New Beginnings : Rise of the Darkness

Plans (Replication Pt. 2)

Fang POV
As the landscape of Chile blinked into view, I could immediately see that something was amiss. Half the trees in the clearing had been uprooted, with people frozen like gold statues, as well as people collapsed on the floor, seemingly covered in some sort of black smoke.

"What exactly happened here?" I emphasised on that one word, needing to know what these unruly beasts had done.

Aerial thought for a second before he spoke. "Some sort of golden eagle attacked the settlement and turned random things to gold, along with this black mist-monster that kept on solidifying and dissolving," was the best description he could give, apparently.

I ambled through the bushes and dense greenery, noticing how a number of vines had snaked around the clearing like tripwires. It had to be Aerial's doing, so I didn't mention it. But as we walked further into the dark forest, I saw gold everywhere—as well as that odd black smoke. Soon, the originally slightly destroyed path became a hell, preserved in full colour. Huge voids had cracked the ground open; golden statues had been frozen everywhere, their faces etched with fear and shock.

And as we ventured deeper into the forest, towards the centre of all peril, we began to hear growling noises. Those monsters had to be nearby.

"Get ready," Aerial warned. "I can sense them nearby."

Sure enough, a large cloud of black mist circled overhead, along with a giant bird that shot gold rays from its eyes.

Golden Eagle! I realised, staring at the familiar Vika who had assisted Paradise in his quest. The bird snarled as it spotted us, squawking with a deafening screech as it hurled itself down towards us. We barely dodged as it slammed into the ground, gouging a hole in the soil. Aerial snarled and lifted all the trees in the clearing, sending them spinning towards the giant eagle. It screeched as it flew aside, its eyes shining with anger and hate.

As it nosedived yet again, spamming golden rays around us, I transmitted to Teleto, "Find cover and rewind if you need to. Hydro, connect Aerial to the Transmission."

"Transmission!" Hydro murmured, hurling it at Aerial. His eyes widened in shock as it zoomed towards him and plastered against his forehead, only calming down when we explained the powers of the little bubble.

"We need to stop that stupid golden eagle first," I called over the roar of Golden Eagle. Parts of the jungle floor had already been turned to gold, with trees around us torn in half. And as the cloud of black mist plummeted towards us, I said urgently, "Anyone has a plan yet?"

Aerial gnashed his teeth as Golden Eagle flapped his wings and danced around annoyingly, blasting him away with a cyclone. And suddenly, the black mist solidified into a black giant, shooting black beams at us. We rolled aside with seconds to spare, gasping as it smashed into a tree and darkness spread across its trunk. The giant was ready to fire again when Golden Dragon and Aerial blasted a strong wind at it simultaneously, causing it to dissolve into the black cloud again.

"Amateur," Golden Dragon scoffed as he sent a blast of freezing air spiralling towards the villain. It was blasted far away, and I could have sworn I heard it shriek as it tumbled out of sight.

As a plan formed in my mind, I instructed, "Aerial, Golden Dragon, the power of wind is the only one which can harm that black-mist-cloud-thing. Two of you have to hold it off as the rest of us deal with Golden Eagle."

They both nodded—Aerial a bit reluctantly—as they blasted into the air and chased down the black cloud. As they disappeared in the distance, I took my glance away from the horizon and continued, "Everyone else, cover me. I'm going to sneak up on Golden Eagle with my Fulmination Bolt. Try not to use your one-time powers, but do it if you have to."

"Not so fast, Astro," a sickeningly familiar voice spoke from behind the bushes. Knowing who it was immediately, I snarled and turned around to face them.

"First, you have to deal with us," Vikana finished, stepping out of the shadows.

"And then, you'll give us your Kyras," Lodestar added as he smiled his trademark dull smirk. "If not, you will deal with the rage of Shade."