Should've Been Lily [Eevachu + Chaos James][Skyreach]

As Rika's mind raced about the options he could take, he heard Nicholas's voice call out. He couldn't see, and he assumed Nicholas couldn't either, but he seemed to have some sort of plan. Nicholas wasn't typically the best at coming up with plans, but Rika had nothing better in mind at the moment. Feeling magical energy surge through his body, his feet pushed off the ground, shouting, "Now!" As he did. As his feet left the ground and he rose, he could hear the snapping of vines as they shot after him to grab him, and he felt a vine wrap around his leg. There was no tug or pull, however, as a moment later Rika felt a wave of energy flood the ground below him, tearing the vine that had grabbed him and rendering it limp. Pushing himself in the air again with a second jump so as to not fall into the spin, Rika found himself landing on a pile of vines. Nicholas must have used a spin attack with his newly found sword to tear through the vines and possibly the Mad Scrubs.

That wasn't his concern now, however, he had to attack the orb with the opportunity Nicholas provided. Rushing forward, Rika sliced at the vines in front of him wildly, hacking away in an attempt not to get grabbed, quickly coming face to face with the orb. Up close, the aura it exuded was even worse; it made him want to vomit just standing next to it. His vision had started to come back, and though it was still a little fuzzy, he could make out the orb from its glow. It seemed abnormal to him, and he got a strange feeling from it. In fact, on closer inspection, it didn't seem very much like a crystal ball; it appeared to be more akin to a seed, nurturing the life of the countless vines attacking them. Despite this control, it didn't feel like it was something that was alive. It felt automated and responsive, similar to some sort of robot or computer program, but he didn't get the feeling it was a sort of living creature.

Either way, it was the end of it all. Channeling ice into his scythe, Rika swung down in an arc, ready to pierce the orb with the element it was most afraid of. However, to Rika's surprise, he sliced through open vines, freezing the vines solid and causing that line of vines to contract and withdraw, shriveling up like they had gotten frostbite. His vision wasn't completely back to normal, but there was no way he'd miss a large, stationary glowing target, even with such a disability. Indeed, it had seemed like the dark orb was capable of movement. Sliding onto the ground and along the vines, it ran through the network of vines like a subway in a station line, moving around at Rika's feet and past him, away from the Kokiri. "It. . . moved?!" He shouted in surprise. It had caught him completely off guard, causing him to miss what could possibly be his only chance to destroy it. Turning around, he saw the dim orb dash among the vines, toward the direction of and past Nicholas. It moved quite fast, but it didn't seem to respond to him until he attempted to attack. "Nicholas, it moved in your direction!" Rika shouted to the Hylian. The vines surrounding him had momentarily backed off from the Kokiri due to the use of his Ice Enchantment, but it wasn't something he could rely on to move through the vines. They hadn't yet known of the delay the spell possessed, but judging by their swift analysis of his abilities, they would likely learn of it within a few casts and strike relentlessly during that time.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Rika called over to Nicholas in a panic, his mind racing in an attempt to figure a way out of his decision. The vines were powerful and restrictive, and even if they could get passed them, the orb would move. They would need to close in on it quickly enough that they could strike before it could have time to avoid the attack. Rika's spin could be fast enough to catch the orb by surprise and destroy it, but it would be difficult for him to close in on it from where he was without spinning, which would give away the advantage of surprise.

If that was the case, there was only one way to get it to move. "Nicholas, attack the orb! It doesn't matter if you break it or even if you hit it, just get it to move away from you, I have a plan!" Rika called out, slicing away at another vine. Then, he felt a violent tug at his left arm, pulling his arm back and making his hand slide off of his scythe. A vine had wrapped itself around his arm and was now squeezing painfully tightly on it. "Damn it. . ." Rika thought to himself, wincing slightly. This was no time for him to be grabbed, he had to be ready to act if Nicholas managed to strike. It would be difficult to get free once ensnared, but he'd have to if the two of them wanted to make it out alive.

"Ngh. . ." Rika grunted, struggling to twist his arm in the direction he needed. The vines weren't anything exceptional in durability, but their strength was incredible for their dexterity. As his hand moved to face the opposite direction, as much as he possibly could, his finger pointing behind him from the direction the vine had come from. A bright, golden light filled the room for a couple moments before a wooden spire erupted from the earth, tearing through the vine holding Rika. The tear was not exceptionally clean and Rika could feel his arm being pulled on impact, but he would have to deal with it. On reaction, the vines entangled the spire, wrapping around its wide base up until the tip. The more they were distracted by it, the better.

Nicholas managed to cause the dark orb to move, causing it to corner himself. It was a perfect scenario so long as he didn't mess it up. Gripping his scythe with both hands, Rika pointed it forward. A chilling blast of ice launched through the vines, causing them to retract and clear a makeshift pathway for him. Quickly charging down the path, Rika sliced at the vines around him, making sure they wouldn't grab him. It was working out well until Rika felt a tug. Not on his body, but on the weapon he was wielding. A vine had entangled itself on his scythe, leaving him no choice but to release it. It didn't seem like they were interested in- or capable of- using weapons or tools against those they grabbed, but it was still bad for him to lose his primary weapon.

The vines in front of him had weaved themselves to form a protective net of sorts. The Ice tactic likely wouldn't clear him a path again, and it would be harder for him to spin through as good of a defense as that with a blade smaller than his scythe. Rika hesitated for a moment, his eyes glancing around as he searched for a solution.

The surrounding air was distorted as a wave of force tore through the entangled vines, forcefully shoving the vines that would move out of the way and tearing those that wouldn't. Rika felt the backlash of power brush over his body. Though he wasn't moved, he could still feel the power that was unleashed from the small packet Nicholas had thrown. It must have been the small bag he picked up from the Aeralfos, as it felt very similarly to the feeling from earlier. They had torn through the vines and opened a path for Rika. The dark orb was in his sights and he couldn't let it escape now. Drawing his dagger as he rushed forward, Rika channeled magical energy through his blade, using it to propel himself forward with a spin. Following this, he did it a second time, and finally, a third time. The third time happened to be a little different from the other two spins, however.

A chilling frost filled the air as his dagger took on a light, blue aura. As he spun, the spin itself, though small, radiated the same icy aura, as if he created a light snow as he spun. Any potential vines that hadn't been blown away would be unable to grab him due to the Ice Enchantment, the combo providing him with just the defense and speed he required. As he spun forward the final time, he was face to face with the dark orb, which hadn't moved. Thrusting his dagger forward as the spin reached its climax, it impaled the orb with ease, the blade sliding through the smoky black exterior which, despite its texture, was most definitely not glass. On impact, the aura around the dagger exploded, reaching around as if it were attempting to entangle the orb like the vines that protected it.

The ice completely cased it, and there was a brief moment of tension filled silence. Did they manage to defeat it? The orb hadn't moved in the slightest after being impaled, but nothing had changed. Suddenly, the orb started to glow, and seemed to be. . .leaking? A shadow-like substance began to flow from the pierced hole the dagger filled like steam, spraying and sizzling out. Rika let out a pain ridden scream as he was consumed by the darkness it was leaking.

It was incredibly painful. It wasn't like Rika was being hurt; he was fairly certain it had not injured him. Despite that, he felt incredible pain wash over his body, his muscles felt like they were contracting, his skin felt like it was being sizzled off, and his brain felt like it was slowly becoming a pile of goop. With nothing else to do but attack, Rika attempted to thrust the blade deeper into the orb, piercing it all the way to the base. It didn't seem to make the shadow-y steam any better or worse, but after a few moments, it started to fade away. The black orb floated in place for a brief moment, before it abruptly exploded in a cloud of smoke. As if in a chain reaction, the vines connected to it followed, slowly trailing down the vines across the room like a lit fuse, until eventually, they all vanished with a relieving poof.

The shine of moonlight shot through the wall, revealing a new entrance leading outside that was previously covered by the vines; however, it seemed to do nothing to assist with the lighting in the room. The only things remaining within the room were the dim, colorful glowing lights slowly hovering, the bony, meatless corpses by them, the slain and possibly living Mad Scrubs, Nicholas and Rika. The Kokiri fell to his knees, staring at his dagger with a blank, absent-minded look on his face. While the pain the shadow caused had completely vanished along with the smoke, his body still felt strange and abnormal. It wasn't something he could place, and it didn't seem like it would affect him very much- at least right now-, but he was sure he felt differently than he did a few moments ago.

As Nicholas investigated the source of the dim lights, Rika glanced towards the surviving Mad Scrubs. They seemed less sinister than before- were they ever really sinister at all?- but something was not right. They still seemed somewhat crazed and strange, as if they were drugged. Rika's body froze as it came to a shocking realization, one he hadn't realized due to the strange feelings he had been experiencing. This tower still remained. They destroyed the dark orb, yet the tower remained. Why was that? Was it not the cause of the madness in the forest? The Mad Scrubs certainly seemed different from before, so perhaps it had an effect on them, but it didn't feel like their work was done.

Rika's eyes moved toward the new opening in the wall, letting the cool night air fill the room. "It's nighttime, huh." Rika stated plainly. They had been in this tower for quite some time. There was no doubt in his mind; wherever they needed to go, whatever they needed to do, was out there. Bringing himself to his feet, Rika found his scythe within the darkness. Nicholas had been freeing some captured fairies; that would explain the lack of some fairies in the village. The words of the fairies hadn't fallen on deaf ears, either.

Those were Kokiri corpses. Whether he wanted them to be or not, they were his brethren. If they failed now, there would be countless others similar to what they had seen now. As Nicholas approached Rika, the Kokiri nodded, as if he had discovered a new resolve. "Yeah. We've come this far, there's no way we're backing out now." As he spoke, Rika stepped out into the cool night air. As expected, they were incredibly high up, towering over the trees below. The sky was painted black, a fully bloomed moon illuminating the sky and shining down on the two of them. "Figures we'd be in here all day." Rika half-joked to Nicholas, staring at the sky for a moment before looking at where they had come out.

It was a small ledge with a staircase to the left, spiraling across the outside of the tower for a short distance before reaching its peak at the tip of the tower. With nothing left to do, Rika scaled the stairs, taking in the view of the forest before his climactic battle to save it. As much as he hated it, the forest- everything about it- was beautiful; seeing it from this distance made his heart race.

As they reached the top of the tower, the sight of the final battlefield came into view. Unlike the rest of the tower, the ground below was covered in a coat of fresh, sharp, green grass, though the impenetrable wood likely laid below. Decorated throughout was a mini-forest of sorts; tall trees, boulders, and bushes were colored through the room, and it had a feeling similar to a nature exhibit, rather than a natural forest. Rika pat Nicholas on the arm, channeling magical energy through his body to give him the Double Jump property, then stepped forward.

Resting in front of Rika and Nicholas was a colossal, moss covered rock. "This is strange. . . " Rika spoke, his voice a combination of musing the idea of it and giving Nicholas a warning. As he stepped forward to investigate, it started to move. The moss shifted awkwardly before it seemed to bring itself to a more upright looking position. Its form wasn't particularly detailed; It had four long limbs extending from its upper and lower body, and seemed slightly humanoid in nature. It looked rather like a golem of sorts, if anything.

The Kokiri instantly leaped back about six feet as it started to move. The center of the creature started to shuffle, and a massive, gaping maw filled to the brim with teeth contorted into existence at that spot, smiling at Rika and Nicholas as if it had found its next dinner. It let out a chilling roar aimed directly toward them, as if to signify the battle had begun.

Parasitic Hydra - Moldermaw

As the beast's roar started to die down, it moved into action, lunging at the duo with speeds surprising for its size. Sweeping its colossal, club-like arms from the left, Rika took a hop back as Nicholas dodged to the right, the duo avoiding his first swing. Taking another hop to the side as Nicholas struck, Rika darted behind a nearby tree, weaving from one tree to the other in an attempt to distance himself. Despite its size, it was fast. Rika was likely more agile, but it was still risky staying in close ranges, considering one hit would likely be a finisher. Forming an aqueous orb as he leaped back, Rika chucked it in front of him at the beast.

The orb easily hit its mark, gently colliding with the beast's right arm. On impact, it burst like a water balloon, filling the air with the sound of an explosion as the beast was pelted with pure water pressure. A moment later, Rika saw Moldermaw swipe at the area of the explosion with its arm. It looked roughly damaged, as if someone had chipped stone, but was fairly unharmed. This revealed two things to Rika; first, that its outer body was immensely durable, and second, that it appeared to have somewhat dulled reactions, due to its delayed swing against the Aqua Grenade. "Interesting. . . So it's powerful and fast, but doesn't react very quickly? Probably not very smart either." Rika thought to himself as he analyzed the creature in question.

Strangely, it seemed to be lacking some of the weak points other humanoid creatures tended to have. Rika couldn't make out any eyes on its body, raising the question of how it was capable of sight in the first place. It didn't seem to have any sort of neck or head at all for that matter, or at least, there was no clear distinction between a head and body. The only possible vulnerable spot was the gaping mouth in its chest, and even that was a gamble. Plus, it was likely not safe to go near the maw unless one wanted to become mince meat. It was something Rika would have to attack later, or maybe Nicholas would have the same idea.

The beast pushed itself forward, moving toward one of the many large boulders scattered throughout the floor. Grasping it within its meaty arms and lifting it into the air, it violently and somewhat aimlessly chucked it at Nicholas.

"I'm thinking!" Rika shouted back at Nicholas, his eyes scanning the monster as his mind raced. The only idea he had was to attack the mouth, which was a risk as Rika didn't even know if it possessed any abilities beyond its immense physical abilities. It would be a better time than any to test it out as the beast lunged at Rika, bringing its arm crashing down at his feet. With his smaller, more agile form, the Kokiri was able to easily leap out of the way of his stony arm, the ground below him shaking as the Kokiri slid backwards across the air. The beast continued its mighty swings, but it was no match for Rika's agility. The environment played to his favor as well, as he could navigate through the bundle of trees and use them as cover.

It seemed the giant had quickly grown tired of Rika's speed, as it stopped its assault, remaining frozen in place like a stone statue. Quickly gaining some distance between the two of them, Rika's eyes narrowed as he glared at it closely. Just what exactly would it choose to do? After a moment of what seemed like deliberation, the beast's gaping maw creaked open. It started to inhale a deep breath, its mouth acting as a powerful suction. The air around Rika started to pull as the Kokiri felt his body move. Struggle as he might, his light frame was ripped off the ground and pulled toward the gaping maw, the suction acting like a vacuum.

Rika had to act quickly or it would be over for him. None of the spells he had would likely help him get out of this situation, or at the very least they would be risky gambles. That was when he remembered the pouch he had gotten from the Aeralfos. With nothing left to use except that, Rika reached into the pouch with his free hand, grabbing a small handful of the packets inside. Flinging them forward, they exploded in the monster's face, sending him flying onto his back with an enormous crash. The suction had stopped, and Rika had little time before he slammed into the monster. Pushing off the air, he leaped a second time, jumping above the monster and roughly landing past him. "Ugh. . ." Rika groaned at the painful landing, quickly trying to push himself to his feet. Glancing behind him, the monster had fallen to the ground and seemed dazed by the force unleashed by the packets; just as Rika thought. "Quickly, strike its mouth Nicholas! That's the weak point!" Rika shouted at the man as he completely brought himself to his feet. Perhaps Nicholas could deal a fatal blow in time.

As Nicholas was tossed off the Moldermaw's chest, its body started to transform. Splits formed in its mossy body, stretching open to form small openings all across its body. Numerous, vine-like tendrils extended and squirmed out of the many holes formed, ending in wide, plant jaws not unlike a venus fly trap. Even with the powerful piercing blow Nicholas delivered, the monster was not only still fighting but also seemed to become even stronger. Slamming its arms on the ground by its sides, the monster pushed itself to its feet. Slowly, it turned to face Rika and Nicholas, eventually coming to a stop.

"I'm trying to think of a new plan, just try to survive right now!" Rika called out to Nicholas, though his words became muffled at the end by the creature's attack. A deafening sound not unlike a jet engine echoed throughout the air as a powerful swirl of wind started to form at the monster's mouth. At first, Rika expected it to be the suction ability he had just used, and reached for a packet of Ignition Powder. Instead, it was something far more devastating. The wind quickly formed a hulking spherical weapon of wind, larger than a basketball or a bomb in size. Rika's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. It was like his Wind spell, almost exactly like it, except it looked far more powerful.

"Move!" Rika shouted to Nicholas, panic in his voice as the creature unleashed the attack just as Rika moved to avoid it. Pushing himself off of his feet and into the air, Rika jumped to the right of the monster in an attempt to dodge. Throwing the packet of Ignition Powder at his feet as he did to gain increased distance, Rika was thrust out of the way of the massive cannonball that was forcefully shot at the two of them with blinding speeds. Despite avoiding it, Rika was still pulled along by the powerful winds and speed, sending him spinning in the air.

Pushing himself off his feet once again, Rika managed to recover slightly with his Double Jump ability. Despite that, it was not a perfect recovery, as he was still sent flying back. The Kokiri slid along his feet as he touched the ground and stumbled, unable to keep up with the speed he was moving. Moving forward, Rika slammed directly into a tree, slumping against it in pain. It didn't feel like he broke anything, which was likely a combination of him slowing his speed and luck, but it was fairly painful and it disoriented him a little. Clenching his shoulder out of pure reaction, Rika glanced at where the wind blast had fired. Trees had been torn and splintered in its path, and it seemed dissipated after about one-hundred feet. Not only was it powerful, but it had incredible range. Keeping their distance was no longer as viable of an option, and with those mouths getting close was not either. They were quickly running out of options unless they could come up with something soon.

As Rika started to return to his senses, he saw a purple wisp float in front of him. It wasn't like the wisp he had summoned, however, his weren't purple. Then, it began to speak. "Rika!" The purple fairy called out as it hovered over the Kokiri's head, giving him a sort of headache. It wasn't because she was bright or anything, it was just because she was a fairy. "Nicholas had an idea, he thinks that the monster's tendrils are similar to the vines you just fought!" Rika paused for a moment, staring at the monster closely before speaking, "I'm not too sure about that. They're a little similar, but they feel different in some ways." As he finished his sentence, Rika paused for a moment, then added, ". . .Well, it can't hurt to try."

Running forward, Rika fired a chilling orb of ice from his palm as he neared the creature. The ice exploded across the monster's side, causing the tendrils to react violently, launching out at Rika. It seemed like they didn't like it, but things were. . . not the same as before. The monster, who had previously been fighting Nicholas, completely turned his back from the man to face Rika. There was a deep rumbling from its belly as it let out a powerful, ear piercing scream, causing Rika to clench at his ears in pain. It made him feel dizzy and sick, like the worst kind of dissonance imaginable.

As it did this, the monster's thick, club arms reached over to a nearby tree, smacking against it as if it was trying to grab it. The tendrils on its arms latched onto the tree one by one, biting onto the bark and sinking their teeth into the tree. With a mighty thrust, the creature ripped the tree completely out of the earth, wielding it now in its two hands like a weapon. Lifting it high into the air, the monster let loose a vicious spin, ready to tear through everything around him, including both Nicholas and Rika.

As the Kokiri stood still, clenching his forehead in pain, the hulking beast's attack neared him. While he wasn't in the best condition, Rika was still conscious, so he could still move. As he attempted to, however, he felt something grab him and hook itself around him, but it wasn't the mouthed vines entangling him, it was Nicholas. The man lifted the light Kokiri off the ground, saving him from the sweeping tree that would have surely flattened him had it hit. As the two landed, Rika glanced down at Nicholas and glared at him slightly.

"Ugh. . .thanks." Rika muttered just before looking at the beast. "I don't think so. It didn't seem to like the ice, but it reacted far more violently, I don't think it'll be useful. Who knows how we can hurt it now. . ." Then, pausing for a moment, an idea popped into the Kokiri's head. "I have an idea, Nicholas. What if we throw it off the tower? There's no way it'd survive that, even with its thick hide." The Kokiri spoke, before glancing toward the edge of the tower. They weren't especially far, and it wouldn't be too difficult to do.

"Just follow my lead, I'll make an opening." Rika smirked as he began to dart through the trees toward the closest end of the tower. The Moldermaw was in a total frenzy, and without paying any attention to Nicholas, charged after the boy who had shot ice at him. Rika was much faster in this case, as though the monster possessed incredible speed, he could not weave through the trees like Rika. Instead, he resorted to crushing and smashing the trees, which slowed him further. Soon, they both came to a stop as Rika and the creature were face to face at the edge, the endless, expansive sea of trees making up Kokiri Forest spread out in front of him.

As they did, Rika reached into the pouch at his side and grabbed a handful of packets. Tossing them high into the air, they rained down upon the beast, exploding and sending the vines forcibly downward as if they were blown down by gravity. "Now!" Rika shouted to Nicholas as he did this.

As the Kokiri stood still, clenching his forehead in pain, the hulking beast's attack neared him. While he wasn't in the best condition, Rika was still conscious, so he could still move. As he attempted to, however, he felt something grab him and hook itself around him, but it wasn't the mouthed vines entangling him, it was Nicholas. The man lifted the light Kokiri off the ground, saving him from the sweeping tree that would have surely flattened him had it hit. As the two landed, Rika glanced down at Nicholas and glared at him slightly.

"Ugh. . .thanks." Rika muttered just before looking at the beast. "I don't think so. It didn't seem to like the ice, but it reacted far more violently, I don't think it'll be useful. Who knows how we can hurt it now. . ." Then, pausing for a moment, an idea popped into the Kokiri's head. "I have an idea, Nicholas. What if we throw it off the tower? There's no way it'd survive that, even with its thick hide." The Kokiri spoke, before glancing toward the edge of the tower. They weren't especially far, and it wouldn't be too difficult to do.

"Just follow my lead, I'll make an opening." Rika smirked as he began to dart through the trees toward the closest end of the tower. The Moldermaw was in a total frenzy, and without paying any attention to Nicholas, charged after the boy who had shot ice at him. Rika was much faster in this case, as though the monster possessed incredible speed, he could not weave through the trees like Rika. Instead, he resorted to crushing and smashing the trees, which slowed him further. Soon, they both came to a stop as Rika and the creature were face to face at the edge, the endless, expansive sea of trees making up Kokiri Forest spread out in front of him.

As they did, Rika reached into the pouch at his side and grabbed a handful of packets. Tossing them high into the air, they rained down upon the beast, exploding and sending the vines forcibly downward as if they were blown down by gravity. As he did so, his other hand thrust forward, his finger extending as the rest wrapped around his scythe. "Now, die!" Rika shouted as a glowing, golden circle formed underneath the monster's feet. In a matter of moments, a powerful, wooden spire would launch out of the ground to pierce its body. The effect it would have in actually damaging it was unknown, but that wasn't the plan.