Disclaimer: Same old, same old.

Chap. 12

"You had a tail?"

"Yeah, a long time ago when I was a kid. But it was cut off a long time ago. I wonder how it came back? Oh, well. A tail's a tail, right?

The others gave either strange or exasperated looks at Goku. They still weren't quite used to his overly friendliness, but accepted it. The mist began to move once again, this time around the blond, spiky haired SOLDIER.

"Here we go."

Cloud's vision slowly cleared and he was suddenly mortified.

'What the...?'

Cloud was in the City of the Ancients again in the glassy room of the lower level. Cloud recognized it instantly. 'This room. This is where...Sephiroth...killed…'

As things cleared even more, a figure was bending down in front of him. It was female, with her back turned to him. But it wasn't Aeris.

'Tifa?'

Cloud suddenly found himself raising his Buster sword over his head. 'No. Not...again.' Cloud tried to put his arms down, but was unable to. Some invisible force was holding him in place, trying to push him into bring the sword down on her.

'No...not...strong...enough...can't...stop...'

X 'Yes, you are.'

"Guhhhhhhh!!"

Ryo 'You can do it.'

'You are far stronger than you believe yourself to be, Cloud.'

'Huh?'

'You did it once, and you can do it again.'

Cloud cried out and finally his arms moved aside. As he breathed heavily, Tifa rose to her feet and turned to him, a smile on her face.

"Cloud."

Cloud almost returned the smile, but then gasped. 'If this is the same as last time...'

On cue, a black shadow appeared from above and dove into the chamber. A long blade was turned downward as a silver-haired man in black silently swooped down on Tifa, ready to impale her. But at the last minute, Cloud pushed Tifa away and blocked the strike. However, his block was timed off and his hand was slashed.

"Grrrrrhhh!"

The pain from the injury caused Cloud to glow in red energy. Sephiroth looked down at the spiky haired warrior as he began to change somewhat and yellow lightning crackled around his body.

-------

"Cloud."

Cloud suddenly blinked and he found himself in the mist once again. He shook his head slightly before rousing to his feet, the injury on his hand now gone.

"What was that?" Ryo asked.

"I...don't know. I've never felt like that before." Cloud answered unsteadily. 'Perhaps...I am stronger than I believed.'

Sho then wondered out loud, "So who do you guys think is next?"

Just as he said that, the mist began to move again, swirling around the emerald haired tekkaman.

"That answers your question?"

D-Boy said nothing as the mist engulfed him. But his face wasn't expectant. 'I've faced nightmares before. This one will be no different.'

Boy, was he wrong.

'What the hell...?'

He was on Earth, only it wasn't Earth. The entire landscape was ravaged and covered with strange pods. However, his focus was on the pod in front of him. Within it, he could make out a human form within it.

"Aki!"

Before he could step forward, a flash blinded him briefly, causing him to cover his eyes. When he was able to see, he was confronted by Tekkamen Evil(Saber) and Omega(Darkon).

Evil hissed, "As you can see brother, she will soon be one of us."

"Join us." Omega added. "Join her or die."

D-Boy's face contorted in rage, "I'll never join you!

"Then you will die." Evil bellowed, "And she will be one of the Radham, as all are."

D-Boy had heard enough. The emerald tekka-set crystal formed in his hand and he raised it.

"Tek-Setta!"

D-Boy's body glowed with incredible power, transforming him once again into Tekkaman Blade. However, the other two tekkamen weren't shaken in the least.

"You are nowhere near powerful enough to stop us." Omega gloated.

I'm not. Not in my current condition. But I don't know if I can use Blastor. Last time, I almost...

Liu Kang 'Save her.'

Goku 'No matter what happens, you will still have your friends with you.'

Sho 'You are not alone in this, D-Boy.'

'Is she worth it?'

'What?!'

'Are you willing to risk your life to save her?'

Blade didn't even have to answer back. The answer was already clear in his mind. Blade pointed his lancer at his two nemeses. 'No matter what, I will save you Aki. I swear it.' His armor began flashing and glowing around him. Crystal spikes shot up out from him initiating his transformation. However, before it was complete, Blade found himself in the mist once again.

"What the...?"

"Welcome back." Liu Kang commented.

D-Boy took in the surroundings and then turned back to Liu, "I take it that I passed the test."

Sho nodded, "Looks that way. What was all of that?"

D-Boy looked into the air, "What could have happened in my world. What may still..." He stopped himself briefly before continuing on. "What will never happen. Not as long as I can still fight."

The others gave satisfied expressions as the mist went to work once again. This time, it went for the blue Maverick Hunter.

"Let's go."

X actually expected to face Sigma once again. After all, that guy had been his greatest enemy and almost killed him the last time. However, when the mist cleared, he was surprised by who he faced.

"Zero?"

The long, blond haired, red Maverick Hunter hovered before, glowing in a flaming aura.

"X."

Suddenly, Zero warped toward X and punched him to the ground. X skidded and slid back further. As he shook himself, he looked up at the approaching Zero.

"Zero, don't do this. We're friends."

Zero gave a dark grin, "Friends? I don't think so. Don't you get it, X?"

X looked over Zero. 'Zero. What's wrong with...Oh, no.'

"Maverick?"

"That's right. Only unlike Sigma, I will destroy you. And do you know how? Your own feelings. You could never fight me at full strength." He folded his arms, "That would be like you trying to fight Alia."

X's eyes widened and Zero half-laughed, "Yes I know how you feel about her. It is the same with me, isn't it? I'm your best friend, right? That is your weakness. I've always told you that you're too soft, X. Now it will be your end."

Tenchi 'Don't listen to him. He's wrong.'

Goku 'A warrior fights with his heart as well as his strength.'

'What do your feelings say now, X?'

'My feelings...'

X looked over Zero again and then determinedly stood up and faced him "You may look like him, but I can feel that you're not Zero!"

"So what? What use is that here?"

"Now that I know, I can fight you at full strength."

Zero merely shrugged and fired his Zero-Buster, causing the area to explode. However, upon looking up, he saw that had X escaped on some sort of black hover-vehicle. X jumped off and the vehicle broke apart and began to surround him.

"You want full power. I'll show you what a real Maverick Hunter can do."

"Maybe later, X."

"Huh?" X was in the mist realm once again.

"I made it after all. I'm glad."

Tenchi however, noticed the slight bit of sadness in his voice, "What's wrong?"

"It's just that...Zero is right about me. Perhaps I am too soft."

"Don't say that." Jin interjected. Goku agreed and added, "Even if you are a robot, you have a heart. That alone makes you a far better fighter as well as a person. Don't forget that."

X slowly nodded, "I...I guess you're right."

Once again, the mist began to swirl and move, choosing its next person.

Tenchi Masaki...

___________________

"So it is finally his turn."

"Yep. Seven down, three to go."

"Ryu has been very quiet."

"He's preparing. More than any of the others, he knows what he has to face."

"But will that be enough?"

"We'll see. But in the meantime, let us look at young Tenchi and see how he comes out."