Work Text:
Team Snakemouth walked across the spoon, ready to face the Wasp King for a final battle. Their friends and rivals were tagging along behind them.
All in all, this was going to be an easy battle.
The crew approached the barrier, the Wasp King was standing in front of it. He ignored their presence, instead focusing on his task. He put on the Ancient Mask, and then read the text on the tablet aloud. Causing the barrier's dissipation.
The Wasp King turned around slowly, then he raised his arm. Fire licked up his forearm as he casted a spell
The Inferno that burst into life under the crew's tarsi was blazing and large, in the chaos, everyone was screaming and running. Somehow Leif extended a Bubble Shield over Elizant, Vanessa, and Team Ant. those three ran out of the blaze and were lucky, with barely any burn wounds. Team Mothiva, and Team Maki managed to get out with only first- and second-degree burns, Thank Sun for Iron Seeds. Team Snakemouth did not escape, however.
Aw, come now, don't write them off yet!
Team Snakemouth stood in the center of the fire, all burned out now, and they were perfectly fine. The Wasp King finally spoke, but instead of reacting with surprise, he slickly took control of the moment to say something cool "Well, if it isn't Team Snakemouth" The Wasp King checked his watch "Just a little too late, As usual..." Kabbu growled "Wasp King!?"
Vi said "Impressive toys you got there. But your plan ends here!" The Wasp King laughed, and countered her statement "Idiots! You're not ending my plan, I've already won! Checked the Termanet lately?" Leif scoffed, then Team Ant called to Team Snakemouth "Guys! The Wasp Kingdom and the Ant Kingdom are in war!" Kabbu gasped in surprise "What?! Vi, Show us!"
Vi pulled out her Bug-O-Phone, and opened several pages. Most of the pages were memes, there was one about Vi being rich, one about Bug Fables being a bad game, there was even a video in which someone broke the Wasp King's crown. Kabbu was shocked at the fact that memes about them existed like this; he was hopping on each tarsi and waving his arms like a madman. Leif also had to ask "Isn't this too meta?" After several minutes of scrolling and a moment to allow Kabbu to calm down, they finally found a video where several Wasp tanks and Ant Tanks were engaged in a fierce battle "What?! But Elizant never sent the order, and General Ultimax was captured!?" Kabbu asked, alarmed.
"And yet, Bugarian blood was spilled!" The Wasp King said. And Kabbu swiftly replied "By Bugarians!" Leif continued on for Kabbu "And neither side here has the upper hand, your soldiers are not well trained, while the Ant Kingdom has no functional navy. This war will just hurt everyone!" The Wasp King shook his head, then explained "You still haven't figured it out, have you? those soldiers are under my mind control! Bugaria has wanted war for years, and I just lit the spark! Queen Vespaloi, she understood that war was good for the economy, three generations later, and her legacy still lingers. She left her dictatorship with her great causes, Nationalism, for example, and the queens gobbled it up! All of them, except for Queen Vanessa, she wasn't willing to take it to the next level, and so she tried to push back against the ball that was set in motion. And she would have succeeded, but someone died first! Now, all that she could have accomplished is burned down, Vanessa II is a failure, and she needed someone to step in to take over!"
"The why the mind control?!" Kabbu shouted, and the Wasp King chuckled "Oh, Beetle, you've never understood what Vi has always known. The only value left in this world is Berry value, the economy, and it's been in a funk as of late. now whose fault is that?" Leif said quietly "The Queens" The Wasp King continued "The Wasps could have fixed things, but they were all tired, so I took control! If they won't jump-start the economy, I will!" Vi asked the obvious question "And the military costs? Wasting countless Berries will help the economy?"
"Mercenaries, Black-smithies... Even your Explorer's Association! All job creators, Snakemouth! All those workers spending berries... trust me, a little war can do wonders! and a big one... Oh hoho, It's like a miracle!"
Kabbu pointed at the Wasp King, caught up in his distracting speech, and drowned out Leif's question "So you'll just grease your cogs with the blood of innocents! I-" "Relax, Kabbu, I'm not out to kill civilians, Bugaria will just slay the mad fighters of the Wasp Kingdom, and many trooper casualties will be suffered on all sides, yes, but that is inevitable! of course, that would have to include you and your friends. wouldn't want any eyewitnesses, after all!" The Wasp King readjusted his crown, laughed, then pulled out his gleaming, jewel inlaid axe, The 'Slayer'
Vi said "Wait, Hold up, it's lunchtime, wanna eat something before we knock you into next week?" The Wasp King checked his watch, and it was indeed, lunchtime. "Alright, I could eat." So the Wasp King pulled out a bag of chips and a sandwich on the side, and Team Snakemouth pulled out Mushroom salads for each of them. The fighters had their fill of food, and then got started.
Leif froze the Wasp King solid, then Kabbu knocked him skyward, and Vi threw Needles to stun him. Before the Wasp King hit the ground, Kabbu knocked him up again, and Vi lifted him further with a Hurricane Toss, into icicles Leif created with Ice Rain. Then Leif gave Vi another turn, so that Vi could Hurricane Toss him again, and then pick Kabbu up. The Wasp King was falling so fast, he'd take damage from the impact alone! But just to drive their victory home, when he went splat on the ground, Vi dropped Kabbu from up high, and Kabbu piledrived the Wasp King deeper into the table. Now the Wasp King was embedded into the wood. Removing himself would take a moment.
The Wasp King stood up on wobbly legs, and coughed up hemolymph. The damage those three could deal! Leif shouted, "Give it up! You're outmatched." pointing a single claw at the Usurper. Vi interjected "Not that tough without that fire, huh?" The Wasp King stood up, and looked at the Team with a deadly glare! "I didn't come this far to lose to plebs like you three!" He threw some Cherry Bombs and darted away, It was just the Wasp King's luck that Vi was frozen, Kabbu was numbed, and Leif was put to sleep.
He rushed to the Sapling Capsule, summoned the Ancient Key, opened the giant chest, and... There was only one leaf? Leif cracked a joke, though his expression stayed flat "Wasn't that everlasting, huh?" The Wasp King's mandibles were wide open. his mind was racing, but eventually, it settled on a single thought, a single emotion, a single objective. He didn't come this far to lose. He Was Angry! AND HE WAS GOING TO MAKE THE WORLD BEND TO HIS WILL!!! He pounced on the leaf, and deep throated it. Vi let out a "Gross!" and Leif said "Pathetic". Kabbu shook his head at the Wasp King's behavior, and then signaled for him to come over to them peacefully "Come here and atone for your crimes!"
Then the Wasp King started laughing. The laughing swiftly transformed into yelling however, as the table shook like an earthquake was occurring. Leif put a hand on his face. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding." The area around the Wasp King started to glow green, and soon the energy enveloped the whole table! Everything shook even more powerfully, and the Wasp King's annoying anime yell grew louder until it hit a crescendo as he floated in the air! After a quiet moment, The Wasp King exclaimed "This power will suit me just fine!" and burned the Everlasting Sapling to ashes. Leif muttered the F-word, then Kabbu stated the obvious "Team, we must stop him here!"
The Everlasting King interrupted Vi in her first syllable with pervasive cockiness throughout his voice "There's no stopping me! Let's go!!!!" Vi shouted "The hell are you thinking-" and was interrupted by a batted fireball. Thank Vanessa for the Flame Brooch. The Everlasting King wrapped Vi up in a vine, and started tossing a fireball up in the air. "Played dodge ball, you know" Kabbu finished for him "at some cushy kindergarten" Leif gave Kabbu a look that said 'that doesn't even make sense!' Everlasting King served towards Kabbu this time. then he rushed up to him, grabbing him and Leif in vines "Try the streets of the Wasp Kingdom! or heck, even the Dead Lands themselves!" He sucker punched Kabbu, right in the mouth guard. "I'm not one of those weak-abs pansies! I could break Elizant in two... with my bare paws!"
He uppercutted Kabbu, knocking him skyward and making him spin really fast. "Don't fuck with this king!" He floated to where Kabbu was going to land, and knocked him straight into Leif. The crowd went wild, cheering, snapping, and clapping, as the Everlasting King readjusted his crown. Vi broke out of the vines, and Kabbu and Leif untangled themselves from each other. Kabbu asked "What the hell are you?"
The Everlasting King replied "Why don't you all stick around and find out?"
Leif, Kabbu, and Vi all looked at each other, and nodded. Leif spoke first "This is it. Vi, Kabbu...thanks for all the good times" Kabbu was next. "Everyone...we have never faced power like this. It's overwhelming, but we stand together!" Vi spoke last, but not to her teammates. she spoke to the Everlasting King himself "You dumb jerk! You've caused my friends too much trouble! We're going to save everyone!" The Everlasting King retorted "No, You won't, I will deliver you to your doom!" Vi threw her Beemerang at the Everlasting King, and knocked him down with five heavy hits. Then Leif cast Frigid Coffin. It didn't freeze him solid, but The Everlasting King clearly didn't take it well, he fell to his knee and grunted loudly. Leif's mouth was agape, a weakness to ice? Taking point, Kabbu ran up and flipped him with his horn. But instead of flipping on his back, the King flipped up into the air with the force of Kabbu's strike, effortlessly avoiding more punishment.
Now that the Everlasting King was floating again, he threw his 'Slayer' at Kabbu, who parried it on the first trip, then it came back and hit him hard. Leif shouted "He appears to be weak to ice, but we must assume that he has a heat aura that prevents him from getting frozen" Kabbu nodded, and Vi shouted "I'll try a Needle Toss!" Vi split her Beemerang in two, and threw the halves at him, now converted into status Needles. The only effect that lasted was poison. "What the hell?" Vi asked to nobody in particular, then the Everlasting King laughed and readied to throw his 'Slayer' at her face, when Kabbu shouted a grievous insult about his mom, and Leif shielded Kabbu.
The Everlasting King, with a loud yell, threw his 'Slayer' at the protected Kabbu instead. Then the Everlasting King snarled at Kabbu "My mother abandoned me in the Dead Lands you bastard!" Leif threw an ice cube at the Everlasting King's face and hit him right in his left open eye. Kabbu whacked him again, and Vi used her Sharing Stash to heal her team. The Everlasting King shouted "ENOUGH!" and summoned a flame pillar under Team Snakemouth's feet. They all protected themselves best they could. But even so, Vi's fur was smoldering.Oh, Vi was really pissed now! Vi yelled loudly, getting increasingly louder the more she yelled "OH, NOW YOU'VE DONE IT! First, you get us captured! Then you steal the artifacts, and attack the Ant kingdom! AND NOW, YOU BURN MY FUR! SUFFER!!!"
Vi started spinning around, wind currents began picking up around her, the Beemerang became a blur, and then she threw it. Hoaxe just barely managed to deflect it, chopping it in half with his 'Slayer'! He got knocked up into the air by the wind currents, but regained control over his flight. Vi yelled at possibly the world record for highest pitch, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The Everlasting King pointed down to the broken Beemerang and said "Nice stick."
Without hesitation, he threw his 'Slayer' at Vi, who barely dodged it, then leapt out of it's way again as it made a return trip. The Everlasting King flew straight for her though, and flung his 'Slayer' into his hand using a vine. Vi was about to get chopped in half, when Leif created a shield around her. Kabbu then rushed up to him, but the Everlasting King batted him aside. He slid across the table, riding his mouth guard the whole way. It took a second for Kabbu to recover, and when Kabbu stood up, his mouth guard was red hot.
The Everlasting King dashed to Vi headstrong before he hopped off of Vi's shield with shattering power, using the force field to propel himself to Leif. He swung, and Leif dodged. The Everlasting King swung again, and Leif, out of stamina and focus, grabbed the 'Slayer' by the haft in a last ditch attempt to protect himself from the axe! It took everything Leif had to hold that swing back. In a clutch move, Vi swiftly flew into the Everlasting King to knock him off of Leif, then she said "Typical dictator... Big promises, but all talk!" The Everlasting King asked "What?" And Vi was happy to explain!
"'Jump-start the Economy'? What a load of Bullshit!" She shook her head condescendingly. The Everlasting King went for another swing, but Vi evaded, and shoulder checked him as she spoke her next sentence "All you care about is lining your own pockets!" Leif handed her an ice hammer "That! and your mind control!" She swung it at the Everlasting King's head and barely missed, then spun full circle and knocked his tibiae out from under him. "Where are your principles? I know quite a few leaders who have them! But not YOU!" She hopped up and slammed the hammer into the ground in front of the Everlasting King, then hopped back as Leif dropped a big ice cube on him!
"If Bugaria's gone to shit, then you're just another dung beetle feasting on the pile!" Vi finalized, baring her filed claws as if they were weapons.
The Everlasting King was severely weakened, and lying prone, but he'd heal back, so for now, he was willing to indulge in Team Snakemouth's conversation. "Alright, The truth then!" he sighed as he floated up. "You're right about one thing... I don't actually give a shit about the economy. Wanna know why! When I was young, I was abandoned in this waste we find ourselves fighting in." As he spoke Leif prepared an ice spell, And Kabbu rushed to his team. they started battling again, this time, the Everlasting King was nearly untouchable, as he dodged, and threw fire at his adversaries. "I fought tooth and claw to escape, and yet, I was rewarded with a world that hated me! You remember that old saying right? 'violence begets violence' They hurt me, so this is my revenge! Screw all these aphidshit Queens! Screw this termanet spew of celebrity bullshit! Screw 'Nationalism'! Screw lore! Screw society! Screw Bug Fables! Screw all of it!" He finished off with a kick to Kabbu's abdomen, and a charged vine to Leif's thorax.
"Bugaria is a disaster, worse than the Dead Lands, and I won't take it's shit no more! I'm going to BURN THIS WORLD DOWN! Those weak bullies will be purged! And only the strongest will survive, Hoaxe is no more! There is only REVENGE! And I will show you all what IT WAS LIKE!" Kabbu groaned, and Leif held his thorax as he spoke roughly "What the hell are you talking about?"
Hoaxe talked condescendingly and placed his face in his palm "You still don't get it, I'm using the Wasp Kingdom, and the Everlasting Sapling, to obliterate Bugaria!" At Team Snakemouth's feet, he conjured a massive flame pillar, and they managed to barely survive, when he started pounding them with vines. Each hit he accentuated with a grunt, as he sapped the life out of Team Snakemouth. When everything was finally quiet, save for Vi, Kabbu, and Leif's grunts of pain, The Everlasting King pulled out a plate of spicy fries, and ate a little. "So... are you all going to step out of the way, and let nature take it's course?"
Team Snakemouth started to slowly get back up, Vi slurred. "Heh, Maybe I was wrong about you..." The Everlasting King turned around with surprise. "Am I finally getting through?" Then The Everlasting King dropped his plate, went to Team Snakemouth, and helped them each to their feet while dusting them off. He said "I'll rid this world of pointless hurt, Team Snakemouth." Once all of the team were standing, The Everlasting King held out a paw.
Vi took Hoaxe's paw first. "I was wrong." Kabbu added his paw. "You're not greedy..." Leif took the paw, then they collapsed into him for a breather. As Hoaxe patted Leif on the back, Leif suddenly yelled "You're Bat-shit insane!" Hoaxe gasped, and abruptly looked back at Team Snakemouth, just in time to see Kabbu throwing his horn under him. The Everlasting King was flung far by Kabbu's charge, and ended up lying on his face. He got up onto his paws and tibiae, and looked around, not seeing Team Snakemouth anywhere! Then he looked between his legs to see Team Snakemouth standing, Vi was pointing at him and laughing at his stupid posture! He yelled, and was enveloped in a green pulse that healed his injuries. then he stood and looked directly at his nemeses. Hoaxe yelled "Making the mother of all Leaf Omelettes here! Can't fret over every Aphid Egg!"
Vi bit back "Not when you're 'purging the weak', right?" Kabbu stepped in "You think the weak have brought this world to ruin, and in a way, you're right. you have made Bugaria dangerous for everyone! And we won't let you bring this world down to your level!" Hoaxe damn near cut Kabbu off "Bugaria already is below me! And you all still fight for a world that hates itself! You are below me, and I will make you feel that way!" "We'll prove you wrong!" Vi said as Team Snakemouth entered fighting stances.
Like a Lesser Bug the Everlasting King rushed towards Team Snakemouth. The party of heroes worked best at a range, Kabbu aside, so his charge was especially dangerous if he stayed on top of one of the more fragile fighters. He boosted towards Leif like a rocket, and nearly cut him in two with a single heavy swing of his 'Slayer'. Leif activated his Bubble shield at exactly the right time, a split second before it tore through his thorax. Leif got pushed back quite a bit, so did the Everlasting King and his 'Slayer'. Vi, as quick as she could, retrieved the broken pieces of her Beemerang, and rushed at Hoaxe, sharp points extended. With a violently loud battle cry, she plunged her Needles into the Everlasting King's side thrice, then dodged his fire blast with a flying leap, and threw her Needles at the Everlasting King. Her Needles struck center mass, and the poison counteracted the magical healing factor. Her Needles homed back to her paws, and she thought to herself about how maybe the Beemerang wasn't as broken as she first thought.
Kabbu ran towards the Everlasting King, and dug his horn under Hoaxe's tarsi. The catapulting force of his upward swing knocked the Everlasting King high into the air, but the King only used that momentum to fly even higher than he ever had before! Kabbu was amazed. Leif created another Ice Orb, and prepared himself for when the plant god came back to Earth. Hoaxe, high up in the sky, summoned an Ancient Key half, and shot it at Vi, who took a near direct hit. Vi fainted at the pain, but Kabbu went to her side to get her back up. Then the Everlasting King shot down to the ground like a comet, damn near killing Leif with just the force of his landing! Thank Venus for Bubble Shield! Kabbu charged at Hoaxe, nailing an almost direct hit, and driving him into the Sapling Capsule.
The Everlasting King kicked the Green Knight off, then yelled "Die, you little shit!" summoning the other half, and creating a sword of light so bright it rivaled even the sun's radiance! Then he brought the laser down on Kabbu's head. It was only thanks to the Miracle Matter braced on his shell that Kabbu wasn't sliced clean in half. Without stopping, Hoaxe leapt into the air, and threw a fireball at Vi, who expertly blocked and returned fire. No, literally, tennis backhanding the fireball with one of her Needles and just grazing the Everlasting King. The plant god fell to the land once more, Leif saw his chance and rushed to Kabbu's side as the Beetle stood on wobbly legs. And Vi rushed The Everlasting King once more, intending to gouge his abdomen.
Hoaxe hit first, with a surprise uppercut from his free paw. Vi was knocked back quite a distance. Leif and Kabbu recovered; Kabbu looked into Leif's eyes, and made the team signs for Dash, then Frozen Drill. Leif nodded. Kabbu and Leif growled in unison, then just as they stopped, Kabbu rushed forward as Leif readied another Ice Orb and threw it under the table. Kabbu's horn hit the Everlasting King with a near unstoppable force, but somehow, the Everlasting King became invulnerable? Kabbu's horn was sore now, but he couldn't stop! He burrowed into the table like a termite high on Hustle Berries and came up just as Leif released his spike. The drill spun for minutes on end, powered by the corkscrew movement of Kabbu, and Leif's Cryokinesis. And yet, the Everlasting King didn't even flinch. Kabbu broke out of the icicle, surprised, then dove under the ground again and performed another Frozen Drill. Hoaxe was pushed back a bit, but still unhurt as Kabbu and Leif drilled and drilled and drilled.
Eventually, Kabbu broke the ice and launched up into the air, diving back down into the Everlasting King's thorax with enough force to finally make him stumble. and just as fast, he healed back fully. Kabbu rubbed his horn, and then shouted "Why won't you die!" Hoaxe laughed, then he ripped his cloak apart, revealing his true nature. He bristled his leaves as he explained "Everlasting Sapling, son. The leaves harden in response to physical trauma. You can't hurt me Snakemouth!" Kabbu stepped forward, and whacked him, knocking him into the air again. Hoaxe spoke cockily "What did I just say?" Then he easily knocked Kabbu down with an instant vine to the sternum. "Time to end this!" Hoaxe floated above Kabbu, and slammed vine after vine into his shell. "Die! Die!" then, he charged up for a powerful attack "Die you piece of shit!"
At the end of his charge-up, he summoned a vine so large, so powerful, so grand, that it shattered the kitchen table they were fighting on! Vi and Leif fell far, and barely managed to slow their fall with their wings.
The debris was all around them.
When the smoke cleared, Kabbu was laying wings-down on the broken tile floor. Vi and Leif slowly crawled to Kabbu. "All right. I think we are about done here..." Hoaxe finalized, readjusting his crown.
"Crgahgh." then the song 'Elizant II's Promise' By Tristan Alric started playing in the background, courtesy of Samira, Zasp, and Mothiva. who were in the background delivering those sweet battle tunes! Leif choked out "Chompy...!" Chompy stood on a broken table leg, holding a pebble. "Crgahgh...Chrgagh" As she recovered, Vi said "Tanjerin?!" "Crgahgh...Chrgagh" The Everlasting King scoffed "even when they're idiots, those bugs are still pains in my abs. So... You think that little rock can save your masters? Hahaha, Well go ahead, then. But make no mistake, Tulip. When I'm finished with them, you're next." "Crgahgh" The Everlasting King folded his arms behind him "That's a good flower.""Crgahgh" The Everlasting King looked at Team Snakemouth, then back up at Chompy with a furious glare "You insignificant fuck!" The Everlasting King launched towards Chompy; Chompy tossed the pebble; the split second when Hoaxe tried to catch the Mighty Pebble felt like an entire minute. The tension hung in the air just like Hoaxe and the pebble. The Everlasting King's claws brushed along the rock, but he couldn't grasp it.
Hoaxe landed on the end of the table leg with a thud. and less than a moment after, Kabbu caught the Medal with a shout! "Damn weed!" Hoaxe yelled as he hopped forth and knocked Chompy off the table leg.
"Wasp King!"
Hoaxe looked down at Team Snakemouth, who were standing in a static formation. Kabbu holding the Mighty Pebble above his horn, Leif with wings fully unfolded and arms wide, like a butterfly. and Vi, holding her newly fixed Beemerang to the side with a single fist raised. Kabbu spoke vengefully "I said my horn was a tool of justice, not used in anger, not used for vengeance, but now, now I'm not so sure, and besides... This. Isn't. My. Horn!" He pointed the Mighty Pebble at the Everlasting King, Vi pointed her Beemerang, and Leif summoned an Ice Orb. Hoaxe jumped down and landed in a superhero landing, then he floated just above the ground and yelled "Come on, then."
Vi growled "OK!" And the Team yelled in unison "Let's do this!"
The Everlasting King started by exclaiming, "Ready or not, Snakemouth, here we go!" and creating a large jet of flame that the Team dodged out away from. Then, Vi and Leif, combined forces, with a Frost Relay that could have cut him apart! Kabbu then rushed in with a heavy blow right in between his legs! Hoaxe didn't take kindly to that, he flung Kabbu back with a vine, and threw his axe once more, almost chopping down Vi. He dashed in the midst of the explorers, and started creating a fire pillar! The Team scurried away from him frantically, as fire exploded around him! He dashed towards Vi once again, and she dodged, throwing her Beemerang right at his face!
He went a little mad from her audacity, and went to tackle Vi several times more, as she dodged and weaved and stuck him with Needles and eventually whacked him on the head with her Beemerang, delivering a quip as she did so "You broke my stick, and now you PAY FOR IT!" The Bee and the Fly kept on duking it out until Leif tossed an ice spear right at Hoaxe. Then he turned his attention on the blue moth, diving in swinging! Leif easily avoided his charge and created another, longer ice spear which he held like a sword. He dashed in and whacked Hoaxe in the femur, swiftly repositioning into a parry of his own swing and stabbing him a few more times with the ice blade. That was when he got caught off guard by a snap kick to the thorax which flung him far back.
Kabbu rushed back in for his turn, spearing the Everlasting King with his horn twice, then preparing to super block another flame pillar. But this time, the Everlasting King wasn't charging up for a flame pillar, he rushed at Kabbu and swung his 'Slayer' now lit on fire, directly for his head! Kabbu parried with his forearms, and got knocked off balance as he prepared another chop! Kabbu, split second, parried the second swing with one of his elytra! Bending down into the right position to perform Horn Strikes, he bashed his horn into Hoaxe's side several times, each strike with more impact than the last, until he savagely knocked the Everlasting King off of him! Then, as the Everlasting King hauled off and went to wallop the Beetle, Kabbu managed to dodge so close, the Everlasting King's paw brushed across his helmet, scraping across Kabbu's spiny carapace, just as Kabbu punched Hoaxe in the face, knocking him 20 Centimeters back!(Bug size, think 15m/45ft instead)
The 'Slayer' was knocked under a pile of wood-chips which subsequently lit on fire like a blazing bonfire! As Hoaxe recovered, he punched the ground and exclaimed "That one hurt!" and Vi replied "And the next'll hurt even more!" The Everlasting King then jumped on top of a pile of rubble, and using his vines, lifted several big chunks over his head, and threw them! Leif pushed his magic to the absolute limit, creating the biggest shield anybody had ever seen! The dome shield dwarfed the chunks of table in comparison, it was so Gigantic! The flying rubble shattered upon impact, and Leif let the shield down just in time for Hoaxe to come flying right into Kabbu's horn toss! Hoaxe spun through the air, landing at the base of the pile he stood on, and causing it to come crashing down on him!
Vi asked "Is he dead?" and the response she got was a loud yell, as the Everlasting King blasted the rubble that crushed him into the ceiling of the Giant's Lair. All the fighters took a moment to breathe for a bit, Vi used her Sharing Stash, then Hoaxe rushed back in as wood-chips rained down on the floor. The Everlasting King dashed towards Vi and pounded her so hard her Beemerang got embedded into said floor, then Hoaxe leapt up into the air with his shoulder facing Vi. Just as she thought she was going to get crushed under the Everlasting King's stinger-less abdomen, Kabbu launched out of ground directly into Hoaxe's back.
Hoaxe got knocked back onto the ground by the amazing force of the Under Strike. So when he recovered, the Everlasting King trapped Kabbu in a flower. Vi quickly retrieved her Beemerang, split it in two, and cut through the flower faster than a bee going out to pollinate a foxglove! Leif then rushed in, holding a wood-chip in his hands, an went to town on Hoaxe, whacking him upside the head, downside the head, all the sides of the head, and finishing off with a devastating roundhouse kick, Muse's signature move! Hoaxe got flung onto his abdomen once more, and Leif rushed in to pummel him again! Vi and Kabbu quickly joined in, Vi stabbing him repeatedly as Kabbu stomped on his thorax. But The Everlasting King broke out from the beatdown with a yell, blasted fire from the ground, and shook the earth, flinging Team Snakemouth back!
The Everlasting King then flew up to another mountain of rubble, and hefted up several big chunks to throw at Team Snakemouth. Vi spun around, even faster than when The Everlasting King broke her Beemerang, and THREW her weapon with As Much Force AS SHE COULD MUSTER AND THEN SOME! Her Beemerang flew through the rubble like a drill bit mounted on an ICBM, shattering each wood chunk into splinters and hitting the Everlasting King right in the Abdomen! Hoaxe flew back, and up, and his flight path curved right into the base of the mountain he stood on, then the avalanche came crashing down on top of him!
Leif asked "He must be dead, right?" but The Everlasting King forced the rubble off of him with a large vine and a determined yell. The chunks of table hit the ceiling, and exploded into splinters. So the fighters took another breather. Leif, Kabbu, and Vi shared a Berry Smoothie, and the Everlasting King slowly walked towards the trio as splinters rained like arrows around them. The Everlasting King pointed at the team, and said "I like you three, so I'm giv-" but he got cut off by Leif freezing Vi, and Kabbu bowling her into the Everlasting King. The ice ball shattered on impact, and Kabbu rushed in to close the gap as Leif rode on his back like Kabbu was a Fucking Stag Beetle! Leif created another ice sword, and leapt onto the Everlasting King, stabbing him in the shoulder!
Then Leif leapt off, and parried the Everlasting King's blow, though the impact shattered the ice. Before the next punch landed, he shoved the ice dagger into his other paw, batted the punch out of the way with his wing, and grabbed the stray arm by the tibia. Leif proceeded to stab him in the foregut, again and again, until even his paw was covered in various bug and plant juices. Then Leif stuck his ice shard into Hoaxe's face, created several ice shards up above Hoaxe, and Bubble Shielded as Hoaxe punched him again! The icicles rained down upon him and almost impaled him as they did so! The Everlasting King trapped Leif in a flower, and Vi used her Hurricane toss to saw the petals open. Kabbu dug into the ground and tossed a giant boulder at the Everlasting King, who batted it aside with a vine as he stood.
But then, Vi, Leif, and Kabbu saw their chance! In the moment when the Everlasting King blocked the boulder, some peices of rubble landed on his shoulder. It did not hit him hard, but the Everlasting King gave away his detereorating power with a cough and a stumble. If the King was vulnerable to rocks, then the most expedient way to defeat him, was Tanjerin's Mighty Pebble! Vi began to aggressively shove Shock Berries into Kabbu's gullet, and Kabbu was completely paralyzed by the electrifying sour taste. His Shock Trooper medal activated right then, and Vi and Leif hid behind the Green Ranger's burly Coleopteran form. While Vi worked, Leif tried to perform his best imitation of Kabbu's voice, pulled out Kabbu's grimoire of Lyrics, and proceeded to rap out a barrage of "taunts" aimed at the Everlasting King.
"Your mom was so fat, that uh she had a hat, and uh get on the mat for the that of the hat eats a mat and you lack the stats to defeat us, neener!"
The taunts were so underwhelming that a cricket could be heard singing off in the distance. Then everyone was booing Leif. Even Maki booed Leif. Kabbu, out of sympathy, forced himself to move in spite of the Numb, so he could grab the little book Bit left for him, put it back in his bag, say to Leif "Let the pros do it instead, okay?" Then Kabbu mocked the Everlasting King so hard he took impact damage from it! Everyone else couldn't even hear the scathing insult, it was so powerful it left ringing in their antennae and tympanae!
In a fit of mad, tipping fury, Hoaxe proceeded to start pummeling Kabbu, but it was like hitting stone! And Vi and Leif fed him full with enough Hustle Berries to give the master taunter an action every second! When the Everlasting King was finally done punching Kabbu, Hoaxe wrapped the Team in vines. Kabbu was still stuck like a statue, so Leif blew ice magic into the Everlasting King's face. Hoaxe sneezed as the team was let go, and Kabbu's paralysis wore off. The beetle laughed, and as Hoaxe doubled back to punch Leif, Kabbu stuck his spiky body in the way, before he horn tossed Hoaxe, knocking him back a bit, and began throwing countless pebbles at the fly! It was like a machinegun! The rocks battered, bruised and beat the Everlasting King down to the floor!
Once Hoaxe thought the pebbles had finally ran out, Kabbu quipped "What are Bug, Flying, and Fire type Pokemon all weak to?" He threw more rocks, quipping as he went along "Rock and Stone, To The BONE!" "You get high, then Get STONED!" "Can't dodge these balls!" etc. Nearing the end of the pebbles, he hopped back, yelled "Tanjerin! I summon thee!" And pulled a fully grown Tangybug out of his back pocket, which he tossed like a boomerang right into Hoaxe's crotch!
After tossing two more rocks at Hoaxe's face, Kabbu shouted "We're done here!" and threw a rock that embedded itself into Hoaxe's thorax. Hoaxe coughed up hemolymph, pulled the pebble out of his chest, and congratulated Team Snakemouth "Well done, you three..." Vi flew up and slapped him across the face with her paw, and he fell to his knees. Roots shot out from his legs. Vi mocked "Look at who's above you now! Us, noob." Hoaxe looked up at Team Snakemouth and said "Maybe not, You've guaranteed that the world will continue on the status quo, for a while longer, at least..." Hoaxe coughed into his arm, before continuing "But at least I'll leave worthy successors, You three." The bark kept on covering him, it was up to his mesothorax now. "You carve your own paths, have faced hardships just like me... We're kindred spirits... You and... I." His arms were forced up into the air as they grew into branches. With those words, he was swallowed up by the tree.
Vi's antennae were sticking up on end. she asked her team "What just happened!?" Leif's mouth was gaping wide, so Kabbu spoke next "What a pitiful end..." Leif put a paw on Kabbu's arm "His greed and cruelty led up to this." After a moment of silence, Vi remarked on their success "...We got super lucky...NOT!" Then, the rest of the group approached team Snakemouth, sliding down a rope and walking the distance. Zasp queried "...Is it over?" looking at the answer. Mothiva spoke next, in a congratulatory tone "...You really did it! Wow!" And the rest of the party congratulated Snakemouth further. Then, Chompy ran up and bopped Leif's leg. Leif gasped, and held Chompy up as he gazed at the plant and exclaimed "Chompy! You're alive!" The two cuddled and the conversation continued. The large group looked back at the tree, and approached it, Vi asked about the former Everlasting King's condition once more, and Elizant asked a better question "Is this also an Everlasting Sapling?"
Leif extended his antennae further out, and shook his head before responding. "...No. There is no magic coming from him. He is just a tree." Kina wondered aloud "That's weird, Why'd he transform?" Elizant answered "The Everlasting Sapling's power was said to be infinite... was that a myth as well?" Zasp said "There's nothing truly infinite." and Mothiva cut in "My beauty sure is!" Vi complained "But he was so strong! Couldn't he have lasted a bit longer?" Leif said "Power without control means nothing." Vi sighed. "Uuggh, can we think about it later? This place is dangerous and stuff!" Kabbu tugged on Vi's fur, "Wait, what should we do with the tree?"
Maki proposed an idea, readying his weapon as he did so "Perhaps we should chop it down? just in case?" Elizant thought about it for a moment, then made her decision. "Maki, lower your blade. We'll let the tree stand, as a symbol of all that has happened." Vi asked eagerly "Can't we put a cool statue here in it's place?" but Leif said "No" Kabbu started laughing, and put his arm around Vi as he spoke. "Oh, Vi. You've truly made this journey something else!" Leif stepped closer to his teammates "You too, Kabbu. We wouldn't have it any other way." "Aw, come on. You're not gonna get sappy in this dreadful dumpster, are you?" Mothiva complained, interrupting the hugging trio. "W-Well, it's kind of emotional for me..." Kabbu muttered, and Mothiva continued on "Look, The Wasp King is gone, and we have technically found the Everlasting Sapling! We should celebrate with a big show!" "...Or at least rest." Zasp commented.
Elizant smiled under the mask, and said "Well, it does sound good! We've completed our mission, after all! But first, we should inform the Roaches of all that has happened." With those words, everyone left, excepting Leif, and Elizant. Leif had a nagging question he needed to ask. So, after a quiet moment, he spoke, surprising Elizant with his voice. "...Elizant?" "Yes, Leif?" "Are you truly satisfied with this? Your mother will remain slumbering forever..." Elizant took a deep inhale, and thought a moment, before finally responding. "Everything I said in the village was true. I... would not place that wish over my people's needs. But no, I'm not satisfied. It was a sacrifice, After all. And I didn't have much control over it anyways." Neither of them spoke for a little while, then Leif finally responded. "...thank you. You've grown into a fine queen. And now we can say it for sure." "Thank you too, Leif. I can tell you served my mother and I earnestly, despite your doubts. Let's go. This is no place for us anymore."