9 9: Lunar Lotus

Stepping towards the gates of this fortress-like camp, I simply stomped once, letting my vision outline a cone going forward. Shadows erupting outwards, crashing into the gate, either sending fragments flying or just turning sections into motes of black fire. The flying gate fragments crush, impale, or pulp Human and Pals alike into pasty blood smears. After they came running once their precious base started crumbling. I even spotted that duo again, chuckling to myself. I didn't even bother to be merciful. I just did what needed to be done.

Without any preamble, before the Grizzbolt could react his head and his partner's upper behind his head, simply ceased to exist. A rather almost void black Shadow Burst erasing those spots with no fanfare. The Tower I could feel for once covering the usage of that attack, which means it's true, I did in fact conquer it. The feeling of the Palsium that helped provide energy gave me a weird sense of familiarity. Fuck this is weird to know of past lives.

Grabbing the great sword of a large brute with my right hand, the blade cutting into my skin, I pushed back. A flair of shadows in my palm taking on a dark crimson as the blade was sent flinging back towards its user. The thug getting most of his upper body bisected vertically by the large blade. Paying no more attention to the deceased I calmly looked at the still living thugs and Pals. Not at all worried for my rear as I could hear angry buzzing as something was beaten to death. Glancing at my changed clothing I decided to try something.

"Giga Horn."

I muttered the attack with no hesitation for it'd either work or it wouldn't. Yet I felt something guide my body so I bum rushed a Bushi, the swordsman Pal caught off guard. My head ramming into her chest, the feeling of something clicking registered. Soon I felt the brief sensation of solid metal as my scarf moved on its own. My scarf wrapped around my head, only leaving enough uncovered for me to breathe and see, the material becoming hard as metal in this world. It essentially formed a Warsect head and horn around my own.

As flesh, bones, and organs were torn apart and caved inwards due to my improvised horn. The Bushi was sent flying as I shook my head to the left, ripping out a large chunk of her body. My bloodied scarf falling back down around my neck as if losing strength. I also realized I somehow knew the Bushi's gender. Yet the fact my hair became a darker brown with yellow highlights in places overshadowed that. As I stated in the reflection of the Bushi's dropped sword that was partially drawn.

"Well I'll be, your master just made me a gijinka of a big burly tanky insect."

My words made someone scream as the smell of urine entered the air, without looking I murdered the wetter with a Shadow Burst to the face. A Wyvern that was going to try and attack me was plucked from the air with its wings being severed by a small burst of Solar Light attacks. The thudding steps of a large Pal coming from behind me, chuckling, I spoke with amusement. Watching as a Depresso pickaxed the downed Pal in the head killing them.

"Good shooting, I'm guessing you made for a great terror when pregnant."

The Dinossum Lux behind me rumbled a chuckle from her throat, there's a story there. However, before a certain Katress could do anything as a small furry dragon latched onto the back of my head. The still breathing or present enemies were abruptly killed by giant spikes of ice shaped like swords hurled from the sky. A melody that caused a sharp pain to course through my head like someone started driving a knife through my brain. Had also started becoming audible as memories I as myself didn't have tried surfacing. Though just as quickly the pain came so did relief as I faintly felt a paw of solid Palsium touch my shoulder.

"You may be my Iroh, but he is dead. You are now Kaiser Lockhart, my Outsider. However, it seems the Prophet has played another card. One I loathe he has played, for your Moon Lotus will not just let you go. She is quite passively possessive for a biomechanical Pal."

"Oh you don't need to worry about anything, my little Cetalyn. While I am glad to see my dear Iroh again, I am not going to do anything, for as you said he has died is someone else now. Although, I can't just have something not happen now, my directives at the time of Iroh's death dictate that I now follow his 'successor.' After all I still must follow the Humans silly programming to stay with my paired partner, even after becoming a sentient and living Pal that started my own race. So it is good to meet you Outsider Kaiser, I am Gaia-0 the Lunar Lotus, may we have a fulfilling time together."

Blinking as a Lunaris landed before me and hovered, gravity seeming to bend to her will. Yet if anything said was right then, this is an unchained and unbound Ancient Pal. And because of my life as essentially an Iroh, fucking hilarious that I was an Uncle Iroh. I guess that means the garden that I used to have was a tea leaf garden. As if knowing what I was thinking the ghostly and physical Ancients spoke amusedly to me.

"Yes you did indeed like growing tea ingredients or funeral flowers my Outsider. Outsider Mikoshi Thompson named you after someone called Iroh exactly because you got tired of war and started gardening."

"If you desire I can bring your garden to your new home, as it gets lonely tending to it on the moon. Keeping it alive isn't a problem… it's just lonely even though your old body still sits there smiling peacefully in eternal slumber. I REFUSED TO LET ANYTHING OR ANYONE DESECRATE YOU OR LET YOU ROT IN THE GROUND. ANY WHO TRIED BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH GRAVITY VERY WELL."

"Wait a minute… possessive talk aside, you took a garden to the moon, and my old carcass is still just sitting in it?" She nods her head with a bright smile. "This may sound morbid Gaia, but can I use my body to craft stuff if I need to? Only if it's okay with you."

She just giggles and floats around me, Cetalyn, and Quivern pushing anyone else away with her gravity manipulation.

"Why yes, that's perfectly fine! It is after all your possession, I may guard it and your garden as I do. However, it is all so I could one day return it to you my dear, for I knew I'd see you again one day. Nightingale told me so on the day you passed, although I didn't know when. Yet here you are, and so everything I am, and that ever meant anything to you are yours once more~. Since poor little Haiku thought to tell me lies, I shall defy the pup's silly little prophecy."

Haiku? The fuck kind of name is that… well actually it's probably still better than being called Poop like one unfortunate dog I knew. Looking at the rather excited and peaceful Lunaris floating in circles around me, I spotted something registering as an Ultra Pal Sphere due to my random knowledge. Moving towards where it was, I pried the sphere from the freezing dead body of a Syndicate member carrying an anti-material rifle. The solid sword of ice going through most of her upper body slowly spreads ice elsewhere. Once I got the sphere out of forming ice around it, I held the sphere out to the Ancient Lunaris.

"I'm not who you want to see, as it's been stated that version of me is dead. However, I don't mind letting you move into the camp with the garden. Because even if I may not be able to give you what you yearn for, it wouldn't hurt to be friends with someone who cares enough about any version of me. As I imagine even as a Warsect I didn't have much of anyone right?"

At the ending question Gaia simply shook her head, Cetalyn as she began to turn into motes of light shared a memory with me. It was of a painting that only showed a Warsect, Gaia, Cetalyn, a Quivern, a Wixen, and a Anubis at a grave. Yet besides myself and the Quivern, the rest in the picture were females and Haiku is a male going by how the two talk. So I'm guessing the rest were my only friends or possibly even my children. Going by the fading smirk on Cetalyn's face as she finally disappeared projection wise, some of those Pals were definitely my kids. Possibly even Cetalyn, as while she's a feline. Her having that much spite, has to be inherited.

Gaia, while I was distracted by Cetalyn, seems to have captured herself as I had to let her out. Yet when I did, the Lunaris spun around laughing as if it was the best day of her life. Though only when I realized how GIANT she is did I notice she was slightly over the treetops even without hovering. Then without any warning myself and a merchant, and any friendly Pals were suddenly deposited outside my camps gates abruptly. Many of us lost our footing as Gaia's eyes were shining brightly, a smile on her face as the space around us seemed to ripple a little before stilling.

Then without any warning a section of the land disappeared. Due to gravity ripping it out and throwing it elsewhere at subsonic speeds. A vibrant garden of many different herbs and flowers replaced that section of land. A towering Warsect carcass, as big as a seven story building while just sitting, in the center of the garden with white flowers woven around its body. Sighing, I just threw out any idea of using the body as crafting materials, I'd feel like shit if I did anything. Gaia floating over to the body and rather tenderly running a hand across the seemingly sleeping insect's face with a smile.

"Yeah I'd feel like shit if I did anything seeing how happy she is taking care of my previous incarnations body…"

Whispering those words to myself I looked away. Entering the camp shortly afterwards and heading to bed, Quivern slept soundly as she hung around my neck now. Troublesome kid.