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???, James's Mind, Time: ???
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Darkness. Not a single glimpse of light could be seen. This is what James had been experiencing ever since he was knocked out by Koras.
He wondered to himself if he would ever wake up from his little dream. It had been an hour since he realized he was in a dream.
"Hmmm? I wonder if I could train inside my dream?" James said with a curious look on his face as he started to throw some punches, beginning his basic training routine.
"Ah, nothing like a good, energetic exercise!" he said as he continued his routine.
"I wonder if everyone is alright. I did notice Ace's power was rising when I was about to go unconscious." James is now curious; maybe Ace helped everyone else.
"Ace's got it, hehe!"
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Nourtuck, Town Central: The Tree of Knowledge, Time: 5:45 PM
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Ace finally woke up and rubbed his eyes a little bit. His vision was a little blurry, but he could make out where he was; he stared at the ceiling.
A small lamp hung from the ceiling, and the room looked like a normal guest room. 'Huh, guess we won...' He thought to himself before looking above his head and realized that he had a halo on his head, which surprised him a bit.
'What the hell?! Is it still on? I know that Reborn Form stays for a little for the first time... Wait, am I?' He waved his hand to move the halo, but it remained permanently above his head.
"Oh, thank god, I thought I was dead." He sighed, as he should've known that he was overreacting.
"I wonder where the others are?" he muttered to himself as he got up from his bed and walked down the hall to find the other guest rooms.
He heard some noise coming from the guest room next door to his. "Must be them," he said as he turned the doorknob and saw a sight that he recognized. He smiled a little bit.
James was asleep, but his fist seemed to be stretching out as if he were punching something. Ezra was on the floor, covering one of his eyes in pain as it seemed to have been punched by James. Mianne was asleep in the other bed, deeply in her dreams...
"Same thing as usual, you two?" Ace smirked, relieved to see everyone was still okay.
"HE FUCKING PUNCHED ME IN THE EYE IN HIS SLEEP AGAIN, YOU BORRACHO IRLANDÉS" Ezra yelled as he stood up, the pain from the punch faded away.
"What do you think he's dreaming about?" Ace asked, curious about his captain.
Ezra let out a sigh, "Either, he's training himself in his dream or he's faking it."
"Glad you two are okay and still yourselves. Sorry if I took way too long," Ace said, putting his hand on Ezra's shoulder, surprising Ezra.
"You're complimenting us? I thought you were always 'the perfect child of the Mournsteam family' ?" Ezra began, realizing that James was rubbing on Ace.
Ace realized that he seemed to be loosening up a bit, "Guess I did become a little softer."
Ace grabbed a cup of water, splashing it on James's face, "Great, now you gotta make his dream of him under the waterfall." Ezra remarked.
Ace raises eyebrows, "He should be waking up from it."
"Waaah... I'm up... Dad, I don't want a bath anymore, I'm clean..." James sheepishly said, rubbing his eyes to clear his vision. He looked up and saw both Ace and Ezra looking at him.
"Oh, hey! You guys are alive!" James let out a little laugh, relieved that they all made it through.
James suddenly gasped, "Where's Mianne? I forgot to give her the bread this morning!" James tried to look for her, even looking under the bed.
Ezra and Ace watched him, "Should we tell him?" Ezra asked as Ace shook his head. James failed to realize it was a bunk bed with Mianne on the top bed, still sleeping.
James saw a ribbon on the countertop and he grabbed it, "No! She got turned into an ant! I might have stomped on her!" James was about to scream in despair before hearing a voice.
"I'm up... Good morning, everyone," Mianne said, stretching her back.
"Mianne! I thought you got turned into an ant!" James stated, confusing Mianne in the process.
Mianne noticed that James was up and still intact, just as he always was. She quickly rushed to him and gave both Ace and James a hug. Ace was dumbfounded by this, while James happily accepted it.
"I'm so glad both of you are safe," she said in relief, knowing they had risked their lives for everyone.
"So, did we beat him?" James asked, wondering if they had been kidnapped or not
Mianne nodded, "Yeah, see, all of us can do it together." James cheered, and Mianne could only giggle at his enthusiasm.
The door started to open as someone came in.
"It seems everyone is up and awake," said a mysterious voice as everyone turned to see The Grand Sage waving at them by the door.
"I'm glad everyone is safe and sound. We've been trying to help all of you recover as much as we could." The Grand Sage chuckled a little as he walked closer to them.
"Woah! You got your crown back, gramps!" James exclaimed, staring at the crown atop The Grand Sage.
"Haha! All of you can just call me Maxim, enough with the formality," Maxim replied, amused by James's curious attitude.
Maxim seemed to have his back more to the door, "Hey, Maxim, why are you doing that?" Ezra pointed it out, to which Maxim nervously chuckled.
"Nothing..." This raised even more suspicion as all of them stared at Maxim.
He sighed before revealing who was behind him. It was Koras.
Reacting quickly, both of them grabbed their weapons. Ace's wings burst out of his back again, and James positioned himself in front of Maxim to protect him.
"Stand the hell back! How are you alive?!" Ace yelled, pointing his great swords at Koras. Koras was taken aback and tried to defend himself.
"Woah now! Let's not get too hasty with violence right away!" Koras said, waving his hand in an attempt to defuse the tense situation.
"Please listen to his words! Both he and I can explain this," Maxim intervened, walking toward Koras's side.
"Young man, it seems your magic has purified his soul from evilness completely," Maxim said, pointing at Ace, who was in shock.
"Don't worry, I was as confused as you are. If I wasn't a magic learner, we would've boiled him into human soup, but..." Maxim paused, looking at Koras, who appeared bewildered as he scratched his head.
"It seems he has changed ever since you used your power on him, young man," Maxim said, giving Koras a little pat on the head.
"Guess I do that now," Ace sighed, accepting that he had turned Koras into a completely different person.
"It's alright if you don't trust him, but it isn't important right now," Maxim said, trying to lighten up the mood as he announced something to them.
"We're having a celebration party at the town center! I hope every single one of you can come to the party!" Maxim said, returning to his usual jolly self.
"But I shall now head back to the town center, as I don't want my people to worry about my whereabouts," he said as he left for the party.
"I'm going to the party too, new friend! The last one to reach there is a rotten egg!" Koras exclaimed dramatically, leaving the room.
"We aren't your friends! And we're not accepting your stupid challenge!" Ace yelled, looking around only to realize that everyone had already left. He sighed, feeling defeated.
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Nourtuck, Town Central, Time: 6:00 PM
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The sun started to set as the town center got even busier, people were celebrating the return of their old king, Maxim.
Some of the prisoners decided to stay as well to finally eat a proper meal after being locked up for so long. James and Mianne were astonished at the party, behaving like children.
"James, quickly! Eat the food before they run out! Especially that crystal pie..." James quickly nodded, and both of them jumped into the mountain of crystal pie, devouring each one.
"Jeez, I think you should put them on a leash," Maxwell suggested to Ezra, who shook his head immediately.
"I tried before. Both of them bit my head," Ezra stated, which caused Maxwell to give him a weird look.
As the festivities continued, Maxim, the old king, decided to take center stage and address the crowd. The music softened, and the chatter gradually quieted down as people turned their attention to him.
"Dear citizens of Nourtuck, today marks a momentous occasion. A day of triumph over darkness, a day of reunion, and a day of newfound hope," Maxim began, his voice projecting through the town center.
"We have faced adversity, challenges that tested our unity and strength. But thanks to the courage and determination of these young warriors," he gestured towards James, Mianne, Ace, Ezra, and even Koras, who was now standing among them, "we stand here today, united and free."
The crowd erupted into cheers, clapping and expressing their gratitude. Maxim continued, "Let us not forget the sacrifices made, the battles fought, and the bonds forged in the crucible of adversity. We have witnessed the power of friendship, the strength of community, and the triumph of good over evil."
He looked at Ace with a warm smile, "Young man, your magic has played a pivotal role in purifying a soul consumed by darkness. It is a testament to the potential for redemption that lies within us all."
Ace, still processing the recent events, nodded solemnly. Maxim then turned his gaze to Koras, who stood there with a mix of guilt and remorse on his face. 'So, this is what pride felt like...'
"And to Koras, whose path was once shrouded in darkness, today marks a new beginning. A chance to rebuild, repent, and contribute to the restoration of Sleekhill. Let us embrace this opportunity for redemption and forgiveness."
The crowd, surprisingly, responded with a mixture of cheers and applause. The town was willing to give Koras a chance at redemption.
"In times of crisis, we have seen the strength that comes from unity. Let this victory serve as a reminder that together, we can overcome any challenge. Sleekhill will rise stronger and brighter than ever before!" Maxim declared, his words resonating with the people.
The celebration continued well into the night, everyone was having an absolute blast with the town of Nourtuck was finally saved.
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