Chapter 29 - Recoil

Holly was not in fact, ready.

Their plan was solid, on paper. Holly had learned time and again that plans were not absolute. They could be broken, they could be derailed, they could be fallible.

And every instinct in her body was screaming at her.

This plan was flawed.

She couldn’t identify what was wrong, but she knew there was a problem with this plan. Something cracked in her.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Holly.
“Oh?” Cris looked to her. “You doing an impression?” he asked.

Holly glanced at him. What did he mean by that?

“Your voice just now was different,” he pointed out. The lycoris furrowed his brow, scrutinizing his fellow zalavan. “It was like you, but… not,” he hummed.

“We shouldn’t be distracted,” Holly chided him.
“Ah, this must be like that thing.” Cris snapped his fingers a couple of times while he thought of the word. “Battle focus? You must be taking this pretty seriously.” Cris’ carefree smile faded as he turned his attention back to the soon-to-be battlefield.

Holly let out a short huff. At least he was actually focusing. There couldn’t be any mistakes. It was the only way they’d get out of this safely.

As planned, Kat ran out first, peppering the beast with low-level fire spells. It made sense; if Mick ran out of rhythm, Kat and Rob would be essentially dead weight.

The beast allowed the annoyance for a moment, but not for long. It rose, standing tall on its four legs. It bore a long snout with two massive triangular ears crowning its head. Its back sloped behind it which led to a long tail that could brush away a small crowd should it decide to utilize the appendage in such a manner.

When its mouth opened no sound escaped, but a factory of bladed shadows awaited any unfortunate soul to end up in its deadly grasp.

All of this together only furthered Holly’s anxiety toward the beast. She took hold of a nearby tree. “Rullante di Radice, Fortissimo!” she called. Roots shot from the ground, but grabbed a whole lot of air – the Scherzando was far more nimble than she thought.

“I missed?” Holly squeaked.
“Move!” Cris tackled her to the ground as a boulder flew right where her head had once been.

“Onda Mentale, Lento!” the lycoris shouted from his position atop Holly. Another boulder met Cris’ telekinetic push, though the meeting of the two forces only caused the boulder to sail over them rather than be redirected back at its caster.

Water and fire drew the beast away from the two zalavan, giving them a small respite.

“What the heck…?” Holly trembled.
“Head in the game, you see why we gotta stop that?” Cris helped his fellow plant up.
“Y-yeah.” She was shaken, but they were already in the situation. She could be traumatized by this later.

Back on her feet, Holly scanned their surroundings. A lot of the trees nearby had their tops taken completely off – the seeds were gone.

“Let’s move!” Cris grabbed her hand and pulled her to an undamaged cluster of trees.

The two zalavan got to work appraising their new turrets. “Nature, good,” Cris noted.

Holly nodded. “Let’s cast together.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Spore di Veleno, Rullante di Radice, and then we can hit it with Rapsodia di Miele to make sure it stays down while we kill it,” Holly explained.

Cris considered it. “Slow it down, restrain it, put it to sleep. Sounds like a plan!”

They got to work – first came “Spore di Veleno, Lento.”

The air became dense with thick pollen, not only cutting visibility but breathability. Thankfully such magic affected the inorganic Scherzando and doubly so an earth element like this one.

Before they could cast their vines, the beast moved first, opening its deadly maw and spraying a silver stream at the two plants. Holly moved, but rather than off to the sides, she jumped. “Doppio Salto, Allegro!”

The zalavan kicked off the air, shooting well over the silver spell she kept her eyes on. Then right before she hit the ground, a second burst of air arrested her downward momentum, enabling her to land without injury.

“Cris?!” She spun around in a panic.
“Nice jumping!” The boy’s praise earned relief. He zipped back as a bolt of lightning, Holly recognizing it as the lightning of Preschiverò.

Once more Kat and Rob drew the beast’s attention, giving the two zalavan the breathing room they desperately needed.

“You catch that?” Cris asked.
“That was an ossia, right?” Holly guessed. It was the same sensation welling up in her as when she first witnessed Rapsodia di Miele for the first time.
“Yeah. Probably a nasty thing,” Cris turned back to the withering trees and shook his head in pity. “Let’s re-position.”

So for a third time, the two plants had to pick up roots and move to a new spot for their magic capabilities. She noticed a glow from Cris, but when she managed to sneak a peek at him, it was gone. What did he do?

There wasn’t time to focus on that. Before they even reached the third set of trees, the beast turned to catch them. It rose onto its hind legs before smashing its front paws into the ground. From the impact, the ground beneath them rippled, torn asunder by a sudden and devastating earthquake.

“Cris!”
“Holly!”

They were thrown apart as Riterra itself cried out in protest of the energy rippling through it. Sharp jagged rocks now dotted the battlefield, and the once easy-to-navigate forest floor was torn to shreds.

More pressingly, Holly figured out what the Scherzando was really after. In the aftermath of the tremor, many of the poor innocent trees had been swept away like a rocky tide had carried them off.

Nature was off the table. All she had was Cris’ seeds by her side. In an instant, she formed a plan. “Manga de Agua, Fortissimo!” From the watermelon seeds Cris so carefully collected, Holly borrowed their power. A tornado born of liquid spun up under the beast, ensnaring it within the mighty vortex.

Next came ice. “Prigione di Ghiaccio, Fortissimo!”

The water spout turned to ice in an explosion of savage winter. Holly breathed hard; her left hand still outstretched where she had aimed frosted violence at her adversary. Her right was deep in the green bag, still pressed against the ice vial, ready to channel more magic.

“Uhhg, good job,” Cris groaned.

Holly turned to her fellow zalavan who pushed some rocks and dirt off of himself. It looked like he had gotten caught up in the worst of the previous earthquake spell.

“Cris!” Holly rushed over to her dear friend. “You’re hurt!” She immediately noted the slight limp in the boy’s gait.

“Nothing some good ol’ R&R can’t solve,” he chuckled.

She smiled and let out a held breath. Mick, Kat, and Rob stood opposite the ice sculpture formerly known as a Scherzando. They were fine. Cris was fine. Everything was f-

“MOVE!”

Time slowed to a crawl. Holly could only watch in horror as a flood of bladed gemstones tore through the space she once stood. The space where Cris currently was. The space where he had shoved her out of the way.

The rain of deadly minerals persisted as the ice containing the giant Scherzando cracked.

“Mente Offuscata, Fortissimo!” Even through the attack he just took, Cris pressed on. His voice was a comfort to Holly who couldn’t see him.

Bursts of purple energy assaulted the newly escaped Scherzando’s head, stunning it in place and finally halting its attack.

Holly moved to wind magic. “Aria Crepia, Fortissimo Staccato!” Her cry was a whisper compared to what followed. Loud cracks of air burst around the beast. Each snap echoed all through the dark woods, each burst of wind energy smacking the beast around like a ragdoll. Earth may have been sturdy, but Holly knew all mountains would eventually crumble to the might of great gales.

Burst after burst assaulted the beast, the cracks and snaps of wind kicking up loose dust into the air. Holly never let up as long as the wind magic coursed through her scale. She didn’t allow the shadow even a second to cast any more of its magic. She burned every dandelion seed in the vial. Was it overkill? Perhaps. But she needed to be sure it would leave this mortal coil.

As the last of her borrowed wind magic left her body, she breathed hard, awaiting the result of her frenzied assault. The dust settled and with it, the veil that obscured the beast’s fate departed. Where a once massive threat to life towered over them, only ruin remained; there no longer existed an enemy to best. There was no hole either; it had not burrowed to escape.

They had won.

Holly wanted to allow the tension to leave her body. However, she could not find peace as there was one more thing to confirm. Holly spun around. Cris wasn’t saying anything. Her heart pounded faster and faster. He had to be okay – they were nature elements; they resisted earth magic. Surely, he was fine!

“Cris?!” she cried out.

No response. Just silence. Cold, empty silence.

She desperately navigated the torn-up battlefield, looking for her precious friend. Her only friend. The only one she considered giving her heart to. He had to be okay. They won! It was going to be nice! They were going to the river after this! They’d see it together!

…right?

“R-right…?” her voice cracked as she stood over him. She fell to her knees, tears beginning to stream down her face.

This wasn’t happening.

Where brilliant green once topped, only brown withered grass remained. A pool of sticky red life cooled around its owner.

Holly’s hand flew into the bag. Healing seeds in her grasp in an instant.

“La Bella Vita, Lento Tutti!” she shouted.

The seeds gave her everything they had, and in turn, she gave all that she was, pumping as much warm healing magic as she could muster into the fallen lycoris.

Nothing happened.

“Why isn’t it working?” Holly shook, every breath felt foreign, every wave of heat that wafted from her body an assault on her senses.

Cris stirred, weakly opening his eyes. “Continua a Combattere…” he choked out.

The realization simultaneously kicked Holly out of her body, yet trapped her in it.

“You…” This wasn’t happening. “…used your continuation…” This wasn’t happening. “You’re rhythm burnt.” This wasn’t happening. “I can’t heal you! You’re rhythm burnt!!” Holly screamed.

That glow from earlier… he knew. He knew he’d need to survive an attack. And its protection kicked in so he could cast that Menta Offuscata.

The lycoris reached up, a bloody hand gently resting on her cheek. “I knew it,” he smiled. “You’re much cuter in hollies…”

His hand fell along with the lids of his eyes.

“L-la Bella V-vita, Lento Tutti.” Holly tried to force the spell to work, but even her magic knew…

…there was no longer a target.

This wasn’t happening.

“Oh my god,” Rob gasped from behind Holly.
“Cris, no…” Kat’s voice cracked, as she began to sob.
“I can’t believe she’s dead,” said… him.

It broke.

Her mask fell to the metaphysical ground, finally shattered. Holly rose to her feet, back towards the grieving trio.

“He,” she said low.

“H-huh?” they were confused.

“He. He. He. HE. HE! HE!!” Holly spun around, her face contorted into a wrathful scowl, her eyes glowing with blazing blue rhythm. “CRIS! IS! A! BOY!” she screamed.

Mick and his remaining two Resonators stared at the furious plant in utter confusion.

“YOU KILLED HIM!” Holly pointed the accusatory finger at Mick.
“Me?! I-”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU KILLED HIM! YOU MURDERER! I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A BAD IDEA! I TOLD YOU! HE DIED FOR NO REASON! YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM!” Her anguished screams could probably be heard in Ralevi – she cared not. Let them listen.

“MURDERER!”

Rob stepped between Holly and Mick. “Calm yourself.” He glared down the smaller Resonator. Before he could reach out, she flicked out her knife and pointed it at the crocodile.

“DON’T TOUCH ME! YOU’RE COMPLICIT!” Holly snarled. “I-I…” She didn’t want to say it. She couldn’t say it. Not now. Not ever.

She stepped back, her blade still aimed at Cris’ former party. Her eyes flicked across the trio. Mick trembled, his expression contorting between horror and despair. Rob remained resolute in forbidding any further bloodshed this evening. Kat was on her knees by Cris, face covered while she sobbed loudly between apologies.

Their regret wasn't enough. There was nothing stifling Holly any longer. Her arm shook, even so she growled, “If… If I ever… If I ever see you people again. I will kill you.”

The knife remained pointed at the trio as she continued to walk backward, only the wrathful blue blaze contained within her eyes allowing them to know how far away she was. And when she could no longer see them, she ran.

She ran and ran and ran.

“ARE YOU SATISFIED SAHJI?! YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE JESTER IS SUFFERING AGAIN! I’M JUST A JOKE TO YOU, AREN’T I?!”

No, Sahji wasn’t satisfied. Or at least that’s what Holly thought as soon as she ran across them…

Despite the blue rhythm blazing within her sight, at that moment she saw blood red. Two men stood in her path. They were as tickled as could be. Of course, they would be. If anything, this all was their fault in the first place. Standing before her were the two men who kidnapped her from Inverna. The man who beat her into the dirt alongside the flames that tried to suffocate her.

“You know, you caused us a whole lotta trouble. But it's okay, ‘cause you're coming with us,” said the Maestro, drawing his tuner with an amused smirk.

“Yes…” Holly chuckled, the glow in her eyes luminous. There was no apprehension, there was no fear. Only rage; unbridled, uncontrolled rage. She stuffed her hand into the satchel at her side. She tightened the mouth of the bag around her wrist, all of the seed vials at her fingertips.

There was no preamble, no further deliberation; in an instant she became lightning, going from stationary to speeding at the pair like a projectile – like a weapon.

“Lanciafiamme, Forte!”

She became tangible for a second to kick off the ground, changing her forward momentum upward, the remaining dandelion trailing off as it was burned away with the wind. The plant became lightning again bolting over the fire element who cast deadly flames at a target long departed.

The little zalavan landed behind her adversary. Before either of the men could figure out what happened, Holly drew upon precious mint, gifted by Cris. “Ghiacciolo, Piano.” Her voice was as cold as the blade of ice she formed in her grasp.

She lunged, and the improvised knife found its mark, the sharpened icicle being stained red as it sunk into the back of her assailant.

“GUH!” the fire Resonator gasped, eyes bugging out. He was not allowed any quarter, not even a moment to suffer.

“Prigione di Ghiaccio, Fortissimo.”

An explosion of ice threw the Maestro away from his Resonator. Where his partner had once stood, only a pillar of jagged ice remained.

“He'll live. Probably.” Holly's malintent failed to ease the Maestro's newfound fear as she stepped towards him. Without looking she tore at a nearby bush as she approached the larger man.

“Fr-freak! You're a freak!” screamed the Maestro, trying to scramble away and failing to get to his feet.

“You did this,” Holly said through ragged breaths, her advance never slowing. “I’m just taking back what's mine, what’s ours.” If looks could cut, Holly's glare was a guillotine and the cowering Maestro was on the chopping block.

Fear was a hell of a motivator, enough to inspire the Maestro to his feet. He tried to run, but a river of water sprang up under him, the rushing currents flowing his opposite. He tripped and met the cold, soaked ground, the artificial rapids slowly dragging him toward the venomous plant.

“Prigione di Ghiaccio, Pianissimo.”

Ice crept up the rapids, ensnaring the man where he lay, entombing him in a personal glacier.

“FREAK FREAK!” he screamed, hoping someone, anyone would hear his pleas.

The branch she grabbed burned away in her grasp, its magic joining the calabash she drained from the bag. Freeing her hand from the pouch, she wrapped a vine around her arm. “Rapsodia di Miele, Legato,” she spoke as electricity formed opposite of the vine. She placed the lightning bow against the improvised instrument.

All the man could do was whimper in fear as he was covered from neck to toe in restraining ice, all while the eerie blue glow of Holly’s rage-filled eyes judged him.

“Sweet dreams,” were the last words she spoke to him.