Fallen Stars

Mystery Twenty-One

Pathway To Hell!!

**Enma vs Vince Location**

Enma: (Huh?)

Enma starts to grow a second tendril and grows bigger.

Enma: (So, he evolved. Just what we needed.)

Enma is seen with a scar on the right side of their face. Enma charges up another fireball and shoots it at Vince! Vince comes through swinging its trunk!!

Vince: (Stop running!)

**Back To Vega**

Vega lets out a loud yell!!

Vega: AAAAAAHHH!!!

Vega sends out an eruption of red and orange flames!!!

Vega: It’s over. Did you think I would lose today of all days??

Ogma: What’s today-

Vega knocks away Ogma’s sword from in front of him, cutting Ogma laterally!! A surprise comes to Ogma!!

Ogma: Ow! What the hell!?

Vega runs around Ogma cutting him three times, with a red flame going around his blade! Cutting Ogma in the front and the back!!

Vega: **Kokujou Jigoku**

AN* Kokujou Jigoku, meaning the Hell of Black Rope.

The red flames wrap around Ogma, just as though ropes are keeping him tied up! The rope flames keep him frozen in place!!

Ogma: *struggles* What the hell?!

Vega: **Hell’s Punishment**

[Something happened in this exact instant. Almost as if a “path” opened up. Vega sees himself free falling into an empty world, resembling M’s place. Spotting an orange flame in front of him, cupping the flame, and putting his hands underneath it. A pattern of dots is seen behind him, with the first one already being lit. Then, the red fire spreads to the next dot and ignites. Lighting up a new orange color.]

Vega does a major cut covered in orange flames, cutting Ogma down! Slicing across his chest!!

Ogma: AHHH! These cuts went through?!

Ogma looks at Vega and sees his red eyes glaring directly at him. Ogma is covered in complete fear!!

Ogma: (He’s a demon!!)

Vega loudly yells out, with anger in his voice, as if the rage has consumed him, standing there with his left eye growing even redder.

Vega: IGNITE!!!

An orange blaze erupts from Ogma’s cuts on his back and chest! Bursting into the sky!! Ogma falls over face-first! A conflagration happens in the air, lighting up the area brightly!

**At Draco’s Location**

Draco: Orange Flames? Vega!?

Draco notices the snow stops falling.

Draco: It stopped snowing… He reverted the weather. Wait, is that what it could be short for… *shakes head* Nevermind that.

Apocalypse: (I’m right behind you.)

Draco (excited): (Apocalypse??! We can speak, finally!)

Apocalypse: (Draco!!)

**Snow Fountain: Courant d'Eau.**

Wrath: Orange Flames? Vega!?

Zeus: (I’m with you.)

Wrath (excited): Zeus!!! Thanks for the help with that bear.

Zeus: (We’re a team. I’ll be there for you.)

Wrath: Great!!

They both take off running, with their animals following, to where the orange flames spawned from.

Draco: Don’t die on me, Vega…

**At The Ski Lift**

(Vega’s Location)

Vega panting from the fire and slashes. He holds up his right hand, looking at the fire.

Vega: Orange flames?

Vega looks over to Ogma. He’s laid out. Even unconscious the fire still burns.

Vega: *Huff* Is... he dead…

Vega, losing his sight, falls over in the snow.

**Enma vs Vince Location**

Vince falls over. Throwing a lot of snow in the air.

Enma: (Whew. So Vega finished it. Let me go get him.)

Enma takes off running. 5 minutes later… Enma and the group all make it to where Vega is. They see Ogma and Vega lying in the snow face first.

**At The Ski Lift**

Draco with a concerned expression.

Draco: Vega!

Wrath with an untroubled look.

Wrath: Did they kill each other?

Draco runs over to get Vega.

Draco: No, he’s still breathing. Help me.

Wrath picked up Vega and put him on Draco’s back.

Draco: Make sure that guy is dead, Wrath. I’m taking Vega back to the Ski Village.

Wrath: Aight.

Draco takes off dashing back to the village.

Draco: C’mon, Enma, and Apocalypse.

Apocalypse and Enma: (Right!)

Apocalypse: (Wait. We can talk now!?)

Enma: (Sup, Apocalypse. Let’s talk more at the village.)

Apocalypse: (Yeah, of course.)

Draco looks up while running.

Draco: (It stopped snowing…)

The sky has no snow falling, normal but still cloudy.

Draco (smiles): Happy birthday, Vega.

Draco and crew continue running back to the village while Wrath is standing over Ogma with Zeus.

Wrath: Is he already dead?

He looks over then gets closer and sees he’s still breathing.

Wrath: Let me finish this.

Zeus: (Wait.)

Wrath: What?

Zeus: (We can use him. For things later on. A brute like this on our team would be great.)

Wrath (interested): Hmmmm, use him….

Zeus: (Deep down I know you want to do this. I know, 'cause I’m a reflection of you.)

Wrath: Hmmm. We can use other people, but never our friends. Ok, Zeus?

Wrath has a harsh atmosphere around him.

Zeus: (Of course, we’re a team with them.)

Ogma mumbled under his breath.

Ogma: Grrrr…..

Wrath squats down.

Wrath: Remember “Wrath” saved you. Don’t mess with my friends again, or I’ll have to kill you myself. Find me in the future, peace.

Wrath raises his foot slamming it on Ogma’s head and knocking him out.

Wrath: Yahahaha. Now, to Vega.

Zeus: (Mhm.)

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Zeus and Wrath run to the Ski Village…

**Meanwhile...

At The Ski Village**

Draco: We’re here. I’m not going through the front, they might be raising hell.

Draco makes sure Vega is on tight and jumps to the penthouse. Apocalypse flies up with Enma on its back. Landing in the room and it’s wide open.

Draco: I did a blast in here, huh? We need another room.

Draco grabs their bags and goes into the hallway, walking down it to the other room.

Draco: This has to be a Penthouse too.

Draco kicks the door open.

Draco: Yo!

It’s quiet.

Draco: Guess it’s empty. C’mon right here, Vega.

Draco takes Vega to the room and lets him rest.

Draco: Keep him warm, Enma.

Enma nods to him.

Draco walks to the front room and turns on the Tv.

Draco: Wrath will probably find us. Time to relax….

**At The Ski Village Entrance**

Wrath: Did they go through the front?

Zeus: (Maybe.)

Wrath walks into the Ski Village, and at the front desk, he sees blood everywhere.

Wrath: What the hell...

He looks to the hallway and a kid is lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Wrath raised an eyebrow.

Wrath: Jeez. What happened here?

Wrath walks over to the elevator and sees a poster….

Wrath: What is this?

He takes the poster and gets into the elevator to the top floor.

Zeus: (This elevator can hold a lot, huh.)

Wrath: That big guy didn’t ambush us from the window, and I doubt he walked up all those stairs.

Wrath touches the elevator.

Wrath: Seems like a reinforced elevator, to hold a lot of weight, no matter what.

Making it up the floors, Wrath checks out the room they were in. Opening the door up.

Wrath: Wrath damn! Who made this big ass hole?!

Wrath searches through the Penthouse.

Wrath: Where are they?

Zeus: (A different room maybe?)

Wrath: But to change rooms you have to pay. Did Draco kill the people downstairs because he didn’t want to pay? And he was talking about me.

Wrath has a scowling face, then walks out of the room.

Wrath: Let’s find them. Knowing him, he would probably want another Penthouse room.

Wrath walks to the end of the hallway, kicking the door open.

Wrath: Draco!

Draco jumps up…!!

Draco: What the…. Wrath. I thought you were another one of them.

Wrath walks over to the couch.

Wrath: Did you kill the front desk lady?

Draco (confused): No... Why?

Wrath: Well, someone killed her and her son.

Draco: It was probably that madman.

Wrath: Ah ok, besides that look at this poster.

Draco: *grabs the poster* WHAT??

[A Whole Day Passes.]

Vega finally wakes up.

Vega: Ahhh man. My head hurts.

Vega looks around.

Vega: Where am I?

Enma seeps in.

Enma: (You’re awake. Finally.)

Vega: Enma? You grew even bigger. With a second spike now too.

Vega sees Enma’s scar. Vega has a saddened face.

Vega: (Aaah…)

Enma licks the side of Vega’s face.

Enma: (Cheer up. I told you. You have to upgrade yourself in order for me to be at my strongest.)

Vega: So that refers to my fire changing… Growing brighter and stronger...

Draco runs in, with Wrath walking in behind him.

Draco: Vega!

Vega lit his hand on fire. Staring into the fire.

Vega: Live by the sword… die by the fire.

Wrath: Whoa, put that out. It’s hot as hell in this room.

Vega: My flames changed to orange. And it's so much hotter. *cuts off fire*

Draco: Hmm. I wonder if all of our powers will change like that.

Vega: I remember Caffua saying, “Stars are constantly evolving.” This is what he was talking about. I get it now.

Wrath: So we all will get stronger by our powers changing colors? But what about people with powers unlike us? What was the power of the guy you fought against, Draco?

Draco (joking): Haha. He didn’t have to use the bathroom.

Wrath: Yahaha.

Vega (annoyed): What?! That’s who you fought? While I was fighting a speed-blitzing Mammoth?

Draco (in awe): He had a mammoth?! That is so cool!

Apocalypse: (Cooler than a dragon?)

Draco: (Of course not, Ap. You’re such a jealous type.)

Apocalypse: (I am your reflection.)

Vega: So I’m assuming everyone can talk to their animals now?

Wrath and Draco: Yep!

Vega: Good.

Wrath: Zeus and I have been talking up a storm since you’ve been asleep. I never knew I just needed someone exactly like me.

Vega: So you’ve been talking to yourself this whole time. I knew you should’ve fought the crazy one.

Wrath: Shut up.

Draco: Oh yeah, Vega looks at this poster.

Draco hands it over and Vega looks at it.

Vega: Is this a Mini Map of the area?

Draco: Yeah, it says a competition is going on in Triton too. Remember, the Most Advanced Country?

Vega: Yeah, I do.

Draco: So all we have to do is go through Stephano, and we’re at Triton. But look at the back of it.

Vega turns it over…

**Umbriel Ski Villa**

First-Time Guests Are Free of Charge.

Switching Rooms You Have To Pay.

10K Sols Per Night.

Vega: What the…

Draco: Yep. We could’ve stayed here, free of charge, and probably not have fought those dudes. If only Wrath didn’t do that playing thing at the front desk.

Wrath: You went along with it!

Draco: Cause you pressured me into it!

As they both nudge each other, Vega laughs it off.

Vega: It’s fine. This made me laugh.

Wrath: Really? We thought you would be the madest.

Vega: Without fighting those guys we wouldn’t have learned more about our power, plus you can speak to your animals now.

Vega gets up out of bed.

Vega: Let’s head out of this city.

Draco: You’re ready to move? Already?

Vega: We have a title to win you. We can’t waste any time.

Draco: And you slept through your whole birthday.

Vega: It's whatever. I don’t need to have any celebrations or anything.

Draco: Well, I said it while you were sleeping, but I can repeat it. Happy belated birthday, Vega.

Vega looks at him, like the annoyance on his face goes away.

Vega (reassured): Thanks, Draco.

Wrath cuts in, not to be forgotten.

Wrath: We didn’t do anything for my birthday either!

Draco stretching.

Draco: Your birthday was during our training, we couldn't do anything.

Wrath: I’m going to have a celebration soon.

Draco: Ok. Alright, let’s move!

They all gather their things and get down the elevator walking out of the Ski Village.

Draco: Geez, that guy went wild in the front.

Vega: Yeah, his name was Ogma. He was always yelling during our fight. (So annoying.)

Wrath: Did y’all notice there was no one else in the village? Like those three kept this place for themselves.

Draco: It was pretty empty for such a prominent place.

Walking through the city, no snow falling. A group of people comes out of their houses crowding around the gang.

Damon (happy): Thank you!

Elena (elated): This city has been terrorized by them for a long time!

Draco: Who, those three?

Elena: Yes. Dabih and his group.

Wrath: Is that why every house has boarded-up windows?

Damon: Showing our lights on to them is a signal to enter. So we had just to block off every way they could see inside.

Draco: Damn.

Tonx: Plus, when it gets really cold, it goes right through the windows, so boarding them up is good!

Vega: …. (Random fact.)

Elena: His grandmother still doesn’t believe Ogma is crazy too.

Vega: Huh?

Elena: Look, she’s over on that porch.

The gang looks at the house at the end, while his grandmother yells out.

Kurutta (infuriated): My baby isn’t crazy! You’re the crazy ones!

Damon whispers to them.

Damon: You just have to learn to ignore her.

Elena: Calm down, Ms. Kurutta.

Kurutta (still angry): Oh, I’m the crazy one! I’ve been here for over 80 years and it never stopped snowing. Those three did it! They ruined this city!

Vega: (It hasn’t stopped snowing here in 80 years?)

Vega looked up at the sky.

Vega: (This was me...)

Vega has a devilish closed-mouth smirk.

Draco: Anyway, we’re going. We have somewhere to be.

Enchanted by the three, Damon asks them to stay.

Damon: You don’t want to stay? We have to celebrate our heroes!!

Draco ticked off! Looking completely pissed off!!

Draco (pissed): Heroes??!

Vega interjects.

Vega: Nah, we have to be going, we're trying to get to Triton.

Elena: Oh no. So you three are going through Stephano?

Vega: Yeah, we have to.

Elena: That city is covered in darkness… I don’t think you should go.

Draco (intrigued): (Darkness?)

Wrath: Don’t worry. We have light. We’ll be fine.

The gang starts walking.

Damon and Elena (elated): Thanks again!

Wrath waved back to them. Vega and Draco keep their hands in their pockets. And they start leaving the city.

Kurutta: I’m telling you it was them! I’m telling you!

Damon: Someone get her to relax.

Elena: Let’s go inside, Ms. Kurutta.

Kurutta (mad): Don’t you dare touch me!

Ms. Kurutta stabs Elena with a spork!! As the gang walks out of the city. Vega remembers something.

Vega: Ah! I’ll be right back!

Draco and Wrath: Alright.

Vega runs back into the city as they wait.

Wrath: I wonder what he forgot.

Draco: We’ll see when he gets back.

**Vega Inside The City**

Vega: Where was it again?

Vega looked around. Then notices it.

Vega: There.

Vega runs into a store.

**Jax’s Clothing Store**

Fred: Welcome! How can I help you?!

Fred is loud, with a cheerful smile.

Vega: Tone down on the yelling. I’m just looking for a mask.

Fred: Excuse me, well the only ones we have are some half-masks. Look right here.

Walking up to the desk, Vega goes through some and sees an all-black half-mask.

Vega: I’ll take this. How much?

Fred: Let me ring you up. Bag or no bag?

Vega: I’m going to wear it right now.

Fred: Oh, ok.

Fred hands over the mask to Vega.

Fred: Those go for about 3,000 Sols. That’s your total.

Vega puts the mask on. Covering half of his face. Then he lights his hand on fire.

Vega: I’ll just be taking this…..

Fred freaking out.

Fred: Yeah, go ahead!

Vega walked out of the store.

Fred: (I need to open up my own store! That won’t happen there!)

Vega ran back to Draco and Wrath.

Vega: (My first real sword fight, and I got a scar. I’m still too damn weak.)

Vega made it to them. Sliding when he gets there.

Vega: ...

Draco: That’s what you forgot? A mask?

Vega pulls down his mask showing his scar. As they start walking.

Vega: I received a scar from that fight. I remember Ogma saying, “Scars are a swordsman’s greatest shame.” I just want to cover it up.

Draco: Ok. I see what you mean.

Wrath: Are you really going to listen to a crazy person?

Vega (putting mask back up): You’re right, Wrath. I shouldn’t listen to you.

Wrath: I knew you would say that. Don’t make me give you another scar, Yahaha.

Vega: Oh, you want to test that?

Wrath (getting loud): I’m right here!

Draco (steps between them): Relax…. We’re supposed to be beating everyone else’s ass.

Wrath looked up into the sky.

Wrath (smiles): But... I won’t be getting a scar. Promise.

Vega and Draco looked at him with a look of faith in him, believing him. Then the Snow Fountain goes off! Shooting snow into the sky!

Wrath: Whoa. And he said he would beat me before it went off again. Yahaha.

Draco, laughing, at the story Wrath, told him. Five minutes go by.

Draco: I wonder how far Stephano is.

Wrath: We could be walking for days. We need a car.

Draco: I remember you brought this up before. That city didn’t have any cars on the road. They must’ve walked to every place, in a blizzard…

Vega: I helped them out some then.

Draco: That’s another thing.

Draco holds up his hand and starts generating a mini orange-red sun.

Draco: My color should change too… stars come in different colors.

Wrath: Yeah, I’m starting with blue electricity. What will be my next color?

As Draco and Wrath continue to ponder on their powers. Vega is to the side just looking over his orange flames.

Vega: (What will be my next one too.)

As they think and walk. They walk into a giant forest.

Vega: From a snowy city to a forest? Do we have to go through here to get to Stephano?

Wrath: That’s what the map said.

Vega: I guess we gotta give it the doubt of benefit.

Wrath and Draco: The what?

Draco facepalms, Wrath is feeling so confused.

Wrath: Are you still that bad at phrases?

Vega: I’m sure I said it right.

Draco: The benefit of the doubt*.

Vega thought for a second.

Vega: That doesn’t sound right.

As the gang gets out of the snow city. A giant forest comes up. The trees are so tall, that the treetops block out the sun—all about 20 meters reaching into the sky.

Wrath: It’s gotten so dark. These trees block everything.

Draco: The map said this forest was called the “Colossal Woodpecker Forest”. *snaps and realizes* Almost forgot. I have to write down Umbriel City, and might as well write down the forest too.

Draco writes in his journal.

Vega: You’re writing everything down?

Draco: At least every city we go through. I’m not trying to forget them.

After writing everything down, they go through the forest. Their animals are now using their partners' powers. Apocalypse, Enma, and Zeus charging up... Shooting everywhere!

Apocalypse: (We can use them now!)

Zeus: (Yeah!!)

Enma: (...)

Draco: Look at this.

Draco concentrates, then turns into a star. He moves in a straight line and then stops.

Draco: Whew. On K you can turn into your abilities!

Wrath and Vega both try it out, concentrating and turning it into their abilities, going through the motions.

[Two Days Later…]

Suddenly, noises go off around them, branches snapping and leaves ruffling.

Vega pauses for a second.

Vega: Wait. Did you hear that?

Five people approach them coming in close. Jumping towards them from the trees.

Draco: Heads up!

Vega readies his sword. Wrath gets ready. Someone yells out to them!!

???: DRACO!!!!! Imagine seeing you here!

Draco: Huh? That voice…!! *looking in the distance* No... Hamal?!

Draco’s eyes light up! With anger in his voice!

Draco: HAMAL!!!

Vega and Wrath (at a loss): Hamal?

After jumping down from the trees, Hamal and his group are right in front of Draco and his group. Draco takes out his sword!! Face covered in rage!!

Draco (enraged): I’m going to kill you!

Hamal: *condescending laugh* Why are you so mad?

[The Ending of the,

Hell's Descension Arc!!

Someone New Appears!!

Who The Hell Is Hamal?!]

Mystery 21 Fin

“In a world where everyone is overexposed, the coolest thing you can do is maintain your mystery.” - Anonymous

Author Note: I wanna say Rest in Peace to one of my favorite NBA players of all time. Kobe Bean Bryant. I wrote this chapter like a day before it happened... Messed me up mentally. But I'll continue to push and go for other achievements in life! He taught me so much just by following his game and interviews. Thanks to you, Kobe! Shoutout #8 and #24! I need that crazy work ethic mentality. What did he call it...? #MambaMentality !!