Arcane Tales

*Crone casts a shield that deflects the projectiles back towards Kentaro and pulls the King up in front of him by the collar before Derek lands his attack.*

Crone: <Step back!!>

Allina: <Crone, what are you trying to do!?>

*He widens his eyes and looks at Allina.*

Allina: <It's about time we know what you really want.>

Crone: <I just...>

*He screams loudly and his pupils constrict noticeably. He stumbles around a bit, doing his best not to drop His Royal Meat Shield. Panting and wincing repeatedly, he looks back towards Allina.*

Crone: <...I want to do what I asked to do.>

Allina: <Which is...?>

Kelphy: <He wants to bring the two worlds back together.>

Allina: <No, that's what we want. What?>

"Its true" Alto said, "It is what he wants. However... the unison of the worlds would most likely cause cataclysmic events. Our world hasn't felt the touch of magic on that scale for too long. The unison would not be a peaceful one."

Derek: <I think the main question is: Are events already going on that are making them merge?>

*He points his blade at Crone.*

Derek: <Answer me, or so help me, I will kill you.>

*Kentaro throws himself to the floor his gun still aimed at Crone.*

Kelphy: <I told you. CRONE was a project developed by some Yurion researchers to try and control the Aeldi and bring the two worlds back together.>

Allina: <Now that I think of it, that doesn't make much sense. If the Aeldi could actually do something about that, they'd do it of their own free will.>

Crone: <...Who else would have the power to do something about that?>

Allina: <What?>

Crone: <Who else but the Aeldi?>

Kelphy: <Yurion was destroyed during the project's final experiment... they were trying to make you control Origin, weren't they?>

"Crone... what is the Origin really?" Creed asks before Alto could stop him.

"Creed... that's not an answer you want to hear..." Alto says quietly.

Derek: <Grah, enough of this!>

*Derek charges at Crone, with a blazing fist raised.*

Derek: <I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!>

*Crone drops King Arthos, who falls to the ground with a loud groan. He then opens his arms and closes his eyes.*

Crone: <I don't have to do anything...>

*As Derek approaches, a diamond-shaped stone with a circular hole through its center like the one that killed Olympe materializes in front of Crone and rockets towards Derek's belly. Immediately after the first one shoots off, two more appear and randomly shoot past Derek towards Kari and Creed.*

Crone: <I don't have to do anything because I haven't found the spell yet.>

Allina: <What!?>

Crone: <The experiment Lady Kelphy speaks of... It didn't destroy Yurion.>

Kelphy: <What?>

Crone: <You still don't get it, do you? The experiment was successful.>

"What is the Origin Crone?" Creed asks again as Lucien shadows grab the crystals midair before they could slam into anyone.

*From where he is Kentaro fires armor piercing shots at Crone. Kari draws her gun and does the same.*

*Crone takes a deep breath and opens his eyes.*

Crone: <Origin is the leader of the Aeldi and the magic world.>

Kelphy: <But if they wanted you to control him, that means he really is an Aeldi.>

*Allina widens her eyes, looking from Crone to Kelphy.*

Allina: <You said the experiment was successful, what ha-->

Crone: <After 18 years of being put through tests and made control many different Aeldi, they thought I was ready to finally control Origin. Unfortunately, he was too powerful. They managed to trap him within me, but I couldn't control him. He made me destroy the entire city in seconds...>

Allina: <Are you drunk!? Why would we believe you?>

Crone: <I know what old Fahren thinks I want. He thinks I want to gain more power and new ways to control the Aeldi better, right? You know, he found me near the ruins not too long ago. A few years. I told him I couldn't remember my name or who I was, and he taught me everything he knew about magic. Even how to access the magic world. But if there's one thing I never needed from him, it's a way to control Aeldi. After all, I am project CRONE.>

Allina: <So when Momo, Oscar and the blue lady told us you were there... we were wrong all along, you were just trying to find a way to connect the two worlds.>

Crone: <Yes, unfortunately, my control over Origin still isn't very good...>

*Every now and then, the rocks vibrate in the shadow hands' grasp.*

"Why do you want to connect the worlds Crone?" Alto asks.

*Derek stops mid-attack and stares at Crone.*

Derek: <Why the hell should we believe you, you traitorous bastard!?>

Crone: <Because... Oh, forget it.>

*Kelphy steps forward, staring into Crone's eyes.*

Kelphy: <Tell us...!>

Crone: <She asked me to do it. Sephira. She was... the only person ever to care for me.. and I intend to keep my promise to her.>

Allina: <But didn't she leave to join the rebels later on?>

Crone: <Shut up! It was only because she didn't want me to get hurt. She wanted to stop them... but then they decided to move on to the last experiment... Origin felt betrayed, he still does. It was him who separated the worlds, and he never wanted to bring them back together, because a single world couldn't survive with such large amount of magic. When he refused to help the people of Yurion, they decided the only way to do it was by forcing him. And now... now all he wants is out. Out of my body. To get revenge.>

Kelphy: <So... so that's him?!>

*She points at one of the rocks struggling to break free of the shadow hands' grasp.*

Crone: <The spell he's been making me look for... is one that can reverse the experiment's effect and set him free again. But if he does manage to get out... humankind is doomed to oblivion.>

Allina: <Well, then stop him!>

*Crone groans loudly and grabs his head, making an effort not to let Origin take over. The diamond-shaped rocks rip through the shadow hands and rocket towards their original targets.*

Light swords smash into them shattering them into pieces by Alto's hand.

"We will stop him then Crone" Alto says.

Lucien nods, "Yeah"

Creed is still shocked.

*The two repeat their previous unregistered attack.*

*Derek gets impaled with the rock that was headed towards him, and collapses as blood pools around him.*

Derek: <What.... dammit... Origin...>

*The rocks heading towards Kari and Kentaro vanish after being hit, but the last one hits Derek. Allina shrieks and follows Kelphy running up to him.*

Kelphy: <M-Master Derek!!>

Allina: <Hold on Derek, I'll fix you!> [There's no way I'm letting anyone else die!]

*Crone winces and widens his eyes, staring at Derek. He doesn't even notice the incoming projectiles. When they approach him, small purple thunderbolts hit them, shattering them.*

Crone: <...I can't!! You idiots. You had to come after me, didn't you?>

Allina: <You were attacking a whole city of people! This isn't about us!>

*He shakes his head as Allina lays her hands on Derek's wound and envelops him in a blue aura. The rock vanishes, causing him to bleed much more, much faster. Crone groans, stumbles back, and falls on one knee, panting.*

Crone: <...I'm not the one controlling ...the monsters! You need to go... Now. Or ... or you are all going to die.>

*He looks at Kari, his pupils slowly constricting until they're but a small black dot invisible from afar.*

Crone: <...I told you.>

Alto moves foreward and slams his hand on to the ground and Lucien nodded and responded in kind.

Lucien's shadow hands popped upwards and from them rays of light appeared and wove together into a barrier.

Alto was visible panting, "Allina, you should hurry the fuck up and heal Derek. This barrier won't... won't hold for long.

Lucien is also panting a bit but he's noticeably less worse for wear. "That's... some mana you got there Alto..."

Derek: <Just... Don't worry about it...>

*He coughs out some blood and gets to his knees. He begins inching his way towards Crone, still intending to find a way to get rid of Origin.*

Derek: <I must protect... my home...>

*Kari fires two more shots at Crone.*

Kelphy: <Master Derek!! You can't-->

Allina: <No!!>

*She steps aside from behind Derek to see what Allina is screaming about just in time to watch as Crone's hair bursts loose and grows longer, acquiring a blondish color. A multiple-edge blade appears in his left hand and he slowly turns his head towards the incoming projectiles, grinning as his pupils pulse. He lets out a frantic laugh and sprints towards Kari, the bullets vanishing upon touching him. Allina throws herself in between him and Kari and he just keeps running, but just as he is reaching Allina he hits Alto and Lucien's barrier. She widens her eyes as Crone is hurled back. He slowly gets up and drops the blade, shaking his head and wincing.*

Crone(?): <....Ugh...> [Creed: <OLYMPE!!>]

*He abruptly turns around and starts pressing the machine's buttons. A beam of light flies out upwards into the wall of a hole on the machine and projects a large screen on the wall. He starts searching through the files. Allina just stares at him, still standing in front of Kari with her arms opened. Kari feels the Jade Rabbit trembling uncontrollably.*

Alto and Lucien are panting heavily.

"Wha- What's wrong?"

*Kentaro stands up and glances at Crone, standing beside Kari.*

Kentaro:<Are you all right, little guy?>

Derek: <What the hell are you doing?... And what... *cough* happened to you?>