>>5377205“Ah, s-sorry.” you say, pushing off of something hard as a rock behind her to get back to your feet, then offer her a hand. She takes it, still blushing furiously as you help her stand back up. Then the two of you turn back around to King Cold, Aqua complaining you didn't help her up as well. But you barely hear her, eyes focused on the menacing figure before you. King Cold has transformed, taking on the “100% Full Power” mode you remember Freeza fighting Super Saiyan Goku with. “Woah.”
“I....I'm cured.” he says, voice awed as he looks down at his hands again, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists. “After all these years, it's finally gone. I'm...Free....”
He then looks up, and seeing the shape of your party immediately powers back down. Not entirely, as he remains in his muscular form, but his aura fades away almost instantly while he walks forward. And to your, and everyone else's clear surprise walks directly over to Aqua, and kneels to her!
“Thank you. That curse has been ravaging my body for centuries, eating away at my strength and crippling me.” King Cold says, your mind going into overdrive considering the possibilities and implications as he continues. “Tens of thousands of healers, mystics, and wizards have tried to break it, but none were capable of what you've just done. Not even General Karn's daughter, with all her miraculous healing prowess could erase this curse, not completely.”
“Of course not. I'm a goddess.” she continues, beaming at the praise being heaped upon her. If he doesn't stop soon, her head will be too large to fit back through the door. “Any goddess, or even divine being could have broken such a simple curse like that one.”
As she says this his expression turns dark and downright murderous, but the oblivious Aqua keeps talking.
“I bet even my subordinate goddess Iris could have broken it, were she here.” Aqua says, and you see Chris immediately avert her eyes. Right, she's a devoted Iris Church supporter. But as Aqua finishes talking and looks to him for more praise, she freezes upon seeing the look on his face. She yelps in surprise, immediately cowering behind Darkness's sturdy frame and peeks out from behind her like a child hiding behind a parent. You aren't sure how or why her telling him that any goddess could break that curse upset him, but now you're certain he's about to kill you all.
“Thank you for that bit of pertinent information as well.” he says icily, his face one of barely-contained rage for several seconds. King Cold then closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in, then sighs out. You can see the tension leaving his body, as the man regains control of his temper. “Looks like that Pretender wasn't entirely wrong.”
