//------------------------------// // Chapter 33: Rematch with Grave Digger // Story: SuShi's Bizarre Adventure: Nugget Run Horizon // by Jojoleopard //------------------------------// Prism Dash trailed behind her friends as the spire’s path led to a rocky stairway, leading round and round above them. Summer was already a flight above them by the time she set foot on them. She knew there was limited time to finish this, but for some reason, she just couldn’t motivate her body to move on. Even though Gipsy had said it was meant to be, she just couldn’t take the blame off herself. Her impulsiveness had cost her friend her life and no matter what she or her friends tried to tell her, she just couldn’t accept any of it. “Prism, come on!” She could see Summer’s head poking out from the stairway above. “We’ve got to stop them!” “Coming, Sushi.” Prism sighed, then dragged her feet up the next few steps. Jojo had beaten one of the Nugget People earlier and that had given her a glint of hope, a sliver of happiness as one of Gipsy’s killers had been eliminated. It showed them that they could overcome all odds, even the Nugget People, and she wanted to hold on to that, to believe they could win. They could win, but it just didn’t help to push her on. “Okay, hop on.” Jojo was suddenly beside her, bending low and patting the small of his back. “I’ll carry you all the way up if I have to. But you’re coming along. You can’t keep living in misery, Prism. You have to move on.” “You don’t get it, Jojo. It’s all my fault Gipsy’s dead. You weren’t there. You didn’t see how I caused her death,” Prism said. “I know enough to know that she wouldn’t want you to wallow in your own self-pity.” Jojo grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it firmly. “Prism, there’s still three more of them. If you stop now, then Gipsy would’ve died for nothing. Do you want her to have died for nothing?” Prism shook her head. “I don’t even want her to be dead.” “Then press on. Fight, because every step you take is an honor to Gipsy’s sacrifice.” Jojo gave her a thumbs up. “Come on, you’re older than me. This is something you shouldn’t need me to tell you.” Prism managed a smile. Whatever it was Jojo was doing, at least it was making her feel a bit better, though only slightly. At least he was trying to be there for her. “Alright, you know what, I’ll take on your offer.” “That’s the spirit, let’s- wait, what?” Jojo had begun going back up, but turned his head again. “I’ll get on your back,” Prism told him, gesturing for him to come back. The boy’s face grew red as he hesitantly stepped back down, turning his back to her. Without warning, Prism leapt up and landed on his back, and Jojo’s hands scrambled out to catch her to keep her from falling, squeezing down hard on both her butt cheeks. “Mm, hold your horses, this is not the time and place for something like that,” Prism whispered in his ear. “I wasn’t… It’s not on purpose!” He scrambled for words as he began going up two steps at a time. “But… hey, it’s good to hear you not moping around.” “Sure is, isn’t it?” Prism sighed and rested her cheek on his shoulder. For a seventeen year old, he was rather strong and muscular. “Thanks, Jojo. For trying to talk sense to me. I might not fully accept it yet, but thank you. For trying.” “Hey, we’re all in this together.” Jojo flashed her another smile. “If it’s not me, it would’ve been Sushi. She’s your best friend, after all. She probably cares more about you than I do.” “Are you sure about that?” Prism pinched his cheek. “Ow! I mean, I dunno. Hey, let’s catch up now.” The climb up the spire had no windows and after turning round and round and round, the group began to lose track of how far up they had gone, with everything looking the same, above and below. They had seen the entire thing from the outside and it was at a point their helicopter could not reach and they could only shudder at the thought of how much longer they had to climb. After what felt like twelve more flights, the ground underneath them shook and Jojo stumbled to the side, almost dropping Prism off his back and off the side of the stairway. She projected Coldplay out, grabbing both of them and throwing them against the wall as the rumbling continued, shaking up the spire all the way to the top. Summer, who was leading the group two flights above Prism and Jojo, placed an arm on the wall to steady herself, but looked down to check on her teammates. Bushido had shielded himself and Fuchsia against the wall with Boney M, but the pink girl soon pushed him aside to ascend the stairway once the rumbling had ended. Jojo looked at Prism, then back up the stairs. “What do you think that was?” “I’m the one who should be asking you all this. You’re the smart one.” Prism gave him a knock on the head. “But it can’t be anything good.” “No. It can’t.” Jojo shook his head once. “As she slows the core down, so will the revolution of our planet. If it stops, it would throw everyone and everything off the planet and there would be widespread destruction that nothing can recover from.” “Well, except the Nugget People, whatever their plan is…” Prism mumbled. “We can count on them having a plan.” Jojo stopped and put Prism back down. “Hey, this is going on for too long. There must be a faster way up. Tenacious D!” Jojo leapt up and his Stand appeared from under him, allowing him to land directly on its shoulders as he stretched an arm out for Prism. “Come on, this might work.” Prism took it and got on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as Tenacious D sped on, swooping up the stairway step by step, bouncing Jojo and Prism along as it went. When they passed Bushido, Fuchsia and Summer, Jojo reached out and grabbed each of them, piling them up on top of himself or behind Prism. They soon looked like a circus on wheels, but at least they were proceeding up the stairway faster now, though at the speed they were going, even Prism was having trouble maintaining her vision as everything started to split into two. She closed her eyes, hoping it would help, and while it did for a while, she started to feel woozy from the motion and she felt the bile rising in her stomach. “I’m going to be sick…” Prism cupped a hand over her mouth. “Just hold on a while longer!” Summer grabbed her shoulder. Her voice sounded stressed as well. Prism screwed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth as she tried to breathe calmly, thinking of rocky walls and Nugget People, and finally, the movement around her stopped and she cracked an eye open, realizing they were now in some kind of open air dome with a single pathway leading over to what looked like a huge circular area that looked like a racetrack, only it was at least three racetracks put together, but seeing as they were far from it, it could’ve been far larger than that. “Where-ugh… where are we now?” Prism hopped off Tenacious D and her feet wobbled around, forcing her to crouch lower and cover one eye. “Seems to be some kind of holding area,” Bushido said as he inspected some sort of crate and their surroundings. He knocked a finger against the crate, finding it was made of some kind of plated metal, shaped like an armadillo’s back. There were chairs here, or at least, raised platforms that could be used for seating and there were two stairways ahead, leading down on either end of the room. Everything was made out of rock except for the mysterious crates. “What do you think are in these?” Summer joined Bushido by his crate and gave it a kick. “It’s food,” came a voice and everyone turned around. From the staircase they had come from, a familiar Nugget Person with maroon cloth and red hair now stood, placing four fingers against her lower lip, while her other hand rested on her hip. “Not food you humans would enjoy, because we Nugget People can eat raw food without dying.” “Souyul…” Prism pushed past Jojo and Fuchsia and growled at her, before shaking a fist. “Ah, the rainbow one, yes, we meet again.” The Nugget Person clapped her hands together, then walked into the room, causing everyone to back up towards the two stairways leading down. “I must give you praise for your actions. Defeating a Herrakrie is of no easy task, and yet, Lowodda is no longer with us. Only the strongest of humans had been able to defeat us in the past, but yet you… you! Children! The male who released us had reason to fear you. But I do not. I have always thought of Lowodda as a weakling who used her deceptive tricks to gain victory in battle.” “You would talk like that about your own?” Summer cut one arm to the side, upset at what she was hearing. “You should at least treat your friends better.” “Please, we left our kind long ago to come to this pitiful world of yours.” Souyul waltzed over and sat herself on one of the stony platforms. “Mhagmea had plans far greater than our kind could ever hope for. And we had built a great empire indeed, until you humans rebelled against us and sealed us away. I trust her, but Lowodda has always been underhanded. It makes no difference that she’s gone, but you will not stop Mhagmea. Just like your friend, you will all die here by my hand.” “Not if I have anything to say about that!” Prism summoned her Stand in front of her, placing both hands together in front of herself, forming a triangle shape between them. “Guys, I’ll take her on.” “Yes, challenge me again…” Souyul chuckled, raising a finger skyward. “How many of your friends can you kill before you understand you cannot win?” “Prism, you can’t do this by yourself.” Summer stood next to her. “Pegasus Forever and I have you covered.” But Prism shook her head and motioned back. “No, Sushi. I have to do this. I have to right myself. I made mistakes before, but if I don’t learn from them, then I really don’t deserve to live. Please, leave this one to me. All of you, please trust me.” Jojo looked hesitant, but Summer was the first to nod and step back. “Let Prism do this.” “Are you sure, Sushi?” Bushido’s sword was already out of its sheath. “Together we are stronger.” “I have to do this.” Prism watched the Nugget Person sternly. “Gipsy would want that. She knew I would avenge her when the time was right. This is that time. I can do this. I’m gonna shove this Nugget Person so far up the butthole-” “You’re not saying that right…” Fuchsia interrupted her and snorted. “We get it. Just get on with it.” Prism nodded and put on a resolute smile before facing Souyul once again, Coldplay by her side, fists up and ready. “Grave Digger and I are ready for your challenge, human. But be warned, your grave has already been dug and all we’re doing is putting you in it…” Souyul swept her red hair back and formed a fist of fire. “Come, let us see what you’re really capable of.” “Coldplay, first move!” Prism thrust a hand forward, all fingers pointed in the same direction. Coldplay kicked one foot off the ground, then launched itself at Souyul as Grave Digger materialized above her head, holding its shovel in both hands. Prism eyed its orange hat on top of its head and thought it was dumb, using it as more motivation to completely destroy her for killing Gipsy. Coldplay aimed a blast of heat at Grave Digger, keeping its power low just in case as she tested the lengths of its shovel. As expected, the enemy Stand raised its weapon and absorbed the blast, spinning it upside down before swinging it back up, launching a blade of heat back at Prism and her Stand. Coldplay dodged out of the way before attempting it again, this time from both hands. However, Grave Digger simply moved its shovel from one end to the other, absorbing both projectiles before reflecting them back at them. Coldplay avoided one again, but Grave Digger had angled the second one in a better angle, cutting it across the thigh as it swooped to the left. Blood sprayed from Prism’s own leg as she fought against the pain, trying to ignore it. “Coldplay again!” She had an idea this time. Her Stand absorbed more heat from their surroundings, taking it from the rocky surfaces that bathed under the heat of the sun. Raising both hands, Coldplay thrust out a beam of heat from between its fingers, sending it spiraling in a helix towards Grave Digger, who with no effort, deflected it, sending it right back at both of them. As the beam of heat flew towards them, Prism had her Stand reduce the heat of the attack. Since it was a reflection of her attack against it, it should still be of the same qualities as it was before hitting its shovel. And that would mean she could still affect it. True to her theory, the heat blade shrank and shrank and when it finally reached Coldplay, it lifted a palm up and closed it around what was left of the attack, rendering it useless. “You can’t hurt me with my attacks. Not again.” Prism balled a fist and pointed it at the Nugget Person. “You think if my Stand cannot reflect your attacks that it is now harmless?” Souyul snapped her fingers. “Think again.” Grave Digger cackled and glided forward, its robes swishing behind its bony form as it pulled the shovel back for an attack. Coldplay found an open and attempted to deliver a strike to the Stand’s face, but its shovel came back around from its other side, passed from one hand to the other. It swung in under Coldplay’s fist and clubbed it in the side of the head, knocking it down as Prism fell to one side, clutching her head. Everything in her vision spun and her hand came away with blood. It was just a shovel, but that Stand hit harder than any punch she had ever received. It was a dangerous weapon even without deflecting attacks back. “Down already?” Souyul placed one hand over her mouth, feigning surprise. “I have fought humans who could take more than one hit from Grave Digger. But now you will join them, ferried away to the afterlife.” “N-No. This isn’t over…” Prism groaned and fixed her gaze on Souyul. Coldplay advanced again, avoiding another blow from the shovel before swinging a punch around it. Grave Digger curled back and brought the shovel between them, blocking the punch. In that small distance, it pushed its shovel forward, sending out a wave of white as it reflected the punch’s attack, smacking Coldplay in the chest with its own fist. What followed were blows from the left and right from its shovel, smashing its head into Coldplay’s face, shattering one of its goggled eyes, before spinning around and smacking it at the back of Coldplay’s left leg, making Prism’s Stand do a somersault before crashing into one of the pillars supporting the roof up. Prism fell back, bruised and bloody from her Stand’s damage, but she placed a hand down on her knee, preventing herself from falling flat. She couldn’t afford to lose, not when everyone counted on her, not when she had to bring justice for Gipsy’s death. “Everyone’s… counting on me to win…” Prism took an unsteady step forward, clutching at the side of her head as blood poured down her face from a cut. “Sushi, Jojo, Bushido, Gipsy… my mom… everyone on this planet… You won’t win, Souyul. It’ll… be you going down… to the afterlife…” “You can’t do anything against me or Grave Digger. Give it up and die.” Souyul bent back with laughter. It was then that she realized there was something off. She ran a hand down her back and came back with ice. “What are you doing?” “You… forgot…” Prism took another step forward. “Coldplay can… absorb heat from anything. That includes… your body.” “But you forgot I can do this.” Souyul clapped her hands together and her body burst into flames, her stubby horn extending in length as fire coursed through it. “You cannot freeze me.” “I might not… be able to. But I can still do something…” Prism smirked, one eye now closed as blood ran down over it. Grave Digger’s bones began to ice over as well, with frost spreading up its fingers and robes. “Your Stand wasn’t out the last time I tried to take away the heat from your bodies. I realized that your Stand couldn’t burn up like you Nugget People could. That would mean that it could still feel cold, and if it can, that means you can too.” Grave Digger attempted to swing its shovel again, but already, heat had left its body and being a skeleton-like Stand, there wasn’t much heat in the first place and Coldplay could easily see its attacks coming now. “You fool, I can still remove my Stand from the battlefield!” Souyul swiped a hand to the side and Grave Digger disappeared into thin air. “And with the eternal fire burning within me, you will never suck out all my heat! I can still kill you with my bare hands!” With that said, Souyul formed a long scythe in her hands, its entire length made of fire, the same fire that burned in place of her hair. She took a slice at Prism, who rolled out of the way as it slashed through a rock chair, cutting it clean in half. “That’s not what I’d call ‘bare hands’!” Prism said as she threw herself back from another slice, her skin feeling the heat as the scythe cut too close for comfort. She could feel the hairs on her arms being singed off. “It’s time you join the afterlife, foolish human! The Herrakries cannot be beaten!” Souyul snarled and raised her scythe back. “Wrong. You’ve been beaten before. Sealed away. By humans!” Prism stretched an arm out and Coldplay flew through her chest, delivering a powerful uppercut to the Nugget Person’s chin as she readied another attack. Souyul was thrown back, her scythe passing harmlessly through Coldplay. Whatever magic or power her internal flame was, it still wasn’t a Stand and only a Stand could harm a Stand. “I have you now!” Prism planted a finger in her pocket, then dangled the fingers of her other hand downwards, that arm stretched out. “If you bring out Grave Digger, Coldplay will take the heat from it, freezing it and eventually you. If you don’t have your Stand out, my Stand will pummel you to dust. You can’t win now!” Souyul glowered at Prism, but then a savage smile spread across the Nugget Person’s face. “We’ll see about that, human.” Souyul hopped backwards and summoned her Stand again. Before Coldplay could drain its heat, Souyul held her arms wide and Gravedigger sank into her skin, fastening its bony body around her like a vise and covering the Nugget Person’s head with its skull. The shovel was grasped in Souyul’s left hand and she spun it around experimentally before pointing it at Prism. “What?” Prism asked, Coldplay standing next to her like a guardian. “Did you just combine with your Stand?” “You’re brighter than you look, human. My Stand, Gravedigger, can become part of me in order to increase both our strengths. And to make it better, you can’t drain my Stand’s heat when it’s part of me like this!” Her fire blazed brighter than ever, her hair extending towards the sky as her eyes began to glow whiter. How combined with her Stand, that stupid hat Grave Digger had now sat atop her head, it and the robes somehow not getting burned up. The burning scythe in her hands had now been replaced with the shovel, which was now also on fire entirely. With astounding speed, Souyul suddenly rushed at Prism, who was only saved by her stumbling back as Gravedigger’s shovel cleaved the space that she had just been standing in. There was much Prism had to rethink about the fight now if she hoped to defeat Souyul.