Demon Archives: Black Doom. Lord of a sub-race called the Black Arms, they were confined to the Black Comet and forced to drift the mortal galaxies. They could only invade whatever planet they flew by. While passing Mobius, Black Doom was approached by Professor Gerald Robotnik, who wanted his blood to create the "Ultimate Lifeform," Shadow the Hedgehog. Doom planned to use Shadow to conquer Mobius, but was ultimately destroyed by his "son."
Part 2: Uncle and Great-Great-Great Grandpa
Lingering in the forest any longer wasn't safe, and the families knew everyone else would need to know. Maddy knocked on the door of their cousins' home and were promptly answered by Cheren. "It's already started, huh?"
"Sooner than we expected." Haylee replied. "Did you call everyone down from the treehouse?"
"Yep. Perry rounded them all up in the underground room. Had a biiiiit of trouble squeezing Mali in there, heh. And it seems we have an extra guest." He noticed the green-haired Lyserg; who confirmed his male gender on the way.
"He says he's a Divine Angel." Maddy said.
"Not a Spirit KND operative?"
"I work with them often." Lyserg answered. "So, can you lead me to the others?"
Perry's bedroom had a part of Sector V's treehouse in the corner. A secret passage inside led into a secret room that once belonged to the legendary Numbuh Zero. One by one, the group slid into the chamber. "Christina!" Laruta raced up. "What were you thinking running off to an illegal rich guy tournament?! You should be ashamed! And Silica, if you were gonna put this idea in her head, you at least should've gone with her!"
"I was in the middle of a stream! Chris walked in and started whining about K. Rool, so I told her about that contest to get her off my back!"
"Iron-clad friendship, that one." Haylee remarked.
"So, why did you make me call them all here?" Perry asked. "And who're you?"
"I'm Lyserg of the Spirit World's Divine Angels. I'm inhabiting a Gigai right now. To start off, do you all know about the Day of the Demon?"
"Uh…I don't know." Mali answered, not liking the sound of that.
"Isn't that the day when the demons took over the treehouses and awakened Malladus?" Isabelle replied. "It was the first time the Kids Next Door learned about the Underworld, I think."
"Dad told me a while back that it might happen again this year." Perry said.
"Well, it has. And it seems that several Demon Lords have formed an alliance. An alliance to take Malladus's essence… from the Uno descendants."
Christina recapped what happened after she got home. Ralph was stunned to hear his Joaquin played a part in this, and was fearful over why the G.En.I.E. was absent now. But they were more concerned over the status of Christina's father, left to fend off the giant demon. "The giant bathtub place sounded kinda cool!" Jason admitted, earning a glare from his friends.
"That demon was Diablo." Lyserg explained. "He's one of the current Six Demon Saints and known as the Lord of Terror. He used to be an active figure in the old Demon Wars, alongside his brethren, and destroyed thousands of Divine Angels."
"If he's so bad, how come we've never heard of him?" Silica asked.
"Because you don't research." Lyserg answered with a knowing glare. "Based on our intel, there are at least four other Demon Lords working with him. The other demon you encountered was HIM the Bedtime Terror. There's also Aku the Time Tosser, Alastor the Radio Demon, and Clawthorne the Owl Keeper. Clawthorne is a fairly recent Lord, so we can't gauge his Power Level, but the others are nonetheless dangerous and powerful. But… it's hard to imagine Diablo being strong enough to attempt to harbor Malladus's soul. No other demon but Demise could hope to contain his Royal Fire."
"We still can't let him make a meal out of Dad!" Christina argued. "We gotta go down to the Underworld and trash that fucker!"
"Miss Christina, I think it would be best to keep you away from the demons as much as possible. Only you and your father carry both halves of Malladus, so if Diablo takes yours, too-"
"WHADDYA MEAN 'TOO'?!" Christina grabbed him by the collar and shook furiously. "Don't act like Dad would lose to that bull!"
"All I meant was that you shouldn't risk getting involved! None of you should. The Divine Angels will get your father back."
"How do I know if your angels are any good? You look like a total pushover, for one!"
"I'm only an apprentice! I assure you the others are quite strong and capable!"
"That don't mean we can't help, too!" argued Jason Dimalanta, the team leader. "This happened back when our grandparents were tykes, right? So, why can't WE handle a load of demons?"
"And if I recall," Isabelle began, "didn't the treehouses get corrupted by Malladus back then? Isn't that gonna be a problem?"
"Back then," Lyserg answered, "the Sacred Trees were all restraining Malladus. The Day of Demons empowered Malladus enough to corrupt the trees, leaving them vulnerable for his minions to take over. Now that that seal is no longer needed, the Sacred Trees should be strong enough to hold back the demons."
"Yeah, but they won't protect everyone else, will they?" Perry reasoned. "What if the demons attack innocent people? We'll have to be out there to protect them, anyway."
"That's true, but I do agree fighting the bigger demons is too dangerous." Laruta said. "Especially after we just got back fr-"
"What, so you're gonna chicken out just 'cause you couldn't do nothin' against K. Rool?" Christina asked.
"Excuse me?! I only meant we should pick our battles wisely, and you should, too!"
"You know, when I attacked that 'HIM' guy, he was hurt by my firebending; called it the 'Royal Fire.' That means I got an advantage against these guys, don't I?"
"The Unos' firebending is highly effective against demons." Maddy remembered. "Because you harbor the Demon King's essence."
"That means it's MY job to put these punks in their-"
"But I still don't want you trying to challenge them!"
"SCREW YOU, Mom! Isn't this what you fuckin' trained us for?! Ain't this what you want us-"
"Tina, it's almost midnight. It's late. You're stressed and tired and you're trying to rush into things you're not prepared for. Even if you do have the power to help, you need to sleep first."
"You really expect me to go to sleep with all this happening?! I'm goin' back to that forest and I'm gonna help-"
Mali seized Christina like a dolly, a milk bottle pinched in her finger as she popped it into Christina's mouth. Reactively suckling it, the Uno began to feel drowsy, and within seconds, she was out like a lamp. "Nighty-night, Chris-chan." Mali whispered, gently rocking her little friend.
"I didn't think that would be strong enough to knock her out instantly." Laruta said. "She must be really tuckered out."
"She's gonna kill you two when she wakes up." Ralph replied. "And I don't wanna be caught in the crossfire. Hah, crossfire! I'm the accidental pun master!"
"Just put her in bed for now." Perry instructed. …Now that he thought about where they were, the Supreme Leader looked to a certain casket that was kept in this chamber. "Hey, Dad… if demons are attacking, don't you think I should use those weapons?"
"I had a feeling you'd ask." Cheren smiled awkwardly.
"Come on! This is the best time to, right?!"
"You should go to sleep, too, kiddo. This might be a long week…"
Coruscant Mall; clothing store
"How's about THIS for the young lady?!" asked the clerk as he showed Nebula a set of wide, Japanese armor with a thick knot at the back. The clerk was an alien with an overgrown beard and brows that covered his face. "It's classy, it's retro, it makes ya look like a warrior!"
"It looks like something I'd wear in a play…" replied the principal of Galaxia Elementary. "I just want something new to wear for school."
"THEN HOW'S THIS?!" The clerk threw up a huge coat that looked like an open book, with a hood designed like a graduate's cap. "Ya won't look any smarter than this, ya'll look like a flippin' genius!"
"I'll look like Gruntilda's spellbook. I think I'll just shop around on my own."
"Okay! But ya won't look complete wifout these sparkler earplugs!"
Nebula could usually rely on this store when she needed a change in attire, but it was only after going through the clerk's more "creative" designs. Nebula skimmed through a number of outfits that would look good for a principal… until she discovered a glow poking between the row of hanging clothes. Nebula spread them open and discovered a hidden passage. "Well, this totally isn't suspicious." But she decided to walk in for the heck of it. It was always nice to find something new in a place she comes to semi-often.
The corridor was fairly short and ended in a chamber with decorative spider-webs. There was an outfit suspended by the webs… one that felt otherworldly, different from anything the crazy clerk would create. "Would you like to try it on?" Nebula gazed up at the ceiling. An arachnid woman with white skin and dark-gold segments of armor hung from hypnotic webbing.
Underworld; Chaos Sanctuary
The lair of Diablo was sealed inside a great, red barrier, surrounded by totems that projected electrical currents that seemed to span across the Underworld. An army of Divine Angels tried to destroy the totems, but their efforts seemed to do nothing.
An angel with glasses and blonde hair spiked in the back landed before his leader with a bow. "Lord Balder, we haven't been able to make a dent in the towers. Some of our numbers traced the electric chains back to their origins… and they appear to be the territories of other Demon Lords. It seems that whatever is empowering the barriers is located in their domains."
Balder was a majestic angel with peacock feathers, white hair flowing behind his golden mask. "Then we haven't much choice, do we? Divide our forces and locate the power sources. Inform the Spirit KND as well. We'll need every soul available to fell these treacherous demons!"
"Understood. Also, I've sent my apprentice to watch over the Uno daughter. She should be out of harm's way for the foreseeable future."
"I should hope so. Diablo has already lured the father into his lair, but I can sense their battle persisting inside. There's no telling how long he'll be able to fend Diablo off. Now, hurry, Marco! Take your division and follow the southeast current!"
"Understood!" Marco whipped out a gun and threw it into the air. "Drive me, Michael!" The gun began to morph like a Transformer, growing into a shiny, silver car; a '92 Ferrari Testarossa. Marco leapt into the car and sped off in the desired direction, followed by members of his division in cars of their own. "MOBILE ANGELS: LET'S MOVE OUT!"
Balder glared at Diablo's sanctuary with malice. "Cowering in a sealed fortress… The Lord of Terror is not just frightening, but terrified. At least I may finally have the chance to avenge my mentor, you scum."
Sector V; the next day
The morning was as peaceful as it could be under the circumstances. Global Command spread the word to other treehouses about the Day of Demons, and sure enough, there were reports of strange holes in the ground with red spires of light. The ops were certain the peace wasn't to last; it was only a matter of time before-
"MALIIIII!" Christina woke up in a rage, storming into the living room as the frightened giant cowered behind the central tree. "You're gettin' one hell of a whoopin' after pranking me like THAT!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The child scurried around the tree as Chris chased her around it. "I was only doing what Big Sis Laruta said!"
"It didn't seem like you were planning to listen to us OR get rest." Laruta marched up. "I hoped you would be a little more rational by now."
"Alright, then give me the deets!" Chris grabbed the puny gymnast by the shirt and raised her without effort. "Did Dad come back, yet? Those big, brave angels save his ass?"
"We haven't heard from them!"
"The longer we wait for 'em, the sooner that Diabolo-whatever will eat Dad up! We gotta brave up, go down to the Underworld, and beat them!"
"We have no idea what the Underworld is like or what those demons are capable of!"
"You blokes oughta settle down." Jason ordered, approaching them. "Look, Christina, Ah'm on your side. Ah wanna bash those demons' heads in, too! And it's not like we ever got a chance to explore the Underworld!"
"See, the captain says we should, so we should!"
"We're not going!" Laruta stated. "At the very least, we'll need the whole KND to help with this, so we should take it up with Perry first."
"Then let's hit the Moonbase! Perry's gonna give that order even if I have to squeeze it out of him!"
"It's getting hard to tell if you're serious…" Isabelle commented. "Anyway, I wanna help, too, but I still think you're trying to rush into this."
"Oh, so I shouldn't rush to save my dad from bein' eaten by demons, huh?"
"No, that's not what I…"
"You're too riled up, Christina." Laruta said. "Not just about your dad, but the whole thing with K. Rool, and maybe other things. If you don't give yourself time to calm down, you'll never be able to fight your best."
"And what if your folks got captured, huh? What would you do, Lary?"
"I…I would still want to be in the right mood to save them, and you should, too!"
"Whatever! Jason, are we calling Perry or not?"
"Well, of course we-!…er…" Jason saw the disagreeing, hesitant looks of his other teammates… and Silica playing a game.
"I mean, you can go ahead and call Perry, see if other operatives wanna get started." Ralph said. "But I… kinda agree with Lar. You're scary when you get even a little angry, but now…"
"Huh. Then you guys are bad friends then."
"Hey, we are not!" Isabelle argued.
"We just don't want a crazy driver drivin' this train!" Shimmy said.
That's your job. Trella signed.
"We really do care, Chrissie." Mali approached her cautiously. "We're just worried about you."
"Can it, Gassy." Chris began to march toward the exit.
"Where are you going?!" Laruta asked.
"I'm gonna hit a Hunger Burger and get breakfast. Yo, Silica, wanna come with? Not like you got anythin' better to do."
"Fine…" The gamer followed without taking her eyes off her hobby.
None had any convincing words to stop Christina from leaving. "Well, at least one more of us oughta follow them in case they get in trouble." Isabelle reasoned.
I think he will. Trella replied.
"Who?"
The Pumparian pointed at the empty breakfast table, leaving Isabelle confused. However, Trella could plainly see Lyserg sitting there, eating a bowl of Ghostly Munchies. She approached him and asked, "What kinda weirdo just eats at our table and doesn't talk to us?"
"Because you're the only one that can see me in this form." Lyserg rose and flew toward the exit. "I've been asked to watch Christina and make sure no demons get to her."
"Whatever, Greenie. Just don't make her madder than she already is."
"I think that nickname would fit you better. How can you even tell what color my hair is?!"
"I can SEE spirits, TOO, DUUUUUUH! You ain't very smart for an angel. And you don't even have wings!"
"I'm an apprentice! I haven't earned them, yet!"
"Yeah, yeah, excuse me Susie."
The others could see Trella moving her mouth, but were baffled as to "what" she was "talking" to.
Underworld; Clawthorne's Lair
Aku was projected from a magic orb, HIM was projected from a cauldron, in which he seemed to be bathing, and a small radio sat on another table. "Diablo's brethren are secure within our domains." Aku said. "But are you sure Mephisto does not need a guardian?"
"It's not like we had an extra Lord to spare." HIM said, squeaking Mr. Quackers. "But Mephisto is still strong despite the loss of chi. I think he'll be fine."
"He better be." Clawthorne said. "Those Divine Dimwits are already banging on my doorstep, and I'm sure they're on your tails, too."
"They're real hyped for the show, I tell ya!" Alastor's voice sounded from the radio. "Let's give them a performance to die for!"
"And while the 'boss' is busy with the adult Uno, it's up to us to snag his kid. Fortunately, I'm already workin' up a plan to catch her."
"Ha ha ha! Clawthorne bein' the hero? That's a show I'd pay to see! Our newbie Lord Clawthorne, the underdog Owl Keeper! Will he succeed or will he smell like burning dog?"
"That's KING Clawthorne to you, Radiohead! You won't be laughing after I have that Uno girl in my claws. Just you wait!"
"I shall hold my breath with anticipation." HIM teased. "Come, Mr. Quackers. Hold your breath with me…" They submerged in the tub and disappeared.
"It will be quite a laugh when those foolish children get the better of you. Hakukukuku!" Aku disappeared with a laugh.
"Tune in next week to catch Clawthorne's exciting plan in action!" Alastor cheered. "Just don't choke on your aspirations, heh heh ha ha ha ha…" The radio seemed to flicker and distort horrifically before deactivating.
Clawthorne glared at the inactive devices. "Yeah… I hope this works, too. Well, Eda, the next part's up to you."
Hunger Burger
It had become late enough in the morning for the restaurant to become a quarter-full with customers. There were miscellaneous people enjoying a late brunch, including a man with longer, tan fingers reading a newspaper in the corner. "I mean, why does Laruta always think she's in charge?" Chris ranted, munching a burger with ketchup dripping down her face. "She was never appointed vice-leader, she just acts all high and mighty and everyone else just goes with it. Jason's gotta learn to tell her off, y'know?"
"Yeah." Silica focused on her game while her shadow, Inky served her fries.
"And even you gotta agree we should beat those demons 'soon as possible, right? Or else, they're gonna take everything over and do whatever demons do. Like, if your parents were abducted, wouldn't you wanna get it over with and save them?"
"I guess so."
"Khh, whaddya mean you 'guess so'?" Chris cracked a half-smirk.
"I dunno. Like, are you really upset about your dad getting captured?"
"The hell wouldn't I be?"
"Because yesterday, you were whining about how you couldn't beat K. Rool, so I feel like you just wanna beat the demons to make up for that. That's the whole reason you ran off to that basement fight. You were mad that you lost, so you wanted to win at some—OW!" Silica was kicked in the knee and tumbled out of her chair. "HEY, you made me lose!"
"Aw, I'm sorry." Chris frowned in feint sadness. "It sucks when you don't get to finish a fight, huh?"
"UGH!" Silica stomped outside, Inky picking the chair back up before grabbing her fries. "Talk about a sore loser!"
"Takes one to know one! Hmph…" Chris had held her burger long enough for ketchup to ooze on her fingers. "Where's the bathroom…"
As she left to find it, the man in the corner lowered his newspaper, his purple eyes affixed on the Uno.
After washing her hands, Christina decided to wash her face. There was no one else in the bathroom, and she saw only herself in the mirror. But when she looked down after washing, then faced back up—"AAH!" A figure in a short black cape, top-hat with a skull, and raven mask was behind her.
"DON'T be alarmed, my child!" The tall, lean man threw open his cape, revealing a short black button shirt and purple pants over his lanky legs. "I'm merely a fellow patron of this fine establishment, here to partake in some cleansing!"
"Who the fu…wait, I know you! You're-"
"SALUTATIONS!" The man flipped off his mask with his cane, unveiling a long nose and thin mustache on his tan face. "A tip of the hat from Dr. Raymond Facilier!"
"Yeah, you're Ralph's uncle! The guy who always does lame magic tricks at his birthday parties."
"Come now, little Chrissie! You call THIS lame?" He stuck fingers up his nose, and they came out the ends of Christina's bow.
She smacked the fingers out of her. "Yes. Also, you realize this is the girls' room?!"
"It's the only bathroom, dearie, it's for both genders!"
"Well, there should still only be one at a time!"
"Ah couldn't help but notice you seemed a bit down out there. What's troubling you, sweetie? Getting those pre-Demon Day jitters?"
"For your information, a giant demon freak kidnapped my dad and none of my friends wanna save him!"
"Fightin' demons is a tall order, kiddo. Ya gotta have the right strength for it."
"I'm plenty strong, stick fingers! You shoulda seen me when I beached that whale, or fought that giant bat monster, or…or…!"
"Strength thrives in more places besides the muscles, my girl. Your outside may be strong, but inside is always where you're softest."
"This ain't what I wanted to talk about in a Hunger Burger bathroom." Christina made to leave.
"Now, slow down there, kiddo!" Raymond danced to the door. "I may be just a birthday magician, but I'd be remiss not to lend mah nephew's friend a hand in this dark hour. What if I could propose a way to help you toughen this weakness in your heart?"
"What of it?"
"Let's get set up first." Raymond locked the door and flicked off the lights. He removed and wriggled his hat, dumping out an entire table with candles and a crystal ball. "Face the ball, child…" Raymond waved hands by it. "Face the ball and face your inner demons…"
With a roll of her eyes, Christina gazed deeply into the misty ball. Lyserg peeped through the mirror in curiosity and concern. He wanted to stay outside the bathroom for Chris's privacy, but this witch-doctor felt a tad suspicious.
…
Silica restarted her game outside, her shadow still feeding her fries. A large shadow swooped over her, but Silica only assumed it was a hawk. "What is that?!" a distant woman screamed.
"IT'S A MONSTER!"
With a cluster of screams to accompany this cry, it was enough to divert Silica's attention. "?!" A humanoid bird monster was certainly a cause for concern. Its central body had red fur with orange claws, a white head with long ears, and thick long hair that was the same dark-grayish hue as its wings. The beast hissed as it swiped claws at fleeing citizens, but they all evaded injury. As the monster flew up the road, Silica decided to pursue. It flew directly into a bar called Hooties, which Silica knew was an adults' restaurant. "Probably should call the gang about this…"
…
Staring at a crystal ball for a few minutes didn't feel like the most productive time in Christina's life. There was nothing but her own bored expression against the smoke. It spiraled and morphed… but then, her reflection morphed… growing horns and sharp teeth.
"?!" Lightning flashed in the bathroom, and the candles spread into walls of flames that surrounded Chris. A demon towered above her, its shadowed form muscular. It had horns, a spiked beard, and a bluish hue. "Well, I didn't expect our first meeting to take place here…"
"Y…you're…"
"I am Malladus! The Demon King and ancestor of the Uno Family! That's what you were about to say, right, my great-great-great granddaughter? I must admit, I'm not disappointed so far. You smell much spicier than your father."
"Ew, don't smell me! Wait…" She remembered a thought she had last night. "Are you…are you here to make me stronger?"
"I can. I saw what happened… That traitorous Diablo wants to devour my essence. It's only fair that I put him in his place. Would you like me to take things from here?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're too weak to challenge him, Christina. You'll disgrace yourself, disgrace the Uno line and lose me. Just as you lost to that crocodile! Let me take control of your chi. I will make it stronger than ever and burn Diablo to ashes!"
"Nobody controls my chi but me! If you're living in my body, then I have a full right to your power! YOU'RE gonna make me strong and I'M gonna show Diablo, AND my friends, that I AM NO PUSHOVER!"
"Pathetic girl! You're such a coward that you're begging a demon for his power instead of seizing it for yourself?"
"THEN GIVE IT TO ME!" Christina blasted a flame straight at his head.
"WHOA NELLY!" Raymond screamed—Chris was immediately back in the restroom, the emergency sprinklers raining while the rim of the hole in the ceiling was on fire. "Perhaps a self-reflection wasn't for you." The mage said as he cast ice to douse the fire.
"No, do it again!" Chris gripped and glared at the ball. "I spoke to Malladus! I have a shot at getting stronger!"
"Malladus?!" Lyserg gasped.
"So, ya really did see your inner demon. And he promised you strength?"
"He said I had to seize it from him! I gotta get in there again and steal his power!"
"Not if you gonna be blowin' more holes in the roof! The bathroom ain't for awakening chi paths, it's for awakening pee paths."
"PISS OFF WITH THAT JOKE! Fine, then take me somewhere else to do this!"
"Sheesh, demanding all of a sudden. Honestly, this ain't quite what I had in mind when I decided to help you with this."
"I don't got time for your backtalk! I gotta get stronger! I'm useless if I can't win!"
"Who in the world told you that?"
"Nngh…!" Christina's communicator rang.
"Hey, guys, this is Silica. I think I just saw a bird demon go into the Hooties! I'm gonna go in and try to stop it."
"What?" Christina used Rocket Boost to fly out the roof hole. She saw police cars gathering around the Hooties up the street. "Silica, I'm on my way!" She leapt off the roof.
"Hold on a sec!" Lyserg chased.
"They're startin' the plan earlier than I thought…" Raymond said to himself.
Christina leapt over a cop car, determined as she broke into the Hooties. "Chris, hold still!" Silica rose out of a Veil. "If it's one of Diablo's minions, it'll be looking for you!"
"I ain't scared of him! Where is it?!" But the answer came in the form of a talon-printed trail leading toward the wrecked basement door.
"CHRIS!" Silica tried to restrain her with Shadow Possession, but Chris burned herself free. Her charge into the basement couldn't be stopped. The underbelly of the owl-themed bar glowed a bright red: there was a gaping hole enveloping most of the basement floor.
"It's a Hell Gap!" Lyserg gasped.
"Christina, let's go back." Silica stated. "This definitely leads to the Underworld. The monster must've gone back down. Maybe it was just a random demon that escaped; Gaps are supposed to appear all over the world, you know."
"Well, if it ain't one of Diablo's guys, then maybe it'll make a good warm-up!" Chris jumped into the Gap.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!"
"She absolutely is!" Lyserg flew after her.
"Who'm I kidding, of course she is." Silica answered herself. (Play "Alpine Incline Ground" from Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze!)
Stage 2: The Owlands
Mission: Blow off steam and beat up demons.
Christina flew out the other end of the hole and landed on a red grass surface. She expected another surreal or horrific Underworld landscape to splay before her… but it was much prettier than that. Floating islands amidst a dawning sky, the heads of owls carved into the cliffsides. "WHOA!" Her awe of the view was interrupted by the chain through her back.
"Come back through the Gap right now!" Lyserg demanded.
"YOU again?!" Christina grabbed the chain and ripped it out. She felt for a wound, but there was nothing.
"Oh, you can see me now. Listen, my superiors asked me to protect you, and it sure would be nice if you didn't jump into every Gap you saw. Did you forget the demons are trying to capture you?"
"Did you follow me in the bathroom?!"
"Don't change the subject! Just come back through the Gap before something bad happens."
"Hey, I need the exercise! And I'm thinkin' if I burn some demons, that'll help me bust out Malladus's chi. THEN we'll really be cookin'!"
"You're an actual moron, aren't you?"
"Look, smartass, if you wanna watch me bash some demons, be my guest, I'm awesome, I know. But try to get in my way, and I'll do you what I'm about to do to this owl." There was a cannon on the cliff, Christina setting it off with a spark as it blasted a giant owl face in a corresponding island. "HOOT, HOOT, HOOT!" The owl gave a forced, exaggerated hoot and stretched its neck to their island. "Hey, look what worked out!" She proceeded to run up the neck.
The Uno was swarmed by Kagarowls (Kagaroks that looked like owls), but they learned the hard way that pecking Christina would lead to charred feathers. At the end of the neck, Christina used Rocket Boosts to jump high platforms to make it atop the island. She landed at the edge of a pine tree forest and ventured inside. Fire Bees buzzed out of hives and swarmed her. Her own firebending seemed ineffective against them, while their stings were nonetheless deadly. She maneuvered away and decided to seize their own fire in her direct grasp, and by bending it off them, the bees dropped dead. Christina jumped platforms leading up the pine trees and would have to avoid swinging black pinecones. She landed at the bottom of a long slope where pinecones bounced down in random trajectories, and she couldn't make it up without a few cuts. Once up the slope, Christina was able to pick up a staff with an owl head, and after a moment of confusion, she realized she could bounce it like a pogostick.
First, Chris used it to bounce atop the bouncing cones and reach a hidden cage with a trapped soul. Afterwards, she bounced the stick up a stairway of spiked platforms, followed by carefully jumping more of the swinging pines. She was allowed to rest on a safe platform on a cliff overlooking the next island, but had no clear way to reach it. The owl head was hooting and seemed to be looking at a nest above. Christina bounced up as the owl ate a monstrous-looking worm. It spread its wings and began to carry Christina like a broomstick. Griffins flew at her, Christina steering the broomstick in evasion. A flock of owls flocked above her, dropping egg bombs, but Chris could simply shoot fire upwards and explode them.
Meanwhile, Silica was beginning to cross the owl neck, but her stamina was quickly waning. "Ugh, the air here's really thin… How high up is this place?"
"It ain't the altitude that's the problem. It's just how the Underworld is." Silica pushed up and turned to find Dr. Facilier.
"Who are you?"
"Ah'm Ralph's Uncle Raymond! Don't ya recognize me?"
"Um…not really."
"Ah, that's right, you always too busy with them vidya games to care about my magic shows. I'm here to help Christina, too; put this on." Raymond handed her a gold ring with blue stones embedded. "It's a Seastone Ring. The Underworld drains the stamina of mortals, but these will protect you. Christina shouldn't need one since she has the blood of Malladus."
"This sure is weird for the Underworld. It's all… pretty and sunrisey."
"It's a magic spell. The sky is an artificial window letting in sunlight from somewhere else. I reckon the owner of this domain likes it pretty. Kinda works in our favor since we're shadowbenders."
"The owner of this domain?"
"We better catch up to Christina. She won't be able to handle this fight alone."
Once Chris made it to the next island, the owl head flew off the staff, causing her to plummet onto the shore of a boiling lake. She had to sit in a wooden boat, but with no paddles to use, she steered it like a motorboat by ejecting some fire. She rammed whatever careless Octoroks sprung up in her way and sailed to a large owl statue. There was a fire pit in the owl's chest, so Chris ignited it. Its eyes brimmed and its wings flapped, carrying that portion of the lake several meters up. They were level with a windy river leading to another owl. Christina had to steer it carefully before reaching the owl, igniting it as she was raised to the next river. This river was divided into segments, with whirlwinds available to help Chris jump them. She gave her boat a constant boost to cross the segments with momentum.
She flew over the mountain composing the second half of the island, landing on a river flowing down it. She kept building speed as the river would launch off on a ramp, flying to the next island. She landed on the belly of a sleeping Hinox as the boat bounced off it. "Oh, this should be fun!" The Hinox awoke and tried to bellyflop atop her. Though Chris was crushed, the cyclops felt a fire growing underneath him, hurriedly pushing himself up. His red stomach was blackened, but Chris showed no mercy and burned the ground at his feet, forcing him to do the dance of pain. Now that he was unstable, she boosted straight up at his head and punched him with enough force to send him flying off the island.
Christina passed through a narrow, entrenched road before reaching a forested path. Large, dark-blue owls lurked in the branches, and the first one, upon seeing Chris, fired Heat Vision at her. Chris merely pushed the beams back with her own power, burning them right back into the owl's sockets. The other owls tried to blast her at once, Chris struggling to hold back all their beams. She redirected the heat into the base of the trees, causing them to topple and forcing the owls to fly. While they were distracted, Chris returned the last of the accumulated fire and blasted them out of the sky. At the end of the road, Chris found another owl face in the ground. By dealing a Ground Pound, "HOOOOOT!" the owl would grow up and fling Chris level with another owl within a cliff. She punched the owl, "HOOOOT!" and was flung a short distance over the sky. She Ground Pounded a diagonal owl and was flung up onto an even larger owl head, gazing across the sky.
"Hoooot…" Chris pounded it once, but it only inched out a little bit. "Hooooot…" A second pound still wasn't enough. Christina channeled a small ounce of Haki into her knuckles and dealt a more powerful punch. "HOOOOOOOOT!" The owl began to stretch across the heavens, Chris rooting her feet firmly on its feathers. There were several more Heat Vision owls floating along the way, intending to burn their irises along the expanding path. Chris dodged to certain positions on her owl that would evade them, but it became difficult to predict them as her owl made several curves and angles. "Can't you go in a straight line?!" Chris shouted after narrowly blocking some beams.
"HOOT! It's not like humans walk straight either. They're always tripping on things, HOOT-HOOT!"
"CHRIS, there you are! How far are you planning on going?!"
The Uno turned, seeing both Lyserg and Silica. "Hey, Sill! Boy, you caught up quickly."
"Only 'cause I had to carry her." Lyserg replied. "And she sure was heavy."
"Can it, pretty boy. Chris, tell this owl mutant and turn around and take us back. If you get lost in here or something, Laruta's gonna chew my butt over it!"
"Likewise, Lady Jeanne is going to have my head if anything bad happens. We have to turn back now."
"What's the problem?" Christina rolled her eyes as the owl finally stopped at an island. It seemed to be an arena surrounded by ruins, the Uno leisurely walking into it with no qualms. "This place is totally chill. Nothin' but a few cheap birds and a slightly less cheap cyclops. Hey!"
"You're coming back this minute!" Lyserg stated, his chain piercing her back.
"HEY, you just stabbed her!"
"My Morphine can't wound mortals, but in this world, I can drag them out of danger!"
"Unless I do this!" Chris grabbed the chain and burned it off. "It sure breaks easily!"
"Listen, Chris, all these owls can only mean one thing! This place belongs to-"
"CAAAAW!" A winged beast swooped down and grabbed Chris in its talons. They recognized the furry-winged, white-faced beast as the harpy-like creature they saw outside. "BUG OFF, BIRDBRAIN!" Christina forced herself free, but a pair of claws clapped her trapped. (Play "Obstacle in Our Path" from Xenoblade!)
"AH HA HA HA HA!" A horned, skull-headed demon with a dark-furred, canine body laughed wickedly. "Hook, line, and sinker! I didn't think catching you would be this easy!"
"It's one of the Demon Lords!" Lyserg exclaimed. "Clawthorne the Owl Keeper! I knew it!"
"That's KING Clawthorne to you, boy. And you're about to see why."
"Azmononono!" a darker voice laughed. "And he ain't the only one." It was an obese demon with spider-like legs and a huge gold belt buckle with a sharp-toothed mouth. His stomach had a slit diagonal mouth, he had four eyes on his black-spiked head and another mouth that seemed to open in four directions.
"YUCK!" Christina cringed. "Kind of glad I got caught by the doggy demon!"
"You sure you wanna be here, Azzy?" Clawthorne asked. "You know what'll happen if you get wasted, right?"
"As if I'm afraid of these infants. I am Azmodan the Sin Sucker! And you kids smell ripe with sin!"
"It's one of Diablo's officers!" Lyserg knew. "Silica, we have to go get backup!"
"As if we're gonna let you leave!" Clawthorne laughed. "EDA! BARRIER!"
The harpy beast landed at the entrance of the arena and drew a magic wand. A great force-field blocked the way back. "There ya go, Kingster. OW!" A blast of magic from a different source struck her back.
"Give an old witch-doctor time to catch up, kids!" said Raymond, panting as he jogged up the owl with a cane raised. "Twenty-seven ain't the age it used to be."
"Give up, kids!" Clawthorne taunted. "There's no way you could possibly defeat us!"
"Wanna BET?!" Christina combusted with flames, breaking free and kicking the demon several yards back. "A Demon Lord's just the kind of match I needed. Come get some!" She lunged forth and connected her fiery fist with King's, but the beast bellowed a sudden soundwave that stunned her eardrums. He grabbed Chris and slammed her into the ground.
"Ha ha ha! Demon Princess or not, I don't expect much from you."
"Save some for ME, Clawthorne!" Azmodan stomped toward them, but Lyserg's chain stretched past his head and reangled directly through his mouth.
"Silica, I'll hold them off. Grab Christina and use your bending to hide."
"It's too late for that, pal. She's set on fighting that dog, so ain't nothing I can do. So, I might as well help hold back this freak."
"This monster is too dangerous! You won't-"
"You don't think I'm some amateur shadowbender, do you? Besides, this twilight enhances my chi paths. I'll be fine as long as you pull your weight."
"PLAH!" Azmodan ripped the chain out of him. "Looks like you two want to die first! So be it!"
Boss fight: Clawthorne and Azmodan
Azmodan blasted Heat Vision at the two foes, Silica Veiling underneath and emerging behind him. Lyserg flicked his chain spear at Azmodan's head, but in the demon's attempt to smack it away, the spear suddenly dove down at a perfect angle, then pierced straight through Azmodan's stomach. Azmodan severed the chain, but found a Shadow Shockwave expanding from behind him. Thanks to the twilight sky, Silica was able to expand it fast enough to fully envelop him, allowing Inky to gnash him. Azmodan turned and belly-flopped onto Silica, who quickly Veiled while Lyserg tried to slice through his back, only to find it more armored. Silica emerged and seized Azmodan in Shadow Possession, but the effort was a struggle given his size. It gave Lyserg time to direct and pierce his chain through Azmodan at multiple angles, and when the demon shook free of Silica, Lyserg was able to deal a deadly slice upon recalling his Morphine.
"You have a foul stench about you, black-haired mortal! You WREAK of sin! Allow me to draw it out of you!" The faced buckle of Azmodan's belt opened, exposing a hypnotic spiral. Though Silica stared at it in wariness, a sensation overcame the gamer: she wanted to do nothing more but sit down and immerse herself in her game. "Your Lust for a high score drives you to Sloth. Now, let's see what sin exists in YOUR heart!" Turning to Lyserg, Azmodan tried to flash the hypnosis at him, but the spirit's eyes were closed. "Damn you!" Azmodan blasted Heat Vision, but Lyserg sensed this and dodged, thrusting his Morphine. Azmodan dodged left, but Morphine redirected and stabbed his head before he smacked the chain away.
"My Morphine can trace you even with my eyes closed! Maybe striking your belt will help." Lyserg threw Morphine at the buckle, but it sealed and blocked him. Azmodan opened a gate above Lyserg and rained Redeads, the zombies clinging and trying to strangle the spirit. Lyserg sent Morphine to pierce all the zombies, its chain forming multiple complex shapes and angles, but the zombies felt no pain and kept squeezing him. It only became worse when Azmodan threw his weight on top and squashed the boy. Thinking he would stay down for a while, Azmodan pushed up and faced the still-helpless Silica.
King swiped claws at Christina, who grew large Fire Daggers from her clenched palms to counter him. She suddenly lunged at his knee via Rocket Boost and landed a heated punch, King stumbling forward before suffering a kick to the stomach and flying back. Christina launched forth for the next round, but King bellowed a powerful soundwave that blew Christina away. The sudden noise stunned her, giving King time to crouch on all fours and charge. He rammed Chris like a bull, knocking her toward the edge of the arena. Chris recovered groggily and saw King readying another charge. Chris ignited herself and launched, meeting King's dash with arms open. She mustered the strength to wrestle with the skull-headed demon, satisfied that he was hurting under her fire. Chris channeled chi to her foot and dealt a firm upward kick, bending King's head. She then leapt and shoved against his chin, flipping the furry beast and slamming him skull-first against the ground.
"?!" It was then Christina noticed Silica's lazy situation and that Azmodan was mustering a large fireball. "Silica, are you seriously that lazy?!" She flew to intercept the ball as Azmodan threw it. She used her own bending to stop it in place, but Azmodan leapt and smashed it himself, blowing Chris and Silica away with the explosion. "GROWLLLLL!" Interrupted from her gameplay, Silica's Wrath was ignited. It grew worse at seeing Christina injured, so her anger was focused on Azmodan. She quickly Veiled underneath him, expanding a Shadow Shockwave as Inky violently gnashed up his stomach. "BLAST IT!" Azmodan's power came at a risk when heightening his opponent's wrath. He knew better than to use this on Christina, too.
He was shocked to find Morphine's spear pierced through the back of his head: Lyserg had escaped the Redeads. He directed Morphine through Azmodan's stomach before dealing a Retract Slice. After one extra Shadow Shockwave, Silica felt her wrath die down, so she Veiled before Azmodan could crush her. After King lured Christina back to their own side of the field, Azmodan submerged into a pool of black that began to spread around the ground. Lyserg grabbed Silica and helped fly her above the pool. "How many powers does this guy have?!" Silica asked.
"Most of them are energybending techniques practiced by demons." Lyserg replied. "But his Sin power is his main Zanpakutō. Be careful not to look at his belt when he opens it." Azmodan was adamant on staying inside the pool, but Lyserg could throw Morphine into it and dowse for him. Morphine pierced around Azmodan at several angles before dealing a Retract Slice, forcing Azmodan to resurface—his belt was open and both kids were already staring at it before they could realize.
"I can draw specific sins out of you, too! I think I'll only focus on Sloth!" While Lyserg remained immune to this spell, Silica immediately grew heavy and limp. Even without playing her game, the lazy side of her completely took over. Lyserg decided to drop her by one of the edge walls before returning to fight Azmodan himself.
King summoned a flock of owls to swoop down and lift him to the air, dropping raining egg bombs onto Chris. She projected an umbrella of fire to explode the eggs before they could reach her, afterwards bending their released combustion together. When the owls were out of eggs, King dropped to the ground. Chris sensed energy surging within him and decided to leap backward as King erupted a sonic shockwave. Once it was gone, she flew forward and burned him with the fire she had amassed, followed by a firm kick to the skull.
King reeled back, panting. He was glad that she could put up this much of a fight, yet King could steal feel that something was missing inside her. He glanced over and noticed Silica sitting lazily. "Looks like that friend of yours already gave up the fight!"
"What?! Silica, what're you sitting over there for?!"
"She was hit by Azmodan's curse!" Lyserg shouted. "She's been reduced to Sloth!"
"Do you really hope to beat Diablo with such pitiful FRIENDS?!" King bellowed a soundwave, Chris clamping her ears in endurance.
"Hey, Silica's the best friend there is! Even IF she's lazy!" Chris curled into a spinning comet and blasted at King, who smacked her away.
"What good could a girl like her possibly be?"
"Well, she…she knows what a pain Laruta is! I get to complain about stuff to her and she doesn't argue! Er…most of the time." Silica did attempt to argue with her back in the restaurant.
"So, she's a cool for venting your rage. Some friend THAT is!" King leapt at Chris with a claw swipe, the Uno ducking and punching his stomach.
But overhearing the conversation, Silica began to grow aggravated. She forced herself to move; at first, it seemed like the gravity was intensified. Once she was fully up on her feet, her normal weight returned. Azmodan had Lyserg in a firm grasp, but Silica snuck underneath him and ripped up his stomach with a Shadow Shockwave. "NO! It shouldn't have worn off this early!" Azmodan shouted.
"If I'm so lazy, why did I follow you down here in the first place?! You're the only one that puts up with me, even IF you're annoying! So, I wasn't gonna let you get eaten by demons."
"Yeah, well I feel the same!" Chris and King exchanged direct punches before meeting in a headbutt that cracked both their skulls. "Even when you act like you don't care about my dad!"
"You just wanted to fight the demons and win! That's the whole reason you jumped down here, to get stronger!" Silica closed her eyes from Azmodan's belt, relying on Inky's vision to evade his homing meteor. Lyserg pierced the meteor and embedded his dowsing power into it: the meteor tracked back its own caster and exploded against Azmodan.
"Yeah, well if this was about gaming, you would do the same!"
"Hey, I'm here risking my life for you, so the least you could say is 'Thank you'!"
King tackled and pinned Chris beneath his hands, beginning to muster a soundwave while enduring Chris's burning struggles. "SILICA! A LITTLE HELP PLEASE!"
"UGH!" Silica quickly slithered over to pull Chris into a Veil, escaping before King's ground-shattering scream. They reemerged behind King as Chris kicked him into the opened hole. "Sigh…thanks, Sill."
"You're welcome." Silica returned to Lyserg's side as Azmodan retreated to the opposite side of the field.
"Dammit, Clawthorne! Why did you have to pick this twilit background?!"
"It livened the place up! How was I supposed to know there would be a shadowbender?!"
"You brats have humiliated me long enough! With the last of my power, I PUNISH you!" Azmodan raised his right hand skyward, mustering an even greater meteor. He would use his left hand to smack Lyserg's Morphine away and would maneuver if the kids tried to chase him. But Silica whispered to Lyserg a plan: the angel sent Morphine close to Azmodan, bending at random angles while still keeping out of his reach. Little did he know that Silica transmitted her shadowbending through the chain's shadow, bending it around Azmodan's arms. Once ready, Silica had the shadow chain contract and compress the arms, much to the demon's confusion. Lyserg quickly directed Morphine to pierce around his body and deal a Retract Slice, drawing a cry of great pain out of the demon. But it wouldn't end there: Azmodan dropped his hold on the meteor, causing it to land on top of him. The Lord of Sin vanished in a fiery finale.
"AZMODAN!" King exclaimed, defending from Chris's fireballs and attempting to bite her when she launched forth. Chris, instead, propelled herself up with a forceful rocket, then shot down into King's skull. "It can't be! You destroyed one of Diablo's Five Pillars!"
"Looks like my experience has borne fruit." Lyserg smirked. "The twilit setting helped, but your shadowbending was impressive… for someone of your nature."
"My dad always makes time for training. Which really cuts into my stream time."
"CHRIS! SILICA! OOOOIII!" The familiar cry of Jason called across the owl-strewn road. He and his teammates raced for the arena.
"Uncle Raymond, is that you?!" Ralph asked.
"Howdy, kids! I was payin' a visit, but got a little sidetracked!" Raymond said, casting another spell at the harpy.
"Reinforcements…" King glared. "Ugh, what's the point? Diablo's really gonna have my hair over this." With that, the demon jumped and took off on his flock of owls. "You may have won this time, but you'll never defeat the other four Pillars! Diablo will be victoriooouuuus!"
"HEY, get back here!" Christina demanded. "We ain't done, yet!"
"Would one of you mind explaining how you all ended UP down here?!" Laruta demanded.
"SHE jumped down here and I had to follow her!" Silica answered. "And it turned out to be another demon trap."
"Are you serious?! Chris, how could you POSSIBLY be this reckless?! Do you have ANY idea what could've-"
"SHUT UP! We're still alive, ain't we?! AND we got to wreck some demons!"
"She's got a point, kid." A woman's voice said. "You kind of lucked out here."
"What?" They looked up to Raymond and the harpy. The creature in question landed on the ground. (End song.)
"Looks like our little plan worked out, Miss Eda." Raymond said.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure if Diablo will still trust him after this." The harpy replied. "He's staying true to the act, though, I'll give him that."
"What are you two talking about?" Lyserg asked.
"Want me to spoil the twist? That Demon Lord, King Clawthorne, he was on your side. When Diablo began to close off his territory and usher other Lords to do the same, King tried to close his borders and get into Diablo's inner circle. He knew Diablo was up to something bad and wanted to do what he could to stop him from the inside."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Christina shook hands in confusion. "What do you mean he was on our side?! He tried to kill me!"
"He wanted to test your strength, but he wasn't trying to critically injure you. He had to put up a good farce around Azmodan, too. Remember what he said about Five Pillars? Right now, Diablo's lair is protected by a barrier, and that barrier is powered by the life forces of his brethren. His allied Demon Lords are in charge of guarding them. King managed to earn enough of Diablo's trust to be tasked with guarding Azmodan. He asked me to lure you kids to this domain to see if you'd be strong enough to destroy him. If you didn't pass this little test, King would've resorted to destroying Azmodan himself. Gotta say, not bad." Eda smiled. "He might not've been serious, but I could tell King was gettin' worried for himself."
"I might've been let in on this little ploy, too." Raymond admitted. "This fine lady is Miss Eda Clawthorne. I met her during holiday at Hogwarts. She was Professor Luz's teacher."
"Clawthorne?" Lyserg asked. "King's last name?"
"He's my kid!" Eda beamed. "Well, adopted kid, but he's still my little Wiggles."
"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Chris shouted. "If you were spying on Diablo, why didn't you do anything to save Dad?!"
"'Cause even though he knew about Diablo's plan, he didn't know exactly when they'd try to capture you or what they would do. Diablo doesn't trust the Lords with everything; in fact, the one he trusts the most is HIM."
"Him, who?"
"The crab demon. HIM. Annoying name, I know. The best King could do was leak out small bits of information without drawing suspicion."
"So, the person who tipped the angels about Cleveland… The reason I was sent there was because of King?" Lyserg asked.
"Bingo. I'm sorry about your dad, kid, but King did what he could. He probably won't be able to keep up the act after this, but it sounds like he still wants to try and help."
"Hnn…" Chris still wasn't satisfied. For one, King wasn't serious about their fight… it was a cheap victory. "Where is Dad now?"
"Diablo managed to warp himself and your dad to his lair. He's the only one that can get in or out of that barrier, or let other people pass. There's a chance your dad is still fighting in there… but even if he loses, it'll take Diablo a while to absorb Malladus's soul. Before that happens, you need to destroy Diablo's other four brethren and bring down that barrier. The Divine Angels are already trying to attack the other territories."
"Then I should send this intel to them, so they know for sure." Lyserg decided.
"Looks like we have our mission." Chris fist-palmed. "Can we get to their hideouts from here?"
"You nuts, kid? Their domains are miles away, and I don't think mortals are used to traveling the Underworld."
"Yeah, well-"
"We're going home right this minute!" Laruta stated. "We might've made it this far, but I don't think the air here is healthy for us."
"I got some spare Seastone Rings." Raymond said. "Though, actually… ain't Laruta and Jason descendants of the demon, Hannibal Bean?"
"WAIT, WE ARE?!" Jason exclaimed.
"Our parents were baptized to erase the small semblance of demon DNA in their bodies." Laruta replied. "That's what Mom told me."
"It's easy to forget that your ancestor was a demon, too." Isabelle commented.
"But seriously, Chris, we need to get home and rest. You don't seriously expect to fight the other Demon Lords all in one day, do you?"
"What, so you're onboard with it now?" Chris asked scoffingly.
"We were onboard with it from the start!" Ralph argued. "It was just too early to rush into it."
"Chris, I'm sorry if we acted like we didn't care." Laruta said, eyes curved apologetically. "Of course we want to save your dad. But you were behaving erratically, so we couldn't let you rush into battle. If you promise to be patient from now on, we'll gladly help you take on the other demons."
"You have to set up a condition to help me? That's a load of bull."
"That's not what I meant!"
"Christina!" Mali stomped her foot, bouncing the grew with a gentle earthquake. "I gots more formula," she firmly raised the baby bottle in her fingers, "so you better be good or I'll make you sleepy again!"
"Stupid little…okay, okay. I promise, whatever."
"Oi, you're a pain." Shimmy commented, Trella nodding in agreement.
"Haha, that's me mate!" Jason patted her shoulder. "But you ain't gotta worry! I had a word with Perry before we came to getcha. He's gonna ask all the sectors to help out!"
"More Underworld Gaps are starting to appear around the planet." Isabelle mentioned. "There's a chance some of them could lead to Diablo's allies. Once we pass on this info, they could try to find them."
"But their main priority is stopping any bad demons from causing a mess." Laruta said. "It won't be easy."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm startin' to get hungry, anyway. Let's hit the Hunger Burger." The cavalier girl led the return across the owl's neck, much to the disbelief of her teammates.
"We forgot to pay for our breakfast, by the way…" Silica mentioned.
Raymond and Eda watched the young heroes leave. "She's got her agenda straightened out." Eda said. "I like her."
"Makes you wonder why we leave the fate of the world in the hands of preteen misfits."
"The KND have the competency of adults while retaining the purity of children. There might seem like a lot of KND ops, but there are trillions more people in the universe. Children who never learn better and adults who stay rotten. The KND may act like rotten ingrates, but their hearts are clean. I wouldn't want anyone else saving the world, would you?"
"Not in the least! Anyways, I better head on back myself. On a holiday like this, I reckon Turas will be up to his old mischief. Let me know how things go with King."
"Same to you, Rayman. See ya." Eda took flight.
Uno Household
Cheren led his son into a dark room of the Zero Treehouse. A brown casket locked by a violet jewel rested on a pedestal. "I've kept this locked ever since you were born. The Sacred Casket only opens to the Hero of Time… the one who wears the Mark of Courage."
"Is that like a birthmark I have somewhere?"
"Well, sort of. Walk up to the casket and hold your hand by it."
Perry did so and raised his left hand beside the jewel. …A gold triangle with an open center glowed on the back of his hand. "Hey… this is the Triforce, right?"
"Yep! You and I have two halves of the Triforce of Courage. We carry on Link's will… and in a crisis like this, it feels like a good time to wield the Master Sword."
"Cool… but, Dad, there are three Triforces, aren't there? Who has the other two?"
"Your Negative should have the Triforce of Power. As for the Triforce of Wisdom… well, for a time, Star's dad was holding onto it. But 12 years ago, he said he returned it to its homeworld. He told me the Triforce wanted to be with its true family."
"You don't mean Aunt Cindy, do you?"
"It's hard to imagine her being worthy of the Triforce." Cheren blushed. "Unless I'm forgetting something. But I can say for sure you're worthy of yours. So, go on, Perry… touch the gem."
Perry stared at the jewel anxiously. He had only seen pictures of the Three Sacred Treasures, but was he really ready to see them for real? To hold them? To wield them? Was he deserving to use the great weapons held by the legendary Link? Perry lay his hand to the gem to discover the answer.
Demon Archives: Queen Jaydes. She rules the Underworld region known as the Underwhere, the place where Mushroomian souls go to be judged after death. If they don't pass up to Spirit World, she turns them into Shaydes. She is a benevolent Lord overall. About 1,500 years ago, she developed a romance for a Nimbi named Grambi during a Demon War. They became a couple after Grambi's death. Grambi hopes to introduce her to his daughter, Luvbi someday.