-=Thankfulness, Fairies, and a Demon’s Return=-

-During his stay outside, one night earlier-

“Please, Shadow, please tell me you’re kidding about this.”

The blue, fire-decorated image of Lord Scorpion, “standing” in the palm of Shadow’s hand, was distraught from the revelation of the ebon orchid used against Shadow Viper’s group. Having been told of the plant’s non-existence in the Maple World, the assassin had no idea what to make of the revelation. The long-distance conversation through enchanted marbles played out on top of the medical center in which everyone else was.

“I wish I could, I really do,” Shadow muttered. “All I know is that I never use the stuff. Effective as it is, you and I both know that I never used the stuff in the past, not unless absolutely necessary.”

“A bit too noble of a sentiment you had, I always told you,” Scorpion replied with a nod. “Nonetheless, I don’t blame you. That stuff is very dangerous. Only an extremely skilled herbalist or assassin could coat a blade with that. I myself never really had any experience with it, knowing that poison coating doesn’t really work well with tiny stars.” He showed off one of his shuriken to Shadow.

“Well, it’s still a bit early to really draw up some conclusions on its existence here,” Shadow surmised. “Maybe it does grow somewhere on this world. Guess all I can do is keep the stuff in mind, that and my eyes open.”

“Good idea,” Scorpion agreed. “That said, I must admit I kinda envy you. Thirty zombies! That must have been one fierce battle! Not that I don’t like my position, but I wish there was more to do here than work and read.”

Shadow chuckled. “Just try to keep in mind how easy you have it right now,” he said. “I tell you, ever since I first set foot on this place, it’s been one jump through a ring of fire after another.”

“Yeah,” Scorpion said. “Nonetheless, you’re really doing all of us here a big favor by doing this. I just wish the elders would send more than one. In fact, I secretly asked that they let me join you. Logic aside, they told me that traditions would stand and only one will go.” He hung his head, staring crestfallen at the floor.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, we do have an assassin with us nonetheless,” he said. “A girl that’s with us is a killer shot with stars. Nice to see they have that training here.” He paused, looking at the sky for a moment. “That aside, I’m glad you asked. I do kinda wish I had someone else with me.”

“Oh, Shadow!” Scorpion blurted, nearly falling over from sudden laughter. “You DO have friends around you! All these people you keep talking about…they sound like excellent help. I guess even though you a started alone, you ended up alone no longer.”

“They are great help,” Shadow amended with a smile. “I just wish I had an ally from home. It feels like forever since I’ve been gone, even though it’s only been close to a week. I’m not complaining, though. In fact, I feel that ever since I’ve had this blue orb with me…I’ve never been alone.”

Scorpion smiled gratefully. “I’m always around whenever needed, buddy.”

Shadow was about to reply, until a young girl’s scream sounded from within the center. “Crap, trouble!” Shadow said, alarmed. “Sorry, Scorp, I gotta cut it short. Say hi to the elders for me!” Shadow clenched the “fire” as it reverted to an orb and pocketed it before leaping down to the front door.

-the present day, noon-

Amber looked out the window of the room in which she stayed all night, reflecting on whatever she could remember from before as she gazed upon Kerning. The city below was in slightly less of a busy state than normal at the current hour; no doubt many people had turned in for lunch.

Even as she watched the streets, her eyes paid more attention to past visions that she had experienced before, most of all the figure in green that she managed to see. *How on earth did I managed to do that?* she asked herself over and over again as she remembered everything changing before her eyes, the city lot disappearing as it gave way to the invisible fiend being revealed. It was unbelieveable to her; she had no magical powers of any kind that she could remember. She never even trained herself in any spellcasting, shunning the adventurer’s life in lieu of a more peaceful path. Yet yesterday she managed to pierce the green villain’s invisibility. It was all so strange to her.

Despite the confusion, her mind soon realized that it had been a blessing of sorts. Had she not had such a vision, she might not have realized that the floating dagger she first saw was actually about to be thrown at one of her companions. She blocked out a feeling of what might have happened had she not seen the ambush. In a sense, she was glad she could help the group somehow.

However, it did little to gladden her heart, knowing that she, the one member of the group incapable of fighting against the enemy, put herself at peril that the others tried to protect her from. She was certain of the peril she exposed herself to, yet she never backed down from taking it herself. It was that action alone that led her to believe just how much fear and worry she subjected the others to. She saved one person’s life, but everyone was likely horrified by her maneuver. An unfair tradeoff given by fate.

Her sorrow from her actions was further solidified after recalling the last thing she saw before slipping into unconciousness. The face of her friend, Genya, replayed through her mind as she reminisced. She remembered the widened eyes of terror that looked back at her as she fell. She remembered hearing her scream as darkness overtook her.

From that point on, she couldn’t recall anything more than a few noises here and there. Her mind replayed the voices she heard from her companions, urging each other to get her to safety. At one point, she remembered a faint spark of life that arose in her, that told them to take care of the other victims. Right now, she hoped they figured out some way to. After that, the only thing she could recall was the hollow feeling of darkness, no light or sound anywhere. At least, that was what it was for a while.

The next memory soon came into her thoughts. The darkness was pierced by a bright, holy light, a light that felt warm and pure to her, on the inside and outside. At first, it seemed endless, but then an angel came into view. The redhead’s eyes widened somewhat as she remembered who it was: Minerva, the goddess of light and spiritual guardian of the Maple World. Never in her life did Amber expected to see the maiden mother herself so soon. She recalled a feeling of peace that came quickly after, as though the physical, mortal life that she once led was being lifted from her shoulders. It seemed to her like her time had finally come: she would leave behind her life, her friends…everything.

That changed when faraway voices came to her ears. They were varied, yet she recognized many of them. Moreover, they said the same thing over and over again.

Hear our prayer.

The light in her eyes brightened suddenly, as the angel disappeared and she felt her heart start beating. When the brightness subsided, she was alive and well, in her bed with her friends. The rest was history.

Now, she stood on her feet once more, still in her outfit like always, the last bit of pain from her wound and the deadly burning of the poison gone for good. The only reminder of her ordeal was a minor scar and a close-stitched bit of her white blouse top, which had earlier been a hole made by the dagger. She thought about that and giggled to herself, grateful for taking up sewing when she was younger.

A knock on the room door sounded. “Come in,” Amber called out. The door opened, and a beaming Genya entered. She ran up to the ex-patient, arms open wide. Amber received her with a vibrant laugh, and the two hugged tightly.

“I…I thought I’d lost you,” the Raine sister whispered. “I thought we’d lost you.”

“For a moment, I thought I was gone myself,” Amber replied, still holding Genya. “Then I heard your voices. I knew yours was among them. It was easiest to hear….Gen, I’m so sorry for what I did. I’m sure I caused endless heartache and grief for everyone.”

“It’s…it’s alright,” Genya responded. “We were all sad, but we…were grateful for….your help. We felt…we should apologize to you…for what happened to you.”

“Tell them not to worry,” Amber said. “I brought it upon myself for your sake. Besides, I’m alive in the end, and that’s what truly matters.”

The friends eventually let go as they heard someone else approach. The priestess dressed in purple stood before them. She bowed before speaking. “It’s good to see you up once more…Amber, I was told. I’m Layenna, priestess, healer, and niece of the doctor here. I’m sorry our care wasn’t adequate for you, as it was your friends who truly saved you, with that prayer of theirs.”

“Please, don’t apologize!” Amber said quickly. “You all did everything you could for me, and believe me when I say simply going out of your way to help me is something I’m extremely thankful for.”

“We were more than happy to assist you,” Layenna replied. “I should tell you that lunch is ready. The others are downstairs eating right now. We’re having ramen today.”

“Sounds great,” Amber said eagerly. “Ramen’s a big favorite of mine. How about you, Gen?”

Genya nodded as the two girls headed out of the room, hand in hand.

-om nom nom nom(cheap eating noises)-

“So, this Minerva is this world’s goddess and protector, you say?” Shadow asked amidst some ramen.

“Indeed, as it is taught,” Emma explained. “Of course, we use the term ‘protector’ a bit loosely. As a spiritual being, Minerva doesn’t actually exist here. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone here who doesn’t believe offering prayer to her will help them somehow. You could call it a feeling of safety and security that people feel from it.”

“Well, considering what she did for us last night, I’d say she’s certainly a helpful being,” Shadow said earnestly. “Has anything like that ever happened before?”

“No, not that I know of,” Damien said. “Heck, not that any of us know of, I believe.” He looked at Amber, the Raines, and the Crow as he asked. All of them nodded. “Not to dampen anyone’s spirit or anything,” the swordsman continued, “but I honestly never expected anything to happen that night. I simply couldn’t bear seeing everyone distraught and out of hope like that, and made the suggestion.”

“It was a benevolent and selfless idea all the same,” Amber said gratefully. “I thank you for it.”

“So, she’s simply revered for what she symbolizes then?” Shadow guessed.

“Not just what she symbolizes,” Emma answered. “You see, hundreds of years ago, when the world was young, Minerva was a living person. In fact, she was one of this world’s first inhabitants.”

“She was well-known back then as much as she is today,” Amber added. “She was more than just a person, as history teaches us. In fact, it is known back then that she had powers that we could only dream of today.”

Shadow and Moira exchanged glances, both greatly interested by the tale. “So, she was one of the first humans, then?” Moira said.

“Actually, she was THE first human,” Emma explained. “However, she wasn’t the first being. The first beings to exist on this world were fairies.”

“Fairies?” Shadow asked, perplexed. “What are these…fairies?”

“Fairies are immortal creatures with wings. Other than that, they appear as humans like us. They do have some magical abilities not known by humans. I’ve seen one or two myself. They can usually be a bit condescending to humans, but are overall rather friendly. They’re helpful as well, usually provided you’re helpful to them.”

“I’m surprised Minerva herself wasn’t a fairy,” Minerva said, suprised from what she was learning. “What exactly were her powers?”

“I’m interested in how she became a goddess, if she started out as a person,” Shadow added.

“Easy with the questions!” Emma exclaimed suddenly. The room was quiet for a moment. “Sorry about that,” Emma apologized, eventually breaking the silence. “I’d be more than happy to share my knowledge with you, but even I don’t know that much. If you’d like to know more, you can always go to Ellinia’s library. They have a lot of knowledge on Minerva.”

“Fairies also still exist today, though not in the numbers they used to,” Amber added. “They mainly dwell in Orbis, though a few also live in Ellinia. They can tell you anything the books can’t, I’m sure.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Shadow said. Moira nodded on that. “In the meantime, let’s finish our noodles.”

“Done,” Genya said immediately. She sat back on the couch in a more relaxed position, inadvertently belching as she got comfortable. She immediately covered her mouth, eyes wide and face red. “Excuse…me.” Everyone else burst into laughter.

Time passed, the meal having finished. Shadow and the group were eventually set to leave Kerning, renewed from last night and ready to continue the quest. Before leaving, they took a few moments to thank Layenna and the doctor for their help.

“Our door is always open if you ever need anything,” the doctor said.

“We hope your future travels see you well,” Layenna added. “In fact, I’m rather confident they will, considering the help Minerva gave us last night.”

“Good fortune be with you two and your business,” Shadow returned. The group waved as they headed off.

As they neared the city border, Genya asked, “Where…to…now?”

“Well, lessee,” Shadow began, deep in thought. “All four lightbringers are together, yet the evil source remains to be discovered…maybe someone around here knows where we should go…maybe a job master.”

At that moment, a blast of smoke suddenly appeared. The group waited tensely as the smoke subsided, but found that they didn’t have to wait long when Dark Lord appeared from the mist. Amazingly enough, he wasn’t alone. Dances with Balrogs, Athena Pierce, and Grendel the Really Old followed.

“Job masters!” The entire group shouted in unison. Shadow stepped forward. “We were about to talk to one of you guys. We were wondering where to go next, now that we, the chosen, have been unified.”

“Indeed,” Dark Lord stated. “We have heard of your success, and we are proud of you all. The angel we spoke of-Minerva-told us of your success, and even aided you in a matter regarding a friend. You’ve all come very far in a short time, and this is good indeed. However, our true purpose for our arrival bears you ill tidings.”

“After Minerva gave us the good news,” Dances added, taking over, “she suddenly felt a great disturbance, as though some great evil was suddenly on the rise, and aiming for you.”

“All of us?” the Crow asked, greatly concerned.

“Well, it’s the four chosen, to be sure,” Athena corrected, “though I have a feeling they may go for anyone aiding them as well.”

“Any idea what this actual evil could be?” Damien inquired.

“We don’t know for certain,” Grendel said. “It didn’t come clear to us right away, but Minerva said it was a very strong presence, though it only came from one being. She was eventually forced out of our minds, forced away from communication, but she did tell us to let you know.”

“Goodness, I wonder who or what it could be?”Amber asked aloud. Meanwhile, the others were deep in thought.

“Strong presence…one being,” Shadow reiterated to himself. As he thought, his mind recollected on who he had seen that had evil intents…Sethafon, the sword warrior…the lizard creature…the Victorian Oni-

His mind suddenly stopped. The Victorian Oni? No, impossible. That fiend had already made his appearance, and according to known fact, wasn’t to appear again for another three months.

“From what I’ve seen, I have only two ideas in mind,” Shadow concluded. “Either the lizard creature, or that swordsman.”

“Don’t forget a yellow ninja,” Damien suggested. “I’ve had plenty of run-ins with such a character.”

Amber’s ears perked at that remark. *Yellow…ninja?* she thought, tensing.

“What about a blue ninja?” Emma added. “We’ve only seen such a person once, but he was with the swordsman at the time.”

“They’re all good suggestions,” Shadow thought allowed. Despite the possible answers, no ideas were certain. Eventually, Shadow turned to the jobmasters. “Did Minerva come up with any other clues?” he asked.

“No, I’m afraid not,” Dances answered, the others shaking their heads in agreement. “All we can say is that with this urgent of a warning, the evil could be here soon.”

“But when? And where?” Moira asked. Just as everyone started to think on that, however, a sudden bright flash of light shone in between the group of adventurers and the group of job masters. A transparent form of the angel Minerva appeared, though she appeared to be straining, as if fighting some unseen force.”

“Everyone!” Minerva cried out, pained. “This presence…it is growing stronger and stronger by the second! I’ve used all my power so that I may contact you, but I don’t know how long I can maintain it! This force of evil…it comes from one being, yet…it’s immense, unbearable…worse yet, it’s about to arrive, and soon! It…it…aaaaaAAAAGH!” The angel gave out from the pressure and disappeared.

“No new names, no new clues…” Dark Lord said. “However, if a goddess had this much difficulty in contacting us, then I can only think of one person…no, creature, that could fit this.”

“It…it can’t be,” Athena began objecting. “That demon already appeared, there’s no way it can come back…is there?”

At once, everybody began looking at each other. The same thought ran through their minds as the possibility came to life, despite the reasoning that stood against it. Even though they all thought it impossible, doubt stuck to them, and it began to grow.

At one point in the silence, the four coins suddenly emerged from the chosen, glowing brightly. The coins then hovered over to a clearing outside the city, above a patch of grass. As the coins glowed, a dark, shadowy spot suddenly appeared on the ground. The darkness started as a small spot, but eventually began to grow. When it was big enough, the coins stopped glowing and returned to their owners.

Everyone watched as the spot grew larger and larger, their hearts racing. Before long, the ugly truth finally came to life in all of them.

“Impossible,” the Crow uttered. “Unthinkable.”

“Nonetheless,” Shadow said, “it’s back. Everyone….RUN!”

Upon his command, everyone dashed away, back to the city. As they ran, Dark Lord triggered a button on his belt that signaled a city-wide alarm. In the distance, the collective could see all the townspeople suddenly begin dashing off the streets, heading for the nearest indoor spot.

As they ran, the Crow looked back. “Everyone, wait!” she said, skidding to a halt. “The darkness, it stopped growing!” Everyone watched as the darkness pulsated in place in front of them. The pulsating quickened; something was clearly about to happen.

Dark Lord and the other job masters began heading back to the city again. “We’ll make sure the townspeople are safe!” he called back as he ran. “The rest of you…if there is any way to beat that monster, or at least hold it back from the city, now’s the time to do it!”

“He’s right,” the Crow said. “This invincible creature…as impossible as it sounds, we have to stop it.”

Everyone else nodded. “Any ideas?” Damien asked as the darkness began growing slowly upward.

Silence passed as everyone thought. As they did so, the darkness eventually shot upwards into the sky with a deafening bang, followed by a loud, ferocious roar. After the noise subsided, the darkness fell away, revealing a six-foot tall, black armor-clad man of a monster. A demonic mask hid his face.

The Victorian Oni let out a triumphant roar as he made his presence known, then held up his greatsword, pointing it at each of the chosen.

Shadow took a deep breath as he beheld the Victorian Oni up close. “Just two at the moment,” he said as an answer. “Survive….and pray.”

—————————————————————————–

He’s BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! Heh, hope my fellow readers didn’t forget about him! The invincible demon is back, and must be stopped. How? Don’t ask me….cuz I’ll never tell.>>

Mountain Dew for you^^

Previous Installments:

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