Ruki Mood in Masked Mood Madness

by shadowlugia249

After 1.5 years, it's done! The second in the Ruki Mood Trilogy and based on the game: Zelda: Majora's Mask. Ruki travels to the parallel world of Termina to find his friend, Ristar. But something sinister and evil looms overhead, changing Ruki's plans...

Ruki Mood in Masked Mood Madness

Chapter 1: Ambush

"Arupnyn! I'll get you for destroying my friend!"

"You'll be joining him soon! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Ruki Mood woke with a start, panting.

Over and over these words had haunted this single Mood's mind. His arch-rival, Arupnyn, had killed his best friend, a unique being named Ristar Starton, in cold blood during their final showdown over two years ago. Since then he hadn't had a single good night's sleep. He had the feeling that it meant something, he just didn't know what.

Ruki got up and went to his bag. He rummaged through it and pulled out a fragment of yellow gemstone. He had received it via Babus Swain, a Pure One who guarded the Triangle of Fate. He had delivered it in an envelope signed: "From Starman". It was a fragment of Ristar's Star Rod that he had had with him when Ruki saw him last. That was enough to convince him that Ristar was alive and he had set out at once to find him.

Ruki looked around. It was early in the morning of his seventh day since he had set out from Mood City in his search for Ristar. He was currently looking through the Mood Forest for any trace of him. So far he had found nothing. He made a light breakfast of ham and provolone cheese on rye.

As he was eating, he did not see two shadowy figures sneak up behind him and knock him out with a sleeper lock to his neck. The two figures exchanged high-fives and backed off.

One of the figures had purple and white fur and was clearly female. She stood on two legs and looked slightly like the Pure One, Klonoa. She had two wing-like ears and purple claws.

The other one was male and had aqua-blue fur with a white chest. He also looked like Klonoa. He had long drooping ears with a white underside and pale-white palms. Around his neck was a large ring with long trailing ribbons. His eyes were a blood-red color with small black pupils.

Between the two characters materialized a figure on a black horse. This figure was also female. She wore a large queen's crown with purple satin and diamonds on it. Around her neck was a blood-red cloak with a Golden Power symbol burned on it. She wore very expensive shoes and many old-fashioned rings. This Mood's name was Aruonetwo.

Aruonetwo dismounted and walked over to the unconscious Ruki and flipped him over.

"Good work, you two," she said in an unusually deep voice. "Let's see if he's got it."

She looked in his bag and pulled out the Millennium Sword. She turned away and laughed out loud.

"I got it!" laughed Aruonetwo, tucking it in her belt. She laughed for the heck of it.

Ruki woke up and saw that he was being robbed! He got up and stared at the thief.

"Mistress Aruonetwo!" called the female of the pair. "He's up!"

Aruonetwo turned around, gasped and tried to hide the sword behind her back.

Without warning, Ruki pounced. But the thief was too quick for him. She leapt up and landed on the horse's back. Before she rode off, Ruki managed to grab her leg and was dragged along for the ride. The two figures jumped on similar horses and rode after them.

Chapter 2: Mutation

Ten minutes later, Ruki finally let go of Aruonetwo's leg and slid to a stop facedown in the dirt. The thief rode off laughing as she and her cohorts disappeared into a thick fog.

Picking himself up, Ruki gave chase. He noticed he was running through a dense, dark forest laced with fog. He had no idea where he was going. After running for some time, Ruki slowed down to catch his breath. He was lost in this forest, alone and swordless.

Just then he saw a light at the edge of the thick brush of trees. He ran towards it with hope in his eyes. He stepped through the trees and fell off the edge of the earth! He was falling through many colored lights as he plummeted into nothingness. He seemed to fall forever through the black emptiness.

Without warning, Ruki landed with a splash in a pool of water. Gasping for breath, he treaded water and looked around in the dimly-lit room he was in. A light flashed and Ruki saw Aruonetwo standing in a spotlight flanked by the two figures that jumped him.

Aruonetwo growled at Ruki. "What's with that sword of yours?!" she said loudly. "That (explicit) blade of yours burned my beautiful skin!" She held up her right hand to reveal a burn shaped like the hilt of Ruki's Millennium Sword.

Ruki yelled at her, "Serves you right!"

"Humph!" snorted Aruonetwo. "Annoying brat! It was a piece of scrap, so I got rid of it for you." Ruki looked shocked.

Aruonetwo chuckled. "Aww, boo hoo. Why the sad face? I thought I did you a favor." She sighed and pulled a bottle of purple liquid. "Well, I've got time, so let's see how you deal with this." She pulled the cork off of the bottle and threw it in the pool.

The purple liquid began spreading through the pool at an alarming rate. Ruki tried to swim away but it swallowed him instantly. It swallowed him like a vacuum and began covering his body. He tried screaming but the purple gunk slid down his windpipe and he gagged on it.

His body stretched and squashed into a form that was not his. He could feel body parts growing in places a regular Mood did not have. He also felt strangely warm for a second. Then it all stopped.

Ruki groaned and climbed out of the pool. He crawled across the floor to Aruonetwo. She laughed at him as she held up a mirror. "You look as good as you ever were."

Ruki gasped in horror. He was looking into the face of a Lupe, a cross between a Moodog and a Trickyfox. He had a mat of ruby-red hair atop his head. His ears were atop his furry head. His eyes were still the clear-blue they always were.

Aruonetwo laughed and kicked Ruki in the face, sending him sprawling. "I'll see you in Clock Town!" she said turning around and striding through a wooden door behind him.

Sporting a bloody nose, Ruki got up and ran after her. One of the figures ran to block him from going any further. The other called out to him as the door slammed shut, "King!"

The aqua-blue male figure called after his partner, "Eerin!" He ran to the door and pounded on it. He tried to lift the door open, but it would only rise a few inches. He gave up with a groan.

"Hey, fur face!" King called to the transformed Ruki. "Get over here and help me!"

Ruki looked at himself. He had a lanky body covered in golden-brown fur. He also had a furry brown tail with a cream-colored tip. He was also wearing a brown tunic and matching shorts.

Realizing he could do nothing about it now, Ruki went over to the door and grabbed the bottom.

"On three," said Ruki.

"Whatever," complained King. "One..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

With a huge heave, the duo lifted the door high enough to get it to lock in place long enough for them to crawl through it before it slammed shut behind them. Ruki's jaw dropped wide open.

Chapter 3: Babus Swain Returns

Ruki and King were standing in a hallway lined with torches. As they walked ahead, a strange spinning sensation filled their heads. When they reached the end, the spinning stopped and heavy stone doors closed behind them.

King turned to face Ruki, "Listen, wolf boy," he said, poking him in the chest. "I'm only following you until we find my sister. After that, we're through."

"Fine, fine," said Ruki in a more mature tone of voice that he realized had come with this new form.

They were inside a tower of some sort. There were wooden gears and cogs turning with a low grinding noise. They walked up a ramp to a set of wooden doors. They were about to go through when a voice called out from behind them.

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

Ruki looked around and saw an old friend in front of him. It was one of Mood Star's Pure Ones: Babus Swain, the Sage of Fate. The sight of the Pure One made King hide behind Ruki.

It had been a while since Ruki had seen Babus. He still wore a heavy robe which covered his squat figure. Behind ever-drooping lids were sparkling blue eyes. His dragging tail sported the same orange fur as it always did. His drooping ears still had its single golden earring. He also carried the same mace with its spiked head. But Babus was now carrying a large travel-worn pack that seemed to have several masks bursting out of it.

"I've been following you for some time," said Babus in his usual calm voice. "And I think I have the solution to your problem. You see, I have been collecting masks from all over the world." He pointed to his bulging pack. "And I seem to have gotten a very important mask stolen from me." He rubbed his chin. "If you can get it back, I'd be most grateful."

"Who took it?" said King, stepping out from behind Ruki.

"I believe it was that female thief, Aruonetwo. If you find her, you'll probably find it."

"How am I going to deal with her, though," complained Ruki. "She has my sword!"

"I see," said Babus, rubbing his chin. "Well in that case I'll make you a deal. If you can get your sword back, I'll return you to your former self."

King tugged at his neck ring, nervously. Babus overlooked it.

"In return," continued the Pure One. "All I ask is that you get my mask back."

Ruki's face brightened.

"Good. It's settled then. I will wait here for you."

Ruki and King looked at each other, turned to face the wooden doors before them and pushed them open.

Chapter 4: Welcome to Clock Town

Dawn of the First Day: 0600, 72 hours remain

Ruki and King stepped out into what appeared to be a busy, active town. They could see people going about their daily routine. There were Carpenter Moods working on a party tower. The sound of hammers and drills filled the air. Near them, a small boy was mailing a letter in a nearby mailbox.

"I don't think I recognize this place," said Ruki, looking around.

"Of course you don't," said King, sighing. "Termina is parallel to Mood Star, not identical."

Regardless, Ruki wandered around town, checking out the sites. Once, a dog chased after him because of his new form.

"HEEEEELLLLLP!" cried Ruki, running into the nearest building and slamming the door shut, panting. The dog was growling and barking behind the door.

"Hey, Missy!" called someone. "Get over here!" The dog gave a yap at Ruki and scampered off.

Ruki listened for a second then turned to look where he had entered. He was in a small room with an old monk sitting in front of a large door. He was deep in meditation. Ruki, on a whim, walked over to the monk. He looked like the Mood on that pet detective movie, Jim Carreymood. Ruki waved his hand in front of the cross-eyed Mood. No response, until...

"BLAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"

Ruki nearly jumped out of his fur as he fell backwards. The monk had screamed in his face and caught Ruki completely off guard.

"I so sorry," said the monk simply, bowing his head.

"Yeah...well, no harm done," said Ruki, not one to hold a grudge.

"You seem like neat freak," said the monk, eyeing Ruki. "Want me teach how use sword?"

Ruki didn't have a sword, obviously, and he told the monk this.

"No worries, O changed one. I have spare toys for you."

Ruki accepted the offer. The monk got up and stood to one side of the door. The door opened of its own accord. Ruki walked into it as it shut behind him.

Day 1: 0835, 69 hours remain

Ruki was on a small arena hovering in the middle of nowhere. In the middle of the ring was a large clear capsule that had a kind of electric fog in it.

"OK, young weirdo," came the monk's voice. "You find sword in front of you. If you defeat all bad guys, I give you big prize."

Ruki picked up the heavy steel sword on the ground in front of him and assumed a fighter's stance.

"Go-go Happy Battle!" yelled the monk.

Ruki had no idea what was about to come out of that capsule. When it opened, letting the fog out, Ruki saw a life-sized, withered, decaying, severed hand crawl out of it. It walked on all five fingers as it sidled over to him. Just then, it glowed a creepy green color and lunged at Ruki. He tried to stab it, but his blade bounce off as it slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

He got up just as the hand shot at him again. He parried the attack and tried again to slash the hand. For some reason, its green shield refused to let him near it. When the hand stopped, it dropped its shield and turned around. Realizing his opening, Ruki once more slashed at the hand. It writhed in pain and collapsed.

Instead of stopping, there was a ripping noise and the large hand split into three smaller, faster hands. Shocked, Ruki ran to the hands and stabbed at two of them. But before he could get to the third one, it had jumped and grabbed him around the throat and started choking him. He tried to pry it off of him but it held on, squeezing life from him.

Just when he was about to pass out, Ruki held the steel sword to his neck and sliced the hand across the back. It let go and fell writhing to the floor. Ruki fell to one knee, gasping for air. He curled his tail around his front and pulled at it trying to clear his head. Just then, the monk's voice sounded out.

"Oh-ho! Much happy now! Come through door to get big prize!"

Day 1: 1400, 64 hours remain

Ruki stepped back into the monk's room to find that he was not there. Looking around, Ruki found an envelope with a happy face on it. He opened it and found two silver tickets inside.

March of the Masks

ADMIT ONE

Midnight, 3 Days from today

Pocketing them, Ruki left the room to go find King.

Chapter 5: The Carnival of Time

Night of the First Day: 1800, 60 hours remain

Ruki found King in East Clock Town's Stock Pot Inn. King had apparently been mistaken for another person and the innkeeper had given him a room key. Now they sat at a table eating some roast chicken with cherry pie for dessert. Ruki's new form had given him a rather strong lust for meat. King mentioned this as he wiped his face after finishing his pie. Ruki had just ignored the pie and ate the rest of the chicken down to the bone.

Ruki had shown the March of the Masks tickets to King, who was very excited to hear that it was that time of year again.

"The Carnival of Time is the biggest event in Terra history," explained King, leaning back in his chair. "It only lasts for a day, but what a day it is! The four tribes of Termina gather to pay respect to the four Sacred Ones."

"Sacred Ones? Like the Pure Ones in Mood Star?" questioned Ruki, picking his teeth, having stripped the chicken bare.

"Yeah," said King, sitting up. "There's games and food. Oh, and the March of the Masks is at sunset."

Before Ruki could ask, King added, "Everyone puts on a mask of their favorite race and gather around a colored bonfire in any of the four areas of Termina Field. There's games, dancing, food, drink and so on. It's a blast! The whole thing lasts until midnight when it's said that the gate between Mood Star and Termina opens."

Ruki yawned as he processed this. He made a note of the time that he would be able to return to Mood Star. He would have to retrieve his Millennium Sword from Aruonetwo by then. After a while, he asked, "I'm sure it'll be fun, but I think we'd better hit the hay."

They went up to their room, settled into bed and soon fell asleep.

Afternoon of the Second Day: 1300, 41 hours remain

Ruki woke up late and decided to go out and explore more of Clock Town today. It was a rainy day and he spent most of the day exploring some of Clock Town's shops. He visited East Clock Town's Treasure Chest Shop, Shooting Gallery and even the Milk Bar. He didn't hang around any of these places long due to lack of funds.

Shielding himself from the rain, Ruki returned to the Stock Pot Inn without any souvenirs.

Night of Day 2: 2000, 34 hours remain

Ruki sat in bed after having a large supper of Roast Shydeer. King wasn't back yet.

He had just fall asleep when King burst into the room. Ruki noticed that he was limping and was sporting a broken arm.

"What happened?" said Ruki, sitting up.

"I ran into Aruonetwo and Eerin at the Curiosity Shop. They were trying to sell your Millennium Sword."

"What?!" Ruki was outraged.

"I tried to get it back, but Aruonetwo threw a large crate at me somehow." King groaned as he sat down. "It was weird, but she was wearing some sort of mask. I could tell that pure evil was radiating from that mask."

Ruki thought about what Babus said earlier.

"You don't think that's the mask that Babus wanted us to find, do you?"

"Probably," considered King. "It looked like an important mask. Anyway, it doesn't matter now. Aruonetwo and Eerin fled to the clock tower roof."

"But I thought that you could only get up there on the eve of the Carnival of Time." said Ruki, brushing his hair out of his face.

"I thought that too, but somehow she got up there."

Ruki pondered over this as he drifted slowly to sleep.

Morning of the Final Day: 1100, 19 hours remain

Ruki woke up late to find King having breakfast at the table. As he went down to the kitchen to get something to eat he felt the ground rumble beneath him. Thinking it was the early-morning traffic, Ruki ignored it. He picked up a plate and piled on sausage, ham and bacon and ate like he hadn't eaten in days.

He then went to the bathroom, got undressed and turned on the shower. He smelled his fur and realized how bad Lupes stank after three days. He had to shampoo twice before he considered himself clean. While he was in the shower, Ruki felt the same rumbling from the ground again. Feeling slightly uneasy, he finished up and got redressed with the already washed shirt and cape. He was just getting his boots on when he heard someone knocking on the bathroom door.

"Ruki? Are you in there?" It was King.

"Just a minute!" called Ruki, trying to comb his tangled fur.

"No, you need to see this now. Hurry!"

Giving up on his hair, Ruki came out of the bathroom and followed King out into the street. He was pointing up into the sky. Ruki felt his jaw fall open. For a split-second he was wondering why his eyes didn't bug out. Then he realized he couldn't do that in this form.

Up in the sky, about a quarter-mile from the top of the clock tower was a gigantic moon that was apparently on a collision course with Clock Town. This explained why Ruki had noticed a decrease in the population of Clock Town over the past couple days. Ruki also noticed that the moon had a large freakish face on it complete with eyes, nose and toothy grimace. Ruki now realized what was causing those rumblings. The moon was in its final stage of its collision.

"Now what?" King was looking at Ruki in desperation.

"I suggest we get out of town," said Ruki.

"Won't do any good. The guards won't let anyone without a citizen's pass."

"Damn!" cursed Ruki, flicking his tail angrily.

"I suggest we go back to the inn for now," sighed King, tugging on his right ear.

Chapter 6: Showdown with Aruonetwo

Night of the Final Day: 0600, 12 Hours Remain

Ruki was at the end of his rope. From what he could tell, the moon was going to crash at sunrise, he was locked inside a doomed town and he still didn't know how to get to Aruonetwo and his Millennium Sword. Babus could only help him if he got his sword back, so he was at a loss. He decided that the only way to get to the top of the clock tower was to wait until midnight so he could take the elevator to the top.

King was dressing up for the Carnival of Time. He had decided to wear a baggy kimono and had tied his ears together. When Ruki questioned him he said simply, "I want to look good for the end of the world."

Final Day: 2330, 6 hours remain

Ruki and King sat at the base of the clock tower waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Every so often the ground would shake more violently as the moon crept ever closer to the tower. The Mood knew that he would only get one shot at getting his sword back once he got up there. From what he knew, the elevator only worked once at midnight on the eve of the carnival and at the end of the March of the Masks. He was going to make Aruonetwo pay for stealing from him.

Final Day: 2359, 6 hours remain

3...2...1... BONG! BONG! BONG!

Fireworks shot into the empty Clock Town as the clock tower struck midnight. The face of the clock rose on the tower and tipped over so that it was flat on top of the tower facing the sky. The iron door slid open and an elevator clattered into view. It was now or never. Ruki and King got on and pressed the up button. The door slammed shut and the lift rose upwards to their showdown with Aruonetwo.

Final Day: 0030, 5:29:41 Remain

Ruki and King burst onto the roof as the doors slid shut. Overhead, the moon was as close as it could get without crashing. Aruonetwo was hovering in the air out of reach of them, her face hidden behind a heart-shaped mask with glowing eyes and spikes lining the rim. She was flipping Ruki's Millennium Sword in one hand like an oversized knife and catching it by the tip of the blade. Ruki was pleased to see that she was wearing a glove on that hand. Obviously, she had remembered that the sword burned her anytime she touched it.

"KIIIIIINNNG!!!" called a voice from the other side of the roof. Eerin, King's sister, was hovering over Aruonetwo in a pink crystal prison.

"Eerin!" said King, staring up at her in horror. "What happened?!"

She started to explain but Aruonetwo stopped her before she could say a word.

"Oh, no you don't!" shouted Aruonetwo, throwing a ball of violet energy at the crystal. Eerin screamed as she hovered above them, defenseless.

"EERIN!!!" shouted King, looking daggers at the thief. Eerin was unconscious but still breathing. He pointed at shouted at Aruonetwo, overcome with rage.

"How could you do this and still have my sympathy?!" he howled between tears. "You've gone too far this time!"

The thief scoffed from behind her mask and continued flipping Ruki's sword.

"Yeah, whatever," she said flatly. "I was rather fond of you two. I was planning on paying you tomorrow. Too bad it won't do you any good."

Without as much as a glance at Ruki, who had run ahead to aid King, she looked upwards at the moon.

"Beautiful, ain't it?" she said plainly. "If you think that it can be stopped, just try and stop it." She raised her arms and let out a blood-curdling shriek. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

A beam of violet light shot from Aruonetwo straight up and into the moon. The ground shook violently as the moon came within yards of the tower.

Ruki had had enough. He was going to settle this once and for all. After checking to make sure that King and Eerin were okay, he looked around for something to chuck at Aruonetwo. He spotted several clay pots and, picking one up, threw it at the thief.

SMASH!

The pot collided with Aruonetwo causing her to tumble out of the air and land on the clock tower floor. Seizing the opportunity, Ruki ran forward and grabbed the Millennium Sword. As his hands closed around it, the whole world went white and all noise subsided. Ruki was standing in the middle of a white void. Just then he heard a strange yet familiar voice coming from somewhere.

"We meet again, Ruki Mood."

The Mood was getting tired of these games.

"Moodhai!" he cursed, spinning around and looking for a non-existent foe. "Why don't you show yourself?!"

"I told you that we would meet before the end, young prince," said the voice calmly. "My name is Hyozanryu. Unfortunately, I have some grave news."

"And that would be­…?" said Ruki slowly.
"Arupnyn is trying to destroy Termina."

All the color vanished from Ruki's face. It couldn't be. Surely he was joking. He had watched Arupnyn sink into that silo and fail to surface. There was no way that he could have survived!

"Th-that's not possible!" stammered Ruki. "I don't believe you!"

"Believe it or not," said Hyozanryu. "Arupnyn has returned."

Ruki still didn't buy it. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Nevertheless, you have more pressing matters to attend to. Termina is in peril. Aruonetwo has acquired dangerous powers and is about to destroy an innocent world."

"You think?!" blurted Ruki.

"If you stand any chance of returning home," continued Hyozanryu. "You need to fix all of Aruonetwo's evil deeds. You need to awaken all of the Sacred Ones of Termina."

"And how would I do that?" enunciated Ruki.

"By using this."

A gold pendant on a chain appeared in front of the Mood. As he reached out to take it, he noticed that in the middle of the pendant there was a tiny crystal hourglass embedded in it. Closer inspection revealed that the pendant spun on axles on each side.

"Ruki," came the god's voice. "This is a Time-Turner. Simply spin it three times and time will be on your side. If you ever need more time, I will assist you." Everything began coming back into focus.

"Wait!" called a clueless Ruki. "What do you mean?!" Too late. He was once again standing on the clock tower roof. King appeared to be shaking him and yelling at him.

"…out of it! Hey!" he was screaming. "Snap out of it! What a great time to have flashbacks!"

Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Ruki looked around. Aruonetwo and Eerin had disappeared and the moon was only 100 feet above them.

"About time!" said King in a mood. "We couldn't stop the moon. Now we're all going to die! Oh, Hyozanryu, we've failed!"

Hyozanryu! Ruki remembered the Time-Turner that hung around his neck. Grabbing King's arm he twisted the hourglass once… twice… thrice! Instantly both Ruki and King were swept off their feet in a whirlwind of light and sound. Flashes of past events flashed before their eyes. Ruki was falling through a black void; he could see his transfigured self in the pool; Aruonetwo's burnt hand looked scarred after touching the Millennium Sword; Babus' kind face. Then everything went white.

Chapter 7: Majora's Mask

Dawn of the First Day: 0600, 72 hours remain

Ruki was stirring. He felt as though he had scaled Mt. Nibel and back. Slowly, everything began to come into focus. Getting up, he looked around. Something odd had happened. He was back in front of the clock tower. People were going about their daily routine as though life was normal. A kid was mailing a letter in a nearby mailbox; the Carpenter Moods were busy constructing the party tower. What the heck was going on?!

"Everything has…" said Ruki slowly. No. It couldn't be!

He ran forward and looked above the clock tower. The moon was still there, but it was much higher in the sky than before. Ruki pinched himself to make sure this was real. It hurt a lot.

"…started over," he finished. "Then that means…"

He instinctively reached for his waist and received a shock. His Millennium Sword was in its sheath! But what happened to King? Ruki looked around and saw him lying in front of the clock tower doors, unconscious, but alive and breathing.

Just then something clicked in the small Mood's mind. They had just traveled through time! Everything had reset itself except for Ruki, King and whatever they were carrying. Then that means that Babus hasn't left yet! Ruki went over to King and shook him awake. He muttered something about "finishing the job" and opened his eyes.

"Hi, Ruki," he said, sadly. "Are we dead yet?"

"Not yet," said Ruki as he started to explain what had happened.

When he had finished, King said, "But what about Eerin? Does that mean she's still with Aruonetwo?"

"I guess so." Ruki didn't want to hurt his feelings.

King sighed and got up. "That's good." Spotting the Millennium Sword around Ruki's waist, he added, "Hey didn't that Pure One say that if you found your sword that he'd be able to help you?"

"Yeah, he did," said Ruki, remembering Babus' promise. "Let's go see him!"

They turned around and pushed open the door of the clock tower.

Sure enough, Babus was waiting for them as if they had just left.

"Back already?" he said with a slight astonishment in his voice. When Ruki and King looked smug, he added, "You took your time."

Huh?! If everything else reset, then how—? They looked at each other, speechless.

Babus laughed. "Inside this clock tower is the only place not affected by time. I used a spell to add this protection." When the duo continued to look confused, he said, "I had a little talk with Hyozanryu after you left. He explained everything.

"Well then," said Babus, looking hopeful. "Did you get your sword back?" Ruki produced the legendary blade.

Babus smiled. "You got it! I'm so proud of you! Hold on a second." He waved his hand and a rubber duck appeared out of thin air. Ruki stared.

"Oops!" said Babus, embarrassed. "That's not what I'm looking for." He waved his hand again. The duck vanished and a key appeared.

"Nope, not that. You'll have to excuse me. I haven't used magic in awhile."

The key became a stick which became a mouse which became a home computer. Babus cursed and finally produced his mace. It was a pole with an orb with three spikes on it. It was made out of very expensive wood and had the Pure Ones' insignia on it.

"There we go!" he said, relieved. "Now hold still."

He pointed the orb at Ruki, who gulped. It glowed a bright-red and shot a bolt of ruby energy and the trembling Mood. Ruki was engulfed in red light and felt something fall off his face and onto the floor with a clatter.

Babus lowered his mace and produced a mirror. "Quite a pretty face if you ask me."

Ruki stared at his reflection then felt all over his body. He was Ruki Mood again! The bald head; the flat frame; it was good to be back!

"YAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!!!" screamed the ecstatic Mood, running out of the clock tower in a joyous fit.

Babus shook his ears, now slightly deaf, and waited for him to get back. King merely sat down and fiddled with his ears. There was a loud crash and some shouting as Ruki had apparently knocked something over.

When he got back, he had burnt himself out. There were several Moods complaining outside.

"Better?" said Babus, grinning at the exhausted Mood.

"Yeah," panted Ruki. "Thanks, Babus. Thank you so much. But I'd better not go out there for a while."

"My pleasure. Here." He handed Ruki the thing that had fallen on the floor during the transformation.

Ruki took it. It was a mask, but it was not like any mask that he had ever seen. It was an exact copy of the Lupe face that he had worn while he had been cursed. The details were phenomenal! It had real fur and the exact dimensions of Ruki's former self.

"I call this the Lupe Mask," said Babus, reading Ruki's expression like a book. "It contains the form of your cursed form in its depths. If you ever wish to resume this form, just put it on. To remove it, just pull it off. I must warn you, though…" His voice was suddenly firm. "All first timers who wear my masks will experience some odd sensations."

Ruki gulped and thrust it into Babus' hands. "Then you'd better keep it."

The Pure One simply gave it back. "Don't worry. Once you wear it for the first time, it won't be so bad afterwards."

"Okay…" Ruki turned to leave. King got up to follow him.

"Ahem!" Babus called him back. "I believe we had a deal." He held out his hand hopefully. Ruki stared at it blankly.

"Don't tell me…" he said. His expression fell slightly. "My mask...You did get it… didn't you?" Ruki shook his head.

Wrong answer.

Babus' face became stone as his eyes blazed with red flame. He seized Ruki by the shoulders, lifted him up and shook him.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!?!"

He dropped the petrified Mood, grabbed his fallen mace and started pounding the floor. The ground shook with each blow. Ruki and King stood rooted to the spot, trembling. Babus dropped the mace and started pulling on both of his ears.

"If you leave my mask out there, terrible things will happen!"

He picked his mace up again and struck the ground with the butt end of the pole. Their surroundings vanished and were replaced as they found themselves standing on the top of a golden pyramid. Ruki looked at Babus and saw that his eyes had become clear. This was apparently Pure One Magic and he didn't want to break his concentration.

The mask that was stolen from me is called Majora's Mask, said Babus, his voice echoing around them. It was worshiped in ancient times by Mood Star's first civilization as a god.

Ruki saw several Moods the stairs of the pyramid. They were wearing long robes of feathers and wore ancient masks on their faces. Several steps back, two Moods who were being dragged by chains were being forced up by Moods that were carrying spears. At the front of the pack was an official looking Mood with a crown of thorns on his head. He was carrying a red satin cushion with a mask on it. It was the same spiked, heart-shaped mask with the staring yellow eyes on it that Ruki had seen Aruonetwo wearing during their battle atop the clock tower. King looked paler than normal as he watched.

The front Moods parted at the top of the stairs just feet below where Babus, Ruki and King stood. The chained Moods were thrown forward in front of a golden idol where they knelt there, trembling. The Mood with Majora's Mask held the cushion in front of him and another Mood with a crown of thorns on his head stepped from behind the idol. He took Majora's Mask from its cushion and placed it on his face. The Moods left the prisoners and the leader alone and descended the Golden Pyramid.

Majora was a deadly and terrible demon that arose from the nightmares of the gods, continued Babus, looking down at the party. We Pure Ones were unable to defeat him, but we managed to seal him away inside an ancient mask. Unfortunately, the ancient Moods recovered it from its prison in the Golden Pyramid and used its power to prevent us from intervening in their dark arts.

The eyes on Majora's Mask began to glow and the Mood wearing it raised his arms and began chanting. The prisoners did not try to hide their fear as they knelt there, trembling. Then a ghostly apparition flew from the Mood and into the prisoners, whose screams chilled Ruki's blood. Then they fell to the ground unmarked but unmistakably dead. Ruki actually screamed and King fainted with fright.

Then the golden idol behind the Mood cracked and shattered and four colored lights flew from the wreckage and into the city at the pyramid's base.

We were eventually able to break Majora's spell and removed the civilization from Mood Star to prevent history from repeating itself. We then resealed Majora's Mask and buried the Golden Pyramid into the ground.

Babus raised his staff and struck the ground again. The scene shifted to the day that Arupnyn released the Golden Power. The Golden Pyramid was rising from the ground and Ruki watched in horror as Arupnyn's evil crept over the land.

Thankfully, said Babus, still in an echo-like voice. Arupnyn did not find Majora's Mask. It was cast away when the Pure Ones were released.

He struck the ground again and the scene shifted to an underwater area. Babus himself was standing before a large crater in the ocean floor. He walked into it and picked something up off the crater floor. It was Majora's Mask. It appeared undamaged after crash-landing into the ground.

After Arupnyn was defeated, I became interested in collecting magical masks. It was then that I learned that Majora's Mask still existed. I went to great lengths to recover that mask. And then…

Another pound and the scene shifted again. Babus was lying unconscious on a forest path. Someone was sifting through his pack. Ruki couldn't make out the figure's face until it turned around, Majora's Mask in hand, and ran off into the woods.

The scene dissolved and they were once again standing inside the clock tower. Babus' eyes were normal once again and he spoke in his usual voice.

"Aruonetwo somehow learned of Majora's Mask and stole it from me before I could seal it again." He turned to Ruki. "I beg of you, please get that mask back! Who knows what Aruonetwo could do with that power?"

Ruki put a hand over his heart. "I swear by the Royal Family," he said sincerely. "That I will not stop until that mask is in safe hands once again. Aruonetwo will not get away with this!"

Babus smiled sadly. "I'll hold you to it then. You'd better get going."

Ruki and King sat up and made for the door.

"Wait! I almost forgot!" They turned around. "Take these." He handed Ruki a purple satin drawstring bag. "These are Soul Fires. If you ever become weak, just swallow one of these or rub it on the wound and you will be instantly revived.

"Thanks," said Ruki. He pocketed them and stepped out into the town.

Chapter 8: Tormund the Lupe Knight

Day 1: 0825, 69 hours remain

Ruki and King stepped out into a mass of clutter and confusion from Ruki's recent mood. People were hurriedly trying to rebuild the ruined party tower to stay on schedule. Ruki got some nasty looks as King voiced his opinion about Babus' vision.

"That was really weird!"

"He even surprised me," said Ruki, examining his sword's blade.

"Great," said King sarcastically. "So, now what do we do? We've got three days to undo everything that Aruonetwo messed up."

Ruki thought for a second, and then suggested, "Hyozanryu said that the four Sacred Ones could help us save the world, so why don't we start looking for them and work from there?"

"Fine. Fine," groaned King, fiddling with his ear again. "If you want to start somewhere, I would suggest looking in the South Forest first."

"Alrighty then," said Ruki, making for Clock Town's South Gate, King following his tracks. Before they could leave Clock Town, though, a guard had stopped them in their tracks.

"Halt!" said the guard, blocking their way with his spear. "No one leaves the city without a pass!"

"But—!"

"Look, said the guard, immovable. "Unless you give me a good reason to let you into Termina field, no one leaves without a pass until this crisis is over. And that's final!" He eyed Ruki from top to bottom. Noticing Ruki's Millennium Sword, he stepped backwards, shocked.

"Huh? A sword? My apologies, sir." He straightened up and saluted quickly. "I didn't know you were a warrior." He shifted to one side and let them pass. "The forest of Woodfall lies this way, sir. Be careful not to get ambushed by Lupes."

"Okay…" Ruki and King walked past him and out into Termina Field. "Thank you."

Day 1: 0845, 69 hours remain

Termina field was huge! Clock Town sat smack dab in the middle of the vast field as though it were the center of the world. About a mile's worth of land extended from every direction which eventually ended on the barrier of one of the four realms. One realm stood at each of the compass points of the field. To the north, a frozen mountain with a large crater stood like some great monolith. Westward, an endless ocean that bordered a sandy beach stretched for miles. East, a dry, rocky terrain led to multiple trees that stood above the horizon. And the heroes' first adventure, the mighty Woodfall Forest extended as far as the eye could see.

"Wow!" said King in awe. "I never get tired of looking at this place! There's just so much to see!"

Ruki had to admit that it was beautiful, but it still seemed alien to him. He had spent his whole life on Mood Star and seeing a place where every familiar face was a stranger still took the feeling of adventure away from him.

Day 1: 1105, 66 hours remain

As they approached Woodfall, Ruki could tell that he had his work cut out for him while searching for the Sacred One. Once he had entered the trees, almost all light was diminished and visibility became limited. There was also a funny purple mist hovering among the trees.

"Something's not right here," said Ruki, cautiously as he and King tried to stay next to each other. "This mist doesn't seem… normal."

"You're right." King jumped slightly when Ruki grabbed his ear for guidance. "Aruonetwo's been here."

They continued walking through the woods, tripping over upturned roots and crashing into trees until King suddenly said, "What's that?"

Ruki tried to follow King's outstretched finger and saw a light up ahead. It was flickering which meant it was probably firelight.

"Looks like a clearing," said Ruki. "Come on!"

They made their way to the light and stepped into a massive clearing. A group of dark-brown Lupes were running around a collection of houses and chasing a bunch of normal Lupes. Houses were burning and smoke was rising through the clearing and into a purple-clouded sky. The Dark Lupes were tearing apart their enemies as they caught them. Innocent lives were being taken and Ruki's blood boiled.

Without warning, he drew his sword and ran at the Dark Lupes, shouting, "MOOOOOOOOOD!!!"

The Lupes, their job finished, turned their attention to the charging Mood! They came at Ruki, howling loudly. They surrounded him and started to close in. The hero began slashing everywhere he could. Lupes fell at the sting of his blade but Ruki soon realized that he was outnumbered. He took a punch to the stomach and fell. Just when the Lupes were about to start tearing at his body another cry sounded out.

"WOOOOOODFAAAAAAAAAALL!!!"

Another Lupe came into the picture. This one was clad in a silvery armor that seemed too thin for his body. He wielded a huge, razor-sharp sword covered in blood. Atop his head was a silver helm that left his face and muzzle unprotected. He tore at the Dark Lupes like they were weeds and leveled them in seconds. Frightened, the Dark Lupes that had escaped death retreated into the forest, yelping.

Ruki picked himself up and stared at the knight. The Lupe was panting heavily while leaning over his blade. Suddenly, he started shouting at the escaping Dark Lupes.

"Yeah, you'd better run! Just wait until I find you! You'll wish you'd never laid a paw on us! I'll be back!!!" He suddenly collapsed and started sobbing.

"DAMN!!!" He swore at himself. "Why couldn't I do it?! Why couldn't I save them?! They got 'em all! Every single one of them! I couldn't do it! I couldn't save them! Why did this have to happen to us?! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!!" He beat at the ground, venting his spleen at the retreating Dark Lupes. He finally sat down, weeping and gasping for breath.

Ruki cautiously approached the knight. "Hey…" he said gently. "Are you okay?"

The Lupe grabbed his sword and pointed it at Ruki, who froze. He then lowered it and apologized.

"Sorry, young Mood. I haven't been myself lately." He took off his helm and ruffled through his fur. "That Werelupe King is going to have a sword in his back one of these days."

Ruki carefully sat down next to the Lupe. "What happened here?"

The knight sighed. "That damn Werelupe King has been waiting for the perfect chance to surprise my people for ages. Finally, he picked the one day that I'm away and attacks everyone."

"Why would they do that?" wondered Ruki.

"Vega, our realm's leader, was their target. They wanted to capture him for some reason but kill everyone else. They took care of everybody! My friends, my people, everybody! They attacked them in cold blood. My older sister, Krystal, would be ashamed of what happened here today. If she were alive she'd be ashamed of me. Damn it!" He pounded the ground with his fist. Ruki scooted away.

Krystal, he thought. Where have I heard that name before?

"Now they're gone. Vega's been captured and I can't even attempt to get him back."

Before Ruki could ask, he said, "The Werelupe King's Castle is in an old Mood Bunker. The only way in is through the front door. The ventilation shaft is locked up tight by a steel door. The only way they'll let anyone through that is if a Lupe had the Millennium Sword, which has been lost for generations."

"Is this it?" said Ruki, showing the knight his sword.

The Lupe's eyes grew wide. "H-How'd you get that?" he stammered. "The last time the Millennium Sword was on Termina was over ten thousand years ago!"

"I found it in a garbage can in Moodica." Ruki said casually.

"Then… you must be the legendary Ruki Mood!" The Lupe was in disbelief. "You're the hero from Mood Star that's going to find the Sacred Ones!"

"I am?"

"Of course! Haven't you heard the old Termina legend? You're all that Klonoa would talk about!"

Ruki sat up. "You know Klonoa?"

"Of course I do! I was sent to Termina about two years ago after my training and was told to wait for someone named Ruki Mood to show up."

"Training?" Ruki was even more confused.

"My training to become a Pure One! Didn't Klonoa mention me?"

"Uh…no. I don't even know your name."

"Of course! I forgot one of the rules of becoming a Pure One: "Never let anyone forget the name of their savior."

He got up and bowed nobly.

"Sir Tormund the Lupe Knight, Apprentice to the Sage of Hope. Call me Tor."

"Ruki Mood, Prince of Mood Star and Hero of Time." Ruki shook his paw.

"Come on," beckoned Tor. "Let's go to my hut and we can talk about this in more detail."

"Great!" said Ruki, happily. "Coming, King? King?"

There was no answer.

Chapter 9: The Plan

Day 1: 1700, 61 hours remain

Ruki went into a panic. "Tor," he said nervously. "Have you seen King?"

Tor shook his head. "There was no one else in that fight except you and me."

"KING!" Ruki shouted into the forest. "KIIIIIIING!!!"

Tor clasped a paw over Ruki's mouth and hissed, "Quiet! If the Werelupes hear you, then they'll all come back!"

Ruki wriggled from his grip. "I'm not leaving this forest without King!" He grabbed his Millennium Sword and took off.

"Damn it, Ruki." Tor gave chase.

Ruki ran blindly into the forest calling out for King as he went. He was sure that King had seen him attack those Werelupes. The only question was why didn't he join Ruki and Tor after the fight? Maybe the Werelupes had captured him before they ran.

He was so focused on finding King that he ran straight into a door built into a mossy hill on the far end of the forest with a loud clang! Tor arrived in time to peel him off the door and dive for shelter as the door opened. A buff, muscular Werelupe stepped out and looked for the cause of the commotion. Tor stayed perfectly still as the Werelupe sniffed the air. Realizing that it must have been a bird, the Werelupe walked back inside and shut the door. Tor sighed and inflated Ruki.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he hissed at the dazed Mood. "You nearly got us both killed!"

"Hey!" retorted Ruki. "I didn't know about that door! It's not my fault that King is missing."

Tor sighed and looked away. "Klonoa would be very disappointed to learn that the hero of Mood Star is letting his body act before his brain."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," said Tor, looking Ruki in the face. "That you have to think before you start running through the forest, yelling when there are Werelupes around. They'll make a quick snack out of you before you can blink if you're not careful."

"Alright, wise guy," spat Ruki. "Since you're so smart, what would a hero of Mood Star do in our place?"

Tor sat down, thinking. "You're looking for a Sacred One, right?"

"How did you know that?!" Ruki was angry and confused.

"Call it a hunch. Klonoa told me about the Sacred Ones when I first came here. So, are you?"

"Yeah."

"And you need to get inside the Werelupes' bunker, right?"

"Right!"

"Think for a second. How would you get into a bunker with a locked front door?"

"Uh…" Ruki racked his brain and came up with a solution. It was so simple! He had broken into XLR's factory to save Lugia several years earlier.

"Look for a second, unguarded entrance!" he said at last.

Tor clapped slowly and said, sarcastically, "By Jove! I think he's got it!"

"Knock it off!" groaned Ruki, picking up his Millennium Sword. "Let's go."

Night of the First Day: 2000, 56 hours remain

The pair stepped out into a small clearing. There appeared to be a large, round, raised ventilation shaft that dropped into the underground bunker sticking out of the forest floor like a sore thumb.

"Tor?"

"Yep," answered the Lupe, climbing the ladder on the side of the shaft and walking onto the metal grating. "This looks like the place."

Ruki joined Tor and peered through the grating to judge how far it went down. It was at least a 200-foot drop onto a narrow catwalk over a pool of water even further down.

After examining the grating for a while, Tor motioned to Ruki. "Over here. I need your expertise." He pointed at an old rusty lock next to a hatch that seemed to allow access to those who could open it.

Ruki looked from Tor to the lock. Ristar was way better at this than he was. He supposed he could give it a try. Sticking a finger in the keyhole, Ruki felt around for the switch to undo the locking mechanism.

After about five minutes of failure, Ruki had had enough. Removing his now key-shaped finger from the lock, he picked up his trusty Millennium Sword. One of the black gems on the blade was giving off a faint green glow. Regardless, Ruki demonstrated his swordsmanship by holding his sword above his head, flipped it upside-down in his outstretched hands and gave a quick downward thrust at the lock. Tor held his breath as the lock gave a loud clang and split in two halves allowing the door to open with a creak.

"After me," said Ruki, preparing to jump.

"Hold on there, Jethro," Tor put a leather-bound paw in front of the Mood. "That's one hell of a drop. Can you survive a drop like that?"

"Uh…" Ruki gulped as he looked down at the narrow walkway 200 feet below him. As impact-resistant as they were, even Moods couldn't fall more than 100 feet without becoming a pelt on someone's living room floor. He looked back at Tor, who was grinning from cheek to furry cheek.

"I didn't think so," said the Lupe, digging in his belt and drawing out a thin rope of silvery material. "Let's try doing this my way first before you end up as gazpacho in a den of hungry Werelupes."

He tied one end of the rope to the topmost rung of the ladder and threw the remainder down the vent. Ruki didn't seem convinced.

"That looks like a wire wrapped in hair with some string on it," he observed, questioning the strength of the rope. Tor, however, merely gave a sharp tug on the rope, which stayed taut.

"What, you've never seen a rope made of Nu Mou hair before?"

"New what?" Ruki had never heard the term before.

"Never mind."

Tor entered the vent and shimmied down the rope like a spider. Ruki was impressed; if that rope could hold a 100-plus-pound armored Lupe then it could surely hold a featherweight Mood with a lighter-that-metal sword and his accessories. He followed the Lupe into the vent and climbed down the rope with ease.

Chapter 10: Caught!

Day 2: 1000, 44 hours remain

They climbed down 200 feet and landed on a narrow metal walkway spanning a pool of water deep below them. As he got off of it, Ruki shook his head at the Nu Mou hair rope attached to the ladder far above them.

"What a waste of good rope," he said, disappointedly. "It would have come in handy later."

Tor, however, gave the rope a sharp tug and the whole thing dropped into a heap at his feet. Ruki looked surprised.

"We're lucky that that didn't happen while we were on it. We would be Lupe Lasagna with a side of Mood Mush. And to think that I trusted your knot tying!"

"Not quite up to speed, are you?" Tor grinned, wrapping the rope around his paw and elbow and tucked it back into his belt. "This is magical rope: it unravels itself at the owner's command. Why do you think the Nu Mou bothered making rope unless they added some of their own tricks to it?

Ruki contemplated this for a second. "These "Nu Mou" must be quite gifted in magic, huh?"

"Quite gifted, actually." Tor drew his sword and moved to the door in front of them. "If you ever visit the northern realm, you should pay them a visit."

"I'll keep that in mind." Ruki mimicked the Lupe and drew his own sword. Joining him at the door, he added, "Shall we?"

Tor nodded and carefully nudged open the door. They had infiltrated the Werelupes' Bunker and were ready to start looking for the Sacred One…

Day 2: 1005, 43 hours remain

…when they walked straight into a massive group of Werelupes waiting for them on the other side of the door!

Ruki didn't know who was more surprised — him or Tor — when he saw that they were surrounded by more than two dozen vicious-looking, bloodthirsty, wolf-like creatures. All he felt like was a Moodling holding a jagged piece of metal among a group of ruthless killers.

"Son-of-a…" cursed Tor, holding his stance. "How'd they know we were here?" He was ready for the fight of his life.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

A large white-and blue-stripped Lupe parted the ranks to confront the pair. Ruki guessed that this was the Werelupe King. He was considerably bigger than the other Werelupes both in height and muscle. The Werelupe King wore torn tights with spiked kneepads. His claws were rose-pink both on his paws and his feet. This was not a normal Werelupe, Ruki noticed. Nevertheless, that didn't hide the fact that this was a fighter in his prime. A buckled, leather strap extended from a pad on his left shoulder to his belt. His paws were also wrapped in leather straps for grip and wore spiked brass knuckles on his left paw. A huge stitched scar stretched across his left side and halfway across his gut. Another one was above his right eye. Obviously, this guy needed to retain his muscles because several iron bands were wrapped around his right bicep and forearm. Ruki quailed under the Werelupe King's piercing-red eyes.

This fighter's weapon of choice was a curved boomerang-shaped sword without a hilt or handle. This was probably why he needed the straps around his paws.

"Garu," hissed Tor in a low voice. This had to be the Werelupe King's real name, considering that Ruki didn't see any other reason why Tor had to call him that.

When the Werelupe King, a.k.a. Garu spoke, it was something between a growl and a snarl.

"Hello, Tormund. It's been awhile. How's my favorite tin can doing?"

"I know you killed innocent Lupes yesterday, Garu," Tor spat, fighting every urge to leap at him and tear him apart. "And any survivors that made it were turned into Werelupes by you!"

Garu shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

"That's not even the worst of it! You have Vega the Sacred One in here, too!" For some bizarre reason, Tor smiled. "But he's not giving in to your evil magic, is he?"

Tor seemed to have touched a soft spot in the Werelupe King's mind. Garu walked straight up to him and held the curved blade's tip under his chin.

"Once I find out what is keeping that spark of resistance alive in that fox," Garu sneered, his muzzle almost touching Tor's. "He'll be just the one I need to tear apart Clock Town by the roots. Oh… that's right." It was his turn to grin. "You, him and that blue one are brothers and sister, aren't you? I bet you're just dying to see you Sacred One of a younger brother, huh? You and he are all that's left after your sister took a knife through the gut two years ago by your friend here."

Tor's mind was filled with shock. He did not dare turn away to look at Ruki, who was trying to recall who Garu was talking about.

"My family life is none of your beeswax, Garu! If I remember correctly, Vega gave you that scar on your gut the first time around, but you cheated by throwing dirt in his eyes, remember? I bet that even without his powers, he can still take you down one-on-one!"

Garu growled as a vein in his temple throbbed. "We'll see about that, scum." He removed the blade from Tor's throat and backed up, careful to avoid showing his back.

Tor felt a boost confidence in his ego; he had won the argument hands-down. But he would have to choose a better time to confront the Werelupe King with his blade.

Ruki became horrorstruck when Tor laid his weapon down on the floor in front of him!

"Do it," whispered Tor. "They win this round."

It took all of the Mood's self-control to obey the command and set his Millennium Sword on the floor next to his partner's.

Garu grinned, showing a set of razor-sharp fangs. "That's a good boy. Fighting will get you nowhere." He motioned to two Werelupes near him. "Bring the Mood to the dungeons. I want this one in my special cell."

Ruki immediately blacked out as he was struck on the back of the head and he and Tor were carried away into the bunker.

Chapter 11: Ruki, Tor and Vega vs. the Werelupe King

Night of the Final Day: 1800, 12 hours remain

Ruki came to with his head pounding.

How long have I been out? he wondered.

An earthshaking rumble answered his question.

(explicit)! It's the final day already?!

He got to his feet and instinctively reached for his Time-Turner.

It wasn't around his neck where it should be.

He swore so badly and loudly that a voice near him muttered, "And I though Moods had more civil tongues."

Ruki looked around for the speaker. Meanwhile, he noticed that he was in a jail cell somewhere in the Werelupes' Bunker. The only thing between him and freedom was multiple iron bars. Next to his cell, there was another one with one other occupant.

He suddenly had a case of déjà vu as he looked at this creature. It wasn't quite a Lupe, but Ruki thought it looked pretty close to a Red Trickyfox or "fox" for short. It had brownish-red fur and a white throat with two ears that stood at the top of its head just like a Lupe's did. However, most of the fox's body was covered in a full-body suit of black battle armor. Only its fiery-red tail and his head poked out the back of the suit. It also had its legs crossed and appeared to be meditating.

Ruki spoke before he could stop himself. "Were you talking to me?"

Without opening its eyes or moving, the fox answered in a firm voice, "There's nobody else here, is there?"

"Um… no."

"Then I was obviously talking to you." Opening its eyes, the fox got up and walked to the bars dividing his and Ruki's cells. Poking a paw wrapped in his armor through the bars, he introduced himself. "Vega Firetail, at your service."

Ruki hesitantly shook the fox's paw; he had a firm grip. "Ruki Mood, uh… at yours too."

Vega released his hand and thought for a second. "Mood… Mood… Where have I heard that name before?" He paced around his cell for a moment. "Ah, yes. You're the one who beat my sister two years ago, aren't you?"

"Your… sister?" Ruki had no idea who he was talking about.

"Her name was Krystal. Blue fur… Arupnyn's Citadel… blue room, remember?"

Ruki had to think about the name for a moment. And then it dawned on him.

"Oh! The blue fox that I fought in the Blue Room at Arupnyn's Citadel two years ago! Now I remember! I thought I killed her."

"Not quite," said Vega, returning to his meditation. "You gave her quite a nasty puncture wound, but she lived to tell about it. She wants a rematch with you."

Ruki blinked. "Do you know where she is; I want to tell her personally."

"Last time I saw her, she was in Termina Bay to the west," Vega said, thinking for a moment. "If you plan on saving the Sacred Ones, you'll find your way there before the end."

"How'd you-?"

"I have my sources." A tremor ran through the ground, signaling the moon's approach. "Why don't you make yourself useful and find a way to get us out of here?"

Ruki blinked again. "And just how do you plan to do that?"

Vega chuckled lightly. "You Moods don't always know your true potential. You figure it out; I'm sure you'll think of something."

Ruki scoffed and returned to his corner to think.

My true potential, eh? HA! Easier said than done.

After some examination, he noticed that the clearance on the cell door was a little over an inch. Thinking, Ruki decided to try a technique passed down by the Moods' ancestors who had once been completely 2-D and paper-thin.

He lied down on his back and focused his inner mind. He began to thin out and become one with the floor. He was now flattened on the floor as if he were merely a drawing. This allowed him to "crawl" under the cell like a flat bug and pop himself up on the other side completely restored to his regular shape. He was out!

Ruki got to his feet and examined the room where he and Vega were imprisoned. His Millennium Sword was lying on a shelf along with what appeared to be a high-caliber rifle.

He spotted a ring of assorted keys hanging on a nearby nail and grabbed them. After multiple failed attempts to unlock Vega's cell, Ruki finally managed to find the correct key and swing the cell door open.

"Very good, young Mood," said Vega, getting to his feet. "I had a feeling that you could do it."

Ruki raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, you had a feeling? I got you out, didn't I?"

Vega sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."

The Mood did not notice that one of the gems on the Millennium Sword's blade glowed a pale green for a second and then went out.

"Come on," said Ruki, tucking his sword into his belt. "Tor is in here somewhere and I have to find my Time-Turner."

Vega obediently took his blaster and followed the determined Mood.

Final Day: 1915, 10 hours remain

Getting out of the jail area was a cinch; Ruki merely used the keys to unlock the door leading out of the area. Finding Tor and the Werelupe King, though, was a different story. The Mood and the Fox had to avoid cameras around almost every corner and automated drone guns hidden in crevices all over the bunker.

The cameras were the easy part. Whenever they spotted one, they would wait until it panned away from them and Vega would shoot it with his blaster rifle outfitted with a custom silencer to disable it.

The drone guns, though, were a constant problem. Ruki had stepped into one's line of fire without knowing and was soon dancing under a barrage of bullets. Vega quickly pulled him back and fired a special bullet at it to cause it to short out.

"What kind of bullets are you using?" wondered Ruki. "You didn't leave a scratch on it!"

"They're Electroshock Bullets," said Vega, stowing his gun. "They give an EMP shock to anything mechanical. They're not too shabby when you need to stun and run from an enemy either," he added with a grin on his face. "Let's continue on."

What bothered Ruki about this place besides the cameras and the drone guns was the lack of Werelupe sentries roaming the halls. In fact, there were no guards in the halls that the two travelers were roaming.

"Vega?" he asked.

"Yeah, I know," answered the fox. "It bothers me, too. This place should be swarming with Werelupes. I just don't get it."

"They must have fled," thought Ruki, unlocking a door marked, "High Security."

Stepping into the room, they duo noticed a large, flat disk in the center. Suspended in mid-air with his arms spread wide and rotating slowly by an unseen force was...

"Tor!" cried Ruki, running to try to get him down. "What happened?"

But Tormund the Lupe Knight was unconscious from repeated blows to the head. His skull was dripping blood and he was completely naked except for a brown tunic and muddy-green shorts. He was very handsome underneath all that armor; his fur was a golden-yellow with a creamy tip on his tail. Powerful muscles and a strong chest were hidden underneath his fur from years of carrying a heavy sword and armor on his back.

"Tor! Wake up! It's us... er... me and Vega!"

But the look on Vega's face when he took the Lupe's pulse spoke louder than his words.

"He's barely alive. I don't think he's going to make it without some help."

Ruki didn't want to hear it. He quickly went to the center of the disk under Tor and started trying keys in the lock on it. After several failed attempts, he found a match and the Lupe slumped to the floor.

"Vega, help me out here!" he said to the Fox and ran to Tor's aid. The Lupe was barely breathing as Ruki tried to stem the flow of the blood.

Vega pulled something out of his suit pocket and handed it to Ruki. "Here, you forgot these in the prison. They might help."

Ruki took the satin bag of Soul Fires given to him by Babus at the start of his Sacred One quest. He then got an idea.

"Thanks." He opened the bag and pulled out a small, round orb of red energy. Remembering Babus' instructions, he rubbed the Soul Fire into Tor's head wound. It seemed to melt and dissolve into pure energy and flow into the wound. Ruki watched in awe as the gash ceased its bleeding and sealed shut without so much as a scar. He was amazed that Babus could convert Red Essence into a healing force when it was normally used to temporarily increase ones strength.

Tor began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings. "Ohh...," he moaned weakly. "What hit me?"

"You've been out cold for an entire day," explained Ruki, allowing him to wearily get to his feet. "Doomsday is almost upon us."

Tor then noticed Vega. His yellow eyes became wide and his mouth fell open. "Ruki," he said. "Do you know who this is?"

Ruki blinked. "Uh... His name is Vega. He and I helped each other out of jail."

"Open you're eyes, Mood! He's a Sacred One!" Tor bowed low in respect.

The Mood cocked an eyebrow. "He is? I didn't see his mark."

"Need proof, eh?" said Vega, putting his gun to his temple.

"Vega, no! I didn't mean—!"

KA-BANG!!!

The gun exploded with lead shot that merely bounced off of his skull and into the wall, leaving his head completely unscathed. Ruki's jaw went so low so fast that it dropped completely off his face.

Just then, a golden mark shaped like the Golden Power of Mood Star glowed brightly on Vega's furry forehead revealing that he was, indeed...

"A Sacred One!" said Ruki after replacing his jaw. "I'm really sorry to have doubted it. I..."

But Vega merely held up a paw to silence him.

"I am..." He hung his head. "...but I do not deserve the title."

"Why not?" Ruki was shocked that he would say that!

"I could not defeat the masked thief, Aruonetwo. She stripped me of my powers and sealed them inside that vile Werelupe King."

"Ooh, that Aruonetwo!" snarled Ruki, clenching his hands into fists. "One of these days, I'll—"

"Inside Garu, eh?" Tor interrupted. "What if we defeated him?"

"I cannot touch him," said Vega in a defeated voice. "But if he were to fall, I could channel my power to your Millennium Sword and help you defeat Aruonetwo."

Tor had left momentarily to retrieve his sword and armor which were in the next room. Ruki gave a quick salute.

"You have my word that I will defeat the Werelupe King and stop Aruonetwo!"

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid." A dangerously calm voice sounded from the doorway. Ruki and Vega whipped around.

Standing slightly hunched over in the doorway stood the Werelupe King, Garu. He had a strange weapon in his claws. It appeared to be a pole with a sword blade attached to either end. Ruki gulped as he examined the deadly weapon.

"I was hoping to face the knight solo," sneered Garu, showing an impressive number of pointed teeth. "But I'm sure that he won't mind if I took care of you first. After that, I can destroy the Sacred One once and for all!"

"Well, you'll have to go through me to get to him!" The Mood boldly stepped in front of Vega with his sword drawn to protect him.

"And me." Tor had returned, fully clad in his steel-and-purple-satin armor with his huge, broadsword at his side.

"Well now..." Garu licked his fangs hungrily. "I'll remember to play nice then."

Final Day: 0015, 5:44:30 remain

The ground shook more violently than before which indicated the moon's proximity to Termina. Back in Clock Town, the Carnival of Time had begun; the bell tolled loudly every ten minutes for all Terminians to hear.

The Werelupe King was in total control of the fight against Ruki and Tor. He came on them like a thunder storm! Ruki could barely block his attacks as the double-ended sword whirled, danced and bit. He had faced opponents like this before, but he had never been this outmatched in the power class as he was by Garu. It took everything he knew and all of his strength to keep the king at bay.

Tor was clearly outmatched as well. Every time he slashed, Garu seemed to parry his attacks and either trip him or counter him. The Lupe Knight tried to take advantage while he was busy with Ruki, but Garu seemed to have eyes in the back of his head because he stabbed backwards causing Tor to stumble backwards with a fresh dent in his armor.

"This is the best of Mood Star?" laughed Garu, moving aside and nearly causing Ruki and Tor to spit each other on each other's blades. "I don't think I've had this much fun in ages!"

Ruki realized that he would have to fight dirty in order to defeat him. Taking the defense, he examined his surroundings and realized that they had reached a large control room with computer consoles and a large, electronic map of Termina. Nearby, a large assortment of lasers was connected to a set of controls.

Bingo!

Ruki detached himself from the fight and headed over to the console, leaving Tor to fend for himself.

"Hey!!!" Tor looked briefly at Ruki and was immediately knocked to the floor. Garu went for the kill, but the lithe Lupe rolled to one side as the double-ended sword struck metal and kicked the king in the side. Garu stumbled but blocked Tor's next sneak attack by jumping backwards. To his great surprise, he had sliced the Werelupe King's weapon completely in half while he had tried to block the attack so that the king was holding half of the weapon in each paw.

Ruki, meanwhile, had been tinkering with the controls for the lasers and had programmed them to overload simultaneously. Once he hit the "Fire" button (Mood's can't resist big, red, shiny buttons), a warning alarm sounded.

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! ENERGY OVERLOAD ON LEVEL 1! SELF-DESTRUCTION IMMINENT! PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUNKER AT ONCE! SELF-DESTRUCTION IN THREE MINUTES!!!"

Vega, meanwhile, had come to the battle scene after hearing the alarm. He was caught completely off-guard when Ruki grabbed his wrist and yelled, "Let's get out of here!!!" Detaching Tor from his fight with Garu, the trio ran for the nearby exit. Garu hesitated for a moment and then gave chase.

Ruki quickly avoided another drone gun's fire and tried to open the door to the outside. It wouldn't budge.

"Quick, move aside!" said Tor, pushing him aside. He slapped his paw on a nearby pad, which opened the door.

"I'm not even going to comment on that," said Ruki flatly as they ran outside.

Final Day: 0445, 1:14:56 remain

Dawn was starting to creep over the horizon as the ground was quaking non-stop as the moon became engulfed in a fireball during its final descent on the city of Clock Town. Ruki, Tor and Vega burst out of the Werelupes' Bunker and slammed the door on their pursuing enemy.

Garu tried to open the door, but the touchpad was totaled. Vega and Ruki had sabotaged it with their sword and gun to make sure that the Werelupe King could not follow them. He was trapped! Garu had a few moments to accept defeat and think of his reign as king before he was engulfed in the flames of the base's destruction.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

The three survivors all hit the deck a couple hundred feet from the base's front door as the bunker blew sky-high. High-velocity shrapnel and flaming chunks of metal, electronics and stone flew in every direction. Computer parts fell from the sky and littered the forest. Black smoke and intense flames turned the air to fog.

Something flew from the wreckage and landed in front of Ruki. Looking up with his fingers crossed, he saw Hyozanryu's Time-Turner lying in front of him, completely intact. Thanking the gods, he got up, picked it up and put it around his neck.

He also felt his sword vibrate at his side. He withdrew it from its sheath and examined the blade. The green gem on the tip of the blade was glowing a bright green, signaling that a Sacred One had been awakened.

"Vega?"

The armored fox sat up; the Golden Power symbol on his head was visible and was glowing brightly.

"You did it, Ruki," he said with confidence. "You and Tor defeated the Werelupe King and restored my power. I am very grateful."

"Oh, stop." Ruki blushed a deep red. However, he noticed that Tor was looking sorrowful with his head buried in his gauntlets. "Tor? What's wrong?"

"I don't know what to do anymore," he said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Garu killed my family, my friends and my people. I'm the last Lupe on Termina – what's the point in living anymore?"

Ruki gulped. He had never encountered a suicidal creature before. Thinking quickly, he turned to Vega.

"Won't this all be undone when I go back in time?"

Vega nodded. "Yes. But you shouldn't give up hope."

"Why's that?"

Vega pointed to Ruki's Millennium Sword. "When we four Sacred Ones are awakened and Aruonetwo is defeated, we can undo all of the thief's wrongful actions and return Termina to a state of peace."

"Does that mean…?" said Tor hopefully.

"Yep. I can restore the Lupes to the world. It would be as if they had never left."

Tor got to his feet and extended a gauntleted paw. "I'll hold you to that promise then." Vega shook it and added, "Until then, I suggest that you go back to Clock Town with Ruki. Babus Swain can keep you from having your memory reset every time Ruki resets the clock.

Tor nodded his head and turned to Ruki. "Let's get going, then."

"Wait a minute, Ruki!" Vega stopped Ruki just as he went to spin his Time-Turner. "I have something to give you first.

Ruki looked up at the sky nervously and then to his Time-Turner. It was 5:15; they had 45 minutes until Doomsday. "Can you make it quick – I'm on a tight schedule."

"This'll just take a second. Can I see your Millennium Sword?"

Ruki unsheathed his blade again and passed it to him. Vega took the sword in both hands and ran one of his fingers down the length of the metal. A faint green spark jumped from his fingertip to the sword, causing it to emit a bright, green aura. Ruki watched in amazement as the glow died away, leaving the formerly black gem near the tip a permanent solid green.

"Wow…" said Ruki, taking the sword back from the Sacred One. "Neat!"

"Why, thank you." Vega examined the back of his paw with satisfaction despite it being covered by his full-body suit. "When you find the other Sacred Ones, they'll add their powers to yours and we'll help you defeat Aruonetwo."

"Will do. Come on, Tor. We'd better get back in time before… ahem…" He looked to one side and pointed absentmindedly to the approaching moon.

"Oh… yeah… Let's go, then!" Tor put his paw just as Ruki started to spin the Time-Turner. The Mood looked up at Vega while the hourglass started to spin. "See you six hours ago!"

Vega smiled and waved as Ruki and Tor disappeared into the time-warp.

Chapter 12: Back to Babus

Dawn of the First Day: 0600, 72 hours remain

Ruki and Tor woke up outside the clock tower in Clock Town to the sound of a cock crowing. The people had failed to notice that a Mood and an armored Lupe had just materialized out of thin air but carried on with their normal routines like they always did at this time.

Ruki sat up, feeling a little nauseous. This had been only his second time traveling through time and he was still getting used to the experience. He instinctively looked up at the sky. Whew. The moon was back in the sky where it had been when he had started out in Termina.

Tor, meanwhile, looked a little pale for his time-warp experience. "Oy!" he moaned. "I feel like I just fell in some Dark Essence!"'

"You'd have to ask Arupnyn how that really feels," Ruki piped up, getting up. "He's the only one whose ever done that and lived to talk about it."

"Ha-ha-ha," said Tor sarcastically. "I'll pass."

"We'd better get to Babus. I told him that I'd check with him before I went looking for the next Sacred One." He went up to the clock tower door and pushed it open. Turning back, he added, "Coming?"

The Sage of Fate was squatting in the middle of the room, taking inventory of the masks in his pack when they walked in. A large, brown package was wrapped up next to him. His nose twitched and he looked at the pair and smiled.

"Ahh, Ruki!" said Babus joyfully, waving his hand so that the masks strewn about the floor instantly flew back into his pack. "You found my mask, yes?" But without waiting for an answer, he said, "I didn't think so. You don't smell like Aruonetwo. I'm still holding you to your word, Mood."

"I know, I know," sighed Ruki. "I wanted to introduce Tor to you but I thought I'd let you figure that out for yourself." He winked and stepped back, allowing Babus to work his magic.

The Lupe Knight started to speak but Babus held up a hand to silence him. The Pure One then walked around the nonplussed Lupe, occasionally stopping to sniff the air around him. Tor looked at Ruki, who merely grinned and shrugged.

Finally, Babus had completed his analysis. He stood in front of Tor and spoke.

"Your name is Tormund Ellis. You were born and raised on Mood Star until my fellow Pure One, Klonoa, sought you out to begin your training to become a Pure One. Since you did not fit the bill for a Pure One, You returned home, disappointed to find that your family had moved to Termina.

"Once you discovered the path between worlds, you moved to Termina and trained to be a knight in the event that you returned to Mood Star. You called yourself a Knight of Mood Star because you always knew that Mood Star would be your home. Your family planned to move back to Mood Star when your training was complete.

"However, things got out of hand when the Werelupes arrived and took over the Lupes of Woodfall less than…" Babus thought for a moment. "…two weeks ago. During that time, your family was slain and you vowed to take revenge on the Werelupes.

"However, your plans changed when you ran into our young friend, Ruki here. Since he was already looking for the Sacred Ones, you decided to join him on his quest. Upon your capture at the hands of the Werelupe King, Garu, you were freed by Ruki and the Sacred One, Vega and engaged Garu in a two-on-one battle. You defeated Garu when Ruki destroyed the Werelupes' Bunker and joined our young friend through a time-warp back to the past.

"And here you stand before me. Well done."

Tor was in shock. He could not believe that this small creature had just reeled off his entire life story just by smelling him! It was beyond explanation!

"Oh, don't look so shocked," said Ruki, grinning widely. "That was nothing compared to what he's capable of!"

"Quite true, Mr. Mood," said Babus, putting his pack back on his shoulders. "Your story is much longer and much more interesting.

"Oh, by the way," he said suddenly. "This came for you by way of Vega the Sacred One." He handed the brown package to the puzzled Mood.

"F-from Vega?" Ruki hadn't expected this at all. "Okay…" He tore the paper off the package and examined his present.

It was a full-body suit of battle armor similar in make and build to Vega's and appeared to be just his size. Ruki merely looked at it. "He gave me a suit?"

Babus smiled. "That "suit" is made from top-of-the-line Tetra material. It's the only material that can withstand the forces applied when you use one of my magical masks and more. It's lightweight, flexible, breathable and even machine-washable (that's a new feature). It's also bulletproof, magic-proof and shockproof. I could go on forever!"

"I… think I get the picture," said Ruki. "I'm going to go try it on." He went down the ramp to where he and King had entered Termina and fitted himself into the impressive battle armor.

Meanwhile, Tor pressed Babus for information on the location of the next Sacred One.

"You might want to head for the northern realm known as Nu Mountain, home to the Nu Mou, the best magic users on the planet, next to the Sacred Ones."

"New… Moo?" asked Ruki, coming back up the ramp. "We're going to visit a bunch of bovines?"

Babus' face was filled with insult.

"What?"

"The N-U M-O-U happened to be descendants from yours truly. Termina is the only place that you can find them anymore."

Ruki felt horrible. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean—"

Babus raised a hand and shook his head. He took a moment to examine Ruki's new getup. The Tetra battle suit fit him like a glove. It was almost like a second skin. It was also quite flexible for the lithe Mood and would come in handy for when he faced the thief, Aruonetwo.

"It's okay; no harm, no foul. By the way, you look great! You might actually pose a threat to Aruonetwo."

Ruki rolled his eyes. Babus liked to give him a hard time whenever possible.

"So, we should be heading for Nu Mountain, then. I should pack for a warm encounter."

Babus shook his head, causing his ears to flop a little. "Quite the opposite, actually," he said in an obvious kind of tone. "Nu Mountain has recently undergone a temperature change due to the arrival of the ice dragon, Volvos. You'd be surprised at how cold it can get up there."

"Let me guess…" said Tor, piping up. "Aruonetwo?"

The Pure One nodded his head, his expression quite blank. "Mmm-hmm. You hit the nail on the head. The Nu Mou have become hermits ever since their mountain paradise froze over. That reminds me…" He put his pack down again and began rummaging through it. "I have something… for you… somewhere…" Finally, he produced a mask. "Nu Mou are very shy and will only talk with one of their own. This mask should get you into the village."

Ruki took and examined the mask. It had quite a likeness to the Pure One but had key differences. This Nu Mou face had brown fur – Babus Swain had gray. The mask had a lock of smoky-gray hair – Babus had none. The Nu Mou Mask had a fat muzzle and nose unlike the Nu Mou before them, whose nose was the size and shape of an oversized grape.

"Yeah, I can see the resemblance already," said Ruki with unmistakable sarcasm in his voice.

"Nu Mou were hunted to extinction on Mood Star!" snapped Babus, slightly offended. "You should be lucky that I have this mask."

"Jeez, sorry… By the way…" Ruki produced the Lupe Mask that he had been given the last time he and Babus had spoken. "What do I do with this?"

"Keep it," said Babus after looking at it. "It seems to be in fair condition. You'll probably need it again someday."

Ruki pocketed it, keeping that in mind. Turning to Tor, he said, "Shall we head out, then?"

Tor seemed uneasy. "Uh, Ruki? Mountains aren't really my thing. I think I'll stay here with Babus. Is that okay?"

Ruki was taken aback. "Uh… well… if you want to. Sure."

"No offense, though."

"No, said Ruki, regaining his composure. "None taken."

"Ruki," said Babus just before Ruki walked out the door. "While you're gone, keep an eye out for a former student of mine. It's been years since I've seen him. If you see him, tell him that I sent you. He'll understand."

"Will do." The Mood made note of the appointment and exited the clock tower.

Day 1: 0710, 70 hours remain.

Ruki savored the morning atmosphere as he stepped out into South Clock Town. He knew that this would all be for naught in three days time. After asking directions from a passerby, he made for the North Gate and was once again stopped by a guard blocking the way. Without waiting for him to speak, he produced his Millennium Sword.

"Oh!" said the guard. "A sword! My apologies, sir. Nu Mountain lies past here. Excuse me." He stepped aside and let Ruki through.

Chapter 13: Coffee and Nuts

Day 1: 0745, 70 hours remain

What a beautiful day! thought Ruki as he paused to take in the sunlight before starting across Termina Field.

The sun was shining brightly in the blue sky. Not a single cloud was in the sky except for the obvious moon, Ruki always liked the first day; it was the most beautiful out of all three. On the second day, it always rained and was mostly cloudy overhead. On the third day, it was partly cloudy with the repetitive rumble from the moon as it approached.

Nope, Ruki loved the first day hands down out of all three. The birds were still singing before they fled on the morning of the final day; Ruki liked it that way.

After trekking the half-mile to the start of the Northern Realm, the young adventurer noticed that he was starting to head uphill a little bit at a time. He also noticed that there was an increasing amount of snow as he climbed. The temperature was also dropping alarmingly fast. Soon, even his new Tetra material battle armor was failing to keep the cold out.

This is not normal weather, he thought as he trudged up the path.

Eventually, he couldn't help wondering if the Nu Mou could keep out the cold to survive in these conditions. From what Ruki knew of Babus, the Pure One's bulk and girth was sufficient enough to keep him as toasty as a hot sub. And that robe of his was enough to keep anyone warm.

Then again, he was a Pure One after all – he didn't have to worry about the cold.

Deciding to see if his hunch was right, Ruki withdrew his new Nu Mou Mask and put it to his face.

He could feel it fusing to his face just as the Lupe Mask had done and he could feel his body beginning to change. Since his last transformation had already destabilized his molecules, Ruki did not feel any pain this time. He did, though, feel himself shrink slightly and his body mass blew out a little. His legs and feet shrunk to almost nothing and a large, orange-fur-covered tail extended from his backside. He also felt two large, heavy weights fall on either side of his head and realized that they were his new Nu Mou ears.

Once the transformation was complete, Ruki examined his new form with interest. Now that he was one, he had to describe Nu Mou in general as "furry slugs". His feet and tail were level with the ground, but he could barely see his feet since they were now hidden under his massive robe. He felt his new brown fur on his body and the orange fur on his tail with satisfaction.

"Smooth and silky does the trick, I guess," he said to himself. "At least I'm warm."

Ruki was not used to having hair and this form had a dirty-white mat of it atop his head. He also noticed that he was clad in a heavy, green-and-gray magician's robe and in each of his drooping, holed ears was a single, weight-shaped earring.

"Nice fashion sense." He realized that this form had a bored-yet-alert sort of voice. "This beats Babus' single hoop any day."

Ruki reached behind his back for his Millennium Sword to examine his new face in the metal and received a surprise: it had transformed into a Nu Mou's magician's rod! It was now made from a piece of carefully carved wood with a little spiral on the end. The five gems that were normally on his sword's blade were now positioned on the spiral of the rod. The green gem was still the only one lit; the other four were still black.

Just then, Ruki realized a drawback to this form: his short and heavy body was much wider at the base of his feet. How on Mood Star was he going to get through the snow now? The answer came almost immediately. Once he took his first steps through the snow, he spotted the fact that Nu Mou seemed to "glide" rather than walk. He was also considerably lighter than he felt because his body left almost no impression in the snow. It was almost like magic!

Cool!

Day 1: 12:30, 65 hours remain

It was well past noon when Ruki arrived at "Nu Paradise" – the Nu Mou village. With all the snow, it was had to tell exactly where their living quarters were because they appeared to be made out of large mounds of dirt in the hillside.

Ruki had no idea where he was going to find Babus' student in this frozen wasteland. He hadn't been given the benefit of a name, so his choices were limited.

Deciding to look around, Ruki began to look for any telltale signs of life in these hills. He soon came to a sign outside a partially-buried fence that read: "Ezel's Apothecary. Business Only!"

On a hunch, he took out his "Millennium Rod" and pointed it at the sign. To his immense relief, the gem next in line to the green one began to glow red faintly.

"This is the one, then," he said, blowing in his hands. The cold was starting to seep through his robe and his fur.

Ruki had to climb over the exposed part of the fence to gain access to the area. When he did, he walked up to a massive mound where he assumed the door would be. Taking out his Millennium Rod again, he tapped the area and a wall of snow fell away.

He waited a while but nobody answered the door. Blowing in his cupped hands again, he knocked again; this time, a male voice answered.

"No, thank you! I won't have anymore martyrs, well wishers or distant relations in here anymore!"

"And what about a friend of a friend?" said Ruki on a whim.

"What?!" He seemed to have gotten the occupant's attention. A moment passed before he heard several locks and gears clicking and the door swung open.

A rather unique Nu Mou second only in appearance to Babus Swain appeared in the doorway. He had deep, navy-blue fur with a light-pink muzzle and a large, pointed magician's hat. He wore very shabby robes that had chains of assorted, odd-looking bottles and books attached to them. His earrings were similar to Ruki's in make and model but looked very old and very darned. He must have been in the middle of reading something because a leather-bound book was in his left hand.

"Hello," said Ruki, extending his hand. The navy-blue Nu Mo looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

""Hello"?" He had a slightly gruff voice. "What kind of greeting is that?" He looked at Ruki's outstretched hand with uninterest. "I've never seen you before; I don't give things to strangers."

Ruki dropped his hand. He had forgotten that this was not Mood Star. Other species obviously had their own customs when greeting others.

When he didn't answer, the Nu Mou seemed to lose interest in him. "If you're not going to tell me who you are or why you're here, then please leave." He started to close the door.

"Wait!" said the morphed Mood, coming to his senses. "Do you know a Babus Swain?"

The door froze and he seemed to have gotten the Nu Mou's attention.

"I might." He paused. "What's it to you?"

"I'm Ruki Mood!" said Ruki, extending his hand again. "Babus told me that you were a student of his."

The Nu Mou hesitated and then opened the door wide.

"Come in, then. I'll make you some coffee."

Cough-ee? Ruki was clueless but glided in and shut the door.

What a strange place! The lighting was dim but Ruki could see several cauldrons with bubbling potions hanging over multiple fireplaces peppered around the small dwelling. A smell of some kind of old spice that Ruki couldn't quite identify hung over the place; it was very strong and fragrant from what he could tell. On several of the walls stood massive bookcases with some of their contents on the floor nearby. The blue Nu Mou went over to one of the bubbling cauldrons, picked up a ladle nearby, dipped it in a vat of runny, black liquid and poured it into a flask.

"Did you want cream, sugar or honey in your coffee?" he asked Ruki. "Or are you a "black" kind of person? I apologize for my lack of decent cups around here.

Ruki walked over to the cauldron and gave it a sniff. It was very strong and had a bitter odor to it. "Uh… sugar, please," he said uncertainly. The Nu Mou went to a jar on a table nearby and poured a spoonful of white sugar crystals into the foreign drink and gave it to him.

"This stuff's Kopi Luwak," he said, pouring a flask of his own. "Best coffee on the planet."

Ruki looked at the steaming drink, remembering a personal promise that he made years ago: "I'll try anything once."

He took a sip and nearly scalded his tongue. It had a slightly bitter taste to it despite the added sugar. Instantly, he felt his energy levels skyrocket and was filled with so much energy that it wasn't normal. His pupils grew to large sizes and he began twitching involuntarily. The Nu Mou looked up from his own coffee and raised an eyebrow. Ruki dropped the flask, coffee and all, and started running around the Nu Mou's dwelling, babbling incoherently. He upset several glass flasks and ran straight through the front door and into the cold, leaving a nice, Nu Mou-shaped hole in the woodwork.

"Coffee-is-good! Coffee-is-nice! Coffee-coffee-coffee-coffee-coffee!!!" screamed the mad Mood as if he was completely haywire.

He went zooming from hill to hill at breakneck speeds in his coffee-induced sugar rush. Several Nu Mou heard the noise from inside their homes and looked out their windows to see what all the ruckus was about. You could imagine their surprise when they saw what appeared to be one of their own species jumping from house to house, screaming incoherently. The Nu Mou that had given Ruki the Kopi Lowak watched as Ruki ran straight into a brick wall hidden underneath the snow drifts and sighed.

Chapter 14: The Secrets of Termina

Night of the First Day: 1930, 60 hours remain

Oh… my head! I feel like I've been hit with a sledgehammer!

Ruki awoke inside the strange Nu Mou's house sometime that evening with his head pounding. He was still reeling from his coffee episode. The male Nu Mou was attending to the damages when he saw the Mood awaken.

"I should've remembered the first rule of coffee drinking: never, ever give even a drop of Kopi Luwak to a Mood! You're lucky that you didn't break any bones on your little joyride."

Huh? If I'm a Mood… then that means…

Ruki felt his face. It was its normal round shape again. He was, indeed, a Mood again.

"I took the liberty of removing your disguise while you were out," said the Nu Mou, pointing to the Nu Mou Mask sitting on the table. "It's quite an advanced form of magic if you ask me; I haven't seen this kind of craftsmanship in some time."

Ruki got up and sat on the edge of the bed, his head still pounding. "How'd you—?"

The Nu Mou smiled as he answered. "Babus taught me everything he knew; he was my mentor once upon a time. He also told me that you were coming."

Ruki said nothing.

"But where are my manners?" said the Nu Mou, extending his hand like Ruki had earlier. "My name's Ezel Berbier: alchemist."

"Hi, I'm—"

"Ruki Mood, I know," said Ezel Berbier, reassembling the smashed bottles with a casual wave of his hand. "You're here looking for me, right?"

"Yeah… I guess." Ruki lied back down. "Say, how'd you do that?"

Ezel smiled while he said, "Nu Mou are a magical species. We are rivaled in our power only by the Lugians."

"Lugi-ans?" Ruki was confused. "Lugia has his own species?"

Ezel sighed and went over to one of his bookshelves and selected a book. "I see that a crash course in the basics of Termina is in order."

"Okay…"

Day 1: 0320, 50 hours remain

Ruki and Ezel talked well into the night. Ruki told of his quest to find the four Sacred Ones and defeat Aruonetwo while Ezel taught and drilled him on the various species of Termina.

The Lupes, which Ruki had already met, inhabited the forests of Woodfall to the south and were descended from wolf-and-dog cross-breeds. The Nu Mou, who lived in the north, were magical creatures that were always at peace. Ruki learned that only a dangerous event that threatened the life of the planet would convince them to join any battle. The "Lugians", as they were called, had apparently descended from the Pure One, Lugia, and had evolved into a Mood-like form over time. The Lugians were the Nu Mou's friendly rivals in the magic department and always welcomed a challenge in their home realm of the West Ocean.

Another race of Termina was the Hork-Bajir of the East Canyon were rarely seen outside their home realm. Ruki discovered that they were a peaceful and simple-minded folk that pretty much kept to themselves.

Lastly, and to Ruki's great surprise, the race that lived close to the Hork-Bajir were the dragons of Ikana. A legendary race, the dragons had just recently acquired the status of "dangerous beasts" by the Moods of Clock Town. In order to prevent themselves from being hunted, the dragons stayed secluded somewhere deep inside Ikana Canyon.

"My people have also acquired a fear for the dragons ever since Volvos appeared in our realm," added Ezel after he had said this.

"That's too bad," said Ruki with slight pity. He had had his own dangerous experience with a dragon named Volvagia two years ago in Arupnyn's Golden Pyramid.

When it was Ruki's turn to talk, he explained how he had heard about Ezel. The alchemist was quite interested to hear that Babus was back in the area.

"I haven't seen him in over ten years," he said, thinking back a ways. "I guess that was during the time that Arupnyn was in power, yes?"

Ruki nodded and went on to explain what Vega had said about acquiring the Sacred Ones' power and using the Millennium Sword to channel the energy. Ezel, after hearing this, got up and went over to get another book from his massive collection of bookcases.

"There was something in here about the Millennium Sword's origin that I think you should see. Just a minute… no… no…" He paused as he pulled out a book, examined it and then replaced it on the bookshelf. "Hmm… I was looking for that one. Ah! Here we go!" He withdrew a large, dusty volume covered in a mosaic.

"Know what this is?" Ezel said as Ruki looked at it. The Mood shook his head. "This is the Fiho Komo – also known as the "Pure Tome" created by the gods themselves. You won't believe what I had to go through to get a hold of this book. This particular book will tell you absolutely anything you need to know."

Hearing the Lost Language spoken again reminded Ruki of his adventures on Mood Star while traveling with his old friend, Ristar. Opening the book, he noticed that the pages were made of flat, silver, metal sheets. He had never seen anything like it before!

"This is amazing!" he said in awe. "But… there's nothing written on here! The pages are completely blank!"

"You have to know what you're looking for first," said Ezel simply. "Think of something that you want to know."

"Okay then." Ezel watched as Ruki thought hard for a moment. Ruki wanted to know exactly where his Millennium Sword had come from and what it had to do with the Sacred Ones.

Almost instantly, words started to form on the metal pages. Many invisible hands seemed to be writing at once as the pages flooded with shaped, black ink.

Ruki looked up at Ezel, who merely smiled and then went to attend to some of the potions simmering around his house. The Mood read the following words with interest:

"During the creation of Termina, the goddesses Flarre, Mihale and Natia had sent a guardian to each of the four realms to protect the inhabitants from any evil that might threaten the planet. These guardians were rumored to be descendants of the four Pure Ones of the goddesses' first creations, Mood Star. The Sacred Ones, as they came to be known as, had the natural ability to conceal themselves among the inhabitants of Termina so that they could walk among the Terminians without drawing attention.

"The goddesses, unfortunately, created a flaw in their new world. Because Termina's Sacred Ones' powers were limited to their respective realms, the goddesses feared that their new world was more prone to evil conquering it than Mood Star was. To prevent this, they created the Millennium Sword, a weapon that could harness the power of the four Sacred Ones and distribute it throughout the world. Over time, the sword was guarded in the center of Termina also known as Clock Town in order to keep all four realms in balance.

"Not too long ago, a Mood scientist known as Aru discovered the path between Mood Star and Termina and used it to take the Millennium Sword from its place in Clock Town and return to Mood Star. This act of thievery disrupted the balance of power and stripping the Sacred Ones of their powers.

"For 20 years, the balance of power has been in reflux. This imbalance allowed the thief, Aruonetwo, to enter Termina armed with the dangerous power of Majora's Mask and used it to cause havoc in the world. The thief used the powers of the Mask to create a Guardian for each of the four realms. The Sacred Ones were powerless to stop her; she had used the power of Majora's Mask to seal the four Sacred Ones' power in the Guardians.

"After two years of ruling Termina, Aruonetwo grew tired of the parallel world and harnessed Majora's power to pull the moon out of orbit and send it crashing into the planet. To those of you who read this, be warned; Aruonetwo will leave Termina in exactly 48 hours and 5 minutes. Only by defeating the four Guardians and awakening the four Sacred Ones' powers can peace be restored to Termina.

Good luck,

Hyozanryu"

Chapter 15: A Plea for Help

Dawn of the Second Day: 0600, 48 hours remain

Ruki closed the Pure Tome and sat speechless while he watched Ezel measuring ingredients for a new potion. The last three words had caught his attention. Hyozanryu had spoken to him when he had retrieved his Millennium Sword during his first fight with Aruonetwo. It struck him as odd that Hyozanryu had written this passage in the Pure Tome and it was Ruki that had read it. He dismissed it as a coincidence and turned to his next issue.

Arupnyn had originally stolen the Millennium Sword and it was by pure luck that Ruki had come across it in a trash can outside XLR's Factory over two years ago. He wondered what Arupnyn had to do with Aruonetwo since they had both tried to take over a world. Other than that and the fact that they both had a similar name, Ruki couldn't find any trait that either of them shared. After all, Arupnyn had been an only child from what he knew.

He then turned his attention to the story about the Millennium Sword and Majora's Mask. On the issue with the mask, the book had been very vague; from what he knew, Aruonetwo had stolen the mask from Babus and was using its power to draw the moon closer to the surface.

Ruki had achieved a new level of hate for Arupnyn. It was because of him that Termina was in danger. It was because of him that innocent Moods had died during his reign on Mood Star. It was all Arupnyn's fault! As he clenched his fist, the mark of the Golden Power glowed faintly on his left hand.

Ezel had left the room momentarily to fetch some more flasks, so Ruki started paging through the metal pages of the Pure Tome, thinking of how he had sworn that he would find where Ristar had vanished to when something caught his eye. The writing on one of the pages had changed to resemble a hastily-written note in Ristar's loose handwriting.

"Ruki,

I'm in deep trouble. I was looking for one of those Sacred Ones that I heard lived in Termina Bay when I got caught by a group of pirates that call themselves "The Bonnes". They have me locked in their fortress in the cliffs of Termina Bay and they plan to abandon it and me when the moon crashes! I got this message out via a barred window in my cell when they weren't looking. If you get this, then there should be only two days until the moon DESTROYS US ALL!!!

Please hurry,

Starman

P.S.: DESTROY US ALL!!! DESTROY US ALL!!! DESTROY US ALL!!! DESTROY US ALL!!!

P.P.S.: Sorry, I couldn't help myself. It can get pretty quiet down here.

P.P.P.S.: I hope you still have that piece of my Star Rod that I gave you."

Ruki closed the book and chuckled for two reasons. One: because Ristar was still alive and somewhere in Termina. And Two: Ristar always seemed to find a way to make hopeless situations funny. He had to admit that that whole "DESTROY US ALL" repeating part had its merits.

To confirm where Ristar was, Ruki had the Pure Tome draw a map of Termina and circle the spot where the Star was currently held and then calculate how long it would take him to get there from here. After some unseen calculations, the book estimated that it would take 76 hours to get from Ezel's house on Nu Mountain to the Bonnes' Fortress – that was way too long of a trip on Ruki's strict 72-hour schedule. He would have to wait until he used the Time-Turner again.

He got up, grabbed his Millennium Sword from a nearby table and headed for the Door. He might as well start looking for that Sacred One.

"If you're thinking about leaving here in the middle of a storm, you can forget about it." Ezel Berbier had reappeared seemingly out of nowhere. "That storm will eat you alive!"

"I'm running out of time, Ezel," said Ruki, turning around. "I have to locate the second Sacred One."

But the alchemist was not about to be overruled. "You can wait until noon before you go anywhere. Nu Mountain is starting to act up – the temperature alone would kill you instantly." Grumbling, Ruki gave in and returned to a chair and looked out a window up at Nu Mountain. The nerve of him!

It was then that he noticed that a long, thin… something was snaking its way out of the top of the mountain and into the air. It let out a piercing cry that was strong enough to make the ground at his feet quake. This was reason enough for Ezel to look out the window and groan.

"Oh great! Volvos is coming back! Ruki," he turned to the Mood. "Don't leave the house until I get back!"

"Hey!"

"I mean it! Volvos'll make a quick snack out of you if he sees you, so stay put!"

"Grr… Fine!" It was now two-to-zero in Ezel's favor. The Nu Mou threw open the door and ran out into the storm. The creature known as Volvos was circling overhead like a hawk. Ruki couldn't get a good look at it due to the blowing snows.

Just then it let out a piercing cry so powerful that it resonated in Ruki's brain. He became confused and unable to focus. The pitch was so high that his mind went blank and empty. He clutched his temples as he tried to clear his head, but it was too strong. He blacked out and knew no more.

Chapter 16: Montblanc and Nu Mountain

Day 2: 1200, 42 hours remain

Something was poking him as he slowly came to his senses.

"Kupo!" it said in a high voice. "Get up, lazy bones! Everyone is gone! You're the last one here!"

Ruki's vision finally came into focus. As he sat up, the strange creature cheered.

"Yay! I thought you'd never get up! You've been out for some time, kupo."

Out of all the creatures that Ruki had seen in his life thus far, nothing was as bizarre or as cute as what stood before him. The little thing was only three feet tall at best. It had an adorable cat-like face complete with long whiskers on the sides of his cheeks. Its ears were long, but they extended backwards instead of down like the Nu Mou did. It had tiny, short feet that were covered with little brown booties. Two long, thin, orange wings sprouted from its back but they looked more like miniature bat wings than anything to Ruki. The creature also had a green tunic with sand-colored shorts that covered its tiny body. What amazed Ruki the most was the wire-thin antenna that sprouted from the back of its head and ended with a large, orange, slightly spiked orb that dangled behind it.

Ruki stared at the strange creature. It looked at him with a curious expression on its face.

"Kupo?" it squeaked. "Haven't you ever seen a Moogle before?"

"Uh…" stammered Ruki. The truth was: he hadn't even heard of "Moogles" at all. Period. "W-well, um…" He didn't want to offend it, but when he looked at it, it was just too cute to lie to. "No."

The Moogle extended a tiny hand and said, "Kupopo. My name's Montblanc. Nice to meet you, kupo!" Ruki took its hand in his thumb, middle and index fingers and shook it. He tried not to laugh at the funny creature as he introduced himself.

"I'm Ruki Mood. Nice to meet you, too."

Montblanc the Moogle tilted his head to one side as asked, "You're not from around here, are you, kupo?"

"How'd you guess?" said Ruki, still fighting back the urge to laugh. Montblanc had an adorable look to him at whatever he did.

"Kupo! Well, for one thing: you don't seem to be bothered by the fact that every last Nu Mou has been taken to the Ice Temple."

Ruki had to remove his head for a moment and dump all of the trash out of it before he replaced it and said, rather loudly, "They were?! What happened?"

"Kupopo!" chirped Montblanc, pointing at Nu Mountain, which could be seen through the large, fresh hole in Ezel's roof. Ruki noticed for the first time that the storm had passed but it was still fairly cold out. "Volvos came down and froze all the Nu Mou so that he could take them to his lair. If we don't hurry, they'll all be eaten!"

Ruki quickly got to his feet and started for the door, which had been knocked off its hinges.

"Wait, kupo!" called Montblanc, following him. "Do you even know where the Ice Temple is?"

Ruki froze in mid-step. He hadn't thought about that. Exactly how was he going to save Ezel and the Nu Mou if he didn't know where he was going? He obviously didn't know the way there.

"No…" he said slowly.

"Then you'd better stick with me, kupo," said Montblanc, stepping weightlessly onto the snow in front of him. "I know Nu Mountain like the back of my hand. It could get dangerous."

Day 2: 1700, 37 hours remain

It wasn't easy climbing the path up Nu Mountain. The winds blew mercilessly all around them as they trudged up the snow covered path. Ruki had to don his Nu Mou Mask in order to stay warm and stay on top of the deep snow. It seemed that the higher they climbed, the harder and more brutal the winds and temperature became.

Despite his thin tunic and shorts, Montblanc didn't seem to mind the freezing cold weather.

Wow, thought Ruki, brushing his hair out of his face for the third time and continuing on. Only a Sacred One could take such abuse!

Several times during their quest, Ruki and Montblanc had had to cross narrow ledges covered in ice or climb dangerous rocky cliffs in order to continue. Ruki was slightly susceptible to heights and had nearly lost his head after slipping slightly on one of the ledges. Thankfully, Montblanc was able to help him keep calm and convince him to keep going.

Near the mountain's summit, they encountered a solid wall of wind that resisted every one of their attempts to cross it.

"Kupo!" shouted Montblanc over the raging winds. "This should be the last obstacle before we reach the Ice Temple! If only we could cross this, kupo, we might be able to get out of this storm!"

Ruki, meanwhile, was occupied with his Millennium Rod. The black gem that had glowed red by the sign outside Ezel's house was going off again.

"One of the Sacred Ones is in there!" he yelled to the Moogle. "We have to cross this barrier before this storm rips us apart!"

"Kupopo! But it will rip us apart if we tried to cross that!" came Montblanc's voice through the blizzard. "That barrier is blowing too fast for us to survive it!"

"We still need to get in there!"

"Kupo! And how do you plan on doing that?!"

"Hold on a minute; my brain is working!"

Ruki looked from his rod to the wind barrier and then back again. And then it clicked: he had used his Millennium Sword to mess with the elements and gain access to XLR's Factory back on Mood Star via a heated vent. If a sword could cool a hot vent, then why couldn't a rod slow the power of the wind?

Ruki stepped back with his rod in hand and then ran forward a ways and chucked it straight into the barrier. He could make out the unmistakable glow of three of the gems. First the green one glowed brighter than before as the rod seemed to freeze in mid-air. Next, one of the black ones shone a blinding blue color and the wind seemed to slow down significantly. Finally, the one that had glowed red before reactivated and the temperature rose a little. The Millennium Rod then glowed a piercing white.

When it died, the wind finally died with it and the way into the Ice Temple was clear.

Chapter 17: The Ice Temple

Night of the Second Day: 1900, 35 hours remain

The sun had gone down when the storm finally cleared. Ruki and Montblanc were looking over the summit of Nu Mountain at an amazing sight. The cliff they stood on marked the start of a mile-wide frozen crater that went down at least a thousand feet. From what Ruki could tell from the steam rising out of the lake at the bottom, the water was probably as cold as liquid nitrogen. From the middle of the lake rose a spire of solid ice that ended in a magnificent sanctuary perched on top. It looked like a colossal palace that was carved completely out of the finest crystal. A bridge of solid ice spanned the distance between distance between Ruki and Montblanc and the Ice Temple.

"Wow!" said Montblanc in awe and rubbing his eyes to make sure that he was seeing things properly. "What a kupo place!"

"Yeah…" said an awestruck Ruki. "I don't think that the Nu Mou made this place; it's not natural either."

"All I know is that the temple appeared when Nu Mountain froze over; so Aruonetwo probably had something to do with it." He looked up. "Ruki, Look at that!"

Ruki followed his finger and saw that a vortex of swirling purple clouds hanging over the palace. "I guess we found the source of this realm's evil." He looked back at the temple and turned to Montblanc. "Well… shall we?"

"Kupo!" squeaked the Moogle. And with that notion, they started across the ice bridge.

From behind a snow-covered boulder, a shadowy figure watched the duo cross the bridge. After making sure that they couldn't hear him, the figure pulled out a walkie-talkie.

"Alpha to Omega," he said in a dull voice. "They've just reached the Ice Temple. I'm going in after them."

"Excellent!" answered a dark voice. "You know what to do should they find the Sacred One."

"Yes, sir! Just promise to keep your end of the bargain."

"Are you talking back to me?!" The voice sounded outraged.

"N-n-n-no, sir," said the figure in a shaky voice. "I'll keep my mouth shut. Please don't hurt her!"

"That depends on your cooperation. Now move!!!"

"Y-y-yes, sir! Alpha out!"

Day 2: 1930, 34 hours remain

Crossing the ice bridge was easy; it was very sturdy and even had railings that appeared to be made out of solid crystal. Getting inside the Ice Temple was even easier; there was no lock or door to block their way. The problem that Ruki and Montblanc faced happened to be finding Volvos, Ezel and/or the Nu Mou.

A crystal staircase stood before them with a doorway on each of the walls above it. The right door was locked, so they improvised by going through the unlocked left one.

Ruki and Montblanc stood inside a large, circular room the size of a cathedral with a large crop of land rising out of the middle of a sub-zero-temperature lake of water. Ruki suspected that that was where Volvos was hiding, but there was no way to get to the island without setting foot in the freezing water.

"Any ideas?" he asked as Montblanc started walking on the ring of land surrounding the lake.

"Nope, kupo," said the Moogle, touching the water with a tiny finger and shuddering. "Brr! That's really cold!"

Something in the way Montblanc had said this seemed to annoy Ruki to the point of him turning to berate the poor creature.

"Why do you keep calling me "Kupo"?" he shouted. "It's driving me nuts!"

Montblanc looked both hurt and offended at the same time. "All Moogles say "Kupo", kupo. I know that your name is Ruki, but that's how Moogles talk. I didn't mean to offend you, kupopo."

Ruki immediately felt ashamed for chewing out the little guy. "Hey, I didn't mean to offend you; I'm sorry."

Montblanc perked up. "That's okay, kupo. None taken."

Something on the other side of the lake overheard them and answered in a shaky voice, "P-please d-don't eat me! I really don't taste that good. If you eat me, you'll have a really bad stomachache. You'll be sorry!"

Ruki heard the speaker and ran around the lake to the source of the voice. He eventually found a single Nu Mou cowering in the corner of a locked cell with his back turned to the Mood.

"Psst, Montblanc!" called Ruki to the Moogle. "Come over here!"

"Kupo?" Montblanc sidled over to him and looked into the cell. The Nu Mou seemed oblivious to their presence.

"That's one of the Nu Mou that Volvos captured. There should be a way to open it… somehow." He started looking for a possible way to open the cell door.

Ruki's search proved more fruitful than his when he discovered a slot in the wall just above them and the cell door. It was just out of their reach.

"Hey, Monty! Try to fit my Millennium Rod into that hole up there; I'll give you a boost!"

"I'm going to forget that you called me that, kupo," sighed Montblanc, climbing up on Ruki's shoulders. "It's Mont… blanc; don't forget it!"

"All right, all right! Sheesh! Touchy, aren't we?"

Montblanc grabbed Ruki's rod and Ruki pushed him up with his hands. The Moogle was even lighter that he thought he was. However, the rod wouldn't fit in the hole. All this time, the Nu Mou in the cell chose to ignore them.

"Well?" asked Ruki.

"No dice, kupo. It's too thick and round! Hang on a minute…" He examined the mechanism around the slot and chuckled.

"What?"

"It's a sword keyhole, kupo; you need to use your Millennium sword in this thing!" He hopped down and pointed to Ruki's face. "Take off your mask."

Ruki shrugged and obliged. He felt the familiar sensation of shape-shifting and was soon a Mood once again. He also noticed the cold for the first time since entering the temple and shivered.

After stowing his Nu Mou Mask away, Ruki reached for his newly-changed Millennium Sword and returned to the task of opening the cell door. He was able to just reach the slot by jumping in his much taller form and wedge the sword directly into the slot.

Nothing whatsoever happened.

"You need to turn it, kupo! It's a keyhole, after all."

Ruki shrugged again and jumped up and grabbed onto the side of the blade. His weight managed to rotate the wedged sword and he heard a satisfying click resonate in the room as the mechanisms in the wall began moving in order to slide the cell door open.

This action seemed to have finally gotten the Nu Mou's attention, causing him to turn around and see Ruki dropping to the ground, sword in hand.

"A-are you releasing me?" he said in a shaky voice. "Am I free to go?" He looked at the Mood and the Moogle with unsure gratitude on his face.

"Sure!" said Ruki, gesturing for him to leave. "Go right ahead." The Nu Mou bowed his head and made to leave when he remembered something.

"The dragon is in this room!" he said in a panic. "The alchemist tried to defeat the ice dragon, Volvos, but lost and was carried off to somewhere in the temple. I saw the whole thing!"

"Ezel!" Ruki wondered what could have happened to him. "Come on, Montblanc! We need to go find him."

"Kupo!" chirped the Moogle and he made to follow him when the Nu Mou spoke up again.

"Wait!" They halted and turned around "I may not be able to do much, but I can do this!"

He pulled out a magician's rod similar to Ruki's minus the gems and waved it in the air. Two bolts of white light flew from it. One of them went to the edge of the lake near the room's entrance and formed a large, flat chunk of ice that stood well above the water. The other bolt went through the door to the entrance hall and disappeared. Ruki distinctly heard something click on the other side.

"That's all I have the strength for," said the Nu Mou. "Please defeat the dragon. Good luck!" And with that, it turned quickly and vanished with a loud crack!

Day 2: 2000, 34 hours remain

As Ruki and Montblanc stepped out of the lake room, they noticed that they previously locked door had swung open to reveal another room beyond it. Passing through the door, they stepped into a seemingly narrow hallway lined with razor-sharp shards of glass. Ruki, who had had second thoughts, tried to back out but was blocked by a closed and locked door.

"This is not good," he said, turning carefully around. The razor-lined walls were very close together and offered them very little space to maneuver.

They carefully edged their way down the hallway while trying to avoid being cut to ribbons along the way. They weren't doing very well at it; Ruki's Tetra battle armor was resistant to the sharp walls, but the shards still scratched him up plenty on his face. Montblanc's favorite jacket was reduced to shreds and slightly bloody by the time they reached a fork in their path.

"Now what?" said Ruki, trying his hardest not to move and risk bloodying up his face any further.

"What if we split up?" suggested Montblanc. His body was covered in blood now.

"That's probably not a good idea. If we tried that and ran into a dead end, we'd probably be tenderized medium-rare before we could find each other again."

"Ku… po." Montblanc seemed to be fading due to a lack of blood. "Good… idea."

"Montblanc, don't pass out on me here; we're a long way from Nu Paradise and I can't afford to lose my only guide."

"I'll be… okay… really."

However, his actions spoke louder than words. He took two steps forward and collapsed in a pool of his own blood.

"Montblanc, no!" Ruki dropped to his hands and feet and crawled to the fallen Moogle. He had lost a substantial amount of blood. It looked like he wasn't going to make it.

And then he remembered: his bag of Soul Fires! They had helped Tor back at the Werelupes' Bunker; why shouldn't they work now? He withdrew the purple-satin bag and pulled out one of the glowing red balls. He managed to force open Montblanc's mouth and insert the Soul Fire. The Fire dissolved the instant it touched his tongue and spread its energy throughout his body, turning him a glowing-red color for a moment and then returning him to his normal shade. Montblanc's cuts and gashes sealed shut and ceased bleeding. After a while, he began to stir and moan.

"Ku… po? Ru… ki?"

"Montblanc! You're okay! Can you move?"

"I… think so." He tried but Ruki held him in place.

"On second thought… don't move. You'll hurt yourself again."

"Oh… okay."

Ruki carefully got to his feet and looked up. He noticed that the jagged walls only went halfway up to the ceiling. On a hunch, he drew his Millennium Sword and drove it into the floor at his feet. To his immense relief, one of the gems glowed a bright blue color followed by the already-lit green one. The jagged walls around them began lowering themselves into the floor to reveal that they were in a large, square room.

"That is a really kupo sword!" said Montblanc wearily as they made their way to another locked Nu Mou Cell at the end of the room.

Ruki and Montblanc located another fancy sword-keyhole above the door and unlocked it and freed the Nu Mou inside.

"This realm wasn't always a frozen wasteland," said the Nu Mou after he was freed. "It used to be a mountain paradise! Birds sang every day, the sun shined through cloudless skies, the temperature was ideal year-round; you name it! And then Volvos appeared over two years ago and this place went under pretty quickly. I have a feeling that you could defeat Volvos and end this frozen nightmare!"

"I'll see what I can do," said Ruki nonchalantly.

"I know what I can do; I can help you on your quest."

The Nu Mou produced a rod out of nowhere and waved it in the air. A door appeared in the wall behind them and Ruki assumed that another ice block had been sent to the room with the frigid lake. The Nu Mou then bowed and vanished with a crack!

"Nice people," said Ruki, walking over to the door and opening it. "Very nice people."

The next room was very small and contained a single, tiny chest. Ruki walked up to the chest to open it.

"Wait, kupo!" said Montblanc nervously. "You shouldn't just open it; it could be a trap!"

"You think?" Ruki said in mock concern. "It is too easy…" He thought for a second. "Nope… don't care."

"Ruki, stop!"

But Ruki had already opened the chest. Montblanc braced himself for a trap or ambush…

…that did not come. Absolutely nothing happened whatsoever.

"See? What did I tell you? Stop worrying so much."

He reached inside the chest and withdrew a small, crystal bottle filled with a liquid that appeared to be the color of polished gold. Ruki could not make heads or tails of it but Montblanc's eyes were as big as glasses.

"Ruki" he said with amazement. "Do you know what that is?"

"Liquid gold?" said Ruki, pointing out the obvious.

"Even better! That is the most kupo potion in all of Termina!"

"What's so "kupo" about it? It might fetch a pretty gil back on Mood Star."

SMACK!!!

Montblanc had just slapped him across the face.

"OUCH!!! What was that for?!" Those tiny hands really stung.

"Ruki, don't you get it?" Montblanc seemed outraged at the thought of selling it. "This is Felix Felices; that's how you say "Pure Luck" in the Lost Language. It's beyond priceless."

It was Ruki's turn to be amazed. "I've only heard of this stuff in stories. The Pure Ones and the Sacred Ones only made a certain amount of this stuff at the beginning of time." When Montblanc looked confused, he added, "I read books."

"Kupopo. If you drip a drop of that potion on your tongue, you'll have exactly six hours of pure luck; anything and everything would go your way."

"This is just too rare and valuable to sell," said Ruki, putting the bottle in his pocket. "I'm going to give this to Babus when I get back to Clock Town; he'll know what to do with it."

"Good idea, kupo. It's best kept in the hands of a Pure One since we haven't rescued all the Sacred Ones yet."

And with that under their belt, they moved onto the next room.

As the duo left the room, the shadowy figure from outside the temple crept in. He looked at the empty chest in horror.

"Well?!" came the dark voice from the figure's walkie-talkie. "Is it in there?!"

"N-no, m-master," stammered the figure. "The Mood and the Moogle got there first."

What came from the other end of the line was a curse so dark and so evil that the figure collapsed onto the floor, whimpering and twitching.

"THAT'S IT!!!" The voice was screaming itself hoarse. "If you don't finish the job like we agreed, then the deal's off!!!"

"Please no, master!" begged the figure. "I swear that I'll get the job done. Please, please, please don't hurt her!"

"You're on your final lifeline, wretch!" bellowed the voice. "Get going or else!!!"

The figure's red eyes were flooded as he ran into the next room. He had to hurry or else she would be at the voice's mercy. There was still time to act!

Chapter 18: Ruki vs. Ezel?

Day 2: 0000, 30 hours remain

"Who-o-o-o-oa! What's going on?!" said Ruki as the shadowy figure rushed past him, sending him spinning… literally. "Come… back… here!" he said, trying to keep his sight straight.

"Allow me, kupo." Montblanc steadied Ruki, removed the Mood's head, shook it a little bit, replaced it and admired his handiwork.

You've probably noticed by now that Moods' heads are removable to mess with, but only when the Mood is dazed or confused; after all, they did descend from animated drawings, but their heads remain planted on their shoulders most of the time. Remember this because I won't explain it again.

"Thanks a bunch," said Ruki after his eyes stopped spinning. "What hit me?"

"I think we're being followed, kupo," said Montblanc.

"Huh." Ruki put his hands to his hips. "Well, whoever it was is long gone by now. However, a certain lump in his pocket seemed to be missing.

"Hey! The Felix Felices is gone!"

"Oh, no!" squeaked Montblanc in a panic. "If that potion gets into the wrong hands, who knows what could happen?"

"Come on!"

They ran further into the room that they had just entered. It looked like they had stepped into a shallow pond on a misty day. There was no sign of any of the massive room's walls anywhere in sight. In the middle of the area was a single sandy island with a solitary dead tree on it.

Ruki, who was fooled by the room, walked straight into an invisible barrier surrounding the area. Once again, he demonstrated just how flat Mood's can become on walls.

"Kupopo. This isn't normal," said Montblanc, peeling the Mood off of the wall and whipping him back into shape. "This water is too warm to be in this temple; and this fog is not natural. There's an aura of evil hanging around here."

"Come to think of it," Ruki voiced aloud. "Where are we?"

They walked around the area for a while. They seemed to be trapped in a doorless realm with no means of escape." The only thing that was significant about the room was the island and the tree in the exact center of the area, which Ruki now sat down under.

"It looks likes we're trapped in here," he sighed as his eyelids began to droop. The mist hanging around the area that was being emitted from the warm water was making him sleepy.

"Yeah… kupo," yawned Montblanc. "We… might as well… sleep on it. I could… haaa… use some shut-eye."

Ruki seemed to be nodding off. He yawned widely and began to drift off to sleep.

Day 2: 0330, 26 hours remain

Ruki was dreaming. He was standing in front of a massive statue of himself at the summit of Nu Mountain after defeating the ice dragon, Volvos. At least 50 Nu Mou were praising him on a slightly lower level than him and had raised their rods and/or hands in his honor. Ruki turned around to bask in their praise.

From behind the statue, a shadowy figure stepped from behind it and drew a long, crooked dagger from behind it. It slowly approached Ruki's turned back and carefully took its position. With a swift pounce, it drove the dagger into Ruki's back.

Ruki let out a scream and collapsed. He managed to roll over on his back at get a look at his assassin. The figure was shrouded in darkness, but he WAS able to catch a glimpse of some blue-ish fur.

No… Not him… He had been betrayed by him. Ruki had thought that he had met a friend but now felt betrayed by someone that he had thought was a good guy. The figure sneered as it raised its dagger for the kill.

"NOOOO!!! STOP!!!"

Huh?

It wasn't his own voice that screamed out, but Montblanc's. The tiny Moogle flew out of nowhere and tackled the assassin to the ground. With his attacker stunned, Montblanc ran to Ruki, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Ruki, wake up!!!"

Ruki snapped awake and instinctively rolled aside, nearly squashing the Moogle in the process. It was a small price to pay to avoid being spitted on the end of, not a dagger, but a sword. A dark figure had appeared out of nowhere and had driven a thin sword into the spot where Ruki had been mere seconds before. Ruki grabbed his Millennium Sword and turned to face his foe. Who he saw literally dropped the mouth right off his face and into the water with a splash!

Ezel Berbier stood before him with a long, thin blade drawn. However, he seemed… different. His eyes were a blazing red and they were both staring at Ruki with a lust for blood.

Forgetting his mouth, Ruki took the defense as Ezel began swinging his rapier with expert precision, despite his size. Ruki was having a hard time countering his attacks; whenever he managed to parry Ezel's attacks, the Nu Mou would vanish with a crack and reappear nearby and resume the fight without missing a beat. Apparently, Nu Mou had the natural ability to teleport from place to place at will. This did not help Ruki's confidence whatsoever.

Ruki took several blows to his Tetra armor from Ezel before he realized that he could not match the Nu Mou's speed. And that's when he got an idea.

"Mmphmmm!" he shouted, but then realized that his mouth was still in the water.

Away from the excitement, Montblanc heard the lost mouth call for him. He went over to it, picked up Ruki's loose lips and spoke it.

"What is it, kupo?"

"Montblanc!" blabbed the mouth. "I need a distraction! I have a plan."

"Kupo…" sighed the Moogle. He did not want to get in the middle of the crossfire, but this time, he didn't have a choice. Spotting several pebbles on the sandy island, he picked one of them up and chucked it at Ezel. The first one was a miss ("What are you doing?!" screamed Ruki's mouth.) and flew well over the dueling duo. The second one pegged Ezek on the right ear ("You're going to have to do better than that!"). The third pebble bounced off the Nu Mou's muzzle ("I think you got his attention that time.").

He did get his attention because Ezel broke away from the fight to let out a savage roar and then charged the poor Moogle. Ruki seized his opportunity and donned his Nu Mou Mask. Ignoring the feelings of the transformation, Ruki tried to harness his form's "second mind" and tried to teleport.

Nothing.

I know what you're thinking. What is a "second mind"? Well, the magical masks that Babus gave Ruki were once flesh-and-blood creatures. When the form gave up its life, Babus would convert the creature's abilities and powers into masks. So, whenever Ruki transforms, the mask's form has a second, less dominant consciousness in Ruki's mind. He is then able to harness their abilities much easier than if he we were to try it on his own.

That takes care of that; it won't happen again.

"Ruki! Hurry!" cried Montblanc, running as fast as his little feet could take him.

Think, Mood! He wanted to get moving quickly, so, on a hunch, he pictured the location of where he wanted to go and thought of getting their fast.

Success! His body seemed to be sucked into itself like a black hole and he was flying through a white void until he reappeared between Ezel and Montblanc. The whole process took less than a second, but it felt like much longer.

"Surprise!" he shouted, but due to his lack of lips, all that came out was, "Muhurmph!"

Ezel faltered for a second due to Ruki's sudden appearance which allowed the Mood cum Nu Mou to gain the upper hand. However, he was now fighting using spells instead of steel. He did have an advantage, though: he could now attack from a distance rather than risking his body up-close. Ezel, however, had noticed this advantage and soon switched to spells as well.

It was now a game of cat-and-mouse. Ruki would teleport whenever he saw a spell coming a little too close to Ezel and vice-versa. Ruki could now patch the Nu Mou's speed but his mental stamina was running out. He figured that he would never be able to be 100 percent Nu Mou.

Just then, he saw his opening. Ezel had failed to deflect one of Ruki's bolts and was momentarily stunned. Ruki took the chance and waved his Millennium Rod. A bolt of multi-colored energy shot from it and struck Ezel squarely between the eyes. The cursed Nu Mou froze, dropped his rod and slumped over.

Ruki had won.

As soon as Ezel fell, the room's enchantment lifted. The tree and the fog vanished and Ruki found himself standing in a large, square room. The shallow water had lost its heat and became frigid to match the theme of the temple.

Chapter 19: The Megaton Hammer.

Day 2: 0430, 25 hours remain

"Ruki!" yelled Montblanc, splashing through the chilly water to get to him. "Are you all right, kupo?"

"I'm just fine," said Ruki, removing his mask, but all that came out was, "Mmm hmm humph."

"Here, you may need this." Montblanc handed him his mouth, which was grinning widely and showing some very white teeth.

Making sure that it wasn't backwards or upside-down, as it had happened before, Ruki slapped his maw back onto his face.

"Better?" Montblanc smiled as he waited.

Ruki's first few words came out garbled, but then he let out a cough and said clearly, "Now I am."

"That's kupo."

The pair now turned their attention to the fallen Ezel Berbier as he was still unconscious. Ruki tried to take a pulse but was alarmed at the slow speed of the Nu Mou's heart.

Montblanc saw his expression and panicked. "Ruki, we can't let him die! He's one of the Sacred Ones! Please, do something!"

Now it all made sense to the Mood. This was the reason that his Millennium Sword was reacting around Ezel, and checking to make sure… yep, according to his sword now, Ezel had the aura of a Sacred One. He was the real deal!

Thinking quickly, Ruki dug out his bag of Soul Fires. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that he had four Fires left. He extracted one of the glowing red orbs and examined Ezel closely. He had no external injuries, so Ruki decided to force open Ezel's mouth and insert the orb to see if he would swallow it. However, that became irrelevant; the Soul Fire, like it had with Montblanc, dissolved when it touched Ezel's tongue and turned him red for a moment.

After the glow died away, Ruki and Montblanc both sighed as they saw Ezel open his eyes. He had quite pretty watery-blue ones, too, Ruki noticed.

"Ruki…" he said slowly, getting to his feet. "Thank you very much." He stretched his arms and groaned. "It felt like something had possessed me; I haven't felt this good since before Nu Mountain froze over."

"Something did possess you, kupo," chirped Montblanc.

"Are you sure you're okay? You and Ruki were really going at it back there."

"Really? Ruki bested me?" He turned to the blushing Mood. "I don't remember that, but I am impressed." He paused. "I take my hat off to you. Well done." He swept his tall, pointed hat off his head and bowed.

"Gee… thanks." Ruki was at a loss for words. Just then, his watch beeped to sound out the hour. Checking it, he noticed that it was 5:00 AM; they had exactly 25 hours left until the "lunar landing".

"Time stands still for no Mood," he said, changing the subject. "I still need you to help me defeat Aruonetwo."

Ezel blinked and then chuckled.

"What?"

"I was hoping that you wouldn't find out that I was a Sacred One until after you defeated Volvos. Lemme guess: a little birdie told you?"

"A little Moogle, actually," Ruki rolled his eyes towards Montblanc, who blushed.

"Oh, well, no harm, no foul. Well… I guess I phase help you… but there's just one thing preventing me from doing so."

"And that is…" Ruki started but then remembered. "Oh, yeah… Volvos. Don't worry; we'll take care of him."

"Ha!" Ezel suddenly burst out. "Good luck! You can't even phase the dragon without our race's special weapon."

"Oh." Ruki looked hurt. "And what is that?"

"It's the Megaton Hammer. Fortunately and unfortunately, only Nu Mou have the ability to wield it."

"What do you mean?"

Ezel shrugged. "Well, on one hand, you can't wield it because you're a Mood. On the other hand, your Nu Mou form can probably lift it; I'd have to see it for myself, but I think it'd work."

"Okay…" Ruki paused for a moment. "Do you know where such a special hammer can be found?"

Ezel grinned. "Coincidentally, it's in a chest in the next room."

"Well, that's convenient!" said Ruki, picking up his stuff. "Let's go get it!"

"Ruki!" squawked Montblanc after being silent for the longest time. "You're not going to leave Ezel here, are you?"

"Uh…"

"Don't worry about me," sighed Ezel. "I'll be fine. I can make your journey a little easier by freeing the rest of the Nu Mou for you."

"Gee… thanks." Ruki returned to the door that had appeared at the end of the room when the illusion had lifted. "Come on, Montblanc. Let's get going!"

Ezel shrugged off the Moogle and vanished with a crack! Since Ezel was going to be fine and Ruki was probably going to act without thinking again, he sighed and followed the Mood.

Dawn of the Final Day: 0600, 24 hours remain

Ruki could hear the distant clock tower sounding out the morning as he and Montblanc entered another small room. The floor was made out of thick, clear glass with a clear view of the large room with the freezing lake.

Ruki saw another locked cell in the wall ahead of him. After inserting his sword into the keyhole mechanism and unlocked it, freeing the imprisoned Nu Mou inside.

"Thank you so much, young Mood!" cried an obviously ecstatic Nu Mou. "Now all that we, the Nu Mou race, ask is that you defeat the evil dragon, Volvos. If you do, you'll go down in Nu Mou history as Ruki "Dragoncrusher" Mood!"

Ruki blushed deeply. He certainly wouldn't mind a little more fame but was disappointed when he remembered that this would all be undone once he used the Time-Turner again.

"Now, use the Megaton Hammer…" said the Nu Mou, pointing to a chest in the back of his cell. "…and give that Nu Mou eater one hell of a headache for us!" After sending another bolt of light to the lake area, he vanished.

Ruki walked forward and opened the chest. Atop a large red-velvet pillow lay the Nu Mou's legendary treasure and weapon: the Megaton Hammer. It gleamed brightly as he felt the flawless metal. It had a huge, flat head on the end of the handle and had its own counterbalancing weight as well. The head had a ring of strange, engraved symbols that made no sense to Ruki. The handle was at least two inches thick and bound with firm, black leather. From what Ruki could tell, the hammer was about as long as he was tall.

As he bent to pick it up, he found out that he couldn't budge it a fraction. This unlocked two facts in his brain. One: Moods only weigh about 35 pounds due to their descent from penciled drawings. And Two: the hammer was clearly more than twice his weight.

"Kupo. What about what Ezel said?" suggested Montblanc. ""Only Nu Mou can wield the Megaton Hammer.""

"Good point," said Ruki, nodding his head. He put on his Nu Mou Mask and tried again.

It was still heavy, but he could now use both of his hands to lift it. It was slightly lighter than he had expected; he could carry it in both hands like a heavy axe. He just didn't get it: the Nu Mou weren't any stronger in the muscle department than Moods were. How could they lift this heavy thing when he couldn't even budge it?

It's magic.

Ruki's thoughts were interrupted when another voice sounded in his head. After some confusion, he realized that it was the voice of the Nu Mou consciousness that came with this form.

Huh.

Nevertheless, he tried swinging the Megaton Hammer, but unaccustomed to its weight, he went flying with it and collided with the floor.

Crack!

Uh-oh. He had forgotten about the glass floor. It cracked from where he had struck it and shattered, dropping both Nu Mou and Moogle into a 100-foot free-fall.

"Kupoooooooo!!!" yelled Montblanc as they fell. "We're gonna DIIIIE!!!"

SPLASH!!!

They had landed in the frozen lake. Its frigid waters paralyzed them instantly. It was only a matter of time before they passed out and passed on from the extreme cold.

The End.

…

…

PSYCHE!!!

I lied! They were just fine!

To be completely honest, they landed in a hot spring near the edge of the room. Ruki landed first closely followed by Montblanc.

The Mood looked up. "Incoming!" he shouted and he and the Moogle went under.

The glass shards fell into the spring and… dissolved on contact?! Neither Ruki nor Montblanc sustained any injuries.

"That wasn't glass, kupo," gasped Montblanc, coming up for air. "It was ice."

Ruki, however, wasn't complaining. This marvelous was exactly what he needed after all that time in the cold. He could have just sat there all day without a care in the world while his aching body was relaxed by the spring's soothing waters. His Nu Mou form was getting used to the pleasure of the spring's warmth.

"This feels great…" he moaned with pleasure. "I could stay in here all day."

"Kupo…" Montblanc was enjoying himself as well.

Eventually, a tremor ran through the ground, signaling the moon's approach. Ruki then realized his duty with a sigh. He and Montblanc climbed out of the spring (Ruki took a moment as he had to pull the Megaton Hammer out as well.) and looked around. They were on the edge of the circular room where they had freed the first Nu Mou. Three newly-formed ice platforms were floating in a line between them and the island where Volvos was rumored to be dwelling.

"Ready?" he asked Montblanc.

"Kupo!" chirped the Moogle. "Let's go!"

Chapter 20: Ruki and Montblanc vs. Volvos

Final Day: 0800, 22 hours remain

Ruki had thought that he would have had to jump in order to cross the ice blocks in the lake, but due to the added weight of the Megaton Hammer and the distance between the floes, this would be impossible. Luckily, the freed Nu Mou had thought of this and had provided an easier route. They had magically enhanced the floes to escort Ruki and Montblanc to each one, where they would get onto another one and be ferried to the third one and then onto the island in the center. Ruki was grateful for this because the Megaton Hammer was very heavy and the Nu Mou were not very good jumpers. Soon, both of them were standing on the center island in the heart of the Ice Temple.

The island was a good 75 feet across sand stood 20 out of the water. It had nine, five-foot-long holes on a three-by-three grid full of liquid ice scattered evenly around the island. For some reason, Ruki had a feeling of deja vü.

As soon as they arrived, the ice blocks they had just arrived on fell to chunks, trapping them on the island. The air suddenly seemed to become much, much colder to the point that Ruki's blood seemed to chill within his veins and a loud rumbling coursed through the ground. A loud roar filled the air and Volvos himself emerged from one of the holes.

Ruki's heart all but stopped. Volvos was almost a carbon copy of Arupnyn's pet dragon, Volvagia. Ruki had faced Volvagia over two years ago back on Mood Star while exploring the Golden Pyramid. It had a long, dark-blue, serpentine body with a rocky hide similar to Volvagia's. It was wingless but still managed to snake its way through the air. Two muscular, three-clawed arms were the only limbs that it had. Its curved-horned head had a type of mask over its face, beneath which were two blazing, red eyes that glowed like soulless fires. Volvagia's head had had a fiery mane of hair that seemed to be made out of the very essence of fire itself. Volvos' mane was every shade of blue that ice could hold.

As Volvos rose up over their heads, Ruki instinctively closed his eyes. Volvagia had had a hypnotic stare that had nearly driven him insane. Fortunately and unfortunately, Volvos was not interested in capturing Ruki alive; he wanted to make him and Montblanc into a frozen dinner to feed his hungry belly.

Montblanc had to tackle Ruki to the frozen ground in order to keep him from being snapped up in Volvos' jaws. Deprived of an easy meal, Volvos roared loudly and plunged into one of the holes in the island.

"Thanks," said Ruki, getting to his feet.

"No problem," smiled Montblanc.

There was a rumbling from within the island and one of the holes started misting heavily. Volvos burst out of the hole and whipped his head around. Ruki noticed that the dragon had only his head, arms and torso out but not the rest of his body. Volvos eyed the pair hungrily.

Then from somewhere around them, Ruki heard Ezel Berbier's voice call out. Go for his head!

Taking note of this, Ruki swung the Megaton Hammer in a wide arc and brought it down with a sickening thud on Volvos' head. Volvos shrieked with pain, grabbed his throbbing skull and collapsed in front of Ruki.

Strike now! came Ezel's voice.

Ruki dropped the Megaton Hammer and instinctively grabbed his Millennium Rod. One of the black gems was pulsating with a red light so intense that the rod ignited with red flame! Ruki was so shocked that he tried to drop the rod, but it seemed to be fused to his hand for the moment. He noticed that the flame did burn him or the rod.

He then realized what he had to do. A glowing red flame in his eyes, Ruki turned to Volvos, who was starting to stir, and struck the dragon cleanly on the exact spot where he had hit him with the Megaton Hammer. Volvos let out another shriek as the flame transferred from rod to dragon and momentarily ignited around his skull. After writhing in pain for a moment, he retreated back into the safety of his frozen hole.

"Where ya goin' Ice Breath?!" shouted Ruki into the burrow, sounding like Ristar for a moment.

Volvos was not pleased with being attacked. He slithered out of another hole and took to the air. Ruki tried taking a pot shot at him but missed and the hammer bounced off his rocky hide.

The dragon turned in the air and exhaled a deadly breath of icy vapor that hit Ruki full force in the face. Ruki felt himself stop dead in his tracks as all his senses went numb. He couldn't move a muscle!

"Look out!" yelled Montblanc, running to Ruki's aid. Volvos was closing in on the paralyzed Nu Mou, ready to take a chomp out of him.

Montblanc then did something very brave and very stupid at the same time; he launched himself at Ruki and ripped the mask off of his face. The effect was like having a bandage ripped from your skin.

Instantly, Ruki felt himself free from Volvos' breath as his Mood self returned. Seeing the dragon open its jaws, he seized the legendary hammer and swung it with a tremendous effort. He swung it so hard that it collided with the side of Volvos' head, knocked him clean out of the air and he crashed in a heap on the island over 50 feet away. Without pausing to examine his handiwork, Ruki grabbed his Millennium Sword, which had ignited with red flame like his rod had and threw it like a dagger straight into the monster's skull.

Volvos let out a roar so terrible that the citizens of Clock Town looked to the sky for the source of the noise. He grabbed the sword that was still stuck in his skull, threw it clean across the room and slithered back into his frozen island.

Ruki was tunnel-visioned on the fight and was acting on instinct and reflex alone. He reached out his hand towards the flying sword and it halted in mid-air and returned to his outstretched hand like a dog returning to its master.

"What do I have to do to put this demon away?!" Ruki was furious, but Volvos had one more trick to pull.

Four of the icy pits began steaming and misting at once. Ruki stood ready, the Megaton Hammer in his hands. He would worry about why he could lift the magical weapon later. Volvos burst out of a hole and twirled his mane in rage. Ruki rushed at him and brought the hammer down…

…on nothing! Volvos had evaporated into a blue mist. Ruki couldn't believe it; it was a trick!

"KUPOOOO!!!"

Ruki whipped around. Three other holes had Volvos illusions in them, but only one had a struggling Moogle in its jaws. It was a bit more solid than the others.

Ruki chose his dragon and swung the hammer… with one hand! He got the satisfaction of hearing a thud as metal met bone and Montblanc went flying. Choosing his friend over his enemy, Ruki left a stunned Volvos laying as he went to catch Montblanc like a football receiver catching a pass. He caught the Moogle and set him on the ground. Montblanc was still conscious, but appeared to have a broken arm.

"Thanks, Ruki," said the Moogle weakly.

"I owed you one. Just wait here and don't move."

Ruki then returned his attention to the dragon. Volvos had recovered and was about to crawl back into his hole when the Mood rushed him and drove three feet of metal into his brain. Volvos shrieked and roared so loudly that the mountain began to rumble. The dragon then slid back into his burrow and did not resurface.

Ruki collapsed with exhaustion. He could barely breathe and his chest was on fire. All of his muscles were screaming for oxygen and had locked up.

"I… did it!" he said breathlessly.

Then the island began rumbling, and against all odds, Volvos launched himself out of his burrow and into the air again.

No… moaned Ruki, who couldn't believe his eyes. It's not possible!

But Volvos was acting strange. He was turning left and right in mid-air and shrieking. His snake-like body was throbbing and pulsating violently. Ruki then watched as the dragon burst into violet flames! The air was rank with the smell of burning flesh as Volvos fell to bones. They littered the island and Volvos' head came down with a crash right in front of Ruki… still moving and twitching! It slowly disintegrated as he retched and finally passed out from the smell.

Yes! It was finally over!

Chapter 21: Paradise Restored

Ruki's dream was reoccurring again. He stood atop Nu Mountain and was being hailed by the Nu Mou. Then a figure snuck up from behind him and drove a crooked dagger into his back. Ruki watched in horror as the figure stood over him, looking down at him with that blue-ish fur and those long, drooping ears.

Why?! he shouted. Why, Ezel?!

The figure merely smiled and laughed at him as the dream ended in a flash of red.

Final Day: 1400, 16 hours remain

"Ruki? Ruki?"

He woke up in a warm bed in Nu Paradise. Strange, yet familiar aromas wafted around him and he realized that he was inside Ezel's Apothecary. He sat up, holding his head.

"Rise and shine, kupo head!" Montblanc was sitting at a table nearby, drinking Nu Mou coffee and smiling at him. "We've been waiting for you to get up for some time now." His broken arm was in a sling.

At first, Ruki thought that the moon had crashed. But then he realized that the sun was still shining.

"How long have I been out?" he said, massaging his temples.

"Not that long, kupo. About four hours. Everyone wants to see Ruki "Dragoncrusher" Mood."

Just then, the Sacred One, Ezel Berbier walked in. "Ah, the hero awakes!"

Ruki noticed that he was smiling for the first time. Apart from that, he was wearing very clean robes made of purple satin. Atop his head, he wore a golden crown studded with various-sized rubies.

"What happened while I was out?" said Ruki, staring at the new Ezel.

Ezel poured himself a cup of coffee from a cauldron hanging on a wall. Ruki noticed that the Nu Mou had made an attempt to clean up his shop. The floor was slightly less cluttered and the bookshelves were a little more organized.

"This might take a little while, so you might want to stay bedridden just a little while longer."

Ruki stayed put. Ezel drank long and deep from his cup and spoke.

"There's nothing like a hot, steaming cup of Blue Hawaiian with a dash of Yellow Jacket honey in the afternoon. Hand-picked by the most experienced Nu Mou and ground to a fine powder with thorough precision. The finest gourmet blend on this side of Termina. I can never get enough of it."

Ruki looked confused. "I'm sorry; you lost me at "Blue Hawaiian". You were going to say something about what happened earlier…?"

Ezel sighed. "Moods just don't understand the art of coffee making. I guess Nu Mou will always be the masters of this special drink."

"Ezel!" said both Ruki and Montblanc as one.

"All right!" said Ezel, who could ignore the subject no longer.

"I guess I should tell you that after you passed out after defeating Volvos, the mountain began heating up again. I managed to arrive just moments before you and Montblanc got roasted alive by the rising magma."

"Magma?" Ruki wondered.

"Yep, magma. Nu Mountain is actually a dormant volcano. Ever since Volvos appeared, the pressure had been building up underneath the Ice Temple until you removed the source of the blockage. Volvos' defeat freed the magma trapped in the center of the mountain. Using the other Nu Mou's magic, we managed to teleport you out of the temple just as the volcano blew.

"The eruption disintegrated the Ice Temple and vanquished those evil, purple clouds from this realm. With that, the snows melted and Nu Mountain has become a paradise again."

"Wow," said Ruki awestruck.

"Exactly," continued Ezel, finishing his coffee with a sigh. "Now you're being honored as a hero among the Nu Mou. We've put together a ceremony we've specially prepared for you and Montblanc. It takes place at the mountaintop at six o'clock tonight."

"Thanks," said Ruki. Words could not express how honored he felt. It was a real shame that the Nu Mou would not remember this when he used his Time-Turner. "Uh… I'm just wondering: what's with the new getup?"

Ezel sighed and shook his head. "After all these years, the Nu Mou have figured out that I'm this realm's Sacred One. I used to just wipe memories but there are too many of them that know. So…" He shrugged. "Why not? Being treated like royalty isn't all that bad." He sighed again. "I'm guess I'm going to miss the days of concealment. Speaking of which…" He went over to a cupboard and rummaged around in it. "I have something for you."

Ruki waited until Ezel produced his Millennium Sword. He noticed that the second black gem was colored red for good.

"I've already blessed your sword with my power. Now when you go up against Aruonetwo, I'll have your back."

Ruki said nothing. He had awoken two of the four Sacred Ones now. He was halfway there. All he had to do was awaken the Western Sacred One and the Eastern one and then he was done! He felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart. Even the frequent rumbling of the moon failed to bother him.

Final Day: 1500, 15 hours remain

Ruki and Montblanc spent the last few hours of daylight of this three-day cycle with the Nu Mou of Nu Paradise. The mountainside was no longer the frozen wasteland it once was. It was now teeming with life that Ruki had never seen before. Birds were singing their song for the first time since Volvos had arrived. The land was now littered with fresh saplings and beautiful flowers that only grew in the Northern Realm. It was as if the ice dragon had never set claw in this beautiful realm.

The Nu Mou themselves were no longer the shy, secluded hermits they once were. They were very active in the village and hardly spent any time indoors anymore. They were enjoying the sunshine and the environment to their fullest.

Ruki also got to see some real Nu Mou magic for the first time and learn to brush up on his own for future battles. A group of smaller Nu Mou children were waving slightly-weaker toy rods while playing a type of tug-o-war that Ruki had never seen before. A tall, flexible metal pole stood in the middle of a circle. Two teams stood on opposite sides of the pole while they used their combined power to try to bend the pole so that the top touched the ground of the opposing team's side of the circle.

Ruki (after donning his Nu Mou Mask) and Montblanc (after borrowing a rod) tried their hand at it in a two-on-two contest against two of the youngest Nu Mou. They did fairly well, but the children countered them in a surprise attack and pinned the pole on their side in seconds. Ruki and Montblanc just didn't have the mental stamina that even the most inexperienced Nu Mou possessed and were defeated over and over after that. Fortunately, they were good sports and always welcomed a challenge.

"I did better that I ever did in a one-on-one contest," kupoed Montblanc after their fifth straight loss.

"I don't envy you; Nu Mou children have a lot of fight in them."

Some of the older Nu Mou did not require the use of rods to use magic. Most of the highly-experienced ones could just use their hands alone to accomplish some of the more difficult tasks such as cleaning up the boulders that had to look at his target. He was clearly the envy of all the Nu Mou. Ezel amazed the children by juggling several large boulders in a complex star pattern while reading a book with his back turned and then reducing them to a fine powder with a lazy flick of his wrist. He then sent the dust into the air and up to the top of the mountain where it vanished from sight.

"Where'd it go, kupo?" wondered Montblanc, squinting up at the sky.

"It's a surprise," Ezel said simply and dropped the subject.

Final Day: 1630, 13 hours remain

Before the Heroes' Ceremony, the Nu Mou held a massive feast in Ruki and Montblanc's honor. The guests of honor were seated next to Ezel at the head of a very long table.

The Nu Mou were very strict vegetarians, but that didn't stop them from impressing Ruki with incredibly tasty dishes. There was a large pot of mushroom soup filled with leeks, strange herbs, tubers and carrots. A popular appetizer that Ruki found quite tasty was shortbread cookies with jellied berries and a strange, pale-yellow cream that left a sweet taste in his mouth on top.

Montblanc was in Moogle Heaven while eating the Nu Mou's cornbread made especially for him. Every time he bit into a Kupo Nut baked into the bona fide bread, he would flap his little wings and do a back flip in his seat. Moogles go kupo for Kupo Nuts!

At the center of all of these dishes and more was a huge roasted salmon sprinkled with herbs, seasonings and whatnot that left a savory taste in everyone's mouth.

Ruki could not get enough Château Mou, an incredibly potent milk that was only made by the Nu Mou; hence, the name. Rumor had it that only Ezel Berbier could mix it flawlessly. The price in gil for Château Mou mixed by the Sacred One was unbelievable!

For dessert, there was a massive mixed-berry crumble that was served with cool Moodcream. Ruki was in Mood Heaven due to the fact that he would prefer to live off Moodcream alone and would not object to drowning in it. Fortunately, the meal was no holds barred and the Nu Mou were more than happy to serve him as much as he could eat. Ruki's troubles all seemed to melt away as he dined on the best meal of his life thus far.

At 5:30, the clock tower began tolling out the evening as Ezel rose from his chair to speak.

"Now that we've all enjoyed the fruits of Volvos' demise," he said as everyone fell in a hush. "It's time for the Heroes' Ceremony. It will take place at the new Ruki Mood Memorial at the top of Nu Mountain in 30 minutes. I'll meet you up there soon enough."

Every Nu Mou let out a cheer and vanished simultaneously leaving only Ruki, Montblanc and Ezel sitting at the table.

"Montblanc," said Ezel, not looking at him. "Why don't you go fetch Ruki's things since he's probably not coming back here tonight?"

Montblanc was more than happy to. With a "Kupo!" he ran back to Ezel's Apothecary, leaving just Ruki and Ezel alone.

"Ruki, I have a favor to ask of you," said the Nu Mou, looking him square in the eye.

"Go for it." Ruki took a last swig of some Chateau Mou and looked at the Sacred One.

"Montblanc has been living in Nu Paradise since he was young. His parents brought him to Termina while on vacation, but sadly, they perished after Volvos appeared. I'm not sure, but I think that there is a town on the Western Continent called "Mogtai" where Moogles live in peace. I would appreciate it if you would take him home with you when you leave Termina."

Ruki blinked. He had never been to Mogtai, but he knew where it was on a map.

"Are you sure?"

Ezel nodded. "Don't worry; Montblanc knows a fair amount of magic that he can use to defend himself with. We've given him a Moogle-sized rod for him to keep. And I'm sure that his tinkering skills will come in handy on Mood Star; Moogles are naturals with machines."

"Why can't he stay on Termina?"

"Because I think that he's old enough to be on his own; Moogles grow up fairly quickly. Besides, he belongs with his own kind; there's not a single Moogle on Termina from what I've seen. Don't you think he'd be better off on Mood Star?"

Ruki considered this for a moment and then answered. "Yeah, I guess. I'll do it then. I'll leave him with Babus when I use my Time-Turner. Speaking of which, where is it?"

Ezel patted a pocket on the side of his robes. "I've got it safely in my pocket until after the ceremony. Don't worry; I'll give it to you before the moon crashes."

"All right," shrugged Ruki. I'll hold you to it then."

"I got your things, Ruki!" Montblanc came bouncing up with a large, purple-satin bag draped over his tiny shoulders. "Are we going to that ceremony soon?"

"We were just waiting for you," said Ruki, taking his gear and examining the bag. "Nice handiwork, Ezel!"

"I thought you'd like it." Ezel smiled and took Ruki's hand, who took Montblanc's in turn. "Well then, shall we?"

Chapter 22: Betrayal

Night of the Final Day: 1755, 12 hours remain.

As they teleported to the summit of Nu Mountain, Ezel, Ruki and Montblanc were greeted by a roar of welcome and support by all of the Nu Mou already gathered there. The trio was standing in front of a large object currently covered by a white sheet. Ezel looked at Ruki, who nodded and gave the thumbs-up. He then turned to the Nu Mou gathered slightly below them and raised both of his hands. The chatter died almost instantly.

"As I stand here tonight," said Ezel, his voice magically magnified. "I look out upon the fruits of our victory over evil. And though a greater menace still looms over us…" He motioned to the moon hovering over the distant Clock Town. "There is still a reason to celebrate. The great ice dragon, Volvos will never haunt our realm ever again. He has been defeated and his fortress has been obliterated. We owe it all thanks to a person who is a stranger to Termina, yet he risked his life to help save a race that was on the road to death." Ezel paused and allowed the Nu Mou to cheer and applaud for Ruki. Once it eventually died away, he was able to continue.

"But this credit does not just belong to him, but also a friend of all of us. He helped our hero in his effort to defeat Volvos and earn his rightful spot in Nu Mou history. This friend was brought up by us since childhood and has become a friend to all that he has met. Ladies and gentlemou, I give you: Montblanc and Ruki "Dragoncrusher" Mood!"

A tidal wave of appreciation and applause topped off these words as the crowd exploded with cheering. Montblanc waved nervously to the crowd, but Ruki seemed to know how things were done as he held up his Millennium Sword with its newly-lit red gem and received an extra-loud cheer for him. Ruki was used to publicity, but Montblanc was blushing heavily and seemed on the verge of collapse.

At last the cheering subsided as Ezel approached the pair with his own sword in his hand.

"Kneel, please," he said quietly.

Ruki was taken aback as he did so. He had never been knighted before and decided to cherish this event for years to come. Ezel raised his sword and tapped each of Ruki's shoulders while saying, "By the power of the Sacred Ones and all of Termina, I dub thee, Sir Ruki Mood. Arise."

Ruki got to his feet. Once the sword had touched him, he had felt a surge of energy course through his body. He felt slightly stronger and wiser as he felt some of the knowledge of the Sacred Ones spread throughout his being.

Ezel did the same thing to Montblanc. He, too, felt the effects of the knighting and bowed his head, his pompom bobbing slightly.

As Montblanc rose, Ezel raised his hand and shouted to the crowd, "Ruki and Montblanc!"

"Ruki and Montblanc!!!" returned the Nu Mou, also raising their hands.

As they did this, the cover flew off the large object nearby on its own accord, revealing a statue of Ruki and Montblanc. It was a good likeness. Ruki had been carved from a fine, gray stone while standing with his sword in the air while his foot rested on a skull shaped like Volvos'. Montblanc was perched on his shoulder and looked noble. Ruki now realized where the boulder dust from Ezel's earlier performance had gone, but it looked nothing like it had been shaped with dust. He also noticed that the Millennium Sword on the statue had real gems embedded in it. Green, purple, red, blue, yellow… they were all there.

As Ruki admired the craftsmanship of the statue, a dark figure stepped out from behind it and drew a long, crooked dagger. Ruki suddenly had a flashback of his dream where a figure had stabbed him. Reacting on instinct, he quickly whipped around, punched the figure in the face and managed to wrestle the dagger from his grip. The figure tried to trip him, but Ruki jumped and delivered a drop kick that caused him to fall backwards into the crowd. He tried to run but found himself unable to move from the crowd's accumulated mental powers.

"Bring him up here, now!" barked Ezel, eyeing the crowd angrily.

With a combined mental shove, the figure was thrown before Ezel and Ruki. The Mood eyed him curiously. He had seen that aqua-blue fur and those long, drooping ears somewhere before; but where?

"You have just attempted to commit an unspeakable crime before a Sacred One, slime!" growled Ezel, glowering at the fallen figure. "What do you have to say in your defense?"

The figure began sobbing uncontrollably and muttered, "P-P-Please don't kill me! He m-made me do it!" Suddenly, Ruki realized who this was!

"King...?!"

The sobbing figure slowly raised its head. It was indeed King! His bloodshot eyes were lined with tears. Although he avoided looking at Ruki, the fear on his face was genuine.

"F-Forgive me, Ruki," he sobbed again. "But he said that he'd k-k-kill her if I didn't cooperate!"

"But why?" wondered Ruki, still in shock. "Why'd you ditch me in Woodfall?"

After finally getting his sobbing under control, King explained in a meek voice. "I was following you to spy on you." He gulped audibly. "But when I saw Tor, I knew that he would recognize me... so I ran for it. I was supposed to report to Him after you found all of the Sacred Ones. He made me spy on you, because if I didn't, he was going to kill my sister! Ruki, I'm so sorry!"

Ruki was shocked and confused. He probably knew who He was and wanted to confirm it. He grabbed King by the shoulders and forced him to look at him.

"King, look at me! King... who did this? Who is He?"

King gulped again and whispered loud enough that only Ruki and Ezel could hear him. "Arupnyn!"

Ruki released him and looked at the sky. Off in the direction of Clock Town, he could see that the moon was very close to the clock tower, which had not yet converted form as it had done at the Carnival of Time.

Ezel stepped forward, not looking at King. "Well, Ruki?" he said in a menacing tone. "What shall we do with him?"

Ruki sighed and thought briefly. "We'll take him back to Babus in Clock Town," he said sternly. "He'll deal with him."

When he heard that he was going to be spared, King threw himself at Ruki's feet and cried, "Thank you, Ruki! Bless your heart!"

"Get off of me!" snapped Ruki, looking revolted. He kicked King away and sent him flying a good five feet. "Betrayal in the Royal Family means death, but you're not worth my time! You should consider yourself lucky that I'm handing you over to Babus instead of dealing with you myself." He turned back to Ezel. "Where's my Time-Turner?"

Ezel sighed, fished the pendant out of his pocket and handed it to Ruki. "I'm sorry that our meeting had to end this way, Ruki," he said in a remorseful tone, but not because of King. "Don't forget, I'll be watching you. Good luck."

As Ezel turned to address the silent Nu Mou, Ruki grabbed Montblanc's hand, who grabbed King's as well. "Come on, buddy. Let's get back to Clock Town."

"Kupo..." said Montblanc, slightly petrified. He had kept quiet through the whole ordeal and couldn't believe that Ruki had almost been killed.

Ruki hung the Time-Turner around his neck and spun the hourglass three times, thinking. Did he do the right thing by not slaying the traitor? Was justice going to be served?

He then figured that killing King would have seriously damaged his reputation. Ruki had never killed anyone, but he had vowed to do it when he finally faced Arupnyn. But when the time came, would he still have the heart to raise his blade?

Chapter 23: The Story of Sol

Dawn of the First Day: 0600, 72 hours remain

As Ruki was recovering from his most recent time warp, he went over to a still-unconscious King and dragged him into the tower. He was slightly interested as to how Pure Ones dealt with traitors. Montblanc soon awoke and followed suit.

When he entered the tower, he found Babus trying to teach Tor how to handle elemental spirits by channeling them through his sword. However, whenever Tor tried to attack an elemental target that Babus had created for training, the element inside his sword would dissipate and he would either get burned or frozen from the target.

"You're thinking too much," said Babus, unaware that Ruki had arrived. "You hesitate and the element wears out before you connect with your attack."

"Yeah, well I'm trying here!" grumbled Tormund once the Pure One had unthawed him for the third time. "This isn't as easy as it looks!"

Babus sighed and shook his head. "Just remember when the time comes: don't hesitate, just act!"

"I'll keep that in mind." Tor took out a well-oiled rag from his pocket and began shining up his armor.

Just then, Babus sensed Ruki's presence and turned to him, waving. "Hi, Ruki! We were just finishing up some personal training. He waved his hand behind him and the targets vanished. "Did you recruit Ezel?"

Ruki sighed and nodded. "Yeah... but I ran into a little... snag..." He tossed King's limp form in front of the Pure One. "When we tried to celebrate. See for yourself."

Babus raised an eyebrow and lowered his head to sniff out King's story. "Ahh, so he's the traitor!" He had a hint of awe in his voice. "I had a feeling he'd surface before too long. Arupnyn trained and concealed him well if even I couldn't detect him. Bravo, Ruki."

Ruki didn't even have to ask how he knew. Babus could tell what you'd been doing for a week just by scent alone. It was one of the benefits of being the Sage of Fate. He knew all there was, is and ever will be in the world. But Arupnyn must be more powerful than ever if he could pull the wool about King over Babus' eyes.

"Yeah," snorted Ruki, not looking at King. "But now I've got bigger fish to fry. Can you make sure that this... thing doesn't cause anymore trouble?"

Babus didn't answer but instead walked up to Ruki and slapped him across the face! Ruki went flying in shock. He didn't look it, but that Nu Mou could pack a punch!

"Babus, what...?!" Ruki said, holding a hand to his face and looking up at the Pure One.

"Think, Mood!" Babus blurted out at the shocked Ruki. "You'll destroy yourself if you hold onto your grudges! I understand your hatred for Arupnyn, but if you let it control your life, you'll be reduced to a mere shell of yourself! How do you think Arupnyn became so evil?"

Ruki looked hurt. Once again, he had let his hatred of Arupnyn and anyone working for him get the better of him. He knew that the evil Mood was testing him.

"Okay," he said meekly.

"Alright then," said Babus, nodding. "I'm glad that that's behind us. Now then..." He walked over to his pack of masks and rummaged through it, looking for something. "I guess you'll be heading for the Western Ocean, yes?" Ruki nodded. "Then you'll need... where did I put it...? Aha! You'll be wanting to use this!" He pulled out another of his mysterious magical masks.

Ruki recognized this mask almost immediately. It was the face of the current Sage of Leadership, Lugia. It had silver-white skin and two mask-like flashes around the eyes. But that's where the similarities ended. Instead of a curved beak, it had a short muzzle. It had a crop of maroon hair where Lugia's pointed skull ended. Its eye masks were a scarlet-red instead of navy-blue. Smack dab in the middle of its forehead was a red, sun-shaped symbol.

However, it wasn't so much a mask as it was a hood. It looked like Ruki could slip this hood over his head to put it on.

"Is that... Lugia?" He asked Babus, slightly confused.

"Yes and no," said Babus, examining it for himself. "Many millennia ago, Lugia came to Termina and had a son and a daughter. He left them when they were fully grown and never returned. Over the years, the two Lugia evolved into a more... compatible form for both land and sea travel. They now call themselves "Lugians" and more closely resemble Humans in form, but their psychic powers are as strong as ever."

"Huh," said Ruki, impressed. "Lugia created his own species. So, what's the story behind this one?"

Babus thought for a moment on how to respond to this. "Some time ago, Lugia received a distress call from a Lugian named Sol. For some reason, he chose not to answer it and sent me instead. I responded to the call in the Western Ocean and found a severely wounded Lugian named Sol. He had tried to save his sister's eggs from a gang of pirates called the "Bonnes" but failed terribly. The Bonnes had stolen the eggs in an attempt to hatch them and raise them to serve them."

"What?!" Ruki was horrified. "How could they do such a thing?!"

"I share your concern. Fortunately, the eggs have not yet hatched, the other Lugian, Luna, still does not know of her brother's fate. I did not have the heart to tell her and have placed that burden with Lugia himself."

"What happened?"

Babus sighed and shook his head. "I was unable to save Sol and he passed away. However, I was able to convert his body and mind into this mask and allowed his spirit to pass on in peace. I left a gravestone at the edge of the ocean in his memory.

"Ruki," he said, looking squarely at him. "Luna is a Sacred One and cannot be awoken until she has closure with her brother and eggs. I am asking you to go to the ocean and find Luna's eggs."

Ruki thought about this for a while. Originally, he was going to the Bonne's Fortress to see if he could find Ristar, but a little egg hunt on the side sounded like a decent challenge.

"I'll do it!" he said, making up his mind.

"That's the Ruki I know and love, kupo!" said Montblanc happily from the other end of the room. "Go get 'em!"

"Thanks, Montblanc." Ruki blushed and turned to leave.

"Oh, Ruki?" said Tor out of the blue.

"Hmm?"

"If you're heading to the ocean, keep an eye out for my sister. Last thing I heard, she was hanging out in that region."

"Will do." He stepped through the door again and headed back into Clock Town.

Chapter 24: The Western Ocean

Day 1: 0715, 70 hours remain.

Ruki made for West Clock Town this time around. Like its North and South counterparts, this gate was blocked by a guard. Ruki automatically flashed his Millennium Sword and was allowed through without incident.

The western half of Termina Field started out as a cobblestone walkway that soon descended into a stretch of sand that stretched on for a half-mile where it ended at the shore of the Western Ocean. Ruki was lucky that his full-body suit covered his feet and ankles because he would probably be dumping out mountains of sand every few feet by now.

Stepping into the Western Realm, Ruki immediately noticed that something was very wrong. He did not hear the call of seagulls that he normally heard around the ocean, the sands along the shore were ice-cold from a lack of sunlight and the sun was obstructed by a cover of purple clouds. He noticed that the clouds were originating over an object way out into the sea.

Ruki reached the ocean and received a shock. The water was unusually warm and the air was humid but not hot. This was obviously more of Aruonetwo's work, he was sure of it. The water, he noticed, was clouded over so that he couldn't even see the bottom of the shallows.

He walked along the beach while looking for the Bonnes' Fortress. The coast was about a mile or so wide from one cliff side to another, so it was kind of hard to miss it if it even was there. There had to be something here.

But the only thing that stood out on the coast was a large, stone statue shaped like a Human-like Lugian. The main difference between Lugia and this statue was the size and shape of their wings. Lugia had broad, flat wings with five flat feathers at the end. The statue's wings looked more like arms than anything else and the five feathers had converted to five normal-looking fingers.

At the base of the 10-foot statue was a pedestal with some writing carved into it. It was slightly worn, but Ruki was able to make out the following:

In memory of Sol, son of Lugia; one of the few remaining Lugians on Termina. Brave. Adventurous. Caring. May his wings never fail.

So this was Sol. He had Lugia's likeness and had been posed with his hands at his sides and his head pointed skyward, looking noble. He was surprised that the son of Lugia had evolved before the others of his race did.

Underneath the writing, Ruki noticed two crude drawings in the stone. One read "Titanis" and the other said "Bonne Fortress". They appeared to be maps to specific locations in Western Termina. There were also a few runes that Ruki could not read. The figures were completely foreign to him.

And then from out of nowhere, a familiar voice spoke in Ruki's mind.

Can you read Lugian script?

"Lugia?" said Ruki, automatically looking around.

Lugia was not there or anyone for that matter. He was completely alone. He just didn't get it. It had sounded exactly like him, but they were in opposite worlds at the moment. He doubted that even the Pure Ones could communicate between dimensions.

Then he got an idea. Taking out his Sol Mask, he draped it over his head. At first, he could only see through the narrow eye holes and a strange yet familiar sea smell wafted into his nostrils.

And then the transformation began. Ruki could feel the mask becoming his face – he was used to that. What startled him was when his body suddenly started gaining mass.

However, Ruki seemed to be getting taller. He grew from five-foot-even to seven-foot four. Several pin-prick-like sensations were felt on his back as several rectangular plates grew from it. A long, muscular tail burst from his backside and curved around his leg. Ruki felt his skin bubbling as it smoothed and stretched out. The Mood went temporarily blind and deaf as his senses blended together and then separated again.

Once it was all over and done with, Ruki found himself on the sand again without any knowledge as to how he got there. Getting up, He once again took in the details of his new form.

He was a Lugian, but instead of the normal bird-like form, he had a Mood-like form to get used to. He had grown to at least seven feet, which was at least 50 taller than a regular Mood's height. His "wings" were more like long, muscular arms with normal-sized fingers on the end. He could get used to the bulky build that was now his torso. He had a scarlet-red chest with one... two... six-pack abs! Nice! Apparently, Sol had been working out. Ruki flexed his long, nimble, spiked tail just to get the feel of it and stroked his smooth, rubber-like flesh. Smooth! Ruki's eyes, which sported a pointed red mask, were exceptional. His vision was now much sharper and he soon realized that he could see in different "visions" by adjusting his focus. As he opened his mouth to voice his opinion out loud, all that came out was an awkward squawk.

Oops! said Ruki, realizing that Lugians did not use vocal speech. This takes some getting used to.

Day 1: 1200, 66 hours remain

Ruki flexed his new muscles with glee. Arupnyn would give anything to have a body like this! Lugians must really work out to have well-toned bodies like the one he was now borrowing.

After admiring himself for a while, Ruki started wondering what had happened to his Millennium Sword. After some searching of his surroundings, he was unable to locate his blade, but he did find something interesting on his back. All ten of his back plates were differently-colored. Two of them were emerald-colored, two were ruby and the remaining six were still jet-black like the gems on the blade of his Millennium Sword.

At least that didn't go far, noted Ruki as he returned his attention to Sol's memorial.

He could now read the runes at the base, which said, "Juno has it."

Juno? Who the Mood is Juno?

"Hey, you!"

Ruki whipped around. Three tall, colored, wheeled tanks were making their way across the sand towards him.

Uh-oh. Ruki was on guard as the tanks wheeled closer and surrounded him.

All three opened their top hatches and a little robot popped out of each of them. These bots reminded Ruki of those little Lego Men that you find in Lego sets. They had blue bodies and yellow heads and claws on them.

One of them that was in a red tank called out to Ruki in a normal voice. "Hey! I thought we locked you up!"

The second bot from the blue one was more of a crybaby. "Waaahhh!!! Miss Tron will be so mad when she finds out that you escaped! She's been so bossy lately!"

The robot in the yellow tank was more macho. "I guess we'll have to take you in with us again. We got our jobs to worry about."

All three of them dropped back into their cockpits and shouted at once, "Let's go!"

Ruki didn't know what to make of these unusual robots. The second one was kind of funny. Regardless, he was going to have his hands full with three tanks at once.

The blue tank began rolling around him in a circle at an impressive speed while firing of shots from its turrets. Ruki tried using his new psychic powers to attack, but either he was too inexperienced with them or the tank was too fast because he couldn't get a lock on it. He easily avoided its shots but turned his attention instead the yellow one. Concentrating on inflicting damage on the tank, Ruki reached out with his mind and raised his hand. The yellow tank was suddenly lifted into the air. He noticed that the red mech was advancing on him with its cannons drawn. Feeling a slight sense of vandalism, Ruki directed the levitating yellow tank at the red one, causing them to collide with a metallic crunch!

The yellow tank was stunned and the red tank was still going. The yellow tank's robot whined, "Hey! That's not fair!"

"Don't worry, I'll get 'im!" answered the red tank's occupant.

The red tank began firing a barrage of bullets at Ruki who, on instinct, directed his mind into putting up a defense. His eyes glowed and a barrier of red light surrounded him, blocking the bullets.

Sweet! Ruki was loving these new powers!

Raising his arms, he lifted the red and yellow tanks into the air again and flipped them upside down. With a flick of his wrist, he shook their pilots loose and they clattered onto the sand. The robots were only half as high as Ruki was normally.

They got to their feet and ran off, crying, "Miss Tron! We're so sorry!"

"Hey, Genius! You forgot about me!"

A flash of blue caught Ruki's eye. Dropping the two tanks with a thud, he turned his attention to the still-moving blue mech. He was going to be hard to hit even with psychic powers. Ruki then remembered an old fighter's technique: "Don't aim for where they are, aim for where they're going."

He followed the blue tank closely and chose his mark. His Lugian instincts took over as his mind fired up. He opened his muzzle and reared back his head, gathering more and more energy into a single point. At that crucial moment, he released all that pent-up energy into a single, focused Aeroblast beam. The Aeroblast was so powerful that it knocked Ruki back about a foot or so as it punched a clean hole in the blue mech, ejecting its pilot and continued straight through into the cliff at the other end of the coast, tearing the cliff a new one like a hot knife through warm butter. The hole was clearly visible from the other end of the beach.

Oops! said Ruki again, shutting his mouth. His first Aeroblast had been a little bit too powerful. I gotta be careful with these powers!

The small robot, accepting defeat, got to its feet and fled, wailing, "You big meanie! Waaahhh!" Ruki smiled and chuckled. This had been the robot that had been so cocky mere minutes before.

The robot stumbled as it ran, causing him to drop a key but got up and continued running. Ruki walked over to it and picked it up. It was rather large for a key and it had a mechanical-looking skull sculpted on the end. He pocketed it. It would probably come in handy later.

Now with the distractions taken care of, Ruki turned back to Sol's memorial.

Chapter 25: Titanis and Luna's Cave

Day 1: 1600, 62 hours remain

After several minutes, Ruki had finally memorized the two maps carved into Sol's statue. For some odd reason, he decided to check up on the alleged Sacred One, Luna, first. After all, she still didn't know that her brother had passed away yet. According to the map of Titanis, there was a specific way to swim through the ocean to get the Lugian city to appear. He found out why soon after wading into the ocean.

The water was very warm against his albino skin as he began swimming into its depths. This was making it extremely hard to breathe the underwater oxygen. Lugians had no gills, but their unique respiratory systems allowed them to filter precious oxygen from the air and the water at the same time. Ruki was swimming through the water the same way that Lugia himself did – using his arms, feet and tail to propel himself through the water and steer effortlessly. He could use his arms for accuracy and his tail and legs for propulsion. All in all, he did quite well for a first-timer.

The correct route to Titanis was lined with glass orbs scattered in a winding route on the way to the bottom. Normally, no one would be able to see them through the thick, murky soup, but in his current form, Ruki could adjust his vision so that he could see an infrared green light radiating from the orbs when he was following the correct route and red light when he made a wrong turn. This was how the Lugians managed to remain hidden for millennia.

Soon, Ruki reached the ocean floor and continued to follow the glass orbs to Titanis. Once he hit the sand, though, he decided to hoof it from here on. It was no cooler here than near the surface and the visibility wasn't any better either.

Ruki followed the lighted orbs in a random path until he noticed a gathering of light appear out of nowhere. As he got closer, he realized that the water was clearing and appeared to be cooling down. He decided to investigate the strange lights.

Night of the First Day: 1800, 60 hours remain

Ruki stopped and looked up in awe. He had reached the Lugian city of Titanis! The streets were lined with large, white boulders that gave off a bright white glow, illuminating the streets as bright as day. The buildings were constructed out of white marble and looked extremely ancient but well-cared-for. Unfortunately, most of the buildings were currently covered in seaweed and other underwater vegetation. The vast gardens of various coral were overrun with algae and sand crabs. For some reason, the Lugians hadn't been taking care of their city.

Something wasn't quite right as Ruki walked down the deserted streets. Where were all the Lugians? There was not a soul to be found in any of the buildings or the streets. Babus had said that they had flourished after Lugia left, but Ruki had yet to meet one for himself.

He reached the city square where a large marble statue of the original Lugia stood above everything else. At the base of the statue was a collection of Lugian runes that read:

"Our founder and Almighty Father, Lugia the Pure One of Mood Star. May his spirit and legacy live on in all our hearts."

Walking around the statue, Ruki noticed a crude note written on the back of the statue, written in Lugian script as well.

"Lugia betrayed us! What kind of father walks out on his kin?"

Ouch, said Ruki out loud. Harsh.

Apparently Lugia had never returned to Termina to visit his descendants since he left from the beginning. Ruki still did not understand why a Pure One would be ashamed to return to check up on his own kin.

Suddenly, Ruki felt his back plates twinge. Turning his head to see them, he saw two of his jet-black plates were glowing a bright blue. Since they were colored the same as his Millennium Sword, he figured that one of the Sacred Ones, possibly Luna, had to be nearby.

Walking through the streets of Titanis, he followed the intensity of the tingling feeling until he found out where the Sacred One was hiding. It was the strongest near a marble house that appeared less overgrown than the others. Apparently, someone still lived here. Once he opened the door and walked inside, the tingling feeling stopped.

When Ruki stepped out of the water and into a house comprised of fresh air, Ruki's Lugian instincts told him that Lugian homes were specially built so that the interiors were comprised of fresh air. The environment change was supposedly used to teach Lugians how to practice living on the surface at a later age, but for some reason, the Lugian population had been severely depleted by an unknown disaster.

Ruki walked through the cave (for it was like a cave interior) and took in the decor. The furniture was comprised of carved, colored coral and/or marble. Several eating utensils that were lying around were carved to perfection from whale and fish bones. If Ristar was here, he would be able to guesstimate the value of these items to be in the high price range. After all, he was a treasure hunter and knew all too well the value of relics like these.

Ruki also spotted several blankets and cloths woven from either colored seaweed and/or fish scales. The cave was lit by either rocks similar to the ones in the streets or by cool blue fires in lamps placed on hooks around the rooms. It appeared to be a primitive version of any regular Mood's home. There were, however, no electric appliances. The Lugians obviously found better ways to keep themselves entertained.

Ruki then noticed a framed, fish-bone picture of two Lugians posing in front of what appeared to be the Lugia statue in the city square. One of them looked exactly like Ruki did now. That was probably Sol, except that Sol had red eyes and red back plates. Ruki's form had blue eyes and multi-colored back plates. Other than that, everything from the cream-colored skin to the red sun birthmark on his forehead matched Ruki to a T. The other Lugian was probably Luna, Sol's sister. She was quite cute with her blonde hair and pink Bon Jovimood shirt. She had a blue moon-shaped birthmark on her forehead, but it was mostly hidden by her blue-checkered bandana.

Just then, Ruki's mind picked up a second one humming a tune in the next room.

Hello? called Ruki, walking from room to room. It had to be Luna. Anybody here?

Sol? The musical mind, obviously female, spoke out to him from the next room. Sol, is that you?

As per Babus' words, Luna appeared to be in the dark about her brother's demise. Not wanting to be a killjoy, Ruki decided to play along.

Luna? I'm home!

As he entered Luna's Room, there was a mental cry of joy and Ruki soon found himself on the cavern floor, tackled and being hugged by another Lugian.

Oh, Sol! she cried, sobbing into my shirt. I thought you'd never come home! I missed you so much!

Okay, choked Ruki. I missed you too. Now can you stop trying to break me in half?

Deal. Luna got to her feet. Ruki took a moment to study her.

Luna's skin was more of a snow-white than Lugia's silver-white. She had a sapphire-blue belly that was hidden by a pink shirt with Bon Jovimood's logo stamped on it. She wore a blue-checkered bandana over her blond hair and a chain of blue pearls was around her neck. Ruki noticed that her eye mask, back plates and tail spikes were all the same navy-blue color as the original Lugia's. She also wore a pair of baggy blue jeans that were cut off at the knees and her three-toed digitigrade feet were wrapped around a pair of flip-flop sandals.

What? she said suddenly.

Ruki realized that he was staring again. Thinking quickly, he said, Nothing. It's good to see you again!

Oh. Okay. Need some help? She held out her hand, which was slightly thinner than his own. Ruki nodded and she helped pull him to his feet.

So... did you find them? You were gone a long time.

Huh? Ruki was confused.

My eggs! she cried. You went out to get my eggs back from the Bonnes, remember? Did you get them back?

Oh... damn. Uh... Ruki knew from experience that Lugia was incapable of deception and Lugians were probably just as honest. No... I couldn't find them anywhere.

Luna's smile fell off her face and shattered on the floor. Her eyes began tearing and her voice cracked. But... I thought that... you could get them back.

I'm sorry, Luna. Ruki felt horrible.

Luna let out a Lugian wail and san back into her room, sobbing.

Ruki felt like dirt. Luna obviously looked up to her brother and both he and Ruki had let her down. Ruki walked into Luna's room and sat down on her bed where she lay, crying.

I-I-It's not like you, Sol! she wailed. You n-never fail at anything!

I'm sorry, Luna, Ruki said honestly. I didn't know how much they meant to you.

The moment he had said this, Ruki immediately regretted it. He would have taken on Arupnyn blindfolded if he could have taken that comment back. Luna suddenly looked up at him, her eyes ablaze with fire.

What d'you mean, "how much they meant to me"?! They meant the world to me! These are our kids, Sol! Our race's last hope! How could you forget that?!

Ruki was speechless. He had really screwed this up big time with that mouth... er, mind of his. He got up and backed up and backed out of the room. Luna had gotten to her feet and was advancing on him, enraged and confused.

What's wrong with you, Sol? You've changed somehow. You're gone way longer than you said you would be, you totally ignore our species' situation and now you don't even care about our children!

WHAP!!!

Luna had slapped Ruki across the face, sending him reeling onto the floor in the other room. Ruki flipped over and saw Luna's hands glowing a bright blue. Uh-oh. That was psychic energy; and if Luna was indeed a Sacred One, this was gonna hurt... really bad.

I never want to see you again! shrieked Luna, balling her fists. GET OUT!!!

She began throwing blue bolts of psychic energy at Ruki, who ran for it. She smashed decorations and furniture as she pursued him. Ruki accidentally took a wrong turn through the cave and ended up in Sol's room. Trapped, Ruki backed into a corner and cowered.

Luna, let me explain! he pleaded. I'm not who you think I am!

I don't want to hear it!!! You ruined EVERYTHING!!!

A beam of energy was charging up in front of her muzzle, signaling she was about to Aeroblast him. Ruki was too scared to conjure up any defenses.

And then... like the voice of an angel, another female voice got Luna's attention. "STOP IT, LUNA!!!"

Luna swallowed the Aeroblast and looked around. A female fox was standing in the bedroom doorway.

Chapter 26: Confession

Day 1: 0600, 54 hours remain

Ruki could have thanked Pure and Sacred Ones alike. The fox's timing couldn't have been better.

K-Krystal! Luna was completely surprised at her appearance.

"What are you doing you your brother, Luna?" The fox had a warm, sweet voice that triggered something in Ruki's memory.

Luna stammered for a moment and then realized what she was doing. In her rage, she had completely ignored the danger that she was putting her "brother" in. After opening and closing her mouth several times, she simply walked out of the room and sat down on the ruined couch in the den.

The female fox then turned her attention to Ruki. "You okay?" she said, walking over to him. "She's been a little high-strung over her eggs ever since you left."

Where had Ruki seen this fox before? She was about six-feet tall, which was well over what Ruki was normally and was also a biped. She had sapphire-blue fur from head to toe except for a white patch from her throat down to her belly. She also wore a leather bra and similar wrist guards and a tan cloth covered her lower extremities. There were several white-ink tattoos stamped on her shoulders and shins. Her eyes were a clear sea-green color that radiated with the ocean in them even in the pale light. Damn it! Where had Ruki seen her before?!

Yeah, said Ruki, keeping an eye on her. Krystal was looking straight into his eyes. Apparently, what she saw caught her interest because she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're not Sol," she said after a moment. "Sol has ruby-colored eyes; yours are blue. Wait a minute... I've seen those eyes before." After some more thought, she gasped and put a hand over her mouth. "You're that Mood who defeated Arupnyn over two years ago!"

Ruki swallowed. He was cornered yet again. Since she was probably going to ask, he gave in and put his hands around his neck. Digging into his flesh, he seized the edges of his mask and pulled it off his head. He felt a strange sinking sensation and was once again Ruki the Mood.

Krystal's amazement was classic. "I knew it! You're the Mood that gave me this!" She parted the fur on her belly, revealing a wire-thin scar that could only have been inflicted by... his Millennium Sword! Now he knew who this was!

This was Krystal – just Krystal – a former guardian of Arupnyn's Citadel back on Mood Star. He had met her while trying to disable a shield around one of Arupnyn's robots. However, the last time that he had seen her, she had been possessed by Arupnyn and the two of them had faced off in a sword-and-staff battle with her wearing a leather-latex battle suit. Ruki had won, though, by getting under her and stabbing her in the stomach. He hadn't stopped to check the damage, but the wound obviously wasn't fatal.

"I have you to thank for that fight," she said with a smile.

"Why's that?" He didn't see what good could have come out of their conflict other than that she had survived and escaped Arupnyn's spell.

"When you stabbed me with that Millennium Sword of yours, it must have passed some of its magic onto me."

"Huh?"

Krystal put a hand on his shoulder. It unlocked my mind so that I can use psychic powers like Lugia and Luna. She had said this in his mind! He didn't think that was possible for a fox.

"Wow," said Ruki, amazed at what his magical blade had done. "I never knew that that was possible."

"Regardless," she said vocally. "You owe me a rematch."

"Oh... I'll make a note of that," said Ruki, putting away his Sol Mask. "What are we going to do about Luna? It's going to be hard to tell her that her brother's gone."

"We?" Krystal said questionably.

Ruki blinked.

"Don't worry," she said, running a furry hand over his bald dome. Silky smooth! "I'll talk to her. Wait here for a while."

Day 1: 0300, 51 hours remain

Ruki waited. He kept himself busy by leafing through one of Sol's books on a counter labeled, "The Art of Lugian Fishing", which he found quite interesting. Now he knew how to catch a quick meal when he used his Sol Mask again.

Krystal was a natural at breaking bad news to people. Luna cried for a good five minutes when she realized that her brother was dead. When Ruki's name was mentioned, Luna let out a gasp of surprise. Sol had once mentioned a hero named Ruki that would help save their race from extinction. How he had known, though, Luna had never found out. He had taken his secret with him to his grave.

After about two hours, Krystal called for him. Ruki entered the den and saw Krystal holding a nervous Luna's hand.

So, she said nervously. You are the Ruki Mood.

This was the start of another long chain of conversations. Ruki explained why he was here in Titanis, Luna told him about the Bonnes and how they had captured her eggs and Krystal explained in detail her new psychic abilities.

When Ruki brought up the name "Juno", Luna gasped and nearly fainted.

Ruki Mood Juno is an android that was responsible for our race's demise, Luna whimpered. He lives in the Digital Temple out in the ocean and works for Aruonetwo. He raided the city one fine day and so many Lugians died when we tried to fight him. The blood that was spilled... I'll never forget their screams of pain... it was so horrible!

Krystal had to comfort her for a while due to her sorrowful state.

"If it'll help," suggested Ruki, trying to be helpful. "I can help you get your eggs back."

Luna sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. You will? Oh, thank you very much! she said, grabbing Ruki in an embracing hug. I now that Sol would do the same thing for me. It would mean both of our worlds to me if you could get them back.

"I'll go with you," said Krystal, getting up. "I know the Bonne Fortress like the back of my own paw. Who knows? Maybe we'll find your pal Ristar there as well."

Ruki smiled at the thought of being reunited with his best chum. "Great! Let's go!"

Chapter 27: Flying Lessons 101

Dawn of the Second Day: 0600, 48 hours remain

The inhabitants of Termina will never cease to amaze me, thought Ruki as he followed Krystal through a shortcut to the surface.

The blue fox was a natural in the water. She could hold her breath for about 30 minutes and swam like a fish. Apparently, she made frequent visits to Titanis because she knew the route like the back of her paw. Her psychic abilities allowed her to communicate through the murky water to Ruki, who tried to keep her in his sight.

It's been over a year since I came to Termina, she said as the light approached them from the surface. I had almost forgotten about my home in Rocket Town.

That reminds me, said Ruki, turning left as Krystal took a sudden turn. Do you know one Tormund the Lupe Knight?

He's my brother, said Krystal. But I haven't seen him since he and I were separated in Woodfall by the Werelupe King.

I have. He's back in Clock Town with the Pure One, Babus Swain.

Krystal's joy was obvious. She gasped from astonishment and nearly swallowed a mouthful of water 20 feet from the surface. Ruki quickly swam to her and ferried her to precious oxygen as they broke the surface. They resurfaced near the cliff that Ruki had damaged while fighting the colored tanks.

Day 2: 0615, 47 hours remain

Krystal coughed up a generous amount of water before she finally sat up, coughing.

You okay? said Ruki, patting her on the back.

"Yeah," coughed Krystal, shaking herself dry. "I'm fine."

Good. Ruki got to his feet and looked around. How are we supposed to find the Bonnes' Fortress? There's nothing here!

"It's on the other side of this cliff." Krystal got up and scanned the cliff side. "Normally, you'd have to get past a laser security gate somewhere inside the cliff, but I see you've found another way in already." She pointed to the fresh hole in the wall.

Oh that? Ruki was confused. That was an accident. Besides, it's too high to climb up to and the cliff is too flat.

Krystal chuckled lightly for some reason.

What?

"Don't you think that Termina's Lugians never learned how to fly?"

Huh?

"Lugia would be very disappointed if he learned that his descendants never learned how to fly. All you got to do is fly up there. Here, I'll help you get started."

Ruki suddenly felt his mind being invaded as Krystal's kinetic powers entered his head and tried fighting it.

Don't struggle, said Krystal's voice in his head. You'll hurt yourself.

Ruki hesitated and then gave up. He was not used to having his memory scanned and the feeling was completely new to him. At first, Krystal passed over his subconscious, but then she backtracked and hovered over a memory of him and Tor fighting the Werelupe King.

Hey! he yelled mentally. That's private!

Sorry. Krystal put the memory back. I just never realized how handsome he looked.

Ruki groaned. He was an only child, so he didn't understand these sibling bonds.

Other than that one memory, Krystal pretty much left Ruki's mind untouched. She then started poking around the mind that shared Ruki's current state, Sol's. She browsed around Sol's abilities for a while and then locked on Sol's ability to fly. Once she triggered it, Ruki suddenly felt his feet leave the ground. Soon, he was fifty feet above it.

Oh! Oh! Oh! stammered Ruki as he gained altitude against his will. He had never flown solo before. High! This is very, very high!

Relax, came Krystal's mind. You'll have to do this on your own next time.

Ruki was used to flying, but he had usually been riding something such as Ristar's Warp Star or Lugia's back when he did so. It was a different story when his own... well, maybe not his feet left the ground unrestrained.

Don't think, Krystal was saying. Lugians let their minds and emotions loose when they flew. Just have fun with it. Ready?

Ruki was about to say, Not really, but Krystal's presence receded from his mind at 500 feet and he dropped without anything holding him back.

Think fast, Mood he told himself as he fell. That ground was coming up awfully fast. Panic set in. He couldn't think. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for a Lugian pancake.

But then he slowed down and hovered three feet from the ground. Ruki opened his eyes and relief flooded through him.

Cool! he said, relieved. He then dropped the last few feet and his feet touched down on the ground. He looked at Krystal, who was grinning.

"You had it," she smiled. "Just let your emotions loose."

Ruki racked his brain and released all of its restraints. He suddenly felt an infinite void of pure emotion fill his head. Solid ecstasy radiated everywhere. He felt as if he could do anything. He was free!

As this happened, Ruki felt his feet leave the ground again. Higher and higher he rose until he spread his arms and went freestyle. He dipped, dove, glided and soared on his own free will. He now understood why the birds sang – the freedom to go wherever he wanted to made his heart race. Ruki did a wide backflip through the air. He flew away from the cliff side, twisting and turning. He was able to use his tail to maneuver effortlessly through the air like it was water. Had the water not been as warm and murky as it currently was, he would have loved to take a dip from 300 feet.

Okay fly boy, called Krystal from down below. I think you've practiced long enough.

Aww... no fair! Ruki was having the time of his life and Krystal had had to be a killjoy. He returned to where she was watching him and landed with ease. I was having such a good time!

"I know, but we've got work to do." She pointed to the hole in the cliff caused by Ruki's Aeroblast. "Can you take me up there?"

Fine. Hold on.

He wrapped his arms around her torso and kicked off from the ground. Within seconds, they were on the edge of the makeshift entrance to the Bonnes' Fortress.

Chapter 28: Reunion

Day 2: 0915, 44 hours remain

Ruki and Krystal were looking at a metallic harbor concealed inside the cliff side. A large lagoon stretched out before them, and at the far end of the area lay the Bonnes' Fortress, a mass of steel and concrete built into the cliff. Several boats with one of those yellow Lego robots on each one were chugging around the lagoon.

"Those Servbots have this area pretty well-guarded," Krystal noticed, eyeing the area. "We'll have a hard time getting inside indeed without them seeing us."

Not quite, said Ruki, pointing to a decent gap in the boat's circling ranks. That should be a big enough opening for us to slip into the water unnoticed.

Krystal scoped it out. "Good idea. There's an aqueduct down there that we can use to slip into the dungeon. Although..." She looked again. "There's only enough space between the boats for us to go one at a time."

I'll go first. My friend's in there somewhere.

To make sure that the "Servbots" didn't see him, Ruki and Krystal hid behind a large rock face that Ruki had left when he had destroyed the cliff and waited for their chance. As the final boat chugged by, Ruki took his cue. Stepping out from behind the boulder, he ran to the end of the cliff, jumped into the air, folded his plates against his back like Lugia did when he went into the water and dived head-first into the lagoon.

The water was much cooler and clearer here than in the ocean. Ruki was able to breathe a lot easier here as well. He swam deeper into the depths and started looking for the aqueduct that Krystal had mentioned. He found it relatively easily – it was about 50 feet high and was built into the fortress wall – but when he went to swim into it, he found it blocked by a steel grate.

Damn! he cursed. It's locked!

Looking around underwater, he tried to find something... anything that would open the grate without destroying it. He didn't want to alert the Bonnes to his presence. Ruki had noticed that there was a slot where the grate could slide into when it was being opened. That meant that there was probably a switch somewhere that would slide it open... if he was lucky. The switch could possibly be inside the fortress.

Just then, he saw it. A large, round, flat panel marked with the Bonnes insignia – a mechanical metal skull – was lying in the exact center of the lagoon bottom. Diving for it, Ruki heard another splash and he knew that Krystal had entered the water.

Aren't you in yet? she complained as she swam to him.

Hey! I've got my hands full here! Ruki shot back.

He reached the switch and pressurized it with his feet. The grate on the duct slowly slid open.

Good, come on! Krystal swam like a fish through the opening.

Ruki made to follow her, but once he left the switch, the grate immediately slammed shut in from of him!

Son of a Mood! It's a pressure switch! Those Bonnes are cleverer than I thought.

Ruki returned to the switch. He needed something heavy. Anything heavier than him. His answer came almost instantly. His Aeroblast had caused several large chunks of rock to fall to the bottom of the lagoon. Using it as an excuse to use his psychic powers, he focused his mind on a reasonably large, oblong one and concentrated. Waving his hand allowed him to kinetically lift it and move it over to him. He carefully positioned it over the switch and released his hold on it, causing it to drop onto the pressure switch with a dull thump.

Success! The grate slid open enough to slip in on his own. He then realized that someone would probably see it, so he halted on the other side of the grate and lifted the boulder off of the switch. The grate slammed shut again and Ruki followed Krystal into the fortress.

Day 2: 1130, 42 hours remain

Well, the dungeons anyway. Ruki resurfaced inside a dark cavern dimly lit by dying torches on the walls. The walls were built out of reinforced steel that had been rusting for some time. Krystal was holding one of the torches above her with her arm at her side.

"You took your sweet time," she said in a mock-stern voice.

Nice to see you too, sighed Ruki, climbing onto dry land and unfolding his back plates. Where are we?

"We're about a hundred or so feet below the main complex," she replied. "Luna's eggs are being guarded by the Bonnes somewhere above us."

Great.

They started walking down the hallway. The walls were lined with metallic cells with various bones scattered in them or tied to shackles. This was just the surface of the Bonnes' cruelty. Ruki groaned with disgust.

I can't believe the nerve of these people! Don't they value anyone's life at all?

"The Bonnes weren't always evil," said Krystal, examining a cell and walking by. "Ever since Aruonetwo and Ruki Mood Juno appeared, this place has gone completely under."

That reminds me... Where did this "Ruki Mood Juno" come from? His name really tarnishes my own reputation.

She shrugged. "No one knows. He and the Digital Temple just showed up out of nowhere about two years ago. Ruki?"

Ruki was looking at a figure hanging in chains mounted on the wall of a nearby cell. The dim light made it hard to see exactly what it was. At first, he thought that it was just a rock, but he just wanted to make sure. Adjusting his vision spectrum, Ruki looked at the figure with what he called "heat vision". Against all possibilities, he saw that this figure was still alive! Its heat pattern and shape indicated that it was a living, star-shaped being.

Ristar?

The figure struggled to raise its head. It was wearing a mask on its face shaped like a simple face carved into a rock.

"You can see me?" it said weakly. It was hard to tell, but it sounded suspiciously like Ristar.

Yeah, Ruki said calmly.

But the figure seemed to get the wrong impression. "Sol? I thought you escaped."

It's me. It's Ruki.

"Ruki?" He didn't sound convinced. "No... you can't be him."

It is me! Look! Ruki seized his neck and removed the Sol Mask. Once he was back to normal, he tried again.

"You're not Ruki," said the figure sadly. "Ruki never goes anywhere without his Millennium Sword at his side. He never wore a full-body suit before, either."

"Oh, really?" He casually unsheathed the legendary blade and waved it without looking at it. "Then I just happened to have this shiny, golden blade with me everywhere I go."

When the figure saw the sword, it was all the proof that he needed. "Ruki! It is you!" He sounded both ecstatic and relieved. "You remember me, right? Ristar, the Star from the stars?"

Ruki knew it was him. But like best friends, he decided to prolong the situation. "I can't tell with that mask on. Hold on, I'll get you out."

Ristar's expression dropped. "Too bad. Only the Bonnes have the key to the cell."

Ruki looked away nonchalantly as he pulled out the key he had won off the Servbots the previous day. "Is this it?"

He stuck the key in the lock and turned it. It clicked and the door slid open with a clatter.

"Quiet!" hissed Ristar. "The Servbots aren't deaf, you know!"

"Sorry." Ruki tried to find a lock on the manacles around Ristar's wrists but found none. "Help me!" he called to Krystal.

Ristar voiced an innocent opinion. "Ruki... did you get the girl (hint, hint)?"

Both Ruki and Krystal looked at each other nervously. They had never talked about a relationship before.

"No!" they both said at the same time. "We're just friends!"

"Oh... okay." But there was something about his tone that Ruki didn't quite trust.

Nevertheless, Krystal stepped inside the cell and stared at the chains, her eyes shimmering.

SNAP!!!

The bonds cracked in half and fell against the wall.

"Let's get this mask off of you." Ruki removed the stone mask and pocketed it. Babus would probably find it interesting.

It was indeed Ristar Starton, Ruki Mood's best friend who had been assumed dead for over two years. His body was mostly jet-black except for his star-shaped face and torso, but his usual luster had diminished somewhat due to being starved to death. His arms and legs were thinner than normal and his white gloves and shoes were completely filthy. But Ruki didn't care. He hugged his long-lost friend as if he had recovered a precious treasure.

"Okay," said Ristar, embarrassed slightly. "I love you, too. Now can you let me go? We have company."

"Sorry," said Ruki, close to tears. "I've just missed you so much!"

Ristar understood. Both he and Ruki were orphans. Other than the Pure Ones, who had raised them like parents, they only had each other and were like brothers during Arupnyn's reign of terror on Mood Star over two years ago.

"So how've you been?" said Ruki. "The last time I saw you, you had gotten your butt handed to you by Arupnyn."

This was only half-true, as Ristar explained. Some unknown force stronger than the Pure Ones must have been looking out for him the day that he supposedly "died". When that bomb had gone off, a strange forced had teleported him from the top of the Dark Essence silo, and the next thing he knew, he had awoken outside Clock Town in the parallel world of Termina. Stranded, Ristar had lived among the Moods of Clock Town for a while. About a month after he arrived, strange things began happening to Termina. A strange woman named Aruonetwo had appeared wearing a strange mask and began using some unknown dark powers to wreak havoc. The Sacred Ones had risen up to confront Aruonetwo, but were unable to defeat her for some strange reason. Ristar had eavesdropped on Aruonetwo and had overheard her talking to an unknown ally about sending evil monsters to take control of the four realms.

"It was horrible!" he said angrily. "The Werelupes rebelled in Woodfall, Nu Mountain froze over, a strange temple appeared in Termina Bay, the Lugians suddenly vanished and Ikana Canyon became a valley of the living dead!"

Ristar hadn't helped the situation. Since Ruki hadn't yet found out about Termina, he had taken matters into his own hands to defeat Ruki Mood Juno and awaken the Sacred One. Unfortunately before he could get to the Digital Temple, he had been captured by the Bonnes and was thrown in prison. He learned from the Servbots that the Lugian, Sol, had tried to steal "Miss Tron's treasure" but failed and was thrown in jail as well.

During his incarceration, Sol had mentioned to Ristar that Ruki was coming to Termina. In an effort to let him know that he was still alive, Ristar broke off a piece of his Star Rod and gave it to Sol to give to Ruki. During his escape, though, Sol was gravely injured and was never heard from again.

The Bonnes eventually grew tired of Ristar's complaining, so they put him in shackles, slapped the Stone Mask on him and forgot about him.

"Wow," said Ruki once he had finished. "You've been busy."

"Yeah, I have." Ristar leaned against the wall and rubbed his wrists, still sore from the shackles. "But enough about me. Tell me about what you've been doing for the past two years."

Ruki relayed everything that had happened to him since he had defeated Arupnyn. From getting Ristar's note to being jumped by Aruonetwo to the Werelupe King to his first flight as Sol. Nothing was left out.

Krystal remained silent the whole time. She was amazed that an 8-year-old Mood had had so many adventures in his short lifetime. She was actually growing a little fond of the little hero but kept in mind that she was twice his age and a relationship between them would be questionable. Regardless, she decided to keep an eye on him and see if his word about these adventures was any good.

Soon, Ruki and Ristar began formulating a plan to escape the Bonne Fortress and retrieve Luna's eggs.

Unfortunately, a Servbot coming to check up on Ristar heard this part of the conversation and paused to listen. When Ruki, Ristar and Krystal began getting ready to move out, he ran off to tell the Bonnes.

Chapter 29: Ruki, Ristar and Krystal vs. Tron Bonne

Day 2: 1500, 39 hours remain

Ruki and his cohorts found it surprisingly simple to escape from the dungeons. When Ristar had to take a detour to retrieve his weapon, the legendary Star Rod, they found that there were no Servbots on duty there. Ruki became suspicious when they stepped out into the courtyard. It was a wide open area with multiple steel walkways around the perimeter to spot any intruders. But for some reason, it was completely deserted.

"It's too easy," said Ruki to Krystal, looking around.

However, Ristar was the type to act first and ask questions later. So it came as no surprise when he ran ahead, shouting, "The egg is just ahead! Come on!"

Ruki sighed and followed him. Krystal, however, remained where she was had her eyes closed. She appeared to be sensing the presence of any guards in the area.

Just then, she opened them and yelled, "Ruki! Ristar! Look out!"

The two heroes froze as the ground began shaking and rumbling. A hangar door at the end of the area opened slowly and a large robot wheeled out in front of the pair. It was a tank on four long, flexible, hydraulic legs on wheels. It had a turret on the front of it just below the top hatch where a girl now popped out of.

She was not a Mood but was clearly a Human. Moods had only read about Humans in myth and legend but here was one such legend in the flesh. She wore a pink shirt with the Bonnes' insignia on it. She had a large amount of hair shaped in a large, wide triangle on the back of her head. Her eyes were normally green, but they were presently covered in the same purple mist that Ruki had seen in the Woodfall Werelupes.

"So you're the ones who beat up my kids!" Tron Bonne had a bossy tone of voice. She was obviously used to getting what she wanted from people. "Well, I guess you'll be wanting to take our treasure, huh?" She didn't wait for a response. "Well, too bad! You're never getting past me and into our fortress, so… pthbbt!!!" She blew a loud raspberry at the pair and waved at Ristar, taunting the annoyed Star.

"Why you—!!!" It took all of Ruki's strength to keep the enraged Star from charging head-first at Tron. "Wait'll I get my hands on you! You're not gonna get away with this!"

"We'll see," said Tron slyly. "But I do have something to ask you." She pointed to Ruki. The Mood blinked. "My brother was pretty impressed to learn that you got in here. If you want..." She placed a lot of emphasis on the word. "I suppose I could let you join us and we can avoid all this violence. What d'ya say?"

Ruki looked both annoyed and disgusted at Tron's offer. But when he answered, he kept his cool. "Me join with thieving pirates? Let me think..." He feigned concentration. "Nope... Don't see that happening. Swallowing live fish sounds like a better option to me." It was a better option because Ruki had swallowed several live fish in Titanis earlier that morning.

A vein was throbbing in Tron's head after getting burned by Ruki's words. "Thieving pirates" seemed to touch a personal nerve. Suddenly, she snapped.

"Fine by me! I gave you a fair offer, so don't complain when I wipe the floor with your face!" She blew another raspberry, jumped back inside the cockpit and slammed the lid. Ruki was pleased that he had gotten to the Human.

Day 2: 1700, 37 hours remain

Tron opened up the fight by shooting bombs from a hidden vent in the back of the tank. They were easy to avoid initially, but the explosions caused by the impact of the bombs spread out a little ways. One of them went a little out of its way and nearly hit an unsuspecting Krystal, who leapt out of the way but suffered a charred tail. Krystal was forced to join the battle when Ruki and Ristar started heading her way and the bombs got closer. She drew a collapsible metal rod and joined the fray, lending them both a hand by providing an energy shield out of nowhere.

"Ruki! Krystal! Cover me!" Ristar yelled as he ran at the legs of Tron's tank.

He stood in a blind spot directly under the tank and attacked the joints on the legs, but only received the dull clank of stone on metal. He then realized that the tip of the topaz star was still missing.

"Ruki!" he shouted as Tron tried to run him over. "I could really use that Star Rod shard that I sent you!"

Ruki had completely forgotten about the yellow shard that he had received with Ristar's first letter. He and Krystal split up as Tron rolled by and he pulled out the letter and the small yellow stone. He then tossed the latter to Ristar and yelled, "Heads up!"

Ristar caught the crystal and placed it on its broken counterpart. The Star Rod glowed a bright yellow as the crystals fused together. Twirling the finished rod with admiration, he rejoined the fight.

Since she did not hear the sounds of running someone over, Tron halted and spun around. The robot seemed to squat for a second and then leaped over 100 feet into the air!

"Incoming!" Ruki grabbed Krystal's paw and ran away.

The robot came down with a sickening crunch that sent static shockwaves through the metal floor, which dissipated before they reached the trio.

"We have to find out that tank's weakness," said Krystal, getting up after being floored from the shock of the impact. "Cover me. I need to analyze it." She did a full backflip and landed a good ten feet up on one of the metal walkways around the perimeter.

"Remind me to ask her how she did that," said Ristar, looking up at Krystal in disbelief.

Ruki was not a very good climber, but he did have something even better – flight! He pulled out his Sol Mask and draped it over his head. Once transformed, he relayed his plan to Ristar.

Distract her while we look for a weak spot.

"Now when you say "her", do you mean...?" Ristar received an annoyed look from Ruki that shut him up. "All right! I'll cover you. Sheesh!"

Ruki flew up and followed Krystal, ignoring Ristar's comment of, "Diehard." The Star went after Tron. He was trying to get her attention by yelling and striking the robot's legs again with his Star Rod. He was trying to draw Tron away from Ruki and Krystal as long as he could.

"Hey you bucket of bolts! Come and get me!"

Unfortunately, Tron had already thought of this. She pointed the main cannon at Ruki while a second turret was drawn underneath the cockpit and aimed at Ristar.

"Let's see you dance, Star!" Tron shouted over the tank's loudspeaker.

The turret fired at Ristar, who was being followed by bullets. He tried to fake out Tron, but she was relentless and always got back on his tail.

All of a sudden, Ristar shouted "Run awaaaay!!!" and did just that. Why? Tron had jumped into the air again and came down with a slam, causing more static shockwaves to course through the floor again. What's more, the floor seemed to buckle slightly...

Meanwhile, Ruki was having his own problems protecting Krystal. Since she was still not used to her psychic powers, she was unable to dodge Tron's bombs and focus on her robot at the same time. This kept Ruki on his toes. He harnessed the Lugian ability to conjure a barrier of light whenever a bomb came too close for comfort and block it.

Tron was getting frustrated now. She wasn't hitting either of them, but Ristar was giving her the most problems. Somehow, whenever his Star Rod hit one of the tank's legs, an impact like a concussion grenade going off would hit her, rocking her in her cockpit. This time, she pulled out a new weapon – a powerful red laser that cut a little into the metal floor.

That's it! came Krystal's voice at last. She had finally found out a weakness in Tron's defense. Ristar, that laser is the key! Listen, here's what you need to do. She relayed the plan to both the Mood and the Star.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing!" shouted Ristar, catching on.

He started running around Tron, the laser eating into the floor as he stayed ahead of it by inches. He had completed three laps before he waved to Ruki, who waved back.

Hey Tron! he shouted, flying above Tron and taunting her. Up here!

There wasn't enough room in the area for Tron to point the cannon at that angle, so Tron had to improvise. She launched the robot into the air again and was almost level with Ruki.

"Now I got you!" she yelled as she took aim.

Ruki grinned and avoided the shot with a lazy dip.

Happy landings! he said, waving to Tron from the air.

Tron looked confused but soon realized what he was talking about as she plummeted to the ground. There was a sickening crunch of as the robot connected with the ground. Then a loud metallic groan sounded as the already-weakened floor buckled, bent and gave way. Tron's robot plummeted 200 feet into the lower dungeons, totaling it. The sound of metal on metal was sickening. Krystal flinched, Ruki covered his ears and Ristar grit his teeth from the cacophony of crashes.

Tron herself was luckier than her ride. She had ejected from the robot just as it disappeared beneath the floor. There was an explosion as the robot's gas tank ruptured and Tron flew out of the pit in a smoky heap.

Regardless of their oppositions, Ruki, Ristar and Krystal went over to check on Tron, Ruki flew down and grabbed Krystal off the walkway. Ristar merely walked around the large hole in the floor.

At first, Tron didn't move, but then she got up, coughing from all the smoke on her burnt clothes.

"cough cough Well, you've really done it this time! cough My brother is going to be – cough – furious when he gets back! cough"

"Are you okay?" asked Krystal, trying to be helpful.

"Aww, shut up! cough" snapped Tron, turning around in a huff.

"Where's Luna's egg?" Ruki had removed his mask.

Tron grinned and turned around. "You're too late! Teasel and Bon have already left. They're taking our train to the Digital Temple with the egg on board. I just had to keep you losers busy enough to let them get a head start." She stuck out her tongue and suddenly collapsed. Ristar had given her a swift blow to the back of her head with the blunt end of the Star Rod.

"I've been waiting a long time to do that," he said smugly.

Chapter 30: Ruki, Ristar and Krystal vs. Teasel Bonne

Night of the Second Day: 1900, 35 hours remain

The sun had already set by the time the trio had located the train station inside the Bonnes' Fortress. Getting there had been no easy task. The complex was designed to keep people in and only Krystal knew the correct way to their target location. When they did reach the train station, all of the Servbots on the platform fled when they saw them arrive.

"There's still one train left," said Ruki, pointing out the last remaining engine. "We can still catch them!"

He ran over to the controls of the small, red engine parked on the waterlogged tracks. "Er... how do you drive this thing?"

"Move over," said Krystal, moving Ruki aside. "I can handle this."

"Okay, Your Majesty," said Ruki in an annoyed voice.

Krystal sighed and went to work getting the engine running. She tweaked a few knobs and pulled a large lever, causing the engine to groan into life.

They began to move as the wheels clacked on the flooded tracks. Soon they pulled out of the station and onto the surface of the ocean. Ruki stuck his head out the window and saw that this was no ordinary engine. They were riding on rails made of solid white light that were slightly above the water.

Ristar frowned. "We need to go faster!" he said anxiously. "The computer says that the Bonnes are already over Nu Mountain." Krystal groaned and slid another lever into place. The train picked up speed and chugged down the tracks, spraying water from the ocean.

Ruki didn't understand something. Why were the Bonnes taking the long way around Termina? The Digital Temple was just on the other side of Termina Bay; why didn't they just take that way?

Regardless, he noticed that they were leaving Termina Bay and had entered a series of rock tunnels that ran under Termina. Once they emerged, Ruki noticed that they were motoring over Nu Mountain. The entire northern realm had frozen over again, confirming that everything had been undone the last time he had used the Time-Turner. They chugged into a frigid tunnel in the side of the mountain when Ristar got his attention.

"Bonne train at 2:00!" said Ristar, looking ahead.

A yellow engine with a large wooden crate chained on top of it was making its way into another tunnel. They were less than 200 yards in front of their pursuers.

"Hold on!" said Krystal, cranking several more knobs, "I'm hitting the turbo!" She shoved a rather stubborn lever with extra force, which caused it to grind slowly into place. The train slowed briefly but then took off at breakneck speed. They closed the gap between the two engines in no time.

BOOM!

Something had impacted the front of the train, causing it to shudder slightly.

"We're under attack!" shouted Ristar, running to the window again. "Those Bonnes are throwing Servbots on missiles at us!"

Krystal checked a gauge and frowned. "You'll have to go up top and stop them. We can only take so much damage before we lose our engine."

Ruki and Ristar exited the cab from the rear and climbed up on the top of the engine using a ladder at the rear. The roof was wide enough and flat enough for them to maneuver without falling off.

"I'll try to get close to them!" Krystal called out the window. "Hold onto your pants!"

Ristar wanted to point out that he didn't wear pants, but one of the Bonnes was cackling evilly over the loudspeaker.

"So you want to go down in flames, do you? Well, get ready for the ultimate pounding!"

He roared with laughter and opened a hatch at the engine's rear. A Servbot riding a missile was flying towards them.

"Ruki! Ristar!" came Krystal's voice from below. "Their weakness is that missile hatch! I can't get close enough for you to board it; you'll have to pick it off from here!"

Ruki frowned. The distance between their engines was a least 200 feet. Ristar, however, was ready for a fight.

"Gimme a boost," he told Ruki. "I have an idea."

As the missile-riding Servbot came closer, Ristar ran to the front of the roof and chucked his Star Rod at the poor robot, knocking him for a loop in the air and stunning him long enough for Ristar to grab him and chuck him back at the Bonnes' train with surprising accuracy. However, before it made contact, the track took a sudden turn and entered another tunnel, causing the Servbot to fly off into nowhere.

"Aw, crap!" cursed Ristar, stomping his feet in frustration. "I had it!"

The trains emerged from the tunnel and were now chugging over a deep canyon and around trees that reached up to the heavens! Ruki noticed that there strange purple clouds here as well, though their origin was currently unknown. For some reason, Ruki felt a sense of fear course through his veins, but it passed by and he ignored it.

Back on straight tracks, another Servbot-riding missile was deployed. Determined not to miss this time, Ristar repeated his unique strategy to capture the Servbot and threw it back at the train with more force than the last one.

"Master Teeeeaaaaseeeellll!!!" cried the Servbot as he headed straight for the missile hatch. It went into the open hatch like threading a needle.

KA-BOOM!!!

The explosion following the impact ripped apart the rear of the Bonnes' engine. Ruki and Ristar hit the deck as pieces of debris and shrapnel came flying towards them, missing them by a fraction of an inch. They could now see inside the engine.

A man in a full-body suit of green armor was glaring at them from the train. He had red eyes, but like Tron, they were covered over by a strange purple mist. He had a large amount of silver hair extending from the back of his helmet. This was one of Tron's brothers, Teasel Bonne.

Teasel Bonne started pounding a control panel inside the still-running remains of the cab and a large cannon turret rose from the roof behind the chained crate.

"If you're going to play with fire," he yelled as he took aim. "You're going to get burned!" He cackled as he pressed a button. The cannon began collecting energy and then fired a ball of green energy at the heroes' train.

Neither Ruki nor Ristar knew how to block it and they paid for it when it collided with the front of their train. Ruki lost his footing and was thrown skyward off the train. Fortunately, Ristar ran to the back of the roof and seized Ruki by the ankle before they lost him completely.

Ristar pulled him back and they continued on. Ruki's heart was racing a mile a minute as he gasped for breath and said, "Thanks pal. I owe you one."

Ristar shook his head and said, "You sprung me out of jail. As far as I know, we're even."

"Ruki! Ristar!" shouted Krystal after getting over the initial shock. "What are you doing up there?! We can't take another hit like that or we'll lose our engine!"

"Point taken!" answered Ruki, running back up to the front of the engine. Just then, the Bonnes' cannon began charging up for a second shot. "Heads up, Ristar!"

He had to think on his feet as the shot was deployed. On a hunch, he took aim and slapped the bolt with his Millennium Sword. There was a clank of something striking the indestructible metal and the sword absorbed the force of the bolt, vaporizing it.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ruki took a moment to examine the blade. The green gem on the flat of the blade was going haywire and the sword was covered in a green-ish energy field. The Millennium Sword had absorbed the energy of the bolt and was storing it inside the metal!

An idea floated through Ruki's brain. "Leave this to me," he told Ristar, who backed off and let him work.

Teasel charged the cannon and fired again. The bolt had been poorly aimed and flew over their train, but Ruki and Ristar worked as a team, propelling the Mood upwards for him to tag it and the Star grabbed him before the train passed under him again. Another clank sounded and Ruki's sword started vibrating as the green energy field intensified.

"Stand back." Ruki waved Ristar off. "I'm not sure if this thing can hold much more."

It could, as Ruki found out by blocking a third shot aimed at the front of the engine, but it seemed to be all it could take. The sword vibrated so hard in Ruki's hands that he could barely hold onto it. The energy was so intense that he had to do something with it or the situation would become critical. He took aim and pointed the blade at the Bonnes' engine. A series of green lightning bolts discharged from the Millennium Sword, flew past Teasel and into the control panel next to him.

Ruki's hands tingled from the intense vibrations and admired his work. The sword had released all of its energy and had overloaded the Bonnes' train, causing a series of fires to break out.

"AHHHH!!!" screamed Teasel at the onboard Servbots as he disappeared from view. "Put out the fire! PUT IT OUT!!!" Their train was speeding up as the train short-circuited.

"The automated fire extinguishers aren't working!" cried a frightened Servbot.

"WHAT?!?!" Teasel was beside himself. "But-but-but—! It's inconceivable! How could two little punks like that ever defeat me?!"

"Brace yourself!" called Krystal as she tried to slow the train down. "The controls are jammed and we're going to hit it! Get down here if you value your lives!"

Ruki and Ristar dropped into the cabin and held onto anything solid that they could. It looked like Krystal had pushed the small engine too hard and the brakes had blown.

Teasel's train started emitting small explosions as the power cut out. It finally slowed and stalled on the tracks somewhere above Woodfall. Krystal's train couldn't avoid it and Teasel's train exploded when they made contact with it. Ruki, Ristar and Krystal held on for dear life as they slammed into it, knocking it off the tracks and continued going.

The force of the impact and the heat of the explosion were too much for their tiny engine and it started to fail as well. They sped up at such a radical speed that the glass on the windows blew out.

"Butter up, guys!" said Ristar, moving to the back of the train. "'Cause we're toast!"

Ruki and Krystal joined him. They had reached Termina Bay again but were too high up in the air to consider jumping. The ocean looked like a flat, blue void that stretched out for ages below them.

Just then, Krystal pointed to the back of the train and shouted, "Look! Luna's egg!"

The wooden crate had detached from Teasel's train and the chain had snagged on the railing on the roof above them. A good ten feet of chain extended behind it and ended in a wrapped tangle of chain surrounding the box. Ruki realized that if that chain snapped, all hopes of recruiting Luna as a Sacred One would vanish. The crate would be lost forever within the murky depths of the bay.

He didn't want to take that chance. He passed his Millennium Sword to Ristar and said, "I'm going for it. If I don't see you again, take good care of her."

He was talking about Krystal, but Ristar was more concerned with what Ruki was planning. "Ruki, no! I won't lose you again!" He was literally in tears.

"I found you once," said Ruki, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I can find you again."

"Ruki..." Krystal tried to interject, but he had made up his mind. She had never seen such a selfless act of courage from any Mood before. If they ever met again, she would be forever in his debt.

The chain finally snapped and the egg was now in freefall. Ruki leapt from the railing, his Sol Mask draped over his head and dove after it. The transformation was instantaneous and he soon clung onto the crate. Turning his head, he saw the speeding engine take a turn way too fast and derailed, plummeting into the ocean.

The last thing that Ruki heard before his hit the ocean's surface was Ristar's voice yelling, "Ruuuukiiii...!!!"

Chapter 31: Ruki Mood Juno and "Mother"

Ruki was walking on the grounds of an ancient castle. There was a feeling of dread wherever he went. Something was watching him – an unseen foe was hovering around the area. He kept on walking and entered the castle. His heart literally stopped beating. He was looking into the face of fear itself. A seven-foot-tall monster with deadly green blades on its arms, legs and head was staring at him with dark, soulless eyes. It had a spiked tail, a hooked, green beak and a long, muscular neck. The mere sight of it froze Ruki's blood.

He turned to run but ran straight into another! Its scabbed, clawed hands reached for him but he parted it at the waist with his Millennium Sword. However, he turned around to find that he was surrounded! These brutal monsters were advancing from all around him!

If he was going down, he was going down fighting. He went into a series of complicated sword techniques, but the monsters just kept coming back for more.

Just then, he saw a black figure rise up from behind the ranks and towered over him. Ruki looked up into its evil, yellow eyes and froze. Darkness consumed him as the figure let out an evil laugh and Ruki screamed, though no one could hear him.

NOOOOOOOO!!!

Dawn of the Final Day: 0800, 22 hours remain

Ruki woke up screaming and sweating. He gasped and took a deep breath. These nightmares were starting to get to him and had to end! He got out of bed and walked over to a water basin and splashed water over his face to wake him up. It was then that he realized where he was.

He was back in Titanis inside Sol and Luna's cave. He was still wearing Sol's Mask and was lying in Sol's room. He heard someone running and whipped around.

Luna came into the room with a look of concern on her face.

Ruki! Are you alright? I heard you screaming. Her hair still had a comb stuck in it.

Yeah, Ruki said shakily. It was just a bad dream.

Thank Lugia! she sighed. I was so worried about you! I found you out in the middle of City Square holding one of my precious eggs about four hours ago! I took you home and you've been asleep ever since.

Oh. Ruki thanked Pure Ones and Sacred Ones alike that he had landed in Titanis and not in the middle of the murky ocean. How's the egg?

Great, she said, relieved. It's in my room. I was just tending to it when I heard you scream.

Ruki smiled. It was very thoughtful of her to think of him like that. Just then, he realized who was missing.

What happened to Ristar and Krystal? Did you see them anywhere?

Luna suddenly looked grave. No... I'm so sorry. She had much remorse in her voice. I didn't find them anywhere.

Ruki suddenly felt full of guilt that he couldn't save either Ristar or Krystal. He replayed that last, desperate image in his head and mentally scolded himself for letting them die like that. The train had derailed over a large, square object out to sea surrounded by a massive whirlwind of purple clouds.

You shouldn't blame yourself, said Luna, patting him on the shoulder. You chose a path and stuck with it. Besides... She smiled and rubbed her head on his neck. I have a feeling that they're still out there.

Thanks, said Ruki. He felt somewhat better, but that didn't stop him from reliving that horrifying image.

Wait a minute, said Luna as she viewed the clip in his mind. That's the Digital Temple! That's where my second egg is being held! If either Ristar or Krystal survived after hitting the water, then that's where they would go to.

Ruki's hopes flared and he was filled with new energy. He forgot that Lugians' memories were broadcasted locally between each others' minds and got up and headed for the entrance. Then that's where I'm going! I'm going to go find them!

Wait! said Luna as Ruki was about to leave. If you're going to the Digital Temple, please keep an eye out for my second egg. Ruki Mood Juno probably still has it stashed away in there. If you find it, then I'll be able to help you defeat Aruonetwo. Good luck!

Ruki then did something so unexpected and stupid at the same time that he'll never forget it. He turned to Luna, gave her a hug and both Lugians locked lips! Both of them were shocked at this sudden advance but remained connected for a second and then separated. Both of them were speechless, but Ruki finally managed to say, See ya.

Final Day: 0900, 21 hours remain

It wasn't that bad, said a voice in Ruki's head. I actually enjoyed it.

You barely even know her, argued another, more assertive conscience. What were you thinking?!

She's the only one left of her species. She deserved it.

How do you know that you did it right, you blockhead? She probably felt like her brother was kissing her!

Ruki was arguing with himself as he took the secret route out of Titanis to the Digital Temple. He had done something completely unexpected to a poor Lugian woman without warning, without asking and from a complete stranger.

Now that he thought about it, he figured that it probably felt like a kiss from her older brother to her. But then he realized that normal Moods did not kiss their siblings on Mood Star.

Nevertheless, Ruki pushed it to the back of his mind and forgot about it. There would probably be hell to pay when he returned.

There was a large building approaching as he came neared the surface. He could already feel the current caused by the wind from the temple. It rose to such a powerful pitch that if he weren't a Lugian, he would have been swept away. He wondered how Ristar and Krystal could have survived the force of the wind as he surfaced inside a dimly-lit cavern.

Final Day: 0930, 20 hours remain

Ruki emerged inside the Digital Temple and swam to a ledge. He looked around.

The whole area whole area was made of a black void covered in a digital grid of glowing, criss-crossing green lines. The lines bent in places to form rough walls, stairs and other objects.

It's like living inside cyberspace! said Ruki, who had no idea what he was talking about. Moods aren't as technologically advanced as you think. He figured that he had just made that word up.

Ruki got out of the water and removed his mask. He had a little trouble determining where everything was due to the never-ending green grid, but after some poking around, he discovered a ramp leading downward into the temple.

Every so often, Ruki would unexpectedly run into a wall as he continued downward. After some more groping around, he realized that the path was going in a constant downward left spiral, so he eventually kept his left hand on the left wall and turned left when the wall ended.

Ruki soon noticed that the glowing green lines were starting to fade as he went deeper and deeper into the temple. Eventually, the lights were too dim for him to see anything at all and he had to resort to keeping his hand on the wall. It was soon irrelevant because he soon ran into a metal door at the end of the spiral that was clearly distinguishable from the rest of the temple. It seemed to radiate with its own personal light that made it noticeable from the rest of the darkness. Groping around for the handle, Ruki had to push the door extra hard to get it to slide open.

He was now standing on a narrow ledge in the middle of nowhere. The green grid had returned, but it dropped down a good 500 feet into a glowing pit. The lines came back up about 100 feet away and formed a ledge where another metal door was perched.

Ruki drew a blank. Some unknown force was preventing him from leaving the floor and it would probably be the same if he put on Sol's Mask and tried to fly over the pit.

He took out Sol's Mask anyway and stared at its empty eye holes. "Well, Sol," he said, disappointed. "It looks like the end of the line."

Just then, Ruki shook his head and blinked. For a second, he thought he had seen a light flash in the mask's eye holes and a strange Lugian voice spoke to him.

Our eyes see all.

"Sol?" Ruki blinked again and looked at the mask. Either he was going crazy or he had just gotten another vision.

His visions had helped him out before, so why not try this one out as well?

He slipped Sol's Mask over his head again and transformed. As first, he saw nothing of peculiar interest. But then he tried changing his focus through his multiple optic nerves like he had when he had discovered Ristar. None of them aided him in any way and the path was just as blank as ever. But then he locked onto a vision that he called "Old School" –normal sight in black and white – and lo and behold, a surprise was in store for him. A seemingly "invisible" path lay before him as if it had always been there.

Ruki took a deep breath and stepped into the void. He immediately felt solid ground beneath his feet. Tapping it with the tips of his toes to make sure that it was really there, he was rewarded with a solid feeling under his pads. Getting the idea, he started walking the path. The route was curved and bent in several places, but Ruki kept his sight on both Old School and the door at the other end of the gap. Soon, he had crossed the abyss and was standing on the other side with the door in front of him. Smiling, Ruki shoved open the door and ended up hitting his head on the low doorway.

AHH! God—! Son-of-a—! OHH!!!

He pissed and moaned to himself for his own ignorance. He should have seen that coming! Kicking the door in anger and sporting a black-and-blue lump on his creamy-white skin, he removed his mask and tried again. This time, he was short enough to pass through the door without incident.

The Mood had stepped into a large, circular room deep inside the Digital Temple. Unlike the black-and-green grid in the other parts of the temple, this room was constructed of metal walls stained a blinding-white color. It was so bright that Ruki had to squint for a while until he finally adjusted to the light. At the other end of the room was a massive metal chamber with a large door on it that Ruki guessed was currently locked.

And in the center of the room was...

"Ristar! Krystal!"

He ran to the fallen pair and tried to revive them. They were unharmed and breathing, but when they finally came to, they didn't appear to recognize him.

"Are you okay?" said Ruki nervously to Ristar. He was just glad that they were alive.

"I'm a choo-choo train!" burst out the confused Star. Ruki watched in disbelief as Ristar got up and started chugging away like a train. "Chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga choo-choo!!!"

Ruki was confused. This was not like Ristar at all, no matter how strange he might be. However, he didn't appear to be a threat to himself or Ruki, so he let him be.

Meanwhile, Krystal had gotten up and was twirling like a ballerina.

"I'm a beautiful swan!" she said dreamily, twirling gracefully. "Flap! Flap-flap! Flap!"

Ruki was completely nonplussed. This was beyond his knowledge of either of them. If this was a cruel joke, they were doing a pretty good job of keeping it up. He eventually reached the absurd conclusion that this strange chamber had brainwashed them.

He saw his Millennium Sword nearby on the floor. Grabbing it, he approached the chamber door.

Quoth the Mood, "Nevermore!"

Ruki put a hand over his mouth and shook his head. That was strange. He was starting to feel slightly lightheaded and confused. Just then, he realized that this odd chamber had to go. Looking up at the door, he observed the lock on it. It was a circular lock that had four dials inside each other with letters around the circumference.

"A-M-D-J-Y-O-P-B-N-F-S-U," recited Ruki. His consciousness was starting to slip. This was going to be a hard code to crack...

...or was it? Ruki felt his Millennium Sword vibrate suddenly and held it up. Four of the five gems were glowing green, red, blue and yellow in a chain reaction in that order. On a hunch, he held it up to the lock. Each of the gems projected a holographic letter in front of each one, vertically written: J... U... N... O.

"Juno!" cried Ruki in desperation.

He was fading fast; it was now or never. He used his waning strength to rotate the four dials so they each pointed to the correct letter. "J" was the first letter and the outermost dial while "O" was the last one and used the innermost dial. He slid the fourth dial into place and his mind cleared instantly.

The chamber rumbled and each letter that was dialed in lit up one after the other. The door then trembled and split apart.

Uh-oh, thought Ruki. This might not have been such a good idea.

A tall figure walked out of the chamber. Actually, it floated out. The head of a Mood attached to the shoulders and torso of a robot floated out to confront Ruki. His arms and hands were not connected to his torso; neither was his torso to his body. They floated close together as though invisible joints were holding them together. Its body was the largest part of it and was more of a central processing core instead of a body with legs. What really creeped Ruki out was the likeness of this Mood's face to his own. The only difference was that this Mood had a shoulder-length of pink hair! Weird!

The Robo-Mood opened his eyes and looked at Ruki. When he spoke, he had a calm but bored kind of monotone voice that seemed free of emotion.

"Are you the one who has awoken me?"

Ruki nodded. He didn't seem like such a bad guy. But he kept his guard up; his last encounter with a Robo-Mood had been a little more hostile than this one.

"I am Bureaucratic Model Number 75486, Codename: Ruki Mood Juno. It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Ruki Mood Trigger."

"Trigger?!" blurted out Ruki. So this was the infamous Ruki Mood Juno that had caused the near-extinction of the Lugian species. But he was more concerned about how Juno knew his name, and more importantly, why he called him "Trigger". "What are you talking about? And how do you know my name?"

"You don't remember?" asked Juno, slightly confused. "You are Bureaucratic Model Number 75486, Codename: Ruki Mood Trigger, are you not?"

Ruki removed his head, shook it up, replaced it and answered, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hmm..." said Juno, shaking his head. "You have suffered memory loss. That's too bad. I was waiting for my successor to arrive and execute the Carbon Reinitialization Program."

"Carbon what?" Ruki was completely lost.

"It appears that you have forgotten. Allow me to refresh your memory." Juno hovered over to a screen on the room's left wall. Ruki followed with interest.

"The carbons are the beings of existence of this world. They are required to remain within specific predetermined numbers or else they with explode beyond control." The screen flashed to show an above shot of Termina. Many, many red lights lit up all over the map, indicating these "carbons".

"If the carbons exceed their required numbers, the Carbon Reinitialization Program must be activated. However, by the time the program was initiated, the carbons' population had exploded. The carbons of this realm rebelled against Mother but were eradicated easily by her power."

"Then that means—!" realized Ruki with horror. "The carbons are..." He gulped. "The people of Termina!"

"You seem to be understanding Mother's plan," said Juno lazily. "She plans to use the Carbon Reinitialization Program to reduce the carbons of this world to within her specific guidelines."

"You mean kill them?!" Ruki was furious. "If you plan to kill the people of Termina, then why kill the Lugians first? Why eradicate the people of this realm before the others?"

Ruki Mood Juno shook his head. "You misunderstand Mother's intentions. The Lugians have not been destroyed; they are merely contained within the Digital Temple until the Carbon Reinitialization Program has been fully executed. Mother will release them before the end."

Ruki should have been grateful. The Lugians were still alive and well according to Juno, but he was more concerned with this "Mother's" intentions.

"You'll have to do get it going sooner. This "Carbon Whatever Program" must not be as effective you say it is because I've already freed two of the Sacred Ones without worrying about your stupid "Program"!"

Juno's lack of concern infuriated Ruki. "Mother had warned me about your rebellious nature, Trigger. She has told me that if you do not plan on completing your purpose, then you are of no further use to her. She has asked me to keep you here until the Carbon Reinitialization Program has been fully executed."

Ruki Mood Juno hovered away. Ruki Mood Trigger turned to follow him, but a cage of solid violet energy materialized around him, trapping him.

"Damn you," he cursed at Juno. "Wait'll I get my hands on you!"

Chapter 32: Ruki vs. Ruki

Final Day: 1200, 18 hours remain

Ruki tried beating against the solid energy walls of the cage but could not break through. The walls were just too strong to shatter. His Millennium Sword was also on the outside of the cage, preventing him from using it to reflect the energy. He eventually gave up and sat down, thinking.

He assumed that this "Mother" had to be Aruonetwo. It had to be; she was the source of all of Termina's problems, and it only made sense that she had conjured up this whole Ruki Mood Juno thing along with Volvos and Garu the Werelupe King. There had to be a fourth monster somewhere inside that canyon that he had passed over while battling Teasel Bonne, he just knew it.

What's more, this Carbon Reinitialization Program, whatever it was, was going to be the end of the world as he knew it.

"And I feel fine," sang Ruki to himself. Shaking his head, he scolded himself for making a joke at this inconvenient time. "Not really."

He put two and two together and something clicked. This Carbon Reinitialization Program was the moon! Aruonetwo and Ruki Mood Juno had done something to draw the moon out of its orbit and were going to destroy Termina! And if he wasn't mistaken, the Carbon Whatever Program was already in motion. So much for saving the planet by stopping the moon.

On a positive note, Juno had mentioned that the Lugians were still alive. He wasn't sure if he could hold him to his word, but he made a note of it and promised to try to free them... if he ever got out of this cage.

"Need some help?"

Ruki nearly jumped out of his skin. Ristar and Krystal were standing next to his cage, looking at him through the energy stream.

"W-What happened?" he stammered.

"We couldn't open Ruki Mood Juno's chamber in time," said Ristar, glancing from his Star Rod to Ruki's cage. "A really bad nerve gas knocked us out before we got it open."

"We came to when Juno left," grinned Krystal. Ruki was startled at how many pointed teeth she had. "He left us alone, thinking we couldn't get you out."

"That's great," said Ruki with a sigh. "Can you get me out of here now?"

"No problemo," said Ristar simply.

He carefully slid the head of his Star Rod into the energy stream. The topaz star glowed and absorbed a good section of the wall, causing a gap to appear in the stream large enough for Ruki to slide through unscathed.

Ristar removed the glowing star and blew on its tip. It gave a low whistle and dimmed. He then turned to Ruki and immediately noticed something.

"Ruki... what is that all over your face?" he said with a funny look on his face.

"Huh? Where?" Ruki felt around his face but couldn't feel anything.

"Right here," he pointed to just around his mouth.

Ruki wiped near there. It was hard to tell from his gloved hand, but a strange silver substance rubbed onto it. Uh-oh.

"Is that what I think it is?" said Ristar, his eyes wide.

Ruki wanted to say no, but Sol's influence on his mind after donning his mask several times had were starting to take effect. He realized that Lugians were incapable of deception and spilled it.

"Yeah... it's lipstick."

"Ruki... did you—?" stuttered a now giggling Star. "No... you didn't!"

Ruki couldn't stand the suspense any more. "YES!!! I did it! I made out with Luna! I lip-wrestled with a Lugian! I kissed a Sacred One!!!"

"Oh, really?" said Ristar, both impressed and amazed at once. "I thought you wanted top make yourself look pretty."

Ruki stared blankly for a second but then fell over from embarrassment. He had assumed that Ristar had suspected his moment with Luna, but he obviously thought that Ruki was messing with make-up. He just had to run his mouth! Knowing Ristar, he would probably never let him live this down.

But to his amazement, Ristar pinched two fingers together and ran them across his mouth. "Don't worry, pal. My lips are sealed."

"Hey!" shouted Krystal from across the room. "If you boys are done discussing love, we need to get a move on!"

Ristar helped Ruki up, grinning. "Star's Honor," he told the still-blushing Mood.

They both grabbed their weapons and followed after Krystal.

Final Day: 1245, 17 hours remain

All three heroes ran down the hallway that had been revealed when Ruki Mood Juno's chamber had sunk into the ground after Ruki Mood "Trigger" had opened it. The walls were the same sterile-white color as the room where Juno and Trigger had conversed. It was so bright that Ruki had had to put on his Sol's Mask and adjust his vision to see straight. Krystal had merely donned some sporty shades that she had tucked away somewhere. Ristar, however, was just fine.

Well hurray for you then, said Ruki as they stopped in front of a large metal door.

It had a lock with a keyhole shaped like Ruki's Millennium Sword on it. Ruki took off his mask and examined his sword.

"I'll have to go it alone from here," he told his friends. "Make sure Luna knows that I'm inside the Digital Temple."

Ristar nodded and said, "Will do, Ruki." They turned and walked away.

Ruki took a deep breath and let it out, placing his Millennium Sword in the notch afterwards. It fit perfectly in the notch and the door slid open.

Final Day: 1300, 17 hours remain

Ruki entered the room and the door closed behind him. Ruki Mood Juno stood at the far end of the circular room in front of a sealed door with his back to him. There was a circular lock high above them on the door with strange markings around it.

When the door slid shut, Juno seemed to notice Ruki and spoke. "Hmm..." He turned around. "It appears that I underestimated your ability to escape that trap."

"And you underestimated my ability to hand bad guys' butts to them on a silver platter!'" snapped Ruki. He had had just about enough of his robot counterpart's "I-could-care-less" attitude. "Although you're about to get a crash course on it! Now, where's Luna's egg?"

"I'm afraid that the Sacred One's egg is currently being used to power the Carbon Re—"

"Shut up! Just shut up! I don't give a damn about what it's being used for! I'm not laving this room without it!"

"I see," sighed Juno. "Mother has always considered you to be a threat, Trigger. She once thought that you would aid her in the purging of the carbons, but you appear to have made your decision. Therefore, she has given me strict orders to terminate you slowly and painfully."

"Bring it on then!" Ruki drew his Millennium Sword and gestured to Juno, signaling that he wanted to fight.

The lights dimmed and Juno took to the air. He dove for Ruki, who side-stepped it and struck Juno on his body area. Caught slightly off-guard, Juno quickly recovered and turned to face Ruki.

"Ready?" he said and sent his arms at him. They floated across the floor at a diagonal and fired colored lasers into the floor. They both nearly hit Ruki as he ran away but he rolled to one side, barely avoiding them.

Juno launched himself into the air and came down hard in the center of the room. A pink shockwave surged through the floor from the point of impact. It ripped through the room so fast that Ruki failed to see it coming and was blown backwards into the wall from the force of the impact.

His enemy tried diving at the flat Mood but instead collided with the wall. Like in the Werelupes' Bunker, Ruki had become one with the wall and had sidled out of the way. Peeling himself off, he turned to face Juno again.

"Very good," said Juno simply. He leapt into the air again and delivered another pink shockwave. This time, Ruki cleared it... barely.

"How's this?" Juno extended his arms and started spinning. Powerful yellow lasers shot from them at Ruki's waist height and he had to jump over them and/or duck below them in order to avoid becoming half the Mood he was now.

Deciding to take a risk, Ruki took aim and chucked his sword at Juno's body.

"Oh!" grunted Juno. He had been too distracted to avoid the sword from being driven into his body. He then turned to one side... and vanished! The Millennium Sword fell with a clatter onto the metal floor. Ruki ran to it and retrieved it.

"Come on out, Juno!" he yelled to the air. "You can't hide forever!"

"Give up," came Juno's reply from directly above him.

Without thinking, Ruki leapt away and into the air just as Juno slammed into the ground, sending a third pink shockwave through the room.

"Defend yourself." Juno dove after Ruki once again. The warrior didn't react fast enough to avoid the attack and received a powerful headbutt to the gut, which catapulted him halfway across the room.

"Ready?" Like before, Juno sent his arms across the room in Ruki's direction, lasers firing at a diagonal into the ground. Fortunately, the Mood was able to recover fast enough to avoid the searing beams and was able to jump another shockwave when Juno took to the air again.

"How's this?" The boss repeated the round-a-bout with the spinning laser-arms. Ruki avoided it by dropping to the floor again and merging with the metal again.

Now Ruki was starting to get an idea of how to avoid Juno's attacks. He also began building a plan on how to attack him. He kept up his evading of the attacks until Juno said "Ready?" and shot his laser-arms at him. There was a split-second where his arms were not defending him.

Ruki took the chance. He wound up and sent the Millennium Sword spinning horizontally through the air. Juno was defenseless to stop the blade from splitting his body in half, detonating it.

Yes! thought Ruki as Juno exploded.

Final Day: 1400, 15 hours remain

"NO!!!"

Juno was still going. His main body was destroyed, but his torso and arms were still active. Juno sighed and halted his attacks.

"You fight rather well, Trigger," he said in his usual, boring voice. "However, you have merely destroyed my body. I still have enough strength to ensure your destruction."

Ruki grimaced from fatigue. Now he could see why the Lugians had failed to destroy Juno. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

"I'm afraid that I do not possess a "Quit" file. I am programmed to completely destroy my enemies unless instructed otherwise by Mother. However, since you destroyed my main power supply, I must resort to my reserve energy source to continue our battle."

Juno's torso and arms rose into the air and started spinning rapidly. The room around him started shaking and rumbling, causing the power to go out.

When the power returned, Ruki found himself floating in the middle of a starry void! He was floating on an octagonal platform that appeared to be almost invisible. Every so often, a light would course through the platform, illuminating it briefly enough so that Ruki could see where it was.

Juno kept spinning and eight large green crystals appeared at intervals around the edges of the platform. Upon closer inspection, Ruki realized that there was a figure inside each one! A single full-grown male or female Lugian had been encased in each crystal. They were still alive and moving from what Ruki could see, but they didn't appear to be able to break their prisons.

Ruki Mood Juno stopped spinning and spoke to Ruki Mood Trigger. "I was hoping to keep the Lugians encased in their crystal prisons until the Carbon Reinitialization Program was fully executed, but you have forced me to reveal their whereabouts in order to power my combat strategy."

"You monster!" bellowed Ruki, outraged at what the Lugians were being used for. "Now I'm mad! I'm going to shut you down for good this time!"

"I'm afraid that your chance for success is currently .00125 percent."

Ruki yelled out with rage and chucked his Millennium Sword at Juno again. However, it had no effect since Juno had summoned a shield of green energy out of nowhere. The sword returned to its master's hand like an obedient boomerang.

Hey Ruki! came an unfamiliar psychic voice. Ruki looked around at one of the Lugians encased in green crystal. He had wild yellow hair and a light-blue eye mask. Give us a hand here! We can deal with this bully if we can just break free of these crystals!

Ruki nodded. It was his only chance to get past Juno's force field. However, he wasn't prepared when Juno fired a lightning-fast laser at him, sending him flying into the invisible walls of the starry arena.

After recovering, he started making his way back to the Lugian that had addressed him. However, he was cut short by another super-fast and super-accurate shot fired by Juno. He realized that his pathetically-slow Mood form wasn't going to cut it for this battle. This time, he stayed where he was and donned his Sol Mask.

Once transformed, he tried again. Sol Ruki was significantly faster than Mood Ruki and he could avoid Juno's shots...

...but just barely. The energy bolts came screaming at him and he spent a good five minutes just avoiding the shots. Just then, he had an idea. It was risky, but it was worth a shot.

He racked Sol's mind for anything that could block Juno's lightning-fast attacks... and found something. Sol had been practicing how to use his energy shield effectively and his speed was pretty good. What's more, he had gotten to the point that he could conjure the shield automatically without putting much thought into it. Ruki borrowed the ability and once again charged at the encased Lugian.

The reflex-shield ability worked rather well. Juno's attacks were rendered useless due to the shield's efficiency. Ruki soon reached the first Lugian without having to worry about Juno's attacks.

"Very good, Trigger," said Juno, almost impressively. "It appears that I must use a slightly different tactic to defeat you."

Juno raised one of his arms and pointed it at Ruki. Trigger had a feeling that that arm could do some serious damage if it hit him. On a hunch, he positioned himself directly between Juno and the Lugian. At the critical moment, he jumped to one side as the arm rocketed past him and shattered the Lugian's crystal prison.

Almost immediately, the Lugian took to the air and faced Juno. He hovered for a moment and then started flying in increasingly-fast circles until he was just a blur of colored energy. Then without warning, he took off and slammed into Juno's shield. He exploded into a burst of colored energy and Ruki thought that it had had no effect.

I did what I could to Juno's shield, said the Lugian's voice in Ruki's head. But I've exhausted my powers. I have to recuperate back in Titanis, but the other Lugians should be able to help you out.

Thanks for the tip, said Ruki, examining the damage.

Juno's shield was still standing, but it seemed to flicker slightly for a split-second. He had a feeling that seven more hits like that would completely destroy it. Juno needed the Lugians to power his shield, but the Lugians could also destroy it if they were released. Ruki made up his mind and got to work.

However, Juno wasn't making his task an easy one. Just getting to the next crystal was an accomplishment in its own. Juno fired lines of fire columns across the platform, cutting Ruki off in his tracks. Since he couldn't fly in this room, he had to wait until the strip dissolved.

But Juno would fire another line of flame just as the previous one wore out. Deciding to take a chance, Ruki headed in the opposite direction to another crystal. But Juno was onto him. He sent another strip of fire columns way ahead of him, killing off his Plan B. Even worse, while one line burned, Juno would attempt to catch Ruki off guard by launching one of his metallic arms at him.

But then Ruki noticed something. Juno would only launch fire in front of the way he was facing. There was also a brief pause where Ruki could cover some distance before Juno fired again. What's more, Ruki started walking backwards so that Juno would shoot in the direction he was facing.

Soon Ruki was in front of the second imprisoned Lugian. After some fancy dodging, Juno inadvertently shattered the prison, releasing the Lugian inside. Like the previous one, this one, a female, flew in spirals until she was fast enough to launch herself at Juno. She exploded into a burst of color, but the force of her impact was like firing off a concussion grenade. Ruki knew that she had gone back to Titanis to recover and proceeded to move onto the next target.

"You are becoming a nuisance, Trigger," said Ruki Mood Juno, his shield flickering a little more now. "You cannot hope to free all of them."

Oh yeah?! barked Ruki, annoyed. Just watch me!

The third and fourth crystals were destroyed without much trouble, further weakening Juno's shield, but that was the end of the easy ones. Juno had added a new attack to his arsenal. Along with the fire strips and his rocket arms, Juno would occasionally slam down on the platform, causing not one... not two... but seven rainbow-colored shockwaves to course through the platform at regular intervals. Whenever he would do this, Ruki would have to take time out from moving to the next crystal to jump the seven waves. All the while, Juno would still launch his arms at him and attempt to burn him with his lines of fire.

Eventually, Ruki made it to the fifth crystal and used Juno to shatter it. When Juno got hit this time, he was stunned long enough for Ruki to reach the sixth Lugian.

But that's where his luck ended. With another slam into the platform, Ruki's world literally turned upside-down. Everything had turned topsy-turvy and the going got even slower. Whenever Ruki tried to go left, he would go right. He tried to jump but ended up squatting instead. He ended up eating a lot of attacks when this happened. If it weren't for the Lugians' ability to slowly recover energy automatically, Ruki would have most certainly bit the dust then and there.

Finally, he got his flip-flopped movements under control and was soon rewarded by freeing the seventh Lugian.

"Your fate is sealed, Trigger," said Juno unconcernedly.

STOP CALLING ME TRIGGER!!! bellowed Ruki's psychic voice, loud enough for the final Lugian to flinch. Unfortunately, Juno was a robot and therefore impervious to mental attacks.

Now Juno had pulled out all the stops. Finally catching onto Ruki's plan, he had stopped firing his arms at him and had taken to charging up energy to fire a beam of electric energy at him. Whenever the beam would hit the ground, a pair of extra shockwaves would rip through the arena. As if Ruki didn't have enough to worry about with the fire strips, the medley of shockwaves and figuring out the flip-flopped perspective.

It took much longer to reach the final crystal but Ruki was now just moments away from defeating Juno. But since the boss was no longer firing his powerful arms at him, Ruki had to improvise. He waited until Juno charged up his electric beam again and dodged it. Incredibly, the crystal shattered from the force of the beam and the final Lugian launched herself at Juno.

The instant that she collided with it, Juno's shield exploded and all of his attacks stopped. The platform even flipped back the right way and Ruki could finally launch a direct attack at the android. He ran forward and attacked Juno with his psychic powers. In order to make sure that he died this time, Ruki lifted him up into the air and literally pile-drived him into the ground. Immediately, all the lights went out and Ruki Mood Juno exploded for good this time. Ruki Mood "Trigger" let out a yell of victory and sank to his knees. Finally... he was defeated…

Chapter 33: Change of Plans

Final Day: 1600, 14 hours remain

...Or not. When the smoke cleared, against all odds, Ruki Mood Juno's head and torso were still floating undamaged and unprotected in mid-air. Ruki Mood Trigger couldn't believe it.

"My, my." said Juno in his monotone voice. "It appears that I have been bested by an inferior model."

Ruki practically cried. No matter what he did to this robot, he always came back for more. Why can't you just DIE

"I have been outfitted with the latest in offense and defense tactics. Fortunately, Mother had anticipated your abilities and I have been supplied with a newer, more powerful body."

Ruki could only watch as Juno's torso floated up to the circular lock in the massive door and inserted himself inside it so that only his head was visible.

Ruki took off his Sol's Mask and drew his Millennium Sword. Whatever was behind that door sounded big. He was going to have his hands full with this one. Despite his already weakened state, he was determined to shut down Juno once and for all. He had never given up and wasn't about to start now.

The door rumbled and split open, revealing a huge, metal machine that now hovered out to meet the petrified Mood. It stood at least 50 feet tall and had a long neck on which Juno's head was now attached. It had two long, mechanical arms with three huge claws on the end of each one and huge clawed feet. The whole machine was dyed a ruby-red color.

At first, Ruki was dreading having to fight this monstrosity. But then he noticed a flaw. The machine was currently crouched over and looked too big to uncurl in the room. However, Juno had already fixed this problem.

The ground began quaking. At first, Ruki thought it was the moon, but then he saw the room start to rise. The rumbling was so forceful that he lost his footing, fell over and hit his head on the ground.

Final Day: 1605, 13 hours remain

Ruki came to several minutes later. He got up and saw, to his horror that he and Juno were standing in the ruins of the Digital Temple. Surrounding them was the vortex of purple clouds that blew around the temple. Ruki Mood Juno's new body towered above him. At its full height, he stood a staggering 200 feet tall and 50 feet wide. There was only a 20-foot clearance on all sides of the platform. Clutching his Millennium Sword tightly in his hands, Ruki felt like an ant holding a stick.

"WELL NOW, TRIGGER," said Juno in a booming voice. "ARE YOU READY?"

He raised his massive foot to make short work of Ruki and brought it down on the poor Mood. There was absolutely nowhere to run.

SMASH!!!

"I'm dead. I'm dead. That's it, I've died. No more. Bye-bye, Ruki."

Ruki slowly opened his eyes. Juno had just missed him... but barely. He was standing in-between the toes of the massive robot.

"RUKI!!!"

"Babus?"

He looked up. All four Pure Ones – Lugia, Klonoa, Babus Swain and Vee – were flying above him in a massive airship and were firing spells at Juno, who was trying to swat them from the sky with his massive arms.

"Ruki!" shouted Klonoa, throwing green spells at Juno. "Catch this and get up here now!" He threw something overboard and resumed his attack.

Klonoa's famous Slider Board soared down from the airship and landed in front of Ruki. He had no idea what was going on but got on the board anyway and flew up to the airship. He climbed on board and was greeted by Ristar and Krystal, who hugged him rather harder than normal.

"What the heck is this?!" demanded Ruki. "Where'd you get this airship? Why are the Pure Ones here? What's going on here?!"

Krystal sighed and answered his questions in order. "This is the Highwind. It's Tor's airship. Babus summoned the Pure Ones. We're leaving Termina ASAP." When Ruki still looked confused, she added, "It's not my call. Babus sensed you were in trouble and called the Pure Ones to come and help."

"We needed top distract Weapon long enough to get you to safety," explained Ristar. "We're getting you out of here now!"

"NO!" shouted Ruki, pushing them aside in frustration. "Don't you get it?! If Juno gets out of that vortex, Termina is done for! Forget the moon – no one will survive if he gets out!"

He spotted Babus using his mace to launch an attack on Juno and ran over to him.

"Babus! We need to beat him! I need to go back!"

"Sorry, Ruki," Babus told him over the mayhem. "We're not doing any damage to him. We're leaving Termina right now! I should never have gotten you involved in this."

Ruki, however, was determined to take matters into his own hands. But before he could, Babus had seized him around the shoulders and held him in place.

"Listen, damn it! There's been a change of plans. We can't stop Termina from being destroyed. As the Sage of Fate, I foresaw it from the beginning, I just never realized it. Weapon will merely speed up the inevitable. There's nothing we can do. Our only option is to leave Termina now."

Ruki stared at him, horrorstruck. Why was Babus doing this? Surely the Mood had done something to save Termina. He had already saved two Sacred Ones; why not keep going? He was over halfway there.

And then he looked revolted. The nerve of Babus! If Termina was really beyond help, then why did he choose now to back out? Ruki had done so much for the planet already to just throw it away! He had promised Hyozanryu that he would save Termina and he wasn't about to go back on a promise to the Greatest God.

"You make me sick, Swain!" He shot at the Nu Mou. "I thought you, of all people, would understand Termina's plight, but—!" He shook visibly. "I guess you're nothing more than a—" What he called Babus will not be repeated in this novel. But that wasn't all. Babus looked thunderstruck as Ruki hawked up and spat right in his face! That caused him to loosen his grip on the squirming Mood. "You disgust me! Well, screw you! I'll take matters into my own hands!"

"Ruki..." Babus said weakly. But Ruki was beyond words. He had pulled out his Sol's Mask and had jumped clear over the rails of the Highwind's deck.

Babus was in shock. No one, Mood or mortal had ever spoken to him like that before. He could only watch in disbelief as Ruki plummeted through the air.

Chapter 34: Ruki vs. Juno Weapon

Final Day: 1700, 13 hours remain

Ruki pulled up out of the dive, fully transformed and stared at Juno.

"THE PURE ONES KNOW NOTHING OF MOTHER'S PLAN," boomed the Juno Weapon. "YOU AND I COULD HAVE BROUGHT JUSTICE TO THE CARBONS TOGETHER."

The people of Termina deserve life, no matter how many of them there are, said Ruki, crossing his arms in mid-air. It's not your place to make the decision on whether they live or die. "Mother" has no say in the matter, either.

"SO BE IT. YOU HAVE DEFIED MOTHER LONG ENOUGH. IT IS TIME THAT I PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE."

Very well. I hope to put you out of commission once and for all.

Up above, four Pure Ones, Ristar and Krystal looked on in disbelief. They were all shocked about what Ruki had done to Babus and were impressed that Ruki could keep his cool even when faced with an unfair battle.

Juno Weapon crossed its massive arms in front of it and released a powerful beam of silver light at Ruki. He avoided it with a dive but was immediately swatted by one of Weapon's swinging claws. Ruki tumbled and nearly hit the ground but recovered his composure before he became Lugian Roadkill.

Weapon tried stepping on him, but Ruki flew to one side, causing Weapon's foot to stomp down on empty air and become lodged in the ground.

"NOT BAD, TRIGGER," bellowed Weapon. "BUT CAN YOU KEEP IT UP?"

Once Ruki was level with him again, Weapon raised his arms and his chest began glowing. To find out what made this behemoth tick, Ruki took a moment to study him. He adjusted his vision and saw a medium-sized, egg-shaped object hidden behind a glass shield on Weapon's chest. Multiple wires were connected to it and ran all over Weapon's body.

Ruki! came another presence in his mind. That's Luna's other egg! That's why the Pure Ones couldn't damage him! You need to get that out of Weapon if we ever hope to damage him!

Next time, Krystal... groaned Ruki, trying to out fly Weapon's beam. Warn me before you break into my mind.

Sorry.

Krystal's presence receded and Ruki turned his attention to Weapon's chest. If he planned to get through that thick glass, he had better figure out how to break it. He tried to get close, but he couldn't get close enough to retrieve the egg due to Weapon's flailing arms.

Those had to go.

Trying to avoid the massive claws, he flew close to the ground in an attempt to fake Weapon out... and succeeded. Of Weapon's punches missed and kept going, plowing into the ground. Immediately, several different-colored energies attacked the claw and fused it into the ground. Weapon tried to remove it but was unsuccessful.

Clever plan, Ruki, came the Pure One, Lugia's voice from above the Highwind. Now go for the other.

Ruki smiled and did as he was told. He flew up close to get Weapon's attention. Ruki Mood Juno was obviously smarter than he looked because he soon caught onto Ruki Mood Trigger's plan. He did not attack with his right clam but instead revealed several hidden weapons on his body.

Ruki halted and was immediately pelted by Weapon's laser cannons. The constant stream of bullets was too fast for him to move or conjure his force field. He soon lost hold of his concentration and was knocked from the sky by another energy beam fired from Weapon's chest.

Ruki hit the ground hard and was momentarily stunned. Weapon, unable to use his left or foot, raised his right claw and drove it into the stunned Mood.

And then, as if his body had been infused with an other-worldly force, Ruki suddenly conjured his protective barrier at the last second. Weapon's claw hit the shield hard enough and fast enough to rebound 200 feet into the air and smack him in the face. He staggered, caught completely off guard by the blow and swayed dangerously.

A male voice called out to Ruki's mind. NOW!!! Get up there!

Ruki seemed to move like greased lightning. He launched up from the ground and up to Weapon's flailing arm. He focused his energy on the limb and used his own arm to direct it into the ground where the Pure Ones prevented Weapon from using it again.

Now that Weapon was nearly defenseless, Ruki scoped out the source of his power – the stolen Lugian egg. He aligned himself with the glass covering and halted. He spread his arms and began collecting energy, focusing it into a single point in his mouth. It soon reached a critical point and he had to release it. He aimed for the thick glass covering Weapon's body and fired.

The Aeroblast literally exploded from his mouth, knocking him back a few feet and cutting through the shield. Moving his head slightly, Ruki was able to shear the glass in two, leaving the egg unharmed. He then reached out with his mind, seized the egg and pulled it free of its restraints.

Bringing the egg to him, Ruki set it to one side and looked at Juno Weapon. Somehow, Weapon had wrenched his claws free of the Pure Ones' seal but was unable to function further. His body was losing power and Ruki was finally going to shut him down for good.

NOW!!! shouted the male voice in his head. Destroy Weapon once and for all!

Ruki's eyes flashed a blazing red and his body ignited with red flame. The sun-shaped birthmark glowed brightly as an unknown force merged with him to power one final Aeroblast. He couldn't have missed even if he had tried.

Chapter 35: Wish You Were Here?

Night of the Final Day: 0315, 2:44:26 remain

The next thing that Ruki knew, he was once again in Sol and Luna's cave surrounded by three Pure Ones, Luna, Ristar and Krystal. He sat up and was immediately grabbed by Luna in a back-breaking hug.

Oh Ruki! she cried, tears in her eyes. You were magnificent! It was like seeing my brother in action all over again! I never thought you'd pull through like that but you did, and I can't thank you enough!

"Thank – gah – you!" choked Ruki. "It was – gak – nothing! Please – unh – don't kill me!"

Now, now, Luna, chuckled Lugia, putting his hand on Luna's shoulder. He had changed his form so that he was able to stand straight in the Lugian cave. Ruki's going to need his body intact in order to save Termina.

Luna released Ruki, blushing. Sorry, Daddy.

"Daddy?!" said Ruki and Ristar at once in amazement.

I didn't tell you? Luna is my daughter, believe it or not, said Lugia with a sad smile.

"Then Sol was...?" trailed Ruki.

Correct. He was my son. Every other Lugian has descended from them... He trailed off. But I've been a fool not keep up my duties as their parents.

It's not your fault, Daddy, said Luna reassuringly.

No, Luna. I take full responsibility for not returning to Termina. I was ashamed of leaving my children at birth and I feared that the other Pure Ones would accost me for having children.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" said Vee in his gentle, reassuring voice. "If we knew, we would have done our best to help raise them along with you."

"Yeah," added Klonoa, turning his cap backwards. "Having children doesn't make you any less of a Pure One. We would have been glad to help you out if you just told us."

Lugia smiled and turned to face his friends. I never knew that you felt that way. I am sorry for keeping this secret from you for so long.

Klonoa smiled and patted Lugia with a yellow-gloved paw. "Hey, it's no problem. We accept your apology, don't we, Vee?"

"Absolutely." Vee smiled.

Ruki was trying to understand this. Apparently, Lugia had had two kids but had been too ashamed of it to tell the other Pure Ones. But now that this was all in the open, there was no reason to hide it anymore. The only question was: why did Lugia choose now to return to Termina?

"Wow!" Ristar blurted out all of a sudden to Luna. "Then you must be at least 3000 years-old!"

"Ristar!" Ruki hissed.

It's okay, said Lugia, sitting down on Sol's bed. Our time is almost up anyway.

"What?" Ruki misinterpreted this. "You're leaving already?"

Lugia sighed. In a way, yes. But we're going to a place that only the truly pure of heart can go.

Oh, Daddy! Luna buried her face in Lugia's chest and broke down completely. Lugia patted her gently.

There, there, Luna. Our fate has been written in the stars from the beginning. Even Babus is aware that this would happen.

When Ruki and Ristar continued to look blank, Klonoa sat next to Lugia and Luna.

"You see, Ruki," he explained carefully. "When you, Ristar and Arupnyn all left Mood Star, you took with you our main source of power, the Golden Power, with you. You must realize that all three pieces must remain on Mood Star or the world will plunge into chaos."

"Oh no!" gasped Ruki, horrorstruck. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"It's okay," said Vee. "You didn't mean any harm. Besides, it was written in the fates that it would happen and we were doomed from the beginning."

"After you left, the people began to lose hope," said Klonoa sadly.

They no longer had a leader to help them make decisions, put in Lugia, still stroking Luna's hair.

"The light that gave them a purpose to live went out," added Vee. Ruki and Ristar were feeling more and more retched by the second.

"A group of Moods calling themselves the "Shinra" took over Mood City with a combination of money and power and soon controlled the entire planet." Klonoa removed his cap.

"And then they started building those vile Mako Reactors," said Vee with venom.

If you want, said Lugia suggestively. We can show you what has happened to Mood Star since you left.

Ruki and Ristar looked at each other for a moment and then nodded together, fearing the worst.

All three Pure Ones' eyes flashed into miniature video screens and the room dissolved into a sky shot of a massive, life-like city under construction suspiciously where Mood City had once been on Mood Star.

This is Midgar, came Klonoa's voice. It is the new capital of the world. Mood City was sold to the Shinra and Midgar was built over it.

The scene shifted angles and they started hovering around the outskirts of Midgar. It was a large, circular city with a tower in the center and eight odd-looking numbered structures evenly spaced around the perimeter.

Those buildings... said Klonoa, a note of dislike in his voice. ...are Midgar's eight Mako Reactors. They are designed to drain the life force out of the planet and convert it into Mako energy to power the city. Not only that, but other reactors are appearing around the planet to accomplish the same thing. All of them are controlled by the Shinra.

Their view flew from Midgar to a grassy stretch not too far away from the town of Kalm. Several odd-looking creatures were roaming the land. Ruki had never seen such beasts before.

"Shinra's Mako energy has drained the life force from a majority of the planet's creatures, turning them into the bloodthirsty beasts that now roam the planet." Vee's tone was stone-like.

The view moved from the grasslands to the North Havens, a pure, snowy, shimmering land where creatures dreamed up by the gods resided. However, the creatures were currently missing and most of the beauty had been taken away. At the spot where Arupnyn's Dark Essence silo once stood, a crater at least two miles wide and thousands of feet high stained the landscape.

"What in Mood Central happened here?!" Ristar burst out. He had had to remove his eyes and polish them on his body before replacing them and looking again.

While trying to transport the Dark Essence to Midgar, said Klonoa. The Shinra mishandled it, resulting in a cataclysmic explosion that destroyed the Havens and left this crater. What's more, they opened up a path to the planet's core where the Life Essence of the planet is at its highest levels.

Ruki was starting to hate the Shinra already. They had already destroyed the world that he had loved and saved. But this! This was crossing the line! How on Mood Star could the Shinra even think about trying to move the Dark Essence? Everyone knew how dangerous and unstable Dark Essence was! No amount of sympathy would ever let him forgive the Shinra for all their dark deeds.

One question still bothered him, though.

"Where do you come into all this?"

Their perspective flashed and changed to a view of the whole planet. Ruki was amazed that Mood Star did not look like a Mood's face as he had learned growing up. Instead, it looked like a mixture of green and blue from the oddly-shaped continents and the oceans. Giant masses of clouds swirled in the air. It reminded Ruki of the Humans' home world of Earth that he had read about in legends. The Humans had come to Mood Star only recently and their numbers were few.

The Moods cannot see this normally... came Lugia's voice. ...so we will assist you.

The light of the planet dimmed slightly and a large amount of colored energy was revealed, flowing through the planet. Red, blue, yellow, green and violet streams were visible. They traveled along what looked like rivers deep in the heart of the planet.

The life force of the planet is what keeps the Pure Ones alive, said Vee. We are in complete harmony with the planet. We feel the force of Mood Star. As long as Mood Star is healthy, its guardians may live forever. However...

Most of the energy started flowing to select spots around the planet and disappeared. A majority of it was centered around where Midgar was located on the map.

If the Mako reactors keep running, all of the life force will be lost and...

The lights disappeared and the planet went completely black, and to Ruki's horror, crumbled into pieces of rock and debris and floated into space.

Gone, said Lugia.

Their surroundings darkened and they were once again inside Sol and Luna's cave.

Ruki and Ristar were both shocked and appalled. What a horrible way to go! Ruki's home and the closest thing to a home that Ristar knew was dying! And it had all seemed so real...

"Hang on!" said Krystal from out of nowhere, causing the Mood and Star to jump. "How could all of that happen in just three days?"

Klonoa explained. "Time moves much slower in Termina than on Mood Star. Three days here is the same as three years on Mood Star. Most of what you just saw has already happened."

We are dying Lugia said urgently. We had to come to Termina to retrieve you. Without the Golden Power, Mood Star will perish.

"I can't!" said Ruki, almost whining. "I have to finish my business on Termina first! I made a promise to Babus to get Majora's Mask back."

"You don't need to come now," said Klonoa, getting up. "But the world will soon need their heroes again."

"I know." Ruki sighed. "I'll do my best to get back in time."

Daddy? Luna spoke up. I want to help.

I know, Luna. Lugia was almost in tears. But your place is here. Your future is here. Besides, I have already chosen my successor.

I know.

The ground was starting to vibrate dangerously. Doomsday was almost upon them.

"Time to go." Ruki dug in his suit for his Time-Turner.

Wait. Luna detached from her father and handed Ruki his Millennium Sword. The third gem on the blade, blue, was alight. If you ever stop the moon, please come visit me. My eggs are ready to hatch and I want them to meet their saviors.

"Will do," promised Ruki. "Coming, Krystal?"

Krystal shook her head. "I can't leave Luna all alone," she said sadly. "She needs the comfort of her friend to help her through this. Come and see me tomorrow... if we're lucky." She sat Luna back down and hugged her.

"Good luck, Ruki," said Klonoa, shaking his hand. "Say hi to Babus for us."

"Deal." Ruki grabbed Ristar's hand. "Ready?"

"You sound like Juno," smirked Ristar.

Ruki sighed and spun the Time-Turner. Good old Ristar. It was great to have him back.

Chapter 36: Dead Moods Tell No Tales

Dawn of the First Day: 0600, 72 hours remain

Ruki got up and shook Ristar awake. He still felt sore from battling Juno 60 hours from now.

That was the longest three days of my life! he thought as the Star stirred.

At first, Ristar said nothing as he regained his bearings. But then he shouted out, "WHOO!!! What a rush! I want to do it again! Can we do it again?" He was obviously talking about his first time warp.

Ruki sighed. Ristar always spoke his mind. Even after missing for two years, he was still as energetic as ever. Some things never changed.

"If you're quite done," he said, tapping his foot while waiting for Ristar to calm down. "I have to report back to Babus."

"But..." Ristar had a brainstorm. "If we traveled back through time, wouldn't Babus' memories reset like everyone else's"

"I'll explain inside." And with that notion, Ruki pushed open the clock tower door and walked in. Ristar followed suit.

When they got inside, they were surprised to find only King lying on the floor with his back to them, apparently asleep. There was a new ring around his right ankle marked with a Golden Power. Babus had probably put it on after the whole fiasco at Nu Mountain as a way to always know where King was.

But Ruki and Ristar were more interested in the condition of the clock tower. The remnants of a campfire were littered everywhere. An empty pot of Wannahokaloogie Soup, a Pure One recipe hung over some charred logs. Moodmallows strewn about a half-eaten bag and an assortment of sweets were strewn around the room. Ruki was surprised that given the proximity of the fire to the spinning column coming out of the floor to power the giant clock, there were no burn marks on it.

"Pure One fire," said Ristar flatly.

Ruki was poking King with his foot. "Hey King. Wake up!"

King moaned and rolled over on his back. Ruki noticed a rather bulbous belly. They obviously had had a party. Annoyed, he pulled out his Millennium Sword and prodded King with the pommel.

King muttered something to the effect of "Hot wings" and opened his eyes. He groaned and sat up, shaking the dust from his ears.

"Ohh..." he moaned, rubbing his stomach. "What a night! I should never have taken Montblanc's "Chateau Mou Challenge"."

Ruki chuckled. Chateau Mou was a very expensive and very potent milk that guaranteed drunkenness in three bottles or your money back. Judging from the size of King's hangover and the dozens of empty Chateau Mou bottles lying around, Montblanc, Tor and Babus must have participated as well.

There was just one thing that bothered Ruki. There were no less than two dozen bottles lying around. That was at least 4800 gil worth of milk bottles lying around. Where had they gotten the money?

Ristar leaned over King and said, "Sleep well?" King inadvertently answered by letting rip a long, loud belch right in Ristar's face! However, Ristar didn't flinch and merely sniffed and said, "You've been drinking... a lot! Let's see…" He took another sniff. "Chateau Mou 19... 52! A fine year."

Ruki fell over laughing. That was just like Ristar to take a belch to the face and come up with a line like that without losing his composure. He was really one odd star!

"I need to clear my head," said King, staggering to his feet. "I need to find Babus."

Ruki finally got under control. "What happened in here?" he said firmly.

King groaned and held his head. "Not so loud. I have the Hangover from Hell." He wobbled to the door and pushed it open.

Ruki and Ristar looked at each other. Silently agreeing on the same thing, they followed him.

Day 1: 0615, 71 hours remain

King had disappeared once they had reentered Clock Town. Fortunately, a small Mood pointed to East Clock Town when Ristar asked where a "Blue-furred bunny-rabbit" went.

"Ristar!" spat Ruki when they entered East Clock Town. "Be nice!" He had finally forgiven King's actions back at Nu Mountain.

"What?" said Ristar defensively. "That's what he looked like."

They found King alongside Babus, Montblanc and Tor inside the Stock Pot Inn. Apparently, all four had hangovers from their party and were all recovering. They were each downing several glasses of Grenadine mixed with sparkling water, ice and alka-seltzer tablets dissolving in them. It was a rather sweet drink that bartenders usually prescribed to anyone suffering from a hangover that could actually find the bar.

Babus seemed to have fully recovered, so Ruki sat down next to him. Ristar, meanwhile, pulled out his wallet and ordered a "Dream from Space" – starberry rum and grape juice.

"What happened while you were gone?" asked Ruki.

Babus took a moment to clear his head and answered. "Montblanc got lucky in the Clock Town lottery while I was in Termina Bay. 10,000 gil!" Ruki let out a low whistle. "I know, so we spent Doomsday in the Clock Tower partying."

"Funny way to spend Doomsday," grinned Ruki.

"Yeah? Well, you forget – we were out cold for most of the final night, safe inside the Clock Tower and my little spell."

"We just had to order all that Chateau Mou!" snapped Tor from across the room. "I swear that Babus drank nine bottles of the stuff! That much alcohol would kill any one of us!"

"Yeah..." said Babus, finishing his drink and sighing. "Well, none of you are a Pure One. I swear that that Chateau Mou gets stronger with age. I could easily drink twenty bottles of the fresh stuff without passing out."

Tor groaned and shook his head. "That's the beauty of Termina's alcohol – it's not addictive. But it's like giving Kopi Lowak to a Moodling – it just doesn't work!"

Ruki squirmed uncomfortably. He remembered all too well his Kopi Lowak episode with Ezel.

"We found the third Sacred One," said Ristar, downing his rum and leaning on his barstool.

"Congratulations!" Babus rapped his knuckles on the counter and another anti-hangover slid down the bar from the bartender. "That leaves just one more to find."

"Uh, Babus?" said Ruki worriedly.

"Hmm?"

"I have something to tell you."

And Ruki relayed what Lugia, Klonoa and Vee had told him about Mood Star's fate while he was gone. Tor, Montblanc and King listened carefully to him while they said nothing themselves. They had all been born on Mood Star and were interested to learn about what was happening to their home planet.

When Ruki had finished, Babus sighed and took a swig of his soda.

"Before you ask, I left the group to get back here before you used the Time-Turner. I didn't want to reset my memory just in case you failed to use it. You were out for a good eight hours. Not that I doubted your abilities..." he added quickly, noticing Ruki's annoyed expression. "...but I didn't want to take that chance.

"Now, concerning the fate of Mood Star – Yes, I did know that it would come to this, and yes, I am dying like my counterparts. But since I won't be around long enough to see my precious Majora's Mask returned, I've told Montblanc, Tor and King what to do when I leave. I have everything worked out so that I don't leave any spaces when I pass on. Don't worry... we'll meet again before long." Ruki wanted to know what that meant, but Babus simply said, "You'll find out in time."

"Oh... kay," said Ruki slowly. "Moving on... I need to know where the last Sacred One is."

Babus finished his drink before answering. "You should start looking in Ikana Canyon. Also, keep a lookout for Vee's student, Dak Hamee."

"EVIL!" The party looked around and saw a rather disheveled-looking Mood sitting alone at a table. He was missing an arm and had a nasty scar across most of his face.

"Listen to me, boy," he said in a dark voice. "Ikana is full of dark beings. The evil Jackal, Anpu has created an army of undead monsters. He's already called out Clock Town to surrender and some say that he's planning to attack during the Carnival of Time. If I were you, I'd stay away from that EEEEVIIIIL place!" When he said "evil" he burst out screaming like he was possessed.

"Okay, pops," said the bartender, stepping out from behind the bar and walking over the Mood. "I can't have you scaring away my customers. Let's get you home."

He helped the Mood to his feet and walked him out of the bar. The Mood was still ranting as if he had seen Death and lived.

"EEEEEEEEVIIIIIIIILLL!!!"

"What a nut job," sighed Tor as they left.

"He's right, you know," said King, now fully recovered.

Everyone except Babus looked at him.

"What? When I was with Aruonetwo, we made a stop in Ikana Canyon," he explained, choosing another drink. "She brought a Jackal from Mood Star called Anpu and gave him a staff with the power to control the dead. Most of the Hork-Bajir in that area were murdered in cold blood so their corpses could be used to build some kind of army."

"That's gross, kupo!" moaned Montblanc. He paid for their drinks and the entire party left the inn. "Aruonetwo's got some serious issues!"

"Like it or not, said Babus as they made their way back to the clock tower. "It's all true."

"Great!" cried Ruki, throwing up his arms in frustration. "How the Moodhai am I supposed to combat the undead?"

Ristar slapped the back of Ruki's head and scoffed. "Language, mister!"

"Fortunately," said Babus once they reached the tower. "I've come up with a solution to that very problem."

He pushed open the door and walked in.

Chapter 37: A Face of Evil?

Day 1: 0715, 70 hours remain

While Babus was looking for his remedy to the "undead situation", Ruki addressed King.

"Hey, King... What did you mean when you said Aruonetwo "brought" a Jackal from Mood Star? I thought Jackals were only found in Corel Desert and that they weren't exactly the most intelligent of all beasts."

King thought about that for a moment. After a while, he looked stumped. "You know, I never thought about it that way before. Aruonetwo managed to find a bipedal Jackal in Corel Desert and offered to give him a job. Believe me; that was the only Jackal on two legs we found in the entire desert. And judging from his intelligence, he didn't know who he was or how he came to Corel."

"It's almost as if Aruonetwo knew who she was going for," said Ruki, contemplating this. "I think there's more to this Anpu than you're telling me."

King held up his hands in defense. "Hey, don't ask me; I just did what she told me to do and didn't ask any questions."

"Got it!" Babus had found what he was looking for, making Ruki drop the subject.

Babus was holding a small green globe of what appeared to be glass, but the various greens inside it were swirling and shimmering of their own accord.

"This," he said with pride. "Is the result of years of experimenting with Essence: Materia."

"Say what?" questioned Ristar.

"Mah-teer-ee-uh," said Babus, rolling the syllables off his tongue. "Concentrated Essence that can be used to do amazing things that normally only us Pure Ones could do."

"Like what?" said Tor, crossing his arms.

"Like for instance, this Materia happens to be named "Restore". It can be used to heal wounds in the blink of the eye."

Montblanc took the globe from Babus and stared at it. It was about the size of his pompom. "Kupopo, it's pretty! How does it work?"

Babus smiled. "I'll show you. Ruki, may I have your sword?"

Ruki unsheathed his Millennium Sword and passed it to him. In the process, he and Babus locked eyes and Babus' voice sounded out in his mind.

I shouldn't be giving you this after what you did to me back in Termina Bay, but you had good intentions. Still...

He pressed the "Restore" Materia into Ruki's sword. The globe dissolved into the blade, leaving a bright green glow where it had entered the metal. He held it up and admired his work.

Even the best intentions mustn't go unpunished.

Ruki realized what he was planning a split-second too late. Faster than anyone could blink, Babus brought Ruki's sword down with a slash across its owner's chest, easily parting the Tetra material of his suit and leaving a nice, bloody gash in his torso.

"S#$!!!" swore Ruki, clutching his chest. "What was that for?!"

"Repayment." He said this out loud followed by a look that told him to shut up. Montblanc, Tor and Ristar looked on in disbelief. They had never seen Babus attack Ruki before.

"Repayment, kupo?" chirped Montblanc. "For what?"

"That's between Mr. Mood and myself," said Babus, ending the subject.

"Hello? I'm dying here!" whined Ruki. The blood was staining his suit and it was coming out faster than he could hold it back.

"Quit your whining..." sighed Babus. "...and watch the power of Materia at work."

He approached Ruki again with his weapon, but instead of slashing him again, he merely poked him in the chest with the glowing blade.

"Hey! Quit it!" Ruki used one of his hands to swat the sword away.

"How do you feel?"

"What kind of question is that?! I'm doubled over in pain and dying, you moron!"

"Are you? Look again."

Ruki looked down at his wound. But there was no wound! The blood had stopped flowing and the gash had vanished without as much as a scar! If his wasn't already peeved at Babus for attacking him in the first place, his jaw would have hit the floor like it had done on numerous occasions.

"Fine," he grunted. "Never better."

Montblanc, however, was more impressed than Ruki. "How did you do that?"

The Pure One merely grinned. "That's a Pure One secret that I will not reveal. All I can tell you is that after we die, Materia will become more common among Moods."

"But... how does that "Materia" help us fight the undead?" asked Ristar.

Babus handed the sword back to Ruki and explained. "Curative spells like "Restore" heal living beings but seem to harm the undead. With that Materia, you can defend yourself against Anpu's army. Oh!" He suddenly remembered something. "You'll also need this..."

Taking off his pack, Babus rummaged for something. Ruki was apprehensive; he was probably going to get another magical mask.

"Ah, here we are!" The Pure One pulled out a mask and showed the throng. "The Hork-Bajir Mask."

He got an immediate reaction from Ruki – panic. The petrified Mood backed up from shock. He had seen that face before in his latest nightmare. It had piercing red eyes and a pointed green beak with small, pointed teeth in its mouth. Its skin was a dirty-green and had three hooked blades curving forward from the top of its head. Like the Sol's Mask, the Hork-Bajir Mask could be draped over its wearer's head like a hood.

"It's not as scary as it looks," Babus reassured the frightened Mood. "Believe it or not, the Hork-Bajir are very strict vegetarians just like the Nu Mou. They're practically gentle giants – their personality is like talking to a Moodling."

"Then why did I dream of them as soulless, bloodthirsty killers? Explain that!" Ruki rejected the fact that these fearsome beasts could somehow be a "gentle giant". "My dreams are never wrong!"

"Ikana Canyon is home to two species – the Hork-Bajir and the Dragons. Most Moods sometimes call it "Killer Kanyon." However, their fears are completely false. The dragons of Ikana used to have a historic companionship with the other realms. But due to Aruonetwo's recent terrorism, the dragons and their relatives, the Hork-Bajir have been considered dangerous.

"Volvos was a bad dragon. Period, kupo," chirped Montblanc. He was snacking on leftover sweets from the party.

"He was," Babus pointed out. "But Volvos was created by Aruonetwo. He has never been a part of Ikana. This has been misinterpreted by the Nu Mou who used to be fellow friends of the dragons."

Ruki was still not convinced. "Then what about the Bajir, huh? I don't see them in this story!"\

"The Hork-Bajir are basically nomads," sighed Babus. "They prefer their land and rarely venture outside Ikana. They just don't possess the intellectual ability to understand Termina and its people. This is why Aru's guardian, Anpu has chosen the Hork-Bajir. Their bodies look like killing machines, but that's not what they were made for. They use their blades to harvest bark. Bark, Ruki. That's what they eat. That's what they grow. Pure, unadulterated tree bark. Nothing else."

But Ruki was adamant. "Then why do they work for Aru, huh?"

Ristar sighed at his friend's persistence and answered this. "What part of "magic" and "undead" and "corpses" are you not getting here, Mood? Anpu used magic to create the undead from Hork-Bajir corpses. Sheesh!"

This seemed to have finally gotten through Ruki's thick, bald dome. The gears of his brain were grinding slowly and a thought bubble appeared above his head showing a wrench fixing a leaky pipe. In the world of Moods, this was one of the metaphors that meant that someone was finally catching on.

The bubble popped and Ruki said at last, "Alright, I guess I get it now."

"Good." Babus finally handed Ruki the Hork-Bajir Mask. "You're finally ready. You should start heading towards Ikana Canyon now."

"Alrighty then!" said Ristar happily. "Let's go!"

As Ruki and the Star left, Babus smiled sadly at the pair and managed to keep his cool. Although, he slipped a little when Tor noticed a single, clear tear running down his face.

"Babus?" he said, putting a gloved paw on the Pure One's shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

Babus had never been known to show much emotion, but that was irrelevant when he broke down and wept, supporting himself on his mace.

"I am going to miss those two," he said with pride. "I'm going to miss all of you when I leave this world. Even as a spirit, nothing will ever come close to being with friends like you in person."

"Kupo..." said Montblanc, climbing on Babus' tail. "No one can replace the Great Babus Swain. Not in my book at least."

King had remained silent the whole time. He had never gotten to know Babus prior to returning from Nu Mountain. He and Eerin had lived in Termina their whole life and had only just heard that there were relatives to the Sacred Ones. Still, despite King's actions to Ruki, Babus had been lenient on his punishment and King was grateful for that.

He walked forward and stood next to the dying Pure One. The Pure Ones were the only family that Ruki and Ristar had. King and his sister also had no parents, so he felt the same sense of loss that the other two would feel when they inevitably learned of Babus' demise. The best thing that King could do was try to comfort him until the inevitable happened. He made a personal promise to avenge the Sage of Fate and see to Aruonetwo's defeat even if he had to fight her with his bare hands. Aruonetwo had finally stepped over that fine line between personal and obsession.

"Good luck, Ruki... Ristar," he whispered to himself.

Chapter 38: First Impressions are Usually Wrong

Day 1: 1300, 65 hours remain

It was easy to get to Ikana Canyon but crossing the canyon was another matter. There were actually two canyons in Ikana – one where the Hork-Bajir resided and one where the dragons dwelled. The Hork-Bajir canyon stretched horizontally while the dragon canyon connected to it in a T-section and went vertically away from it.

Ruki stood at the edge of the first thousand-yard canyon, trying not to get vertigo from the height. It wasn't the canyon that scared him – it was the huge trees that rose up from the canyon floor. Neither Mood nor Star had ever seen such trees! They were no less than 200 feet across and more than 2000 feet high! They peppered the canyon floor and seemed to reach up to the clouds. The trees were close enough together that you could either jump to or walk on the incredibly-thick branches that interlocked on various levels.

"A lumberjack's nightmare if you ask me," joked Ristar, pointing at the many limbs and branches that Ruki had just noticed. "You could build a decent city out of all that wood."

"I think that's the point," Ruki said in awe. "The Hork-Bajir probably live up there."

"Good point." Ristar then noticed what was missing. "But I don't see any room for the dragons."

"They're probably in the next canyon over. I'm sure they manage somehow."

Ruki took out his Hork-Bajir Mask.

"Ready?" he asked. Ristar nodded.

Ruki fitted the mask over his head. The head area was just barely big enough for him to get it on and he could smell a dark, leathery smell from within the mask. He had expected the fusing of mask to Mood, but he was caught off-guard when he felt his neck stretch and arc. He felt himself growing and his organs gave an audible squish and moved around. Layers and layers of solid muscle and sinew piled on his stretching limbs. While Sol had been mostly blubber, Hork-Bajir were 100 muscle. His chest almost ripped open as a beautiful six-pack appeared.

Ruki also felt several pin prick-like sensations on his head, arms, legs and backside. Three razor-sharp emerald-green blades appeared there and a long, spiked tail burst from his bottom. His hands became four-fingered claws and his feet now resembled those of a dinosaur.

Once finished, Ruki examined his new form with interest. He had a good seven-foot frame with about 60 inches of it being his long, curved, ribbed neck. His skin was a dirty-green color and his blades on his arms, legs and head were an emerald-green color.

Ruki's legs had snapped somewhere in the middle, adding an extra joint to them. He was supported on his three-clawed digitigrade feet just like Sol had been and the talons looked as if they were just as powerful as his blades. Along with that, a long, thick tail with two spikes - one about halfway down it and one further down on the tip - was also his. Ruki's face matched the Hork-Bajir Mask to the last detail. His beak was emerald-green and steel-hard, just like his head blades.

The piece de resistance of the whole form was Ruki's toned muscular body. Not one square inch of his body wasn't ripped with unbelievable strength. If he had had these muscles as a Mood, the ladies would have been all over him. Unfortunately in the world of Moods, how you were born was what you got for life. No exceptions.

Ristar's jaw was on the floor. Picking it up and reattaching it, he said, "I can see why Anpu wanted the Hork-Bajir. They're like natural killing machines."

"They're pretty natural climbers, too." Ruki's voice almost mimicked that of a Moodling's tone and pitch: slightly higher than a grown Mood's voice. Looking to the trees in the distance, he added, "I think I'll try my hand at those trees."

He made to leave, but Ristar stopped him in his tracks. "Hey! You're not leaving with me!" He jumped on Ruki's seven-foot body and climbed onto his back, holding onto his long neck.

"Here's hoping then." Ruki knew better than to try a species' powers on his own by now. So this time, he touched the Hork-Bajir's consciousness and looked for its tree-climbing talent.

The Hork-Bajir mind that possessed Ruki's Mask was surprisingly simple. It was like trying to communicate with a curious toddler. It seemed interested in Ruki's memories, and Ruki, rather reluctantly, let it browse his thoughts.

While the Hork-Bajir was busy taking in Ruki's adventures, Ruki borrowed its ability to climb trees like a spider. Then like lightning, Ruki leaped from the edge of the cliff and into thin air. Ristar began screaming hysterically.

"WAAAAHHHH!!! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"

In mid-flight, Ruki managed to sink his arm and leg blades into a tree about 200 feet from the bottom. Most unfortunately, Ristar had looked down.

Getting a sense of vertigo, he continued his screaming. "I'm going to throw up! And then I'm gonna DIE!!!"

Like a cat, Ruki started ascending the tree. Using his blades, he was able to shimmy up with descent speed. Spotting a branch within jumping distance, he detached himself and made a marvelous leap. Showing off a little, he executed four perfect flips in mid-air.

Ristar was at wit's end. He was barely hanging on. "MOMMY! TELL IT TO STOP!!!"

Ruki landed neatly on both feet on the branch and let the Star slide to the ground. Poor Ristar was laughing nervously and trying not to faint. Once he had settled down, he got up.

"Ha. Almost lost my cool there," he said casually.

Ruki groaned and walked down the branch. That was just like Ristar to have a panic attack and then shrug it off like nothing happened. Further down the branch was what looked like a burrow carved into the tree. "Dak Hamee" was carved to the right of the entrance.

Ruki sniffed the air. It had a kind of leathery aroma to it that was similar to the inside of his mask. Instinct told him that this was a Hork-Bajir burrow.

"Hello?" he called into the burrow.

No answer.

Walking in, Ruki's eyes adjusted to the dim light. Hork-Bajir had some slight night vision and he could soon see most of the inside of the burrow. What greeted him and Ristar, who brought up the rear, was enough to leave them both scarred for life.

Chapter 39: Of Blood and Dragons

Night of the First Day: 1800, 36 hours remain

A scene of total devastation stood before them. The furniture, carved out of solid wood, had been smashed. Precious items like colored stones and glass objects that the burrow's occupant had collected littered the area. Slashes and gouges from the other Hork-Bajir were everywhere.

And then there was the blood. Ruki nearly fainted when he saw red or silver blood on nearly every surface. There were great spurts of it on the walls, splatters on the ceiling and fleshy gore all over the smashed debris. Ristar had had to step outside to prevent his fluids from adding to the decor. Also, the putrid, rotting smell of death was stronger than the leathery Hork-Bajir smell.

Ristar soon returned but immediately rushed outside again because the smell was so overpowering. Ruki began looking for survivors, although his hopes were not high.

"Hello?!" he called, moving from room to room. "Is anybody alive in here?!" It didn't look good.

Just then, he heard someone sobbing in another room. It was coming from behind a door jammed shut by debris. Ruki threw all of his weight at the door, but it wouldn't budge. It apparently swung outward.

"Ristar!" he called to his partner. "Get in here! There's someone still alive in here!"

There was a clatter of junk from the other room and Ristar emerged, looking pale.

"I won't be able to eat for a week," he groaned, holding his stomach and sidling over to Ruki.

"Quit complaining and help me out here." Ruki started shifting the clutter from the door.

Ristar grabbed his Star Rod and started smacking each piece of debris, causing them to vanish in a flash of yellow light. They eventually cleared the door enough to try pulling it open.

Nothing.

"Hold on a second," said Ristar after Ruki tried several times more to open the door.

He leaned on the door and pressed his ear on it. Every now and then, he would lightly tap the door with his knuckles, listening for something specific. Finally...

"I got it!" Ristar cried suddenly. "This door has been magically locked from the other side. Don't worry, though. It's nothing that a little Ristar Magic can't get past."

He pulled out a small leather package and rolled it out. Inside was a robber's mother lode of tools and tricks designed to ensure any heist to be the perfect one. Anti-fingerprint powder, magnetic safe-decoders, a ring that made you invisible... Ruki looked interestedly at Ristar's arsenal.

"Where did you get all that?"

Ristar grinned. "Courtesy of Flathead Foozy. I never go anywhere without it."

He finally selected a small pocketknife and chose a few small attachments, which he hooked one, a thin piece of wire onto the blade. He then jammed it in-between the wall and door handle and slid it up and down. The door seemed to give a sick squelch noise and finally swung open.

Ruki had flinched when the door had opened. He had never heard a lock work like that before. "What the heck was that?!"

Ristar stored his knife and kit away and answered. "The door had been Sealed by magic. It's nothing that I couldn't handle."

"Right..." Ruki dismissed the subject and entered the room.

It was a small bedroom carved from the tree itself. The bed was comprised of a large hole in the floor with several blankets of bark and dragon skin. Inside the hole was a sobbing creature, curled up and covered in a birch bark blanket. Ruki's beak fell open.

The creature curled up in the hole was a beautiful, young, female, silver dragon. Ruki couldn't get a good look at her because she was currently covered in a silver blood-stained blanket.

He bent down to touch her but was immediately thrown backwards by an invisible force that radiated from the dragon and crashed into a wooden chair, shattering it.

The dragon must have sensed him there because she cried out in a frightened voice. "Please! Don't hurt me anymore! I'm not joining you're army and you're not changing my mind!"

Ruki limped back over to the hole and looked at the dragon. She was trembling noticeably. She was obviously wounded and frightened. Somehow, he had to convince her that he meant her no harm. She might have information about what happened to the Sacred One.

"I'm not part of any army," he tried reassuring her. "I'm not going to hurt you." But the dragon refused to budge. He looked at Ristar, who shook his head.

"Lose the disguise," he said simply. Ruki agreed and removed his Hork-Bajir Mask.

He tried reaching out to the wounded dragon again. Somehow, he was able to touch her. Her skin felt leathery and smooth and slightly cold. From what he knew of dragons, the latter was a bad thing. Dragons' body temperature had to be warm or hot to the touch for them to be healthy. The dragon froze for a second and then uncurled her head.

She had very pretty ice-blue eyes, though they were hard to see through her tears and the scratches on her face.

"W-who are you?" whimpered the dragon. "W-what h-happened to Dak?"

"Dak?" Ruki hated being clueless.

"Dak Hamee, the Sacred One of this realm. Where did he go?"

"I haven't seen anybody since I got here," said Ruki, extending his hand. "Need some help?"

The dragon hesitated and then took his hand. Careful to avoid her sharp claws, Ruki helped pull her out of the hole and looked shocked when she did. He could barely see her body because it was covered in a blood-stained blanket of birch bark. He noticed that her blood was the source of all the silver stains splattered around the burrow.

"I can do something about that," he offered the dragon, drawing his sword. He had a feeling that her wounds were not grave enough to use one of his two remaining Soul Fires.

The dragon flinched but then stared at the blade and said meekly, "The Millennium Sword! I thought that was lost ages ago."

"Well, I've got it now. Do you want me to help or not?'

"Umm... okay."

She pulled off the bark to reveal a large open gash across her torso. It looked like a Hork-Bajir blade-inflicted wound. She had already lost a lot of blood and Ruki was sure that she would not have lasted much longer, even by dragon standards. Ristar, who had seen enough blood, left the room.

"Okay," gulped Ruki, trying not to faint. "Hold still."

The "Restore" Materia infused in the blade turned the gold metal a bright green. He then carefully touched the point of the sword to the dragon's wound. She whimpered slightly as the metal touched her skin and the gash started healing itself, closing shut without a scar

Now Ruki could get a good look at the dragon. She stood on two digitigrade legs just like the Lugians had. She wore no clothes except for a blue silk cloth tied around her waist. Her skin was a deep, metallic silver color and she had a mane of snow-white hair/fur that reached down to her upper back. Two long, ivory horns behind her ears curved in a loose S-shape at the back of her head. Her chest had two strange, smooth bulges that Ruki had only seen on Krystal before. Something told him that he didn't want to know what they were called. A long, flexible tail extended from her backside and had a strange band on it near the tip. She had five fingers on each hand with a medium-sized silver claw growing from each of her fingertips with another band on her left wrist and right ring finger. She stood on her toes the way that Vee did and her eight claws looked razor-sharp.

What amazed Ruki the most was her wings. He was mostly used to wingless dragons, so these startled him slightly. They each had a web of five "fingers" spread out throughout them. Four of them had a leathery membrane webbed between them and the fifth was at the tip of her wing like an extra claw. The closest thing he had ever seen to these wings were Lugia's flipperlike arms.

The dragon noticed that Ruki was staring. She waved a hand in front of his face and he snapped out of his trance.

"I'm sorry," she said with a slightly musical voice. "I guess you haven't seen a true dragon before."

All that came out of Ruki's mouth was: "Beautiful..."

She sighed and simply said, "Moods."

Chapter 40: Giving Up

Day 1: 2000, 34 hours remain

After some more gawking at the silver dragon by Ruki and Ristar, the group stepped outside into the night. The dragon, who introduced herself as "Sidian Silverhawke", looked up at the purple-clouded sky.

"It's been so hard on the Hork-Bajir and the dragons ever since that strange, masked Mood came here. Hork-Bajir are being killed left and right and their bodies are being used as soldiers and the wild game that provided the dragons' food supply is being hunted to extinction. It's all so terrible what's happening to Ikana."

Ruki silently cursed Aruonetwo as he looked up at the purple-clouded sky.

"What're we gonna do about it?" said Ristar, trying not to look down.

"I know what we're going to do about it," said Ruki, balancing his Millennium Sword on his palm just for fun. "We're going to pay Anpu a visit. And we're gonna teach him a lesson in first-class butt-whooping!"

"Y-y-you can go find Anpu, pal," Ristar said shakily. "I'm just gonna stay here where it's safe."

"Wuss," sighed Ruki, donning his disguise. He patted Sidian on the back and said reassuringly, "I'll be back in a few hours. Take care of Ristar while I'm gone."

Sidian looked at him with watery eyes. "I will. Take care of yourself while you're out there. Anpu probably already knows you're here."

And with those words of wisdom, Ruki set off through the trees.

Day 1: 2100, 57 hours remain

It was considerably easy to navigate through the trees of Ikana Canyon to Ikana Castle. All Ruki had to do was follow the trail of devastation left behind by Anpu. Burrows that had been broken into became more numerous as he reached the other side of the canyon.

Once or twice, Ruki's Hork-Bajir stomach growled. Since they only ate bark, he decided to try to scrape some off of the trees he was climbing. The bark of his current tree had a rich, savory taste to it. Ruki couldn't compare it to anything he'd ever tasted before. Pausing in his quest, he took the time to fill his belly with the succulent bark.

With a full belly, he cleared the final tree and observed his surroundings. The massive trees ended and the canyon truly began. Ruki found it difficult to breathe due to the assortment of mini-volcanoes dotted throughout the ravine that spewed sulfur and other noxious gasses. Ruki couldn't progress due to the lack of trees; Hork-Bajir were made for climbing trees but their blades are completely useless on rock. Feeling a sense of defeat, Ruki removed his mask. It wasn't much easier to breathe as a Mood, either.

Ruki walked to the canyon edge and sat down. Far away, he could see a stone fortress at the base of the canyon. It had to be the legendary fortress of Ikana Castle, Anpu's supposed hiding spot.

Ruki was not a very good climber and these cliffs were hundreds of feet high. Dangerous rock walls with few footholds lined the canyon. He considered using Sol's power of flight to descend the cliff, but that idea was literally shot don in flames.

Why? Lugians are literally albinos and they needed to stay in cool environments to survive. It was a drawback that Lugians had evolved into after ages of living underwater. If Ruki put on Sol's Mask here, he would soon pass out from the heat of the canyon and he would practically fry alive.

The Mood started picking up stones and throwing them into the canyon. He didn't know what to do. Neither Nu Mou nor Lupes were any better at climbing down cliffs. If it wasn't for this heat, Sol would have helped out just fine. But there was nothing he could do about that.

For the first time in his life, he considered giving up. He also thought of what Ristar and Babus would say when he came back empty-handed. He could just picture Ristar's cocky attitude being directed at his Ruki's ego upon realizing that his best friend had just given up on him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Mood?! I thought you were better than that! "Hero of Time"? Ha! Guess you won't be a hero anymore when the moon finally does destroy us all!"

And when Ristar use the words "destroy us all" in succession, he tended to go into a loop that usually lasted hours.

"DESTROY US ALL!!! DESTROY US ALL!!! DESTROY US ALL!!! DESTROY US ALL!!!"

Over and over he would scream it until Ruki finally cracked either from annoyance or despair for instigating it in the first place. Oh well, it was certainly what he deserved for just quitting.

By now, Babus had probably passed on to the afterlife, but even if Ruki could see him again, his reaction would be more disappointment than fury. Failing a dead Pure One would be a new all-time low for him.

"I really thought that you were the one, Ruki. I guess that saving the world loses its fun the second time around. If Lugia, Klonoa or Vee could see you now, they would probably have a few words to say about this. Consider my disappointment a preliminary."

"But what should I do?!" shouted Ruki into the canyon air. He threw the last rock into the canyon and sighed. Getting up, he figured that he might as well get it over with.

He was walking back towards the Hork-Bajir trees when he stepped on something sharp. It pierced his armor-less foot and caused Ruki to hop around on one foot. Expressing a few choice words that would have made Ristar hit him, Ruki tried kicking the object with his good foot but fell flat on his back. Getting up again, he turned to vent his spleen on the object... but stopped.

He had trodden on a small, pointed tooth sticking out of the ground. He swept the dirt around it and found that it was on a thin metal chain. Picking it up, Ruki noticed that it had a small tag tied to it that read:

To Ruki,

A dragon's tooth for the power of flight and fire. Simply prick your finger.

Just in case,

Hyozanryu

Ruki's heart raced. This couldn't have been here all this time by chance alone. Somehow, Hyozanryu had known that he would find this here.

And then he realized that Hyozanryu he coincidentally been waiting for him to get Millennium Sword back from Aruonetwo. Maybe there was more to this "greatest god" that Ruki was giving him credit for.

Accepting this, Ruki draped the tooth over his head. It felt like it was made for him. He felt slightly better about himself for some reason. Wondering if it was indeed a dragon's tooth, he poked the tip of his finger with the sharp object.

"Ouch!" a drop of blood oozed from his finger. Yep, it was sharp. Dragon's teeth certainly lived up to their expectation.

Suddenly, Ruki started to feel a little woozy. He felt as if he had used his Time-Turner without knowing it. The world started spinning and he could barely stand. He tried to step forward, but his head was pounding hard and he collapsed on the spot. As he lied there, unconscious, strange and wondrous things began happening to him...

Chapter 41: Deagonna Mostafa

There was something off into the distance. Ruki walked forward to see what it was. Something was calling for him – a lost friend or a forgotten dream. He drew his Millennium Sword and followed it. Whatever it was, he felt bonded to it somehow. As he got closer, he could just make it out.

He caught up to it and stopped. It was a Mood with its back to him, but something seemed familiar about him. He had a crop of untidy silver hair atop his head. He was clad in Ruki's Tetra full-body armor. Ruki thought of this as odd because he was the only Mood as far as he knew that wore such a suit in the same size. There was something familiar about this Mood. He was the same age, height and weight as Ruki but had a much more muscular build.

And then the Mood turned around.

Ruki nearly jumped out of his skin. He was staring at himself! This Mood had the exact same clear-blue eyes and facial features as he did and he wore the Millennium Sword in a beautiful leather belt. When he spoke, he matched Ruki's voice flawlessly.

"You're finally ready."

"What-? Who are you?!" cried the bald Ruki Mood.

From out of thin air, the four Pure Ones – Lugia, Babus, Klonoa and Vee – appeared, two on either side of the other Ruki Mood.

"We've been waiting a long time to show this to you, Ruki," said Klonoa, bowing his head.

As of this moment, said Lugia, also bowing. We Pure Ones are no longer of this world.

"What are you talking about?" asked the bald Ruki. "What's going on?"

"You have been selected," said Vee, nodding. "As the Avatar of the Pure Ones."

"We've decided to entrust our knowledge to you." Babus smiled sadly.

"And with such power..." said the new Ruki Mood. "...means that you and I will become one."

"And that's not all." A sixth voice sounded out. Bald Ruki saw two clear-blue eyes appear behind New Ruki. "We have given you a special ability. Now when you finally face Arupnyn, you'll be prepared."

"For what?"

"To destroy the King of Darkness once and for all."

The eyes vanished and all four Pure Ones dissolved into their colored spirit forms: Lugia, blue; Klonoa, green; Babus, red; and Vee, yellow. Their energies all flew in an arc and entered the New Ruki Mood and he changed his form.

Bald Ruki was speechless. New Ruki had transformed into a full-fledged dragon! He had jet-black skin and massive wings just like Sidian's. Two long, curved horns protruded from the back of his head. His clawed hands and feet were similar to Sidian's but he did not have any bands. A long, flexible tail whipped around his legs and unfurled.

Dragon Ruki was completely nude except for a tan, leather cloth around his loins like Sidian had. He had a beautiful toned, muscular torso along with thick, medium-length, jet-black hair. The only thing that did not change was his eyes. Dragon Ruki still had his original clear-blue irises despite that they were slightly narrower than normal.

Bald Ruki could only think of one thing to do before such a noble creature. He knelt before the dragon and bowed his head. Dragon Ruki smiled and placed a hand on his counterpart's head and said, "Be blessed with the knowledge of the Pure Ones, Deagonna Mostafa – Ruki "Dracon" Mood."

Bald Ruki raised his head and received another surprise: he was looking at himself as Bald Ruki Mood. Then that means...?

He got up and saw that New Ruki Mood's body was now his own. The former Ruki Mood winked and gave his trademark peace pose.

"Good luck!" And he vanished completely.

Chapter 42: Why Do We Fall?

Dawn of the Second Day: 0600, 48 hours remain

As everything came back into focus, Ruki took in the benefits of his new form. Now he'd get all the chicks! They would be practically lining up at his doorstep to get some of this. What's more, he could now travel from place to place as a dragon without worrying about distance. He couldn't wait to get back to Mood Star.

Realizing that he still had a job to do, Ruki ran to the edge of the cliff. He could breathe a lot easier and could see through the volcanic smoke. Setting his sights on Ikana Castle, he leapt from the cliff... and dropped into thin air!

The ride to the bottom of the cliff was a painful one. Ruki's face bounced off the slope and he got quite a few bumps, bruises and broken bones on the way down. He came to rest in a painful heap at the base of Ikana Canyon. For a minute, he was paralyzed from the extreme pain that he was in – he couldn't move a muscle without causing him great discomfort. He was sure he had broken a great number of bones in his body.

But then the pain seemed to subside and he could feel his body again. Ruki tried moving his arms and legs again and he was finally able to get to his feet. What was going on? A fall like that should have killed him, if not horribly maim him. But he had recovered almost instantly and it felt like nothing whatsoever had happened.

Ruki's questions were answered almost immediately. Babus' bag of Soul Fires had fallen out of his pocket and had broken his fall. He had landed on one of them, which had cracked and its energy had flowed into him, healing him completely.

Ruki scooped the final Soul Fire into the bag and pocketed it. Looking up to the heavens, Ruki smiled and said softly, "Bless you, Babus. I owe my life to you." He could have sworn that he had seen a group of clouds in the sky shaped like a Nu Mou before it drifted apart. Babus must have been watching down on him from above. He then turned his attention to the matter of crossing Ikana Canyon.

Something just bothered Ruki and he couldn't understand what happened. Why couldn't he fly? He was sure that that dream hadn't been a hoax. After all, his appearance now was different than before. If he was indeed a dragon, he should have been able to fly.

After some thought, Ruki finally came up with the obvious problem: he was still in a Mood's body – Moods can't fly!

Fuming, Ruki tried to remedy the situation by turning into a dragon. He closed his eyes and tried to picture himself weightless and free.

Nothing whatsoever happened. He didn't feel any different. There was no sense of transformation that he normally felt when he used on of Babus' masks. Opening his eyes again, Ruki lashed out with his claws in frustration.

Huh?!

Ruki froze and looked at himself. He had transformed into a full-fledged, jet-black, biped dragon! He was so overcome with emotion that all he could do was feel his new body and flex his limbs in silence.

"Wow," he said simply. That was all he could say. His voice was slightly deeper, but he still recognized it as his own.

Ruki felt full of raw power. These beautifully-toned arms were smooth but lined with muscle and sinew. He had never felt dragon hide before, but his own was leathery and tough, but smooth to the touch and almost glass-like. He flexed his tail experimentally and smiled. What sweet power!

Ruki rubbed his muzzle and toyed with each fang with his narrow, feather-like tongue. He actually lost count on his total number of teeth. His horns under his thick, black hair were state-or-the-art. Five times harder than steel, he could use these babies to practically gore any opponent he came across.

Finally, Ruki spread his bat-like wings to their fullest. To the unsuspecting enemy, he actually looked quite intimidating. From the tip of one wing to the other was a least 15 or more feet. He could wrap them around himself twice to provide extra protection.

Ruki actually started laughing. It wasn't an evil laugh or even a laugh of joy. It was a laugh of satisfaction and power. Ruki felt nearly invincible now. He felt so much more confident in his new form that he wouldn't mind facing even a thousand Hork-Bajir on his own. He finally had the perfect weapon to take down Aruonetwo and Anpu single-handedly. The canyon echoed with his deep, booming laugh. Ruki was all-powerful now.

And then an unknown force brought Ruki's ego into check. Despite being half-dragon – even being full-dragon – Ruki knew that he was not invincible. Dragons were just as mortal as he was normally, despite their longevity. Sidian had proven that by shedding her blood after the Hork-Bajir attack. Ruki was only as strong as his body allowed.

But still... the feeling of invulnerability and hardcore power that had coursed through Ruki's veins, even for a moment, felt great! He had never felt that way before in his life! He had a feeling that life as a half-dragon was going to be very interesting from now on.

But for now, Ruki settled for the feeling of his first solo flight. After all, he didn't want to overdo it on his first day as a dragon. Being blessed with the knowledge of the Pure Ones gave him a pretty good idea on how to get off the ground, so he spread his wings out, squatted down slightly, looked into the air and sprang up, pumping his wings to gain altitude.

For a moment, he fought with the forces of gravity until he reached an altitude of at least 2000 feet – well above the top of Ikana, but not nearly high enough to reach the tops of the Hork-Bajir trees. From there, he locked his wings and took in the splendor of flying.

Words could not describe the feeling that Ruki felt on flying on his own. He felt practically weightless and his wings seemed to work automatically. The wind blew in his face, but he could now see through it without squinting. This was unbelievable! As Sol, Ruki needed to free his head of all thought, but as a dragon, there was no thought at all, only emotion. He was experiencing a sensation that Moods would sell their souls to witness. The skies held no limits as to where he could go. The heavens were his to control!

After a while, Ruki decided to get back to his mission. He had probably wasted an unnecessary amount of time taking in the benefits of his new form. After all, they were his forever – there was no sense in wasting them all on a single flight. He turned in the air and headed back in the direction of Ikana Castle.

Suddenly in mid-flight, Ruki's blood ran cold and his wings became like lead. He couldn't breathe and his mind had become blank. He dropped from the sky and took a tumble into the canyon floor.

Chapter 43: Raising the Dead

Day 2: 0800, 46 hours remain

Dirt. Sand. Gravel. I hate it all! I've got sand in places I didn't even know I had.

Ruki had thankfully landed in a sand dune on the canyon floor. However, he had been driven a good ten feet into it and was now digging his way to the surface.

Ruki dug his head out of the sand and spat out a mouthful. It was everywhere – in his shirt, his hair and his boots. During his sand removal, Ruki realized that he was once again a Mood.

"I guess it can tell when I need it or not," he mumbled, removing his boots and dumping a small mountain of sand out of each of them.

Now thoroughly sand-free, Ruki checked his bearings. He was standing at the base of the canyon not far from where he had tumbled down the cliff. He didn't get it. What had happened that had caused him to fall out of the sky like that? He had been just fine until he had headed in the direction if the castle. Some powerful, evil force, he realized, was preventing him from turning back into a dragon.

He looked around. Ikana Castle lay at the end of the massive canyon over a mile away.

I guess I'm hoofing it from now on, he thought to himself with a sigh.

Ruki started walking. Almost immediately, he felt the same chilling sensation he had felt as a dragon, but it was significantly weaker on the ground than in the air. This must have been how Anpu had kept Sidian and the other dragons grounded. It was just another reason to serve Anpu's butt to him on a silver platter when he reached him.

As he made his way across the castle, Ruki could sense a dark presence all around him. Something was out there and it was craving blood – his blood. Ruki also noticed that the birds were not singing. Not a single note played throughout the desolate wasteland. There was no sign of the dragons, either. The only sound that Ruki could make out was the howl of the wind.

Up ahead, Ruki saw the first sign of life in this barren wasteland – a fallen Hork-Bajir. It was lying a few feet from a small stream that had dried up while running through the canyon. It looked in pretty bad shape, so Ruki dug out his final Soul Fire and rushed to its aid.

Unfortunately, it had been dead long before he had seen it. Its flesh was partially eaten away by the hot canyon heat and a couple of its blades were either missing or broken. Ruki replaced the Soul Fire and shook his head. What a way to go – mere inches from a non-existent sanctuary. He walked on.

A few yards later, he heard a funny rattling noise like bones grinding together. Ruki sped up. It was probably just a scorpion. But the rattling noise was getting louder and faster. He kept going, not looking back. Finally, the noise was so distinctive that he couldn't ignore it any longer. He whipped around and all the color drained from his body and formed a puddle on the ground.

The deceased Hork-Bajir was following him... and it had brought friends! Up to three dead, decaying Hork-Bajir were staggering after him at an alarming speed.

The frightened Mood ran for it. He didn't get far, however, before several more Hork-Bajir corpses sprung up from the ground in front of him and advanced on him. Ruki tried going around them but even more of them crawled out of the earth, cutting him off.

S$! He was less than a hundred yards from the gates of Ikana Castle and he was being attacked by the living dead! Unsheathing his sword, Ruki tried to face the ever-shrinking circle of walking corpses. He had completely forgotten that he could go dragon in his fear.

"MOOOOOOD STAAAAR!!!"

Ruki could have kissed himself. The undead Hork-Bajir turned to see Ristar, Tormund and Montblanc tearing down the canyon floor, weapons drawn. Ristar's Star Rod was shining a piercing yellow, Tor's sword had a blazing green aura around it and Montblanc wielded a minute rod with a small, glowing, red tip.

As they approached, they split up and attacked from different sides. Ristar launched bolts shaped like stars from his rod that punched hole straight through the Hork-Bajir zombies. Tor's razor-sharp blade neatly clove them in twain one way or another. Montblanc attacked from a distance – he pointed his rod at the stupefied zombies and they immediately burst into red flame. Ruki, meanwhile, had "gone dragon" and was reaching for anything his claws, tail or teeth could find.

The Hork-Bajir were so caught off-guard by the heroes' sudden appearance that they didn't have time to react. They could only groan as they were torn apart like rag dolls.

Within 90 seconds of the others' call, every last corpse had been reduced to dust.

Chapter 44: The Dragon Warrior

Day 2: 1000, 44 hours remain

When the last corpse was nothing but body parts on the canyon floor, the heroes took a break.

"Wow!" said Tor, leaning breathlessly on his sword. "That was one hell of a fight!"

"Kupo!" chirped an exhausted Montblanc. "We sure took it to 'em! Did you see me flame their sorry butts?"

"Yep," Ristar said as he collapsed on the ground. "I haven't had this much fun since our last fight with Arupnyn!"

"I thought I was a goner!" Ruki preened his scales with his nose. "Thank Hyozanryu that you guys showed up when you did." He then noticed something. "What?" Ristar was staring at him. "What?!"

But the startled Star just stood there, mouth agape, staring at his best friend.

"Y-y-y-y-you're a-a-a-a-a d-d-d-d-d..." He couldn't get it out and fainted with shock.

Ruki realized that he was still in his dragon form. He quickly shifted back to Mood and ran to his friend's side.

He then noticed that both Tor and Montblanc didn't look shocked at all! In fact, they were both smiling!

"What?!" he barked, annoyed. "Haven't you ever seen a Mood turn into a dragon before?"

"No, actually," confessed Tor, sheathing his sword. "And we've never seen a dragon turn into a Mood, either."

"Lucky," kupoed Montblanc. "Out of the both of you, they chose you."

"What are you talking about? Who chose me?" Ruki was tired of being left in the dark.

"Haven't you ever heard the legend of the "Dragon Warrior"?" said Montblanc, amazed.

"Huh?"

"Kupo! Your name is all over it and you didn't even know?"

"No, I didn't! Tell me, please! I hate guessing games!"

Tor rummaged in his belt and produced a tattered piece of parchment. Ruki took it an immediately recognized Babus' spidery handwriting. It read:

When the land is troubled and torn,

A hero of the other born,

Searching for a hidden friend,

His weapon stripped, he's left to fend,

An ancient spell upon him placed,

Magic twists his young face,

Though once defeated his greatest foe,

Returned from death, he does not know,

Now abandoned in foreign land,

A symbol treasured on his hand,

To save the realm that's not his own,

Save four gods he's never known,

His dying friends know time is near,

For a hero to appear,

Blessed with the knowledge of the gods,

A hero is born to fight the odds,

This sacred form that he has known,

As a foe becomes his own,

The Hero of Time flies swift and sure,

That evil die and good endure.

Ruki was speechless as he finished reading the legend. It fit him like a glove. Not one detail about him was left out. It even mentioned his "Hero of Time" status.

"Wow." That was all he could say.

"Kupo. And the weird part is," said Montblanc in awe. "Ristar could have been the Dragon Warrior!"

Ruki had to take out a towel and floss his ears to make sure that he had heard correctly. "What?!"

"Oh yeah," said Tor, pulling out a canteen. "Everything matches him and you except for one part."

Ruki blinked. "Which is...?"

"Read the fifth and sixth lines again."

Ruki did so and read it out loud. ""An ancient spell upon him placed... Magic twists his young face." Does that mean...?"

"Yep, kupo. Babus chose you to wear his magical masks."

Ruki took a moment to let this all sink in. Babus had known that this would all happen. Everything from meeting him in the clock tower to bringing the Highwind to Termina Bay to this. Babus was the Sage of Fate and therefore knew everything that ever happened or was going to happen. This was all part of Babus' and the Pure Ones' plan in the end. Then did that mean... Babus knew his future? Ruki would have pressed the Pure One for more information but he couldn't for two reasons. First, Babus had passed on and any direct contact with him was impossible. And also, Ruki learned while being raised by the Pure Ones that our futures are better left untold. If you know your future, then you took away the hope and surprise of finding it out on your own.

"If you show someone their future," Babus had once said. "They have no future. The hope and faith that they have to look forward to vanishes like water on hot coals."

Ruki was glad that his future was still hidden from him, but he still wanted to ask Babus a few questions about his past. Unfortunately, he would never get a chance to ask him now.

Tor, meanwhile, had emptied his water canteen over Ristar, quickly reviving him. The Star was still a little disoriented from seeing Ruki's new form.

"Ohh... Ruki," he moaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. "I dreamt that you had turned into a Mood-eating black dragon. Funny, huh?"

Ruki looked blankly at Montblanc and Tormund, who backed up. He would have to break it to Ristar that he was a dragon if they planned to continue on their quest.

Ruki put his hands on Ristar's shoulders and said, very seriously. "Ristar, if I show you something, will you swear not to scream or run away? Promise?"

Ristar blinked and gulped but nodded his head. He was determined to show his friend that he was completely loyal to him. However, his nerves were threatening to get the better of him.

Ruki released him and stood up. With one liquid motion, he shifted his form from Ruki Mood to Ruki "Dracon" Mood. It was like watching one of Ruki's mask transformations on high-speed. It took less than a second for him to shift forms.

It took every last ounce of Ristar's will power not to scream or faint again. He had just watched his best friend morph into a full-fledged black dragon right before his very eyes without putting anything on. He was tested even further when a deep, yet familiar voice spoke to him.

"Well... what do you think of your best bud now?"

Ristar was trying not to look at Ruki's razor-sharp teeth while the Mood spoke. Instead, he looked him square in his narrow, clear-blue eyes. It was the only thing that reminded him that it was his friend underneath that skin.

"It'll take some getting used to. I should consider myself lucky – I have a dragon for a friend now!"

Ruki smiled, making sure to keep his teeth hidden so as not to scare the poor Star any further. "Alrighty then," he said, turning to Tor and Montblanc. "By the way... how did you know where I was? I thought you were still in Clock Town. And where's King? Wasn't he with you?"

Montblanc was playing with his pompom and didn't hear him. Tor, however, spoke in a grave voice.

"Babus left Clock Town shortly after you left and didn't come back. Mind you, he didn't look too good before he left, either. His last request to us before he went was: "Ruki needs your help in Ikana Canyon. Find Ristar with a dragon named Sidian and go to his aid." When we got to the canyon, however, they were waiting for us and Sidian flew us up into the trees. King, however, wasn't too fond of fighting the dead, so he stayed behind. So, Sidian flew us over here one by one and we saw that you were surrounded. And that's about it.

Ruki contemplated this as he tried spit-shining his Millennium Sword. Unfortunately, he only succeeded in blowing nothing but blue smoke over the blade and he soon gave up. He wished that Hyozanryu had been more discreet on how to blow fire. He figured that this ability would come to him over time but he still voiced his opinion about it anyway.

"I wish I could breathe fire," he grumbled, sheathing his sword. "Dragons make it look so easy. I just don't get how they do it."

"Maybe Sidian could help, kupo," squeaked Montblanc, smiling and pulling at his whiskers. "She was really nice."

"She called you a "cup of kupo joy"," said Ristar, emphasizing with his fingers.

"Kupo!" Montblanc blushed a deep red and climbed on Ristar and "attacked" him. "You said you wouldn't tell!"

Ristar was not used to having a Moogle on his face and he fell backwards, screaming, "Get it off me! Get it off me!"

"Come on, you guys!" said Tormund, adjusting his armor. "We've got a castle to storm."

"Right." Ruki switched back to his Mood form and helped Ristar get to his feet. "Let's get going!"

Chapter 45: Beneath the Well

Day 2: 1230, 41 hours remain

There were no more obstacles in their way as they approached Ikana Castle's front gates. When they reached the gates, however, they could immediately tell why it was rumored to be impenetrable. Two huge, stone doors decorated with ancient, worn symbols blocked their way.

An old, wooden sign nearby read, "Ikana Castle: Stronghold of the Dragons. These stone doors have never been breached. Only messengers on official business may pass."

Another sign, a newer, metal one was stamped in-between the stone doors. This one read: "Anpu's Fortress. No one gets past these doors! Flying over means death! Get used to it!"

"It seems that Anpu is not without a sense of humor," said Ristar coyly. "Any ideas?"

Ruki growled, almost dragon-like. "I'm thinking. I'm thinking!"

He scanned the front of the castle. A long stone wall stretched between the canyon walls and reached as high as the canyon itself. A dragon could easily fly over such a wall, but according to the sign, they would die before they cleared it, so that was out of the question.

"Well?" wondered an impatient Ristar.

"I thought you were supposed to be the sneaky thief here. I don't see you coming up with anything!"

"I'm not experienced with stone doors." Ristar paused. "But maybe... just maybe... there's a hidden passage somewhere."

"Kupo?" Montblanc was curious. Ristar had pulled out his burglar's kit and began rummaging through it. After ignoring several tools, he finally selected a large, rectangular, red gem. Holding it up to his right eye, he began looking around the area.

"What's that?" said Tor.

"A Gem of All Seeing," Ristar answered smugly. "An invaluable tool for all treasure seekers." He resumed his search.

After some time and plenty of patient witnesses, Ristar pointed to a spot about a hundred feet away and yelled, "Aha! I knew it!"

"What?!" Ruki cast a look at the spot. There was nothing there. "Lemme see."

Ristar handed him the gem and pointed out the spot. Ruki held the gem to his eye and peered through it. Apart from the red tint of everything, he could see what looked like a hole in the ground in the same exact spot that he had seen nothing.

"Cool!" The Mood was pleased. "Let's go check it out!"

He moseyed on over to the hidden well after handing back Ristar's gem. He reached the spot where the well was supposed to be, but found nothing.

"Well?" he huffed. "Where is it?"

Ristar caught up and peered through the jewel again. Tor and Montblanc brought up the rear.

"A little more to your left," he instructed the baffled Ruki.

Ruki inched to one side. "Here?"

Ristar shook his head. "Your other left."

"Here?"

"A little more."

"Ristar, let – AAAAAAAAAHH!!!"

SPLAT!

"OWWIE!!!"

Ruki had stepped through a false floor that had looked like the rest of the canyon ground and landed at the bottom of the shaft.

Ristar walked over and stuck his head through the false ground. "Are you okay?!"

"Air bag's a little slow," groaned Ruki, now a complete pancake.

"But that's what these tests are for!" Ristar finished the joke. Tor and Montblanc shrugged and said to themselves, "Moods."

Ristar climbed through the holographic ground and moved his foot around until he found a ladder on the side of the chute. He climbed down to reach Ruki while Tor and Montblanc followed suit.

Upon reaching the well floor, Ristar helped Tor peel Ruki off the ground. The Mood's face was still on the ground and it looked rather delusional.

"Look, Ma!" Ruki's face said happily. "I'm roadkill! Ha-ha-ha!"

"I think all that slamming into walls has gone to your head," sighed Ristar as Ruki's body blew itself up.

Now back to his original shape, Ruki scooped his face up off the ground and slapped it back on. Spitting out some gravel, he said, "You get used to it, I guess." He was obviously in a good mood.

"If you're quite done," said Tor, impatiently tapping his foot. "Shall we turn our attention back to getting inside the castle?"

"Of course," sighed Ruki. "How selfish of me."

"Let's do all the things that you wanna do," finished Ristar, and both he and Ruki sniggered.

Keeping his temper under control, Tor proceeded down a corridor cut into the side of the chute. The others followed him. It got rather dark rather quickly.

"Hey, Tor!" Ruki shouted through the darkness. "Wait up!"

The Lupe was well ahead of them and they were stumbling through the darkness with difficulty.

"Maybe we'd better have some light," noted Ristar. "Ruki, can you blow some fire for us?"

"I told you I don't know how yet!" snarled Ruki. "The Pure Ones didn't tell me when I last saw them, you know."

"Alright!" said Ristar defensively. "Jeez! It was just a request! You don't have to bite my head off!"

Ruki sighed and looked at Ristar out of the corner of his eye. Something told Ristar that that wish was easier to grant than asking for Ruki to blow fire. Although he knew that his friend would never do that, Ristar still ran his hand under his throat and gulped.

"You wouldn't do that to your best chum, would you?" he said shakily.

"You never know. I might get hungry sometime."

Ristar chuckled nervously and went pale, although no one could see him.

"Kupo! I have an idea! Hold on a second." Montblanc reached for something in his coat, and a second or two later he had ignited his spiked pompom with red flame.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Ristar was amazed at the Moogle's bravery.

"Nope," kupoed Montblanc, grinning. "It's a magical flame; it only hurts a little bit."

"AAAAIIIIEEEEEE!!!"

A scream tore through the darkness like a shockwave.

"Tormund!" Ruki ran ahead, followed by Ristar and Montblanc.

Day 2: 1400, 40 hours remain

Ruki stepped into a dimly-lit room with ice-blue flames burning in the torches on the walls. Tor, the Lupe Knight, was standing completely rigid a few feet away, his arms and sword in mid-swing at another Hork-Bajir zombie with piercing-white eyes that was slowly advancing on him.

Ruki immediately went dragon and tore at the zombie with his talons. He gored it with his horns and his teeth but no blood came out. The zombie moaned and its remains sank back into the ground. Tor was released from his spell and slumped to the floor.

"Ruki!" Ristar and Montblanc came running. "What happened?!"

Ruki spat out a dusty piece of the zombie, which melted into the ground. "Ptht! There's no meat in those zombies. I'd starve to death if I had to live off them."

"Not funny, dragon boy." Ristar aided Montblanc in reviving Tor. "What happened?"

"It looks like the Hork-Bajir zombie paralyzed him and was about to suck his brains out when I introduced him to my toothy maw," Ruki said, still spitting out zombie dust.

"Now is not the time for jokes, kupo," Montblanc said, fanning the Lupe's face. "We need Tor to wake up."

It took a while, but Tor finally stirred and was coming around. He was shaking visibly and was breathing hard.

"Ohh..." he moaned. "Water! I need water!"

Ristar frantically searched for something to quench Tor's thirst. The only thing he had that had any liquid in it was a couple of fruit chews (don't ask).

"Can you chew?" he said, ripping the wrappers off and stuffing the candy into his friend's mouth.

At first, Tor couldn't. His jaws were frozen shut, but he did not object to Montblanc rubbing his muzzle to loosen up the muscles in his jaw. At last, he began chewing and the candy's sweet juices trickled down his throat, soothing and satisfying it. He moaned again and took a few deep breaths before he started talking.

"It was horrible! I tried to take that zombie's head off with a quick slice, but then it looked at me with those cold, soulless eyes. I've never seen such horrible eyes! It froze me just by looking at me! I saw an evil figure in those eyes, so dark... so cold..."

He curled up, whimpering. Ruki had never seen him so upset before. It must have been something particularly terrifying to make a tough-as-nails Lupe like Tor to break down and cry. It was a while before Tor said anything more.

"And then it started walking towards me. I thought I was going to have my soul sucked out of my body! When Ruki came, I could see that dark figure roaring with rage. He was so angry! I thought... I thought..." He literally passed out from shock. The others looked at each other, speechless.

Finally, Ruki shouted, "Look out!"

Another Hork-Bajir zombie was crawling out of the ground where the previous one had fallen. Ruki drew his sword and got ready to dispatch the corpse.

Then from out of nowhere, Ruki's vision became white again. He was looking at his former self standing in the zombie's place in a white void. Bald Ruki appeared to be wearing the Hork-Bajir Mask but had not transformed. And then he lifted the mask, revealing his face. Neither Bald Ruki nor New Ruki said anything. Bald Ruki merely winked and replaced the mask on his face.

"Ruki? Ruki!"

He snapped out of his stupor. His friends had pulled him backwards out of reach of the Hork-Bajir zombie's paralyzing gaze.

"What a time to take a nap!" snapped Tor. He had fully recovered and was back to his old self.

"Knock it off, Ellis!" Ruki was paralyzed!"

Ristar clocked Tor upside the helm with his Star Rod. Tor glared at the star and barked. "Don't you call me that again!" He shoved Ristar, which caused the two to launch at each other in a fighting cloud. Montblanc tried to break it up but was unsuccessful.

It wasn't until Montblanc shouted, "Kupo! What are you doing?!" that the two froze in their scuffle to watch Ruki.

The Mood had taken the hint from his vision and had put on his Hork-Bajir Mask. He was walking forward towards his undead counterpart with the other three trying to get his attention.

He got close enough for the zombie to look directly at him. But against all odds, Ruki did not become paralyzed like Tor had and decided to press his luck further. He inched closer to the zombie – it still didn't move. He was a foot away from it when it looked at him and appeared to be... sniffing him? Ruki froze but more from fear than its gaze.

Finally, the Hork-Bajir zombie let out a low, groaning hiss.

"Leeeeave it! Leeeeeeave it!"

Ruki asked what it meant. It answered:

"Leeeeave me ssssomething that ssssproutssss from the ground. Maaaaybe five of them."

Chapter 46: Mummy, May I?

Day 2: 1500, 39 hours remain

Stepping away from the Hork-Bajir zombie, Ruki went to consult his friends.

"Did you hear what it said?"

"Just barely. What does it want again?" Tor began rummaging through his pockets.

""Something that sprouts from the ground"," Ruki repeated slowly. "I guess it wants five."

I may have mentioned this before, but Moods were not very bright when it came to riddles. They never evolved to the point that they could effectively solve them on their own. Fortunately, Ruki was above average Moods. He racked his brain in attempt to find the answer.

"Hmm... sprouts from the ground... chocolate?"

"No," said Tor.

"Ice?" suggested Ristar.

"Nope, kupo."

"Mount Rushmore?"

"No!" shouted Ristar, Tor and Montblanc together.

Okay, maybe these guys weren't exactly up to scratch at the moment. Don't worry; they'll catch on.

"Maybe it's something we have on us," Ristar suggested.

They pulled their pockets inside-out.

Ristar two sticks of chewing gum, a rubber band, a calculator and some string. Ruki yielded a bag of peanuts, a bottle and a broken toothpick. Tormund dug out a piece of flint, a large powder keg, a bottle of blue potion and a blue jewel. All Montblanc had was several stale Kupo Nuts that were starting to smell funny. Don't even ask where they got this stuff.

"Well," sighed Ristar, glancing from their stash to the zombie waiting patiently nearby. "That's it. Any plans?"

They all shook their heads. Tor's stomach growled.

"Pass me those nuts, please. I'm hungry." Ruki tossed the bag to the Lupe. Just then, Montblanc jumped up and snatched them out of the air.

"Hey!" barked Tor. "What gives?"

"Peanuts are a plant, kupo!" chirped Montblanc excitedly. "They sprout out of the ground!"

"Hey, yeah!" Ristar caught on. "That'll work!"

"Are you nuts?!" said Ruki, ignoring the pun. "I only have one; the zombie wants five!"

This was a good point. There was only one bag. Tor brought up a suggestion.

"Maybe it's talking about individual nuts. What if we gave him five single nuts?" He took the bag.

Ruki couldn't think of a better idea, so he took the bag from Tor and huffed. "Fine! But if I die, I'm going to get you for this!" He approached the Hork-Bajir zombie again.

Slitting open the peanut bag with his arm blade, he tipped five whole nuts into his hand and offered it to the zombie. The Hork-Bajir lowered its head to "look" at the offering and sniffed at it for a moment.

"Ah, thissss!" it hissed, seizing the nuts with a scabbed hand. "I bear you no remorsssse!"

The zombie suddenly lit up with green fire and dissolved into ashes. A door then materialized on the wall behind him as if it had been there the whole time.

Ruki turned to the others. "Coming?"

Day 2: 1530, 38 hours remain

They stepped into another dimly-lit hallway that also ended in a dead end. The passage was flooded slightly up to everyone's (except Montblanc's) ankles. Casting a look ahead, Ristar spotted another stalking Hork-Bajir zombie at the end of the hallway.

"I wonder what that one wants?"

Splashing through the damp passage, Ruki approached the Hork-Bajir and stopped in front of it. This zombie also wanted something and wasn't going to budge until it got what it wanted.

"Leeeeave it! Leeeeave it!!!" it moaned. "Leeeeave me ssssomething delicioussssly fresh!"

When Ruki relayed this to his friends, Montblanc joked, "I guess he doesn't want my Kupo Nuts then, kupo."

Ruki ignored him and everyone emptied their pockets again, trying to determine what the zombie wanted.

Suddenly...

"AAH!" yelped Ristar, leaping backwards and nearly dropping his things.

"What?"

"Something just touched my leg! There's zombies underneath us!"

But Ristar was jumping the gun. Nothing was climbing out of the water and whatever had touched him was gone now.

"Must've been a fish," sighed Tor, shifting his feet.

"Fish, kupo?" Montblanc's brain was working. "That's it! Ruki, gimme that bottle you have. I have an idea."

"Okay..." Ruki obeyed.

Montblanc started to make a game out of splashing around the hallway, trying to snag a fish in the bottle. The little devils kept getting away, though. After about five minutes of this, Ruki got bored and took matters into his own hands. He quickly swiped up a large, fat pike in his dragon claws with absolutely no difficulty at all.

"No, kupo! Don't kill it! We need it alive and wriggling!"

Ruki spared the poor creature by holding it firmly enough in his claws so that it stayed alive but couldn't wriggle free.

"You wanna fill us in on this?" said Ristar impatiently.

"That zombie wants something fresh, right, kupo?"

"Right..." Ruki was eyeing the pike hungrily. That last bite into that Hork-Bajir zombie had left him slightly famished.

"Right, so what could be fresher than a fresh fish?"

"Good point," admitted Ruki. "I'll go give it to him."

He started towards the zombie when all three of them yelled, "Wait!!!" He froze in place, thinking something was wrong.

"What? Is there something wrong?"

"You might need to... I don't know... ahem..." Ristar tried not to point out the obvious.

After some thought, Ruki realized that he was still a dragon – the zombie would only talk to other Hork-Bajir. He quickly switched to his Hork-Bajir form. He then realized that he had just learned a new trick: he could switch from any of his forms to his dragon form and back again without removing his mask.

Ruki presented the still-squirming fish to the zombie with difficulty –

his Hork-Bajir claws were not as long or flexible as his dragon ones and the fish was still putting up a decent fight.

"Ahh, thissss!" hissed the zombie. "I bear you no remorsssse!"

The Hork-Bajir snapped the pike up in its rotting beak right out of Ruki's claws and both of them dissolved into green flame. Another door was revealed behind it.

"Way to go, Montblanc!" Tor hoisted the tiny Moogle onto his shoulders and they all entered the next room.

Chapter 47: Breaking and Entering

Day 2: 1600, 38 hours remain

Ruki had been expecting another zombie or at least another damp, dank, dark hallway. What he didn't Expect was to be standing in front of a long staircase that led up to the fading sunlight.

"Sun! Light!" Ristar ran ahead to finally get some fresh air.

Ruki, who had removed his mask, followed him with Tor and Montblanc on his heels.

At the top, they found Ristar in front of a massive stone fortress. It was well-built with aged marble and white sandstone. It reached about 200 feet high but barely reached the halfway-point of the canyon. Ruki could tell that this was where the gorge ended with the castle built into the canyon walls. It had a large tower reaching up even further up the canyon atop it with a flat summit. The doors, which had once been the pride and joy of the fortress, were no more. The debris was all over the barren gardens in front of the castle.

"Something's not right here." Tor was slightly worried. "The front doors are wide open."

"Ding-ding-ding! What do we have for them Johnny?!" Ruki said sarcastically, mimicking a game show host.

"Not those! Those!" He pointed behind them.

Turning around, they saw that the massive stone doors that had blocked their way before were swung wide open as clear as day.

"Well, that was pointless!" Ristar griped. "We went through all that for nothing!"

Montblanc's ears twitched. "Something's coming out of the castle, kupo. I think we'd better get out of the way... now!"

Ruki could not only hear it but feel it, too. The ground was pounding in rhythm. as if a large amount of soldiers were marching towards them.

"Hide!" Ristar grabbed Ruki and they all hid around the corner of the fortress.

A huge number of undead Hork-Bajir started filing out of the front doors. A Mood in a red cape was leading them. Ruki couldn't get a good look at him because his back was to them and was soon obstructed by the ranks of Hork-Bajir. They were marching across Ikana Canyon like they were on a mission.

Several minutes passed an they were still pouring out of the castle.

"Well... I'm bored," groaned Ristar. "Wherever they're going, they're obviously going there in bulk. What d'ya say we find another way in? Maybe we can still find Anpu if we go in the back way."

"I'm right behind you, Ristar." Tor followed the Star. Montblanc and Ruki followed suit.

However, searching the right side of the castle yielded no visible entrances. Ruki was gazing up at the battlements above them. There didn't appear to be anyone up there, so he decided to check it out.

Changing to his dragon form, he flew up to the top of the roof. The castle, as far as he could tell, went deep inside the rock wall. The stone tower was obviously on the other side, but there was no way to get to it. He did, however, notice a large crack in the middle of the roof about a hundred feet from the front of the fortress.

"Hey!" he hissed at the others, trying to keep his voice down. "Up here!"

Ristar looked up for the source of the noise. "What're you doin' up there?!" he shouted in a hoarse whisper.

"I think I've found a way in! Hold on, I'll fly you up here."

"No need," called Tor, listening for noise. "The front door is clear!"

They all got the message and ran to the front gates. Sure enough, the Hork-Bajir had finished filing out and had shut the front gates of the wall. However, the front door of the castle was barred by a wall of cloudy, purple energy.

Ruki somehow knew that they couldn't get in, but he wanted to get a reaction out of Tormund anyway.

"Well?" he said, grinning from the battlements. "Can you get in?"

Tor didn't want to admit that Ruki's plan was better than his. "No..." he mumbled, humiliated.

"I can't hear you!" sang Ruki.

"No! It's blocked!"

"Thank you!" He nodded, satisfied. "Now, how about we try this my way?" He soared down to meet the trio and turned his back. "Need a lift?"

Montblanc went for a ride first – he weighed almost nothing and was on the roof in 30 seconds flat. Ristar was a little heavier. Luckily, his first dragon flight went quite well.

Finally, it was Tor's turn. Due to his heavy armor, Ruki failed to get him off the ground. After some thought, he decided to use Sol's Mask. Using a combination of his psychic powers and flight abilities, he was able to lift him up onto the roof without breaking a sweat.

"Okay," sighed Tor as Ruki released him. "Now what?"

Ruki removed his mask and ran over to the crack in the roof. The roof had sunk in a good two or three feet as if something extremely heavy had dropped onto it. After some examining of the situation, the Mood quickly came up with a solution.

"Tor, do you still have that powder keg with you?"

"Yeah. I never go anywhere without one." He pulled it out.

"I think we have a party to crash. Bring it over here."

"This had better work." Tor wasn't sure of Ruki's plan. "Those things aren't cheap and it's my only one."

"It will." Ristar needed to help the Mood carry it over and drop it in the crater with a thump. How Tor managed to lug that thing around wherever he went, Ruki would never know.

"Be careful with that!" Tor cried, worriedly chewing his gauntlets. "That thing's not stable, you know!"

"Oops." Ruki carefully located the fuse. "Anybody got any matches?"

"Nope," was the answer in unison.

"You're the dragon! You light it! Blow flame!" Tormund was getting bossy.

"I told you, I don't know how!" Ruki cried in frustration. "I'm still learning here!"

"Don't worry, kupo." Montblanc pulled out his rod to break up the argument. "I'll do it."

He glided over to the powder keg, his feet hovering off the ground by his tiny wings. He tapped the tip of his rod and it glowed green for a moment. He apparently had a "Fire" Materia in the tiny hunk of wood. Then a tiny red flame leapt from the tip and ignited the fuse.

"Fire in the hole!" Montblanc quickly flew back to the group and they all ran to hide behind a stone pillar.

Seconds went by... and then...

BOOOOM!!!

Chunks of stone and mortar flew everywhere from the weakened roof. Ruki quickly donned his Sol's Mask and was able to protect his friends by creating a barrier of light. When the smoke and dust finally cleared, a perfectly round hole was clearly visible in the rooftop.

Getting up, Tor went to the hole and let out a low whistle. "Now that's a hole!"

Ristar joined him and kicked a stone into it. He didn't hear it hit the ground.

"Are you sure about this?" He looked concerned. "There's nothing down there."

Sure enough, it was so dark in the castle that it was impossible to see the floor even with the receding sunlight.

Ruki looked at his Millennium Sword, having already removed his Sol's Mask. One of the two remaining black gems was glowing a faint yellow.

"I don't think we have much of a choice," he admitted glumly. "The fourth Sacred One is in there. We have to go."

"Well, here's hoping." Tor took a few steps back and ran to jump into the hole. "GERONIMO-O-O-O...!!!" No sound came that told them that he hit anything.

Ristar went next. He gave Ruki a wink and jumped. "ARAPAHO-O-O-O...!!!"

Montblanc gulped and jumped next. "KUPO-O-O-O...!!!"

Ruki backed up and took a running start. "POCAHONTAS!!!"

He fell... and fell... and fell through an endless black void. There was no way that the fortress was this high! He seemed to fall for an eternity. At last he saw a large pool coming up to meet him.

Chapter 48: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Night of the Second Day: 1900, 35 hours remain

SPLOOSH!!!

Ruki came up for air inside a room with a large pool of water in it. After some gasping for breath, he swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out onto a stone walkway.

"cough Are you guys cough okay?" Ruki mimicked a hand pump, expelling a large amount of water out his ears and laid on the ground.

They didn't answer.

"Hey! cough Are you guys listening?"

No response.

This was strange. They all should have surfaced by now. Ruki looked up and say that neither Star nor Lupe nor Moogle were anywhere in the area.

"Maybe they're still in the water, he thought optimistically. He looked back in the water.

Unfortunately, the water was clear enough to let him know that his friends were not waterlogged.

Now starting to worry, Ruki stood up and started calling for them. "Tor-mund! Mont-blanc! Riiii-staaaar!!!"

Nothing.

"Where are you?!" He started walking down the hallway.

Second Day: 1900, 35 hours remain

Montblanc was trying not to vomit. The smell of his environment was stagnant and swamp-like. He had landed on top of a large, wooden flower standing on a pillar in the middle of a pool of toxic water. The purple poison gave off a sickly-sour smell of rot and decay. The flower he was on had its petals folded tight against it. In the middle of it was an old torch that had gone out.

"That is not a kupo smell!" gagged Montblanc. "I hope Ruki, Ristar and Tor are okay. They didn't land in that foul water, that's for sure."

He spotted a stone ledge above his current position with another burnt-out torch on it. On a hunch, Montblanc yanked on his pompom and took aim. He then chucked it at the torch, a thin hair extending from his head to the ball. It missed and fell into the tainted water.

"KUPOOOO!!!" He yelped as he quickly pulled it out. "It burns! It burns!!! Owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie!"

He blew on it until it stopped stinging. Taking better aim this time, he tried again. It reached the ledge but did not wrap around the torch. Luckily, he caught it before it hit the water and tried for a third time.

Success! It reached the torch and wrapped once... twice... three times around it. Pulling his hair taut, Montblanc swung down off the wooden flower and started pulling himself up to the ledge.

Once there, he unwound it and snapped it into its usual dangle. Looking around, he spotted a door nearby and went over to open it.

Second Day: 1900, 35 hours remain

Ristar was lost. He had landed in a forest clearing with four different paths to travel. All the while, a strange song was playing wherever he went, making him even more lost and confused. Every so often, he would end up in a familiar clearing and become even more frustrated.

"My kingdom for a compass," he groaned. "This is really getting old!"

Ristar's Star Rod was acting funny, too. It was flashing and emitting a ping-like sound. Sometimes it would flash rapidly; other times it would be totally silent.

Ristar's mind was starting to fade. That song was starting to make him drowsy.

"It must be a spell!" he realized after a while. "I gotta get outta here!"

But he was just as lost as ever. Ristar soon became confused and started wandering aimlessly. At the rate he was going, a mouse would find its way out of a maze before he did. He was about to drop on the spot and go to sleep when he saw something moving. Summoning his strength, he followed it and ran straight into a Hork-Bajir.

There was something odd about this one, though. It had a jet-black hide and its beak and assorted blades were colored a crimson-red shade. It look as if they were dyed with fresh blood, but not really. This Hork-Bajir's eyes, however, were not a blank, staring white like the rest of the Hork-Bajir he had come into contact with, but were instead a fiery-red color. Somehow, Ristar felt he could trust this one – it had a warm, pleasant, inviting filling about it.

"You strange one," it said in a deep yet childish voice. "How you get here?"

"Falinole," mumbled Ristar, slurring his words.

""Falinole"?" It seemed confused. "No mind. You not last long here. Come with Dak. I take you to safe place."

Ristar smiled weakly, took two drunken steps and keeled over, falling flat on his face. Before he passed out, he saw Dak yelling and attacking some dark-colored, shadow-like creatures. However, he didn't see much else before he lost consciousness.

Day 2: 1900, 35 hours remain

A loud whistle and a blowing foghorn brought Tormund back to his senses. He was laying on a crate of cargo on a large, metallic ship inside a dingy harbor.

"What the hell is this?" He got up and stretched. His armor need cleaning and polishing. He hopped down off the crate and walked to the railing.

The ship was stationary and was floating in a harbor filled with soupy, oily water. Looking around, he realized that he was the only one here. The place was completely deserted!

Walking around on deck, Tor crossed a pair of huge, metal hatch doors. High above him, a crate of TNT swung dangerously from a crane erected in the harbor.

Note to self, he thought, edging away from the swaying box. Stay away from the explosives.

A sharp pain in his back prompted Tor's attention. Turning his head, Tor saw that his armor was crushed and split wide open down his back. It was completely ruined.

"Damn it," he cursed. "I knew I would have to replace this sooner or later. I only wish that it could've waited until after this little adventure."

Creaking and groaning, Tor carefully removed his damaged armor and laid it aside. Even in ruins, the steel plate and the purple velvet were too fine to just throw in the water below him.

Underneath, Tor was very well-built. He wore a simple, brown tunic with clay-green shorts. Years of knighthood had shaped his muscles beneath his golden fur. His paws had four furry fingers that were currently a little clammy from ages under his gauntlets, but were strong nonetheless. If given the opportunity, Tor could have punched Arupnyn himself in the face and leveled him instantly.

Tor's stomach growled. He wondered if there was a kitchen aboard this tin crate. He walked along the deck, peering in the windows along the way.

Captain's cabin... no, he thought dully. Navigation room... no. Engine room... no.

He stopped outside a ventilation pipe near the bow of the ship. Something smelling of burnt chicken wafted through it.

Aha! The kitchen! Tor clambered through the pipe and tumbled into the kitchen.

Chapter 49: Every Mood for Himself

Day 2: 2030, 30 hours remain

It was Ruki's turn to be lost. He was standing in front of a pool of lava after walking through a one-way door – it had vanished as soon as he entered, locking him in.

He would have flown over the lava, however, an evil force was preventing him from going dragon, so he was on his own this time.

The only other details in this room was a door on the other side of the pit with a Golden Power symbol on it and a strange pink gem above it and where the door used to be on Ruki's side.

Frustrated, the Mood drew his Millennium Sword and struck the gem hard. There was a click, a clunk and a grinding noise as the room turned upside-down!

"WAAAAAAHHHH...!!!" SPLAT!!!

Ruki peeled his face off the ceiling, which was now the floor and laughed. "Look, Pa! I'm roadkill! Ha-ha-ha!"

Peeling himself off the stonework once more, Ruki stuck his thumb in his mouth and blew. He inflated like a balloon and Flat Mood was Ruki Mood yet again.

He was standing on the ceiling of the room and drops of lava were dripping down from the pit above him. Other than that, most of the lava stayed where it was. His path ahead was completely flat and free of obstructions. Deciding to question the laws of physics later, Ruki darted across the ceiling, avoiding the occasional drop of lava and reached the other side.

Just in time, too. The room began turning right-side-up again. Ruki quickly invoked the skill he had used in the Werelupes' Bunker and flattened himself against the wall. When gravity restored itself, he simply turned around and simply slid down the wall to the door. Feeling smug, he made one final crack to no one in particular.

"And that's why the Mood crossed the road!"

I know – lame, but obviously funny to Ruki because he chuckled, popped off the wall and opened the door.

Day 2: 2030, 33 hours remain

What a weird castle, kupo, thought Montblanc as he closed the door behind him.

He was standing in a huge room with a massive tree trunk partially submerged in the toxic, purple water growing straight out of the middle of the room and extended to the heavens. Montblanc had a feeling that it was a similar species to the trees in the Hork-Bajir's area of Ikana Canyon. He noticed that a long, thick branch wound around the tree in an upward angle in a never-ending spiral.

Suddenly, the ground started quaking and the sound of rushing water met Montblanc's ears. The poisoned water was rising!

"Kupo! I didn't bring a wetsuit! I don't wanna die!" Montblanc was panicking. He realized that the only way out of this crisis was to start climbing.

He took a running start and did a flying front flip onto the tree and started running. Unfortunately, the tiny Moogle's legs were not suited to long-distance running and the rising water soon caught up with him.

"Oh no!" panted Montblanc, taking flight. He was slightly faster flying that he was running, but not by much. He was barely able to stay ahead of the rising water as he continued in an upward spiral.

After flying for some time, Montblanc eventually saw a door with three triangles on it advancing up the tree branch on its own. He soon realized that he had to catch it because this tree just kept going with no end in sight.

The poor Moogle was starting to run out of steam – his wings were tiring and the noxious liquid was getting close again. The door was going to get away from him unless he pulled something off quickly.

Montblanc grabbed his pompom, whirled it over his head and threw it at the door's handle. Yes! It caught! He tugged on his hair and quickly pulled himself up to it. He hung on the door frame, pushed it open and tumbled inside.

Day 2: 2030, 33 hours remain

Oh, my head. I don't feel so hot. And what's that smell? It smells... nice – almost like spicy cinnamon and smoked wood.

Ristar woke up in a cave inside a hollowed-out tree. A yellow-flame fire was burning in a pit in the center of the room. The black-and-red Hork-Bajir that had saved him from the forest was over in a corner, grinding up an assortment of bark and herbs in a small, wooden bowl. It tipped the mixture into a bowl of water and stirred it with a small stick. It turned to Ristar and gave him a smile that would have sent a Moodling running hysterically for its mother.

"You sleep good?" It said, giving the bowl to Ristar.

"That depends." The Star's head was still spinning.

"You drink that. It make head much better."

Ristar looked at the foul-smelling yellow liquid with distaste and looked at the Hork-Bajir.

"It old Hork-Bajir recipe. It cure anything you got. I learn it from Vee, the Pure One. Drink. You feel much better."

Ristar looked back at the liquid and sighed. "Oh well. Bottoms up." He guzzled the thick, sour concoction and ended up spitting out a good amount of it all over the Hork-Bajir. It burned like fire down his throat and in his mouth. Nevertheless, he found that he could focus much better now.

The Hork-Bajir simply chuckled and wiped the medicine out of its eyes. "I understand Star's feeling. Sometimes medicine not taste good, but it for the best.

"Sorry," mumbled Ristar, wiping his mouth.

"It okay. Dragons not like taste either. Hork-Bajir not mind."

Ristar got up and held out his hand. "I don't think I've introduced myself. Ristar Starton – Friend of the Hero of Time, Ruki "Dracon" Mood, and Star from the Stars."

The Hork-Bajir did not return his handshake but instead thumped its chest with its fist and said, "Dak Hamee, Sacred One of Eastern Realm."

Reacting quickly so as not to appear rude, Ristar thumped his own chest in response. "A Sacred One, eh? We've been looking for you for some time."

"Dak has heard of Ristar Starton," said Dak Hamee. walking over to a corner of the cave. "He is carrier of Star Rod and knows one who carries Millennium Sword, Ruki Mood."

"Yeah," sighed Ristar spotting his Star Rod leaning on a nearby rock and picking it up. "But my friends and I were separated while searching for some guy named Anpu."

"ANPU?!?!" roared Dak, jumping to his feet. Ristar backed away, frightened. "Dak is lost in forest because of Anpu! Anpu kills Hork-Bajir to use as army! Dragons hide in canyon because Anpu threatens them with death. Dak wants to feed Anpu to dragons and not flinch!"

Ristar, petrified, dropped his Star Rod and ran. He didn't care what Babus had said; Dak was looking murderous. He failed to see where he was going but kept running.

Soon, he ran smack into a stone door somewhere deep in the forest. Unlike Moods, the Star simply hit the wall at full speed and slumped to the ground, a large, black bump on his top point.

He came to several minutes later when Dak poked him awake with his own Star Rod.

"Wakey-wakey, Star," he said in a singsong voice. "You drop this when you run away from Dak."

Ristar froze. Dak appeared calm, but the Star didn't drop his guard.

"Dak sorry about that." He hung his head in shame. "Dak is just much mad at Anpu. Anpu done bad things to Hork-Bajir. Dak want to go with Ristar. He find Anpu and friends, maybe?"

"Uh... sure." Ristar was hesitant. He got up and took the Star Rod from the Sacred One. "Um, how'd you find me?"

"Dak lucky, I guess. All I do is follow Star Rod noise. Me much surprised to see you with bump on head."

Ristar looked at the Star Rod, which was flashing and pinging incessantly due to its proximity to the stone door that he had hit.

"I was wondering what that meant," he said in amazement.

"You find door," said Dak, pointing from Ristar to the door. "You help Dak find his way out of forest. We go in, yes?"

"Fine with me." Ristar shrugged and put his hand on the door handle. It had a symbol that looked like Mood Star's Golden Power on it.

Regardless, he pushed it open and he and Dak (who had to crouch to enter) walked inside.

Day 2: 2030, 33 hours remain

"BUUUURP!!!"

Tor patted his belly with satisfaction. What a meal! It was much more satisfying now that he had his armor off, allowing him more stomach room. He had raided the kitchen and found a whole roast left cooking in the oven. Aside from that, he had found a bag of Starberries and Chokatoes (chocolate covered tomatoes – a strange but delicious treat) in the fridge. To top it all off, he had spotted an Oran Berry pie that had been left to cool on the counter.

The belt around his waist was feeling a little tight due to his feast. If he had had his armor on, Tor would have found it rather difficult to breathe.

Searching for a napkin, the stuffed Lupe pulled open a drawer and found a package wrapped in brown paper. He took it out.

It was very light despite its size and a piece of white parchment was attached to it.

Tormund,

Knowing your appetite, I figured that I should hide this in the kitchen. You're probably missing some armor by now, so I decided to give you this. This armor is light and flexible but should protect you even against Ruki's Millennium Sword and dragon claws.

Best of luck,

An important friend

Tor stared at the note. This was his first time in a place where no other being resided. How on Termina did this get here and be intended for him? And who was this "important friend"? The only other friends he had besides Ruki, Ristar and Montblanc were dead.

He thought about this for a second and then dismissed it –he'd worry about it another time. Besides, he was itching to see this new armor. He ripped off the brown paper and examined the package's contents.

At first, Tor thought of this as a joke. He was holding a thin shirt of silvery material. It was exactly his size, and when he tried it on, he found that it fit him like a glove. It was rather quite snug.

Something was biting into his back. He did a little dance and the object fell onto the floor with a clang. Picking it up, Tor noticed that it was a thin, flat sword in a scabbard of silver material similar to that of his new armor. He pulled it out and gazed at it with longing. The blade was made out of a steel similar to Ruki's Millennium Sword except that this one was silver instead of gold. It was also slightly shorter and much narrower. Ruki's was more of a knightsword while this one was more of a long blade. It also lacked the gems on its blade and pommel that the Millennium Sword had, but as he weighed it with two of his digits at the hilt, it felt well-balanced and sturdy as though it was made just for him.

"Jeez," was all he could say. He left the kitchen and climbed the walkways of the ship to get to the smokestacks and try out his new toys.

Tor wanted to see just how "sturdy" this armor was. He began by taking it off and trying to tear apart the flimsy silver material with his bare paws. But try as he might and working his muscles to the limit, the extremely fit Lupe couldn't even stretch the material and the shirt stayed firm. He then threw it in the air and tried slashing it with his sword.

WHAM!!!

Tormund was both amazed and relieved when he failed to part the strange shirt. When the shirt and sword connected, it felt like hitting a brick wall, but neither of them appeared damaged in any way. Struggling to keep his balance on the catwalk, Tor spread the mail out on the walkway and gave it a sharp, downward thrust with his new sword.

CLONGGGG!!!

Tor's sword vibrated hard in his paws, causing him to drop it. If that didn't break either of them to pieces, then nothing would! But no... the shirt and the sword were completely unscathed.

"Okay, I'm convinced." Tor admitted defeat and draped the shirt back over his body.

Then something happened that to this day, Tor still shuddered when he thought about it. The silver shirt's material started to stretch beyond its usual limits and began covering Tor's entire body, including his arms, legs, head, chest and tail with its protective material. It moved across his body like a miniature wave and he tried clawing it off and even tried backing away from the armor to no avail. The material then started to fuse with his body, sending a cold, tingling feeling through his bones. It blended so perfectly with his fur that it appeared that his golden fur turned a sterling-silver.

When it was all over, Tor tried tugging at his fur to try to pull the material out of it, but he only ended up hurting himself and the silver coloring in his fur was there to stay. It was as if the armor was a part of him now and no amount of pulling or yanking would separate the silver material from his body. He would have to learn to live with it from now on.

On the plus side, passersby would think that he had sleek, shiny, silver fur – something that no Lupe had in their wildest dreams. And upon testing the sharpness of the blade against his paw, Tor found that he could no longer do any damage to his body whatsoever. It was like he now had dragon skin!

Now he realized what Ruki went through every time he put on one of his mask, although Tor's situation felt a bit more permanent. Realizing that he would probably be stuck with this fact forever, the still-stunned Lupe began looking for some clothes. The armor had disintegrated his old clothes once it had fused with his body, leaving him completely naked.

He rummaged through some of the crates near the bow of the ship until he found a container with some workman's' clothes. They didn't fit today's Silver Lupe style of colored tunics and leather shorts, but they would have to do.

Tor extracted a black-leather vest and matching shorts. Somehow, he didn't think that silver Lupes should wear brown. He had to go to another crate to locate a belt for his new sword. On his way, he clambered over a control panel for the nearby crane, inadvertently stepping on a button labeled, "Drop."

He climbed the crates to one marked, "Footwear", when...

BOOOOM!!!

The crane containing the crate of TNT dropped its load directly on top of the metal doors marked with the three triangles of the Golden Power, destroying them in the process. The force of the blast threw Tor into the air and he fell through the newly-formed hole in the deck.

Chapter 50: Re-Reunion

Day 2: 0000, 30 hours remain

Ruki was standing in a circular room with multiple doors around its parameter and a cannon in the middle. All the doors were marked with the Golden Power, but upon closer inspection, he saw they were all firmly locked. It appeared that he was shut in and the only way out was to shoot himself out of the cannon through a hole in the roof high above him.

Ruki turned his back on one of the doors and shook his head at the cannon.

"Awfully crude form of transportation if you ask me," he sighed.

Just then, the door behind him slammed open and Montblanc came rolling out.

"Kupo-o-o-o-o... OOF!!!" He came to rest upside-down at the base of the cannon and then slid onto his back. The door slammed shut automatically, revealing a flat Ruki Mood, as he had been smashed in-between the wall and the door.

"Ow."

Ruki slid down the wall onto the floor. Once again, he showed just how paper-thin Moods can become when stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Sorry, Ruki," whined Montblanc dizzily. "I didn't see you, kupo. Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride," moaned Ruki. He gave a rather crumpled thumbs-up to show he was okay.

Montblanc sighed, shook his head and helped Ruki restore his shape once again by whipping him out like a dirty rug. "Where did you come from?" he asked curiously.

"There and back again from Vertigo City."

"Kupo?"

"Oh, just some place where the laws of gravity make absolutely no sense."

"I see. Well, I narrowly escaped drowning in a poisoned swamp. I nearly got kupoed!"

"Ristar Starton reporting for duty!" They turned to another door, which had just opened. Ristar and a jet-black-and-crimson-red Hork-Bajir stepped into the room. "Oh? Did you start the party without me?"

"Ristar..." said Ruki cautiously. "Who is THAT?"

"THAT, Mr. Clueless, is the final Sacred One. He calls himself "Dak Hamee"."

Dak noticed Ruki's Millennium Sword and bowed low.

"Dak much happy to see you, Ruki Mood. You mean great honor to Hork-Bajir."

"If there are any left," Ruki muttered.

Dak heard him. "Anpu not let Hork-Bajir rest in peace. Dak would personally rip out Anpu's heart and serve it to him on silver platter, but Anpu drain Dak's powers during bloody fight. Now Dak wait long time for bearer of Millennium Sword to arrive. Now that you here, we finally beat Anpu and bring peace to Ikana."

Silence followed Dak's speech, and then...

"Onward and upward, then," said Ristar, scoping out the cannon. "Let's go!" He climbed inside the loading hatch and it closed automatically behind him.

The cannon shifted its position and pointed its barrel straight up at the hole in the roof far above them.

BOOM!!!

Ristar was fired at a startling speed through the air and through the hole to the roof above, screaming, "YAAAAHOOOO!!!"

Ruki sighed deeply. That's Ristar for you.

"My turn! That looks like fun, kupo!" said Montblanc, happily getting in the cannon once it had reset itself. The lid closed and pointed upwards.

BOOM!!!

"Wheeeeee!!!" Montblanc, too, disappeared through the hole.

Ruki turned to Dak. "I don't think you'll be able to fit in there," he pointed out.

Dak merely shrugged and rubbed his beak on his chest. "No worry. Once you beat Anpu, Dak will join you."

"I thought you wanted to serve Anpu's heart to him on a silver platter."

"Dak WANTS to, but Dak cannot even get close to Anpu, so Dak sit this one out."

"Okay.." Ruki questioned his logic, but assumed Dak knew what was best. "See you later, then." He climbed into the cannon and soon joined his friends on the tower roof.

Day 2: 0030, 29 hours remain

A grate slid over the hole as Ruki cleared it and landed on the roof, sealing it shut. The trio was standing on the top of the stone tower the Ruki had seen behind Ikana Canyon. A barrier of swirling purple storm clouds surrounded the tower and a lightning storm was in motion inside it. The tower peak was completely round with no railings around it; they would have to be careful not to fall even though there was plenty of elbow room for each of them.

Off the edge of the tower, hovering in mid-air, was the infamous Dark Anubis, or Anpu for short. He had the form of a black jackal normally found only in the Corel Desert on Mood Star. He was also a biped with clawed footpaws and a rather muscular chest. Anpu wore a type of hood over his head, which draped around his neck. A long, golden cape, which was hooked around his chest, was flapping in the wind of the storm. He also wore a golden kilt around his waist and loins.

What bothered Ristar was the long, golden staff that he carried in his right paw. It had a knobby head that was currently surrounded with yellow energy.

"Big guy, ain't he?" he whispered to Ruki.

Ruki agreed. Anpu was easily as large, if not larger than Ruki was as Sol – about 9 feet.

"Oh well, the bigger they are..." said Ristar, grabbing his Star Rod.

"The harder they drop!" Ruki finished, unsheathing his Millennium Sword.

Chapter 51: Ruki, Ristar and Montblanc vs. Dark Anubis

Day 2: 0100, 29 hours remain

Dark Anubis looked at the trio in disbelief.

"What? This is it?! This is the monkey wrench in my operation? A Mood with a sword, a Star with a rock and a rat with a stick." He had a dark, black voice that was unusually calm. It slightly scared Ruki when he spoke. "This should take no time at all... Hey... I know you!" He pointed to Ruki. "You're the squirt that's been giving Lady Aruonetwo so much trouble. You're that Ruki Mood!"

"I guess word flies fast around here," Ruki muttered to Ristar. He then addressed Anpu. "Let's make a deal, Anubis – since you're about to get a major lesson in butt-whooping anyway, why don't you surrender right now and we can avoid all this violence."

No dice. "Are you kidding? You sneak into my realm, destroy my army... I feel transgressed and violated! I'm going to have to teach you some manners in addressing your superiors!"

Ruki smirked and said simply, "Let's rock, then!"

Anpu raised his staff and struck the ground, summoning a group of Hork-Bajir zombies to rise out of the tower roof. He then took to the air and watched the battle from above.

Ruki and Ristar looked at each other and nodded. The Mood flipped onto his partner's shoulders and brandished his sword. The Star then ran forward and they both began slashing the zombies left and right. Ristar would disable the Hork-Bajir by taking a swing at their legs, which crumbled or detached with ease. Ruki would then put his Restore Materia to work by activating it and slashing the zombies in the chest, reducing them to dust.

After leveling their ranks, Montblanc flew forward, catapulted off the pair's shoulders and into the air and fired a ball of flame from his miniature rod at him.

Caught off-guard, Anpu failed to block the attack and tumbled from the sky. Before the pair could strike, he recovered and flew off to the edge of the tower.

"Nicely done," he sneered, impressed. "But you won't be able to reach me here."

Anpu then took the offensive. He swung his staff, launching bolts of yellow flam at them. Dodging the shots and trying to find a way to attack was hard work. Neither of them could find a way to launch a long-ranged attack against the jackal and the well-aimed fireballs were nearly hitting them.

Ristar instinctively blocked a fireball with his Star Rod and the crystal star began glowing. Getting an idea, he swung his rod at Anubis, releasing a yellow, star-shaped bolt in the process. It hit Anpu in the chest, but he still managed to stay in the air.

"Nice shot!" said Ruki, high-fiving his friend and side-stepping another of Anpu's attacks.

"Thanks!" Ristar blocked another shot and sent his response via Star Rod.

Anpu was starting to slip. He had already taken three shots to the chest and his fireballs were going off in completely different directions, missing them completely. Ristar managed to tag another bolt and returned the favor once again.

"ARRRRGH!!!" groaned Anubis, shifting positions again. "Our rendezvous is over! I've got a town to destroy. " And with that, he flew off away from the tower and out of sight.

"Hey! Come back here!" Ruki tried to go dragon, but the evil in the air was still blocking his powers.

"Damn it!" cursed Ristar, throwing his Star Rod on the ground in frustration and stomping on it in a hissy fit. "How the heck are we gonna get off this tower?"

"There's only one way, kupo!" said Montblanc, turning to Ruki.

"Which is...?" said the Star urgently.

"Felix Felices, kupo!"

"What?!"

It made no sense to Ristar, but it hit Ruki like a ton of bricks. Of course! The bottle of lucky potion he found in the Ice Temple! He had to dig in his pockets for it, but he finally held aloft the tiny, crystal bottle of gleaming, golden potion. One day's worth of pure luck was at his fingertips.

Ruki uncorked the bottle with his teeth. It would seem like a waste to drink it all now, so he improvised by carefully dripping two drops onto his tongue. It kind of had a tart/sour taste to it just like one of those sour liquid spray candies that you buy at the gas station.

First, there was nothing – Ruki flinched from the sourness of the potion. And then Felix Felices went too town! His mind was unlocked and he knew the possibilities were endless! Now he knew why the Pure and Sacred Ones could do anything with their powers – now he felt he could do anything with these powers and have complete confidence in himself the whole way through.

Felix began by finding a way to allow Ruki to shake off the evil in the air and go dragon. Once he had accomplished this, Felix pointed out the direction that Anpu had flown off to.

"Climb on my back," he said confidently, squatting down. "We're going for a ride."

Ristar climbed up on Ruki's back and muttered, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"No." Ristar gulped. "But Felix does."

"Well, that's comforting!" Ristar said sarcastically.

"Kupopo! Don't worry." Montblanc clambered up and perched himself in-between Ruki's horns. "Felix Felices is foolproof!"

Ruki stood up and took a running start. At the edge of the tower, he dug both claws into the ground and took off. Ristar was holding on for dear life.

"I'm not going to drop you," Ruki reassured him as they cleared the purple-cloud barrier.

"Tell that to my lunch." Ristar was looking a pale yellowish-green.

"Hey! No puking on the dragon!" Ruki stopped beating his wings and locked them into a glide.

"Where is he? It's too dark out!" Ristar was fighting to hold back his dinner.

"Kupo! I see him! I see – TREE!!!" They had entered the Hork-Bajir's section of Ikana.

Normally, Ruki and Company would be Pancake and Syrup, but Ruki's lucky state-of-mind was much quicker and his response time had increased tenfold. He lazily leaned to one side and avoided the tree by inches.

"Don't ever do that again!" griped Ristar, trying not to faint. "I already have vertigo as it is!"

Ruki flew on while avoiding the giant trees in the dark. Even with the clouds blocking out the stars, Felix Felices seemed to know the canyon like it was the back of its "hand". Anpu had quite a lead on them, but Ruki trusted his chemically-enhanced mind.

"There! He's in front of Clock Town!"

Ristar pointed ahead through the fog to a large circle of lights. It was indeed Clock Town, but it was currently surrounded by the army of Hork-Bajir zombies that Ruki and the others had watched march out of Ikana Castle. And standing outside the East Gate was none other than Dark Anubis the Jackal. Felix told Ruki to fly directly above the jackal. Why? Ruki had to trust his judgment.

Despite facing overwhelming odds, Ristar couldn't help trying to improve the mood.

"Facing unfair, overwhelming odds... Small chance for success... Certain death at every turn..." He paused and shrugged. "What are we waiting for? I like a challenge."

Ruki and Montblanc merely sighed and shook their heads.

Chapter 52: The Battle for Clock Town

Dawn of the Final Day: 0600, 24 hours remain

For a while, Anpu merely stood among his army in a stalemate. Ruki merely hovered directly above him with his passengers – Felix Felices assured him that Anubis wouldn't see or hear his wingbeats even with his enhanced hearing. Dragons' wings made almost no sound and Anpu wasn't paying attention to the fact that his enemies had somehow gotten through his storm cloud back at Ikana Castle. Go figure.

And then, just as the sun started to creep over Termina Bay, he called out his ultimatum in a magically-enhanced voice.

"People of Clock Town! I am Dark Anubis of Ikana. I have given you your chance to think about surrendering and I await your response."

"I'm gonna lose it!" Ristar was now completely green. "Every Mood for himself!"

"Kupo! Don't do it!" Montblanc was chewing his claws hysterically.

Ruki would have stopped him, too, but Felix told him otherwise.

Ristar turned his head and vomited into the open. The sick fell through the air and splashed all over Anpu's face and muzzle.

"Get outta there!" urged the Felix Felices weakly. The potion's effects were wearing off. Ruki heeded its words and flew back to Ikana despite Montblanc's cries of "Where are we going?!"

Anpu, meanwhile, had been temporarily blinded by Ristar's vomit. He staggered around, sending spells everywhere at his unseen attacker. The odor of the vile liquid prevented him from sniffing out the source of the attack. His misfires decimated a good 500 of his Hork-Bajir soldiers in the eastern area.

As they flew away, Ristar had recovered soon enough to see the aftermath of this sneak attack.

"Lucky shot, eh?" he said, trying to get the foul taste out of his mouth.

"How did you know that that would happen, kupo?" Montblanc was astonished at the effectiveness of their "attack".

"Shh!" growled Ruki, annoyed. "Felix is trying to tell me something!"

The potion had almost worn out. Its last dying words before Ruki's enhanced luck ran out were, "...get... dragons... allies... fight!" Felix Felices had left the brain.

Now that the sun was coming up, Ruki could see the trees in the canyon much better, but he still barely avoided crashing into several of them in his haste. His instincts, not luck, told him that the dragons would be able to help... IF he could find them!

Final Day: 0615, 23 hours remain

Ristar and Montblanc could barely hold onto Ruki's back as the dragon rocketed back to the dragons' caves. After putting up with his passengers' extensive complaining, he finally dropped them off at the burrow where he had met Sidian, which was mere luck that he found it again.

"You're too much weight! I have to get to the dragons now!"

"But—!" Ristar didn't finish his sentence because Ruki was already gone.

The Mood reached the divide between the two sections of Ikana and landed, catching his breath. How dragons managed to fly such long distances in such short times, he would probably never know. Then again, he did just get this brand-new body two days ago – he was still breaking it in. He would probably figure it out in time, but now was not the time to be experimenting.

He was about to take off again when he spotted multiple winged figures approaching from the dragon caves. Ruki zoomed in his line of sight and his spirits rose.

The dragons were coming! No less than 50 of them were soaring in his direction. Unlike Ruki's form, however, most of the dragons were quadrupedal – they had their legs tucked under their bodies and were winging their way towards him. Several of them also had something Ruki had never expected to see on a dragon – feathers! The edges of their wings were lined with strange "feathers" that apparently helped them stabilize their flight pattern. But every so often, Ruki spotted a dragon that looked as if they were bipedal, just like Sidian.

Ruki was even more amazed at the colors of the approaching beasts. They ranged from crimson-red to jet-black to emerald-green to sapphire blue and so on. There was, however, only one dragon that was colored a metallic-silver.

"Sidian?!" thought Ruki, awestruck.

He also saw as they came closer that two of the quadrupedal dragons – an emerald-green one and a jet-black one – were carrying passengers on their backs. One carried the black Hork-Bajir, Dak Hamee; the other bore a silver Lupe that Ruki had never seen before carrying a gleaming, silver sword in its paws.

Sidian and the lead dragons flew over him in the direction of Clock Town. The silver Lupe called out to Ruki and held out his paw. Ruki grabbed it and the Lupe swung him onto the black dragon's back. He settled behind the Lupe in-between the pointed spikes running along the dragon's back from its head all the way to the tip of its tail. Ruki had landed on a molded saddle on its back that barely had enough room for both him and the Lupe. After he changed back, however, there was more than enough space to sit.

"Looks like you guys read my mind," said Ruki. The dragons were soaring through the forest, heading straight for Clock Town. "When did Lupes ride dragons?" he asked the rider.

"Since we were at Ikana Castle last night, numbskull!"

Ruki blinked. It couldn't be... could it?

"Tor?"

"I was wondering if you would recognize me," sighed the silver Lupe.

"Wha... what happened to you? Where's your armor? And..." He stared at Tor. "What happened to your fur?"

"I'll explain on the way," said Tormund, leaning on his dragon's saddle. "Terra, step on it. We're falling behind."

The black dragon cast an annoyed eye back at its riders and snorted. "You try lugging a heavy Lupe and a Mood around on your back for a while and see if you can keep up!" It was obviously a female. She scoffed and looked ahead again. "I'm not even sure the Moods of Clock Town will even appreciate our help; we'd be lucky if they didn't hack us to pieces when we land, but if Hyozanryu said it was to be, then I guess we should trust his judgment."

Ruki blinked again. "You talked with Hyozanryu? He arranged all this?"

"The one and only," said Terra smugly. "Tormund, I think you should tell him."

"Tell me what?"

Tor thought about what had happened while he had been inside Ikana Castle.

"I'll make it short and sweet. When I left Ikana Castle, I had a vision with the God of Gods, Hyozanryu. He appeared in the dragons' caves shortly after I awoke. I'd like to describe him..." He paused, apparently thinking hard. "But for some reason, I can't remember what he looked like."

Ruki gulped. Hyozanryu was the God of gods after all, and therefore, he could have wiped Tor's memory so that he couldn't describe him effectively.

"The point is that when he showed up, the dragons hailed him like some kind of god or something. He told us about Anpu's attack on Clock Town and said something to the effect of, "Help defend the Moods, and your status in this world will be changed for the best." I can't remember much, but the dragons were rejuvenated by his speech and we soon left the caves to meet Anpu in Termina Field. And so... here we are."

Ruki thought about this. Tor's story was a little choppy, but then there was the possibility that Hyozanryu did not want his true form to be revealed at the moment. He would have to trust him for now. The next time he had a vision with Hyozanryu in it, he would ask the God of gods if Tor's story made any sense.

Regardless, Ruki couldn't help but smile at Tor. He had come to his aid in his most desperate hour and that was the only reason he needed.

"Friends to the end," thought Terra, smiling as they flew on.

Final Day: 0700, 23 hours remain

By the time the group had picked up Ristar and Montblanc and returned to Termina Field, all hell had broken loose. The soldiers of Clock Town were engaged in an all-out brawl with the undead Hork-Bajir. True, the ranks of Ikana had been substantially depleted by the heroes' sneak attack, but the soldiers still had their hands full. They had barred the four gates of Clock Town with heavy wooden doors, but there were not enough soldiers left to protect all of the gates at once and their numbers were being constantly reduced by their enemies – they Hork-Bajir were just too strong.

As Ruki and the others approached, a guard pointed to the sky and cried, "Look! They've brought the dragons, too!"

At this point, all hope of winning the battle faded from the soldiers. They were certain that once the dragons entered the fray, they would be literally chewed up and spit out like bones. They were shocked, however, when Sidian and Dak landed among the undead creatures and started their attack on the enemy. The dragons spread out around Clock Town and began tearing apart Anubis' ranks.

"What the hell is going on here?!" said the Mood Commander, approaching Sidian and Dak courageously. "I thought you were going to kill us!"

Sidian and Dak leveled a good number of undead Hork-Bajir before they approached the Commander.

"There was once an alliance between the dragons, the Hork-Bajir and the other realms of Termina," said Sidian while Dak covered her. "Do not let these rotting excuses for Hork-Bajir scare you – we have always stood by your side and we are proud to do it once again in your time of need."

Sidian showed her true colors by belching a blast of fire over the Commander's shoulder, turning a zombie that had tried to attack the Mood to dust. She then held her clawed hand forward and said, "Truce?"

The Commander hesitated since he had just been saved by a creature he had always known to be an enemy. He then thrust his hand forward and shook Sidian's firmly. "Truce. Let's show these sons of the devil what true power we possess when we work together!" Sidian nodded and returned her attention to the battle around her.

Ruki, Ristar, Tor and Montblanc, meanwhile, had dismounted from their dragons and joined the battle. Within seconds, they had already leveled a good 10-square-yard section of Anpu's ranks. Tor's silver-steel blade disintegrated the enemy, body parts and dry gore went flying from the force of Ristar's Star Rod and Montblanc had unleashed Hell on Termina by sending spell after spell at the zombies, vaporizing them on the spot.

The dragons had gone on a complete rampage. The smell of rotting, burning flesh hung in the air due to the flames flying from their mouths, which burned to moaning Hork-Bajir to the ground.

Yet despite their combined efforts, the ranks of Dark Anubis kept on replenishing as more and more from the remains of their fallen. It was Anpu's evil magic that allowed them to slowly recover and continue their path of destruction.

Ruki, meanwhile, had gone looking for the Anpu himself. He had put on his Sol's Mask and was in the air, using his multiple visions to locate the jackal sorcerer. X-ray vision was useless – all of the fighters had bones. Heat vision didn't work either – Montblanc's and the dragons' flames had ignited nearly everything. Life-aura detection failed as well – there was too much interference from the evil that held together the Hork-Bajir to spot Anpu anyway.

Just when he was about to give up and return to the battle, Ruki spotted a lone figure running from the battle and enter the realm of Woodfall Forest. A strong evil radiated from the figure and Ruki knew he had his beast. Switching back to his normal vision, he could distinctly see Anpu fleeing the battle. He was favoring his right arm, which suggested he was wounded. Ruki took off after him, leaving his friends to take care of Clock Town. They could take care of themselves – they had made it this far and had dealt with their problems without his leadership before. Besides, Ruki had a score to settle with Anpu and he wasn't about to let one of Aruonetwo's henchmen get away.

Chapter 53: Ruki vs. Dark Anubis Round 2

Final Day: 0800, 22 hours remain

Ruki landed in front of Woodfall Forest and removed his Sol's Mask. His size would prevent him from searching the forest without getting shot. Anpu had also attempted to conceal himself by magically enhancing the darkness in the forest so that it was nearly pitch-black.

Ruki held out his Millennium Sword and studied the gems on its blade like a compass. The two remaining black gems were glowing yellow and purple – an indication that the Guardian of the East Realm was in the immediate area. Like before, Ruki could tell where Anpu was hiding by the intensity of the glow coming from the yellow gem – the purple gem was currently frozen in color, signaling that a great evil was in the area. He made his way through the trees and eventually heard someone panting ahead of him. Bingo!

Without warning, a bolt of yellow energy came screaming out of nowhere, easily piercing several tree trunks in its way and missing Ruki by inches. It exploded in the distance, leaving several perfectly-round smoking holes in the trees it had gone through.

"Come on out, Anpu!" challenged Ruki, running in the direction that the shot had some from. "You can't hide forever!"

"It's your fault that Termina is in danger!" came Anpu's voice. Ruki grinned when he sensed fear in the jackal's tone.

"Oh really? How so?"

Another ball of energy came flying at Ruki, missing him completely.

"You should have stayed in Mood Star with your friends. Aruonetwo would have spared Termina if you hadn't shown up!"

"Oh, sure," Ruki said sarcastically. He was closing in on the wounded jackal. "Last time I checked, Aruonetwo did as she pleased around here whether I'm here or not."

"Aruonetwo is a complete fraud! Didn't you ever think she would ever do something herself?"

"I don't keep track." Ruki dodged another bolt. Anpu shifted his position by running deeper into the forest.

"Didn't you ever wonder Aruonetwo came from?" Anpu was starting to sound confident.

"Don't know," said Ruki, turning left. "Don't care."

"You should, you know," sneered Anpu. He was very close to Ruki now. "She killed James Mood personally the day that she found the Golden Power."

"You lie!" shouted Ruki with rage in his voice. "Arupnyn murdered my dad that day, not Aruonetwo! How dare you bring that up!"

"You poor, pathetic Mood," sighed Anpu. He had a note of pity in his voice. "You still haven't figured it out, have you? Aruonetwo is Arupnyn! He's been in disguise this whole time! He didn't kill me that day – not by a long shot. Instead, he opened my eyes to the true might of the Golden Power. And once I personally destroy , I will be named the great ruler of Termina while he destroys what's left of Mood Star!"

Ruki was thunderstruck! If James Mood survived that blast and Anpu was really who he said he was, then he was...?!

"FATHER?!?!"

Anpu stepped out from his hiding place and blasted Ruki backwards through several trees, leaving the Mood's figure cut through the trunks. He came to rest in a small clearing.

"James Mood is dead!" Anpu shouted, standing over the fallen Mood. "I am Dark Anubis the Jackal, ruler of the dead!!!"

Ruki struggled to lift his head. Anpu was pointing his staff at his staff directly at his heart, its head glowing a blazing yellow.

It was at that moment that Ruki's hatred for Arupnyn finally boiled over. Somewhere in his tiny Mood brain, a nerve that had been tenderized for years snapped. From out of nowhere, Ruki went dragon and launched himself at Anubis, turning the tables and pinning him to the ground. He seized Anpu's staff, and with unfathomable strength, snapped it cleanly in half. The sound was not unlike a bomb going off. Ruki then let out a monstrous roar and began attacking Anpu with savage force.

"MERCY!!!" was the only word that escaped Anpu's mouth before his screams drowned him out.

Ruki beat his foe for everything he despised about Arupnyn!

He slashed his enemy for the four Pure Ones who had died from his evil deeds!

He assaulted his nemesis for all the countless lives that Arupnyn had taken from Mood Star and Termina!

He bloodied his rival for his father, whose life was so cruelly taken from him!

He gored his fiend for the four realms, whose guardians had had their powers stripped by Aruonetwo's guardians.

He beat and battered and ripped and slashed at Anpu until his arms were tired, his claws were stained red with blood and he could no longer keep up the attack. He let loose another savage roar and finally fell onto Anpu's bloody body and wept freely.

Though he didn't know it yet, Anubis the Jackal was still alive!

Chapter 54: Death Speaks

Final Day: 1000, 20 hours remain

Ristar had his hands full. He was defending the northern area of Termina Field against the undead Hork-Bajir. He was back-to-back with Tormund and was inside a circle of advancing Hork-Bajir zombies.

"Any ideas?" he muttered to his partner as the zombies grew nearer.

"Devil's Merry-go-round?" Tor suggested after some quick thinking.

Ristar smiled and chuckled. "Right behind ya!"

They joined left hand and left paw and extended their weapons outward at an angle with their right. Ristar held his Star Rod low to take out their knees while Tor held his sword at an upward angle to give new meaning to the word "decapitation". They then began running in a counter-clockwise circle at an amazing speed, completely parting their enemies at the legs and then their heads, littering the area with heads, bodies and legs. This tactic was very popular among tag-team warriors and was quite effective.

And then, quite suddenly, every single Hork-Bajir except Dak Hamee exploded into black dust. The event was so sudden that some of the fighters were still fighting a few seconds after it happened. The black dust blew away with the wind, completely harmless. Mood, Dragon, Star, Lupe and Moogle stared at the remains of the battle. No one had anything to say – this was a complete surprise.

At that moment, a savage roar not belonging to any of the dragons in the area sounded from the direction of Woodfall, followed by a piercing scream.

"Ruki!" Ristar grabbed Tor and they ran to the Southern Realm as fast as they could.

Final Day: 1045, 19 hours remain

The ground trembled as the moon drew ever closer. Ruki awoke as a Mood on Anpu's battered body. It was then that he realized his sin. Evil or not, he had killed his own father in cold blood during his blind rage. Even though he had just destroyed Anpu the Jackal, he felt robbed that he had taken his own father's life as well.

"What have I done?" he said, holding his bloody hands up to his face. "I killed my own father! After all these years, I finally realize he's alive and then this happens. What kind of son does this to his own flesh and blood? I'm no Hero of Time – I'm a murderer!" He sobbed into his bloody hands for a while before he heard something.

Anpu coughed weakly and opened his eyes to look at his son. "Ruki..." he said weakly. He was struggling to even speak. "You did well... You've grown up to be... the adventurer... I always dreamed you would. Looking Death in the face... I'm very proud of you,"

Ruki knelt down and held his father's head in his hands. He was fighting back tears as he said good-bye.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry that it had to c-come to this, Dad," sobbed Ruki, staring into Anpu's eyes. They were no longer clouded with purple mist but were now emerald-green. "All I ever wanted w-was to have a f-f-family. The P-Pure Ones and Ristar were all I had left. Now I o-only have Ristar.

"You tried... your best." Anpu's breathing was coming in shudders now. "If I could... live again... I would... start over." His eyes glazed over and closed.

"No..." said Ruki, digging in his pocket. "We can start over! Where is it? Son-of-a—! Where is it?!" He pulled out a purple-velvet bag and extracted the last Soul Fire. "All you need is this!" He rubbed the red orb into Anpu's chest, watching it dissolve and flow into his wounds. "Come on! Work!"

But all that happened was that the blood stopped flowing. The wounds did not close and Anpu wasn't breathing.

"No..." said Ruki, hyperventilating. "It's not true! Come on, breathe! Dad, you're still alive! Please! Come back! You can't go! It'll be okay! Dad? Dad! DAD!!!"

But James Mood, aka "Dark Anubis" was gone. Ruki finally accepted the facts and broke down completely and cried over his father's lifeless body. He didn't even look up when Ristar, Tor and Montblanc approached him from behind. They had heard Ruki's and James' conversation and were teary-eyed. Not wanting to split them up, Ristar and Tor lifted both bodies onto the back of the black dragon, Terra, and left the forest together.

Chapter 55: Friends to the Finish

Night of the Final Day: 2300, 7 hours remain

It was dark when Ruki awoke in a hospital bed. Staring at the ceiling, he realized where he was. He was inside Clock Town's hospital in East Clock Town. The steady beep of the life-support systems echoed throughout the room. Ristar was asleep in a chair next to Ruki's bed.

Ruki sat up and looked around. His Millennium Sword and masks were piled on the bedside table next to him. He wasn't hooked up to a life-support system like most of the other patients were. He had been alive and well when they had brought him in – they figured he just needed some rest after his ordeal in the forest. In the bed next to him lay...

No! It couldn't be! Ruki was dreaming! He looked again. Yes, it was! James Mood was in the bed next to him, hooked up to life-support machines! He was in a coma, but the machines showed that he had a pulse!

Ruki scrambled out of bed, waking Ristar in the process and stood next to his father's bed, tears welling up in his eyes.

"My, aren't we chipper?" said Ristar groggily. He took a towel from the nightstand, stuck it in one ear and out the other and started flossing.

"He's alive?!" said Ruki in desperation.

Ristar removed the now earwax-covered towel and responded. "He is, but he's not doing too well."

"What? Why?"

Ristar shook his head. "Arupnyn put one heck of a curse on him and it's completely mutated his body and mind. Somehow, when you broke his staff, the curse lifted. Unfortunately, he had been controlled by it for too long and he became fused to it. It's damaged his mind beyond repair."

"No!" Ruki was devastated. "I won't accept that! He can still be saved! Isn't there a cure?"

Ristar sighed and put a hand on Ruki's shoulder. "There may be. But the only person who can repair this kind of damage is Arupnyn himself."

"What?! Why does it have to be him?!"

Ristar poured himself some water from a tap on the wall. "For your information, Arupnyn used to study curses like this years before you were born. The only problem was that he turned evil before he could distribute it to the world and he destroyed every last bit of it."

Ruki swore so badly that Ristar should have hit him, but the Star didn't want to make him feel any worse than he already was. "I guess it was never meant to be for the two of us." Ruki flopped back down on his bed and sulked.

"There is one hope, though." Ristar hawked up and spit some phlegm into the trash. "Arupnyn never goes anywhere without a bottle of the anti-curse with him."

Ruki suddenly sat up. "How do you know?"

"I've seen it myself. As Aruonetwo, Arupnyn wears a bottle of it around his neck at all times just in case one of his spells backfires."

Ruki also had another question. "How do you know all this?"

Ristar shrugged. "They don't call me the "Sneaky Star" for nothing. I did a little snooping around while you were out and listened to the doctors that haven't yet fled the city."

Ruki checked the clock – 11:30. There was still time.

"Where are you going?" said Ristar as Ruki gathered up his things.

"I'm going to pay "Aruonetwo" a little visit. She's got something that belongs to me." Ruki rushed out of the room with Ristar looking blank.

Final Day: 2345, 6 hours remain

Ruki dashed from the hospital to South Clock Town and reached the elevator next to the base of the clock tower that he had used on this night ages ago. The Carnival of Time would be starting soon and the clock tower roof would soon be accessible.

"Ruki! Hold up!"

He turned around. His old friend, King, was running towards him, ears flapping.

"No, King," said Ruki defiantly. "This time I go alone."

"Go alone, my foot!" cried King, outraged. "My sister is up there and there's no way that Aruonetwo is going to hurt her anymore!" Ruki was impressed with King's determination.

"Kupo! You're not leaving without us!"

Montblanc and Tor emerged from the inside of the clock tower. They had obviously overheard the whole conversation.

"Yeah, we've been through too much to just quit now." Tor thumped his chest in determination, reminding Ruki of Dak.

"You'd have to pry me loose with a crowbar to keep me away from my chums!" Ristar had joined the party. His Star Rod was gleaming in his hand. "With all of us and the four Sacred Ones with us, Arupnyn won't stand a chance!"

"Guys..." Ruki was amazed at their confidence and loyalty. He looked at his Millennium Sword and the green, red, blue and yellow gems. He could have sworn that he saw Vega, Ezel, Luna and Dak looking back at him from the permanently-lit gems. He nodded his head and sheathed his sword. His friends could see the dragon fire burning in his eyes.

"Look out, Arupnyn! We're the Good Moods and we're coming to get you!"

Chapter 56: The Sacred Ones Cometh

Final Day: 2359, 6 hours remain

The clock tower ticked down the final seconds to the Carnival of Time.

3... 2... 1...

BONG! BONG! BONG!

Colored fireworks shot out from all four areas of the deserted Clock Town – green for south, red for north, blue for west and yellow for east – as the midnight hour tolled out. Ruki had a confirmed feeling of deja vu as the face of the giant clock slid upwards on the tower and the turning spire fell over onto the side of the tower. The clock face itself slid upwards and rotated 90 degrees so that it became parallel with the ground. The elevator door at the base slid open and the Good Moods piled in. Ruki press the "up" button and they were on their way up to the roof.

The final showdown with Aruonetwo was upon them at last!

Final Day: 0005, 5:54:47 remain

They reached the clock tower roof and exited the elevator. Aruonetwo was hovering above them in the center of the roof, just out of reach of their weapons, just like last time. She was still wearing the evil Majora's Mask on her face. She said nothing as the heroes spread out around her at even intervals.

"KIIIING!!!"

Just like last time, King's sister, Eerin the Halfblooded, was suspended over Aruonetwo in her pink-crystal prison.

"Eerin!" called King up to her.

"Forest, mountain, ocean, canyon! Hurry! The four who are there... bring them here!" This was the warning she had given Ruki and King the last time they were up here, but she didn't know that.

For this, like before, Eerin's prison became electrified as Aruonetwo sent violet bolts of energy from her hand.

"Shut up! Don't speak out of line, stupid girl!"

Although King had seen this coming, it still infuriated him and caused him to shout out, "Your days of tyranny are over, Arupnyn!"

"Yeah! You'll never destroy Termina while we're still around!" Tor was itching for a fight.

"I'm really gonna make you pay for locking me up!" called Ristar, holding his Star Rod high.

"You'll never hurt another Terminian again, kupo!" challenged Montblanc.

"It's time to end this once and for all!" Ruki's eyes were ablaze with blue flame.

"Oh dear," said Aruonetwo sarcastically. "Looks like I'm outnumbered." With a swish of his cloak, Aruonetwo revealed her true form – the King of Darkness, Arupnyn.

Arupnyn was a well-built Mood. He had large, muscular arms and long, thin legs. He wore a blood-red, tattered cloak and wore a pointed, golden crown on his head. This was Ruki's life-long nemesis that had been considered dead after being defeated by him atop the Dark Essence Silo in the North Havens on Mood Star over two years ago. He had been knocked into the depths of the Dark Essence and been locked in for ages. Somehow, he had survived, escaped and returned to power by stealing Majora's Mask from Babus Swain and traveled to Termina to wreak havoc with his enhanced dark powers. In other words, he just wouldn't lie down and die!

"You made a mistake knocking me into that that silo, Mood!" Arupnyn sneered from behind Majora's Mask. "That Dark Essence and this mask have blessed me with powers that even the Pure Ones fear to challenge! I wanted to postpone my return until I destroyed Termina, but I guess that traitor, Anubis, can't keep his mouth shut!"

Ruki's eyes blazed with injustice. "Don't you ever talk about my father like that! It's your fault that he's lying unconscious in the hospital! It's your fault that he can never be the Mood I once knew! It's your fault that he could die while I'm trying to save his life! It's all your fault!!!"

But Arupnyn merely sighed and made a "mouth" with his hand. "Blah, blah, blah! No wonder I posed as Aruonetwo – you'd never talk like that to a woman." He enjoyed the white fury on Ruki's face and smirked from behind the mask.

"That Dark Essence must've made you sick in the head," said Ristar in disgust. "Because dressing up like a girl? That's gotta be a new low, even for you!"

Arupnyn scoffed and burst out laughing. "It doesn't matter if either of you or those "Sacred Ones" had the power to fight me here! Just look above you!" He indicated the approaching moon, which was now less that a half-mile above their heads. "If you think it can be stopped, then just try and stop it!"

He threw back his head and extended his arms above it and yelled as Majora's Mask released its dark powers.

"YAAAAAAAAHH!!!"

An even greater quake ripped through the ground as the moon was pulled closer to the clock tower like a magnet to Majora's mask.

And so it began. At the speed the moon was traveling now, the Good Moods had less than five minutes to defeat Arupnyn and stop the giant death ball. But instead, everyone remained where they were. They had orders from Ruki not to approach Arupnyn until the moon was stopped and Majora's mask was incapacitated.

Ruki was the only one who moved. He drew his Millennium Sword, raised it high above his head and shouted in a booming voice.

Rhadw kxo Jushot Edoj! Bring the Sacred Ones!

At his command, the four colored gems on the sword glowed like stars and they sent a stream of colored light from each one, which circled above Arupnyn for a moment and then shot off for their matching realms. There was a moment of silence before the King of Darkness scoffed at Ruki.

"What? Is that it? That's the best you can do?!"

Ruki grinned and bowed his head. As he stood there, all of his hard work was about to pay off.

From deep inside the Werelupes'' Bunker, the green energy beam reached the dungeons and slammed into Vega. The fox, who was deep in meditation, opened his eyes and stared as memories filled his head. He remembered what he had gone through when Ruki and Tormund had been with him – defeating Garu the Werelupe King and blowing the base sky-high. He held out his hand and his energy blaster appeared in it. He then stood up and concentrated. He dissolved into an orb of green light and flew out of the bunker like the walls were water. He then left Woodfall to answer the call of the Millennium Sword.

Woodfall was coming to battle!

The shaft of red light ended up in the frozen wasteland of Nu Mountain. Ezel Berbier was in his laboratory, pouring the contents of a potion cauldron into a bottle when it hit him. He turned his head and got a vision of Ruki and Montblanc battling and defeating the great ice dragon, Volvos with the Nu Mou's legendary Megaton Hammer. He dropped what he was doing and morphed into a ball of red energy and soared to Clock Town.

Nu Mountain was coming to battle!

The blue stream wound its way to Luna's cave in the city of Titanis at the bottom of Termina Bay. The Lugian was sitting on a couch made of carved coral when the beam hit her. She looked towards the door and realized what had really happened to her brother, Sol. His spirit had helped Ruki, Ristar and Krystal retrieve her precious eggs, and with the help of the Pure Ones, they defeated Ruki Mood Juno, freed the remaining Lugians and restored the oceans to their former clear state. She got up and transformed into a blue energy sphere and went to answer the Millennium Sword.

Termina Bay was coming to battle!

Dak Hamee was cleaning his tree cave with Sidian Silverhawke when the yellow energy stream found him. The two of them were surprised that the Millennium Sword was calling him so soon, but he left Ikana Canyon as a yellow light globe to aid in the fight against Arupnyn anyway.

Ikana Canyon was coming to battle!

00:03:31 remain

After a minute of silence, Arupnyn was convinced that nothing was going to happen. He turned back to Ruki and sneered at him from behind Majora's Mask.

"Don't tell me that you think your "friends" can help you now! There was no way you could free all four of them in just three days! You can't hope to beat me with just these clowns!"

Ruki merely stared with a piercing gaze back at him. He trusted the Sacred Ones and he knew that Arupnyn was wrong – he had the spirits of all four Ones with him; he just had to trust them.

Meanwhile, Arupnyn's comment about King and the others being clowns only antagonized them further. They were itching to get a piece of him but were determined to obey Ruki's orders – they were determined to show their loyalty to their leader. Besides, they would get a chance to beat Arupnyn to a bloody pulp if they had to if and when the moon was stopped. They also didn't want to further endanger King's sister, who was still trapped in the crystal above Arupnyn.

Arupnyn looked up and assumed that nothing whatsoever was going to happen. He cackled and gave an insulting wave to the Good Moods.

"So long, chumps! I wish you and all of Termina a slow and painful Doomsday!" He turned to fly off.

But before he and Eerin could disappear, an odd ringing noise filled his head. He shook his head, trying to clear it, but the ringing kept getting stronger and louder. Soon, he was deaf to everything but the noise in his head.

And then he realized... they were coming!

Arupnyn's face fell. "No! No! NO!!!" he said, fear filling his heart for the very first time. He had covered his ears and was shaking his head like he was having a seizure. "I beat you! I destroyed you! There's no way that you could have beat my minions! There's no way! AAAAAAAAHH!!!" He reached back his head and screamed from behind Majora's Mask!

Dawn was approaching. The ground was relentless. Debris was flying everywhere from the force of the wind being created by the Moon's approach. Trees were being uprooted and boulders were shifting in the earth. A fireball had engulfed the moon for its final descent directly into the clock tower. It looked pretty hopeless.

And then from out of the woods of Woodfall, an orb of green energy came soaring across the South Gate. An identical orb, red, cleared Nu Mountain and halted outside the North Gate. Two more spheres, blue and yellow, exited the West and East Realms and stopped outside their respective gates. There was a flash and the orbs converted to their true forms.

Vega, Ezel, Luna and Dak looked truly insignificant on the ground around Clock Town. How could these four possibly stop the deadly moon from crashing into Termina?

The solution was revealed when Vega cocked and raised his gun towards the sky, firing a super-powerful green energy beam at the face of the moon. The shaft was ten times thicker than he was tall when it hit the death ball. Ezel responded by lifting his rod and fired a red column of light to join Vega's. Luna joined the fray by throwing up her arms and adding a pillar of sapphire-colored energy to the mix. Dak finished up by throwing his head and firing a shaft of yellow from his beak to join the other three. Finally, a ray of violet energy leapt from the hilt of Ruki's Millennium Sword embedded in the clock tower roof and combined the whole mix into an orb of white light.

At first, it seemed that they were too late. But then, the Sacred Ones' beams spread out around the moon like a cage. It was momentarily covered in a prison of rainbow-colored light. There was a brilliant flash of white light and all five energy beams and the fireball surrounding the moon vanished completely. The giant hunk of rock hung suspended less than 100 feet above the clock tower, motionless.

Ristar was shocked beyond belief.

"It stopped."

Chapter 57: The Face of Evil

Final Day: 0559

"IT STOPPED!!!"

Ristar, Tor and Montblanc ran together and grabbed each other in a big group hug. King dashed over to his sister, who was now on the clock tower roof, having been released from Arupnyn's crystal prison.

"KING!!!"

"EERIN!!!"

The two siblings hugged and spun around in joy.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Eerin was in tears as she hugged her brother.

"I told you I'd save you!" King was also waterlogged as he stroked Eerin's purple fur. "When the King of Sorrow makes a promise, he always follows through with it."

"I'm just so happy that you made it past all Arupnyn's traps! But how did you do all this in just three days?"

King sighed and kissed her on her forehead. "It's a very long story."

"I'm in no rush."

Ruki, meanwhile, was standing over the body of Arupnyn, who had been knocked unconscious during the Sacred Ones' attack. He firmly slapped the back of Arupnyn's left hand with the blade of his Millennium Sword. A golden light flew from it into the final black gem on the sword's pommel, turning it purple.

Ruki then raised his head to the heavens and spoke to the spirits of the Pure Ones.

"The Triangle of Leadership has been recovered and the Millennium Sword has been fully reawakened. May you rest in peace... friends."

He also removed a tiny crystal bottle on a chain filled with a glowing purple potion from around Arupnyn's neck and delivered it to King, giving him instructions on what to do with it when he got back to the hospital.

He then turned to his friends and joined them.

"Mission accomplished, eh, Ruki?" said Ristar, patting his friend on the back.

"I dunno," Ruki said coldly. "I wanted to deal with Arupnyn personally, but having him behind bars for life has its merits."

"Kupo! When those beams crossed..." Montblanc was completely wired with excitement. "He didn't stand a chance! Pow! Wham! The Sacred Ones sure took it to him!"

He started throwing punches into the air just like a little kid after watching a wrestling match. Ruki chuckled. It wasn't quite like that, but he didn't want to be a killjoy and shatter his spirits. This was a moment to celebrate.

"Some King of Darkness!" chuckled Tor, sheathing his sword and running a paw through his shiny fur. "If those were the best powers he had, I'd hate to see what he was like on a bad day."

"True... but he was nowhere near a match for my power."

They all spun around. That hadn't come from either of them and what it had said killed the mood in the air in just seconds. Arupnyn was in the air again, but for some reason, his body was completely limp.

"No way!" Ristar was horrorstruck. "We beat you! How did you recover from that?!"

"Correction: you beat my puppet." When they looked at him, they realized that the voice was not Arupnyn's. "And he has outlived his usefulness."

Arupnyn detached from Majora's Mask and fell to the ground in a heap. The mask remained in the air on its own accord. Ruki couldn't believe it – Majora's Mask was alive!

"A puppet that can no longer be used is mere garbage! Now you'll see the power of the true King of Darkness!"

A vortex of black energy surrounded Majora's Mask, drawing him straight up... into the open mouth of the moon! The Good Moods watched in horror as the eyes of the moon lit up and Majora's Mask sounded out its purpose.

"I... I SHALL CONSUME! CONSUME... CONSUME EVERYTHING!"

The moon was then surrounded by a force field of black energy, The ground began shaking again harder than ever. Just then, four colored beams fired by the four Sacred Ones outside Clock Town tried to pierce the barrier, but they merely bounced off like flies.

"Ruki!" came Ezel's voice from out of nowhere. "We can't stop it! Majora's Mask is going to detonate the moon and take Termina down with it!"

"You have to follow it and destroy it from the inside or we're all doomed!" Vega was trying to penetrate the barrier again but was unsuccessful.

Ruki saw that the vortex coming out of the moon's mouth was shrinking. He had to get in there, but he quickly turned to his friends.

"I'm going in! Babus entrusted me with this task and now I have to finish it!"

"Not without me, you're not!" Ristar was loyal to the end.

"Count me out!" said Tor, backing up. "I have no idea where that goes and I'm not about to find out!"

"Me neither, kupo! No more dark passages for this Moogle!"

"King?" said Eerin anxiously.

"No!" he said defiantly. "I'm not leaving you again!"

Ruki looked nervous. "Last chance!" No takers. "Fine! Come on, Ristar!"

He joined hands with the Star and they both ran into the vortex and were drawn into the heart of evil, where they both blacked out.

Chapter 58: Majora's Domain

Ruki woke up and got up. He was lying next to Ristar on the doorstep of a monastery suspended in the middle of a white space.

"Ristar?" He shook the Star awake. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

Ristar took some prodding to awake and he must have been dreaming because the first thing he shouted was the word, "Finland!" He finally came fully awake looked at Ruki with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Hi, pal. Are we dead yet?"

Ruki chuckled and shook his head. "No, Ristar. We're very much alive." Poor pathetic Ristar. He was such a riot at times.

Ristar finally got up and looked into the blank void. "Whoa!" He scrambled backwards to get away from the drop. "That is a long way down!"

"If that is down." Ruki did likewise when he got a good look at the infinite whiteness.

"I think we're really dead here." Ristar was a little shaky from the sheer drop he had just seen. "And this is the gateway to Heaven." He pointed to the monastery behind him.

"More like the Doorway to Hell. Don't forget, Ristar – Majora is a master of illusion. This realm was created by him and we could go in circles forever if we aren't careful."

"How do you know that?"

Ruki opened his mouth to speak and froze. How did he know that? No one had told him that prior to coming here. It didn't make any sense.

He then smiled and said simply, "Babus." It had to be the spirit of the Sage of Fate watching over him despite the fact that he was the bearer of the Triangle of Hope – Klonoa's domain.

Ristar nodded and shrugged. "Makes sense." He then turned to open the "Doorway to Hell". "Coming?"

"Right behind you." Ruki hustled to join him.

"What the (explicit) is this?! UNH!!!" Ruki voiced his opinion and received an elbow in the gut from Ristar.

"Language, mister! Some people's kids..."

Ruki winced and rolled his eyes. Ristar had a habit of inflicting pain on him whenever played Potty Mouth.

In the meantime, the pair looked at their surroundings and frowned. They were standing on a stone stairway floating in a pink-and-blue-bubble-dotted space. The doorway they had just come through had no wall around it.

"This is no Doorway to Hell," whined Ruki, swallowing audibly. "This is the Gateway to Madness! I'm going back! Huh?!" He opened the door again and gasped.

The way they had come in was no longer there. Instead, the door just opened into nothing. It was as though it didn't connect to a room – like one of those "test doors" you find in a hardware store for homes.

Ruki shut the door and opened it again. Nothing. He tried it once more – nada.

After trying one last time and coming up empty-handed, he said slowly, "Okay... we're not going back the way we came."

As he and Ristar started climbing the stairs before them, Ruki saw very odd things float by. A broom went past them on a slow roll, a number 2 was hanging upside-down further along and a smiling mouth with no face was displaying very white teeth near the top. All the while, a slow, eerie wind-like sound was echoing in the area, further creeping Ristar out.

"I think Majora's Mask is trying to throw us off our game," he said once they had reached another door to nowhere.

"Either that or we're both completely insane." Ruki spun his eyes in a spiral to make it appear that he was dizzy. This was also a Mood's expression for someone who has gone crazy.

Ristar clocked Ruki on the back of his head in annoyance a little harder than he had hoped because Ruki's eyes did fall out of his head and rolled down several steps.

"Hey! What gives?!" said a blind Ruki, groping around for his eyes.

Ristar gulped. That had never happened before in the history of Mood kind. The only thing that ever fell off a Mood's face in an extreme case was his or her entire face or their mouth and/or like it had to Ruki and Ristar on multiple occasions. A Mood's eyeballs falling out simply did not happen.

"A little help here?" Ruki stepped down several steps and reached around for his eyes.

Ristar stepped down, picked up Ruki's eyes and handed them to his friend.

"Thanks." Ruki stuck them back in his head and rolled them around with his forefingers until they were screwed back in. He then turned to Ristar and said very seriously, "Anything about that seem unusual to you?"

Ristar hesitated and then shook his head. "No. It doesn't surprise me at all in this world. Like I said, Majora is trying to throw us off our game."

"Good point." Ruki then walked back up the steps and put his hand on the door. "Well then... shall we see that's beyond the gateway to madness?"

"After you." Ristar bowed and motioned for Ruki to go first. Ruki opened the door and the two of them stepped through the door into another area inside the door frame.

"Okay," said Ruki anxiously. "Now I've gone completely insane!"

They had stepped into the control room of the Werelupes' Bunker where Ruki had overloaded the computers and blown the base sky-high with Tor and Vega. However, there was no one there this time and a heavy, dark, purple fog hung in the air, heavily darkening the room and creeping Ruki and Ristar out further.

"And I thought this place damaged my self-esteem before..." Ruki said, trailing off.

"Ditto." Ristar didn't drop his guard as he held his Star Rod in a defensive pose.

Walking around the room proved uneventful. The computer screens were frozen in time and Ruki found that he couldn't go further into the bunker – a strange, invisible barrier prevented him from leaving the room.

The only other way out of the room was through the sliding-glass door that Tor had opened to allow him, Ruki and Vega to escape from the Werelupe King. Ruki tried to open the doors but found that they were bolted shut just like last time. They were trapped.

The pair was trying to figure out what to do when they felt the ground rumble underneath them. The moon was approaching... or was it?

"I thought we were inside the moon!" said Ristar, confused.

"I thought that, too." Ruki wasn't too sure himself. "But it must be Majora trying to punk us out again."

"I thought so." Ristar then turned to the room and shouted to the air. "You hear that, Majora?! We're not falling for your tricks! You're not getting inside our heads!"

Nothing whatsoever happened. Majora didn't respond and the moon didn't quake again.

"I don't think he heard you," said Ruki, putting his hand on Ristar's back. "I think we'd better find another way out of this room."

A while later, Ristar took a second look at the pawprint scanner that Tor had used the previous time. He then noticed that it was a bit more distinctive than the rest of the dark room. It looked like a light was shining directly on it.

When he called Ruki, he pointed this out and said, "D'you think this thing'll work in this quirky dimension?"

"I dunno," answered Ruki. "Let's see if it works the same as it did in the real bunker." Ruki dug out his Lupe Mask, dusted it off and put it on. Once transformed, he slapped his paw on the pad like Tor had the previous time.

The pad lit up like it had before and a female voice sounded out, saying, "Clearance granted", but the door didn't open like it was supposed to.

"Well?" said Ristar with hope in his voice.

"Nothing happened," said Ruki disappointedly, leaning on the doorway. "Nothing whatso—OOF!"

This time, he had fallen through the door like it was a hologram and disappeared through the other side.

"Ruki?"

Ristar moved closer to the door. Ruki didn't answer, so he stuck his hand through the door. It was indeed a false door now, but his arm did not reach through the glass to the other side – it merely cut off his arm like it was a hologram. Pulling it back, Ristar took a deep breath and ran through the door to join his comrade.

Ruki had fallen into a wooded area floating in a dark, purple haze just like the fake bunker before that. Ristar found his friend lying on the ground, dazed. Several stars circled above his head and two X's were over his eyes.

Ristar had encountered this situation before. So in the classic Mood fashion, he took out a rather large pencil and erased the X's over Ruki's eyes, leaving him temporarily blind again. He then flipped the pencil over and drew two vertical lines – a normal Mood's eyes – in their place. He then erased the stars flying over his head and stored the pencil away again. This was a more indirect way of reviving a dazed Mood, but Ristar liked to revert to old-school-type cartoon shenanigans whenever her got the chance.

Ruki blinked several times and then got up. "You okay?" said Ristar innocently.

Ruki responded by removing his head, emptying all the garbage out of it, replacing it and said, "I'll be fine. This place just gets weirder by the minute, don't it?"

"You hit the nail on the head, alright," sighed the Star. "Shall we move on?"

"Let's."

They walked around a large pond filled with purple water and made their way into the forest. It was no brighter here than in the clearing and it was so quiet that the sound of their crunching on the ground sounded like their teeth grinding gravel.

"Hey Ristar?" Ruki said after a while.

"Hmm?"

"Haven't you ever noticed that there's no one else here?"

Ristar looked around curiously. "Yeah. Where is everybody?"

"Beats me." Ruki had spotted another door in the distance. "I think Majora's Mask wants to catch us with our guards down or something."

A few minutes later, they had reached the door. Ruki casually opened it and stepped through into the next area of this bizarre dimension.

An exact replica of Volvos the Ice Dragon's lair in the Ice Temple greeted them over the threshold. The only difference was the usual purple for that hung in the air. Looking around, Ruki immediately spotted a distinct door in the middle of the island where he had fought the ice dragon. There was just one problem – 50 yards of water so cold that it could have passed for liquid nitrogen stood between them and the island. They were stuck on the shores of the freezing lake.

"Great!" burst out Ristar, spooking Ruki unintentionally. "How are we supposed to get over there! That water's gotta be 100 below!"

He has a point, Ruki thought glumly. But I wonder how he knew that without being here the first time.

The problem was that the ice floes that had previously escorted him and Montblanc across the freezing lake were no longer in motion – they were "frozen" in a suspended animation halfway across the lake.

In fact, the only things that were not part of Majora's illusion were themselves, the door they had exited from and the door they were trying to get to.

After some thought and walking around the parameter of the lake, Ruki came up with an idea. He pulled out his Nu Mou mask, and once transformed, he extracted his Megaton Hammer.

"What're you up to, Mood?" said Ristar suspiciously.

Ruki said nothing but instead raised the Megaton Hammer above his head and bought it down with a dull thud on the ground. The vibrations caused by the impact shook the whole room and caused the ice floes to suddenly become distinct and started moving again.

"How did you do that?!" said Ristar, astonished.

"Luck," said Ruki flatly, stowing his hammer and removing his mask.

Ristar raised an eyebrow. "You didn't drink any more of that Felix potion behind my back, did you?"

"Nope. That was just a lucky guess."

"Whatever." Ristar didn't sound convinced.

Regardless, the pair made their way across the lake to the door on the late Volvos' platform and stepped inside.

"You gotta be kidding me!" said Ristar, outraged.

On the opposite side of the door was a dimension that looked like an Escher painting. Stairs went everywhere and at every other angle. You would reach the top or bottom of one flight only to reappear walking sideways or upside down on another staircase and even end up on another one after that at a completely different angle.

"I didn't know Majora was an artist," observed Ristar, looking around for an exit.

"Evil has me stumped." Ruki scratched his head. "I guess we'll have to start climbing."

After about twenty minutes however, they were nowhere near their goal. In addition to reappearing at impossible angles, the staircases branched off at different spots, creating another path that you could get lost in all over again.

"Wait a minute... I'm almost positive that we've been here before," said Ruki as they looked sideways from a staircase running along the walls.

"I know! We passed this place twice!" groaned Ristar in frustration. "Where are we?!"

The ground shook again when he said this, reminding them just how important their mission was and just how badly they were doing at it.

"One thing I don't get, though..." said Ruki after a while.

"What's that?"

"We've spent a good three hours in this dimension already. If Majora wanted to detonate the moon, wouldn't he have done it already?"

"Good point... hmm..." They halted and racked their brains for the answer. Finally, Ristar produced a possible scenario. "Maybe we're locked in a time warp at the moment."

"Huh?"

"Think about it: the moon was going to explode a minute after Majora entered it, right?"

"Right..."

"The only reason that hasn't happened is because we are currently "frozen" in time inside this strange dimension. Maybe Majora wants to see if we can stop him before he releases the time lock."

"I never thought of it like that," said Ruki, stopping for a moment. "Ristar, once again, you have showed your brilliance."

They continued on and reached yet another fork, further frustrating them.

"Wait a second!" said Ristar suddenly. "Why didn't I think of this before? It's so obvious! I should have thought of this before! Now it all makes sense!"

"Spit it out already!" snapped Ruki. His patience for this room was wearing extremely thin. "What is it?"

"My Gem of All Seeing," explained the Star. "Maybe it can help point the way." He took out the sparkling red gem and held it up to his right eye.

Sure enough, a distinct silver line ran along the middle of the stairs and took a right at the fork. Ristar kept the gem to his right eye and beckoned to Ruki.

"This way!"

Ruki, who was already winded, did not want to lose his only means of escape from this wacko dimension, so he went dragon to boost his stamina and agility to keep up with Ristar's speed. The little bugger was pretty quick for his type. Eventually, they reached another door with Majora's Mask stamped on it.

Smiling, Ristar pocketed the red gem and opened the door. "After me." Ruki sighed and followed.

The city of Titanis lay before them. Ruki realized that they were underwater and took a quick breath, but Ristar merely walked ahead and took a deep breath.

"Don't worry," he told the Mood. "The water is breathable here."

"Huh?" said Ruki, exhaling. He had been in the process of putting on his Sol's Mask when he realized it. They could breathe underwater! He then realized that in this world, the laws of reality don't always apply.

Ristar made his way through the streets with some difficulty – the purple fog that still hung in the air made it extremely difficult to see even with the white, glowing stones lining the streets.

Ruki stopped in front of the statue of the Pure One, Lugia, in City Square and shook his head.

"This isn't right. How did Majora know about this place if Arupnyn and Babus have had his mask this whole time?"

"You want my opinion?" Ristar walked up to join him and Ruki nodded. "Arupnyn wore Majora's Mask when he followed the Lugians down here and imprisoned 'em all."

"Good point." Ruki had to give a lot of credit to Ristar. Despite his cocky nature and suspicious behavior, sometimes he couldn't help but show his true genius. "Well, let's start looking for that exit." They spread out.

But despite extensive searching through the darkened city, there was nothing out of the ordinary that suggested that there was an exit to the next area. What was more, like the Werelupes' control room, there was an invisible barrier around the city that refused to let them leave

"Well, I'm stumped," said Ristar when they met back at the statue 20 minutes later. "There is nothing to suggest there's a way out of here."

"Hmm..." Ruki thought for a moment. Ristar's gem may not be able to detect anything mundanely concealed... but what about...?

Ristar saw that Ruki was onto something, so he took out a light bulb and screwed it into the empty space above Ruki as the Mood's brain clicked and it lit up.

"I got it! Maybe Sol can tell us something."

Ristar licked his fingers and unscrewed the hot bulb as Ruki pulled out the Lugia's mask and put it on. Once transformed, Ruki began cycling through his various visions and scanned the city. Ristar noticed for the first time that whenever Ruki, aka "Sol", changed visions, the color of his eyes changed like a slideshow. For example, when Ruki used "Old School" – black-and-white vision – his eyes were colored a pale-gray. And when he checked with heat vision, his eyes changed to a piercing-red. This was easily noticed because Ruki's eyes were a clear-blue color no matter what form he took.

Meanwhile, Ruki searched the sunken city for any sign of an exit.

"Any luck?" Ristar was getting antsy.

Hold on. Ruki tried heat vision, X-ray vision and Old School vision to no avail.

It wasn't until he tried life-force vision that he saw a distinct field of evil energy radiating in the direction of Sol and Luna's cave.

"I see," said the blind Mood. Ruki took off running with Ristar in his dust, screaming, "Wait up, Mood!"

When Ristar finally caught up, Ruki had removed his mask and was standing in front of a plain stone door found on all Lugia homes.

"What's so special about this?" panted Ristar, clutching a stitch in his chest. Lugians were pretty quick for their size. "I must've checked this door three times!"

"Did you try this?" Ruki turned and walked straight through the door and vanished inside.

"Uh... no." Ristar paused, stupefied and then joined him.

The fog had lifted and they were standing in an endless meadow that had a large oak tree on a hill in its center. The sky was clear and birds were chirping in the sunlight.

"Okay..." drawled Ruki. "This doesn't seem like Majora's type of scenery."

"Et tü Bruté," was all Ristar had to say.

They stood there for a moment, apparently at a loss for words. After a while, they finally started walking. They were obviously still in Majora's Domain but figured their quest was almost over.

It took a while due to the vastness of the meadow, but they finally reached the tree and found... a Mood wearing Majora's Mask? He seemed lonely and appeared to be asleep, but Ruki didn't want to take any chances.

"Hello? Are you awake?" He approached the Mood cautiously. The Mood didn't move.

Finally, the Mood said in a timid voice, "Will you... play with me?"

"WHAT?!" Both Mood and Star practically screamed as they were caught completely off-guard.

The Mood, however, didn't seem to notice their outburst. "Will you... play with me?"

Ruki and Ristar looked at each other. They were on the brink of confronting Majora once and for all and they had survived the Gateway to Madness with their sanity severely shaken and here was a kid wearing their foe on his face that wanted to play with them! How much crazier could it get?!

"Uh..." Ruki drew a blank.

"Sure!" finished Ristar enthusiastically.

"Ristar!" Ruki pulled his friend aside and consulted him on his decision. "Are you mad?! We don't even know this kid and he's wearing the Face of Evil and he wants us to play with him! How much more insane can you get?"

"Ruki, relax. I have a good feeling about this. Think about it: Majora is right in front of us and this kid is holding... er, wearing the key to taking him out. All we have to do is convince him to take his mask off and we're set for life!"

Ruki hesitated. It seemed like a pretty raw plan that had a lot of ways for it to go wrong. But he couldn't think of a better one, so he reluctantly gave in.

"Fine... but if this screws up, it's your head."

"Deal."

They returned to the Mood and Ruki said, "Fine, we'll play with you."

"Joy." The Mood's enthusiasm was a little flat. He looked at Ruki's pack and spoke innocently. "You have... lots of masks, But I have... Materia. Will you... trade?"

Something in Ruki's gut this time told him to go along with this kid. He didn't ask any questions on how the Mood knew he had Babus' masks, but he said, "Okay", and pulled out his Hork-Bajir Mask. After a brief moment, he handed it to the masked Mood.

The Mood took it, stared at it through Majora's Mask, shook his head, put it away and said, "More."

Ruki blinked. "Okay... that Materia must be worth more than just one mask," he thought dully. He then produced his Lupe Mask.

The Mood's reaction was the same.

"More."

Ruki gulped. If he gave up anymore masks, he would be unable to defend himself from Majora's evil magic. But with a reassuring nod from Ristar, Ruki relieved himself of his Nu Mou Mask."

Still no good.

"More."

Ruki was fighting with his self-respect this time. All he had left was his Sol's Mask. The problem conflicting his mind was that this mask was all that was left of Luna the Lugian's brother. If he gave it up, it would be like trading away Sol's soul with the devil. But Ristar gave him a pat on the shoulder, convincing him to do it.

"There! That's all I have! Happy now?" Ruki chewed the Mood a new one when he gave Sol's Mask to him.

The Mood pocketed Sol's Mask and pulled out a globe of condensed Essence – Materia. But unlike the green "Restore" Materia that Babus had given him, this orb was colored a radiant yellow. Yellow Essence was Vee's Domain as Ruki had found out when fighting Arupnyn over two years ago atop the Dark Essence Silo. It was the Yellow Essence that had helped him weaken Arupnyn's robot enough for him to destroy it with the legendary White Essence.

"This is... "Morph" Materia. You can turn... into anything... with this. Put it in... your armor."

Ruki took the "Morph" Materia and pressed the globe into his left arm, watching and feeling it dissolve into it as it merged with his spiritual power. He then knew for a fact that he could now transform into any of the four forms that he had used in his travels in Termina!

On instinct, he looked at the green light glowing in-between the red and blue gems on his Millennium Sword, showing where his "Restore" Materia was. He then realized that if he was going to fight Majora with his sword, he would have to remove it. He was no longer facing the undead, anyway.

After removing the "Restore" Materia, he tossed it to Ristar and confronted the Mood. "The trade is complete. Now, how about we start our little game?"

The Mood merely shrugged. "Fine... with me. We play... Cops and Robbers. You're robbers... I'm a cop."

Ruki and Ristar grinned at each other. This was going to be fun – it was the two of them against the puny Mood. How much easier could it get?

"We'd better get running, then," said Ristar, smirking.

"Well then..." said the Mood, crossing his arms. "Shall we go?" Before either of them could start running, Ruki and Ristar suddenly whited out.

Chapter 59: Ruki and Ristar vs. Majora's Mask

Ristar came to inside a multi-colored crystal chamber somewhere inside Majora's Domain. The neon colors on the walls, floor and ceiling were swirling on their own. On four of the six walls were crescent moon symbols painted on them that looked like something went there. Up above, Ruki's four masks spun in a slow circle above the center of the room. At the far end of the chamber was a life-size version of Majora's Mask, lying dormant with its glowing eyes dimmed.

"Ruki, get up!" Ristar nudged the unconscious Mood with his foot.

"FINLAND!!!" Ruki screamed before he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Oh hello, Ristar. " He smiled and got up. "What dimension are we in now?"

Ristar frowned. "First off, "Finland" is my line. Second, I think we've reached the end of the line. Third, look up there." He pointed to the circling masks and to Majora's Mask.

"Oh goody," said Ruki in mock relief. "My masks are flying on their own and they could be working for Majora now. Gee, aren't I lucky?"

"Get over it, Mood." Ristar shook his head and gestured to the masks again. "Shall we?"

Shalln't we? thought Ruki in a huff.

Walking forward, the pair felt the room shake and rumble again, reminding them that the fate of Termina depended on them. Once they reached the center of the room, the four masks split up and each flew to a wall where they locked themselves onto one of the crescent moon symbols painted on them.

Seconds later, Majora's Mask's eyes lit up and it detached from the wall and hovered in the air, its spikes waving on their own. Behind it, a long mane of red hair trailed from its back.

The final battle for Termina had begun.

Majora did not speak this time but instead laid flat on the floor and started spinning rapidly like a saw. Seeing it coming for them, Ruki and Ristar split up and took off running. Majora chose to go after Ruki.

"HEEEELLLLP!!!" yelled the Mood, running around the room, Majora in hot pursuit.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" groaned Ristar, nervously running around in circles and chatting incessantly. "Gotta think, gotta think, gotta think. Gotta run 'round and think. Gotta run 'round and think at the same time. Gotta have a plan. Gotta have a scheme. Gotta have an idea. Gotta have a—I got it!" he said finally, stopping dead.

He pulled out his burglary tools. Throwing tools aside, he was muttering to himself as he searched for the proper item.

"Nope. Nope. Uh-uh. Nada. Negative. Nada. Zilch. Aha!"

He finally pulled out a bow and a quiver full of silver arrows. He knocked one of the shining arrows to the bow and turned to Ruki. Majora had stopped chasing him and was in the air again. This time, he had his back to Ristar and was making Ruki dance by shooting a column of fire at his feet.

Pulling the string taut, Ristar aimed for the mask's unprotected back and fired. Majora's Mask roared with pain and fell to the ground "face-down", paralyzed as the arrow buried itself in his back.

"Go for it, Ruki!" Ristar yelled from across the room.

Ruki hesitated, caught off-guard by Ristar's sneak attack. He then drew his Millennium Sword and drove it into Majora's back. Majora roared again even louder than before, shed the sword and took flight again.

This time, he kept close to the walls so he would not leave his weak spot exposed to the sniping Star.

Fuming, Ristar knocked another arrow and shouted to his partner. "Ruki! I need another shot at his back!"

But Majora had other plans. He had now turned his attention to Ristar instead. He took his revenge for the cheap shot by firing a blast of violet energy at the unprotected Star. Ristar was unprepared for the attack and ended up looking Death in the face.

CLANG!!!

Ristar flinched and looked to his right. Ruki had intervened by throwing his Millennium Sword in the path of the beam, blocking it and absorbing the impact like it had on the Bonnes' train. Ristar blinked.

"Thanks, pal," he said to his savior. "I owe you one."

"I'll make a note of that."

Ruki reached out his hand and caught the sword as it flew back to him like a boomerang. The move reminded him of when it had done this back when he faced the ice dragon, Volvos. When he reacquired it, he noted that the sword was pulsating with energy and the purple gem on the pommel was going haywire.

"Hey Ma-jerk-a! Come and get me!" Ruki had gone dragon and was flying as high as he could in the low-ceiling room.

But Majora refused to leave Ristar alone. The poor star was in motion while trying to get a decent shot at the mask with his bow.

Ruki saw an opening. Without thinking, he opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of bright-blue flames at Majora's back. Something in these flames must have contained a trait similar to the late Lugia's Dragonbreath because Majora did a full flip when they connected and landed on his... er, "face". Ruki followed up this attack by driving his sword and his horns into the accursed mask. Majora's Mask roared again as a good number of wooden spikes on the sides of it went flying after this brutal gore attack. However, despite looking less the demon than he used to, Majora still had one more trick to pull.

Several things happened in the following few seconds. First, the spikes and wood fragments flew back to reassemble the damaged Majora's Mask. Then, Majora took a cheap shot at Ruki by firing a beam of flame at him, which fortunately hit his sword instead, causing it to absorb the energy on impact. Next, Ruki's four masks on the walls detached from their holds and transformed into exact, mindless forms of Ruki's former four egos. Lastly, Ristar fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"That's... not... fair!" he wheezed. "Five against two?! That's cheating!"

"I think Majora plays by his own rules around here." Ruki had landed and was a Mood once again. "You take care of Majora," he told Ristar as he fumbled with his sword. "I'll deal with these copycats. Don't forget about that "Restore" Materia if you get hurt."

Ristar held up his left arm, showing him the green light glowing from within it. "I won't. Good luck."

"Luck?" said Ruki, hesitating. "Of course! Thanks, Ristar!"

"No problem?" Ristar shrugged and went after Majora.

The empty shells of Lupe Ruki, Nu Mou Ruki, Sol Ruki and Hork-Bajir Ruki were ready to fight. The main difference between these versions and the real Ruki was their eyes. They had sharp, dark-violet irises that radiated the strength Majora's dark magic had given them. Otherwise, they matched Ruki's former egos to a "T". Mood Ruki knew he would have his hands full, so he remedied the situation by uncorking the bottle of Felix Felices and dripped a drop onto his tongue.

"Luck be a lady tonight!" said Ruki, smiling and going dragon. The power of pure luck coursed through his veins, making him as nimble and lucky as the Pure and Sacred Ones for the second time in less than 24 hours.

Hork-Bajir Ruki delivered the first attack. It came at him and nearly spitted him on the end of its tail. Ruki dodged it by rolling aside. At the same time, Lupe Ruki had drawn a similar Millennium Sword, except this one was dyed a deep jet-black, and swung at him just inches from his right paw. Dragon Ruki responded by kicking his hind legs into the Lupe's stomach. Lupe Ruki went flying but managed to do a full backflip and land on its feet. It then rushed at Dragon Ruki again.

"COMING THROUGH!!!"

Ristar came running through the fighters. Felix told Ruki to jump aside because Majora's Mask was spinning like a saw a few feet from the floor. Lupe Ruki, however, was not even close to that lucky. Majora inadvertently came into contact with his minion and parted the copycat at the waist, causing Lupe Ruki to explode into millions of fragments of violet light.

"One down, three to go," thought Dragon Ruki as his Hork-Bajir counterpart launched another assault. He was coming within inches of removing Ruki's limbs with those razor-sharp arm blades. It was only with Felix Felices' help that he managed to duck and weave just out of the copycat's reach.

Just then, Felix Felices had an idea. Ruki turned back to Mood form and tapped the yellow "Morph" Materia fused in his arm, turning him into his own Hork-Bajir form without the need of his mask.

Evil Hork-Bajir Ruki was stunned to see himself fighting himself. But it was not deterred at all. He soon reentered the fight and engaged Good Hork-Bajir Ruki it a type of modified sword fight. They would swipe at each other with their arm blades much like swordsmen do with real blades.

Good Ruki and Evil Ruki clashed at each other with their blades, balling their fists and taking the full force of their opponent's blades on their arms. Every so often, they would forget about their blades and would revert to a type of Hork-Bajir boxing match. Taking swings and punches at each other at a speed that slightly startled Good Ruki, the pair aimed for each others' faces and necks. Evil Ruki was taking damage, but it wasn't enough to halt his attacks on his counterpart. Good Ruki was just barely avoiding getting split open himself.

And then, Felix slipped. Evil Ruki took a cheap shot by swinging his knee up to meet Good Ruki's nether region. Good Ruki doubled over in pain as his twin landed a one-two punch in his face, flooring him. Evil Ruki then stood over his opponent and prepared to drive his leg blades into his chest for the kill.

Felix then recovered and allowed Good Ruki to swing his tail blades up into Evil Ruki's back. Evil Ruki screeched with pain, giving Good Ruki enough time to spring up and completely remove his head neck with a powerful side-to-side slash. Evil Ruki stood there for a moment, headless, before he exploded into millions of violet light fragments like his Lupe partner before him.

A roar from Majora distracted Ruki, who had used his "Morph" Materia to turn back into a Mood. Ristar had managed to score another hit on Majora by sliding underneath him and shooting an arrow into his back.

"Look out!" screamed Felix, moving Ruki aside as a bolt of violet energy flew past him. Turning around, Ruki saw his Nu Mou counterpart ready to fire another shot from it Millennium Rod. Sol Ruki had been outfitted with a violet-colored energy barrier by the Nu Mou. Mood Ruki sighed. If he was going to have a shot at his most powerful form, he had to disable his Nu Mou form.

Sol Ruki, meanwhile, started shooting off black Aeroblasts from its maw, nearly blowing Mood Ruki's head off. Also, Majora's power had practically doubled the Lugian's speed, allowing Sol Ruki to fire off two Aeroblasts in the time it took the real Ruki to pull off even one.

Felix Felices was starting to wear out. As Mood Ruki dodged the shots coming from his Nu Mou form and the Aeroblasts from his Lugian form, he realized that the only way to directly attack Sol Ruki was to disable the Nu Mou's shield. And to do that, he needed to use one of Sol Ruki's Aeroblasts. And to do that, he needed the power of his Nu Mou form, a task he easily accomplished with the help of his "Morph" Materia.

There was just one problem – Felix Felices only had enough power left to block one Aeroblast – after that, Ruki was on his own, so he made this one count. Sol Ruki was quickly charging up for another Aeroblast, so the real Ruki seized his moment.

Sol Ruki fired at Ruki, who used the last strength of Felix Felices to conjure a barrier at that critical moment when it was the strongest. The beam bounced off of Ruki's barrier and to through his Nu Mou counterpart like it was a tissue under water, disintegrating it on the spot and removing Sol Ruki's barrier. Now it was down to Ruki and his most powerful form.

"INCOMING!!!"

A poorly-aimed beam fired by Majora came flying from across the room, grazed the top of Ruki's head, singing his hair and slammed into the copycat, which reduced it to dust.

"Did it hit you?!" Ristar called to the stunned Mood. "At least they're gone now! I think that was enough of you to last a lifetime!"

Ristar's joke came at a bad time. Ruki stood rooted to the spot, trembling and shaking. At first, he was afraid of yet another near-death incident like that in here, but then his dragon blood began to boil. His consciousness and Common Sense were lost amidst an enormous anger that now boiled inside him. The last bits of anger that had remained inside Ruki when he became a dragon were provoked and now his body was finally ready to purge his heart of his built-up rage. He whipped around, dragon eyes on fire. The beast within him and his unfathomable anger were too overpowering! He was going to snap!

Majora had halted his attack to see what was up with Ruki. The Nu Mou had gone dragon without changing back to his Mood form – a feat clearly impossible up until now. The black dragon, shaking and trembling as its anger boiled over, let out a piercing shriek similar to Volvos' own and launched himself at Majora. Ristar couldn't believe his eyes – the beast had been unleashed!

Before Majora could react, Ruki had the huge mask pinned under his powerful frame. Ruki looked Evil in the face and the corners of his muzzle twitched into a sinister smile. Letting out another terrifying roar, he began clawing, biting, scratching, mauling and goring the mask into pieces. Scraps of wood and hair went flying as Majora's Mask was reduced to kindling. Normally, Ruki would never have attempted such a feat, but his dragon instincts and his overwhelming anger completely drowned out his inferior Mood thoughts. Just when Mood Ruki was begging for the rampage to stop, Dragon Ruki stood victorious over his foe, reached back his head and let fly a wave of blue flames in victory. He then let out on last victorious roar and collapsed on the spot, unconscious but a Mood once again.

Majora's Mask was defeated!

Chapter 60: Round 2: Ristar vs. Majora's Incarnation

Ruki was out cold when Ristar reached him. Words could barely describe Ristar's state of mind after witnessing Ruki's savage attack. He had never known his best friend to be that brutal while in his dragon form. He had seemed so... "angry" didn't quite fit the bill. "Irate" was the closest thing that he could describe Ruki's mood. He hadn't witnessed the scene with Ruki and Anubis, but he had a feeling that Anpu was extremely lucky to survive. After all, in that attack, Ruki had only used his claws. This assault was much more brutal and involved his teeth, his horns and his claws. Absolutely no mortal could have survived that unspeakable attack!

Ristar was just glad that it was all over. They had defeated Majora and soon this realm would be nothing but a bad memory.

The Star was taking a breather from his battle when a loud screech completely stopped his heart. He whipped around and his mouth fell off his face, much like Ruki's had during his fight with Ezel Berbier. Majora's Mask was completely reassembled from the scraps that Ruki had reduced him to and was hovering in the middle of the room!

Majora suddenly sprouted two skinny, purple-colored arms and legs so that the mask was its torso. A single, unblinking eye sprouted from the top of the mask, which severely creeped Ristar out. Now complete, Majora's Incarnation let out a few quirky noises and took off.

Ristar had never before faced such a strange foe. It was running around the room, leaving a chain of images of itself behind it. It then crossed its arms and squatted as it did a Russian kick-dance. Ristar scratched his head. Majora seemed to be oblivious to him even being in the same room. At least until Majora started lobbing multiple balls of light at him, hitting him hard in the face.

Realizing that Majora was still a threat, Ristar picked himself up and drew his bow. However, Majora's Incarnation was on the move again and was moving too fast for him to get a descent shot. He fired and missed twice, nearly getting trampled by the demon as it did its funny dance.

After missing three more times, Ristar finally realized that he carried on of the most priceless tools of any burglar's kit: the Scope Charm. While Majora did its thing, Ristar returned to his tool kit that he had strewn all over the room. Meanwhile, Majora was completely oblivious to his actions and had started dancing on the ceiling. It was like it he wasn't even trying to fight back.

After recovering his carelessly-discarded tools, Ristar victoriously held aloft a large gold bracelet with a green gem cut like a star fused into it.

""The Scope Charm"," Ristar recited by heart from a tag in his kit. He was ignoring Majora's constant squawking and babbling. ""Grants the wearer the power to see anything he (or she) wants to see. Also charms arrows pulled from its wearer's hand to never miss!" A priceless artifact if I do say so myself. (I'm also the only one to possess such a charm, heh heh.)" Ristar chuckled to himself as he slipped the Scope Charm over his right wrist and drew one of his silver arrows and pulled back the string. Majora was completely ignoring him and was currently doing backflips and then executed a famous dance move: the Moonwalk. With a twang, Ristar's arrow whizzed through the air, turned in mid-flight as Majora changed directions and stuck the demon in the eye.

Majora's Incarnation halted and held its eye, wailing from the pain the arrow was causing him. Ristar then grabbed his Star Rod and ran forward to deliver an attack on the demon. With a quick sweep, Majora's legs buckled and he was suddenly on the floor, wailing and pounding his arms and legs like a spoiled Moodling. He followed up the move by delivering several clubbing blows to Majora's back with the crystal star. The power of Good coming from the weapon enhanced the attacks and hit Majora like someone was swinging a sledgehammer at him. It also burned the demon, leaving massive burns and welts on its purple skin.

After it had taken a substantial beating by the Star and his Star Rod, Majora sneak-attacked him by lashing out with his legs and sending Ristar flying into the wall. He then resumed his idiotic dance around the chamber.

"Ow." The flat Star slid onto the floor and popped back into shape, a sorry-looking bump on his top point. "Oh, a wise guy, eh? You won't be so... er, quick when I come in for the final attack!"

He drew another arrow and cursed. "Damn it! One arrow left. Well... better make it count."

He sighted along the shaft and picked his mark.

S-S-S-S-THUNK!!!

The arrow flew almost straight and went all the way through Majora's eye and disappeared from view, bringing him crashing down and causing him to throw another hissy fit. Ristar brandished his Star Rod and went for it – it was now or never. He leapt over Ruki, who was starting to stir, and brought his Star Rod down on the fallen demon with a sickening thock! The topaz star blazed with yellow light and burned a hole straight through Majora's back and into the floor!

This time, it appeared that Majora was about to throw in the towel. He wailed and shrieked with pain as he flailed all around the room, not sure whether to hold his chest or his eye. Ristar expected the demon to finally lie down and die...

...but Majora did not know the meaning of those words. He finally stopped flailing and shrieking and stood in the center of the room. Then, his arms and legs began pulsating and swelled to twice their usual size. A demonic head emerged from his torso with his now-healed eye on top of it. His arms then grew to unbelievable lengths so that it looked like he was wearing a pair of long, whip-like tentacles.

Ristar watched in horror as the hole in Majora's chest and back made a squelching sound and sealed shut. He eventually fainted from shock.

Majora's Wrath was finally unleashed!

Chapter 61: The Final Battle: Ruki vs. Majora's Wrath

"Ristar? Ristar, get up! Don't chicken out on me! Don't leave me to fight this thing on my own!"

Ruki had fully recovered from his episode and was trying to revive Ristar. It was going to be him against the full force of the True King of Darkness unless he pulled off a miracle and managed to revive Ristar. But no luck. He then realized that he had been out cold this whole time, leaving Ristar to fight Majora's Incarnation solo. It was time for him to return the favor.

Oh well.

Ruki tried reaching for his Millennium Sword, which was lying a few yards away, but Majora lashed out with his whip-like tentacles and sent him flying.

"Owwie!" groaned Ruki, smarting from the attack. "So, you want to play rough, huh? Well, if you want some... COME GET SOME!!!"

He utilized the "Morph" Materia in his arm and morphed into Lupe Ruki. Since he couldn't attack Majora head-on without his sword, he would have to rely in his speed to confuse him.

But after already taking a beating from the both of them, Majora had grown wise to his moves and intervened. Shrieking with rage, he started snapping his tentacles at the evading Lupe, but Ruki was slightly too quick for him. He was able to fake the demon out and double back to his sword.

Now that he had his weapon again, Ruki started trying to find a way to bring Majora down once and for all. He tried getting close to him, but all he got was a painful lash across the chest, putting distance between them again. And no matter how he tried to attack him, Majora found a way to send Ruki flying with his unstoppable tentacles. After his episode with Majora's Mask, Ruki's energy was limited and he was staring to burn through it faster than he intended while trying to confront him.

Majora's Wrath was starting to get cocky now. He leaped into the air and began spinning his tentacles around his feet like a saw, preventing Ruki from getting close. The Mood then got an idea.

"I hope you can take on a dragon!" he yelled at Majora. Switching from Lupe to Mood to dragon, Ruki took to the air.

But the demon seemed to be expecting this. He stopped spinning and quickly lashed out with both tentacles and snapped both of Ruki's wings at once, giving new meaning to the term "grounded".

"Son-of-a... (explicit)!" Ruki grimaced in pain. He knew that if he went back to his Mood form now, the damage would be a lot worse than it was now since both forms coincided with each other's bodily injuries. What's more, Majora had once again knocked his sword from his claws and sent it clattering across the room.

Ruki was out of options and energy. His wings were both broken, his Millennium Sword was out of his reach and he didn't have the strength to get to Ristar to heal himself with his "Restore" Materia. Ruki had never given up in his life, but the odds were threatening to overcome him. Flightless and powerless, it was only a matter of time before Majora won.

"RUKI!!!!"

From out of absolutely nowhere, James Mood, aka "Anpu", came bounding past Ruki and leapt clear over Majora's Wrath with his claws and teeth bared and latched onto his back. For the first time, Majora had failed to see this coming and felt pain course through his body. Shrieking in pain, he couldn't reach his attacker and had dropped his guard. His piercing screams made the entire dimension tremble in response.

"Now, Ruki!!! KILL HIM!!!" James was ripping chunks out of the demon's back and had pinned his forearms so that his tentacles were rendered useless.

Ruki could have thanked Hyozanryu himself, but he had one more thing to do before he celebrated. Still in his dragon form, he ran to retrieve his Millennium Sword and turned to face the flailing Majora. He suddenly felt the power of the Sacred Ones break through Majora's weakened defenses and fill his body. Like the White Essence had done during his fight with Arupnyn over two years ago, the power of infinite Good coursed through his veins and gathered in his Millennium Sword. With one powerful throw, he sent the sword through the air like a dagger on a direct course for Majora's heart.

James leapt from Majora as the sword was thrust through the demon's black heart and stuck there, leeching its infinite power into him. Majora's Wrath's screams pierced the walls of the room, shredding them and reducing them to glass shards. The whole realm was falling apart! Majora was frozen in mid-air and was dissolving slowly into fragments of purple light. Powerful beams of light radiated from the Millennium Sword still stuck in his chest, further eradicating him.

James quickly ran to Ruki and Ristar's fallen bodies, scooped them up in each arm and yelled, "It's done! Get us out of here!" With a flash, the three of them vanished from Majora's Domain as the whole room went white.

Back on Termina, the clock struck 6:00 and the moon, which had been about to detonate, gave out an echoing groan. It then began to disintegrate from the top down into fragments of rainbow-colored light. There was no explosion – just a ray of color that now stretched across the sky like a brilliant rainbow. Down below in Termina Field, the people who had fled Clock Town and some of the citizens of the other realms cheered as the sun rose unobstructed for the first time in months.

Termina had been given a second chance and the moon, which had once spelled doom for Clock Town, was no more.

Chapter 62: A New Hope

Dawn of a New Day: 0800, 16 hours until midnight

The sun was shining in a moonless sky over Termina field when Ruki and Ristar came to. They were outside South Clock Town surrounded by Tormund, Montblanc, King, Eerin, Dak, Vega, Ezel, Arupnyn, Sidian and James Mood. They had come to see the awakening of Termina's newest heroes.

"Ohh..." groaned Ruki, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Where are we? And what's the time?"

"It's 8:00 on the first day of a new age," said Vega, smiling. "You are outside Woodfall Forest near South Clock Town."

"That was mighty brave of you to risk your lives like that," Ezel said with pride. "Termina owes you a big thanks for your efforts."

"Hey! How'd you know about that?" burst out Ristar, pointing to Dak, Ezel and Vega in turn. "We traveled through time... four times! There was no way all of that could have been fixed these past three days!"

Arupnyn spoke up. "When you used that Millennium Sword of yours atop the clock tower last night, you undid everything I went to the trouble to change. Now I'm reduced to a shell of the villain I used to be." He indicated the handcuffs and the leg cuffs chained together around his wrists and ankles. They were no regular metal cuffs, either – they were bound together with white light that the Sacred Ones had conjured to prevent him from using his powers.

"Meaning...?" For once, Ristar was confused.

"Meaning the Hork-Bajir are free of their undead masters, Nu Mountain has thawed out, the Werelupes have fled and the oceans have cooled off and cleared out." Ruki ticked them off his fingers as he spoke.

"Cool." That was all Ristar had to say.

"Wait a sec." Ruki looked around at the congregation. "Where's Luna and Krystal? Didn't we save them, too?"

"Family emergency," said Vega, looking in the direction of Termina Bay. "They couldn't come."

"Ruki!" said Ristar suddenly. "We promised Luna we would be there when her eggs hatched!"

"Good point." Ruki nodded. "But we'll never get there in time."

"We give you lift," said Dak Hamee, helping the pair get to their feet.

"Don't be long, though," warned Sidian. "If any of us plan on returning to Mood Star, we have to be at the clock tower at midnight."

"They'll be back," James reassured her. :Besides, the Carnival of Time is a once-a-year celebration. I'm sure we all want to see it."

"Yeah, no fair!" complained Tor. "I missed it last year and I don't want to make the same mistake this year!"

"We'll all go," sighed Ezel as though that settled the matter. "There'll be enough time to do everything we want before midnight."

"Okay then," Ristar clapped his hands together. "So... how d'we get to Luna's?"

Vega answered by pulling out his blaster, cocking back the trigger and firing on the pair, making them both vanish in a flash of green light.

New Day: 0830, 15 hours until midnight

They materialized inside Luna's cave inside Luna's room. Luna herself gave a mental scream when thy appeared.

Ruki? Ristar? She sounded both startled and relieved at the same time. You made it! I thought you forgot about this.

"Well, we're here, aren't we?" Ristar sounded sarcastic. Ruki elbowed him in the gut, but Luna merely giggled and said, Oh Ristar. Krystal told me all about your sense of humor.

She got up and planted a kiss directly on his cheek. Ristar lit up like a red-light Christmas tree as he blushed. Ruki was suddenly overcome by a fit of coughs in an attempt to hide the word, "Lucky!" After Ristar's body dimmed, he merely rolled his eyes.

Just then, Luna gasped. One of the two silver eggs wrapped together in the fish-skin blankets had shuddered slightly.

Krystal! she called out to the den. It's happening! Get in here!

Krystal the blue fox emerged from the den wearing a strange getup. It was a full-body suit of skin-tight, blue-and-black material Ruki recognized as the same Tetra fabric that made up his own armor. Upon a second glance, he also realized that it was the same battle suit that she had worn when he had fought her in Arupnyn's Citadel over two years ago. Ruki blinked.

Krystal appeared to be reading his mind again because she spoke without him doing so first. "Interuniversal travel wreaks havoc on my fur," she explained.

"Are you...?" Ristar began.

"Yep," she smiled. "I'm coming home with you and Tor."

"Krystal," sighed Ruki. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

She knew he meant her recent mind-reading ability. She merely giggled and said, "I'll try to refrain from doing that to you in the future."

Shh! hissed Luna. Look!

One of the inhabitants of the moving egg had knocked a piece of shell from its encasement. Little by little, a tiny, five-fingered Lugian hand worked on the shell until the chick just exploded out into the world, sending eggshell everywhere and sending the surrounding watchers diving for cover.

"Explosive little guy, ain't he?" said Ristar, taking a cut on his arm from the super-tough shell.

Covered by a thin membrane of birth fluid, the tiny Lugian unfurled itself. Luna carefully peeled the black skin off the chick and was suddenly overcome by tears.

Isn't he the most wonderful thing you've ever seen?

Ruki had never seen a baby Lugian before, so his was at a slight loss for words.

Under the black birth skin, the chick was colored a dull gray color with an even darker eye-mask. Its wings did not look like wings at all – they looked more like normal arms with five tiny, smooth fingers on each hand. Its belly was a deep crimson color that matched its ten tiny back plates. When it opened its eyes, it first looked directly at Ruki with warm, gray irises.

Ruki's mind was immediately filled with a strange sensation. A high-pitched note sounded in his brain followed by a type of cool, "blue" feeling finished off by a kind of bond-like feeling.

"Uh-oh." Ruki gulped. From what he knew about birds and bird-like creatures, the first thing a bird sees, it automatically thinks of as its parent.

For some reason, Luna held a hand to her mouth in amazement. Just like Daddy said.

"What?" said Ruki in desperation.

Daddy once told me, "The one that chooses the True Hero of Time shall be my successor." He was talking about you and him.

Ruki thought about that. For two years, he had been considered Mood Star's "Hero of Time". Now that he had used the power of time in Termina, he was now considered the "True Hero of Time" by Terminian standards. Lugia must have known that this his death would occur and that he needed a successor. This little Lugian must have been who he was talking about and predicted his arrival. It made his head spin when he tried to figure out Pure One intentions, so he went along with what came naturally.

""Him"?" said Ristar, confused. "How d'you know it's a boy?"

Luna tickled the chick on the belly, turning the blue in Ruki's mind green and sending him a joyful sensation. Krystal answered for her. "Male Lugians always have a red or dark-blue or dark color on their belly and plates," she explained, twirling the aqua-blue lock in her normally-blue hair.

I guess if he chose you, that means you get to name him. Luna was nearly speechless.

Ruki, however, was. He had never named a child before. He drew a line in the air with his finger, signaling he was drawing a blank.

However, the chick already seemed to have picked out its name. Ruki heard two words echo in his mind in a voice that he thought belonged to the chick.

Surprised at the chick's intelligence at such an early age, Ruki spoke for him. "How about Havana Deagonna?"

The chick immediately looked up at him with watery eyes. Luna, however, gasped in surprise.

He told you his true name?!

"Uh... I guess so."

Luna was shocked. Don't ever, ever tell anyone else that name! She sounded mad.

"Why not?" Ruki flinched under her piercing gaze.

"All beings have two names." Krystal patted Luna's back, allowing Ruki to break her gaze. "One is a commonly-used name that everyone can use and the other is their true name, which should be kept quiet at all cost. If anybody was to know your true name, they could use its power to influence and control you."

"Then what's the point?" said Ristar, throwing up his arms in protest.

True names used to be used all the time when people were more trustworthy, said Luna, stroking the chick. But that was during the time of the Golden Power over 2000 years ago. Now we guard our true names with great care. If your true name ever got into the wrong hands, they could use it to destroy you.

Ristar was still interested "How d'you know what it is, then?"

"Lugians instinctively know theirs. Others' names are revealed to them only in special dreams chosen by the Pure or Sacred Ones if they think they are trustworthy of it." Krystal finished and got up to get a glass of water from the den.

With that knowledge under his belt, Ruki watched the Lugian chick crawl around on the bed.

"So, what d'ya wanna call him?" said Ristar, tickling it behind the mask. It let out a little squeal of delight and nipped his gloves. "Ouch! Feisty little thing, ain't it?"

After some thought, Ruki came up with a possible name. It was the name of the founder of Mood City – his great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Johiko Mood.

"I'll call him "Johiko Mood"." Ristar pulled a face. "What? I like it."

"He's not a Mood, Einstein. Just call him "Johiko"."

"Good idea." Ruki nodded and changed his mind. "Johiko it is. Hello, Johiko!"

As if he was agreeing with him, Johiko the Lugian sent a wave of gold and silver sparkles across Ruki's mind. Ruki smiled and picked up his "son".

"See? He likes it!"

Johiko suddenly screwed up his face. It looked like he was having second thoughts about his name, but instead he sneezed, sending several blue sparks from his mouth.

He'll be a fighter yet! said Luna happily. Take good care of him, Ruki.

Johiko looked up at his "father" with an expression that made Ruki laugh. "Will do." He sat down on a coral chair with his newly adopted son.

A squeal from the other egg adjusted their attention. The slightly larger egg was rocking and shuddering.

Oh! It's time! Luna was ecstatic.

New Day: 1000, 14 hours until midnight

But an hour later, the egg had stopped moving, but the internal squeals continued.

"Something's wrong" Ruki said nervously. "It should have hatched by now."

Krystal took it upon herself to find the source of the problem by putting an ear to the egg and listening closely.

"One... two... oh!" She seemed surprised. "Luna..." She turned to her. "You've got triplets! There's not enough room in there for them to break out."

Luna was so overcome with emotion that she started hyperventilating and looked around the room for a solution. Spotting Ristar's Star Rod, she said to him, They'll suffocate if they stay in there much longer! Ristar, the head of your Star Rod is forged from Cosmic Crystal, right?

"Topaz Cosmic Crystal, actually." He was slightly taken a back that a Sacred One was asking for his help instead of Ruki's for once.

Please! she pleaded. You have to break them out before I lose them! This is the last remaining egg that the Lugians have and it'll take years for another one to get laid!

"Okay..." Ristar nervously drew his Star Rod.

He hovered over the egg and gently tapped the crystal star to the egg. Wire-thin cracks ran from the point of impact and split the egg in half. Three tiny baby Lugians tumbled out of the egg, their birth skins covering their little bodies.

Removing their thin birth skins one by one, Luna smiled at them. One of the chicks had a crimson-red mask, belly and back plates that almost matched Johiko's, telling her it was also a male. The second had a glossy-green color on her belly, plates and mask, indicating it was female.

The third chick, however, was a strange one. Its skin was a violent violet color instead of the normal white, creamy-yellow or silver-white color that Lugians normally were.

Its arms, mask, belly and plates, however, were completely different than normal Lugians even though it was already different. Its shoulders down to the tips of its fingers were colored like a wildfire as well as the other parts of its body that were normally colored differently. The people around it looked curiously at them and noticed that the colors were alive and moving and swirling on their own! Even its mask, belly and plates' colors were swirling freely. Even without looking at its burning-red eyes, it was plain to see that this chick was male.

"Have you ever seen a Lugian like that before?" wondered Ristar, stroking the oddly-colored chick.

No. Luna was stunned. No Lugian has ever been born with violet skin OR flame-colored wings.

One after another, the chicks opened their eyes and saw their mother, Luna for the first time.

Ruby, she named the red-colored chick, who had started crawling around on the bed.

Natia, was the emerald chick's name. She curled up with her head over her tail and fell asleep.

Now what should I call you? Luna addressed the violet-and-flame-colored chick who in Ruki's opinion, looked like a miniature Dak.

"How 'bout "Neo"?" suggested Ristar. He was watching the colors on its arms flow with interest.

No... Luna shook her head. "Neo" means "multi-colored". I think "Shadow" will work.

""Shadow Darck"..." said Krystal, testing out the name. "It fits rather well."

"Your last name is "Darck"?" Ruki inquired curiously.

I know... it doesn't fit my persona. Luna sighed sadly. But it was what Daddy named Sol and I when we were born.

"I think it's rather fitting," Krystal said again. "You shouldn't be ashamed of your surname because your father gave it to you."

Ruki shrugged and introduced Johiko to his brother, Shadow. The two Lugians froze and looked at each other, unsure of what to think of their sibling. But then their expressions went sour and they both leaped at each other, wrestling and trying to bite each other with their premature milk teeth.

"Hey, hey, HEY!!! Break it up!" Ruki and Luna dove in and managed to tear the two apart. Johiko had bite wounds on his left arm and Shadow had a small cut on his face. The two were still antagonized and still trying to get at each other.

"That's not a good sign," said Krystal nervously. "Fighting at such an early age – there's going to be a bitter rivalry between these two."

"It's a good thing that they'll be on different worlds, then." Ruki was trying to calm Johiko down, but the Lugian was projecting a storm of angry purple into his mind.

Just then, six musical notes sounded around them. It sounded like the first six notes of Lugia's song. Luna paused and said, Oh! That's the doorbell! Maybe it's someone come to see my children. She left to go answer the door.

Ristar had let Ruby and Natia play tug-o-war with his Star Rod. As the two of them tugged on the indestructible weapon, he turned to Krystal.

"Since both eggs finally hatched," he told her. "Are you comin' back to Mood Star with us at midnight?"

Krystal squirmed uncomfortably. "I really don't want to leave Luna just yet," she said uneasily. "But if I don't, I'll have to wait another whole year until the Carnival of Time comes again."

"So...?"

She sighed. "I'll get Luna settled down and then I'll join you at the clock tower at midnight."

"Good plan." Ruki was trying to keep Johiko away from his Millennium Sword.

Ru-ki! called Luna from the other room. Ri-star! There's someone here to see you!

Wondering who would be coming to see them at the bottom of Termina Bay, Ruki wrapped Johiko in a fish-scale blanket and carried him to the door with Ristar close behind him. Ezel Berbier was standing in the den, waiting for him.

"Well, look who joined the parental ring!" said Ezel jealously. "Congratulations on raising the future Sage of Leadership!"

"Slow down there, Ezel!" said Ristar, joining the group. "He's got a LONG way to go before he's as strong as Lugia."

Ezel nodded to Luna, who returned to her chicks. "Since you're done here, would you like to join the Nu Mou for a farewell feast?"

"Will there be pudding?" asked Ristar in anticipation.

"All you can eat." Ezel smiled as he saw Ristar's face light up.

"I'm in! Ruki?"

"I guess so." He hitched up Johiko and walked to the door. "Coming?"

"We'll be taking the express," said Ezel, grabbing Ristar's hand. "Coming?"

Turning around, Ruki grabbed his hand and all four of them vanished with a red flash.

Chapter 63: The Dragon Warrior Returns

New Day: 1200, 12 hours until midnight

Ruki, Ristar, Johiko and Ezel reappeared inside Ezel's Apothecary in Nu Paradise in the Northern Realm. He had cleaned up since Ruki had been here last. The books were neatly sorted into their proper spots on the bookshelf. All of the potion cauldrons were lined up along the wall, simmering on their own individual fires. The spicy smell was gone and was instead replaced by the aroma of lacquered wood. The tables were clear and had been polished.

"A guy can really clean up around here," Ruki said, impressed by the organization.

"I thought you'd like it," said Ezel. He waved his hand in the air and a pot of Nu Mou coffee appeared out of nowhere. After pouring himself some in a cup that had also appeared, he offered it to the pair. "Coffee?"

"Sure. I'll try anything—mmph!" Ruki had put a hand on Ristar's mouth and gave him a warning look.

"Trust me – you don't want to go there. Baaaad things happen with that stuff."

Ezel chuckled and made the coffee pot vanish instantly. "Oh well, I tried. Your reaction last time, Ruki, was so classic that I had to see it again."

Ruki glared at the Sacred One as he removed his hand from Ristar's mouth. "I'm onto you, Berbier!" He pointed two fingers at his eyes and then to Ezel, signaling that he was wise to the Nu Mou.

Ezel merely sighed. "Oh Ruki... Well then, shall we go outside?"

Ruki looked at Johiko, who was chewing wetly on the Tetra material on his father's hand, and looked nervous. "Um... I don't think Johiko is ready for crowds just yet. Can he stay here or can someone watch over him?" Johiko sent confused rays of white and gold swirls through Ruki's mind.

Ezel's face brightened. "I'll call a babysitter." He snapped his fingers three times and an ancient, gray-furred Nu Mou appeared next to him.

"Yes, Mr. Berbier?" he said in a wheezy voice. The Sacred One pointed to Johiko and held up two fingers. The second Nu Mou bowed and said, "Of course. He'll be well-cared-for."

He walked over to Ruki, who cautiously handed him Johiko. The chick seemed to warm up to him in an instant and started squealing and reaching for the sitter. Then with a loud crack, both Nu Mou and Lugian vanished.

"Don't worry," said Ezel, seeing Ruki's worried look. "Gelato used to play with Lugian chicks back when they were flourishing over 500 years ago. I've trusted him with child care for centuries. Johiko'll love him."

Ristar was confused. "How can he be younger than you? You're not a day over 25!"

"2,500 actually." Ezel casually shined his fingernails on his robe. Without waiting for Ristar to speak, he answered him. "It's one of the benefits of being a Sacred One."

Ristar was frozen in shock. He was jealous that considering his age, Ezel was as fit and healthy as a middle-aged Mood! Ruki smiled, picked him up and put him under his arm like he was a large doll. It's amazing how light Moods and Stars feel when they are surprised.

"Shall we?" said the Mood.

New Day: 1215, 11 hours until midnight

Once they had stepped outside, Ruki had a brief opportunity to see that Nu Mountain had thawed out again when he was rushed by several Nu Mou coming to greet him. Ristar also received some attention. None of the Nu Mou had ever seen a star anywhere else but the night sky. The young ones were also amazed that a ball of hot gas could sprout arms and legs and walk around. Ristar rolled his eyes as they invited him to come play with them and walked off with the kids.

Ruki, meanwhile, was once again praised as Ruki "Dragoncrusher" Mood but were shocked when they realized that he was one himself.

"Ezel!" snapped Ruki, grinning. "They're not supposed to know that!" He had a feeling that Ezel had told his people about Ruki's "condition" long before he got here.

But Ezel merely grinned and shook his head. "Go on, Ruki," he told him. "They haven't seen a friendly bipedal dragon for over two years. Entertain them."

"Oh, alright." Ruki morphed to his black dragon and prepared for the worst.

At first, the crowd around him backed off about ten feet, unsure if they were seeing him correctly. But then they realized that he wasn't going to hurt them. When they came close again, Ruki grinned, showing very clean, very sharp fangs and snapped his wings out to their fullest, causing the Nu Mou to back up again and giving him an intimidating look. But for some reason, the cheered him and applauded. The young Nu Mou that had not gone with Ristar jumped on him and started climbing all over him, pushing Ruki's weight load to the limit and asking him slightly obvious questions.

"How hard are your horns, Mr. Ruki Dragon?" One of the Nu Mou climbed on his head and was pulling on his horns.

"Can you fly?" Another one was hanging off Ruki's right wing.

"You've got big teeth! You need to go see a dentist!" One of the few Nu Mou that had not climbed on him was observing him from the ground.

Ruki was significantly stronger in his dragon form, but these heavy Nu Mou were threatening to bring him down. "Ezel, help!" He actually laughed as his legs gave out and went down with the Nu Mou children still climbing all over him. "Ha ha! Dragon down! Dragon down!"

"Now, kids," said a bluish female Nu Mou. "I think Mr. Dragon needs to breathe. Come on –give him some room."

The children finally let up and Ruki got up, laughing.

"Mr. Ruki, can you breathe fire?" asked a small, brown Nu Mou.

"Yeah! I wanna see fire!" said his cohort.

"Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!" they chanted incessantly.

"They sure know what to expect from their guests," thought Ruki, finally giving into their demands.

He held out his arms, telling them to give him room. He then tilted back his head, opened his mouth and let fly a jet of cool-blue flames 30 feet into the air, ending in a miniature explosion at the end, spreading out the jet into little bursts of fire, which drifted gently down to the ground. The children cheered as the flames, uncommanded by Ruki, turned into little dancing flame sprites that flew through the air with the children trying to catch them.

Ruki smiled as he looked up at the heavens. "Thank you... Babus," he thought sadly.

There was a polite round of applause from the surrounding Nu Mou as Ruki bowed for his audience.

"Well done, Ruki!" said Ezel, who clapped the loudest. "I can see you went the extra mile for special effects."

"Uh... yeah." Ruki went along. He didn't want to kill the moods of these kind creatures. Somewhere beyond the stars, Babus was smiling down upon him with Klonoa at his side. He could have sworn that he saw their images in the clouds with Lugia and Vee standing behind him. Out of respect for the Pure Ones, he held two claws to his forehead and saluted them. However, the surrounding Nu Mou didn't see him do it.

"Can we eat now?" Ruki asked Ezel after the crowd had parted. "All this showing off is making me hungry."

Ezel smiled. "As soon as you find Ristar, we can go."

Glancing around, Ruki began looking for his friend. Seconds into his search, he spotted the group of Nu Mou children that had gone with Ristar huddled around an object that he could not see.

"I'll be right back." Ruki morphed back to Mood form and went to investigate.

The Nu Mou were giggling and chattering while another kept a lookout. When that one saw Ruki approaching, he called to the others, "Hero of Time! Retreat!"

The others heard him and ran for it, dropping the item as they fled. In their dust was a very tiny Ristar only about three inches high, yelling and trying to pursue his tormentors. He had obviously been shrunk.

"Hey Ruki!" he yelled in a tiny voice. "Those blasted kids used some kinda spell on me and were poking me with my Star Rod! Those little brats must still have it!"

Ruki tried not to laugh as he picked up his pint-sized pal by the leg and brought him over to Ezel. Ristar was yelling in his squeaky voice the whole way.

"Oh dear," said Ezel, trying to fight back his laughter. "It looks like someone used a Demi spell on him. A classic Nu Mou prank on unsuspecting outsiders. The Demi spell reduces the target's size depending on the strength of the spell. Judging by his size, I'd say they used a Demi3 spell on him."

"Can you fix him?" wondered Ruki, ignoring his friend's tiny rants.

"Of course I can. Come with me."

New Day: 1400, 10 hours until midnight

At the farewell feast atop Nu Mountain, Ezel addressed the gathered Nu Mou just like he had when Ruki and Montblanc had defeated Volvos.

"Friends..." said Ezel. "Many terrible things have happened since Nu Mountain froze over over two years ago. We have lost many of our comrades to Volvos' and Arupnyn's power and have even looked Death in the face as it hung over Termina. Yet despite the hardships we faced, we have been blessed with a hero – a hero who went to great lengths and dangers to return peace to our world. And although one of those heroes could not be here today at this celebration, we acknowledge his heroism as if he were. And so we are granted the honor of his presence along with his faithful companion – a warrior from beyond the Stars. And now... let us raise our glasses to bid farewell to our heroes: Ruki, Ristar and Montblanc of Mood Star. Long live the Good Moods!"

"LONG LIVE THE GOOD MOODS!!!" repeated the Nu Mou in a powerful response as Ezel finished his speech.

They all raised their glasses in the Good Moods' honor and drank deeply. Ristar had to force his down due to the aftertaste of a bitter potion Ezel had given him to restore his size.

KA-BOOM!!!

A huge explosion ripped through the air like a thunderclap. Ruki thought they were under attack and instinctively drew his Millennium Sword and was on his feet in a split-second. But Ezel merely put a hand on his back (he was too short to reach Ruki's shoulder) and reassured him that there was nothing to fear.

When Ruki questioned him, he simply said, "Look up or you'll miss the fireworks!"

He quickly looked skyward and saw that the sky had become magically darkened and several fireworks were being fired into the air from places unknown.

But these were no ordinary fireworks; they were uniquely-made by the Nu Mou for special occasions. There were sparklers that converted into life-like butterflies made of blue sparks. A favorite was a massive smoke bomb that created shapes that matched an individual's deepest desires. It was created with a type of magic that allows each and every person looking up at it to see something different – a rare treat, indeed.

Ristar saw, to his embarrassment, a feast identical to the one before them. His appetite was rather spoiled at the moment due to the effects of Ezel's bitter potion. Ruki's interpretation, however, was a moving figure of... Krystal?! The smoky figure waved at him, winked and blew a smoky kiss at him. Ruki cleared his head.

"Me... and Krystal?!" he wondered. "How can that be so? All she wants from me is a rematch... right?"

The next few fireworks distracted him and wiped the confusion from his mind. There were multi-colored sparks that soared around the sky like a fireball and then exploded into real pieced of candy for the children, who scrambled over the each other to get the tastiest bits.

The piece de resistance was a series of fireworks that took the shapes of Ruki, Ristar, Montblanc, Volvos and Majora's Mask, which immediately began a fiery three-on-two battle in the sky. When their weapons and attacks met, a powerful shockwave would rip through the sky. Once, the Fireworks Ruki fell and appeared to be defeated, causing the Nu Mou below to gasp and yell for his support. But then, Ristar and Montblanc pulled out a massive upset over Volvos by crushing his skull with a team effort with the Megaton Hammer, allowing Ruki to recover and go dragon and deliver the coup de grace to Majora. When the two of them were defeated, Volvos and Majora burst into a supernova-like explosion of blue and purple sparks. The Nu Mou below cheered as the three heroes took a bow and did likewise in a cacophony of explosions and colored sparks.

Ruki and Ristar were in shock. Apart from their hearing needing a check-up, they were amazed that the Nu Mou fireworks had been so detailed and magnificent. They would remember this event for all time.

The sky became light again and the feast began. Thankfully, the fireworks battle had returned Ristar's appetite and he began piling scones and puddings onto his plate. He was still slightly disappointed that the Nu Mou did not eat meat but was astonished by the enormous salmon, carp and shrimp platters that stood before him.

The Nu Mou cooks had baked a special loaf of cornbread loaded with premium Kupo Nuts for Montblanc but were disappointed that he had not shown up.

"I'll take it to him myself," Ruki told the cooks. They smiled and wrapped up the bread in a birch bark wrap to preserve its freshness. "He'll love it."

After everyone had eaten to their fullest, one Nu Mou stood up and shouted to the head table, "Ruki! Speech!" Within seconds, every Nu Mou was calling for a speech from Ruki. "Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech!"

Not wanting to disappoint, Ruki gave into their demands once again. He got nervously to his feet and looked at his supporters. He had never given a public speech before – the Pure Ones had protected him from political speeches when he had become Prince of Mood Star before he had started on his quest to find Ristar. But they weren't here to save him now.

But Ruki wasn't worried – he had been to enough of their speeches to get the idea of what to do. Besides, this wasn't a political speech – he could say whatever he wanted without being ridiculed by his supporters.

Taking a long drink of grape juice, Ruki cleared his throat and went for it. Ezel waved his hand and Ruki's voice became magically magnified just like his had earlier.

"Uh..." Ruki flinched from the sudden volume of his voice, paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'm really glad to... er, be spending last few hours on Termina with my friend. You may not believe it, but it took way longer than you think to defeat Arupnyn and Majora, but I guess I can say that you'll never have to deal with their cruelty again." He took a moment to collect his thoughts on what to say next.

"After being shown the hospitality of Terminians such as yourself, I promise that Termina will not be forgotten by Mood Star. And if I do manage to find the hidden routes between our worlds, I swear that those who are stranded in either world will find their way home! Our worlds may be different, but our bonds have never been stronger!"

A long round of applause ended Ruki's speech. Sitting down, Ruki let the success of his first speech sink in. Now that he had given his promise to reunite the two worlds, he had to make sure he followed up with his promises, no matter how long it took.

"I hope I can make them proud," he thought as the applause died away and Ezel got up. "They're counting on me to bring our two worlds back together."

"An excellent speech, Ruki!" he said, clapping. "We'll hold you to that promise, no matter how long we have to wait. And now..." He turned to the crowd. "As the Sacred One of the North Realm, I present Ruki Mood and Ristar Starton with a special gift." He reached in his pockets and pulled out two globes of Red Materia.

"Before the Pure Ones passed away, they gave me these to pass onto you in the event that they ever return to Mood Star. To Ruki..." he handed him one of the orbs. "I give you the "Lugia and Vee" Materia. And to Ristar..." He presented the other one to the Star. "I award you the "Babus and Klonoa" Materia. May they use them with honor."

Ruki and Ristar looked at their new Materia. Swirling inside Ruki's Materia were two symbols – a broken star and a "V" with a lightning bolt through it – Lugia's and Vee's insignias. Inside Ristar's were two different symbols – a baseball cap with a "Pac-Man" symbol eating a dot and a rounded mace with three spikes on the top – Klonoa and Babus Swain's own symbols. They didn't know it yet, but Ruki and Ristar contained the keys to the Pure Ones' return.

Ezel turned to his people again. He bowed his head and the Nu Mou mimicked him. Ezel then began singing in a low voice. Ruki could not interpret what he was singing, but a tear appeared in the Mood's eye. The Nu Mou soon picked up on the tune and joined in. As they sang, Ruki and Ristar suddenly felt as light as feathers as their feet left the ground. As the song continued, the pair vanished from the top of Nu Mountain in a flash of red light.

Chapter 64: Bowling for Bombchu

New Day: 1600, 8 hours until midnight

Both of them reappeared inside South Clock Town around 4:00. The town had been redecorated for the Carnival of Time since they had left. People were crowding around multiple concession stands, which sold things like food and masks for the March of the Masks scheduled to take place in two hours.

The party tower was finally complete and people were putting on shows on top of it such as exotic dances and talent displays. Ruki was both amazed and disgusted to see a Mood stick a total of seven steel swords down his throat one at a time and give it a twist at the end of his performance. Amazingly, every sword came up clean and blood-free, indicating the stunt was a success. The Mood gave a bow as the audience applauded him and began juggling the slimy swords.

"Ruki! Ristar! Come over here!"

They turned to see Tor and a bluish female... something at his side over near the entrance to East Clock Town.

Walking over to them, Ristar gave Tor a high-five and asked him, "Hey... Loopy Lupe! How's it goin'?"

Tor glared at him. "I'm gonna forget you just called me that." he sighed as they walked with him into East Clock Town.

Ristar and Tor were talking about the Carnival of Time, but Ruki couldn't tear his eyes off the creature Tor was with. He had never seen anyone like her in his life. Her arms, hands and legs were a deep, blue color and her legs were lined with white patterns. Her chest was also completely white, which ended slightly down her arms, but due to a lack of... things, Ruki would have found it hard to believe she was female. She wore long, skin-tight, blue boots with black-rubber bottoms and had a smoky-white tank-top on with yellow and pink frills around her waist. This odd creature also had a goldenrod-colored belt around her waist. Two .44 caliber shock pistols were in their holsters at her waist, indicating to Ruki that she was a shooter-style fighter. At the top of her blue shorts, which had long, blue tassels attached to it, a long, flowing, blue cape was tied around her waist. Two long, white ribbons were flowing around her in a non-existent breeze, further confusing him.

Her body examined, Ruki shifted his attention to her head. She had long, wavy, violent-violet hair that reached down to her waist that also fluttered on its own. Atop her head was a huge, sea-blue horn shaped like an oblong hexagon, adding a good ten inches to her already-impressive height. Two shorter, smaller, similar-colored horns extended to the sides of her giant horn. Her head was a pale-white and lined with the same blue that covered most of her body. And in front of two blazing-red eyes, a large, fist-sized, nose-like muzzle – minus the nose – extended from her face. A look of strictness was her expression of choice as she examined Ruki. He noticed that she was considerably taller than all three of them at six-foot-two with her horn making her a staggering seven-foot-even. Krystal was only six-foot-one, so you can imagine the shock when Ruki saw this giant!

"Is this him, Tormund?" She spoke in a quiet but firm voice.

Ruki gulped. He sensed that this was a natural-born fighter. He certainly did not want to fight this creature – she would wipe the floor with him!

"That's him," Tor answered, watching Ruki's knees knock under her gaze. "Ruki and Ristar, meet my new girlfriend, Suicuna."

"Pleased to meet ya!" Ristar and Suicuna shook hands and Ristar flinched under her firm grip.

Ruki tried to speak but his tongue was tied in a complex knot. He was saved the trouble of responding when Gelato, the old Nu Mou babysitter, appeared out of nowhere next to Ruki, carrying Johiko.

"Master Ruki forgot this," he wheezed, handing the baby Lugian to Ruki. Johiko squealed and grabbed Ruki in a parental embrace.

"Thanks! Give my regards to Ezel." The Nu Mou nodded and vanished with a crack.

"I didn't know you had a kid," said Tor, watching Johiko climb up on Ruki's shoulders.

"I do now." Ruki tickled Johiko's belly and received a happy green-and-yellow swirl in his head. "Don't ask."

After shaking Suicuna's hand, the group split up and went to enjoy the carnival.

New Day: 1630, 7 hours until midnight

Ruki and Johiko separated from Ristar, who went to try out some of the carnival food ("You just ate!" Ruki cried, amazed at the bottomless pit that was his friend.) and visited the Bombchu Bowling Alley down the street.

The inside of the bowling alley was colored with bright, radiant colors that expressed joy and good times. There was only one lane, but it was lined with spikes and had a hole in the wall high above the lane where you were supposed to roll the "Bombchu". Ruki just didn't see how a ball could climb a wall and reach the hole above the lane. Next to the alley was the check-in desk with a Mood with his head on the counter, sleeping.

"AWWWGA!!!" squawked Johiko, startling both the Mood and Ruki.

"I'm up! Huh?" He spotted Ruki. "Oh! A customer! Welcome to Clock Town's famous Bombchu Bowling Alley! Would you like to play? All games today before the March of the Masks are free!"

"Um… okay." Ruki had nothing to lose. "Sign me up!"

"Splendid! And I suppose you've used Bombchu before?"

"Uh… no."

"Oh? Well in that case, let me tell you…"

Bombchu were mouse-shaped mobile explosives. It was like a moving grenade – once you set it on the ground, it would take off in a straight line on its own accord. It would travel in a straight line and climb over or up any and all obstacles and walls that are securely bolted down. Once activated, though, you had roughly 30 seconds before it exploded. If you hit a moving or sharp object that pierced its thin shell, it would explode on contact.

"So…" said the shopkeeper, finishing his tutorial. "Wanna play?"

"I'm ready to go!" said Ruki enthusiastically.

"Very well. Here you go!" He handed Ruki a single Bombchu to get him started. "Happy bowling!"

Ruki turned to face the alley.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Here's what you can win."

The Mood pressed a button under the counter and a disco ball lowered from the ceiling and the lights went dim. Several spotlights started waving as the disco ball started spinning. A catchy game show-like music started playing as the Mood pulled out a microphone and an ordinary Lupe Mask.

"It's a Lupe Mask, folks! Don't go home without your ticket to the March of the Masks!" he said in a game show host-like voice. "You're little Moodling will love our extra-cute Lupe Mask and beg you to pay attention to him just to show you how cute he looks!"

"Okay..." Ruki turned back to the lane after the game show atmosphere died away. He took the vibrating Bombchu and lined up his shot. Target sighted, he placed the Bombchu on the floor, adjusted its direction and let it go.

The Bombchu took off like a rocket down the spiked lane. It cleared the spikes by inches, crawled up the opposite wall and entered the hole, where it exploded seconds later, giving off a nifty fireworks display and reducing the wall to kindling, also turning out the lights on the lane.

"Well done!" said the shopkeeper, impressed. "You got it in on the first try! Here's your prize."

Ruki made to take the mask from the shopkeeper, but the Mood snatched it away at the last second.

"Or... you can try our "Double or Nothing" challenge and win an even bigger prize!"

After some thought, Ruki decided that there were better prizes than a simple non-magical Lupe Mask. "I'm in for the challenge."

"A risk taker, are we?" The Mood pressed a button and the lights over the lane turned back on, revealing a much longer spiked lane. There was also a slight zigzag to it. The hole at the end was also on the floor this time, granting a slightly easier target once you got past the zigzag.

"Oh! Here's what you can win!" As he pulled out a small, purple gem, the spotlights and the disco ball returned along with the game show music and the Mood's game show host-like voice.

"It's a 500-gil gem, folks! Jump-start your gambling career or sent the little fella off to college with a boost of 500 gil for winning our "Double or Nothing" challenge!"

Before the music died away, Ruki brought up a very important point. "I won't have to pay any prize tax on that, do I?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Not at all. Normally, you'd have to pay to get a chance to play, but this IS the Carnival of Time, so the game is on me!"

Ruki nodded. He had to admit that 500 free gil in his pocket would be a nice touch and was much better than the cheap mask, but then again, he didn't have anything to lose – it was a free game, after all.

The shopkeeper gave Ruki another chattering Bombchu and watched innocently. Ruki took his time this round. He had to take the zigzag of the lane into account this time. If the Bombchu did not travel in an exact-straight line down the center of the lane, he would botch his chance for free money. As he thought about it, a picture of an ideal position for the Bombchu to be placed entered his mind. Ruki blinked and looked at Johiko, who was sitting quietly in a chair nearby. He shrugged it off.

"No..." he thought, returning to his game. "He's too young."

He took precise aim according to the plan in his mind and let it go. The Bombchu went so fast that the spikes nearly detonated it as it grazed the alley barriers. Ruki was chewing on his body armor as the Bombchu kept on going and slid into the hole, where it detonated at last and caused the lights over the lane to go out again.

"Yes!" Ruki leaped into the air and cheered.

"Good job!" The Mood was impressed. As Ruki reached for his winnings, he snatched it away again. "How about going for our "Super Mega Challenge"? You get two shots at it, but nobody has ever cleared it without cheating."

Ruki had a thought to use his Felix Felices to try it, but that would be considered "cheating" by the Mood's standards, so he thought better of it.

"What's the prize?" he wondered.

The Mood glanced at the door for anyone overhearing the conversation and muttered low, "I'm supposed to wait until you accept the challenge to tell you, but I like you, so I'll tell you now. But you didn't hear it from me."

Ruki ran two fingers over his mouth, zipping it shut and signaling a Mood's way of saying, "My lips are sealed."

The Mood smiled, nodded and pulled out a wooden box. He didn't use his game show atmosphere in the event that he was overheard. "This is an ancient Lugian puzzle passed down by the Pure Ones for generations. Don't ask how I got it, but I had a feeling that the Hero of Time would want a shot at it."

"Can I see it?" Ruki asked innocently.

The Mood glanced around and slid the box over the counter for Ruki to examine. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the box was covered in molded wooden characters he recognized as similar runes that he saw on Sol's grave and on the Lugia statue in Titanis City Square. He opened the box, which was on a hinge, and looked inside. Several pieces of golden metal littered the inside of the box. From the looks of it, it seemed that it was an ancient Lugian puzzle. Ruki could not make heads or tails of it and figured that in the event that he won, he would quickly take it to Luna for her evaluation.

Suddenly, his mind was flooded with pools of silver and blue, signaling a great longing for the puzzle. He wanted that puzzle no matter what it took! Ruki blinked and looked at Johiko, where the longing intensified. It then made sense. His son wanted this puzzle and would give anything for it!

To Ruki, it was just a puzzle, but there was an overwhelming sense of need coming from the Lugian. He didn't move from his chair, but the urgency of the situation told Ruki that Johiko wanted this trinket like he had had his soul stolen from him. Finally, he gave in and handed the box back to the shopkeeper.

"Fine. I'll try it," he said after unzipping his mouth.

"Okey-dokey then." The Mood pressed another button and the spiked lane shifted once again. When it was finished, the lights came back on and Ruki's jaw,, like so many other times, fell off his face.

The lane was even longer than before but was slightly wider than it had been in the "Double or Nothing" challenge. But that's not what bothered him – the path was no longer straight, but instead turned at 90 degree angles at one... two... three... four places! On each corner was a raised corner section of wood that was supposed to turn the speeding Bombchu 90 degrees to speed along path to the next corner.

Oh... (explicit), Ruki cursed to himself. Ristar would had slugged him a good one if he had heard the word that flew from his mind. He couldn't block out the desperation of acquiring the Lugian puzzle coming from Johiko. That Lugian is obsessed!he thought with a sigh.

The shopkeeper handed Ruki his first of two Bombchu to try the challenge with. Ruki was so nervous that he didn't plan out his route and launched the Bombchu without thinking.

He did quite well for not planning ahead. The Bombchu reached the first corner and cleared it, but it rounded the corner too sharply and exploded on the spikes lining the lane before it reached the second curve.

"Too bad," said the shopkeeper. "Good thing I give people a second try on this challenge. Here you go." He handed Ruki his last chance for glory.

Ruki took it, walked to the lane and started adjusting it on the bent path. All hope had faded from his mind. He had a feeling that if he failed, he would be severely crushing his adopted son's hope at such an early age. Lugians may live to incredible ages, but they never forget anything. Johiko would be scarred for life if he failed.

Ruki's hand trembled as he adjusted the direction of the Bombchu.

Ruki.

He picked up the Bombchu and blinked.

Ruki.

He looked at Johiko. It couldn't be... not at this age. He was hearing things.

Ruki!

"Johiko?!"

Yes. Ruki!

The Lugian chick had spoken its first words!

He spoke! I'm so happy! thought Ruki, tears in his eyes.

I speak, said Johiko. He had the voice of an interested adolescent boy. I help, too. We speak in minds.

Oh... okay. Ruki used his mind to talk to his son. He then realized something. What do you mean, "you help"?

I give you more concentrate. With me, you not fail.

But I'll be cheating! I can't get that puzzle like this!

You not cheat. I just giving you "help".

Ruki thought about that. He had a point. Okay... what do you have planned?

A picture of the bowling alley appeared in his mind and a dotted line that showed the Bombchu's path to the end played out on it. It also showed an arrow of the exact position and direction to place the Bombchu.

Ruki had his doubts. Are you sure about this? He was breathing hard. I only get one shot at this.

Lugians great problem solvers. You be surprised what I can do at this age.

Okay... Ruki gulped. I trust you, Johiko.

I trust you, Father, answered Johiko simply.

Ruki almost forgot about the game for a moment. Johiko had called him his "father" when he was less than 12-hours-old. Had he really had that much of an imprint on him when he had hatched?

Ruki!

Johiko snapped him back to his senses. He then went back to his game and positioned his last Bombchu according to his son's instructions.

Letting it go, he watched it take off down the track. It reached the first slope and took a perfect 90 degree turn, speeding down the center of the lane towards the next turn. Both Ruki and the shopkeeper were on the edge of their seats as the Bombchu turned right, then right again and finally turned left again and slid into the hole in the wall.

"OH MY GOD!!!"

As the Bombchu exploded inside the hole, alarm bells and sirens went off in the shop, raining confetti down from the ceiling and a victory fanfare played over the speakers. Colored lights flashed everywhere, the disco ball was getting a work-out and the shopkeeper was in tears.

"You did it!!! YOU DID IT!!!" he was screaming. "You're the first one to clear the "Super Mega Challenge"! You win the grand prize: a mystic Lugian puzzle!"

He took the box in his hands and jumped the counter and ran to Ruki's side. Putting an arm around his shoulders, he turned the stunned Mood to the doorway with a clear shot of the lane and said, "Smile!" A white flash burst out. Ruki looked shocked as he got his picture taken by a high-definition camera placed above the door in the event that this ever happened.

"You're going up in the Bombchu Bowling Alley's Hall of Fame! This is going to do wonders for my bonus! Here you go..."

He was still in tears as he handed Ruki the wooden box and Ruki and Johiko left the bowling alley.

Chapter 65: Going Home

New Day: 1900, 5 hours until midnight

East Clock Town was completely deserted as a confetti-covered Ruki and Johiko stepped into the darkened streets, the Lugian puzzle in Ruki's pocket.

"That... was... weird." Ruki had never seen a Mood get so emotional over someone else winning a game before. He had a feeling that he was the first one to ever win the Bombchu Bowling Alley "Super Mega Challenge". If more than one person had already won that challenge, then the Mood's reaction would have been less enthusiastic.

Then Ruki turned back to his surroundings and noticed something.

Hey, where is everyone? he asked Johiko.

March of Masks, answered Johiko.

How do you know that?

I just know.

Okay...

"Ruki!!!"

Looking in their direction, Ruki saw Montblanc, James and Ristar waving to him from the East Gate. Waving back, he went over to meet them.

"You're late," said Ristar flatly.

"Sorry."

"The March of the Masks has already started, kupo," said Montblanc.

"I lost track of time," apologized Ruki.

"Tickets or masks, please," said a bored Mood from a nearby ticket stand.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Ruki dug out the two dusty, silver tickets he had won long ago from Monk Mood's Training Grounds. The tickets were a little crumpled and battered from being in his pocket for four time warps, but he handed them to the Mood anyway. "Here."

The Mood looked from the tickets to the party.

"The Moogle, the jackal and the funny bird go free. These..." he pointed at the tickets. "Are for you two." He waved at Ruki and Ristar. "Go ahead."

Ruki and Ristar had the backs of their hands stamped with a clock stamp and the group walked out into Termina Field to join in the festivities.

New Day: 2000, 4 hours until midnight

The March of the Masks, as it turns out, was a gathering of each of the four realms' inhabitants around colored campfires in each of the four sections of Termina. The fires were colored to match that area's Sacred One color. To the south, an emerald-green bonfire was ablaze. North, a red one. Westward, navy-blue flames rose from the beach that reminded Ruki of Lugia. And a yellow-colored campfire burned brightly near the entrance to Ikana Canyon.

Many, many Moods, Nu Mou, Lugians, Lupes, dragons, and/or Hork-Bajir were gathered around the fires and were dancing, conversing, playing or showing off to each other. There was food, music, concession stands and the like at each point on the map and every place in-between. Almost every Mood was wearing a mask that resembled the realms' races. Young Moods were wearing Lupe Masks – their favorite. Older Moods were quite partial to Nu Mou or Lugian masks. Only a few of them were wearing Hork-Bajir or Dragon Masks.

Ruki could see several dragons flying around Clock Town with Moodlings on their backs, yelling and cheering for more. Ristar went to the area between East and South Termina Field to help himself to some hot Red Juppie Cider pouring from the kegs scattered around the field. Montblanc had wandered to South Termina Field where some of the Lupes that had survived the Werelupe attack were at. James decided to challenge the Nu Mou around the red bonfire to a magical duel – he wanted to see what the benefits of Arupnyn's curse could do now that he was one of the good guys. Ruki spotted Tor and his girlfriend, Suicuna, showing off their weapon skills to some Mood soldiers near Termina Bay.

Hey Ruki!

He turned around and saw Luna and Krystal sitting on the stone ledge overlooking the beaches of West Termina Field. Walking over, he saw that two of the Lugians he had saved from Ruki Mood Juno's crystal prisons were entertaining Ruby and Natia. They tried to get the little Lugians airborne but kept falling on their tails. Shadow was sitting next to his mother, looking glum.

"Hey Luna! Hi Krystal!" Ruki plucked up Johiko, who had been gnawing on the golden puzzle pieces, off his shoulder and walked over to join them. Luna waved off the other two Lugians so they could have some privacy.

"Great night, isn't it?" said Krystal happily. She was still in her blue-and-black Tetra battle suit. "Not a cloud in the sky... or a moon for that matter."

"Yeah... beautiful." Ruki gazed at the starry sky and then turned to watch Johiko fiddle with two of the Lugian puzzle pieces.

Where'd he get that? wondered Luna, ignoring the jealous aura radiating from Shadow.

"I won it in a Bombchu Bowling game," Ruki said, taking out the box with the rest of the pieces. Luna examined the box and its contents with interest.

I haven't seen this artifact since I was born. And that was over 2000 years ago.

She tried to decipher the runes on the box but looked puzzled and shook her head.

I can only make out the words "Millennium Puzzle" on here. The rest is so old that only Daddy could have read it properly.

"Millennium?" said Ruki, looking at her.

"Puzzle?" wondered Krystal.

Luna handed the box back to Ruki. Take good care of it, she said warningly. It might be important later. Johiko should be able to figure it out when he's older.

"Will do." Ruki examined the ancient wood on the box and then put it away. He got up.

Ruki spent the rest of the night walking around Termina Field and taking part in the festivities. He sampled some of the great food from all four regions and even watched his father duel the Nu Mou. He was good, but Ezel Berbier wiped the floor with him. It seemed that no sorcerer could best the North Sacred One. All the time, Ruki took in the sights and tried not to think about his imminent return home. He was going to miss it all.

New Day: 2300, 1 hour until midnight

As the clock tolled out 11:00 PM, Ruki decided it was time to go. He spent the next 15 minutes rounding up the party that would be returning with him to Mood Star. The only one that he couldn't find was Sidian, the silver dragon, and Arupnyn.

"She's already at the gate, guarding our "prisoner"," said James as he tugged on one of his ears. "She doesn't really like crowds and we didn't want our "friend" to get his head handed to him by the Terminians.

"You should know," said Ristar with a shrug.

"Well then," said Tor, casting a final look around South Termina Field. "Shall we?"

They turned to enter the South Gate when a voice called out.

"Ruki! Ristar!"

King and Eerin were running towards them with King in the lead. They were each carrying a bag filled with their belongings.

"Wait! We wanna come with you!"

"Huh?" Ruki was taken aback. "Why?"

"We're tired of living on Termina," said Eerin almost dully. "We don't exactly have the best reputations here anymore. We want to start a whole new life on Mood Star. You know... start over."

"Yeah, we wanna be Chocobo farmers!" King was almost begging. "We're tired of living life on the move. We just wanna settle down in the country and raise a Chocobo farm."

"King wants to try to breed a legendary Gold Chocobo," Eerin said happily, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"What?!" Ruki was shocked. "But that's just a legend!"

"Hey, I like a challenge." King was eager to go. "So, can we go with you?"

"Uh..." Ruki shrugged. "Sure, why not? The more, the merrier!"

"Great! Let's go!" They both ran into Clock Town.

Tor shook his head. "Huh... Terminians." Suicuna glared at him and elbowed him in the back. "Ouch! Sorry, love."

"Well, everyone... take a good last look," said James, grinning. Ruki was amazed at how many teeth he had. "We won't be back here for a while."

They glanced at the beauty of Termina Field. Then as a group, they entered Clock Town and made their way to the clock tower.

New Day: 2345, 15 minutes until midnight

The entire group stood in front of the stone doors that had closed behind Ruki so long ago. Sidian had Arupnyn next to her, her hand on his shoulder. The former King of Darkness was in a gloomy mood.

"This is a new low, even for me – captured by my life-long rival and about to be thrown in prison for life. At least I should have been allowed to go to that party!" he grumbled darkly.

"Are you kidding?!" Ristar grinned. "Those Terminians would have torn you apart if they saw you!"

"Besides," Ruki pointed out. "You can throw your own party while you're in jail."

Arupnyn muttered under his breath, "We'll see about that." Ruki chose to ignore him.

"How much time d'we have left, kupo?" whined Montblanc. He had long since devoured the Nu Mou's cornbread and was picking crumbs out of his whiskers in boredom.

"About two minutes," said Suicuna, checking her watch. She was the only one in the group with a time device. Ruki had lost Hyozanryu's Time-Turner while searching for Anpu during the battle for Clock Town.

Krystal was slightly jealous when she found out one of her brothers, Vega, was a Sacred One and was humbled even further when she saw that Tor had gotten a girlfriend while they were separated, but she had taken a new look at Ruki. She liked the new Ruki and was constantly stroking his new, silver hair.

Ruki, meanwhile, didn't notice. He was contemplating the smoky image of Krystal he had seen during the Nu Mou's fireworks. Was there really something between him and her? Did a future exist between them because of Fate? Was Babus behind all this? It would have to wait until later.

As the clock tower struck midnight above them, the stone doors gave a grinding rumble. They then slid slowly open, revealing a twisting hallway with a forest clearing on the other end.

They filed through it and stepped out of a large, hollow oak tree. Once the whole party had cleared the doors, the hollowed oak slid two wooden doors shut behind them. To the naked eye, it appeared that the doors were merely a large scar on the tree. Ruki made a note of where the doors were and surprisingly, so did Arupnyn. The location of one of the gateways to Termina would come in handy to both of them later in life.

Ruki looked around, took a deep breath and let it out.

"Well," he said almost dreamily. "We're back."

From the top of the newly constructed Midgar Tower, President Augustus Shinra watched the party enter the view of a hidden camera in the forest.

He leaned back on his chair and smiled. He had done it! His spy had returned and had brought more of those freaks with him! With his authoritive power, he could now arrest them all for trespassing and concealed communication with Termina.

But his victory was just getting started. He was going to make sure Ruki and Ristar were locked up for threatening his Chief of Staff and for carrying dangerous illegal weapons.

President Shinra spun around on his chair in victory, leaned back again and sighed. Life was good. And it would be grand when his spy got back.

End of Book Two

To be continued in "Ruki Mood in More Mood Mischief"