//------------------------------// // Season 2, Episode 7: Return of the Masquerade // Story: The Omnitrix Hero // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// In a dark area, screams could be heard coming from a man. That man was being lifted into the air by streams of lightning, which wrapped around him and electrocuted him in the process. The lightning was coming from a metal staff with a serpentine dragon coiled around the top, which had multiple coins attached to it. He screamed at the top of his lungs, then stopped as his body went limp. In this moment, a flash of light appeared at his chest and something appeared from it. That something was a metal coin, which was dragged away from the man by the lightning. The man was dropped to the ground as the coin was pulled towards the staff, being carried by someone hidden in the darkness. When the coin reached the staff, it attached itself besides the other nine coins. The one holding the staff smirked. "And then there was one." It was another brilliant day in Canterlot and in the main street, a truck was making its way towards the hospital. It was currently carrying containers full of hydrogen, which would be used for medical and scientific purposes. But what the driver didn't know was that the intern that worked at his company, hadn't properly secured one of the straps holding a canister. As such, when he hit a pothole the strap snapped. The can was sent flying, the metal bouncing off the street and getting dented with every impact. Then, it hit the corner of a building and the can ripped open. An explosion filled the air. Luckily, nobody was around to be hurt by it. But the explosion caused the building to start to crack and break apart, making the place start to shake. The people inside screamed as dust began to fall from the ceiling, the lot of them terrified they were gonna end up crushed. But before the building could collapse, something pushed against it and propped it up. Many people ran out of the building and were amazed to see Riot-Horn, who was pushing against the building as hard as he could. And he wasn't alone, for the oddly dressed individual who had started appearing along with the aliens was also there. "Alright," he told the alien, "hold it as straight as you can." "I am," Riot-Horn stated. "But hurry up. This is heavy, even for me." The man nodded as he held up the odd-looking device, which suddenly transformed into a gun-like object. He pointed it at the part of the building that was destroyed by the explosion and pulled the trigger. A laser flew out and struck the spot, slowly rebuilding and remaking the destroyed brick and metal. It was a slow process, but bit by bit the building was repaired. And as it was, the last of the people evacuated the building. "And that...should...do it," the figure in the suit announced as he stopped firing. Riot-Horn stopped pushing at the building and stepped back, nodding as he looked up at the structure. The building was almost completely repaired. It would still need some work, but it should collapse before anyone can get out to fix it. The people around them all cheered, Riot-Horn and the figure waving at them and welcoming their thanks. At her house, Trixie was watching Flash and Shining save the day once again. As she did, someone else walked into the room carrying a bowl of chips. He was a plus skinned man with white hair, dressed in a tank-top and jeans. This was Trixie's father, Jackpot, who was a master magician and did great shows in some of the best cities in the country. But right now, he was just a dad spending time with his daughter. "Wow," Jackpot smirked, "those aliens saved the day again?" "Looks like it," Trixie nodded. "Guess we're lucky they're here." "And that other guy. The one in the weird suit with awesome tech. Wonder what people are gonna start calling him?" Trixie shrugged, wishing her father would talk about the other superhero Canterlot had had for a short time. "Well, let's put the movie in and have a fun night." Trixie nodded and as Jackpot moved over to their movie collection. As he did, she reached into her pocket and took out her phone. Looking through his images, she found some saved photos of herself back when she truly was Great and Powerful. Lady Masquerade. The one time in her life when she could do amazing things. All thanks to the Luna Cat Medallion she had somehow acquired. She still wondered sometimes, why that medallion had appeared to her. But for whatever reason, she had used it to become the amazing hero that had given Flash a run for his money. But now, she was back to being plain old Trixie. The power was back where it belonged and the one who attempted to steal it was behind bars. Sometimes she would look up at the stars and wonder about the world that Medallion had come from. What it looked like and how different it was from hers. And she also wondered what was happening over there. It was a peaceful night in the Luna Cat Kingdom, which was still recovering from the loss of its ruler and the attack that had led to that loss. Inside the palace, Prince Aareus was sitting on the throne looking at the mask that his mother used to wear. The Cat and moon symbol on it reflected into his eyes, as he remembered all the amazing things he had seen his mother do in the past. He then turned the mask around and placed it over his face, hoping that maybe this time it would work like it was supposed to. But it didn't. "Ahhh!" He stood up and pulled the mask from his face, then reached into his pocket and took out a crystal. Squeezing it, the crystal unleashed a light for formed a misty spiral. Inside that mist, an image appeared. Like a video on a mobile, he watched a recording of two individuals in this very room. "What did you do?" Devious asked, glaring at the recording of his mother "I renounced it," she told him. "The medallion is no longer mine." "You're a fool," Devious stated. "All you've done is shift the target to your son." Aareus wished that was true, as Devious spoke up. "Why are you smirking?" Aareus watched his mother close her eyes, as her thoughts had also been recorded. 'I'm smiling because whilst it could go to Aareus, there is another.' "Another..." He whispered, "that girl that had the mask. But why her?" Before he could think anything else, the doors flew open. "Your majesty!" Aareus saw a messenger rushing towards him, "another message has just arrived. This one's from the Dash Rabbit kingdom." Aareus' eyes went wide as he took the message and read it over, an expression of fear slowly forming on his face. "Does it say what I think is says?" Aareus moved over to the throne and sat down, "yes." He held his hands to his face, the mask continuing to hang from it. "Your highness," the messenger looked worried. "That makes eleven messages, all saying the same thing. The Medallions have all been stolen and yours is the only one left. If whoever's doing this manages to get the Luna Cat Medallion, the devastation will be like nothing we could possibly imagine." "I know that," Aareus looked at the mask and coin. "But what am I supposed to do? The Medallion will not lend its power to me. And if this person was able to take the rest of the medallions despite their powers, what chance do I have without one." He thought for a few moments and sighed, knowing there was only one option left. "I must return the Medallion to the only one who can actually use it." The next day. Flash was hanging out at the arcade, trying to beat his high-score on meteor blaster. "Yeah!" He cheered, watching the triangle spin around and shoot dots and the old approaching space rocks. "Take that! And that and that!" He saw he was only a few hundred points form beating his record. "That's it. So long as nothing distracts me, this record will be mine!" In another part of town, the people of Canterlot were going about their daily business. However, that business was interrupted when a mighty flash of light caught their attention. Said light spiralled around, forming a portal that grew larger and larger by the second. Of course, many people who lived in Canterlot were used to this kind of thing. As such, they knew that when something like this happened, it was best to turn and run. Which is what many people did. They ran and screamed, several calling the police to be ready in case something flew out and started attacking. Flash watched as his score grew higher and higher. Any minute now, he was gonna beat his record. But in that moment, his phone rang. This distracted him and he missed a meteor, which slammed into his ship and exploded. "NOOOOO!" He cried, seeing he had only been one rock away. He quickly pulled his phone out and saw it was Shining answer, the teen answering him in a huff. "Yes?" "Flash, we've got a situation." Aareus stepped through the portal as it slowly began to vanish behind him. The prince looked around, amazed at the many sights and sounds around him. The last time he was in this universe, he was too focused on capturing Devious and reclaiming the Medallion to really take in everything around him. But now, he was in utter awe. Moving out of the street that the portal had been in, he found normal people who were looking at him funny. The prince raised an eyebrow at this, wondering why they were looking at him. "Do they know that I'm royalty?" Had he taken a closer look, he would have realised everyone was looking at him because of how he was dressed. Nobody else was wearing medieval clothes, armor and had a sword strapped to their side. He continued down the street, but stopped when he saw a big screen TV on the side of a building. "So they have giants here," he stated when he saw a woman on the screen holding up a bottle of soda. "Giants that like holding up big green bottles. Guess this world isn't so strange after all." But as he said that, syrens caught his attention and made him look around. Police cruisers rushed into the scene and skidded to a stop around him. Police got out and looked him over, as Aareus drew his sword and activated his shield. "Alright renaissance fair," a cop stated. "Drop the sword and put your hands on your head." "You dare command a prince!" He growled, getting ready to cut this fool's tongue out. "Oh boy," the cop reached for his taser. "Wonder how many meds they forgot to give this one." But before a fight could break out, something happened. A rush of wind flew passed the cop and came to a stop in front of Aareus. XLR8 stood before him and looked the prince over, "hey." He stood straight and his visor flew up, "I know you. You're that Prince guy. The one that took away Devious." Aareus tilted his head. "Have we met before?" XLR8 would have answered, but noticed the cop looking upset. "Relax man. This guy's cool. I'm...just gonna take him." Before either could reply, XLR8 grabbed him and zipped off. He heard the cop yell out behind him, but ignored him as he flew through the streets and into an alleyway. Once they were behind a dumpster, he put a queasy looking Aareus down. "Oh," the prince stagger forward and looked ready to hurl. "Yeah, sorry about that. You'll get used to it. Anyway, my friend Diamondhead was at the fight with that Devious guy. I was watching the whole thing, so I know who you are. Luna Cat Kingdom Prince." "Good," Aareus took a deep breath, "at least I won't have any problems with you." "So what are you doing here? Canterlot's great, but there are better ways to take a vacation." "I'm not here on vacation." Aareus then took something out. The Luna Cat Mask. "I've come because I need to talk to the girl who had this mask before." "Oh," XLR8 nodded. "Okay. Hold on." "Wha-" Was all he got to say before XLR8 grabbed him and zipped the prince out of the alleyway. They shot through the city at high speed, Aareus barely managing to hold onto the mask as they did. It only took them a few minutes to get to the suburbs that Trixie lived in, reaching her street and arriving at her front door. XLR8 dropped Aareus at the front door and zipped into the area between the house and next door. The darkness of the shadows kept him hidden, whilst Aareus once again fought to stop himself from puking. He quickly knocked, hoping this girl was actually in here and he wasn't knocking on some rando's door. But as he heard movement on the other side, a voice spoke up. "Who is it?" XLR8 suddenly shot back to the front of the door, "it's me!" Trixie opened the door and was surprised to see him, XLR8 running inside. "Your dad around?" Trixie would have answered no, but then she saw Aareus and gasped as she remembered him. "Yeah, brought you someone who wants to see you. If you don't mind, gonna get a drink." He rolled into the kitchen, whilst Trixie stared at the prince. "May I come in?" He asked, Trixie stepping aside and allowing him to enter her home. "Nice place. Always interested in the dwelling of peasants." As he said that, a beeping sound caught their attention before a flash of light came from the kitchen. "What was that?" He reached for his sword, but Flash stepped into view carrying class of water. "Relax," Trixie told him, "that was just Flash turning back to normal." Flash gave her a look. "What, how was I supposed to explain you being here and the alien raptor not? Besides, he comes from an entirely different universe. Hardly gonna be able to blab." Flash shrugged, "true." Aareus looked confused, as Trixie led him into the living room. As he did, Flash took out his phone. "I'll text Shining and tell him what happened. He'll probably have a few questions for you." Aareus nodded at this as he looked around the room, curious at all the modern devices he saw. He then noticed a picture on the mantelpiece and moved over to take a look, seeing a younger Trixie being held up by Jackpot. "Is this your father?" Trixie nodded, "what about your mother?" That statement got a frown the girl, who sat on the couch. "I don't know. She abandoned me when I was born." Flash looked at her in shock, clearly not being privy to this detail. "According to my dad, he found me on his doorstep one night. Apparently, he had a bit too much fun when he was younger. Can't even guess who my mother really is." "Ouch," Flash sighed, "I'm sorry to hear that. Why didn't you ever say anything?" Trixie shrugged, "I guess it was the one thing about Trixie she didn't want anyone to know about. Didn't want anyone looking at her in pity." "I can understand how you feel," Aareus sat on a chair opposite her. "I never got to know my father. My mother refused to tell anyone who he was. Even me." "Wasn't she the queen?" Flash asked, Aareus nodded. "How could she have a kid and not have the father known. Doesn't being born out of wedlock make you illegitimate to the throne?" Aareus looked at him like he was crazy. "That's stupid. Just because my parents weren't married doesn't diminish my rights to the throne. I don't know how this kind of thing works in your world, but in mine the throne can go to anyone who's deemed worthy." Flash nodded, understanding that. "And to answer your question, I don't know who my father is because my mother was missing when I was born." The pair didn't get that. "Before she took the throne, she went on a soul searching journey of some kind. A year after she left, she returned with me in her arms." "I see," Trixie nodded before shaking her head. "We're clearly getting off topic. Why are you here?" Aareus shook his head, refocusing himself. "Right." He reached into his pocket and took the Luna Cat Mask out, Trixie's eyes going wide. "This is why I'm here." He held the mask out and Trixie, slowly, reached out and took it from him. Just holding the former source of her great power made her feel a rush of strength and confidence. "Put it on." Trixie was shocked, but Aareus nodded. She took a deep breath and placed the mask over her face. And in a flash of light, she was suddenly transformed into the cat-themed costume she had once been famous for wearing. Lady Masquerade had returned. Aareus sighed, "it's still bound to you." "What do you mean?" "When my mother renounced her claim on the mask, she did so to keep Devious from getting his hands on it. Somehow, it managed to traverse worlds and came here. I thought it only did that to keep Devious from getting it, but even after he was captured the mask refused to give its power to me. It's supposed to only share its power to those that are connected to the previous wielder. So why has it bound to you?" "I don't know," Trixie swore. "But...if you really need it, I could renounce it like your mother did." Aareus sighed, "that could work. But who's to say it'll come to me? It passed over me once, it could do so again and go to someone else completely random. Besides, I don't have time to learn to control it." "Don't have time?" Flash asked. "What, is there a countdown to mastering it after the previous wielder's death?" "No, but someone's coming after it." That got them concerned. "They've already managed to get the other Medallions and now, only this one is left." "Other Medallions?" They both asked, Trixie continuing her question. "There are other Medallions that grant powers?" "Yes. Twelve in total. Legends says that a great god existed in my world centuries ago, who had the power to rewrite reality with the blink of an eye. Many people feared its wrath, so a mighty army came together and managed to slay the god. His power was then split into twelve pieces, each one embodying a particular power the god wielded." "And those pieces became the Medallions?" Flash guessed, Aareus nodding. "When the Medallions were created, each of them suddenly bonded to a warrior the power it granted best synced with. These twelve individuals could sense that the Medallions, when brought together, could use the same reality warping powers of the god. That's why, they each chose to split apart. Each of them took a Medallion and anyone who wished to follow them and journeyed across the land. And eventually, each of them settled in an area that they turned into the twelve kingdoms." "And each kingdom has a Medallion?" Flash asked, "in the possession of the king or queen." Aareus nodded again. "The ruler of the kingdom's sacred duty is to protect the Medallions. To keep them separated from the others in order to prevent reality from being changed." "But what's the big deal with changing reality?" Trixie asked, "sounds like something anyone would want to do." "Are you nuts?" Flash asked, "imagine if some idiot got that kind of power. They could turn the sea into lava, make humans have no eyes or who knows what else. Nobody should have that kind of power." "And that's just the ethical implications," Aareus stated. "If the legends are true, bringing all twelve Medallions together will end the world." That made the pair worry, as Aareus stood up and moved over to the window. "In order to change something in this world, you must first break down what was in its place. The Medallions don't just change a single thing in the world. They destroy the entire world and rebuild a new one with the changes asked for." Flash and Twilight realised what he was say. "And...everyone in the world when it was destroyed?" "Would die," Aareus told Trixie. "They would be blinked out of existence and replaced with an exact copy. But it still wouldn't be them. At least, that's how the legend goes." Flash gulped. "Well I for one would rather not test to see if that part of the legend is true." They both nodded, as Trixie reached up and touched the Medallion she was wearing. "This is the only one left?" "All the others have been stolen," Aareus turned to her. "If it's all by the same person, we can't risk this Medallion falling into their hands." He moved over and knelt down in front of her. "Trixie Lulamoon. You were chosen by the Medallion to be its wielder. I don't know why, but there must have been a reason. What I'm asking you is a big deal, but please...keep this Medallion safe." Trixie took the mask off, reverting back to her normal appearance, and looked at the Medallion. "But, am I worthy? Last time I had this, I let the power go to my head. What if I do the same thing now? What if the power corrupts me and I try and take the other Medallions myself?" "I won't let that happen," Flash promised her. He stepped forward and showed her the Omnitrix. "You believed I could use this for good when I first got it and you've saved my butt countless times. You are worthy and the Medallion can see it." Trixie smiled at him. "And it won't just be me helping you. Shining, Twilight, all the Rainbooms will wanna help. Together, we'll beat whoever's coming after these Medallions and take'em down." "Thanks Flash," Trixie nodded. She then placed the mask back on her face and transformed back into her super-powered form, feeling much more comfortable then she had before. "Alright, so what's the plan?" "We'll need to tell the others," Flash pointed out. "But I think the best idea for you is to not be alone without me or someone else. Whoever took those Medallions must have some way of beating them without a fight. If they didn't, they wouldn't have been able to take the Medallions in the first place." Trixie frowned, thinking back to when she had fought Devious. She had been so confident when she faced him, but that magic nullifying crystal had made her and the Rainbooms completely useless. If this person had one of those, she was gonna be in serious trouble. "I don't think I should be alone," Trixie stated. "If they have a way of stopping the Medallion's power, I'll need someone to help and undo whatever they do." Flash nodded in agreement, hoping Shining got there soon. Aareus was almost in agreement, only to suddenly turn his gaze to the window pointing out at the street. "Someone's coming." This confused the pair, only for a bright light to catch their attention. They rushed outside, as a portal just like the one Aareus had come through appeared. And from it stepped a figure they all recognised. "Devious," the prince growled. It was Devious, wearing a costume similar to what he wore last time. Only this time, he was dressed in a red overcoat with patterns that depicted orange flames, yellow lightning bolts, blue snowflakes and green gusts of wind. His overcoat was closed at the top, opening up just above the waist with black pants and boots along with yellow gloves. HIs head was almost completely covered by a red mask that covered all but his mouth and eyes, which had a dragon-head attached to the forehead with the rest hidden under his red hood. He was carrying a long metal staff with a serpentine dragon coiled around the top, which had multiple coins attached to it. He looked around and quickly spotted the three, who got into a fighting stance. "Lady Masquerade. I've been hoping I would have the honour to seeing you again." "What's this guy doing here?" Flash asked, "I thought we dealt with him." Aareus growled, "he escaped before he could be brought to trial. I should have known you were the one behind this." He stared at the mask he was wearing, noting the medallion inside the dragon's mouth that was gold with a dragon emblazoned on it. "The Radiant Dragon Medallion." Devious smiled as he reached up to rub his fingers over the coin. "I'll admit, whilst the Luna Cat Medallion is my birthright, this medallion really speaks to me." He pointed the staff at Trixie. "Now, give me your medallion." "Not gonna happen!" Trixie cried, "I know this is all you need to complete your insane ritual." She pulled out her belt and transformed it into her staff, "I'm not gonna let you do that!" She charged forward, swinging the staff around whilst the medallion's power made copies of her. But Devious' medallion glowed as he swung his staff around, unleashing a stream of fire that flew towards the Trixie army. The fakes all ran into the flames and disappeared, whilst the real one used her staff to pole-vault over it. She let out a scream as she swung her staff towards him, but Devious thrust out his hand and created a powerful gust of wind. "Augh!" She was thrown backwards and crashed into the ground, Aareus rushing over to her. "The Radiant Dragon Medallion gives its wielder control over the elements. Fire, ice, wind and lightning." "Oh," Trixie moaned, "couldn't have said that sooner?" Flash looked around and, seeing nobody else in sight, activated the Omnitrix and slammed it down. Aareus looked around and was shocked to see Flash be replaced by a wolf, snake, bear hybrid. "Let's rock and whirl!" He leapt forward, curling into his tire form and rolling towards the villain. Devious thrust his staff forwards and launched a blast of fire and lightning towards him, but they simply bounced off Lindwhirl's impenetrable hide as he got closed. Devious was forced to leap to the side, using a blast of wind to propel him away from Lindwhirl. The alien quickly used his claws to cut into the ground and curve around, once again launching himself at Devious. This time, the psychotic magician hit the ground with his staff and created an ice ramp. Lindwhirl couldn't stop in time and was thrown into the air, flying straight up. Devious smiled, but then saw Lindwhirl stop and begin to fall towards him. As he did, he uncurled himself and started spinning in a tornado fashion. And as Devious leapt to the side, Trixie suddenly appeared and struck him in the face with her staff. "Augh!" He was thrown into his ice ramp and bounced off it, as Lindwhirl reached him. But before he could slash at him, Devious created an ice dome that shielded him. Lindwhirl slashed at the ice, tearing it apart, but didn't hit Devious as he leapt out of the only hole the dome had. Aareus watched this and frowned, wishing he could help. However, against Devious he wouldn't stand a chance. "Mother was the best sorceress of her age, why am I so bad at it?" As Devious fired lightning at Trixie, he had had enough and pulled out his sword and shield. "Raaaaah!" Devious saw him running at him, but rolled his eyes and thrust his hands forward. This unleashed a powerful gust of wind, which struck Aareus and threw him backwards. He cried out as he slammed into the side of Trixie's house, falling into the bushes in front. "Watch yourself, junior. The big kids are playing." He dodged Lindwhirl's slash and blocked the second with his staff, whilst Trixie leapt behind him and thrust her staff towards his back. But Devious ducked down and the staff struck Lindwhirl's chest, making him flinch as Devious kicked upwards and knocked the staff from her hands. He then spun around and his feet unleashed burst of wind, pushing the pair backwards. Lindwhirl used this momentum to curl up and spin, turning into a tire that flew towards Devious. "Now I gotcha!" "You've got nothing!" Devious created another ice ramp, this one structured so Lindwhirl was sent flying over his head. Lindwhirl caught Trixie's eyes as he did and the pair knew what the other was thinking, Trixie using her illusion as Lindwhirl took a breath. "Flame on!" He roared and a blast of fire flew from his mouth, which soared towards Devious. He leapt to the side to avoid it, but the fireball struck the ground and exploded into several more fireballs. Devious' eyes went wide as he started to avoid them, but these smaller flames followed him wherever he went. "Stop it!" He swung his staff around, unleashed a wave of wind. But the fireballs flew through it without a problem. This made Devious raise an eyebrow and he let the flames slam into him, but they simply phased through him. "Nice try!" He launched a blast of lightning towards Trixie, who spun her staff around to avoid it. As this was happening, Jackpot was driving home. He pulled into the street and instantly stopped when he saw what was going on. He watched as Lady Masquerade was fighting against Devious, the pair slamming their staffs into one another. He got a look at the female fighter and when he saw her, his eyes went wide. "Beatrice!" He got out and rushed towards the scene, "what's happening?" This caught everyone's attention, as Trixie's eyes went wide. "Dad, get out of here!" She covered her mouth, realising she had let the cat out of the bag. Devious heard this and smirked, the man thrusting his hand forward and blasting her back with wind. Her father gasped at this and before he could act, Devious was upon him. "Augh!" He was suddenly zapped by lightning and fell to his knees, as Devious grabbed him by the hair and held the flaming staff tip to his face. Trixie, Aareus and Lindwhirl pushed themselves up, only to see Trixie's father in trouble. "NO!" Trixie cried, getting up and rushing forward. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Devious told her before the flames drew closer to her father, making him hiss. "Now, I think we can come to an agreement. Hand over the Luna Cat Medallion." "Luna...Cat?" Her father grunted. He looked at Trixie, who stood there and appeared to actually be considering it. "You can't!" He looked over at Aareus and his eyes went wide. "If you give him the Medallion, you'll be playing right into his hands." Trixie still remained where she was, as Devious laughed. "Oh, this is beautiful. You would actually give up your power for your father. How pathetic. This is why things like love and friendship are weaknesses. They make you vulnerable." "True." A voice behind him spoke up before Devious suddenly felt an intense impact and burning in his back, making him cry out and loosen his grip on Jackpot. The man quickly rolled away and ran to his daughter, as she and the others looked behind Devious. "But they can also help you get out of a vulnerable spot," Shining stated as he was dressed in his plumber suit. "Trixie!" Jackpot ran to her, "what's happening here? Why are you dressed like that?" Trixie wasn't sure how to answer that, but Devious' growls made her look back at him as he picked himself up. He turned to Shining and got ready to blast him, but before he could he sensed something flying towards him. Looking around, his eyes went wide at the sight of Lindwhirl rolling towards him. And before the magician could stop him, the alien unfurled and smashed his tail into him. He cried out as he was knocked flying backwards, crashing into Jackpot's car. "Ha!" Lindwhirl smirked, "now we got you." He, Shining and Trixie stood in line, each ready to use their powers to take him down. But before they could, the Omnitrix beeped and he transformed back. "Ah!" Flash groaned, "great." "Don't worry," Shining assured him. "Lady Masquerade and I can take him out." But as he said that, Devious raised his staff and created a massive fireball right in front of him. It grew bigger and bigger by the second, the heat forcing the three to step backwards. "Gyah!" Flash groaned, "so hot!" They moved over to where Jackpot and Aareus were, the lot of them knowing getting hit by that fireball was gonna be big trouble. Seeing no other choice, Aareus reached into his pocket and pulled something out. A crystal. He threw the crystal behind them and it shattered, the light it unleashed swirling together to form a portal. He then grabbed Trixie and threw her through the portal, Trixie crying out as she vanished. He did the same with Jackpot, whilst Flash and Shining decided that was better than getting roasted. As Devious fired the attack, the three leapt through the portal and it vanished. The fireball struck the ground and exploded, shaking the ground. When the smoke vanished, Devious saw his prey were gone. "You can try and run, but I'll find you. And that Medallion will be mine." Trixie cried out as she fell through the portal onto a carpeted floor, her father following behind her. Flash, Shining and Aareus jumped through the portal and it closed behind them, the lot sighing in relief. "That was too close," Flash then looked around. "Where are we?" The others looked around and saw the room was a large throne made of marble, with the Luna Cat symbol on many tapestries along with stain glass windows. "You're in the Luna Cat Kingdom's throne-room," Aareus moved over to a throne. "We should be safe here for a little while, since Devious won't be able to warp directly into this room like us." They nodded as they continued to look around, only for Jackpot to come to a complete stop when he saw something. Flash noticed this and followed his gaze, which was on a large portrait that was hanging behind the throne. It depicted a stunning woman with pink skin and silvery blue hair, wearing a mask Flash instantly knew. "Who is she?" Flash gestured to the portrait, Aareus looking at it and sighing. "That's my mother. The Former Queen of the Luna Cat Kingdom. Miragina Saintworthy." They all focused on the picture and Flash saw how Jackpot was staring at her. It was a look someone gave to someone special, that they hadn't seen in a long time. "Do you...know her?" Everyone focused on Jackpot, who continued to stare at the picture. Yes, Jackpot did know her. He was reminded of a time from his past. A time he knew he would need to tell his daughter about when he saw her in that costume and when he saw Aareus. "It was almost twenty years ago." A younger Jackpot was standing on a stage, dressed in a magician's outfit much like his daughter would wear in the years to come. "Now," he told the man on stage with him, "pick a card." He held up a bunch of cards and the man took one, "look at it and put it back in the deck!" He did so and Jackpot started shuffling them before walking over to a table. "Now," he put the deck down before lifting a large box onto it, "watch as I destroy all but the card my young friend picked." He took out a wand and slammed the end onto the box, which suddenly burst into flames. The fire was only meant to burn up the box and cards and drop the fireproof card in their place. But instead, the flames flew outwards and set the rest of the stage on fire. "Uh oh," he gulped before stomping on the ground to try and put the fire out. But the flames spread too quickly and soon, the entire stage was set alight. "Not good." "Get him!" The owner of the club yelled as Jackpot ran out of the back entrance, carrying his box of magic stuff with him and barely managing to keep hold of his hat. The club's employees ran after him, ready to make him pay for the damage done to the club. Jackpot ran into the night, not daring to stop or look back. He dived into an alleyway and then into another and another, slowly losing his pursuers. After an hour of running, he was finally comfortable enough to stop. Now he was just walking through the street, exhausted, unpaid and likely not to get another magic gig ever. He groaned as he looked up at the full moon, wondering if he was ever gonna get his big break or be stuck in his menial dead end job for the rest of his life. But then, a light caught his attention from between two buildings. Deciding to take a chance, he let his curiosity get the better of him and moved to the entrance of the alley to look inside. What he saw was a swirling spiral of light, which was floating in the middle of the alleyway. Jackpot stared at it in amazement, that amazement doubling when a figure appeared within the light. That figure was a woman, who was around his age with pink skin and silvery blue hair. She was dressed oddly, wearing a medieval dress that was white with brown around the chest and running down the sides. The young woman stood there and as the light faded, she staggered forwards and looked like she was gonna fall face-first into a puddle. Jackpot's eyes went wide as he rushed forward and caught her, "you okay?" The woman moaned, "I'm okay. Just a little woozy. That portal wasn't exactly stable." "Portal?" Jackpot asked, wondering who the heck this was. But before he could ask her, she closed her eyes and seemed to fall unconscious. "Hey! Hey, wake up!" But she didn't, which worried him. "Great. Now what do I do?" The first thing Miragina felt when she woke up was a strange uncomfortable surface below her. Her eyes flickered open and she found herself laying on one of the lumpiest beds she had ever been on. She picked herself up and looked around, seeing she was inside a small room. She thought it was some kind of dungeon, given how sparse it was, but she was actually inside Jackpot's apartment. Speaking of Jackpot, she noticed him sleeping on the ground at the other end of the room. As she rolled on the bed, it let out a creaking noise loud enough to wake the man up. "Wha?" He sat up and looked around, only to see her. "Oh, that wasn't a dream." She frowned at this, as the man picked himself up and started stretching his body. "Where are we?" She asked, as he moved over to a strange white box. "Have we been captured? Imprisoned?" "No," he told her, "this is my apartment. I know it isn't much, but it's better then nothing." He opened the box's door and looked inside, "fraid I can't offer you much. Some milk, few cucumbers and a jar of stuff that was in the fridge when I moved in." "Why am I here?" She asked. "You collapsed," he told her. "You might be a stranger, but I couldn't exactly just leave you passed out in the middle of the street. But you're awake, so you're not my problem anymore." She frowned at this. "You're very rude." "I've had a rough week," he pulled out the cucumber and started eating it. "Made even weirder when some strange lady staggers out of something she calls a portal before collapsing. What the heck even was that back there." "It's as I said. A portal. An unstable one, but I'm sure I'll improve with practise." "Right. Portal. Sorry, but that kind of thing doesn't happen unless you're in a sci-fi or fantasy movie. So what was it really?" She frowned. "LIke I said, it's a portal. If you don't have transport magic in this world, how do you get around." "If you can afford it, a car. If you're me, you walk. But what did you say. Magic? Like...real magic?" She rolled her eyes and reached into her dress pocket, taking out a small red crystal. He raised an eyebrow as she rubbed her finger over it, then held that finger up to show a flame appear on the tip of it. His eyes went wide and he slowly moved closer, staring at the flame and feeling the heat coming off it. He knew enough about illusions to realise this was no trick. She was casting some kind of spell and making fire. "How...who are you?" "Miragina Sinclair," she replied. "Princess of the Luna Cat Kingdom." "Luna Cat Kingdom? Wait, you're a princess?" She nodded, "what the heck are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in some big castle, living the life of luxury or something?" She rolled her eyes. "Being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be. I just...needed some time away from being royalty. I knew I couldn't escape in my world, so I used a dimension spell to travel to this one." She reached into her pocket and took out another crystal, "this'll let me go home when I'm ready to." "Huh," he nodded, "that's cool. I'm Jackpot by the way." "Nice to meet you," she nodded before pointing at the cloths hanging from the door. "I take it from your outfit that you are some kind of court jester." Jackpot frowned, but honestly couldn't deny that given how he felt. "I'm trying to be an entertainer," he moved to the door and took his magic stuff down. "Real magic doesn't exist here, so people are a lot more impressed by things they can't blame on magic." He turned to her, "but I'm not as good as I'd like to be." He could see Miragina looking ready to say something out of pity. "But that's beside the point. The real question is, what do you plan to do now?" "What do you mean?" "I mean, you're a princess. I'm guessing you don't know much about how peasants like me live. And I'm guessing your world doesn't have stuff like the almighty dollar. So basically, you're broke." She frowned, clearly not happy to hear that but nodding. She had come to this world without actually thinking about what she might do. "Well, I guess you can stay here until you get yourself sorted out." She looked up at him in amazement. "But you're gonna get a job and pay your way, got it princess." "Of course," she nodded. "I'll do whatever I need to." "So...aside from magic, what kind of skills do you have?" "Um...I can sow." Jackpot frowned, wondering if there were any jobs around that could use that skill. But he couldn't think of a thing. "Anything else?" They spent the entire day discussing what Miragina could actually do, but alas it appeared her skills were limited. Jackpot also had to teach her about many modern things that her world didn't have, such as motor vehicles, TV and anything else that might make her have a panic attack when she saw it. For the first week of her being there, she failed at cooking, cleaning, buying groceries and anything a person needed to be able to do to survive. On the seventh day of her being there, she and Jackpot were sitting on her bed eating takeout. "Umm," she smiled, "this is so good. I wish we had stuff like this back home." Jackpot chuckled. "it's been a week since you left. Won't people start worrying about you?" "I doubt it. Probably hasn't even been a day over there." Jackpot raised an eyebrow at this. "I picked this world because its time is out of sync with my world. One day on the other side could be weeks on this side. That's why I came here. I could spend ages on this side having fun and get back home before they can think to look for me in this one." "Wow," Jackpot whispered, "that's sounds so cool. You could end up going home looking older than your parents if you're not careful." "True. And the time sync constantly changes. In about five or ten years in this world, the time will shift so it's in perfect balance with mine. And in another decade or so, it'll shift again so that time will move quicker in my world." "Huh," Jackpot held his head, "I'm confused." "Of course you are," she smiled. "Basically, it'll be months before they realise that I'm likely in another universe. And that could be years on this world. Plenty of time for me to enjoy myself and not have to worry about being a princess." "No. Instead, you just have to worry about starving to death and not paying the rent on time." Miragina turned to give him a smirk, whilst continue to eat her takeout. As it turned out, Miragina managed to get a job two days later. It turned out she was incredibly talented in hairstyling, which was something she enjoyed doing back home as her servants often showed her different styles and how to make them. She got a job at a beauty parlour and became one of the best employees there. By the end of her first week, she was completely booked up with people wanting her to work her magic again on them. With both of them working, they were able to afford much more comforts in living. They were able to get their own TV and Miragina enjoyed watching soaps and romance movies. She also started learning how to properly cook and clean, with Jackpot helping teach her more amazing things about his world. He took her to an amusement park, taught her how to drive a car and even managed to set up a bank account so she could get her own credit card. Day after day, Miragina became more and more used to the world she now called home. And it wasn't just Jackpot showing her things. Miragina might have been able to do real magic, but she became just as fascinated by the illusions and tricks Jackpot tried to master. And as he showed her some of his tricks, she noticed what he was doing wrong. A few suggestions from her and Jackpot's tricks became more and more amazing. She also helped him come up with some new tricks, which Jackpot was able to master with her help and amaze the crowds of parks and streets. He was so good, that he even managed to get a job at a child's birthday. Miragina had agreed to be his lovely assistant, and help if anything went wrong, resulting in her wearing an amazing red dress covered in sparkles. The performance was amazing and the kids absolutely loved all of his tricks, with one of the parents in the audience happening to own a club Jackpot hadn't been banned from. He offered to give him a trial run, Jackpot gladly accepting and thanking Miragina for helping him get this far. Miragina felt great pride for helping him, but there was something else she felt when he hugged her. As the months together had passed, something inside her heart had begun to grow for the princess. What started as the embers of friendship, slowly grew into a mighty wildfire of emotion. "Cheers," the two tapped their glasses together as they sat in their much more lavished apartment. "Hard to believe it's been a year since we met," Jackpot smiled as they took a drink. "Yeah," Miragina nodded. "and I'm curious how long it's been back home." "Oh," Jackpot frowned, "are you...wanting to go back." She shook her head, "not yet. I do miss it, but I love this place just as much." Jackpot smiled as they both enjoy the pizza they had bought to celebrate. "So here's something interesting. One of my regulars tried to set me up with their brother." "Oh?" Jackpot's appetite suddenly vanished. "And...what did you tell her?" "I told her no thanks," she replied. "She was wondering why not and asked if I had a boyfriend. Of course, I said no. She then asked if there was anyone I had feeling for and was waiting to be asked out by." "And..." "I said yes." Jackpot's eyes went wide. "I told her there was this one guy in my life I really liked, who I think might like me back. But, he doesn't seem to have the guts to ask me out." "Oh," Jackpot nodded, "what did she have to say about that." "She gave me this big speech about not letting a boy decide when a relationship starts. That if I'm sure he likes me, I should bite my nerve and make the first move. And she's right. I've decided the next time I see this guy, I'm gonna kiss him square on the lips." "I see," Jackpot nodded. "Well, I hope he makes you happy." Miragina nodded, "he really does." She then closed her eyes, confusing him. But when she opens her eyes, her head flew forward and her lips met his. Jackpot was surprised by this, unable to believe it was happening. But slowly, the surprise was replaced by great joy as he started kissing her back. The two hugged one another and continued to kiss, their pizza completely forgotten. "Ladies and gentlemen!" A man cried as he stood on stage. "Please give a great round of applause to the Amazing Jackpot and his lovely assistant, Miragina!" The crowd cheered as the pair came out onto the stage, Jackpot quickly doing so amazing magical tricks. He put Miragina in a box and somehow teleported her into another box. He put her into another box, which suddenly caught fire and burned into nothingness with Miragina gone. He then held up a large sack that was empty, only to somehow pull out a large box. He showed it was completely light and opened it to show she wasn't inside, only to then put it down and open it up again before helping her climb out. The crowd cheered at the amazing magic, which continued for almost two hours. It was an amazing show, the best Jackpot had ever done. And when it was time to leave, the crowd were applauding like he had never gotten before. The two ran offstage and laughed as they did so, Jackpot pulling her into a kiss as they did so. They then headed off the to dressing rooms, leaving half an hour later and rushing out the back exit. Running out onto the street, the many sights and sounds around them were something they would never forget. They were in the sin city, having been invited there after a one of their magic performances was put on the internet and went viral. They could now enjoy a night they would never forget, with the person they loved more than anyone else. Miragina was sitting on a couch, knitting something as she did so. Someone then walked into the living room she was in, that someone being Jackpot carrying a large box. He put it with a bunch of other boxes, wiping his brow as he did so. Miragina smiled at his, only to flinch and drop what she was knitting. Doing so revealed a round stomach, which she clutched as Jackpot moved over to her. "You okay?" "Yes," she nodded, "she's just kicking." Jackpot smiled, "what do you mean she?" He reached out and placed a hand on her stomach, "my family's always had boys born first. He's showing off what a great football player he's gonna be." "Don't be silly. It's a mother's instinct to know what she's having. There's a girl in here. I can assure you." Jackpot smiled as just kept feeling her stomach and eventually felt a kick. "Doesn't matter what we have. They'll be amazing." Miragina nodded, as she rubbed her stomach. "Because their mother will be amazing." She smiled and kissed before Jackpot leaned forward and kissed her, then turned to unpack the boxes. Cries filled the house as a very tired Miragina laid in her bed, panting after the stressful and painful experience. Jackpot was in a chair next to her, holding a pair of blankets in his arms. Each one held a beautiful newborn baby, one a boy and one a girl. He could hardly believe it. He was a father. "They're amazing." Miragina smiled, "and it looks like we were both right." Jackpot laughed as they tried to think of names for them. "Aareus," she suggested as Jackpot placed the boy in her arms. "The first king of the Luna Cat Kingdom was Aareus. I think that's the perfect name for him." Jackpot nodded as he held his daughter, an name coming into his head. "Beatrice." She looked at him, "it was my mother's name, but she shortened it to Trixie." He smiled at her, "you certainly pulled quite an appearing act on us. We weren't expecting two." Miragina nodded, liking that name. Aareus and Beatrice were placed in the crib, both sleeping peacefully whilst the new parents kissed. Things were perfect. They had the perfect life and the perfect family. And as long as things stayed perfect, they would always be happy. Jackpot arrived home and was looking forward to spending the night with his lover and children. But as he walked into the living room, he saw Miragina on the couch with a gloom look on her face. "What's wrong?" He moved over to place a hand on her shoulder, but noticed she had something in her hands that she was looking at. He looked down and saw it was a mask of some kind, with a coin that had a cat and moon on it. Memories of the stories she told him came to his head. "Is this..." "The Luna Cat Medallion," she whispered. "It showed up an hour ago." "What does this mean?" "I don't know." Miragina sniffed, "it could mean my father renounced it. But...there's another reason it would come to me. If he...he..." "Oh," Jackpot looked down, "I see." "I have to go home," she stated. "The Medallion has chosen me. I'm no longer a princess." "You're a queen," Jackpot stated. Miragina nodded, "alright. When do we leave?" She looked at him in shock, "you think I wouldn't go with you. I love you and I'm not gonna stay whilst you go rule a kingdom all on your lonesome." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "you helped me become the magician I couldn't be on my own. Now let me help you become the queen you need to be." Miragina shook her head, "I can't." She got up and left. "I can't take you with me." "Why not?" Jackpot asked. "Many reasons. For one, the crystal I need to go home wouldn't be able to handle carrying us all. You, me and the twins. It wouldn't be able to handle it. It could maybe take the two of us or me and one of the kids, but not all of us." Jackpot frowned, but knew there had to be a way around it. "And what would you do in my world? You don't know anything about ruling a kingdom. You can't use magic and in my world, your skills wouldn't impress anyone. You would have nothing to do." "I'd find something." "No," she shook her head, "you're a magician. An entertainer. That's who you're supposed to be. I can't take that from you." "I don't care." "I do!" Miragina cried, loud enough that it caused Trixie to start crying. She moved over to pick her up, holding her tightly. "And even if you did find something to do, you'd have to spend the rest of your life dodging assassins and constantly being guarded." "What?" Jackpot asked, "why?" "I'm the queen," Miragina stated. "That means men are going to want to be with me. To become the ruler and make an heir that could compete for the crown. If they want to do that, they would need to get rid of you first. I can't let that happen." Jackpot's hands shook, "can't you renounce it?" Miragina looked shocked, "you said the mask would go to the next worthy heir if the ruler renounced it. So why don't you renounce it. Let someone else take the burden." "I can't do that," Miragina shook her head. "My family has protected the kingdom for generations. I can't just turn my back on all that and let someone who might do an even worse job take the reigns. Besides," she looked at her daughter, "what if the Medallion chooses one of them." She returned Trixie to the crib and focused back on Jackpot. "No ruler has ever renounced their Medallion when their child was a baby. But there have been ten year olds who've gained the power, so I can't risk it. I have to go back." Jackpot knew she was right and Miragina moved over to hug him, "what about the children?" "I don't know," Miragina looked ready to start crying. "I don't want to leave them, but I can't take them from you either." Jackpot hugged her back, trying to think of what he could possibly do. Then he realised something, "there are two." Miragina heard this and caught on to what he was saying, pulling away from him. "You want to split them up?" She asked, Jackpot looking down. "I don't want to. But it's the best option. Besides, you said that crystal will only be able to transport two people. Return home and take one of the kids. Raise them to be a great ruler and when you decide to renounce your power, the mask will choose them." Miragina truly burst out crying now, unable to believe she was splitting up her family so much. But she knew this was the right thing to do. And so, Jackpot and Miragina spent the entire night hugging one another and holding their children. They also spent that time making the hardest choice imaginable. Deciding which child each of them keep. In the end, they decided Jackpot would keep Trixie on earth and Miragina would take Aareus back to her world. At this point in time, the two worlds should by in temporal sync with each other. Both of them would spend the next few years growing up at the same rate, but then it would again shift and make it so Aareus would age faster. Being the oldest, that made sense. And so, Miragina packed a small bag and placed it over her shoulder. She then stood in the living room, holding Trixie tightly to her. "Oh my baby," she whispered into her ear. "I know it's gonna feel like I abandoned you, but this is for the best. Be strong and know that momma loves you. And hopefully, we'll get to meet again one day." She turned to Jackpot, who was hugging Aareus and whispering something to him. It broke her heart to know that it might be the last time she ever saw him. But she had to be strong. This was her destiny. Jackpot moved over to her and after the parents gave their child one final hug and kiss, they swapped babies. They then stared at one another and both kissed each other, the final kiss they would ever share. When it was over, Miragina took out the gem she had held onto all these years. Jackpot held Trixie tightly, as her mother smashed the crystal onto the ground. Doing so caused it to unleash a brilliant flash of light, which swirled into a portal. Miragina stepped up to it, the now queen looking back at half her family. She then took out the mask and placed it on her face, causing it to transform her into her super-powered form. And before either of them could say anything or change their minds, Miragina stepped through the portal. Trixie cried as her mother and brother vanished into the light, the portal disappearing. Jackpot was now all alone, a single father who would need to raise his daughter whilst lying to her about where she came from. All he could do was hope and pray, that one day their family would be reunited. And it would be. But not completely.