Fuga: Aftermath

by KentuckyFriedMan

Summary:

9 years after the events of Fuga 2, Malt and his friends find themselves in the midst of yet another conflict, this time in the province of Dale. As the murderous gang known as the Order of the Lion continues its rampage against the Caninu race, Malt must find a way to stop this madness and once again restore peace to Gasco. Will he succeed, or will he die trying?

Chapter 1: Episode 1

Somewhere, in the Province of Dale…

A large wolf-like figure is sitting in the sand, tinkering with something resembling a robotic arm.

???: "Ahh, finally. I should've known doing this with only one arm would be difficult, but in any case, it's done. Now I just gotta put it on..."

The figure picks the robotic arm up from the ground and attaches it to the nub where his other arm used to be.

???: "Well, would you look at that! A perfect fit! Now, let's just run a couple of tests real quick, and make sure everything is in order..."

The figure attempts to repeatedly stretch the robotic arm outward and pull it back inward, then repeatedly clenching his fingers into a fist and unclenching them, all to varying levels of success.

???: "Eh, well there's still some kinks to iron out, but it works. It's not like I have the time to worry about minor setbacks though, knowing that bastard Leon is out there preparing for Round 2. It would be best to just grab as much as I can and run. No sense in worrying about anything else."

The figure stands and looks back at a village in the distance before chuckling to himself and walking away.

???: "Bon voyage, Leon. I'm off to Petit Mona, to live a more peaceful life. Have fun roping some other Caninu into your bullshit. I'm out!"

The figure continues walking away from the village, before disappearing over the horizon

Later that day, in Petit Mona

RADIO: "...and in other news, the malevolent gang known as the Order of the Lion continues wreaking havoc in the Province of Dale. Just today, the Gasco Army has confirmed 4 casualties outside the village of Tosa at the hands of this terrible clan, all identified as being male Caninu. This event means the death toll has risen to a whopping 154. Despite extensive efforts by the Gasco Army to identify and apprehend these murderers, every attempt thus far has fallen short due to the gang's slippery and powerful nature. Many villagers fear that if action isn't taken soon to eradicate this threat, the Caninu in Dale will be gone before the end of this month."

MALT: sighs "Great. Looks like the situation in Dale has only gotten worse. If only we could provide some help..."

KYLE: "Well, we could've by now if the Gasco Army weren't so stubborn. I don't understand why Lieutenant Muscat even told us to stay out of it. The Taranis would've decimated these assholes in the blink of an eye if we had been there!"

MALT: "Kyle, look at it this way. Sure, the Taranis is not like other tanks. But, let's just say we did go to Tosa. If we are to believe that these guys are as strong as the Gasco Army says they are, and assuming they truly possess the power to destroy a tank in the palm of their hand, as multiple reports have stated, then who's to say the Taranis would fare much better?"

KYLE (with slight anger): "I dunno, Malt, maybe because the Taranis is bigger? Stronger, even? Try all they might, but those fools would be evaporated before they even made a dent in the Taranis' armor."

MALT: "I get that, but the thing is, we don't know for sure how that fight is gonna go. We have no gauge as to how powerful the weapons they have are. And I certainly don't wanna run the risk of losing my life to some powerful superweapon, let alone the lives of my friends."

KYLE (angry): "Well, gee, Malt, if you're so concerned over the lives of your friends, why don't you consider the lives of Chick and Hack? For God's sake, Malt, they're living in the village the gang attacked just earlier today! Judging by the targets all being Caninu, that means their parents and even they might become this gang's next target!"

MALT (slightly annoyed): "Don't worry, I'm sure they've evacuated the village already. I'm sure the Montblancs have better sense than to stay in Tosa any longer considering the attack."

KYLE (angry): "But what if they didn't Malt? What if they're still in the village? Then, you'd be risking the lives of two of your beloved friends just by sitting on your ass and doing nothing!"

As Kyle's shouting began to dig deep under Malt's skin, Malt began to grow angrier, until the last few words from Kyle threw him over the edge.

MALT (seething with anger): "Alright then, smartass! What do you have in mind, since you seem to think you know exactly how to handle this? Go ahead, Kyle, I'm all ears!"

Hanna, who listened in on Malt and Kyle arguing, approaches Malt and Kyle.

HANNA (angry): "Hey! Knock it off, you two!"

Hanna then slaps both Malt and Kyle in the face.

MALT and KYLE: "Ow!"

HANNA: "Now...I understand this whole 'Order of the Lion' ordeal has been a big issue, and I will admit that I am concerned for Chick and Hack's safety. But fighting about it is not gonna solve anything! So, no more arguing, okay?"

MALT and KYLE: look at Hanna "Okay..."

Malt and Kyle sit in silence for a few moments, both rubbing their faces where Hanna smacked them.

MALT: "But seriously, though, what exactly are we to do in this situation? We can't just charge in unarmed and unprepared, and I doubt our airships can fit the Taranis, let alone carry it to another island."

KYLE: sighs "I guess you do have a point there. But we gotta do something. I just hate that we've been thrown to the sidelines and forced to watch this whole battle from afar. I mean, we've saved their asses before, the least they could've done is take us with them and provide us with some weapons or any form of equipment..."

MALT: "I understand your frustration, Kyle, but you gotta understand that it was probably for the best. I know you really wanna help them, but it would probably be better to stick to Lieutenant Muscat's word and stay here for the time being."

Amid Malt and Kyle's conversation, Socks and Boron join the group.

SOCKS: "Hey guys! What're you two talking about?"

MALT: sighs "Apparently the situation in Dale has gotten worse. The Gasco Army just confirmed 4 more bodies to add to the kill count."

SOCKS: "Oh, I see. The Order of the Lion seems pretty determined, huh? And the Gasco Army is still trying to catch them?"

MALT: "Yes, to no avail, unfortunately. It seems they were more powerful than they imagined."

SOCKS: "So, what are our plans for curtailing this clan of Caninu killers? Any ideas?"

MALT: "Well, at the moment we don't have any. I have decided to do exactly as Lieutenant Muscat instructed and stay put until the whole mess is sorted out, although Kyle here thinks otherwise."

Socks tilts his glasses downward and looks at Malt with a concerned expression.

SOCKS: "Surely you aren't serious. Do you mean to tell me you refuse to get involved? Do you just plan on sitting here and doing nothing? I don't mean to be rude when I say this Malt, but that's a terrible plan. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to side with Kyle on this one."

MALT (shocked): "Wha- really!? You're seriously siding with Kyle?"

SOCKS: "Yes, I am. Think about it, Malt. The Gasco Army has been trying to curtail the gang's influence in Dale for years now. If they didn't have a strategy for beating them then, chances are they don't have one now. And if these guys really are as strong as the Army claims, then it's only a matter of time before the Army is obliterated and Gasco is left defenseless. And when that time comes, we'll be nothing more than frail moosheep ripe for the slaughter. So, I believe it would be best to leave here for now, and at the very least find shelter to seek refuge away from the Order's persecution, if fighting them becomes too difficult."

BORON: "Aww, do we really have to leave? I don't wanna fight anymore, plus I love my mom's cooking too much..." munches on a pawbun

SOCKS: "Yes, I'm afraid we'll have to leave Petit Mona...again. But don't worry, we'll come back eventually. Swear on my tail."

BORON: "Oh...alright! I guess I'll go with you guys!"

SOCKS: "Alright, I guess that makes 3. Hanna, what about you?"

HANNA: "Well, if it's to keep our families safe, I'll go wherever you guys go."

SOCKS: "Great! So that makes 4. Malt?"

MALT: sighs "Alright, you've convinced me. We'll go to Dale. Lemme just grab Mei real quick and we can head out."

Malt leaves to grab Mei, who is currently asleep.

SOCKS: "Okay, that's all 6! Everyone, make sure you have everything you need, and we'll board the next airship out of here. And for everyone's sake, it wouldn't hurt to bring a change of clothes in case things get...messy."

Malt returns with a half-asleep Mei, rubbing her eyes.

MEI (groggy): yawns "So...what's this about leaving Petit Mona again? I just woke up..."

SOCKS: "We're leaving Petit Mona for Dale. The situation involving that terrible Caninu-killing gang is continuing to get worse, and we're going to try to assist the Gasco Army in any way we can!"

MEI (groggy): "Oh...okay...Is Malt going with you guys?"

SOCKS: "Of course! Wouldn't make much sense to leave him behind and have him miss out on all the action, right?"

MEI (groggy): "Yeah...I suppose so..."

The group makes their final preparations to board the airship to Dale.

MALT: "Alright. Is everybody ready?"

HANNA, KYLE, SOCKS, and BORON: "Yeah! All set!"

MEI (groggy): yawns "Yeah...got everything I need..."

MEI (aside): "Gosh, I'm so tired...why did we have to leave so late at night? I was having such a good dream too..."

MALT: "Good. Then off to Dale we go!"

MALT (aside): "Despite everyone being on board with leaving, I still can't shake the feeling that this is somehow a terrible idea. The worst that can happen is we all die a horrific yet painless death, but it'll be fine, so long as we stick together. Right?"

Malt smirks slightly and starts anxiously sweating from his forehead as the realization sets in.

HANNA: "Malt, are you okay? You seem to be sweating pretty bad..."

MALT: quickly turns to Hanna in shock "Huh? Oh, uh...yeah. Just a little nervous about the trip, hehe."

MALT (aside): "Oh boy...looks like I got my work cut out for me. Let's just hope it isn't too much to handle."

HANNA: "Well, if it'll help ease your nerves, I can hold your hand during the trip to Dale, if you like."

MALT: "Uhh..." gulps "...sure. That would be nice."

MALT (aside): "I just gotta play it cool and stop acting so nervous. Remember Malt, you're their leader. Without you, this whole plan falls apart. But acting like it doesn't bother me is kinda difficult when my friends' lives are on the line! Ugh, why must my life be filled with so many hassles?"

The group boards the airship, with Malt and Hanna boarding first, followed by Kyle, Socks, Mei, and finally Boron carrying everything in his arms.

BORON: groans "Man, why do I have to carry everything?"

KYLE: "Because you're the biggest one here and can carry all of our stuff in one trip."

BORON: "Oh, right...can I at least set it down now, since we're all in the airship?"

KYLE: "I mean, no one is telling you that you can't. Might as well park the bags here. Gonna need to conserve your strength for when we make it to Dale."

BORON: "Alright!" Boron places everyone's bags on the floor of the airship "Phew! Those were starting to get heavy..."

Suddenly, two Gasco Army soldiers walk towards the entrance of the airship.

GASCO SOLDIER 1 (shouting): "Alright, people! Last call for anyone wishing to go to Dale! We have a few more spots left to fill! Anyone else going to the Province of Dale, line up here!"

The second Gasco soldier waves a torch around, alerting the villagers of their position, and a few more of the villagers line up and board the airship. The Gasco soldiers look at each other, nod, and then board the airship, weaving through the villagers to reach the cockpit where the pilot is sitting.

GASCO SOLDIER 1: "All clear for departure sir. We have a full house on board."

PILOT: "Good. And the weather?"

GASCO SOLDIER 2: The weather should be all clear, sir. Not a cloud in the sky at the moment."

PILOT: "Excellent. Then, we should have a smooth ride to Dale. I'll let Merlot know of our departure from Petit Mona. You boys just sit tight and enjoy the ride."

GASCO SOLDIER 1 and 2: salute "Yessir!"

PILOT (aside): "Heh. Youngins these days, so full o' energy. Reminds me a lot o' myself when I was younger."

As the pilot prepares the airship for departure, the children look back at Petit Mona and wave goodbye.

MALT (aside): "Grandma...Grandpa...we'll be back soon, I promise."

Mei looks outside one of the windows of the airship at the starry night sky, then yawns and lays down on the floor of the airship.

MEI: "Well, I'm going back to sleep. Someone wake me up when we get to Dale." yawns

Mei curls up next to her bag and drifts back off to sleep.

MALT: "Alright. Well, I suppose there's no turning back now." looks back at the rest of the group "Next stop, Dale!"

End of Episode 1

Chapter 2: Episode 2

Interior of an airship, heading towards Petit Mona

???: sighs “Well, we’re almost at Petit Mona…I sure hope he’s still there. If anyone in Gasco could show Leon what for, it’s him.”

The wolf-like figure from before takes out an illustration of a young Caninu, with the name ‘Malt Marzipan’ etched on the bottom.

???: “Malt Marzipan, eh? So, this is the guy Leon wanted dead for so long. Y’know, speaking of Leon, I worked with the guy for 6 years, basically became his protégé, and I never did fully understand the beef he had with this ‘Malt’ guy. Perhaps there’s something to this story that I’m missing, but oh well, it’s none of my business. Not anymore. Perhaps now that I’ve distanced myself a little, I can finally start to put all those murders and wasted years behind me…”

The figure turns to a smaller wolf-like creature leaning on the wall of the airship and sleeping.

??? (aside): “Sleep tight, Abby. You deserve it after the hell I’ve put you through.”

The wolf-like figure begins to drift asleep but is approached by a Felineko civilian who is curious about the figure’s appearance.

CIVILIAN: “A-apologies for disturbing you sir, but, er…I don’t believe I’ve seen a Caninu like you before. Are you new to Gasco?”

???: “Not in the slightest. I’ve lived here my entire life. Most of it was spent in Dale though.

CIVILIAN: “Ah, I see. I heard that the terrible clan the Order of the Lion is still roaming about in Dale. Did that have anything to do with you wanting to leave?”

???: “I…guess you could say that.”

CIVILIAN: “Hey, I don’t blame you. It’s a shame the Gasco Army hasn’t so much as put a dent in their numbers. At this rate, if something doesn’t happen soon, we might not have an army.”

???: “Yeah, well, let’s just say there’s a guy I know here in the village that could turn the tables on this conflict for good.”

CIVILIAN (curious): “Is that so?”

???: “Yep. If my info is correct here, he should be in the village with his grandparents right now.”

CIVILIAN: “Well, I was told that there was an airship heading for Dale that departed last night, you don’t think this guy you’re talking about boarded it, do you?”

???: “I doubt it. He cares too much about his lifestyle to want to go anywhere else. Besides, he’s just a moosheep herder. What reason would he have to go to Dale? There’s almost nothing out there besides a few merchants and general stores.”

CIVILIAN: “Yeah, I suppose when you put it that way, I wouldn’t wanna leave my home either.”

During the figure’s conversation with the civilian, the airship neared Petit Mona and began its descent.

PILOT 2: “Okay, everybody, we’re arriving at Petit Mona. Make sure you have all your belongings before you get off the airship. The Gasco Army is not responsible for anything you leave behind!”

CIVILIAN: “Oh! Guess we’re here. Well, it was nice talking to you, stranger! Gotta go grab my stuff.”

???: “Yeah, sure.”

The figure looks at the smaller wolf figure sleeping and shakes them until they wake up.

???: “Hey, Abby. We’re here.”

ABIGAIL (half asleep): “Huh?” rubs eyes “Oh, we made it?”

???: “Yep. The airship just docked. Make sure you have all your stuff before we head out. Wouldn’t want to leave anything behind.”

ABIGAIL: “Okay!” chuckles

Abigail checks her surroundings and makes sure all of her belongings are with her, then stands up and begins to walk away before noticing a cowboy hat laying on the floor.

ABIGAIL: “Hey, Ash! You’re hat’s over here on the ground!”

ASH: “Hmm?” pats top of head and looks at the hat on the floor “I guess it is. How’d it get over there? I could’ve sworn I was wearing it last night.”

As Ash goes over to the hat and picks it up, Abigail notices a note hanging outside of the brim of the hat

ABIGAIL: “Hey, what’s with this piece of paper?”

ASH: picks the hat up and puts it back on his head “Oh, that? It’s nothing. So, did you grab everything?”

ABIGAIL: “Yep!”

ASH: “You double checked?”

ABIGAIL: “Yep!”

ASH: “Alright, we’re good then. You wanna ride on my back?”

ABIGAIL (embarrassed): “Ash! I’m not 5 anymore…I’m a big girl now. I can walk by myself.”

ASH: “Alright, then, ‘big girl’. Lead the way.”

ABIGAIL: “Very well.”

Abigail is the first one to exit the airship, followed by Ash and the other civilians from Dale that rode along with them

ASH: stretches

“Ahh! Finally here. Alright, first order of business, find Malt Marzipan!”

Meanwhile, in the capital city of Pharaoh…

Lieutenant Muscat is seen quietly sitting at her desk enjoying a cup of hot tea while reading the morning newspaper. Suddenly, a loud BANG is heard that makes Muscat flinch as the door is swung open to reveal a Gasco Army soldier.

LT. MUSCAT (annoyed): “Sacré bleu…what is it?”

GASCO SOLDIER 3: “I have some urgent info regarding the airship that left Petit Mona.”

LT. MUSCAT (annoyed):” Ugh, you’re interrupting my tea time. This better be good.”

GASCO SOLDIER 3: “So, you know that Malt kid and his friends? The ones that the task force in Petit Mona were given strict orders to keep an eye on?”

LT. MUSCAT (growing angry): “Yes?”

GASCO SOLDIER 3: “Yeah, uh…they’re gone.”

Upon hearing this information, Lieutenant Muscat growls in anger.

LT. MUSCAT (enraged): “They…WHAT!?”

GASCO SOLDIER 3 (frightened): “They, uh…they left…According to reports, they’re halfway to Dale as we speak…”

Lieutenant Muscat takes a sharp inhale, then forcefully slams her fist on her desk in rage.

LT. MUSCAT (enraged): “Those IDIOTS! I gave them ONE simple task, and they still managed to fail me. Seriously, how hard can it be to keep an eye on six kids? I bet my little sister could do a better job at it than these buffoons!” huffs

Lieutenant Muscat’s expression goes from one of anger to one of disappointment as she sits back down in her chair. The Gasco soldier, scared for his life, attempts to further calm Muscat.

GASCO SOLDIER 3 (frightened): “I’ll…c-certainly let them know about that, ma’am…"

LT. MUSCAT (disappointed): “It wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren’t for the fact that they’re heading for Dale right now. The one place I tell them is absolutely off limits, and they still decide to disobey me…” sighs “It seems I can never catch a break around here…”

GASCO SOLDIER 3 (frightened): “So, does that mean…”

LT. MUSCAT: “You are dismissed. No point in finishing my tea now, the mood’s already ruined…”

As the Gasco soldier turns to leave, Muscat looks at the cup of tea sitting on her desk and sighs.

LT. MUSCAT: “Eh, on second thought, might as well finish what I have left. Would be a shame to waste it, knowing how much effort Vanilla put into perfecting it…just a shame that my morning had to be met with such troubling news…” sips tea

Curious as to what the commotion was, Vanilla enters the room with a concerned expression.

VANILLA: “Everything all right, big sis?”

LT. MUSCAT: sighs “Yes, I’m fine. It’s just…soldiers these days just can’t seem to do their damn job…”

VANILLA: “Ah, I see. Well, on the other hand, it’s good that you're enjoying my herbal tea. I guess I should start making some more.”

Lieutenant Muscat ponders the information given to her as Vanilla turns to leave. Muscat then huffs as she sets her empty cup back down onto her desk.

LT. MUSCAT (aside): “Those fools couldn’t stop those kids from going to Dale. But it would be foolish of me to stand back now and let them die…hmm…even though my hand has been forced, I will depart immediately to Dale. I’m sure they would appreciate me giving them a helping hand…”

Lieutenant Muscat stands up from her desk and begins to leave.

VANILLA: “Hey, where are you going?”

LT. MUSCAT: “That’s none of your concern.”

VANILLA (shocked): “Ehh?? But why?”

LT. MUSCAT: “I don’t have time to explain. Just stay here until I get back.”

VANILLA (angry): “I don’t wanna stay here! I wanna go with you!”

LT. MUSCAT (angry): “Over my dead body! It’s much too dangerous out there, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m only doing this to protect you.”

VANILLA (angry): “Come on, big sis! I’m an adult now! I can handle myself fine.”

LT. MUSCAT (angry): “I don’t care how old you are! You’re still my little sister, and I’m going to protect you no matter what. You’re staying here, and that’s final.”

As Lieutenant Muscat walks off, Vanilla crosses her arms and pouts angrily.

LT. MUSCAT: “Pout all you want, Vanilla, my answer is still no.”

Lieutenant Muscat leaves as Vanilla continues to angrily pout.

VANILLA (aside): “So, my big sis Canelle doesn’t want me going with her, huh? I guess I’ll just have to find a way to sneak onto the airship. Then, she’ll have to take me wherever she’s going.” chuckles

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Muscat is boarding the airship and preparing for departure.

PILOT 3: “Where to, Lieutenant?”

LT. MUSCAT: “Dale, and quickly.”

PILOT 3: “Understood. Let me make sure everything is ready for departure, and we’ll be off.”

LT. MUSCAT: “Of course.”

LT. MUSCAT (aside): “I must hurry if I have any chance of saving that Malt kid and his bone-headed friends. Every second I remain here in Pharaoh could be their last…!”

As the airship begins pulling out from the dock, Vanilla, with nothing more than a backpack, rushes in and hops into the airship without Lieutenant Muscat noticing. Vanilla then sits on the floor of the airship and catches her breath.

VANILLA: “Phew, made it just in time. Now, I wonder where this airship is headed?”

Just then, Lieutenant Muscat walks into the main area of the airship and addresses her soldiers as the airship departs.

LT. MUSCAT: “Alright men, this task is going to be the toughest you’ve had yet, so I want everyone in their best shape when we land. Understood?”

GASCO SOLDIERS: “Yes, ma’am!”

LT. MUSCAT: “Good. As you may or may not know, we are going to Dale to help Malt Marzipan and his friends sort out this ‘Order of the Lion’ business. And as much as it pains me to say this, I am willing to make sacrifices by any means necessary to ensure a swift and resounding victory, even if that means the loss of a few lives. Is that understood?”

GASCO SOLDIERS: “Yes, ma’am!”

LT. MUSCAT: “Good. I don’t want to see any mishaps out there. Any slip up, no matter how slight, could ruin this whole operation. With that being said, onwards to Dale!”

The soldiers give one resounding cheer as Vanilla sits idly in the corner taking in all of the information.

VANILLA (aside): “So, off to Dale, huh? And Malt’s gonna be there too? I suppose it would be nice to see him again, after all, it has been 9 years since I’ve seen his face…”

Vanilla grins warmly and starts to swish her tail from side to side as she fantasizes about meeting Malt, which is immediately cut short when she realizes she is doing it. As she comes to this realization, her face turns a bright shade of red in embarrassment.

VANILLA (aside): “Gah! What am I saying? I’m a Gasco soldier! I mustn’t let my romantic fantasies distract me from the mission at hand. I’m only gonna be there to provide help and nothing else.”

LT. MUSCAT (aside): scoffs “Those idiots back at Petit Mona cost me my day off, and if things go wrong in Dale, their mistake might cost those children their lives.”

LT. MUSCAT and VANILLA (aside): “Hold on, Malt, we’re coming!”

Back in Petit Mona

Ash asks a villager about Malt, to which they respond by pointing to a house in the distance. Ash thanks the villager for the information and proceeds to walk up to the house and knock on the door. After knocking a few times, he is finally met with Malt’s grandmother at the door.

MALT’S GRANDMOTHER: “Ahh, hello there, sweetie. Anything I can help you with?”

ASH: “Uh, yeah…I was hoping if you knew of anyone by the name ‘Malt Marzipan’.”

MALT’S GRANDMOTHER: “Yes, that would be my grandson. May I ask what you need him for?”

ASH: “There’s…a bit of a conflict going down back in Dale, and I need his help resolving it. He is here, right?”

MALT’S GRANDMOTHER: “Oh, I’m afraid he’s out right now. He left last night and took Mei with him. I am dearly sorry. Did you need anything else?”

Ash’s expression turns to a mix of anger and confusion.

ASH: “So…he’s not here? As in not in Petit Mona?”

MALT’S GRANDMOTHER: “No. The last thing he told me before leaving was that he was boarding an airship with Mei and his friends, and then simply darted off.”

ASH: “Wait…so if he’s not here, then…”

As Ash comes to a realization, his expression changes into true fear. He tilts his hat down to cover his eyes and turns away from Malt’s grandmother.

ASH: “Shit…”

MALT’S GRANDMOTHER: “Something the matter?”

Ash stands in silence a moment and turns to Abigail

ASH: “Abby, we need to leave. Now.”

ABIGAIL: “What? Already? But we just got here!”

ASH: “Abby, look. Malt and his friends are currently in Dale right now. And judging by how quickly they left, they likely are going to take the Order head on. If that’s the case, then it’s only a matter of time before they all die. Which is why I have to get back to Dale as soon as possible. Because if they perish, Gasco as we know it is doomed.”

MALT’S GRANDMOTHER: "Oh my! That doesn't sound good…"

ASH (aside): sighs "As much as I hate to go back this soon, it seems I have to. I just gotta pray that the Order stays focused on clearing out Dale long enough for me to get there. Otherwise, Malt and his friends are goners!" grumbles

Ash turns to leave and beckons to Abigail. She follows close behind as the two board an airship back to Dale.

ASH (aside): "Heh, now that I'm thinking about this whole thing, Malt surely has guts thinking he could take on the Order unarmed. But his bravery will be for nothing if he dies out there. Looks like I might get my rematch with Leon sooner than I thought." chuckles

End of Episode 2

Chapter 3: Episode 3

Outskirts of Tosa, in the Province of Dale

Malt and his friends, after getting off the airship, travel to Tosa to inspect the damage that the Order of the Lion caused in their last assault that took place a few days prior.

MALT: “Alright guys, let’s keep going! We’re almost there!”

BORON: “Ahh! Finally! I was starting to get hungry…”

KYLE: “Boron, you ate, like, 3 days’ worth of food on the trip here! How are you still hungry?”

BORON: “I don’t know, I’m just really hungry…”

As Malt and the others make it into the village, they are immediately greeted by the Montblanc twins, who rush up to them in a hurried fashion.

HACK: “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the head honcho himself. How have you been, Malt?”

CHICK: “Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you guys.”

MALT: “Yeah, same to you. I’ve been doing fine, by the way. It looks like you two grew a bunch since we last saw you.”

CHICK: “Yeah. Hack and I hit a bit of a growth spurt when you guys were gone. However, Hack isn't too happy about the fact that I'm now an inch taller than him.”

Hack gives Chick an annoyed look and grumbles.

HACK (annoyed): “Yeah, and you ended up being the oldest and the tallest…”

CHICK: “Aww, cheer up little bro! I only tease!”

HACK (annoyed): “Yeah, I know, I was just hoping that I would be the taller one…”

MALT: “So, all the ‘catching up’ stuff aside, why are you two still here? Shouldn’t you be in Pharaoh with your parents?”

CHICK: “Well, we were planning on going to Pharaoh with them, but Hack insisted on staying. And of course, being the older sister, I wasn’t going to leave him by himself, so I stayed behind as well.”

MALT: “Well, in any case, it’s good that you’re both still alive and well. God knows what would’ve happened if you two had faced the Order directly.”

KYLE: “I’ll say. Not sure what gave Hack the idea to fight the Order solo, though.”

CHICK: “Eh, me neither. But we won’t have to worry about them now that you guys are here!”

MALT: “Well, I wouldn’t be too sure. Something tells me there’s more to this than the Gasco Army is letting on, and if that’s true, then that explains why Lieutenant Muscat wanted us to stay in Petit Mona…”

HACK: “Well, when word got out that the Order was coming to Tosa, there were three hooded figures that showed up. One of them came up to my dad and tried to rob his general store, but left after he complained that his head was hurting. My dad didn’t get a good look at the man, but he could’ve sworn he saw a Felineko under the hood. So if that’s all this so-called ‘formidable’ gang is, then we shouldn’t have to worry about a thing. After all, we’ve taken down an unruly Felineko before, and we can certainly do it again!”

MALT: “Hack, while I respect your enthusiasm, you haven’t taken into account that these guys possess tank-destroying weapons. I hate to be a bit of a downer here, but the truth is your dad is lucky to be alive right now. Had that encounter gone any differently, your dad could’ve been vaporized!” sighs “Look, what I’m trying to say is that we can’t take any chances with this gang. Felineko or not, these guys clearly do not mess around. We’ll just have to lay low and proceed with caution for now. That way, everyone stays safe. I feel like, as the leader, I should be able to ensure that much at least.”

As Malt and the others lay low to avoid being seen by the Order, a cat-like figure approaches the group from a distance. The figure, upon closer inspection, is confirmed to be Vanilla, who rapidly approaches Malt and nearly tackles him to the ground with a hug from behind.

VANILLA (cheerful): “Malt!”

MALT: “Uff! Hey Vanilla…” groans “Easy there with the hugging! You nearly took me out!”

VANILLA: “Oops, sorry. It’s just…I haven’t seen you in so long, I guess I couldn’t contain myself…hehe…”

MALT: “Well, I gotta say it’s certainly a surprise meeting you here. I would’ve thought you’d still be in Pharaoh.”

VANILLA: “Yeah, well I found out from my sister that you and your friends decided to go to Dale against her orders. I wanted to go, but she refused to take me. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and I snuck onto the airship. Which brought me here.”

MALT: “Wait, so Lieutenant Muscat is…here? Right now?”

VANILLA: “Yep! And from the looks of it, she is not happy right now.”

Just then, an enraged Lieutenant Muscat appears over the horizon and approaches Malt.

LT. MUSCAT (enraged): “MALT MARZIPAN!!”

MALT (scared): “Oh, boy. This isn’t gonna be good…”

LT. MUSCAT (enraged): “What on earth were you thinking, disobeying my orders like that? Do you realize the amount of trouble you’ve just caused me? Have you no shame?”

MALT: “Lieutenant, let me expla-”

LT. MUSCAT (enraged): “I don’t have time for your excuses, Marzipan! You should be lucky that I was able to catch up to you before something bad happened!” turns to Vanilla “And you. Why did you think it was a good idea to follow me here? I told you to stay in Pharaoh!”

VANILLA: “Sorry, big sis. I just wanted to go with you. But at least I’m safe!”

LT. MUSCAT (disappointed): “Well it’s a good thing you are. I would have felt terrible if you weren’t.” sighs

VANILLA: “Oh…sorry for scaring you. I didn’t realize…”

LT. MUSCAT: “No, no. It’s fine, Vanilla. It’s just…why can’t you kids just follow simple instructions? Does my authority mean nothing to you?”

MALT: “Lieutenant, I understand you’re upset. I mean, you have every right to be after I disobeyed you. But, in all fairness, it was Kyle’s idea to leave in the first place. I wanted to stay behind in Petit Mona. But, now that I think about it, I guess I do understand where Kyle was coming from. This situation has been ongoing for 6 years now.”

LT. MUSCAT: sighs “Well, I suppose it was inevitable that you’d travel to Dale and try to sort this matter out yourself. I just wish my little sister didn’t try and rope herself into it as well…”

MALT: “I understand the concern you have for Vanilla. Trust me, Mei relies on my protection just as much as Vanilla relies on yours. But as long as she or anyone else doesn’t do something drastic, we’ll be fine. All we need is a little time to scope our surroundings and find a workable opening to take the gang down.”

LT. MUSCAT: “Alright. My garrison and I will try to give you as much time as we can so you can get close to the Order. But you’ll be on your own from there. Any further assistance will put my soldiers at risk of being spotted and killed.”

MALT: “Sounds good enough to me!”

LT. MUSCAT: “Oh, and one more thing, Marzipan…”

MALT: “Hmm?”

LT. MUSCAT (serious): “Keep my sister alive, will you? She’s the only family I have left, after all.”

MALT: “Okay, I promise I will keep her safe!”

LT. MUSCAT (serious): “Good.” leans in to face Malt directly “If I find out that you broke your promise, believe me when I say that the Order will be the last thing you will have to worry about. Are we clear?”

MALT (scared): gulps “Yes ma’am…”

LT. MUSCAT: “Good. I’ll go grab my soldiers and get them into position. I trust you know what to do from there.”

MALT (scared): “Mmhmm…”

Meanwhile, outside Tosa…

Three unidentified figures wearing dark hoods stand in the shape of a triangle. A tiger Felineko named Leon stands in between his two cohorts discussing their plan of action against the village of Tosa.

LEON: “Well, I’d say we did a pretty good job with Tosa.”

COHORT 1: “Yeah, we sent them running with their tails between their legs in no time!”

LEON: “Yes. However, our work is far from over. Instilling them with fear is one thing, but our goal is to kill these Caninu. Nothing is more satisfying than hearing their pathetic cries for help before they are silenced…forever.”

Leon chuckles as he emits a toothy grin under his hood.

LEON: “But no matter. They can run all they want, but we will catch up to them, eventually. Anyway, what’s this I hear about airships?”

COHORT 1: “Apparently, three airships were heading towards Dale, two from Petit Mona, and one from Pharaoh. Two of them docked not too long ago.”

COHORT 2: “And from the looks of it, it looks like the guy you’ve been searching for was on one of them.”

LEON (joyful): “Really? Malt Marzipan? Here in Dale?” chuckles “Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise? Did you check to see if that traitorous rat was with him?”

COHORT 2: “It didn’t look like he was with them when it landed.”

LEON (joyful): “Good. Then this might be the only chance we’ll get to show him the full might of the Order!”

Leon lifts his cloak to reveal a robotic contraption attached to his arm, with various lights adorned on it, including on the palm. The lights are all glowing a faint blue.

LEON: “It’s about time I met him face to face. If it’s a fight he wants, it’s a fight he’s going to get!” laughs “It’s time to show Gasco just how weak and frail their little ‘hero’ is!” balls his hand up into a fist and raises his arm to the sky Glory to the Order!”

COHORT 1 and 2: ball their fists up and raise their arms “Glory to the Order!”

Leon and his cohorts re-enter the village of Tosa, ready to fight.

Back in Tosa…

Malt and the others, now aided by Lieutenant Muscat’s garrison, advance into Tosa cautiously. They initially find it empty, but after a few moments, they see three dark figures approaching them from the opposite side of the village.

MALT: “That must be the Order…that’s strange. Why are there only three of them? I would’ve thought there’d be more…”

HACK: “Doesn’t matter if there’s three of them or a thousand! We’ll take ‘em on, no sweat!”

MALT: “Still, better stay vigilant. We don’t know what they might have up their sleeve.”

The figures continue approaching the group until they are within a few yards of each other. One of the figures then takes its hood off, revealing a Felineko with a tiger’s physique. The tiger Felineko then addresses Malt by name.

???: “Ah, hello Malt. Good to see you.”

MALT: “Now hold on just a second! You can’t just address me like we’re old friends and not identify yourself! Who are you? And how do you know my name?”

LEON: “Ah, right! Where are my manners? Apologies, my name is Leon. Pleased to make your acquaintance. As for how I know you, it should be no surprise that your achievements here in Gasco have spread like wildfire across the country. You're somewhat of a role model to these people, a…’hero’ if you will. But enough about that. I'm sure you know exactly why I'm here."

MALT: "By the looks of things, it seems like you were waiting for me to show up."

LEON: "Precisely. And now that you're here, it's time we played a little game."

Leon takes his cloak off and aims his robotic arm at Malt.

LEON: "6 years of having to ‘coexist’ with these putrid Caninu are about to come to a devastating, yet satisfying conclusion. Once I do away with you, there will be no one here in Gasco that could possibly stop me from achieving my goal!” laughs

MALT (scared): “W-what is that? Is that the vicious superweapon the Army was so frightened of?”

LEON (ecstatic): “Yes…and in a few short seconds, you’re going to see just how devastating this little contraption here can be!”

As Leon continues pointing his arm at Malt, the various blue circles of light start to glow brighter, and a small orb of light emits from Leon’s palm. The orb continues to get bigger as Malt stands there helplessly.

VANILLA (aside): “Oh no! If I don’t do something quick, Malt will be vaporized! Ngh…think, Vanilla, think!” sighs “Well big sis, I know you’ve been trying to protect me and everything, but it looks like I’ll have to throw myself into the danger to save my friend. I just wish there was another way…”

Vanilla takes a deep sigh as she separates from the group and darts towards Leon. When she gets close enough to him, she decks him in the face hard enough for him to lose concentration and the ball of light forming in his palm disappears. Leon turns to Vanilla and scowls at her while holding his face in pain.

LEON: chuckles “My, my. Such a feisty one you are…but your resolve will do you no good here.”

In one swift motion, Leon punches Vanilla square in the gut with all his might, and Vanilla flies backward as blood spurts out of her face. As she falls on her back, she sheds a single tear as her face continues to drip blood.

VANILLA (in pain): “M…Malt…”

MALT (shocked): “VANILLA! NO!!!”

LEON: “Hmph. Why must these Felineko always pick the strangest of hills to die on?” growls “No matter. Begone with you. I have no patience for Felineko who dares waste their time harboring such filth as him.” points to Malt

KYLE: “Malt, what the hell are you standing around for? Do something before that asshole kills Vanilla!”

Malt, still standing in shock, gathers all his strength and begins charging at Leon.

LEON: “Oh? What do we have here? Another sorry attempt at heroism?" looks to his cohorts "Would either of you two care to dispatch him for me? I’m quite busy.”

COHORT 1: “Sure thing, sir!”

Cohort 1 intercepts Malt and tackles him to the ground before he can reach Leon. As Malt wrestles with Leon’s cohort in the sand, he is forced to watch helplessly as Leon advances toward Vanilla, who is still lying on her back crying and bleeding.

LEON: scoffs “So much effort, and yet you achieved nothing. Are you proud of yourself?”

Vanilla gives Leon a light scowl using all the strength she can muster. Leon becomes angry and delivers a fierce elbow to her chest. Vanilla lets out a screech of pain as Leon continues to crush the life out of her. She looks to Malt one last time as she attempts to reach out to him, and falls limp moments later. Malt, now in tears after having watched this event unfold, rushes to Vanilla’s lifeless body.

MALT (in tears): “Vanilla…? Vanilla…come on…wake up…please…”

LEON (annoyed): “Give it a rest, kid. She’s not waking up any time soon. Or at all, for that matter. Serves her right for meddling in my affairs. Perhaps she would have lived if she hadn’t stuck her nose where it shouldn’t belong.”

At this moment, the rest of the group’s expression turns to a mix of shock and anger as they watch from afar.

KYLE (angry): “You…ASSHOLE! How could you do that to such an innocent Felineko? She did nothing wrong!”

LEON: “Oh, please. With how many so-called ‘innocent’ Caninu I’ve slaughtered, it’s no surprise to me that a few clingy Felineko would happen to get thrown into the mix. But that’s none of my concern, so long as the job is done.”

HANNA (angry): “How could someone be so heartless as to claim so many innocent lives for no reason?”

HACK: “Yeesh, looks like this guy has been taking a few pages outta Blutwurst’s book.”

Leon then turns to face Malt, who is hugging Vanilla’s corpse and sobbing.

LEON: “Now, where were we? Ah, yes! I was just about to vaporize you! And this time, you don’t have your precious little girlfriend here to stop me!” laughs

MALT (in tears): “Why…why did this have to happen…”

LEON: “Cry all you want. Your tears won’t bring her back from paradise.”

MALT (angry): “I…I’ll never forgive you for this…”

LEON: “As if I want your forgiveness. I came here to kill you, not listen to your pathetic attempts at diplomacy.”

MALT (angry): “I’ll…I’ll KILL YOU!!”

LEON: chuckles “Well, you can certainly try, hotshot. I can’t guarantee any success though.”

Malt, now enraged, lets out a blood-curdling scream as he charges at Leon and throws a punch at his chest. Leon blocks it with ease and retaliates with a jab to Malt’s face, which sends Malt flying into the sand. Malt then shakily attempts to get up as blood pours from his mouth.

LEON: “Well, I must say, that was a solid attempt, but it was far from noteworthy. You nearly put me to sleep with that attack. Is that really the best you can do?”

MALT (enraged): huffs “I’m…not done just yet…”

LEON: sighs “You know what, i haven’t the patience for this. I’ll make this quick and I’ll just go about my business. I think I’ve seen enough here.”

Leon then starts to recharge the orb of light that he was charging before, except it is now growing at a much quicker rate than before. Before Malt has any time to react or dodge out of the way, the orb doubles in size and transforms into a laser that shoots straight through Malt’s stomach. As Malt falls to the ground, Leon’s voice echoes in his ears.

LEON: “So…this is the hero of Gasco…how disappointing…”

Leon’s words are the last thing Malt hears before hits the sand face up and everything goes white.

End of Episode 3

Chapter 4: Episode 4

???

Malt wakes up on the floor of what appears to be a large white room. He looks around sees nothing but white, and finds himself alone in this empty void. However, a few moments later, a figure approaches him and stands over him in a rather menacing fashion.

???: “My, my. It seems you have met with an unfortunate fate yet again.”

MALT (aside): “That voice…It sounds…familiar. But, why…?”

After a series of groaning, Malt manages to sit up and sees the figure towering above him.

???: “Oh! It looks like you’re in a bit of a hurry to go somewhere. Apologies for intruding, I’ll see myself out…”

MALT: “Wait!”

Malt stands up as the figure turns to leave and gives a confused look.

MALT: “Wait a minute, I’ve seen you before! Err, what was your name? Ah, right! You’re that Maestro guy, aren’t you?”

MAESTRO: “Precisely. Which means you know exactly where you are.”

Malt looks around the space as the realization starts to kick in.

MALT: “Last thing I remember, I got hit with a laser, then I passed out and woke up here, but if I’m here, then that means…”

MAESTRO: “Yes, it is true, I’m afraid. You, my friend, have perished.”

As Malt takes in the reality of the situation, he starts breathing heavily and starts to cry.

MALT: “No…no, no, no! This isn’t right! I can’t be dead!”

MAESTRO: “You wouldn't be here if you weren't.”

MALT (crying): “No…Mei…What’s gonna happen to my little sister? Will she be alright? Who is going to take care of her?”

MAESTRO: “I’m afraid I can’t answer those questions. There’s no telling what became of your friends after your demise, but there is a bright side to this.”

MALT (crying): “What ‘bright side’ could there possibly be to this situation? With that maniac Felineko on the loose, he could’ve killed my sister by now!”

MAESTRO: “The bright side is that this doesn’t have to be the end of your story. You can fix this mess. Or have you already forgotten what you’re capable of?”

Malt stops crying and looks at Maestro upon hearing this information.

MAESTRO: “Go ahead.”

Malt wipes the tears from his eyes and takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes and after a few moments, everything fades to white. A few moments later, Malt opens his eyes and finds himself back in Tosa, moments before Vanilla lost her life.

LEON: "6 years of having to ‘coexist’ with these putrid Caninu are about to come to a devastating, yet satisfying conclusion. Once I do away with you, there will be no one here in Gasco that could possibly stop me from achieving my goal!” laughs

MALT (aside): “Wait, I’m in Tosa now…” looks to Vanilla “And Vanilla’s here too!”

Leon begins charging the orb as Vanilla prepares to dart towards him, before she can though, Malt stops her.

MALT: “Vanilla, wait! Don’t do that!”

VANILLA: “Why not?”

MALT: “Because, something bad could happen if you do.”

VANILLA: “Well, I’m sure it can’t be any worse than what he’s about to do to you.”

MALT: “Just…trust me on this Vanilla. Stand back and let me think of a way out of this.”

Malt stands there thinking as Vanilla steps backward. Leon continues to charge the orb from his hands.

MALT (aside): “Okay, I kept Vanilla out of harm’s way just like the Lieutenant wanted, but now what? If I stand here any longer, I could risk getting myself killed! I suppose I could just dodge out of the way, but there’s no telling the kind of aim this guy has on that thing! For all I know, he could have such precise aim that he could still hit me no matter which direction I went, so dodging might not help.”

As Malt continues contemplating, a figure approaches and stands in between Malt and Leon.

???: “Enough, Leon.”

LEON: “Hmm? Who dares disturb me in the middle of obtaining my greatest achievement?”

???: “Me. Now, if you want him, you’ll have to get through me.”

LEON: “Very well. Cohorts, seize him!”

COHORT 1 and 2: “Yes sir!”

Both cohorts attack the figure at the same time, but the figure punches them both in the stomach to stop them dead in their tracks. The figure then punches them in their faces and they fall to the sand.

???: “Yeesh. Did Leon not feed you guys or something? You guys are just as weak as you were when I left. Pathetic. If you’re gonna rush me like that, at least have the guts to throw some real punches.”

MALT: “I’m sorry, who are you? And how do you know these guys?”

???: “I’ll explain later. Just take your friends and get the hell outta here before things get any worse.”

MALT (confused): “Oh…o-okay…”

Malt then takes Vanilla and the rest of the group back the way they came, and they all walk out of Tosa. Meanwhile, Leon and the figure stand face to face, and both of them have a scowl on their face.

???: “So, it looks like we meet again, Leon.”

LEON: “I’m surprised you had the gall to return, considering what happened last time you showed your face around here.”

???: “Yeah, well things are different now, Leon. I’d like to tie up a few loose ends, if you catch my drift.”

LEON: “Is that so?” chuckles “Very well. Cohorts, if you will.”

COHORT 1 and 2: “With pleasure.”

Cohort 1 and 2 both charge again at the figure, this time splitting up to get on either side of it, and the figure exchanges punches with Leon’s cohorts before the cohorts get thrown onto their backs again.

???: chuckles “Classic Leon. Sending the lackeys in to do the dirty work for him, as always.”

Leon grumbles at the figure’s insult.

COHORT 1: “My god, this guy’s strong! Who are you?”

???: “You know exactly who I am. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that quickly.”

COHORT 1: “Wait, that voice…Ash!? Is that you?”

ASH: “Took you long enough…Axel.”

Ash then rips Cohort 1’s cloak off them to reveal a caracal Felineko underneath, with a robotic arm similar in appearance to Leon’s.

AXEL: “Ash...listen…I know this looks bad on my end, but if you would just let me explain…”

ASH (angry): “Oh, so the right-hand man to the asshole that stole my childhood all of a sudden wants to explain themself?” chuckles “Isn’t that rich? I told you the next time I saw you with this genocidal maniac that I was going to kill you. Now, you better have a damn good excuse for this nonsense before I make good on my promise!”

AXEL (pleading): “You don’t understand, Ash! If I hold back now and let Malt escape, Leon will kill me! You’re putting me in a lose-lose situation here! Let me live, and I promise I’ll do this village no more harm!”

ASH: sighs “Y’know what, that’s good enough for me. Killing you here in your most vulnerable state would make me no better than Leon. Now, get up and quit your blabbering.”

Axel manages to stand back up after some difficulty, nods his head, and then darts past Leon out of the village. The other cohort gets up, tears off his cloak, and follows close behind Axel.

ASH (aside): sighs“He better not make me regret my decision later...”

LEON: “You really think your little show of sympathy will get them to change their minds? Need I remind you they’ve pledged their unwavering loyalty to me for the last 6 years? It’s going to take more than that to get them on your side.”

ASH: “I wouldn’t be too sure, Leon. A little heart-to-heart can go a long way, not that you would know, you callous bastard.”

LEON: “Whatever you say, traitor. But this ordeal no longer concerns them. This is between you and me now.”

Leon and Ash dash towards each other, and grab a hold of each other in the middle. The two struggle to take over one another as their hands are interlocked.

LEON: “Ash, I understand the concern you have over these folk, Malt especially, but you must understand that they are simply inferior to the glorious Felineko!”

ASH: “Don’t you dare talk to me about inferiority. You dare imply that my race is inferior? I’ll make you eat those words!”

LEON: “Well, if this is your best attempt at doing so, I suggest you quit while you’re ahead. You should know by now that you are no match for me. All I ask is that you simply rejoin the Order, and I can protect you and your family. But, if you refuse, well, I can’t exactly guarantee your sister’s safety.”

ASH: “It’ll be a cold day in hell when I take orders from you again. And if you so much as hurt a hair on my little sister, I’ll murder you!”

LEON: “My, my. So hostile, as always. But if that is how you wish to be, then so be it.”

Leon breaks free of Ash’s grasp and sends a fierce jab to Ash’s jaw before he has time to block. Ash falls to the sand writhing in pain.

ASH: “Nghh…alright then. You wanna fight? Well, two can play at that game!”

Ash retaliates with a punch to the stomach, which Leon blocks by grabbing Ash’s fist. Ash throws a second punch, which gets denied as well. Out of options, Ash resorts to kicking Leon in the groin, which sends him to his knees as he lets go of Ash’s fists.

ASH: “Heh. Didn’t think I’d pull that stunt, eh? chuckles

Ash then punches Leon twice in the face, once with each fist. Leon’s face begins to drip with blood as he is still in pain from the groin kick. Ash punches Leon in the face a third time and more blood spills from his face. As Ash is relishing in his victory, Leon’s pain wears off and Ash gets hit with a strong punch to the gut which sends him backward into the wall of a nearby house.

ASH: coughs up blood “Goddamn…that was strong. I might have bit off more than I can chew here…” coughs up blood again “Damn…I didn’t think this would be how I went out…”

Ash sits against the wall as Leon approaches him. As Leon gets closer though, Ash is torn from the wall and hastily carried away by an unknown figure. The figure is revealed to be Malt.

ASH: “Wait…what’re you…”

MALT: “Save your breath. I’m gonna get you outta here.”

ASH: “Are…are you insane? You should’ve been long gone by now! If Leon or his subordinates find out you’re still here, they’re gonna…”

MALT: “They can try all they want to kill me. I’ll have my friends nearby to prevent that from happening. Although, if we’re gonna stop this mess from happening, might as well grab everyone…”

ASH (aside): “My God, the gall of this kid! Risking his life to save someone he’s never even met before! That’s gotta take a different level of bravery. I can see now why Gasco calls this guy their hero.”

ASH: “Thanks…”

MALT: “Hey, no problem, man. You saved me from that tiger guy earlier today, so I figured it’s only fair for me to return the favor.”

ASH: “So…where are we going…?”

MALT: “We’re going to Mau, where some of our friends are. Once we’re there, we might also be able to seek refuge for a little while, which should give you plenty of time to heal and rest up.”

ASH: “Sounds…nice…”

MALT: “Yep! But you should really focus on resting. Looks like you took quite a beating.”

ASH: “Yeah…I suppose I did…”

Ash chuckles as he continues being carried away by Malt.

Meanwhile, near the border of Dale…

ABIGAIL: “So, you’re certain my big bro is gonna be alright?”

MEI: “Of course. My brother’s got everything covered. In fact, he should be heading back here with your brother any minute now.”

After a few moments of waiting, Malt appears in the distance, carrying Ash on his back. Abigail sees this and rushes towards them.

ABIGAIL (shocked): “ASH!”

ASH: “Abby…”

Abigail wraps herself around Ash’s arm and hugs him tightly.

ABIGAIL: “Oh, Ash! Thank God you’re alright! I thought something bad had happened to you!”

ASH: “Don’t worry, Abby. I’m fine. I met Leon again, and as you can imagine, it didn’t go very well.”

ABIGAIL: “I figured he would be nothing but trouble…I thought I told you to stay away from him!”

ASH: “I know, I know. I just…didn’t want him hurting anyone else is all.”

ABIGAIL: sighs “Well, if you’re gonna throw yourself into danger at every possible opportunity, just don’t do anything too stupid, okay? It would suck to lose you.”

ASH: “Abby, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m not that dumb. I’ll be careful. Trust me.”

ABIGAIL: “Alright. Now, go get some sleep. You need it after escaping that fight.”

Ash chuckles faintly.

ASH (aside): “I guess I should consider myself lucky that Malt came back to help me…if he hadn’t shown up, I’d have been dead for sure! I really need to be more careful around Leon, it seems I’ve forgotten his capabilities…”

Elsewhere, outside Tosa…

Axel stands, arms crossed. The other cohort, a Birman Felineko named Seraphin, who followed him out of Tosa stands close behind him.

AXEL (annoyed): “Damn…he was right there!”

SERAPHIN: “Everything okay, Axel?”

AXEL (annoyed): “Yes, Seraphin. I’m fine, it’s just…annoying how badly I screwed up out there. I know I’m better than that, so how did things go so wrong? Ugh!”

Axel unleashes his anger on a nearby cactus, punching a hole clean through it.

SERAPHIN: “Hey, don’t worry yourself too much, Axel. It happens to the best of us.”

AXEL: “Easy for you to say, Seraphin. Your ungodly luck allows you to succeed at anything you put your mind to!”

SERAPHIN: “Well, seeing as how we both ate sand back there, clearly my ‘ungodly luck’ as you put it was no help to the situation.”

Just then, amid his meltdown, Axel feels a very sudden and sharp pain in his head as a voice speaks to him. The lights on his robotic arm begin to shine a very bright hue of blue as Axel falls to his knees and writhes in pain.

AXEL: “Gah! My head!” groans “Stop, stop! It hurts!”

???: “Axel, your morals are flawed.”

AXEL: “W…what? Ngh…”

???: “You are not yet aware, but you are fighting for the wrong cause…”

AXEL: “What do you mean…” groans “…wrong cause?”

???: “You will understand in due time…”

AXEL: “W…wait!” groans “You can’t just…leave me with that and…” groans “...not explain yourself! What do you mean?”

The voice refuses to answer Axel’s question and fades away. The pain in Axel’s head goes away, and he takes a deep breath and stands back up.

AXEL: “Well, that’s just great.”

SERAPHIN: “What happened, Axel? Was it the ghost girl talking to you again?”

AXEL: “Yes…” sighs

SERAPHIN: “What was she saying this time?”

AXEL: “Something about how my ‘morals were flawed’ and that I was ‘fighting for the wrong cause’. I asked her what she meant by that, but she never answered me.”

SERAPHIN: “Hmm. Weird.”

AXEL: “I hate to admit this, but part of me thinks there might be some merit to what the ghost girl is saying.”

SERAPHIN: “Seriously? Well, if what she says is right, what does that mean for us?”

AXEL: “Well, Seraphin, to put it simply, it means we might be getting more than what we bargained for…”

AXEL (aside): “Now I’m thinking if Ash really did make the right call by ditching us for that Malt kid. I never thought I’d reach a point in my life where I’d be questioning my loyalty to Leon, but considering the circumstances, it seems that continuing down this path is gonna lead me to choose either that or my survival…”

End of Episode 4

Chapter 5: Episode 5

Somewhere, in the Province of Mau…

Britz and Sheena are seen in the middle of a large field, lying in the grass and staring up at the sky.

SHEENA: sighs “My, the sky looks beautiful today.”

BRITZ: looks at Sheena “Not as beautiful as you, though.”

SHEENA: chuckles “Stop, you’re making me blush…”

Britz chuckles as he continues looking at the sky.

BRITZ: “You know, being out here has made me realize something…”

SHEENA: “What would that be?”

BRITZ: “It’s been years since we’ve been involved in any sort of conflict. And to be honest, I kinda like it that way. Being by your side, not having to worry about the next big world-ending threat. It feels nice to take a break for once.”

SHEENA: “Yeah, I guess it is refreshing to finally get some quality time.”

BRITZ: “Although, I do wonder how the others are doing. It’s been years since we’ve seen any of them, and with the ongoing activity with the Order in Dale, I worry about their safety…”

SHEENA: “Don’t worry Britz, I’m sure they’re fine. They are more than capable of taking care of themselves, and worst case scenario anybody gets hurt, they have Hanna and Chick there to care for them.”

BRITZ: “I suppose you’re right, although I can’t shake the feeling that they might be in trouble.”

As Britz and Sheena are in the midst of their conversation, an airship miles away lands, carrying Malt and his friends, as well as Abigail and an injured Ash being carried by Hanna.

MALT: “Well guys, we made it. We’re in Mau.”

KYLE: “Ugh, finally! It was starting to get cramped having to sit next to Boron for so long.”

BORON: “Hey! I’m right here, ya know!”

MALT: “Well, anyway, it’d be best not to linger here. Knowing our luck, it’s only a matter of time before the Order finds us and finishes off Ash, and then offs me as well. Let’s just find Sheena and Britz and hightail it outta here.”

Ash, struggling to even move, awakens and opens one eye slightly to see the beautiful scenery of trees and flowers that lay before him.

ASH: “So…this is Mau…so…beautiful…” chuckles

HANNA: “Yes, it is. But you should really take Malt’s advice and get some more rest before you go frolicking in those flowers. After all, your wounds are still healing.”

ASH: “Yeesh…you’re starting to sound…like my mom…”

HANNA: “Well, I have been told that I’m the mother of the group, so I suppose that makes sense.”

Ash then smiles as he falls back asleep. Hanna continues to carry him on her back. After a few hours of walking, the group reaches Britz and Sheena.

BRITZ: “Oh…hey. I wasn’t expecting you all to show up. I was a bit worried about you."

MALT: “Well, we’re fine. Chick and Hack are with us as well.”

Britz pauses for a moment and gives Malt a look of confusion.

BRITZ: “Wait, Chick and Hack are…here?”

MALT: “Yeah, we rescued them from Tosa, shortly before we had a run-in with the Order. And as you can imagine, it didn’t go well.”

BRITZ: “I’ll say. You lot are lucky to still be alive right now. How on earth did you manage to escape unscathed?”

MALT: points to Ash “Frankly, I have him to thank for that. He got in between me and that tiger guy…Leon was his name I believe. He decided to fight him for me…and if it weren’t for me returning the favor, he would’ve died in my place.”

BRITZ: “Well, that’s quite kind of you, Malt, but I’m afraid we have a problem on our hands.”

MALT: “How so?”

BRITZ: “Well, I’m sure you’re no doubt aware that they’re likely on their way here right now.”

MALT: “Yeah, I figured that would be the case when we left Dale…”

BRITZ: “But the issue doesn’t stop there. Once they find you, they will stop at nothing to see you dead. And when you draw your last breath, they’ll come after me next. I didn’t want to get involved in this conflict, but it seems my hand has been forced. The only option we have right now is to keep moving. The further they are from us, the more time we have to think of a game plan.”

MALT: “Sounds good. I’m ready when you are.”

While Malt and Britz are talking, Hanna walks over to Sheena and places Ash on the ground between them.

HANNA: “Listen, I know this is kinda sudden, but do you think you could use your Nono powers to heal him? We don’t have the time to sit around and wait for his injuries to heal normally.”

SHEENA: “Sure. What exactly happened, if you don’t mind me asking?

HANNA: “He got into a bit of an altercation with the tiger guy back in Dale. Took some pretty heavy hits. He was pretty banged up when Malt found him.”

Ash groans in pain.

SHEENA: “Yeah, that looks pretty bad, but I’ll have him back on his feet in no time!”

HANNA: “Good, because we don’t have much time to waste…”

Sheena closes her eyes and focuses her energy on Ash. She chants “O-RI-RU-SA” and a bright flash washes over Ash’s body. A few seconds go by, and Ash is awake and back on his feet.

ASH: “Wow, you did it!”

HANNA: “Well, looks like you’re feeling better.”

ASH: “Better? I feel like a million rings! I haven’t felt this good in a while…”

ABIGAIL: “Well, to be honest Ash, it has been a while since you’ve had a good night’s sleep.”

ASH: “Yeah…but that’s beside the point. I’m up and ready to take on the Order.”

MALT: “That’s great to hear! We could really use your help.”

As Malt and the others walk back to the airship to leave, another airship lands and Axel climbs out of it.

ASH: “Shit, what is he doing here?”

Axel approaches the group.

MALT: “H-hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

AXEL: “Move aside, Malt. I’m here for Ash.”

Ash growls at Axel and takes up a defensive stance.

ASH: “If you want me, Axel, then I’m right here! But if you wanna fight, let’s take it somewhere else.”

ABIGAIL: “Already getting into a fight? Big bro, you just got healed.”

ASH: “I’m afraid so. These assholes just don’t know when to quit!”

AXEL: sighs “Fine, I was hoping to settle this matter privately anyway.”

Ash and Axel walk away from the group and strike up a conversation with each other.

AXEL: “Listen, this might seem a bit alarming, but I didn’t come here to fight.”

ASH: “You…what?”

AXEL: “I came here to talk.”

ASH: “But Leon…”

AXEL: “Don’t worry, I came here by myself. Leon and Seraphin are still in Dale, but it won’t take them long to catch wind of my departure and follow me here, so I’ll keep this brief. I was thinking about what you did back in Tosa.”

ASH: “What, you mean sparing you? Ah, it was nothing. Figured it was the least I could do after kicking your ass and embarrassing you in front of your boss.”

AXEL: “I understand that, but what I’m asking is: why? Why did you spare me? You know I’m your enemy, right? You could’ve offed me and been done with me. So I’m asking you, why didn’t you?”

ASH: “Well, if you really must know, it’s so I could prove a point. I wanted Leon to see that I no longer abide by his faulty values and that every soul deserves to live and have a chance at redemption. Besides, if I killed you then, what could I have possibly gained from that?”

AXEL: “Wait, so you think that even though I’ve dedicated my life to eradicating your race, I’m still worthy of redemption?”

ASH: “Well, somewhat, yes. I know that there’s still a part of you that knows what you’re doing is wrong, but you have spent so much time being Leon’s mouthpiece that you don’t care about the moral implications of it. The stunt I pulled back in Tosa was an attempt to get you to see that working for Leon will get you nowhere, and the fact that you’re standing there asking questions instead of knocking my teeth out means that it’s worked to a degree.”

Axel realizes the truth in Ash’s words and freezes in place.

AXEL: “Well…I…I don’t know what to do with this info…the fact that you let me live, even though I’m your sworn enemy…you really have changed, Ash…”

ASH: “Yep, and I would do the same for Seraphin because I don't think either one of you deserves to spend the rest of your lives serving someone as wretched as Leon.”

AXEL: “Well then, answer me this. Let’s say, by some miracle, I become like you. I betray Leon and somehow live to tell the tale. Do you think I can re-integrate with society at that point, or do you think I’m already too far gone?”

ASH: “Well, it’s certainly gonna take some time, but I’m sure the people here would be willing to open their minds, and their hearts, to you as long as you remain regretful of your past actions. Of course, I couldn’t care less whether or not society accepts me as one of their own. I’m going to continue doing my own thing regardless.”

AXEL: “Well, I suppose it’s worth a thought, but I have no time for that right now. I must take my leave before Leon shows up.”

Axel begins to walk away but then turns to Ash to make one final statement.

AXEL: “Oh, and Ash?”

ASH: “Yeah?”

AXEL: “As far as anyone else is concerned, this conversation didn’t happen. What was said here is between us. Understand?”

ASH: “Consider my lips sealed. I won’t tell a soul.”

AXEL: “Good.”

Axel slips away and boards the airship he came in without another word. The airship hastily ascends and flies away, and Ash continues to stand in place as Malt walks up to him.

MALT: “Ash? You okay?”

ASH: “Yeah, I’m fine.”

MALT: “What was that about?”

ASH: “Ah, just some lousy intimidation attempt. He tried acting tough and wanted to fight me, but I scared him off pretty easily. Didn’t even lay a finger on me.”

MALT: “Well, it’s good that you’re okay. I was starting to get worried…”

ASH: “Well, I appreciate the concern, but I can take care of myself just fine.”

MALT: “Well anyway, I got everyone else loaded onto the airship. We gotta move quickly if we wanna avoid another encounter with that tiger fellow.”

ASH: “You don’t have to tell me twice. Let’s get outta here.”

Ash and Malt board the airship and within moments, the airship takes off.

ASH: “Alright, where next?”

MALT: “Well, since we have Britz and Sheena joining us, might as well grab everyone. What do you say we visit our pal Jin?”

ALL except KYLE: “Yeah!”

KYLE: “Are you sure grabbing Jin is a good idea?”

MALT: “What do you mean?”

KYLE: “I mean, it’s one thing to disturb him while he’s working, but to remove him from his workplace to involve him in a matter he has no interest in? He’s gonna refuse. He’s too enamored with his work to leave willingly.”

MALT: “Good point. We’ll have to convince him to join us somehow…”

KYLE (muttering) “Good luck with that…”

As Malt figures out a plan to get Jin to join the crew, Ash sits down on the floor, alone with his thoughts.

ASH (aside): “I hope Axel wasn’t pulling my leg with that whole ‘change of heart’ act. Because if I can get through to him, maybe I can save him after all…”

End of Episode 5

Chapter 6: Episode 6

Interior of a factory in Shetland

Jin and a few other factory workers sit, tired and sweaty, from all the hard work they have done inside the factory. During their break, one worker approaches Jin and starts a conversation with him.

FACTORY WORKER: “Hey, uh boss?”

JIN: “Yeah, what is it?”

FACTORY WORKER: “Mind if I steal you for a minute? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

JIN: “Sure.”

Jin gets up and follows the factory worker to a secluded area of the factory.

FACTORY WORKER: “So, about the new kid…”

JIN: “What about him?”

FACTORY WORKER: “The guys and I believe he’s not pulling his weight. He practically ruins every machine he touches. I’m starting to think he’s not suited for this type of job.”

JIN: “Oh, you mean the intern? Ah, don’t mind him. He’s still learning. In fact, bring him here. I wanna talk to him myself.”

FACTORY WORKER: “Alright…”

The factory worker leaves and returns with the intern, who is anxious to talk to Jin.

FACTORY WORKER: “Alright boss, here he is.”

The factory worker motions the intern towards Jin, and the intern creeps slowly forward.

INTERN (anxious): “H-hi, Master Jin…”

JIN: “Hey.”

INTERN (anxious): “So, you uh…you wanted to talk to me?”

JIN: “Yeah. I just wanted to let you know that you’ve been doing a pretty good job out there. Really taking a lot of what i taught you to heart.”

INTERN (happy): “Oh, r-really? You mean it?”

JIN: “Of course. I would never kid about this stuff.”

The intern’s anxiousness is replaced with joy as their eyes light up. Happy to receive praise from Jin, he hugs him before Jin swiftly peels himself away from the intern’s grasp.

JIN: “Okay, okay. Hold your horses. My approval means a lot to you. Frankly, I’m flattered that you respect me to that high of a degree. But, there is still room for improvement, as seen by your coworkers. They seem to think that you ruin all the machines you touch.”

INTERN: “Oh…yeah…”

JIN: “Now hold on, let me finish. Instead of scolding you like these old tools love to do, I’m going to turn your mistakes into a teaching moment. Would you mind grabbing me one of those machines from that pile over there?”

The intern hastily runs over to the pile of discarded machinery and hands Jin a random machine from the pile. Jin inspects the machine and points the problem out to the intern.

JIN: “See, right here. The screws you fastened on this side were fastened too tightly. Made the whole machine stiff. So, let’s just loosen these up a bit, and…”

As Jin uses his trusty screwdriver, Emil, to loosen the screws, and when he loosens the last one, the machine begins to function normally.

JIN: “...there we go! Now it’s working!”

INTERN: “Wow!”

JIN: “See, that’s the thing with machines. While strength does play a big part in working with machinery, being delicate with them is important as well. Putting all of your strength into building a machine will just end up breaking it. The real trick is keeping both in a sort of balance.”

INTERN: “Ah, thanks, Master Jin! You’re amazing!”

JIN: “No problem. And next time, don’t get so hung up about making mistakes. Mistakes are a part of learning. And besides, if you do mess up, just keep in mind that I’ll be here to fix it.”

INTERN: “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again for the learning opportunity!”

JIN: “Any time. Now, let’s head back to the line. We’ve still got work to do.”

Jin and the intern begin making their way towards the main part of the factory. As Jin is walking away, he is stopped by a familiar voice.

???: “Jin?”

JIN: looks over his shoulder “Oh, hey Malt. Nice of you to stop by. Was just heading back to the assembly line to finish filling today’s production quota. What brings you around here?”

MALT: “See, I dunno if you’ve heard, but there’s this terrible gang of Felineko called the Order of the Lion that’s been terrorizing the Province of Dale for about…6 years now.”

JIN: “Yeah, I've heard of them.”

MALT: “Well, we were wondering if you could maybe provide some assistance?”

JIN: chuckles “So you think that just because you show up after 9 years of us not talking to each other, I'm supposed to just drop what I'm doing and go fight some unruly Felineko over in Dale? Hard pass. I think I'll stay here.”

MALT: “But, Jin…”

JIN (angry): “But nothing! I am not going to abandon my factory and my workers, just because you wanna go globetrotting and ‘save’ Gasco from another ‘formidable threat’. Besides, if you guys couldn't take them down, what makes you think tagging me along is going to make things any different?”

MALT: “Uhh…”

JIN (angry): “More importantly, why did you guys think it was a good idea to go after them without the Taranis?”

MALT: “Well, I didn't think that taking the Taranis with us was gonna change anything, since the Order has tank-destroying superweapons, so we left it in Petit Mona…”

JIN (angry): “Wait, you mean to tell me that you never even took it out of the cave?”

MALT (embarrassed): “No…”

Jin facepalms and lets out a very audible sigh.

JIN: “You know what, I really didn't want to have to do this, but I guess I'll come with you guys, if only to keep you from doing something stupid.”

MALT: “Really?”

JIN: “Yes, really.” sighs “Honestly, Malt, it's a wonder how the others have put up with you for so long…”

Malt exits the factory excitedly, with Jin following close behind.

JIN: “Now, since I'm coming with you, if I could make a suggestion…”

MALT: “Go ahead, Jin. I'm all ears.”

JIN: “Before we grab Wappa and march ourselves to what is basically our untimely deaths, could you at least take us back to Petit Mona and bring the Taranis with us? We'd be screwed otherwise.”

MALT: “Oh, uh, yeah. Sure.”

JIN: “Good. At least then we'll have some form of protection from the Order.”

Malt and Jin walk out of the factory and onto the airship.

JIN: “Alright. Let's just go back to Petit Mona.”

KYLE: “Wait, why are we going back to Petit Mona? I thought our next stop was Mudi.”

JIN: “We're going to get the Taranis up and running so we at least have a chance of fighting these Order folk.”

Kyle looks at Malt with an angry expression.

KYLE (angry): “Oh, so when I proposed the idea back in Petit Mona, you were against it, but all of a sudden you've changed your mind just because Jin said so?”

MALT: “Oh, uh…”

JIN: “Wait, so you proposed the idea long before I did, and instead of standing your ground and taking it with you, you went without it anyway?”

Kyle pauses for a moment, then grumbles.

JIN (enraged): “Honestly, the fact that you left Petit Mona against the Lieutenant's wishes, as well as the fact that you left without the Taranis…” looks at Chick and Hack “...not to mention that you two stayed behind in an active crime scene instead of going to Pharaoh with your parents, it's like none of you have any common sense! You guys are so worried about stopping these guys, yet you put yourselves in danger and left behind the one piece of equipment capable of helping you achieve your goal. Honestly, all of you should be ashamed of yourselves!”

Jin then looks to Britz and Sheena and takes a deep breath.

JIN: “Except you two, you guys get a free pass, since you were dragged into this without your knowledge. But in any case, it's good that you're all still alive.”

Mei, after witnessing Jin's rant, is on the verge of tears.

MEI (upset): “Y-you're not mad at us…are you Jin?”

JIN: sighs “No, I'm not mad. You guys just need to use your heads a little more is all. Especially Malt, since he is supposed to be the leader.”

Malt looks at Jin sadly, then sighs.

MALT: “Listen, Jin. If there's any way I can make this better, I will, just…”

JIN: “I don't need you to make this up to me, I just want you to stay safe. You guys are my friends, after all. But, hopefully this whole ordeal will be put to rest once we get the Taranis online.”

MALT: “Y-yeah…let’s hope so…”

As the airship departs for Petit Mona, the group is left surrounded in an uncomfortable atmosphere following Jin’s rant. Now realizing their stupidity, they can’t help but feel bad for the position they have put themselves in.

End of Episode 6

Chapter 7: Episode 7

Somewhere in the Province of Mau…

An airship lands and Leon and Seraphin scout the area to find Axel. After a few hours of searching, Leon grows angry.

LEON: “Seraphin…”

SERAPHIN: “Uh…yes sir?”

LEON: “I thought you said Axel would be here.”

SERAPHIN: "Well, I thought he would be! He told me he was heading off to Mau to intercept Malt and his friends and settle the score with Ash, but I don’t see anyone here but us!”

LEON (aside): “I find it rather odd that Axel would take it upon himself to go in solo, but I trust that he wouldn’t lead me astray. After all, he knows full well what the consequences are for betraying me…”

LEON: “Well, if he isn’t here, then where do you suppose he ran off to?”

SERAPHIN: “I haven’t a clue. His trip to Mau was the only thing he told me about before running off and jumping on an airship.”

Leon sighs in disappointment as he places his hand on Seraphin’s shoulder.

LEON: “Listen, Seraphin. I understand you mean well, and I understand that Axel is your close friend and everything, but you must understand that I find Axel’s sudden change in nature…alarming to say the least. Now, you are the last person that Axel told this information to, so hypothetically, if Axel were to betray me further down the line, I would be more than inclined to believe that you were an accomplice to that and be forced to kill you. And you certainly don’t want that, do you?”

SERAPHIN: gulps “N-no sir…”

LEON: “Thought so. Now, go find Axel for me. He and I are going to have a lengthy discussion about this.”

SERAPHIN: “O-okay, sir…”

Seraphin, shaken to his core, takes a deep breath and begins scouting the area again for clues as to where Axel could have gone.

Meanwhile, back in Petit Mona…

Malt and his friends travel to the cave housing the Taranis. They find the Taranis sitting in the same spot that it was in years ago.

MALT: “Alright, here it is.”

JIN: “Alright, just go in and power it on. Then we can finally put this Order business to rest.”

Malt enters the Taranis and attempts to power it on. The Taranis refuses to move.

MALT: “Huh…that…that’s not good. Lemme try again.”

Malt attempts again to power it on. The Taranis again refuses to move.

JIN: “C’mon Malt. We don’t have all day. Is there a problem?”

MALT: “Uh…it doesn’t seem to be turning on…”

JIN: “What do you mean it isn’t turning on?”

MALT: “I’m trying everything I can, but this thing won’t budge.”

JIN: “Well, I don’t believe the issue is internal. Everything was working fine in here last time I checked.”

MALT: “Maybe it just needs a little more oomph to get it running. I mean, it has been years since we’ve rode this thing.”

Malt prays as hard as he can to power up the Taranis, but still, the Taranis refuses to move. Malt, now out of options, begins to panic.

MALT: “Oh…oh no…is it…?”

JIN: “From the looks of it, it seems to be out of juice.”

MALT: “The Taranis is dead…it has no power left in it at all…”

Malt begins to panic even more and begins to hyperventilate.

MALT: “Kyle…Kyle, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you before…we should’ve just taken it with us when we left the first time…oh God…I’ve doomed us all…”

KYLE (confused): “Oh, uh…I…forgive you, I guess?”

Malt continues hyperventilating as tears well up in his eyes. He turns to the rest of the group, on the verge of crying.

MALT: “Everyone…I’m so sorry…I should’ve never gotten you into this mess…now we’re all as good as dead…”

Malt falls to his knees crying as Jin sighs and kneels to comfort him.

JIN: “Alright, you big crybaby. Let it all out.”

Jin pats Malt on the back as Malt continues crying.

JIN (aside): “Jeez, I haven't seen him in this bad of a state since Jihl killed Hanna...”

JIN: “Alright, you done now?”

Malt looks at Jin with tears dripping down his cheeks and nods.

JIN: “Good. Because I think I have a solution to our problem.”

MALT: “What?”

JIN: “Okay, so you know how we beat Hax and Cayenne? How we combined our resolve into one strong attack that destroyed the Vanargand…twice?”

MALT: “Y-yeah?”

JIN: “Well, maybe there’s a way we can use that to our advantage. Of course, since we have Vanilla here as well, perhaps we can make it even stronger!”

MALT: “You know, that might actually work! Wait, but Wappa…”

JIN: “I already know what you’re thinking. Which is why we’re gonna head to Mudi to get her!"

MALT: “Well, alright then! To Mudi it is!”

The group exits the Taranis and jumps back on the airship, this time heading to Mudi. The group is excited to get to see Wappa again.

Meanwhile, Back in Mau…

Seraphin gives up the search after searching everywhere for clues of where Axel went. Leon gives Seraphin a disapproving look when he returns empty-handed.

SERAPHIN: “Sorry, boss, I looked everywhere, but I can’t find him…”

LEON: sighs “Well, isn’t this just excellent?”

SERAPHIN: “Hm?”

Leon walks up to Seraphin and grabs him by the neck. He begins to angrily shake Seraphin as he lectures him.

LEON: “Do you have any idea what you just cost me?”

SERAPHIN: “Ack! I…might have an idea…”

LEON: “Do you realize how long I spent making him a loyal minion?”

SERAPHIN: “I…I’m sorry Leon…I’ll find him…I swear…”

LEON: “No! You've already proven yourself to be insufficient for the task. I'll just find him myself.”

Leon throws Seraphin to the ground. Seraphin takes a deep breath and rubs his neck. Leon then angrily storms off toward the airship he and Seraphin came in.

LEON (aside): “This is ridiculous. I saved him and his pathetic friend from a life of delinquency and raised them into the finest henchmen that money can buy, and this is how he thanks me? Hmph. No matter. When I find him, he’ll be sorry he ever crossed me!”

SERAPHIN: “Boss, boss! Wait up!”

Leon looks over his shoulder to see Seraphin running up to him to catch up to him. Leon sighs and raises a hand to Seraphin, making him stop in his tracks.

LEON: “No. You stay here.”

SERAPHIN: “W-what? But boss…”

LEON: “I will hear no nonsense from you, Seraphin! You should know by now that I do not tolerate failure. So, you will stay here until you find a way to forgive your incompetence!”

SERAPHIN: “No, boss! Don’t leave me here by mysel-”

Leon interrupts Seraphin by pushing him violently on the ground.

LEON: “ENOUGH! Don’t make me hurt you, boy! I gave you freedom! I gave you a life worth living! And I can take them away if I have to! Do not. Test me.”

Seraphin lies on the ground, on the verge of tears. For fear of his life, he decides not to object further.

SERAPHIN: “Yes, boss…”

LEON: “Thats what I thought. Now, lie there and think about your actions.”

Leon walks away and boards the airship by himself.

LEON (aside): sighs “6 years I spent mentoring these fools, and yet they failed me when I needed them most…where did I go wrong?”

Meanwhile, in Mudi…

Malt and the others hurriedly search for Wappa, only to find her napping in a makeshift hammock tied to two wooden poles.

MALT: “Oh, hey Wappa.”

WAPPA: wakes up “Hm?” looks up at Malt “Oh…hey Malt…what’re you doing here?”

MALT: “Just wanted to see if you were up to stopping some bad guys.”

WAPPA: yawns “Gimme a minute. I just woke up.”

MALT: “Oh, yeah, right. Uh, speaking of which why are you sleeping in the middle of the day, if you don’t mind me asking?”

WAPPA: “Hm? Oh, just taking a bit of a power nap. Every leader needs their beauty rest, after all.”

MALT: “Hehe, yeah, right.”

MALT (aside): “I’m starting to realize now why Hanna was so adamant on me getting a good night’s sleep.”

Wappa sits up on her hammock, stretches, and does her hair. She lifts the hair off her face to give full visibility to her eyes as she turns around and faces the group, much to their surprise.

MALT: “Woah!”

WAPPA: “What?”

MALT: “Wappa, y-your eyes!”

WAPPA: “Yeah, what about ‘em?”

MALT: “I can see them!”

WAPPA: “Oh, right. You guys have never seen my eyes before. But yeah, I decided to change my look a little bit. Quite literally. Honestly, I kinda like it.”

KYLE: “Since when have you cared about looks?”

WAPPA: “Hey, I’m just trying to look a bit more flattering to people. Don’t knock me for trying.”

KYLE (teasing): “Oh, are you trying to get a boyfriend or something? Heh. So much for living a solitary life…”

WAPPA: “And so what if I am? At least I’m open about my feelings, not that you would know.”

KYLE (angry): “Excuse me?”

Malt, sensing an argument between Wappa and Kyle, attempts to break it up by getting in between them.

MALT: “Hey, hey. Knock it off you two. We don’t have time for arguing right now. We just came here to grab Wappa and leave.”

WAPPA: “Well, hold on. Since you’re here, did you bring Socks with you? I need to speak with him. In private.”

MALT: “Oh, uh…yeah. He should still be here around here somewhere.”

Malt looks around for Socks and returns to Wappa with him in tow.

MALT: “Here ya go!” pushes Socks towards Wappa “Make it quick though, we don’t have all day…”

WAPPA: “Alright, I hear ya. I’ll keep it quick.”

Wappa wraps an arm around Socks and takes him away from the group.

WAPPA: “So, Socks…”

SOCKS: “Uh, yeah?”

WAPPA: “How’ve ya been?”

SOCKS: “Pretty good, I guess…”

Wappa looks around to see if anyone is around, then sighs.

WAPPA: “Listen, Socks, I understand that Malt wants me to tag along on his little ‘adventure’, but to be frank, I don’t really care about all that.”

SOCKS: “Okay…”

WAPPA: “The real reason I wanted to talk to you is that when I was younger, I thought living by myself was bliss. I didn’t have to care about anyone but me. I didn’t have to listen to anyone, I made my own rules, and in a sense, I was basically my own boss. But, now that I’m no longer a kid, I’ve realized that living on my own is…lonely…and I’ve realized that it’s about time I found a partner.”

SOCKS: “Wappa, what’re you saying?”

WAPPA: sighs “I’m saying that I want someone to be more than just my boyfriend, someone who could maybe be my…husband…”

SOCKS: “H-husband? Wappa, don’t tell me you’re…”

WAPPA: “So I am giving you an offer. I will gladly join Malt and his friends to hunt down whatever bad guy they are chasing…on the condition that you marry me after we beat them.”

SOCKS: “Wha-MARRY? Wappa…I…”

Socks’ face turns bright red as he becomes flustered by Wappa’s request.

WAPPA: “Ope…I think I broke him…Socks? Are ya there?”

Socks fails to answer as he remains frozen in shock.

WAPPA: “So…is that a yes?”

SOCKS: “Uh…well, I…uh…”

WAPPA: “That’s okay, take your time.”

Socks snaps out of his shock and composes himself.

SOCKS: “Well, there’s a lot to consider. I mean, we have to figure out living arrangements, and wedding plans, and I can’t even begin to think of how expensive buying formal wear would be…”

WAPPA: “So…is it a deal or not?”

SOCKS: “I…I don’t know, you kinda sprung this on me, I didn’t even have time to process this, I’m just thinking of the possibilities…”

WAPPA: sighs “Okay, okay! I hear ya. Enough with the rambling already. Just…answer the question.”

SOCKS: takes a deep breath “Alright…fine. It’s a deal.”

Wappa grins from ear to ear after Socks’ response.

WAPPA: “Just what I wanted to hear. I’ll grab all my stuff and meet you at the airship.”

Wappa then runs off to collect her things.

WAPPA (aside): “I can’t wait to blow his socks off at our wedding. No pun intended. We’re gonna be the best newlyweds Gasco has ever seen!” chuckles

Malt and the others run over to Socks with worried expressions. Socks’ face is still red from his interaction with Wappa.

MALT: “Socks, what happened? We heard shouting, and your face is red!”

SOCKS: “Oh, I’m fine. Feeling great, as a matter of fact.”

KYLE: “Looks like something happened, though. Are you sure that little gremlin didn’t rough you up or anything?”

SOCKS: smirks “Well, if you really wanna know, Kyle…” chuckles “...whenever we get done handling this Order business, I’m gonna be a married man. To the ‘little gremlin’ in question, no less.”

KYLE (shocked): “Wha- no way! You seriously agreed to marry her? I thought you knew better than that, man! She’s gonna be nothing but trouble for you!”

Wappa walks back over to the group during Socks and Kyle’s conversation.

WAPPA: “Sounds like someone needs to step up their game.”

KYLE: “Where did you come from?”

Wappa chuckles as she runs away toward the airship.

MALT: “Y’know, Kyle, Wappa does have a bit of a point…”

KYLE: “How so?”

MALT: “Well, as far as relationships go, Britz has Sheena, Socks will have Wappa, and I'm not sure who anyone else will go after. But as for you, you have no one at the moment. Maybe it’s time to man up and tell Hanna how you really feel about her.”

Kyle attempts to speak up, but Malt’s words start to ring louder in his head.

KYLE (aside): “Dammit…he’s right…I should confess my feelings to her. I mean, she’s waited a decade already for my confession, who knows how much longer she’s willing to wait before she falls for someone else? Urgh…”

MALT: “Y’know Kyle, if you wait long enough, perhaps I might start having feelings for Hanna…” chuckles

KYLE (angry): “Excuse me?”

MALT: “Relax. It’s just a joke, man.”

KYLE (annoyed): “Let’s just get on the damn airship already…Wappa’s probably waiting for us.”

The group boards the airship to find Wappa waiting for everyone.

WAPPA: “Jeez, about time you guys got here. I thought I was gonna die of boredom.”

MALT: “Alright, well that makes 13 of us. Let’s go.”

The airship ascends and takes off from Mudi.

MALT: “Let’s just hope that Jin’s plan works, or else we’re all doomed…”

End of Episode 7

Chapter 8: Episode 8

Somewhere, in the Province of Mau…

Seraphin is lying on his back in the middle of a field, somberly meditating on his failure to deliver to Leon. After some time passes, he stands up.

SERAPHIN: sighs “Axel…look what you’ve done. You’ve broken your trust with Leon, and now you’ve gotten me roped in this as well.”

Seraphin walks over to a nearby patch of trees.

SERAPHIN: "We were loyal servants to Leon for years. All we had to do was trust the process, and we would have been free men. We could have been as carefree as we wanted, not having to worry about money or a place to live ever again. But you went and ruined it for both of us!"

Seraphin chuckles to himself before delivering a sharp jab to one of the trees.

SERAPHIN: "Maybe I'm being too negative. Maybe Ash does have a plan to live a life free from Leon's influence. I don't know what your planning, Axel, but I hope it's worth risking our lives for. If it fails, Leon won't give us a second chance." chuckles

Meanwhile, inside an airship flying over the Province of Vizsla…

Malt and the others stand together while coming up with a plan of action against the Order of the Lion.

MALT: “Alright, now that we have everyone, how are we gonna go about taking the Order down?”

WAPPA: “I dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna take a nap.”

MALT: “Wha- but Wappa, you just took one!”

WAPPA: “So? Every leader needs to get their beauty sleep. Maybe you should take one yourself.”

MALT: “Ugh, alright… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a quick break. The Order won’t be able to do much while we’re up here anyway…”

Wappa finds a spot on the airship to lie down and take another nap.

BORON: “I could use a nap too…”

Boron follows suit and falls asleep lying on his stomach. Everyone else except Malt finds an area on the airship to rest their heads.

SHEENA: “Britz…do you mind if I sleep next to you?”

BRITZ: “Hmm? Uh, sure, I guess…”

Sheena and Britz lay next to each other, with Britz crossing his legs and Sheena resting her head on his shoulder as they slept. Malt chuckles upon seeing them snuggled together.

MALT: “They look so cute together…”

Malt walks over to the rest of the group.

MALT: “Welp, guess it’s my turn now. Good night, everyone.”

Malt lies down and falls asleep. Malt wakes up hours later to the sound of Wappa snickering, and sees that almost everyone is awake.

MALT (half asleep): “Wappa, what’s going o-”

WAPPA (whispering): “Shh! The lovebirds are still sleeping.”

MALT: “The…huh?”

Malt looks over to see Britz and Sheena still sleeping. Sheena is still lying on Britz’s shoulder.

MALT (whispering): “Oh…”

WAPPA (whispering): “Can’t wait for that to be me and Socks soon.”

Britz wakes up to see everyone else awake and crowding around him and Sheena.

BRITZ: “Huh? Oh. Everyone’s awake. Guess we overslept. Sheena…?”

SHEENA: “Hmm?”

BRITZ: “Time to wake up. Everyone else is awake.”

SHEENA: “Aww…but I don’t wanna wake up. I wanna stay down here with you…”

Sheena latches onto Britz’s arm.

BRITZ: sighs “Sheena…”

SHEENA: “Mmm…alright…”

After much reluctance, Sheena decides to get up and stands clutching Britz’s arm.

BRITZ: “Alright. We’re up.”

MALT: “Y’know, it hasn’t occurred to me until now Britz, but ever since you and Sheena met each other, you’ve been practically inseparable.”

BRITZ: “Yeah, I suppose we have. Guess that means we’re soulmates.”

WAPPA: “I’ll say. You guys were made for each other. Frankly, with the way you two were cuddling in your sleep, I would’ve thought you two were married…”

Britz and Sheena blush at Wappa’s comment.

BRITZ (embarrassed): “Oh…uh…not quite. We haven’t quite got past the boyfriend and girlfriend phase…”

WAPPA: “Shucks. You guys have been together for years now! I think it’s about time to pop the question, doncha think?”

BRITZ: “Well, maybe…”

SOCKS: “Wappa, don’t overwhelm him! Not everyone is going to be as eager to marry as you are. Britz will propose when he’s ready.”

WAPPA: rolls her eyes “Oh, alright…”

SHEENA: “I don’t mind waiting, but I suppose it has been long enough to consider.” chuckles

BRITZ: “I suppose.”

Britz kisses Sheena on the cheek. Sheena blushes, while Kyle watches from afar and grumbles enviously.

MALT: sighs “Alright, now with that outta the way, we need a gameplan for the Order.”

As Malt brings up the conversation, Ash emerges from the group with a smirk.

ASH: “I might have an idea.”

Back in Mau…

Seraphin stands with his arms folded, sadly looking at a tree. Suddenly, an airship descends behind him, and Axel emerges from it.

AXEL (aside): chuckles “Now that I’ve got Leon on a wild goose chase, I should have more than enough time to gather my bearings. I just gotta lay low and hope that I don’t raise any suspicion…”

Axel sees Seraphin in the distance and anxiously approaches him.

AXEL (aside): “Seraphin? What is he still doing here? He should’ve been long gone by now! Unless…”

Seraphin hears Axel’s approach and turns to face him.

SERAPHIN: “Axel?”

AXEL: “Seraphin? What’re you doing here?”

Seraphin’s shocked expression turns into anger as he charges head-on into Axel and knocks him onto the ground.

AXEL: “Oof! Hey, what gives?”

SERAPHIN: “What on earth were you thinking, leaving all by yourself? Leon and I have been wondering why you haven’t come back yet!”

AXEL: “W-what? That’s what you’re upset about? Listen, if you’ll just let me explain…”

SERAPHIN: *sighs* “You realize that our lives are on the line here, Axel. Leon has already made it clear that non-compliance will have consequences. You saw what he did to Ash when he tried to rebel. Now, we need to get back to Leon so you can explain yoursel-”

AXEL: “No.”

SERPAHIN: “Excuse me?”

AXEL: “I’m not going back.”

SERAPHIN (shocked): “WHAT?”

AXEL: “And you’re not either.”

SERAPHIN: “Axel…I understand you’re my best friend and everything, but please listen to me. If we disobey Leon, we’d be putting everything we worked hard for during the last 6 years on the line!”

AXEL: “I understand your concern, Seraphin, but just trust me on this one.”

SERAPHIN: “Honestly, I’m not sure if I should…”

Meanwhile, in the city of Pharaoh…

Leon steps out of an airship, visibly disgusted at the recent events between him and his henchmen. While deciding on a plan of action, Leon decides to walk down the streets of Pharaoh.

LEON (aside): “It seems that Axel and Seraphin's loyalty to me is wavering. I suspect Ash is involved.”

Leon grumbles at the mention of Ash’s name.

LEON (aside): “Ever since he disavowed his loyalty, that treacherous dog has caused nothing but trouble for me. And to think that from the day he showed up, him and I were like brothers, and yet all it took was one mission to ruin everything…”

Leon looks towards a merchant’s table and picks up an apple. He walks off without paying and takes a large bite out of it.

MERCHANT: “H-hey! Mister! You have to pay for that!”

Leon grumbles as he turns to face the merchant. Leon’s cold stare strikes fear into the merchant, who goes quiet and starts to back away.

MERCHANT: “On second thought, you can keep it… The thing’s only worth a few rings anyway. I’m just gonna go back to selling my produce.”

LEON (aside): scoffs “Something needs to be done about him. First, he defies my orders and then he goes after my henchmen.” growls “It seems that I will have to give him another lesson, considering that he did not learn from the first one.”

Leon angrily crushes the apple in his hands and tosses the core aside.

LEON: “Fortunately for me, I think I know just how to get under his skin…” laughs

End of Episode 8

Chapter 9: Episode 9

Notes:

Just a bit of a sidenote here, I know it's been a while since I posted here. Been dealing with a lot of things. But, after several months of on-and-off work, I finally finished this chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Interior of an airship over the Province of Vizsla…

Malt listens intently to Ash as he details how to confront the Order.

ASH: “Listen, I’ve known Axel and Seraphin for years now. If anyone knows what they’re up to, it’s me.”

MALT: “Okay, so how is that gonna help us with Leon?”

ASH: "Assuming Axel took our conversation in Mau seriously, he's probably on his way to Pharaoh with Seraphin right now. The only issue is that Leon is likely headed there too, so we need to ensure we arrive first to greet them. If we don’t, it could end badly for everyone."

MALT: “Great. So, how do you propose we get into Pharaoh before Leon does?”

ASH: “This airship is going as quickly as possible. So, all we can really to do is sit back and hope Leon didn’t get there before we do...”

Kyle decides to speak up and ask Ash a question.

KYLE: “Hey, uh, Ash?”

ASH: “Yeah?”

KYLE: "If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get to know Axel and Seraphin? They've been part of the Order of the Lion for quite some time, and you don’t seem like the type to just make friends out of nowhere."

ASH: “I’d…rather not answer that.”

KYLE (annoyed): “How come? Is there something you’re tryna hide from us or something?”

Ash refuses to speak.

KYLE (annoyed): “So?”

Ash sat in silence as Kyle's frustration simmered, his anger boiling over at Ash’s stubborn refusal to respond to his pressing question. The air was thick with unspoken words, and their tension crackled like electricity.

MALT: “Ash? Is there something you’re not telling us?”

ASH: sighs “Alright, you really wanna know? Fine. The reason I am such good friends with Axel and Seraphin is because I…used to be a member of the Order myself…”

A collective gasp swept through the room at Ash's unexpected remark, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

KYLE: “You mean to tell me, that for the last 6 years, you’ve just been…”

ASH: “Killing my own kind? Yeah, pretty much… I’m not proud of it, and I know I should’ve addressed it earlier, but I thought you guys were gonna hate me or something…”

KYLE: “Honestly, I’m more disgusted than anything. How could you ever be okay with slaughtering helpless Caninu for that long?”

ASH: “Honestly, you probably wouldn’t understand if I told you…”

KYLE: scoffs “Please, after the shock I had hearing that much, I’m sure your reasoning couldn’t be any more startling.”

ASH: chuckles “You’d be surprised. Ultimately, the reason for our journey was straightforward. I was traveling to the Province of Dale with my sister Abby after the recent loss of our parents…”

FLASHBACK - 6 years ago…

Three years after the Belenos chase caused chaos in Gasco, a new threat emerged near Tosa called the Order of the Lion. Led by Leon, a tiger Felineko, their goal is to eliminate all Caninu. One day, Leon and his apprentices, Axel and Seraphin, answer a knock at the door and find two young wolves, Ash and Abigail, waiting outside.

LEON: “Ah, hello young one. Are you lost?”

Young ASH: “I guess. I was just looking for a new place to call home.”

LEON: “How come?”

Young ASH: “My parents recently passed away, and men from the Gasco Army came to evict my sister and me from our home. Since then, I have been searching for shelter. Could you assist us, sir?”

While Leon and Ash speak to each other, Seraphin and Axel are heard chatting to themselves in the background.

Young AXEL: “Y’hear that, Seraphin? This new kid and I already have something in common!”

Young SERAPHIN: “I don’t know if having dead parents is something you should be bragging about, Axel…”

Young AXEL: “In any case, he seems like a cool fella. I’m sure him and I will make great friends!”

Ash and Leon talked for a while until Leon agreed to let Ash and his sister Abby stay for some time.

LEON (hesitantly): “Of course! We’ll make sure you’re taken care of! Come on in!”

Young ASH: “Okay, thanks…”

LEON (aside): "Heh, what perfect timing! A couple of unsuspecting Caninu have just strolled right up to my doorstep. They truly have no clue about the trap they’ve walked into! I see a golden opportunity here—I'll take the older one under my wing and shape him into the ultimate little minion. And if he thinks he can outsmart me... then I won’t hesitate to eliminate him! It’s a win-win situation! Honestly, this couldn’t be any simpler!”

Leon chuckles to himself while Ash looks at him, confused.

Young ASH: “Uh…what’s so funny?”

LEON: “Huh? Oh, nothing…just…make youself at home, son. Enjoy yourself…”

LEON (aside): “... You’re going to do great things for me, young one. Just you wait…” chuckles

PRESENT DAY - Airship Interior above Gasco

ASH: “And that's how I met Axel and Seraphin.”

MALT: “Wow, that’s… kinda sad. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

ASH: “Ah, it's fine. No sense worrying about things you can’t control.”

KYLE: “Honestly, it seems like you were quite settled. Aside from killing innocent civilians, it appears you were comfortable living with Leon.”

ASH: “More or less, yeah.”

KYLE: "I’m curious though—what made you decide to walk away?"

ASH: sighs “It's… complicated.”

KYLE: “I mean, whatever caused you to leave their organization so suddenly must've been pretty severe, right?”

Ash starts shuddering as a tear rolls down his cheek.

MALT: “Ash…? What did they do?”

ASH: “One day, Leon said he had a ‘special mission’ in mind just for me. I was told I was the only one with what it takes to succeed, and the stakes? They were nothing short of dire. If I didn't pull this off, there would be serious consequences.”

KYLE: “Why, if I may ask, did you choose to defy him? I thought you were willing to kill Caninu at that time. If the consequences were as severe as you claim, why did you refuse to go through with it?”

ASH: “You see, the reason behind it all was the Felineko's twisted request: he wanted me to take the life of someone I loved dearly… my own sister, Abigail…”

Malt and Kyle exchanged shocked glances, their eyes widening as Ash's unexpected statement hung in the air.

KYLE: “Okay, that makes a lot more sense…”

MALT: “Really? Your sister? Honestly, if someone told me to kill my sister, I'd have probably done the same thing. I suppose I don't blame you.”

ASH: “And I'm glad I didn't go through with it. I would've felt terrible having to kill my sister.”

Abigail approaches Ash from the corner.

ABIGAIL: “And thanks to his hesitation, I'm still here!”

ASH: “Damn right you are. But, there were some drawbacks to defying Leon, that I was about to learn of very quickly…”

FLASHBACK 2 - 3 Weeks before the Present Day

After six years of faithful service, Ash had finally earned a special mission from Leon. When he realized who his intended target was, however, he instinctively stepped in front of his spirited younger sister, Abigail, to protect her. In the background, Leon stood tense and frustrated, clearly concerned about the unfolding situation.

LEON: “What’s with the hesitation, Ash? I thought you knew how to dispose of a Caninu.”

Young ASH: “I-I do… but with all due respect, I can’t just kill my baby sister!”

LEON: “Please, those Caninu you slaughtered in Dale had families too. How is this any different?”

Young ASH: “It’s just…” sigh “You wouldn’t understand…”

Leon chuckles.

LEON: "I understand completely. You’re afraid—there’s no denying it. Your bond with your sister is incredibly strong, and the thought of losing that connection is understandably overwhelming. Still, I should have recognized that expecting you to finish the job was asking too much. At least now it’s evident where your limits lie... you foolish mutt."

With a sudden burst of energy, Leon slams Ash to the ground, the impact echoing through the room with a resounding thud. Dazed, Ash glances upward, his heart racing as he finds Leon looming over him, a formidable presence casting a long shadow.

LEON: “I oughta kill you right here. But frankly, you aren’t even worth the satisfaction… so I’ll instead leave you with something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”

Leon unsheathes a sword from a scabbard behind his back. He holds it in his hands and swings at Ash, watching Ash writhe and squeal in pain as he hacks off his left forearm. Ash looks at Leon in tears as he lies in a pool of blood.

ASH: “Leon… what the hell?! Why did you do that?”

LEON: “Because a mutt like you needs to learn his place! I am your superior, and I am not to be toyed with. Now, quit your whining and put some bandages on. You’re staining the carpet.”

Leon walks away, leaving Ash on the floor in front of his concerned younger sister. Leon reunites with Axel and Seraphin, confused.

SERAPHIN: “Hey, what’s going on in there?”

AXEL: “Where’s Ash?”

LEON: “I assure you, everything is fine. Ash is inside, alive and well… mostly, anyway. He was simply given a lesson… one that I’m sure he’ll never forget.”

Leon walks away.

PRESENT DAY - Airship Interior above Pharaoh

ASH: “And that’s how I got… this.” motions to prosthetic arm “Built it myself using the only good arm I had left. It wasn’t easy, but it’s functional.”

KYLE: “Jesus, dude… that’s brutal. He cut your arm off because you refused to kill your sister? What an asshole!”

ASH: “You’re tellin’ me…”

MALT: “Well, whenever we meet him again, we’ll make him pay for the things he did to you!”

ASH: “I appreciate the sentiment, Malt, but the grudge I have with Leon is something I will have to settle. Besides, there’s not much a moosheep herder can really do against someone who can vaporize a tank with the snap of a finger.”

MALT: “Ah… you do have a point there…”

The airship descends onto Pharaoh, and Axel and Seraphin greet the crew as they arrive at the port.

ASH: “Well, in any case, we’re here now, and it looks like we got here before Leon did. I’ll go talk to them and see what our plan is gonna be moving forward, meanwhile you lot stay behind in case they get aggressive.”

MALT: “But Ash, I-”

ASH: “Listen, I understand you all really wanna help, but for your safety, it’d be best if you all just stayed behind. I can handle it. I know them better than anyone else here.”

Ash exits the airship to see Axel and Seraphin with serious looks on their faces.

SERAPHIN: “Hey, Ash. Glad you could make it.”

AXEL: “About time you got here. I was getting sick of waiting.”

ASH: “So, any run-ins with… you know who?”

Seraphin and Axel look at each other with grim expressions before looking back at Ash.

SERAPHIN: “Right… about that.”

AXEL: “We bumped into him immediately after getting here. He didn’t look very happy when he saw us, though…”

ASH: “Oh, shit… what happened?”

SERAPHIN: “I know we’re supposed to be buddies and all, so I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but…”

AXEL: sighs “We need your sister.”

End of Episode 9

Chapter 10: Episode 10

At the airship port in Pharaoh…

Ash is still trying to process the shock of Axel’s demand. He sits silently for a moment before speaking to the pair about his sister, Abigail.

ASH: “What do you mean? What the hell do you want with my sister?”

AXEL: “Well, for your information, Ash, it’s not us who want her. It’s Leon.”

Ash’s heart drops as he realizes the situation.

ASH: “No… hell no! I’m not gonna let you kill my sister! The hell is wrong with you?!”

AXEL: “Look, it’s not like we want to do this. But Leon gave us a choice. He’ll let us walk free with our lives on the condition that we give him Abby.”

Ash’s shock turns into anger as he prepares to fight Axel.

ASH: “You selfish prick! I can’t believe you would rather kill my sister to save your ass instead of just facing Leon directly and taking the bullet for her!”

AXEL: “Well, I value my life a little more than I value your sister’s. Call me selfish all you want, but I’m not dying today.”

ASH: “But you think my sister should?”

Axel scowls at Ash, bearing his teeth and balling up his fists.

AXEL: “Well, Leon’s not gonna let everyone walk free! Someone has to die! And I’d rather it not be me!”

ASH: “Oh, you son of a bitch!”

Ash proceeds to jab Axel directly in the nose. Axel wipes the blood from his face and retaliates by punching Ash in the cheek, initiating an all-out brawl between the two, while Seraphin watches.

SERAPHIN: “Guys… is now really the right time to be fighting?”

AXEL and ASH: “Can it, Seraphin!”

SERAPHIN: “Oh… okay…”

Seraphin walks back slowly as he sadly watches Axel and Ash continue fighting. Eventually, they break free, and both appear to have been beaten badly.

AXEL: “You know what, I’ve had enough of this nonsense. If you’re not gonna grab Abby, then I’ll do it myself.”

ASH: “No you won’t, asshole!”

Ash delivers a swift jab to Axel’s abdomen, causing Axel to collapse to his hands and knees. Ash grabs him by the collar of his shirt and prepares to punch him again.

AXEL: “Dammit, Ash! You’re really not making this easy, are you?”

ASH: “I’d rather die than hand my sister over to some genocidal maniac!”

AXEL: sighs “If you insist.”

As Ash and Axel find themselves locked in an intense standoff, a figure emerges from the shadows. Leon strides forward with an air of confidence, his slow applause echoing ominously as he draws nearer.

LEON: “Well, it seems my plan has worked rather flawlessly.” chuckles “You see, Ash? I told you they’re too loyal to me to change. All I had to do was spin a little narrative and give them a simple mission, and they flocked to it like moths to a flame! You can’t win, Ash. I know these hooligans better than you do. And why wouldn’t I? I raised them from nothing. I gave them… a purpose.”

ASH: “Ugh… Damn you, Leon! I can’t believe you’d pull this shit! Pitting my friends against me, and for what? The satisfaction of killing me and my sister? The hell is wrong with you?”

Leon looks at Ash and chuckles. With a heavy heart, Ash gazes at Axel, who’s worn and battered from their scuffle.

ASH: “I hope you’re happy, Leon. I just had to beat up what I thought was a trusted friend to save my sister from you! You’ve just broken our trust with one another and probably ruined whatever chance I had of strengthening my friendship with the two people that I was the closest to. So, I wonder. Was all this trouble and fighting between us worth it?”

Leon erupts into a hearty cackle, his laughter ringing out like a joyful chorus as he revels in Ash’s misfortune.

LEON: “Oh, Ash… you fool. Of course it was worth it. Because I know there are few things in this world you hold dear: your family, and your friends. And I knew that it would pain you to lose either, so I figured that in order to defeat you, I have to break you first. And judging by the state Axel is in, I’d say I’m making excellent progress on that front!”

Leon continues laughing as Malt and the rest of the group exit the airship. Leon notices them walk towards Ash.

MALT: “Ash! What’s going on out here?!”

LEON: “Ah, if it isn’t the hero of Gasco himself, Malt Marzipan! Things are getting interesting. Oh, I wonder, what ever happened to that big tank of yours? I presume you had a bit of trouble turning it on?”

MALT: “Yes, we did. But how did you know that?”

LEON: "It's quite simple, actually. Years ago, we learned about your adventures aboard the Taranis, and I thought it would be great if we could access it for ourselves. However, since the tank wouldn't let us enter, my associates and I decided to force our way inside. Once we were in, we reached the power core housed within and stole it. The power core was too powerful for any one of us to handle alone, so we split it into two halves—one went to Axel and the other to me. In short, the weapons on our arms are powered by the Taranis' batteries!"

Malt is shocked by Leon’s explanation.

MALT: “Wait, so you’re the one that killed the Taranis! You took its power supply to make yourselves stronger!”

LEON: "Yes, taking the core came with its own set of drawbacks. There was a woman who kept speaking to me through my weapon, which was quite annoying. Axel had a similar experience, although he also dealt with splitting headaches. However, I've since learned how to tune her out and ignore her pointless chatter."

MALT (aside): “Wait a minute… he must be talking about Jeanne! Whenever they split the power core, she must’ve split into her separate selves. He must have gotten the radio lady, which means Axel got the girl of light…”

LEON: “But anyway, enough of the chit-chat. Let’s see how you handle being beaten by your own weapon!”

Leon starts charging his arm weapon, creating a small orb of light in his palm. Malt watches this and, in a panic, shuts his eyes and starts to pray.

LEON: “Pray all you want. Once my attack is fully charged, it’ll wipe you all out!” laughs

Malt begins to pray harder, and while Leon continues to charge his beam, his arm weapon suddenly begins to short out as the orb of light disappears. Leon looks at his arm in confusion.

LEON: “Gah… what the hell? What’s going on? Why is it-”

Leon is interrupted by a painful sensation as the arm weapon begins to burn his arm. Leon howls in pain while he falls to his knees.

LEON: “Agh! Fuck! Why is this hurting so much? It worked so well before!” turns to Malt “You!” grabs Malt by his jacket “I command you to stop this nonsense at once! I won’t hesitate to beat you to a bloody pulp, you dingy mutt!”

Leon howls in pain as the burning sensation intensifies.

LEON: “Damn you!”

Axel and Ash look at each other, then back to Leon as he howls in pain. The both of them stop fighting immediately and stand up to watch Leon.

AXEL: “What the hell is going on?”

ASH: “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Malt opens his eyes to see Leon on his knees. As he looks at Leon, the burning in his arm subsides. Still in pain, Leon snarls at Malt.

LEON: “How dare you! You’ve caused me immense pain. Do you really think your little plan would be enough to deter me? You’re only delaying the inevitable!”

MALT (aside): “Huh… I didn’t think that’d actually work. Maybe Jin’s idea could work after all…”

MALT: “Yeah, well there’s more where that came from! You forget we used to pilot the Taranis, so it responds to our energy. And if one person focusing all their energy into that little weapon of yours was enough to cause that much damage to you, then I can only imagine how unbearable the pain would be if all 13 of us did it simultaneously.”

LEON: “Please, you wouldn’t dare. Your little stunt was nothing more than a fluke. You won’t be able to pull that trick on me again!”

Axel and Ash remained perched at a distance, their eyes fixed intently on the unfolding scene before them.

ASH: “Huh, so Malt was able to channel his energy into Leon’s arm weapon and disrupt his attack.”

AXEL: “I suppose so, yeah.”

ASH: “Wait… but if Leon got hurt from that, shouldn’t you have gotten hurt as well? You know, since you have half of the Taranis core too?”

AXEL: “Now that you mention it, it is strange that I didn’t feel anything when that happened. Guess his was just faul-”

Axel is then interrupted by a splitting headache as he falls back onto his knees. He begins writhing in pain as his ears start ringing.

AXEL: “Agh… make it stop! Ahh, it hurts!”

As Axel cries out in pain, he hears the girl of light speak to him.

GIRL OF LIGHT: “Axel…”

AXEL: “Wha- who are you?! How do you know my name? Where are you?”

GIRL OF LIGHT: “I am Jeanne… or at least one-half of her. I am speaking to you through telepathy, directly through the device worn on your arm. Listen… you have been shown what Malt and his friends are capable of, so I implore you to do the right thing. Help them. You must… kill Leon…”

AXEL: “Now, hold on! You can’t just waltz in here unannounced and just tell me to kill my boss, I barely know you! How do I know I can trust you?”

GIRL OF LIGHT: “You must… if you don’t, everyone will die…”

AXEL: “Shit… I can’t say no to that…”

GIRL OF LIGHT: “Now, go. Fulfill your duty.”

In an instant, the girl of light fades away as Axel returns to his normal state. Axel stands up and looks at Ash, who appears confused by the entire ordeal.

ASH: “Uh… what the hell was that?”

AXEL: “Oh, that? That was the ghost girl… speaking to me. She said I had to help Malt and his group kill Leon.”

ASH: “Why are you so nonchalant about this? What, are we just gonna ignore the fact you were literally doubled down in pain a few seconds ago?”

AXEL: “Eh, it’s been going on for a while. Ever since we stole the core, as a matter of fact.”

ASH: “You know what, I’m not even gonna bother questioning it…”

AXEL: “Honestly, it’s better if you didn’t.”

Leon lets go of Malt and stands up. He holds his arm as the pain he endured still lingers.

LEON: “It seems I underestimated you punks. I must retreat for now, but this isn’t over! Mark my words, you’ll be dead by tomorrow, Malt Marzipan!”

Leon makes a break for it, and Malt follows close behind him. Leon grabs an apple from a nearby cart and tosses it at Malt’s face, temporarily stunning him as he slips into a nearby alley.

MALT: “Agh! He got away!”

ASH: “Don’t worry, he isn’t gonna go far. We’ll find him again, and we’ll get the jump on him before he has time to hatch a plan.”

MALT: “Yeah, and then we can finish this. Once and for all!”

End of Episode 10

Chapter 11: Episode 11

Inside the city of Pharaoh…

After a brief scuffle with Leon, Malt and the others come together to hatch a plan to take down Leon for good.

MALT: “Alright, so according to what Leon said before he left, I was gonna be ‘dead by tomorrow’, which only gives us a day to figure out a plan.”

ASH: “Well, we just need to make the most of the time we have.”

Vanilla walks up to Malt as he and Ash try to think of a plan.

VANILLA: “Hey, uh… Malt?”

MALT: “Yeah?”

VANILLA: “I know you probably don’t have the time for this right now, but… do you think it would be out of the question to talk for a moment… in private?”

MALT: “Uh… mind telling me what for?”

VANILLA: “It’s… personal.”

Malt furrows his brow, puzzled by Vanilla's stubborn silence. She stands with her arms crossed, her gaze shifted away from him, a quiet challenge in her posture as she waits for him to make the next move. Ash speaks up and tells Malt to go ahead with the private talk.

ASH: “Go ahead, I’ll take care of the planning.”

MALT (concerned): “You sure? I think it would be better if-”

ASH: “Malt, it’s fine. We have a whole day to prepare. I’ll handle this, you go talk to Vanilla.”

MALT: “Okay…”

Malt walks away from Ash with Vanilla following close behind him. They get to an unoccupied road area and stop to talk.

MALT: “Alright, what exactly did you wanna talk about, now that we’re… alone?”

VANILLA: “Well… I’ve been thinking. Socks and Wappa seem to get along so well together, and I was wondering if maybe, once all this is over, we could perhaps go out for a trip ourselves? Just the two of us.”

MALT: “What, you mean, like a date?”

VANILLA (flustered): “Wha- No! Just a… friendly excursion between the two of us! Nothing else…”

VANILLA (aside): “Of course… if he wanted to go on a date, that’d be fine too…”

A faint pink hue spread across Vanilla's cheeks as she noticed Malt standing there, a look of bewilderment etched on his face. Meanwhile, Axel, still bruised and battered, approaches Ash and speaks to him.

AXEL: “Hey.”

ASH: “Hey, Axel.”

AXEL: “I just wanna say… I’m sorry for trying to kill your sister, it’s just…”

ASH: “I know. Leon didn’t give you much of a choice, and threatened to kill you if you didn’t deliver. I’ve heard that before.”

AXEL: “Oh, right… he said the same thing to you, hasn’t he?”

ASH: “Damn right. That kinda mentality is what cost me my arm. And as much as I would hate to see you get killed, you gotta understand that I have an obligation to my parents to take care of my little sister for them. She’s the only family I’ve got left. And you bet your ass I’m gonna protect her with my life.”

AXEL: “I understand. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad, it’s just… when faced with that kinda pressure, a guy like me tends to act out, and do some… irrational things.”

ASH: “Don’t sweat it. I forgive you.”

AXEL: “Really?”

ASH: “Yes, really. Now, get yourself cleaned up. Tomorrow, we got a tiger to hunt.”

Just as Ash and Axel wrap up their lively conversation, Malt and Vanilla are deeply discussing their own, laughter and animated gestures bubbling up in the background.

MALT: “Well, I suppose if it’s just a friendly little road trip, I’d be down to doing it. I could use a break after all this is over…”

VANILLA: “Excellent! It’s a deal, then!”

MALT: “I suppose it is.”

VANILLA: “Well, anyway… let’s just go back to the others.”

MALT: “Uh… okay. Sure.”

VANILLA (aside): “He doesn’t fully understand my feelings for him, it seems… but that’s okay. He’ll realize in time.”

MALT (aside): “I don’t understand what all that was… but it’s nice to make a good friend like her happy.”

Malt and Vanilla walk back over to the group. Ash is leaning against a wall while the rest of the group talks.

ASH: “Oh, hey! Welcome back, you two!”

MALT: “Hey, Ash. I-”

Malt's gaze instantly locks on Axel, who stands out vividly among the crowd.

MALT: “Hold on. Why is he here?”

ASH: “Oh, him? Yeah, he’s with us now.”

MALT: “But didn’t he try to kill your sister?”

ASH: “Only because Leon threatened him to. I figured Axel wouldn’t willingly do something like that. Axel cares too much about me and Abby.”

MALT: “It just kinda sucks that he and Seraphin are nothing but Leon’s puppets…”

ASH: “Well, it’s not like they really had much choice. Leon essentially gave them a life worth living. Had it not been for him, Axel and Seraphin would still be in jail.”

Malt’s eyes widened in disbelief as Ash's words hit him like a thunderclap.

MALT: “Wait… what? These guys are felons?”

AXEL: “Yeah… but trust me, it’s not as bad as it sounds on paper.”

MALT: “Mind elaborating?”

ASH: “Gladly. The thing is, Axel and Serpahin were not always bad guys. To some, they still aren’t. But their story begins shortly before the Gasco-Berman war, in what used to be the vibrant city of Paresia…”

MALT (aside): “Wait… Axel and Seraphin are Paresian? Interesting…”

ASH: Axel and Serpahin were respectable young boys, excelling in nearly every field they pursued. That is until one particular family moved into the estate down the road and introduced them to their troublesome son, Kyle Bavarois.”

MALT: “Wait, these guys knew Kyle?”

ASH: “Well, it was more like Kyle knew them. But one thing was clear: the moment he showed up, everything went south for them.”

MALT: “How so?”

ASH: “Well, Kyle became somewhat of a local celebrity within Axel and Seraphin’s neighborhood, becoming so popular due to his dad’s business that he even managed to form a posse of yes-men who followed him around everywhere he went. Axel and Seraphin got pushed aside in favor of the ‘new kid on the block’, who thought he was hot shit just because his dad bought him designer clothes. Over time, they became so attention-starved that they turned to a life of crime to get some of that fame back. Everything came to a head though, whenever Kyle moved to the country.”

MALT: “Oh, I remember this part! He moved to Petit Mona because his dad’s business failed.”

ASH: “Yep. In doing so, all of his so-called friends abandoned him on the spot, and he went from being a top dog to being the dirt beneath people’s shoes. After being reduced to the attention-seeking beggar that Axel and Serpahin had become, his family moved out to the country to live a simpler life, while the others stayed in Paresia and openly mocked Kyle whenever they had a chance. Axel and Seraphin, of course, wanting to fit in again, participated in ridiculing him.”

MALT: “Oh… that’s terrible!”

ASH: “Yep. And then the war happened, and I’m sure you know the rest of the story by now.”

MALT: “It’s heartbreaking to think about what happened to Paresia… The homes that once stood proud, the art that filled the streets with beauty—now all vanished, lost to time forever.”

ASH: "Yes, Axel and Seraphin even lost their families during the war. They refused to leave Paresia and ultimately became just a memory buried beneath the rubble. As some of the few survivors, Axel and Seraphin fled to Pharaoh, where they continued to commit crimes until they were apprehended by a member of the Gasco Army and sent to jail."

MALT: “And I’m guessing this is where Leon comes in?”

ASH: “Yep. After sitting in a cell for about a week, a tiger Felineko strolled in to bond them out and take them under his wing. That Felineko, of course, was none other than Leon Frost, leader of what would become the Order of the Lion.”

MALT: “And that brings us to now.”

ASH: “Exactly.”

MALT: “Man… I had no idea that Axel and Seraphin’s story was so tragic…”

ASH: “Yes, well, perhaps now my sharing of it will allow you to see them with a different perspective...”

As Malt and Ash exchanged lively banter, laughter floated through the air, drawing the attention of Kyle, who strolled over with a curious smile.

KYLE: “Hey, you two figure out what we’re doing yet?”

ASH: “We’re still working on it.”

KYLE: “I don't want to ruin the mood, but we should come up with a plan soon. It would be better to act before Leon does.”

ASH: “Stay calm; we’ll sort this out. I assure you.”

KYLE: “If you say so…”

As Malt and Ash continue making up a plan, Malt has an idea.

MALT: “I remember Jin saying that we can use our combined energy to take down Leon, just like we did with the Vanargand a few years ago. And if what happened earlier was any indication, it may be possible to overload his weapon doing the same thing!”

ASH: “You know, that just might work.”

MALT: “The thing is, we need to trap Leon into a secluded area that he won’t be able to escape from before we’re able to execute our plan, which is gonna need a diversion.”

ASH: “Right.”

MALT: “And even if we did manage to corner him, we’d need everyone’s help for this to work… speaking of which, where are Socks and Wappa? Weren’t they just here?”

Malt leaves to look for Socks and Wappa. He sees them in a nearby alleyway. As Malt approaches, he notices Wappa wrapping her arms around Socks and kissing him on the cheek. Socks catches sight of Malt striding toward him, and a wave of fluster washes over him. His heart races as the realization of Malt's presence sinks in, leaving him feeling both excited and apprehensive.

SOCKS: “Oh… uh… Malt! Wasn’t expecting you to be here…”

Wappa looks at Malt with a cheeky grin.

WAPPA: “Oh, hey Malt. About time you got here. Was starting to get bored with all your yapping with the cyborg over there.”

MALT: sighs "I should have known you would run off to do your own thing. But next time, if you plan to go somewhere, please let one of us know before you disappear. You know how hard it is to find you when we can’t see you."

WAPPA: “Well, that’s only ‘cause I’m great at hiding!” chuckles “Mudi doesn’t call me the Hide n’ Seek Queen for nothin’!”

MALT: “Well, anyway, we have a solid plan that we believe can work. We’ll need your help if we want to pull it off.”

WAPPA: “Alright, fine. As long as I get to stay near Socks, I don’t care where you put me.”

MALT: “Alright… well, anyway. This is how it’s gonna go. Ash and his friends are gonna act as a distraction. Then, once they have Leon’s attention, they’re gonna lure him into a corner that he can’t escape from. And that’s where we come in.”

WAPPA: “Wait… with Leon having that giant weapon on his arm, he’s basically unstoppable! What do you expect us to do?”

MALT: “I’m getting to that. We’ll swoop in and channel our energy into his weapon until it becomes overloaded and destroys itself.”

WAPPA: “Sounds good!”

MALT: “However, it’s going to require everyone to focus. If anyone—yourself included—falter for even a second, the whole plan could fall apart. Everything depends on our ability to succeed. If we fail, Leon will not give us a second chance. Do you understand?”

Wappa takes in the gravity of the situation, realizing how important the task at hand is.

WAPPA: “Understood… I won’t let you down!”

MALT: “Let’s hope not. Gasco is counting on us. Now, let’s regroup with the others.”

WAPPA: “Alright! Sorry Socks, guess our make-out session will have to wait.”

Malt, Wappa, and Socks walk back to the group. Ash greets them as they return.

ASH: “Oh, hey. You’re back.”

MALT: “Yep. And I found our little runaway lovebirds, too.”

ASH: “Great. We have everybody here now. I assume you explained the situation to them?”

MALT: “I did, yeah.”

ASH: “Excellent, because if we’re gonna go through with this, there will be no room for error.”

Ash looks to the horizon as the sun begins to set.

ASH: “Alright, the sun has begun to set. It’ll be nighttime soon, so I suggest we find some shelter to get some shuteye in. And tomorrow, we’ll finish this.”

End of Episode 11

Chapter 12: Episode 12

Inside the city of Pharaoh…

After finding some shelter, Ash, Malt, and the others wake up bright and early. Nervousness hung over their heads as the time had finally come to rid Gasco of the menace that was Leon Frost.

ASH: “Alright, everyone. The day has come.”

MALT: “It sure has.”

ASH: “To be honest with you all, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous about this whole ordeal. I can’t imagine how you guys must feel…”

MALT: “Believe me, we’re just as nervous as you are, if not more…”

ASH: sighs “Well, it’s do or die now. No turning back.”

The rest of the group nod their heads in silence, still nervous about the plan as the gravity of the situation sets in. Ash tries to reassure the group to ease their tensions.

ASH: “Guys, look. Y’all have nothing to fear. If everything goes according to plan, and it will because I have faith in you guys, no one will die. Everything will be alright. We got this!”

The rest of the group look at each other and instill themselves with newfound confidence as they listen to Ash’s words.

MALT: “You heard him! We can do this! Beating him can’t be that much harder than the Vanargand, right?”

The group responds to Malt with a resounding “Yeah!”

WAPPA: “I ain’t scared of ‘im! Leon’s nothing but a big meanie!”

KYLE: “It’s about time we knocked that asshole down a peg!”

HACK: “He needs to be punished for all the destruction he caused to our home!”

The group continues to get riled up, replacing their initial nervousness with a vibrant display of confidence and anger.

MALT: “Alright! In that case, let’s do this!”

Another “Yeah!” is heard from the group as they all shout in unison.

ASH: “Wow, I guess what the villagers of Petit Mona say are true. You really are a natural-born leader.”

MALT: “What can I say? I got it from my parents.”

Ash chuckles as the group gets ready to head out.

ASH: “Alright, let’s do a quick head count to make sure everyone is here.”

Ash counts every member of the group and sees everyone present, including him, Axel, Abigail, and Seraphin.

ASH: “Looks like we’re all here. Now, let’s go get Leon!”

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Pharaoh…

Leon roams the streets, agitated at what transpired earlier.

LEON: “I can’t believe I allowed myself to be duped by such a foolish trick!”

Leon roars in anger as he punches a nearby wall.

LEON: “No matter. The time has come to wipe that smirk off of his face! I’ll murder every last one of them! Even that traitor Ash!”

Leon lets out a maniacal laugh as he rounds the corner. As he does so, he sees Malt and the others far away.

LEON: “Speak of the devil. Perhaps I could visit them… and eliminate them before they can get a chance to assemble themselves!”

Within Malt’s group on the other side of the street…

Axel notices a faint outline in the distance as the group finishes assembling. As it approaches further, he realizes that the outline is Leon approaching them.

AXEL: “Uh… guys? Leon’s on his way here.” points towards Leon

ASH: “Wait, what?” looks where Axel is pointing “Oh, shit…”

MALT: “Alright, guys! Leon’s coming! Ready yourselves!”

The group prepares for a fight as Leon gets closer.

ASH: “You guys stand back. Axel, Seraphin, you’re with me.”

AXEL and SERAPHIN: “Okay!”

Ash, Axel, and Seraphin move towards Leon as they meet each other in the middle.

LEON: “Ah, hello again.”

ASH (sarcastic): “Hello… Leon.”

LEON: “I certainly hope you three aren’t planning on stalling me. I wish to make this encounter quick.”

SERAPHIN: “What? Stall you? We would never! What gave you that idea?”

LEON: chuckles “Ah, I see. Apologies for the assumption. Well, if you aren’t here to stop me, then I’ll be on my way. I’m afraid I don’t have time for small talk.”

As Leon tries to walk through, Ash, Axel, and Seraphin block him and prevent him from moving.

LEON: “It appears you’re in my way…”

ASH: “Sorry, Leon. I’m afraid I can’t let you near Malt and his friends.”

LEON: “Why not? I’m not going to hurt him.”

ASH: “Bullshit. I know what your intentions are with him, and I’m not gonna let you near them.”

LEON: “Very well. Perhaps I shall divert your attention then to something… more important.”

Leon points his arm weapon over Ash’s shoulder and directly at Abigail.

LEON: “Lucky for me, I made sure to charge some energy beforehand, so unleashing my attack won’t take as long this time. I dare Malt or any of his friends to stop me this time.”

Ash looks in horror as he sees where Leon is aiming.

ASH: “Leon, you son of a bitch! Don’t you dare!”

LEON: laughs “It’s time for you to make a choice Ash: do you choose your sister, or your friends?” continues laughing

As Ash is confronted with a difficult choice, he looks to Axel and Seraphin.

ASH: “Dammit… dammit! Alright, change of plans. Keep Leon at bay, I gotta go save my sister… again. Don’t let him get any closer to Malt!”

AXEL and SERAPHIN: “Aye aye!”

Ash breaks from the group and runs toward his sister, Abby. He shields her from the potential danger as Leon slowly lowers his arm.

LEON: chuckles “Works like a charm. Foolish mutt… now, to deal with you two!”

Leon knocks Axel and Seraphin to the ground with a swift push, and he continues to walk towards Malt. Ash sees this and begins to panic.

ASH (aside): “Shit! Malt… you better do something! Leon’s gaining on you!”

MALT: “Oh no! Leon’s getting closer! Alright everyone, get ready! Focus all of your energy onto Leon’s arm!”

MALT (aside): “Let’s just hope this works…”

Just like before, Malt begins to pray as he gathers his energy. However, his praying does not affect Leon as he continues to get closer.

MALT: “It’s not working… why isn’t it working?”

LEON: laughs “You fool! I told you I wasn’t going to fall for that cheap trick again! After being humiliated, I simply decided to raise my pain tolerance, so your praying does not affect me this time!”

MALT: “Fine then, if one person isn’t enough, then we’ll just throw all thirteen of us at you!”

LEON: “Do your worst.”

As other people in the group begin to gather their energy into Leon’s weapon, Leon charges his attack, and within seconds, it becomes fully charged.

LEON: “Well, would you look at that. All that praying sort of helped me. With all that energy you gathered, it only took a few seconds to charge my attack!” laughs

MALT: “No… all that work… all it did was just make him stronger!”

KYLE: “Dammit! We’re all gonna die!”

MALT: “I guess this is the end for us…”

Leon fires his weapon at the group, engulfing every last one of them in a beam of light.

MALT: “I’m sorry… I’ve failed you all… Gasco is done for…”

Malt and his friends then disappear as the laser beam disintegrates them. Ash is forced to watch as they are reduced to nothing by Leon, who is laughing at his suffering. As Leon revels in the moment, everything fades to white.

Inside the Deep Depths…

Malt wakes back up in the same void that he was in the last time Leon killed him. Although he doesn’t remember much of what happened, this place feels oddly familiar to him.

MALT: “What the… why am I here? Did I really… die?”

MAESTRO: “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Yet another unfortunate turn in the story, brought about by such a formidable foe. ‘Tis sad, indeed.”

MALT: “Oh, it’s you again.”

MAESTRO: “I suppose that little ‘plan’ of yours didn’t quite work out, did it?”

MALT: “I figured it was gonna work, we were gonna overload his weapon, and it would destroy itself… but all we did was make him stronger!”

MAESTRO: “You were right in your assumption. While it's essential for everyone to contribute to the plan for it to succeed, it seems you might be overlooking something important. If I may offer a piece of advice, it appears that a few key players have missed their opportunity to take action... it was as if they’ve forgotten how to act, like they were nothing more than anxious beginners stumbling over their lines and missing cues upon a stage of millions.”

MALT: “What’re you trying to say? That there was someone that wasn’t pulling their weight? Who is it?”

MAESTRO: “I assure you, this person is not among your group of friends that you have bonded with on the now decommissioned tank, no, it was… Ash.”

MALT: “Wait… Ash? But he was protecting his sister, how could he have-”

MAESTRO: “While I do commend his eagerness to protect his family, he abandoned the crew when they needed him most. Perhaps there is a way for him to save both of you at the same time…”

MALT: “That’d be nice. But how exactly would I be able to help in that?”

MAESTRO: “That is for you to figure out… I am only here to guide you to a better ending. In order to achieve it, you must pursue it of your own volition.”

MALT (sarcastic): “Oh, wow… so much for that.”

MAESTRO: “Anywho… it’s time for you to reset the stage. Perhaps your performance this time will be better.”

MALT: “Okay…”

Everything fades to white as Malt is transported back to the streets of Pharaoh, shortly before Leon unleashes his laser blast.

LEON: chuckles “Works like a charm. Foolish mutt… now, to deal with you two!”

Like last time, Leon knocks Axel and Seraphin to the ground with a swift push, and he continues to walk towards Malt. Ash panics.

ASH (aside): “Shit! Malt… you better do something! Leon’s gaining on you!”

MALT: “Ash! Help us out here!”

ASH: “Alright!”

Right before Leon gets a chance to charge his weapon, Ash lunges at him and tackles him to the ground. Ash then unleashes a few punches to the face as the group watches.

ASH: “Take that, asshole!”

Leon, now visibly hurt, pushes Ash off of him as he walks backward. Axel and Seraphin manage to stand back up as they join Ash.

Leon, now visibly hurt, pushes Ash off of him as he walks backward. Axel and Seraphin manage to stand back up as they join Ash.

Leon charges his weapon and he points it towards Ash. Ash winces as he awaits his fate. However, Seraphin sees this and swats it at the last second, causing the beam to go off course as it fires and hits Ash’s prosthetic, vaporizing it entirely. The blast then knocks off a piece of a building far away before it dissipates.

LEON: “Gah! Damn you all to hell you meddling fools! How dare you interfere me during my moment of triumph! All that energy I had stored has just gone to waste!”

Ash slowly opens his eyes, as he realizes he is not only alive but mostly unscathed.

ASH: “How the hell…”

SERAPHIN: “You’re welcome.”

ASH: “Gee, thanks Seraphin.”

Ash goes to give Seraphin a high five, but as he does so, Ash finds it difficult to meet Seraphin’s hand.

ASH: “Wait… what the hell? Why can’t I move my left arm?”

Ash looks down in horror as he notices his prosthetic is gone, as the only visible part of his left arm is the stub that Leon left when he initially lost it.

ASH: “Wha… my prosthetic, i-it’s totally gone! What the hell happened to it?”

Ash begins flailing his nub as he panics about his missing prosthetic.

SERAPHIN: “Oh, boy… it seems I wasn’t able to save all of you from the blast… when I knocked it off course, it seemed to have locked onto your prosthetic, and… destroyed it.”

Ash is horrified by Seraphin’s words, as he realizes his handmade prosthetic had been reduced to atoms, leaving him without a left arm.

ASH: “No… no! My…left arm, it’s… completely gone now…”

SERAPHIN: “I’m really sorry, Ash…”

ASH: “How am I supposed to hug Abby now? I only have one arm!”

SERAPHIN: “Look on the bright side, at least you’re alive!”

ASH: “I guess so, but what the hell am I supposed to do with only one arm?”

AXEL: “You can figure that out later. Right now, we got bigger problems on our hands… er, I mean, hand… eh, you know what I mean.”

Leon gets back up, wiping his face clean of his blood as he laughs.

LEON: “Aw, what’s the matter Ash? Do you need a hand?” laughs

AXEL: “You can fuck right off, Leon! You’ve caused enough trouble as is. It’s time we finish this, right guys?”

The group all shouts “Yeah!” in unison.

LEON: “Please, I’ve already found a workaround to your little cheap trick from yesterday. But even then, you’ll have to catch me first!”

Leon takes off down the street and he runs away.

AXEL: “Wha- Hey! Get back here you coward! We’re not finished with you yet!”

Axel begins running towards him. Seraphin comforts Ash as the rest of the group follows Axel. After a few minutes of running, Leon takes a detour down a road and frantically enters an abandoned chapel. Axel and the rest of the group run in after him. As they all come to a stop, everyone tries to catch their breath as they surround Leon.

LEON: “Well, it seems that you have me cornered…”

AXEL: “Guess you have nowhere to run. Just give up!”

Leon chuckles as he turns to face the group.

LEON: “Not yet. I still have one last trick up my sleeve. See, while I was leading you on this whole chase, I was charging my energy up the entire time! All I need to do now is wait a few more seconds, and I’ll have enough energy stored up to destroy this entire chapel with you all in it!” laughs

AXEL: “Dammit!” looks to the rest of the group “Guess it’s now or never. Give ‘em all you got!”

MALT: “Gladly.”

As Leon charges his arm weapon, the rest of the group prays fervently while Axel waits anxiously, hoping this plan will succeed.

AXEL: “Come on… work! You guys got this!”

As Leon continues to charge his weapon, it suddenly begins to jitter as it glows brighter than normal. Axel notices his arm weapon glow brighter as well, right before he receives another splitting headache. As the glowing continues, Axel’s headache gets worse as he screams in pain.

AXEL: “Agh! Not again…!”

GIRL OF LIGHT: “That’s it… just a little more energy. Leon’s weapon is overenergized and will reach critical energy levels at any moment. I suggest you escape before it’s too late. Staying here could kill you all when the weapon releases its energy.”

AXEL: “Wait… but what about me? I can’t… even stand!”

GIRL OF LIGHT: “Don’t worry… the headache shall diminish shortly. But, just know… it was nice knowing you, Axel… thank you, for following my advice… you truly are… a he…ro…”

AXEL: “Thanks, I guess… ugh…!”

The girl of light then disappears for the last time, as the weapon immediately stops glowing. It then detaches from his arm, falling to the floor of the chapel as Axel’s head immediately stops hurting. Meanwhile, Leon’s weapon continues to glow brighter, as it begins to break apart from the energy being received.

LEON: “What? No! Ugh… I thought I had everything according to plan… don’t you dare fail me now!”

AXEL: “Serves you right, asshole!” looks to the rest of the group “Alright, we’ve done it, guys. Now, let’s get out of here before the blast happens.”

The group immediately stops praying and files out of the chapel. As they do so, Leon roars at them.

LEON: “Axel! How dare you turn your back on me! Have you forgotten what I’ve given you? You were a low-life delinquent before you met me! You’d still be rotting away in that prison cell if it hadn’t been for me!”

AXEL: “That may be true, but with all due respect, it’s time I live my own free life… away from you. Goodbye, Leon…”

LEON: “DAMN YOU!!!”

Axel emerged from the chapel, taking only a few steps into the open air when suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from within. A brilliant flash of blue light engulfed the chapel, and in an instant, it collapsed in on itself, reduced to mere rubble. As the dust settled, a chilling silence filled the air, and Leon was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was his arm weapon, partially buried amid the debris. It glimmered softly, faintly illuminated by the remnants of the Taranis’ core, its blue glow a haunting reminder of what had just transpired.

AXEL: “Well… I guess it’s finally over.”

MALT: “Yeah… I’m just glad everyone’s okay.”

Seraphin walks up to the group, carrying Ash on his shoulder. He immediately notices the pile of debris in front of the group that used to be a chapel.

SERAPHIN: “Hey everyone… what happened here?”

AXEL: “Uh… we won. That’s what happened.”

SERAPHIN (shocked): “Wait, you mean… Leon is…”

AXEL: “Dead? Yep. Overloaded his weapon with a buncha energy and he kinda… exploded. I don’t think he’s gonna be bouncing back from that any time soon.”

SERAPHIN: “Yeah, I can’t imagine anyone coming back from that… but in any case, he’s gone now. We can finally live in peace. Right, Ash?”

ASH: “That’s great… but you guys forget, I’m still missing an arm!”

SERAPHIN: “Oh… right. We might need to make you a new one.”

AXEL: “Well, I suppose that’s the next thing on the agenda, then!”

SERAPHIN: “I suppose so.”

The group then talks among themself as they walk away from the ruined chapel, carrying both Leon’s and Axel’s arm weapons as they celebrate another victory and another era of peace for the nation of Gasco.

End of Episode 12

Chapter 13: Epilogue

In the village of Petit Mona…

A month has passed since Leon faced the crew in Pharaoh and was defeated. After their victory, the group went their separate ways to pursue their individual interests. One day, Malt decided to invite everyone to Petit Mona so they could regroup and catch up.

MALT: “Glad you guys could all make it! How is everyone doing?”

ASH: “I’m doing good, recently got a new prosthetic made. Check it out!”

Ash extends his prosthetic out to show Malt and even flexes with it like it’s an actual arm.

ASH: “It looks sick as hell, and it’s even infused with Nono crystals, so I can do this!”

Ash then closes his eyes for a second and gathers energy into his prosthetic. After a few seconds, a small orb of light forms in his palm.

MALT: “Woah!”

ASH: “Pretty cool, right?”

MALT: “Yeah! Looks great!”

As Ash and Malt talk about Ash’s new prosthetic, Socks shows up carrying Wappa.

SOCKS: “Hey, guys.”

MALT: “Oh… hey Socks. It seems you and Wappa are getting along great.”

SOCKS: “You could say that, yeah.”

WAPPA: “Socks promised he would marry me after we won against that Leon guy, and I held him to that promise! What I wasn’t expecting was him putting a ring on more than just my finger…”

MALT: “What do you mean by that, Wappa?”

WAPPA: “Look.”

Wappa leans over to Malt to show him the nose piercing she has on her nose.

MALT: “Oh, you got a piercing!”

WAPPA: “You bet I did! And that’s not the only one, either!”

Wappa then opens her mouth to reveal a tongue piercing the same color as her nose ring.

MALT: “Wow… didn’t that hurt?”

WAPPA: “Eh, not really. But I really enjoy them, and they’re golden too! Socks really knows how to treat me, isn’t that right, Socks?”

SOCKS: “You bet! Now, uh… can I put you down now? You’re… kinda starting to hurt my back…”

WAPPA: “Oh, alright. You can put me down now.”

SOCKS: breathes a sigh of relief “Thank you…”

Socks sets Wappa down gently on the grass.

MALT: “Anyway, it’s good that you two are doing well. By the way, where are Axel and Seraphin?”

As if on cue, Axel and Seraphin stroll up to the group wearing stylish cloaks.

AXEL: “Sorry we’re late guys, our professor’s lecture ran a little longer than usual.”

SERAPHIN: “We’re here now. Hope we didn’t miss anything.”

MALT: “Oh, hey! What’s with the fancy clothing?”

AXEL: “Oh, this? This is a cloak from the magic school in Mau.”

MALT: “Magic school?”

AXEL: “Yep! After Leon died, Seraphin and I were wondering what we were gonna do with our new lives. And what better place for a Felineko than one that specializes in magic? So, we decided we were gonna learn magic. We’re a month into our studies, and we’re already green-ranks in the Light class.”

MALT: “Awesome! Well, I’m glad you guys found something productive to do, other than, you know… committing crimes.”

AXEL: “Please, that life is behind me now. It’s time a carve a new path for myself, and that path starts with learning how to cast magic!”

MALT: “Well, at least you’re improving yourselves.”

AXEL: “Yeah!”

As Axel and Malt continue talking, Ash grabs Abigail and breaks away from the group.

ASH: “So, Abby. How do you like my new arm?”

ABIGAIL: “It’s kinda nice. But more importantly, I’m glad you’re still here.”

ASH: “Of course. You’re my li’l sis, and I promised to protect you. Don’t expect me to leave you alone any time soon.”

ABIGAIL: chuckles “Of course not.”

Ash then realizes he still has the note inside his hat.

ASH: “Ah, shoot. I almost forgot… hold on. Be right back.”

Ash takes the note out of his hat and walks over to Malt.

ASH: “Hey, Malt!”

MALT: “Yeah?”

ASH: hands note to Malt “This is for you. Read it when you get the chance, alright? It would mean a lot to me if you did.”

MALT: “Okay… may I ask what this is for?”

ASH: “You’ll find out when you read it. But anyway, I’m heading back to Dale with Abby. I’ll catch you later, alright?”

MALT: “Sure… see ya.”

Ash then walks back over to Abigail and they walk away from the group. Malt, curious as to what the note says, decides to give it a read.

MALT: “Alright, let’s see what we have here…”

The note reads as follows:

“Dear Malt,

I hope this letter finds you well. As you are no doubt aware, your feats aboard the Taranis are nothing short of admirable. Ever since I lost my parents, I sought to be like you, a natural and confident leader who acts in the best interest of the people he cares about. To put it simply, you’re my hero. Even though we probably will never meet in person, just know that your story has inspired many people like me to strive to do right within their community. And you’ve taught me that even though no one’s perfect, even the worst of people are worthy of redemption.

Signed,

Ash Mascarpone”

MALT (aside): “Well… that’s rather heartwarming. I’m glad that my adventure was enough to inspire people to follow in my footsteps. I guess that’s why everyone considers me Gasco’s ‘hero’. Maybe there’ll be more people like Ash, who are willing to become heroes in their own way… but for now, it’s time to finally relax.”

MALT: “Hey, Vanilla. Did you still wanna go on that ‘friendly excursion’ with me?”

VANILLA: “Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that for weeks!”

MALT: “Alright then, let’s go.”

VANILLA: “Sure thing! I’ll grab my stuff.”

As Vanilla grabs her belongings, Malt again thanks everyone for coming before waving goodbye to them and heading towards the airship port. Vanilla joins them, and they board an airship together, heading off to whatever destination they please. Malt takes this time to finally rest his weary head, being able to live carefree once again.

The End

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Fuga: Melodies of Steel - Aftermath Series