The ocean stretched over the flat horizon endlessly before Ivy and Kaly as the boat pulled away from the Isle of Skye, its sharp cliffs and misty peaks disappearing into the morning fog. Ivy leaned against the railing, the wind tugging her dark hair back, and glanced sideways at Kaly, who was smiling at her. "What?"
"Oh, nothing." She said quickly. Her blue skin shimmered in the sunlight. "So what is 'New York?'"
"I've never been, but from pictures and stuff it's a massive city! A lot of people, and the skyscrapers are so tall!" Ivy said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And the food."
"A lot of people…" Kaly was unusually quiet, staring into the water with an expression Ivy hadn't seen before—somewhere between wonder and unease.
"So…" Ivy said, nudging her. "What's the first thing you want to see when we get there?"
Kaly blinked, pulled out of her thoughts. "I mean, the food sounds nice."
After arriving at New York, they didn't rush to California Island right away. They took winding roads and quiet trails, stopping by small towns where Ivy waved down locals for directions while Kaly chose to hang back, sometimes disappearing into the shadows.
Ivy led the way, pointing things out excitedly, while Kaly mostly listened, quiet and attentive, soaking in every new sight.
One evening, they camped out on the edge of a mountain forest, lying back on a blanket as the stars blinked to life above them. A warm breeze ruffled the leaves, and the air was thick with the scent of pine and moss.
Kaly was fiddling with a makeshift fishing pole Ivy had taught her to use. She twisted a piece a little too hard, and it snapped in her hands. She froze, her eyes jetted to Ivy, her voice barely a whisper. "Are… are you mad at me?"
Ivy blinked, surprised, before breaking into a soft laugh. "No, why would I be?"
Kaly glanced away, her cheeks darkening. "Oh, never mind… I just…"
Ivy patted her trident, Proteus, which lay on the ground next to her, "Plus, it may be fun to try and fish with this thing here," she grinned.
The full moon shimmered above, casting a glow over the clearing. Ivy turned, propping herself up on one elbow, and looked straight at Kaly, her face unusually serious. "You know, I really do like spending time with you."
Kaly's face turned bright red, her eyes widening in surprise. "Wha—where the hell did that come from?" She tried to keep her voice steady, but the stammer gave her away.
Ivy just shrugged. "Just thought you should know. I mean, I can't remember the last time I've felt like this…" She glanced at Kaly, whose eyes were darting between her and the ground, as if unsure what to focus on. "You know, you're a lot different than when I first met you."
Kaly tilted her head, a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. "How so?"
"Your life seems wicked interesting! I'd like to know more! I want to know everything about you."
Kaly looked up, startled, meeting Ivy's stare. For a moment, she looked like she might bolt. Instead, she managed to say, "Well… yeah, I… I like spending time with you, too. But did you really have to say it like that? It's just… weird." She awkwardly looked away, trying—and failing—to hide the smile creeping onto her face.
A quiet laugh escaped Ivy, and she reached out, gently nudging Kaly's shoulder. "Well then, let's just stay together for a long time, then. Okay?"
Kaly whirled around. Ivy's bright smile and eyes sparkled with warmth, like she truly meant it.
The Lands Of Neptune
The grand palace was almost submerged beneath the waves. Its halls were carved from marble, coral, and gold, shimmering with an etheric light.
Deep within, a man lounged on his throne. His sea-green eyes glinted with mischief as he leaned forward, addressing the woman before him.
"Nike," he began, his deep voice filled with excitement. "I was thinking-"
"Uh oh."
"I was thinking," he said again, "Nike's Fighting Championshipp—NFC—should be held here, in my palace. A true spectacle for the ages! Imagine everyone will come to watch, and afterward, we'll throw a rager so massive, they'll feel it in the Lands of Saturn."
Nike smirked, crossing her arms.
"I want the best! The newest, the strongest, the most impressive. Fighters who will leave the audience breathless."
"I'm not agreeing to this. I'm not just going to send my fighters into a meat grinder."
"Okay, fine. I'll have a no killing rule. I'll get Vulcan to make some 'anti-fatality' suits for them too to avoid accidents. And I'll get him to make an energy matrix for the arena. Are you happy?"
"Yea, if you do all that, then sure."
He thought for a second, "How about, uh, Byron was it? Every fight I've seen of his has been great!"
"You don't keep up to date, do you Poseidon?" Nike asked. "I've got someone in mind. She's new, raw talent, came out of nowhere, and then vanished into thin air. Name's Ivy."
"Ivy? Never heard of her."
"She's been the only one to defeat Byron."
Poseidon leaned forward, stunned, "She beat Byron? Like the Byron Cartt?"
"Yeah. It's interesting, when someone becomes famous through the NFC, they always stick around, basking in their spotlight. But apparently she had somewhere to be, and no one has seen anything from her."
Poseidon sat back, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Perfect."
Los Angeles
The sprawling busy city of Los Angeles stretched before them.
"Wow, we're finally here," Ivy grinned. "Now, to try and remember where Tobi was."
"Wait, you don't even know?" Kaly looked at the massive city, then back at Ivy. "This place is huge. He could be anywhere. Does he have energy?"
"Uhh… I tried to teach him, but I don't know."
"We can't even track him…huh."
"I sort of remember the general area," Ivy gestured to the east. "Over there I think."
Kaly shook her head, "Alright, let's go then."
Their search took an unexpected detour when Ivy spotted a small, colorful tent tucked between a row of shops. The sign above it read: Madame Seraphina's Mystical Insights.
"Hold on, this looks fun!" Ivy said, tugging Kaly's arm.
Kaly frowned. "We're supposed to be looking for Tobi."
"Relax, this won't take long," Ivy assured her, ducking inside.
The interior was dimly lit, with the scent of incense thick in the air. A woman with piercing eyes and a knowing smile gestured for Ivy to sit. Without a word, she shuffled her tarot deck and laid out three cards.
The final card was the 'Eight of Swords,' upright. The image of a warrior caught Ivy's attention.
"This card represents your future," Madame Seraphina said. "It is a trial of resilience, a gauntlet through which you will discover your true strength—or your limits."
Ivy tilted her head, intrigued. "So, it's like... a test?"
"Precisely. According to the other cards, you've faced many trials already, but this is just the beginning."
Kaly crossed her arms, watching from the corner. "Let me guess," she muttered, "it means danger ahead."
Madame Seraphina glanced at her, smiling cryptically. "It always does."
"Oh, here it is!" Ivy said with glee.
"Finally."
They arrived at a small, cozy house surrounded by an overgrown garden. Ivy knocked on the door, but no one answered. She tried peeking through the front window. "No one is home."
"Where else would he be?"
Ivy thought for a while, "School!"
"School?"
"Yea, kids go there to learn and stuff. Come on, I know where it is!"
The high school was massive, resembling a college campus with its tall windows and large courtyard.
Ivy and Kaly wandered around, peering into classrooms. Finally, they found Tobi, sitting alone by a window in one of the classes. Lost in thought.
"There he is!" Ivy hissed, pointing. She instantly marched into the classroom with Kaly following closely behind.
Tobi looked up at the sound of the door opening. He couldn't believe it. His eyes widened as Ivy and Kaly strolled in and sat down next to him.
"I-Ivy?" He blinked, still a bit in shock.
The entire class stared, bewildered, and the teacher's voice faltered mid sentence.
Kaly crossed her arms, looking around the room, staring down every onlooker.
Ivy grinned, putting her hands in the air, "I'm back."
Tobi still looked taken aback, "Ivy? What are you doing here? And…Kaly?"
Ivy beamed, "Tobi, I'm surprised you recognize me…and her! She's the best! Kaly meet Tobi. Tobi meet Kaly."
Kaly gave a nod to Tobi, her expression guarded, "Hey," she said, her tone neutral.
Tobi looked Kaly up and down, "Why are you blue?"
"I dunno. Why are you black?"
Tobi shrugged, "Fair enough. Touche."
Before Ivy could respond, the teacher, tired of the disruption, stomped over, his expression stern. "Excuse me, but do you two have somewhere better to be? How about somewhere not distracting a class?"
Kaly's eyes narrowed and she got to her feet, fixing the teacher with an icy glare.
Though she looked like a young girl, something about her caught the teacher off-guard. Maybe it was the fact that her blue body paint looked too good to be just paint.
"Watch your tone." Kaly growled.
Without another word, the teacher backed off, walking to the front of the class to return to the lesson, as Kaly sat back down, her arms crossed.
Tobi looked at Ivy who sat, snickering.
The bell soon rang, and since Tobi didn't have a class for the next period, they decided to walk around the school.
He gave them a brief tour, pointing out various spots as they walked through the courtyard to the park by the school. "Over there's the gym," he said, gesturing vaguely. "Cafeteria's on the right. That building? Don't ask—it's cursed." As they walked, Tobi said, "Honestly, I'm surprised security hasn't sacked you guys yet."
"They could try," Kaly grinned at the idea.
Tobi led them to a forested area deep in the park. The early afternoon sun cast a warm glow, but Tobi' face was tense with focus. "I only just did this for the first time last week, actually."
He took a shaky breath, holding his hands out as if holding an invisible soccer ball. Closing his eyes to concentrate, a faint green glow began flickering between his palms, growing brighter and steadier with each passing second. His energy was like a flame, casting wild shadows on the surrounding trees and the ground.