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akinoameSo with promotional stuff for Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad hinting stuff about Astra (after 40-some-odd years) and the L77 Ultras in general, I might have to cut a scene out of my Zero fic.
Posting it here right now until I figure out how much I can salvage or if I really will need to cut it or not:
Lightning crackled in the skies overhead as Leo and Astra, now having taken their giant forms, grappled with the twin Gillas monsters while their father fought Alien Magma. Astra’s crest was still in one piece, but he was bleeding heavily. Another good hit would break it completely.
Leo willed his brother to hold on a little bit longer. They weren’t supposed to win—just buy time for their mother to lead the evacuation of all survivors who had fled to the capital. Once that happened, their father had ordered them to break off and join them. Astra’s worry still pained Leo’s heart—he feared that their father planned to sacrifice himself to save them. Leo tried to send over confidence he didn’t entirely feel. As brave and strong a warrior as Astra was, he was still sensitive, and everything that had happened today was overwhelming him.
And then it came at long last—a fleet of ships streaking across the sky, their lasers firing like shooting stars as they cleared their way for a series of red travel spheres following behind.
Real hope swelled within Leo as he called over to Astra, “They did it!”
He felt relief in response for a moment, but very quickly, it turned into cold dread. Lightning set the sky on fire, igniting the ships and setting them off like a series of firecrackers. The travel spheres were next, catching in the web of lightning and shattering, exploding, innocent people’s screams going silent all at once—elders, children, adults, all slaughtered the same.
Leo shook his head in disbelief, but he didn’t have much time to feel his own grief. Astra’s was surging, turning into a blinding anger. Leo almost felt overwhelmed himself, nearly missing the next attack by one of the Gillas twins—black, red, he couldn’t tell anymore with all of the smoke and flames—before Astra rushed forward with alternating water and fire. In a horrifying instant, Leo realized his brother had been trying to contact their mother and lost the connection.
“Leo, Astra, keep it together!” their father ordered, his sword clashing against Alien Magma’s. “As long as the two of you are alive, there’s still a chance!”
There had been so much death. Right now, the three of them were the last of their people. Leo couldn’t let another person die.
Astra was bleeding more heavily now, and Leo rushed over, yanking him away from one of the monsters before kicking it back with flame-engulfed foot. He looked at his brother in concern, and Astra nodded, trying to keep a handle on his grief and anger.
A clang, somehow audible in all of the chaos, caught their attention. Leo and Astra turned to see their father’s sword on the ground, its owner impaled on Magma’s sword arm.
“There’s not much time,” their father warned, his voice strained. “Use your double flasher. I’ll hold him.”
“Father, no…” Leo insisted.
His father found his strength again and roared, “That’s an order! Whatever happens, you two must survive. Hurry!”
Leo could see tears of disbelief running down Astra’s face, but his little brother knew better than to disobey when their father spoke like that. Astra knelt, holding up his hands and summoning energy. Leo placed his shaking hands over his brother’s, calling on all of his power, and…
And at that point, the spinning Gillas monsters rammed right into them. Leo took the hit first and went flying, reverting to normal size upon impact with the ground. He watched Astra get up, trying to handle the monsters by himself, but they were pounding on him mercilessly. Astra weakly reached out for his father, but Magma blasted a beam directly through his sword and his opponent’s body. Astra took the blast directly to his face, shattering his crest. He covered his face and screamed, losing his focus on his surroundings. He started shrinking back to his usual height when the monsters struck him again, knocking him in the opposite direction from Leo.
“Astra!” Leo shouted as he ran after his brother. What was left of the capital city was nothing but ruins, the palace where Astra had landed completely destroyed. Ignoring the burning flames and choking smoke, Leo dug through the rubble in a desperate attempt to reach his twin.
“Hang in there,” he insisted. “I’ll save you now.”
“Brother…” Astra cried out weakly. “I’m done for.”
“Astra, what are you saying?” Leo asked as he grabbed his hand and pulled with all his remaining strength. “Hang in there!”
But an explosion nearby threw him back—the planet itself was about to explode. Leo screamed out for his brother as he disappeared, hearing only his name screamed back before the rest of his world became flames.
Posting it here right now until I figure out how much I can salvage or if I really will need to cut it or not:
Lightning crackled in the skies overhead as Leo and Astra, now having taken their giant forms, grappled with the twin Gillas monsters while their father fought Alien Magma. Astra’s crest was still in one piece, but he was bleeding heavily. Another good hit would break it completely.
Leo willed his brother to hold on a little bit longer. They weren’t supposed to win—just buy time for their mother to lead the evacuation of all survivors who had fled to the capital. Once that happened, their father had ordered them to break off and join them. Astra’s worry still pained Leo’s heart—he feared that their father planned to sacrifice himself to save them. Leo tried to send over confidence he didn’t entirely feel. As brave and strong a warrior as Astra was, he was still sensitive, and everything that had happened today was overwhelming him.
And then it came at long last—a fleet of ships streaking across the sky, their lasers firing like shooting stars as they cleared their way for a series of red travel spheres following behind.
Real hope swelled within Leo as he called over to Astra, “They did it!”
He felt relief in response for a moment, but very quickly, it turned into cold dread. Lightning set the sky on fire, igniting the ships and setting them off like a series of firecrackers. The travel spheres were next, catching in the web of lightning and shattering, exploding, innocent people’s screams going silent all at once—elders, children, adults, all slaughtered the same.
Leo shook his head in disbelief, but he didn’t have much time to feel his own grief. Astra’s was surging, turning into a blinding anger. Leo almost felt overwhelmed himself, nearly missing the next attack by one of the Gillas twins—black, red, he couldn’t tell anymore with all of the smoke and flames—before Astra rushed forward with alternating water and fire. In a horrifying instant, Leo realized his brother had been trying to contact their mother and lost the connection.
“Leo, Astra, keep it together!” their father ordered, his sword clashing against Alien Magma’s. “As long as the two of you are alive, there’s still a chance!”
There had been so much death. Right now, the three of them were the last of their people. Leo couldn’t let another person die.
Astra was bleeding more heavily now, and Leo rushed over, yanking him away from one of the monsters before kicking it back with flame-engulfed foot. He looked at his brother in concern, and Astra nodded, trying to keep a handle on his grief and anger.
A clang, somehow audible in all of the chaos, caught their attention. Leo and Astra turned to see their father’s sword on the ground, its owner impaled on Magma’s sword arm.
“There’s not much time,” their father warned, his voice strained. “Use your double flasher. I’ll hold him.”
“Father, no…” Leo insisted.
His father found his strength again and roared, “That’s an order! Whatever happens, you two must survive. Hurry!”
Leo could see tears of disbelief running down Astra’s face, but his little brother knew better than to disobey when their father spoke like that. Astra knelt, holding up his hands and summoning energy. Leo placed his shaking hands over his brother’s, calling on all of his power, and…
And at that point, the spinning Gillas monsters rammed right into them. Leo took the hit first and went flying, reverting to normal size upon impact with the ground. He watched Astra get up, trying to handle the monsters by himself, but they were pounding on him mercilessly. Astra weakly reached out for his father, but Magma blasted a beam directly through his sword and his opponent’s body. Astra took the blast directly to his face, shattering his crest. He covered his face and screamed, losing his focus on his surroundings. He started shrinking back to his usual height when the monsters struck him again, knocking him in the opposite direction from Leo.
“Astra!” Leo shouted as he ran after his brother. What was left of the capital city was nothing but ruins, the palace where Astra had landed completely destroyed. Ignoring the burning flames and choking smoke, Leo dug through the rubble in a desperate attempt to reach his twin.
“Hang in there,” he insisted. “I’ll save you now.”
“Brother…” Astra cried out weakly. “I’m done for.”
“Astra, what are you saying?” Leo asked as he grabbed his hand and pulled with all his remaining strength. “Hang in there!”
But an explosion nearby threw him back—the planet itself was about to explode. Leo screamed out for his brother as he disappeared, hearing only his name screamed back before the rest of his world became flames.