32
Don…. Come back
Celestia was a raging battlefield. Everyone ran through the warzone as explosions were heard across the distance, and they had to stop each time they found an orange blast of flame booming towards the sky.
Sophia covered her head and lowered it as another explosion was heard from right next to them.
Sounds of war cries and screaming echoed as they ran across the elongated golden bridge that used to be shimmering and sparkly, but was now starting to get smoky because of the chaos happening from afar.
Celestianites were soaring through the air, battling the Lunaranites with their spears.
They looked like a whole flock of birds going against another flock of birds. Energy blasts from cannons were being fired at them, but they missed and hit the bridge instead. They were sprinting, their legs going as fast as a roadrunner. The sky was a sick orange, filled with smoke in the air, as the golden clouds started to wipe away. They were running towards golden castles and towers while on the bridge, which stretched almost to the peak of the Earth.
Buildings were crumbling and falling down—they staggered and crashed onto the ground, creating loud noises. "ALRIGHT, WE GOTTA SOMEHOW FIND THE BATTLEFIELD! SO THEN WE CAN HELP JAYLEN AND THE OTHERS!" William shouted loudly through the wind of the loud shooting and screaming.
Then—out of nowhere—a large Lunaranite was hurling toward them at maximum speed. Emely shouted, "WATCH OUT!" She quickly opened her hand and fired an ice blast at the beast, freezing it to death. It landed on the ground and tumbled across it, snapping into pieces.
Emely skidded back as the crew halted beside her. She looked up and saw a bunch of Lunaranites flying toward them with their spears and blasters, ready to attack. They all gritted their teeth and charged up their Elements.
They stared up with determined eyes, preparing for what was coming next. Millions of black and purple shades started flying toward them at the speed of sound, while explosions raged and buildings collapsed all around.
Fires broke out across the city of the Enchanted Kingdom. The golden and yellow, once-shiny buildings that used to tower tall, now fell short and tilted, collapsing to their death, smashing into the ground—demolished more than ever. Sophia looked up into the air to find an escape, so they wouldn't have to waste time fighting the Lunaranites. Something clicked in her mind as she turned to Angel, then charged her arms with sound energy to fire it at him from afar.
Angel jerked his head in confusion, yelling, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The soundwave launched Angel into the air before Sophia could explain, and he soared over the flock of Lunaranites with swirling dark blue energy trailing behind him. Sophia's voice broke through the wind like thunder as she cried to Angel, "CREATE A DOMAIN NOW! MAKE IT A BIG AND STRONG ONE!!!"
Angel looked down, then nodded as his glasses gleamed with determination. He used his owl wings to blast himself higher, positioning behind the Lunaranites. He opened his arms as blue energy started to swirl around them, then clapped his hands. Five dark blue swirling portals appeared behind his back.
He grasped his hands together, a worried but determined look on his face. "This could take up all my energy! You sure about this, Sophia?!" His hair started flying wildly as blue energy swirled around his body.
The wind went insane. The place darkened as the energy took over the area. The Lunaranites looked up at Angel with confused expressions. Angel stood in the air, eyes gleaming a dark blue with a serious look. His voice boomed like thunder as he shouted through the sky, "VORTEXES DOMAIN!!!"
All the portals swirled around his body, spiraling from toe to head, then merged together to create a booming dark blue shockwave that shot out of the portals, spreading from the bridge to the Enchanted Kingdom. The shockwave caused the wind to speed up, harsher than ever. The wind howled—everyone's hair was flailing from it—as the portals fused into one massive black hole with swirling energy inside. Sophia covered her eyes with her arm, then lowered it to look up at Angel. He stood in the air with a massive swirling black hole above his head, holding it like a trophy.
His eyes glowed a bright yet dark blue, energy swirling from head to toe like a vortex. His face was straight, his glasses gleamed with radiant energy. Sophia smirked. "Alright, now all we have to do is get to the Enchanted Kingdom without dying! Quick and steady!" Daysni yelled, looking up at Angel as he distracted the Lunaranites. Sophia placed her palm onto the bridge.
Sound energy started to pulse through her hand rapidly. She looked up at the Lunaranites with gleaming golden eyes. Mason peered down at her and asked, "What are you doing?!" "Making a shockwave to launch us from this bridge to the Enchanted Kingdom. It's gonna take a lot of energy, but it's worth it..." She turned her gaze to the warzone at the Enchanted Kingdom and grinned.
"NOW!" She blasted herself from the ground, and everyone else followed, leaving behind a devastating explosion that sent debris from the bridge flying into the sky like little fragments.
They soared through the orange sky as the smoke of destruction filled the air. Sophia looked down at the Enchanted Kingdom.
Buildings were on fire. Jaylen and Dark Don were teleporting and clashing, while the other Officials joined the fight. Celestianites and Lunaranites were battling to the death—spears flying, energy blasts launching in every direction. She narrowed her eyes at Dark Don—and then she noticed Incarceration, leading the Lunaranites and fighting the other Celestianites alongside them. He was creating nightmarish creatures that were indescribable, and they went off to attack the Celestianites.
She turned her gaze to the Castle of Celestia. Smoke was escaping from the very top, like a chimney on fire. It was starting to burn down—flames flickering, nearly flooding the entire battlefield.
Then the crew heroically landed right in front of Jaylen and the other Officials fighting against Dark Don. They skidded across the golden floor as explosions rumbled and smoke erupted behind them.
Despite the chaos around them, they never let their guard down. Dark Don had lunar energy crackling around his body. He wore a wide frown as he stared into the heroes' souls. He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. Blood nearly soaked his body, and the battlefield was smeared with it.
"Isn't this nice? Calling for backup when you really need it," he said, his voice dripping with malice.
"You've actually given me a compliment. I know I'm dangerous..." Everyone got into their fighting stances. "You're not gonna do anything to Celestia—nor take over it!" Coltz exclaimed, green energy crackling around his fists. Dark Don walked toward them, looking like a tired beast.
"Cool, cool..." He tightened his gloves. "I'm just waiting till Incarceration activates the Power Gem Pillars. That way, the Power Gems will come to us if needed... I wouldn't even have to search. It'd just be too easy!" "That's just playing dirty," Guervens said, his fists dripping with orange lava and magma. His black wings were battered, but his armor stayed intact. He cracked his knuckles. "We know you, Dark Don. You never play fair..." "You know, maybe you're right. I'm not playing fair," Dark Don said as he charged up his fists with lunar energy.
His eyes turned silver and crackled. "But you guys just make this so hard for me. Why can't I cheat? I've hated Celestianites ever since I was a baby. You might not know the reason why... but once I get all the Power Gems, they'll be gone. Wiped out. For good..."
His wings flared open, and his tail started whipping behind him. "You call yourselves heroes? Show me what a hero can really do..." Everyone charged up their Elements, some morphing into their beast forms. Jaylen smirked, yellow and cyan radiant energy swirling around his arms. "You betcha..."
They stood face to face against each other. Scourge Don walked away, his cape still swaying from left to right, and the moon glistened with light as the stars twinkled across the sky.
Smoke slowly emerged from the rugged ground and from the destruction of fallen buildings and towers. It seemed there was no hope. No hope at all. It seemed that Don was probably just going to stay like this forever—and he was never going to turn back. His friends tried.
All of them did. But it was just no use. Duke narrowed his eyes at the six, then frowned. He looked at all of their sorrowful faces, then turned to Don, who was still walking away. He tried not to feel anything, but that thing started creeping up into his mind like a spider. Was Starla right the entire time? He tried to ignore it, but it just wouldn't go away. What if she was right? The Blushinites had no home, no family to live with. He knew that everyone has a life—and life is as precious to them as it is to him. He lost his family, his friends, his girlfriend, his home... everything he used to have. All because of one thing: the Lunaranites.
Was he like the Lunaranites? Did he act like them in any way? He was a Celestianite, but he just didn't look like one anymore—not with his condition. He thought it would be fair for everyone to lose everything, like he did. But that feeling didn't feel good. It didn't feel worth it. His evil frown started to turn into a sorrowful one. Don... leaving his friends. Blushinites... losing everything they have. It just didn't seem right.
Duke dropped all of the Power Gems. Then he turned around and sighed. "I gotta go…" He flew off into the night sky, his thrusters still broken, wings damaged. He looked down at the crew with his bird mask and shook his head—then he was gone, disappearing into the clouds.
The six looked up, watching Duke leave. They were confused about why he dropped the Power Gems, but at least they got them. Instead of picking them up, Olsen had other plans. "DON!" he shouted. Don stopped and turned to them, his eyes flashing with anger and regret.
"What do you want? Can't I just be alone for once?" he muttered, his voice deep and cold. "It's either fight or flight. We need you… because without you, we aren't the Chosen Ones," Olsen replied as he stepped forward firmly. Don clenched his fists.
"SO WHAT?! NOBODY NEEDS ME! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE, OLSEN! I've already lost friends—why go back now? The prophecy is too much pressure! I was betrayed after realizing the truth…"
He stared into Olsen's soul. "All of it shall be forgotten… Without me, the prophecy shouldn't exist…" Celestial energy began to crackle around his body like violet electricity. "I might've chosen flight, but this time I'm gonna choose to fight…" Don teleported right in front of Ella and drop kicked her with one leg, sending her flying through a large rock.
She crashed through it as the fragments rained down on her and rolled over her body. Her eyes instantly shut—she was knocked out. Everyone else stared in shock. Then Don turned to Prince and instantly teleported in front of him, uppercutting him into the air before teleporting above him and slamming him down with his tail. Prince hit the ground, sliding across on his back, flipping over.
He crashed through building debris. Everyone else charged into the fight. Don locked his eyes on them as they came closer.
Archie came in first, but Don grabbed his arm, swung him around repeatedly, and threw him across the air.
Eli teleported in front of Don to deliver a Taekwondo sidekick, but Don blocked it and elbow-struck his gut, then right-hooked him away.
Demaurion roared, leaping into the air with his trident. Don grabbed it mid-air and spun Demaurion around before hurling him at Olsen. Demaurion crashed into Olsen, sending them sprawling.
Don walked toward them, fists clenched, gripping the trident hard. "Weak. I could never," he muttered. Eli teleported behind Don and tried to strike him with green energy, but Don teleported behind him, flash-kicked him into the air, then appeared above him and grabbed his body. He soared across the sky with him, smashing through towers and buildings, causing massive destruction. Then he slammed Eli down with extreme force, causing his face to bleed. Don then celestial-struck him, sending his body back to the ground like a green meteor.
Eli crashed chest-first. Don flew down with energy charged up, slamming his foot onto Eli with such force that a celestial shockwave erupted, splitting the buildings. They collapsed and tumbled to the ground.
Demaurion rushed in again, hurling a wave of water at Don. It swirled like a tsunami, then condensed into a high-pressure beam. The battlefield lit up. Archie stood again, his suit battered, holding a blazing fireball in his hand. His hair flailed wildly in the wind.
Don looked at both Demaurion and Archie, then turned to Olsen, who was running at him with his hammer, yelling triumphantly. Prince hovered overhead, ready to strike with lightning, and Ella ran forward with swirling sand around her, hair flailing. Don clenched his fists as celestial energy crackled violently. He grunted—and teleported in front of Olsen, celestial-flash-kicked his chin into the air, then grabbed Ella's back and slammed her into the ground in slow motion, causing a huge celestial explosion and a blinding shockwave that sent everyone flying.
Archie fired the blazing fireball, shouting, "BLAZING HELL!" Don's eyes lit up. He leapt into the air through the fireball, cloaked in celestial energy. The fireball exploded. Don grabbed Archie by the neck and slammed him to the ground. He cracked his own neck, then delivered a devastating celestial punch to Archie's face, creating a land-shattering shockwave.
Mountains split in half and collapsed. Buildings began to tumble and crumble. Dust erupted everywhere. Don teleported above Prince—then shouted, "365 DAYS!" Ten massive glowing celestial fists rained down from the heavens, slamming the crew one by one, shattering the very air like glass. A blinding light exploded outward, creating a shockwave that summoned a hurricane. It pulled buildings apart and shook the Land of Hearts again.
Cracks spread rapidly across the battlefield. Starla held tightly to Scorch on a mountain cave, struggling not to be swept away by the wind. Despite the destruction, the Power Gems remained untouched.
Through the chaos and blinding white explosion, Don teleported right in front of Demaurion—now a blazing black silhouette—screaming as he fired an insane strike to his face. The explosion that followed alone destroyed the entire Land of Hearts. The castle was launched into obliteration as flames burst from the ground. People were burning. Some were dying.
Buildings and towers snapped in half, and mountains crumbled. The white blindness faded. Wind roared across the sky. The land continued to shake like an unending earthquake. And there stood Don—alone—his eyes glowing with corrupted celestial energy, his cape swaying violently in the storm. Olsen finally crash-landed onto the ground after being launched into the air, and he landed on his back right in front of Scourge Don.
Scourge Don marched towards him, celestial energy still crackling violently, then he harshly placed his foot on his chest.
"WHY, OLSEN?! WHY?! WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU GUYS IF I CAN'T TRUST THE OTHERS?! WHAT'S THE POINT, OLSEN?! WHAT'S THE POINT?!" Don yelled at him, his voice filled with rage and sadness at the same time. "I DON'T GET IT! YOU STILL WANT ME TO COME BACK TO THE TEAM, EVEN THOUGH I ALREADY LEFT IT! IT'S TOO MUCH, AND I CAN'T TAKE IT IF I CAN'T TRUST THEM! YOU DIDN'T HELP ME! YOU DIDN'T HELP ME THE RIGHT WAY! I WANTED TO BECOME SOMEONE ELSE SO I COULD SHOW YOU THAT I'M NOT A CRYBABY! THAT I'M NOT SOME LOSER! THAT I'M NOT A CLOWN! THAT I'M NOT ENTERTAINMENT! I WANNA BE SOMETHING ELSE! AND THEY TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME! AND YOU DID NOTHING!"
Don sighed as he calmed down, then he slowly lowered his head to turn his gaze to Olsen's eyes. "Tell me, Olsen… what's the point of trusting you if I can't trust them?" Olsen coughed up blood, beaten and bloodied.
It spilled across his face, and he was bleeding from the nose. He coughed again and weakly said, "Because, Don… because that's what best friends do..." He was breathing slowly, looking like he was dying. "We've been friends for six years, Don. Six years... You were my first friend, and I was your first friend... I don't wanna end it here and now, Don. Please..."
Don's angry expression faltered into a small frown. He looked down at Olsen, his hands shaking with regret and confusion.
Olsen was right. They had been through so much. And Don let Incarceration get to him. If he stayed like this, they'd probably never come back from it.
Olsen kept speaking, his voice cracking slightly.
"I know the real you is still in there, Don... I know it. I'll always know it. You can escape Incarceration's manipulation and join us. We can stop the war together after we find the Lost Key..."
"You're the first Chosen One, Don. The first one ever... The only Celestial user in this generation. You're special..." Starla put her hand on Don's shoulder, still injured from the fight with Duke. "He's right, Don. That metaphor I showed you—it was exactly what I was talking about... You have a choice. Do you want to go back, or stay like this?" Don stood in silence, thinking. The real him was pushing its way out, fighting to break free from Incarceration's grip.
He clenched his fists as a single tear slid down his face. Then he collapsed to his knees. In his real voice, soft and shaken, he said while removing his mask, "I want to go back..." Before he could fall any farther, Olsen hugged him tight. Don thought to himself, Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry! But a small tear rolled down his cheek anyway.
"I miss you all... I'm sorry for what I've done... I love you guys. As friends..." Everyone joined in, wrapping their arms around him, patting each other's backs and comforting one another. Starla stood back, a small smile creeping up on her face. Prince whispered, "We love you too, Don..."
They slowly pulled away from the group hug. Don got up, dusting off his hero suit. Scourge Don was gone.
The real Don was back. Then he noticed something—on the ground, the Power Gems were lying there the whole time. He looked around. "Where's Duke?" he asked. Ella looked up at the sky.
"Duke… he just dropped the Power Gems and left..." Don shook his head. "What about Power?! Is he okay?" "Power's fine. He's just... lost," Olsen muttered under his breath. "He'll find his way, though. Hopefully..."
Then, one of the Power Gems started humming. Everyone turned their attention to it as all nine began to glow and shake, almost like they were alive. Starla looked at them, puzzled, then back up at the mountain where Scorch was. Her eyes widened. "The three Power Gems I had—they're gone?! What's going on?!" Suddenly, the Power Gems levitated into the air, glowing ominously. All nine grouped up, circling in the air like a ritual. Even the Blushinites and Quewen Relish, from her throne outside, stared up in shock. Archie murmured, "What the hell?"
Then the Power Gems exploded with radiant light, a shockwave blasting across the entirety of Avangard. Everyone saw it—Mr. Bassi at Insane Middle School, the people in Iris Town, the Frozenites and Yetis in Eclitsic. The whole world. Don yelled, his voice cracking, "THE HECK IS GOING ON?!"
The wind grew stronger and wilder as the Power Gems spun faster. They looked like radiant stars orbiting in the night sky.
Then, the blue Power Gem placed itself in the center. The winds turned hostile. The ground began to quake violently.
"ALRIGHT, WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!" Demaurion shouted, eyes darting around. Then in an instant, the Power Gems collided—BOOM—a massive rainbow-colored shockwave exploded across all of Avangard. Sparks shot out like fireworks. The sky lit up. The land shook. Everyone's eyes widened. The energy raced across the ground like a tsunami.
"WOAH!" everybody shouted in unison, leaping over it. It struck everything—objects began morphing.
Lunaranites began erupting from the ground. The Uragas in the air? They transformed into alien hover-jets, slimy and mechanical, with blasters and teeth. It was disgusting, unreal, indescribable.
Everyone drew their weapons. Lunaranites launched at them, jaws wide, ready to pierce skin. A flock of Lunaranite dragons swarmed through the sky, spreading across Avangard. Alien ships opened fire on structures all across the tribes. Don gritted his teeth, drawing his daggers as he stared at the sky—now flooded with Lunaranites and destruction. Starla's dragon ears twitched. Her instincts fired off like alarms. "I knew this would happen... Someone activated the Power Gem Pillars. They can now control the Power Gems and bring them to Celestia. Something's happening over there." Olsen slammed his fists together.
"Oh, so something's going on at Celestia? BET!" "LET'S GET STARTED!" "THIS IS GONNA BE FUN!" "ALRIGHT, THE TEAM'S BACK AT IT AGAIN!" Archie shouted, his fists igniting in blazing orange flames. Don launched into the air, yelling, "I'LL GET DREADIXZ! YOU GUYS STOP WHATEVER'S HAPPENING AT CELESTIA! I THINK IT'S THE LUNARANITES—GO, GO, GO!"
He transformed into full dragon mode, tearing through the flock of Lunaranites like they were paper. The others scattered, racing toward Celestia. And that's how the Scourge Don Arc ends...