Chapter/Tale 7: Fractured Conflicts: Act 6

Author's Note Intro:

Hey guys! Sorry I took so long, had a lot of stuff going on that really took a lot out of me. That and I was stuck in a rut and got comfy with Kazuya while mourning for three of my hopes and dreams as Mii costumes (Lloyd, Dante and Shantae) through the five stages of grief. I've also been a bit preoccupied with AO3 uploads as well, so I apologize for the long wait. Also, I turned 19 on the first Thursday of August and I'll be doing on-campus classes for this semester as well. However, one of the reasons for the delay was this chapter specifically. Suggested by my sister, I'm going to split this chapter into three or four parts starting with this one to make things shorter and easier for me. Once those parts are uploaded, I'll merge them into one chapter or leave it that way if you all prefer it like that. Note that this first part will be rather short but will get you set up with how everything will go. With that done, let's get right into the story! Enjoy!

I have a question for Nintendo. Why?


Tale 7 Act 6-1/4

Earlier that night in the Factory...

"Curses, those rats managed to get away," Celsius grits her teeth, biting the nail of her thumb. She barely broke a sweat after her run-in with the intruders, three of which were left behind in order to let the other three escape the factory safely. "We should've gone after them, especially that little Knaiva brat! At least he didn't try to feel me up like that other girl did!"

"That's... downright pathetic," chuckles Rushgarde, "To allow a child to touch you in an unsolicited manner."

"Didn't you get beaten by that artist girl and some unordinary commoners from that cruise ship a few days ago?"

"...touché."

"Calm down, Celsius," assured the Chancellor Teyren. "What difference does it make? They won't be able to defy us after having their egos shattered so pathetically. Besides, did you forget that our primary concern is retrieving the Void Jewel back at all costs from those wanted criminals?"

Rushgarde shakes his head. "Of course, it is what her Highness has ordered from us. But Celsius does bring up an interesting point. It's likely they will find some means of attempting to oppose us now that they're out there, and we can't continue like this with them being a thorn in our side."

"Interesting case," Teyren softly grunts. "You know, to be fair, her Highness did say that she wanted them back without specifying how."

"Huh, sounds to me like you have an idea hatched already," Celsius nudged Teyren. "As expected of the Chancellor."

"Well? Let's hear it," urged Rushgarde.

"Normally, I wouldn't dare think about pulling this little trick," sighed Teyren, gazing his sights upon something else. "But since we're on a ticking clock here, we might as well make the criminals come forward, whether they like it or not."

Soon, both of their gazes directed to whatever Teyren was looking at, and it wasn't long before they realized what his idea was. "Oh, so we're using that cliché against them, huh? Not what I would've done (at least not yet), but considering our circumstances here, there's no way they'd retaliate with the bait we're using," Celsius agreed.

The key in question remained in the shadows as Celsius went up to it and crouched herself to the key's level. Three unconscious keys, in fact, one in which was unconscious as she began to caress it more than the other two. "Oh wow, these actually feel way better than mine. For some reason, I can't pull away from these at all. That is some irresistible bait right there. Again, not a method I would think about using."

"Neither would I, but that jewel needs to be retrieved with utmost urgency, so this method will have to suffice for now," Rushgarde joins in.

"Excellent. Now we have till tomorrow to retrieve it, so we need to announce this today before anything else, understood?"

"Yes sir," the two saluted.

"And once we do that, we'll check in with her Majesty and fill her in on our little scheme, shall we?" Teyren continued, being briefly interrupted by an incoming transmission on his earpiece. "Oh, excuse me for a moment. Chancellor Teyren speaking, what's the problem? Excuse me, WHAT?!"

His reaction piped the curiosity of the other two. "Something wrong?" They both asked.

The Chancellor quickly turns to the others and replied, "It's her Majesty! Something's happened to her!"

"Is her hyperresonance getting worse?!" Rushgarde gasped. "Surely that has to be the case, right?"

"They don't really know, but they claim something's different about her. Either way, her condition is causing her Grace a lot of misfortune. We need to act in her stead, and with haste, I must add. We must retrieve that Void Jewel by tomorrow; that day will be our very last chance to do so."

"To change everything, you mean?" Celsius adds.

"Right," Teyren nods. "Luckily, I've also received news that the Re: Genesis Project has just been completed. Now our only aim is to get the jewel back, and I know just how we're going to do it... I hate to use this tactic, but we're running out of time. Our Queen needs this now! Both of you, have them prepared to be used as bait for those criminals. This plan must succeed at all costs. Time is running out for this planet. We cannot allow that anomaly to rise again and wreak a much bigger wake of destruction than before!"

"Yes, sir!" The two saluted before making their leave to fulfill their current objective. Well, Celsius still wanted to continue the hands-on experience with the keys a bit longer before she left.

Huh. Maybe their intentions may not be so bad as it appeared to be, but still, something seems like it won't be easy for both sides in this confusing struggle that will take place the next day. Only time will tell...


Knaiva's POV: Before the Raid

"Alright, guys," Kirby announced to the group this morning. It was somewhere around 10:00 currently, an hour or so before noon strikes. "Today's the day where we'll end this once and for all. We have till noon to act, and considering recent events, they won't hesitate to give the mages the axe should push comes to shove, so we need to act carefully should this scenario begins to spring into action."

"We're with you so far," spoke Marx. "What's your idea for this one?"

"The Zenoxia Elite Guard wanting the jewel today when they announced it yesterday must indicate that they have successfully completed their invention a while ago, needing only the Void Jewel to truly complete it. If their goal truly is to break the eternal curse of this planet, that would explain why the Void Jewel is ironically needed. However, the research conducted by Susie and Espera indicates an unintended consequence in the current state the jewel is in, which resides within Gooey here."

"I think we all know that," Gooey spoke up. "But you're saying that I need to completely drain it of its unstable aura to potentially avoid the unintended consequence, right?"

Kirby nods to this. "Took the words out of my mouth. In other words, the jewel needs to be rid of all the unstable matter before it can be used for the project. Basically, we're going to surrender the jewel ridden of the aura. But not until the safety of the girls can be assured, though. One group will deal with that. Another group will infiltrate the factory in search of the project, which is where it's most likely to be kept in. And lastly, someone will sneak into the castle and check in with the Queen herself, and who's a better fit for that than Taranza himself?"

"I knew you'd volunteer me for this," sweatdropped Taranza. "Not that I'm complaining whatsoever."

"In short, one group will rescue the mages with Gooey carrying the Jewel, the next will find out where the machine for the Re: Genesis Project is in the Factory while also consulting the Clockwork Star for help, and Taranza and others will go speak to the Queen during the commotion. The rest of the group not chosen will remain on standby until something was to happen. If there's any sort of energy change concerning Dark Matter, inform any of us immediately. Some of the passengers volunteered to blend in with the crowd in town earlier before in all four objectives, so they'll provide any sort of info they can get their hands on."

"Alright, but what about Gooey exactly?" Susie questions, nodding her head over to him. "The machine or whatever it is can malfunction if all of the aura isn't extracted from him in time, just saying, that is a possibility."

"Not if the dark aura was at its lowest," chimed Espera. "My recent analysis indicates the effectiveness of the jewel depends on the amount of aura centered within the spectrum. Even if they were to get their hands on it somehow and still use it, the result won't be catastrophic should it lack enough dark energy to cause the project medium to malfunction."

The surprise on everyone's faces upon this discovery by Espera surmounted. "At least I hope that's the case." With that sentence crushed everyone's shock.

"Oh..."

"Either way, as long as the amount of aura is low, nothing consequential can take place during that time," Espera continues, adjusting her glasses at the same time. "Now, our real concern is the safety of Marxanae and Gryll-"

"Ahem," I coughed. The professor sweatdropped.

"And Pandora as well. Pardon me. If what Knaiva said is true, then the higher ups must've used a Silencer Pulse on them so they can't cast spell anymore while it's still in effect. We need to be very cautious about making any sudden moves should the enemy catches on, else they won't hesitate to strike the first blood."

"Alright, following you so far," said Marx. "That means we have to come out to the square, "surrendering" as they demand. We'll trade off Gooey while they give us the girls, hopefully with the jewel being stripped of the aura in time."

"And we need to search for the invention they made in the factory, right?" Niva adds. "Or we could just ask Naiva himself."

"Well, what exactly am I supposed to do once I find Spectralinae?" Taranza asks.

"Good question. Originally, the first idea was to convince her to end the manhunt and whatnot, but that ain't gonna cut it from what someone just reported. You mentioned how she had headaches, right? Apparently, it's gotten even worse. You should be with her, at least," Kirby answers, which left a concerning look on Taranza's face.

"It can't be... alright, I'll do it," he grunts.

"Only two hours remain until the plan is set in motion. There's no going back for this one, so whatever business you may have, do it now if possible. Something tells me we're in for a wild ride," Vanja suggested. "We'll arrive near the harbor somewhere around 11:00 or later. Be ready. Whatever happens, we've got the entire day to end this conflict as soon as possible."

"Right," everyone agreed.

"Now the only thing left is to divide and conquer party members," announced Kirby. "I'll take care of that later. Other than that, meeting adjourned."

Upon that, the members of the meeting took their leave to prepare for the main event coming in roughly two hours later. I wandered the cruise for a bit, not sure how to "prepare" myself for later. And I just sat on a chair, gazing beyond the horizon. The term in that sense was news to me. But I could probably guess that I should be ready to withstand what comes my way when we go to save the others.

I may have to fight those three again if it comes down to it. But after what happened last time, I couldn't stand a chance against them. If only I was a little stronger...

My thoughts were interrupted by the call of my name. Turning around, I noticed it was Kazela calling me; I think she's Kailaine's sister. "Hey, Knaiva. Got a minute?"

"Um, sure, I guess," I momentarily replied. "You need me for something?"

Kazela shook her head before handing me something on a cone. A lump of white swirls sat on top of it. "Well, I just wanted to talk with you. Also, I'm sure you haven't tasted ice cream before, so here. This one's vanilla."

Curiously, I took the cone from her. "Oh, thank you, Kazela." I gazed at it for a few seconds before giving it a lick. A sweet sensation vibrated through my body. "It's pretty delicious, cold but soft as well."

Kazela giggles. "I knew you'd like it. Who doesn't love ice cream?"

"Guess you have a point," I softly chuckle. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, that? You're worried about those three, aren't you?" Her guess was right on the mark.

I sighed. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be? It's been only a short time since I've met them, but they took me in when I had nowhere else to go, even though it was dangerous for them. The moment I woke up seeing them was the only memory I had that time. Next thing I knew, I had this strange power and learned that I was a Demon Beast along the way. It's all so much to take and yet I was able to... maybe it just didn't strike me as hard as it should've. I also find myself okay with having a hole where my heart is supposed to be. Maybe my point is that I don't know what I would've done if they weren't there for me back then. Even Pandora came to like me when I trusted her, and she's supposed to be your enemy. Still, I can't help but feel powerless in that regard."

"Feelings of obsolete, huh?" Kazela replies. "I know how that feels, trust me. I've also lost my memories too; I had no recollection of who I was until I met Kirby. Slowly, I've regained them, but I still don't know how I lost them. Still, it's a good thing for you to be found by those three. Being alone is the worst feeling there is, and I've been that way after what happened 8 years ago… I have no idea how I'm still alive now."

"Oh, sorry you had to go through that," I said.

Kazela smiles suddenly. "Thanks for the concern, but don't worry about me. I want to tell you that you gotta believe in yourself, just as you believed in them in the time you spent together. You trusted Pandora, and that totally saved you, didn't it? Sure, it's okay to be afraid, but having courage will set you straight. After all, I think I heard someone say this: Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality."

"Seriously? That's sounds so corny," I sweatdropped. "If I knew what that meant."

"Yeah, what I mean is, you're a brave kid before fear became a concept to you, so having courage allows you to face fears and act on them, even though you're still afraid. Those three wanted you out of harm's way, but if you really care about them, fear is the one that becomes a concept, and you'll do whatever it takes to return the favor and save them. And the best part of that is having people to help you do so," Kazela suddenly hugs me, and I don't know how she or I knew that I needed that. "It's gonna be okay, Knaiva. We're here for you."

A feeling of a strange warm heat centered around my cheeks. "...thank you, Kazela. You know, I don't feel as stressed out as I was before. Reminds me of when they always hugged me, which was ironically hours ago, I think."

"Oh, while we're on the matter," Kazela gazed intensely at me with beaming eyes and a suspicious intent, "Is it true Pandora's "boxes" are as big as Vanja's? How'd they feel?"

"You also wanted to ask me that personally, didn't you?" I sweatdropped. "You're an odd girl, that's for sure. Well, if you want to know, they feel like those things you rest your head to sleep."

"I suspected as much, they're just like Celsius' pack, but better." Kazela sneered, standing up in the meantime and glancing forward towards the distance. "Don't worry, you'll get to feel those babies again shortly. Now shove that ice cream down your stomach and get ready to rumble later. You're gonna need it."

"Yeah," I swallowed the rest of the ice cream in one gulp but doing so caused my head to swell in some sort of cold pain. "Agh! My head!"

"Oof, brain freeze," Kazela winced. "I didn't mean shove the whole treat down your throat literally. C'mon, let's go get you some hot chocolate to warm that head of yours."

I was wincing but despite that, I managed to let out a smile. "Sure, I'd like that."


The Nation of Tempestoria- Portside

The whole crowd on the cruise gathered as the conductor of the raid, which was Kirby and Vanja beside him, recaps the strategy they were going to implement into the plan. Everyone was required to participate because it was going to determine their fate as well. After the cruise passengers went into action, the main cast were left.

"Okay, everyone. Now that we're all gathered here at this moment, it's time to go over the situation once more. As you know, the Zenoxia Guard is hiding a dirty little secret from the masses thanks to a certain incident that took place two weeks ago involving an unintentional heist of the Void Jewel. Ironically, that action delayed the inevitable of a disaster, but now they've resorted to execute the mages that accompanied Knaiva here and the victims in the factory in the public square unless the four "criminals" turn themselves in along with the jewel in exchange for their lives at exactly noon. Ya following so far?"

"Yes, sir," the crowd replied.

Vanja adds, "In that case, there's a major catch to giving up the jewel. Gooey here had swallowed it in order to keeping the unstable aura from seeping out, so we need to stall for time until he manages to drain as much aura as he can from the jewel, so calamity won't arise when they use it. In short, while the guards and the elites are occupied with three of the wanted, several groups will either infiltrate the factory or aid Taranza in sneaking into the castle and finding the queen as it seems something has happened to her. The rest will be on standby in case anything should happen; meanwhile, if you're injured or need some supplies, just head back to the portside for those necessities. Understood?"

"Yes, Princess," the crowd replied again.

"Alright, now let me just make some changes to the Party Invasion Protocol, and we're all set," Kirby said, scribbling on the board to assign party members.


Divide and Conquer

(Menu- Sonic CD)

There are about three different scenarios here. Choose wisely about the characters you pick for these respective scenarios. Note you can also set up characters on standby from the cruise that haven't been selected initially in case a member falls in battle or something. This time, depending on the scenario, you can only have a set number of characters chosen for them, so think about it very carefully before you lock in with your choices.

Scenario 1- Central Square: The Zenoxia Guard Elites: Alzen Rushgarde, Teyren Yggranox, and Shiverflake Celsius has captured Marxanae, Gryll, and Pandora after what happened yesterday, and they will be executed in the Central Square unless the hunted turn themselves in along with the jewel in exchange for their lives! Be warned- if anything does happen, you may be forced to fight, so proceed with caution.

(Character Limit including Marx, Magolor, Knaiva and Gooey- 6)

Scenario 2- Factory Inspection: The Re: Genesis Project is currently being set up in the Abyss where the buried Clockwork Star Naiva resides. The contraption is going through some major adjustments and patches before it gets sent up to the surface. Seek advice from Naiva and investigate the contraption as well and see what happens from here.

(Character Limit- 4)

Scenario 3- Zenoxia Castle: The recent news is that yesterday, apparently something has happened with Queen Spectralinae. It seems as if she has become an entirely different person altogether, perhaps from her retrograde hyperresonance suddenly getting worse and maybe even lethal if left unchecked. Have a few accompany Taranza to the castle and try to help Spectra however you can.

(Character Limit including Taranza- Any)

Party Members (In Order of Attainability): Kirby, Karly, Dedede, Meta Knight, Bandana Dee, Dylan, Dash, Aqua, Aege, Saito, Fololo, Falala, Sirica, Kazela, Jodie, Kailaine, Adeline, Niva, Knuckle Joe, Espera, Susie, Magolor, Marx, Gooey, Taranza and Knaiva.

Choose Party Members!

Central Square: Knaiva, Marx, Magolor, Gooey, Adeline, and Kirby

Factory Inspection: Kailaine, Niva, Espera, and Susie

Zenoxia Castle: Taranza, Dedede, Meta Knight, Bandana Dee, Karly, Dylan, Dash, Aqua, etc.


Is this arrangement okay? (Note you cannot arrange this afterwards but only to switch other party members on standby with those fallen or as such. Please review this carefully before you proceed, otherwise until you reach a Star Point, you'll have to start from this very point again.)


Yes, I'm okay with this!

No, just give me a moment…

Answer: Yes, I'm okay with this!

Preparations are complete then! The members not chosen will be on standby at the cruise. Swap them using the Star Point. Now time to roll out! TPAI Complete!


"Everyone okay with the arrangements?" Kirby asked everyone. There were no objections. "Sounds like everyone's just itching to get this over with already, huh? In that case, we better get a move on! Our priority is to get the first party to the Central Square and keep the opposition distracted for the others to sneak in their locations. Is everyone ready?"

The crowd nodded. Vanja also comments, "Perfect. Whatever is truly going on, we need to get to the bottom of the matter and put an end to it once and for all! Those who are staying behind, keep an eye out for anything suspicious during this crucial mission. Now let's put an end to this damned winter."

With those words followed the passionate roars of the crowd as they started to vacate the room to prepare themselves for the mission. Everyone was eager to put an end to this as soon as possible, and considering what many have gone through, it was understandable.

For me, I don't know what I've gone through- I don't even have a past at this point. Whatever the case, all I have is now, and right now, I need to rescue the ones who cares for me, even if I must fight those three again to get them back. I was nervous, as many would describe it, but I know I must do this, for their sake and everyone else's as well.

As I was about to leave along with everyone else, Espera stopped me for a moment. "Knaiva, wait for a moment."

"Sure, what is it?" I asked her.

"Can you show me the hole in your chest please?" Without question, I did just so, lifting my cloak and exposing the defect of my body. As I did that, she pulls from her lab coat a strange red jewel and inserts it inside the hole, which stuck in like a key in a keyhole. Massive energy was surging my body upon insertion.

"What's this jewel for?"

"It's a core Susie and I crafted just for you, Knaiva. You'll have a much better handle on your Imaginipulation Ability before. Your ability relies on your imagination and can shapeshift your body into any weapon you think of or dish out long-distance Artes or projectiles in various forms. By reading spell books or tomes with this core, you'll automatically learn to move yourself. And it seems like you can tap into the power of the demon beast you've been injected with as well," Espera explains.

"I see…" I reply, gazing at the core in my chest. "But this kinda stands out though."

"Don't worry, I made sure of that. It won't be damaged that easily nor can it be torn off you by anyone but you. Just think of it as an equippable weapon. If it wasn't, you'd be a target for the Jumi Core Hunter and as good as dead, but you may as well be a Jumi in my opinion. It even blends in with your skin, so no one will even notice, even if you get impaled by any chance. Plus, your Chaos Requiem Arte will be even more powerful with that baby on ya, and it comes with a ton of other perks as well for you to discover on your own. I think you'll find it quite useful."


About Amplifier Cores

Knaiva received the Amplifier Heart Core! Cores will be Knaiva's equippable weapon from now on. Depending on the core he gets, it will improve his combat performance and much more. Some Artes will be more powerful than usual as a result of the core equipped, or he may gain additional perks and skills as well. Spell and Technique Books will be very vital for Knaiva, so experiment and see which ones will provide the best results for you!


"Thanks, professor," I smiled. "I'll put this to good use."

"No sweat. Just make sure you rescue your ladies with that baby," Espera beamed. "Meanwhile, we'll follow the route and make our way into The Abyss for some advice while seeking the contraption. Hopefully the Clockwork Star you met before will provide us with answers."

"You can count on it, Knaiva," Niva adds. "Don't keep your girls waiting now! Let's go!"

"Got it," I nodded, making my way out of the room and following the crowd to the lowest floor of the cruise to reach the dock.

The city reeked with potential bloodshed as it looms in the background. A flow of townsfolk was trailing another as they were being lured to a very specific area of the city- Central Square, seemingly the massive of the nation alongside Zenoxia Castle. And there is where we'll face the elites of Zenoxia once more.

An informant had appeared before Vanja with confirmation. "It's just as we expected. Many of the knights have been positioned in Central Square, and the security for both the Factory and the Castle are lax. The Elites are expecting the wanted to show up and expose themselves with the Void Jewel; they also have the captives in place should they not appear before them."

"Alright, just as planned. What happens today will decide the outcome for this ruined planet. I would say more, but we're out of time. Time to make some noise, everyone!" Vanja declared. "Good luck!"

The rest of us nodded, proceeding to head into the lion's pit awaiting before us.

They saved me, so it's now my turn to save them.


To be continued…

End of Act 6 Part 1!