Star Rail: The Aeon Hunters

"Hmm…" March looked at Stella from a distance deep in thought. The Stellaron was kind enough to distract and play with the children while she figured out their next moves. There's something strange about Natasha's choice of getting Hook to be their tour guide instead of literally anyone else.

"It's at the tip of my tongue…" the girl clicked her tongue. "It's ahhh, I've seen this before, just…" she looked around, no Dan Heng. As much as she hates to admit it, Dan Heng is way better than her at stuff like this. "Okay, Hook, is a child, a boss child of the underworld…"

March tapped her foot in deep thought. "So in other words, Hook is a big deal," she shook her head. "No, I'm thinking too deep…"

The girl watched as Stella start playing chase with the children. Part of March want to join in on the fun, but the whole situation really bothers her. She's an expert at manipulation and Natasha is quite possibly at the same level. There has to be a reason why she chose Hook.

"Natasha… Natasha… I gotta be careful around that Milf…" she paused, her eyes widened in realization. "Milf, mom, she's the mother of the underground…" she finally put the two and two together and made a fist pump. "Got it!"

March cupped her hands together and sparkles of light burst forth. Thin flakes of six-phased ice rained down at Stella and the children, stopping them in their tracks. They gazed at the sparkling lights around them with wide eyes.

"Sorry!" March ran up them, a grin on her face. "Big sis had to run some boring errands earlier, can I join in on the fun? Pitch-Dark Hook the Great?"

Hook's smile widened after seeing her. "The Moles welcomes you miss March!" she looked at all the sparkling lights around her. "Did you do this?" she reached out her hand towards thee light, it vanishes into mist the moment she touched it.

The other two members of the moles also looked at the sparkles with wide eyes. They ran around trying to catch the colorful flakes of ice. The ones that they didn't catch turned into a thin sheet of ice on the ground.

March raised her finger. "Just a little something I can do, ehehe~" she twirled her finger and a small whirlwind of ice formed around her. But the ice was thin and fragile, it simply dissipates into mist in contact. "Have you ever seen the snow before?"

Hook nodded. "Yes! Hook goes on many adventures! We've seen the snowy wasteland beyond the treacherous caves, we've seen the tall cliffs where the robots lay asleep, we've seen the light that shred apart the darkness!" she exclaimed.

It was a bit jarring to March how poetic and dramatic this little girl can be. "Alright!" March grinned and raised her hand. "Are you up for another adventure? I call this one, the Misadventures of the Moles and the Trailseekers!"

The thin layer of ice formed on the ground below them. It spread across a small area and towards the entrance to a mine nearby. The ice enveloped one of the broken minecarts, decorating and forming it into a beautiful sleigh.

The sleigh moves on its own towards the children. They all have stars in their eyes at the sight of it, practically vibrating in excitement.

"What are you guys waiting for?" March jumped into the Sleigh. "A written invitation?"

"Moles!" Hook tried to announce, but the other members already leapt into the sleigh. "Hey! Wait! Hook will be in front!"

Unfortunately for Hook, the Sleigh was already full. She looks like she's going to cry thinking there's no room for her, but then Stella suddenly took her hand and have her sit at the very front on her lap. "Only the best view for Pitch-Dark Hook the Great," Stella said.

Hook grinned and raised her hand. "Let's go honorary member of the moles! To adventure!"

March laughed and start pushing the sleigh with her power. It moves slowly, because she doesn't really have the means to really push it, but it should be fun enough for the children right. "What do you think? Cool isn't it? If you wanna go faster, maybe Stella can be our steed, ahaha!"

Stella doesn't seem to mind of course. But before she could offer herself…

"Ah! Hook has a brilliant idea!" the little girl took out a strange device, it looks like a claw with a wheel below it. "Worry not Miss March, with the Diggerton, the great Ice Mole Cart shall move faster than the wind!" she put the claw right at front and the sleigh lurched forward.

"Waaaait!!!" March exclaimed when the sleigh start moving faster and faster. "This isn't what I meant!" the girl kept the ice trail going, lest the friction from the ground would launch everyone out. "Oh no, oh no, HOOK!!!"

The cart is heading straight to a building, Natasha's clinic no less. But Hook managed to swerve to the right and March made the ice go up, creating a spiraling arc upwards. The cart left afterimage of sparkling ice as the people of underground looked up in amazement.

"Ahaha!!! Take that you witch!!!" Hook exclaimed towards the receding form of Natasha. "The Moles once again prevails!!!"

The children were all exhilarated while both March and Stella are panicking. The ice girl tried to control the sleigh downwards, while at the same time dodging the gigantic Geomarrow Crystal jutting out of the cavern walls.

Down below, people looked up in both confusion and awe. A trail of colorful ice twist and turn across the cavern ceiling, sparkles of colorful ice rained down from the sky, and a colorful sleigh swerved across and above the city creating after image of rainbow.

Stella managed to take the diggerton out of Hook's hand, slowing down the sleigh but not that slow. March took that moment to create a gigantic ice platform right above Boulder Town and slow down the sleigh. "Okay, that's enough fun for today… Let's…"

Hook however, thought of another thing. She jumped out of Stella's lap and stood right at the very edge of the ice platform.

"People of Boulder Town!!!" Hook shouted at the top of her lungs from above the city. "It is I! Pitch-Dark Hook the Great!! The leader of the Moles and the ruler of the Underground!!!"

A small crowd began to build up below them, one of them Natasha who looked very, very worried.

"As the ruler of the underground! I order all of you to be nice to Hook, the moles, and everyone else! No telling Hook to go to bed early, no threatening Hook with chores, and no fighting outside of the cage match!"

March began to sweat as she tried to keep the platform strong enough with her power. Especially with the little no support beam she has.

"Now people of the underground, I, Pitch-Dark Hook the Great shall introduce you to Hook's friend," Hook made a grand gesture. "Miss March! From the Trailseekers!"

Miss March gave the crowd a weak wave with bated breath. "Hi… Sorry for… can you call for help… I can't…"

"Stella! The honorary member of the moles and the trailseekers!"

Stella gave the crowd an exaggerated bow. "It is I!" she made a pose. "Stella of the Trailseekers!!!"

Hook nodded proudly. "And so, my next order for you people of the Underground! Is to be nice to the Trailseekers! They are an ally of the Moles and you must treat them like us!!!"

With that, Hook finished his speech. "Good work Miss March, now we shall make the same speech in the great mine!"

March shook her head. "No, no, we have to go…" the floor below them began to crack. "Oh no…"

There was a loud crash and the platform shattered beneath them. Screams rang out through the cavern, but at that moment.

A gigantic water dragon burst forth from the ground and caught everyone. The dragon formed into a twisting slide. Both March and Stella sighed in relief, thanking Dan Heng for his quick thinking while Hook and the moles just laughed in excitement.

"This is the best day of my life!" Hook yelled in pure happiness. She watched as the slide brought her and the moles lower and lower to the ground. "I declare this adventure of the moles, over!" she looked back at the crowd and her smile faltered.

"Hook…" Natasha's voice was sweet and low. "Do you have the slightest idea…"

Hook gulped and turned around, only to find the members of the moles already running away from her. "Wait! Moles! You traitor!" The little girl tried to run, but Natasha already grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. "Let me go you evil witch!!!"

"You are in need of a stern talking young lady!"