Merry Christmas, everyone! I've been working extra hard on this chapter so that you all could have it as a Christmas present. It's an extra, extra long chapter (longest one I've ever written!), but it's also one that I've decided ends Arc 1 of this story. Arc 2 will start within the next month or so, so Mirror's Shadow is far from over.

Well, that's it, I guess. Well, I suppose I probably ought to say this - have tissues on hand. This is bound to be a tear-jerking chapter.


Chapter 9: Shattered Hearts and Broken Minds (Lyra's POV)

I rolled over and felt my arm smack into something hard, making me open my eyes to see Callen and Maya curled up in cots next to mine. Sitting up, my hair fell down from its tousled position on top of my head, making me shake my head to get it out of my face. I ran a hand through it, wincing at some of the tangles my hand tore through. I glanced at the blanket covering me and then looked up to see Frank, bent over one of the desks, fast asleep. He must've put Kit and me in the cots last night. But the others…

"They came following their nightmares," Akeona explained gently, stretching from her position next to me. The other Advent Beasts were stirring too, their mouths and beaks opening in yawns. They were stretched out against their Riders like Akeona had been. Akeona glanced around before leaping down, bending forward to stretch out her front legs. "Ahh…That feels good." Her silver eyes looked up at me worriedly, and she frowned, her wide eyes concerned as she looked at me. "Hyliex, Goldenheart, y'all! Wake up and come with me." Before I could protest, the Advent Beasts had leapt off the beds, all of them rushing out of the room like there was a fire. I blinked once before sighing, lying back down in the cot and pulling the blanket around me again.

An arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I leaned into my brother's warm embrace. "Hey, sis," he whispered softly, his gray-blue eyes still tinged with the pain of losing a teammate. I glanced up at him and kissed his cheek, earning one on the head in reply.

"Salve, frater," I whispered back.

He chuckled lightly. "I'm assuming that means, 'Hey, brother.'"

"Something like that," I answered, hugging him and pulling him close. Leaning in, I whispered in his ear, "If you want to get into specifics, it means 'Hello, brother,' not 'hey.'" I practically heard his eyeballs roll, and he chuckled into my hair.

"Whatever." Kit's head raised, and he looked around, frowning when he realized there were no Advent Beasts in sight. "Where are the Beasts today?"

I shrugged, giving a concerned frown as I thought of how the Beasts had run out so fast just moments earlier. "I have no clue, to be honest. Akeona woke up with me and then rounded up all the others to go do something. Void only knows what."

"With your Advent Beast, who knows." I smacked him for that. "HEY!" he yelped, making a few of the others stir. Ignoring that, he smacked me back. "Don't Gibbs me!"

"Then don't bad-mouth Akeona!" I fired back.

"Guys, it's not even nine yet. Give us another few hours before you two start arguing over something pointless," Callen grumbled, raising his head long enough to give us a cold, agitated look. Kit and I exchanged a glance before smacking him too. "Hey, cut it out!" He bolted upright, getting tangled in the blankets in the process and making Kit and I break out laughing. With the blanket wrapped this way and that around him, Callen looked like dog that had had a sweater or jacket put on the wrong way.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!" All heads turned at that, even those of us who had only been woken moments earlier by Kit's yelp. We all jumped to our feet to help our Advent Beasts with the plates and trays they were all cautiously carrying, our jaws dropping as we inhaled the delicious scent of homemade food. The Advent Beasts stubbornly smacked us away with tails and paws, pushing us back onto the cots. The trays were placed in the middle of the circle while individual plates were put on our laps. Then, Akeona leapt up to sit next to me, her eyes pleased as she placed utensils on the plate with her claws. "You might want to eat that before it goes cold," she commented dryly, her eyes sparkling with pride.

"How did you all do this?" Drake gasped, his eyes wide as he took in all the food that the Advent Beasts had brought. Mine were just as wide, and everyone else suddenly looked ravenous.

"Got a little help from your interns, Lyra, Maya," Hyliex answered, eyeing Chris' growing plate. Chris rubbed his head before whispering something in his ear. Whatever it was made Hyliex back off, though his eyes were still eager as ever.

"Mostly with the stove and oven, though. We made everything else by ourselves," Goldenheart bragged, her voice reeking of pride. Kit laughed, hesitantly tasting the eggs. His eyes widened, and he balked, staring at the Advent Beasts and all of us. We all froze, not liking the look on his face.

Then, "How did you make this taste so good?" We jumped, and Goldenheart let out a satisfied yowl.

"YES! THEY LIKE IT, GUYS! GET SOME FOR FRANK!" At that, my poor godfather about had a heart attack. Startled into awareness by the sudden commotion, Frank crashed out of the chair he'd been asleep in. We all winced sympathetically, and the Advent Beasts cowered under the cots, shaking as they looked up to us for protection.

"What, for Void and heaven's sake, Goldenheart, are you screeching about at this time of morning?" Frank's voice was tired, and the golden Advent Beast was quite literally kicked out from under the cot by my brother. She turned around long enough to nip him on the ankle before slowly approaching the Karshian.

"Heh…Heh…Uh, breakfast?"

For one long moment, Frank stared at the Advent Beast, his face an unreadable mask. The words he spoke next made us all face-plant.

"Thank heaven. I was afraid you all had burnt the Base down trying to make it."


(Kit's POV)

"I still can't believe he's gone." The words weren't directed at anyone, but Goldenheart still made it her duty to come and sit with me. The light atmosphere that the Advent Beasts had managed to create had been great at first, but then the overwhelming fact that the war was being lost took over, depressing me to the point that I couldn't stay with the others. I'd quietly excused myself, heading out to the top of the nearest tree for a climb, thinking about how it should've been my sister playing the Mary Sue.

"I know." My Advent Beast gave me a concerned look before settling herself into a more comfortable position, her paws crossed like a dog's. She set her muzzle in my lap, her golden eyes staring up at me. "He reminded you of Nolan, always ready to pick you up when you fell. A lot like Len and Callen, really."

That was exactly what made it hurt so much. "Yeah."

"Thought you might be up here." I shifted and saw that Callen had climbed his way up and was standing behind us, his arms and legs crossed. He sat down behind me, only a few feet away, and held up an arm. "Come here, rookie."

I gave him a glower, but if I had to be honest, I didn't mean it. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Callen."

"Humor me." Another glower. Then I resigned, moving over and leaning into his embrace. He wrapped both his arms around me, and for a brief moment, I had a flashback of when I was little and did this for comfort, for security. "You always used to do this after a bad battle, y'know." I questioningly stared up at my cousin, and he nodded. "Yep. Somehow, you always found the highest tree you could climb, and when I came up, you'd always say that you weren't a little kid anymore. I always had to tell you to humor me before you'd actually show what you were feeling." His voice was gentle, full of mirth that had long since been left behind courtesy of the war.

"Yeah," I answered softly, the wind rustling our hair as it brushed by. "I remember…after mom…and dad…"

"You and Lyra both clung to me for this then," Callen agreed. "Took forever for Frank to convince you to go for your safety."

I sighed, suddenly feeling like a little kid crying out for Mommy again. "I can't stand this! Why-Why does this have to happen? All being a Rider has ever gotten me is pain and more pain! When will it end?"

Callen squeezed me tight, resting his head on top of my chin. "I don't know, bud. You'd asked me a month or two ago, I could've given you a rough estimate. Now, I have no clue." He pulled me away to look at me like Dad had one too many times, and I could tell that he was reading me like a book, no matter what I did to hide what I was feeling. "But I'm not gonna let you lose anyone else."

And that was when all hell broke loose.


A bullet grazed my shoulder, making me swear in pain. Callen leapt to his feet, his body tensing as his eyes scanned the area to detect the attacker. He took a bullet to the shoulder and fell back off the tree, making Goldenheart screech as she flew downwards, grabbing him and protecting him, pulling him into the safety of the Base. I leapt into the air, unfolding my wings and speaking into my Gauntlet. "Guys, I'm under attack! Callen's down, and I need backup, quick!"

"On our way!" Lyra promised.

I raised my arm, feeling the Gauntlet form on it. "Kamen Rider, Equip!" I hollered, swooping down to land on Goldenheart's back. She let out a loud battle-caw, her eyes blazing as she bit into the mirror monsters that were suddenly swarming towards the pair of us. A loud wail from the siren and the blazing red lights of the dome made my heart leap into my throat. The city had been fatally breached.

"Change of plans!" I howled into the Gauntlet, forcing Goldenheart up into the air. I leaned forward, holding on tight to her neck with one hand as I barked orders. "Get to the breach! We need to stop this at the source!"

"Kit, we can't!" Chris yowled, his voice panicked and desperate in his response. "We're slammed! You're on your own this time!"

"What about Lyra and Maya?" I demanded, voice rising in pitch. If something had happened to them, I would be devastated. No, make that suicidal. I'd go after Alexis myself, screw the consequences.

"Infirmary," Drake answered nervously. "They said there are too many wounded for them to not be down there!"

"Sonuvabitch!" I snarled, fighting to keep my own panic out of my voice. Dammit, damn it! I need help! And of the course the portal isn't open and-AGHHH! SHIT!

"Kit, hurry! Kerathyle and Akeona are at the entrance, but they need backup! Time to hit the Survive!"

"Don't have much of a choice, do I?" I inquired, slashing the Survive Card through my Gauntlet. It vanished, and the golden light that wrapped around me gave me more strength than before. Goldenheart let out a vicious snarl.

"You do, but I'm not too sure we have the time to go into those fine little details at this moment." Goldenheart's voice was bitter, making me bite down on my lip. Crap. She was in a foul mood already, and it would more than likely only get worse as the battle wore on. I decided against responding, instead urging her on to continue heading toward the battle site. As we reached it, I realized that if I could have ever chosen to wipe the memories from my time as a Rider at any time, this would've been the time.

Bodies were strewn across the ground, and I had to fight back the urge to retch. Goldenheart let out a soft whimper, and then her eyes caught sight of Akeona, lying on the ground under the ambush of mirror monsters and the Cho brothers. At the sight of her friend, Goldenheart let out an infuriated shriek of indignation, swooping down without alerting me. I clung tight as she snarled into my head, "Lemme Vent them, Kit! Lemme Vent them!"

Goldenheart, no! Not in cold blood!

"All right, fine, then. Guess I'm on my own, coward." Those words stung, and before I could protest, she whirled in midair, throwing me off and onto the ground. I flew out of Survive Mode from the impact, and my armor flickered away before I could summon it back. I clutched my head, shaking it to try and rid it of the pain that Goldenheart had shot into it. Damn it. I hadn't known that she could retract my armor.

"GOLDENHEART, STOP!" I screamed, wincing from the pain that washed through our bond as she was injured, her wing getting torn with a sword. "LET ME HELP! GIVE ME BACK THE ARMOR!"

"NO! You won't let me Vent them!"

Because you aren't in the right mindset, Golden! Please, stop! You're going to get us both killed!

"…Then get your ass on my back. I won't hold back on the attacks if you refuse." I hesitated, and my Advent Beast met my worried gaze, her eyes softening as she looked me over. "Come on, Kit. Transform."

I complied, and she held up her end of the deal, easing off and allowing me to fight some. My sword clashed with Danny's, and I spun it around, locking it with Albert's as well. I kicked the two other blades, whipping around to summon my secondary sword. I strengthened my block with it, but blows to my back made me stumble, nearly losing my balance as my arms flailed.

Goldenheart let out an anxious squeak, flying downwards only to get stopped by Albert's Zburator, Icthiale. She lashed out with her back paws, boxing her on the head. The wolf-dragon howled, lashing out and biting into Goldenheart's tale. My Advent Beast whimpered, and she bit down on the ear of the other Advent Beast, streaking her claws down the Zburator's face. Ichtiale responded bitterly to that, using her long tail to wrap around my cynogriffon's throat, choking her and me. Desperate for air, Goldenheart went for the eyes, making Albert scream in pain as he stumbled backwards, hands flying to his face.

"Albert!" Danny screeched, his voice panicky as he rushed toward his brother. The elder of the two brothers held the younger up, his armor fading away so he could glower at me. "You'll pay for this, Taylor! Arkon, Ichtiale! Destroy him and his Advent Beast, and take out the shields!"

"No!" I managed to get out, fighting for air around the chokehold I was in, thanks to a mirror monster that had made it onto her back. I sent my elbow backwards and managed to loosen the grip, but I nearly collapsed from the sudden pain that tore through my bond with Goldenheart, falling backwards despite my attempts to tighten my grip on the cynogriffon. She let out an agonizing screech of pure, undiluted pain and crumpled to ground, making me curl up into myself. No, not now. My team – they need me! No!

Abruptly, pain shot through the Advent Bond, and it nearly tore me in half as I realized who it was coming from. CALLEN! NO!

"Kit." His voice was wet and choked, and his armor was flickering on and off. "Get outta here, now!" Callen was protectively standing over me, his sword blocking one of the blows that had been thrown at me by Arkon. Ichtiale's blow had gotten his back, though, and it didn't take a surgeon to tell that the damage had been done.

"Callen," I whispered, my voice horrified and my eyes wide. I sounded like a scared little boy again, but I didn't care. My cousin – my brother – was fatally wounded. I looked up to see that Ichtiale and Arkon were coming in for another round of attacks and lashed out violently with Light, destroying every mirror monster within a one-hundred mile radius and badly wounding the two enemy Advent Beasts. They quickly escaped, leaving me with Callen and his heart-broken Advent Beast.

I rolled out from under him, my armor snapping away at my command as I caught Callen. His armor vanished, letting me see that he was, indeed, badly injured. But what tore at me was the fact that it looked like several of the vertebrae in his neck had been hurt, possibly broken – and what was worse was the fact that it looked like it was one, two, and three.

One, two, three is the end of me. Frank had always told us that during training.

"No," I whimpered, feeling my body shake with sobs. Callen let out a sharp yelp all of a sudden, and I stared down at his face, even more scared than before when he looked up, his dark eyes terrified.

"My legs," he whispered weakly, "I can't feel them."

Then the damage isn't just at one, two, and three. It has to be at T1 and below too! NO!

"It's fine," I lied, my voice thick as I tried to keep from completely breaking down. "You're gonna be fine." The look he gave me told me that he'd seen straight through my fib, though and his next words confirmed it, breaking my heart and tearing me in two.

"Don't tell me that crap, Kit. We both –" He was about to say something else when he rolled over weakly, coughing hard. When his hand came away, it was soaked in fresh blood. Terror ran through me like a knife, and I swallowed hard to fight back more tears. Eventually, the coughing stopped, and Callen slumped weakly in my arms, his breathing ragged as he tried to regain his composure. It was far too late for that, though. Tylan was whimpering as his bond with his Rider faded, meaning he was in the last few minutes. I was confused as to why the Advent Beast wasn't fading, but then I saw that the Gauntlet itself hadn't been damaged at all. The damage had been done to Callen and Callen alone.

Dark eyes stared up at me dully, and Callen wrapped one of his hands around my wrist, clinging tightly to it. "Promise me one thing, Kit," he whispered, his breathing getting weaker by the moment. I brushed his hair out of his face, nodding frantically in an attempt to calm myself and him. "When you get to Ventarra – and don't, don't you dare say you won't, Kit Marcus Taylor – give the Gauntlet to Len. It'll respond to him, right, Tylan?"

"Yes," the peryton sobbed, agreeing to his Rider's demand. "But only because he's the only other one I would ever think to choose as my Rider."

"Then give him it, Kit," Callen rasped, letting out a shuddering breath. "Swear it; swear it on your Gauntlet."

"Callen, no, anything but that. Len will never, ever be able to take your place," I begged, tears streaking my face as they broke right through my guise.

"Kit, please," Callen pleaded, and I couldn't refuse. I nodded sadly, and he continued. "Promise me one other thing, too."

"What?"

"Don't mourn me for long. The team needs you as the strength, the heart of it. Don't let them down. We both know Earth's fate already, even though I know you don't want to admit it to yourself yet. Don't let Ventarra fall to the same one," Callen answered, one hand rising to turn my head so I was looking him in the eyes.

"I promise." My voice was shaky and weak, but I wasn't ashamed of it. I thought – no, I knew I had the right to be upset. My cousin smiled weakly, letting his head fall back to rest against my shoulder.

"My only regret is that I can't say goodbye to the others. Kit, tell them, will you?" He didn't wait for an answer, continuing before I could reply. "I love you, my brother. Take care of yourself."

Then, the dark eyes lost their light, closing for the last time.


Tylan's howl tore through the darkening sky, and I buried my face in my cousin's hair, taking comfort in the fact that I knew he was better off wherever he was now. I looked up to the sky, and one sole thought ran through my mind. Vic, I know you're up there, watching us. Take Callen under your wing again, please. After that, I glanced at Tylan, who was curling up against Goldenheart. He'd shrunken himself to about the size of an eight-week old puppy, and Goldenheart had wrapped the wing that wasn't shredded around him.

I watched the two Advent Beasts for one long moment before reaching for Callen's wrist. The Prism Gauntlet fell easily into my hand, the light fading from its Gem. Tylan looked up, slowly moving from Goldenheart's side to leap at the Gauntlet, vanishing as he became one with the Gem again, waiting for the time when I would give Len the Gauntlet. I stood up, and I actually looked around at my surroundings, taking in the destruction that had occurred.

The whole area was completely trashed, and I realized that I was having trouble getting in a decent breath. The oxygen levels…..they're depleted, shit….Wait a second, why haven't I heard from anyone? The moment that thought, once a whisper, rose to the forefronts of my mind, I went rigid, whipping my Gauntlet up to my mouth. "GUYS! Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that," Chris growled over the line. "Drake and I are fine and so is Maya. Lyra's injured, but Akeona's come back and is covering her while she healed herself."

"Yeah, I'll be fine, bro, don't worry," Lyra interjected, her voice a stern warning to Chris.

"Are you all right?" Drake's voice was so quiet, so worried and yet calm at the same time, that I fell silent. The others were hiding the fact that they were hurt by Cal's death. They knew about it. They'd felt it through the Advent Bond. But Drake wasn't going to let that go.

"I'll heal,"was my response. "With time," I added. "But for now, we need to regroup. Meet in the Commons, twenty minutes," I ordered, my voice cold and no-nonsense.

"I'm coming too." Dad must've tapped into the communication link. Before I could answer, I heard the links cut off, and I clambered onto Goldenheart, taking one last glance at Callen's body. Later, I promised myself. I will come back for him.

"Yes, we will, Kit. We will."

If only I'd known I would never get the chance to honor that promise.


I let out a sharp, indignant, "Ooomph!" as I landed, winded thanks to the fact that Goldenheart had seen fit to hold me in her front paws to drop me right outside the Commons. I rolled, glowering up at the cynogriffon before throwing myself over the wall. Chris and Drake were already there, but the girls hadn't made it yet. I had to fight the urge to frown worriedly when I saw the state of my two teammates. Chris' uniform was torn at the left shoulder, lower right arm, left shin, and left side of his stomach, and I could see blood seeping through most of those cuts. Drake had a gash going the length of one of his arms, and though it might not have been deep, it certainly had bled a lot. He also had a black eye and several other cuts, along with Chris.

"Damage report?" I inquired hesitantly, almost wishing I could Vent myself instead of hearing it. The looks I received only added to that wish.

"North side's totaled. The damage to the dome is too severe," Drake explained quietly, his voice somber and grave. "Evacuation has begun, but I have the feeling that won't be enough."

"The south side's in the same state," Chris added anxiously. "Which means we have two ends that are open and vulnerable to attack."

"Not just two. Three." The exhaustion that I had felt for some time from using the Survive Mode swept over me so fast that I saw black for a moment before hearing my teammates' yelps. Chris grabbed me, holding tight to me so that I didn't fall. Pulling away from him, I let myself collapse on the ground, using Spirit to boost my energy, even if it was only a little bit. As Chris steadied me, sitting next to me with a hand on my shoulder, Drake spoke up.

"What do you mean three?"

I wearily turned my gaze to him. "West side's down."

Two sets of eyes widened, and Chris did a damn good job of summing it up in less than five words. "Well shit."

"KIT!" I turned and was pummeled by my sister as she threw herself at me, one arm wrapping around my neck, the other in my hair. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close as I buried my face in her hair. "Thank heavens, you're okay! I was so worried after…." She didn't need to say another word. We all knew what she was talking about. I felt another set of arms gently wrap around me, and I looked up to see Maya, her worried eyes relaxing slightly when she saw that it was really me.

"Are you guys okay?" Dad jumped over the wall of the Commons, his eyes worried as he looked each of us over. Maya and Lyra pulled away from me, turning to sit on either side of me. I exchanged glances with everyone, and then Lyra answered.

"As good as we can be."

Another long look came from Dad, and then he sat down, knowing that he wasn't going to get anymore information out of a single one of us. "The city's collapsing. I think we've all figured that out." Painful glances were exchanged at that, but Dad mowed right on. "The only way any one is going to survive is if we finish the portal opener. Drake, Kit, I need you to come with me to do tha-"

"You're wrong!" I protested stubbornly, Callen's words ringing in my mind. "There must be other ways!"

"Kit, we've tried everything else. I don't like it, but there's no other choice." I looked away, grinding my teeth. I'd pick this argument up later. There wasn't time to waste now. "The rest of you need to pack. I'm sending you guys through as soon as the machine is up and running."

"What about you?" Maya asked, voicing the group's thoughts.

"I'll be right behind you," Frank reassured her, and though I relaxed outwardly, inwardly I felt my stomach clench. He wasn't telling everything. "Kit, Drake, come on." Drake went without hesitation, and I followed seconds later.

In only a few minutes, we'd reached the garage, and I was startled to see that the Air Cycles were gone. "Dad, where are the Cycles?"

"Being used by soldiers, Kit. Right now they need them more than you guys." It was an evasive answer, and it was one I didn't like. Dad definitely wasn't telling me something, and my gut told me that it wasn't a good thing he was hiding either. "Now, concentrate Light into your hands." We'd reached the machine, and Drake and I were standing on either side, listening intently so we wouldn't mess it up. "Then, once you've done that, place both your hands on the circle panels. Those will absorb the element, and it should power up in half an hour or so."

"All right," I answered. "But then we're going to have a talk."


(Frank's POV)

"All right," Kit stated, his voice cool and annoyed. "But then we're going to have a talk." Shit.

I walked out, leaving the two to do their work. I sighed, rubbing my forehead with my first two fingers. I looked up at the ceiling, noting that the oxygen levels were lowering. Sirens were wailing throughout Aldous, and I thought back to what Michelle and I had found out only an hour earlier.

I walked around to the desk, my eyes begging the screen to tell me something else. "No, Michelle, no. It can't be."

The No-Man sighed, her uniform crinkled and her makeup running as she brushed some more tears off her face. Her eyes were dull, pained, and hopeless as she answered. "I wish it were, Frank," she whispered, her voice still raspy from the crying she had done earlier."But it's true."

I stared at the screen of the large computer, redoing all the calculations in my mind to make sure that they were correct. I let out a loud moan, holding my head in my hands and shaking it when it came up that they were. If the calculations were correct – and, unfortunately, it looked like they were – then the city of Aldous was doomed to destruction in less than five hours. The damage done to the dome was too severe. Already the lack of oxygen was sending many to the Infirmary, and Lyra and Maya were struggling to find enough oxygen tanks to help those who needed the help. "Dammit," I swore softly, a tear running down my face. "Damn. It. Isn't there some way to save the people?"

"Unless that machine of yours can suddenly transport over five thousand people to Ventarra, then no," Phillips responded, his voice cold and hard, making me have to fight the urge to punch the man in the face. "And even if you do get the Riders out, how are you going to get Ventarra the information?" Okay, honestly, I really could've punched him for that. He was being so damned impudent that nothing was going to get done if he kept this up. I glowered at him, but Michelle was already answering his question, her voice full of forced calm.

"He will through this." Michelle had started typing furiously on the computer, and she turned to give me a box that she had just unhooked from the computer. "This has all the information that the Ventarrans will need. Take it to Ventarra."

"I will." There was a long silence between the three of us, and then, finally, I spoke again. "I guess I'd better go get Kit and Drake to do their stuff." Michelle stepped forward, wrapping her arms around me for one long moment.

"Frank, be careful." Her voice was soft and motherly, making me remember that her daughter had died when Xaviax had first attacked Earth. I returned the hug, whispering in her ear.

"I will be. But my choice has been made." I pulled away and saluted to Phillips, earning the same response from him. Then, I turned around, walking out. I had one last job to do.

I sighed, shaking my head. Saying goodbye had always been hard. But now, it would be even harder, especially since I didn't plan on doing it until the last possible moment.


(Hayley's POV)

Alexis had the bomb in the city. She'd placed it there during the last raid, and it was apparent that the city was preparing for its fall. Once the bomb was off, it didn't matter what any of the Riders did – everyone would die. Problem was that if we didn't get out and off this planet, so would we. "How do you plan on getting us out, Master?" I asked softly, looking at the other female of the team.

She lackadaisically tossed the remote for the bomb from hand to hand. "I've mastered Darkness, Hayley. I will pull us through the Void into Ventarra."

"Is it that simple?"

"Yes. Now, go. Pack your things and make sure the boys do as well. It won't be long now."


(Frank's POV)

Maya, Lyra, and Chris arrived before Kit and I could have our 'talk,' but that was fine with me. I would've broken down if we had, because it would be one of the last I would have with him. I threw packs at Kit and Drake, and I saw Kit's eyebrows shoot up. "How-?"

"I knew you two would be busy over here. I packed your things beforehand, and I put a few extra things in those as well." I was avoiding Kit's scrutinizing gaze, but eventually, I turned to face all of the five Riders assembled before me. They all were stronger than I had ever given them credit for. Vic and Callen had fallen in battle, and yet these five still struggled through the drifts of pain to protect their planet. "I want to say how proud I am of all of you. These past six years have been rather rough, and despite that, you all have persevered. Now, the battle's ending for Earth, and it's beginning for Ventarra." Kit's eyes turned downwards at this, but he didn't say a word. "The portal will open in five minutes. Have you all said your goodbyes?" Nods were given at this. "Then make sure you have everything and hurry back for anything that you don't have."

Kit approached me at that, his eyes searching my face for something. "What about you, Dad?" he whispered softly, his voice fearful as he anticipated my answer. "Aren't you coming?"

I couldn't meet his gaze. "Kit, you have to understand – "

"No, I don't!" The anguished cry tore out of him before he could stop it, and watery gray-blue eyes bored into mine. "Why, Dad, why? We need you! You're our Master Eubulon!"

"Kit, I know it's hard, but sometimes change is-"

"I don't give a damn about change!" Kit's yell earned attention from the others, but he was so focused on me that he didn't notice. I had to admit that I wasn't surprised he was breaking down like this, but I hadn't expected it at the last minute. "We've lost Vic. We've lost Callen. Hell, we've lost Earth. How can you expect us to lose you too? Haven't we already sacrificed enough for this planet?"

I grabbed his shoulders, my fingers digging into them so hard that I knew I was leaving bruises. "Kit! I don't want to leave you all. But someone has to stay behind and close the portal so that the damage that will occur won't spread to Ventarra! They already have to worry about a harsh war that is yet to be fought."

"Fine. I'm staying with you." He made to throw his bag down, and I snapped. I threw him against the wall, pinning him there with one arm across his throat.

"The hell you are," I hissed, making the other Riders step back several feet. "I swore when I became your godfather that I would keep you and your sister from harm. I've failed that enough. I'm not failing it more."

"No, I will no-"

"I don't give a damn what you want either, Kit. You will go even if I have to knock you unconscious and throw you through the portal." As I said that, the chime of the mirrors went off signaling that the machine was up and running, and he grimaced, wincing from hearing it for the first time in several years. I let him go, and he stared at me, his eyes pained.

"Dad, please, please. Please don't make me lose you too. I've lost Mom and Dad. I've lost Callen and Vic…..I can't stand to lose you too." The pleading tone of his voice nearly made me agree, but I forced myself to remain strong.

"I'm sorry, Kit. The answer is still no." A soft sob came from him at that, and he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around my neck. I returned the embrace, and soon after, I felt the others wrap their arms around me too. Then, all too soon, I pushed them all away, feeling my heart break as I did so. I hated it, but they needed to go and go fast. I heard the sounds of explosions, though, and we all were knocked down, thrown into equipment from the one that took out half the garage. Leftover equipment clattered to the ground, and I heard yelps of pain and shock through the rising dust and smoke. I winced when a tray fell, landing on my ankle. It didn't hurt, thankfully, but it was a nuisance.

"STATUS!" Kit coughed through the smoke, and I could just barely make out his form next to mine, coughing and trying to rise. "STATUS!"

"Injured, but we'll live," Lyra called back. I stumbled to my feet, recognizing the preliminary explosion of the bomb that had destroyed much of Karsh. There were two minor explosions that lured the enemy (or victim) into a sense that there were minor ones going off everywhere. Then, a third one was the one that took lives.

"Get to the mirror, now!" I snarled, shoving them into the other room and locking the door. "Go!"

They all hesitated, and I let my gaze soften. "I love you all. You are the family I lost when Karsh was destroyed. But now it's time for the next phase of your lives. Go, my children, go. Go to defend Ventarra. I will always be behind you, whether it be in spirit or in person." Corny, but true. Kit stepped forward and gripped me in a tight hug with Lyra right behind him. I held my two godchildren for the last time, silently reflecting that I was proud that I had gotten to mentor them and show them the right ways. "Take care, my godchildren. When you get the chance, look in Kit's pack. I put something in there that you might like." They both pulled away, and the second explosion sounded. It sent the other three through the mirror but dazed Kit and Lyra, making both of them smack their heads on sharp corners of the wall. I quickly shoved them through, kicking the machine in the process. It shut off, and I stared at the mirror before breaking it, feeling the final explosion take off as I did that. I fell to the ground, smacking my head as darkness embraced me.

Then, my eyes closed to light for the last time.


(Kit's POV)

I was dizzy, my head spinning, and going through the mirror didn't help that. Something wet was trickling down my face, and I couldn't figure out what it was. I collapsed on my side, my arms lying limply in front of my chest. I heard the sound of humming and footsteps and then heard a startled gasp. A young girl who couldn't have been more than five or so stood there, her brown eyes horrified as her blonde hair framed her small face. Or at least, I think that was what was framing her face. My vision was too blurry to tell. All I know is that she went sprinting off in the other direction, screaming, "Daddy! Mommy! There's a man who looks like Uncle Adam lying on the ground in blood!"

I don't know how long I lay there, hovering on that border between consciousness and unconsciousness. But quite suddenly, I felt arms grab mine, and I heard voices saying my name. I managed to focus my sight enough to make out a figure with brown hair and brown eyes staring down at me worriedly, asking, "Master, is he okay?"

"We need to get him to the Infirmary, Len." The arms holding mine shifted, and I felt someone pick me up before everything went black.


(Third Person)

Five-year-old Kane skipped through the halls, her brown eyes looking around as she hummed the lullaby her mother always sang to her at night before she read. She was surprised when she heard the sound of a mirror portal opening and then frowned. Mommy and Daddy said that that never happens, not since the dumb Dark Riders closed them. Curious, she slowed, walking over to where she had heard the sound come from. When she saw figures lying weakly on the ground, all of them covered in blood, she gasped. And then, when she saw the man who looked exactly like Uncle Adam look at her, she felt all self-control leave her and immediately felt the need for protection rise. "DADDY! MOMMY!" Kane went sprinting off in the other direction, running back down the hall to the Common Room of the Base. "There's a man who looks like Uncle Adam lying on the ground in blood!"

Several heads stuck out, and she went running into Wing Knight's arms. "Sweetie, what is it?" Len inquired softly, brushing his frantic daughter's hair out of her face. She stuck her thumb in her mouth, making him frown. She only ever did that when she was really scared.

"Man looking like Unca Adam is lying in a pool of blood." Everyone exchanged glances at that, and Len gave his daughter to Kase, hurtling down the hall and freezing.

Kit, Lyra, Chris, and Maya all lay in bloodied pools, and there was another Rider there as well. The mirror that they must've come through had shattered, and pieces of the glass lay on all of them. Len felt bile rise in his throat and pushed it back, rushing to his friend's side. "Kit." No response except for glassy, confused eyes to stare up weakly. "Kit! Kit, come on, buddy, come on….MASTER!"

Master Eubulon was on his knees in seconds, catching hold of both of Kit's arms and rolling him over. He brushed a hand over his forehead, frowning when he felt the heat there and also frowning when he felt how weak the healing ability was. "Master?" The Advent Master looked up at the tone of his worried pupil's voice. "Is he okay?"

"We need to get him to the Infirmary, Len," Eubulon replied, and as he pulled him into his arms, the former Dragon Knight went limp, falling unconscious. The Karshian quickly moved to keep him from falling, and Len bent over Lyra, picking her up to carry her as well. The other Riders were helping too, but there was one thought that was running through all their minds.

What on Ventarra happened?


All right...Well, in short, I've killed off Callen and Frank, destroyed Earth, brought both teams to Ventarra, introduced Len and Kase's daughter, and...did I leave anything out? Again, this is the end of this arc, so the next one will focus on Ventarra. (Please review. Pretty please? More reviews make me write faster. :D)

All characters and things unrecognizable are (c) copyright me, Kamen Rider Lynx