NOOOO! IT'S OVER!
All things must pass, I suppose... anyway, here's my thanks for all my reviewers:
Alaia Skyhawk (the first reviewer), crystalwolfberri (and her unending enthusiasm), Kitty-Katz-Katz (who took too much pleasure in Young Kratos' pain), Mystic Yoshie (thanks!), Rini Tsukino (whose family now thinks s/he's crazy), and last but not least, freakyanimegal456 (I'm happy you liked this fic so much).
Thank you all for taking the time to review. :)
Here's the last chapter. Please forgive the shortness.
Chapter IV: Cricketfield
Nagas stared down at Young Kratos, an eyebrow raised. Kratos squirmed in her grip, but failed to break free.
Before he was able to register the motion, Nagas' tail appeared and the needle tip rested on the boy's neck. He froze. He was completely ignorant about Nagithian venom and its effects. What he did know was that the evil lady was pressing something pointy against his neck where pointy things shouldn't be.
"This is interesting…" said Nagas, smiling down at her prey.
"R-really?" stuttered Young Kratos in horror.
She continued to smiling down at him, a fang protruding past her lip, "You bear an uncanny resemblance to someone I know…"
"I get that a lot," he squeaked, "I'm just… you know, one of those people that looks like a lot of different faces. W-wait, that didn't make any sense, I mean – "
Nagas smiled down at him, which seemed to paralyze the boy. "I think," she said, "We're going to have some fun."
"Hey!" shouted a voice that was horribly familiar, "He's mine!"
Nagas turned and fixed her serpentine eyes on none other than Abigal. The elf had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Nagas.
"Abigalllll," hissed Nagas, narrowing her eyes.
"You already have the older one!" snapped Abigal, "I should get the younger one!"
Nagas released Kratos to turn and glare at Abigal, "What makes you think I'm going to hand him over,mortal?"
"You already infected the other Kratos!" Abigal continued, "If I get the boy then it's all settled!"
Young Kratos started to discretely try to sneak away.
"What makes you think I, the Summon Spirit of Nothingness, am going to be fair?" snarled Nagas.
"I'm going to have my share!" screamed Abigal.
Young Kratos closed his eyes and tried very hard not to listen to the cat fight.
"You and your implants had your chance!" retorted Nagas, "He's mine!"
"H-hey!" Abigal looked horrified, "How did you know about that?!"
Young Kratos tried not to be sick.
"Get out of here," growled Nagas.
"Nuh-uh!" said Abigal, in a very stereotypical preppy way.
Young Kratos was almost to the corner of the building, when the two women spotted him.
"KRATOOOOOOOS! COME BAAAACK!
"AAAAAAYYYYYYIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"
Each woman grabbed one of his legs and started to drag him away from his freedom. He did not go quietly. He clawed desperately at the dirt as the two ladies dragged him away from his freedom. He continued to scream at the top of his lungs. Dignity was for the living, not for people who were devoured by mad ladies who wanted his pants. Kratos stopped screaming and whimpered when the women let go of his feet to grab his arms.
"HE'S MINE!" screamed Abigal.
"HE'S MINE!" screeched Nagas.
Kratos closed his eyes tight shut. Dear gods, please let someone save me or shoot me in the head!
His prayer was answered.
He heard a metallic shing like a sword being pulled out of a scabbard followed by shrieks from the two women. They immediately released Kratos, and he scampered back to the safety of the wall to see what had just happened.
This was when Cheresea, Sari, and Chala burst out of the door leading to the kitchens. They had heard the commotion outside and had come to see what the matter was.
'The matter' was Old Kratos, his sword unsheathed, glaring DOOM at Nagas and Abigal.
"I will not allow either of you," he growled, "To take advantage of my younger self."
Abigal turned when she saw Chersea and her friends take out their weapons. Not being an immortal Summon Spirit, she took this moment to flee the scene. Old Kratos turned his attention to Nagas.
"Leave," he commanded.
She smiled at him, "How about, no?"
The older Kratos gripped his sword tighter, as Cheresea, Chala, and Sari nervously dropped into fighting stances. The younger Kratos stood up and nervously tried to think of what he could do. He had a knife, but he didn't know how to properly use it, and even if he did, he didn't think he would be much good against... what had Nagas called herself? The Summon Spirit of Nothingness? What was he supposed to do against something like that?
This was generally the time in a story when the hero has some brilliant idea, a revelation that will somehow get him out of the mountain of trouble he's buried under. Too bad Kratos couldn't think of anything, other than throwing a rock at Nagas, but he thought that would be stupid. He tried it anyway.
"Ow!"
Nagas rounded on Young Kratos, who looked terrified. Before she could injure or infect the poor boy, Cheresea and the others ran at her, swords raised.
Ten seconds later, everyone was lying on the ground, bruised and defeated.
"That could've gone better..." moaned Chala.
Nagas looked down disdainfully at her defeated opponents. Worms.
With a 'schlup' sound, her scorpion tale grew. She turned her attention to Young Kratos, who was paralyzed with fear. She smiled evilly down at him.
This was when Trethe, who had heard the commotion, leaped out of the trees and sank his pointy teeth into Nagas' forearm.
Nagas screamed with rage and shook her arm until Trethe detached and landed several feet away. The boy-turned-fox quickly scrambled back onto all four feet and started to growl at Nagas. The other Summon Spirit gave him a wary look. She wasn't worried that he would defeat her, certainly not, but she knew that very soon she would have to abandon her newest host. She couldn't stay much longer.
"Fine," she sneered, "Keep the boy. I will have him... eventually."
And then she disappeared using some special Summon Spirit power. At least this meant that no one was seriously injured/infected.
The others got to their feet, amazed by their sudden, and rather anticlimactic, victory.
Trethe stood up. "Is she gone...?"
The others stared in part horror, part embarrassment for Trethe. He hadn't seemed to have noticed yet.
What he did notice is that the women were blushing, and Young Kratos looked sick.
"What?" Trethe demanded, folding his arms across his chest. Wait... he had arms.
He looked down.
"Oh..."
He blushed. He picked a leaf off the ground and used it to try to preserve something resembling dignity. The others looked away, still blushing furiously.
"Hey!"
The others formed a small ring around Trethe to spare his pride as Lloyd suddenly ran out of the mansion toward them.
"Guess what?" he said, looking proud and happy, "I figured it out!"
"Uh... figured what out, Dad?" asked Cheresesa.
Lloyd smiled wider, pointed at Young Kratos, and said, "I know how to get him home now!"
Fred the Wonder Cricket, was feeling down.
He sighed as best as a cricket could, and rested his head on his legs. His antennae drooped. The story was almost over, and he hadn't even properly destroyed any dramatic moments! That was what he lived for! He had no purpose in life! Fred sniffed.
Fred looked up, and then his antennae stood straight up from his head.
There was another Wonder Cricket checking him out.
Though a human wouldn't be able to tell, the other Cricket was female. If a cricket, a creature without lips could smile, the female cricket did just that.
"Crick, crickley, cricket," said the female Cricket. She had introduced herself to Fred as another Wonder Cricket. Her name was Fredaline.
"Cricky crick Cricketfield?" Fred asked, blushing a cricket blush. Roughly translated, he had said 'Wanna go see Cricketfield?'. He was referring, of course, to a recently released movie by C.C. Crickbrams... easily confused with a similarly named movie.
"Cricket," said Fredaline with a smile. 'Sure.'
Fred and Fredaline the Wonder Crickets hopped off into the sunset, to go see a movie, and then, maybe, flood the world with more Wonder Crickets.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Of course! Don't doubt me!"
"...That isn't helping."
Young Kratos nervously eyed the Eternal Sword floating a few feet above his head.
"I know how to use it now!" said Lloyd, "Do you want to go home now?"
Kratos looked over at his new friends. He would miss them, but he missed his home so much...
"Yeah," he said, "I'm ready."
"Goodbye!" said Cheresea, "We'll miss you!"
There were cries of agreement among the others.
Young Kratos smiled.
"Thanks."
"Time to go home!" said Lloyd. There was a great flash of light as Lloyd activated the Eternal Sword...
...And Young Kratos was gone.
"I'll miss him," said Cheresea dejectedly. Then she added, "Do you think he'll be okay?"
"He's home now," pointed out Lloyd, dismissing the Eternal Sword, "I'm sure he'll be just fine."
"Hey... is he alive?"
Young Kratos couldn't move. Everything was dark.
"...Should we poke him with a stick?"
"Don't hurt him Cless!"
"...It's Cress."
"Whatever."
Kratos could hear voices. He didn't recognize them. Where was he anyway?
"Mint, do you think you can help him?"
"We don't even know who he is, Klarth!"
Mint? Klarth? Weird names.
Kratos opened his eyes.
A small group of people were leaning over him.
"He's awake!" exclaimed one of the women.
Kratos closed his eyes again. Oh no...
The End