After Clover agreed to accompany Ruin to his village, the four traveled back to the Null village. "Null Village is pretty small, but after we pour our powers into it, it'll be awesome!", Emby grinned. "Yes! There will be crystal clear waters, I assure you, Ruin!", Aquaria added with a friendly smile. "If the stories I heard were true, the vegetation could use some help. Not to worry though, I'll fix it", Clover patted Ruin's shoulder. "You guys...I just want to say thank you", Ruin said, as he turned to them. They smiled warmly at him, and continued on their way. As the entrance came into view, Ruin a started feeling uneasy...It was as if something was horribly wrong. Emby looked up at his friend. "Hey man, are you ok?", he asked. Without saying a word, he dashed through the pathway. The others ran along beside him and entered with him together... What happened next was unreal...
Null Elementals were laying on the ground, and bore puncture wounds on their bodies, or either wounds as if they've been hit on them. There was blood splattered on some of the houses, as if there was a struggle to escape what ever did this. Aquaria looked around, her hands covering her mouth in horror. Clover surveyed the area, an attentive look on his face. Ruin and Emby shared similar looks as they looked around. "W-what...what the heck happened, Ruin...?", Emby asked in a fearful tone. Ruin said nothing, as he slowly walked forward, his eyes not sparkling. Then he gasped, and ran in the direction of his own house. Emby saw him, and immediately had the same reaction, as Clover and Aquaria followed suit. Ruin looked in his house. There were signs of struggle everywhere. Things were broken, blood covered some shattered pots, and a trail lead to where his parents were. "M-mom...Dad!", he said, running in, hyperventilating. When he came in, his heart sank. Nihilia was laying on her side, and what looked like his father's shirt was wrapped around her stomach. Corc laid beside the bed, panting heavily, as he gripped his wounds tightly. "Dad?? What happened!?", Ruin asked, walking over when Corc grabbed his collar, and yanked him towards him. "Y-you...Stupid...Boy! Where were you!?", he yelled. Ruin could only look as his dad coughed, trying to speak. "E-everything was peaceful... Until they- *cough*! They showed up...F-from the shadows... I can still hear their laughs...It was like some s-sick game...H-how many of us could they kill... N-Nihilia tried to keep some worthless trinket safe for you to come back- *Cough*! T-they wanted it...But she held onto it... They dragged her through the house, and even threw our plates at her", Corc explained, his eyes getting teary. "But she...she...wouldn't let go...I tried to stop them..Only injured a f-few... Those monsters were too..much".. "Dad, who?? Who did this to you guys!?", Ruin exclaimed, teary eyed himself. That's when Nihilia coughed, and struggled to sit herself up. "Mom!?", Ruin said, helping her up. "Ru..in...See, Corc? I..t..told you he'd come back..", she smiled weakly. "Nihilia, lay back down! Your injuries-! Ggh!", Corc tried to say, but winced in pain. Ruin stooped down by his mother. "Ruin..I m-made you...a present...for your return-! Nngh! B-but I couldn't hang on..to it..", she said, putting her hand on his. "Mom, why didn't you give it away!? You're much more important to me than some present!", Ruin shouted, on the verge of breaking down. "I w-wish I could tell you..B-but I fear I don't have much time left- Ah"! She grabbed her stomach in pain as she slowly slumped back on the ground. Aquaria turned away as Clover held her as comfort. Ruin gripped his mother's hand tightly. "Be careful..my dear Ruin...The Dark Elementals...have returned...", she whispered, and closed her eyes. Emby had big tears rolling down his cheeks as he watched Nihilia draw her last breath. Aquaria was crying as Clover looked down in grievance.
Ruin stood up, his face darkened out as he walked outside. As if their world wept for its fallen inhabitants, it began to rain. Ruin took out his sword and held it tightly. The sword started glowing as fire swirled fiercely around the Null Elemental. Finally, he thrusted his sword up in the air, followed by the most loudest echoing yell he ever made, as turrents of flames clawed their way towards the sky. Every creature in the surrounding area heard his cry. The others met up with outside, Clover making an umbrella with a huge leaf he grew. Ruin stared up in the air, his face wet with rain. Emby walked over to him, despite Aquaria's motioning for him not to. He tugged his sleeve a little, and Ruin looked at him. He may have been soaked with rain, but he could tell where his tears were coming from. "I-I'm sorry... About.. uh, y'know..", Emby started to say, fighting back his own tears. Ruin rubbed his head. "No..I'm sorry I brought you here to see..that. To you guys as well", he apologized. "Ruin, you don't have to apologize!", Aquaria exclaimed. "How were you to know what would befall Null Village"?? "Aquaria. It's best not to say anymore", Clover interrupted. "If it's ok with you all...Could you still..Restore the village?", Ruin asked. "Of course. That's why we came here, after all", Clover replied. "Clover, don't you think you're being a bit insensitive??", Aquaria asked in a hushed voice. "I don't know what you mean. The deal was to fix Null Village", he told her, as he went into its woods. Aquaria blinked. How could he brush that off so easily, after what just happened??
But whatever the case, she went to Null Village's waters, and began her work. The next day, when they all awoke, Null Village was looking much, MUCH better! There was lush grass everywhere, no more dirt patches, save the ones that formed the paths. The water was much cleaner, and more fish came. The furnaces could now ignite better, thanks to Emby's influence. Corc looked around. "He actually did it...But what good is it if I can't share it with you, Nihilia...", he sighed. The others met up with Ruin, who had hoisted his sword on his back. "Thank for helping the village, it means a lot", he smiled, as he got up, and walked out the village. He then heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Clover. "Alright, let's get a move on", he said. "Move on??", Ruin asked. Aquaria was confused as well. "Clover, what're you doing? We've done our job..?", she asked.
"That was a task, my dear Aquaria. Our job is to stay by Ruin's side", he explained. Emby beamed. "We ain't leaving you, buddy!", he exclaimed. Ruin didn't know what to say. "If I'm correct, you want to find out where those Dark Elementals are, and teach them a lesson, right?", Clover smirked. Ruin smiled briefly, and turned serious. "I don't know anything about these Dark Elementals... If you guys follow me, I can't guarantee we'll come back alive..", he told them. "... If that was your way of discouraging us, take lessons", Clover replied in his regal manner.Ruin shook his head. Didn't seem like he'd be alone in this. So, the four went from Null Village to gather intel on where the nefarious Dark Elementals resided...
~Part 12 End
Null Elementals were laying on the ground, and bore puncture wounds on their bodies, or either wounds as if they've been hit on them. There was blood splattered on some of the houses, as if there was a struggle to escape what ever did this. Aquaria looked around, her hands covering her mouth in horror. Clover surveyed the area, an attentive look on his face. Ruin and Emby shared similar looks as they looked around. "W-what...what the heck happened, Ruin...?", Emby asked in a fearful tone. Ruin said nothing, as he slowly walked forward, his eyes not sparkling. Then he gasped, and ran in the direction of his own house. Emby saw him, and immediately had the same reaction, as Clover and Aquaria followed suit. Ruin looked in his house. There were signs of struggle everywhere. Things were broken, blood covered some shattered pots, and a trail lead to where his parents were. "M-mom...Dad!", he said, running in, hyperventilating. When he came in, his heart sank. Nihilia was laying on her side, and what looked like his father's shirt was wrapped around her stomach. Corc laid beside the bed, panting heavily, as he gripped his wounds tightly. "Dad?? What happened!?", Ruin asked, walking over when Corc grabbed his collar, and yanked him towards him. "Y-you...Stupid...Boy! Where were you!?", he yelled. Ruin could only look as his dad coughed, trying to speak. "E-everything was peaceful... Until they- *cough*! They showed up...F-from the shadows... I can still hear their laughs...It was like some s-sick game...H-how many of us could they kill... N-Nihilia tried to keep some worthless trinket safe for you to come back- *Cough*! T-they wanted it...But she held onto it... They dragged her through the house, and even threw our plates at her", Corc explained, his eyes getting teary. "But she...she...wouldn't let go...I tried to stop them..Only injured a f-few... Those monsters were too..much".. "Dad, who?? Who did this to you guys!?", Ruin exclaimed, teary eyed himself. That's when Nihilia coughed, and struggled to sit herself up. "Mom!?", Ruin said, helping her up. "Ru..in...See, Corc? I..t..told you he'd come back..", she smiled weakly. "Nihilia, lay back down! Your injuries-! Ggh!", Corc tried to say, but winced in pain. Ruin stooped down by his mother. "Ruin..I m-made you...a present...for your return-! Nngh! B-but I couldn't hang on..to it..", she said, putting her hand on his. "Mom, why didn't you give it away!? You're much more important to me than some present!", Ruin shouted, on the verge of breaking down. "I w-wish I could tell you..B-but I fear I don't have much time left- Ah"! She grabbed her stomach in pain as she slowly slumped back on the ground. Aquaria turned away as Clover held her as comfort. Ruin gripped his mother's hand tightly. "Be careful..my dear Ruin...The Dark Elementals...have returned...", she whispered, and closed her eyes. Emby had big tears rolling down his cheeks as he watched Nihilia draw her last breath. Aquaria was crying as Clover looked down in grievance.
Ruin stood up, his face darkened out as he walked outside. As if their world wept for its fallen inhabitants, it began to rain. Ruin took out his sword and held it tightly. The sword started glowing as fire swirled fiercely around the Null Elemental. Finally, he thrusted his sword up in the air, followed by the most loudest echoing yell he ever made, as turrents of flames clawed their way towards the sky. Every creature in the surrounding area heard his cry. The others met up with outside, Clover making an umbrella with a huge leaf he grew. Ruin stared up in the air, his face wet with rain. Emby walked over to him, despite Aquaria's motioning for him not to. He tugged his sleeve a little, and Ruin looked at him. He may have been soaked with rain, but he could tell where his tears were coming from. "I-I'm sorry... About.. uh, y'know..", Emby started to say, fighting back his own tears. Ruin rubbed his head. "No..I'm sorry I brought you here to see..that. To you guys as well", he apologized. "Ruin, you don't have to apologize!", Aquaria exclaimed. "How were you to know what would befall Null Village"?? "Aquaria. It's best not to say anymore", Clover interrupted. "If it's ok with you all...Could you still..Restore the village?", Ruin asked. "Of course. That's why we came here, after all", Clover replied. "Clover, don't you think you're being a bit insensitive??", Aquaria asked in a hushed voice. "I don't know what you mean. The deal was to fix Null Village", he told her, as he went into its woods. Aquaria blinked. How could he brush that off so easily, after what just happened??
But whatever the case, she went to Null Village's waters, and began her work. The next day, when they all awoke, Null Village was looking much, MUCH better! There was lush grass everywhere, no more dirt patches, save the ones that formed the paths. The water was much cleaner, and more fish came. The furnaces could now ignite better, thanks to Emby's influence. Corc looked around. "He actually did it...But what good is it if I can't share it with you, Nihilia...", he sighed. The others met up with Ruin, who had hoisted his sword on his back. "Thank for helping the village, it means a lot", he smiled, as he got up, and walked out the village. He then heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Clover. "Alright, let's get a move on", he said. "Move on??", Ruin asked. Aquaria was confused as well. "Clover, what're you doing? We've done our job..?", she asked.
"That was a task, my dear Aquaria. Our job is to stay by Ruin's side", he explained. Emby beamed. "We ain't leaving you, buddy!", he exclaimed. Ruin didn't know what to say. "If I'm correct, you want to find out where those Dark Elementals are, and teach them a lesson, right?", Clover smirked. Ruin smiled briefly, and turned serious. "I don't know anything about these Dark Elementals... If you guys follow me, I can't guarantee we'll come back alive..", he told them. "... If that was your way of discouraging us, take lessons", Clover replied in his regal manner.Ruin shook his head. Didn't seem like he'd be alone in this. So, the four went from Null Village to gather intel on where the nefarious Dark Elementals resided...
~Part 12 End
