*Note: If you're a long-time reader of my works, it's not required to backtrack to Dark Disney even though this takes place after that. I'm treating this as though it's a standalone feature. To anyone new to me from either Blinx or Dust fandoms or just passing by, hello and welcome! :) My name is Frozarburst and get ready for a crossover you didn't expect to get. Happy New Year, 2022!


Dedicated to Nipchipcookies for keeping the Blinx fanbase alive

Based on Blinx the Time Sweeper and Dust an Elysian Tail

"DUST! Wake up, Dust!"

These were the first words the Sen Mithrarin heard following a devastating blow to his two souls. The wolf-like humanoid, laying on the ashy surface of what was his new home village, barely opens his one good eye to the fiery skies above. He turns his head to both sides and realizes his left is only partially visible to him. What he can make out are two soldiers in white armor lying limp on the ground with him, carrying firearms, unlike anything he's seen. Mechanized, otherworldly tools of war are scattered across the battlefield, while Ahrah, the Mitharin's unnaturally forged sword, is half-buried in the sand, having shouted his name. Barely conscious and bleeding rapidly from his shattered chest down, Dust reaches for the ancient blade, grasping the hilt before drifting into a deep sleep as a creature of some kind, humanoid like himself and cat-like, visits him at the site.

What must have been hours of rest feel like mere minutes to Dust when he rises again on a metal desk underneath a bright fluorescent light. Ahrah still sits in his hand. Thin cables coming from large machines on both sides dig into his very flesh, including his arms, legs, and his newly reconstructed chest cavity. It's opened like a double door, exposing metal parts within himself, foreign to him and his talking blade. The now-silent warrior hardly has the energy to react, let alone look long enough to examine his unrequested upgrades.

"Is he awake," asks a curious voice from somewhere nearby.

"Yes, and his vitals are stabilizing," answers another.

"Phew…! Alright then. Let's see if we can finish the rest of him. I don't understand these blueprints to a T, but I'll try and make this work."

Once again, Dust drifts into slumber; last seeing the same feline person stepping into view with a strange round device of some kind. The same size as a slot within his chest. After such an intensive operation, it seems the Mithrarin can finally open his left eye once more. However, he quickly notices his vision is a lot more enhanced, able to see the fine details of his surroundings without straining his sight or getting close. Checking his bearings, Dust notes the operating room's technologies most unusual to Falana. The cables connected to him pop off his skin upon sitting up. His chest is seemingly back to normal. Although the markings along his grey fur at the middle tell him otherwise. Even his stomach, partly gutted from the massacre, is artificial. Ahrah, sat in a comfortable chair next to him, lights back up seeing his bearer fully conscious at last. The same orange and white cat person from earlier steps back inside, giving Dust a better look than before. He wears a blue jacket with a brace over his neck, red shorts, white gloves and boots with a steel toe, and blue goggles over his head. Normally, Dust would be anticipating someone being either afraid of him, extremely humbled, or intending to kill him and his Nimbat friend, Fidget. But this one is different, wearing one of the most relaxed expressions he's seen in a while. It's Dust who starts hesitating, fidgeting back against his pillow with Ahrah back in his hand in case of an attack like the one before.

"Hey dude," says the Cat-Sith. "What's up?"

Dust doesn't reply. Still conflicted, he remains silent and stays laser-focused on the young man, who casually beams a smile and shrugs lightly.

"Not much of a talker, huh?"

Again, Dust keeps his lips sealed whilst pointing Ahrah at this mysterious person.

"Forgive him," says the blade. "He is in shock. He's experienced too much pain and loss for one day."

Very curious, the Cat-Sith looks at Ahrah, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow asking, "Did that sword just talk?"

"Yes I did. I am Ahrah. One of the five blades of Elysium summoned to the Mithrarin to fend against evil. I'm sorry. I didn't know what your purpose was, so I remained silent."

"Ah, that's ok, man," says the feline with a smirk. "I get'cha." He faces Dust, who's convinced to ease the weapon down. "If ya ever need to talk to me, you can. Anytime."

Still no response. Dust continues to wear a stern glare that slowly evolves into sorrow, frowning and watering his right and left ecto green eye. He can only think of the loss of Fidget, his sister Ginger, the children Corbin and Colleen, and his old friend's final words, "Cherish life". He sniffles, losing his grip on Ahrah, fumbling back against his pillow with tears running down his face, when very quietly, this Cat-Sith gets close to the Mithrarin, firmly and politely patting his shoulder with a cool cloth for any excess blood from the operation. He gives Dust the same face he's been giving; a look of pure compassion instead of hate, fear, or indifference.

"Don't worry bro," says the man. "It's gonna be ok."

These simple words drown out the rest of the negatives repeating in his head. Dust doesn't attempt to deny it. He welcomes it. The mysterious man begins to walk away, leaving the warrior to his own devices when he finally gathers the courage to ask, "Who…are you…?" With the same smirk, the Time Sweeper faces Dust and tells him, "The name's Blinx."

DUST AND THE SWEEPER

Chapter 1 - Unfinished Business

Many moons ago, there was a great war in the land of Falana between the Moonblood race, and the vast forces of General Gaius. For a time, hope seemed lost as evil began to overwhelm all who opposed them until the merging of two souls: One of destruction, one of good. These two would become the Sen Mithrarin, Dust, who would go on to defeat the general and his army with the help of his fellow Nimbat friend, Fidget, and the ancient sword passed onto him known as Ahrah. What seemed like his sacrifice was felt across the land, with everyone wondering if he would ever return after being consumed by lava at the pit of Everdawn. Instead of being reborn anew, he was rescued by forces beyond his control, only to return to a world that had been bought and ravaged by a universal power.

Time Sweeper #01712, simply known as Blinx, is a Cat-Sith born outside the reaches of time itself. His purpose is to patrol the timeline, clearing it of any and all glitches to keep the natural order of history in check. He along with his fellow brothers at the factory had faced countless battles unlike any within history have seen; often with the displeasure of facing the thievish Tom Tom Gang. However, one day, when their creators felt time was being used unwisely, they insisted on destroying it, along with their creations. Though the Time Sweepers and their enemies put a stop to such a threat, the Time Goddesses would never return, as on one faithful day, the Time Factory was invaded by dark forces within history itself, and the Sweepers were left scattered across space. Blinx was fortunate enough to ally with a resistance against the newly established order, making a new life with them.

These two opposites of different worlds would crossover, toppling the regime and restoring the timeline. With nowhere else to go for Blinx, he chooses to remain where his friendship with the Mithrarin had began while history continues to rebuild with a fresh start…


At the break of dawn, the rising sunlight shines upon a cabin and blacksmithing area by a cliff and a lush red forest. Inside, Dust sleeps soundly next to his loving partner, Haley. A red and cream-colored rabbit woman with fair blonde hair and small patterns on her shoulders. She is first to wake up, nudging her hand gently on the Mithrarin's back to bring him out of his nap, sharing a smile with him. A minute later, Dust sits up, stretching his legs out, putting on his dark jumpsuit starting from the pants to the long-sleeved shirt, buckled by a utility belt. On his way to his boots, he grabs Ahrah leaned upright against the bedroom wall by the handle.

Even without a face, the sword utters "Do not leave me in this room with you two ever again," in a disgusted tone.

"Aw, don't be like that, Ahrah," says Dust. "It could've been worse. We could've roleplayed instead."

"Please don't consider that either," replies Ahrah, as Dust opens the curtains to the wide windows of his bedroom, admiring the beautiful scenery, complete with a perfect view of the forest and the village down from the hills. Haley walks by, putting on her blue work vest and combing her long hair.

"So beautiful…" says Dust.

Haley replies, "Honey, you just woke up," with a smirk. "You don't even have your shoes on."

"Again. So beautiful." The grey anthro turns around to face his wife, giving her one of his widest yet calm smiles with his lips, relaxing his left eye while he's at it. "This is the first time in, like, forever where I can get up, soak in the fresh air, grab a meal, and then get to work. Not get up and immediately go to work."

"Wait, do you mean as Cassius or Jin?" asks Haley, to which Dust nods, "Yes."

Boom

Out in the distance by the edge of the village was an explosion, small yet loud enough to alert the townspeople. Dust doesn't even seem surprised. Instead he cracks his neck and knuckles and equips the rest of his cybernetic suit as though it were any casual day.

"Speak of the devil. Breakfast is gonna have to be postponed," says the young warrior. "But the 'soaking-in' part was all I needed."

He steps over to Haley by the entrance of their home, giving her a light kiss on the cheek before making his way out the front door in a fantastic sprint! As he leaves and the plates on his armor align, Haley cheers, "Go get 'em, dear," waving her hand at him. His speedy run-off into the path downtown gives him a few minutes to reflect on the present moment. Although Fidget isn't with him yet, he feels an energetic rush from head to toe. A euphoric feeling he recognizes in his darker side, Cassius, the assassin. The thrill of going head-first to battle, combined with the compassion from Jin, his peaceful half nearly causes him to chuckle. He leaps over a huge log and darts around trees like a cheetah, eventually grabbing onto a branch and performing a flip from it to a sturdy crimson roof. A quick slide down the shingles leads to the stone walkway, which he hops over to a pole and brick wall, then grinding across cable and their lights to the peak of the mayor's office building. Inside the bell tower, Dust takes note of the northern bridge to Aurora Village, occupied by an army of identically ironclad men. All wearing the purple and gold colors of their fallen leader, General Gaius, slain by the Sen Mithrarin himself. Rather than the citizens cowering in fear from their might, they protest and crowd the bridge entrance in defiance of The Remnant.

"Woah," says Dust with his hat up.

"Yes," says Ahrah. "It's good to see the common folk finally standing up to such evil. If I had eyes, I'd shed a tear."

Dust begins to step down the stairwell when it suddenly occurs to him. "Oh, by the way, if last night was that bad, why didn't you fly somewhere else like always?"

"Once you've seen it, you cannot look away," answers the sword. Dust casually rolls his eyes, replying with a humorous, "Riiiiiiight" on his merry way.

At the bridge, both Moonbloods, reptilian creatures wearing dark armor and wielding spears, and the common anthropomorphic Warmbloods in regular attire back away from the viaduct's entrance as the remnant's soldiers start marching toward them. One of the civilians, Mayor Bram, comes up front and center with Sanjin, straightening his fine jacket and glaring at the commander from afar. Criteous, as he's called, is the only one of his men not wearing a helmet, revealing the scar on his right eye and wild brown hair. More distinctly, his armor's been slightly modified, resembling the two royal sentinels beneath his platform. Two bombers, flying sharp-edged shuttles hovering above the army, stand by along with the massive double cannons beneath them. Any attempt on a single soldier from either side would surely result in chaos. One in which Dust prevents, arriving just in time next to Sanjin.

"How's it looking back there," he asks with his hat up, showing his face.

"Bad news," says Sanjin. "They have weapons more advanced than what I'm used to seeing. No way we're getting past them."

Dust asks, "How about my partners?"

"That's the good news. They're in position, waiting on you."

"Good. You two best get everyone back as far as you can. This'll get messy."

Sanjin and the Mayor turn their attention to the crowd behind them, waving them back to give Dust some space.

"You heard the man," yells Bram. "Let's give him some space!"

While everyone vacates to the far end of the town square, Dust focuses on the war machine on the overpass. He lowers his hat, activating a battle mask that forms over his face. Through its T-visor, he zooms in on the commander and his sentinel guards, then the bridge itself, identifying the trail of gunpowder blending in with the dull gray bricks. The men under Criteous prepare to march for the citizens wandering away when he lifts his hand noticing Dust walking closer to the blockade.

"Hold," says the commander, then pointing at Dust. "I want every gunner to aim squarely at that traitor down there. Await my command."

"Commander Criteous," bursts Dust in an animated gesture. "I thought you all would disband after Gaius' defeat!"

"Of course not, creature" denies Criteous, shaking his head. "You might have murdered our general, but that doesn't mean you've won the war. Our forces are still more than enough to drive your fellow Moonbloods and their sympathizers into extinction!"

"Really?" Dust cocks his head slightly and palms his waist. "That sounds like a challenge. No one here's afraid to take it this time around."

"Perhaps not," Criteous ponders, pausing and scratching his chin. "Unfortunately, they're not the ones with two fully primed turbo cannons and bombers engaged! Each one has the firepower to wipe out two large villages in single stroke!"

Briefly, Dust glances the bombers and gunners at the cannon platforms, noting the cracks on the viaduct beneath it. Looking at the guns themselves causes his mask to identify various weak points, as displayed on his HUD.

"He's not kidding," he says, leaning with his sword. "These are all state of the art. Most likely from Everdawn."

"Do you have any other options," asks Ahrah.

"No. This plan's gonna work. Trust me."

The commander sits up from his post and cockily beams a smirk at the Sen Mithrarin, asking simply, "So, what's it gonna be?"

"You're right." Dust kneels on one knee and drops Ahrah gently onto the ground, holding both hands up to his sides. "I surrender."

Both sides Dust sits between freeze from the sight. On the side of the people, they each raise an eyebrow, followed by a unanimous "HUH?!" While the army of the remnant remains skeptical and continues to await orders from the Commander; equally confused.

"…You cannot be serious," the Commander snarks.

"I am serious, Criteous," Dust rhymes. "Your odds are far greater than mine." He lifts himself from his knee slightly. "Even with my powers and these otherworldly augmentations, plus hundreds upon HUNDREDS of combat experience, I am completely incapable of defeating you out in the open. You even said yourself that your weapons are powerful enough to destroy two large villages like the one we stand upon. So take me in."

"I think not, Dust," finally replies Criteous. "Your people shall be spared for now, but you certainly won't for your crimes!"

With a bark from The Commander to fire all weapons, instantly, Dust is atomized from the ensuing gunfire! Starting from the bombers above, then the heavy turbo turrets rapidly shooting at his position, leaving a huge explosive crater in the ground! The citizens hastily retreat further into the village, witnessing their beloved hero fall so unceremoniously to his demise. As the smoke clears, Criteous brings his attention back to his men, confidently grinning, not noticing the Sen Mithrarin approaching the battlefield.

"And so the mighty have fallen," says Criteous, before turning back towards the village. "The great Sen Mithrarin is no…" He flashes his eyes back open, bewildered by the arrival of Dust once again, completely unscathed along with his blade. He repeats, "Commander Criteous! I thought you all would disband after Gaius' defeat!"

"Wha…" Criteous scratches his fuzzy ears and darts back and forth from every direction. "But, you... Y-you-"

"What's the matter," asks Dust, tilting his head to the side. "You sound like you've seen a ghost!"

"U-um...nothing. Men, fire again and make it count this time!"

The gunners aim, repeating the same process but with more firepower, taking longer to finish firing a shot. The explosions cover more ground than before, leaving behind a larger cloud of smoke, only to once again be baffled by the warrior stepping out of the flames unharmed, wielding Ahrah in one hand.

"Commander Criteous! I thought you all would disband after Gaius' defeat!"

Criteous freezes. His eyes bulge and his ears shoot to their sides. He turns to his men and asks them, "I'm not the only one seeing this, right?"

A gunner behind him speaks for everyone when he says "No. You're not sir, sir."

"Well, what're you waiting for," asks Dust. "I'm all yours!"

Criteous considers the possibilities of such an anomaly. Has the Mithrarin achieved some form of immortality? Is he a spirit manifesting himself from the ashes? In any case, he takes his longsword out from his side pocket and steps down from the command post.

"Alright. Perhaps raw firepower is not the answer," says the Commander. "This requires a head-on confrontation. Sentinels, on me."

Like a blur, the two armored men carrying gold shields and spears run into a formation shoulder to shoulder next to their leader, walking off the platform to confront the cocky masked man. On their walk, they step into a trail of powder leading down the bridge to the side. This seemingly has been here for a while as it's ignored as ash from the gunfire from the turrets. That is until Criteous realizes at a moment's notice that they never had to fire a shot!

FLASH

The concrete of the bridge erupts from a stray shot of fire, collapsing under the weight of the forces above! Each of their armaments fall to their peril; some dying when colliding with the rough rocky terrain, getting crushed underneath the large turrets or being stuck in the waters nearly drowning from their armor's tonnage. Only the bombers remain intact, hovering over the rubble. The two lone ships aim for Dust directly when one of them notices a single familiar orange Nimbat flying up to their targeting beacons, sticking her tongue at them before swooping to the skies. "What the…," asks one of the pilots before their engines are mysteriously blown to pieces! Powder for fireworks had been gathered from the town and stealthily sprinkled onto the ships and across the bridge. But how Fidget wasn't noticed still alludes the Commander. His shock turns to anger, aiming it toward Dust with a menacing glare.

"I'm not sure how else you could've done it, Dust," says Criteous. "But you've made me realize Gaius was a fool. He never had the willpower to do what must be done. And that is to destroy you. Whether or not you're Cassius no longer matters."

"Funny you say that, because he would've said the same about you not having the will to do it too," taunts the Mithrarin.

This infuriates the commander enough that he charges first, locking his blade with Dust's while the sentinels carefully surround the two. Criteous knees Dust's side, pushing him back before giving a good slashing swing at him. It barely grazes his forearm, protected by his gauntlet. He serves backward between a sentinel and his shield, blocking another strike from the Commander, who starts aggressively slashing back at him! In shock but still in the game, Dust responds, "Woah! You're almost as good as the General! Almost."

"Yes, he's doing what you do and spams the attack button," says Ahrah casually.

Criteous delivers a good kick to Dust's knee, attempting to break his leg only to bounce back in pain with a metal CLANG from the cap in his pants, and fumbles to the ground! One of the guards lunges his spear into Dust's back, failing to pierce through him but slows him down. Another soldier bashes his shield against the man, pushing him enough to resort to a devastating whirlwind attack from a twister-like swing of Ahrah! The two guards get knocked back far, but Criteous gets back up.

CLANG

A very heavy upward chop hits the bottom of Dust's helmet, nearly knocking it and his samurai hat off! Though he stumbles, he immediately recovers, blocking against the commander's many sword slashes and kicks! Dust sees an opening as he's walking back from the strikes. He cuts Criteous' dominant hand with the blade, then his shoulder, severing an armor piece very easily. It almost feels one-sided in the favor of the hero until Criteous headbutts him against a boulder!

"Give up, Mithrarin," shouts Criteous, angrily. "I've studied your moves and I know of your upgrades!" The guards return to position, surrounding Dust again. "You can't win this!"

"You know…you're probably right," admits Dust, very calmly. "That's why I brought help."

"Oh, and who will you turn to? Your pathetic little Nimbat friend or the people?"

"They're not pathetic. And they're not alone."

SWOOSH

The swords of the sentinels are mysteriously summoned away! They're swooped into the trees and bushes faster than the men can catch them! One of them asks, "What…?! Who took our swords?!"

"Who's doing this, Dust," demands the commander. The Mithrarin doesn't say a word. He simply nods his head up to an angle behind his opponents. All three of them turn and face the Time Sweeper before them. Armed with his vacuum-like weapon and knelt on one knee on a large rock. With a smirk and tip, he introduces himself.

"Why hello there."

Blinx leaps from the boulder to the ground, tripping over his landing when his boot snags a thorn poking out the dirt. He brings himself back together and aims his Sweeper.

"That was on purpose," he quickly says.

The two guards wielding only their shields now hesitate, backing up and having trouble hiding their fear from trembling. One of them gasps and partially covers their torso.

"It's the off-worlder…," utters one of them.

It was said that ever since the one who fought and slain General Gaius had returned, he and his Nimbat friend were being accompanied by a mysterious ally from parts unknown. His outfit and weapons are more hi-tech than anything they've ever seen; almost otherworldly. And every second he arrives, the remnant never stands a chance.

"Guards," snaps Criteous. "Deal with the alien! I will slay the Mithrarin for good!"

Command is swift for the shielded men. They get close to the Cat-Sith seemingly not making any effort to prepare for an attack. Unbeknownst to them, however, Blinx had already been slowing down time and walked right past them, leading them to collide shoulders first into the thick stone! They recover and reposition themselves, turning to Blinx behind them, prompted when he sucked up the rest of their weapons with his Sweeper. Again, they attempt a head-on attack, charging for him to throw a punch on either side. Yet he's already left the vicinity, having slowed time to a crawl seconds before the sentinels can punch each other straight in the face! With the guards unconscious, the Time Sweeper moves to defend Dust from Criteous; neither one gaining the advantage from spamming attacks at each other. Blinx launches one of the spears at the Commander, striking straight into his shoulder cavity! But the tyrant is already too angry to be stopped from that. He removes it and tries lunging at Dust while blocking another projectile from Blinx! After a swift smack from the side of Criteous' sword, Dust removes his hat and swings it to Blinx like a frisbee. His ally grabs it, hitting Criteous in the back of the head with it and bringing him to the ground! He guards against a good chop from Ahrah as the Cat-Sith tosses Dust his hat back. One good pause in time allows Blinx to suck Criteous' sword into the vacuum. But surprisingly, the Commander takes the spear and smacks the Sweeper out of the alien's hands! Dust gets close enough to hit him again, only for the weapon's sharp tip to pierce through his armor into the center of his chest! He grunts, not in agony thanks to his augmentations, but still wounded enough that he's backed into a corner trying to realign himself. Now that the Mithrarin's been temporarily dealt with, Blinx remains. His Sweeper was knocked too far for him to grab with Criteous already aiming for him.

"You're defenseless, off-worlder," mocks the Commander.

"True. But I'm still standin', aren't I?"

Still having a struggle getting the hatch in his armor shut, Dust lobs Ahrah towards Blinx's direction. He catches the blade, immediately locking with Criteous' spear! Two locked swings and one good kick into his chest leaves the Cat-Sith's opponent baffled at the sight of a different bearer of the ancient blade.

"Another sword-bearer," questions Criteous. "How is this possible?!"

Blinx giggles at his disbelief. "That's the thing, Commdog. I'm lettin' the sword take the wheel!"

One more time, Blinx goes into combat, catching Criteous' blows at will until Ahrah's edges eventually shatter the spear! Defenseless, the Commander is abruptly frozen in time, not by Blinx, but by Fidget barely carrying the heavy Sweeper.

"Uurrgh…! I can't tell if you're real buff or this thing's very heavy," jokes the Nimbat.

She drops it into Blinx's hands after he tosses Ahrah back to Dust, recovered from the wound on his chest.

"You ok dere, sportsy," asks Blinx.

Dust nods but doesn't remove his mask and hat until he's certain Criteous is defeated. "Yeah. Just got a bruised ego. I'll have to change the plating when I head back home. Is Criteous frozen?"

"For now," says Blinx. "He'll unfreeze in a bit. But by the time that happens, good ol' Sanjin's gonna have 'em in jail."

"Then…it really is over." Dust responds with that as he begins wagging his long tail in a gleeful motion.

"Oh finally…" sighs Fidget with relief. "So we got Gaius, the Commander, and their army. I guess all that's left is the giant robot."

"Yes. It's all water under the-" Dust pauses and darts at his little friend. "What...?"

Blinx's ears twitch up to the sky, switching his attention to the clouds blowing away from a strange formation falling to the earth at full speed! A diamond shaped machine, as tall as the nearest bell tower, large enough to stand at the center of the town square, smashes straight into the already ruined viaduct! It's silver hull reflects some of the sunlight down on the trio standing in front of it, almost blinding Fidget but prompting Blinx to put on his goggles. They're relieved the civilians had already cleared seeing the device descend. But only Sanjin returns to retrieve both Criteous and his sentinel guards.

"Ok…" murmurs Blinx, facing his friends again. "Since when were there huge attack droids on dis planet?"

Dust shakes his head in awe, and he tells him, "I…I don't know. I've never seen anything like it out here. Maybe it's new."

"Eeeh, I guess it ain't exactly too far off from those bombers we keep seein'. You wanna pull outta dis, Fidget? Not sayin' you can't handle it, but-"

"Actually, yeah," says the Nimbat. "Hate to have to take another shower for my date tonight."

Surprised, Dust asks, "You have a date?"

"Totally," she answers with a smile. "I mean I do have a life outside of saving your butts, y'know. Good luck!"

Fidget hovers away, heading back to the square along with Sanjin, dragging Criteous and his men. After a good minute of observing the machine, the gargantuan droid deploys its long 6 appendages, lifting itself enough that it casts a shadow over the two fighters and the buildings surrounding them. The front two arms extend outward like a crab's claws ready to pinch at their prey. One good lunge toward them forces Blinx to slow down time for him and Dust to move out, stumbling when the metal smashes the surface and cause a tremor!

YIKES! Blinx jumps, grabbing hold of his Sweeper much tighter now, shooting pieces of debris at the robot. Each shot merely bounces off its tight steel.

"For reserves, this thing's kinda overkill!"

"Kinda isn't even the word for it," mutters Dust, swinging Ahrah in preparation. "What do you say we teach this machine the rules of nature?"

"I was ready to ask you the same thing!"

The machine brings out two rear turrets at the duo, firing one of its explosive rounds. Had Blinx not flinched to the side, it surely would have struck him down. Dust gets in front of him to deflect some of the rapid-fire bolts from the second gun, having his armor pounded a few times while swinging. Being familiar with technology such as this, the Cat-Sith falls back, paying attention to the droid's visor near its peak. Though, there are no visible pilots, nor any point of entry to get inside.

"The way I see it, it's all automated," relays Blinx. "The brains of the thing should be somewhere near that visor in the middle."

"I'll handle that. Just keep it away from the square," Dust yells while running off to the village's bell tower.

"Alright," Blinx nods. He readies his vacuum, sucking up the rapid pellet shots and blowing them back at the robot's machine turrets! It shoots another explosive at him before the weapon is destroyed, knocking the Time Sweeper into a stand behind him! Before another blow could be struck from the droid's claws, Blinx takes a bite out of an apple next to him then triggers a freeze on time only lasting him a few seconds to move out the way. The impact of such an attack trips him forward onto his hands. Amid the assault on his friend, Dust makes his hasty way up the staircase to the top of the tower. But as he sprints, he mutters to himself, "Aaagh, I hate stairs…!"

One fatal flaw in the plan is quickly realized when the robot deploys a longer turret on its side, launching rockets from its 6 large barrels. These heat-seeking missiles return to the bell tower, bursting right through the windows into the edifice as Dust continues to flee! The rest of the rockets explode the lower end of the structure, beginning a steady collapse. Luckily, the Mithrarin makes it to the top and performs a nifty mid-air jump from the roof over to the peak of the titanic machine! He nearly falls off but shoves Ahrah into the metal to keep hold. The tower beside them crumbles in a thick cloud of ash blazing across the square! Blinx's Sweeper clears most of this for a better view, making sure to cover his eyes while he's at it. Seeing Dust up top makes him grin with more confidence than earlier, giving him enough time to keep the droid busy. Soon enough, after much trouble from balancing, Dust's grip prevails. His sights aim squarely at the center of the robot to stab into. It quickly alerts the machine to try and shake the Mithrarin off, smashing into other small buildings close to it when attempting to multitask against Blinx, who uses his Sweeper to hurdle boulders and wood at the other rocket launchers. Before they're all disabled, four of its missiles are fired past Blinx to the rest of the village. Sanjin already has Criteous and his lackeys cuffed when he notices the shots coming his way! Fastly, the Time Sweeper uses the rest of the vacuum's power to freeze reality, sprinting over to the front of the missiles. When resuming history, firing two large chunks of debris is enough to blow up the rockets in mid-air!

After digging into the robot's hull further, Dust finally breaches the central processor, cutting right through it until Ahrah's hilt is the only thing visible from the top. He pulls the sword out, nastily tearing out the loose circuitry from inside! The menacing red glow of the machine's visor fades to black. Very slowly, it shifts to the side, plummeting to where the bell tower's ruins are. Just before it hits the ground, Dust hops onto one of its arms, traveling downward to hop to a rooftop. All is quiet until very suddenly, the remnant's last resort instantly bursts into a loud inferno!

Some of the falling parts are sucked up by Blinx to avoid damage to the city. Citizens start pouring out of their safe zones carefully once the smoke had cleared. Dust meets with him after making his way down the small complex.

"Wow…," says Blinx in astonishment. "That turned out a lot easier than I thought."

Dust replies, "Me too. In fact, we didn't even need to use a checkpoint this time.

"Technically, you have," retorts Ahrah. "Constantly being resurrected each time you were atomized and dropped me. Nevertheless, it was a decent plan indeed."

"Decent…?!" Blinx crosses his arms, scoffing at the blade. "You gotta give us more credit, sword."

Sanjin is fast to greet the men again. He holds Criteous, who's unfrozen and shaken, in custody, making sure to have a few other Moonblood guards with him to see the commander off.

"Thanks for the help, boys," he says. "I don't think I could've done any better myself."

"Don't doubt yourself," advises Dust. "You and everyone else stood up to Gaius' men without me. You should be very proud."

"I am," nods Sanjin. "As for the commander here, we're gonna make sure he stays behind bars for an awful long time. Gaius isn't here to answer for his crimes, but this'll do justice."

Criteous stands bug-eyed, rattling tremendously while staring at the two men who bested him. Deep down, he knew Dust was more likely to kill him or in this case put him in a cold cell. What he hadn't expected most was Blinx. This mysterious creature from beyond the stars came to put an end to what Gaius had begun. Why hadn't he appeared before, and why now? Where is he from? Was Dust restored by him? All these thoughts roll through the once-proud commander's mind as he struggles to process every present detail and his defeat.

"Not possible," repeats Criteous quietly to himself. "N-not…possible."

The Commander is dragged off to his prison. Fidget returns to the boys, brushing her hair with her paw and looking at glass scattered on the ground like a mirror.

"I sure hope that was the last of 'em," she says. "Cause at this point, they're like your average Saturday morning cartoon supervillain.

Dust answers, "It is. Criteous was the only one in a good position to lead Gaius' men. Plus, he knew about the reserves. Without him, anyone left behind are on their own."

"His master must've been pretty sick if he got these folks to do his dirty work after death," says Blinx, turning back to his comrades. "What was his deal anyway? Some sorta population control? …Is it cause hardly anyone out here wear shoes?"

"What's that have to do with genocide," asks Dust.

"I'm just sayin'. Dude sounds like the kinda guy who'd go crazy if he spotted someone's pawprints in the carpet."

In the middle of the crowd of villagers, the elderly Grey Eyes and Jin's orange-haired sibling, Ginger, biologically Dust's sister that is, walk over to the pair. Ginger makes sure to keep her blue dress from getting caught in some of the junk on the ground but stays focused on Dust since the last time a battle like this had happened, he was supposedly consumed by lava before her very eyes. Seeing him alive, along with Fidget and Blinx, brings her visible joy. The elder speaks first.

"Brave warriors, you've made me and the citizens of this land proud. There are no more enemies from the remnant left to follow in their leader's footsteps, thanks to each of you."

"It was rough, but we finished it Elder," says Dust. "Really, we should be thanking Blinx. He's the reason I'm still standing, and there's no telling how much longer the war would've lasted without him."

"Aw, geez," Blinx blushes and scratches the back of his head. "I appreciate it, mac. Just one question. What was General Guy's point in all this? I just assumed he was born evil, but now it sounds like someone pissed in his soup."

Fidget giggles at Blinx's joke.

"I believe I can offer a theory," says the Elder. "In a way, even we Moonbloods were to blame for inspiring Gaius to wage war. People like I had the power to shape societies such as the one he had been a part of, laying out the paths their people would take to avoid a crisis such as this. We preached they could be anything they wanted to be when in truth, we already knew what they were going to be. It would seem Gaius knew that and became fractured by such a system we'd created."

"Soooo it's like if I won a prize I was always meant to have, but the prize wasn't very good," ponders Fidget.

"Sounds about right," nods Blinx. "An' does that mean Cassius was no different from the ol' dude?"

Elder Grey Eyes is quick to respond. "It would seem so. His allegiance with him was nearly indelible. And his taste for destruction was unmatched."

"Please don't remind me," says Ginger, reluctant to remember the attack on her village, and the death of her parents. "It's already kind of uncanny knowing he's part of Dust. But we're getting used to it."

For a second, Dust, underneath the mask, is shocked hearing his sister say that. But he knows she means well and isn't trying to upset him. She still speaks to him as Jin after all.

"Oh, hey Ginga," says Blinx, darting his ears up. "What's up?"

"What's up?" she asks with a tilt of her ear.

"How's it goin'? What'chu doin'? I didn't get a chance to speak to ya earlier."

"I was just about to attend a gardening class with Sarahi when the bridge was crowded. Hehe. You should've seen the Elder. He was about to walk headfirst into combat. It was kinda cute." Ginger folds her arms. "Also, I'm not 'Ginga'. It's Ginger, with an 'R'."

Blinx bows. "Sure thing, Ginger Ale."

The people start crowding the three heroes to celebrate, all cheering them on as Blinx puts his Sweeper back on his back, retracting the suction into the clock. Dust even takes a bow next to Fidget, still keeping his mask on. Amidst the audience, the two teens Colleen and Corbin, light rabbits wearing casual clothes, sneak into the front to see the trio; Blinx being the first one to notice them and tips his head, winking. The Elder steps forward and taps his staff twice on the ground, gathering everyone's attention for the Mayor when he returns to greet them.

"Nice work, you all," says Bram. "You've done it again! And hopefully, this will be the last we'll have to deal with another crisis in our village."

Elder Grey Eyes speaks up, sounding a lot more confident now that the Moonbloods are living in peace with the Warmbloods among him.

"I'm certain if anything happens now, it won't be like the war before. Gaius has been defeated, and we have Dust, Fidget, and the hero from the stars to thank."

"AHEM" scoffs Ahrah.

"Oh right! And Ahrah. The very sword I've forged myself. I remember back when I first came up with the idea…"

Blinx leans closer to Dust and Fidget while Elder Grey isn't looking.

"I can slow things down a little so we can bolt."

"Cool beans," says Dust. "Ahrah, keep the old man company."

"Alright then," answers the sword, pausing for a moment to process his agreement. "…Wait, what…?"

Before he suspects it, Ahrah is left alone with the rest of the audience and Elder Grey Eyes, ready to make a long-winded speech while the trio uses Blinx's Sweeper to exit the scene. He mumbles to himself, "Clever little furries…"

Dust, Fidget, and Blinx wander into the park area past the town square, laughing along the way as they sneak past civilians with ease into an empty seating spot by the pond. Although weirdly, Dust continues to wear his battle mask and hat, looking on at the water as he takes a seat to breathe. Fidget interjects, asking him, "Uh, hey buddy, I'm pretty sure it's safe to take the helmet off now."

Quietly, her friend retracts his mask but doesn't remove his hat; simply stroking his hair so it doesn't get in front of his face.

"I know there's no danger," he replies. "I just didn't wanna look upset in front of Ginger. We're still getting used to things now that the war's over. Especially when the man who killed my parents is part of my soul."

"I wouldn't let it get to ya," Blinx interjects, sitting next to his friend. "You said yourself, you're Dust. You're like a totally different dude who fights rough but ain't a complete sociopath."

"Yeah, Cassey can't come out if you don't like killing," adds the Nimbat.

"I don't think that's how it works, Blinx. And it's not that I'm scared that side of me is gonna take over or something," Dust replies. "It's the fact that he was used to make me…that's what's bothering me." He curves his eyebrows, looking somewhat sorrowful as well as shocked. "I thought the Life Thread would separate me back into him and Jin, or reincarnate me some kinda way. But, that never happened."

"You mean when you thought you were gonna kick the bucket," ponders the Time Sweeper.

"Yes, that. I still have dreams about it sometimes. I don't know why, but it's always the moment when the lava should've killed me. I never even felt a pinch, and everything up to me meeting you is a blur. All I know is it's always at Everdawn seconds after Gaius died, then I met you."

"Well, look at it this way. It's sorta like a….second chance. Er, third chance, dependin' on how ya look it."

"He's got a point, there," responds Fidget. "There's a lotta weird spirit-y stuff that goes on around here. I'm pretty sure it's the same thing with you again. You know how it is."

"I do," Dust nods.

"Plus, this could've been a lot worse. You could've been reincarnated as another sword I'd have to chase."

"If there's a timeline that has me turn into one, I pray for him. All that's left on my mind right now is the robot."

"Oh yeah, that thing," darts Blinx. "Big bub came outta the freakin' sky tryin' to kill us! I dunno what General Gee-Axe-Us had in his wallet, but that looked WAY too advanced for him, let alone the planet. It even had an A.I."

"Ooooooh. Sounds like a big mystery," says Fidget, getting closer to the pair. "…that I can't be in right now. I'm gonna go on that date with Ori. Maybe we can start early" Fidget starts flying away, flapping her wings harder to gain speed. "Try not to go on an adventure without me!" She then soars off into the clouds, already a fair distance away.

"That could be fun," utters the Mithrarin to Blinx, who abruptly cringes in pain, holding his arm with a gash through his jacket into his flesh! He grunts, trying to cover up his wound. Dust calmly asks him, "You ok?"

"Yeah," Blinx replies. "Just got a flesh wound. I'd use my Sweeper to fix it, but it's already low on juice. Think Mordecai got a band-aid 'er somethin'?"

"You know he does."