~*~Scarlet from Ayashi no Ceres . . .~*~

~The following lyrics and translation are from www.animelyrics.com~

Soft piano music plays as we see Kay play it within a fog.

~*haruka na hoshizora ni yume wa mada miemasu ka?*~
~Can you still see your dreams in the distant, starry sky?~

Screen fades to Lilly Yin, staring up into the star filled night sky clutching her flute tightly to her chest as Yang looks upon her with worry at a distance upon the beach.

~*osanai ano hi yori azayaka desu ka?*~
~Are they more vivid than they were when you were little?~

Kay Lee walking the streets of a slum with laughing young children running about and around his legs. He reaches down and smiles as he pats a little girl on the head.

~*mune ni afurete tsunoru omoi*~
~When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart~

Victoria walking along the beach watching the sea waves hit the rocks on the shore with a sad smile on her face.

~*nemuri wasurete jounetsu no iro*~
~to rest, they burn the color of passion.~

Crista appears as a ghostly background to Nisshoku and Shizukasa playing along the beach.

~*tatoe tookute mo kitto tadoritsukeru tsuyoku shinjite'ta*~
~I used to believe without a doubt that I could reach my dreams, no matter how far off they were.~

Claude, Crimson, Volpe and John Heagy chowing down on a meal as they laugh at each other's jokes.

~*ano hi no watashi ga ima mo kokoro de nemutte-iru*~
~But that me from long ago now sleeps inside my heart.~

Ryu Dragon sitting inside a bar drinking with his friends, laughing as they talk about the good times they've had.

~*GARASU no bara yori mo hakanakute moroi no ni*~
~Dreams are more fragile and fleeting than a glass rose,~

Locke stands upon a field of flowers, petals flying about with his hair pouring ashes out of an urn which travels across the vast field with the wind. A close up to his eyes reveal brimming tears.

~*yume miru koto wa naze sadame na no deshou*~
~so then why are we destined to dream?~

Memphis with a guitar sitting upon a balcony looking up at the stars, a zoom out reveals a woman covered with a blanket beckoning to him. Memphis smiles as he sets his guitar down to walk towards her.

~*futatsu no yume ga ai ni natte*~
~Sometimes two dreams can turn into love,~

Jin and Astaroth are walking along the sunny beach, when a large shadow suddenly flies across him. He stares as a white feather floats down in front of him.

~*ai ni narenai koto mo atte*~
~but there are also times when they can't.~

A flashback scene where Darius is hung, and Sauris is standing before his friend in the rain.

~*hito wa hitori da to wakariaitai no ni nante muzukashii*~
~Even when they're alone, people want to share their feelings, but it can be so hard.~

Acinomia sitting upon the edge of a cliff, staring at her brooch shining darkly in the moonlight. She clenches her fist over it, while tears brim her eyes.

~*kotoba wa muryoku de toki ni wa gin no NAIFU ni naru*~
~Words are powerless to express one's feelings, and sometimes they become a silver knife.~

Meliza standing at the airport, watching a car drive away. She turns away with her fists clenched. She happens to pass by a poster for the tournament.

~*hito wa hitori da to wakariaitai no ni nante muzukashii*~
~Even when they're alone, people want to share their feelings, but it can be so hard.~

Zero1 silently carving a piece of wood, and then he looks outside where birds are chirping. Miko suddenly appears and berates him for making such a mess whiel Zero1 cringes away from her.

~*kotoba wa muryoku de toki ni wa gin no NAIFU ni . . .*~
~Words are powerless to express one's feelings, and sometimes they become a silver knife . . .~

Iwa at the beach standing upon rocks as waves crash into them, her hair flowing freely. Kumori walks up from behind her friend and smiles as she places a hand on her friend's shoulder.

~*tatoe tookute mo kitto tadoritsukeru tsuyoku shinjite'ta*~
~I used to believe without a doubt that I could reach my dreams, no matter how far off they were.~

Shadow Dragon and Shock Wave sitting on a pier, fishing.

~*ano hi no watashi ga ima mo kokoro de nemutte-iru*~
~But that me from long ago now sleeps inside my heart.~

A final image of a naked Natalie with her angelic wings covering her body (hush perverts), a small tear making its way down the side of her face.

~* Fighter's Game Parlour *~

*click*

"I've been wondering if I'd ever get to see you again." an old Chinese man dressed in a purple robe murmured as he stroked his long beard.

"You're not the only one." Locke replied as he picked up a white piece and placed it on the go board between the two of them. "Everyone seems to want a piece of me these days."

"You're still breathing, that's always a good sign that things are going well for people in your business." Gen said lightly as he moved a black piece in an attempt to gain territory in the game.

"Don't you mean 'our' business, old man?" Locke replied as he placed another white piece to take control of that territory before the old man could. "There's more than one killer playing this game."

"I managed to get away from all that." Gen murmured as he sat there, looking intently on the board for a way to reverse control of the territory that Locke had just gained.

"You're lying to yourself, again." Locke murmured. "But that doesn't matter, I'll be lying to myself very soon."

"You mean . . .?"

"I plan to leave the world of assassins."

"You're insane."

"Look who's talking."

"I've got alzheimer's, sonny."

"Bullshit."

"Well, at least all that hiding in the shadow manages to keep your face and name from being too well known." Gen murmured as he stroked his beard. "You could get away, and age will change your looks over time. What do you plan to do after this? Win big at casinos? That will certainly catch some unwanted attention."

"I've got enough money to open up a flower shop." Locke replied.

"I'm sorry, I just thought I heard you say flower shop. These old ears of mine, they just don't seem to work quite like they used to anymore."

"Stuff it, old man, I'm opening up a flower shop."

"Boy, that's a pansy job. Why don't you be a cook, like me?"

"Isn't cooking for women?" Locke sneered at the old man.

"Why, I'll have you know . . ."

Locke's cellphone suddenly rang. "Hello?" Locke's expression had become dead serious in contrast to the friendly jibe he and Gen were having. "Alright, I'll meet you there." Locke nodded and shut off his phone. "We'll have to continue this game another time, old man." Pulling out several bills and setting them on the table, he said. "My treat." With that said, he left the game parlour.

"Good luck." Gen murmured under his breath as he picked up a black piece and placed it on the go board. Then he tried guessing where Locke would move next.

~* The Shadowgate *~

She was gone now . . .

She had been that light at the end of the tunnel, the secret hope within his mind even as he was trained to become a member of Naar's elite. His sorrow knew little boundaries as he had hoped that his sister would have joined him in Naar's army or find a way to break the bond between him and his lord. With her gone, only he could do what he had wanted her to do.

Astaroth looked angrily towards the army looking hesitantly towards him and Kushina, and then at each other. How dare they! HOW DARE THEY! His sister had died and they wished to continue to spill blood upon this battlefield. No, he drew his nodachi before him, he would satisfy their thirst for battle and soothe the great rage within himself. But their blood would not touch his dear sister, her blood would never be tainted by their vileness. Howling in rage, Astaroth charged forward with his weapon, knowing that Kushina was right beside him.

~* Somewhere along the coast of Fighter’s Isle . . . *~

Six people - three men and three women - stood nervously on the cream-colored sand, looked like they were waiting for someone or something.

They were Dragon’s companions and contact that were sent along with him to the isle to investigate the tournament. Currently they were waiting for reinforcement that supposedly to come around this time. They’ve been sent by their leader, Ryu Dragon to contact and meet the army reinforcement. At first they were reluctant, especially Rogue - Dragon’s girlfriend - and Zarkoff - rival and best friend, because they were concerned with Dragon’s safety, but he had assured them that he would be safe to go along with other agents and fighters.

"Where the hell is the freakin’ reinforcement?! What took them so long?!" asked Rogue to no one in particular. She paced back and forth on the beach nervously. Part of her wanted to go back to find her lover, but other part of her told her to stay with her order.

"Rogue." called Robin. "Its not easy to find this island, even though they have the coordinates, finding this man-made island is still not easy. The other thing is, the Australian Army have to contact with reinforcement from other country as well." She wrinkled her brow. "And I bet it won’t be easy since we kept our operation in secret."

"I was wondering about that too." Said Zarkoff. "If the top people know that there’ll be other agents investigating as well, why they want to keep this operation secret to the other agency?"

Robin sighed heavily. "I suspect that it was Jonathan’s idea to keep it secret. Sending agents to investigate this tournament had been General Kirk idea. I bet Jonathan was forced to go along with the plan just to keep him being suspected as a double agent. Keeping this operation secret might be his idea to get a chance to dispose us safely as soon as we got here."

"Well, lucky for us that they found Jonathan’s betrayal out." said Rinai.

Robin nodded.

Rogue sighed. "Still… not helping with our current problem." Then she turned around to face the group. "You know what?! Screw this. I’m going back to find Dragon, if you guys want to come along, you’re welcome.” Then she began to walk toward the forest near the beach.

Zarkoff quickly intervened. "Rogue, look, I know you’re worried about him. I’m worried as well . . ."

"Zarkoff, get out of my way." said Rogue.

"No." Zarkoff shook his head. "We’ve got our orders."

"Screw the orders!" shouted Rogue heatedly. "I’m not going to stand here twiddling my thumb while he . . ."

*CRACKLE!!!*

*BOOM!!!*

Were two thunderous sounds cutting the argument as the Shadowgate began to form some distance away.

"What was that?" asked Frank. All of them turned to the direction of the sounds.

Above the island some distance away, were dark clouds hovering. From the clouds were series of lighting streaks striking down toward the earth over and over again.

"Evil . . . I . . . feel an evil presence." said Rinai, trembling. She shivered furiously as she felt the evil sensation from where the Shadowgate was.

"Rinai!" called Andy. He came to her and held her to stop the shivering. "Rinai, what’s going on?"

Rinai looked up to her teammates who were watching her concernedly. "Evil presence. I felt strong sensation of evil from there. It is so big, so intense . . . much more . . . much more than Daimajin’s."

The others aside from Robin gulped nervously. They - aside Robin - have known what’s Daimajin like. And if there is anyone have stronger evil energy than Daimajin, it could mean… Apocalypse.

Panic began building inside her. Rogue was about to run toward where the Shadowgate was, but a huge hand caught her and stopped her. "Where do you think you’re going?"

Rogue shrugged Zarkoff’s hand off. "Where else? I’m going there, whether you guys coming or not!"

Then, something that never happened for a very long long time… happened. Out of Rogue’s right wrist protector, Zarkoff’s belt, Rinai’s locket, Andy’s fighting glove, and Frank’s ring, five gems floated in the air. The five gems, elemental gems - fire, air, water, earth, and thunder, glowed brilliantly for a few seconds before suddenly flew up and high, leaving each owner gaping at them.

“Wha . . . What’s going on?" asked Zarkoff.

“Universe . . . universe gem.” whispered Rinai softly, but still drawing their attention.

"What?!" asked the others in unison.

~* Near the Shadowgate . . . *~

Ryu Dragon had felt his uncertainty grew inside him when he saw the Shadowgate forming. This was very much so totally unlike his adventures before. Not even when he went to other realm, he felt like this bad. Thinking back to his adventure with his friends to the other realm brought the thought about his friends. He feared for their safety.

Suddenly, while he was thinking about his friends, a warm feeling grew from his right hand, to be exact, from inside his fighting glove. Then, it came out. The Soul Gem floated out from its container on his right fighting glove. It floated up about half-foot from his hand. His eyes grew wide at this.

Then, from a distance, five colorful dots flew toward him. When they got nearer, he could see what they were, Elemental Gems, those that belonged to his friends. What’s the meaning of this ? He thought.

The Elemental gems flew and orbited around the Soul Gem, like a planet with its moons. The Elemental Gems and the Soul Gem spun round and round, and each time getting faster and faster, until suddenly they merged. When they merged, a white brilliant flash came out.

When the flash was gone, he could see the result, a new gem with six different colors, red, blue, black, white, gray, and yellow. Then, the new gem dropped suddenly on his palm.

”What… What is this ?” Dragon thought as he examined the new gem. There was a new sensation, unlike his Soul Gem. There was this rich power, emitted from this new gem. The feeling was beautiful, yet unexplainable. Then, the memory came to him.

Flashback…

"Universe Gem?" asked Ryu Dragon to the abbot of the Order of Light where he and his friends received the Soul and Elemental Gems. It was also the place where they met Rinai for the first time, and later became teammates, and also the starting place of his journey to another realm to face a Demon Master, Daimajin.

"When this world is in great danger, and the danger is so great it would threatened the whole planet, the Universe Gem will emerge. It is formed from the combination of the Soul Gem and Elemental Gems. The power that you can wield is very great, thus you must be very careful." said the old abbot.

"Have there been a time when the Universe Gem is needed?" asked Ryu Dragon.

"There have been a couple of times throughout the history of mankind." replied the abbot. "The Universe Gem is said to came from the core of this universe, later it broke down into six part as you and your friends have now."

Ryu Dragon stared at the Soul Gem on his palm. "How will I know when the Universe Gem will emerge or needed?"

The old abbot smiled softly. "They will know."

~* End Flashback . . . *~

"So this is the Universe gem." said Dragon to himself. He stared at it intently and tried to explore into it using his unique mind power. As he explored it, he felt its vastness and realized that he would never be able to explore it thoroughly no matter how much time he spent. He returned his mind to the state of consciousness and smiled. "Hmm . . . this is a miracle."

"It would have been nice of you to have done that earlier." Shock Wave said dryly as he carried his brother's body upon his back. "It might have actually helped."

"Well, its not something I can just bring out on my own . . ."

"Those two are holding that army back." Ryu observed, and shook his head. "It must be frightening to face someone in such a state."

"I'll go help them." Ryu Dragon volunteered as he ran off into the direction of the army, gathering power between his hands as he charged in.

"This is our chance, let's go." Guy murmured as he headed off into the direction of the Shadowgate.

~* Fighter's Park *~

"They found some of our traps, but I've found all of their's." Memphis grinned broadly towards a just arriving Locke as he held up a number of devices with wires hanging off of them. The Chinese assassin stopped to examine the equipment in Memphis' hands, and nodded as he went to sit on a bench. "They won't be here for another fifteen minutes, did you get me anything?"

Locke opened the plastic bag at his side and tossed a package in a brown paper bag towards his partner. "Got you a sandwich and drink."

Memphis caught the food easily, and began eating. The two of them had stayed nearby most of the previous night, but Locke told Memphis he had some loose ends to tie up for a while. It had been just killer boredom waiting around for either Locke or Bison's minion, he would have to remind himself to buy himself a Game Boy Advance the next time he'd do something like this.

"How did it go?" Memphis asked through a mouthful of turkey sandwich.

"It went good." Locke replied, pulling out a pair of small round sunglasses.

Memphis had been around Locke long enough now to realize that Locke was more anti-social than usual (if possible), and it was best to leave the man to his thoughts. Time dragged on painfully, and Memphis had finished his meal, tossing it into the nearby trash can. Spring had finally come, and the birds were chirping loudly and there had been a nice breeze in the air.

"The birds stopped chirping." Locke whispered.

"What?"

"And I smell gunpowder, cheap liquor, and sweat." Locke continued.

Memphis was already moving as he pulled out his sword, deflecting the bullets sent his way even as Locke dodged behind his concrete bench, pulling out his customized handgun. Shots rang through the air, and perspiration touched Memphis' forehead as he hid behind the trees and deflected the occassional bullet. He managed to sneak up behind the Shadaloo soldiers shooting at them, and kill off several. Looking into the distance, Memphis' eyes widened when he saw a smoking canister thrown into the opening. The next instant, the can was shot out of the air. But smoke still pervaded the area, and tears began to well in Memphis' eyes before he quickly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

He lashed out recklessly into the smoke, which was immediately countered when his wrist was grabbed and twisted, releasing his grip on his weapon. He thought this was the end until he felt something slip over his face, and he found that he could breathe normally. Memphis blinked and realized that it was Locke that he lashed out at. Locke tossed Memphis his weapon, and motioned Memphis' right. Nodding, the two slowly headed in that direction as they kept a careful eye of their surroundings. The smoke was working to their advantage for now, it was unlikely their enemies would think they could get their hands on two of their gas masks. But they would have to act quickly to take advantage of the situation.

Memphis turned to look at Locke when the other assassin had tapped his shoulder. Locke pointed at the concrete bench next to them, and used sign language to tell Memphis to hold on to it tightly.

"*Why?*" Memphis sign languaged back, but Locke didn't have to use sign language to tell him what he was about to do as a glowing orb of energy swirled into existence between Locke's palms. Memphis grabbed hold of the bench tightly and scrunched himself up against it using it as a shield from Locke.

Memphis peeked around the corner towards his partner as wind gathered around his form and into the swirling orb of energy within his hands. Raising the orb of energy high into the air, Locke screamed was muffled by his gas mask, but Memphis could clearly hear the words, "RAISING STORM!" as a fierce tornado erupted upward with Locke at the very center. Memphis looked away as he held on for dear life as wind tore the surrounding the area and cleared the smoke away within seconds. Memphis pulled off the gas mask and got to his feet with his sword held in front of him. The Shadaloo soldiers had obviously been surprised at the attack as they lay sprawled across the open area.

"There's the smell of an expensive perfume in the air." Locke said, and suddenly a high pitched scream erupted from above.

Memphis raised his weapon quickly to clash against Vega's claws, pushing the spanish ninja back. Vega laughed shrilly as he charged into a forward roll again, Memphis rushed forward and slashed with his katana down upon the rolling Vega, clashing against the claw. The two fought back and forth savagely as they sought an opening from each other, but the ominous sound of a certain customized handgun froze both in their tracks. Memphis had been wondering what had been keeping Locke.

"Enough, we have a job to do." Locke said coldly, pointing the gun directly at Vega's face, standing with one foot atop the proned form of Balrog. "Unless you'd like a job done to your face, Vega."

Vega hissed angrily at Locke's direction, but he lowered his claw.

~* Five Days Ago . . . *~

"Juliana, the chase is over." Darius said to his tormented lover. "You must give up the pendant, its power corrupts."

"Would you give up your mirror?" Acinomia hissed and laughed. "No! You would not! Oh, dear Darius, this pendant is not a tool of evil, it is only a tool. A tool bestowed upon the powerful and worthy. I have used its strength for a long time now, and it has helped me to survive . . . without even you."

"You're wrong!" Darius shouted angrily as he held the mirror before him. "If I were certain that giving up this mirror would return you to me, I would have done it without a second thought! Juliana, you have changed."

"All change as time passes." Acinomia sneered.

"But your change is not the change of time, nor is it the change which comes with life. No, dearest Juliana, your change is from that pendant, and nothing else. It is a change which has corrupted your inner being, a change which saddens me greatly." Darius retorted as he stepped forward with the mirror, his face pleading. "Juliana, help me, come back to me. I cannot force myself to restore you if I do not feel you wish it so. Please, Juliana . . . return to me . . . my final wish is for you . . ."

They stood there, upon the cliff against the beach, where Darius had finally tracked down his fleeing lover. He had gone through many trials, and often despaired that he would ever find her again. Many forces were interested in him after his "birth" into this world, the power which he had displayed was only momentary and borrowed, though.

"Juliana, I will bother you no longer if your eyes tell me not, for you may no longer be the Juliana whom I once loved. But, here, this was to be my gift for you once we were wedded . . ." Darius held out his other hand, revealing a necklace of sparkling diamonds designed in the shape of leaves, which he had found ages ago on a hunt in the woods. His comrades and himself each had a small share of the treasure they had found, this was what he wanted most to be given to his dearest.

"You think such a prize would tempt me?!" Acinomia hissed, holding her brooch close. "I've waited long for you, Darius, I've searched through time for you. I've peered into the souls of countless beings with the help of this brooch, and I finally found you because of this brooch!"

"I'm sorry, Juliana . . . but now is the time to shed ourselves of the past and live on for the future." Darius whispered, seeing a faint light of hope in the distance. "Please . . . this war is over for us."

"Darius . . ." Acinomia whispered, her voice shifting in tone, he thought he recognized the familiar tilt with the way Juliana once spoke. But he no longer chose to live in the past, he still loved her, this woman before him. She had changed, but all things must change with time. " . . . help me . . ."

"Juliana, welcome home . . ." Darius whispered as a blinding flash of white light spilled forward from his mirror.

~* In a Cell, Present Day *~

Meliza woke up with a killer headache, she didn't remember drinking the night before, what happened? Wait a minute, she wasn't having a hangover, she had been kidnapped. She found that she had to rub her eyes with both hands, because they were strapped together with an incredibly strong and durable cloth. She cursed softly under her breath, apparently people had found out about her abilities, that element of surprise had worked to her advantage many times before.

"Me-Meliza?" Ayame's voice whispered softly beside her. "Are you alright?"

"Yea." Meliza said wearily. "I think."

"Where do you think we are?"

"I don't know, Ayame."

"Do you think someone will rescue us?"

"I hope so."

~* Outside Urien's Mansion *~

Setting down his binoculars, Locke made a note of the guard shifts and how long it took for each guard to make their patrol. Jumping down from the tree branch he had been standing on, Locke reported his observations to his co-workers.

"We have a map of where Urien's keeping the Essences." Locke continued. "The best we can ask for right now is for a distraction while a few of us get in to retrieve the Essences." The three of them looked pointedly at Balrog.

Balrog glared at the three of them, "That's fine with me, but I get the soldiers on my side."

"That's fine, the fewer of us to retrieve the Essences, the better." Locke said quickly before Vega could voice an objection.

"I'll take two of the soldiers, then." Vega glared.

"Its so nice to be in agreement, isn't it?" Locke said sweetly, but the smile never touched his eyes beneathe his tinted sunglasses. "We can head out now."

~* In a Cell, Bison's Headquarters *~

"Damn!" Guile cursed, followed by a string of more vulgar words and phrases in a variety of languages. Hey, he's a military guy. When he finally quieted down, he whispered softly, "Damn . . ." Natalie was gone somehow, he knew it in his gut.

Crimson, Volpe, Heagy, Dan, Lilly, and even Miko were quiet as they sat chained in their cells. They had not been in there for too long, but they had heard of Bison's reputation, and it wasn't a very positive one from their point of view.

~* Outside Bison's Headquarters *~

"Think we can do it?" Nisshoku asked Shizukasa.

"Of course we can." Shizukasa grinned at her male counterpart. "Their security is a little light today for some reason, we can do it."

"You two are insane." Claude groaned. "Attacking Bison's base?!"

"What, you're not man enough?!" Shizukesa taunted them, then she turned to Zero1, who was standing quietly off to the side. "And what about you? Some of them are your friends in there! You just going to chicken out on them?!"

Zero1 grunted.

~* Within Urien's Mansion *~

Cutting up the bars which covered the ventilation system wasn't the hard part, especially with Memphis' blade at hand, but neutralizing the security system had required the limit of Locke's patience. Once they were out of the ventilation system, much to the relief of the group, they walked quickly into the direction of the cells where Urien kept his prisoners.

Most of the guards were probably on high alert now, heading out to face the swarm of Shadaloo soldiers appearing at their doorsteps. The group had heard the sounds of gunfire and explosions for a while in the ventilation, but now that they were further inside the mansion, they could no longer hear any sign of such a thing except for the alarms ringing in the air blaring the word, "INTRUDERS!"

Locke was worried, never had he ever played a game where the odds were stacked so highly against him. The best terminology to describe the situation he and Memphis were in was, "Between a rock and a hard place." On one side was, Urien, who kidnapped Meliza and a young woman named Ayame. On the other side was Bison and his minions, whom they held a temporary alliance with. Locke and Memphis would need to find the hammers to break the rock and the hard place if they were to come out of this alive.

Finally, they reached the door to the cells. One of the Shadaloo soldiers was sent forward to have a peek inside while the rest prepared their equipment for the planned escape. Locke still had his customized handgun within his vest pockets, but he also carried a shotgun strapped to his back, a pair of knives within his sleeves, and a piece of wire laced around the cuffs of his sports jacket. Memphis, he knew, was also similarly prepared with a pair of submachine guns in hand. Vega sneered at the use of such weaponry, so Locke swore to not provide cover fire for the spanish ninja should the need arise. Martial arts techniques were useful and everything, but not against an army.

They heard a cry, and the Shadaloo soldiers lurched back into their vision and suddenly riddled with bullets. Locke ducked down and covered his eyes until he saw the man stop flailing about wildly. Grabbing one of his flash grenades, Locke pulled the clip and threw it at an angle before the door closed. There were shouts of surprise and screams on the other side of the door, and Memphis rushed in quickly with his submachine guns at the ready.

"I knew you'd two come." Urien smiled. "But I didn't expect you to come back as Bison's lap dogs again."

"@#%$ happens." Memphis shrugged as he raised a submachine gun pointing at Urien's head.

"Tut tut, I would put that thing down if I were you." Urien tsked. "Someone could get hurt . . ." Two women were suddenly pushed in front of him. "And it certainly won't be me."

Memphis grimaced, but lowered the gun anyhow.

"Now, where's your partner?" Urien asked. "Is he out there, too?"

"Sir, we've got the other one!" one of Urien's guard exclaimed as he pushed Locke into the room.

"Good job." Urien smiled. "I believe-"

But Locke had not bothered to stop himself as he pushed himself past the two women and tackled into Urien, sending the fighter down onto the floor. Locke elbowed Urien's face to knock him out as he spun around to face the room.

"Get down, now!" Locke shouted as he pulled out his handgun and shot the guns out of several guards' hands, Memphis severely injured the rest as he looked in puzzlement at Locke. Grabbing the two women by the arms, Locke pushed the younger one towards Memphis as they moved towards the outer corridor. He shot the remaining Shadaloo soldier before the other could react. Memphis moved first into the corridor, spraying it with bullets from his submachine gun.

"@#%$, he's gone!" Memphis shouted.

"Keep close to us!" Locke whispered.

"The chains." Meliza said distantly, what had just happened in front of her . . . Ayame was already crying and it took an effort from Memphis to keep the girl away from the guards.

"Damn!" he knew this would have happened, but there was no way around it. "Drink this." Locke pulled out a vial of something which seemed to calm the women down enough for them to not be too much of a burden in their escape.

"Why didn't you kill them, Locke?" Memphis whispered as they made their way out of the mansion. "I've seen you shoot . . ."

"No time for that right now, keep moving." Locke said flatly as he held Meliza close.

Memphis grabbed Locke by the arm, stopping him. "I'll have my answer later." Memphis said in a dead quiet voice.

Locke paused to control his anger. "Later, then."

And the four ran off.

~* Within Bison's Headquarters *~

"Everyone, let's get going, its almost time." Shizukesa announced as the door to their cells were flung open and Shadaloo soldiers lay sprawled at her feet.

"Wh-what?" Crimson blinked. "Who are you?"

"Never mind that." Zero1 grunted as he used the key to unlock their shackles. "Don't ask questions, those two are here to save your butts."

Volpe stared at Nisshoku and Shizukesa, and shook his head "Nay, it cannot be . . ."

"No time for poetry, get moving." Zero1 pushed the donut loving warrior towards the exit.

"Its time . . ." Lilly whispered, the ground itself was suddenly shaking.

"Damnit." Zero1 cursed.

~* Near Earth's Shadowgate *~

"*They're back.*" Victoria noted as she stood outside the Shadowgate, watching several of her friends return.

"*And there's my body.*" Shadow Dragon noted.

"*Well, its been nice knowing you.*" Victoria smiled sweetly. "*Now get out.*"

"*Yes, ma'am.*"

~* The Group Near the Shadowgate *~

"You're back." Shock Wave said simply when he felt his brother move.

"Yeah." Shadow Dragon groaned. "What hit me?"

"A lot."

"Thanks, good to know."

"Ryu, aren't we missing someone?" Chun Li called out in worry.

"Iwa . . . and Kumori." Ryu frowned. "Where could they have gone?"

"You should get going . . ." Shadow Dragon murmured.

"Right." Shock Wave nodded.

~* Outside Urien's Headquarters *~

"We have to go." Meliza insisted, the drug had worn off, but she was feeling calmer now.

"Where can you go?!" Memphis scoffed. "There are soldiers all over the place, you'd just get kidnapped again."

"Let them go, we'll keep the soldiers back." Locke replied as he dumped off his spent shotgun, which he had used to cause explosions around Urien's mansion.

"We'll definitely have that talk later." Memphis glared at Locke.

"Of course."

~* Fighter's Peak *~

It had taken them some time for all nine of them to finally gather together, Kumori reflected. Not all of the original nine who had begun this journey were here, having been replaced by others due to circumstance. Her and Iwa had been the first to arrive, the ones who truly knew the story behind their abilities. Victoria arrived soon after, her purpose in this tournament completed, but not her role in the grand scheme of things. Lilly and Crimson arrived a few minutes later, looking weary yet determined. Nisshoku and Shizukesa, two who shared an essence, had arrived with them and appeared to be in better condition. Shock Wave arrived, looking refreshed from the restoration which Natalie had given them. Natalie . . . no, it was best not to dwell on such sad thoughts right now . . . Meliza and Ayame would be the last to arrive, looking quite haggard as the older woman supported the younger. Yet the determination within their eyes matched the others, who had taken their place in a circle around her.

Kumori closed her eyes as a dazzling prismatic light emanated from her form, the symbol of 'Magic' appearing upon her forehead, it remained so even as she scrunched her forehead in concentration. The rest did not sing, but they reacted similarly to Kumori's song, the symbols for the Essence which they bore appearing upon their foreheads. Meliza glowed with the brilliant blue aura of an Essence of Wisdom. Lilly glowed a mysteriously dark aura in representation of the Yin. In contrast, Crimson brimmed with confidence as he emitted a bright white light. Ayame stood with her hands clasped before her as the golden aura of Life blazed freely about her, while Nisshoku and Shizukesa seemed almost one familiar person within a murky crimson aura of Death. Shock Wave stood brimming with power, bathed in a soft silver light. And Victoria, she stood with a series of azure, gold, and crimson lights dancing about her form to represent her Emotions. And her friend, Iwa, emitted a primal green aura of Nature.

Kumori opened her eyes, "Get ready."

~* All Around the Island *~

"An earthquake?!" Memphis exclaimed.

"No, worse." Locke scrambled to grab hold of something.

"Worse?!" Memphis exclaimed as he too held on to something. When he realized what Locke meant, he said, "Oh, @#%$."

"Damn . . . I almost died in there and now this?!" Ryu Dragon exclaimed as the artificial island shook beneathe him. "This shouldn't be happening!"

"He's coming." Jin said.

"But not before his Fortress of War." Astaroth whispered.

"Attention all inhabitants, please evacuate the island immediately, please evacuate the island immediately. This is not a drill!"

"Get moving, old man! Ow! Please don't hurt me!"

"Young whippersnappers . . ." Gen growled as he took his time to evacuate, he had gone through too much to be scared by a little shaking on the ground. Except that this ground SHOULDN'T be shaking, unless an underwater volcano had developed beneathe without anyone knowing about it. He stared at the game he had copied down in case he and Locke should continue their match any time soon. Looking at it, he tried to figure out Locke's next move on the boat. After a moment of silence, Gen folded the paper up and placed it in his pocket.

From the mainland, people stared as the artificial island shook, the news forecast was giving a detailed report on what was happening on the island and the efforts made to save its inhabitants and tourists. And right in front of their eyes, they stared as a strange shape slowly grew from within the center of the island. It had a strange shape . . . almost as if it were a fortress.

~* Upon the Island (Locke & Memphis) *~

Gasping, Memphis clawed the rest of the way out of the rubble he was covered in. Grimacing as he made his way out of his would be grave, Memphis tore his coat off and tossed it to the side. Standing up, Memphis looked about to try and figure out where he was. A sudden explosion to his right informed him that he was not alone as Locke shakingly crawled out of his own would be grave. The man looked like how Memphis felt, with most of his outer clothing partially tattered, and his sunglasses missing, Locke was not a very happy man.

~* Further Along the Coast *~

"His beasts will be unleashed any second now." Astaroth whispered.

"Beasts?" Ryu Dragon blinked. "Like those we fought back there?"

"There are worse things than what we've fought back there." Astaroth said simply.

"I can't think of anything-"

A howl suddenly pierced the quiet air.

"That's one." Jin whispered as he pulled out his weapon and advanced inward into the island, in the direction of the gut wrenching howl.

Astaroth and Ryu Dragon followed without a word.

~* Elswhere . . . *~

"What the hell are these things?!" Volpe screamed when the 'monsters' appeared. Things seemed to have been going downhill for a while now, beginning with the kidnappings, and then Natalie's death. He had tried hard to make sure that no more deaths like Crista's would occur, but he had failed . . .

"Get yourself, together!" Zero1 growled, slapping Volpe on the back, hard. "There are still people on this island who need our help!"

"Thou art correct." Volpe said with intensity as he shook his fist. "Forsooth! The innocents call upon our valiance to drag them forth from this hell-ridden abyss, oh woe it be to these innocents, defenseless against the beasts of hell which lurks upon these lands!"

"Yeah, that's the idea."

"Ewww, those doggies are making a mess!" Miko shreeked indignantly as she charged straight into a pack of the wild beasts, her blades of ki appearing in her hands.

"Let's go, Nis-Nis!" Shizukesa screamed as flames licked at her fingertips, charging into the fray.

As they watched this happen before them, Volpe and Zero1 lost a noticeable amount of color in their faces.

"Volpe . . ."

"Aye?"

"Remind me to clean up my room once this is all over."

"Aye."

~ Upon a peak . . . *~

"There are innocent people down there!" Crimson shouted in horror as he watched those who were unable to escape, scream and flee.

"We have bigger things to worry about!" Shock Wave snapped. "If Naar comes in at full strength, we're goners!"

"At the sacrifice of those people?!" Crimson seethed.

"You have a choice, save them or the world?" Shock Wave retorted.

"We can do both . . ." Kumori murmured.

"What?" Shock Wave and Crimson turned to look at Kumori, eyes closed with her hands before her in prayer.

"The fighters of this group can go down there to fight those monsters." Kumori murmured. "I've taken enough power from you for you to go down there and help those people, the rest can stay to help me. You have to go, too, Iwa."

Iwa looked ready to protest, but something in Kumori's tone stopped her, and she reluctantly nodded.

"Go, now." Kumori commanded.

~* Locke & Memphis *~

"I knew you'd show up sooner or later." Locke murmured.

"Then you know that you're going to die." Bison smiled.

"He betrayed you, didn't he?" Locke chuckled. "Don't you ever read fantasy books? Evil deities can't be trusted."

"I would have taken his power, and the power of the Essences, too!" Bison growled. "Especially if it weren't for your meddling!"

"Thanks, we try." Memphis grinned lazily as his hands gave off a silver glow. "What now, Bison? Going to try and kill us?"

"Not try. Will." Bison laughed as he tore away his mantle, revealing his incredibly buff frame towards the two assassins. "Memphis, you're better in a fight than Locke, but even you cannot match my PSYCHO POWER!" Bison laughed maniacally with his arms crossed over his chest as he floated a foot above the ground. "The two of you are no match for ME!"

"Hey, don't let the suit fool you." Locke whispered as he slipped in a special bullet which he had carved Bison's name upon. He raised the gun, pointing at Bison. "I fight a lot dirtier than either of you."

It had been evident to Memphis that Locke had customized his handgun extensively, especially with its strange design, but he had never thought it would be capable of releasing a streaming burst of golden energy as he saw before him. The light was so bright and large that Memphis had to force himself to look away lest he be blinded. When the dust finally cleared, Bison was still grinning, though his clothes were incredibly singed.

"Interesting." Bison murmured. "I'll make sure you stay alive long enough in the end to tell me how you acquire that weapon."

Locke crushed the gun within his fists as blue wisps of energy curled up from between them. "Bison . . . I will kill you." Locke whispered.

"Sorry, Locke." Memphis snarled. "But I'm killing him."

"It doesn't matter, just as long as he dies."

The two assassins charged in, raining punches and kicks upon Bison's form, which he easily blocked or dodged. Locke gritted his teeth as he spun with a sudden sharp kick to Bison's abdominal, taking a wild guess at where Bison would appear in his frenzied dodging. He connected, sending Bison back several paces, the smile was gone.

"MWEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bison laughed as he teleported about the two.

"That won't work, you big red freak!" Memphis shouted, disappearing in a flash of silver to reappear wherever Bison would reappear. Locke could do nothing at the moment except watch the two fight it out through a series of teleportations.

~* Kumori . . . *~

Though her eyes were closed, Kumori saw everything happening on the island as her friends fought to keep back the minions of Naar and lead the people left behind towards safety. Even now, Kumori could see the choppers flying towards the island to rescue those who had not yet escaped. But what was most prominent in her mind was the growing black hole which connected two worlds. Once he was ready, Naar himself would appear and fight alongside his minions. But he would be incredibly weakened once he appears, because the travel would take much of his powers to do so.

~* Locke & Memphis *~

"Argh!" Memphis grunted as Bison punched him to the floor, the man's stamina was incredible, the constant teleporting did not seem to wear him down. What kind of monster was he? Memphis looked up to see Bison grinning again as he raised his leg, ready to stomp down on Memphis. Yet Bison fell back, his hands going for his neck as a pair of arms encircled his neck.

"I told you I fight dirty." Locke whispered as he pulled the wire tightly around Bison's neck while his arms choked him in support. He knew would have to fight the mad dictator sooner or later, which was why he had gone through such pains to obtain ideal equipment to bring the monster down. Like wire for instance, which was made especially to choke his big neck, while choking with his arms. He had theorized that the choking would distract Bison's mind enough to prevent him from using the psycho power. Grunting, Locke struggled to pull Bison down to his knees in order to gain a better position to swiftly kill the man.

Locke suddenly couldn't feel the ground beneathe his feet anymore, and much to his horror, the wire around Bison's neck snapped. Locke was immediately thrown several feet away, crashing into a stack of wood. It continued like this for some time, Memphis and Locke struggling back and forth against Bison, but the large man's psycho power worked to his advantage as he teleported and stunned the two assassins.

"YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PSYCHO CRUSHER!!!!" Bison laughed loudly as he drove himself deeply into Locke's chest.

Locke couldn't utter a sound as the flaring pain drove him into the floor and onto the ground. The last words he heard before darkness overcame him, were two voices screaming his name. One was Memphis' and the other was . . .

~* Meliza *~

"LOCKE!" Meliza screamed in horror as she watched Bison drive himself into the man's chest, burning him with dark flames. Meliza was not really much of a fighter on calibre with most of the fighters on this island, but she had come down to help lead the people to safety. She had been seeking out a good spot to tell the others telepathically when she witnessed what occured before her eyes.

"Meliza?! RUN!" Memphis shouted in alarm.

"Oh . . . its an Essence . . ." Bison smiled. "It was unnecessary to keep the two of you alive as hostage, I can use her to track down the other essences and extract their powers as well!"

"Damnit." Memphis cursed.

~* Several Years Ago . . . *~

"We'll be safe here, for now." Locke said apathetically to the woman as he closed the door to the warehouse they were in. He pulled out his gun to point at the woman. She, too, also had a gun in her hand. "I should kill you."

"Even after all we've gone through, you'd still try to kill me?" the woman laughed. "I won't go down easily, Locke, you know it."

"You messed up my job, Florence, and you're a danger to my identity." Locke whispered.

"It was my job, too." Florence murmured. "It was supposed to be my last job . . ."

" . . ."

The two sat in the warehouse, listening carefully to the sounds around them, because they dared not to show their faces in the windows to take a peek out at the heavy rain. Such weather was perfect to mask the sounds of killing.

"You never asked me why I would stop being an assassin." Florence whispered. "There are assassins I know out there who would laugh at such a thought. The money is good, and you get to travel all over the world." Florence laughed bitterly. "Why leave such an ideal job?"

"We have every reason to leave it . . ." Locke whispered. "Except for survival."

Florence looked at him. "Did you have a family?"

Locke shook his head, "No, but I had something close to it . . ." he looked at her with puzzlement. "What will you do after you stop being a killer?"

"I want to save those children . . ."

"Children?"

"Children that are trained from birth of taken away from their parents to become assassins." Florence clenched her fists. "I was . . . raised that way, too."

Locke had known this woman for many months now, there were many people after them, and they were frighteningly skilled. Locke would never have thought that the person he had been hired to kill would have such adept trackers at his disposal. Or maybe . . .

"You belong to an organization, don't you?" Locke whispered accusingly.

She looked at him surprise, but did not say anything.

How could he have been so stupid?! Of course their target didn't have that much money to keep the search on this long! An organization with one of its own attempting to leave its ranks on the other hand . . .

"Who are they?" Locke demanded.

"The Black Hearts." she answered reluctantly.

Locke had many things to say about that, and not all of them nice. Of all the groups he would become involved with, he least wanted to meet this organization which trained their assassins from childhood. There were other things the children were taught, things that he did not want to dwell upon. He should leave her . . . they wouldn't bother with a no name assassin like him, he had gone at great pains in his life to shed several different identities and make sure that none of them would be traced to one person, him. Locke strongly suspected that these assassins were also helping those who worked under their target, because those assassins had been lousy at what they did. He should leave her, then they would be off his trail, and allow him time to let things cool down. But . . .

"Maybe we'll leave together . . ." Locke whispered.

Several days had past and it was raining heavily as they hitched a ride on a moving train from west to east. Their relationship had improved, and Locke felt a strange sense of . . . freedom being with her. Florence smiled at him as she squeezed his hand as they looked outside the train door. Perhaps it had been the musty smell of the boxcar, but Locke did not smell any gunpowder in the train. Yet it had been the sound of metal clicking on metal that caused him to turn immediately to see a dark clad man in rags pointing a gun at Florence. Without thinking, Locke used his back to cover Florence.

"No!" Florence screamed as her surprisingly strong body spun herself to take the bullets for him. Locke watched in horror the light within Florence's eyes faded. Without thinking now, his gun was suddenly in his hand and Locke proceeded to shoot everyone inside the caboose. It did not matter if they were innocents who jumped into this boxcar, he killed all of them. The boxcar had been full of assassins waiting for them, and he found the symbol of a black heart tattooed upon their shoulders, just like Florence. Several of them were assassins hired by their target as well.

Dusting the hay off of himself, Locke lifted Florence's lifeless body off the floor away from all the blood. He had made sure none of the blood touched her. The boxcar was filled with hay, which would make Locke's job easier as he lighted a fire in the hay after covering the bodies with them. He watched the flames a while longer, admiring its deadly beauty as it grew quickly to engulf the boxcar. Pulling out a grenade he kept on him, Locke pulled and tossed it in as he leapt out of the train with Florence's body carried gently in his arms. The heavy rain and tall fields of grass would hide them, and it would take them some time before they could come up with a reasonable search party. But by then, Locke and his tracks would have disappeared.

He had given her a proper funeral. No questions were asked when money exchanged hands, and Locke made sure that everything went according to their agreement as the ashes of her body was place in an urn. With those ashes, he spread them across a beautiful field of flowers he had promised to take her to. Those sad days were short lived when he finally re-immersed himself into the world of assassins, hunting down his target and the killers who were involved in the hunt. They may suspect him, but Locke had made sure that they would not be able to track down his true identity. He killed the client who had hired him and those who knew of the job. His hands were always stained with blood until he killed everyone involved. He doubted he could ever wash it all away.

"~You can try . . .~" a voice whispered hauntingly into his mind. It was her voice . . . Florence. "~Wake up, Locke, people need you . . .~"

At a distance, Rose smiled when Locke's eyes opened.

~* Present Day *~

"HAHAHAHAHA, this is TOO easy . . ." Bison laughed as he floated towards Meliza.

"Bison, don't you DARE touch her!" Memphis yelled in fury as his hand connected against Bison's face. It connected, the fury coupled with Memphis' power sent the mad dictator back even as a silver aura emanated from Memphis.

"You want to die? I'll oblige that, PSYCHO CRUSHER!" Bison roared.

"Don't you feel kind of silly calling out your move names like that?" Locke growled as he held Bison back, letting off a blue aura. His hands grabbed Bison's and slammed him to the ground.

"You're alive?!" Memphis exclaimed.

"Not my time to die yet." Locke replied as he tore away his burnt shirt and jacket, he felt at his chest where Bison had driven the psycho crusher into. He stared when he found no large burn marks on his chest.

"I wouldn't be admiring my own chest with a mad dictator within a few feet away from me, Locke." Memphis said dryly. "And people say I'm vain."

"Thank you, Ayame." Meliza breathed easier.

"No problem, Meliza." Ayame said weakly as she leaned against Meliza. "Glad I could help . . ." Ayame fell unconcious in Meliza's arms. Meliza had immediately called for Ayame's help when she saw Locke fall, healing him must have taken much of her strength. She quietly handed her to Crimson, who had been the reason how Ayame had gotten their so quick.

"This is their fight." Crimson murmured. "Let's go help the others."

"Alright . . ." Meliza nodded as she left with him and Ayame.

"Let's finish this, Locke." Memphis said, his face set with determination and a seriousness he had rarely ever felt.

Locke nodded.

The two rushed in with renewed vigor as Locke and Memphis worked in unison to prevent Bison from escaping their attacks. Should he escape one, he would find another crashing into him. Seeing a point blank opening, Locke gathered his power within both hands as he would with the Raising Storm, and unleashed it in front of him into Bison.

"Aaaarggh!" Bison howled, gritting his teeth as he used his psycho power to fight back. "Do you think such puny power can defeat me?!"

"How about this?!" Memphis shouted as he added his power with Locke's, reinforcing the blue burst of energy with silver.

Bison howled as he was driven back to the ground, but before Locke or Memphis could inflict the finishing move, the ground started to shake again.

"Not again!" Memphis shouted as he fell to the floor.

Locke and Memphis watched in frustration as Bison fell off with the ledge he had been on.

"Maybe he died from the fall!" Memphis shouted as he held onto the ground for dear life. He didn't sound like he believed himself.

"Now, its up to them." Locke whispered, looking towards the fortress.

~* Final Battle *~

"Everyone's on safe ground." Meliza reported through Crimson. "They'll be alright, even if its still shaking."

"Alright . . ." Kumori nodded, though she did not bother to remind Crimson that she was seeing everything already, she could tell that they were all nervous. There was a sudden change in the feel of the air that almost caused Kumori to lose her concentration.

"Damn!" Crimson grimaced as he held his stomach. "What was that?"

"He's here." Kumori opened her eyes now as the Shadowgate widened and the beasts howled to herald the arrival of their great lord, Naar.

Naar was clad all in armor, even his face was covered completely in black armor except for the slit of his eyes, which emitted an angry red glow. With him were a legion of personal guards dressed similarly to him, but not completely and without the crimson eyes.

"I'll take him on!" Rage snarled through Victoria as she leapt to the air, daggers unsheathed flying towards the Shadowgate. Yet Victoria was knocked when several of Naar's guards lept to guard their great lord. Crimson lept up to catch her before she touched the ground.

"We have to attack together, before he gets too much power!" Kumori said sharply. "And this time, with everything we have!" The prismatic aura which had earlier surrounded Kumori suddenly flared out and surrounded each of the Essences. Kumori held up a staff with a large crystal in it, dressed in a prismatic robe as she held the staff up pointing towards Naar. The others were given changes of their own.

Iwa, her best friend, had become savage and her aura had taken on the form of a wild beast, claws of energy moved as her fingers moved as she stared hungrily towards Naar. Victoria appeared to be three people yet only one person as he every movement seemed to be repeated three times, her powers were also augmented three times beyond their normal capacity. Ayame was dressed in a white robe laced in gold as she too, held up a staff. Immediately after her transformation, Ayame had setted up a barrier between them and Naar, preventing Naar's attacks from causing harm. Meliza's body had been transformed into kinetic energy, even as she reached out with her hand in a grabbing motion, a piece of boulder from a distance was also raised up. When Meliza made the motion of crushing it, it shattered.

Nis-Nis and Zuke were almost one familiar person now as flames licked across their almost single form and a long sickle forged from flames appeared. Shock Wave held a sword made of pure light now, its power emanating strongly from what he already had. Lilly and Crimson were a sharp contrast to each other: Lilly's form had become dark and shadowy, while Crimson's body become a bright white light of energy which one could not look too long at.

"Now, Naar, feel the power of human determination!" Kumori shouted as she letted loose a blast of magic, incinerating several of Naar's minions. Crimson, Iwa, Nis-Nis, Zuke, and Shock Wave were already moving forward as they blazed through Naar's minions into Naar himself. With their psychic abilities, Meliza and Victoria raised boulders and shot bursts of kinetic energy into their enemy. Lilly moved in front of Ayame to protect the young woman by absorbing or deflecting whatever could penetrate the barrier.

"Foolish insects!" Naar snarled. "Your powers are nothing in comparison to my own!" With a single flick of his wrists, Naar sent them all sprawling back. His minions were lost now, they had destroyed them all off. Now it was only Naar, who flung them back and drove the very earth into them.

Kumori clenched her eyes shut as she was sent sprawling backwards. The dark god had attained much power quickly, Kumori could almost feel her hope slipping away. She dashed away such negative thoughts as she stood up and blasted a torrent of flames in his direction. Everywhere everyone tried to do their share in defeating Naar, but he had erected what seemed to be an impenetrable barrier.

Maybe they could do it if she . . .

"Don't." a voice whispered into her thoughts. "There's one spell you can do to stop him, remember he's not from this world . . . and this world still isn't taken by him yet. There has to be a source . . ."

"You always come at the last minute, don't you?" Kumori replied wryly.

"It just makes me look cooler that way." TS replied. "Now start chanting some gibberish so baseball season can start."

Kumori proceeded to chant a long song as her friends gathered around to protect her or distract Naar away from her.

~"Liberi Fatali" (Fated Children) by Nobuo Uematsu (FFVIII)~

[Drumbeats "Fithos… Fithos…"]

*[Drumbeats "The succession… The succesion…"]*

However, one by one, her friends were taken down. Crimson and Shock Wave were the first to go down as they had been at the head of the charge. Iwa and the singular form of Nisshoku and Shizukesa went down soon after, it also made Kumori's lose her concentrating watching her friend go down. But Kumori continued steadily forward, as she chanted in a language unknown to this generation.

["Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec! Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec! Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec!"]

*["The Succession of Witches! The Succession of Witches! The Succession of Witches!"]*

The time had come, Ayame's barrier was weakening from Naar's onslaught. Right before Ayame's barrier could be broken down however, Kumori had released her spell directly at the dark god. The prismatic blast engulfed the surprised deity, but that reaction of surprise had transformed into horror when the dark god realized that much of his power could no longer be used, because this world now denied him of that ability. Kumori smiled as the deity slowly made his way down with the last traces of his magic, forced to fight without powers now.

[Excitate vos e somno, liberi mei. Cunae non sunt. Excitate vos e somno, liberi fatali. Somnus non eat.]

*[Arise from your sleep, my children. Your cradles shall no longer exist. Arise from your sleep, Children of Fate. Abandon your cradles.]*

Victoria was the first to attack, every blow she landed on the dark deity was multiplied by three in succession. Meliza followed quickly as she paralyzed the dark deity in place while Victoria did so. They were winning!

["Surgite! Inventite hortum veritatis."]

*["Arise! Discover the Garden of Truth."]*

Naar howled, and his minions howled as he suddenly broke free of Meliza's power. With horror, Kumori realized that now he was drawing power from his minions, sucking them of their freely given life force. Naar was regaining his strength.

["Ardente veritate. Urite mala mundi. Ardente veritate. Incendite tenebras mundi."]

*["Brilliant truth. Burn the evil of the world. Burning truth. Set ablaze the realms of darkness."]*

But Kumori would not allow it, gathering the power of the land about her, she sent a blast of power at him, sending him spiralling back into the Shadowgate along with his minions. The explosion was prismatic and filled the vision of everyone upon the island as they witnessed the turning back of the dark deity. To ensure that the deity would never make this way to their world this way again, Kumori crumbled that gateway before blacking out.

["Valete, liberi, Diebus fatalibus."]

*["Prevail, children, Fated day."]*

When Kumori had finally regained conciousness, she heard the loud sounds of choppers in the air. Looking up into the air, she recognized the insignia of the United Nations across them, she smiled. It was finally over, no one would truly know what they had done her this day, but it was good enough to know that they still had a world to live upon.

~The End . . .~