58

In Portia's reality, Aeric took a deep breath, he was finally home.

Portia couldn't help but feel the air was a little bit stuffier than back at the mansion where the world's population had been reduced to about three quarters of a billion.

She held her gem, then took Tuña's most arm like appendage and that of Ms Terratikka and Chivre, the wielder of the dream stone.

She would generate the visions, Ms Terratikka would sort through them and the others would project the sieved one to everyone else.

Portia asked her gem for what happened to her parents and as usual, it showed a vision, but Ms Terratikka could tell those weren't Portia's parents...not the Portia that was with them at least.

Portia told her gem to show her every single reality at once but it didn't, what it did was show them all a vision of Uncle Cloud, holding a black stone in his hand... Portia's gem.

***

Alex appeared through a...tree?!

"When I said another planet, I didn't mean the earth in another universe, I meant another another planet."

"Oh, this is another planet, in the same universe, this planet doesn't exist in your reality though."Jonita said.

"I'm confused."

"Just take it as you live on earth, in the universe, but that universe could have many possibilities depending on different decisions and outcomes and this planet was formed when a cataclysmic supernova destroyed the planet Alpha Centauri and forced new and heavy elements and compounds to be formed, which is why the air smells of kerosene, because it is full of it."

"Then what is this tree doing here? For all I know, queen palms with their fronds emptied by weaver birds live on the earth...in my... universe?"

"Reality actually and... believe it or not, this isn't a tree, in fact, this is more closely related to archaebacteria than to plants, it's chemosynthetic. It has no roots but rather supporting mechanisms which hold it straight and absorb very few nutrients..."She looked at him as he frowned,"...BUT...most of the absorption happens in the frond like appendages. If you felt it you'd realize it is actually covered all-over in thin, branched fibres which absorb the kerosene and petroleum products in the air where they break it down by redox reactions and use the energy obtained from the chemical for its life processes, the aquamarine colour comes from a byproduct of the chemosynthesis, and yes, the fibres can grow into new ' branches ' on their own which means it could be cut off and re...planted somewhere else."

"Okay."

"Wait, you understand?"

"Girl...bird thingy, I am literally Felix's better twin, I get it... don't tell him I said that."

She smiled and moved on.

***

Collins stood opposite to the girl, who brought out her storage bracelet and let out her Saffron Serpent.

It was a large serpent like fire type creature which had brown horn like projections above its scarlet head and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

They could grow to a length of up to ten meters but the girl's own was only nineteen, too bad for her.

He then said,"Skiff, ready for a challenge?"

The girl was about to start the match when she stopped to ask,"You're going to use that?!"

"Yes, I am, shall we continue?"

"Wouldn't that be like cruelty to animals or something?"

"Cruelty to animals is what happened when you decided to take that outfit out for a spin, so are you ready or not?"

She then shrugged and said she was ready.

He then told his Electro Skiffer to get into its battle positions, which it did, then the girl began the match.

Collins then yelled,"Skiffer, attack!"

His Electro Skiffer whimpered in fear and ran behind him to dodge the huge flames fired at it and Collins also seemed to be affected as the girl laughed, Collins then grinned when her guard was down and looked at the weakest point between the Saffron Serpent's scales, then yelled,"Electro Skiffer, Lightning wind!"

Several of the scales on its body floated off and the girl had actually never heard of a move like lightning wind before, she actually waited to see what it could do.

The scales then darted at the creature within paths of plasma and started harmlessly hitting it allover, then the girl laughed again till Collins straightened his hat and the scales began bursting with electrical energy and darted at the creature, hitting it at its strongest points and breaking through its scales like they were glass, then one went on with the killing blow, through the hardest point of the carapace, piercing through like a hot knife through butter.

The girl was shocked as the scales returned to the Electro Skiffer then she asked,"But...how?"

"Surprised? Well you should be judging by how much you underestimated me and my Trial Beast, word of advice, give up, he is much more powerful than all your strongest Beasts combined."

"We will see then."