Fallen Stars
Mystery Fifty-Six
Golden Apollo
The golden items drift downward like blessed artifacts shimmering in the filtered light.
Wrath stares in awe, captivated by their beauty. But then, his gaze freezes. One item gleams brighter than the rest, distinct and familiar.
His eyes widened. A silent shock ripples through him.
Wrath: No way! No wayyyy!!?
Draco: What is it?
The items float down, halting and hovering above the ground, in front of the group.
One item in particular, a golden bow and arrow, captures Wrath's attention. His hands instinctively reach out.
Wrath: IT'S… THE GOLDEN APOLLO!!
Vega: What's that?
Wrath: I told you all about them before!
Greed and Envy both react with surprise.
Greed & Envy: So they do exist!!?
Wrath: You all are after the Olympic Regalias too??!
They immediately nod in earnest.
Greed: Confirming they exist now…
Wrath: And now, I can get Ursa to join me!!
**Golden Apollo**
One of the Thirteen Olympic Regalias
S-rank
Wrath: If that idiot would've just stayed around, he would've already had this!
Wrath steps forward, eyes locked on the bow and arrow hovering before him. He reaches out slowly, fingertips grazing the smooth, golden surface and the gleaming tips of the arrow.
Wrath: Let me test this out. I'm sure I told you and Draco about the folklore, Vega.
He pulls the string back and aims carefully, but the arrow refuses to release, stuck as if bound by an unseen force.
Wrath: Shoot damn it.
Greed: You know your Cosmos must match the color in order for the weapon to respond, right?
Wrath laughs with confidence.
Wrath: Of course I knew that. (I didn't know that what the fuck?!)
Wrath goes back to smiling.
Wrath: I just can't believe it. I actually found a regalia. Shit was like a myth.
Greed: What about these other things?
The remaining five items glow brightly, then fade, revealing their true forms.
The first is a stag-shaped belt buckle. Without hesitation, Envy grabs it for herself and fastens it around her waist.
Next is a glittering, open-ended bracelet with twin sphinx heads on each side. Greed thinks that has to be worth an unfathomable amount of money, her eyes turn into Sol signs as she grabs it and snaps it onto her wrist with satisfaction. She started singing in a heartfelt tone, "Money, money, money. Money, moneeey, moneeeeey, some people got to have it! ♪"
Floating nearby is a small golden alien idol, with hollow eyes and a twisted grin. Its eerie glow pulses as it drifts through the air. Lich immediately snatches it. The idol lets out a low, ominous noise as its arms rise briefly, then it falls dormant again.
Another item catches her attention, a golden goat horn. Just as Draco reaches for it, Lich slaps his hand away and shakes her head, saying "No."
She grabs it for herself and stores both items in her card's inventory.
The final item is a small earring, shaped like a gryphon's claw. Vega notices it and takes it for himself, sliding it into his ear.
Without any of them noticing, once worn, the earring emits an invisible ultrasonic signal.
Draco looks around in confused disappointment.
Draco: What, so I don't get anything??
Vega: Didn't you already win two million sols?
Draco: Yeah, AND I SPLIT IT WITH YOU TWO!!
As he points at Vega and Wrath. Wrath shrugs, gesturing as if "why include me?" Greed continues singing in the background, her voice smooth, soulful, and effortlessly powerful. "For the love of money… don't do it, don't sell your soul for the sol… ♪"
Vega: You had it pretty easy, let us have these things.
Draco: Easy?? So you get something, Wrath gets something, Lich gets two things??
Vega: Actually, I got two things.
Draco: Huh?
Vega: I absorbed some fire while following the pathway with Wrath.
Wrath: Yeah, that was weird.
As Wrath puts the Golden Apollo into his card's inventory.
Draco: …?
Wrath: I guess you could say I got other things also, my electricity has a new form, and I gained two badass stars.
As he channels his new red electricity on his left hand, with Greed and Envy blushing in the back.
Draco: …
Lich: I also didn't just gain these two items, I gained another grimoire following the path with Greed.
Greed: Awesome time.
Draco: Are you all trying to piss me off?
Lich snorts with a soft laugh.
Draco: Oh that's funny, you're just like them, Lich!!
Draco fakes getting mad, balling up his fists and closing his eyes in frustration.
Draco: I GOT NOTHING!
In that moment, the Forbidden Zone shakes, beginning to rumble.
Draco: Woah, we have to get out of here now.
King Minos's body begins to regenerate, it gets propped up, hanging up like a scarecrow, showing an outline of its body, with the Forbidden Zone sending resources to it, a large loading bar begins to show also, currently at 0%.
Wrath: So these creatures never fully die, they get revived eventually by the zone, huh.
Lich: Let's go before it does.
Zeus begins to buzz out, sending jolts of electricity out from Wrath's card.
Wrath: What's wrong, Zeus?
Wrath taps his card and releases Zeus, in a weretiger form, it growls at King Minos' outlined body. It leaps onto it and completely suffocates it, devouring the body's form.
Greed: Your beast doesn't have a set form?
Wrath: Not really, it changes when it wants to.
Envy: So that's why it's freaking out, it wants the beast so it can take its form. Once they find the form they want, they keep it as that. The same thing happened with Rosa once she saw the Arkadine Stag.
Wrath looks at Zeus devouring King Minos.
Wrath: So Zeus will be stuck as a minotaur…
The commotion roars with sparks flying, but finally settles, revealing Zeus, now towering in a grand, minotaur form.
Wrath: Oh, Zeus is dangerous, I love it!
It changes from the minotaur form and transforms into an eagle. Dashing to Wrath and going back into his card.
Wrath: ??? So it didn't stick??
Envy: Odd… What they crave… they stay as…
Draco: Great… Wrath gets another thing.
Wrath is all smiles.
The zone rumbles once more as another outline of King Minos materializes. Above, the ceiling spirals open into a swirling golden portal.
It pulls at them with immense force, like gravity itself has shifted, drawing all six toward its radiant core.
Draco: This better be the exit!!
They are all pulled through the portal and suddenly submerged in water, the same lake from before. Disoriented but together, they spot each other beneath the surface, holding their breath. Draco points upward. Without hesitation, they swim toward the light and break through the surface, gasping for air.
Making it to land, they're all smiles and completely dry again.
Draco: No lie, that was so fun.
Greed: I'm craving going into another zone and exploring them!
Greed and Draco jump together with excitement.
Vega: Don't go get ahead of yourself, we still have a title to get you.
Draco: Right, priorities. It's about time we leave the country and head toward our goal. Let's get directions from Dorado.
Beginning to walk, something darts through the water and leaps from the shimmering lake. They all see it, a golden swordfish. It twists its body, ethereal dust falling from it, it winks at the group, and plunges back into the water, vanishing as it swims away.
The gang: Wow.
After traveling back to Dorado, M5 meets Regulus again, while they all walk in to talk to Dorado again.
Dorado: So how was the little side quest?
Draco: You could've told us we would've been fighting a minotaur!!
Dorado: That would've spoiled the fun!
Draco: True, I hate spoilers. It was so fun.
Dorado: Get any treasures?
Wrath: Of course we did!
Dorado: Great! There's so much in there!
Lich: I found something worthwhile.
Dorado smirked, shaking his head in agreement.
Greed: I did as well! Look at this President! Think I could get a fortune for this?!
Dorado inspects her new bracelet.
Dorado: Oh marvelous, I'd be careful with this. This is worth so much, everyone will be after it.
Greed's eyes turn to Sol signs again. Envy shied behind Greed.
Greed: No one is getting it unless they give me a price!
Dorado: Jajaja, that's the spirit!
Wrath: I have the best item! I got the Golden Apollo!(Though I can't use it.)
Lich side eyes Wrath sternly.
Wrath: Oops, let it slip, my bad, Lich.
Dorado: Oh really? You all know the myth behind that, right?
They all shake their heads in unison, "No."
Dorado: Well, let me yap a bit, young ones… It's said to have been forged in a sky that never set. At the highest peak of the sunlit zone, there lived a radiant being, the Teyo, born from starlight and sunfyre.
The Teyo danced endlessly across the mountaintop, his steps leaving trails of gold that reflected in the air. Dancing for one hundred years, his body emitted waves of golden Cosmos, drawn from the pure light of the heavens above. As time passed, the radiance that fell from him began to collect in one spot, forming a brilliant weapon, a bow and a single arrow.
The Teyo never noticed it, too lost in his joy, until his light began to flicker. The weapon was absorbing too much of him. His own dancing was draining him, killing himself in a sense. And before it was too late, he flickered out, no longer existing. The only thing left behind was the ever shining bow. It became known as the Golden Apollo.
Everyone: ….
Wrath: That's gotta be bullshit, old man.
Dorado reacts strongly and leaves a lasting impression.
Dorado: What??
Vega: It danced for one hundred years? You want us to believe that?
Dorado: I-I
Draco: A place where the sun never set? Is it tidally locked?
Lich: You expect us to believe it was killing itself and didn't notice?
Dorado slaps his hands on the desk!
Dorado: Fine! Fine! Don't believe this old man, but it's true!
The room simmers down from the tension in the air.
Dorado: So what's next?
Draco: We came for directions, we're trying to get to the eastern side of the mainland, we have less than one month.
Dorado: Less than a month?? Perfect, we're coming up with a quick travel, and need a few testers.
Draco: Sounds great, we'll do it, we have to get there!
Dorado: You want the Dragon King title that bad?
Draco takes a step back.
Dorado: You know about it??
Dorado: Know about it…? That's an understatement, but no worries, I'll get you guys there.
Draco: Awesome!
Dorado: You kids go out and have some fun, and come back in a few days, my team will have it ready then. My assistant will show you guys around while you wait.
Draco: Alright, thanks, Dorado!
Dorado: No worries, Dra.
Draco pauses.
Draco: Dra?
Dorado: Oh sorry, you just remind me of an old friend.
Draco (groans): I hate when people say that word.
Dorado: Jajaja, he hated it too!
Draco eyes an eyebrow weirded out, while Dorado does a hand motion, shoo'ing them away.
They take their leave. They all gather their things and follow his assistant, Matarook.
Matarook shows the group around the main city downtown, taking them through the science and research center for the country.
Meeting new Stars, who also have cosmic paths for the greater good of knowledge and science. They all get name tags and visitor passes to go around the research facility. Draco names himself "Aco" for some odd reason, while the others stick to the names they are always called, or newly called such as Greed and Envy.
Upon entering the facility, you feel a swift cold air. The place is always cold. Strange bubbles float upward, gathering along the ceiling without bursting. The hum of machinery and the scent of knowledge fill the space, captivating the senses.
They meet MOOD, who is focused intently at his computer, typing and writing code. He's preparing to send out a high-level update to all users.
MOOD: Time to send it, brah.
**MOOD**
Cosmic Path: Moodtrix
[Mood creates updates and new policies for his users, and depending on their reaction, the better or worse the next update will be.]
MOOD: They loved that last update, now I need my next one to completely break everything.
Regulus: Why?
MOOD: Hm?
Draco: Why would you purposely put out a broken update?
MOOD: It's the system, brah. It's what I do, brah.
Regulus: Is noone going to stop him?? Don't the users complain??
MOOD: They always complain, brah. But my work is top of the line! It's only every fourth update that I make one that breaks the systems, brah.
Matarook: Leave it alone, he's been doing this for years and it's been working.
The next researcher they approach is carefully building and inspecting a miniature house. Upon being touched, the house rapidly expands, revealing an infinite interior where each door leads to a separate, locked pocket dimension.
Furud: You guys want to explore one?
**Furud**
Cosmic Path: Create New World
[Furud can create a custom house with infinite doors, each unlocking a unique, sealed pocket dimension that defies time, space, and reality. To his imagination.]
Draco and Greed look at each other in glee.
Lich: No, we've done enough exploring, we don't want to get lost when Dorado calls us.
Draco and Greed groan in frustration.
Draco and Greed: Ok, mom.
The next researcher they approach, he's working on something on his desk, but has a gigantic clock that spawns from his back and settles on the wall. The number shows, HP: 5,600,456,121,594 - The clock is so exquisitely detailed that it captivates everyone with a sense of wonder.
Draco: And this-
Horologium: It's humanity's population. Humanity's Clock.
**Horologium**
Cosmic Path: Humanity's Hope
[At all times, Horologium knows precisely how many humans are alive.]
Draco seems to get mad, but in a second the clock drops ten million. Revealing the new number as 5,600,446,121,594. Horologium feels a small sharp pain in his lower back.
Horologium: Ow…
Wrath: What just happened?
Horologium: Ten million people died.
Regulus: That fast??
Horologium: Undoubtedly, I assume it was either Perseus, F.A.N.G, No1 Nada Nothing Noname, Xvimnoktpyzx, Joker, or DOOM. Those brats are always causing some ruckus.
Draco smirks, shaking his head saying "Of course he's in it." in his head.
Wrath is questioning it, thinking "DOOM moves like that? Make sense. Can't be him though, he's too injured." in his head.
Another five million drops. Horologium releases a groan.
Horologium: You all may want to move on, or you'll see the real grim reality…
Matarook: Let's move on.
The next and last researcher the group sees is Gemma. She's working and creating gemstones on a sculpture.
Gemma: Greetings, weary travelers, step aside and witness true mastery.
She puts her goggles on, her hand on the sculpture, concentrating and imagining a new color. Slowly but surely, a new color of Prismall shows, and produces a gemstone that falls to the ground.
She quickly picks up the gemstone, shifting between the light colors of green, blue and crimson.
Gemma: This will do perfectly! You have no idea, I was just commissioned to design the new Olympic medals for the upcoming Games.
Vega: They aren't Gold, silver and bronze?
Gemma: Gold and silver? Please, that's so last millennium, darling.
She lifts her loupe to her eye and examines the gemstone with practiced precision, looking for any inclusions or blemishes hidden within its depths, yet the gem emerges perfectly clear, flawless in every facet.
Gemma: I have to outdo my rival, she was the one commissioned to design the medals twelve years ago. (That little bit- Wait, *looks at the group* can they hear my thoughts…?)
**Gemma**
Cosmic Path: Gem in the Rough
[She can create and shape precious gems, jewels, and stones at will, bringing them to life straight from her thoughts.]
Matarook: And that's enough of the researchers for us, let's move onto what President Dorado wanted you all to try out.
As M5 and the sins begin to walk out, another frantic researcher rushes in beside them, carrying a duffle bag. He approaches the remaining researchers and lets out a sharp whistle to grab everyone's attention.
Draco and the others don't hear it and continue on their way as the man starts to rant.
Rudolph: You guys are not going to believe this. I was planning on killing everyone in here. With these guns right here.
He throws down his duffle bag revealing the contents, assault rifles and grenades spill out across the floor.
Rudolph: I was going to slaughter you guys, like leading lambs to the slaughterhouse but….today is just so beautiful…
Arriving at the last location, the building's name is Golden Grove.
Matarook: The Golden Grove, a sanctuary where golden dust baths melt your worries away.
Nestled in a secluded, man-made coastal paradise, The Golden Grove is a luxurious retreat of gold-dusted baths, swaying palm trees, and radiant tranquility.
Guests unwind in warm mineral dust beneath open skies, surrounded by shimmering mosaics, soft music, and the gentle scent of tropical blooms.
Greed's eyes turn to Sol signs.
Greed: It's so lavish, I could melt!
They slip into plush bathrobes, excitement bubbling from the girls as they prepare for the golden dust bath house.
Upon entering the sauna hall, far across the golden misted chamber, stand IX and X, both draped in matching, regal bathrobes. The atmosphere stills.
IX's eyes narrow as he spots Draco. His face remains blank.
IX (chillingly): Isn't that…
Outside the building, the quiet is broken by the arrival of a sleek chrome vehicle. Stepping out slowly, there is a man in a sharp purple suit, leaning calmly on a polished cane, Commander Homam. He surveys the lavish exterior with steely precision.
Ritwer (into comms): They're here, sir. We tracked them to this location.
Homam (coolly): Surround the perimeter.
Troops (in unison): Yes, sir!
[What And Who Will Collide?!
Final Chapter of The Arc Next!]
Mystery 56 Fin