|
Sir Arceon -> (AQ) A Chance at Love: A Snugglefest Story (2/18/2013 12:55:29)
|
CnC here.
A Chance at Love: A Snugglefest Story
By Drakonnax
Chapter 1: An Old Threat Returns
"Snugglefest. A time of peace, happiness, and love... BAH, HUMDRAGON!" proclaimed Drakonnax as he headed with his "sibings" on their way to the celebration.
"What's wrong, brother?" asked Sheila. "Don't you enjoy this time of year?"
"Not really," grumbled Drakonnax.
"You're not saying you don't believe in love, are you, Drakonnax?" asked Cyrus.
"No, of course not!" exclaimed the masked Dracomancer. "It's just that... well..."
"You've never been fortunate enough to find it, have you, brother?" asked Gaspar.
Drakonnax sighed sadly. "No, Gaspar, I haven't. And Kamui's machine didn't help me."
Xerxes snickered. "I still can't believe it set you up... hehe... with a ROCK, of all things. Gahahahaha!!!"
"Hardy har har, Xerxes," said Drakonnax, scowling beneath his mask, "hardy har har."
"Well, it's not the worst thing," said Sheila in an attempt to cheer up her human brother. "You could've been matched with a Drakel braggard, or, worse yet, a psychotic Valkyrie..."
"Yeah, by the way," said Gaspar, "how did that date go, Sheila? Did you and Galanoth have a fun time?"
"Wha- well, I-I..." stammered Sheila, a touch of red rising from her blue cheeks. "Er, um... oh, look! The Guardians are here!" she exclaimed in an attempt to change the subject.
Cyrus squinted as he looked ahead. "Yes," he confirmed, "but why are they marching away from town?"
Indeed, a group of Battleon's finest Guardians were proceeding in a small army away from their base, the Guardian Tower, led by Guardian Logan.
"Hail, Guardian Logan!" called Drakonnax. "Where are you all going? Isn't Snugglefest still going on?"
"Hail, Drakonnax!" replied Logan. "Yes, it is, but we have a more pressing matter to attend to. Something that threatens the entire celebration."
"What," asked Xerxes, "is that Kyrie girl going mad again?"
"No," replied Logan.
"Has another Klang gotten lose?" asked Cyrus.
"No," replied Logan. "It is something far more powerful, and much worse..."
"Sir!" exclaimed one of the Guardians. "Love Minions, incoming!"
"Love what?" asked Drakonnax.
The five turned to see a small group of strange beasts heading towards them. They were strange because they were much like centaurs, only they consisted of a white beast's body, with a muscular, pink-haired man's torso where the head should have been. They held bows and arrows of pink light in their clawed hands, and they were rushing straight towards Drakonnax and his Vartai siblings!
"Oh boy. This oughta be fun," said Drakonnax as he and the others prepared for battle.
Drakonnax drew his Blade and Shield of Awe as the one of the creatures engaged him. It started by dispersing its bow and arrow, then forming a heart in its hands. Suddenly, the heart exploded in a fiery burst, catching Drakonnax by surprise. Fortunately for him, the creature had no armor. That, he figured, meant that it would go down much more easily. He threw his weapon to the ground behind him and focused.
"Dragon's Claw!!" he proclaimed. With this, his arm transformed into that of a mighty fire dragon. He swung at the beast, only to find that, to his horror, it had no effect! "This monster must be immune to fire," he thought. "Darn it!"
The creature responded to this by reforming its bow and arrow and firing at him. Drakonnax raised his shield, but the arrow still grazed his arm. He retaliated by slashing at it, leaving a wound in its muscular chest. The monster growled at him, and suddenly reared up on its hind legs, forming a pair of white wings using its powers of light. Drakonnax was so awestruck by this that he found himself unable to act. The beast took advantage of this opportunity to perform its exploding heart attack again, this time right in Drakonnax's face. The resulting blast blew him back, damaging his mask. Drakonnax snarled. Enough was enough.
"That's all I can stands," he growled, "and I can't stands no more!! HALF-DRAGON FORM!!!" In a brilliant burst of light, he transformed into a black-scaled half-dragon, the remains of his mask still covering a small part of his face. "You asked for this," he declared, as he formed a small orb of energy in his hand and hurled it at the beast. Defeated, the strange creature was suddenly enveloped in a white light, and then it vanished.
Drakonnax resumed his human form, then looked around. His siblings were hurt, but still standing. Many of the Guardians were wounded, including Logan.
"What were those things?" Drakonnax asked.
"Love Minions," replied Logan. "Three years ago, they were formed in No Man's Land by a being called Amoria. She called all of Battleon to her like pirates to a Siren, and cocooned them in a large tree. Fortunately, she was defeated, but the return of these creatures leads us to believe that she may be back." Logan then looked to Drakonnax and his brethren. "Will you help us to find her and stop her before this happens again?"
The five looked at one another. Then, Cyrus stepped forth.
"We shall," he answered.
Logan grinned. "So be it," he declared. He turned to the Guardians. "Gentlemen," he said; then, as a collective "ahem" rose from the female Guardians, "and ladies, on this day, we hunt down and slay Amoria before she can ruin Snugglefest!"
The Guardians cheered.
"And this time," Logan continued, "we have the honor and privelige of the Vartai Royals' company!"
The Guardians cheered again, and Logan led them to the west, towards the place of desolation known as No Man's Land. As the others walked off, Drakonnax noticed that Sheila had a worried look on her face.
"Something wrong, Sheila?" asked Drakonnax.
"When Kyrie went berserk yesterday," said Sheila, "she had a pair of those... things... with her."
Drakonnax's face widened slightly in shock. "You don't think..." he began.
"I don't know," replied Sheila, "but I sure hope not."
As the two followed the others, Drakonnax took off what remained of his mask and looked at it. Originally, it had been white, in the shape of the demonlike helm of his uncle, Drakonnan. But now, it was badly cracked, and the horns and fangs had been blasted off.
"If her minions were that strong," he thought, "just how powerful is Amoria herself?"
Chapter 2: Revelations of the Heart
After walking for a few hours, it began to grow dark. As the Guardians set up camp, Drakonnax looked at the sky. The clouds were drifting away and the stars were beginning to emerge. He felt... happy, somehow, as though the stars were calling his name...
"Hey, Drakonnax!" called Xerxes. "If you're through stargazing, how about helping us set up camp?"
Drakonnax snapped back to his senses. "Coming, Xerxes!" he called. He turned to look at the stars once more, then rushed off to set up the tents.
Later, while the others slept, Drakonnax lay awake. He kept thinking about the conversation between him and his brothers earlier that day. He knew Xerxes was only joking when he laughed at Drakonnax's date with the rock, and he knew Gaspar didn't mean to rub it in when he said that Drakonnax had never been lucky enough to find love. That was the part that stuck in his mind. Never lucky enough to find love... never found love... never...
His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling from outside. More Love Minions? He grabbed his Blade of Awe and slowly peeked out from his tent. He looked around. Then he saw the source of the noise. It was Sheila. She had left her tent and was sitting on a stone, now looking up at the stars. She seemed to be deep in thought.
Drakonnax sheathed his Blade and walked out to join her. She turned to him as he approached.
"Couldn't sleep either, brother?" she asked.
Drakonnax shook his head and sat on the ground beside her. He looked up at the stars with her, trying to see if he could find any Lorian constellations. They sat silently for a few minutes. Then Drakonnax spoke up.
"Sheila," he asked, "do you think it's possible that everyone is meant to be loved?"
She paused for a moment, then answered.
"I suppose everyone has loved at one point," she said. "Zorbak loves Mu-Glen, Aquella has eyes for Captain Rhubarb, we all know Hans likes Aria..."
"And what about you and Galanoth?" Drakonnax asked. "Do you think there's a chance for you two?"
Sheila looked at him for a moment in surprise, then turned, blushing slightly. She answered after a few moments.
"I would like to think so," she said simply. "Granted, Galanoth is a Dragonslayer, but... I sense that he has changed since the alliance. Maybe there is a chance..."
Drakonnax smiled at the thought. "Sheila and Galanoth, a Vartai and a Dragonslayer... I guess stranger things have happened," he thought. He remained silent for a few moments, then spoke his mind.
"And me?" he asked. "Do you think I'll ever find someone?"
Sheila waited a moment before answering.
"I believe that there is someone for everyone," she said, "and that includes you. If you hope strongly enough, maybe someday you'll find the one you're looking for."
Drakonnax smiled at his sister. He knew she was trying to cheer him up. He looked up at the stars. It seemed to him that tonight, they were shining brighter than ever before...
Suddenly, he saw something strange. It looked like one of the stars was glowing... pink? And it was moving!
"Sheila, look there. What is that?" he asked.
She looked up and saw what her brother had seen. "I've never seen anything like that before," she said.
Suddenly, the pink star seemed to come right for them! Drakonnax leapt up, drawing his weapon.
"Look there!" called one of the Guardians that Logan had put on watch. The others turned in his direction, and saw a large orb of glowing pinkish light heading for their camp!
"Fire at will!" shouted another Guardian as he armed his bow. The Guardians fired several arrows at the light, but it seemed to dodge every one of their shots! It suddenly flew off in another direction, away from the camp!
Drakonnax raced to his tent, gathered his items, put on what was left of his mask, and began to chase after the pink light.
"Where are you going?!" called Sheila.
"I'm gonna get to the bottom of this!" Drakonnax replied. He then shifted into his Half-Dragon Form and sped off after the light.
He chased the light for nearly an hour, following it right into No Man's Land. It seemed to him that the light, whatever it was, was trying to escape from him. He kept flying, the light mere yards in front of him. Suddenly, the light banked a sharp right turn, taking Drakonnax by surprise, and dove into a nearby cave. Drakonnax touched down at the entrance and resumed his human form. It suddenly occurred to him how tired he really was. He had gotten no sleep, and the fact that he'd spent most of his energy maintaining his Half-Dragon form didn't help. He peered into the cave and saw the pink light, glowing softly beind a large boulder. He equipped his Blade and Shield of Awe and slowly entered the cave.
When he reached the stone, he hid on the side opposite of the pink light. He knew that whatever this thing was, it must have been tied to the Love Minions somehow, and he knew that this would be a dangerous battle. He steeled his nerves and jumped out from behind the rock, pointing his Blade toward the source of the light. His face then widened, as he found himself staring at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was clad in pink cloth, her long pink hair around her shoulders. She had large white wings, like an angel, and her eyes glowed with a pink light. She herself glowed faintly as she lay on the ground, looking frightened.
"Please," she begged silently, "don't kill me."
Drakonnax stood staring at her for a few moments, captivated by her beauty. Then he remembered that she might still be dangerous. He kept his Blade pointed at her.
"Who are you?" he demanded. The girl said nothing, still looking at him with fear in her eyes. "Answer me!" he said, raising his voice.
The girl still lay silently before she answered.
"My name is Amoria."
Chapter 3: Heart-to-Heart
Drakonnax could not believe what he had just heard.
"You?!" he asked. "You're Amoria?!"
She nodded slowly. "I am."
For a while, nobody moved. Drakonnax simply couldn't believe this girl was the one everyone was hunting.
"I want answers," he demanded.
"So be it," Amoria said. "But first..."
Drakonnax cautiously lowered his weapon, sat down, and began questioning her.
"Why do the Guardians consider you a threat?" he asked.
"I was born through the power of Visia the Shaper," she began. "Three years ago, the Snugglefest celebration sparked her hidden desire for love. This clashed with her uncreation powers, and eventually grew so strong that it escaped her and took physical form."
"You," Drakonnax guessed.
Amoria nodded. "I gained quite a bit of Visia's power," she continued. "It acted as a Siren's Song, drawing all of Battleon to me. The more love energy I absorbed, the stronger I became, and the power drove me mad. I created a giant tree, and within it I imprisoned all who had come to me. It was only through the combined efforts of my sister and a few of Battleon's heroes that I was defeated. When I fell, the power I had taken returned to her, and all those imprisoned were freed."
It made sense now. If Amoria had that kind of power, then she was a very serious threat. But something didn't make sense.
"How are you back?" Drakonnax asked.
"When I was defeated the first time, only my physical body was destroyed," Amoria said. "My consciousness remained, but without my body, I was no more than a lost soul. Over the years, I tried to amass whatever love energy I could, trying to regain physical form. It took three years, even with the yearly Snugglefest celebrations. I barely have enough power to form my Love Minions, let alone shift into my more powerful form."
More powerful form? No wonder Logan wanted to stop her. Drakonnax had seen many transformations in his day, and those who could change often showed their true power when they transformed.
"You knew we were after you, didn't you?" he asked. "That's why you sent those Love Minions after us."
"Yes," Amoria confessed. "But they were only meant to slow you down."
"You didn't send them to kill us?"
"Three years is a long time to think about what you've done," she said. "I'm not the monster I once was, but I was afraid that no one would believe me. So I ran."
Drakonnax thought about this for awhile. He didn't know what to think. Was she telling the truth? Had she changed? Or was she just trying to get his guard down?
"Well?" she asked. "Aren't you going to kill me?"
Drakonnax decided.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "If you really have changed, then I think I can afford to give you a chance."
Amoria smiled. Drakonnax found himself staring at her again. He fell over suddenly, and Amoria caught him just before he crashed to the floor.
"I forgot how tired I was," he said, chuckling.
"You should rest," said Amoria. She focused. In a moment, two orbs of white light formed before her, then fully transformed into Love Minions.
"Guard the entrance," she said.
"Yes, milady," said the Minions in identical voices, who then walked off. Amoria laid Drakonnax's head down slowly. The last thing he thought before he fell asleep was, "I hope she really has changed. I would hate to have to fight such a beautiful girl..."
When Drakonnax woke up, the first thing he saw was Logan, pointing his Guardian Blade at Drakonnax's throat.
"Don't move, traitor," he said, "or this'll be the last morning you ever see."
Chapter 4: Heart's Final Beat
"Logan, what are you doing?" Drakonnax asked.
"My job," declared Logan. "All traitors must be punished by death or imprisonment."
"Traitors!?" asked Drakonnax angrily. "You're out of your mind!" He slapped aside Logan's blade and leapt up to see that the Guardians had Amoria in chains. She was looking at him with fear and confusion in her eyes.
"Let her go!" Drakonnax demanded, a moment before he, too, was clapped in irons. "What the- GET THESE OFF OF ME!!!" he demanded.
The Guardians grabbed Drakonnax by the arms and led him before Cyrus and the others.
"Drakonnax," Cyrus asked disappointedly, "how could you? How could you betray us like this?"
"No!" insisted Drakonnax. "It's not what you think, I promise!" He looked to each of them desperately. "Come on, guys, you know me! I would never do something like that! You gotta believe me!"
It soon became obvious that his pleas were falling upon deaf ears. Well, perhaps not completely. The Guardians began to drag Drakonnax away, when Sheila spoke up.
"Wait," she said, gathering stares from everyone, "let him speak. I want to hear what he has to say."
"Fine," Logan said angrily, "but make it quick."
Drakonnax breathed a sigh of relief. As the Guardians holding him rather rudely pushed him forward, he told of how he had discovered Amoria in the cave. He told them what she had told him, that she had learned her lesson and that she was no longer a threat. When he finished, he looked to everyone. Amoria was looking at him in a way he could not interpret. He couldn't tell if she was worried that they would not believe him, or glad that he had defended her, or both. Cyrus and the others looked as if they didn't know what to believe. Only Logan still glared at him.
"In all my life," he said," I have never heard a greater LOAD OF MAWLER DUNG!!! Take him away!"
"No!" said Cyrus, rushing forward. It was clear that he had decided in Drakonnax's favor.
"Be still, Cyrus," commanded Logan, "before you are tried for treason as well!"
"He said, let him go!" Xerxes shouted, lifting his axes.
"STOP!"
All eyes turned to Amoria.
"He speaks the truth," she said. "He has done nothing to conspire against you."
"Amoria," asked Drakonnax, "what are you doing?"
She looked at him and smiled compassionately. "Taking punishment for my crimes," she said. Then she turned to Logan. "I'm the one you want," she said. "Spare him; take me instead."
"NO!!" Drakonnax shouted, trying to break from the Guardians' hold. "Let her go!"
Logan grinned as he swaggered up to Amoria.
"I accept, witch," he said, his smug grin turning to a scowl.
Suddenly, he heard Drakonnax's struggles turn to beastly growling. He turned, and saw Drakonnax's eyes glowing a furious shade of orange. Suddenly, his arrogance turned to fear as he remembered that Cenara, head of the Shadowslayer order, otherwise known as the Dracopyre Gracefang, had shared her powers with Drakonnax long ago.
"I said," Drakonnax half-growled as he transformed, "let... HER... GO!!!"
Suddenly, Drakonnax was no longer there. In his place was the Graceful Dracopyre known throughout Darkovia and beyond as the dreaded Bloodmane.
Filled with primal rage and supernatural strength, Bloodmane broke his bonds and threw the Guardians aside like toys. Then he started to plow through the other Guardians, leaving none that crossed his path unwounded. When Drakonnax became Bloodmane, he had great trouble controlling the combined ferocity of a Vampire, a Werewolf, and a Dragon. But it was clear now that he was making no effort. He had to stop them before they could hurt her, and to do that, he gave Bloodmane full control.
It was not Drakonnax who acted next. It was Bloodmane. It was Bloodmane who clawed through Guardian Armor like paper. It was Bloodmane who galloped towards Logan on all fours, red foam flying from his mouth and punishment in the most painful of forms in his mind. And it was Bloodmane who leapt through the air, roaring like the lion he slightly resembled, only to feel the jagged head of a Guardian Spear plunge into his chest.
He saw Amoria scream out, tears in her eyes, but he did not hear her. He did not hear Xerxes' screams of rage. All he heard was the beating of his heart and the voice in his head calling him a fool. He saw Amoria shove the Guardians holding her aside, grab the handcuff keys from one of them, frantically unlock her cuffs, rub her chafed wrists, and run towards him, not bothering to fly.
He felt great pain stab through his body as she carefully pulled the spearhead out, and greater pain as he changed back to Drakonnax. Amoria cried as she lifted his head. He smiled weakly as he brushed away her tears.
"Amoria," he said weakly, "can I tell you a secret?"
She nodded, sobbing.
"I used to think love was only true in stories," he said. "But that.. ngh.. was before... I met..."
He never finished his sentence.
Amoria sobbed for several minutes. The Guardians, especially Logan, hung their heads in grief and shame. Gaspar and Xerxes did the same, while Cyrus embraced a weeping Sheila. Drakonnax, their human brother... was dead.
Then Amoria's sadness turned to anger. A blazing anger which seemed to fill her entire body. Then she realized. Something she observed in her time as a wandering consciousness. When someone lost someone they loved, they became sad, then angry... someone they loved... could it be? Was this... love? She may have been the embodiment of love, but she had never experienced it herself... and now, it was giving her greater power than she had ever known!
She rose into the air and was engulfed by a blinding pink light. When the light cleared, she had changed. She had a set of dragonfly wings accompanying her own, and a pair of small dragon wings on either of her sides. Her left arm had changed into the head of a roaring beast with a whipping tongue, and her right, the head and neck of a dragon. She was garbed in only a winding vine with pink blossoms and broad leaves around her torso, and a pink veil like flower petals around her waist. Her legs had become a long, twisting, white tail, ending in a pink flower bud with twin leaves like the blades of a battle-ax. This was her stronger form. This was the form she had used to almost crush the heroes of Battleon three years ago. And now, this was the form she would use to destroy the Guardians who had killed the hero she had come to love!!
"AND NOW, GUARDIAN, YOU SHALL KNOW WHY HECK HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED!!!" she said in a booming, rage-filled voice, as her dragon head threw a stream of pink flame upon the Guardians.
Final Chapter: Undying Love
As Amoria lay waste to the Guardians, she did not hear the sound of beating wings behind her. Suddenly, she was struck in the back by an orb of energy. She turned angrily to see Cyrus, in his Half-Dragon Form, getting ready to throw another.
"Amoria," he said simply, "stand down."
"MAKE ME, DRACOMANCER," she challenged.
"Be careful what your wish for," Xerxes threatened, "you just might get it!"
"Or worse," said Gaspar, flying opposite Cyrus and holding his signature weapon, the Gasparian, "it might get you."
"One last chance, Amoria," said Shiela, readying a fire blast, "stop this or we stop you!"
Amoria threw back her heads and laughed. "FOOLS!" she said. "YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME WHEN I HAVE ACHIEVED THE PINNACLE OF MY STRENGTH!? ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU JUST HOW WRONG YOU ARE!!"
(Yes friends, it's time to GET YOUR BATTLE ON!!!)
Cyrus surprised Amoria by giving up the energy orb and instead going for an aerial attack. Gaspar did the same. She swatted them both aside with her tail as though they were mere flies. Xerxes tried to rush her, but she took him by surprise by opening the flower bud on her tail and releasing a wave of pheremones. Xerxes found himself overwhelmed by it, and suddenly started questioning himself as to why he would dare attack such a beautiful creature. He decided to punish himself by repeatedly hitting himself in the face. As Amoria laughed at this simple fool, she was hit with a burst of fire. Oh yes, she had forgotten about the last one. No matter. She retaliated with her own blast from her dragon head. At this point, Cyrus, having recovered somewhat, flew by and delivered a painful blow with his katana. Amoria shouted with rage and tail-whipped Cyrus back to the ground. It was then that she saw him. The Guardian called Logan. Drakonnax's killer! Now it was his turn to die! Seeing her come towards him, Logan panicked, running as fast as he could. But he didn't get too far(no more than 50 yards) before he found himself at a dead end. His back to the wall, and Amoria, seething with rage, in front of him, he knew now that this was the end.
"YOU... KILLED... DRAKONNAX!!!" she roared. "NOW YOU WILL FEEL THE PAIN I FEEL IN MY HEART... ALL OVER YOUR BODY!!!" She prepared to blast Logan with an immense burst of pink flame, when...
"Amoria, please... urgh... don't do this..." Shiela managed, still lying on the ground from her injuries.
"WHY SHOULD'NT I!?" Amoria raged. "GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T KILL HIM WHERE HE STANDS!!!"
"Because," Sheila said weakly, "it's not what Drakonnax would've wanted."
Amoria's face turned from a look of rage to one of sadness. She wrestled with her thoughts for a moment. Finally, she decided what must be done.
"YOU'RE WRONG," she said. "HE WOULD WANT ME TO AVENGE HIM, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO DO!!!" She prepared to roast Logan alive once more.
Suddenly, a deep rumbling was heard. The sky darkened, and the clouds began swirling(which is NEVER a good sign). The ground split, and from the crack, a purplish glow appeared, as the souls of the fallen reached out, longing for freedom.
"WHAT IS THIS?"
"That," Logan said shakily, "is the calling card of the most feared being on all of Lore..."
As Logan trembled, the very being he spoke of approached in a ghastly canoe, rowing along with his Scythe. He wore a dark hood over his head, and his face was horrifying to look at. It shifted from the withered face of a ghoulish figure to the horrifying, laughing face of a skeleton and back again continuously. There was no question who he was.
"Death," Cyrus proclaimed.
"That's my name," said Death, chucklng sinisterly, "don't wear it out."
"Are... are you here for us?" Sheila asked.
Death began laughing. "Far from it," he said. "As a matter of fact, I've come to make a return."
A previously unseen figure in a dark robe stood up from the back of the boat. He stepped out, then looked at the scene before him.
"Amoria?" he asked. "Is that you?"
No... it couldn't be! "D... DRAKONNAX?"
Drakonnax simply pulled back his hood and smiled.
"DRAKONNAX!!!" Amoria cried happily. She left Logan quaking in his metal armored boots and flew over to Drakonnax. He stood, marveling at her strange, horrifying, yet enchanting new form.
"So," he said, "this is that stronger form you were telling me about?"
Amoria nodded.
Drakonnax looked the whole thing over. "Creepy," he said, "but still beautiful."
Amoria smiled warmly. Then she focused, once more engulfing herself in pink light. When it cleared, she was back to her angelic old self.
Drakonnax looked confused. "I thought you didn't have enough love energy to transform."
"I didn't," Amoria said, "but after you were killed, I realized that... well, I-I mean.."
Drakonnax put his finger to her lips. "I know what you mean," he said, smiling.
The two stood together for a moment, with Cyrus, Sheila, Gaspar, Xerxes, Logan, and the Guardians that were still conscious watching.
"Oh," said Death, "and before I forget..." he rummaged around in the bottom of the boat for a minute before he found what he was looking for. "Ah, here it is!" he said at last. He handed Drakonnax something. "Made you a new mask," he explained.
Drakonnax looked at it and smiled. It was just like the old one. "Thanks, Death," he said.
Death shrugged. "What can I say?" he said. "I'm a sucker for a good love story."
Drakonnax and Amoria blushed slightly.
"See you later, Drakonnax," said Death. "With any luck on your part, much, MUCH later." He began to row off. "And don't forget, you owe me one!"
When Death was out of sight, the crack in the earth sealed up. For awhile nothing happened, then Logan approached, holding a pair of cuffs.
"This is very sweet and all," he said, "but absolutely none of it has cleared Amoria's name! As a matter of fact, she just made everything much worse for her!"
Drakonnax stepped in front of Amoria, ready in case Logan did something stupid, when he heard a familiar voice.
"I can't let you do that, Guardian."
Everyone turned to the speaker. She was just like Amoria, but much darker. She had no wings, and her hair was a mass of black tendrils. It was Visia the Shaper, Amoria's "sister."
"Visia!" Amoria exclaimed.
Visia looked towards her. "Hello, Amoria. I heard you'd come back, so I decided to see for myself."
"And just why," asked Logan, "should I NOT clap this dangerous monster in irons?"
Visia floated down to Logan and got right in his face.
"Two reasons," she said. "One, she is my sister, and two, if you do, I will uncreate you in the most painful way possible."
Logan turned pale and gulped. "Point taken," he said.
Amoria stepped from behind Drakonnax. "Visia," she asked, "why are you defending me? And did you just call me... your sister?"
Visia turned to her. "I knew you were still alive," she said. "I watched over your consciousness as it wandered for the past three years. I knew there was a chance you would change, and since you are a part of me, I felt the need to make sure you were safe, to make sure you went down the right path." She smiled. "I eventually did get used to the idea of you being my sister, however loath I was to accept it at first."
Amoria smiled happily. "Thanks, sis."
"No problem... sis," Visia said with a grin, then flew off.
"Remind me never to make either of those two mad," Xerxes told Cyrus as he watched the whole scene.
Logan, having recovered from his little scare, pulled out a piece of paper, started scribbilng something on it, and finally walked up to Amoria and held it out to her. "I believe this belongs to you," he said. Amoria held the paper and read it aloud.
"'Full Pardon,'" she read. "'This document signifies that Amoria(over the little line that says "insert name of evildoer here") has sworn to renounce their evil ways and is therefore forgiven for their crimes, so long as they forfeit all villianous activity herafter. Signed, Guardian Logan.'" She looked it over. "Does this mean you're letting me go?"
"Given your sister's, erm, temper, I don't really think I have a choice," Logan said. "But remember, this pardon will only last so long as you live up to your promise."
Amoria beamed with glee, then threw her arms around Logan, who found himself blushing.
"Thank you!" Amoria said happily. She let Logan go, then turned to Drakonnax. "So, I guess this means we'll be fighting evil together, huh?"
"I'm looking forward to it," he said with a smile. Then he turned to Cyrus and the others. "I guess you were right, Sheila," he said. "If you hope strongly enough, you'll find the one you're looking for."
Sheila beamed with pride as she tended to the injured Guardians.
Suddenly, a beeping noise, along with a flashing green light, began coming from Drakonnax's pocket. He pulled out his LDC(Long-Distance Communication) orb. "Drakonnax here," he said,
"Drakonnax!" the orb said, flashing. "This is Zephyros! Goliagath accidentally woke up another Klang!"
"NO, I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS YOU THIS TIME!"
"Whatever, you glorified action figure! Drakonnax, we need you to take this thing down, and quick!"
"ZZZZZZEEEEEEEEPHHHHHHYYYYYYY!!!!"
"HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!!!" The orb cut off.
Drakonnax looked to Amoria, then Logan, then to Cyrus and the others.
"Don't worry about us," Gaspar said. "We'll take care of things here."
Drakonnax nodded, then looked to Amoria. "Looks like it's time for our first Adventure together."
Amoria grinned. "I'm looking forward to it," she said.
"Alright then," said Drakonnax, putting on his new mask. "Let's go!"
|
|
|
|
