Kart's fantastical journey!

Eternal Crown

When I first received the letter from Jazz Doodles after the incident that had occured in the Academy of Essence, I didn't think much of it. But when the investigations revealed the victims of the rampage, I couldn't believe my eyes. I myself was inside the school building when the evil nurse went berserk. However, I had been on the rooftop the entire event. I didn't witness the abomination that the nurse had done in the lower floors. Professor Cat and Headmaster Doodles were guarding us and told us to stay calm, but something made me question the situation.
I know how powerful the headmaster is, so why did he wait until the very end to do something? He only attacked the nurse when she came to the rooftop, but in the end he didn't even kill her. The coup de grâce that ended her life was a car powered by Kitty and Leo's father. But then, thinking about the past, how Headmaster Doodles had rescued me and my friends from the Peaceshine Palace, I finally understood why he stepped into action only when danger was close. He's a compatible guy. When danger doesn't bother him, everything is fine.
When he rescued the servants and I from the monster wolves, he had done it out of compassion and for his dignity. I wonder if he also did it out of empathy or not. Nevertheless, leaving Hed Dimma behind is still haunting me every day.
The remaining survivors arrived in Ambermoor safely, except for Hed, we left her behind. We didn't even try to get her to join us, we just left her there, mourning for the ones who passed away. This shows me how selfish we were. We truly only cared about ourselves.
Hed Dimma, I wonder if she is still alive. Even if she is, I will always feel the guilt of leaving her behind and forgetting the ones who passed away. The only friend I had was Abigail. But I lost her forever, because she died during the rampage. She needed help, but I wasn't there for her.
Abigail had been in the cafeteria when the psycho nurse attacked our school. Kitty was there with her when it all happened. I asked her if Abigail had said anything before she died. But Kitty only told me that Abigail was unconscious and then bled out. I will never be able to forgive myself.
The fact that Kitty is also gone, like my smile, makes me want to give up. There is no point in anything anymore.
Everyone in my life is disappearing. It feels like I'm in the era of death. It's excruciating to live and leave others behind. Abigail meant everything to me, but now she is gone. We went through so much together, but she died. And even when I became friends with others, I couldn't be happy. Because my thoughts were ruptured by the guilt of leaving Hed Dimma and all the deceased servants behind, as well as enjoying life without Abigail and Kitty. How could I ever continue life without them? How would I ever find true happiness?
The only good thing that happened in my life was that I found my dream man. He's even in my class and still alive. At least I have him.
He's the only one I have left. If he were to evanesce from my life, I'd kill myself.

"Isabella." Abigail is talking to me. "Even a white rose has a black shadow."

I finally understand what she meant. I get it now.
"Isabella!" someone is screaming. "Snap out of it!"
That's right, the past is over, I am in the present, I have to keep going for everyone I lost on the path to happiness.
"Please!"
Because memories show me that nothing will ever be the same.
"Help us!"
I can live happily without forgetting them, it's what they would have wanted.
"Isabella!"
I'm coming now. I will jump back to reality and show everyone the truth.
"ISABELLA!"
I open my eyes.
I am still in the archive of the Peaceshine Family with everyone else.
Karter had been the one who was shouting out to me, I guess he saved me.
All my friends are being held hostage by a bunch of guards. Me too, but in front of me are King Moyses and Queen Mariota, my biological parents.
"Father?" I look the king in the eye.
"What happened?" he mocks me. "Did you forget to take your medicine?"
"What do you want." I say.
"Can't believe you paid your family a visit!"
"You're not my family, they are." I look at everyone else.
They look back at me and smile. They are my family, the people I am destined to be with.
"Oh my, a new family! What happened to your old one?" The king smirks mischievously.
"W-what..?"
"You know," he bends down and pokes my nose. "Abigail, the servants, ring a bell?"
"Don't put her name in your filthy mouth!" I screech out of anger. "Just let us go!"
"Oh, but you came to us! How about staying a little longer?"
"..."
"Sir," Karter speaks up. "Apoligies for disturbing you. We only came by to ask a few questions...for...an interview!"
"Uh, yes!" Sunny agrees awkwardly.
"Oh, yeah!" Rain concurs.
"..." King Moyses eyes Karter carefully. "What may the questions be then?"
Karter thinks a while and then asks something, "Do you know something about Myrril Hawkwolf?"
The king stays silent for a bit, but then smirks, "Ah, I see."
He walks around and then sits on a barrel, "You must be his son."
He looks at Sunny, "And you his daughter."
"H-how can you tell?!" Sunny is surprised.
"Because I was close friends with your father, how couldn't I recognize his own children, haha."
"Really?!" Karter's eyes gleam of light. "Do you know if he's still alive?"
He looks Karter in the eyes, almost a bit painful, and then says, "No, I don't. We haven't seen him for years."
"Honey..." Queen Mariota yawns and puts her head on her husband's shoulder. "Let us just get rid of them. This is boring me."
"Huh?!" I startle. "Don't lay your infested hands on any of them!"
She looks at me with disgust, "I wouldn't touch any of you unhygienic creatures even if I had to. The guards will do the execution for me."
"Execution?!" Posa shouts. "What?!"
King Moyses's expression suddenly changes after he noticed Posa.
He walks over to him and lifts his jaw up with his finger, "I don't recall Rahni having triplets, what's going on?"
He looks at me for an answer, but he responds himself, "A clone? What were you thinking, bringing this...this thing here?!"
"Why does it bother you?" Sunny frets. "It doesn't affect you."
"In my kingdom, I do not allow clones." King Moyses takes out a sharp knife. "I'm ending this."
"NO, HE'S MY YOUNGER BROTHER!" screams Karter. "He isn't a clone!"
King Moyses looks at Karter and grins, "You can't fool me. A younger brother wouldn't be identical. Additionally, I can see the difference from a human and a clone."
He lifts his knife and places it beneath Posa's jaw.
Karter and Sunny are effortlessly trying to convince King Moyses that Posa is their younger brother, without any success, he doesn't buy it.
I realized that everyone else already lost hope. Sweet, Rain, Knologos and Mia are all looking at the ground, not fighting back.
"STOOOOOP!" I shriek. "ENOUGH!"
King Moyses halts and looks at me. Posa's throat is bleeding a bit, but luckily he has no fatal injuries. That was a close call.
"Isabella." he comes closer. "You were never my daughter."
He lifts his knife and...
...
Anna Bittery.
She came and pushed King Moyses to the ground. It's not a dream. The headless woman is here.
The guards start a quarrel over whether to save the king or to keep us hostage. Some of them charge at the headless woman, some stay.
The decapitated spirit jumps off of King Moyses's unscathed body and charges at the queen.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" screams Queen Mariota.
"This is our moment!" shouts Karter. "Let's leave and search for Max and Leonie!"
"NOT SO QUICK!" Queen Mariota grabbed my body. "ONE STEP CLOSER AND SHE'S DEAD!"
"Darling..." King Moyses murmurs. "What are you doing?"
She looks at him, "I am doing what we should have done the moment she was born."
"Don't kill her." says King Moyses. "It's my duty as the head of this palace."
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Queen Mariota's voice is cracking.
All the guards and my friends are frozen in place. If anyone were to move, it would mean my death. Nonetheless, Anna Bittery's spirit vanished. I suppose she disappeared already.
"Honey..." murmurs King Moyses.
"SHUT UP!" clamours Queen Mariota.
"Behind you..." mumbles her husband.
"EH?!" Queen Mariota turns around and spots Anna Bittery.
The spirit grabs her head and is about to break it, but Mariota let go of me and stabbed the spirit before she could break her neck.
The spirit screeches and vanishes.
Sunny grabs my hand and runs outside.
"CHASE THEM!" shouts King Moyses.
"Great." Knologos, who gained a bit of hope, contributes to the talk. "What do we do now?"
"Search for Max!" suggests Rain in stress.
"...and Leonie." mutters Sweet.
"There!" Mia points to a big black gate. "Let's enter that!"
The eight of us open the door and run downstairs. It seems this is the door to the basement.
"Isabella, if these are your parents, shouldn't you know your way around in here?" asks Karter.
"They locked me up in a room at the top my whole life." I respond cold.
"Oh...sorry." Karter feels ashamed.
"I think they're still onto us!" shouts Sunny.
"The spirit will take care of them." I say.
"But didn't your mother kill her?" asks Sweet.
"She isn't my mother, and no, you can't get rid of a spirit by stabbing it. Anna Bittery will only be free when she gets what she wants, and none of us know it, perhaps revenge?"
"Oh, I see." murmurs Sweet.
"Why are these spiral stairs so long!" complains Knologos. "We've been dashing through here for like five minutes already!"
"Wait," I say. "I think we made it to the bottom, look."
We all stand in front of a black iron door. It's obviously locked.
"Great, how do we get in?" Knologos is exhausted.
"I'm turning it into ice and I'll break it." Rain touches the door and focuses.
"What do you think is beyond this door?" asks Sweet.
"I don't know, I hope Max is." mumbles Karter.
"I'm sorry, guys." I mourn.
"What are you sorry about?" asks Karter. "We are all in this together."
"Don't lose hope." Sunny holds my hand.
"Alright." I answer.
"Why isn't it working!?" Rain is vexing.
"What do you mean?" Knologos is worried.
"It's like my magic isn't working!"
"There must be some kind of spell here." says Posa.
"Hmm..." Karter touches the door. "Perhaps..."
All of a sudden the gate turns into ash, it's like all life was sucked out of it, just that it never was a living organism to begin with.
"How did you-"
"No time to waste!" Rain runs into the room, followed by us.
"MAX!" Rain's eyes tear up.
We found Max. He's still alive, but he's stuck in a cage in the middle of this dark room with nothing in it.
"Guys..?" Max noticed our presence.
"Max, are you okay?!" Rain stretches her arms through the iron bars of his cage and hugs him tightly. "I thought I lost you. Don't you ever leave me again, please."
"I won't."
"Please promise me you won't leave me."
"I promise."
"Thank you."
"What happened?!" asks Sweet concerned.
"The headless woman trapped me in here, but then she just left me." says Max.
"I think we know why she left." Knologos rolls his eyes.
"Really?" Max smirks. "How?"
"No time for that, let us free you." Rain notices that there is no key hole for the cage Max is trapped in. "How did you get in here?? There is no opening."
"I don't know." he responds.
Max seems a bit weak. It's like his life source is drained.
"Maybe Kart can use his weird power again?" I suggest.
"I don't really know how I-"
"No time." Knologos pushes Karter to the cage. "Do your magic."
"O-okay..." Karter touches the cage.
But this time nothing happens.
"Why isn't it working?" Karter seems disappointed in himself.
Afterwards we all tried to somehow break the cage Max is trapped in, but nothing worked.
"Fuck." Knologos is shocked. "What do we do know?"
"Just leave me here." says Max.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Rain is mad. "Over my dead body!"
"We didn't come here all the way just to return empty handed." complains Knologos. "Stop playing the hero and let us help you."
"That's the thing, I can't be helped. Also, you didn't come here for nothing, just leave with Leonie. Where is she by the way?" Max looks around.
"I thought she was with you?" Mia is worried.
"No, after the headless woman brought me in here, Leonie lost track of us and disappeared." mumbles Max.
"So she's missing? Great." Knologos rolls his eyes. "This situation couldn't get any worse. The guards and that crazy couple will probably find us any minute."
"The royal family is after you? What did you guys do?" Max is confused.
"Eh, long story." Knologos avoids it.
"How do we get you out of here!?" Rain starts crying. "I can't leave without you!"
"You must. I am already dead anyways." Max frowns. "You can't save me."
"What?" Rain looks up to him.
"I deserve this." says Max.
"No, you don't!" insists Rain.
"Rain?" Max looks at her.
"Yes?"
"I think it's time I tell you the truth." Max grabs his hood and rips it off. "This is the real me."
What we see is a normal human face.
"Max..." Rain's eyes shine. "You're so beautiful...thank you for showing me."
"No, I'm not. This isn't my body." he says. "It's her brother's one."
Max suddenly points to the opening we came in. Leonie is standing there.
"Quintain..." she stutters.
We don't know how she got here but she starts sobbing.
"Huh?" Rain is confused.
"I am not a human. I am a spirit who stole the body of an innocent boy three centuries ago to live a normal life as a human. Leonie caught me doing it, so I banished her. I wished upon her to suffer for eternity." Max's voice is all monotone.
"After all these years...I finally found you." Leonie's voice sounds weak. "The culprit who killed my brother and turned me into a monster."
"I think your anthropomorphic fox body suits you." says Max.
Leonie ignores him, "Why did you take my brother away from me? Without him I am nothing more than an empty husk traversing the Earth."
"You really want to know?" asks Max.
Leonie nods.
"Because I wanted to know how living felt like." Max looks down to his feet. "Over all these years, I've gathered a lot, including empathy. I feel guilty for taking him away from you, but I can't do anything for you anymore. Quintain Richfall is dead."
"Just let me talk to him one more time! It's all I ask for." begs Leonie.
"Are you deaf? I just told you that he's dead."
"You have his body and his voice. You inherited everything from Quintain except for his personality, so are you sure there isn't a tiny bit left of him inside of you?"
"Yes, I am certain."
"I refuse to believe you."
"Leonie..." Rain steps in. "Max only wanted to experience life..."
"STAY OUT OF IT!" screams Leonie. "HE FUCKING KILLED MY BROTHER, HOW IS THAT ACCEPTABLE?!"
Rain is frightened.
"How do you think I feel? After three fucking centuries I see my brother again, only to find out that some sick monster stole his fucking body and I can't have him back."
Rain looks to the ground. She feels bad.
"But there is something I know." says Leonie. "Quintain was seven when he died. But this Quintain isn't seven. He's older."
We all examine Max...or Quintain a bit closer and we notice something dreadful. He has the body of a young adult, not a child.
"Quintain is fighting back. He isn't truly gone. Every time your body grows is when Quintain fights back. My brother is strong. He's still alive."
"Leonie." Max looks at her. "You don't understand."
"..."
"If a spirit's secret gets found out, they die." dictates Max. "I'm going to die soon, including Quintain Richfall."
"What..?" Leonie is trembling.
Max looks her in the eye, "You were right. Quintain Richfall is still alive. He is still fighting back. He has been for three centuries. But he can't win, because I will die now. I will die with this body. This body will then decompose like every other one and it will all be over. I'm sorry, Leonie, but your brother is going to die."
"You're lying..." Leonie stutters. "Please tell me you're lying! PLEASE!"
She grabs his coat and shakes him.
"I'm not lying. I have no need to lie."
"You're going to die..?" Rain is quivering. "No...no...this can't be happening."
"Rain." Max pats Rain's head. "Take care of yourself. Johnny will protect you when I'm gone."
"But...I can't live without you..." cries Rain. "I can't lose you...because I love you. I have for a very long time."
"Oh, Rain..." Max seems sad. "Why did you have to tell me now?"
"Because I was afraid..."
"It's okay, I'm here now." Max pets her cold cheeks. "I hope you'll get rid of your ice curse."
"Max..." Rain sobs. "I want to kiss you."
"Okay, let's do it." Max smiles.
He grabs Rain's head softly and she wraps her arms around his body through the iron bars. Max then heads in for the spot and kisses her on the lips.
"Thank you for making my life better." smiles Rain.
"You're welcome." Max smiles.
"..." Leonie has been standing there for a while now.
I can't imagine how she feels. The fact how Rain doesn't show any compassion at all and how Max's behaviour towards the loss of her brother is cold must be pretty horrible.
Leonie is distraught. She's been searching for the culprit her whole life, and now she found him inside of her own brother.
Mia steps forward and hugs Leonie, "It's okay. I lost my younger brother too, let's stay strong together for both of our brothers."
Leonie looks Max in the eye, "What happens to me when you die?"
"I don't know."
"..."
"Leonie," Max looks at her. "I'm sorry for your brother."
"It's okay." she says. "You're going to pay with your death."
"..." Max stays quiet. "Yes, I will."
For a few moments, everything is quiet, but then we suddenly see light from inside Max's cage.
"What's happening?!" Rain is worried.
"I'm dying." says Max calm. "That's what's happening."
"Quintain!" Leonie cries. "Now you can finally rest in peace...big sister loves you..."
Max's whole body is cracking up, light is shining through it.
Leonie startled. The body is evaporating.
Before Max is completely gone, he looks at Leonie and says, "I'm sorry. You didn't need to endure all that for so long."
Max's body disappeared. He died. Max Sternmight is dead.
Quintain Richfall, the person who was supposed to live inside that body, passed away too. He can finally rest in peace.
Leonie is suddenly glowing up.
"Leonie?!" Sunny screams. "What is happening to you?"
Leonie stays silent. It doesn't seem like she cares.
"Her curse is being lifted." I say.
"Isabella?" Karter looks at me all confused.
"Max cursed her, right? Now that he's gone, she should be free."
Moments later the glowing evanesced and we see a nude girl. It's Leonie Richfall's corresponding body, her true persona.
"It's cold." mumbles Leonie.
We see a tall girl with really long brown, fluffy hair on the ground. A humane girl.
"Leonie..." Sunny stares at her. "You're beautiful."
Leonie is shivering, "Clothes...please."
"Here, I'll lend you my jacket." Karter passes it to her with closed eyes. "Please put it on."
"You can have my clothes." we hear a voice behind us.
"YOU?!" Knologos trembles of fear.
We see Anna Bittery at the door, but she looks normal. She has her head and her whole body is clean.
"Take mine." Anna Bittery walks up to Leonie.
"Aren't you-" Sweet gets interrupted.
"Dead? Yeah, I am. I'm not a poltergeist anymore. I can finally rest now, but before I leave, I want you to take these. You deserve it." Anna has a bunch of clothes in her arms and gives them to Leonie.
They surprisingly fit her.
"Thank you." Leonie's eyes look empty.
"You're welcome." Anna smiles. "Well, my time has come. I bid you farewell."
Anna Bittery approaches the stairs.
"Wait!" I shout. "What happened to my parents?"
Anna Bittery halts and looks back, "Find out for yourself."
...
She disappeared.
Everything calmed down.
Moyses and Mariota Peaceshine were put into jail and London received a new emperor, but a good one this time.
Anna Bittery got what she wanted, and now she can rest in peace.
Max Sternmight, a spirit who lived life with guilt, is finally resting after all these years. He managed to overcome his fear of death, because now he is dead.
Leonie Richfall is back to being a human and can now be assured that her younger brother Quintain Richfall is resting peacefully.
But as for the others...a lot has happened when we were gone.

"Where are Tokyo and Zach?" asks Karter.
Kristina Makarevich looks us in the eyes. She has a bruise on her left cheek.
"Zach...he...he hit me with a blunt object and kidnapped Tokyo!"
"What!?" Sunny is shocked.
"The moment Tokyo woke up from her coma, that's when Zach took her." says Kristina.
"This is horrendous..." frowns Posa.
Kristina informed us about what happened. We say our goodbyes and continue our journey.
"Shit." Karter punches the wall of a house. "What do we do now?"
"Find her body." suggests Posa.
"She isn't dead." Sunny rolls her eyes.
"How do you know that?" says Leonie tired. "Zach could have been a spirit for all we know."
Silence broke out. What if she's right?
"That can't be..." stutters Sweet. "Weren't they always together?"
"I found Tokyo's body." we hear a voice from behind.
We turn around and see Cookie Wyverncaller.
"Cookie?!" Karter stumbles out of excitement. "I'm happy to see you!"
In Cookie's arms we see Tokyo. Her long, pink hair is touching the snow on the ground. Luckily there aren't any bruises on her, but she's completely naked.
"Why is she naked?!" Sunny is having a mental breakdown. "It's winter! She's gonna get hypothermia!"
"Tokyo is already dead. I found her like this in the middle of the street. She was almost completely covered in snow." Cookie has an empty expression.
"What..?" Sunny's eyes are open wide. "She's dead...?"
"So it was true." states Leonie. "Zach was a spirit. He must have done something to her."
"I can't believe this is happening." Sweet is distraught.
Posa pats Sweet's shoulder.
"Alright," says Karter. "Let's bury her..."
"No," says Cookie. "We need her."
"We?" I ask.
"Yes, Isabella." responds Cookie. "We need her."
Suddenly we get surrounded by a lot of people. They all are wearing masks of random animals. Is this some sort of clan or cult?
Cookie starts sobbing, "I'm sorry."
"Good job, sister dear." someone appears behind her.
"Huh?" Sunny is shocked.
There is a young woman who looks similar to Cookie. It must be her older sister. They both have beautiful, black hair.
The woman, who seems to be in command, decides to speak up, "Let me introduce myself. I am Candy Wyverncaller. The leader of Eternal Crown. I can't wait to get to know you all."
Cookie's sister has a weird era surrounding her.
"What do you need Tokyo's body for?" Karter gets straight to the point.

Candy grins, "To do experiments, and you'll be my test subjects."