After their short farewell with Joe, Coney and Astrid proceeded outside the tavern. Upon exiting, they were met with a group of Cottontail children holding small pebbles in their hands. Coney hadn’t even taken a step when the children started throwing the pebbles at her, calling her a coward repeatedly.
“H-hey! Cut it off! That’s not cool!” Astrid defended immediately, stepping between Coney and the children.
“Ignore them, let’s keep going,” Coney said calmly, pulling Astrid forward.
“H-hey… you shouldn’t let people trample on you like that! You should at least defend yourself!” Astrid insisted, frustrated by Coney’s passivity.
“That’s none of your business. Just keep on walking, or else I’ll leave you behind,” Coney responded, her tone firm.
“Tsk... fine,” Astrid muttered, reluctantly following.
The two continued walking and followed the road leading to the outskirts of the city. Upon arriving, they took a different, much narrower path that descended steeply below the main city. They walked for hours, following the steep and narrow track. They weren’t even halfway to their destination when Coney noticed Astrid was visibly exhausted. Coney spotted a small cave recess in the wall beside their path and decided to stop there to eat and rest.
Inside the small cave, they ate their rations. Astrid felt awkward because Coney was completely silent, so she decided to start a conversation to get to know her better.
“Uhm… Miss Coney, have you been to the golem’s nest before?” Astrid asked, looking embarrassed.
It took a moment, but Coney eventually responded. “I’ve been there many times before, but I’ve never managed to get deeper into their nest because I always ran out of swords before I did.”
“Oh, I see… is that why you’re carrying so many swords with you?” Astrid asked, looking at the bundles Joe had prepared.
“That’s right. The swords I wield always break with just one swing, that’s why if we manage to get Prismanium, I’m going to ask Joe to make me an indestructible one,” Coney explained.
“I see… but aren’t Cottontails one of the great races? Can’t you just use Earth magic instead of swords?” Astrid asked out of curiosity.
“Magic was never the strongest suit of Cottontails, so we’ve gone through a transition. We instead utilize the rocks and minerals the earth provides us to create objects and items useful to us. That’s why Buckheim became the city of innovation and progress,” Coney explained.
“It makes sense now! So that’s the reason why I’ve never seen anyone use magic back in the city,” Astrid responded, a light dawning in her eyes.
“Indeed. If you’re satisfied now, then go to sleep. You’ll need all the strength you can get once we arrive at our destination,” Coney instructed.
“O-okay.”
Astrid wanted to ask why the people back in Buckheim kept calling her a coward and seemed to hate her so much, but she knew Coney would only dodge the question, so she let the topic go for now. The two then took a nap to rest. Hours later, they woke up and resumed traveling.
Throughout their journey, they became more open with each other, and as time passed, they became comfortable conversing.
Three days finally passed, and their destination, the golem’s nest, was within sight.
“We’re finally here!” Astrid shouted in joy. She was so happy she didn’t notice her surroundings and continued walking without realizing that she was headed toward a dead end. Thankfully, Coney managed to grab her and stop her, preventing her from falling off a high cliff overlooking a pit of molten magma.
“P-phew, that was close,” Astrid sighed in relief. “How are we supposed to get to their nest when there’s a huge cliff full of magma in front of us?”
“Don’t worry, there’s a hidden wooden bridge built a long time ago that we can cross over,” Coney assured.
Coney took the lead, knowing exactly where the bridge was located. Upon traversing the wooden bridge, the two were immediately met with hundreds of golems scattered all around the nest.
The golems loomed over the Cottontails, their towering forms standing twice the height of an average person. Constructed from a mishmash of sturdy, jagged rocks, their hulking bodies were solid and unyielding, each stone piece tightly bound together to form a formidable shape.
Coney and Astrid were planning on sneaking in and avoiding as much fighting as possible, but they forgot that golems are very sensitive to high concentrations of mana and Astrid’s broken sword was brimming with it. They had just finished crossing the wooden bridge, but the golems had already noticed their presence.
“Let’s avoid fighting for now. There will be more golems the deeper we get into the nest, so it’s better if we save our strength until we have the Prismanium. Let’s focus on escaping this hellhole afterward,” Coney explained.
“Got it!” Astrid responded with a serious face.
The two were clearly outnumbered, so instead of fighting the golems head-on, they focused on dodging and outrunning them. They traversed the nest effortlessly at first, but the deeper they got, the harder it was to proceed because of the growing number of golems. It took them a long, exhausting time, but they managed to arrive at the deepest part of the nest. The huge Prismanium hanging from the ceiling like a stalactite was finally within sight, but unfortunately for them, the golems had completely blocked their path.
“Ms. Coney, this is bad. We’re completely surrounded!” Astrid worried.
“Don’t falter. I’ll carve you a path. Just focus on getting a chunk of the Prismanium. We’ll retreat immediately after you manage to get some,” Coney instructed, her eyes narrowed in focus.
“Understood!” Astrid responded with fierce determination.
Coney immediately went on the offensive, unsheathing the short swords she was carrying one by one. With just a single swing, Coney managed to slice tough, sturdy golems in half, but true to her word, the sword also shattered with just one use.
Astrid was mesmerized by the way Coney fought. It was like watching a fully fledged warrior, a dream come true for the young girl.
It took Coney fifteen swords to completely carve a path for Astrid to get to the Prismanium.
“Now!” she instructed, throwing her last short sword to clear the final golem.
Upon hearing her voice, Astrid jumped as high as she could toward the mineral. The moment she got close, she unsheathed her own sword and slashed it as hard as she could, managing to cut a large chunk out of the Prismanium.
“I got it!” Astrid shouted after landing on the ground. She quickly stuffed the chunk of Prismanium into a bag Joe had given her.
“Good! Now let’s run!” Coney commanded.
The two ran as fast as they could. Thousands of golems were chasing after them, causing tremors on the ground. Each time a golem blocked their way, Coney used one of her remaining short swords to clear a path. Thankfully, before Coney ran out of her prepared weapons, the cliff they had crossed earlier was already within sight.
“Don’t lose hope! We’re almost there!” Coney assured her.
The two were near the cliff when something unexpected occurred that brought their momentum to an abrupt stop. The wooden bridge they had crossed earlier was nowhere to be seen. It had been destroyed by other golems so that Coney and Astrid could not escape to the other side.
“No! This can’t be! We can’t escape without the bridge!” Coney cried out, worry replacing her usual calm.
All hope seemed lost. The only outcomes awaiting them were being crushed by the golems or falling into the magma pit. They thought it was the end, but Astrid suddenly had a bright, yet crazy, idea.
“Ms. Coney, let’s jump at the same time!” Astrid instructed.
“What? Do you have a death wish?” Coney responded, horrified.
“Just trust me!” Astrid insisted, her eyes locking onto Coney’s.
Coney looked into Astrid’s eyes and saw them burning with hope and determination. It was enough to make her trust and believe. The golems were already right behind them and about to reach out. Without further ado, the two jumped as high as they could over the cliff. Astrid grabbed Coney by the hand and took her sword out using her other hand. She pointed her sword toward the edge of the opposite cliff and extended it as far as she could, using the length to push themselves up in the air and propel them toward the safe side.
“Woohoo! I told you it would work!” Astrid shouted in excitement, the adrenaline rushing through her.
Coney smiled in response, a genuine sign of relief and admiration.
They thought they were about to land on the safe side, but unfortunately, they were several meters short of reaching the ground.
“No, no, no, no, no! We… We won’t make iiiittttt!” Astrid screamed, tears and snot streaming from her face in panic.
The two were about to fall toward their doom and be fried in the magma when a miracle happened. Out of nowhere, a flying vehicle caught them mid-air and prevented them from falling.
It was Jules who arrived in the nick of time to save them. Thankfully, he had managed to find the fault in his invention and fix it during the three days Coney and Astrid were traveling. Joe had instructed him to follow the two just in case something went wrong, and he had been right on the money.
“I got you girls!” Jules assured them from his pilot seat.
“That was close,” Coney sighed in relief, leaning back against the flying machine.
“Waaahhhh! You saved our butts, Jules, Thank you!” Astrid said, sobbing with relief.
“Hehe, I’m glad I managed to catch up in time! Now that we’re done here, let’s go back to the city,” Jules responded.
With Jules’s flying vehicle, their supposedly three-day travel was cut to three hours. It didn't take them long to arrive back in Buckheim. Joe was already waiting casually in front of the tavern, expecting the safe return of the three. Jules landed his flying vehicle in front of the tavern, and the three approached Joe, who was happy to see them.
“Ho-Ho… you kids work fast, aren’t ya?” Joe proudly said.
“As promised, here’s the Prismanium,” Astrid said. She then handed the huge chunk of the mineral to Joe.
“I’ve always wanted to get my hands on this beauty! Good job, you two,” Joe complimented, stroking his beard.
“Just honor your promise to me, Joe. Clear my tab and make me the best sword you can forge,” Coney said, getting straight to business.
“I still can’t believe that rock’s as special as you said. I mean, I managed to get a chunk of that with just a swing of my sword. The golems we fought are way tougher than that rock,” Astrid said with genuine doubt.
Jules chimed in, going into full inventor mode to educate Astrid. “Fufu… allow me to explain why Prismanium is so rare and precious. Of all the rocks and minerals the earth can offer, only Prismanium can absorb mana limitlessly without breaking,” he explained.
He then picked up a pebble to give a visual presentation to Astrid. “Take this pebble as an example. You can imbue it with mana, but if it exceeds the threshold, it will eventually break. Just imagine it as a container, and it can only store a certain amount before it overflows. But with Prismanium, no matter how much mana you imbue it with, it will never ever break. Even if you store the entire mana of every Cottontail in this city, it will still be able to store more. The potential of this rock is basically limitless! Just imagine all the inventions you can make with it! It’s going to be revolutionary and world-changing!” Jules’s eyes were sparkling with joy and excitement.
“It’s also the reason why I need multiple swords when fighting. I can only imbue each one with enough mana before it shatters. That’s also why I want Joe to make me a sword out of Prismanium so it wouldn’t shatter no matter how much I imbue it with my mana,” Coney chimed in, her explanation clear and technical.
“I-I see,” Astrid responded. She was so impressed that her eyes started sparkling in excitement.
“Hey, enough chit-chat. Let’s celebrate inside before I start hammering this baby,” Joe said excitedly. He then proceeded inside the tavern, super excited to start his forging, and Jules followed afterward.
Astrid was about to enter the tavern as well when she noticed that Coney was leaving instead. “Miss Coney, aren’t you going to celebrate with us?”
“Sorry, I can’t stay long in the city. I’ll come back once Joe finishes the sword he promised me,” Coney responded while facing backward, attempting to hide her emotion.
She then wore her cloak and hood and started walking away.
Astrid could feel that something was bothering her, and she couldn’t stand it. After all, she had gotten to know her better during their three days of traveling together. “I-Is this about the people who were mean to you? I don’t know the story behind it, but you shouldn’t let them talk to you like that.”
Astrid hit the mark, and it made Coney stop in her tracks. She didn’t look back and instead responded with a calm tone, “Thanks, Astrid, but just forget all of those things. Just let an adult like me handle it.”
“B-but…”
Astrid could feel the pain resonating in Coney’s voice, but she couldn’t do anything to ease her mind. After Coney left, Astrid proceeded inside the tavern to celebrate with Jules and Joe. Joe was already celebrating by drinking ale in a pint glass. Jules was on a separate table sketching blueprints for his new inventions.
Astrid, on the other hand, sat on the chair in front of the bar area looking very down and sluggish, and started drinking the juice the bartender prepared for her.
Joe noticed the change in Astrid’s demeanor and decided to sit beside her. “Hey, kid. Where did Coney go?” He asked, taking a sip of his ale.
“She left… she said she’d be back after you finished the sword you promised her,” Astrid responded, looking down.
“Is that so? Why do you look so down then? You should be happy, because I can finally fix your sword with the Prismanium you brought back,” Joe said.
“Yeah, and it wouldn’t be possible without Miss Coney’s help, that’s why I was hoping we could celebrate together,” Astrid responded disappointedly. “Ugh… I don’t understand why people are so mean to Miss Coney! She was looking out for me the entire time we were traveling toward the golem’s nest. She’s not a bad person at all! What did she do to deserve hatred from everyone?” She asked, frustration and confusion boiling over.
Joe decided to stop drinking. He put his ale aside and prepared to confront Astrid’s confusion. “Hmm… I suppose you deserve to know the truth. It all started due to Arman, her deceased father. He used to be the right-hand man of the city’s previous chief. The chief at that time was also the Chosen One of the Titan of Earth, and everyone looked up to him. Our City had been peaceful for hundreds of years, so fighting and magic weren’t really our top priority. We focused more on making innovations and progress by inventing things that could improve our daily lives,” he took a sip of his ale and continued.
“During one unfortunate day, a tragedy that no one expected occurred. Two rogue golems managed to sneak into the city, and no one was prepared for it. Those two golems caused so much destruction and killed so many of our people. We didn’t have any weapons at that time that could work on the golems, and no one was strong enough to stop them. Even though he wasn’t a fighter, the chief stood up to protect everyone, but even with the Titan’s power at his disposal, he still struggled to stop the rogue golems. Arman was the chief’s right-hand man, so everyone expected him to fight alongside the chief, but instead, everyone saw how he ran away crying like a coward and left the chief to fight the golems all by himself. The reason why Arman was so scared at that time was that his daughter, Coney, was being born on that very day. He didn’t want to die without being able to see his daughter.”
“The chief managed to stop the golems from causing more destruction, but it cost him his life in the end. The tragedy was witnessed by everyone, and they all resented Arman for running away and branded him a coward. They blamed him for the loss of their beloved chief. The humiliation was too much for Arman to handle, and his health significantly declined, causing him to lose his life. When Arman died, people shifted the blame toward his daughter so that the humiliation her father inflicted would never be forgotten.” Joe explained in full, heavy detail.
Astrid was shocked by the revelation. “That’s just unfair! Why does Miss Coney have to suffer for something that she didn’t do?” Astrid asked, her voice filled with frustration and anger.
“That’s just how it is, kid. There are just people who blame others so they can feel better about themselves,” Joe responded somberly.
Astrid’s heart ached after hearing the tragic truth about Coney. She couldn’t believe that the person she had traveled with for three days had such a heavy past.
Their small celebration ended earlier than expected, and Joe immediately proceeded to repair Astrid's sword. He said it would take him days to finish it.
To kill some time, Astrid decided to help around the tavern. She also hung out with Jules from time to time to chat with him and help him with his exciting inventions.
Three days passed. Everyone thought that the day would pass by like always, but little did they know that something much more tragic than before was about to unfold.
Astrid was sitting, feeling bored in front of the bar area because there weren’t any customers around, when the ground suddenly started shaking, and loud, continuous screams could be heard outside.
“What the heck is happening?” Astrid worriedly asked.
She then went outside the tavern to check the commotion. She was in utter shock when she saw that the whole city was already in chaos. Houses and structures were burning, and hundreds of people were in distress while running away for their lives. The reason was that thousands of golems had invaded the city and were causing mayhem and destruction all over the place.
“G-golems?!? How did they get here?!?” Astrid asked in confusion. She noticed that all the golems rampaging in the city were covered in molten magma all around their body.
“Wait… seriously? Did they really cross the wide pit of magma just to get here?” While she was questioning herself, she saw some residents frozen in place due to fear and stuck underneath some rubble.
Without a second thought, Astrid rushed over to their side to help them. Astrid couldn’t fight the golems at the moment because her sword was in Joe’s custody, so she instead focused on making sure every resident could safely evacuate the city. Jules also helped her out to make things easier, using his technical know-how to guide people.
With Jules and Astrid’s help, all the residents managed to evacuate safely with just minor injuries. Everyone who evacuated couldn’t do anything but watch their city go up in flames and get destroyed by the golems. Everything they had worked hard for was now in ruins. Even Astrid couldn’t do anything but watch this time, powerless.
Everyone felt frustrated and powerless against the golems. They were all about to lose hope when they saw that there was still a single person in the city defending it. It was Coney, who was fighting against the thousands of golems all by herself, armed only with metal poles and pipes.
Even in the face of impossible adversity, Coney didn’t give up. She wanted to prove to everyone that she was a separate person from her father. She wanted to show everyone through her actions that no matter what, even if they hated her or pushed her away, she would never run away and leave her people behind, even if it meant losing her life.
Everyone was shocked by the courage Coney was showing. They couldn’t believe that she didn’t run away cowardly like her father, and instead, she was giving her all to protect the city they loved so much. The residents were conflicted at first, but eventually, they were overcome with shame and guilt. The person they had been cruel to for years, and branded as coward, was protecting their beloved city just like the previous chief had done.
Coney’s action moved everyone’s heart. This time, instead of belittling her and being mean to her, every single resident was cheering her on and giving her hope with their voices.
“You can do it! Take back our beloved city!” They shouted in unison.
Coney heard their voices loud and clear, and this gave her an incredible boost in confidence. Their cheering made her stronger in heart and mind, allowing her to continue fighting even on the brink of collapse.
“Thank you, everyone,” Coney muttered happily, a look of peaceful resolve on her face.
Astrid knew from the beginning that Coney was a good person, and it warmed her heart to see the residents finally have a change in perspective. She also knew that even with everyone cheering Coney on, she still wouldn’t stand a chance against the thousands of golems all on her own. Astrid desperately wanted to assist Coney, but without her weapon, she knew she would only end up becoming a burden.
Astrid was already at her wits’ end when, thankfully, Joe came rushing toward her. He was carrying her newly repaired sword and handed it to her. “I knew there was trouble, so I rushed as fast as I could, but here it is, your newly repaired sword,” he said, slightly out of breath.
Hope started brimming in Astrid’s eyes again. “Joe! Good timing! I can finally fight alongside Miss Coney! Do you also have her sword so I can deliver it to her?” She asked, clutching her weapon.
“Sorry, kid, but I haven’t finished her sword yet. I was still supposed to polish yours, but I had to rush it because of this emergency,” Joe responded grimly.
“T-this can’t be… how is Miss Coney supposed to defeat the golems without a weapon?” Astrid muttered worriedly, the repaired sword feeling heavy in her hand.
Astrid realized that she herself was incapable of defeating thousands of golems, but if it was Coney, the person who expertly shredded golems with a single swing, it might be possible.
Instead of fighting herself, Astrid decided that the right choice was to believe in Coney and entrust everything to her.
Astrid threw her sword as hard as she could toward Coney’s location. “Miss Coney, catch!” She shouted.
Coney heard her voice and saw the shimmering sword flying toward her, catching it mid-air without breaking her defensive stance.
“I’m entrusting you with my sword! Show everyone what you’re made of! Show everyone that you're not a coward!” Astrid shouted proudly, her voice ringing across the ruined city.
“I won’t let you down!” Coney muttered, feeling the powerful, stable core of the Prismanium blade in her hand. With Astrid’s sword, she finally stood a chance against the golems rampaging in the city. She couldn't use the unique abilities of Astrid’s ancestral sword, but now that it was made of Prismanium, she could finally pour all her mana into it without worrying about it ever breaking.
Every swing of the sword excited her, it was the first time she had wielded a weapon that didn’t shatter on the first impact. One by one, she took down the golems by cutting them in half. Even though she was alone, the people behind her who were cheering her on gave her the fuel she needed to keep moving forward.
It took a while, but Coney managed to take down hundreds of golems. It was amazing that she could defeat that many golems all on her own, but there was still a significant number of enemies she had to take down, and they were finally starting to overwhelm her.
It didn’t take long until Coney started to feel exhausted. She had been fighting since the beginning, and the accumulated fatigue was finally taking its toll on her body. She hadn't even defeated half the number of golems yet, but her vision was already getting blurry. Everyone who was watching her started to worry.
They were starting to doubt whether Coney could survive the ordeal she was facing. Everyone was about to lose hope again when, out of nowhere, a random Cottontail kid, his face streaked with tears and snot, shouted with a voice full of desperate hope. “B-Big Sis! Please, don’t give up!”
Coney was almost on the verge of losing consciousness when she heard the kid’s voice. She almost teared up from hearing it. She then stood straight, even though she was covered in blood, sweat, and bruises. She raised the hand that held Astrid’s sword and shouted back with firm resolve and full determination. “I promise you, as long as I’m standing and breathing, I will never give up on my people!”
Everyone who heard her response shed tears, and their hearts became united. They cheered on Coney with everything they had, giving her the hope she needed to keep moving forward.
The moment Coney let out those powerful words, a glowing, tiny creature came out of her heart. The creature resembled Dot, Willow, and Naia.
This one had white fur, long rabbit ears, prominent buck teeth, a round tail, and round eyes.
The creature danced in the air with joy and excitement. “It’s nice to finally meet you, my lady. You’ve finally managed to manifest me because you finally accepted the powers within you,” the creature said in a high-pitched voice.
Coney was in utter shock. “W-what are you? W-who are you?” She asked in confusion, staring at the tiny being.
“My name is Puff, and I am the Titan of Earth.”
“T-the Titan of Earth? Does this mean that I’m the Chosen One?” Coney asked in disbelief.
“You’ve always been, my lady. From today onward, I’ll stay by your side and I’ll make all your wonderful desires come true!” Puff responded happily, circling her head.
While they were talking, a random golem attacked Coney, so she quickly blocked the attack with Astrid’s sword.
“My lady, it seems like you’re in a pickle. I’ll explain all the benefits of becoming a Chosen One after we get out of this mess. For now, tell me what it is that you desire at the moment,” Puff said urgently.
“My desire? There’s only one: please give me the power to protect my people!” Coney answered wholeheartedly.
“Your wish shall be granted, my lady. Just call out my name and say soul merge to awaken the dormant powers within you,” Puff instructed.
With her firm resolve and full determination, Coney focused all her energy and chanted, “Titan of Earth and Ingenuity… give me the power to protect my people. ‘Soul Merge!’”
Just like Komraad, she had a straightforward personality, and with the immediate danger, she and Puff managed to sync their hearts and souls with ease.
Everything fell still. Then, without warning, a soft pulse of silver light shimmered from her chest.
It was pale and pure, like the light of the full moon reflected on untouched snow. Her white hair began to lift, lengthening into glowing threads of silken light.
A second pulse of moonlight rippled outward, and the clothes she wore disintegrated into silver motes and in their place, a new form materialized: long, flowing garments of sheer white fabric, layered like clouds under moonlight. Her long rabbit ears stretched upward, gleaming with soft radiance, while her fluffy tail unfurled and grew. .
As the transformation reached its peak, the air around her lit up in a soft silver glow, wind swirled around her in reverent spiral.
Then, her eyes opened, bright and glowing with the fury and grace of the moon.
Like Komraad and Iris, it was also her first time transforming in her Awakened State. She only managed to pull it off because she had a sudden burst of positive emotion, and she was currently facing immediate trouble. Her time limit during her Awakened State was significantly shorter than the others, so she had to finish everything quickly.
Everyone who was watching was mesmerized when she transformed and emerged looking like a warrior goddess. They immediately realized that she was their new Chosen One, and it filled them with pride and joy. Among the crowd, the most surprised was Astrid. She realized that Coney’s transformation looked very similar to Komraad’s awakening when he was fighting the King of the Featherlights. She then remembered what we had talked about before being separated, and she thought that this might be her chance to fulfill it.
After transforming into her Awakened State, Coney immediately felt a sudden, massive boost in her power and strength. All her previous fatigue and exhaustion disappeared in an instant, and her mind and body became light and clear. In an instant, Coney poured all her mana into Astrid’s sword, and it started glowing with an intense, stable silver light.
[Sword Technique - Moon Magic: Crescent Waltz]
Coney vanished in an instant, sweeping her blade like arcs of silver light. Each step carried her like a dancer upon the battlefield, her movements weaving a deadly rhythm. Golems caught within the dance fell in silence, carved apart before they even realized she had passed.
She continued cleaning up all the remaining golems left in the city that were wreaking havoc. Coney was moving so fast that no one could follow her movements. All they could see was the golems getting sliced into pieces one by one. Coney was so fast that she was literally leaving trails of crescent patterns of light from her movements.
In just minutes, Coney managed to take down thousands of golems until none were left. She also made all the fires consuming the houses and structures disappear just by moving so fast. The trail of light Coney left was so beautiful and mesmerizing that everyone who was watching was left in awe. It was like they were watching a meteor shower in the starry night above the moonlit sky.
After the threat had been finally subdued, Coney de-transformed and sat on the ground due to exhaustion. She had just become a Chosen One out of nowhere, and it was her first time awakening without any training, so the aftermath took a massive toll on her body. Puff, the Titan of Earth, went back inside Coney’s heart for the meantime to rest so he could replenish his strength.
After everyone saw that the city was safe again, they rushed back inside to see their savior and new Chosen One. The first ones to arrive back were Astrid and Joe.
Astrid approached Coney and gave her a tight hug. “That was so cool and amazing, Miss Coney!” She said while jumping in excitement.
“Hehe… I wouldn’t have been able to do it if you didn’t lend me your sword,” Coney responded happily. She then gave back the sword to Astrid.
“Teehee… I’m glad my sword was useful to you,” Astrid responded proudly, taking her weapon back.
Joe chimed in and flicked Coney’s forehead playfully. “Ho-ho… who would have thought that you were the Chosen One all along? But now that I think about it, you were born the day the previous Chosen One died. You’re one lucky gal.” He said proudly.
Coney smiled genuinely in response, feeling the warmth of acceptance.
All the residents arrived soon after and thanked their savior and new Chosen One with all their hearts. They also gave her a heartfelt apology for how they had mistreated her in the past years, and they all finally regretted their actions.
Coney said that she didn’t mind at all and she was just glad that everyone was safe and sound. She then lost consciousness soon after. Joe carried her back to the tavern so she could rest there as much as she could.
Everyone decided to work together to bring their city back to how it was. Only a day had passed since the incident, and the residents had already managed to get back on their feet in no time.
They might not be good at fighting, but they are called the City of Progress and Innovation for a reason. They managed to rebuild their city at a very fast pace due to their great minds and inventions.
Astrid and Jules also helped around the city as much as possible. Joe, on the other hand, focused all his energy on perfecting Astrid’s sword. He also started making Coney’s sword so he could surprise her when she woke up.
Just one week passed, and Buckheim was already back to normal. Coney woke up from her slumber three days earlier. Upon waking up, Joe gave her the new sword made of Prismanium that he had promised her. Coney immediately proceeded with training with Puff so she could be more efficient with her new powers as a Chosen One.
After the city was completely fixed and back to normal, Joe threw a huge party inside his tavern to celebrate Coney's recovery and her becoming the new Chosen One. Everyone in the city attended the party to celebrate. The party lasted until night, and it was the biggest and greatest celebration they had ever had, ending with a huge bang of fireworks.
Astrid had a great time with everyone, but she couldn’t help but feel down. She couldn’t help but think about our well-being. “Mom, Sisters, Mr. Komraad, I wish you could’ve seen how beautiful this place is. I miss you all, and I hope you’re all doing fine. I can’t wait to meet all of you again so I can tell you my experiences here,” she muttered to herself, her voice carrying a heavy but heartwarming tone.
Jules, Joe, and Coney noticed the sudden change in Astrid’s demeanor, so they decided to surprise her. The day after the celebration, the three called in Astrid to tell her some good news.
“Hey, kid. Because of all the ruckus, it took a while to fulfill my promise to you, but here it is. A vehicle you can ride back home. You can finally reunite with your family again,” Joe said genuinely, pointing outside.
Astrid was stunned when she saw Jules’s flying vehicle in front of her. It was the ride Joe had mentioned. Jules opened the vehicle’s door for Astrid. “Good news, I’ll be your pilot back home. I know you’re already homesick. Just tell me where your destination is and I’ll take you there in no time,” Jules promised.
Coney then approached Astrid and said a heartwarming farewell. “We won’t forget everything you’ve done for us, thank you. Take good care of yourself out there, okay?”
Everyone was starting to have teary eyes, and they gave Astrid a warm and tight hug for the final time.
Astrid was moved by their action, but she had forgotten to tell them that there had been some changes in her plans. “Ugh… this is going to be awkward but… I’ve decided to stay here a bit longer,” Astrid said.
“Wait, what?!?” The three shouted in unison, their tears immediately drying up.
“Erm… I was planning on telling you all at the right time, but we’ve been so busy that I forgot,” Astrid said, flustered.
“Ugh… can’t believe you just wasted our precious tears, kid,” Joe said sarcastically, though a smile was tugging at his mouth.
They all laughed together after the misunderstanding. Astrid then decided to fix her composure and get serious so she could finally reveal everything to them.
“I have something important to tell you. Please listen carefully,” Astrid said. She then explained the reason why she got lost in the first place. She explained how we got separated, but more importantly, she explained the vision Raya saw in detail. She told them that a great catastrophe caused by the Titans was about to unfold in the next solar eclipse and that the only thing that could stop it was if the great races and Chosen Ones unite and work together.
“So… that’s all of it. I just knew that I had to do something after learning that Miss Coney was a Chosen One. I know it sounds far-fetched, but I hope you guys will believe me. We need all the help we can get to prevent such a thing from happening,” Astrid said, worrying they wouldn't believe her. She was surprised because their reaction was not the one she expected.
Coney approached her and assured her. “Astrid, all you have to do is ask. If you need our strength, then we won’t hesitate to lend it.”
“She’s right, kid. Doesn’t matter if your story is believable or not. If what you’re doing is for a good cause, then you can count on our support,” Joe assured, crossing his arms.
“See? You have nothing to worry about. Friends help each other out, no matter if it makes sense or not. Just remember that no matter what happens, we’re with you till the end,” Jules chimed in, adjusting his goggles.
Astrid was so happy with their response. She thought that they’d hate the idea of working with the other great races, but she was wrong in assuming it. The bond and trust she formed with them were stronger than any other. “Thank you, guys,” she said, her voice full of emotion.
“You know… there’s still time for us to prepare until the next solar eclipse arrives. Let’s get stronger by then. I still have a lot to learn as a Chosen One after all,” Coney suggested, tapping her new sword hilt.
“You’re right. I also want to get stronger so that I can protect my family once I’ve met them again,” Astrid responded, holding her own repaired sword tightly.
Things took an unexpected turn for Astrid, but everything went well in the end. Now that a Chosen One is by her side, putting a stop to the upcoming great catastrophe will finally be a step closer to being achieved.
