The Creator of Nightmare

Maigashi lends a hand to help Alistor back up. The moment he grabbed his hand he was quickly hoisted back up. Nearly hammered from their battle with Darcus the rest tried getting back up. Their eyes all on him.

“Glad to have you back. We have quite some catching up to do.” Alistor said.

Sarah and Winoa catches up to the rest of the party.

“About time! Why haven’t you responded back? Have you been taking your time in that fortress? I see your both acquainted.” Winoa poked.

“Don’t even start.” Maigashi mumbled. “Ugh, it was just terrible cooped up in an enemy fortress for months under cover. I nearly got chewed by Havok risking my neck.”

He briefly explains his escape to them in full detail. From his clash with Havok to being chased through many narrow hallways. It ends with his escape from a device used to teleport materials down.

“So you’ve been kicking back ever since? I see. How were you able to slip inside anyway?” Alistor asked.

Maigashi briefly summarized what happened.

“Long story short, but after Moon’s defeat you disappeared off. We never heard from you again. And after Sairori’s disappearance everyone kind of broke off and went separate paths. Tannen, Steffbird, Zolhalla, and even Auroa you name it. I myself was on a long spiritual journey.”

“Let’s get a move on. I’ll explain how I broke in the enemy hideout undetected.”

As the party proceeds through the forest, Auroa receives words of Darcus sudden fall.

“Darcus has fallen? Well that’s no good. We’re 90% there and we can’t stop now.”

“They’ve breached through the second line.” Kabuki updated. “As of now no one’s protecting the final gate.”

Both not at ease Auroa was forced to improvise with plans.

“Then it is up to you. Kabuki! Go and stall them. Slow them down as long as possible. Ten minutes is all we need.”

Kabuki pulls out a puppet from the back of his shoulders. Determined he left without questions.

“Time to show them what I can do.”

Jumping from one tree branch to the next he heads directly towards the party’s path. A look of pure confidence and determination on his face. The strings from his puppet lets loose and takes flight in the air.

Meanwhile back at the Vortex Sky fortress. In a chamber somewhere down below. General Spades receives a note from a Vortex grunt. Word of Darcus fall have spread to the rest of the members. The general crunches the note in his hands.

“Rally up the entire army. It is time for us to move out. The beginning of the end is near.”

Back below with the party, Maigashi finishes with his story as they draw close to the secret weapon.

“And that was how I got inside the base. Slipping through an unconscious grunt outfit and following the rest of them back.” Maigashi concluded.

Mira suddenly drops to the ground.

“What’s the matter? Mira are you ok?” Winoa asked.

“I can’t go on. Too exhausted.”

The majority of their team was still recovering from their last battle. Mira pushed herself to get back up.

“Mira are you sure you can continue? Don’t push yourself.” Winoa said.

“I can still fight. We must stop that weapon right?”

Swifter and Plasmus begins to feel the effects of last battle. The injury’s taken toll on their body.

“It’s best you three fall back and rest.” Maigashi said. “No point in pushing yourselves.”

“Maybe your right...” Mira said. “Wish I could have done more, but I did what I can.”

“We’ll report back to Claws and the rest.” Swifter added.

With three of their members unable to battle the party continued on. Moving along their path it soon begins to dampen. A strong dark mist filled the air. Tree’s towering above from them. A visible swamp was within the area. They suddenly hear a crackling noise.

“You hear that?” Sarah said.

The remaining four came to a halt. Standing close and ready on guard. They suddenly hear the chime of a bell. Winoa immediately spots a shadow at the top firing without hesitation. The sound of the bell continues ringing.

“You guys saw that?” Winoa jumped.

“Come on out! Wherever you are. Let’s settle this man to man.” Maigashi shouted.

The chime suddenly comes to a stop. A strange fume of vapor mixes in the air. A puppet quickly swoops down by surprise causing Winoa and Maigashi to fall into the swamp. Sarah casts a wave of flames to clear the mist. Kabuki quickly swoops in delivering a strike at Sarah from behind.

“TIME FOR MY SPOTLIGHT!”

She gets knocked back rolling across as Alistor draws his blade out at him. Taking a swing with the Crown Sword Kabuki pulls out his Suntetsu to defend.

“Finally decided to show up? A cowards attack.” Alistor muttered.

He breaks free from Kabuki’s claw ready for another swing. Kabuki retreats to a tree high up. One hand to defend with a claw and the other to control his fiendish puppet.

“Fool! It’s all about tactics and strategy. This terrain specifically suits to my advantage. I’ll show you why. We’ll begin with some needles.”

His puppet as light as a kite begins firing a barrage of needles at Alistor. He was now on the run while Winoa and Maigashi got out of the swamp. Trying to outrun the attack his leg gets caught within its range. A shocking pain rushed through the blood stream.

“What? I can’t move.” Alistor said,

The puppet swoops down ready for a direct attack. A blade ready to swing at him. Unable to move his legs; Alistor stood his ground ready to clash with his blade. He successfully blocks the impact. Sarah knocks the puppet back with her fist.

“This guy is a ranged fighter.” Maigashi noted.

“Let’s try our ranged attacks.” Winoa added.

Maigashi and Winoa begin firing at Kabuki. The mist shrouds him from above lowering their accuracy. Kabuki avoids all their attacks.

“Annoying birds!”

Turning the neck of his puppet around it fired an explosive gas at them. Winoa suddenly begins coughing. Maigashi acted quickly to pull her out. Sarah rushes in with a burst of

flames at Kabuki. Needles begin spraying in midair as she used the fire to shield herself. The needles incinerated upon contact with her flames, but it was still not enough.

“My arms!”

Stopped in place. A few needles latched onto her arms. Sarah fell on her face flat on the ground as he mocks them. Maigashi suddenly got close but gets punched back. Kabuki takes a few steps back.

“As I thought. We’re dealing with a poison user.” Maigashi stated.

“A Poison user?” Alistor questioned.

“Yes! A poison user. Now we finally know how he fights.”

Maigashi stepped forward but gets hit by a few needles. He stood stunned in place.

“Kabuki! You’re a long distanced fighter correct? In fact you’re not built for close ranged combat. Unlike Havok you rely on your poison to wear down your opponents.”

Alistor remained on one knee. Unable to move his other leg.

“Now what? Would have been nice to know earlier, but it’s kind of late now.” Alistor muttered.

“Not to worry I got a way out of this.” Maigashi assured. “Auroa may have gotten strong but he’s not the only one to pick up a few neat tricks.”

Kabuki starts to look at him with disbelief.

“I got this fight all in the bag. I stopped all your possible chance of movements.” Kabuki pestered.

“You’re wrong!” Maigashi nodded. “Your punch was pretty good, but nowhere near as strong as Havok’s. You’re even weaker than the front general.”

“And what does that supposed to mean?” He grunted with anger.

“Where you flourish well in defense and distance combat you lacked balance in power and speed. That is why I’m going to end this.”

Maigashi broke free from the needles paralysis clenching his fist. Electricity surging through his body. He quickly dashes with lightning speed freeing Alistor and Sarah from their bind. Kabuki was now enraged.

“I won’t stand putting up with your insults any longer. You want a taste of power? Here’s real power.”

He opens his mouth unleashing a foul gunk of goo at them.

“Sludge Brick explosion. “

It sends Alistor and the party flying back. Winoa shot her wind at his arm disarming his ninja claw.

“A direct shot!” She shouted.

In response Kabuki lunge his puppet towards her.

“Pesky fly! Now die!”

He fires an explosive gunk knocking her out unconsciously. Maigashi and Alistor rushed in to retaliate as Sarah kept the puppet busy. They got close as he hesitated to keep distance. Alistor unleash his charged attack.

“Star Breaker!”

“Acid Mud Wall!”

A defensive wall emerges right from the ground protecting Kabuki from any physical harm.

“No more games! Kiya!”

Sarah destroys the puppet in one charged fiery punch. The strings snapped off his fingers as Kabuki felt the burn from the other hand. She moves in to quickly shatter his wall with another punch. Kabuki struggles to fall back for distance. The three of them moved in close but he drops a sphere on the ground to create a smokescreen.

“My puppet! Damn you!”

He was now taking cover behind the trees. Using the newly formed mist to keep his eye on them. Maigashi stood strong with full confidence.

“You out of moves already?” Maigashi pestered.

He kept silence, but Sarah immediately forced him out with flames erupting on the trees. As a last resort he leaped out with an attack unlike they’ve ever seen.

“Chorus of A Thousand Strings!!!”

“Fall back!” Winoa shouted.

Puppet strings in the thousand launched down at them below. Winoa was quickly overwhelmed by his attack taking the full force of the impact. She lies on the floor badly injured.

“You bastard!”

Sarah rushed in with her intense flames.

Intense flames spun around at high speed devouring all the strings in the air. Maigashi didn’t waste time to get close to the poison master.

“Grrh! I can’t let him get close!” Kabuki muttered.

Kabuki attempts to swing back but gets kicked in the air by Maigashi. Alistor begins hacking at him in midair. Sparks of damage bursts out from Kabuki’s costume.

“I’m not through yet….”

Kabuki opened his mouth.

He blasts Alistor back with his attack, but lost track of Maigashi in the air. He appeared directly behind Kabuki.

“Surging Thunder!”

Kabuki is electrified as Maigashi lands a punch behind his back. Kabuki plummets back to the ground. A small crater is left at the scene.

“Auroa…the rest is up to you.”

Kabuki struggled to get back up but no longer had the will to continue. His face dropped to the ground losing conscious as the three make their way to check on Winoa. She lied there with a pulse beating.

“She’ll be fine for now. It’s time to stop that weapon.” Alistor said.

And so the remaining three make their way through the end of the maze.

Sarah, Alistor, and Maigashi arrive to the scene of the operation. A giant crystal with clusters of prism stands at the heart of the forest. Auroa greets them.

“Thirty seconds early and not too late. Impressive. Kabuki couldn’t hold you off any longer. No matter its time.”

“Stand down Auroa. We’ll be putting an end to this operation.” Sarah said.

He was amused to hear what she said.

“The gears are in motion and everything is playing how I want. You can't stop what has already begun ha ha ha ha.”

The crystal begins breaking apart. A monster unlike they’ve ever seen come to life. Its wings sprout open pushing them back. A core at the top. It had no facial expression.

“I present to you Thandrus! My greatest creation. It will shape the new world and soon deliver the final judgment.”

“We must not let this thing out of this forest. We must defeat it here and now.” Maigashi said.

“Agreed! Alistor nodded.

Auroa backs away to get a good view for their battle. The monster materializes a long crystal rod in one of its hands. A glowing ball of corona in the other palm. A powerful energy unlike they’ve ever felt. Energy radiating all around its body. Sarah fearlessly stood up to it.

“Am I supposed to be scared? Well I’m not! Whatever it takes! If I have to break this thing to get to you then so be it.”

“Let’s see if you’re up to this challenge.” Auroa pestered. “Can you conquer it?”

Sarah fearlessly stood her grounds. Day begins turning to night. The stars all visible within the starry sky. They didn’t realize what was going on. The monster unleashes the Corona in midair letting out a big bang to blind them. It begins speaking to them.

“You’ll soon know the meaning of true pain and fear after I deliver my Aerial Judgment.”

The grounds collapsed into another dimension of space. Lights from galactic rings to planetary nebula's. They regain their sight as the three are dropped into a board that resembles chess with pieces all around. The monster takes its place.

“Where are we? What the heck is this place?” Maigashi asked.

“Some demented zone filled with space. This must be some kind of trick.” Alistor replied.

Sarah builds up her flames.

“I’m going to smash that sorry face if you even got one.”

She made the opening attack with a stream of flames. Two solar flares blast at the monster, but the attack instantly bounced off.

“What!?”

Unaffected by the flames she was caught off guard. It swiped her back with its staff. Maigashi shoots off a few rounds of bolts as Alistor went in for a direct attack.

“This should stop you in your tracks.”

Maigashi fire multiple rounds at the boss as Alistor got close for his Silver Shrapnel technique. The electrical arrows impacts the monster, smoke begins to form across.

Alistor went in to deliver the slashing blow. The next moment the monster still stood. Stationary from its original position.

“Ha ha ha ha. Was that really an attack? I barely even moved. Try again!”

The monster pounds the floor with its staff.

“Looks like we’ll have to get close.”

Maigashi rushed in with his Surging Thunder technique. The monster swats Maigashi down like a fly as Alistor tried to break the barrier. Alistor’s attack fails to break through as he was blown back by the monster’s aura.

“It’s using a barrier to shield itself.” Alistor mentioned.

Provoked enough, Sarah unleashed more flames directly engulfing the entire barrier protecting the monster. The sound of a barrier shatters as electrical sparks could be seen seeping out.

“That will teach you.” Sarah pestered.

Her flames quickly dissipate. The monster still stood strong and standing.

“Huh? What?”

It remained stationary from her attack.

“I can crush you with little effort. But first, some fun. Before this match is over, you will learn the force of my power. You’ll find this a real scream.”

A dark void begins pulling them in.

“No! I won’t give up yet.”

“Enter inside and bathe within my eternal darkness.”

The three falls into the open void. Sarah, Maigashi, and Alistor get separated and placed within their own realm.

“Now you’ll know the meaning of true fear ha ha ha.”

The monster watches them from a crystal sphere. Sarah wakes up finding herself back home in her village. She gets up to look around to find a little girl that resembles herself. She tries to speak out but the girl completely ignores her.

“Hey! Get back here. Wait a minute…This must be a memory. This is my worst day.”

She goes to follow the little girl. A tomboy all roughed up and running. She trips over as the crowd shuns upon her. In the form of silhouettes they pester back at her.

“Stupid girl! You freed that demon! Now we’re all doomed.”

“I said I was sorry…” She cried.

Still young she had known nothing of the situation. The voices rant down at her.

“You’ll never make it in this world through pretty flowers and kindness.”

“This is a time of war. No time for games.”

“Silly girl!”

The sight of fingers points down at the little girl backs away. Shadows of her parents continued to push her away. Neglect with full of disappointment.

“Why? Why?” The girl cried.

Sarah now found herself in her younger body. The voices of her parents echoed to her.

“You won’t last a minute in battle.”

“It’s your fault!”

Sarah starts to cover her ears refusing to listen. She shakes her head back and forth hoping it would eventually stop. Energy slowly seeps away from her little self.

Meanwhile with Alistor...

“Where am I?”

Alistor finds himself at the black tower. The Tower of Ages quickly pulls him to the moment of Moon’s defeat. The sight of Rena bleeding placed him in complete distress. He finds himself holding the power to destroy Moon as Rena yells out. She has Moon in a tight grip placed between her blades.

“Do it! Do it now!” Rena shouted.

“No…No! I can’t go through with this. No! Not again.” He hesitated.

Moon breaks free as the sight of Rena shatters to glass in his eyes. He drops his sword as darkness engulfs him in. The sound of Moon’s laughter begins haunting him.

Meanwhile Maigashi finds himself wandering in a city block. The sight of various women caught his eye.

“I’m feeling lucky tonight.”

He attempts to hit up with some chicks, but they began turning away from him. He begins doubting himself. Walking away from the rejecting crowd without a care. The feeling of loneliness.

“Heh, no need to bother with them. Who needs friends? They’re all gone. I’m best all alone I suppose.”

He heads to a bar to waste away.

Returning to Sarah she continues covering her eyes. Crying out for them to stop. Her knees dropped to the floor as the shadows continue to stare down.

“No more! Please stop.” Sarah cried.

She continues weeping but then gets beaten with sticks across the dirt. Rocks get thrown at her.

Maigashi continues to drink away in his realm as Alistor fires his shot at Moon. The very shot that pierced through Rena and Moon.

“Forgive me…Rena I’m sorry.”

He drops his blade to the ground and falls flat down. Unwilling to watch the sight of Rena’s death he hears Moon taunting the very words he never forgets.

“Hoo hoo hoo…Remember…evil never dies…”

Returning back with Sarah she continues to get pummeled from the negativity. She receives a kick to the face rolling across the dirt once more. She began mumbling as her mind was in a sea of doubts.

“I said I was sorry…Nobody cares….No one.” She closed her eyes hoping it to all come to an end.

“Kaida can have you for all we care. You’re no longer our daughter.”

“You can come back when you destroy the wind demon.”

The crowd walks away leaving her for dead. The one only person that came to her mind was Auroa at that moment. The scene turns blank and quiet. She now hears his voice calling out to her. She recalls the same words he told to her.

“To give you a fighting chance of course.”

She sees a hand reaches out to pull her up. It was none other than Kaida waiting for her at the end of the ordeal.

“This is all a dream. My worst memory to be exact…Master Kaida…you’re the only one who really believed in me.”

The darkness shatters as a light pierced through. She finds herself back at the same scene.

“I will defeat Auroa…”

Sarah’s spirit immediately leaves her younger self. Nothing but soulless shadows now went in to attack. The little girl steps back, but she immediately felt a hand over her shoulders.

“Who are you?” She asked.

“You’ll turn out just fine. Kaida will take good care of you. So don’t be scared.” Sarah said.

The shadows all went in to attack the little girl, but Sarah kept her back. She unleashed her flames burning them to ashes. The darkness dissipates as the sun comes out. The little girl opened her red eyes to look up to Sarah.

“You’re amazing. When I grow up. I want to be just like you.” The little girl said.

“Don’t worry; you’ll be better off without them and stronger. Now go with Kaida.”

Sarah rubs her younger self bushy hair cuddling by her leg. Suddenly she hears the monster’s voice. The realm she was in begins breaking apart.

“Noooo! This is not applicable. Unacceptable! You’re supposed suffer. I can’t move!”

Sarah suddenly lets go of her younger self. The entire memory fades as she shouts out to Maigashi and Alistor.

“If you can hear me. This is all just a dream. The monster is feeding off the fear in your heart. You have to wake up. Overcome it!”

Maigashi was the first to catch her words. Turning his frown upside down his spirit lifts back up.

“Why did I even give a damn about this moment? There’s always another Saturday night to get lucky.”

Alistor came to sense after hearing Sarah’s voice. Without hesitation he looks at Rena in the eye firing the shot once more. Moon’s entire form dissipates as she lied on the floor. A smile on her face as he goes to embrace her one final time.

“Alistor…. We did it. Don’t be sad, smile for me.”

“You don’t need to say anymore. I will bring you back one day. No matter what it takes? I will always love you.”

Rena’s body became nothing but dust as he broke free from the dream. He wakes up to find Maigashi and Sarah still in one

piece. The monster was slowly breaking to pieces. Unable to feed off their nightmares.

“They actually overcame their worst fear. Just don’t sit there. Do something!” Auroa ordered.

The monster attempts to drop down a burning ball of corona in desperation but Sarah demolishes it in one punch. At full power fire was circling across her body.

“We never left this very spot. You’re nothing more than a living dream feeding off the very fear in the hearts of others. It’s over!”

The monster attempts to regain its composure but it body slowly breaks apart. Sarah removes the wrappings across her arms. A determined look was in her eyes.

“It’s now or never.”

She unleashes her ultimate attack.

“Iron Dragon!!!”

Her attack completely engulfs the monster in one strike. Struggling to hold its form it takes one last look giving its parting words to the victors.

“I am nothing more but a dream that feeds in your hearts. As long fear and hate exists within other hearts, I will never die.”

As the iron dragon completely engulfs the monster, Claws and the rest arrives on the scene.

“The reinforcements have arrived!” Claws shouted.

Winoa, Mira and the rest finally caught up to watch the fireworks. The monster goes out with a big bang.

Auroa stepped back from the scene with a smile on his face.

“You did well Sarah. You’ve mastered the Iron Dragon. I now look forward to our true battle.”

Kabuki arrives to the scene still barely standing.

“What? You’re still alive?” Maigashi pointed.

The look of disappointment on their faces. The rest were armed and ready to fight the two. A vortex grunt arrives on the scene to deliver an urgent message.

“What!? A mutiny? Havok has been put out of commission.” Kabuki shouted.

“Look like its back to the drawing boards.” Auroa muttered. “Let’s check out the situation.”

Auroa and Kabuki vanished within seconds before they had a chance to strike.

Somewhere outside from the Vortex fortress an entire army rallies up. Four generals take the stand in the shadows. Gear ships and Spider tanks lined up with an army of assorted monsters. Commander Spades steps into the light.

“The time has now come. Rare has given us his word. By next dawn we will strike Capital City with our might. On the night of the full moon will be a new era.”