One’s True Self

“Give me, give me, give me the stars!” Carmil sang on his microphone, but the kids were ready to defend themselves. The boys went first, Fulgor to right and Auron to the left so Carmil couldn’t hit both at the same time.

Already in their first release they summoned their familiars.

“Let’s see your weapon form, Iky!”

“Sigmund, I’m counting on you.”

The familiar transformed on the boys’ hands. Iky became a baseball bat with a lighting pattern on the side while Sigmund became a large, circular, cyan shield.

“I like it! Let’s smash his big head!” Said Fulgor.

“A shield? All the Venti have katanas!” Complained Auron, but Sigmund couldn’t answer in time for the next attack.

The muscular man pointed his fingers to both boys, shooting the pink arrows. In their first releases they were fast enough to dodge. Auron went first, hitting his face with the shield, as Fulgor electrified his bat, striking the back of his knee. The combined attack made Carmil fall on his back.

The pair made a high five celebrating the attack, but Carmil was still conscious and pointed at both with his fingers. At this close of a range they were hit by various arrows. The projectiles crossed through their bodies without leaving any physical damage.

Carmil got up and held the boys, starting to search for the stars, as both were looking at Lapis with a weird expression.

Lapis wouldn’t let him get away with that and summoned Caeneus. This time the armadillo became what looked like a metal football, with rocks protruding in a pattern. She made more rocks to float the distance between her and Carmil and kicked the ball.

The ball rebounded on each floating rock, making its way to Carmil’s face. His nose was broken and he spitted some teeth.

“How dare you make this to my gorgeous face?!”

He stopped holding the boys and shot more arrows at Lapis, she was dodging the best she could, but she got no opening to counterattack, she also realized that her first release improved mostly her attack, not speed like the releases of the boys, so it wouldn’t help now. If things weren’t already too hard for her, Fulgor and Auron were approaching in a weird manner.

“Lapis, you are the love of my life, please stay with me or my father will be right, and I’ll be a complete loser.” Screamed Auron.

“No Lapis, you have to stay with me, I love you since we met all those years ago.”

The girl was too focused on the enemy to even understand what was happening, but with the boys approaching it was harder for her to dodge until eventually an arrow hit her in the middle of her chest.

“That is all, folks! Thank you all, you were the best audience. Now to the stars…”

He got down the stage and slowly walked to the direction of the trio, cleaning the blood on his face. The audience was still crazy, trying to be with their loved ones, but others were going to other things. Some of them hugged money and others just wanted to be with their friends.

Auron and Fulgor were on their knees in front of Lapis that, until now, was just looking at the floor.

On the middle of the way, two rocks smashed Carmil by the sides and Lapis raised her head, still focused on the fight.

“What? How can you still fight me? Did I miss it?”

“I don’t know what your power does, but it will not stop me!”

“I can influence minds! My love arrows should make anyone go after what their heart wishes at that time, like these idiots coming after you.”

Lapis couldn’t deny that she felt some effect with the arrow, but she had no drive to go after any wishes.

“I guess I just don’t know what I want.” Said Lapis sad with the conclusion, but still thankful that could give her a chance to fight.

“Let’s see about that!”

He raised both fists and an enormous number of arrows passed through Lapis. She again stopped and Carmil waited to see her reaction, just to be struck on the back of the head by another rock.

She entered her first release and went directly to Carmil, punching his chest. The attack made him flow backwards as she controlled another rock that went behind him stopping the movement and damaging him more.

By her side, Caeneus was already back and, with another kick, she hit Carmil so hard that the rock behind him shattered and he fell on the ground.

“That is it, I won’t play nice anymore.”

Lapis watched pink feathers begin to appear on his arms and legs as he entered his second release. He ran faster than she expected with that large body, hitting Lapis with a series of punches.

“I prefer not to go to violence, but you gave me no choice, little girl.”

She fell to the ground hearing those words, and something clicked in her head. Immediately the boys went by her side, but they were stopped by Carmil, who picked the wind and lightning stars.

“It is a shame those are not my power, but I still can get a lot with these stars. Now there is only one left, excuse me, little girl.”

She looked at Kazen, who was crawling behind Alis, completely incapable to fight and she knew herself was the only one who could do something.

There was only one way she could win. She started to think about all the conversations she had the last few days. She thought about Mina, her mother, Kazen, the boys and, mostly important, Caeneus.

She understands her true self, even if no one else knew, she has decided about her future. She just hoped that would be enough to defeat Carmil.

Lapis felt her muscles grow as a rock armor formed from her. She holded Carmil’s hand and pressed with strength, using his body to get up.

Carmil watched as she achieve the second release. Her body was bigger and way more masculine than before. The man was still taller and bigger but now it wouldn’t be as easy of a fight.

“Don’t think this…” The words of Carmil were interrupted by a punch in the middle of his face.

“Let’s finish this quickly, I have something more important to deal with.” Said Lapis without patience.