Dark Fountain

Once upon a time, an OMEN was whispered among the seers.

It was an OMEN of HOPE.

It was an OMEN of MAGIC.

It was an OMEN of LIFE.

It was an OMEN of DEATH.

This is an omen of DAYSTARS.

For millennia, LIFE and DEATH have lived in balance, bringing peace to all WORLDS.

But if this serenity were to break…

A terrible cataclysm would occur.

The sky will run black with horror, and the land would drain with oblivion.

Then, her Soul left breathing…

Our HOMES will draw their final breath.

Only then, glistening with determination…

Two HEROES appear at WORLDS’ heart.

A HUMAN.

And a MONSTER.

Only they can seal the withering, and banish the COSMIC DECAY.

Only then will balance be mended, And the WORLDS saved from doom.

Today, the SPIRE OF DARKNESS–

The stalk that steals these lands’ form–

Stands tall at the core between two worlds.

And with it, the balance of LIFE and DEATH begins to shift.

~         ~         ~

The helicopter’s propeller breaks past the pit’s enclosing walls, finally breaching the surface.

As we rise ever higher, a strange sight befalls us all.

A fountain of pure darkness cuts the sky in two. A tower that marks the end of the world as we know it.

I can’t begin to imagine what the Demon Lord has in store for us all. Or what he plans to do with that thing.

All I do know is this… We’ll stop him. We’ll prolong this world and our lives within it.

It is something I must do.

“I’m going to assume that’s where we are heading.” Gil points toward it, with some concern in his voice.

“That’s right, it's not the most inviting final destination I’ll give you that…” Dr. Creeks pauses for a moment.

“Gil. Lala. I think it would be best if we left you out of this whole ordeal.” She finally concludes.

Lala is the first to reject.

“What?! No way, I’m not backing down now, not when we’re about to reach the final boss’ doorstep! And it's not like you have any magic, right now it’s just me and King that can handle ourselves.”

She’s trying to be understanding, but can’t fully grapple with letting them fight on the battlefield. I’ve gone up against some dangerous foes. Most haven’t been too difficult to fend off, but one truly powerful enemy will always come along to ruin that strength and unyielding determination.

“I see where you’re coming from, doc, I really do. But I think La–Coach Lala is right. We need our strategist in this fight. After all, we're the last people in the universe that even know the whole world is at stake right now… As much as I’d like to kick that Lala to the curb, we need as much power as we can muster. Gil too, and your smarts as well.”

“Before today I always felt that things would be better if it were just me fighting. It felt like I wasn’t fighting alongside friends, but using people as tools to reach my revenge. I saw Eryth as just a shield, just a pawn to defend me when I needed it. I think that thought process hid me away from her, and ultimately tore our connection apart.”

“I feel stupid for thinking like that. Despite everything she said, about her just being a doll… Well I think there’s more to her than that, there’s a real person in there, I know there is. So I’ve decided I’m going to try and understand her better. But I can’t do this alone, I know that now.”

“Dr. Creeks, without you we never would have escaped the pit. Same with you Lala, if your quick thinking hadn’t come in clutch when we needed, well let’s just say I’d probably be in some giant monster’s belly. And Gil, if you didn’t distract and beat the crap out of that withering magician, I’d probably have died there too.”

“This is a fight we’ll take on together. Nobody is going to be left behind.”

Dr. Creeks can’t combat that speech. And I mean it this time. We’re a party, a team of friends, I’m not going to let anything bad happen to them no matter the battles ahead.

~         ~         ~

It's not far now.

The dark spire takes control of the sky in front of us.

Sadly the helicopters run low on fuel. So we’ll have to walk the rest of the way.

At least we didn’t crash.

It’s at least a short hike until we reach the final domain.

At the foot of darkness there’s this massive building, made up of multiple box shaped towers. They appear to be twisting and stretched as if being sucked into the darkness they happen to be resting near.

As we near the entrance, the doctor relays her thoughts on the place.

“Oh yup, that’s the first true lab. I’m sure of it. Although it looks a lot worse than usual. We’ll most likely find the Demon Lord cooped up in the 1st Observatory. It’s a top secret bunker where the first daystar spacecraft landed. The whole facility was built around it, I was granted access to that room only once.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to navigate us through its ruins then Doc?”

Dr. Creeks stares off at the withered old building with a reminiscent look in her eyes.

“It might cause me a little trouble trying to remember its layout… But yeah, I’d manage.”

“Good. Now we just need to get inside.”

BOOM–

BOOM–

BOOM–

Heavy footsteps shake the earth beneath us, as an intense twister of darkness begins billowing a dense cluster into the shape of hooves. The two feet begin to grow into a towering titan! A beast the size of a football field! With no discernible features it just looks like a cloudy black giant!

All our eyes are forced upward to see the towering titan, both crumbling and growing stronger by the withering that surrounds it.

“Awwwwww we were right there man!” Lala stamps out in frustration.

“Look ready bro, this must be a spawn of the tower itself! It’s likely an omen of the foes to come!”

Readying my shovel I immediately activate my armor– “I need you, [armor of electricity, Electrostatic Discharge]!”

All the armor that forms is again just the gauntlets and leggings.

“Damn it, I still can’t get my full strength out!”

“Allow ~Coach Lala~ to power you”

FTANNG–

Lala smacks his metal bat against my shovel, and for just a moment the armor expands further, granting me a chestplate as well. But as the moment fizzles so does the added armor.

“Oh…”

“WATCH OUT!!” Gil runs toward Lala lifting him up like a princess.

Avoiding the titan as it kicks forward, narrowly missing everyone. Then stomping back on the ground sending a shockwave of wind throwing me off balance.

“I’ll be back here–you too, Gil, we gotta let them handle this fight.”

Gil looks to her fleeing mother then back down at Lala. Not sure what path to take.

“You can put me down now…”

“Oh hehe, my bad.”

“Look Gil, it's up to you, what do you want to do?”

Gil looks towards both options again.

Fight a giant a thousand times his size.

Or wait in fear with his mom.

“I’ll help you guys fight!”

“That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear, bro.”

END CHAPTER 28