Chapter 37

The Beginning Pt.1

In the void between worlds, in the place that the Ultras call the Cross Roads, a being waits. Clad in a robe and cloak, he watches over the world of the Lylat System. "Now, my daughter, is the time for your destiny to finally unfold." Having said this, The Krazoa Spirits, eternal beings born at the dawn of Lylat's beginning, set out to their task.

Great Fox: Krystal was passed out in her room. A day had passed since the Invaders' armada had attempted to take Corneria. The Great Fox circled the planet, and the military was on full alert, ready for anything and everything. However, even during this crisis, one can still find some measure of peace, some measure of rest. However, Krystal's rest would be short-lived. In her sleep, her ear twitched, then she stirred, then awakened to a sight that she hardly expected; the Krazoa Spirits floated about her room, hovering this way and that in a seemingly aimless fashion. Getting up with a start, the vixen got out of her bed and looked around at the blue-tinted free-floating beings, one thought in her mind: 'Why are they here?' As if to answer her question, the Krazoa entered her one by one. Then, she found herself being transported to the same realm that she had visited when she and Jim went to Sauria for the first time. The shimmering blue back-ground hadn't changed. Then, the same Krazoa Spirit appeared before her, this time the size of a man. "What's going on? Why am I here?" she asked.

"It is now time for you to fulfill your part of the prophecy, one with the Power of the Soul."

"W-what?"

"The one that you know as Jim cannot defeat the evil alone, mighty as he may become. It will take your strength as well to defeat the entity called Gorzul."

"But, what can I do? What is this 'Power of the Soul'?"

"Head to Sauria, child. Go to the place that you were taught in the ways of the warrior and your people. There, you will find the answer."

"But, what about Jim? Shouldn't he come with me?"

"This is one journey that you alone must undertake. Just as he undertook his awakening, so you must do the same. But, you must hurry. There is not much time left. Gorzul is now gathering all of the forces that it can muster, and bring them all down upon you."

"One more thing. Why is Gorzul so intent on taking the Lylat System?"

"You will know the answer on Sauria, just as Zenith will soon know. Now go." The void became a blinding radiance, forcing the vixen to shield her eyes. When she lowered her arms, the void was replaced with her room. She looked around, the memory of the experience still fresh in her head. After getting dressed, the blue-furred vixen headed for the hangar where her arwing was docked. After climbing up the steps, she was about to hop into her fighter.

"Leaving already?" a voice asked. She whirled, and saw Jim standing there, hands in his pocket, wearing a friendly smile. Krystal faced the Ultra.

"I'm sorry, but you can't come with me on this journey. This is something that I must do alone."

"I know. I've felt it. Just…be careful out there, okay?" Krystal smiled, and nodded. After her arwing launched, Jim's smile was replaced with a thoughtful frown. 'What will she find out there, I wonder?' Krystal's arwing streaked out in space, heading for the trans-warp gate-way that will lead her to Sauria. If what the Krazoa Spirit had said is true, then it must have meant to head for the place where she was rescued and taught by a hermit living on Sauria: Just before Cerinia was destroyed, her parents put Krystal in an escape pod, hoping that the craft will take her far from the cataclysm that was going to happen in just a few short minutes. As soon as she was out of range, the blue-furred kit saw her home planet blaze over, leaving the once blue and green world a dead-grey rock in space, incapable of supporting life. She was the last Cerinian in the known universe. The thought hit her like a slap to the face, and the kit sobbed herself to sleep that time. When she awakened, she found herself on a lush planet full of prehistoric creatures, both benign and malevolent. She survived for a week on the planet using her own instincts and training that she received practically since birth. Then, she was found by him. Believing to be the last of her kind, she was more than a little surprised to see another Cerinian vulpine living on the planet, a mage and hermit of a sorts. He helped raise the young kit, showing her the ways of armed and unarmed combat, survival training, even homing her natural abilities in ways that she didn't think possible. He even taught her how to use the staff that survived along with her to the most of its abilities, and how to communicate with the Krazoa Spirits. He was everything to her. Ever since she was rescued by Fox, she had lost touch with him. She wondered if he even still lived. Entering the Planet's airspace, Krystal set the coordinates for the hermit's home that she knew by heart. She landed the small fighter in a clearing with a hovel sitting just a few yards from the parking fighter. After jumping out, Krystal trotted to the little hovel that served as her home for years. The hovel itself was situated in between two large trees, on the edge of a great forest. The chimney coming out of the side of the top of the hovel had smoke coming out of it, alerting Krystal that she was not alone here. Entering the home, she saw the interior, and saw that much was left unchanged; the stove attached to the chimney was on, where a table and two chairs sat in front of it, and two beds sitting in front of eachother along the edge of the hovel. The interior was dimly lit, but sufficient to see the inside. Seeing the inside again filled her with a type of nostalgia that she hardly felt, a type that one generally feels when one has been away from home for far too long. She walked over one of the cots, and traced its outline with her hand, letting her memories coming back to flood her mind. Unbeknownst to her, a shadow entered the flap that lead to the outside. However, her reflexes automatically got her staff out, and she parried a blow from behind. The figure was dressed in a cloak, wielding a staff of dark brown wood. Both held that stance for what seemed like an eternity, before the cloaked figure lowered his staff.

"I'm glad that my teachings had not waned since you have been away." he said, in a voice that betrayed advanced age, yet sounded strong enough to belong to a soldier. He removed his hood, revealing a blue fox, much like Krystal, except more masculine, and older. The other vulpine sported a thin mustache and beard, with grey patches showing in his blue fur. There was even a streak of grey going through both sides of his head. "You seem rather surprised to see me, Krystal." he replied, smiling slightly.

"I didn't think that you'd still be alive, master Xetulu. When I left here, two years ago…"

"You think I'd just up and die when you left?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement. He laughed. "I was overjoyed that you had gone. I knew who it was that had rescued you from the Krazoa Palace. It's just too bad that the rascal already has a chosen. Personally, I think that you're too good for him, anyway." Krystal laughed a bit herself with her mentor. "However, I do know about the other who has caught your fancy, though. This…Jim as you call him. He has potential, being a soldier of both worlds. Although a bit young, even for you. I always figured you went for the older types." he said, smiling at her slightly blushing face. "However, he is part of the reason that you are here now, yes?" Krystal nodded, and Xetulu grunted in agreement. "Come. Let us head for the Krazoa Palace. There, you will learn much, and hopefully in time to turn things around before they get even worse." The two vulpines headed out of the hovel, and towards the Warp Stone.

Great Fox, at that time: Falco was pacing across the bridge of the Great Fox, while everyone else was working at his own console. "Man, I can't take this!" Falco shouted. "When is the action gonna start? I'm getting sick of all this waiting!"

"Falco, if you can't find something productive to do, then kindly leave the bridge until you are needed." Jim said calmly, going over the readout on his console. The avian stared at him.

"Listen pal! Maybe you can sit here and wait patiently, but I'm a man of action! I need to get out there, and blow the bad guys up. That's what I'm made for!"

"And when some finally do show up, you'll be the first to know, Falco. After all, your skill as the ace pilot in the Star Fox team is well known in my reality as well." Jim replied without taking his attention off of the console. "Hey, I don't need this! We shouldn't be sitting around on our arses, we should be out there, looking for the Gorzul guy, and ripping him a friggin' new one!" Falco shot back.

"This guy isn't like Andross. He's a whole lot worse than him, if that's who you were comparing him to."

"And how would you know? Have you ever fought Andross before? Go on, tell us all about how you beat Andross, then maybe I'll listen to ya!" the room was silent, which is all that Falco needed. "See? You don't know what Andross is like! So don't compare Gorzul with someone you know next to nothing about!" Jim rolled his eyes, and continued on. He knew the routine well enough; Falco gets bored, Falco complains, Falco annoys other team members with his boredom, either Jim or Fox has to shut Falco up with either verbal or physical abuse. He knew it all by heart, since he had to deal with it since his first few months with the team. He was starting to envy Krystal right now, who was well and away to God knows where, far away from all of this. As if picking up his thought, Slippy chimed in.

"Hey, has anyone seen Krystal anywhere? I haven't seen her all day." Jim felt himself pause for a moment, then continued on with his work.

"Why don't we ask Jim over there? After all, he's her boyfriend." Falco chimed. Jim let out a slight frustrated sigh. "They do say that when two people are in love, they feel some sort of connection with eachother, like they know exactly what the other is thinking, or even what they're going to do. So, how about, Jim? Since you are Krystal's designated boyfriend, you have any clue where she went?" Falco asked, peering over the young man's shoulder. Jim tried to ignore him, but the avian just wouldn't let it go. "Jim, I'm talking to you. Hello, anyone home?" he asked, waving a feathered hand in front of him. Jim promptly caught it in his own hand, and gradually applied pressure to the limb. Falco let out a pained yelp of surprise, and tried to pull away. When He did release the avian, Falco stumbled back into Slippy's place, nearly knocking the amphibian over. "What the heck, man?" Falco shouted.

"Krystal isn't here. She's taking care of business of her own. That's all I know." Jim replied, not turning away from his console. However, the Ultra's thoughts were not on the data that streamed before him. 'Krystal…'

Sauria, at that time: The journey to the Warp Stone was shorter than Krystal remembered it was. At least, since she was a child. The golem, roused from its slumber, looked down upon the pair, and said in a Scottish accent "Ah, master Xetulu, and the lovely young Krystal. It's been ages since the two of ye had visited here." The smile on the golem's face was evident enough, and Krystal returned it. She remembered the Warp Stone fairly well, even how she had given it a piece of 'rock candy' for the first time. Such an experience shall never leave her. Xetulu was still business as usual.

"I'm afraid that we are not here for idle chit-chat, old friend."

"Aye, I know where ye are headed. The Spirits are all excited to know that you are coming to see them, lass. Like, they have something very important to tell ye." As Krystal stepped forward, Xetulu remained behind. The vixen noticed, and looked back.

"You're not coming?" she asked. Xetulu shook his head.

"I serve another part in this journey. I must go another way for now, though I shall be here when you return. Hopefully, you will know enough for me to tell you everything." Puzzled, Krystal stepped forward onto the golem's hand, and disappeared in a flash of light. Xetulu then walked up to the Warp Stone. "You know where to send me, old friend?" he asked, expecting the same answer.

"Of course, laddie. After all, you were the one who had constructed me for this very purpose." the golem replied with an amused tone. Xetulu smiled a bit, then walked onto the hand of the Warp Stone. Then, he was gone in a flash of light as well.

Krazoa Palace: Krystal stepped onto the stone floor that served as the balcony leading to the entrance of the Krazoa Palace. The towers reaching up into the stormy clouds gave it an imposing look, while the platform that held the crystal that had served as her prison until Fox had rescued her was higher still. She entered the doorway, and went down the hallway, leading to the same platform that she and Jim had used to reach the chamber where the Spirits resided. After stepping onto it, the vixen was transported to the chamber of the Spirits, the same room with the large Krazoa head in the middle of the wall, looking sightlessly at something very far away. Krystal looked up, and felt a familiar presence. She turned, and one of the Krazoa Spirits floated past her. Then, all six of them were floating around her. As she expected, the six Spirits entered her, and she found herself in the void where the Spirits communicated with her. The same Krazoa Spirit, the one that wore the ceremonial robe and humanoid body, stood before her, as if it were expecting her. "You said that once I came here, I'd know the reason why Gorzul was so adamant on taking the Lylat system."

"The reason, is because Gorzul is someone that you have fought before."

"What do you mean?" Krystal asked.

"When Cerinia was destroyed, what all do you remember?"

"I remember being placed in an escape pod, a craft that I had never seen before in my life, and being jettisoned into space, as Cerinia was reduced to nothing more than a rock in space." she said bitterly.

"And after that?"

Puzzled, Krystal went on. "I ended up on Sauria after a few days of travel. Then, I ran into Xetulu, who was a hermit living there. He taught me how to survive, how to use my staff, everything I know I learned from him. He was the closest thing I ever had to a father. Then, when I was nineteen, I headed to the Palace, sensing a distress call coming from here, and was trapped by Andross. Then, I was saved by Fox." Her face had a nostalgic look to it. "That was the first time I fell for someone. However, after he introduced me to Fara, I felt alone again, even when I was surrounded by friends. Then, there was the Aparoid assault a year later, and how we nearly died in that conflict. Then, almost a year after that, I had an accident while testing the warp drive system on my arwing, and I ended up on Earth. And that's where I met…Jim." Krystal looked like she was seeing something very far away, her face having a dream-like state to it. "He helped heal my wounds, and took me into his home. When the Great Fox came to get me, I felt compelled to bring him with me. I felt that, with him, I wouldn't be alone anymore. And I was right. We have been through so much together, and now, with this crisis coming at us, I feel certain that we will need eachother more than ever."

"Your feelings do you credit. You are right, in that this crisis will indeed bring you closer together. However, it will also test you, in ways that you didn't think possible. There may come a time, when to save everyone around you, you must give up something precious to you."

"Something…precious to me?"

"Something that you hold dear in your heart. Something that you may not have imagined being parted from."

"You mean…Jim. Why, what will happen?" she asked, getting worried.

"You may have to give him up, in order to protect all those around you. He may have to do the same as well."

"He would never give me up." Krystal stated, not flinching.

"No, not willingly. However, he may have to in order to protect all those who he cares about, including you."

"Including…me?"

"Gorzul will do everything in its power to destroy you all. It is obsessed with the subjugation and domination of all things, including the Lylat System. However, Gorzul has a particular want for Lylat."

"Why? You said that I would know the reason why Gorzul is here. Why is he here? Is it because of Jim?"

"Partly, yes, but also because it wishes to finish what it had started."

"And what's that?"

"It wishes to dominate the Lylat system, since it couldn't do it the first time."

"What do you mean 'the first time'? Has Gorzul been to the Lylat System before?"

"More than that. I will show you." The Krazoa lifted its arm at Krystal, and before the vixen could ask what it was doing, there was a sharp sensation in her head, like there was an acute blood-rush going to her brain. Then, images flooded her mind, almost indiscernible, but she could make them out after a bit. The first one was an image of space, specked with stars is different constellations and patterns. Krystal looked around, and saw nothing but the star-specked reaches of space, but could not recognize any of the constellations. She looked down, and saw nothing but space, yet her feet looked like they were firmly planted on…something. Then, it became devoid of stars in moments, to be replaced with a void of pure blackness. It was looking down a very dark, very large hole. Then, two red eye-shaped lights appeared, and an evil laugh was heard. One that the cerulean vixen could've sworn that she had heard from somewhere before. Before long, planets were in view, and the darkness swept over them, their inhabitants looking up and screaming in fear as permanent darkness shrouded them, and death embraced them. However, there was one world where the darkness could not overtake. A shining planet that was like a sun, and it was one that Krystal had a name for, for Jim talked about it enthusiastically.

"The Land of Light…." the vixen whispered. Indeed, the homeworld of the Ultras was shining like a beacon of hope in the darkness, unyielding to the evil that it held. Then, six figures went out to meet the darkness. Krystal guessed who they were, and was right when she saw Zoffy, Hayata, Seven, Jack, Ace, and Taro rush up and meet the blackness head-on. After what seemed like hours, The Ultras were weary from their fight with the darkness, their energy beginning to fade, despite being so close to the Land of Light. However, they had one last ace up their sleeves; Hayata turned to his brethren.

"My brothers, we must seal this darkness away, if we are not able to destroy it. We cannot allow it to go on feeding on the helpless as it has been for so long." The others nodded in agreement. The darkness looked like it still had plenty of fight left, despite the lengthy battle it had with the famous heroes. The Ultras gathered behind Hayata, and let their light flow into him. Hayata raised his hands, and the void was surrounded by light, and Krystal could hear the thing, somehow, scream, as if in agony. In the energy field of light, the thing seemed as if to spasm about, like attempting to break free. However, the Ultra Brothers, defenders of this universe, dragged the entity of darkness to the Land of Light. There, it was taken and sealed away, never to be released upon the inhabitants of the universe, or any other for that matter. And thus, the entity called Gorzul has remained. Krystal saw all of this, and looked around at the Land of Light, seeing Jim/Zenith's homeworld for the first time, and was captivated by what she saw; the whole world seemed to be made up of lights of all kinds and colors. Above her, it seemed as if it was nothing but an Aurora Borealis in place of a regular sky, while the ground looked to be made of a reflective crystal, with crystalline structures jutting out in what seemed to be a city of some type, judging by the shape of the towering structures. And all around, were the Ultras. All kinds, reds, blues, soft-featured and hard-featured, all kinds dwelled here. Some of them even flew from place to place. Also, humans, or what appeared to be humans, walked among the red/blue and silver people, even talking and chatting with them as if they were old friends, dressed in the same attire that Jim was when he returned from the Land of Light. She walked among them, looking around. The beings, both Ultra and humanoid, seemed to ignore her, as if she were not really there. She even bumped into one of them by accident, but to her surprise, she merely passed through him. Surprised, she tried to tap one of them on the shoulder, and her whole hand went through his body as if he were merely a holographic image. She pulled her hand out, and looked at it, seeing no abnormalities of any sort.

"These people will not see or hear you." the Krazoa's voice said. "These people are only an image from memory."

"But whose memory, I wonder?" Krystal wondered. Then, she saw him. Running with an Ultra girl, an Ultra boy, roughly around eight years of age, came right at her. Although unable to get a good enough look, she did see that he was familiar, as did the girl. After running past her, she decided to follow them. After leaving the city and headed for a field with grass and crystals did the pair finally stop.

"Zenith, we shouldn't be out here." the girl called. Now Krystal knows. This is Zenith's memory from when he was a child in M78. And the girl with him was none other than Lillith.

"If you're so scared, Lillith, then go back to Illuminada. Me, I'm going to be a brave warrior like my father, so I have to be out here." Then, he turned and went on, followed by Lillith and Krystal. After what seemed like several minutes, the trio came to a place that seemed hauntingly familiar to the blue-furred vixen. When Zenith ran atop a hill, that's when he, Lillith, and Krystal heard a voice.

"Help me…help me…" It seemed to echo across the landscape. Zenith turned this way and that, trying to discern the source.

"Where are you?" he called.

"Please…help me…I'm dying and trapped…won't you please help me?" the voice called. It was like the voice of a woman in distress, carried by the wind.

"Tell us where you are!" Zenith called again.

"Zenith, maybe we should go…" Lillith started, getting behind her friend. The Ultra boy turned to the girl.

"No way. If someone here is in trouble, then we have to help. Besides, this will prove to my father that I am ready to be a warrior." With that, Zenith turned, and followed where the voice was coming from. Lillith and Krystal followed. Soon, the trio came to what appeared to be a barren patch of Earth, devoid of any vegetation or crystalline life of any sort. Zenith stopped here, as did Lillith and Krystal, and that's when the vixen realized where they were.

'Oh no. this is where…' Before she could finish her thought, the voice sang out, louder still.

"Please free me. I'm trapped here…"

"Where are you?" Zenith shouted.

"I am here…" The Ultras whirled.

"Where?" Zenith called again.

"Beneath you…" the reply came. Both Ultras and vixen looked down at the barren ground. Zenith knelt down, placing a hand on the earth. "Please help me…" the voice said with such suddenness that Zenith inadvertently jerked his hand back. Lillith was hiding behind Zenith now.

"Zenith, please, let's just go!" Lillith pleaded.

"Don't leave…If you help me, I'll do something nice for you…"

"Something…nice?" Zenith asked.

"I know who you are, Zenith, son of Shodai Ultraman, also known as Ultraman Hayata."

"How do you know my name?" Zenith asked. The voice chuckled in amusement.

"I know all about you. I know how you want to be a brave hero like your father is. If you help me, I can help you…" the voice said, with a hint of seduction in it. But Zenith didn't seem to notice. The boy was too entranced with what the voice had told him, and with what it promised.

"How can you help me?" he asked.

"I can make you stronger than any Ultra." the voice said, almost confidently. "Stronger than your father, Ace, Jack, Seven, Taro, even commander Zoffy himself. You'd be the top warrior and most famous hero in the Land of Light."

"Really?" Zenith asked in wonder.

"But, only if you help me." the voice said. "So please, won't you help me?" the voice asked, plea evident in its voice. Zenith was rooted to the spot. However, Lillith was more than willing to bolt out of there.

"Zenith, let's go!" she practically shouted, tugging on the young Ultra. However, Zenith wouldn't budge an inch. He kneeled, transfixed to that one spot. "It's tricking you, Zenith! Please, let's just go!" Lillith kept tugging, but the boy still wouldn't budge.

"What do I have to do?" he asked. The voice replied, with a little more seduction evident.

"Just put your hands on the spot that you are on, and just wish me out. That's all you have to do."

"Zenith, no!" Lillith tried to pull him away, but felt shoved away from him by an unseen force. Landing several yards from him, Lillith looked up, and felt horror well up, as did Krystal. The vixen ran up to him as he placed his hands on the barren earth.

"Just wish. That is all." the voice said. Krystal tried to grab Zenith and pull him away, but her hands just passed through him.

"Zenith, Jim, no don't!" Krystal called. Lillith ran up for another try, but then, a purple-ish light erupted around Zenith. The Ultra boy looked around in shock.

"Wh-what's happening?" he shouted. Krystal felt it, as Jim first described it to her when he unleashed Gorzul, like an icy wind billowing forth. Then, an evil laugh, full of malice and hate, erupted from everywhere and nowhere. It was at first feminine, then deepened to that of a voice that sounded akin to rocks being grinded to meal.

"Thank you, young fool, for releasing me from my prison." The light gathered above the two young Ultras and vixen, and it became the darkness that Krystal saw the Ultra Brothers battle. The two youngsters were frozen in fear by what they saw. In the darkness, two eye-shaped red lights appeared, along with an orifice resembling a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. It opened its 'mouth', and laughed. Shadows began to stretch over the field where the two youngsters were, and they huddled together, looking up at the darkness with abject fear. Then, parts of the shadow began to fade away, as piercing lights stabbed through. Some were of one color, while others were of different hues. Then, they came; descending upon the two children, and circling around them in a protective ring, the Ultra Brothers looked up at the horror that they thought they had sealed away. Following the Brothers were the rest of the Space Garrison forces. Ultras who had just earned their Warrior of Light status joined the seasoned veterans in the fight. The darkness known as Gorzul merely laughed at them. "Ahhh, my old friends," it said in a gravelly voice. "It has been so long since we last encountered eachother. I had hoped to run into you before I departed this despicable planet."

"Gorzul, we will never let you leave here alive." Hayata said, pointing at the thing. "Your evil will spread itself throughout the cosmos of our universe, and into others. That much we know about your desires. We will not let you have your way!" Hayata and the other Brothers got into their combat stances, as did the Space Garrison forces. Gorzul seemed amused by this.

"Won't let me have my way? Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I have already gotten what I wanted, and it is all thanks to your son."

"What?" Hayata whirled to see Zenith and Lillith looking up at Gorzul, while Hayata stared at shock at what the thing was implying, as were the others.

"That's right, Hayata. Your own flesh and blood did this. Did I not say that you would regret doing this to me? Now, you have faced the ultimate betrayal, by your own son!" Gorzul laughed long and loud after he said this, as if it were the greatest joke of all time. Ultraman Hayata could only stare at his son, while Zenith looked to his father.

"D-dad…" Zenith started.

"Oh, son…what have you done?" Hayata said, his statement barely above a whisper. The other Ultras stared at the boy, while he looked at all of them. The Ultra Brothers and Space Garrison forces lowered their arms as they looked at the boy who had unleashed possibly one of the greatest threats the universe has ever known. However, Zoffy did not let this deter him, as the field commander of the Ultra Brothers took charge of the situation.

"We will deal with this at the proper time! Right now, we have bigger problems! Brothers and Space Garrison members, prepare to repel!" Zoffy ordered. At once, the Ultras got back into their combat stances, and faced the swirling cloud of shadow above them. That is, all but one. Hayata could not tear his eyes away from his son. He couldn't predict that something like this could ever happen, not like this. "Member Shodai!" Zoffy shouted, saying Hayata's name that he was given on the Land of Light. Hayata turned, and got into his combat stance and faced off against Gorzul. The dark entity merely laughed.

"Come on. Come at me!" he taunted. The Ultras were more than willing to oblige. The Ultra Brothers and Space Garrison members rose up and fired their beams at the darkness, piercing it. It seemed to grunt in pain, but then lashed out with its own brand of attacks. A tendril of darkness came down and ensnared a group of Space Garrison members, and something horrible happened; as it held them, light seemed to drain from their bodies and into the tendril, leading to the main body. The bodies of the Ultras were then cast aside, where they shattered to dust upon impact with the ground. The Brothers saw this, and were taken aback. "As you can see, I am rather drained from our last little encounter. Please, allow me a me a moment to…'refresh' myself." Gorzul said with an evil chuckle. Then, several more tendrils shot out, and ensnared more Warriors of Light, draining them of their life-force. The bodies were thrown, raining down to the ground and shattering like frail glass into nothingness when landing. Not even their warning lights remained. The Brothers avoided the assault, and struck back with attacks of their own, each firing their signature finishers at Gorzul. However, while powerful as the Brothers were, they only seemed to inflict only minor damage. But still, they fought on. Meanwhile, on the ground, Lillith, Zenith, and Krystal looked up at the battle before them. Ultras flew to and fro from snaking tendrils made of shadow, while blasting away at them and the main body, which seemed to be more than several hundred meters in diameter, if not more. The entity known as Gorzul appeared to be nothing more than a large cloud of pure evil. And even though this is a memory fragment from Zenith, Krystal could feel the evil radiating off of it, almost as if it were a tangible thing. She shuddered visibly, and turned to look at the children, who still looked up at the scene before them.

'Oh, Jim. No wonder you didn't want to tell me about this before. But, no matter what, my feelings for you won't change.' she thinks to herself. Then, Zenith gasps, and Krystal looks up to see why; Hayata was caught in one of Gorzul's tendrils, his energy being drained from him.

"No, father!" Zenith shouts, standing up. Then, he places his arms in a plus-shape, much like Krystal had seen him do before numerous times, and fires his own Spacium Kousen. Though not as strong as the one that Krystal knows, the blue/white beam cuts through the darkness, freeing his father, who falls to the ground. Zenith and Lillith run over to where he lays, Zenith kneeling over him. "Father…" Zenith says, sounding choked up.

"Zenith, my son. Do not worry. We will prevail over this disaster…" he says rather weakly.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't listened to it…"

"It is…alright…my son. You had no idea what it was that Gorzul was capable of. You are as much a victim of it, as were the ones who fell by its touch. But, now, you must go. You must leave here!" Hayata said, getting back up on his feet, but falling to a knee. Zenith tried to hold him up, but nearly collapsed under his father.

"No, I won't leave you here. This is my fault, and I have to try to make things right!" Zenith says, adamant. Hayata looks up, and the situation turned from bad to hopeless, as the Space Garrison was down to merely a handful of warriors. However, they still fought on. Then, out of the cloud cover, something happened. A ray of light shined through the darkness cloud, making Gorzul grunt in apparent pain. Then, a shining sliver of light sped through the hole that was made, and sliced through the main body, making Gorzul cry out in pain.

"Who dares…" it demanded. It didn't have to wait long. Dropping from the cover and landing on the ground in a plume of dust was another Ultra. This one looked a lot like Zenith and Hayata/Shodai, but the red pattern was slightly different. Zenith was overjoyed when he saw him.

"SHEJA!" he yelled. His brace, the one that would become Krystal's staff in centuries to come, was nestled snugly on his right forearm. Krystal saw this, and took out her own staff, which was still in its inactive form. Then looked back up. Sheja looked back at Hayata and the others.

"Father of Ultra sent a message to me after I got back. He said a disturbance of some sort was happening here, and I see that, as always, he was never far off the mark." Hayata nodded at his comrade, who promptly returned the gesture. Then turned to face Gorzul. "This is as far as you go, monster!" Sheja shouted. Gorzul chuckled.

"Do you really believe that an insignificant speck like yourself is truly a match for me? I have devoured whole worlds before I came to this one. Whole systems, if not galaxies, have fallen to me. Those that I did not feast upon, I have made into my slaves, which is exactly what your race is about to become."

"Not if I can help it! I won't let you do as you please in my home!" With that, Sheja placed his left hand over his brace, and it glowed. When he pulled it away, the brace was gone, but a shining luminescence was present in his hand. Sheja through this at Gorzul, and it became the same glaive of light that had pierced it before. It struck it in its face, and it cried out in apparent anguish. Its eyes burned with hatred, and with a roar, it sent several tendrils his way. Sheja easily avoided them, leaping up into the air, and flying through the tangled mass of shadowy tendrils. It looked at the thing in the face as it stared down the lone Warrior of Light, anger and hatred burning in its eyes. Then, Sheja fired his own finisher attack in its face, the attack catching it off guard. The beam struck it between the eyes, and Gorzul winced slightly in pain, as if from a painful bee-sting. Then, as if with a mind of its own, his brace lifted itself from his forearm, and floated in front of the Ultra. Sheja ceased his attack, and looked at the floating object. It flashed once, and the Warrior of Light nodded once in understanding. The brace floated in front of him, and Sheja got back into his stance. After a couple of hand poses, he was back into his signature finisher stance, and fired his beam attack, the blue/white beam impacting his brace. Then, the brace glowed, becoming a cerulean color as it absorbed the energy, then fired a beam of its own. It was much like Sheja's, but with one significant difference; it was several times larger than the beam that Sheja had fired. With the brace acting as an amplifier, Sheja's beam had increased to several times in power. Now, the beam struck Gorzul in the face, and the beam of energy actually enveloped it, making the entity scream in utter agony. Then, it retreated back into space, away from the Ultras. Sheja dropped his pose, his brace returning to its place on his arm. He turned, and floated to the ground. The Warrior of Light went to Hayata's side, and helped him to his feet. "Are you alright, sir?" he asked. Hayata nodded.

"I'll be fine. It's a good thing you showed up, Sheja. It was starting to look grim for us for awhile." Sheja nodded.

"What was that thing, anyway?" he asked.

"A leftover from the past. One that we had hoped would never see the light of day again." Hayata said, looking up into the sky where Gorzul had left. Sheja followed his gaze, then looked down at Zenith. "And what are you doing here, anyway?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "You know that you are not supposed to be here." Zenith looked away. How could he tell him that he was responsible for releasing that horrible thing? "Well?" he asked.

"I can explain." Hayata said. Sheja turned to him. "Zenith was here when Gorzul was released."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, that Zenith accidentally released Gorzul."

"What?" Sheja shouted. He turned to the boy.

"Don't blame my son. He didn't know what he was doing. He was manipulated by the entity to releasing it."

"It doesn't matter whether I blame him or not. It's what the Council and Father & Mother of Ultra going to do that we should be worried about." Sheja said. Zenith flinched at the words. He looked up, and saw that the Ultras were surrounding him; the Ultra Brothers, as well as what's left of the Space Garrison forces that were sent to deal with Gorzul. And, he could feel that they were starting to see him as the cause of everything. Krystal watched all of this from the background, taking the scene as it came, and wondering what all of this has to do with her. Before she knew it, the scene changed, shifting to another time and place. She found herself, as well as a young Zenith, his father and Sheja, standing before several Ultras. Two of them wore the same mantle that Jim wore when he returned from M78. One was a male with great horns atop his head, while the other looked like a woman, with what appeared to be a type of hair-like headdress going down on both sides of her head. These were the Father & Mother of Ultra. The rest were sitting upon what looked like floating seats, slowly orbiting a bright sphere of light. Lillith was standing underneath one of them, and Krystal's breath caught in her throat as she recognized who that Ultra was; Zorabia looked down at Zenith, Krystal able to feel the contempt for the boy radiating off of her like a poisonous miasma. 'So, that's who banished him. No wonder he detests her so.' Krystal thinks. There were other Ultras as well, like the Teacher of Light 80, twins Leo and Astra, even some that Krystal did not recognize. However, the Ultra Brothers were all assembled before the Council and Father & Mother of Ultra. It was Father of Ultra who spoke.

"My people, a grave travesty has befallen us. Gorzul who has been sealed long ago, has finally been unleashed upon the universe." The Ultras gathered murmured among themselves. "We know Gorzul seeks to devour all life to obtain immortality, and even kept other races alive as slaves and worse. We must act now."

"Yes, but what about the boy?" Zorabia of the Council of Ultra asked. All eyes were turned to her. "Did he not release said entity from its prison?"

"That is irrelevant at this point, Zorabia. It does not matter who it was that released the demon from its jail, only that we get it back into it, or better yet destroy it, before it can gather its strength once more."

"Does not matter? Then what about those who have suffered from it?"

"What do you mean?" Mother of Ultra asked.

"I mean about those who had lost their loved ones because the boy released the entity. Soldiers perished before it, cutting our ranks greatly, but they were not the only victims." she gestured to the crowd of Ultras, which must have numbered in the hundreds. "Come forth, you who have lost someone precious to you in the previous hours of Gorzul's revival." Almost half of the group took a step forward. Zenith looked at them, expecting them to lynch him at a moment's notice. Zorabia pointed to one of them, a humanoid girl of around twenty. "Who have you lost?" she asked. The girl, tearfully, answered.

"M-my brother. He was killed by Gorzul when he was released. He promised me that he would take me and my younger brother to the nebulae forests when he was done on shift. But, now…"

"And what about you?" she asked, pointing to a male blue Ultra.

"My son. He just graduated from the academy just last month. And now, his first mission was his last." he said, bitterness showing in his voice. Young Zenith looked down, feeling guilt well up.

"And you?" she asked, pointing to a humanoid woman who looked middle-aged, accompanied by a girl who looked to be Krystal's age.

"My future son-in-law. He was going to propose to my daughter. He told me not to tell my daughter yet, wanting to keep it a surprise." The girl quietly sobbed next to her mother, while the woman tried to comfort the young girl. Krystal then saw what it was that Zorabia was doing.

'She's manipulating the crowd! Why would she do something so awful? It's not like Jim wanted any of this to happen to anyone.' The people that did not come forward starting to murmur and whisper among themselves, and Krystal could guess what it is that they might be conversing about.

"Enough!" Father of Ultra shouted. The crowd was silenced by the command. "Yes, you have all lost someone precious to you. But you must remember. They willingly became Warriors of Light to protect this planet, and countless others, from evil forces like Gorzul. They will be sorely missed, but they were doing their duty. Taking it out on a young child will not bring them back, much less help the current situation."

"But could this have been avoided, Father of Ultra?" Zorabia asked. All attention was once more on her. "Was it not you who made it forbidden to cross the contour that separates the city from the forbidden zone?"

"Yes. What's your point, Zorabia?"

"If one did it once, who's to say that it won't happen again? An example must be made. Satisfaction must be given." The crowd murmured in agreement. Father of Ultra looked to them.

"You cannot be serious!" Taro nearly shouted. The son of Father & Mother of Ultra stepped toward the Council. "Zorabia, honored councilmen, think about this. Zenith was a child who was manipulated by Gorzul. He didn't know what was really happening. You cannot pass judgment on a boy like this!"

"The situation would not change if it were even you who had released the demon, Taro. These people have needlessly suffered. There must be some form of satisfaction that will help comfort them."

"But there is! We will make sure that Gorzul never again does this to anyone else! Passing sentence on a child like this is…is…insane!"

"Never-the-less, no one is above the law, no matter who it is. Albeit civilian or soldier, wealthy or poor, lord or servant, no one can defy the law of Ultra. You know this to be true, Father & Mother of Ultra. After all, you put some of them down into stone, so to speak, yourselves, did you not?"

"Yes. We did, Zorabia."

"And what does the law say for something like this?" Father & Mother of Ultra looked at eachother, then to the Council.

"Death." he said finally. There were gasps coming from people in the crowd, including from Krystal. "The penalty for releasing Gorzul, what had taken the lives of our brethren…is death."

"This is madness!" Hayata shouted, pushing his son behind him as if to protect him from Zorabia.

"This is our law." Zorabia said casually. If she could, she would probably be smirking right now. Krystal wanted nothing more than to take her staff, and blow the spiteful woman into oblivion. She visibly shook from the rage and anger that was beginning to well up from inside of her. Young Zenith felt fear well up inside of him as never before. The woman wanted to kill him, and some the crowd looked like it was going to help her do just that. Lillith looked up at shock at her mother, unable to believe what she was hearing.

'This is more than just a simple disdain for soldiers. Zorabia hates Jim with a passion. So much so as to go so far as to sentence him to death. But why?' the cerulean vixen had these thoughts running through her head, then Father & Mother of Ultra stepped forward.

"We will not put a child to death for something like this! This is completely out of the question!" Father of Ultra shouted. Zorabia smiled inwardly.

"What about the people who have lost those who were precious to them?" she asked. "Simply seeing the entity imprisoned will not suffice, since it would allow the opportunity to escape to arise again, and you very well cannot destroy it, either. If you could have, you would've done so by now. The people will need something else as well to sate them. They must have satisfaction, or else." The crowd murmured in agreement.

'If only King were here…' Father of Ultra thought wistfully. Then, like a beacon, a humming sound was heard, followed by a pulse of light emanating from the tallest structure in the city. 'the Plasma Spark…' Father of Ultra thought. Both he and Mother of Ultra, followed by the Ultra Brothers and Zenith flew to the tower that had held the Plasma Spark. Then, the image shifted, and Krystal found herself standing on a bridge of some type over a seemingly bottomless pit. However, that was not what had her attention at the moment. Rather, it was what was at the end of the bridge that she stared at with awe; sitting atop a pillar of white crystal sat a miniature white sun, glowing with a radiance of pure white light. Krystal felt a great sense of calm upon seeing the orb. Then, the Ultras arrived, starting with the Father & Mother of Ultra, and ending with Hayata and Zenith. Father of Ultra walked over to the orb, and stood before it. Krystal suspected it to be the Plasma Spark, and was proven correct when it flashed once, and a white aura wafted down to them. It entered the Ultras, but simply wafted around the vixen. Oddly enough, she could feel it. It was warm to the touch, and she had the distinct impression that it was alive. It continued to waft around like a mist for a bit, before retreating to the Plasma Spark. Then, something floated down in front of them. It was shaped like the Plasma Spark, but smaller is size. Stopping just in front of the Father of Ultra, the others gathered around it, as did Krystal, her body passing through them as if they were nothing more than mist. She saw what it was that the Plasma Spark wanted to show them; Gorzul. It was heading towards a system with twelve planets, and two suns.

"Lylat!" Krystal shouted out loud, then covered her mouth as if embarrassed. Then she remembered that this is all just a memory from Zenith. She looked down at the Ultra boy, whose eyes were transfixed to the sphere.

"It's headed for that system." Zoffy said.

"Which system is that?" Seven asked.

"Mine." a voice said. All turned to face Sheja, who stepped forward. "It must have found the gateway to the other universes. It's found a nearly limitless supply of energy." He turned to Zoffy. "Sir, I must head to my post, and try to divert it back to here."

"It's too dangerous for you alone, Sheja. There's another way."

"There isn't any time. If he gets close enough, the natives of that system are going to perish in the blink of an eye. I have to stop it, sir." Zoffy seemed to consider, then nodded to the Warrior of Light.

"Alright. But remember; you are to try to divert its attention away from the people in that system, not to take that thing on head-on. Lead it back to M78, and we will dispose of it. Understood?"

"Yessir!" Sheja said. Then, he flew out of the chamber of the Plasma Spark, and headed for the Lylat System. However, while everyone's attention was diverted to the Plasma Spark, none seemed to notice a certain Ultra boy sneak out from behind them, and follow Sheja. That is, all but a certain cerulean-furred vixen. The image then shifted to that of space. She was standing, once more, in the vast reaches of space, where the planets could be seen clearly, as well as something else; The dark mass that is Gorzul moved towards one of the planets, one that Krystal recognized instantly, and watched as it closed in on Sauria. Then, the mass expanded, and engulfed the planet. Fear taking hold, Krystal watched as the entity fed on the planet, taking all of the lives that it had. Then, a glowing dart of light collided with the mass, making it halt its feasting. Releasing the planet, leaving it nearly broken into nothingness, Gorzul turned its attention on the newly arrived Sheja.

"Have you learned nothing, boy? You cannot hope to defeat me. Even with that little bracelet of yours, I will still swallow your soul."

"You can try, Gorzul. However, you haven't faced anyone quite like me before!" Sheja shouted, and threw his brace at Gorzul. It turned into the cutting weapon like before, and this time went through Gorzul's body, making it yell in pain. The glaive returned to its master, and Sheja faced off against Gorzul once more.

"You will pay for that…"

"No, Gorzul. You will pay. You will pay for all that you have done!" Sheja fired his signature finisher, the blue/white beam colliding with the demon. The attack threw sparks, but didn't seem to do any lasting damage.

"Ha! You see? You may be able to hurt me, I'll give you that much, but you cannot kill me. None can kill me!" Just then, tendrils shot out of the main body once more, and wrapped themselves around Sheja. "Time to die…" Gorzul was reeling in its catch, when another beam struck it from behind. It was smaller than Sheja's attack, but it did make the demon take notice. It whirled, and what it saw made it laugh, while Sheja gasped in shock; young Zenith was in his Spacium Kousen pose, ready to fire off another shot at the thing that held his friend.

"Let him go, Gorzul! I'm the one whose gonna take you down!" he shouted. Gorzul laughed in amusement.

"How adorable! The same child that released me, wants to send me back to the hell from whence I came. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Zenith flinched slightly, but didn't drop his pose. "Very well. I will give you a chance to 'redeem' yourself in front of your people. Who knows? You just might get lucky." Still holding onto Sheja, Gorzul sent more tendrils at the young Ultra. Zenith evaded them, and sent another beam at his opponent. His Spacium Kousen lacked the firepower that Sheja's has, but it did at least do something, in that it did cause miniature explosions when it did impact against its main body. But Gorzul merely laughed in amusement. "It is utterly useless, child. You cannot even begin to harm me." Zenith ignored the jibe, and kept flying through the mass of tendrils that threatened to ensnare him. He kept on firing his Spacium Kousen, but the repeated usage was starting to take its toll on him. He was beginning to slow down, and was panting hard. Finally, he stopped to catch his breath, and that's when Gorzul decided to taunt him some more. "You have the determination, boy, but not the skill or endurance of a warrior. I commend you on putting up a fight, for someone as young as yourself, but now the game must end." A tendril snuck up from behind Zenith, and grabbed him. Giving a yell in surprise, the young Ultra tried to free himself, but it was useless. He was being slowly dragged to Gorzul's waiting maw, when something happened. Getting his arm free, Sheja was able to launch his brace, which became the glaive-like weapon, and tore the tendril in half. Free, Zenith flew away some distance, while Gorzul focused its attention on the Warrior of Light. "You are starting to be a meddlesome thorn in my side, Warrior of Light. I will end you first."

"No, Gorzul, this is where you end!" Sheja shouted. Then, his brace glowed, and so did he. Zenith was flying towards them, when he was engulfed in a transparent scarlet sphere. He pounded his small fists against the barrier, but it would not yield. "Zenith, this is not your fight. I will seal the Gate Way for a time, enough for you to mature and grow into a warrior. When the time comes, you must bring down this monstrosity before he can devour anyone else."

"Sheja, I can't just leave you here!" Zenith shouted at him.

"You have no choice!" Sheja shouted back. His tone softened. "The time will come for you to fulfill your destiny, Zenith-kun. But for now, you must live. Farewell, my brother." With that, the sphere shot out into space, but Zenith could see a slight flash when he couldn't see the pair anymore, and knew that Sheja just gave his life to save his own, and to cripple Gorzul. The young Ultra broke down and sobbed openly, knowing that he can never go home, for he may be executed for releasing a horror into the eternity of eternities. Krystal saw this, and felt for him. She wished that she could touch him, hold him. She wished that she could tell him that everything will be alright in the end, but couldn't. She couldn't, since it was only a memory. The vixen felt a tear go down her muzzle, and wiped it away.

The scene shifted, and it was when Zenith neared a certain blue/green planet in system with nine planets, and a single sun. The boy had grown, nearing adult hood. Free of the sphere, he descended to the planet. He landed, and using his light-bending ability, flew off to one of the cities. There, he floated around, seeing all the people moving about to their daily routines. Then, he felt something, and headed for a hospital. There, he passed through the walls, and made his way to the maternity ward. There were swathed infants in bassinets, with parents looking at them through a sheet of glass, each of them having a joyous smile on their faces. That is, all except two. As they looked through, they saw that their sickly infant son was visibly having difficulty breathing. Sheja saw this child, standing behind the two parents without them noticing him. A nurse came out with a clipboard, to tell them that the baby might not survive the night. The mother sobbed into her husband's shoulder while he tried to comfort her. Zenith saw this, and felt he had to do something. Passing through the glass, he walked to the infant, standing over him. He looked down, and felt the life slowly fade from his tiny body. Zenith waited until the doors were locked for the night, and the room darkened. Then, he made his move. Dispersing his camouflage, he stood over the bassinet that held the baby. He was nearly gone, but Zenith decided to do what he felt was right. A red light appeared over the infant, and became the same type of sphere that Sheja had used to send him away from Gorzul, all those centuries ago. In that time, he had grown to nearly adult hood, and with this child's help, he might be able to do that. Lifting the sphere with telekinesis, Gorzul saw the infant moving slightly from within. Then, his own body becoming a bright scarlet, he became a mass of light and energy, and entered the sphere as well. Using his own power, he healed the infant, but became dormant inside of him. The sphere faded, and the baby was gently lowered back into the bassinet. The next couple of day were a blur, but the third day saw a very happy mother and father carrying their newborn son home. Krystal saw all of this, and knew that she was watching how Jim had become an Ultra hybrid right then and there. She smiled at the sight as the mother and father entered their car, and drove home. 'So, this is how Jim was born.'

To be Continued…