Orso Fiction 053

Orso Fiction 053-The Shadow and the Queen (Part 3 of 3)
Faustino wheeled back, watching Osvaldo’s transformation.

“What…what is going on!?”, he murmured. “What IS he!?”

Bradley pointed his gun at the giant bipedal lion’s face.

“A shadow I can’t light?”, he asked. “I’ll burn you.”

---

Taylor struggled against the vine that held her in the air, as the orange pollen slowly filled more of the barrier.

“Don’t fight it too hard…”, Sonia smiled evilly. “It makes the pollen take so much longer to take effect when you resist it…Just fade away…fade away and die…”

---

Jess turned to the other Agents.

“Let’s go check on Taylor…”, she said, but slowly fell to her knees. “That’s what I’d like to say…but I’m exhausted, and we have no idea where she went…”

“We’ve done our part.”, Sabra said, sitting down. “If we were to get on that battlefield, we would just slow Taylor down. She’s put all her brainpower into the fight as it is. We don’t need to be variables.”

“That, and we’re all exhausted.”, Nicole chirped, before collapsing.

“Sorry, guys…”, Paige said with a smile. “I didn’t expect us to have to use that move…I didn’t give us enough energy to do it all the way; there were just so many patients.”

“It’s no problem.”, Mike said. He then vomited pure blood. “We’ll all be alright.”

“I wonder about that…”, Allison murmured, watching him.

---

Bradley fired twice, but the bursts of flame left no mark on his chest, and the man didn't react at all.

“You have no idea of the depths of this world!”, Osvaldo roared. With horrifying speed, he began to charge at Bradley. Bradley changed his gun to its leg guard form, and spun around Osvaldo, ending up behind him. Instantly, they changed back, and Bradley fired twice more, again, doing little damage. The lion-man roared, turning quickly, but not too quickly for Uranus to revert to his greave form, and allow Bradley the speed to dodge his strike.

“Don’t run, kitten!”, Osvaldo roared. “Let me match your strength and mine!”

“I don’t think so.”, Bradley replied coolly as he jumped up, kicking Osvaldo in the back of the head, then dashing to the other side of the theater, where he fired a few more shots of flame. Osvaldo brushed them aside, and roared with enough force to push Bradley back.

“That’s a lot of power he has, and that’s just his voice…”, Bradley thought. “I absolutely can’t let myself get hit with his attacks.”

---

Sonia’s smile got even more disgustingly wide.

“It’s been fun, little girl…Thank you, for showing me that the future generations aren’t as worthless as I thought.”

Suddenly, Sonia felt a massive blow to the back of her head. She fell to the ground, but quickly recovered, handspringing over the flowers. She turned to see Taylor, trapped by the vine, smiling at her, and burst into Sky Flames, revealing another Taylor, outside the roses’ barrier.

“A Flame Clone.”, Taylor smiled, brandishing her staff. “Of all the box animals in the Orso Family, Amber is the most intelligent. The Staff of Secrets lets me deconstruct any technique I’ve seen while it’s active…The Flame Clone is useful, but it’s costly. I can only afford to use it once a day. But that’s alright…I have plenty more tricks like that one…”

Sonia scowled, unconsciously stepping back.

“You don’t know what else I can do.”, Taylor smiled. “And you’re afraid of it. You’re just another human after all.”

“I…I am more than you!”, Sonia shouted, opening her box once more, the vine detaching from the box, falling to the ground and dying. Another rose burst out, and she caught it. “I will rule this world!”

Sonia grasped another, black, box from her robe, tossing it lightly into the air. As it traveled up, she stabbed her heart with the rose. She caught the box, pushing her lit ring into it. The rose immediately darkened, growing dark patches. Slowly, more began to blossom all over her body. Her feet became roots, and her skin began to turn dark green. Her body grew giant thorns, and her arms and legs began to elongate, stretching in ways impossible for the human body. Her hair elongated, growing more flowers across the strands. Petals began to rain from her body, and all around her, black and orange roses began to grow. Sonia had become a living, twisted, rose garden.

“Come closer, dear.”, Sonia smiled, her lips slowly growing green. “Won’t you take a rose? I think they suit you perfectly…”

“No thanks.”, Taylor answered. She spun her staff. ”Bradley, I’ll be using your technique first…The Shadow’s Power”

Suddenly, a burst of orange flame in the shape of a lion shot from her staff, shooting at Sonia. She blocked it with her arm, which burnt up from the intensity of the flames. Sonia cackled as the arm regrew instantly.

“What do you think?”, Sonia asked. “A queen should be able to shrug off a weak attack like that without a second thought.”

“You’re a fool.”, Taylor said, stone-faced. “If Bradley’s didn’t work, maybe Zach’s…The King’s Courage”

She waved her staff once more, and flames in the shape of a bear materialized. It roared, sending waves of Sky Flames from its own body until it disintegrated. The roses the waves hit died, but regrew before the next wave could hit them.

“Nothing can kill me!”, Sonia laughed. “I am the Rose Queen! All your efforts are in vain! I am, myself, an invincible fortress! Nature itself bows to my majesty!”

“The power’s gone to your head. I don’t know if you even know what you’re saying…”

“It’s my turn!”, Sonia cackled, a bouquet of the roses growing from her palm. She threw them down at Taylor, petals first. The flowers exploded into a massive fireball, but hundreds of flowers began to grow where the earth had been scorched.

“Amber…Analyze it.”, Taylor whispered. Amber squeaked, and began to analyze the attack. She conveyed the abilities directly to Taylor’s brain. “I see…Super-parasitic flowers, that drain the nutrients from whatever they plant themselves on, and return them to her, so she can regenerate…If I get hit with one of those, I’m done for. It’ll suck me dry before I could blink. This patch of land won’t grow plant life for a long time…This is the kind of queen you want to be, Sonia? One who drains the world of all it has, and returning only suffering?”

“Die!”, Sonia cackled again, growing even more flowers from her palms, throwing them at Taylor, who was nimble enough to dodge in time.

“The enemy possesses regeneration abilities, derived from the root system of her living projectiles..”, Taylor thought, her thoughts beginning to sharpen. “The solution is simple. I’ll end her in three strikes.”

---

Bradley sighed.

“Time to abandon any hope of saving your soul.”, he whispered.

---

“Bradley…”, Zach said, as they sat in Earth and Space Science. “I’m not much of a boss.”

“Yup.”, Bradley said, absentmindedly, playing with a centaur and samurai action figure. “Totally agree.”

“I just feel like, sometimes, I’m not ready. I mean, I want to make this perfect world, but I’m just one guy, right?”, Zach asked, writing something out. “I mean, we’re just kids, all of us. And I don’t know if half of us…really even know what the family’s all about. They might have just heard about the cool base, and joined up. I mean, I’m happy to have them, but…I want to spread my dream.”

“No doubt, man.”, Bradley commented. Sushimaru the samurai was winning. Bighoof the centaur, however, was about to make a comeback, unbeknownst to Sushimaru.

Unless he did know.

Oh god.

What if Sushimaru felt Bradley’s hand slowing his movements, while he saw Bighoof moving much faster, with much more aggressive movements. What if Sushimaru realized that it was his destiny to lose this battle? Would he grow angry? Would he…revolt?

Oh god.

What if he already was. What if Sushimaru was losing on purpose, only letting Bradley think that he was the master of the action figures!? He took a deep look into Sushimaru’s painted eyes, and couldn’t tell.

He usually couldn’t tell what Sushimaru was thinking when he looked him in the eyes. Samurai were good at hiding their emotions. It was a cultural thing.

“I think…this is what Gandhi meant. ‘If you want to swim in the bosom of the ocean of truth, you must first reduce yourself to a zero.’ If you want to grow, if you want to improve yourself, you have to cast aside all you have…I forgot what being at zero felt like.”, Zach was saying.

“Huh?”, Bradley asked, still feeling a little bit shaken by his revelation that he may be a toy to his action figures. “I like to swim.”

Perfect. He had made a comment relevant to something Zach had said.

Zach began to chuckle, trying to hold it in, but eventually giving in to pure, riotous laughter.

“That’s such a ‘Bradley’ response!”, he laughed. “You know, man…I think that’s why we work so well as a team…I mean, you’re always there, to be the backup to my crazy plans. And when, like now, I’m in the dumps, you’re there to drag me up. When I’m being too serious, you lighten things up.”

“Totally.”, Bradley replied. Zach grinned.

“I know you’re listening to me.”, he said with a chuckle. “So I’ll just say this-Thanks. Thanks for being my friend.”

Bradley almost broke into a wide smile, but he didn’t want to offend Bighoof, smiling during a sacred battle.

It was a cultural thing.

---

“Crazy kids.”, Zach said, watching the two run off. “We should probably go watch them. Make sure they don’t break anything.”

“Nah.”, Bradley laughed. “They’ll behave. And if they don’t, they’re both pretty fast. They should be able to run away from the mall cops.”

“They’re going to grow up great, aren’t they?”, Zach asked. “Like miniature us’.”

“Not at all.”, Bradley laughed. “Your sister is an awful influence on my brother.”

“Who does that remind you of?”, Zach laughed. “So maybe the roles are flipped, but the Stimely-Ratliff bond is a strong one.”

“Yeah…”

“Bradley…We should have kids.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not…with each other. Obviously. But…Look at us. We’re the first generation. Jess and Chris, well, they’ll be the third generation. Ryan is going to be the Commander of the fifth generation. He was…disturbingly excited to hear about the family. I’ve got a little cousin his age who would make a great Head Agent. I feel like…when a Stimely and a Ratliff work together, they can do anything.”

“You got that right.”, Bradley laughed.

“And you know our kids would be downright geniuses.”, Zach said, nudging Bradley’s arm.

“And real prize-winning athletes.”, Bradley laughed, lightly kicking at Zach’s leg.

“But the important part is that they’d be there for each other.”, Zach smiled, looking at Jess and Chris, running toward them. Police followed them, holding a broken glass jug

“Kind of like we’re going to have to do right now.”, Bradley laughed, picking Zach up and running along with them. “You kids are nothing but trouble, you know that?”

“We learned it all from you guys!”, Jessica Stimely, the future third boss of the Orso Family called, grinning.

“It was her fault.”, Chris Ratliff, the future third commander of the Orso Family said, annoyed. “She’s so clumsy.”

“I know, Chris.”, Zach laughed. “I know.”

---

“I won’t turn back, friend.”, Bradley thought, steadying his gun.

---

“The blueprints I found called it the Balance Deisoul.”, Zach said. “I installed it into all the Primo Box Animals, but they’re pretty deep into the coding. It won’t be easy to draw it out.”

“Just what does it do?”

“It’s a program that activates around extreme light, or extreme darkness, unnatural elements. It destroys them completely. It’s not a cheap maneuver, though. We’re the only Primos to be able to use it so far. I don’t know who the person who left me those blueprints is…but they want us to right this world…We’re destined to release this world of extreme darkness…and extreme light. We’re going to be the peacekeepers.”

“That’s a lot of responsibility.”, Bradley said, stroking Uranus’ mane. “You up for it, buddy?”

The lion growled in confirmation. Zach scratched under Minerva’s chin, and she made a noise much like purring.

“Minerva’s ready, too.”, Zach said. “We’ll do it, Bradley. We’re going to save this world.”

---

The shy, awkward, bespectacled boy approached the new kid. He breathed deeply, remembering his mother’s words. “There’s never a reason to not try to be someone’s friend. You’re a nice kid, I’m sure they’ll like you.” He thought about the friends he had so far, here at Linton Springs. The list was pretty small. Trevor…Mike…Tyler…

“H-hello.”, he said, extending a slightly shaking hand. “I’m Zach.”

“Hi!”, the boy who, had he been wearing glasses, would have been indistinguishable from the boy before him. “I’m Bradley.”

“Want to come sit with us?”, Zach said, gesturing to the three friends. “You look lonely over here.”

“Okay.”, Bradley said, grinning. “Thanks.”

No one realized it at that moment, but it was then that the partnership that would shake the world was formed.

---

“Balance Deisoul…Activate”, Bradley intoned. The gun began to sparkle white, reacting to the darkness around it. “Heaven Fire.”

A wave of the white-tinted orange flames rushed through the air, striking Osvaldo, who screamed.

“What is this!?”, he shrieked. Bradley felt his energy run out of him quickly. He would have to finish this soon.

“Uranus! Defesa!”, he gasped, and the lion changed to his greave form. Bradley took one massive leap, kicking at Osvaldo’s face. The beast gasped in pain.

“Who ARE you!?”

“I’m the shadow of the man who’s going to return balance to this world.”, Bradley said, turning away, not watching as the darkness melted off Osvaldo’s body. The old man reached up so his hand, to him, appeared to cover Bradley’s chest.

“You…little bastard…”, he wheezed. “I was so close…So close to perfection.”

---

“You need to train yourself, Os.”, the boy said, tucking the wooden sword into the belt of his black tunic.

“How are you so strong!?”, the boy on the ground, his sword laying a distance away from him, asked.

“Because I put my heart into it, I guess.”, the standing boy said, offering a hand. “You tried to take shortcuts in your training.”

“Guys, come on!”, their sister called. “Father has them ready for us!”

The two boys looked at each other and grinned, despite themselves. Both ran to the house, where their sister stood at a table, a large sheet covering something, where their father sat, the shadows obscuring his face.

“As is the tradition of the Ferraro Family…”, he began. “When each child of the Family’s leader is ten years old…said leader is to construct a weapon for each of them from the Dying Will metals in the Family’s mines. I have done this. You may now pick your weapon.”

He pulled the sheet off the table, revealing the three. Instantly, the sister and the brother who lost his match moved closer to the table. The winning brother stepped back. The father raised an eyebrow.

“Are you not interested?”, the father teased gently.

“No, Father.”, the boy answered. “But these weapons are meant to be our partners. I know that a smith of your caliber would have made weapons perfect for us. The weapon left after those two pick will be the weapon you meant for me.”

The losing brother scowled as he picked up the knife on the table.

“Excellent choice, Osvaldo.”, the father said. But Osvaldo couldn’t be happy. Not after his brother had beaten him, both in their swordfight, and in restraining himself from jumping on these treasures like a child.

The sister picked up the small spear.

“I’m pleased you chose that one, Sonia.”, their father said. “I had you in mind when I made that one.

The third child slowly moved toward the table, picking up the last weapon, a hand axe. The father gave him a knowing smile.

“And, of course, the third is yours, Berenger. I have faith that you’ll come to master it.”

Their father addressed the three of them.

“These weapons are the symbols of your membership to the Ferraro Family, and your promotion to journeyman-level smiths. As you know, the way to become a master is to, between you, complete the seven trials in place since time immemorial.”

“But only one of us will inherit the treasures.”, Osvaldo said.

“That is something I will decide, when I retire.”, their father answered. “But now…I am tired…You are free to go…”

---

“The Orso? You as well?”, Osvaldo asked. The figure on the throne smiled.

“Yes. They’re not a very powerful group, but their leaders and their rings are of a surprising quality. I know you are looking to defeat them, so I’ll offer my aid.”, the figure told him. “I will handle their seven Guardians, and you handle the others. Deliver me their rings, and I’ll make you my chief armorer.”

“You must know…”, Osvaldo said. “That an Elite Eight boss consulting with the Ferraro to crush a minor family will not be met well by the other seven.”

“Well, when this job is complete, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about their opinion.”, the figure said with a knowing smile.

“Very well.”, Osvaldo answered. “I’ll accept your help…Mister Oozaru of the Infinito Family.”

---

Osvaldo felt his consciousness fading.

“No…It won’t end here…”, he thought. “I…will be reborn! The only thing I will focus on now…is giving the Goblin…ALL OF MY POWER!”

Osvaldo crumpled to the ground, his heart beating its last as he sent all his energy to the tiny robot miles away. Bradley turned away in some kind of respect. The knife Osvaldo had carried slowly turned black and dissolved into ash, the darkness battering the soul of its master finally overpowering it.

“You were lost in your greed for more strength…”, Bradley murmured. “You let power become its own end.”

Slowly, he fell to the ground

---

“Three strikes…That’s all I need for a nonlethal win.”, Taylor said aloud.

“You won’t last that long!”, Sonia shouted, shooting a thorny, flowered arm at her. Taylor jumped around it, speeding behind her. Sonia cackled.

“Don’t think I can’t turn around!”, she laughed, rotating her torso, like an owl turns its head.

Taylor ignited the entirety of her staff, and sliced at her legs, which burnt up, detaching her from the ground. As Sonia fell, she sneered. What a foolish girl. With the power to replant herself, this would be another failed attempt.

---

“I just don’t understand it!”, Sonia cried. “Why…why did he do it?! I loved him!”

Berenger hugged her tighter.

“I’m sorry, Sister…But that’s just the way mankind can be. We can cruel to each other. We have to look past that…and try to be kind to all people.”, he told her.

“You make it sound so easy, Berenger.”, Sonia scowled, the seeds of her darkness taking root in this instant. “I’ve known it for a while…but this whole world…it’s grown filthy. Dirty. It has fallen. I will right it.”

Berenger smiled, ruffling his sister’s hair.

“That’s a noble goal, Sister. To balance this world, is a noble goal.”

---

Taylor slammed the head of her staff into the ground, and the entire surrounding area suddenly burnt to a crisp, the nutrients in the soil baking beyond use.

Sonia let out a single, high pitched laugh. As long as she had the nutrients in her body’s flowers, she could add them to the ground, and return to square one.

Taylor pointed her staff at Sonia’s falling body, and the woman burst into flames, her roses withering. Dying. The woman fell to the ground.

“I…will not let it end here…”, Sonia growled, looking up, through her fading vision, at Taylor. “Don’t you think…I have a backup plan!?”

“Shut up.”, Taylor said simply, beginning to walk away. “You’ve lost. I don’t want to hear any more of your mind games.”

Sonia moved to her feet, pulling the rose in her heart out, stumbling at Taylor. One good stab…one good stab, and she could silence the girl forever…She began to speed up, as the girl began to get away from her, then letting out a war cry as she moved to stab her. Suddenly, she stopped, stunned. She looked forward, to the girl, her back turned to her. She looked left. Nothing. Right. Nothing. Up. Nothing. Down…Sixteen orange flowers…all around her…

“I told you…”, Taylor said. “My Staff of Secrets can break down any technique, so I can use it myself…I don’t like your skills…but I’m running out of power, and you had already set this trap up…I’m sorry.”

She turned to look at Sonia over her shoulder, as she began to lose consciousness. She knew, from her tests of this technique, and the feeling in her body…that her heart would stop…in three…two…one.

“I wish it had ended another way.”, Taylor said softly. “I hope hell…isn’t all that bad.”

She moved toward where Sonia had thrown the bag of Arcoferro. She eventually found it, opening it, just to be sure. There they were. All seven of them. Mission…complete…

---

“Well…go us, I suppose.”, Zach said, over the noise of the dance, still not quite believing it. “Still a little crazy, though.”

“Of course we won.”, Taylor laughed. “And you know I would have had some problems if you hadn’t been my king.”

“Yeah…You probably would have broken something.”, Zach answered, chuckling. “Like…whoever they named king.”

“We’re both Mr. Taggart homeroom survivors.”, Taylor told him. “We have to stick together.”

“It’s been…a wild four years.”, Zach said, reflecting on his life. He grinned at the memories.

“Yessir it has. And it’s all led up to this one moment. So, if you don’t mind, would you shut up and dance?”

---

Scott Deisher, fresh from his victory over the Shade, watched as Taylor fell unconscious, and smiled. It was finally over. This stupid war was finally over.

---

Closeby, a tiny robot was on the move, slowly, avoiding detection. On its right hand was a tiny diamond blade. In its left arm’s secret compartment were seven shards. Seven shards of the rainbow metal Sonia had died for. It had one mission now, which Osvaldo had programmed into it.

Go to the meeting place. Wait for our return.

---

“Did you all have fun?”, Zeke asked. Malachi and Miriam both nodded.

“It passed the time.”, Malachi answered.

“Very educational.”, Miriam snarked.

“Well, I’m glad…I wonder when we’ll bother the Orso next…”, Zeke mused.

“You won’t have to wait long.”, a voice from behind informed them. They turned to see an androgynous figure approach them. Its muscles were very large, but its face was too feminine to be a man’s. Its voice was too ambiguous to put a gender to. Zeke immediately stood and bowed.

“Greetings, Master Hare!”

“Sit back down.”, Hare told him. “I don’t want your formalities. I’m here to deliver a message from Lord Oozaru…The Maestoso have scheduled their inheritance ceremony. There are five days until their next boss succeeds their current leader.”

“I see.”, Zeke said. Hare nodded.

“As an Elite Eight family, we will be expected to attend. Five days from now. We want to be in top shape when we arrive. That includes having devoured the Orso Guardians.”

“But…they won’t be back for…well, almost a year!”, Zeke protested. “It’s barely been a month since they left!”

Suddenly, a wave of intimidation shot from Hare, and Zeke fell silent.

“Calm yourself.”, Hare commanded. “Make them return, Zeke. You know how to. The merging takes twenty four hours. The flight to Italy will take another day. Roughly speaking, we have three days. Make the Orso Guardians return here within seventy two hours.”

“Yes...yes sir.”

“And don’t fail…”, Hare warned. “Kiri can replace you.”

“Yes…yes sir!”, Zeke replied, fear in his voice.

“That’s all I have to say.”, Hare said, fading into yellow light.

Zeke turned to the others.

“Three days…”, he murmured. “We have three days…”

“Shall one of us go to deliver the message?”, Malachi asked.

“NO!”, Zeke bellowed. “I mean…No…We promised the Orso that we would not enter their domain until the Attack…”

“You and your rules…”, Miriam began to whine, but Zeke grabbed her by the throat, squeezing tightly.

“I said…WE would not enter their domain…But it just so happens…that we have a messenger that CAN cross into their domain. It’s time we put him to use.”


 * Three days until The Attack*

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