Tiamatt sighed as she set a small piece of the new gate down beside her and stood up, stretching her arms and legs. "I hope I can get this finished tonight since Hojinko said the sword would be complete tomorrow."

"Will the gate even work in this world?" Nick asked as the Cetran woman sat back down and started working on the gate again.

"It should. This world may be ignorant in the ways of magic now but the people in this world did once have it. The rules are just a little different from the ones we're used to." Tiamatt explained, not taking her eyes off the piece she was working on. "Even so, getting this gate started is gonna be tricky. We only have one shot or we'll have to start over or find some other way home."

Hiro sighed from his seat beside Nick. "I can't wait to go home."

"At least its easy for you guys to get home. I haven't been home in..." Nick paused, thinking for a moment. "Let's just says it been way too long since I've been home."

"I'm assuming its because of Surge, right?" Kratos asked, leaving Tiamatt to her work.

Nick nodded. 'Yeah, she keeps pulling me from place to place. Surge just never seems to pull me home."

"Almost done!' The group turned to Tiamatt who was returning all the pieces of the gate she had been working on back to her rotator. "All I need is the mana crystal and then we're set!"

"So I guess this means you're finishing it at Ish's house?" Hiro asked as Tiamatt stood back up.

"Yeah, I can do the final adjustments then." Tiamatt answered setting the rotator on the table before walking towards Hiro and Nick. "Now shoo! I'm tired and wanna get some sleep!"

Kratos chuckled as he watched his wife usher her brother and their friend from the room before she fell back on the bed next to him. "It will be good to get home."

Tiamatt nodded, worry flashing through her eyes. "I hope the kids are alright."

The Seraph sighed, laying beside her and pulling her close. "I'm sure they're fine. They might have even escaped themselves."

"Maybe...maybe Raine and Yuan have located them by now." the Cetra mumbled quietly before sighing and closing her eyes. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow. Good night, Kratos."

"Sleep well, Tiamatt."

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"What?! You're leaving so soon?!" Madison shouted, staring in shock at the small group of other worlders. She had arrived about noon to pick up the group and had stopped home to grab something only to learn the other worlders were planning to leave right away.

"Yes but we need to get home as soon as possible." Tiamatt explained before turning to Hiro. "I'm going to Japan alone. I want you to teleport everyone to Ish's place."

"T-Tia, do you know how long its been since I've done that?" Hiro gasped.

Tiamatt sighed but nodded. "Not since the battle with Void all those years ago. I know that Hiro but you can do it."

Hiro sighed but gave in, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them, his blue eyes now white. "Guess I'm ready when ever you guys are."

"Madison, thank you for your help. Its greatly appreciated." Kratos said.

"It was no problem, really." Madison admitted. "I'd do it for any of my friends."

"Thanks." Nick added. "Guess we better go. See ya!"

Nick, Kratos, and Hiro disappeared, leaving only Tiamatt and Madison standing outside. "I should be going as well."

"k, it was cool being able to see you guys. Good luck." Madison said.

"Thank you. Take care." Tiamatt answered back before accessing her sorceress powers and leaving the teenager standing by themselves.

Madison sighed and turned, walking towards her car. "Well...that was fun while it lasted..."

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Tiamatt sighed when she appeared in front of Hojinko's house, wondering if coming here by herself was a good idea. "He's not the same Hojo that haunts my nightmares...besides, I'm only going to be here for a few minutes."

Knocking on the door, she waited for the smith to open the door but instead heard a string of Japanese. Confused, she knocked again and this time the door opened to show an angry Hojinko glaring at her till he realized who it was.

"Oh Tiamatt, my apologies, I thought you were someone else. Come on in." Hojinko apologized, letting the Cetra in.

"No, its fine. I just came to get the sword."

Hojinko nodded. "I thought as much. Which reminds me, I wasn't able to reforge the sword back to its original shape. It was a long sword before wasn't it?"

Tiamatt nodded, watching as he moved to a table where numerous swords and tools were laid out. "Yes it was. Do you know why you couldn't reforge it as a long sword?"

Hojinko scanned through the piles of blades before picking out one that had been set to the side. "To be honest, no, but the sword is strange. Its has so much energy, it also seems alive. I swear, if swords could talk, then this one could."

Tiamatt laughed. "I think its cause while Oblivion's spirit is no longer fused with the blade, a small portion of it remains. That could be why it almost seems like its alive."

"Oblivion? Who is that?" Hojinko asked, walking back towards her.

"A friend of mine, a wolf of Mars. He died years ago trying to free me from Jenova's control." Tiamatt explained as Hojinko held the sword out to her.

"I see," Hojinko smirked as Tiamatt pulled the newly reforged sword from its case, her eyes wide as she looked at the katana. "Then I think I have the perfect name for this new sword. Shitsunen no Kiba."

Tiamatt paused from examining the sword to look at the smith again. 'And that means?"

Hojinko's smirk widened into a grin. 'Fang of Oblivion."

A smile crossed Tiamatt's face as she looked back at the sword. "Shitsunen no Kiba. It's perfect. Thank you."

Hojinko laughed. "Its no problem. It was my pleasure to reforge your sword after I've caused you so much pain in the past. Oh yes, before I forget." Hojinko pulled several green orbs from his arm and handed them to Tiamatt. "I believe these are yours."

"Thank you." Tiamatt said again, taking the materia and putting them in her own arm and putting Shitsunen away. "I can't thank you enough but I must get going."

"I understand. I'm just happy to have been of help to you." Hojinko answered, following her towards the door. "Good luck. I hope you can find you're children."

"So do I. Thank you." Tiamatt said again, walking outside and once more accessing her powers.

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Tiamatt blinked in confusion when her magic dissipated, leaving her near a house that sat on a tree lined hill. Several dogs barked nearby but she didn't pay any attention to them as she scanned the area and saw Hiro, Nick, and Kratos, all three guys having already started constructing the gate with the instructions Tiamatt had given Kratos beforehand.

"Tiamatt!" Hiro yelled, waving at his sister. "Did you get your sword?"

The Cetra nodded and walked towards them, pulling the relatively simple blade from its case. "Yeah, I know it looks a lot different and has a new name but it's still the same sword in a sense."

"A new name?" Kratos asked, examining his wife's new weapon.

"Yeah, Shitsunen no Kiba. Fang of Oblivion." None of them could miss the smile on Tiamatt's face as she said the new name. "I only hope it can live up to the original sword."

"I'm sure it will." Kratos reassured her as she put the blade away and looked at the progress of the gate.

"It looks like you guys got quite a bit done." Tiamatt noted, examining the nearly half assembled gate. "I think we can use a materia as a temporary mana crystal but Eden still need to put some of his energy into for it to work."

"So this is going to get you guys home?" The entire group turned to see a young man walking towards them from the house. Tiamatt, Hiro, and Kratos all looked back at Nick for a second who just waved.

"I'm assuming you're Ish?" Kratos asked, watching the man carefully.

Ish nodded. "Yeah. And I already know who you all are. Tiamatt, Kratos, Hiro, and Nick, right? It nice to finally meet all of you."

"Same here." Hiro answered back. "Thanks for letting us come here."

Ish shrugged. "Its no problem as long as the gate doesn't remain here too long. Do you need any help?"

"Sure, why not?" Nick said, turning back towards the partially completed gate.

"While you guys work on that, I'm going to try and get a hold of Eden. I hope I can summon in this world." Tiamatt sighed, closing her eyes and trying to access the Guardian Force. When her eyes opened, a small hole seemed to be ripped in the air itself. From the hole came the pointed, blue and white head of Eden, his golden eyes bright. "Eden, I need you to make another mana crystal."

Eden made no sound and merely looked at Tiamatt before withdrawing back to the small rip of space/time. Stepping away, Tiamatt used her magic to suspend the chosen materia in front of the rip. The hole seemed to suddenly leap forward and swallow the entire group, leaving them in a strange black emptiness.

"Where are we?" Nick asked, startled by the suddenly act and not noticing Eden's full body emerging from the darkness behind him.

"We're in Between Space, the realm Eden inhabits. He usually doesn't bring people here so I guess you're in for a show." Tiamatt explained, as what looked like digital read outs surrounded the area.

A grid pattern formed suddenly and pulled back, a small hole forming at the end where the materia could be seen still in the real world. The grid continued to stretch till it surrounded the magic orb before seeming to flatten out again and a grid formed above Eden. A low buzzing sound filled the air as energy was charged in the massive cannon Eden carried above him before firing it upwards at the grid above where the materia could now be seen. Where the blast hit, a giant rune formed, surrounded by several smaller runes that rotated the main one till they locked into place. The rune seemed to stretch towards Eden before being shot skywards suddenly, sending all the energy of the attack to the materia. Only once energy dissipated was the materia brought down to Tiamatt's level where she grasped the now gold glowing orb.

"Wow..." Ish said simply, looking up at Eden who remained as silent as ever. "So thats how the mana crystals are made."

"Yep." Tiamatt grinned, still holding the new mana crystal as she turned to face Eden. "Thank you Eden. You can take us back now."

Eden continued to remain silent as he faded back into the black abyss and disappeared. Once he was gone, the void seemed to retract, returning the small group to the real world before the rip of space/time closed up silently.

"That was cool!" Hiro shouted before quieting down as he thought about something. "Couldn't he have taken us home though?"

Tiamatt shook her head. "No. Eden is limited to his realm and the universe I summoned him in. However, his attacks can cross several dimension. Thats the power that is fused into the crystals though the energy is slightly altered for gate use."

"And you know this how?" Nick asked.

"Eden told me." the Cetra answered simply, turning back towards the gate as the others gave her a confused look.

"He told you? Eden didn't even look like he could talk." Ish pointed out, causing Tiamatt to sigh and tap her head.

"GF, remember? He's connected to my mind. Thats how he communicates." Tiamatt explained, attaching another piece to the gate. "Now can you please help me so we can get home?"

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Lloyd followed the strange leafy creature through the temple, stunned at his new surroundings.

"You are related to Eria and Terrance aren't you?" the vinrid asked, looking at the Eternal Swordsman.

"Yeah, they're my little brother and sister. Why?" Lloyd asked back, confused why the young creature was asking about them.

"Because they are my friends. I was wondering if they had been found yet?" Clearleaf explained, head down.

Lloyd sighed and shook his head. "No we haven't found them but we're looking."

"Oh..." Clearleaf continued to look down before looking back at Lloyd. "You wished to speak with the leaders right? They should be just ahead."

"Alright, thank you." Lloyd started to walk towards where Clearleaf had indicated but stopped as a loud bell started ringing. Startled, the swordsman looked back to his vinrid companion. "What's going on?"

The young vinrid's eyes were filled with fear as he looked back at the gates to the valley as an explosion was heard. "The demon..he's here!"

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Zelos sighed as he looked at Yuan, Sheena standing nearby, talking to Colette. "You mean we just missed him?"

"Yes. He went to check on the world of Nikotu since they could be strong allies." the blue haired Seraph nodded.

"Oh man, why'd he have to go and run off there?" Zelos sighed.

"You know Zelos, we could go after him." Genis piped in from nearby. Presea nodded from beside him.

Zelos' face brightened and he looked back at Genis. "Yeah, you're right. Professor, start the gate."

Raine sighed but nodded, starting the gate up once more as Zelos, Sheena, Genis, and Presea prepared to go after Lloyd. "Be careful. We don't know much about that world."

"Don't worry sis. We'll be fine." Genis reassured her before walking through the gate...

Ok, another chapter done! Hehe,read and review please!