Chapter Text
Arin had been through so much before this moment: the many battles, the arguments, lies that shattered his friendships and life and the chaotic situations no child should be involved in.
But nothing would’ve prepared him for holding the weapon that dictated the fate of imperium in his hands, the weapon of desolation.
“So, how do I shut this terrifying thing down?” He shouted, holding the weapon away from himself in fear of it combusting before his very eyes.
“Dr LaRow, she activated it by saying some enchantment backwards!” Cole announced, sprinting to Arin, dodging the monsters in his way. “Okay, how does that help up now?” Arin retorted, watching as the rogue monsters began to close in on the group of ninjas. “There was a final word, but we have to say it forward! Uhhh… Tungo-Ham!” Cole said, shrugging.
“Tungo-Ham!” Arin shouted into the sky, but nothing happened, the monsters closing further in. “Not it!”
“No? Uhm, try Tanji… blab!— no blub!”
“Are you just making words now!?” Arin hissed, growing more anxious and impatient by the second. Cole paused like he had plenty of time— which he didn’t, but Arin was too nice to push him on to a conclusion, Cole thought before answering again. “Ba-vang-naut… Tan… gauv… hab?— that’s gotta be it! Tan-gauv-hab!”
Arin pleaded in his mind as he opened his mouth. He needed everything to be right again, he needed to protect his friends, he needed to protect imperium, “Oh please be right, please be right… TAN-GAUV-HAB!” He yelled, holding the weapon of desolation into the air.
The weapon lit up like a lamppost, blinding the boy. It was almost like a flash bang burning his eyes, and when he opened them again a bright yellow glow formed around him—like spinjitzu but not quite. He couldn’t hear anything around him, just the sound of the weapon's powers whirling around him like a tornado, engulfing his body.
He didn’t scream— he had no reason to, his senses suddenly were hit with reminders of old days, days where he was just a guy surviving the merge.
He could smell fresh baked pies, the tingly warm feeling of his friends' hugs, sounds of bittersweet laughter from his friends. Familiar faces of his family popped up in his mind and the taste of fresh baked cookies which reminded him of his mother.
He felt like he was flying. “Where am I?” He thought, his eyes going heavy, his mind still. Now that Arin realised he hadn’t slept in days… So, he just closed his eyes and let the yellow glow take him with it…
The ground rumbled under Sora’s feet, and she watched as a golden light enveloped her best friend, blinding her view of him. “GRAB ON TO SOMETHING!” She shouted, gripping onto Euphrasia for dear life. “HIT THE FLOOR!” someone shouted.
Sora slammed Euphrasia and herself to the floor as the ground shook violently. The two protected their heads with their hands as they put their faces to the ground. “WHATS HAPPENING!?” Euphrasia cried, putting her head up slightly, unsure what to make of the situation. “IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE— IT MUST BE THE WEAPON CHARGING DOWN!”
The shaking was only getting more intense as the two girls laid on the ground. Her mind was racing, she’d never been through an earthquake this rough, the mergequakes weren’t even this violent, she couldn’t help but worry about her friends. She peeked up at Arin, a glowing light still surrounding him like a thick fog, something about the light that surrounded Arin was odd…
The ground continued to shake violently. It just… stopped?
Sora peeled herself off the ground and scrambled to the golden fog, she began swiping at the mist, trying to clear it off of her best friend “Arin!?” She shouted, “ARIN!?”
As the mist cleared Sora was brought to the horrific realization that her best friend was gone…
“what happened!? Where did he go!?” Euphrasia shrieked, sprinting towards Sora with the rest of the ninjas. “It’s like he vanished out of thin air!?” Frak muttered. “Not to mention the weapon of desolation is gone…” Lloyd yelled.
Sora gazed up at the sky and then back at the spot where Arin had disappeared, a giant lightning strike like burn mark left where he was last standing.
“What happened to you Arin?”