Soul of The silver Crystal
Chapter 7

" Ra...mirez............?" Vyse looked shockingly at his would be comrade. " But...how?"

" It's a long story Vyse...." Ramirez looked to the ground, not wanting to meet Vyse's gaze. Ramirez thought to himself. He sighed and looked to the heavens...perhaps to find an answer.

" So you address me by name?" Vyse said almost shocked. " And what happened to the 'Pirate Scum' that we were before?"

" I never called you........pirate scum.......anyway that has nothing to do with anything you rouge! " It sounded rather odd coming from a girl's voice... but Ramirez still managed to get his point across. " I came back...possessing Aika's body to get my revenge on the likes of you foul villians! "

" Oh really?" Vyse smirked. " And I suppose you killed Fina as well! We'll I've news for you pal...I'm not really the pirate they called Vyse!"

" Wha--?"

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" Hey.......uhh.....guys?" Aika turned to her fellow companions. " Are you sure this is the right way to Mictlan?"
Hours had passed, as the four party members had set out to find the legendary creature creature made its home.

" This direction leads to the forbidden Dimention........." Said Belleza.

" Uhhhuggghhh....." Solo started to stir.

" So your finally waking up I see?" Belleza said.

" Where.......uhhh........." Solo caught a glimspe of Belleza's baby blue eyes. " Peerrty........"

" I thought kids from the lower city were stronger than that......." Belleza frowned. " Can you walk?"

" Yeah......" The fifteen year old guy responded as he was gently lowered to the ground. He started to wabble forwards, callasping to meet the ground below. " Oookay.......maybe not......" He put his arms out, making an effort to lift himself back off the ground. " So what are we doing exactly?"

" Yeah really? What does the Final Eternity gotta do with us?" Aika asked. " I think we're just going around in circles for nothing........."

" I agree." Said Fina. " How can you prove it exists if no one has ever seen it.....?"

Belleza looked to her fellow party members. " I know it does....... I can feel it in my heart........"

The two other girls gave an awkward stare. " What exactly do you mean?" Asked Fina.

" And if you're right.........I still don't know why we need it....."

" Alright.......it's about time we took a breather anyway....."

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Lawrence's ship, the DarkVoyager, was nearing the hideaway Baltor used, to keep from getting caught by the Arcadian forces. It seemed a rather, well hidden hideaway in a moutainside north of Valua. Lawrence knew better. He could tell from the shifting lines of rock, that there was some sort of rock solid door blocking the entrance inside.

" This is what I'm paid for..." Lawrence muttered lowly to himself. " Alright MEN! YOU HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON WHAT TO DO! READY THE MOON STONE CANNON! WE'LL BLAST THAT GRANATE TO OBLIVION!" As mentioned before, the lone wolf was generally quiet in his proceedings........but in this case...... a burning flame seemed to arise from within himself.......allowing himself to take full command over his crew, recongnizing that he had a sort of power over them.

Like mindless lemmings, the Crew obeyed, charging the cannon.....aiming......then allowing a beautiful array of light spiril forward thrusting toward the mountain side. As Lawrance predicted, the wall gave at once due to the overbarring impact of the hit, as tumbling boulders fell from the mountain side down far below, and into the lower skies. Inside, was a technologically advanced city hidden withen. Lawrence could barily get over his innitial reaction when he looked inside, to see what couldn't possably be human....

" What the fu--!?" He stopped. " What the hell are those things?" He spoke coolly to himself.

Whatever they were, the creatures were in a sort of panic, running about mindlessly, yelling out jibberish which was probably their own language...... one could only guess what they were trully saying. Perhaps something along the lines of . 'Intruder alert! We're under attack!'

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" You're.........not Vyse...?....hmph........should've known you weren't that bastard that helped destory Zelos......."

" Correct, I'm not........."

" Then......who are you?"

" That's for you to find out." The fake Vyse spoke cooly.

" Then.......where do you suppose the real Pirate Scumb is?"

" Captured. Just as you're about to be......I can't allow you to ruin my plans of destruction for Arcadia......."

Appearing out of no where, were strange looking beings, Dark, Scally, excrushiating looking beings with large bulging viens spread out throughout their skull...... elbows and knees ending with thorns, and rigid spikes running down their spines and down their lizard-like tails. Their legs were build similer to that of four legged creatures, ending with claws......and their hands made up of razor sharp knife like claws......and at the top of their head....the most distinguishing feature....... was this long tenticle like vein ending in a microphone like sphere hanging off the top of their heads. Their eyes glowed with feirce light, without any pupils to show what they were observing. Their mouths could not be seen, but were almost parrot like the way they were below their nose in a pointed fashion. What were these mysterious creatures.....? Where did they come from? And why were they here? Obviously, as Ramirez observed......these beings were not of Arcadian descent........

And little did Ramirez acknowledge......that these were the same creatures Lawrence had unfortunatly descovered behind the mountain's rock.

The creatures came swerving around them, out numbering Ramirez a hundred to one.....and he was the only one.

" You were all here the whole time?"

" The Arkrenien take many forms.....including that of human surroundings such as bricks, or rocks, or trees......and in my case....." Vivid melting of flesh began to pour off of the fake Vyse's body revieling the deadly secret beneath. " One of your own!"

" Hmph.........you don't seem all that strong.......are you certain you want to take me on?"

" Four pitiful humans each one about as normal in status as you can get....... defeated you with the power of Zelos the Gigas at your hands none the less......I doubt very much you'd be able to take on the whole lot of us....."

" I occupy the body of one of those rouges..."

" One of the weaker specimin........either surrender now..........or I will have to avenge my beloved Aika you no good body theif!"

" Aika.......?"

" Indeed.........now what's it going to be human? I havn't all day......I have a Valuan prince needing to be assassinated....."

" Enrique........?"

" Indeed........ thou art quite clever with your mystery work....."

" Go ahead and kill the upidy no good royal pain in the ass.......see if I care......but I don't see how you should run the planet anymore than those other humans should....."

" You obviasly do care for other humans...........I can sense it in your heart.........but what's wrong Ramirez......? Are you afraid to show it? And does your fear of losing love again drive you to destroy everything around you......including yourself.....?"

" What's it to you?"

" Hahahahahahaha..........you see...........if we ran this world.......we would enslave your race........they'll no longer hurt each other.........there will be no more hatred....... and any objection would end in death......just as your 'god' Galcian would have done..........only rather than kill off an entire continent...........we'll simply kill off innocent people that the rebel cares about......and let him live with the pain......."

" Not even Galcian would stoop that low....."

" Oh yes he would.......you do realize what his works have done.......and now history has made to repeat itself.......what is your decision Ramirez? I just might let you live if you choose to join us....."

" The Arcadian Human race was never meant to be lead by one from which that was not of this planet...."

" Why not? It was YOUR kind who destroyed our planet billions of decades ago before the time of the old world........it was then that this planet was known as EARTH................and our planet........rich with the powers of the elements...... split and became the six moons you use today for weaponry, knocking out the original moon that used to orbit your planet.........and let's not forget the creation of the gigas.........we are simply regaining what was destroyed by your kind!"

" Earth.......? " ' I remember the elders speacking of such......I had thought Earth was merely a legend......but Arcadia......this planet........is Earth!?' " It doesn't matter.....Arcadia's forces will get wind of this.........then you'll be out of commision just as I was......"

" You don't realize just how powerful we really are do you? Show him Pro-zach......." The creature refered to a younger one of his kind. Pro-zach stood up, and the microphone ball that hung from his tenticle like vien glow immensly with power. A powerful beam shot forth, aimed right at Aika/Ramirez's spine.........causing a temporary paralysis......

" You......bastard......I can't move...."

" Any time now we could wipe you out........that was just a warning......Pro-Zach, pick up the Stunned earthling and bring him to headquarters.........and just for fun........put him in the Blue Prisen chamber to reunite him with one of this old 'friends'."

" Golopdee knee gou Beloki " :: Yes my master Beloki....:: The creature spoke in a strange foreign tounge which was native to that of the Arkreniens race. He picked up the paralyzed Ramirez......who reluctantly allowed him to do so......not that he had much choice in the matter.

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The four members of their party gathered around to hear more of Belleza's findings, her reasons for acquiring the Final Eternity..........and her guesses on where the priceless gem may be located.

" The Final Eternity holds many secrets...........including the ultimate Phoenix summon......which could open the path back the the world of the living......there is no limit to what this powerful crystal can accomplish......but if caught in the wrong hands......who knows what could happen......once we acquire it, we'll have to be careful never to lose it......."

" Sounds like cool beans to me...." Said Solo, who rapidly recovered from his demolish. " But what about the location? And the Mictlan......?"

" You're a powerful Necromancer right? Try excercising your power a bit......it might come in handy...."

" He never said he wanted to come along!" Barked Aika, remembering her jealousy toward her when she was with Vyse.

" I don't mind." Responded the young magic worker. " My big-brother would be proud of me if I set out on a quest like this."

" I see, and Fina and Aika helped defeat Ramirez and Zelos....."

" Well......" Aika began. " We had help from Vyse and Enrique........... and the Delphinus, Valua's most powerful ship for the time!"

" I suppose that's true......but we have SOLO with us! And I'm experienced when it comes to combat........just build your strengths up and we should stand a chance....."

" You're psycho.....taking on a monster that could wipe out a single gigas with the swipe of a paw..." Solo commented.

" We don't have to wipe him out the acquire the gem.....just destract him........that's where you come in Solo........"

" Oh sure..........give me the hard part...."

" Just stun him for a moment while us girls grab the gem." Said Belleza.

" Brother was right........never get involved unless it benefits you...."

" It will when you're alive and kicking ass again...." Said Aika. " I say let's do it!"

" Yes......but what shall I do? I'm not much help..."

" You're a silvite..." Said Aika. " Use the silver crystal for healing purposes......"

" Good idea..... you heal Solo from time to time while me and Aika grab the crystal...."

^^ You mean MY CRYSTAL......^^

" What!?" All four jumped up to see who made that deep booming telepathic voice.

Glaring deeply at the four party members, were a pair of ferocious blood red eyes that glared with a fire like light floating heavily above a leapard like snout, and fangs like razor sharp teeth, and a leapard build to match.

" MICTLAN!!" Belleza yelled, nearly losing conciousness. " But......this is impossable!"

" I have only one suggestion." Said Aika.

" W-what!?"

" RUN!!!!!!!"

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"DUKE DUKE! GOGORAHNANI NICKO GAMMA!!" :: LOOK! LOOK! SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO OUR HIDEAWAY!!::

" Wrong burrow." Lawrence breathed.

"DUKEGOG DORE!" :: I see:: " DUKE NANI TIVE UNE DA CHUCHI!" :: LOOK WHAT IT DID TO OUR HARD WORK!"

" GOU BALTOR NO HEKKI!" :: CAPTAIN BALTOR WON'T BE HAPPY!"

" Did he just say Baltor captain?" Observed one of the crew members.

" He did." Lawrence noticed. " What's going on here?"

" I could send some troops down."

" No, you don't know what they might do......we can't afford to lose any men....." ( If I did, I'd lose some of the cash due to expenses......... revival obligations with Risan........damned crystals have gotten expensive lately.... but it's all part of the deal.......and I am not one to go back on my word.....regardless if it kills me.) " For now let's retreat to Valua...."

" Alright."

( This may be more difficult than expected.)

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To be Continued

Author's Notes:
So that really wasn't Vyse.......that might explain why he's so emotional......looks like this alien got his character slightly wrong. But will that change Ramirez's new attitude towards the people of Arcadia back to where it was to begin with? What will happen to Ramirez who's still stuck inside Aika's body? And what about our dead friends in the other world when they unexpectedly encounter Mictlan at first hand......but is he what he seems to be? Or is there a hidden personality quite different from the one described beneath? Also, find out what happens to Lawrence as he tries to withdraw and regroup, when thousands of Arkrenian's poise to retailiate. And right now you're probably all wondering where the real Vyse could be...
Read on to find out more! And always, comments, Questions and suggestions are welcome, just as long as you don't spam me too bad. (oh, and bytheway, I don't have a spell check on my 'puter....so bare with me....... untill this happens, don't critisize my spelling too badly)