Yashin & Jiyu's Ultimate Adventure!

The Battle of Crystopia [8]

By the time Eli and the cannibal siblings walked away to continue fighting, Linette had joined her sister in the safety of a guarded balcony overlooking the temporary warzone. 

Yashin and Jiyu decide to finally follow the crowd and head to the safe zone as they notice a familiar hunched over lady with her magenta shawl. ''Grandma Majo!'' Yashin yells over to her as she turns around and gives a relieved smile. ''You two! I've been worrying about where you've been.'' Majo's frail feminine voice rang out as Jiyu replied with a question, finally asking, ''Majo, Tell us the truth, What do you know about Itazura?''. As this was asked, Majo sighed and was about to open her mouth to start talking not long before the entrance to the safe zone was burst open as an injured Queen Velencia is laying on a portable bed with four doctors on each corner. ''What the... What happened?!'' Jiyu cried out as Linette and Colette came in behind the doctors. ''She was trying to protect her citizens in the fight...'' Colette exclaims with tears ceasing to fall. 

Suddenly, Queen Velencia coughs up blood and gets out her last few words, ''Colette, Linette... You'll be wonderful rulers one day so as I pass, the crown is passed down to the rightful heir, Colette. Linette, I'm sorry for forcing marriage unto you but keep your sister and friends safe for as long as you know them... I love you both.''. Linette and Colette fall to their knee's crying as everyone who saw the scene had gasped with their hands over their mouths. ''Mom... Why would you give up like that...'' Linette says as she wipes her tears away and looks over to Colette and Colette simply nods.

 ''People of Crystopia.'' Colette starts her speech to her citizens but Yashin and Jiyu were more focused on the new person who arrived in the safe zone. A guard had escorted Pico into the safe zone as he had originally gone to check up on his ship. ''Guys! Hey! Glad to see you're okay!'' Pico says with a smile but then goes to explain the GalacticArc's situation. ''Unfortunately, the GalacticArc's not okay. It'll need a lot of work to repair it...'' Pico trailed off as he looked down, sad for the destruction of his ship. ''Pico... the Queen is...'' Yashin tries to explain but he had already gotten the memo. ''I know... I noticed as I came in.'' Pico held his head even more as everyone was in mourning of their queen, Velencia. 

Jiyu walked over to the entrance in thought as she peeked out, seeing the fight. Eli was present in the fight, followed by the cannibal siblings laying on the ground, scattered. They were either dead or unconscious... Eli was on their knees in front of the head guard of the Crystopian Military, which is of course their father. Just as he swung his sword, Eli looked at their surroundings. The bodies of the fallen soldiers crowd the spaces between the alive's footsteps as Eli clutches their thick, sharp dagger cloaked in blood in their hands. It was unknown as to who was lost in battle but still, Eli was too afraid to glance down at the pale faces of the fallen. ''Sorry, Eli. It was never meant to be.'' The head guard said before swinging his sword down into Eli's stomach. Blood splattered everywhere in front as they fell forward, laying down in eternal unconsciousness. The head guard turned around as if nothing happened. As if he didn't just kill his only child. Jiyu's golden eyes widened as tears filled her bottom lids. She turned around to the crowd in fear to look at her friend's dead body, as she tried to keep her composure and put on a smile for her friends. They couldn't know about it... Not with Jiyu being the witness. 

Just as the crowd dispersed from Colette's queenly speech, the princesses walked back over to the iconic trio, ready to discuss their next moves. ''So we've heard intel that the Kwam Imperial Soldiers are retreating. I personally believe it's because they've... exterminated the Queen.'' Colette says. Now she's been unofficially crowned Queen, she seems a lot more serious than before. You could almost say her cheery, outgoing personality has been dampened by her mothers sudden death. ''So, now that the Queen is... gone, the soldiers are leaving? So we're safe now...?'' Yashin said, paranoid about the situation. ''Yes. By the rate that the Kwamslak recruits are falling back at, we should be safe to return to normal life soon.'' Colette, once again in a serious and professional tone, says. 

After a few hours, it was now in the middle of the day. The sun was out, bright and warm as the citizens of Crystopia were still recovering from the sudden midnight attack. Whatever was broken is being fixed and whoever had fallen was laid to rest in a respectful manner. Pico's ship was still broken as outlanders had to fix their own ships. Queen Velencia had a royale funeral almost as soon as the sun rose. Only royals could attend though, which didn't bother Jiyu as she sneaked away from Yashin and Pico to see Eli's mini funeral, held by someone in town who knew them. Pico, Yashin and Linette were also putting in a good word for Majo, to Queen Colette, for her to have her own apartment and merchants stand in the city's centre. ''Thank you for informing me of this 'Grandma Majo'! She seems like a nice elderly woman and I'd love to give her a place to stay and a place to sell her inventory in Crystopia.'' The new Crystopian queen, Colette, said with a sweet smile to her friends and sister. 

Yashin and Pico ran off to tell Majo the good news. ''Grandma! You've got a new place to stay and a place to sell your things in Crystopia now!'' Pico exclaimed excitedly, probably more excited than Majo. ''Oh Goodness, Thank you! Please, tell Queen Colette that I am eternally grateful! Oh, that reminds me, I should get to explaining that thing that Jiyu had asked me earlier this morning... Oh, now what was it?'' Majo recalls Jiyu's question from before Velencia passed and Yashin mentions, ''Where even is Jiyu?'' and Pico takes the liberty of trying to answer, ''I think she said she was seeing an old friend. I know she said she'll catch up with us though!'', ''Ah, That's it! She asked about Itazura...'' Grandma Majo starts her explanation. ''Itazura, for whatever reason, was gifted the special ability to manipulate the shadows. In fact, her father, Nightmayor, was the inspiration of one of our worlds' greatest legends. Now, Itazura has access to every part of Kwamslakian Military and forces. Itazura may as well call herself the new leader of Kwamslak.'' Majo finishes her short explanation of what she knows about Itazura. ''Okay, thank you, Majo!'' Yashin blabbers with a wide grin. ''Thank you, Grandma! Okay so now we know that Itazura is basically the leader of Kwamslak, she's also using she/her pronouns to the public so likely female and a shadow legend is based on her dad of which she has matching powers of!'' Pico lists off what they had learned as Yashin excitedly exclaimed, ''Let's go find Jiyu and let her know!'' and Pico nodded, saying their goodbyes to Grandma Majo and running off to find the blonde cat known as their friend, Jiyu.

Meanwhile, with Queen Colette. ''You asked to see me, ma'am?'' the head guard of Crystopia's Military walked up to Queen Colette, bowing at his new boss. ''Yes. I believe you executed a friend of mine. Someone who was completely innocent.'' Colette started, furrowing her eyebrows and looking angry for the first time. ''I... Yes, Ma'am. I did. But she blew up a-'' he started as Colette cut him off, correcting his misgendering, ''THEY. And yes. They may have blown up an old, self-made, low economic village. But the village was in the region of which I now reign. Crystopia shall not have a murderer for a head guard. If only Eli was here to take your spot. With their incredible ability to protect and attack, they'd have taken your position without having to prove a thing.'' Queen Colette finishes her savagery as before he could get any other words out, she finalised her point of speaking with him by saying, ''You'll be permanently released from your duties. You're excused.''. The Ex-Head guard was speechless as all he could do was abide by the Queen's rules and leave without his shiny, important-looking badge. 

Jiyu reunited with Pico and Yashin as the trio met with Linette and Colette to discuss further affairs and their next step.