Untold Tales

Too Far Gone?

Poor Vexicons; they were really in for it now.

"You bailed... without Eartha?!" Proxima hissed.

"What's the big deal?" Mallory said, sassy as ever. "She's just a big talking rock, it's not like you can't make a new one or whatever."

Before she could blink, the ice witch found herself in red tendrils, being pulled toward an enraged Proxima.

"I plucked you all out of misery, anger, and loneliness. More to the point, I created you to be a team, a sisterhood of evil." Mallory quaked a little, as Proxima's voice became distorted and her eyes glowed blood red. "You never, leave a sister behind!"

With that, the corrupted star mistress threw Mallory at her fellow Vexicons. They should count themselves lucky, that could've been much worse.

"You will find her immediately." Proxima said. "And just so I know you'll do it right..."

With three taps of her terrifying scepter, she summoned the still corrupted Zorlon, who appeared from the shadows. He then kneeled to his mistress.

"What is thy bidding, Starmistress?" Zorlon inquired, his tone ever distorted.

"Eartha has been compromised. You and the Vexicons will retrieve her, safe and sound."

"Umm, no way!" Mallory protested. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm traveling with creepy old people."

"Aww, it's so cute that you think you have a choice!" Proxima snickered. "Consider this surveillance; everything my spectromancers see, I see." With her eyes once again glowing, and her voice becoming distorted, her order had been made official. "Find her... Now!"

***

Time had passed, and there was good news and.... not so good news.

The good news, the Mysticons, with the eventual aid of the dwarves, had successfully created a core stone, fueled by pure good, for the dying Eartha. The not so good news, the Vexicons along with the corrupted Zorlon caught up with them, and were giving them a run for their gold no less.

Just as Eartha was about to grasp the core stone, which was imbued with pure benevolent magic, Zorlon trapped her in crimson red tendrils, stopping her in her tracks.

"Come back to us, Eartha. Come back to your mistress." Zorlon insisted

"I..." Eartha struggled to say. "I can't..."

"Then you are no use."

With that, Zorlon tightened his fist, which caused the tendrils to squeeze tighter, causing a few fractures along the already dying golem's body.

"Zorlon stop, you're killing her!" Em pleaded.

"If she chooses not to return to the mistress, then her fate is already sealed."

Em couldn't believe what she was hearing. Clearly, that wasn't Zorlon talking.

"Okay, I don't know who you think you are, but the Zorlon I know would never say anything close to that! He was always compassionate to those who were in need, and would always do anything to help them."

The young dwarf then approached Zorlon cautiously yet steadily, trying so hard to get through to the Zorlon she knew. "I was always taught to see the good in people, and I know there's still some good in you. Please Zorlon, snap out of it."

"You waste your efforts, dwarf. Your master is dead, and soon you shall be as well!"

With that, the corrupted mage fired a barrage of powerful blasts at Em, who quickly summoned her shield to protect herself. Other than being pushed back several feet onto back, she was unharmed.

Just as Zorlon was about to finish Em off, her sisters in arms came to her rescue, with Piper taking his back, while Arkayna and Zarya took his arms, trying to restrain him.

"Go help Eartha, we've got this!" Zarya said.

Seeing the opportunity, Em rushed to Eartha's aid, while the rest of the girls fought so hard to hold Zorlon in place. However, his superior size was making it rather difficult.

"Zorlon... stop fighting us..." Arkayna struggled to say. "We're... your friends!"

"We're your.. family!" Zarya added

"Please, just stop." Piper finished.

Alas, he still struggled hard, doing everything he could to break free. In a last ditch effort, Arkayna managed to conjure up a little of her dragon strength she used against Kymraw a few months back. Sure enough, it helped a lot in restraining the corrupted mage.

However, the struggle was cut abruptly short. Without warning, Mallory, Kasha, and Willa fired their animal bracers at the trio, freeing, yet accidentally damaging, Zorlon in the process. Once back on their feet, the girls gazed in shock. Unfortunately, Em was too late to save Eartha from falling in the clutches of evil, as she crushed the core stone into dust, much to Em's dismay.

"Hey, tall dark and stupid!" Willa said, calling over to Zorlon, who was getting up after the attack. "Get over here already!"

"Yeah, not about to tick Proxima again by leaving you here." Kasha said indifferently

Once back on his feet, Zorlon jumped to the Vexicon's side. With that, Willa teleported them out, just before Em could stop them.

Em then sank to the ground in defeat. All that effort to save Eartha, and just like that she failed. Perhaps Tazma was right, maybe it simply wasn't meant to be.

***

After dinner at the Goldenbraids, the girls decided that a slumber party would be a good idea after all, considering it was already so late, and it was quite a day.

Before heading in, Zarya sat on the steps outside the house, looking ever so solemn. Not only did they fail to turn Eartha to the path of light, but as if to add insult to injury, they still couldn't save Zorlon. They had him, surely they would've been able to bring him to the stronghold and try to turn him back with some sort of counter spell... maybe. She would never know now.

"You know I miss him too, right?" Zarya slightly turned her head to see that voice came from Arkayna, who stood at the door. "Wanna talk?"

Shrugging a bit, Zarya scooted over a bit, allowing the older twin to sit by her side. A little bit of silence took place, as Zarya tried thinking of the right words to say.

"It's kinda funny." Zarya finally said. "When Z-man became our solon, I thought he'd be one of the last people I'd get along with. Y'know, with all the strict training sessions, all his rules and all that." Both twins couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. Zarya's tone sombered a bit. "But..."

"But what?" Arkayna inquired.

"Don't get me wrong, I'll always miss my adoptive parents, no one can ever replace them. It's just, when Zorlon wanted to help, you can tell he cared. It felt good having some kind of... father figure to turn to, ya know?"

Arkayna couldn't help but look down a bit. "Yeah, I know what you mean. He was like that with me too, especially after... well, you know." Arkayna then wore a more confident face. "But one way or another, we'll save him. I'm sure there's some kind of counter spell Malvaron can cook up."

"I hope you're right, Sis." Zarya said. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Well, you've already seen how he was! He was ready to crush Eartha, and anyone who got in his way. What if... he's already too far gone?"