firstborn, so it's not like I'll die. Please, just have Fybi carry me!"
"F-Fine. Fybi!"
"Aye!" Fybi tried to pick Diancie up… but the gem spirit was quite heavy. "Ah! Pardon… but thou seemeth much heavier than I anticipated."
"Oh, I forgot! Nimbi can't fly with Earth Spirits!"
"HOW ARE WE JUST LEARNING THIS?!" Anthony bellowed. "Dang it, I'll just take you myself! C'mon, Michelle!" Anthony raised a hill out of the road and performed a running motion to make it carry himself and Diancie.
…
"I have to get to the ocean!" Manaphy shouted. "But the wind is too…"
"AYAH!" Melody mustered her waterbending and bent the rain into a giant shield. It blocked off most of the wind, allowing them to trudge toward the ocean. "Hey, Manaphy… if Kyogre is gone… that means we inherited his chi, right? The same way Chris had Malladus'."
"You're right… I feel it inside me… That's why I'm sure… I can calm the ocean do-"
"HEY!" Tsuyu yelped, grabbing Manaphy in her tongue and saving him from the steel yo-yos. The friends about-faced to find a familiar, spike-haired Sheikah.
"KILLUA!" Melody yelled. "Why are you here?! Did you just try to…"
"This world has no more need for gods. I won't let Kyogre be replaced. Hand him to me… or suffer his fate."
"Melody, keep going!" Yuta said, assuming a battle pose. "I'll hold off this creep!"
"Me, too!" Tsuyu stated.
"And… I'll have Klubba help!" Eric declared.
"Yarrrr!" The muscular Kremling pounded his club to his palm. "Ye'll not lay another yo on the Sea Prince!"
…
"Hey, Mew! I think we oughta head home!" Sunni yelled, hugging the white kitten tight.
"Mew, Mew!"
"Hey! Heeeelp!" Sunni saw Maki running her direction, forcibly led by the upturned umbrella in the wind.
"Mew!" Mew conjured a pink bubble to bounce and catch Maki safely.
"You okay?" Sunni asked. The second Maki's eyes fell to Mew—
Maki was behind Sunni. The shock-ridden psychic wasn't ready to absorb the gruesome sight. Mew's head was… removed from his body. Maki was holding it, but she dropped it before running away. "M…M…" Sunni never suspected anything… All she anticipated was a storm. She was never mentally prepared to consider that anyone would try to… (Play "Let's Just Live" from RWBY!)
"MEEEEEEWWW!" The Firstborn's body turned pink and faded away. "…!!" Her eyes flaring, Sunni twisted the direction Maki fled. She was using Shave to make her escape, but Sunni was able to track her red aura. The psychic soared after the assassin and would grasp Maki in telekinesis. "YOU! WHAT'VE YOU DONE?! Why did you kill Mew?!"
"Nngh…ah…" Maki twisted her head back to smirk at Sunni. "What's wrong? Don't feel high and mighty, anymore?" Maki essentially spammed her Shave and escaped Sunni's grip, swiftly flying to land a quick chi-block tap to her head. Sunni couldn't grab Maki again, but she conjured several Psy-Spheres to implode around her. Maki used Iron Body to endure them, and from the smoke, she slashed Tempest Kick. The slash came rather fast, with Sunni barely ducking in time as her hair got cut. She teleported when Maki lunged out, appearing above the assassin to stab down with her lightsaber. Maki dodged, and her left pigtail suddenly yanked Sunni's saber away. Sunni couldn't pull it back due to the chi-block, but she could instead conjure a cubical barrier around Maki. She shrank the barrier hoping to crush her, but Maki merely sliced out with the saber and Tempests. Maki spun her pigtails like shurikens, combining Life Return with Tempest to shoot Tempest Shurikens.
Sunni coated herself in a barrier to tank the shurikens and shove Maki down, taking her saber back. Sunni slashed, but cut the afterimage. To her side, Maki began making several afterimages to confuse her. "Time to call for…" Sunni wanted to summon an Imaginary Friend, but… if this girl would kill Mew without hesitation, she couldn't risk the lives of her Friends. "GAAAAH!" Sunni unleashed an expanding barrier to dissolve the illusions, but the real Maki was nowhere in sight. She used Aura Sense, but couldn't detect the red aura within the shopping district. Maki was probably concealing her chi, and it was becoming too hard to see normally through all the heavy rain. "Where… did… you… GOOOOOOO?!"
…
"DILLON, WATCH OUT!" Midna used her Hair Hands to pull him into a Veil when bullets let fire. Fie leapt out of the bush and threw two kunai at the shadows. Dillon and Midna were forced up and rendered immobile. "H-Hey! What's…"
"Shadow Pinning Jutsu." Fie twirled her daggers. "Always good to have some Ninjutsu handy with Rokushiki."
Alas, a flash of lightning redirected the shadows, so the duo jumped away with Dillon swiping the kunai. Fie Shaved circles around them, gun-swords trained and shooting Midna. Both Veiled, and Dillon slid up to punch Fie, and though she dodged, Mario was prepared to land a Shade Fist. Lightning flashed as the nearby 'Don't Litter' sign's shadow stretched toward Fie. Dillon seized this chance to slap Fie off her feet with the shadow, then he stretched Mario to bind her in Shadow Possession. Fie shook free and shot him, Dillon dodging the bullets, but as she eyed Midna behind him, she Shaved past and went for her. Midna Veiled, but Fie slashed Tempest Kick to carve the ground and force her out of it. She dodged Dillon's attempted Possession, grabbed a knife off her leg strap, and flicked it right at Midna, stabbing her in the hip. "HEY!" An enraged Dillon threw one of the kunai, which Fie dodged, but Dillon bent its shadow to stab her leg.
He was then able to seize her in a Possession. "Midna, I think she's after you! She must be one of the Zeroes! You should hide somewhere!"
"You're probably right. Be careful, Dillon." Midna Veiled and retreated.
"Calling us Zeroes?" Fie asked. "I dunno if that's hurtful or cool." She shook free of the shadow and tried to chase Midna's, but Dillon slithered after the apprentice. Fie Moon Walked to get a better visual of the retreating shadow, but this became her downfall as lightning flashed with her shadow in Dillon's direction. Dillon twisted his Shade Fists around to SMASH Fie's head from either side. The dizzy assassin fell, and Dillon spared no mercy as she hit the road. He calmly approached the fallen girl: she was bruised and bleeding, but that didn't confirm if she was unconscious. "!" Fie shot up and kicked him in the crotch. She grit her teeth and turned, but Midna was untraceable. Dillon punched the back of her head, but Fie fired a missed bullet before swiftly making her escape.
"This is Sylphid to Boss." Fie called. "Mission failed. The target escaped."
…
"AAAARRRRHH!" Klubba charged bravely at Killua, but it took little more than a punch to his beefy chest. The Kremling keeled over, defeated. "Of course." Eric cringed. "Anyone who'd lose to me would surely be one-shotted."
Yuta spun his arms, molded, and threw Water Balls with great speed, mimicking Masaru's throwing skills. It proved little detriment for Killua's keen speed, zipping his way to the Adabatian. He couldn't knock him out after Froppy tongued Yuta away. Killua gave a "hmph" and resumed running after Manaphy. Yuta surfed further ahead and bent a wave up from the ground, trying to make it dense enough to push Killua, but he merely sliced through the wave. His Haki yo-yo flew to strike Yuta's stomach, hacking spit as he flew into a building. Froppy used a brand new S.T.R.A.W.-V.A.C., a 4x4 straw that could slurp up the rain, allowing her to spit globs of mucus at the Sheikah. Catching Killua off guard after attacking Yuta, the assassin shook to get the goop off. Froppy lashed her tongue to wrap it-
Killua Shaved out of her grasp and gripped her tongue. His fingernails sharpened, there was nothing to stop him from slicing Tsu's tongue in half. In this very moment, Tsu feared spending the rest of her life unable to speak, never able to properly convey her feelings. The only thing that saved her was Killua's look of hesitation. "…My mission is… to kill the Sea Pri-"
Eric shot him with a B.A.J.O.O.K.A., drenching his head in juice. Tsu recalled her tongue, and Yuta used his bending to freeze the juice over Killua's head. He tolerated the cold and Shaved up to Yuta, the latter swinging twin Water Whips, only to miss as Killua Elbow Pistoled him. It was a nonlethal Finger Pistol, but enough to knock Yuta dizzy on the ground. He groggily watched as Killua pursued Manaphy. "That's right… this guy faced a Yonko. Should've figured he would be pretty…"
Manaphy had made it to the beach, crawling across like a newborn sea turtle. Killua jumped the fence—but was grabbed by a huge Water Fist. "It's too dangerous to go swimming now!" Melody remarked. She had formed two giant arms from the rain, using the other fist to pound Killua's puny head. Killua forced free and whipped his yo-yo at Melody, who dodged and smacked him away with the giant water hand. Melody rushed after him, casting large streams to slam him. Killua Shaved out of her onslaught and yelled, "Tempest Yo!" flicking a yo-yo toward Manaphy with such speed that it cast an airwave, shaped like a ball. Melody gasped and shot icicles toward the Tempest, taking the dicing and dispersing it.
However, when either one faced the sea, they were horror-stricken. An enormous tidal wave was headed straight for town. Perhaps big enough to drown a massive chunk of it. Only tiny Manaphy rested on the rim between land and sea. "Stop…STOP…" His antennae shone red, the young merman reaching his arms. "PHYYYYYY!" (End song.)
The wave came to a perfect stop just before the shore, now just an ever-rising and falling wall of water. Melody breathed in relief… but shot her glare once more on Killua. The boy wasn't sure whether to move first on Mel or Manaphy… no, it was more that his convictions weren't sure. "The gods must die… so, Manaphy must die… but Melody will be upset… That's why Nagisa said not to… Nagisa… Nagisa!" Clutching his head, Killua fell to his knees. "Why… do… I…"
"Open wide." Eric shoved a S.P.I.C.E.R. into his mouth and literally fired. Pumping Killua full of spice, his mouth caught fire, and Melody bent the surrounding water away so he couldn't drink. Amidst Killua's pain and his own mental conflict, Eric pulled out a S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. and bashed him several times over until the Sheikah grew dizzy and unconscious. Melody froze him solid afterward.
"I think you leveled up, Eric~"
…
Anthony, Diancie, and Fybi finally arrived at Mt. Malladus crater. "Okay… I'm going IIIIIIINNN!" The Diamond Princess bravely dove into the magma spire. The friends retreated to avoid the fiery droplets, but their time was spent waiting and worrying. Eventually, the lava spire began to sink, and the rumbling slowed. The same was true of every other volcano in the world.
…
"He… What?"
The only Nimbi that had the energy to remain behind after Rayquaza's explosion was Jesbi. She was the only one there to meet Skaios upon his arrival. "Our god hast fallen!" she yelled over the wind. "Art thou deafened by the weather or deaf from disbelief? The assassins hath slayed him, and this storm is the result of his lingering anger! …Thou art a Sky God, too, art thee not? Prithee… canst thou stop this storm?"
"I…I'll try." Skaios took a deep breath and exhaled. "Hup!" He gripped the air as though it were fabric. He remembered all that he learned from the Sky God Pirates… about being a strict leader, and then learning restraint… "'ey, wind! Stop that! Stop blowing around! You're messing everything up! Wind, I command you: STOP!"
It took a few more minutes of trying… but Jesbi slowly began to feel the air subsiding. The clouds were allowed to rest and sun was allowed to shine. "Argh…I did it. Ay think it's all good now!"
"Hm…" Jesbi orbited the young god with a curious expression. "Dost this mean… thou art meant to be the new Sky God?"
"Um…I don't…"
"I must confess… I hath my concerns. For now, I thank thee for thine service. I must see to the soldiers now." She flew away. Skaios stared at the area that used to be the thunderhead, his heart in shame.
Harnita; Bramble Forest
Hikers scarcely visited the thorny grove when the brambles began wildly and violently shifting. An aggressive force of nature bent the forest to its raging whim. "Haaaaaaahhh!" Arianna Dunfree balled the brambles into fists and furiously hammered the ground with them.
"Careful, Arianna!" Celebi called. "You'll make so many holes, we won't know where the paper ends are!"
"Grrrrrr!" Arianna punctured enough grounds to satisfy her urges. "Huff…huff…huff…"
"That was amazing, Ari! No one'll beat you now!"
That puny boyish voice wasn't one she hoped to hear now. She turned her gaze where her antennae sensed it, recognizing the tiny, white-skinned figure with black shorts, a blue shirt, and puffy black hair. "Hello, Vweeb."
"Hey! Tronta told me you were… training out here. I've been getting a little exercise in, too. Gotta be ready for if… we have to fight CP0, or something."
"Yep." Arianna slammed the bramble hands together, winding and knitting them tightly as if to squeeze an opponent.
"You, uh…you think they might target Viridi sometime?"
"I wouldn't be surprised, she kind of had it coming. Now, did you want to tell me something important, is there an emergency?"
Vweeb's tiny ears needed a sec to process her fast, impatient tone. "Um, we haven't gotten any updates since the Hexxus report. I just wanted to talk with you."
"About what?"
"You just seem a little… sour at me."
"Really." Arianna bent out a little grape and willed it to compress in a way that the juice shot a few meters beside Vweeb, the Kateenian jumping from the force.
"Ya-! Look, will you just tell me what's wrong?"
"Sigh, Vweeb… am I special to you?"
"Huh? 'Course you are, Ari. You're the coolest girl I know. You look nice on the outside, your voice is soft and soothing, but you know how to get fired up when you need to! Your legs have a nice thickness to them, which really highlights how firm you are!"
"Yes, but how does that make me special compared to anyone else? You had fun with Aisa during Field Day and I see you flirting with her during meetings. You try to comfort Melody, who might I add, we kind of resemble each other; Morgiana's got a nice thickness to her, too; and when Sheila became the Pirate King, you were all, 'Man, Mason's sure lucky to have a king like her.'"
"Ari, Ari, I know I admire a lot of girls, but there's none I admire more than you. I mean, I got to see your growth firsthand! I got to watch a strong and beautiful rose blossom! When I'm flirting with those other girls, it's just to make them feel happy, I don't actually want to GET with them. You're the only one for me."
"I don't really want to get into this now. Like you said, we should be ready in case we have to fight CP0. I'll come back to base soon."
"Okay, but I still want to work with you when they do. It's gonna be hard if we're… like this, so we have to at least talk."
"Alright, fine. Thanks for talking with me. I'll catch up later."
"Okay…"
Vweeb made his way out of the forest with Kateenian speed, hearing the vines resume rustling and quaking behind him. Still, they packed a bit more softness than when he'd first arrived. "Sometimes, it's best to ease your way into a girl's heart calmly. But it's a lot harder than…?" Vweeb saw a dark-clothed figure approaching the edge of the forest. Zipping his way closer, they appeared to be a girl about 11 years old, short black hair and a black kimono, which had red flowers over a pink and white dust-like design on the bottom and sleeves. She had Japanese sandals with socks.
Kalluto Zoldyck crouched behind a bramble bush and peered at the forest. "The Firstborn must be in there. Is she the one bending the forest?" Vweeb hid behind the other side of the bush and listened. "This will be a true test of my abilities. I won't fail… I can do this."
Vweeb's instant suspicion was that she was a CP0 agent. But judging by her words, she must have been an apprentice. She was clinging onto confidence, but Vweeb shouldn't doubt her skills. When Kalluto ran further to the forest in a calm, quiet fashion, Vweeb instantly zipped over and directly rammed the heel. "AH!" Kalluto had stepped over a laying bramble at the time, with a gap for Vweeb to run under. When Vweeb struck, Kalluto fell back and against the bramble. "OW!" He sprung up and desperately shook the thorns out. "Who-?!" Acknowledging the tiny thing zipping around the ground, Kalluto brought up a palm to block Vweeb from leaping against his belly. He closed his hand around Vweeb, not bothering to look him over before squeezing him tight. "Insolent bug!"
"You got a strong grip for such little hands!" Vweeb leapt against the pinky with enough force to bend it up and leap out. While he was in the air, Kalluto Shaved over and tried to Finger Pistol him, but he missed the small target. Vweeb pulled his Tri-gun and shot a laser at Kalluto's foot, the assassin barely hopping it up in time. Vweeb landed, zipped around, and shot Kal from any direction he could, so Kalluto started using Shave. Though Kalluto was a big target in comparison, this little foe would struggle with comprehending his speed from that view. "WHOA!" Vweeb was kicked amongst a Shave. He had already braced for it, but still went flying. Kalluto bent out a confetti swarm and spiraled a small whirlwind around where Vweeb landed. He closed the twister, and Vweeb felt he would be cut by the bladed paper. Vweeb charged a Powuh Shot in his gun and fired a bigger laser through one side of the shrinking twister. Kalluto dodged the blast, but Vweeb escaped through what was burned away. Kalluto willed the paper to chase him, but Vweeb was too fast.
Vweeb was zipping around and would leap for a punch to Kalluto's chin. He kicked on Iron Body in anticipation, curious if his Kateeny strength could dent it. However, Vweeb withdrew his force and landed softly on Kalluto's sharp chin. "My, you're a boney little thing, aren't you? I thought you seemed a little scrawny. Young ladies need to eat well if they wanna grow big."
"UGH!" A flushing Kalluto threw his fist, but Vweeb kicked off the chin and threw a compact Kateeny punch to Kalluto's forehead. He had dispelled his defense from the embarrassment, allowing the punch to send him flying back into a bramble bushel. "GAH! Who do you think you are, Lex-…" He stopped before he could think of her. "And, I'll have you know, I'm not a-?!" While he was lost in rambling, Vweeb shot his gun's shrink setting at him. The second he found himself minimizing, he Shaved out of the brambles and out of its ray, his size puffing back to normal. Kalluto cast a wave of confetti to dice up a chunk of brambles. With the life force fading from the pieces, Kalluto bent up the actual spikes.
He swung them like a swarm of hornets, Vweeb ducking the first wave, but it looped up to stab the ground around Vweeb. The little guy frantically dodged by the fabric of his shorts, shooting his Tri-gun to burn down a chunk of thorns. Kalluto picked them back up and bundled them into a ball, rolling it at the fleeing Kateenian. Vweeb fired the shrink ray back at the ball, but the thorns were too separate to shrink the whole thing. The better option was to run toward Kalluto, but he knowingly Shaved away and kept the ball rolling. "So, this kid can bend dead plant matter." Vweeb deduced; he was unsure if it was just psychicbending at first. "I should call Ari, but…nah, I just bothered her."
When Vweeb was opposite of the ball from Kalluto's view, he shot a gap through it and dove in. It was less spiky in here, so he went with the roll until Kalluto could no longer see him. Kalluto raised the ball and split it apart, with Vweeb clinging onto a spike. He shot his ray's Stun feature at Kalluto, who thrusted his hand to block, only to feel a numbing sensation in his hand. Vweeb landed and ran circles around him before making the leap at Kal's back. Kalluto used Paper Art to flow away from the small force, but his numbed right hand seemed to "drag" a bit like crumbled paper. Vweeb dropped down at it and grabbed the finger, forcing it down as Kalluto tumbled over and hit the ground headfirst. Vweeb leapt to shoot the Stun ray at Kalluto's head, numbing his mind for a moment, but it was long enough to Ground Pound Kalluto's head and knock him even dizzier.
Vweeb quickly swapped back to the Shrink setting and fired at the dazed Kalluto. He was too busy recovering his senses to process the shrinking, and by the time he snapped back to reality, he was too late. "?!" Kalluto was shocked to find Vweeb standing equal level with him, the surrounding brambles having grown enormous. "Nice to meet you eye-to-eye." Vweeb smirked. "You're much cuter up close."
"I'm a boy, you know!"
"Oh! …Well, you're still cute!"
Kalluto tackled Vweeb, trying to wrestle the ray back, but Vweeb stamped him in the stomach a few times to force Kal off. Kalluto bent up the enormous confetti pieces and tried to swarm them over Vweeb; thankfully, Kal had experience bending at this size. However, Vweeb employed his initial strategy and ran to Kalluto, so he would risk bending against himself. Vweeb punched, but Kal used Paper Art. He decided to call a confetti down to catch him and fly up. Kalluto became lost in the storm of confetti, surrounding Vweeb. "Theoretically, sneaking up on the Firstborn could be easier at this size. But I'll need that to change back. Besides, there's no way I'll lose to a-!"
The huge ray of a Powuh Shot came up around the turn, Kalluto jumping off before he hit it. "Hey, I found you!" Vweeb dealt some chi-block punches to him, the confetti scattering to the ground. Kalluto growled, still able to use Rokushiki as he Shaved to grab Vweeb's neck.
"You asked for this! Get ready to pop!"
But then a giant vine came down and squeezed them both. "VWEEB!" Arianna screamed. "Who is this?! What were you doing?!"
"Hey, Ari! Long story, he's a CP0 agent. Tried to kill me. And yes, he's a boy."
"UGH!" She could only wonder how long it took Vweeb to figure that out. Regardless, she squeezed the vine with enough force to crunch them both. The ray gun crunched in the force, but once she felt they were discomforted enough, she quickly released Vweeb and slammed Kalluto into the ground. The assassin was knocked clean out.
"Heh heh…thanks, Ari. Is Celebi okay?"
"She's right here." The fairy floated behind her.
"That's a CP0 agent?"
"Yeah, he was here for you, I think."
"Oh, my…"
"Arianna, there could be other assassins nearby. I'll try to bring this guy to the H.Q. prison, you should contact local sectors."
"Yeah." Ari nodded. "Don't worry, Celebi, we'll keep you safe."
"Thanks. Hm…" The Forest Spirit stared up at the soft sky. "I feel like… something bad has already happened."
GKND (Play "Hamel Remains" from Cold Steel.)
Jerome couldn't help notice the blank stare on his sister's face. It were as though she had lost a chunk of her soul. "Nebula… is something wrong?"
"Jerome… I have to go to Mushroom."
"Mushroom? W-Why?"
"Let's just go. I feel like… I really have to be there."
Moonbase
At first, Cheren was relieved that the cataclysm tormenting Earth had subsided… but the operatives that returned to Moonbase had even more troubling news. Maddy, Dillon, and Sunni had come to report their stories. "Mew…Mew is… dead?"
"I didn't even see it coming. I was… so slow…" Sunni put hands to her eyes, sobbing. "How come… I'm always too slow to save them…"
"It isn't your fault, Sunni." Maddy replied. "Besides… it's not like I'm any better. I let Lucci get away… I had the chance to take one of them out, but I didn't try hard enough. I was…"
Nagisa listened from behind them. He was unable to contact Killua, so the best he could do was rather more info. Now that I think about it… when has Sunni ever used Mew? She became his Guardian, put him away in the Egg Chamber, freed him from it… then was immediately captured. And by the time she was freed, it was time to restore the universe. She never needed his power, so why is it something to get upset over? And Maddy… yeah. I don't think she ever won a fight since Enies Lobby. So strong, but so useless. So…
"Nagisa!" The boy looked over with a slight start. His Sector SA teammates, including Index, came racing. "Nagisa, what's wrong?" asked Morgiana, his girlfriend. "You completely ignored us yesterday… and today. Did you even know about the disasters?"
"Oh, um…sorry. Are you guys okay?"
"That's all you have to say?!" Goombella shouted.
"Nagisa… was this about our talk from yesterday?" Index asked. "Ever since you brought that up, I've been…"
"What'd you talk about?" Shino asked.
"It's not important now. Nagisa… were you ever able to call Killua?"
"I… tried to call, but he never answered. Then I took a ship down to Hyrule and asked his sector, but nothing. That's kind of where I've been." This was a lie.
"Okay?" Morg complied. "Nagisa, you seem under the weather. Are you sure everything's okay?"
"Why would it be? My mom's in a coma, we got trapped in a game, I got punified… all because… of those stupid things."
"Stupid things?" Shion repeated.
"He means the Newborn." Index frowned. "Nagisa… I'm sorry about all that's happened, but… we're here for-"
The second she approached him, Nagisa snarled and stepped back. "Get away from me!"
"What?"
"That Hoopa… you really care about him that much? Even though he endangered the universe? Even though he painted a target on our backs?" His sky-blue eyes radiated an unsettling darkness. "He's better off dead… All those things are!"
"Hey, Nagisa?" He turned around. Cheren had overheard the conversation, the other three looking on curiously. "Are you… okay?"
"Come on, Cheren… you feel the same as I do. You all do!" He looked up at Maddy, Dillon, and Sunni, tears drizzling down him. "Don't you think… we would be better off destroying those Newborn? Don't you think our lives would be easier if we could? Don't you think none of this stuff would be happening?!"
"Nagisa-"
"Cheren…" Nagisa cast a shadow over him. "You always made the right choice in the end. Just… kill…" The boy sniffled and stormed out of the base.
"Nagisa!" Morgiana tried to chase him… but she couldn't think of the right words to say. She understood why he felt this way and she found no easy answer.
"You know… what if the Newborn end up replacing our Firstborn?" Sunni wondered.
"Yeah…" Dillon whispered, dreading the idea. It already sucked that the Firstborn were depowered and mortal… but replacing them?
"Hey, Cheren!" Francis Drilovsky rushed over to the leader. "We got a call from Arctic Base. Sector L… apprehended Killua from the Hyrule KND!"
"Killua?!" Cheren and Morg said at once.
"Apparently, he was after Manaphy's life. He fought them in the process."
"I…I can't belie…"
"You don't think… Nagisa knew about this, did you?" Shino said.
"!" Morg gasped. "We have to go after him, come on!"
…
Nagisa had already boarded a small ship, so Sector SA rode theirs and tracked it back to Tokyo. The friends ran up the stairs to Nagisa's apartment. It was locked, so Morg knocked. "Nagisa! Are you in there? Nagisa!"
Shion put her ear to the door. "I've only got base Observation Haki… but I don't really sense anyone in there."
"But where else would he go?" Goombella wondered.
Morgiana sobbed and sank to her knees. "Nagisa… don't tell me… did you…"
Mushroom World
Nebula and Jerome nearly crashed in entering Mushroom, drowning in shooting stars. They landed near Toad Town and rushed out to Star Summit. The elder Winkiebottom ran to the place she felt the dreaded signal, stumbling out of her shoes. "! ! !" When Jerome caught up, he realized why Nebula suddenly stopped. Jirachi's body… severed… dead… The stars were crying for their god.
Slowly, his body dissolved into star dust. Now that Nebula knew the truth… it had no more reason to stay. "It can't be… It can't be… He was… my mom's…" She cried to the falling heavens, an explosion of Space Lightning rupturing from her form. "JIRACHIIIIIII!"
Mt. Malladus
Diancie hadn't emerged from the magma for a while, filling Anthony and Fybi with fear. But then, there was a rising gush: the Earth God, Regigigas, had risen from the earth. The wide-bodied robot collided with the crater rim with a great quake. He lowered a charred pink mass in his three-fingered hands. "MICHELLE!!" Anthony screamed.
"Thesis: the Diamond Princess has rekindled a bit of her power. I conjecture the destruction of the Volcano God has broadened her own domain. Her life is not in peril, but I advise caution."
"Nn…Anthony…" Diancie cracked open her weary pink eyes. "Am I…I going… to live?…"
"You will, Michelle." Anthony promised her with a smile. "It'll all be okay."
Underworld Prison
The Goddess of Light cried. Bound in chains, she and her sister were imprisoned for certain taboos. But even here, they could sense certain changes in the nature of the universe. "Two of them…" she sobbed. "Already… two of the children have…"
"Chin up, Palutena~" her sister teased from the other cell. "We felt this coming for a long time… didn't we?"
"I…I know. But it's just… so painful…"
"To you… but I'm only smirking over here." Medusa closed her eyes. In her mind, two stars out of 11 were falling out of a bright blue sky, splashing into a sea of black. "When the light falls… the darkness rises." Those stars turned an eerie purple. "It's what we've always taught."
"Yes… but the same is true in reverse." In Palutena's mind, that same two-sided display appeared. Eight dark stars appeared in the blackness. "Deep in that darkness… there's light." Those stars flared up into yellow.
"Whatever you say, Sister. Still, I hope the Negatives like their little gift. I owe them for helping me out way back then."