Mechanos existed in the previous universe as a desolate planet. A scientist explorer arrived on the planet and used microbots to devour poison from a pond, and in a flash, those microbots evolved into dinosaurs overnight. The next day, there were cave-bots, then there were humanoid robots, and then their entire beings evolved into energy. It was believed that robots did everything faster than humans, including evolve, but Mechanos was reborn as a New Planet thanks to Bender's input. It was a paradise to robots and flesh beings who adored or created robots. Manufacturers like Mom or Eggman were treated with especially high status.
Jenny Wakeman was created by a lesser-known scientist called Nora Wakeman, modeled to resemble the common teenage girl. This was meant to help her blend in and empathize with humans, but considering her wide assortment of transformations and weapons, she realized she worked better as a KND operative. Her arm was changed into a hammer as she bashed and smashed the head of an Egg Hammer. "Jenny, watch out! There are more coming!" yelled the Silver Shell.
A swarm of zombie-like robots were dragging their selves up the street. They seemed like they were fresh from the scrap heap, moving under the power of a ghostly white aura. "Has Eggman started recycling or something?" Jenny asked, questioning the threat they posed.
The Scrapbots were magnetically drawn to each other, becoming larger robots as they charged at the operatives. Sheldon wrestled with one, and another slashed a large sword at Jenny, who blocked it with six swords made from her arms. "There's something different about these robots, Jenny!" the Shell said. "I feel a weird power!"
"I don't even feel life readings from them! This is definitely strange… And where did Arale wander off to?! We could seriously use her help!"
…
"Hohohoy! Hohohoy!" Somewhere downtown, Arale was happily throwing her purple-haired head up and down, her expression cheery and pure. She blissfully approached a stand run by a blue, robot bird. Arale screwed her head back on and said, "I'd like a smoothie please!"
"Craw? What kind?"
"Dinosaur oil!"
"Okay." The bird-bot turned around, prepared the smoothie, and gave it to Arale.
The child casually began sipping on the straw. "ROOOOAAAR!" A tremendous, bulky dino-bot stormed around some buildings and spotted the little prey. The beast charged at Arale, the child turning with quizzical eyes. Dimentia dashed in the way of the dino and stopped it with her hand. The dino struggled to push against her, but Leic jumped and sliced his way up its body. Butterflies fluttered out of the machine, leaving it totally lifeless as it collapsed.
"Sylistys is able to control robotic corpses, too?" Plex asked. "Then she isn't just a bonebender…"
"Hi-cha. Who are you?"
Dimentia glanced back at Arale. Because this was a more public area, the Zathurian was wearing a hood to conceal her identity. "Do you live around here, little girl? It's not safe to be outside, you should go hide somewhere."
"You want to go play hide-and-seek?" asked the spectacled robot.
"Tee hee!" Leic giggled. "Sure, we can play hide-and-seek if you want."
"… …Hoyo?" Arale was pondering Dimentia's silence.
"Wait, you're a robot." Dimentia realized. "Heh, sorry Leic, robots can't see spirits."
"But she can see you okay."
"I'm a different kind of spirit."
"Now you know how I feel." Plex remarked. "…Dimentia!"
A giant Mechaworm dove at them, but Dimentia dashed under its mouth, stabbing her dual swords up against the beast and cutting twin perfect lines down its body. Once past it, Dimentia watched as the worm fell dead, its bottom split into three. Arale simply stared at the monster, her mouth an 'o', completely unfazed by the threat. "Hoyo?"
Dimentia narrowed her eyes and faced the puppeteer of these beasts. "So, you're showing yourself early." she said to Sylistys. "Have you finally decided to stop running?"
"My master is tending to an important meeting. She doesn't need you to interrupt her."
"I knew it! There IS another Daemonis here! What are you two planning?!"
"Hey! Stylist!" shouted another voice. Behind the bonebender was Omelette, riding a small hover pod. "That girl is one of the KND operatives! Stomp her!"
Dimentia and Leic leapt to block Arale from her view. "You have a little sidekick of your own now?"
"I'm not her sidekick!" Omelette yelled. "I'm her supervisor! Papa wants me to watch her!"
"It's just one problematic child after another." Plex sighed.
"You're not hurting anyone else, Sy." Dimentia vowed. "We're stopping you for good!"
"We'll see about that." Sylistys bent up some metal to encase herself in armor. (Play "Iron Jungle" from Shadow the Hedgehog!)
Stage D-3: Scrap Brain City
Mission: Subdue Sylistys and her accomplice!
Dimentia charged at the bonebender and slashed her Space Swords, Sylistys enduring in her armor as she willed blades to pierce up from the ground. Dimentia ran further away and ran sideways to better evade her attacks. She relinked the bow and shot an arrow, Sy dodging as she brought up and hurled a metal snake. Dimentia grabbed the snake, spun, and swung it into Sy, who sliced it with her bending. Dimentia ran closer and swung the rest of the snake, Sy chopping it lower each time before attempting to shoot blades at Dimentia. The Inviere dodged and shot an arrow—the arrow went through Sy's armor and warped her to the arrow that was loosed earlier. Once disarmed, Leic ambushed her from behind with a stab, Sy clutching the angel in metal claws, but Dimentia leapt to land more sword slashes.
"Whatever, I'll just deal with you myself." Omelette said to Arale. She launched missiles from her pod, but Arale dodged them with ease.
"Are we playing tag? You're it!!" Arale about-faced and zoomed up the street with superhuman speed. Sylistys looked to her and pursued, summoning a motorcycle over with her bending. The woman leapt on the cycle and sped after Arale. Dimentia raced after the creation, but Scrapbots jumped out from behind buildings, one stretching the wire of its arms to grab her. It slammed Dimentia around the ground before Leic sliced her free. Dimentia flipped upright and shot an arrow at a Scrap-Arm, dodging the others' whipping arms as she sniped them all with arrows. She continued running up the street, the road leading to a highway.
She could see the road sloping down and turning left in the distance, and it seemed Sylistys had chased Arale that far, only for the girl to be cornered at a roadblock of Scrapbots. "Get on, Leic, we have to hurry!" Dimentia lifted the boy on her shoulders and raced across the highway with full speed. Sylistys had broken off parts of the road, so Dimentia performed a terrific leap over a gap. Scrap-Cycles tried to intercept her, but she cut them down without halting her pursuit. She leapt the following gap, but some Scrap-Cycles sped ahead and pulled ropes to tug the slanted road back up. Luckily, Leic flapped his wings to pull Dimentia up and land her on the road, the Inviere racing forward to slice the robots that tried to impede her.
Dimentia leapt segmented platforms of the highway while Scrap-Copters tried to cut her down in the air, only to be butter-fied by Leic. Past the platforms, the highway would curve left, and bulldozer Scrapbots would block their way to Arale. Dimentia lured them close together and encased them in a circle of arrows. Trapping them in Nega-Zone, Dimentia forced all the Scrap-Dozers together with a Gravity Field, smashing them all into a perfectly rounded ball. Dimentia took the ball and kicked it directly forward, bashing Sylistys clear in the head.
The Scrap-Ball bounced off as if it were a simple rubber ball, Sylistys' head bending from the impact, but she dropped Arale. Dimentia caught up to the creation and lashed her blades. Sylistys evaded some attacks and suddenly pushed Dimentia away with a metal panel. Leic jumped off her shoulders and sliced down Sy's front, but she kicked him away in quick retaliation. Dimentia charged at her, but Sy quickly yanked up the road to block and envelop the Inviere. She bent that chunk of road into a ball shape and began to crush Dimentia inside it.
Leic attacked Sy to stop her, but she used her left hand to fly metal blades at him, using her right to keep squeezing the ball. Sylistys flipped up 10 blades and sent them from all sides of Leic—the boy suddenly warped and poofed beside the ball. "Huh?!" Confused, the boy looked down: there was a tiny Dimentia at his feet, along with an Arrow Warp. "WAH?! Dimentia, what happened?! You're so cute!"
"I just shrank my dimensions and slipped through a hole in that ball, nothing unusual. Felt easier than trying to push it open." Dimentia stretched back to normal and ran to stab Sylistys, but the latter pulled up two blades from behind Dimentia, stabbing her back. Leic commanded butterflies to pull the blades out of her, then he ran around to cut Sy's hip. She could feel him trying to butter-fy her, so she pushed him away and broke away from Dimentia.
Sylistys about-faced… Arale had disappeared. There was large pounding in the distance, and they saw the child in question casually bouncing the Scrap-Ball Dimentia had just used, going further uptown. "Man, do I gotta do everything?!" Omelette soared by on a miniature warplane, grabbing Sylistys in a claw and flying after Arale. Dimentia lifted Leic and leapt off the highway, landing and leaping across rooftops. They arrived at some taller buildings, in which Dimentia made a Grav-Path going up the side of one.
They stepped off on a walkway, where a Gearmo (maid robot) was angrily trying to sweep large Scrap-Bugs off the building. Leic happily Felix, hammering a nail into the side of a windowsill. Sadly, Scrap-Printers burst out of random windows, using spider legs to cling on. A printer burst out of Felix's window, sending him falling and screaming.
"Kickball-CHA!" From directly below, Arale kicked the Scrap-Ball skyward, striking Felix as he went blasting to the sky. "Hoyo?" She gazed intently as the ball seemed to leave the atmosphere. "Oh! I'll catch it!" And she kept running.
Dimentia made another Nega-Zone, catching all the Scrap-Printers inside and flattening them to a two-dimensional disc. Dimentia carried the disc and walked around the broken windows. From the edge of the building, they were in view of Egg Quarters, the dome-shaped structure of Eggman's likeness. "Leic, get on." She ordered, the angel climbing on the disc. She stuck an Arrow Warp inside it and threw with terrific force, then she stuck herself with another arrow to warp on it as well.
"Wheeeee!" cheered Leic, the two whirling rapidly on the flying disc, until it landed them perfectly on a walkway on the outside of the building. Scrap-Eggrobos flew out on faulty jetpacks, shooting lasers that Dimentia evaded. They also evaded her arrows before going down after a failed dodge, and Leic leapt to grab one's legs and butter-fy its chi, then swung to another to repeat the tactic.
"Dimentia," Plex began, "when I observed Sylistys a moment ago, I felt an extra layer of chi over her bonebending. I think this metalbending comes from an outside source."
"Could it be another of Pyronem's marbles?"
"There's a chance. A metal-controlling ability would adapt well with a bonebender, since they're both sub-elements of Earth."
The two climbed a ladder to an upper floor, seeing Arale racing ahead while Omelette dropped Sylistys down to chase her. Scrap-Swats, the junk remains of Eggman's police robots, ran to engage Dimentia with lightsabers. She held back two of the Swatbots with either of her swords, but when one struck from behind, she ducked, tricking it into stabbing another. She then sliced down the other two Swatbots, and Leic was already nimbly evading the remaining Swatbots and butter-fying the chi possessing them. They hurried up the path as it turned left, leading into an inlet of the Egg Quarters.
This narrow path led to a wider area, guarded by a gigantic Guerra-Hard robot. Though the robot seemed strong and sturdy, it was still lifeless and under Sylistys' control. It slammed a fist down at the two, splitting them up, and it attempted to squash Leic like a fly. "Wait, I thought robots couldn't see me!"
"It must be sensing you thanks to Sy's influence!" Dimentia deduced.
"But that just isn't fair!"
Dimentia attempted to stab the robot's boots, but left no scratch as it kicked her away. Leic ran up its arm when it punched, trying to cut along, but struggled to butter-fy the chi through the sturdy armor. When Leic made it to the head, he noticed a small hole in the side of it, but Guerra-Hard swat him off, the angel crashing painfully against the wall. Dimentia caught him as he fell, dodging Guerra-Hard's follow-up attack. "Dimentia, I saw a hole in his head. Maybe you can get little and beat him from inside."
"You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Oh, me? Haha, I may be full of butter, but I'm not a softy!"
"Eh, if you say so!" Dimentia set him on his feet, and as they dodged Guerra-Hard's next attack, she minimized herself again. Leic swiftly grabbed her off the floor and tossed her onto the fist before it rose back up. She zoomed along the arm and found the hole in question, going inside. There were strings of white chi linking the wires, so she sliced each and every one. Dimentia would feel the giant robot collapsing out of commission. She climbed out and resized, and there was nothing to stop them from Grav-Walking up the wall to a higher floor.
Dimentia and Leic took down some Scrap-Cycles on their way up some stairs. The stairs ended at a narrow path that curved slightly leftward, with Eggrobos flying up from either end to shoot them. Once the Scrapbots were shot down, the duo hurried to the end of the path, leading to a building entrance where Sylistys was trying to squeeze Arale. "Don't take another step!" Omelette yelled, shooting missiles from her pod. "This is Dad's office and you can't enter without a-"
Dimentia warped her further back via Arrow Warp. She leapt forth to stab Sylistys, but halted herself when the woman spun to use Arale as a shield. Dimentia simply attached the bow again and used another Arrow Warp, leaving nothing to interfere as she started dicing Sy again. Sy bent up the metal from the floor to cut Dimentia's arms, but she kicked up against the bonebender's chin, followed by a spin attack with 20 cuts against Sy's chest. Sylistys sharpened her boney fingers and sliced up Dimentia's clothes—a flock of butterflies flew out of them and covered Sy.
"I call this trick, 'Buttery Arrows'!" Leic declared, willing those butterflies to morph back into Space Arrows that all pierced Sylistys. The creation knelt in weakness, and then Dimentia did a flip to stomp her head against the floor. Leic leapt on her and pelted her with quick, precise, gentle punches, blocking Sy's chi. A silver marble rolled out of her as a result. (End song.)
Dimentia could sense all remaining Scrapbots in the town collapsing. "That's the end of your metalbending." she declared. "You're virtually powerless on this planet now."
"Huff…curse you…" Sylistys rasped.
"Hey, Dimentia? I've been wondering something about this lady." Leic said.
"Yeah, what?"
"Well, she's a bonebender. I just thought it funny because one of my friends is a bonebender. Her name's Aluben. I kinda mentioned her earlier, sorta."
"A…Aluben?…" Sylistys panted hoarsely.
"That is kind of funny." Dimentia agreed. "Still, this is a Daemonis creation, not…"
"Dimentia… hold on." Plex said. "Aluben… Isn't that 'Nebula' spelled backwards?"
"Nebula? …Leic, are you from the Negaverse?"
"Yeah, did I not mention that?"
"Aluben… then her mom's name would be Aitnemid… Has Aluben ever told you about her mom?"
"She said that her mom was really mean, so she killed her."
"How could you say that so casually?!" Plex shouted. "Wait… but, that would mean…"
"Was that… the same time I died?" Dimentia asked quietly. "…Sy…" She stared down at the woman. "Is…is your name… Aitnemid?"
"Ait…nemid?" Her breathing calmed down. "I…I don't know that name… Aitnemid…Ait…nem…"
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
Dimentia gasped back to attention when a dangerous aura stepped out of the building door. Varcrutis was smirking and clapping sarcastically. "Bravo, genius. It took you this long to figure it out?"
"Hoyo?" Arale cocked her head at the new stranger.
"You got it right~" Varcrutis pulled Sy upright and pinched both cheeks. "This little lady used to be your Negative, Aitnemid! The Coincidence Factor dictates that fate works for both sides, right?"
"Varcrutis!" Dimentia drew her swords. "It really was you! What're you doing back here?!"
"Is she a friend of yours?" Leic asked.
"Hardly. She hurt my daughter's friends a few years back."
"I was only playing around! As for what I'm doing here, I thought it was time to set up shop again in this universe. After all, it's not like the Phoenios should be the only ones reaping its riches. That's why we saved this poor soul from Limbo and Veneniutis rebuilt her as this. Not that her past matters all that much, all that matters is her future. Still, we hoped she would be able to hide out a little longer, being a denizen of this universe."
"You're not setting up shop anywhere! We're not letting you use this universe for your own selfish gain!"
"Oh, and the Phoenios are allowed to? The only reason we're so fixed on this place is because the Phoenios wanted it. And that's why, a something-million years ago," Var projected an illusion in the air, "did your matriarch, Alumenosus and her children arrive here." The illusion displayed Arceus's silhouette and seven smaller, humanoid silhouettes before him. "Alumenosus was like, 'Can we please be friends, Arceus?' And Arceus was like, 'Sure, why not?' And every century or so, they'd come over for tea parties or goddess games or whatever it is you do. The Phoenios warned him about the Daemonis, they promised not to invade each other's universe, nor would they interfere with each other's events, and found a mutual understanding, yada-yada."
The illusion vanished. "But slowly but surely, they were hoping to take from this universe. Sadly, in the large gap where Arceus was incapacitated, they decided not to visit at all because they knew trying to take anything during that time would send a bad message if Arceus ever woke up. But now that worry has been lifted off their shoulders. If they could turn you into an Inviere, the one whose body was adept to a Firstborn's chi, what's to stop them from making the other Firstborn Guardians into Inviere? Or the former Seven Lights, or any one of those superhuman brats?"
"We do not turn people into Inviere so casually!" Plex shouted, Dimentia carrying on his words.
"You sound like you were trained to say that." Var remarked. "My point is, we want our fair share from this place, and that's exactly why we took Aitnemid."
"Is that the connection we share?" Sylistys asked. "We're… a Positive and Negative? Who was I before…?"
"Didn't I tell you your past doesn't matter? Either way, I'm a little disappointed you didn't hold your ground against these two. You could've seriously embarrassed me in front of Dr. Eggman. You couldn't even take out that little angel boy? It's as easy as doing this~"
With a sudden motion, Var scraped her foot against the floor, distorting and stretching it like rubber as Leic was yanked over to her. "AAAH!" the boy cried as she grabbed his robe and stretched it fully over his frail frame, wrapping it up like a sack.
"LEIC!" Dimentia leapt to attack, but Var passed the child to Sy and quickly blocked the Space Swords with her hands.
"Like a worm in a cocoon. She can snack on him while I deal with you." Varcrutis swung a kick to blast Dimentia across the walkway, the Inviere tumbling down several layers of the Egg Quarters.
"Hoyo!" Arale grew ever more curious as Varcrutis raced after Dimentia. The robot child spread her arms like a plane and ran to see, with Sy merely watching her, confused by her carefree reaction.
Dimentia quickly raced up as Var showed herself on a higher layer of the base. "Between that Cherry Boy and your transformation, too many inconvenient things happened on the Noah. I came back to this universe because I was hoping to make up for our mistakes. Even though it was Certae's fault. And I'll start by clipping those pretty feathers of yours!" (Play "Counterattack" from Xenoblade 2!)
Varcrutis leapt down and swiped her claws rapidly, Dimentia maneuvering her blades with equal speed. Var willed the air around Dimentia's hands to become as heavy as steel, allowing the demon to punch her face repeatedly. Dimentia warped behind Var and grabbed her, warping above the planet's atmosphere. "No reason to hold back with you!" Dimentia conjured gravity fields around Var in attempt to rip her apart, but Var willed those fields to become balloons, poking holes as they blew around the space. Dimentia struck with a storm of Starbursts, Var enduring them as she willed the space around Dimentia to smash her from both sides.
Dimentia warped away and kicked Var in the back, then abruptly pulled her back via a Gravity Field in her palm. The palm became a vortex and tried to compress and flush Var inside, but she released a goopy chi in order to "clog" the vortex. Afterward, she forced herself out and stamped Dimentia's stomach, making it twist into a cramp. "Ya know, you'd move a lot faster if you show your wings!" Var ripped the space around Dimentia, attempting to split her.
"That's what you want, isn't it?! You're up to something!" Dimentia snapped the space back together and dodged her claw stab. She rapidly warped her swords into random parts of Var's body, until the demon willed springs to jut out of two parts and blow the swords away. However, Dimentia suddenly stretched a spear made of solid Space Chi, scraping Var's left hip, and then Dimentia morphed it into a sword to swing against her. "What were you doing with Dr. Eggman?!"
"Just tryin' to make friends is all! And friends do favors for each other, so he needs me to bust up some kids!" Varcrutis morphed the sword into a banana shape and took a bite of the top, afterwards spitting the mushed Space Chi at Dimentia's face.
"The operatives on Mechanos?!" Dimentia caught Var in a portal and warped her swords back to herself, flying to slash the demon.
"That was Sy's assignment, and frankly, I expected more from her." Var flipped free and grabbed the portal like a "disc," flying away to toss it at Dimentia, who dodged. "It was only a few bratty robots and all her machines couldn't crush them? Plus, she took her precious time with that purple-haired brat, maybe Veneniutis needs to tweak her programming."
"Or maybe she just wasn't strong enough." Dimentia linked her bow and flew above, raining arrows down as Var dodged most of them. "After all, evil adults like you two are the KND's forte."
"Don't make me laugh!" Varcrutis casually swiped stars from the sky as if they were up close, throwing them like tiny shurikens. "I nearly trounced those kids on the Noah, and I'll do the same to those other brats! After all, if you can't even beat me, they don't stand a chance!"
"'Nearly' is what I heard there." Dimentia smirked. "It sounded like Cheren was too much for you to handle."
Var's eye twitched, willing the remaining stars to suddenly fall and cut Dimentia. While the remaining space appeared to blacken, the real stars would slowly return to dot the sky. "I was just a little tired is all! It wasn't easy breaching a dimensional tunnel that strong!"
"Sure, if that's what you believe. Either way, it's just the universe's way of saying you aren't welcome~"
"Bullshit!" Varcrutis flew to bite Dimentia's nose, stretching it in a cartoony fashion as she wrapped Dimentia's neck with it. Dimentia forced her off and dimensionally shrank her nose back. "I could go and kill them right now if I wanted! Your friends would never stop me in time, and this universe's gods sure wouldn't do jack! They're so obsessed with the 'power of mortals' that they devolved into a lazy bunch!"
"With everything that's happened since then, they're surely more than capable of stopping you."
"Don't be ridiculous! Gods or demons, mortals are inferior to us! That's just reality, sweetheart; I don't even need to bend it for it to be true! And if you still don't believe me, I'll show you! Eggman won't mind if I dispose of these bots real quick~" Varcrutis reached down and grabbed the "rim" of Mechanos' horizon as if it were within arm's reach. She pulled up, and they were both suddenly floating above Scrap Brain City. Var glanced down, seeing the duo of Jenny and Silver Shell running to reunite with Arale. With a smirk, she swooped down to them, but Dimentia tackled and forced her to the ground. "What's wrong?! Don't think they can beat me?!"
"Whether they can or not, it's still not your place to bother them!"
Varcrutis shoved Dimentia off. "It must suck, doesn't it, Dimentia? Knowing you can't help your friends, can't interfere with this world, all because of what the Phoenios did to you? You're just an outsider now, unwanted by this world! And it's only thanks to US that you can come back here, to protect these kids you love so much! You WANT us to attack this universe so you can still be a hero here!"
"A hero? Me?" Dimentia seemed to scoff at the idea.
"Yes, you always tried to make yourself look like a hero. Just like when you ran the GKND; I certainly know that much about you. In the end, you're still just a selfish woman, Dimentia!"
"-aaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
Frowning, Varcrutis looked up in curiosity. The giant Scrap-Ball Dimentia had formed, and that Arale had kicked to the sky, was finally returning to the surface, and Fix-It Felix was still stuck on it. What's more, it was falling directly to Arale's trajectory, just as the latter intended. "Hoyo! Time for volleyball!" the child cheered. "Super Fist of Shōnen Jump!" She performed a great leap. "Serving the Ball!" With amazing strength, she punched it: the ball flew with bullet speed, BASHING Var clear in the head.
"WAAAAAAH…" Felix was flung off the ball and back to the sky, whilst the ball bounced elsewhere.
"…" Dimentia could only stare baffled at that sudden, bizarre occurrence. Had Arale been planning to attack like that since the beginning?
Var, however, after bending her head back straight, faced the child with pure malice. "Hoyo?" Arale only stared at her cluelessly.
"Oh, you're gonna pay for that, brat." And so, she charged the robot like a raging predator, claws ready to reduce Arale's head into scrap.
Arale's eyes sharpened, brimming with determination. "HOH!" She assumed a karate pose. "PLANET CHOPPU!" And she forced her fingers into the metal earth.
The entire planet completely split into a crescent trench. Dimentia's mouth totally dropped at the dramatic display of power. Varcrutis gasped as well, flailing her legs in the air, for she was merely feet away from the edge of the trench where Arale stood. "You know I can fly, right?" she smirked, merely sitting cross-legged in the air. (Play "Nopon's Life" from Xenoblade.)
"WAAAAH-!" Felix came falling again. Var looked up eyes wide, too late to dodge him. "Save me, My Queen!" He grabbed onto Var's chest, pushing her down under his weight.
"…" Dimentia blinked. Standing on the edge of the trench, she could only watch. Too many questions were circling her mind.
Varcrutis tried to shove Felix off, but his grip and weight were unmatched. "What the hell are you?! You weigh a ton!"
"Sorry, precious. When I was flying, I accidentally swallowed my hammer."
"THAT RAISES FURTHER QUESTIONS!" she shouted. "OW!" They crashed through a brick wall, "OW!" and another one, and there were more to come.
"Mmm, you're comfy." Felix said, snuggling with her. "Do you wanna get married?"
"Grrrr!" Var snapped her fingers, turning the next brick wall into a trampoline. Their speed and weight pressed the trampoline far down, blasting them back up with terrific force. In a second, they were soaring above the planet's surface again.
"Phew, you saved us." Felix climbed up to Var's head with a smile. "You know, you're one dynamite gal~"
Var pulled him off and KICKED him in the crotch. The force sent Felix flying and shot the hammer out of him. "And the answer's 'no'!" she responded.
However, not watching where she was falling, the Daemonis splashed into a spring of clear water. She resurfaced, looking around in confusion. This spring was located in the middle of a beautiful forest. "This can't be on Mechanos! Where did we end up…"
"Chronicler-san, you jump first!" Arale instructed.
"Of course, my dear." The ancient dragon was wearing swim trunks as he dove with hands folded into the spring. The splash washed over Var's head. "Ahhh, isn't the water amazing today, Varcrutis?" Chronicler asked.
"Next, Ignitus!" Arale instructed as a Fire Dragon dove in. "Next, Terrador." A green Earth Dragon dove in. Varcrutis merely let herself float in the middle of them, questioning everything that was happening. "Now, Volteer!" The Lightning Dragon stepped up next.
"NO! NOT VOLTEER!" the dragons screamed.
Alas, this didn't stop the Electro-Dragon from diving in. "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!" The spring flashed with blinding electricity, Varcrutis lighting up alongside the dragons.
When the electricity faded, the dragons floated dead in the pool. "Huff…huff…" Varcrutis struggled to pull herself onto land. "What…what the hell is that girl…ow!" Felix's hammer bonked her head. "Damn you…AAH!" Then she was immediately squashed under Wreck-It Ralph.
"So, where's this lady you told me about, Felix?" Ralph asked, wearing a tuxedo as he carried his friend.
"Oh, she's probably jumping in a trench or something. She's a wild gal, that one." Felix replied, carrying a bouquet.
"Yooooouuu…" Varcrutis slowly rose behind them, fuming. "GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE!" And she sent both men flying away with a kick. (End song.)
Panting in exhaust, Var turned to Arale. The "spring" turned back into the city. "Wait a minute…" Var finally understood. "You're one of those 'Bo-bobo' brats, aren't you? The kind that gets by with all that dumb nonsense… There's no point trying to kill you."
"Ha ha ha ha! Aha ha ha ha ha!"
Her blood boiling, Varcrutis turned to Dimentia, who was laughing joyously. "Ha ha ha ha! Saying they don't stand a chance, because I can't beat you? Don't compare me to the KND, sweetheart. My kids have always been stronger than me, and their friends are no different. All I was was a selfish adult clinging to a pointless dream."
"Just because that clown is too stubborn to die, it changes nothing for everyone else! Both of us, we're above the omniverse!"
"Hah." Dimentia said simply. "If that's true, why work for Eggman? Why not just do whatever you want? It's because mortals run this universe. You can't do anything without their support. Without their acknowledgement."
"I'm just playing along with this world's rules because it's fun. Otherwise, I'd go to town on this place! After all, this isn't even my final form!" Var flashed with a blue aura, transforming into an orca-like humanoid with a tail, black and white skin, and blue plates of sharp armor. She spun and whacked her tail at Dimentia, then gnashed her teeth while the Inviere blocked them with a sword. She bit and broke the sword, punching Dimentia several yards away. She ran to grab her by the neck and threw her to the sky. Seeing the Egg Quarters in the distance, Var repeated her past technique, grabbed the fortress, and pulled it closer for Dimentia to land in a round, open area.
Dimentia struggled to push herself up. "AAAAAHHH!" Five pillars had risen up and electrocuted her in an energy field.
"HO HO HO ho ho ho!" Eggman laughed, controlling the machine from a chamber. "So, this is the 'Space Phoenix,' Var? Not quite what I expected, but this should squeeze those feathers out of her."
"Aaaaaahh…!" Dimentia could barely move in the grasp of the painful device. Somehow, she thinks this machine was designed to capture Super Sonic in the past, and it was clearly efficient. "AAAAH!" A pair of pink wings sprouted out of her.
"Excellent!" Eggman rubbed his gloved hands deviously. "Now we'll give it a few more seconds for her to pass out."
"Cuckoo-coo-coo!" Scratch laughed. "I can make a neat fur coat with those feathers!"
"Master!" Sylistys called, walking into the area, carrying the sack in which Leic was still struggling. "Do you want me to eat Dimentia after he's finished with her?"
"Well, we-…!" Her eyes widened. "You still didn't eat that boy?!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I just wanted to watch you. I'll eat him now." She was about to bite through the bag—
A huge pair of wings split through the bag and bumped her. The bag fully tore open and Leic rose out: the boy's nudity was hidden under a layer of butterfly-like skin with a complex design, and his wings were extravagant while his eyes were a dark, buggish blue. "When I was in there, it made me think this was how a caterpillar feels when it's about to grow into a beautiful butterfly! And then I just had the most amazing idea! I stopped struggling and focused my chi, imagining myself becoming one with the butterflies. And now, I have a whole new ability! I can change into this form if I'm locked in a tight space like that!"
"You just gained that ability on a whim?!" Var exclaimed. "But what good is a butterfly to an orca?!" She flew up and tried to slash Leic, but he swiftly dodged and burst a cloud of pollen from his body. Var choked in the cloud for a moment and flew out. Sylistys stretched a boney hand and grabbed Leic's neck, but his buttery skin slipped from her grasp. He conjured a swarm of butterflies to latch both monsters; thousands of the bugs cluttered and weighed them down. Var mustered the strength to rip them off her, and she flew to stab Leic, but he stabbed his own sword up her mouth and willed hundreds of cocoons to grow inside. The next moment, Var was vomiting butterflies.
Eggman's half-robotic eyes could only barely sense the angel. "Seems we have a bug problem. But it looks like the phoenix is finally passed out." He disabled the machine as Dimentia's unconscious body fell. "Scratch, Grounder, get down there and clip her feathers!"
"Yes, Your Egginess!" The robots each held a pair of clippers and climbed down to the machine. "Cuckoo! This would make a cool Halloween costume!"
"I kind of wanna keep it as a pet. You think Dr. Robotnik would let me?" Grounder asked.
"I don't know. Go ask him!"
"But I'm scared!"
"Well, I ain't gonna ask him for ya! Just clip these feathers and—" Dimentia suddenly flipped up to her feet. "CUCKOOOOOO!"
Dimentia's eyes seemed to shine blue: she materialized a swarm of swords and had them zoom around Varcrutis and Sylistys' bodies, severely dicing them. "Leic, let's get out of here!" she spoke with a double-voice that was half-feminine and half-masculine. "We have to recover our energy!"
"Are ya sure it's okay to just leave these guys?"
"We'll face them again later. Just hurry!"
Var ripped two of the swords out and turned them into whips, catching Leic by the neck, but he slipped free again and clung to Dimentia. "I'll take your word for it! Bye!" He lifted and carried Dimentia away quickly, Ascending them to the Spirit World.
"Hmph…" Var's orca features slowly morphed back into her human-like form and clothes.
"Master… I'm feeling a bit hungry." Sylistys said. "I need to return to the Underworld for a quick snack."
Var whipped around and slapped the creation. "If you had just eaten the angel when you were supposed to, they wouldn't have gotten away! Do we have to fix your brain? Is that what the problem is?"
"N-No… I'm sorry, I…I'll act more quickly next time…" Somehow, the very act of apologizing made Sy sick to her stomach.
"Ugh, and now they're going to call backup. I guess we'd better go hide either way. Doctor, we're going to lay low for a bit, but we'll head to Etheria soon. Don't worry, you'll have your weapon~" She opened a rift and pulled Sylistys inside.
"Hoh ho ho…finding good help these days is rare." Eggman calmly stepped onto the inactive machine. He bent down and picked up a tiny bud of a feather. "Yet they bring marvelous wonders to my egg~"
Gates of Heaven
Leic and Dimentia collapsed on the ground after their hasty return. The young angel gasped for breath as his skin morphed back into a normal, peach color. "Hu-!" he gasped in embarrassment, covering his private parts with his wings since he was still without a robe. "Phew, that was a really intense moment… Haha, we barely got outta there, Dimentia!"
"Now that we have a moment," she spoke with two voices, "I should finally introduce myself. My name is Plex, the one Dimentia's been speaking to."
"The… Imaginary Friend? Ohhhhh!" His eyes widened in realization. "Now I get it! You're a split personality!"
"Once again, inaccurate. At any rate… I would like to thank you for the help you've given Dimentia. We apologize for dragging you into our conflict with the Daemonis, but you needn't trouble yourself, anymore. I'm going to come there in person with another partner of mine, and we'll subdue both Varcrutis and Sylistys."
"But I wanna help, too." Leic stood up, covering his rear with one wing and his front with the other. "Plus, we can't just go look for them when we're so exhausted. There's a nice bath in the First Church, it'll freshen you right up!"
"I think we're going to bring Dimentia home for now, she can rest up in safety and comfort, then we'll come back with more reinforcements."
"But we're so close to beating them! We can do it!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, young man, but right now, we need more than just a ragtag group to deal with them. Especially since now we have to prove ourselves-"
"Prove?" Dimentia blinked, suddenly speaking in her normal voice. "Plex, I know that most of the KND can't stop them right now, but they can't all be busy, just look at Leic and the others from Mechanos."
"You know what I meant." The monotone voice quickly interjected.
"No I don't, what was that earlier about 'proving ourselves'?" Dimentia spoke more firmly. "I was fine with tracking down Sylistys because I thought we were just doing our jobs, but not all of those places really needed us, did they?"
"Perhaps not, but wouldn't letting this slide-?"
"I know what Balder said, but he only said so because we all thought no one else was available, but that's obviously not true."
"That's…!"
"Even more so, Plex, I'm not sure bringing backup would even be helping. I think that woman doesn't think us capable of protecting ourselves… and more Phoenios help is gonna prove that point of hers."
"You can't mean to face them again. It's not like a little bath is going to suddenly make you stronger."
"That's for me to decide, Plex. Besides, Var is probably afraid of backup arriving, so they're going to be recovering their stamina as well. We have time to do the same. For now, you're not to send any backup or come here yourself. Let the sweet angel boy guide us to the church. Supreme Leader's orders."
"S…Supreme Leader?"
"Hehehe!" Dimentia grinned. "The former GKND leader can't just leave a naked boy all alone! Some habits don't go away~"
"I…I…I really don't understand you sometimes. Sigh…fine. There must be something brewing in that head of yours. Alright… lead the way, Leic."
The angel smiled and took Dimentia's hand, leading the grown-up(s) along innocently. "For a split personality, you sound like a protective boyfriend, Mr. Plex!"
"Don't be silly…"
"Anyway, you'll love the church's bathroom. There's all kinds of soaps and bubbles and it's fun to watch them float around. Mr. Landers really loves it, too!" This comment made Dimentia's face cringe. "Heehee, he always makes sure I'm perfectly clean!" She cringed more. "He checks for tiny bits of dirt in my hair," cringe, "and my toes," cringe, "and makes sure every inch of me is shiny and squeaky!"
". . . . . . . . . . Leic, does the Spirit World have child services?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"I just think… we may need to call them sometime…"
Underworld
Varcrutis and Sylistys located a Dark Spring in one of the caverns of the hideout. The Daemonis relaxed in it while Sy helped herself to a stash of elemental spirits. "Hmmm…still can't sense if any of them have arrived." Var said to herself. "Then again, if we're using this place to interfere with their sensors, it obviously wouldn't work in reverse. We may need to do some proper scouting before this mission. There are basically five targets we're after, guarded by a ton of KND brats. Defeating them won't be a problem, but we still need to do it swiftly. Still, the Phoenios shouldn't know we're targeting Etheria, yet, so maybe we can drop you off on another planet, at a place with tons of bones. You could set up a nice little diversion while Eggman and I handle the tricky part."
"So, that woman and I… we're a 'Positive' and a 'Negative.'"
"That's what you used to be, but not anymore. If you ate her or killed her or something, you would still be alive. Then again, the Coincidence Factor works in unexpected ways beyond just mortal lifespans, so who even knows. Still, you should be fine."
"It occurs to me, Master… you are determined to take whatever you can from this universe, from materials to new servants. If I was taken from this universe to be made into a powerful weapon, it sounds like I'm a valuable commodity."
"…" Var narrowed her eyes. "What are you trying to say?"
"I was only thinking, it'd be awful if anything bad happened to me. So, if I'm in danger, it'd be your job to protect me."
"Hyou're asking me to protect you?" Var cracked a smirk, her brow twitching. "I'm not your shield. A weapon who can't fight for herself to her last breath is no good weapon at all."
"Even if I'm not strong, I'm still valuable. While you're struggling to take useful materials from this place, I'm the best and only weapon your superiors managed to acquire. You should appreciate all that I am and ensure that I remain yours."
"Are you trying to blackmail me or something?" Var climbed out of the spring, marching up to Sy in a strict, imposing fashion. "Just trying to make yourself feel self-important? Don't even think of trying to order us around. If it weren't for the 'powers that be,' I'd make this whole universe my servant."
"Everyone except that robot girl."
Var's head throbbed; she snatched Sy up by the collar. "Don't test me, Sylistys. It's true, you are an important weapon, but slowly and surely, we'll get more, and you'd best show your loyalty if you hope to stick around."
"…Fine." Sy replied with a simple, toneless demeanor. "You know, it's strange…" She calmly picked Var's hand off her and walked away. "Even though I don't know a thing about this world… I feel something. The word 'End' keeps popping up in my mind. And when I connect it with this world… I feel the strange desire… to 'end' it. Like I want to destroy everything."
"Nothing wrong with that." Var smiled and shrugged. "Just leave some things for us to collect."
"End…end…end… What about you, Var? Does that word mean anything to you, in this place?"
Var put a finger to her chin. "It… does make me think of something. In fact… it's the perfect place where you can find a lot of bones. Perhaps that place should be your diversion. It's called…"
First Church
A fluffy blanket of bubbles covered the great, round basin that served as Dimentia and Leic's bath. The pool was round, but divided by a line through the middle with the main fountain in the center (the bath was shaped like a Pokéball). There were knobs around the fountain to turn on soap, creating all kinds of colorful, flavorful bubbles. Leic, adorned in a coat of bubbles, blew some into the air. As the bubbles floated about, little beady-eyed spirits took shape in them, dancing around before the bubbles would pop.
"I feel my woes fading already." Dimentia sighed in bliss. "And I still don't sense Sy or Var doing anything. Next time we see them, we'll definitely win."
"I still don't understand why you won't allow us to come help you." Plex stated. "Sylistys may be a technical denizen of this world, but Var has overstepped her boundaries, and she's way out of your league."
"And what would it matter if I allowed you to stop her? She's probably used to that by now. It wouldn't teach her anything."
"Since when was this a matter of 'teaching' her something?"
"Since the attack on the Noah."
"Dimentia, you're basing this off a simple grudge. You can't just seek revenge for the sake of simple satisfact-"
"Leic, use a chi-block attack on this part of my brain." Dimentia pointed.
"What?!" Plex yelped.
"Okay!" And with that, the angel performed a quick, gentle, and precise punch to her head!
Mini Plex poofed away. Dimentia released another sigh and relaxed in the pool. "Overprotective boyfriends really are annoying…"
"Hahahaha!" Leic laughed and swam around her. "Hey, Dimentia, I was wondering… can I see your wings again?"
"Sure! Just don't pluck any feathers off." Dimentia's shining pink wings grew from her back.
"They're so pretty!" Leic happily brushed his hands around the wings. "They have such a fragrant chi! It feels a lot different from the other angels."
"These are the wings of a Phoenios. It's pretty common over there."
"Could I come to meet them someday?"
"I'm not sure if they'd allow you…"
"Why not? I won't touch anything, I promise."
"Hehehe! In that case, I'll ask them!"
Once Leic was done feeling the wings, she hid them again. "I'm about ready to get out now. What about you, Leic?"
"Yeah. I'll go first!"
One after the other, the two left the pool. Leic found himself a new white robe and Dimentia donned her uniform. The chi-block wore off as Plex poofed back into being. "Dimentia, please don't do that again!"
"Then let a girl clear her mind now and then." The two began to exit the bathhouse. "Now, let's start searching for-"
"MISS WINKIEBOTTOM?!" They jumped at the sudden bellow just after exiting the house. To their dismay, they turned to face Lord Balder. "What are you DOING?! Not only are you slacking off on your mission, but you're using our bathhouse without permission?!"
"Leic invited me here! I was really exhausted after fighting the Daemonis, so I needed to recovery my energy."
"Then go back to your masters and use THEIR bathhouse."
"I can't just leave, the Daemonis are still active. But you'll be happy to know I stopped them from hurting anybody."
"'Them'? Are you telling me there are more Daemonis? Oh, I knew your being here was going to attract more. You really are incapable of stopping them, aren't you?"
"She's done a heck of a lot more than YOU have to stop them!" Plex shouted.
"Look, I am going to stop them. Just let me think of a plan."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're letting them into our universe on purpose."
"Why would we EVER do THAT?!" asked Plex.
"Why would I just let them come here?! I don't want them ruining my home!" Dimentia passed the message.
"It's because you want glory, simple as that. No different from your days as GKND's leader, no different than those phoenixes you now serve!"
"For the last time, I… Wait…" Dimentia processed the last part of that sentence. "It…it's not just me you have a problem with, is it? Do you have something against the Phoenios?"
"Ever since His Lordship, God Arceus returned to us, they've been rather frequent visitors. Some of them would visit every year during the anniversary of our Lord's return, on which we hold a tea party for the gods. Now, when I was first admitted as an Angel, I learned of them from the other gods, how they once visited our world and befriended Arceus. At the time, I didn't think much of them… but it was only after they started visiting did I truly see how arrogant they are."
"Arrogant?!" Plex argued. "Look who's talking! I oughta come down there and knock you down a peg!"
"What do you mean they're arrogant?" Dimentia asked.
"They have no respect for the gods or their ideologies. They think their selves as 'higher than the omniverse' and believe they deserve everything! Some of them wanted to be involved in Galactic Council meetings, even though gods are not allowed to involve their selves in matters between mortals."
"They only wanted to study!" Plex argued.
"They probably just wanted to study!"
"No, they want worshippers." Balder stated. "They want our people to turn away from the gods who created their world and join their side! Just as they did to you. They tainted you with their power, regardless of the gods' permission, and they would probably do the same to others."
"That's balderdash!" Plex yelled.
"That's balderdash!" Dimentia repeated.
. . . . . . . . .
It took a moment for them both to realize that was a pun. Embarrassed, Plex cleared his throat and said, "We do not just make people Inviere on a whim! Dimentia's transformation was completely unplanned!"
"My transformation was an accident. They don't just do this to people whenever they want."
"You're rather silent between your responses." Balder noticed. "Are you trying to remember what your masters ordered you to say?"
"I-I just need to think! Look, everything you're saying is wrong. They don't want worshippers, and if nothing else, they probably just want to be appreciated for their work. It doesn't mean that they don't respect the gods."
"Hardly! During one of the dinners, one of the Phoenios named a bunch of different god-killing weapons from various universes, saying they wouldn't stand a chance!"
"Excuse them for sharing a bit of knowledge!" Plex argued, but Dimentia couldn't carry the message before Balder spoke again.
"And another one boasted that the elemental styles of our universe were inferior to theirs."
"Perhaps you could learn some new techniques!" yelled Plex.
"And you know, Miss Winkiebottom, one of the gods' most sacred beliefs is that mortals are the true power of the universe. It is the gods' job to give mortals hope and to let them settle their own conflicts. Even if a god must defend their self, the mortal must always be the stronger power. Lord Kyogre explained this philosophy to the Phoenios… and one of those birds had the gall to call him PITIFUL!"
"THAT is a complete LIE!" Plex bellowed.
"That…that doesn't sound right." Dimentia replied. "They wouldn't say something like that, they…"
"They have you wrapped by their leash, by the sound of it. You were always disrespectful to the gods, Dimentia, and your phoenix friends are no different!"
"YEAH?!" Plex was fuming in anger. "Well, if your gods hate the Daemonis so much, why don't they fight them their selves instead of making US do the work?! It's not like they're gonna do anything because obviously it's OUR job! And it's not like the Daemonis are outside their legal zone! If your gods would just be a little more assertive, then bad things like Skull Face or Davy Jones would never freakin' happen! AND YOU'RE AS LAZY AS THEY ARE!"
Plex panted to catch his breath. …There was an eerie silence in the air. Did he say too much for Dimentia to carry in one response? When he looked up at his partner… he was met with Dimentia's cold stare. As if… an aura of supreme authority had just come over her. "D…Dimentia?"
"Miss Winkiebottom?" inquired Balder.
"…You're right." The words escaped her mouth in a whisper.
"Beg pardon?"
Dimentia faced the Divine Angel. "You're right… I didn't respect the gods. Not back then. But that all changed, 24 years ago. And that's why… that Phoenios had no right to say that."
"D-Dimentia!" Plex panicked. "It's not true! He's completely misunderstanding!"
"As a matter of fact, Balder…" Dimentia folded her arms, "I don't think they have any respect for us. While I was with them, some of them doubted the KND's abilities. Some thought they couldn't beat The Thirteen. Some thought they had to manage the Hoopa situation. They even thought the KND couldn't handle Queen Sherbet after she possessed Sweetopia. Hell, the only reason I made that Vistium weapon was 'cause some of them were panicky and I wanted to shut them up. They thought they needed to help the KND, but in reality, they just wanted to mooch off their victory. You're absolutely right, Balder."
"No he's not! Dimentia, why…" Plex felt his little heart cracking. "Why are you… telling him these lies?"
"Even after my daughter's spectacular performance against Thanos, some of them think it to be inferior spacebending. My own daughter, how insulting."
"That never happened!"
"Heck, my own partner didn't even have faith in me to not break the rules or to handle this mission! He lodged a part of his conscience in my brain just to 'help' me, and he thought Leic wouldn't have been helpful in the slightest."
"B-But…but…" Plex felt there was no way to stop her at this point.
"They're probably so used to defending people from the Daemonis and saving universes they deem 'weak' that they forgot how to have faith. They could learn a lesson or two from the KND's ideals of equality. You know that there are actually some Daemonis hybrids in their ranks? And they're not evil, either, but some Phoenios have a hard time accepting that."
"Miss Winkiebottom…" Balder was flabbergasted by this dramatic change.
"But honestly, Balder, your faith in the KND is no different." Dimentia sighed. "You banned them from the Skull Face mission. Just because the KND started out with me, it doesn't mean…"
"You misunderstand… Miss Winkiebottom." Balder bowed his head. "Just as the gods believe in the power of mortals… so, too, do I believe in them, and the KND alike. They are truly marvelous heroes, for the many years that I've observed them, even under your corrupt leadership. They were capable of anything. And that is why, after the Spirit KND was created… that I began to fear for myself. I feared for my… usefulness… I feared their power…"
"…" Dimentia smiled and approached him. "I don't know if those things the Phoenios said are true… but they aren't all like that. Some of them do respect our gods and acknowledge our power. But it's clear that both Phoenios and Daemonis alike still have a lot to learn."
"Yes…" Balder looked up at her. "Perhaps they do…"
"Until then… we both still have missions to complete. I'll leave you to yours." Dimentia walked past him, calmly leaving the church. Leic jogged after her, sparing a look to his superior. "Oh, and, you should call child services, I don't think Mr. Landers has been treating Leic very well."
As they marched down the church stairs, Mini Plex somberly floated near his partner. "Dimentia… why would you tell him all that? Why would… you make us look bad?"
Dimentia passed him a bright smile. "Well, I wasn't getting anywhere doing what you told me. You may not think his accusations were true… but maybe it is true in his perspective. In his view, the Phoenios were insulting our home… and frankly, I wouldn't stand that either."
"But, I… we would never. You couldn't possibly think that's true."
"I know that's not the case, because I've been with you guys long enough to understand your rules and everything. I was just trying to get out of that loop and it's faster to give him a good shock rather than do what he'd expect us to do, which would be arguing until Secco freezes over." Dimentia nodded to herself at her brilliant thinking. "But there is something I need to discuss with you, because I get the feeling that this whole thing isn't about following the Phoenios' rules. Plex, I get the feeling that you've been more invested in this than even I am. What did you mean when you said that we needed to 'prove ourselves'?"
"I only meant that we needed to uphold our end of the job and responsibly carry out our duties without flaw so that others wouldn't harbor doubts against us."
"Don't lie to me, Plex, I can feel it through the bond. You're really agitated by this so much that you're bending the rules. You! Of all people!"
"Ngh! I was just trying to stand up for our side as you should have been!"
"No, you're the one that's close to ruining everything while I'm the one putting out your fires! Just what the hell is wrong with you?!"
"…You know what? Fine. If I'm so bothersome to you, then you can fix this without me." Mini Plex then disappeared from her view.
After taking a minute to calm down, Dimentia sighed while taking a seat on the ground with her arms on her knees. "Umm…Dimentia? Are you going to be alright?" Leic asked as he approached her with a hand placed delicately on her shoulder.
"I was just trying to see what was bothering Plex so much. It's just not like him to take the spotlight so strongly like he did, I guess I was still riled up with Balder that I ended up taking things too far." Dimentia spoke somberly as she placed a hand on her face.
"So, what're we gonna do?"
Closing her eyes for a bit, Dimentia searched her mind, but couldn't find who she was looking for. She then opened her eyes determinedly. "I want you to knock me out."
"Uh, Dimentia, I know you're upset, but getting beat up is never the answer!" Leic waved his hands frantically.
"No, I mean just put me to sleep." Dimentia quickly reassured him. "I can't get Plex right now because he's too far for me to reach, but if I'm unconscious, then I might be able to find him!"
"Oh…okay!" Leic beamed as he then gave the Inviere a tap on the head, striking her at the precise spot. Dimentia immediately passed out on the floor. "Huurrrr!" The little angel struggled to lift the grown woman, hauling her off to a side room before anyone else came along.
Dimentia's mind
The colors swirled around her as she fell through her various mental landscapes, recounting all the memories of her mortal life and after life. Some of the larger ones she had known quite well, such as her time in her 20-year home on Star Haven, the Moonbase with which she had spent her days hanging out with her friends, and the expansive landscapes of the Phoenios homeworld. The other smaller ones were more fleeting and obscure, either due to a distinct dislike of them or a bare remembrance of their details. Further and further she flew past them, feeling with her bond for any sign of Plex, hoping he could've stayed in some deep landscape rather than fleeing her mind entirely.
Then she felt it, a small and faint heartbeat. She latched onto it like a lost sailor to the faint illumination of a lighthouse. She traced the feeling until she saw one of the larger landscapes, this one from Phaera Plinam.
She landed on the lightly-dewed soft grass, the night sky glistening with stars and celestial bodies like diamonds against silken black velvet. Dimentia looked around with recognition as she knew this spot, one of the few places that held so vividly in her heart.
It was the spot where she had brought Plex as a way to break him from his strict working routine, just outside the buildings of the Court of Mind in the larger lawns. A place of solitude mainly due to the lack of denizens for the Court in comparison to the others, a quiet place for stargazing and more than one nightly cuddle sessions.
Dimentia walked slowly across the field, their bond growing stronger and in that potency she felt more: a lingering sadness that reflected regret and loneliness. It was then that she stumbled upon Plex, only this time in his full body frame instead of the smaller version.
"I guess I should be glad that you aren't hiding behind a stack of paperwork." Dimentia chuckled lightly.
"Well, this part of me isn't." Plex responded still facing away from her.
The female Phoenios sat down beside him. "Plex, I'm sorry I got mad at you, but please tell me what's wrong? You may as well be an ice sculpture from how cold your end was, and I know it's not your usual kind of frostiness."
"…"
"I know this isn't really about the Phoenios, is it? The way you were acting towards Balder seemed more personal than that, I was even worried you'd take me over and start pummeling him right then and there."
"Actually, you're not that far off. That thing with Balder… I was really angry about what he said about us. How he made us sound like some unwanted rat on his doorstep, and how he'd threatened you so badly." Plex turned to her as he moved his legs to a folded position underneath him. His face still didn't meet hers, but rather towards the ground. "It just… reminded of back when everyone didn't want me around, even though they never voiced it." His hands then curled in his lap. "I guess hearing it out loud, albeit just the tone rather than the direction, just pulled me back into trying to… prove him wrong. Just shove it in that stuffy face of his."
"Oh, Plex… " Dimentia sighed softly, placing her hands on his cheeks to lift him up gently. "I get where you're coming from, I really do, but going Gung-Ho and scrapping up all the rewards isn't going to be any better. Neither is having your nose up high where your brains should be and being prissy about who can handle what, in all your attempts to 'prove' yourself better than Balder, you're just about as thickheaded as he is." She then released her hands before flicking his forehead.
"Urk! …Sigh, I suppose I still haven't really opened up as much as I thought I did, especially if something like this was all it took to bring me down again. That's your ice sculpture for you, rigid and dense." Plex said as he rubbed the red spot forming on his head.
"Well, that's why you'll always have me to warm you up!" Dimentia exclaimed, hugging him tightly.
"Hmm, thank you." Plex said softly as he hugged her back. "So, do you… know how I can fix this?"
They both let go as Dimentia leaned back in thought. "Well, leaving Sy and Var aside, I think what you really need is a way to build up friendships first. I doubt Balder would be ready to do it, but we can always start with Cheren since he'll always have his hand open. If you're willing to take it."
"Will he really? I got the impression that he wasn't that fond of me back on the Noah."
"That's because you were the one with your chest-puffing attitude and being so blunt with your explanations." Dimentia puffed her own cheeks as she stuck out her tongue and poked the tip of her mate's nose. "Just apologize and he'll come around. He's forgiven a lot worse; just ask Sugar or Andrew."
"Heh, it's your universe, so you definitely know best. Alright, I'll do it, but only after we settle things with those unwanted guests." Plex and Dimentia stood up as they held hands. "So, lead the way, Oh Great Supreme Leader."
First Church
Dimentia opened her eyes, rising up into a sitting position as she looked about the room she was in. She then noticed that Leic was standing close to a door, the latter turning his head to see her looking at him.
"Oh good, you're awake!" Leic rushed over to her. "I was so worried you'd end up sleeping forever."
"Huh? How long was I out?"
"Well, just only half an hour, but it really felt like a long time! Especially since we almost got found with so many people passing by."
"Aww, I'm sorry I made you worry so much. Listen, once all this is over, maybe I could get you some hot chocolate to make up for it?" Dimentia smiled while rubbing his hair.
"Hehe, OK. But even so, it wasn't that much trouble, 'cause we're friends!"
"Right we are, all three of us!"
"You mean you made up with your other self?" Leic asked, happy that Dimentia managed to find who she wanted.
"Yep, and I think it's time for you and I to properly meet." Mini Plex appeared before cupping his hands over Leic's eyes. "No more of this 'Mr. Personality,' 'Imaginary Friend,' or what have you." The mini Phoenios then flew in front of Leic.
"Huu! So that's who you've been talking with, Dimentia? He's so small like a doll!" The angel boy grabbed both of Mini Plex's hands and swung him around.
"AAHH! Release me immediately! I can only spare so much energy doing this with two people!"
"Whoops, sorry." Leic let go as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Plex drifted for a bit before hiding behind a chuckling Dimentia.
"Ha…Okay you two, we don't have much time so make up now." Dimentia pulled her mate from behind her and brought him closer to Leic.
"Mmm, I'm Plexiodorite Aviluxus and Dimentia's mate." Plex introduced himself promptly.
"I'm Leic Spirithive, Spirit KND operative and proud member of Nega-Sector $!" The smiling boy reached out and shook Plex's hand gleefully, the latter swinging widely before he was released from Leic's grip.
"Ermh! Now that we've all gotten to know each other, what's the plan, Dimentia?" Plex readjusted himself.
"Well, I was actually thinking of that talk from earlier… it actually gave me a pretty good idea." A smirk found its way on her features. "Yeah… it would actually be perfect. We just need to set it up properly."
Mira; Gormott
Team Rex made their base in the house of their Nopon friend, Tora. Tora's house was located in Torigoth, Gormott, in a rather hidden location. It was suspended on the underside of the village and provided a good view of the Cloud Sea.
Nia was seated in front of a TV communicator, which displayed a black-haired girl named Lin from Sector NLA. "So, is this dark Core Crystal really Malos's?"
"No other Core Crystal has that color, it has to be him." Nia replied in a Welsh accent.
"His memories will be all wiped by now." Pyra said. "The question is, who would be a suitable Driver for him?"
"What about Jak?" Rex asked. "His personality seems to fit."
"Mehmeh! Tora terrified of Jak!" Tora exclaimed. The Nopon wore blue overalls with mechanic equipment. "Putting Malos with him lead to great catastrophe!"
"But if someone unworthy tries to link with Malos, they'll be destroyed. Jak is the best chance."
"We could at least ask Jak if he would consider it." Lin replied.
"Um, I was wondering…" Ursula spoke shyly, the young Blade nervously hugging Beary. "Even if Malos does lose his memory… would he really be our friend?"
"We'll rack up those Affinity points eventually." Pyra said.
"Tora make friends with Malos easy!" Tora cheered. "Just look at Tora and Poppi! The best of friends!"
"Even though Poppi do all work for Masterpon." said Poppi, a purple-haired robot girl.
"My Lady!" They turned to the entrance tunnel as Dromarch entered. He was a white tiger Xenoblade. "We have visitors."
The team exited the house and found two familiar figures standing outside. Leic was sitting on a table and swaying his feet and Dimentia had her hood up. "Ahem, hello." she greeted awkwardly. "Do you… remember me?"
"'ey, it's you!" Rex jumped, as did his teammates. "That lady… from the top of Gormott!"
"Mehmeh! This the evil woman friends mentioned?" Tora asked.
"I'm not evil!" Dimentia quickly defended.
"We know." Rex replied. "You were actually… saving KOS-MOS, right? She told us. We're… sorry for attacking you."
"You aren't mad at us, are you?" Ursula asked.
"Nah, of course we're not mad!" Leic walked up and patted Beary's belly. "Haha! I love your polar bear!"
"Thank you… Would you like me to show you his sweet spot?"
"Gladly!"
"Heheh…" Dimentia chuckled. "Anyway… I've been chasing around the culprit, the one who kidnapped your friend, and I learned that she's working under someone else. To put it bluntly, I need your help to stop them."
"You want our 'elp?" Nia asked.
"When you were chasing me earlier, I sensed powerful chi inside that girl." She pointed at Pyra.
"Well, yeah." Rex replied. "Pyra's an Aegis, one of the legendary Blades created by the Architect."
"The Architect?"
"You know, the spirit who watches over Alrest? You really aren't from around here, are ya?"
"Well, it makes sense why she has that power."
"But why do ya need our help, anyway?" Nia asked. "How do we know this isn't some sort of trap? We know we misunderstood the first time, but that doesn't mean…"
"It's not a trap, I really do need your help! I'm really not strong enough to beat that woman's boss on my own, but you guys are a different story. If you guys can help me beat them, we may be able to stop them for good. Stop them from hurting anybody else."
"Alright, then. We'll help you!" Rex replied cheerily.
"Seriously, Rex, just like that?" Nia asked.
"She saved KOS-MOS, so we can't just refuse. 'Always help others that help you.' That's the second rule of the Salvager's Code! Besides, all our other side quests are fetch quests, this sounds way more exciting."
"Hehehe!" Ursula giggled as she and Leic tickled a spot on Beary's back. "See, Beary loves it when you scratch this spot!"
"I have a ticklish spot, too!" Leic replied.
"Leic, that really shouldn't be a conversation starter." Dimentia said. "So… you'll help?"
"Mehmeh! Stranger should not ask for help without first giving name!" Tora shouted.
"My name? Well, the thing is, I'm sort of a spirit warrior who fights interdimensional evil. And my name is… PHOENIX ANGEL!" Dimentia sported a proud smile and posture.
"Ph-Phoenix Angel?! That so cool!"
"Poppi is speechless!"
"What kind of dorky name is that?" Nia asked.
"Heheh!" Dimentia laughed. "Anyway, I'll tell you guys about who we're up against…"
After the briefing, Dimentia and Leic parted ways with the group and flew to the Gormott Plains. "So, have we gotten everyone that we need?" Plex asked.
"Not yet. They'll only be the first part of Var's lesson. We also need… a proper instructor."
Somewhere on the sea
Young Leic was brushing his toes along the endless, peaceful sea. He tried to fly alongside the seagulls whenever they came cawing, but they would always outpace him. He heard a splashing sound and turned to find Dimentia return from the seafloor. "Are ya sure you're allowed to do this, Dimentia?"
"He's agreed to it, so there must be nothing wrong with it. With this, we have everything we need to stop Varcrutis."
"Hey, Dimentia, you said there were more people in Var's group, right? I was wondering, even if we beat her, will we have to worry about them?"
"There are more members of the Daemonis, that is true, and many of them may be stronger than she is. …But you don't have to worry." She smiled kindly. "If they do decide to attack, then we'll just have to teach them the same lesson."
"The same lesson?"
"As dangerous as the Daemonis are, there's a certain rule they have to abide by. But because of the disposition they share with the Phoenios, they think they're above this rule. No matter how often the Phoenios stop them or chase them off, they're just going to keep attacking this universe. But Varcrutis is going to be the first one to understand that they're wrong."
"Oh, you talked about this with those Rex guys, right?"
"Yes." Dimentia smiled and nodded. "A little knowledge goes a long way. …As for Sylistys, however… I feel the need to face her myself. Knowing she's my Negative, in a similar state as I am… it has to be me."
"But I'm allowed to help you, right?"
"Of course, Leic! I have my full trust in you!" She raised a hand.
"Yaaaaay!" He high-fived and did a flip. "Hey Plex, wanna high-five, too?"
"Well, alright then." Plex sighed. But just before he could get close, his body suddenly went rigid. "Something's happening!"
Dimentia snapped to attention. "It…it's coming from… the Negaverse?"
"Huh?" Leic gaped.
"It feels like Sylistys. She's using a large amount of chi, but I don't feel Var with her."
"Could it be a trap?"
"We have no idea what Varcrutis was discussing with Robotnik." Plex replied. "There's a chance Sy may be trying to bait us while she does something else."
"Even if that's true, it's not like I planned to battle Var, anyway. So, we better go see what's up. It's time to capture Sy once and for all."
"Then let's get Ascending/Descending!" Leic cheered.
"Hee hee! …Achoo!" Dimentia sneezed.
"Bless you!"
"Thanks. Heh, it just snuck up on me…" Dimentia frowned, as though sensing a strange feeling in the air. She shook it off and merely allowed Leic onto her shoulder, the two Ascending to Heaven before making the drop to the Negaverse.
Somewhere in Eporue
Dimentia and Leic Descended onto a vast field, covered in darkness with not a single sign of life. "I can feel a ton of movement underground. She's definitely here. Get ready, Leic."
"Whoa… I didn't think I'd ever be back here again."
"Huh? You know this place?"
"This place is the Tree of Ending. I kind of wandered here one time when a lot of crazy stuff was happening. …But the only reason Stylistic would come here… would be if she remembers."
"Heads up." Plex warned. The earth rumbled beneath them and suddenly erupted open: a skeletal titan with four arms, cloaked on a ghostly white robe, gazed down at them with soulless white eyes. "She's being rather straightforward lately. I appreciate that."
The chest of the titan opened, exposing Sylistys within. "Hmm…so, is it only you two?"
"Who else were you expecting?!" Dimentia shouted.
"I'm rather thankful, actually. I get to determine once and for all if I'm worthy enough to face you. If I can defeat you."
Dimentia narrowed her eyes. "Sylistys… what did the Daemonis tell you, anyway? How did they get ahold of you?"
"When I first found myself awakening, they told me that my soul was lost and forsaken. This body was specially crafted in order to maintain my soul, complete with Bone Chi that I was meant to adapt with. I was told a few basic things about this dimension before they sent me here. Initially, my role was to act as a 'spy,' to both search for potential people to bargain with, and to study the heroes of this universe. At some point, they also planned to pit me against you as well. Unfortunately, I suffered from excruciating pain in this universe, and so I was forced to dine on the chi and souls of benders to stop that pain."
"You know, I think I understand." Plex said. "She does not feel like a soul-turned-Daemonis like how you became an Inviere. Her body feels purely artificial, albeit realistic."
"So, she's kind of like a Gigai?"
"In a way… However, given your circumstances, I can only surmise that Aitnemid would have wound up in this universe's Limbo."
"Limbo?"
"It's a sub-dimension where souls are banished in the event there are bizarre circumstances behind their death. In your case, the universe doesn't recognize 'Invieres,' ergo it wasn't sure what to do with your Negative's departed soul, so she would've wound up in Limbo. In fact, I heard the same fate became of Nerehc due to Cheren's God Tier."
"Are you mumbling to yourself?" Sylistys asked. "Perhaps you could provide more detail on my origins. If we are a 'Positive' and 'Negative,' then tell me who I was."
"I really don't know, honestly." Dimentia replied. "I never bothered to meet my Negative or ask about her… but I have to admit, I am a little curious. Given the unusual lives my brother and I lived, I could only wonder…"
"Then maybe I can explain." Leic said, approaching the titan. "If your name's really Aitnemid… then you should know your daughter's name, Aluben."
"Aluben? You mentioned that name before…"
"Aluben told me you were an awful mother. You destroyed her emotions and forced her to enslave kids all around the universe. She only got her emotions back after the soul extraction in the Underworld, but she was in a ton of pain. She was so mad about it that she decided to kill you. Don't you remember any of that?"
Sylistys put a finger to her chin. For a moment, it seemed like something was sparking inside her. "…No. Those things don't mean anything to me."
"Oh, man." Leic moped. "Maybe it'll jog your memory if we take you to meet her. Or you can stand on your head! I heard that trick works sometimes."
"Leic, I'm not sure that's what she means." Dimentia replied. "I feel like… she really doesn't care to remember that at all."
"You're right." Sy said. "I don't remember having children… and I don't really care. It just seems like irrelevant information. The only thing that sparks relevance… is the word 'End.' And with it, I feel a desire… to end everything. To destroy everything. I learned that each planet had what's known as a 'Heart of the World,' and I believed if I were strong enough, I would be able to consume such a Heart and destroy a planet. Beneath this ground is the Heart of Earth. If I can defeat you and consume your God Chi, it may give me the burst I need to accomplish this."
"If ending the world is all you care about, then I have no sympathy for you. You're no different than the monsters you serve." Dimentia readied her bow and Leic his sword.
"It makes no difference to me. And also…" The titan's chest sealed Sylistys inside, the head of the colossus booming, "I despise children."
"Hah! You really are my Negative~" (Play "How It Started" from Sonic Secret Rings!)
Boss fight: Sylistys
The titan's four arms conjured a scythe, axe, spear, and chain made of bones. Sylistys began by jabbing the spear toward Dimentia, the Inviere evading as she dodged her way closer. Underhands emerged from the ground and grabbed Dimentia's ankles and arms, holding her in place as Sylistys readied to impale the spear again. However, Dimentia willed open a portal, catching the spear as it would pierce the titan's chest via another portal. Leic butter-fied the Underhands and freed Dimentia, who quickly flew up to the punctured chest, but the titan's chain quickly enveloped and squeezed the Inviere. Dimentia quickly minimized herself to escape the chain, but the titan's chest resealed.
As Dimentia resized, she evaded the titan's scythe and circled the beast, shooting arrows downward as she made a circle of them on the ground. Sylistys was able to land an attack with her axe from above, using the flat side to successfully slam Dimentia to the ground. She followed up with a spear stab, but Dimentia quickly activated the Nega-Zone and morphed her dimensions in a shape to dodge the spear. With the entire titan caught in the zone, Dimentia began to twist its dimension and give Sy a severe cramp. Grunting in agony, Sylistys made bone fists emerge from the base of the beast and pummel Dimentia. Dimentia distorted some of their dimensions, but managing such a huge target became tasking, so she dropped the zone.
Dimentia flew away from Sylistys, whom was unsuspecting as Leic had covered her middle-back in butterflies. The titan's spine became soft and fragile as its upper-half fell over backwards. Dimentia used an Arrow Warp to warp herself to the titan's stomach, then quickly sliced it open with her swords. She slipped inside and ran up the interior, Sylistys using the severed spine to attempt to puncture her. Dimentia evaded the butter-ended spine and located the culprit within the chest. Dimentia slashed against Sylistys, who clawed Dimentia's face and summoned bones from behind to stab her back. Sylistys then seized Dimentia in a giant bone hand to yank her out of the titan.
The spine reattached as the titan rose to full height. Sylistys began to slam her axe along the ground, leaving long strips of cleaved ground from the impacts. Even as Dimentia tried to fly over them, Underhands stretched up to pull her back down, so Leic zipped by to slice those hands. A furious Sylistys tried to slash him with the scythe, but Dimentia channeled chi onto the scythe and increased its gravity. Sylistys was unable to raise it back up, so she whipped the chain at Dimentia, who used her swords to slice off its segments with each swing. The chain's arm suddenly stretched out and snatched Dimentia, growing spikes from the palm to puncture her. She conjured Starbursts to form around and bombard the arm from all sides, eventually cracking it as it fell apart.
Freeing herself, Dimentia jumped into a portal and fell from above the titan, shooting an arrow into its head. Dimentia jumped into another portal and shot one into the left "ear," then the right hip, the left ear, rampantly warping to multiple sides and confusing Sylistys. Lining some arrows up along the bottom, Dimentia had formed an enclosed space along the titan's body and used a Nega-Zone to warp the enclosed space away. A huge front chunk of the skeletal structure vanished, so Dimentia quickly warped up to land more slashes against the Negative. Sylistys bent up a spine whip to whack Dimentia's weapons out of her hands, but with a swift motion, Dimentia conjured a spear of Space Chi and stabbed Sy's stomach.
Sylistys thrusted two large bones to blast Dimentia away with supreme force, then she bent the severed front piece back to reattach to the titan. Sylistys began to actively move the titan along the ground and chase Dimentia. When Sy jabbed the spear, Dimentia blocked it with a large Space Shield, but Sy swung the axe from above to chop through the shield. When the shield dispersed, Sy dealt the next spear stab, but when Dimentia dodged, Sy brought the scythe down for a blow. Dimentia was impaled against the ground, and the axe was coming down to behead her. Leic jumped in the way and held the sword above Dimentia's head, butter-fying that part of the axe just as it came down. He then ran to butter-fy the scythe, allowing Dimentia to roll free, smiling at Leic with thanks.
Sylistys raised the axe and chopped down again, but Dimentia conjured a Space Axe of equal size to clash against it. The scythe slashed along the ground, but Dimentia intercepted it with a Space Scythe. "Come to think of it, why don't I do it, too?" And so, Dimentia conjured a titan of Space Chi, armed with Sy's very weapons. Leic flapped onto the shoulder of the giant, assuming the best seat in the house as the twin titans slammed their weapons with a force that shook the country. Sy's chain wrapped around Dimentia's neck and choked, but Leic flew along the chain and butter-fied its segments. Dimentia's chain then grabbed that arm as she moved circles around the Negative, yanking that boney arm off as she bashed Sy with it.
Dimentia bashed the giant skull until it shattered, then she tossed the Space Spear up to pierce down into the neck hole, forcing Sylistys to the bottom of her beast. Dimentia moved closer and dispersed the spear, jumping out of her titan as she dove inside Sy's. Bones were launched up from below, Dimentia miniaturizing to better dodge them. She landed along one of the bones to run down it, then jumped to another, and once she was almost there, she poofed back to normal and landed on the bonebender. She grabbed Sy's neck and started punching her with the other fist, the creation impaling with spikes from the sides.
Sylistys then clawed Dimentia's neck and made her release, afterwards banishing her from the structure. However, Dimentia had stuck Sylistys with an arrow, and she used another to warp Sy out of the titan. Sylistys was startled by this, but had no time to react as Dimentia willed her titan to start pounding on the puny target with all four fists. An angered Sylistys endured the pounding and controlled her own titan to pound against Dimentia, and it became a test of endurance for both parties. "AGH!" Sylistys made her titan yank out its spine and whip Dimentia's titan away. The spine wrapped around and squeezed to crush and disperse its chi, but the pink giant's arms turned into spears and rapidly stabbed the bone giant.
Dimentia imbued her titan with one final burst of power to stab Sy's with all four spears. At the same time, Sy's titan entrapped Dimentia's completely in the spine and squeezed. The space dispersed into particles and the bones crumbled into dust. "You are a most excellent 'other.'" Sylistys said. "And you will be a nutritious meal all the same." Above her, a cloud of butterflies were amassing under Leic's command. "Truth be told, I could care less for my masters' grander intentions. So long as I have the freedom to destroy, I will do so." The butterflies were forming a humanoid shape. "There was no better feeling than that of those souls disappearing down my throat, the flavor of their chi. For whatever reason, seeing things end gives me great joy. I want to watch all worlds meet their-"
"Look, Dimentia! I made a titan of my own!" Leic cheered, presenting the Butter Titan shaped like his carefree, smiling self.
"What?" Sylistys faced up… but rather than feel threatened, she could only gaze with disbelief.
"Impressive, Leic! I guess it's a good thing I let you butter-fy some of my chi!" And with a wave of her arm, the butterflies poofed back into Space Chi: the pink titan of Leic's likeness shot down and smashed Sy beneath its feet. She willed it to jump up and down joyfully, smash-smash-smashing Sylistys into the ground. Once enough damage was done, the titan jumped off, smiling at the tiny Leic and giving a high-five to him. With that, Dimentia dispersed the titan as Leic rejoined his friend. They approached the footprint crater and looked over the flattened Sylistys. (End song.)
"Ahh…so, this is my fate. In the end, I am the inferior other. Ah…how shameful."
"I should say so." Dimentia agreed. "Even despite your memory loss… if you had an ounce of love for your children, that love wouldn't have gone away. You should be watching your children, thankful that they're still alive and paving the way to the future. But all you care about is destroying the world they built. You truly are inferior, in more ways than you think."
"Again, you speak of irrelevant things. My existence was never dedicated to 'children'… it's dedicated to my masters, nothing less. I can only return to them in shame. I can only be punished. But mark my words, I will be stronger next time. I will fulfill my role as their valuable weapon. One day, I will destroy you, just as I will destroy every soul in this-"
"You realize I just warped us to the Underworld, right?"
Indeed, they appear to have landed in the middle of a dark-purple field of death. "What?"
"Grab her, Magellan."
"AAAAHH!" Sylistys was immediately snatched in the mouth of a purple snake of toxic waste.
"So, this is the one?" asked Magellan, the giant bat-winged demon from which the snake originated.
"Yep. Let's strap her in."
"What is this?!" Sylistys shouted, squirming desperately. Magellan dragged the creation to a building near Underworld Prison. Inside was a small chamber with a chair and tube.
Magellan released Sy as a pair of Fatblin guards grabbed her by the arms and shoved her onto the chair. She was strapped down as the tube was forced into her mouth. "MMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNN!" Excruciating pain overcame her as dozens of souls were vacuumed out of her being.
"This was Leic's idea." Dimentia smiled. "Soul extraction. We're saving all the souls you attacked. If we're lucky, some of their bodies may still be alive and they'll be able to return. This is the end of your reign of terror, Sy. We're sucking every soul out of that body."
"Mmmmm! Mmmmmmnnnn!" The creation squirmed desperately and aggressively, but was helpless to the osculation.
"For now, we'll let your own soul remain bound to that body. Without it, you might probably end up in Limbo again. Regardless, I'm not letting the Daemonis take you back, Aitnemid. They're going to learn once and for all that they're not above the rules. They're going to learn that they can't just take whatever they want. You should be thankful, Aitnemid… You should be thankful we're returning you to where you belong."
"Nuuuuuuuuuu…!"
Dimentia took Leic's hand and walked him out of the building, Sy's screams fading into silence. "Sigh…that's one problem taken care of."
"Good." Leic nodded. "…Hey, Dimentia… I feel weird for not asking sooner, but what are the Daemonis and 'Phoenios,' anyway? Like, I get they're from another dimension, but like… I just feel weird for not knowing this stuff. Just how long have they been around?"
Dimentia giggled. "It's not weird at all that you don't know them. They aren't natives of this universe and they weren't really meant to be. The Phoenios are gods from another multiverse who maintain order and stability in that multiverse. They're the heroes of that world, because where they're from, they have no mortal heroes. And as you could suspect, the Daemonis serve the role of villains."
"But how come they're here?"
"The Phoenios possess the ability to freely travel between multiple universes, even ones outside their control. They aren't the only beings who can do this, but unfortunately, the Daemonis have this ability, too. They believe they are above mortals' ability to handle. That's why the Daemonis attack worlds like these, because they believe they can't be stopped. The Phoenios therefore work to stop them, so they're believed to be the guardians of the omniverse… but in the grand scheme of things, they're no different from the gods of this world or any other universe. And that's why, outside their own borders, they can hardly do anything."
"So… they don't have any power here?"
"That's where it gets complicated. You see, if the KND or even the gods tried to invade the Phoenios or Daemonis in their own domain, the KND would be soundly defeated. On the other hand, if those two decided to invade our universe, fight the KND on their own turf, then the KND would be the victors. It's an inter-dimensional rule that encompasses a lot of worlds and ensures a peaceful balance. It decrees that no universe or multiverse is inherently superior to any other. That said, the Phoenios understand and acknowledge this rule, so it's unlikely you'll catch them invading. Even Lord English was hindered by this rule. He was born within this universe system and was thus able to do serious damage, but he couldn't assert his rule across the multiverse unless his minions forced them to submit. By that time, he already amassed so many followers from different worlds that he became the most dangerous threat ever known."
"So, like, can anyone from this universe just fight them off then?"
"That's not entirely true either. What Varcrutis did the first time she attacked was use the element of surprise. The KND didn't know who she was or what her power was, so it gave her the upper hand. In some cases, people need the right ability, the knowledge, and the right strategy, but after that, it certainly isn't impossible. My daughter's friend, Cheren challenged Varcrutis, and she couldn't beat him. You've seen other examples yourself, Leic, when Suika fought back against Sylistys or when that robot girl attacked Var."
"Man, this stuff really is complicated." The young angel scratched his head.
"Hm hm hm! I know it is, but once you understand this rule, you won't need to fear. But on some level, I think the Daemonis understand this rule, too. Usually, they only attack worlds with no mortal heroes, worlds that exist within their multiverse, but they're also attracted to universes like these, universes that combine ideas from countless others into one. Even so, their power is hindered here. That's why Varcrutis had to bargain with Eggman, to receive his permission to wreak havoc, to secure a place in this universe. But permission or not, she still has no respect for us. She still thinks she's superior to everyone. She's so in tune with her reality-bending that she's married to it. But this reality is not hers to command."
"Dimentia, do you feel it?" Plex asked.
Dimentia touched her head. "…She's shown up at last. Etheria, huh? It's time, Leic. Let's go tell Team Rex to get ready. I'll warp us this time, too."
"You aren't worried about using power?"
"Not anymore. Before, I was only worried about attracting more Daemonis, but that doesn't matter, anymore. I won't be using much power, anyway." Dimentia took Leic's hand. "Today is the day Varcrutis learns to respect us. She will learn to respect both mortals and gods!" And so, they warped to their destination.
Etheria (Play Eggman's Theme from Sonic Unleashed.)
Etheria was a magical planet that existed in the Nicklodia Galaxy. It was the furthest from the sun, but all of its light was generated by twelve moons that orbited the world. The planet's surface possessed beautiful colors and had unique architecture, and some of its societies relied on magitech.
"You see, Varcrutis, Etheria is a world that seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the year of 2031." Eggman explained. "And yet, somehow, there was already a Kids Next Door on the planet. I sent robots to collect data on the planet and determined something fascinating. The primary sacred relics of Etheria are five gems known as Runestones. These stones empower the elemental chi born to the respective princesses, and those princesses are seen as the protectors of the world."
"And you want me to crush the princesses?" Var asked.
"I want you to help me seize them. I discovered that there is a system of magitech that connects these Runestones to the Heart of Etheria. Etheria itself is a weapon of mass destruction! And the primary key to this weapon is the one known as 'She-Ra,' the only warrior who can channel and utilize all of the planet's chi once the magitech directs it into her. I'm given to understand that the planet was somehow 'hidden' in order to stop the weapon from falling into enemy hands, but Etheria was freed from its prison when the current She-Ra used the weapon herself. We must seize the five princesses who can harness the Runestones, as well as She-Ra herself, so that it may become ours to command."
"Color me intrigued, Eggy. But if snatching princesses is what you want, I'm the perfect gal for the job. I'm just worried about the Phoenios butting in."
"Then you'd best assume a careful approach. Leave the first phase of the invasion to me. I'd hate to lose my new associate to outside interference. In fact, I want to give you the most important and difficult part of all: seizing She-Ra."
Varcrutis was currently submerged near the shore of a great lake. This lake separated the town of Bright Moon from the Whispering Woods. The golden castle of Bright Moon stood proudly on a cliff, a bridge connecting it to a pillar in the center of the lake. The Moonstone levitated above this pillar, visible for all to see as the kingdom's primary landmark. A magical barrier was projected around the town as Eggman's ships tried to breach it, but some robots had managed to infiltrate the town and were in battle with local guards and KND operatives. The same was true of other Runestone kingdoms, but not only was this kingdom the capital, it was She-Ra's home. Var's sights were set on the Moonstone, which She-Ra and her friends would no doubt try to protect.
"Look, Grounder! There she is!" Var heard a familiar voice and rose up, seeing Scratch and Grounder on the beach.
"What are you two doing here?"
"Dr. Robotnik wanted us to check on you. We found you with this energy-signature thingy." Scratch held up a small TV device.
"We just wanna protect you in case any KND brats find you by accident." Grounder said.
"Kind of counterintuitive since you'll give me away, anyway. Besides, I don't need protection. If any nuisances wander their way over here, I'll knock them out in one hit."
"I'm a little scared of She-Ra though. What if she decides to use the weapon against us?"
"She couldn't just use it whenever she wants to, Dumbbot!" Scratch retorted. "That's why we're trying to capture all the other princesses! Besides, She-Ra won't stand a chance when Robotnik finishes his new robot."
"By the time Robotnik gets here," Var replied, "I'll already have She-Ra laying in a puddle of her own blood. And that's even IF I have to get serious with her. No amount of power she can muster can compare to-"
"ROBOTS?! Away with you, foul villains!"
A purple-haired man with a mustache, blue jacket, and brown boots came charging up the beach. With stylish bravery and exaggerated technique, he landed a mighty punch to Scratch's beak and kicked Grounder in the chest, the robots crying as they tumbled over.
"Wow, you guys really are low-budget." Var remarked.
"Never fear, my darling civilian!" the man proclaimed with a marvelous air. "No villain can hide from Sea Hawk on his afternoon jog! Say, come to think of it, you smell like a Fishwoman." He slid over to put an arm around Var. "You must have heard of me. I happen to be special 'friends' with Princess Mermista, after all."
"Did you know that whales are good at volleyball?" Var asked.
"That's quite an interesting fact. Why, it's almost as interesting as-"
Varcrutis reached up, seemed to grab one of the moons in the sky, and slammed it over Sea Hawk's head. Blood spurted from his face as he plopped into the water, the miniaturized moon floating around him. "Case and point, dumbbots. She-Ra won't even know what hit her when I'm through. …Huh? What's this energy I'm sensing? Are they already here?!"
A great vortex seemed to open in the sky above Bright Moon: the townspeople were agape as a phoenix seemed to descend from the heavens. "Cuckoo! It's the Space Phoenix!" Scratch cried. "It's come for revenge!"
"Hold on… that isn't her." Var glared. Indeed, this alleged phoenix possessed a metallic body, and though its silver wings shimmered pink, it was merely transferring the Space Chi around its body.
"OH HO HO HO! Behold, my latest and greatest creation! Born from the feather of a Space Phoenix, I have created the Egg Phoenix! This will be the symbol of Bright Moon's destruction! So, come at me, She-Ra! Face me if you dare! GYEEEEH HEH HEH heh heh!"
"He managed to snag one of her feathers?!" Var gasped. "And whipped up a robot that quickly?! This guy's good. But no way am I gonna let him upstage me. She-Ra's bound to show up any second. Time to make for the Moonstone." She dove into the lake and swam for the central pillar.
"W-W-W-Wait for us!" Scratch crowed as he and Grounder scurried across the beach.
"…" A blackish-blue, staticky aura sparked around the moon in the water before it disappeared and reappeared in the sky. "Ahhhgg…" Sea Hawk helped himself up, rubbing the blood off his nose. "I take that to mean you aren't interested."