Blades clashed over a scenic mountain backdrop. Blue blade clashed against yellow, lightning seemed to spark from the two men in their heated battle. Zero jumped over Megaman and spun around to strike, Megaman noticed this move and slid under Zero as he jumped and hit him in the back.

"Ah!...Very good eye Megaman."

"Thank you." Megaman said as their blades clashed again. Lan watched on, absorbed in the battle. Again the swords clashed as now Megaman jumped over Zero, but this move ended in a twist. Megaman, as he jumped, slammed his sword downward in midair, the blade, along with its master, soared downward and crashed into its opponents arm, which was now upward in defense.

Zero staggered after taking the blow, "Very nice shot Megaman. I didn't know you where that well versed in sword fighting."

"…Trust me, *pant*, I, *pant*, have done it a lot." Megaman heaved.

"…How odd…when I fight you, I can see some of Master Dark's movements come out from your strategy….only yours is…lees refined."

"…Well then, I shall refine my skills on YOU!"

Megaman dived again and the swords clashed. Zero laughed as sparks flew from the two men's blades. Zero ran at Megaman at full force, and was hit. Megaman jumped over Zero, landed his back facing Zero, put his sword blade to his back, and back dashed into Zero's chest.

Zero gasped, his gaze shattered, his eyes widened and quivered. Never before had he been beaten in a sword battle, and now he had. Zero gasped in pain as the blade was removed from his chest, and he fell to his knees panting and clutching to wound. Megaman stood over him proudly; Zero rose to kneeling on one knee, with great pain and effort of course.

"I-I can't b-believe I-It…no one h-has ever b-beaten me…."

"Well, I guess I'm the first."

"……if you can b-beat m-me…then y-you will d-destroy the others e-easily…but be warned…Master D-Dark is much strong-ger than that of his last encounter with y-you…."

"I think I can handle myself quite well thank you." Megaman said looking at Zero heroically.

"……y-you know…when I was first brought back by Dr. McCloud, i-I wanted to find y-you…to fight with you aginst D-Dark…b-but…I follow a code…it says that I must f-follow the o-ones who s-save m-me…s-so I flowed D-Dr. McCloud….i am truly sorry I was to miss my chance to fight by your side…"

"Zero…"

"Go…take the key…save your friends….and….give D-Dark a good ass whopping for me.

"Z-Zero…if you could still fight…I would be honored to have you fight with me…" Megaman said putting his hand out for Zero to pull himself up with.

"…N-no…I-I would s-slow you d-down….g-go…."

Megaman stood there a moment and looked at Lan. His face was covered with a worried look, now that he knew that Zero wasn't evil, he didn't want to kill him, in fact he wanted to save him.

"L-Lan…" Megaman stuttered still fixing his gaze on the blonde haired navi below him.

"Yeah?"

"Send me a Full Heal chip…"

"….Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Ok. Sending Full Heal Chip in 5…4…3…2…1…"

Megaman's right arm turned to a blinding white light. If he touched himself he would be healed completely. Megaman smiled and looked at Zero.

"Do you wish to help me kill Dark?"

"….Y-Yes….if i-I may…."

"Alright then…"

Megaman touched Zero's chest. The blinding light engulfed Zero. Zero's form stood and his arm became an even longer sword. The light disappeared, the cuts, dirt, bruises, all the marks of battle present and past left his body and he smiled at Megaman.

"Thank you."

"Welcome. Now come on, we have to find Chaud and the second and third keys"

"As you wish, my life now belongs to you."

-------------------------CHAUD PROTOMAN DR. HIKARI AND CRYSTALMAN-----------------------------

Crystalman laughed as two large black crystals floated around him. Protoman readied to be hit by one of the revolving crystals; however the crystals ascended into the air. The two crystals seemed to merge together and fell onto Crystalman's body, then they merged into him, making him ten times the size and power he was before.

Protoman knew that this battle would be a little bit of a sweat. He ran forward to Crystalman, who seemed to shimmer, Protoman fell right threw the body of his opponent.

"WHAT!"

Crystalman laughed and reappeared behind Protoman. Then Crystalman ran at Protoman with two long shards of pointed crystal for arms. Protoman used his blade to block the first one; however the second hit him, and hit him hard.

Protoman was struck and staggered forward before being struck again by Crystalman's enormous sword hands. Protoman lifted his blade and sliced, unable to see, and cut Crystalman's left arm off. Protoman jumped up in triumph; however it was to be short lived.

Crystalman smiled as his arm re-grew from the crystal attached to his body, and the small dots along the floor. Protoman's face fell from its smile. He knew that he couldn't beat a navi that regenerated that fast.

Just then a red figure slashed as a large yellow ball of energy crashed into Crystalman. Protoman looked around to see Megaman and the new ally Zero.

"What took you so long Megaman?" asked Protoman to his friend

"Sorry, but I had problems of my own."

"Hey! You two get the Key of the Moon, I'll fend off Crystalman until you jack out. Then I'll follow you." Zero said

"Are you sure!?" Megaman yelled back as Zero ran toward Crystalman.

"GO!"

Megaman jumped onto a tall ledge and slid down it to the resting place of the key. Grabbed the key, turned, jumped back to Protoman, repaired him, and then they both jacked out.

"ZERO! THER'RE CLEAR!" Lan yelled into the cyber world.

"Roger! Jacking Out!"

And Zero dissipated from the field as a volley of crystal shards where thrown at his form.

Zero was gone, and he now stood by Megaman in his PET.

(AUTHORS NOTE: I know that they would need a PET or Sub PET for Zero, but it's my story I shall change it a slight bit. NOW ON WITH THE SHOW)

Lan looked at Dr. Hikari and Chaud and smiled. Megaman, Zero, Protoman, Chaud, Lan, and Dr. Hikari. So far they had a good team to fight for the last key. But who would they fight next?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dark stood from his throne in anger and tossed a vase at the wall, squarely missing Bass's head. Bass, and all the other navi's, where now in the real world standing by there master and scolwing at the large monitor where they had watched Zero and Crystalman.

"I can't believe he turned on us…" Bass said

"I can." Said Sunman.

"As can I." said Orderman. Chaosman, Orderman's twin and opposite, grunted and mumbled something that sounded like, "I never trusted him anyway."

Ebony and Ivory opened the door and bowed to Dark.

"Shall we begin Operation X?"

"Yes." Dark said as he ascended the stair behind his throne. "No one passes this throne."