In Brightest Day: The Second Front
Chapter 8: Fanning the Flames
Previous ChapterNext ChapterBack at the construction site, the Dazzlings inhaled deeply as they felt a rush of energy flow through them. Their gems crackled with energy once more as whisps of crimson mist rose from the puddle of rage and into their gems.
"Mmm~, now that feels invigorating!" Adagio sighed as she walked away from the puddle along with her sisters. "With this, we'll have more than enough strength to sing more frequently now!"
"Eh, feels kinda gross to do it from a puddle like that." Sonata said with a shiver. "I mean it looked a bit like blood.... don't either of you find that disgusting? Just a liiiittle bit?"
"Sometimes you've gotta get a little down and dirty to get the results you want," Adagio stated as she turned around placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "You've been alive long enough to know that, Sonata."
"Yeah, I know…" She sighed in response. "It's just-"
"Enough chit-chat!" Aria scoffed as she brushed past the two. "We've got more power now, so all that's left is to hypnotize one of those ring users, right?"
"Yep, the question is: who do we pick? I'd say that Crimson Dragon but… she's a bit spicy under the collar." Adagio said as she sat on one of the few benches that were still in-tact.
"What about the Green Girl?" Sonata interjected. "She seems pretty powerful. I mean, we all saw how she rag-dolled the red one..."
"That's actually the reason why we shouldn't go after her. Unlike that Dragon chick, she's actually pretty level-headed." Aria retorted casually. "If she's that powerful, then we run the risk of her turning that power on us if we fail to make her submit completely... plus there's the blue one that showed up recently..."
"Hm, this is limiting our options..." Adagio said as she fiddled with her gem.
".... well there's the Mandarian Orange Slice Psycho that came through," Sonata added, prompting both sisters to give her confused looks.
"...who?"
Sonata quickly pulled out her phone and showed her sisters a blurred photo of Diamante Elegante. "This one! A few civilians posted how this one was pretty smart when it came to fighting the Green and Red ones... but she sort went loopy after a while and started grabbing random trinkets, claiming they were her "precious treasures" or something." She explained that she flipped through a few other photos that were taken from a distance.
"Single-minded people are the easiest to twist… yeah, she's a pretty damn perfect target." Adagio said with a dark chuckle. "And besides her ring REALLY looks shiny~."
"Say what?" Aria blinked.
"Strong, I mean." Adagio corrected herself. "After all, she was able to take on three-ring users at once... now there's just the method of finding her..."
"Hm... is there anything of hers that she left behind?" Sonata asked as she kicked her feet up and down a bit. "Like.... call me a bit old fashioned but uh... why not 'sniff' her out or something?"
Adagio fiddled with her necklace a little, considering the option. "Well, we have absorbed a good amount of power to seek out negative emotions like we used to... it wouldn't hurt to snoop around the site of their last battle and see what we can find..."
"Well color me impressed, Sonata actually had a good idea for once." Aria smirked.
"HEY! I have plenty of good ideas! You guys just don't listen to them!" Sonata said with a pout. "Maybe they're better than you give them-"
"Do not push your luck," Aria said with a look.
"Yeah, fair enough, sorry," Sonata said with a chuckle.
"So it's settled," Adagio stated, getting back to the subject at hand. "Starting tomorrow we'll focus our efforts on finding the orange ring user first."
"Ugh, we're not going back to that lousy hotel are we?" Aria moaned as she got up, only to notice for eldest sister giving her a sly smirk.
"Actually, I was thinking we could treat ourselves to a more... lavish lifestyle..."
"Okay. I'm not doing this anymore. None of this "waiting until later" crap." Sunset snarled as she sat down in her bedroom and glared at her ring. "I want... FULL details on what you are... if you can understand me."
For a moment her ring did not respond, however, the symbol seemed to emit a faint glow for a few seconds.... suddenly, a bigger transparent image of the symbol appeared in front of her face.
[You wish for knowledge of this Rings origin, is that correct?]
"Well yeah! Or at least where you came from and who made you, if you can't even do that!" She snapped at it, frustrated more than anything at the moment.
Less than a second after she had said that however, a bolt of crimson lightning should out from the ring and struck her between the eyes... knocking her unconscious...
Sunset groaned as she woke up, picking herself up off the ground and massaging her temples. "Owww... what the hell-" She began, only to notice that her surroundings were completely different, she found herself standing atop a stone platform surrounded by crimson flames and magma. "...where the hell am I!?"
WELCOME TO RYUT, YOUNG RED LANTERN. MY RING HAS DETECTED A HIGH AMOUNT OF RAGE WITHIN YOU. A deep and booming voice said as the rocks, lava, and darkness began trying to create a form. THE VOICE YOU HEAR IS THAT OF YOUR LORD AND RULER ATROCITUS... THE FIRST RED LANTERN... HE WHO HAS MASTERED HIS ANGER AND RAGE.
Sunset felt a chill go down her spine as she turned around, finding herself staring up at a massive hulking figure, flames circling his body as the Red Lantern symbol shined behind him. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but draw some comparison to that of her old mentor when she truly let loose the full extent of her power...
What of our proud and sorrowful legacy do you wish to know, recruit? The figure said as the fires around him and she blazed evermore, the heat intensifying somehow.
It took Sunset a moment to find her voice as she stumbled backward, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead as she tried to calm herself. 'Out of all the ways the ring could show me its history, did it have to make it look like I've been dragged down to Tartarus to be judged!?' Taking a deep breath, Sunset tried her best to remain as composed as possible. "I want to... I want to know everything." She started firmly. "Where this ring came from... and why it chose me."
The figure smirked as it then held out both hands, Sunset looked around herself as the scene shifted to... a village that she could only describe as "futuristically tribal". 'Is... is this his home planet?' She thought to herself as she observed the red landscape.
This.... was once my beloved home. Ryut. My people knew of war and fighting. All people know of these things. But we were not as vicious as others in our sector... we were a simple people. The voice said as insectoid like figures started to appear on the surface of the planet. While vicious-looking their eyes held compassion and peace within them.
'How could a ring that utilizes the power of Rage have a beginning as... docile as this?' Sunset thought to herself... and as if reading her thoughts, the world around her begin to shift and change once more...
And then the Guardians of The Universe sent their.... accursed machines. The Manhunters... supposed protectors of Law and Order. The voice said with an utter animalistic growl about it, something that chilled Sunset to the bone. Machines with red and blue markings on them descended upon Ryut and their faces were as emotionless as a corpse, frozen on one setting, a frozen stare of apathy. These things were unneeded. Unnecessary... our children made their displeasure about them was known in mundane ways as all young ones do.... but it was that attitude that would soon doom our planet.
The scene shifted once more, and Sunset could only back away in horror as she saw the entire village alit with flames, alien families desperately trying to flee from the burning remains of their former home as the Manhunters cut down anyone who dared to oppose them.
[RESISTANCE IS USELESS. NO MAN ESCAPES THE MANHUNTERS.] One of them droned before aiming its staff at a mother and her child before blasting them and turning them into ashes. Sunset could only try and force the vomit in her throat to stay down. [DISORDER AND CHAOS SHALL BE REIGNED IN. SUPPRESSED AND CONTAINED. ONLY ORDER AND PEACE SHALL REMAIN.]
Sunset backed away, her entire body trembling as she witnessed the mass slaughter before her. Part of her couldn't help it compare it to the destruction the city had endured after the arrival of the Black Lanterns. Her only comforting thought being that no corpses were rising from the dead...
Until she saw one bundle moving… there was someone under the pile and they were still breathing! My only cold empty solace was that I had somehow survived. The voice said as a claw emerged from the pile... only for the alien looked around at the destruction around him... and seeing a female of his species and two younglings with her dead... almost ashen. But my home..... my people.... my own family.... they were all dead.... murdered by these machines. It said as the creature gave an unholy shriek of mourning and sorrow.
The scene shifted again as the lone survivor was surrounded by flames and the remains of his village faded away. Four pillars of crimson fire erupted from the ground behind him as he stood tall, the symbol of the Red Lantern appearing on his chest, and out of the four pillars stepped four aliens, each one with a body structure that raised several questions for Sunset (one of them had a giant mouth on its chest.... just... HOW!?).
I was then met by.... what you may call my first team. They recruited me as they had also lost their people to The Manhunters. Each one just itching to pay them back. The figure said as he and the others soon left, the symbol leaving him for now as he traveled the cosmos. Arming themselves with tech meaning to combat and repel The Guardians forces. Left and right she saw them destroying and crippling the robots with equal points pure rage and pure joy... not that she could blame them. With each mission, we became more and more infamous. Eventually, we were given a name. The Five Inversions for we were chaotic and lawless. Yet unlike The Guardians and their machines, we never attacked an innocent planet. Never butchered families.... but we eventually were met by a new force from them.... one I found out quickly was worth my respect.... and my contempt.
Sunset was tempted to ask who he was referring to, only for the area around her to vanish... and a very familiar symbol started to form in front of her, one she herself held in contempt:
The symbol of the Green Guardian.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
However, just before the voice could go any further she heard a knocking on the door. Almost as if it also heard the knocking the ring shut down the whole simulation and dropped Sunset back to where she was. "Wait what the... oh come on! You can't leave me like that! Talk about a crappy cliffhanger!"
"Sunset...? Dinner is ready." She heard her mother call out. "Also, Sunburst is going to drop by tonight, I was hoping maybe we could all eat together... for once..." She continued, though Sunset could easily pick up the uncertainty in her voice.
"....ugh, fine. I guess I'll come down." Sunset grumbled as she got up. "Just don't expect much conversation from me. I'm not in the mood today."
"O-okay dear... and just.... just know that I love-"
"I know mom." She started, cutting her off as she brushed past her and made her way downstairs. 'Save it for Sunburst. At least then you'll actually mean it..' She thought to herself.
She soon arrived in the dining room for the first time in ages.... and saw just how nice it all really looked. She saw the food laid out as though it was fit for a family get together. She looked at her dad who set the table and cooked some of it. "I um... I know you're a bit more vegan now than you once were but... I do hope I cooked your favorites just right." He said with a worried look on his face... as if afraid his cooking will make her leave again.
'Right, because the food is the reason I left, not being in the shadow of my own sibling and barely being noticed-' Sunset halted her train of thought and took a deep breath, calming herself while taking a brief glance at her ring to make sure it hadn't reacted. 'Just roll with it, the less drama there is, the quicker this dinner can end.'
"It's fine dad, thank you..." She stated in a neutral tone as she sat down. "So what time did Sunburst say he was going to show-"
"Right now." A familiar voice said, causing Sunset to growl on instinct. Slowly she turned around and low and behold. The REAL prodigal son had finally arrived. "Well. Surprised to see you join us for lunch. Didn't think you would actually show up what with you loving your personal brooding sessions."
Sunset tensed up as she glanced over her shoulder, less than happy to see her brother. 'This dinner is not going to go smoothly, is it?'
"NO!" Twilight shouted in his frustration as the device caught fire for the 15th time. "For the love, of-what am I missing here!?" She groaned as she quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher. She tried putting out the fire on her device as fast as possible, though thankfully the device was undamaged. Spraying wildly she heard some footsteps heading her way.... and then a knock.
"Hey, Twilight... can you PLEASE not set the house on fire this time?" She heard her brother ask.
"Wh-who said I had a fire going on?!" She stammered nervously. "Everything's fine!"
"Your hand-made smoke detector says otherwise."
Twilight chuckled nervously as she quickly opened the window, hoping to air out her lab. "It's just a minor setback! I've almost gotten the design just right, I can feel it!"
"Didn't you say that the past 14 times you've done this experiment?" Her brother asked with a heavy groan. "Seriously, it's almost time for dinner. Come on. Your food is gonna get cold."
Twilight groaned got this. "Oh come on, all I need is a few extra-"
"Did I mention we're having fried chicken tonight?"
*ZIP*
Less than a second after he'd said that a purple blur immediately darted out of the room and towards the kitchen, leaving a spinning chair and several discarded blueprints in her wake.
"Knew that would get her attention." Shining Armor chuckled as he started to head downstairs to join the others. Twilight already seated and waiting for the rest of the food. "Now all of a sudden you're hungry sis?"
Twilight blushed. "W-Well it's not like I can conduct research on an empty stomach!" She hastily defended herself, adjusting her glasses. "Besides, that was any later you probably would have chowed down on most of it..."
"Uh-huh. Sure I would."
"Oh come on Shining give me a little bit of credit!" Twilight said with an embarrassed blush. "I-I mean I know how I can get, but I have better self-control now!"
"Sis, if there are two things you've inherited from our dad, it's his OCD and his ridiculous appetite," Shining smirked as he sat down.
"I heard that young man!" They heard their father call out from the kitchen, followed by their mother's voice.
"Doesn't make it UN-true, honey!"
Twilight just blushed harder as their parents began finishing up supper. "So what kinda magic goober are you making?" Shining asked, trying to make small-talk as they waited.
Twilight rolled her eyes in annoyance. "It's not a "magic goober", Shining. It's meant to detect the energy signatures that have been popping up all over the city." She started firmly. "And if I fine-tune it properly, I'll be able to study them from a distance."
"Oooh. So it's a magic gizmo." Shining said with a smile, knowing that calling it either thing got under her skin.
"It's NOT a gizmo! It's… you're doing it again aren't you?" She asked with a glare.
Shining gave her a coy grin. "What can I say? You're just adorable when you get mad, especially with that little pouty face of yours."
Twilight crossed her arms, unamused. "Y'know Shining, sometimes you are just-"
"UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE!!" Sunset snapped as she stormed out of the dining room with a livid expression on her face.
"S-Sunset come back please!" Her mother yelped as she tried chasing after her. "Look, I know what Sunburst said hurt your feelings but please-"
"Oh for the love of-mom will you stop apologizing!?" Sunburst called out as he exited the dining room as well. "You've been letting her push you around ever since she tried running away! It's about time you put your foot down!"
"Oh yes the proud son who had everything spoon-fed to him has a TON of balls yelling that at me!" Sunset snarled as she stormed up the stairs. "You know what?! I'm going for a fucking walk! And maybe by the time I get back, I'll have a brother who isn't breathing down my neck!" Sunset said as she began getting dressed for a walk. Her mother whimpered and backed off... but not Sunburst.
"Maybe I'll stop breathing down your neck when you stop insulting our parents! You ran and never came back Sunset! You vanished for all we knew and then suddenly come back with this attitude of self-righteousness!" Sunburst snapped as Sunset slammed her door shut. "God above I regret ever taking your side when you first came back because now you've got a fucking ego the size of your school!"
Sunset clenched her fists as her ring started to spark and release a few small pulses of energy. She glared at the door, contemplating whether or not she should blast it off its hinges before biting her lip and taking a deep breath. 'Not worth the energy...' She told herself. Reaching into her closet she pulled out her leather jacket and quickly stormed out of her room. "Tell you what bro, you spend half of your entire childhood trying to claw your way out of someone's shadow just because you think you have to EARN your parents love, then talk to me about self-righteousness!" She snapped as she pushed past him.
"And what happens when I come back and when our parents beg and ask for forgiveness for the past two years but I refuse to even entertain that idea?! Do I just become as abusive as you're being right now?!" Sunburst snapped back before scoffing and going to his room... not even FLINCHING when Sunset looked like she wanted to storm back up and DECK him.
Sunset felt another pulse of rage nearly erupt from her ring and just barely managed to surpass it. Deciding to leave before she did something she'd regret, she immediately barged through the front door and slammed it hard enough to shake the house.
"Selfish brown-nosing asshat... thinks he's got any right to talk to me.... treat me like that. I deserve better." Sunset snarled as she continued marching off, the only sounds accompanying her being whatever cars were riding down the streets and her own feet hitting the pavement and whatever cans she could kick along the way.
As Sunset rounded a corner, she was so lost in her own thoughts that she ended up bumping into a girl with light purple skin and dark purple pigtails with turquoise highlights. "Hey watch where you're going!"
"Why don't you learn to stand out of my fucking way!" Sunset snarled as she walked past her, but not before using her shoulder to roughly shove her aside. "I swear more and more people think they just own the damn sidewalks."
"Excuse you!?" She fired back as she dropped her bag, looking ready to throw a punch. "You wanna say that to my face, bacon hair?"
Sunset stopped walking and glared at the girl over her shoulder. "The fuck did you just call me?!" She growled, gritting her teeth as a small spark escaped her ring.
"I called you "bacon hair"! You deaf as well as stupid bitch?!" The girl snarled at Sunset. "You wanna go then let's go! I got all night!"
Sunset turned around, giving her the mother of all death glares. "You really wanna test me, pigtails?!" She fired back as she turned around and began storming towards her, more than eager to let off some steam.
"ARIA!" A voice called out. Before Sunset could get closer, a girl with blue skin and deep blue hair with a ponytail rushed out of the building right between the two carrying several bags. "I just got a call from Adagio, she needs us uptown immediately!" She stated, completely ignoring Sunset.
"Ugh! You are SO DAMN LUCKY bacon hair!" Aria snarled as she left with her sister. "This had better be important Sonata! I was getting a damn feeding buffet back there."
Sunset took a moment to wait until they have turned a corner... then promptly slammed her fist into a nearby stop sign. The end result was a shock wave of rage completely demolishing it. Not satisfied however, she promptly ran into an abandoned alleyway and called upon the Rings power. A few seconds later she was flying towards the mountains as the Crimson Dragon.
She had some stress to relieve.
"-and then Indigo was acting all hot-headed again but well... Sour just wasn't having it." Shining said with a sigh as they enjoyed their supper. "Anyways that was my day breaking up a fight."
"What is it, the fifth time this month?" Twilight Velvet sighed as she took a bite out of her drumstick.
"Sixth actually," Shining replied.
"Honestly, you should really see Principal Cinch about having those two put in some sort of anger management class, because this is getting ridiculous." Night Light stated, munching on his salad.
"I was going to but I had other things going on. Besides, she dismissed it as just "teen antics"." Shining said as he finished his plate. "I mean, she seems to have some good intentions but I dunno. Something seems off."
Twilight, on the other hand, was only partly listening to the conversation, casually picking at her mashed potatoes as she thought about how far she had progressed since she had started studying the energy output of the rings...
'...and yet I've only just scratched the surface...' She thought to herself as she unconsciously traced the shape of the red rings icon into her food. 'I know there has to be a way for me to properly siphon the energy if I get close enough... but then there comes the main issue of replicating such power... do I even have the right amount of devices to pull that off?'
[BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.]
"...Twilight, what was that?" Shining asked as he turned to face his sister whose face was now suddenly beet red. "You said you didn't have anything going on right now."
"I... may have left the scanner on by accident..." Twilight giggled nervously as she quickly got out of her seat. "I'll be right back, I promise!" She shouted over her shoulder as she rushed back to her lab. "AND DON'T TOUCH MY FOOD DAD!" She added.
"I have no idea what she means." Night Light tried to say with a straight face. Though his hand betrayed him as he reached for a stray chicken leg… only for Velvet smack his hand with her spoon. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"Eat what's on your own plate, mister." Velvet stated in a firm tone. Night Light could only sigh and mumble under his breath as he picked at his salad, ignoring his son's snickering.
Back in her lab, Twilight immediately rushed to the table, turned off her scanner and sat down in front of her computer. "Okay, the readings are sporadic, yet somewhat aggressive... and if I compare it to the more recent readings I've gotten… then this signature definitely belongs to the Crimson Dragon!" She smiled as she observed the newest strip chart, eagerly typing in several commands as the scanner zeroed in on the location of the most recent energy output. "Wait..." Twilight blinked in confusion, adjusting her glasses. "If these readings are correct, then the Crimson Dragon is... in the mountains outside the city...?" She mumbled to herself as she turned her attention to the window. "What could she possibly be doing this far out there?"
"AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!"
Sunset screamed in rage as she summoned a massive dragon's head to crush a boulder twice her size.
"You think I haven't been through enough Sunburst?! Is that it?!" Sunset yelled as she grabbed another rock and smashed it into gravel. "Oh, Mr. Hotshot Who Had Everything Fucking Given To Him has the GALL to say I'm going too far?! He doesn't know what I went through! He couldn't understand!" She ranted before turning her attention to a tall cliff, she drew back right arm and slammed her fist into it tremendous force the practically shook the Earth around her... however much to her surprise she found herself not looking at a pile of rubble... but what appeared to be a hidden cave of some sort...
"Where the hell…?" She whispered to herself as she came to examine it. "....well I got firepower to back me up.l, no reason to not investigate."
As she made her way into the cave she mentally commanded her ring to summon a sphere of energy around her, both to illuminate her path and to avoid getting crushed should a cave-in occur. Needless to say, the fact that this cave was a natural formation truly spoke for itself as she entered a cavern full of stalactites and stalagmites.
"Oh sure, sure. This isn't ominous or anything." Sunset said under her breath as she looked around. But as she did her ring began glowing once again.
Would you like to pick up where we left off before being disturbed? It asked her with the voice of Atrocitus, indicating it meant the strange little history lesson it was giving her.
"...sure, why not? I got time to kill and at the least, it could help me get the hang of this Lantern stuff or whatever." She responded. The ring then gave a low humming as it gave off a pulse and the area around her was consumed in darkness as the symbol of her ring appeared beneath her, once more her surroundings were obscured by crimson flames, after a few seconds a familiar hulking figure stepped out of the Inferno.
"So..." Sunset began. "Who exactly was that guy? The Green Guardians' predecessor?"
They call themselves The Green Lanterns. Protectors of the universe. The figure said as the environment changed and they were out in space. Atrocitus and the other Inversions now leaving the scene of a recent attack on a Manhunter manufacturing plant. Our first encounter came from when we had recently struck yet another blow against the foul machines of The Guardians. It had been one of our quickest victories. He said with a wistful tone. However not long into the flight and suddenly a green burst of light erupted in front of them. The group was too surprised to properly defend themselves when the light soon shot out a green cube and trapped them.
"Oh wow, a big green cube. So scary. I'm sure you were able to bust out of there easily." Sunset said with a smirk.
The technology was created recently it seemed.... or perhaps it had been pure luck we had not yet encountered them. Our technology had no seeming way to penetrate the trap. The figure then got up close to us.... and to our shock it was organic. Much like us. He said as the figure cleared up, showing a purple humanoid alien with a strange mark on its middle lips and pointed ears along with kind and gentle eyes. His suit a green and black suit with white gloves. To even my surprise, this individual, on top of being organic, was a more noble and valued life. Unlike those wretched Manhunters; Abin Sur. He continued as the figure floated just outside the cube, seemingly conversing with their leader...
...which is more than I can say for his associate.
It was then that Sunset felt a chill go down her spine as another figure made himself visible. For a second she saw a flash of yellow behind him, and while the image was brief, she could have sworn the symbol behind him resembled the same one as the ring Pinkie Pie once wore.
The associate... was the cold as a machine Sinestro.... a man with high ambition and had little patience for any who broke the law... regardless of how justified their actions were. Atrocitus said as the figure soon came into view. Another humanoid figure though this one had black hair, darker pink skin, a strange mustache, and a similar green attire, though if that yellow light was an indication he wouldn't wear that forever. He wished to have us executed on the spot. Said we were too dangerous to be kept alive.
'A little on the nose with the name, don't ya think?' Sunset thought as she observed the individual, finding it hard to believe that someone like this was part of what basically amounted to an intergalactic police force.
Abin, however, had other plans... as part of our punishment we were sent to the prison planet. Ysmault... a place of fire and rage and one that had never known an escaped prisoner. The voice said as the scene shifted, Atrocitus now without his armor and simply locked up in a prison cell. And here... is where I would eventually- Atrocitus started... but then for some reason the hologram started phasing out.
"Oh come on! You stupid ring not now!" Sunset snarled as she slapped her ring and tried to turn it back on. "What in the hell is causing this now?! I'm all alone out here! Literally, nobody has followed me out here!"
"Well, someone's in a poor mood." A familiar voice chuckled. Sunset could only sigh in irritation and contempt as she glared over her shoulder. Standing at the cave entrance was none other than the Green Guardian herself. "Y'know, if you need to vent that badly, you might want to avoid doing it in such a way that draws attention to yourself. Imagine if one of those Black Lanterns that come for you instead?"
"...what the hell do you want?" Sunset sneered at her before looking for a way to leave before she tries talking again. "Trying to bore me? Trying to act like you're oh-so high and mighty?"
"Well, if you'll refrain from attacking me on sight like last time, I'm actually here to talk." The Guardian stated bluntly as she made her way towards the center of the cavern. "Assuming you want to listen that is..."
"Yeah whatever," Sunset said as she finally found a way out. "Great seeing you again. Though if you'd kindly LEAVE now that'd be great. Or better yet. How about I leave instead? I'm not in a mood to hear a self-righteous speech."
"Says the girl who thinks she's entitled to power?" The Guardian replied, not bothering to move as Sunset stormed past her. "For someone so aggressive, you have an odd habit of avoiding confrontation when it suits you."
"Maybe it's because I don't need to worry myself with fights that don't benefit me." Sunset sneered as she lit up her ring and flew off. The Guardian merely sighed as she looked around at the cave…
Unaware of a lone blank eyeball watching her before it was summoned back by a line of black energy...
Meanwhile, back in the city, at a five-star hotel called "Sweet and Elite", Adagio smirked with pride as she looked down at the city from the balcony. She had been somewhat hesitant at first, however, a well-sung tune allowed her to entrance just the right people that allowed her access to this luxurious Hotel without having to worry about how deep her pockets were. the moment she was sure that the effects of her spell were long-lasting, she demanded that she and her sisters be given the penthouse, as she'd accept nothing less than the finest.
And boy did they provide for her!
Separate bedrooms, a spacious living room with a comfy couch and a widescreen TV, an indoor pool AND a hot tub, a lovely dining room with mouth-watering delicacies prepared by the finest chefs, as well as a balcony with a beautiful view of the city. To say that it was a step up from the hotel they had to stay in downtown was an understatement.
Heck, you could fit the entirety of their old hotel room into this place's living room!
She had to admit, she was honestly surprised that her entrancing melody could get her this far in such a short amount of time. But then again, that puddle of concentrated rage had given her a rush like never before... the very thought of how far they could get if they had one of those rings... they'd have the entire city under their thumb!
"DAGI! DAGI I GOT ARIA!" Sonata yelled after kicking in the door and dragging in her sister, who was carrying the more heavy bags that contained the last of their belongings from their old residence. "Soooo what's the big thing you wanted?!" She asked with a smile on her face.
"Ok girls..." She began as she made her way to the dining room. "...we've managed to regain a good amount of our powers, but before we can even think about going after those ring users, we'll need to make sure we're at 100%."
"Can't we just go back to the rage puddle?" Sonata asked as she joined Adagio, happily grabbing a plate full of tacos and chowing down.
'Dozens of options and several different delicacies she could chow down on and she still chooses tacos…' The lead Dazzling mentally sighed as she turned her attention to her own dish, a delicious Lobster. "While that is the default option, we'll need to make sure that we have a backup source of energy just in case," Adagio explained as she sat down. "The last thing we need is to run out of power at a crucial moment."
"Sure. And how do you plan on having us catch the orange one?" Aria asked as she simply sat down on the floor, completely exhausted from carrying the heavier bags. "Just throw a dart at someone and hope you can catch her?"
Adagio rolled her eyes at her sister's sarcastic tone. "And this is why I'm in charge..." She grumbled under her breath before continuing. "Simple, first we simply observe her from afar. Properly deduce where she resides..."
"You really shink she won't notish shat she's being washed?" Sonata chimed in with a mouth full of food, having already started to eating while the two were conversing.
"That ring is the reason she's so mentally unstable... as long as we're careful, that shouldn't be much of an issue," Adagio replied.
"Oh sure sure. Aaaand if she notices us?" Aria asked as she continued to lay on the floor. "I mean you never considered that, did you? That she might fight back?"
"I'm sorry, do you have a better plan? Or are you just here the question literally every decision I make for the heck of it!?" Adagio snapped, slamming her hands on the table in aggravation. "And for the love of God, get up off the floor! We're in the hotel! There's a perfectly comfortable couch five feet away from you!"
"Uuuugh, fine," Aria said as she got up off the floor just to collapsed onto the couch. "First off. No, I don't have a plan. However, I noticed you dodged my question. Am I to assume that means you DON'T have a plan either?"
The lead Dazzling narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Well, we obviously aren't going to stalk her out in the open. We'll stick to crowds and more populated areas while we pinpoint her location." She explained as she crossed her arms. "We know about her, but she doesn't know about us, that gives us the element of surprise. All we have to do is be subtle in our approach... then we can simply use our music to entrance her."
"...alright. That's actually a good plan." Aria said with a smirk. "So then. How do you propose we get her to listen to our music without arousing suspicion?"
"That's fairly simple..." Adagio smirked as she held up her gem, watching as it crackled with energy. "...we hold a little... concert."
Back in an underground cavern near the city, a lone feature sat on what appeared to be a throne of bones and rotting flesh. Before her was a swirling vortex of dark energy that displayed the brief conversation between the Crimson Dragon and the Green Guardian.
"Hmm... at least five ring users had made themselves known... yet only two of them bother to work together..." She mused it to herself as the vortex shifted to focus on the Green Guardian.
"Aaaah..... and there you are." The figure said with an amused chuckle. "Don't worry.... we'll meet again... sooner then you may think."
Author's Note
Another breather chapter for now. But next time, we get a visit from an unexpected guest... and a very disturbing reunion...
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