Episode 23: Always By Your Side

[Noland Hardy]

Seiki finally woke up from her slumber a couple of hours after Tracy stepped out. She got out of bed to walk around. She realized she was in Tracy's house after seeing where she placed her pictures and certain awards. Two photos caught her attention. One was the picture she took with Noland and Tank after they won state together. They were beside the big trophy they received. The other was her and Noland together at a restaurant some time after the situation with Tank was defused. There were plenty of others, but those two stuck out. Despite not wanting anything to do with the Pack, the Spartans, and the Hurranians, Tracy was still keeping up with them, trying to be of assistance any way she could. 

As she looked at those pictures, a green Bakugan ball rolled up on her left shoulder and said that it sounded like the complete opposite of who she was. The one who said that didn't sound like Ahio, so Seiki asked for that to be repeated to make sure. The form opened up to reveal a completely new Bakugan who insisted that she heard what was just said and called her stubborn for it. Ahio then perched on her other shoulder and was very displeased to see a foreign object near them. 

The Bakugan forced itself to open into monster form, somehow not breaking anything in the house. It constantly poked Seiki with its large beak to scare her outside. This easily riled her up, but before she could do anything about it, the intruder rolled out of the front door in ball form before standing back up, latching onto Seiki with its arms, and carrying her upwards.

Seiki and Ahio ended up in a vast abyss where a vicious cycle of torrential winds keeps others out. Ahio was in full form, surprising her and Seiki greatly. When they looked up, they saw the visual representation of a forceful storm entering upon the descent of a majestic flying creature from above - the same one that attacked them and brought them here. 

(Boss Theme)

[Seiki Maki]

Seiki quickly mounts Ahio and grips onto her usual feathers when riding her in the air. It was sudden and quite dangerous, but worth it. She didn't want to be in the mercy of some unknown being, although it seems like it now. "What the hell does that creature think their doing!?" Seiki hisses, narrowing her eyes at the creature which had brought them into this predicament to begin with. She had just woken up and bam! A giant beak was shoved in her face. Great, it was another thing involving the war and everything that had broken out based off what the thing said when it had rolled onto her shoulder.

The ventus girl leans closer to Ahio's feathered form for comfort and warmth from the windy realm which they had been dragged into as she mumbles something within the lines of wishing she had a coat of some sort with her. "You do have to admit, whoever that being is does have a sense of respect." Ahio tilts her head to gaze down at the ground which no longer could be seen due to all the clouds. "I mean, they didn't crash Tracy's house into tiny bits, that's something." Seiki simply nods in response, not wishing to give the creature any more brownie points.

"I thought we had awaken from our slumber..." Ahio mumbles to herself quietly. She has her blue gaze lock onto the bakugan which was flying around the area. "This one doesn't seem like any other bakugan we've faced." Then it shifts to the storm clouds that were rolling in. That usual was a sign of dark times to come, or something within the lines of that. "Maybe it's a nightmare of some sort we've gotta fight."

Her words weren't missed by Seiki, despite all of the wind. "What are you mumbling about Ahio?" Seiki asks as she peers over to view the said bakugan's face.

"I think we're going to have to take this one head on." Ahio states bluntly, glancing back at her partner for a moment before beginning to rise from the current position they were in for a better point for an assault.

It had been a while since the bird had said something so direct like that in such a firm way. It took a moment, then Seiki nods her head. "Okay then Ahio... I trust you." And then she draws her cards. "Let's go. Ability activate, Blitz Attack."

As Seiki braces herself for the oncoming impacts, Ahio targets the opponent and plummets right towards them. "Brace yourself!" She screeches as she rams into the bakugan with electric sparks bouncing around the contact point. The bird flings herself back and plunges towards ventus bakugan with the lightning bolts reappearing each time they clashed.

[Noland Hardy]

Ahio's barrage went uncontested for a total of two times before the Ventus Bakugan had enough of what was going on; two strikes were enough. When she saw they were coming in for a third, that's when she put a stop to it. She revealed her claws hidden underneath her wings. She caught Ahio on her shoulders to hold her in place.

"Aren't you cute? That's the first proactive movement I've seen from you in a while. I'm shocked. I know you're not going to avoid me now like you've done the rest of your problems." Her grip got even tighter on Ahio, clearly showing she had no intentions of letting her go...at least not yet.

Bright lights were amalgamating a couple of feet behind her. Something or someone was being materialized. The lights came together to form the person being used as apart of the test Seiki was about to take, the only person that Seiki could ever hope to understand when it comes to this subject - the Master Blaze himself; although, he was depicted as being ten just like he was when he first started brawling. He stood safely on the open sky. The only thing keeping him from being lost in the abyss below was by the grace of this Bakugan.

"So you're my next hurdle, huh?" Noland looked Seiki and Ahio up and down just to size them up. They didn't look too tough to him, but he didn't make that feeling apparent right now. "You remind me of Alana a lot. She used to be just as timid towards battling as you are now, but her will was strong."

He activated his gauntlet - the same one Vince passed down to him. He placed his first ability on deck. "Let's roll, Oberus. Ability activate! Cutting Edge!"

Oberus's claws were gleaming in a lustrous green color, befitting that of Ventus. This power enabled her to dig her claws into Ahio's skin, completely erasing all of her enhancements and torturing her by siphoning her strength through a brutal move.

[Seiki Maki]

Despite the state she was currently in, Ahio couldn't help but to notice what Oberus had commented, "You've been watching?" Not that she doubts it too much, what she said within those few sentences were true- except the first one. She narrows her eyes slightly, "How long exactly?"

The person who had materialized out of the lights had definitely thrown Seiki off track. Of all things she wasn't expecting Noland, let alone a 10 year old cute chibi version of him. She blinks a few times while bracing for one of her partner's 'love' comments but it never came.

"I'm going to be in for a lot of pain." Ahio croaks, not even a hint of some kind of silly remark like she always would if he were to be involved in a brawl. For crying out loud, even during the battle of Baalenoid did the bird have time to drop her strange shipping comments.

If there was none being said, then this was going to be a really painful brawl. "Is not being timid." Seiki retorts to the kid-version of Noland as she readies another card. "I simply don't have the will that the rest of you do. That fiery passion for brawling, extinguished by the waves of life. Double ability activate, cry of the wind phoenix and absolute configuration."

Ahio brings her head back slightly, taking a deep breath before letting it all out in a screech. It was enough to stun Oberus and shake out of her grasp, but she was rather weak from the energy transfer within the ability. With a shaky breath, she carries out the next ability by cloning herself and sending her doppelgangers charging towards their target. "How many more times are we going to be charging in like this?" Ahio asks as she keeps her position in the air with her strength slowly rising, recovering from the attack that was placed upon her moments ago. "Clone or not, I'm not sure if I can take too much of it Seiki."

The said person remains quiet in thought, placing her index finger to her lips. "I can't help but to notice my heart feels heavy." She murmurs before lowing her head to Ahio's multicolored feathers, thinking a little more before closing her eyes. "It must be me." There was a pause in her speech before she continues, "I'll see what I can do Ahio."

[Noland Hardy]

"Long enough to set you straight, Ahio," Oberus smugly responded.

Noland got back into gear quickly despite Oberus allowing Ahio to escape her grasp. That's usually not the case with her prey. "Ability activate! Blast Storm!" Oberus swiped her plentiful feathers across the horizon very rapidly, continuously brewing up catastrophic storms just by the force of the motion.

"You sound like a very weak brawler just by the way you talk," Noland easily noticed. Oberus's technique easily repulsed all of the clones Ahio created as well as the poor bird herself. Wrapping her within the confines of her self-created disasters proved to be very damaging, but it definitely showed a hint of mercy. Not too long after that, Oberus retreated to the outskirts of the dimension and masterfully navigated the fierce whirlwinds inhabiting their battle space, just to see what Ahio would try next.

"It isn't such a bad thing that you admit your weakness. It may even be okay that you know that you're weak, but even someone like you should have a problem saying that. Any reasonable person couldn't be content with that, not in today's age. Are you really okay with being that way?" Noland curiously asked.

[Seiki Maki]

“Incoming!” Ahio warns as she tries to avoid the shockwave but to no avail, and was caught up in instead. It took a few spins and twirls to regain balance, then a few moment to regain her sense of balance, but Ahio managed to set herself back to normal- not without losing much of her energy of course. “It hurts.” She wheezes with her eyes closed shut for a brief moment before going back on alert. She had lost sight of the opponent, something you never want to do in a battle, especially a life and death one like this one.

Rapid breaths came from the girl on the bird’s back who wasn’t use to all these tumbles and rolls for she was normally on the ground away from chaos. “Of course I’m weak!” Seiki shouts out as she clenches onto Ahio’s feathers which caused the bird to wince slightly as she scans the area for Oberus who had seemingly disappeared into the clouds when she was attacked. “I was never meant to brawl to begin with. All I wanted was a peaceful life away from this pandemonium, but yet my hand was forced to draw the cards to defend myself. Ability activate, wilderness of sadness!”

The clouds in the field were then charged, growling before lashing out with a bolt of lightning. Ahio makes her way towards the outermost area of the realm, keeping an eye out for Oberus so when she saw her, she could direct the lightning bolt to charge towards her and transfer energy so she wouldn’t be as weak and her body wouldn’t ache as much. The constant illumination that the bolt provided allowed Ahio to navigate the dark skies a little better and avoid any turbulences which may throw them off track. “Where are you?” The bird mumbles, continuing to sweep the seen area.

“Perhaps I am stronger than some people out there, but compared to those that I seem to be in the ‘team’ else I’m simply another meek brawler with nothing outstanding.”

[Noland Hardy]

Noland was confident that Oberus would adapt her movement accordingly, so he didn't pay too much attention to it. What Seiki was saying about herself was more important. In his mind, Ahio could find Oberus and zap her and they'll still be the same way they were when they were summoned.

"I disagree with you when you say you were never meant to brawl. I don't believe in making those kind of statements. If people were able to make their purpose set-in-stone by themselves, then there'd be no reason why I'd lose my dad or Alana to the Doom Dimension. They probably thought they were never meant to be sent to that place, but they ended up there anyway. I never thought I'd have to face terrorists when I just wanted to be known as the best brawler, but I'm sure you already know the details about how that didn't work out," Noland made clear.

"Hmm...she just needs to learn to get over herself. It's not like no one else is doing what they didn't want to do...namely the reason why I'm a legend..." Oberus chose to keep that one to herself to prevent detection, but the lightning wasn't very problematic as long as she could avoid them.

Noland proceeded to make his move. Instead of one ability, he inputted two. "Double ability activate! Power Windup plus Agile Squall!" Power Windup was a very powerful ability unique to Oberus that allowed her to put her great powers to great use. She shone brightly through the sky in the signature Ventus coloration. While this did expose her, the power excreted through her body scattered throughout the area. This brought the stormy weather to a close, even the one the particular dimension was known for. While she can't have the luxury of her domain - at least for now - the storm clouds Ahio was using was dispersed.

The second ability was one of her main-line abilities. Using her great speed, she's able to take several loops around the opponent before shooting a swift blast of wind at an enemy. This is what she used to loop around Ahio within the snap of a finger before attempting to shoot her in the back.

"What about you? Did you experience something that wasn't meant to happen?"

[Seiki Maki]

It seemed hopeless for a moment, it seems like Ahio had really lost sight of Oberus and was now at a steep disadvantage. Until she sighted an usual light peeking in from the clouds. "There!" Out of desperation, Ahio directs the lightning bolts to the source of the light, only to have them blown away into mist from the force of the illumination.

Her eyes narrow at the sight of Ahio's attack being repelled back and dispersed. It's like every attack they did was useless"He has a point." Seiki mutters under her breath as she keeps close to her partner's warmth. In response to Noland's question, the girl lays her head against Ahio gritting her teeth at the thought of her answer. She was about to reply until there was an unfamiliar was detected by her which placed her on guard, seeing how Ahio was a little out of it at the moment.

"He has the appearance of a young child, yet he speaks of the present." She thinks over everything once again, "So then, would this mean that he's simply an illusion?" Ahio mumbles to herself, zoning out of the battle for a brief moment until the panicked voice of her partner calls out to her.

"Behind you!" Seiki calls out as the bird responds onto it in a quick manner. It was quick enough to avoid having Seiki hit, but due to the rather large size of Ahio, the bird was unfortunately hit once again.

She takes a deep breath in attempts to calm her breathing as she begins her response, "I lost them, those I've considered my family. Eaten for a demon's pleasure. Those who you've seem to lost, at least they went to a different realm and have a slimmer of chance of being alive. Those I've lost are gone! Gone forever!" The outburst left Seiki on the verge of tears which she bit back with what seems like a soft snarl. "Ability activate, tragic hybrid!"

A soft light green light appears underneath Ahio, specifically where her third leg would be if she were to have it in this form. As the third leg began to form, a triangle appears above the duo, each corner corresponding to each leg. In the middle a translucent orb charged with various types of energy was formed. When the missing leg was fully formed, the orb was shot towards Oberus and honed into her form. As for Ahio, the third leg left a few moments after she shot the orb and was left breathless from the recoil.

[Noland Hardy]

"So you've definitively had people die while Noland hasn't," Oberus understood. She didn't agree with it, but she understood. "Well...this IS why you're here..."

"So what? You really think that matters at this point?" Noland blurted out. He had an obvious indifference to what Seiki just said, and it showed in the tone of his voice. The disapproval that could be heard was too obvious to miss.

Noland got his next ability card ready after eyeing what he considered a credible threat if left unopposed. Oberus was obviously not going to be one-shotted by it, but at least they wouldn't have to expect any surprises if it's deceptively more powerful than it looks or it has some detrimental effects on the being struck by it. Either way, he couldn't allow that blast to hit.

"Ability activate! Blow Away!" Oberus simply swatted the attack off course by the powerful gust of wind summoned by a flap of her wings. This covered the hostile orb in a tornado that re-aligned the trajectory of the projectile. It made it curve slightly upward so that it would fly into the sky. The resulting explosion of it released a shockwave, but Oberus wasn't affected by its power in the slightest. All she was waiting for was a moment to strike Ahio down without prejudice, and it couldn't come a moment too soon.

"What was the point of comparing your losses to mine?" Noland curiously inquired.

[Seiki Maki]

"Yes I do believe that matters," Seiki spats as she and Ahio stay strong through the winds that had blown their previous attack away. Luckily the negation didn't affect the duo all too much, just some minor turbulence. It didn't really matter who she was talking to, like always her emotions took control of her and blinded her. "It goes to show that you don't understand what I've gone through and still feeling up till now. Here we go Ahio! Mystic ability, indignation!"

Ahio raises her head to the skies above and lets out a screech, calling the light to shine upon them. She then flaps her wings a little harder to gain some height as a magic circle was drawn underneath. "I who bathes in the full light of the heaven!"

Seiki didn't waste any time on her part of the incantation, “Call upon thee where the gates of the underworld open," the girl growls as a magic circles forms above them, each circle farther from them being smaller than the one bellow them. She then raises her right hand to the air, towards the now formed magic circles. "Come forth divine lightning!"

The bird closes her eyes takes in a deep breath, "Indignation!" A mighty lightning bolt seemingly comes from the heavens and shoots through the magic circles above them and jolts throughout the whole field with a roaring thunder resonating throughout the area.

"We may have similar losses, but yours can't simply compare to the not one but all these lives I've lost for all eternity."

[Noland Hardy]

Noland scoffed at Seiki's insistence on using that reasoning against him. It was almost disgusting for him to respond to, but he did it anyway, only because that's why he was there in the first place.

"So you've lost more people than I have. Boo-hoo," he dismissed. "You're only using that as an excuse for why you're on the run, and it's not a very good one either. I should know. I used that once and it didn't last too long."

He drew Oberus's signature ability and had every intention on activating it. This was a very different ability than the usual ones. The background art depicted a sun with all six attribute symbols contained inside of it, all ordered in a circle. He placed it on his gauntlet without delay.

"Ability activate! Turmoil!" This was definitively the most powerful Ventus ability, one that gives Oberus a power boost akin to that of a forbidden ability. Wind power progressively poured out of her body onto the field until it resulted in a full-power storm being created, the same one that was there in the Ventus dimension before, except with a more alarming presence.

"The truth is...you've convinced yourself to believe that suffering more than someone else gives you certain rights that I don't use. You think it makes you different from me on a large level, different enough to where you think my struggles are insignificant by comparison. You think you've lost enough already, so you've taken a more selfish approach to handling things than I have; you've built a wall around yourself so you can keep everyone else out and focus on you, just because you don't want to lose anymore."

"You're sorely mistaken if you think that'll fly here," Oberus added on, no pun intended of course.

The lightning bolts from Ahio's attack, as ferocious and intimidating as they were, could not dissuade Oberus from continuing her attack any further. They packed a punch, but Oberus took it like a tough girl would, not that the power from the wind veil created from the Turmoil ability didn't assist with the defense or anything. Even if it did, she still felt it, and it wasn't very pleasant.

"Let's try something else other than making comparisons, because if we do that, then I'd say you both acted like the little children that you are about yours. I, on the other hand, have seen more Bakugan die than the Bakugan I've saved multiple times over, but I still fought. It wasn't because I wanted to do so out of righteousness or vengeance, but it's to not make you vulnerable. Your idea of just wanting a peaceful life void of any death or destruction is a foolish gambit. You're smart enough to know that it happens every day, every hour, and every minute. Just because you think you can stay clear of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. While more people, like your military for example, continue to risk their lives and watch their comrades perish on the battlefield, the more people like you get shot in the back because of your pitiful crying."

"If you're not going to take it from her, then take it from me. When we started the Resistors, everyone wasn't on our side. They thought we were stupid going up against the status quo of just sitting and doing nothing while the enemy crept up on us. They teased us...laughed at us...ran away when they got caught...and then died right in front of us."

Ahio was then being drawn towards Oberus like a vacuum. All Oberus had to do was make contact with Ahio to finish her off for good. Both Bakugan started to close in towards one another, but only one was going to remain standing once the collision occurs.

"What are you going to say to a Legendary Soldier who lost more than you have but doesn't have her head up in the clouds? You can't go with the same excuse that you gave me; you clearly wouldn't understand, according to your logic. None of us are obligated to understand anyway; it's not our job to do so. What we should be doing is the right thing and not letting our past have control over us. You didn't let it stop you when you saved Tracy, so why let it stop you when it comes to helping me? What about Ahio? Are you going to let her get swallowed up, just because you lost more people than she has?"

[Seiki Maki]

Seiki held back her tongue for she had nothing to say in return. What the two of them where quite true, things that she as already aware about. She simply didn't wish to accept it, pushing away the truth and making her self believe what is to be correct. This lead to what seems like a depression cycle which lasted for days on end, loosing herself to the mad world she; herself had created. "They're... right." She mutters softly to herself, clenching onto Ahio's feathers and gritting her teeth in frustration. The wind was howling at her, the words of the opponent ringing through her ears. "They're right..." With a gasp she lets put a scream, throwing away all the false weight she had placed on herself.

"KUSO!"

A sob washes over her as she lets her let's her wronged worries go, her wails swallowed by the roars of the wind. The bird she was mounted on whimpers along to her sorrow and the predicament they were in. It was a well needed release of sobs and a change in view, though it wasn't the best time, and the clock was ticking. Thankfully, Seiki's outbreak didn't last all too long, and that was when Ahio decided to make her move.

"Erm, I hate to be such a prick to interrupt you while your in this state but..." Ahio starts with her wings flapping frantically, trying to get out of the wind stream that was pushing her closer to the very being she wished to avoid colliding into. "I need a little help, we're on a crash course to possible death!" The bird let's out a few distressed screeches for her wings were starting to fail her. "Remember that ability we used 10 episodes back?"

Seiki sniffles as wipes the tears rolling how her contact cheek with the back of her right hand. "10 episodes?"

"Yeah, it's titled 'Staff of Admiration', episode 13."

"Ahio, I think you may have lost your marbles. What did Oberus do to you?"

"Oh never mind that, I mean that one ability we passed out on so it was never used to it's fullest extent. Starts with an S and seems super powerful? Tried to use it but wasn't in the right state of mind and almost sent us to our doom?"

A weak chuckle passes through the girl's lips, "even in the face of death you manage to make me crack a smile. Thank you, I really needed that." The bird des the same with a small chortle. "I think I know what ability you're talking about." She pulls out the card, an elaborate yet menacing magic circle laid upon the surface. "Oh divine wings-"

"Come to thy wing and swarm the skies!"

The flapping of the wings cease as the ability began to quickly take effect. "Mystic ability activate!" For a split second, a translucent image of Ahio's previous form appeared infront of her with wings wide open. Then behind her came a translucent silloette which looked like a mythical creature of sorts spreads its wings as well. The two forms pulsed and merged into Ahio who was then engulfed in a bright light. For a moment, Ahio was revealed to have a new form, one which very much resembled the unknown figure that had appeared behind her. "Let's put an end to this... Seraphim Ahio."

"Sylphystia!"

Following the current of the winds, the two make a head dive towards Oberus.

[Noland Hardy]

Noland looked up at Ahio's new form with high approval. It looked like the duo finally got the message. Because of that, they had become stronger for themselves, for each other, and, maybe, for everyone else. He couldn't have been any happier for her than he already was.

He stood by to see what Seiki and Ahio's power would look like against the best of the best. Oberus awaited confrontation while she remained still where she was, not seeing the reason to move as her foe was coming right to her. The moment Ahio came within a few feet of Oberus was when it became hectic. She began to experience why getting close to Oberus while Turmoil is active is the last thing anyone would want to consider when dealing with her. Oberus is the main focal point of the storm, the eye figuratively. That's where her ability is at its strongest, the great repulsive force from the unprecedented wind spike keeping out all intruders. It usually results in defeat or even death on impact; yet, Ahio was keeping it steady within the clash.

That's when Noland decided that he had to intervene.

Soaring through the air as if he were flying, he jetted in between the two dangerous forces and snagged Seiki from Ahio's back. He put her in his arms and flew out of the danger zone. He got close enough to the border of the "safe zone," which was far enough to not be blown to bits by Oberus and Ahio and far enough from the twister-filled outer rim.

"Hm?" The storms around them started to rage, like Oberus was upping her power to compete with Ahio's growth. "To think you're making a legendary Bakugan like her try this hard and you're not a full-fledged brawler...that's impressive," Noland commended. "I'll throw in some extra credit as well so you could give yourself more of it. I did see that entire thing after all..." He directed her attention upwards so she could see her audience, not that she was supposed to know about that.

[Seiki Maki]

Her eyes were closed shut and bracing herself for some kind of impact, but it never came. Just a lot of wind  that fluffed up her usually semi-tamed hair, then... Nothing at all? Now that she noticed, it felt like she was in some kind of embrace- "What?"

Seiki opens her eyes to find herself in what seems like a safe zone from the windy chaos. Then as for the embrace... Wait, is it? She blinks a few times just to make sure. Yup, it's him. Without knowing, she lets her thought flow through her mouth. Luckily, it came out in her second tounge, "Kare ga kurōzuappu airashīdesu." She then slaps her hands over her mouth, silently cursing her thoughts for betraying her and coming out of her mouth than staying put. Hopefully no one would pull out a translator, that's one of the few last things she would want right now, along with Ahio mercilessly teasing her again. It then took her a few more moments to comprehend what Noland said.

.
.
.
Wait for it.

"Nani?!" Seiki screeches as she hops up on her feet and looks up to where he was pointing at. Did I forget to mention that her cheeks may have been dusted light pink? "How come I never even noticed?" She mutters to herself before calling out to the two figures, one that's clearly recognizable, up above, "Hey! Don't you know that stalking a heart-to-heart battle is rude?!"

After the outburst something else clicked. She motions towards the child infront of her, "How in the world are you here chibi Noland?"  Then she motions to the all too familiar redhead that she just shouted at, along with two other figures, "When the present you is up there? And who are the other figures?"

[Noland Hardy]

Noland shook his head in laughter of Seiki's confusion. He had expected her to figure out what was going on by then, but it looks like she hasn't.

"I'm just a physical manifestation of what Oberus wants you to see. That's all I am right now. Nothing more, nothing less. If you were looking at it by determining which one of us is the real one, I'll obviously be the fake," he explained very simply.

A tear then rolled down his face as he started to introduce the man standing next to him - the present Noland of course. He couldn't stop himself from doing it, and he didn't want to. Seeing him brought him tears of joy, relief that things were actually going to get better through the worst.

"The man beside me is my dad," he said, with a brief, unexpected pause, "the one that taught me everything I knew when my mom was gone, the one that I thought I'd never see again, the one moment where I felt it couldn't get any better...but now he's here. Even if he wasn't, he still was through everything that I did. He lived on through the gauntlet I used and the path that I walked. That's just bonus points for me that he's still with me in the physical world."

After going on about Vince enough, he briefly talked about the Dragonoid. "The Dragonoid is Apollonir, the leader of the Legendary Soldiers. We're being forced to watch the rest of the soldiers test all of you before he confronts us personally. Watching all of you is just getting me ready because Apollonir is too powerful for me to handle with just my power. That's why I need the support. That's why I need you..."

Oberus and Ahio's duel ended in a flash of a bright light. A powerful gust of wind circled around them, almost blowing them all away just by the sheer force of the power outbreak. The area was cycling to an entirely new area, a different part of the Ventus dimension to be specific. Noland was the only one who knew this in the immediate vicinity, Appolonir and Oberus being disregarded in that count completely.

"...to have my back," he finished before fading out of existence in the same light that he entered from.

The scenery changed to a grassy plain occasionally brushed by a light gust of wind. It was very calming as if a great battle has ended and the pain of struggle has finally ceased. Oberus brushed Ahio's feathers off of any remnants of battle left in it, presumably replenishing her energy reserves. She then jetted towards the ground and settled next to Seiki without the aggressive nature she had when they first met. She placed her head in her arms with the intention of being petted.

"Do you feel any better now that you've let that go, Seiki?" Oberus wondered.