With the others not far behind him, Astro raced towards the ceremonial room in a hurry while moving as fast as he could. Sabrina and Kennedy kept up with him with no problem at all while the other three looked about ready to croak.
"W-We weren't trained for this...!" Alejo rasped as he struggled to keep up with him. Abercrombie dragged his overly large hammer behind him as sweat poured out of every pore in his body.
"We're almost there!" Astro said. As the group turned down another hallway, they spotted two wooden doors at the end of the corridor. Astro barrelled towards the doors and he rammed himself into them, breaking them down. Sabrina and Kennedy coughed at the amount of dust left behind by the broken doors as they came crashing to the floor.
Astro stepped over the broken door pieces and he looked into the room with narrowed eyes. His eyes then connected with the back of Tobio's head, and he shifted into a fighting stance almost immediately. Tobio stood in the middle of the room with discarded swords strewn around him as he gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. Anger flared up within Astro and he clenched his fists angrily.
"Tobio!" He yelled. His loud voice made his friends flinch. It took Tobio a few seconds before he responded, and he looked back at Astro with a heavy frown on his face.
"You're actually here?" Your friends stood by Astro's side and they aimed their weapons in Tobio's direction, ready for action. Tobio gave the group a bored look. He then smiled. "It's too late, she's already fallen under my magic." As Tobio pointed his finger to the roof, everyone tilted their heads and they gasped. It was just as they feared. Astro shot an angry glare at Tobio and he unsheathed his sword.
"You won't have your way, Tobio. We will break the curse on you and we'll save everyone!" He proclaimed. Despite his confident demeanour, Tobio recalled Astro's brutal strength and excellent skill, and he felt threatened by him. His piercing gaze bore into him, making him flinch. His hand rested over the pendant on his chest and he closed his eyes.
"Then go ahead and try." Everyone circled around him as he raised his hand, and a shield of swords appeared around him. With a flick of his wrist, the swords flew outwards, ready to strike anything in its path.
Astro deflected three blades at once while Reno and Alejo banded together. With their backs pressed against each other, they fired randomly at the swords in an attempt to knock them down. They managed to hit two, but the third was coming straight for them. Their eyes widened and they cried out. Abercrombie then skidded between them and he threw his hammer down on the blade, shattering it.
The two boys looked up at Abercrombie with admiration as he smiled with confidence.
"Don't get distracted!" Sabrina shouted as she fended off the rest of Tobio's swords with Kennedy running opposite from her. Astro had run straight for Tobio, and he thrusted his sword forwards. Tobio's focus snapped towards him and he flung his blade up. Instead of blocking it like he had planned, he was thrown back by his outrageous strength.
"Ngh!" Tobio stifled a gasp as his back connected with the wall. Cracks appeared within the wall and he carefully gripped his injured sides with gritted teeth.
Sabrina and Kennedy came charging at him with Astro not too far behind them. Chains just like yours then shot up from the ground and they grabbed Kennedy and Astro by the waist, locking them into place. Astro's eyes flickered towards the chains in surprise before he glanced at you sparingly.
"What? WOAH!" Both Kennedy and Astro cried out as Tobio threw them to the other side of the room. The non athletic trio ducked their heads and they looked back at them in alarm.
"Astro, Kennedy!" Reno yelped. With his left hand now free, Tobio shoved Sabrina to the floor and he struck down. Sabrina quickly rolled out of the way and she scrambled to her feet before doubling back to the guys.
"He's too strong, how are we going to beat him!?" She yelled, clearly frustrated with the fight. Tobio carefully manipulated the chains and they hung over the group like preying snakes, ready to pounce.
"It's easy. You give up." Tobio answered for them, and he raised his hand. Astro activated his rockets and he flew forwards before snatching his outstretched hand. With a quick hand, Tobio pointed the tip of his blade at Astro's eye. Astro grabbed the top of his sword and he curled his fingers around the blade tightly, keeping it from potentially blinding him.
As Sabrina watched the pair struggle against one another, she looked back at the other boys. 'This could be my only chance. Guys, you've gotta help me out.' Everyone saw the look she gave them, and as if they read her mind, they nodded in understanding.
Tobio and Astro glared at one another as they battled for dominance, which Tobio was greatly losing at. 'I need to get away from him...!' He thought desperately. Astro practically had him pinned to the wall, giving him the advantage. One of Tobio's chains then grabbed him by the neck, dragging him back. Astro's eyes widened as one of the swords then narrowly missed his ear, before he was thrown against the floor.
Reno and Alejo appeared either side of Astro and they fired two anti-magic bullets at Tobio. Tobio eyed the bullets without a care and he raised his blade to deflect them. To his surprise, the bullets went straight through his weapon and they pierced him in the left shoulder and his lower rib. His eyes widened with pain as he was thrown back against the wall for a second time, and his sword clattered to the ground.
Tobio's hands flew to the open wounds on his body and he gripped them tightly as beads of sweat formed on his head. He then looked down at his wounds worriedly. 'Why aren't they healing yet...!?' Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kennedy helping Astro to his feet before glaring at him.
"I thought you were a good guy, but now I know you're just a big bully!" He yelled. Tobio narrowed his eyes at him. He then focused his attention on Astro.
"I've been wondering this for a while, and I don't know if you're just being careful about this body, but you haven't used your powers as a robot once since the start of this fight. Now," a scheming smirk formed on his lips, unsettling Astro greatly. "Why is that?" Astro gently nudged Kennedy back before holding up his blade. Tobio's eyes widened at this. "I get it now, you CAN'T use them. You need some kind of permission, don't you?"
Tobio howled with laughter while everyone looked towards Astro worriedly. Tobio then calmed himself and he muffled his laughter behind his lips. 'Good, that means I have no reason to be afraid of him. He's nothing compared to his previous model.'
A large crack appeared in the floor beneath them, making everyone look down in confusion. The root of a tree then burst out of the ground and it thrashed around violently, attacking anyone within its vicinity. Astro threw himself to the side and he rolled along the ground as he worked hard to avoid those deadly branches. Tobio smiled smugly at the group as they fought for their lives against his power, and he inched back.
"With this power, I can create any sort of environment, as long as the conditions are met. This place has done pretty well over the last two hundred years, but I wonder how eroded it can get. The five of you can...." As Tobio made a head count, he began searching around the room for the only other female there. 'Wait, where did that girl go?'
Sabrina raced up to his side and she threw Tobio forwards using the flat end of her blade, successfully knocking him to the ground. He cried out in surprise as he face planted into the marble floor and he looked back while clutching his nose. As he glared fiercely at Sabrina, he finally took notice of the runic letters surrounding her feet, and he slowly followed along the continuing circle.
Tobio's eyes widened in realisation and he snapped his gaze towards Sabrina. Her sword flowed with ancient enchantments and she held the sword high above her head. With a victorious smirk, she slammed down on the rune, completing it. In just a quick second, a heavy aura fell onto Tobio, forcing him to the ground.
"Gah! W-What did you do!?" He gritted out whilst struggling against the mysterious power being held over him. Sabrina stepped to the side, giving Astro room to take the pendant from Tobio. Tobio's eyes followed him carefully while Sabrina spoke.
"This a simple binding spell, one made to trap people like you." She stated as she pushed the tip of her blade into his chest. Astro gently nudged her back while Tobio glared angrily at her.
"Stop it, we don't want to hurt him. Remember that's not his real body." He reminded her. Sabrina shrugged her shoulders and she looked off to the side. The others jogged up to Astro and they looked at him with smiles. Tobio's chest heaved up and down as Astro leaned towards him, his fingers just moments from grasping the pendant.
"Ngh..." Everyone snapped their gazes towards you and they stared up at you in shock as you shifted around in discomfort. A flicker of hope sparked inside of Tobio and an excited grin appeared on his face.
"She's finally awake!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The heavy sword fell ground with a clatter as you let out a painful whine. You then looked down at the blisters on your hands with a frown. The sound of someone struggling then reached your ears, and you looked over at the castle walls just as a young boy hoisted himself over it. Your eyes slightly widened as his pendant dangled carelessly around his neck. This boy sported an odd hair style which stuck up into two messy spikes, and at this point you weren't even sure if it was just bedhair.
"Tobio," you uttered. The young boy gave you a toothy grin and he threw himself off the wall. You watched him catch himself on the nearest tree branch before swinging off it. He then landed on his feet in front of you and he planted his hands onto his hips.
"Hey Y/n, aren't you done with training for the day?" He mentioned and he looked over to the fallen sword curiously. You glumly shook your head and you looked down in shame.
"No, I'm supposed to find my inner weapon. But everything I try is always too heavy. No matter what, I can't build up my arm strength." You stated with a down face. Tobio cocked his head to the side and he peered at you from below.
When you looked up, you saw him searching through the weapon barracks. You furrowed your brows in concern as he then came running back to you with a childish grin beaming on his face.
"What about this?" He held up a spear, making your eyes widen. You carefully reached forwards and he placed the pointed weapon in your hands. "It's pretty light, and not too big either. It's a perfect fit for you." Your fingers curled around the stick of the spear and you tested its weight. A delighted smile then appeared on your lips and you nodded earnestly to him.
"This is perfect...!" Tobio laughed and he nodded in satisfaction.
"See? I told you so. From now on, let's train together. I'm sure you'll improve heaps." He mentioned. You clutched the spear to your chest and your cheeks tinted red. You then gave him a warm smile while nodding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dark power surged through your body while everyone watched on worriedly. Tobio felt quite confident with himself and he beckoned you down. The wisps of power holding you high into the air gently set you down and they hung over your body like dissipating smoke. Astro's hands trembled and he watched Tobio take you by the hand. Every time he touched you, he wanted to rip you away from him.
"Y/N!" He yelled in an attempt to grab your attention. 'There's no way she could have fallen under his control, it's not possible!' Your friends watched you carefully as Tobio sat crouched before you. Had you really succumbed to his spell?
Tobio stared deeply into your empty gaze and he smiled. You opened and closed your mouth, uttering soundless words. He then cocked his head to the side and he leaned towards you. "Hm?"
"Too heavy..." you muttered. Tobio blinked in surprise. A spark then zapped him on the hand, and he ripped it out of your grasp. Tobio clutched his injured hand to his chest and he hissed in pain.
"Ngh, what the-?" A powerful wind mixed with magic picked up around you, and you slowly rose to your feet. Your eyes had turned a scarlet red and the pendant's power further marked your body. You clenched and unclenched your fists and you opened your mouth, letting out a silent scream.
"It's too heavy....!" A sense of familiarity washed over Tobio, and he stumbled back as your weapon began to form in your hand. The outline of your weapon formed a scythe, before morphing in shape. A spear was then formed, and it completed its materialistic shape.
Tobio had become gobsmacked while Astro took a step towards you, just as shocked as him.
"Hey, isn't that...?" He trailed off as his gaze flickered over to your statue, focusing more on the identical spear being wielded by it. Tobio had turned visibly pale as you clenched your spear tightly. Your heated gaze then snapped towards him and you growled with a deep rage.
"YOU TRAITOR!" You screamed and you charged towards him with your spear in hand. Tobio stepped back in shock as a parade of chains was headed his way. Everyone cried out and they cowered back as a number of chains rained down on them. Before the chains could strike their target, Astro raced forwards and he shielded Tobio with his own body.
The chains pierced Astro straight in the back, making his eyes go wide with pain. Tobio fell back as Astro collapsed before him, and he stared down at him with a frozen look of shock. You breathed out heavily and your grip tightened greatly on your spear. Astro let out a small grunt and he struggled to his knees.
"Y-Y/n," he began and he shakily turned his head in your direction. You gave him a cold hard stare as you pointed your spear at him. Astro's eyes widened slightly and he swallowed hard. "I-It's me, Astro! Don't you recognise me?"
"I know very well who you are. You are a traitor to me and this kingdom." You spat as you eyed him with pure hatred. Astro's body went stiff and he struggled to process what you had just said. Tobio stared intensely at you as you continued to threaten the pair, and his fingers dug heavily into his palms.
'It can't be...' As he trailed off on this thought, he thought back to the moment where Astro had indeed stabbed the black onyx guardian from behind. He then remembered the moment she retaliated, and the pain he had felt throughout the entirety of that ordeal.
Before either of them could react, two chains had slithered up to their feet and they wrapped themselves tightly around their ankles. Both Astro and Tobio cried out as they were then dragged into the air. Your friends let out sharp gasps and they reached up for the two boys.
"Stop this! Astro is your friend, not your enemy!" Sabrina wailed. In turn, you turned towards the young group in bafflement.
"Kids...? You shouldn't be here, you have to leave, NOW!" You shouted, confusing them greatly.
"She's not going to attack us...?" Kennedy trailed off. You raised your hand and your chains began to circle around the group. Alejo looked around in alarm and he quickly ducked under the chains.
"She's going to port us out of here!" He yelped. Everyone quickly avoided your spell, making your eyes widen. Your eyes then welled up with tears and you leaned greatly on your spear.
"So even children will disobey me...? What have you done to their poor innocent minds, Tobio!?" You cried. Tobio hung limply in your hold while Astro struggled to break himself out of it.
"Astro, I don't know if you haven't noticed, but my spell failed." Tobio mentioned. Astro glared at him in response.
"Yeah, no kidding." Tobio shook his head and he looked over at him.
"That's not what I mean! I don't know how it happened, but she's retained memories from her past life. It's as if she's become my old nemeses from over two hundred years ago." He revealed, making Astro's eyes widen. That would explain the hostility towards him. In one quick motion, Tobio summoned his blade of light and he cut through the chains holding him up. You watched him fall to the ground and you cocked your spear at him.
"No matter what, I will defeat you." You rasped. With tears streaming down your cheeks, you threw your hand high into the air. Astro barely broke away from the chains and he looked up just in time to see your next oncoming attack. About five spears hung over your head, ready to fire. Tobio readied his own parade of weapons and he aimed them in your direction.
'I'm up against a fully realised guardian. I can't hold my punches now.' Astro constantly looked between the two of you worriedly and he took a step back. Power surged out of your pendant as well as Tobio's, making the ground crack beneath you. Your gaze was calculating, and you could only wait for the right moment.
At least this is what Tobio had predicted. To his utter bewilderment, you made the first move. You raced towards him in a fit of furry and you threw your spears towards him one by one. Tobio skilfully deflected your spears with his swords and he backed away from you as you hounded in on him with a flurry rush of parries.
"I hate you so much! How could you do that to me, how could you kill me!? I TRUSTED YOU!" You screamed, making Tobio's eyes widen. Your spear clashed with his sword and sparks flew between the two of you.
"Tobio, you have to break the spell on Y/n! Otherwise you'll lose!" Astro shouted to him, irking him greatly.
"I won't lose to her! I-" your spear grazed his side, making him hiss with pain. He jumped out of your reach and he tapped the floor with the tip of his sword. While gripping his injured side, branches shot out of the ground and headed straight for your direction. The walls began to erode away as you took on this attack, and you used every weapon at your disposal to break down the tree's roots.
By the end of this attack, the sunlight began to leak through the cracks in the walls and overgrown moss littered the floors and walls. You and Tobio breathed out heavily as you eyed one another, ready to strike back if the other struck. Taking your distraction to his advantage, Astro crept up behind you. He then hooked his arms under yours and he trapped you against him. Your eyes snapped wide open and you looked back at him in shock as he struggled to hold you down.
"L-Let go of me!" You shouted. Astro shook his head and his grip only tightened.
"I won't, I'm doing this for your own good. Tobio, break the spell NOW!" He shouted. You gritted your teeth and you kicked at his legs. You then thrashed around in his hold. Tobio stood in front of you decidingly. 'I could kill her, but then I won't be able to use the pendant's power. Damn it...' he grasped his head and he glared at the ground just as you readied another flurry of chains, aimed at the both of them.
Alejo and Reno cocked their guns at the hanging chains, ready to shoot them down if they had to. Sabrina, Kennedy and Abercrombie could only watch helplessly as Astro fought against their friend. Tobio silently cursed to himself. He then raised his hand and conjured up a ball of magic into his palm, before approaching you with it.
You fought violently against Astro as Tobio pressed the ball of magic into your chest. The moment the magic entered your body, your eyes went wide for a moment, and you fell limp in Astro's arms. Everyone let out sighs of relief while Astro cradled you in his hold. Tobio stared at the two of you silently, in a foul mood. You stirred within Astro's hold and you slowly blinked your eyes open. Astro looked down at you, relieved, as you shot upright.
"W-What happened?" You quickly uttered, and you looked back at Astro in shock. "Astro? You're here!" You exclaimed and you threw your arms around him. Astro hugged you tightly and he rested his forehead on your shoulder as he breathed out.
"Thank god, you're back to normal..." you blinked at him in confusion. With you distracted, Tobio raised a calculating hand into the air. Power flowed out of the tips of his fingers, and a sword flew straight into Astro's side, knocking him down. Everyone watched with wide eyes as he flew across the room and you cried out to him.
"ASTRO!" You snapped your gaze towards Tobio, and you glared angrily at him as he readied his next attack. "You'll pay for this!" With that said, you held out your hand in an attempt to summon your weapon. You then looked down in shock at the empty space below.
Astro managed to push himself upright and he immediately fired back. You looked down at your hands in panic while Astro and Tobio fought. 'What's going on with my powers? I can't summon anything at all.' As you looked around you, multiple spears littered the ground, every one of them radiated an energy similar to the pendant's.
Astro made a swing at Tobio, but he only evaded his efforts. Every few seconds, Tobio would appear in different spots in the room. You saw his movements clearly, making your eyes widen. 'He's stopping time!'
"Careful, everyone. Tobio is using the pendant's power to stop time!" You shouted, making everyone turn towards you. Tobio gritted his teeth and he gave you his full attention.
"You should be the one being careful." He warned. Just as he said this, he ran towards you with his sword poised. You let out a fearful shriek and you jumped to the side, just barely avoiding his attack. Astro activated his rockets and he charged after Tobio with his fist pulled back. Tobio looked back and he snapped his fingers.
A vine bloomed from the moss on the wall and it shot out at Astro, throwing him back into the wall. The debris dug heavily into Astro's back, cutting into his wiring. Everyone gasped as he fell to the floor and let out a heavy cough.
"Astro!" You wailed while Tobio laughed.
"You stupid robot! How many times do I have to tell you that you can't beat me!? As long as you have those restrictions on your powers, it's impossible for you to win!" Astro leaned against the wall and he gave Tobio a tired look. You watched him carefully as you racked your brains for ideas. Your gaze then turned upwards, and it fell on the glowing orb hanging in the centre of the room, making your eyes widen.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Tobio." You challenged, making him look back at you. You grabbed the spear sitting by your feet and you ran passed him. Tobio's head followed you and he watched you confusedly. Five chains appeared in front of you, and you used them as stepping ladders to reach the glowing orb. As you pulled your arm back, realisation hit Tobio and he gasped.
"NO!" With a mighty arm, you hurled the spear straight at the orb of magic. The tip of the spear touched the orb, bursting the orb of magic. In that moment, the stone curse had been lifted off everyone in the castle. You threw your hand towards Astro and you called out to him while falling.
"Go! If we want to win this thing, then we'll need your power!" You shouted. Astro's eyes widened and he pushed himself to his feet.
"But what about-"
"We'll be fine without you for a few minutes. Just run as hard as you can!" Abercrombie snapped. Tobio looked between the two of you in a fluster. He then watched Astro run out of the room, alarming him.
'I can't let him reach Dr Tenma...!' He thought desperately, and he took chase. You nodded to the others and you raced after Tobio.
Astro used his rockets to propel himself through the hallways, turning every corner in a rush. Within seconds Tobio had already lost him. Panic had begun to settle within him and he gripped his pendant tightly.
"He's too fast...! But," a smirk found its way to his face. "If I stop time, then I can stop him." With this idea in mind, he raised his pendant high into the air and he released a wave of white energy. 'I can only stop time a kilometre ahead of me, but this should be enough to....' The sound of Astro's rockets got fainter and fainter, making his eyes widen. "He's not frozen!?"
Astro carefully held onto the black pendant tightly as it protected him from Tobio's tricks. He lifted it up and he pressed his lips against it. 'Thank you, Y/n.' Behind him, Tobio slowed to a stop, staring ahead of him in utter disbelief. He then thought back to the moment you threw your hand out, and he scowled.
"Of course. I can't do much about his power now, but if I can get rid of the others before then..." Tobio turned on his heel and he headed straight back to the ceremonial room where you waited. 'I only have a few minutes, I need to get rid of everyone before then. Right now Y/n is defenceless. Without her powers, it won't be a problem taking her with me and getting out of here.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Astro slammed Dr Tenma's doors open and he raced inside, alarming the middle-aged man. He looked down at his robot with surprise before quickly regaining his composure.
"Astro, what's going on? And what's happened to my son?" He spoke, immediately wanting some answers. Astro waved away his questioning bantering and he collapsed to his knees with sparks flying out of his back.
"Sir, I'll explain everything to you after. Your son is being controlled, and the one controlling him is misusing the white diamond pendant's power. Please, you have to give me permission to use my full power on him!" Astro wailed. Tenma's eyes widened at Astro's words and he held a shocked hand over his mouth.
"You want me to give you permission to go all out on my son...? Absolutely not." Astro gasped.
"But sir! The entire kingdom is in danger!" He yelled. Tenma repeatedly shook his head, refusing his request.
"Astro, this is my SON you're talking about. With your strength, you could kill him!" Astro clenched his fists and he pushed himself to his feet.
"I understand the risks, but I have to do this. Dr Tenma, this is a choice between life or death for the kingdom! You have to give me permission, I promise to take good care of your son." He reassured. Tenma glowered heavily at Astro as he continued to stare up at him pleadingly. Tenma looked to the side, deeply in thought. After a heavy amount of consideration, he closed his eyes almost regretfully.
"Okay. If you bring any harm to my son, I won't hesitate in dismantling you after this." He threatened. Despite the heavy threats, Astro smiled in front of him for the first time, making his eyes widen.
"I promise you, sir." He uttered. Tenma breathed in. He then planted a hand onto his shoulder and he gave it a tight squeeze.
"I fully give you permission to unlock all of your combatant abilities. Please, be careful." Tenma's voice resonated through his head, and his arms surged with power. Abilities he didn't even know he had began to surface, and his eyes shifted a light blue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In just a few minutes, everyone was beaten and bruised. You held your cheek painfully where Tobio had punched you and you let out a painful grunt. Tobio then grabbed you by the collar of your school uniform and he started dragging you towards the window. You gasped and you began to violently thrash around in his hold.
"W-Where are you taking me?" You yelled. You then grabbed at his hands, attempting to pry his fingers from you.
"Somewhere far away," was as his answer. Your nails dug heavily into his skin, cutting him. He irritably ripped his hands away from you and he drew his sword. He then raised it above you threateningly. "If you don't stop resisting, I'll cut your arm off!" You glared at him viciously, shocking him for a moment. 'I hate you!' Tobio quickly shook his head of the thought and he looked to the side.
"I'll come back for the black onyx pendant at a later date. The lot of you ought to count yourselves lucky to leave here with your lives." Tobio stated and he looked back at the fallen group menacingly. Everyone cowered under his fearful gaze. You continued to fight against Tobio.
"Lemme go!" Just as Tobio opened the window, a laser was fired at him, narrowly missing him by the hand. Tobio gasped and he looked back at Reno and Alejo, but the pair only shook their heads. Greatly confused, Tobio looked towards the entrance to the room.
Astro stood at the entry way with his hand stretched out before him. Everyone's eyes widened and a relieved smile appeared on your face.
"Astro!" You cried out happily. Tobio's grip on you slipped and he stepped back in shock.
"I ran out of time....!" He uttered, horrified. Astro's eyes flashed a neon blue and he raced towards him. His hand then morphed into a canon and he aimed it at him threateningly. Tobio reappeared on the other side of the room, and next thing you knew, the wall had a gaping hole in it. Smoke freshly rose off Astro's canon as he eyed Tobio fiercely.
"Give up, we've got you cornered." Astro stated. Beads of sweat formed on Tobio's head and he inched back nervously. You pushed yourself to your feet and you limped over to Astro while gripping your side tightly. The both of you shared a look, and you smiled confidently at one another.
"It's game over, Tobio!" You exclaimed. Tobio glared angrily at you. Before you could even blink, one of Astro's lasers deflected the sword he had thrown at you, making you jump back in surprise. You then gave Astro a thankful look. Now you were glad you had given him the pendant. Just as you thought this, Astro slipped the pendant off his neck and he gave it back to you.
"We need to bind him. Think you can handle that much?" He said jokingly. In response to this, you snatched the pendant from him and huffed.
"Of course! Don't get all cocky now that you have your powers." The moment those words left your mouth, Tobio jumped at you with his sword aimed at your chest. You squeaked in surprise and you ducked just as Astro hooked his arm around his neck, throwing him to the ground. As he pinned him to the floor, he looked back at you.
"Hurry!" You gulped and nodded. You then carefully manoeuvred the chains to wrap around Tobio, trapping him on the spot. He struggled to pull his arms out of your mini trap and his face grew red with frustration. He then cried out in anguish.
"Let me go! You don't understand what you're doing!" He yelled. Your fingers curled into two fists and you struggled to calm the frustrated feelings in your chest. You and Astro then turned to each other with a nod, and Astro began to approach Tobio with outstretched hands.
Tobio's eyes widened in fear and he cried out while attempting to back away.
"Wait, don't do this! I-I can't die here, not yet. I still have so much I need to do!" He wailed. Astro stopped, and he almost felt sorry for him. You on the other hand didn't feel sorry at all for him. Not one bit.
"You died a long time ago, Tobio. It's time you gave back that body." You stated. Tobio's chest heaved up and down as Astro crouched down to him. Tears then streamed down his cheeks, shocking everyone greatly.
"I didn't mean to kill her...!" Your body stiffened and you held your breath. Tobio looked to the side with clear guilt written across his face and he closed his eyes regretfully. "This wasn't meant to happen. She was my partner, and I wanted her by my side! But she didn't want the same, and she chose the kingdom over me." You joined Astro at his side and you gazed down at Tobio pitifully.
"You were a very dear friend to her, Tobio. Can you imagine how hurt she must have felt when you betrayed her like that?" You spoke in a gentle voice. Tobio opened and closed his mouth, wanting to come up with some sort of excuse. His then shoulders trembled and he let his head drop as tears dripped down his cheeks. Astro reached down and he gripped the pendant tightly, before removing it altogether.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered, before falling unconscious into Astro's arms. A lone tear rolled down your cheek and you gazed down at him. You then wiped the tear from your cheek as the shade of Tobio's hair changed back to its natural brown. He slept calmly in Astro's arms while the others gathered around you.
The birds chirped loudly outside of the open window, and a soft breeze brushed into the room. The battle had finally ended, and peace was brought back to the kingdom.