Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Eight: Beginning of the End

Natsu looked around through narrowed eyes. "What's happened here? Where am I now?"

He was alone…not even Happy was with him. He was in a dark hallway with many marbled pillars and some sort of stone crossbeams above him in the high ceiling. A supernatural light lit the tunnel without giving any evidence of its source or origin. As he considered this, Natsu suddenly sniffed the air and frowned.

"Something stinks…it smells like those arrancar guys…." Suddenly he perceived movement above him, some lithe and agile form dancing from crossbeam to crossbeam over his head. He glared up that way. "Hey! Who's there!? Show yourself!"

And then the figure did, more or less…and not intentionally. A foot slipped on the next crossbeam, and with a comical, cartoonish cry he fell from the great height and crashed into the ground, immediately obscuring himself with a great cloud of dust. As Natsu stared in sullen shock at the sight, the unfortunate man's voice began to emerge from the smoke, trying to imitate some kind of dramatic theme music: "Dun…dun-dun-dun…dun-dun-dun-dun-dun…dun-dun…hey!" And the smoke cleared, showing the man in a strange, dramatic pose, his hands cupped around, one raised and his head turned to the side with closed eyes and a triumphant expression.

He was an adult but relatively youthful man in appearance, with his maturity showing mostly through the thin goatee and mustache he sported. Like all arrancar, he seemed to favor little but white, although his appearance was made unique largely by the frilled ends of his sleeves, the kind associated with old Western clothing. His broken arrancar mask was in the form of a plate covering his forehead. He ceased his pose and pointed an accusing finger at Natsu as the younger man continued staring. "Hey! You! What are you doing? You just sit and stare after witnessing the great Dordoni's grand entrance!?"

"Grand? You just fell on your face…" Natsu muttered.

"You feign composure!?" Dordoni pressed over the top of Natsu's qualification.

"I'm not 'feigning' this 'composure'…."

"Hmph. Fine." Dordoni let his anger go quickly and straightened up. "It seems you have no appreciation for the finer things, but it doesn't matter since you're about to be crushed." He put a hand proudly to his chest. "I am Dordoni Alessandro del Socaccio, faithful arrancar of Homura Nagi and his Majesty, the Obsidian Prince."

Natsu let fire wrap around his hands. "Heh. Fine. I was itching for a good fight of my own, anyway. You don't look that tough, but whatever…."

"Don't look that tough!? How dare you!" Then Dordoni's comical emotional outburst disappeared and he smiled slyly at Natsu. "Don't judge a book by its cover…Niño."

8-8-8

Lucy groaned and sat up. "Ouch…what's with that? A mass-transit spell of some sort?"

She glanced around at her surroundings. A huge chamber, rather bleak-looking, and adorned only by huge white pillars that somehow did not quite stretch all the way to the expansive ceiling far, far above. "What is this? Am I alone?"

"Nope! I'm here!"

Lucy glanced up at the flying blue cat. "Happy, huh…well, considering we're in super dangerous territory, you're less than no help. Anyway…this is a pretty standard tactic the Obsidian Star likes, huh…divide and conquer…."

There was a laugh high above, equal parts melodious and annoying. Lucy looked up fearfully, instantly recognizing what had to be her opponent. It was a woman, in a knee-length, wide-bottomed dress, pure white; no hole was visible, but between this and the white barrette in her hair, it seemed that she was one of those 'arrancar' that had recently bolstered the Obsidian Star's army. Her unique appearance was accented by thigh-high socks and garters, and the two white 'wings' that emerged from the back of her dress. Her shoulder-length, midnight-blue hair framed a face that might have been attractive had it not been gripped with a sneering, hatefully haughty glare. "Well," the woman gloated, pulling at the whip she held in her hands. "This is the toy that I got? How disappointing…that I, Cirucci Sanderwicci, should have to clean up mere trash like you…."

"Oh, no!" Happy cried in distress. "We're all split up, and I got stuck with the weakest possible person!"

"I really don't want to hear that from you," Lucy replied darkly, but quickly turned her attention back to Cirucci, grabbing at her keys hanging at her belt. "No help for it," she muttered. "If I'm by myself, I'll have to do my best, too…as a Fairy Tail wizard!"

8-8-8

And Grey also found himself facing an arrancar foe in a more barren chamber, a man who called himself Gantenbainne Mosqueda. The unique features of this arrancar included darker skin, a huge orange afro, thick sideburns and a goatee, and a white suit with massive frills around his collar and thighs. He also wore a goggle-shaped headpiece for his 'mask', one with no 'lenses' but with a blue star in its center. His weapon consisted of a pair of dual-pronged punch daggers that hung from his wrists via a kind of hinge.

"You're loco, man," the arrancar stated after a brief initial skirmish, where his strength seemed prevalent. "A human, unable to even use sonído…there's no way you can match up to an arrancar…certainly not to me."

"You guys are all the same," Grey retorted, tossing his recently-recovered shirt away and cupping his fist down near his waist. "Always talking big. But don't dismiss me because I use magic instead of spiritual powers like yours. I'm Grey Fullbuster, a mage of Fairy Tail, and I'll be your opponent…."

Gantenbainne surveyed his foe carefully. "What, does stripping release your true power or something? Whatever. We'll let strength decide that, shall we? In the name of God, let us have a fair fight." His punch daggers flipped over to ready position and he set himself, then charged in as Grey prepared his spell….

8-8-8

Mist surrounded her, completely obscuring her vision. Erika whirled around frantically. "Hina! Kain-sensei! Anyone!?"

The mists finally cleared, and her eyes flew open in shock. "T-this is…!"

There was still a dull fogginess in the air, but at least her surroundings were visible…it was her own Sendô grounds, the place that had been her home and prison for most of her life.

"Ah, it's no good, Erika-ojô-sama…there's really no one here but you and me…."

Erika whirled around, calling on her artifact. There was no surprise in seeing her opponent. "Kinue…what is this? Where are we?"

Kinue smiled from behind her spectacles. "This is a sub-space created by our side so we can have our own private little battles. For me, it's a perfect reward…just what I've been waiting for…."

Erika tensed and dipped her posture even more. "…Really? And yet you haven't even drawn your sword yet. After all this time, you're still underestimating me?"

Kinue laughed. "Oh, no, not at all! In fact, just as I said last time, I have a present prepared…to commemorate our final encounter…."

She brought out a new longsword from behind her and drew the curved blade forth. There was an explosion of dark, demonic energy. The aura crested from the sword to surround her. Erika staggered under the force of it and stared at Kinue in shock. "W-what is this…?"

"This is the demon sword Muramasa, the blood-hungering blade," Kinue explained. "Emi-kun found it for me. It is the perfect weapon for one like me, a human who has abandoned her humanity in her lust for violence. You've really come along, Erika-ojô-sama…between your new skills and your artifact, quite honestly, I truly can't match you anymore. But this makes us both monsters…an equal match. Now, we can enjoy our final confrontation. Kill or be killed…it doesn't matter which. So let's make the most of it!"

Wielding her new sword in one hand and the scabbard in the other, Kinue charged in. Erika had naturally realized that Kinue's abilities would be enhanced, but she had not anticipated just how much, and she was unprepared for the attack when it came—nor, even after she managed to block with Beniarashi, the strength that would accompany the attack. Erika was sent flying, crashing into a pillar and disappearing in the midst of the rubble.

"Come now, Erika-ojô-sama!" Kinue cooed as she pursued the girl. "You have to do better than that! Don't even think about holding back or playing the human…only a monster can fight a monster…."

As she came upon the rubble, an explosion met her and repulsed her. Erika emerged, whirling her polearm around in a wide flourish. Her eyes blazed red. "You're right, Kinue-nee-san. This is the final fight…there's no backing out. If I want to reunite with my friends and return to my home…I'll just have to go over your fallen form." And she charged to meet her.

8-8-8

Jade glanced around calmly at the beakers, the whirring computers, the giant churning flasks, the preserved specimens. He pushed at the bridge of his glasses. "Your laboratory is as distasteful as ever, Saphir."

Dist and his chair floated into view. "Mock me as you wish, oh great traitor Jade! I know it's only sour grapes…after all, I have finally accomplished what you never could: perfect Replication! The island of Eldrant, the reborn true land of Orimus, and its greatest soldiers! And this is only the beginning…once the unification of the seven worlds has been completed, the greatest heroes and warriors of the legendary kingdom will be restored to rule over it and the enlightened, chosen human race that remains…."

Jade sighed. "Really, now…I didn't really expect you to be drinking Van Grants' Kool-Aid so heavily. Tell me, was it your decision, then, to have me summoned here when we were scattered by that trap? Was I brought so that you could boast and monologue me to death? It's probably your most lethal ability, after all…."

"Your mockery continues, but it will soon be meaningless!" Dist snapped. "Well, truth be told, not all of your destinations were pre-chosen…I'll commend you for your force, as it was too large to manipulate everyone's destinations. Some were allowed to be scattered rather randomly about the place. But I'm quite glad you came to me, Jade…you're just in time to witness my masterpiece…and as you bask in my hour of triumph, you can apologize for your failures and betrayals on your way to the grave…behold!"

One large apparatus loomed behind Dist, covered by some sort of massive sheet. As the madman made his declaration, he suddenly pulled at the fabric, freeing the apparatus from its cover and revealing its nature: a massive, liquid-filled glass sphere that contained a humanoid figure. Jade's eyes widened in shock and fear as he beheld it. It was a human woman, in general appearance approaching middle-age but quite beautiful, with short, rather unkempt platinum-blond hair and a full-bodied figure. However, a few inhuman features marred her appearance, particularly the one wing that emerged from her back, half-black and half-white, and the similarly-colored feathers that adorned her left arm in patches like armbands.

"It can't be…that's…" Jade whispered. His usual companions would have been shocked by his unusual consternation.

"Yes…the symbol of your failure and your cowardice, Jade Balfour, and the symbol of my triumph and vindication!" Dist howled. "You never did have the heart to dispose of her, did you? But where you failed, I have now succeeded…Professor Nebilim will finally be resurrected!"

"Don't, you fool!" Jade snapped. "No matter her form, that is…!"

"Don't lecture me, coward! Simply stand there and watch!" And Dist snapped out a command, and energy surged out from the floating woman. She shuddered once, and then there was an explosion…the entire vat disappeared in a massive cloud of smoke. It cleared after many long moments…shards of the sphere littered the ground, but while there was steam still mingling with the smoke, there was no sign of the liquid that had filled the orb. There was, however, the woman, eyes now open, floating in the air, her one wing beating in slow, measured movements.

"Ah…Professor…" Dist murmured, overcome by the object rather than the fact of his accomplishment. "You're finally back…you're really here…."

The hovering woman glanced over at him, a face of uncaring contempt on her. There was a flash of energy and Dist was sent flying violently through several of his apparati and smashing into the wall with chamber-shaking force. He did not stir, did not even twitch, as he lay on the ground.

Jade continued staring, stoicism returning to blank his features, with no other reaction to these events. The woman slowly turned her gaze to the silent man. "You," she murmured. "I remember you…the one who first created me…and the one who tried to kill me."

Jade was silent a few moments more before responding. "Yes…I am the one who made that mistake…both of those mistakes. The mistake of creating you in the first place…and then the mistake of failing to utterly destroy you." He reached up and removed his glasses, then stared down with his eyes half-closed as he deposited the spectacles about his person. Then he raised his face again and opened his eyes, and magical power began to flow out of him more strongly, like a floodgate being opened, his eyes seeming the focus of the surge.

"Oooohhh," commented the pseudo-Nebilim with a wry smile. "You've certainly grown and matured from that foolish brat that first gave birth to me. Your magical presence is impressive…you've even used a dangerous technique to enhance your eyes, which comprise one of the most important conduits of magical energy. Yes, you will be an excellent warm-up for me, something to stretch my power against as I prepare to take my rightful place in this world…."

8-8-8

Archer's shield descended and faded away, revealing Tear, Rin, and Mei. They all stood warily and began to look around. Like Jade, they seemed to be in an important laboratory, but rather than the cluttered marks of a dedicated scientist, there was just a single machine that dominated this massive chamber.

Tear looked over it, from side to side, up to its top, beholding tubes and small chambers built into it, the great altar-like table that was up at its head some distance from her. "What…is that…?" she murmured.

"It would seem we caught the lucky straw," Archer commented. "This…seems like the Replication Engine that the colonel was talking about…."

"The spirit is quite correct," stated a voice behind them, and they turned, readying themselves for combat, as Van entered at the opposite side of the room, flanked by Legretta. "This is our Replication Engine…the heart of Eldrant. The Obsidian Palace itself, of course, is still separate from Eldrant in its power source, being governed by the Obsidian Throne and the Crystal Princess, but my own plans require the engine…and, naturally, it must be one of your primary targets. But before our inevitable battle for the fate of the machine, I should ask you once again." He extended a hand towards his sister. "Tear…you and your friends do not need to suffer or be destroyed. You must realize that your efforts to resist the Obsidian Star are fruitless. Even more, they are counter-intuitive. Everything you've ever dreamed of can now be within your grasp. We can create a world without suffering, sickness, hatred, war, disease and decay. I want my precious sister to be a part of that dream…."

"A 'dream' is nothing but a useless fantasy," snapped Rin before Tear could answer. She stepped forward in front of her companion and made a sweeping gesture of denial. "You're completely ignoring the realities behind all of this; the great prodigy Van Grants is too weak to accept the world as it is and instead is out to destroy it. How pathetic. There's no more to be said. We'll crush you and put a stop to this floating phony!"

Van merely chuckled in reply. "Well…little Rin is always so enthusiastic. Don't worry, I have something for you, as well. Won't you show them, Golden King?"

A figure suddenly materialized next to Van, a figure with spiked golden hair, in golden armor. His eyes were red and somewhat mad, with the madness of a man whose superiority leaves other humans appearing as little more than animals and is quite cognizant of the fact. Rin stuttered and stared as ancient memories of the image came to her. "N-no…you are…my father's spirit…Gilgamesh!?"

"It's been ages, little Rin-chan," the spirit cooed. "It's endearing that your fiery personality hasn't changed…but now that you're older, I won't be able to support your insubordinate tongue any longer. Even if you are Tokiomi's daughter, you should not address me so informally. I will allow you the simplified address of 'your Majesty' but that is the limit of my magnanimity."

"Gilgamesh?" Tear asked carefully, glancing back and forth between Rin and the golden figure. "As in, the ancient king of Sumeria on Earth?"

"No," replied Archer. "Although you're not far off the mark. This man, like me, is a Heroic Spirit. He is the reincarnated spirit of the grandson of Aeirla Lavertia Elodian Takiva, Gilgamesh, who was named for the famous Sumerian Hero-King, and who gained equal measures of fame and glory here in Arcanus Myrror, so in effect you could consider him the Myrran equivalent…."

"Far more important to Rin, however, is his reincarnated status," Van suddenly put in. "His Majesty was the Heroic Spirit summoned by Rin's father, Tôsaka Tokiomi. But now he is my partner…and the future ruler of Eldrant. For what better ruler for the restored land than the greatest king it has ever known?"

Mei, observing all of this in fear, ventured to join the conversation for the first time. "But…if you were the spirit of Tôsaka-sama…then the fact that he is dead, but you are still here with Van Grants…that means…that you betrayed him…?"

"Call it betrayal if you like, but I never laid a hand upon him," Gilgamesh returned. "He was simply a man with a trace too much arrogance and not nearly enough imagination…and after Van killed him for the Obsidian Star, I was left without a master to bind me to this world. Luckily, Van had both the magical power and a proper concept of my worth, and I was able to stay thanks to his power. Now, Van has stated his desire that you all live, if possible…but if you will not kneel, then you will die…."

In fright, the girls readied their weapons. Van clucked his tongue. "Come now…your valiance and your dedication are admirable, but at this stage they are mere stupidity at their core. The battle is already all but won. The nations and people for whom you toil are base and debauched…they are hardly worthy of such dedicated service. This is your final chance…cast aside those petty loyalties and contribute to a new and glorious world…."

Rin gritted her teeth grimly. "Sorry about this, Tear…even if it's your brother…for what he did to my father…and through that, to my mother…and for the sake of both worlds…I'm going to defeat him." She readied her staff.

Tear stared grimly at her brother. "No…it's all right, Rin. I understand. I, too…for the sake of these worlds…and because he is my brother…he has to be stopped. I'll still stand with you."

"D-don't count me out!" Mei insisted shrilly. "For the sake of Mahora Academy and my ne-samas…I'll fight too!"

Gilgamesh put a hand to his face and began to chuckle, then to laugh uproariously, throwing his head to the heavens. "Ah, it is too much! The audacity of these wenches! But I can't hate them…they certainly are brave, if fatally stupid. I almost hate to get rid of them…so I'll eliminate them with a minimum of fuss." Suddenly the air behind him sprouted a thousand small magical gates, rather reminiscent of golden whirlpools, and weapons began to emerge from those gates, spears and swords of all shapes and sizes. As they stared wide-eyed at the armaments, the weapons suddenly shot at them with such speed and ferocity that they seemed to transform into bolts of golden light.

They danced backwards, dodging, retreated, deflecting what they could, but every impact was like a small explosion. Finally they dodged the last shot of the initial volley and collapsed together, panting heavily and trying to recover their senses. Smirking, Gilgamesh summoned one huge spear and mentally sent it hurtling down towards the three young ladies….

But Archer was suddenly there, slapping aside the weapon and sending it scattering to the side where it vanished. Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So this mongrel of an unknown, nobody 'heroic spirit' wishes to stand in my way now?"

"I'm sorry to say this, Rin, but as it stands you and your companions have no chance against this foe," Archer said to Rin. "You'd be hard-pressed against Van Grants, as well, but…you can take him, right?"

"R-right," Rin agreed with a grim smile as she began to pick herself up. "I hate to ask you to go alone against a monster like that, but…you can at least delay him for ten…no, five minutes, right?"

"You do not even offer due attention, mongrel?" growled Gilgamesh, his mocking smile turning into a snarl of rage. "Then perish in ignominy now!" Again a thousand swirls opened in the sky, letting the weapons emerge, and they began to rain down towards them….

"W-watch out!" Tear cried in despair.

Suddenly an equal number of weapons appeared in the air around them and met the incoming missiles, neutralizing every single one of them. The whole collection, ally and enemy, stared at Archer as he slowly turned to smile wryly up at Gilgamesh. "Of course…but Rin…is it acceptable if, rather than just delaying this foe, I defeat him instead?"

Rin stared at Archer in shock, her mind racing. Her initial perception had been that Gilgamesh's power was overwhelming, and, while certainly brooking no disrespect for her own spirit or her power in summoning him, she had instinctively felt that none of them had a chance against this foe. He was, after all, the reincarnated spirit of one of Arcanus Myrror's greatest hero-kings, the warlord who had truly knit the world together into the Takiva Empire, and even her own spirit, while certainly skilled and capable, was a warrior of unknown ability who could not measure up. But, she realized as she stared up at the confident, almost eager back of her protector, even supposing that instinctively was a disservice to him. Whatever memories he could or could not recall, this man was a warrior who would not dismiss his own abilities; he would do whatever was required no matter the odds, but regardless of his supposed chances, he would not enter battle, even against a foe such as this, believing that it was impossible for him to win.

Finally a smile stole over her face. "Of course," she agreed easily. "Give that stuck-up king a real good one for us. If you could make it back in time to help us against Van, that would be acceptable, too."

Archer chuckled slightly, then conjured his swords. He then flew into the air to meet the sneering golden king. A sword flashed into existence to block the white-bladed and black-bladed weapons of his white-haired foe as Gilgamesh continued to keep his arms folded.

"So…you will not even deign to wield the blade with your own hands," Archer teased. "That's fine. I may not remember a past and identity as renowned and honored as yours, but I have more than enough to deal with the likes of you." There was a pulse of energy, and a black sphere arose to engulf both spikey-haired spirits…and in an instant it faded, and they were gone.

Van stared after them for a moment, then turned as Rin, Tear and Mei came to their feet and brandished their weapons. He let a low, soft chuckle escape from his throat. "Well…that was surprising. I guess there's nothing else for it. Come, Legretta," he continued, slowly drawing his sword. "Let's teach these young upstarts the folly of their decision…."

8-8-8

Kazumi came up gasping and looked around in fright as she was alone. She also seemed to be on the surface of Eldrant…the Obsidian Palace loomed up above her, and eerily-empty buildings blocked out the sight of any more terrain behind her. She could just make out the lights and sounds of the battles up above, and her gaze turned that way for a moment as her mind couldn't help but ponder the fate of those who were fighting in that chaos.

Then the sound of soft footsteps drew her attention back to the palace. A black-clad figure had emerged from the ominous gates and was now walking down the steps towards her—Arietta, Van's monster-whispering assistant. Her two favorite pets accompanied her. "So one was sent outside," Arietta murmured. "We can't let anyone escape…for Van-sama's sake, I'll crush you." The cat and bird prepared to launch themselves as she extended her raggedy doll.

Fear shot through Kazumi instinctively. She had never been one for fighting, had never taken to combat or the real use of magic, for that matter. But as she had trained so hard to put at least her artifact to use, she knew she could do at least this much. She was alone now, without Kain or Kiami or even Yukari and Kenjirô or anyone to aid her. Well…except for the manifestations of her power, the spirits she could summon. She grasped the orb dangling from her throat. "Come…Ember Spirit!"

A blaze of fire erupted before her, taking form and flashing out into a red-skinned humanoid dressed in a rather flamboyant Arab dress, two scimitars in his hands. He flourished his weapons as Kazumi focused her attention on her opponent. "You won't find it that easy," she declared. "We've been through so much…we're going home now, all of us, back to Earth! Even if we have to go through you!"

8-8-8

A spell from each of them brought Lina and Zelgadis to light upon the ground with ease, but Gourry, as usual, hit heavily despite the relatively short distance. The two wizards looked around with wariness but little concern as Gourry picked himself up. "Where are we?" Lina muttered.

"Well…right where I wanted to be, at least," Zelgadis replied. His dull eyes were almost shining with delight as he glanced around, surveying the laboratory. It was far more organized than Dist's, but it contained an even greater variety of specimens and databanks. "This…it looks familiar…."

"Some of it belonged to my predecessor, Horius," replied a new voice, and they started and whirled around, combat-ready, as Corai literally appeared behind them. "It was rather troublesome to pack together three scientists' worth of materials and notes, but it's the way things go. It's not nearly as troublesome as rats being dumped right in my precious lab…really, couldn't those fools have done a better job with that spell…?"

"You…just who are you, exactly?" Lina demanded. "You're…you look like Horius, but…."

"It may interest you to know that I am Horius," he informed her, "as well as his brothers, Kalovus and Koltas. After all three were killed, they were reborn as a single being—me. So, Zelgadis, you have indeed found what you're looking for—the living person who knows the most about chimeras and similar creations."

Zelgadis readied his sword. "Is that so? Then I don't suppose you'd be willing to share any of that information with us…?"

Corai grinned at him. "Well…you will be free to any knowledge you can find…if you return here." There was another warp in reality that began around Corai and overtook all of them.

"What, another warp spell!?" Lina groaned in disgust.

The warp faded, and they were now on a larger island underneath the main continent of Eldrant. "I apologize," Corai said, "but you can understand that I do not wish that any great battles take place inside my laboratory. Here…no one needs to worry about holding back…."

8-8-8

Kiami touched ground and immediately whipped her cloth around, letting her burden fall out. Akari, Delryn, Kenjirô, Yukari, Miki, Izumi, Riza, Riku, Kaoru, Yue and Nodoka all collapsed onto the ground. "Urk," Yue muttered. "Thank you, Kiami-san…."

"Nice job grabbing so many of us," Kenjirô pointed out. "So…where are we?"

"It seems like we're still inside the palace," Kiami replied. "I'd say…likely fifty floors or so up. Still a long way to go, but I think we are a bit fortunate…I assume our other colleagues were taken to battles…."

"Still, isn't this about the worst possible situation?" Miki demanded. "The whole idea was to move as a group so that we could protect ourselves better, but now we've been split up…and we've actually been thrown ahead! Even though our information on traps was supposed to be fool-proof! Obviously, now, we should wait for more of our companions, especially Kain-sensei, or at least go find them…."

"You're only saying that because you're worried about your own skin," Riku snapped in disgust. "We knew already that this was going to be a dangerous situation."

"That's right," Delryn agreed. "This is actually an opportunity. We should get an automatic win if we can reach the top and rescue Mai. Now…we're in prime position to do that. Nodoka…do you still have the information on this place?"

"Y-yes!" Nodoka replied, opening her book again. "But, as we saw, it might not be reliable…."

"They had one large trap prepared, but I doubt our enemies could have changed much more on such short notice, not with how major that last one was," Kiami pointed out. "From this stage, it should be completely reliable. Now…you guys need to get going."

"That's right," Akari agreed as Obsidian soldiers began to fill the large hallway and move towards them. She slammed her fists together and assumed a ready stance. "The fighters can stay and deal with these…Yukari-chan, you have the good stealth artifact, right? Take everyone else and go to Mai-buchô!"

Delryn drew his sword. "Kenji, you go with them and keep them safe just in case. These two ladies and I will take care of this."

"It's a deal," Kenjirô replied, taking Yukari's hand and then Riza's. "Yukari, it's on you…you know what to do, right?"

"Y-yeah," Yukari agreed as she turned to watch the group form up, Riza grabbing Miki's hand, who grabbed Izumi's hand, who took Kaoru's hand, who took Riku's hand, who took Yue's hand, who took Nodoka's hand. Then she manifested her artifact from her card and pushed the mask around her face. The entire line of connected humans vanished as Kiami, Akari and Delryn threw themselves into battle.

8-8-8

Back inside the Governor-General's palace, the sounds of the battle outside could still be plainly heard. She seemed undaunted, but every terrible sound and even more significant tremor that she alone felt deep inside resonated chillingly in Mashiro's heart as Fumi wheeled her back down the hall of the infirmary.

The maid stopped in front of Nina's room, and, with no one watching in the eerily deserted hallway, Mashiro suddenly rose from the wheelchair and, opening the door, entered the room herself. Nina lay as still and silent as ever, and Sargon was still in the room sleeping in his chair as it sat against the far wall. Mashiro approached the sleeping young HiME and looked down at her kindly. "Awaken," she intoned softly.

Nina's eyes opened immediately, not with a gradual flutter, nor yet with a sudden start, but without hurry or delay, and she sat up in much the same manner. She turned to stare at Mashiro. "Miss Mashiro…what is going on? I remember taking that attack…am I alive, or dead?"

"The answer to that question is equally both, and neither," Mashiro replied. "Which is why you fall under my jurisdiction now. You will come to understand. Normally I would not interfere in situations like this, but the fates of countless lives are at stake. You can be of help." She raised a fist and opened her hand, revealing two shining blue-green GEMs. "There is no time to explain, so I will cut right to the chase: I am giving you an opportunity to aid against the Obsidian Star. Take this GEM, the Neptune Aquamarine, and I will send you directly into the battle. Will you go and save your friends?"

Nina stared at Mashiro, then down at them, then glanced back at her sleeping father. Finally she returned her gaze to the child-president. "Yes," she replied, taking the GEM. Instinctively, knowing somehow that it would be so, she put the small stone in the empty socket by her earring, the socket that should have been—but wasn't—filled with her temporary Pearl. She leveled a serious stare, her eyes narrowing and finally coming fully alive as Mashiro added the gem to her unique signet ring. "I understand, Mashiro-sama. I will serve you in this. For my father, my kingdom…and my friends."

F I N

Author's Note: Transition

It is, I admit, a rather weird stopping point for an Act, but the usual end-chapter meaningless character comments like Eminus saying 'I'm waiting for you, Kain' have all already been done, and I don't feel like repeating them. This is as good a way to finish it as any. The battle have started…they continue, and conclude, next Act. So let's go ahead and move forward!