A few hours later, Melody was outside brushing a happy Aroo.
"Melody, do you want the last honey nut biscuit?" Pappy appeared on the window sill while holding a plate with the biscuit on it.
"Sure. Thanks, Pappy." Melody picked up the biscuit and split it between her and Aroo.
"Roo!" Aroo mooed happily and nuzzled Melody.
"You're welcome, Aroo. I love you too."
Pappy smiled happily and returned back inside. Melody went back to brush Aroo some more when she heard a loud crash and scream from the front. Melody instantly ran to the front to see the dust settling, her front gate destroyed, and Maple over Bell casting healing magic on her.
"Bell! Maple!" Melody rushed over to them and took a defensive position in front of them.
"She'll be okay. Bell didn't get hit hard. I am just healing in case it is something worse." Maple informed her.
Melody nodded and turned toward the broken gate, seeing a familiar giant with a wicked grin. The old boiling feeling returned. A chill reverberated through her body. Her rage began to rise at who she saw.
He was all grown up, a full adult, but Melody could easily recognize him.
"Nice place. Mine now. You mine too." The giant said.
Melody felt a fury building in her chest, her muscles tensing, a primal power building.
"Olg." A deep growl rumbled from her lips.
This bastard?! In our home?! Hurting my friends! My family! Melody's face began to contort into anger. OUR HOME!? OUR WARMTH?! Melody felt her blood burning hot.
Olg went to take a single step inside the compound but was launched backward by a mighty fist smashing into his face, "AHHHHHH!" Melody screamed. Blood gushed from his nose, and several teeth flew about.
"I'll be damned..." Melody seemed to be struggling to keep her sanity, "if I let you or your ilk desecrate my home." Melody spoke, rage building in her voice.
The two giants with Olg looked back and forth between them, now unsure whether they made the biggest mistake of their soon-to-be short lives.
"You tormented me back then, but here," Melody's wild eyes bored into Olg, "only the laws of nature apply. Here... it's survival of the fittest. To me... a pathetic, loathsome being like you..." Melody's hair swayed with unseen power, the red aura flashing in and out, "IS NOTHING MORE THAN PREY!" Melody roared, magic rushing to the nearby trees.
The trees swung about and crushed one of the crony giants into a bloody mess.
"AH! BAD GIANT!" The other crony took off running, followed by Olg.
"No." Her rage continued to build to a titanic level. "I will not allow you to escape. Not when you know where our home is!" Grabbing her hatchet and Okan's bow, she charged out into the wilderness after them.
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Olg and the crony giant ran through the forest southward.
"Stupid Nameless! Why bring here?! That bad giant! Stupid stupid Nameless!" The other giant cried in a panic, wanting nothing more than to get away from the crimsoned haired female.
Why she strong?! Girl weak! Not Strong! Meldy use magic! Magic strong! Why Meldy strong?!
An endless loop of the same thoughts ran through Olg's head until he noticed the other giant had disappeared. He stopped and turned to see a green arrow take off the giant's head.
This bad! This Meldy turf! Me stupid! Need run!
He turned to run, but two green arrows pierced his knees, blowing off his legs. He fell to the ground screaming. Melody appeared and stalked toward him.
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Melody approached Olg with her bow at the ready. She saw Olg was terrified of her, which brought a cruel smile to her face.
Yes, fear me, you abusive bastard. You, you… Why am I happy about this? I am not like this? I am not like them. I am not cruel… But he deserves this… THEY DESERVE THIS! Melody's emotions were rampaging within her, causing her great confusion. The red aura continued to pulse around her body.
"You will die for what you did to me. Leading my mother to her death!" Melody snarled.
Olg got confused. "What you mean? Alui live." He whined.
Melody stiffened. "What?"
"Alui live! Y-y-you want Alui?! I help you get! Please! I no want die!" Olg cried.
Mom is alive? She's alive?! She had to continue suffering?! WHY WAS I LIED TO?! Melody's confusion amplified, her mind spiraling into the chaotic abyss raging within. Okan's bow fell from her hand.
They cause so much suffering… Rul. Rul is the source… Kill… Destroy… The rage within her reached its peak and exploded.
SLAUGHTER RUL!
Melody's eyes lit up with a red glow, and the red aura raged about her body.
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"GRAAAH!" She unleashed a mighty roar, shaking the air about her. All of the plants and the very ground seemed to become enraged like her.
"Please-!" Was the last word out of Olg's mouth before Melody pounced on him, beating him to death with her bare hands.
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Maple flew through the air as fast as she could to find her friend. She could feel something was wrong. The plants and trees around her were either scared or angry. Something dangerous was perverting nature.
"RAAAH!" Maple heard a feminine cry and a crashing sound.
"Melody? Melody!" She zipped off in the direction of the cry.
The closer Maple got, she could hear Melody grunting and yelling in rage. Dust was floating through the air.
The trees are scared? What happened? Melody!
Her friend came into sight. "Mel-!..." Maple stopped, seeing her beloved friend surrounded in a red aura, acting like a raging demon, beating what was left of a giant into a bloody mess.
"Melody! What is that aura? Melody!" Her friend did not respond.
With one last powerful, crushing blow, Melody stood and roared in anger, not even registering Maple's presence. Melody took off, running to the south, hatchet in hand.
"She can't hear me… Fairy Gate!" Maple activated the emergency teleport that would take her to the Fairy Ring in Gaia's grove.
Gaia was speaking with some brownies and spriggans when Maple flew into her in a panic.
"Oh, dear. Are you alright, Ma-?"
"Mother Gaia! Melody! You need to help her! Something is wrong!" Maple was pulling Gaia's arm.
"Lead the way. Explain as we go. You four, come with me. The rest stay and protect the grove!" Gaia issued her order and headed toward the Fairy Ring.
Maple quickly explained what had happened.
"A red aura? Consumed by rage? Oh no. She has been afflicted with Wrath. We need to stop her before it is too late!" Gaia activated the Fairy Ring to get Melody's home so that they could pursue her.
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Two large giants stood outside the clan cave entrance.
"Me not understand. Why both us here?" The heavier one complained.
"Stupid. Nameless take giants. Rul not give word. Rul say kill Nameless. Punish others." The taller one huffed in annoyance.
"Oh. Me know now." A loud crash came from the forest in the distance, "Hmm? What noise?"
They saw a bloodied female giant in fur armor, shrouded in a red aura, wielding a stone hatchet, burst through the forest edge.
“GRAAAAH!” She roared, seeming to get even angrier at the sight of them.
The heavy giant seemed unfazed. "Ooo. Girl pretty. Make mine!"
"No stupid! Girl strange. Look bad!" Fear toiled in the taller one's stomach.
"Hmph. You coward. Girl weak. You watch!" The heavy giant turned only to be blasted in the chest, where a thrown stone hatchet buried itself.
"Ow." The giant fell over dead.
"Ah! Bad giant!" Before the other giant could flee inside, the raging giant was upon him.
She raised her fist above and brought it down upon his head. A sickening crunch sounded as his neck deformed, and he also fell over dead. The raging giant reached down and wrenched the hatchet out of the deceased giant's chest. With a war cry, the raging giant charged into the darkness.
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Melody charged down the main path.
Kill.
A giant came out of a side tunnel, Melody broke his knees with a single kick. She grabbed his head and twisted, breaking it.
Crush.
Two giants charged at Melody. Using Dig, one fell into a pit and was buried alive. Melody rushed forward, bounced off the walls to gain height, and crushed the giant's skull in with the hilt of her hatchet.
Destroy.
A few smaller giants came charging at her. She buried her hatchet in the neck of one. The other two got a couple of hits on her, but not only did the strikes not phase her, but they also built even more fury. Melody kicked one between his legs, raising him a few feet off the ground. The other, she grabbed his swinging arm and hyperextended it at the elbow, then crushed his face into the wall. Before continuing, Melody stomped the unconscious giant's head into the ground.
Rul... Giants... Mother... Kill... Kill... KILL!!! KILL!!!
Melody roared and activated Stampede, pulverizing anyone who got in her way, leaving nothing but death and destruction in her wake.
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"Rul! Rul! Need help! Bad giant! Killing other giants!" A panicked giant stumbled into the cave.
Rul stirred from his pile of hides. "Hmm? Fine. Rul take care of." Rul stood and picked up his club.
After a few minutes, they arrived at the main cavern, where its floor was littered with brutally killed giants.
"What?! Alui?! Wait. You no Alui… Meldy." Rul recognized Melody.
Melody turned from her latest kill. "GRAAH! KILL RUL!"
Rul smirked. "Good. Rul need replace Al-."
Before he could finish, Melody was already to him, hatchet raised. Rul grabbed the giant next to him, pulling the unfortunate giant into the path of death. Melody swung down, burying the hatchet halfway into the giant's skull before the handle finally snapped.
Rul swung his club at her head, but she jumped to pounce on him so she could beat him to death, leading the club to hit her in the ribs. Melody fell back, yelling out in anger.
What? She no cry in pain? Meldy sound more anger! What happening? Rul strongest! Not Meldy! Rul gritted his teeth, believing himself to be the strongest giant.
Melody got up and ran at him. He raised his club to strike, but she burst forward, cracking the stone floor which each powerful step, slamming her shoulder into his chest. Rul could feel his bones shattering under the attack. He flew backward, slamming into the cave wall with a crunch.
Ugh. Rul feel no pain? Rul not hurt. Ngh. Rul can no move…? A pointed stone that was on the wall severed Rul's spine. He was defenseless, and Melody stomped toward him.
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Melody watched as the source of her rage crumpled to the ground. She reached down and picked up Rul's dropped club.
Kill Rul. Kill Rul! KILL RUL! Stepping forward, something latched onto her face shouting something.
GAH! Get away! KILL RUL! The voice was being drowned out by the sound of her beating heart.
"Mel… Must calm… friend… Maple!" The tiny voice cried.
Maple? Something disturbed the torrent of anger in her.
"Melody please… danger… Skill… mother Gaia…." The voice was just a bit clearer.
Melody? She barely remembered her own name. Mother Gaia? The rage within her shook.
"Ma…ple?" Melody struggled to say.
"Melody! Yes! It's Maple! Your friend! You need to stop and calm down! You are using a deadly skill called Wrath!" Melody could now see her little friend's face.
"Melody?" Elder came in. Elder looked about and saw the havoc that Melody had wrought.
The old woman looked back at Melody and could see her mind and emotions were conflicted and became very concerned over the young giant's condition. Elder quickly moved up and hugged Melody.
Warm… Melody's blood began to cool, her heart returning back to normal, thoughts clearing, the extreme strength leaving her body and bringing her to her knees.
"Elder... Why, why did you lie to me? My mom." Melody stared up at the old woman, tears in her eyes.
Elder got a pained look on her face.
"I sorry Melody. I should not have given Alui my word. I should have told Melody truth." Elder's shoulders began to shake, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"My mother made you promise? Why?!" Melody demanded to know.
"She want you to be free. She not want Melody's hands bloodied. She scared that you die. Alui love Melody so much." The look on Elder's face was pained, tears coming from her eyes.
"Where's my mother?" Melody asked.
"I sorry Melody. I should not tell her of you. She get so happy she defy Rul. Rul… He, he take Alui life." Elder fell to her knees.
Melody summoned what strength she had and moved as quickly as she could to the one place Alui would have been taken, the one place she hated.
A few minutes later, she arrived at the clan 'fun pit,' where she found her mother.
She dropped to her knees before her mother. "A, a, Ah! AHHHHHHHHH!" Melody cried out in sorrow, her wails echoing through the cave.