Disclaimers: All respectable characters are owned by their creators. All other characters are the sole property of me and may not be used without my explicit permission. No money is being made here.
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"Apocalypse Battles: Legend of the Crystal Warriors."
'Stage I: Blind King'
Written by: Chief Aki
E-mail: chiefaki@hotmail.com
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If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
-Mother Teresa
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Episode III: Blades of Fertile Jupiter and Her People's Hero.
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"Star!" Ness' voice cries out as he hears the sound of rushing water.
"I'm in the shower! Be out in a minute!" Star's muffled voice calls out from the bathroom as the sound of water stops.
The bathroom door hisses open and Star walks out with a towel wrapped around her and her wet green hair clinging to her. Her eyes widen at the sight around her; all over her room are vases filled with fragrant white lilies.
"Where did...?" Star starts to question but lets out a startled scream and jumps, as a pair of arms wrap around her.
"Hey, you," Ness says warmly as he gently kisses her on the cheek, "Took you long enough."
"Sorry," Star says apologetically, and smiling, as she softly kisses him back, "Didn't mean to keep you waiting."
"It's all right," he says smiling as he softly turns her to face him, and wrapping his arms around her, kisses her gently.
"Hmm.." Star starts to say, then notices that something's different, unable to pinpoint it for a moment, then realizes that his hair is short, "Ness, your hair!"
"You don't like it?" Ness asks her.
Star looks at him, observing his new haircut, "I like it. It's just, so different from what I'm used to seeing. I always thought you liked it at that length you had it."
"Well, I decided to try something different and cut it," Ness replies, "At first, I thought I wasn't going to like it either but, now I really do."
"I like it too," Star says, "Of course, I love you no matter what you do to your hair; you're still a cutie to me."
"That's good," Ness says warmly, and kisses her softly, looking at her with a look, telling her that he's up to something.
Star stares at him, "Don't tell me you're about to do something you earned your nickname for."
"Maybe," Ness teases as he slowly moves forward, pushing her backward, "Maybe not."
"Now, now, Ness," Star playfully chides him, "I know how dangerous you can be. There's only so much I can take."
"Oh!" Ness laughs, "And this comes from a woman who's more dangerous than I am!?"
Star smiles, "Oh, but I'm not the one who got the name Dangerous Boy."
"True," Ness says teasingly, "but it's been awhile since I've actually been dangerous towards anyone. I think we should see if I'm actually still dangerous."
"Oh, really?" Star says, and then laughs as they both fall back on the bed.
"Oh, don't you know it?" Ness replies grinning, and then nibbles on her neck, causing her to giggle.
"You call that dangerous?" Star teases him.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Ness answers as Star erupts into a fit of giggles.
Suddenly, the doorbell rings, which causes Star to shake her head, laughing. Ness just glares at the door.
Then, the intercom goes on, and they both hear David's voice, "Yo Chief! You there?"
Ness lets out a low growl, "How many times did I tell you, Star. When we formed a new team of Tekkamen, he was the first one I was going to kill."
Star softly laughs, "Calm down, Ness. Mother probably sent him, unless you'd rather have her come down and walk right in. I'm supposed to meet her anyway, and besides, isn't someone supposed to Sara's training partner?"
Ness looks down at her and softly smiles, "I hate it when you're so right, but I still love you."
"I know," Star smiles, kissing him, and pushes him away, "Come on, move, I've got to get dressed."
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Sara stands on one of the various bridges among the water gardens. She looks down silently into the water, staring at her reflection.
"I wonder what's taking David so long?" Sara asks herself out loud, "We were supposed to begin my training session fifteen minutes ago."
She remembers the events of a couple weeks ago, the battle with Ashura, her reunion with her sister and her meeting with David. Sara had trouble sleeping the night before, for some odd reason, her thoughts always traveled back to him. She wonders why. He is the only man that has ever been nice to her, except for her Uncle Jamieson, but this is different. David isn't family; he is just another man whom she just happened to me. There is something about him; she sees it when she looks into his eyes. Pain, she sees a long-ebbing pain that's been draining over time. She knows what that kind of pain feels like. She has lost a lot due to this war, as she guesses that David has been through the same. But there is something else too, she sees, something he is yearning for. Unfortunately, Sara can't figure out what he years for, but she knows it's there, whatever it is. After all, she can see the yearning in his eyes that makes him look like a cute little lost puppy and gets a light and happy feeling. That's what puzzles Sara the most, this feeling. She has never felt like this before, and is so confused. Every time the image of those cute puppy dog eyes appears in her mind, her stomach gets all fluttery. She giggles to herself happily, as she remembers it, and wonders if she's getting all the feelings that her cousin had described to her when she met her boyfriend. Even though she hadn't know him that long, as her cousin and her boyfriend had before they got together, she wonders if she's feeling more than a crush on David.
"What are you giggling about over here?" says a man's voice, interrupting her thoughts.
Sara looks over startled, and sees David, with his hands in his jeans' pockets, smiling at her.
"Well...I...uh, nothing," Sara says, turning away so David can't see the slight blush develop, and she begins to feel the butterflies in her stomach.
David softly laughs, "Well, something's got you tongue-tied."
"Sara, think about it, a man that handsome, easygoing and charming, he's got to have a girlfriend. You're probably the farthest thing from his mind, girl." Sara thinks and depresses herself.
Sara looks down so her white hair covers up her face and says, her voice sounding sad, "It's nothing, really."
"Sara?" David says, looking at her, concerned, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Sara says, shaking her head as she turns to look at him, "I'm fine."
David gazes into her eyes, and recognizes the confusion in her eyes. He doesn't know what she is thinking, or what he can do to help her. For some odd reason, he feels he has to be there for her. He looks at her for a moment, and then pulls her into a hug.
"It's okay," David soothes, closing his eyes, holding her, "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll turn out okay.
Sara closes her eyes, her cheek rubbing against his red shirt. This has surprised her, but she feels safe and much comfort being in his arms, and for a moment, she thinks she hears David let out a contented sigh. Sara feels like she's walking on air; she's so light and happy. Her mind works out as they continue to hug. She remembers the feeling she has had with guys before, but not a feeling like this. What is it about David that makes her feel so strongly about him? It startles her that she feels this way so suddenly but, for a moment, she doesn't seem to care.
"Thank you," Sara says, after moments of silence, "David."
"Hey, no problem," David answers and pulls away, looking into her blue eyes, "Now, come on, let's begin your training session."
David walks by her, expecting her to follow, but Sara stands there and watches him. David stops on the other side of the bridge, looking at her.
"What is it?" David asks puzzled.
"You really are a nice boy, aren't you," Sara says smiling, with a sparkle in her blue eyes.
David just looks at her in surprise. Sara tilts her head a bit to the side, and waits to see if he'll say anything.
"I...uh..." David says, his turn to be tongue-tied, which causes Sara to giggle, both of them interrupted by someone clearing his throat.
Both David and Sara turn to see D-boy standing there, watching them. D-boy seems to gaze straight to David as if in warning.
"Hi, D-boy," David says nervously, gazing back as if in question, "See you got a new haircut and new threads.
"Yeah," D-boy replies, remembering Star didn't notice it, with his black vest and jean with a white long sleeved shirt and gazes back at David, wondering what he's up to.
"Hello, Ness," Sara says cheerfully, completely oblivious to the exchange of looks going between the two men.
"Hello Sara," D-boy replies, "Are you ready for your training session?"
"Yes, David and I were just about to start," Sara tells him smiling.
"You were, were you?" D-boy asks, and stares back at David with a reprimanding look.
"Oh, I'm sorry; I forgot to tell Star," Sara answers, "That David will be training me on one-one combat."
D-boy raises an eyebrow, "He is?"
"Yeah!" Sara replies, "I asked him, and he said he'd be happy to do it. Isn't the great!?"
"Yes, it's wonderful," D-boy states, shooting David with a suspicious look.
"Let's go Sara; we better start. We don't want to leave my commanding officer waiting all day," David says, and retorts with a defiant look.
Sara looks at David, "All right."
Sara and David walk away to the area where they will train. D-boy stands there for a moment, wondering what David has in mind. He knows David's reputation for breaking young women's hearts all too well, and is pretty sure that Star probably doesn't want Sara caught up in all that and will try to prevent it. She would most likely have his head if anything like that happens to Sara and she knows that he could have stopped it. But he wouldn't have to worry about taking care of David if it did happen. If it did, Star would do that herself.
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Ariadne looks out the window and gazes out at the abandoned town. She stands up and starts walking to the door. She tries to reach to open the door but, someone grabs her by the arm. She looks up to see Cain looking at her.
"I thought I told you to stay put until I came back," Cain chides her.
"I can't stand being here while Starlight thinks she's won," Ariadne answers.
"Don't worry, just wait a little while longer," he soothes.
"I better get some rest," Ariadne says, giving up, not wanting to start with him, and walks over to her bed.
Cain watches her lay down, before sitting down in the chair across the room. He knows she hates the waiting, he does too. But he doesn't want Ariadne to be hurt again. Minutes pass before Ariadne sits up, looking down at her covers.
"Cain?" Ariadne asks softly.
"Yes, what is it?" Cain inquires, and gets out of the chair, walking to her, and sits by her bedside.
"You don't have to sleep in the chair tonight," Ariadne states in a soft tone, looking at him.
"Where would I," Cain starts to ask but, Ariadne puts a finger to his lips, hushing him, then leans forward and kisses him.
"Sleep by my side, tonight," Ariadne answers, gazing into his green eyes, "Please..."
Cain can't object, looking into her eyes. He slips under the covers next to her, wondering what this is all about, and holds her close in comfort.
"What's wrong Ariadne?" Cain asks a bit worried.
Ariadne closes her eyes and smiles, shaking her head, "Nothing, nothing's wrong."
"I'm so glad you survived," Cain admits, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Ariadne."
"I know what we can do now, that I have survived," Ariadne says, kissing him, and opens her eyes with a look that tells him exactly what she's thinking.
Cain stares at Ariadne, "I don't know if..."
"This is probably the last night we'll be alone together, Cain," she interrupts, laying her head on his chest and closes her eyes.
Cain looks away, "I don't think I should..."
Ariadne gently grabs his chin and forces him to look at her, giving him another kiss, and this time more romantic, smiling, "Your eyes tell me different, and if you want to know, I think we should too."
They look into each other's eyes for a couple moments, silence between them. Cain's losing to the looks and persuasion in Ariadne's eyes. He pulls her close and starts kissing her. Ariadne wraps her arms around him, snuggling into him as close as she can as their kissing becomes something much, much more.
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Ness stares out at the setting sun, sinking beneath the covers of the calm ocean. The scenery around them makes it hard to believe that there is a war going on, for a normal person. But, he thinks of himself as hardly normal. He sighs quietly and wonders when the final day of blood shed will be.
"Ness?" he hears Star's voice calling out to him.
Ness slowly turns around, gazing at her with his green eyes. Their gazes lock for a moment and time seems to slow. Then, he turns away from her, staring out at the deep blue sea, deep in thought. Star softly walks over to him and wonders what's got him so quiet.
"D-boy," Star asks quietly, calling him by his alternate name, "What's wrong?"
"It's David," Ness replies, "I think you should know, that he's probably going to try to take advantage of your little sister.
"I hate to say it," Star solemnly admits, "but Sara's all grown up now. She can handle herself; if she wants her heart broken, let her go ahead.
"I see," D-boy states, a bit surprised at her comment, and ends the moment in silence.
Star looks beyond him, out into the setting scenery. Her life-colored eyes gazing into the fire of the setting sun.
"Something's coming," Ness suddenly says and startles Star.
Star looks at him silently as he speaks of what she knows is his true agenda.
"What's coming?" Star inquires.
"My brother has been too quiet. It's been weeks since he's shown himself. You would think that since Evil's death, he would be here constantly out of anguish, grief, anger or revenge. But he's not, something's going on, and that's got me worried."
Star says nothing, just looks out into the sunset. She knows something is going on too; she can feel it deep inside her heart. Star doesn't want to tell Ness that she feels that Evil is alive. In her soul, the feeling that Evil and her have unfinished business is still there.
"Ness, are you all right?" Star asks him softly, "I know it must be hard with Saber back and all."
She sees Ness' body tense at the mention of his brother's name, and knows she has gone too far. She walks up to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind, and softly rubs her cheek against his back.
"I...I'm...sorry, Ness," Star whispers, "I...shouldn't have said that."
She feels his body suddenly relax, hearing a soft sigh escape from his lips. She closes her eyes, almost biting her lip, waiting to see if he'll be angry with her.
"It's okay," Ness says softly after a moment, "I shouldn't let it get to me after these years. It's just..."
"It's just what, sweetheart?" Star asks as he trails off.
"It's just, because I couldn't save..." Ness starts to choke out but can't finish.
"Her...?" Star questions, finishing for him.
Ness nods, fighting back the tears coming from the subdued pain that has been coming back to the surface after all these years. A tear comes silently from one of Star's eyes as she holds him close.
"It's not your fault," Star admits, "It's mine; I should've have never turned my back on your sister, then she would still be alive."
Ness shakes her head, "It's not your fault, Star. If I would've stayed then Shara would...Cain would've had never..."
"You couldn't help the position you were in! You had no choice!" Star replies in a teary voice.
She has always blamed herself for Shara's death. She had promised him she would look after her when he went to destroy Galt. She remembered the attack that Saber and the rest of the Radam started after Blade had left. She had only turned her back for a second, when Shara knocked her out. She had failed to protect the woman that Ness had loved the most, his little sister. She had nobody but herself to blame for letting Shara meet her death at Saber's hands. Yet, she knows that there she could've done to stop it, in a way. From the very few moment that she had know Shara, she knew that Shara had her mind made up what to do way in advance, like her brother. She knows that Shara had already made her choice, to fight one of her own brothers, and embrace death. But she had let Ness down, and for that, she can never forgive herself.
Everything is quiet between them both of minutes on end. Then Ness turns around, gazing into her green eyes. He suddenly pulls her close and holds her tightly.
"I'm sorry," Ness softly says to her, "For getting like that. I know, I think we both know that Shara made her decision, and none of us could stop her. But sometimes, I feel when I think about it, that I as her big brother should have tried to do something to change her mind. With Saber back, it made me remember all the things I've tried so hard to put behind me. It has me so scared. He has me scared."
Ness falls to his knees, and Star thinks she sees a slight tremble travel through his body. He closes his eyes, rubbing his face against her stomach, and his arms wrap around her waist.
"Shhh...It's okay," Star soothes as she caresses her fingers through his pitch-black hair, "What's got you scared, sweetheart?"
"I...I'm," Ness stumbles out, "I'm so afraid of losing you, Star. I don't want to lose you. I'm so afraid that Saber will hurt you or worse. I can't lose you. You're all I have left now."
"You won't lose me, my love." Star consoles, "I will always be with you; no matter what."
"I'm so glad," he replies, content with her words, "I don't know what I would do without you."
Star looks down at him, softly stroking through his hair with her fingers. She means every word she says. Star gazes out her balcony door, and knows if the day comes when she can't be with him physically; she'll be with him in mind, heart and soul. She gently holds him in comfort as they watch the sunset give birth to the night.
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Hera quietly walks up the porch steps of an abandoned house and looks up into the night sky, figuring it is at least two or three in the morning. She decides to take the back way in; just so no one who would happen to be passing by would see her. She gently rubs her shoulder, which pain is still ebbing from, and softly growls. She can't believe that little fledgling, Winter, was able to do some damage, but can't help and compliment to herself.
"Not bad for a first timer," Hera says to herself, before stopping in front to the back door.
She thinks for a moment, deciding whether to knock or go in. Her father feels that Ariadne has spent enough time out of battle and is sent to fetch Ariadne and Cain, both. She shrugs, and opens the door, figuring that she doesn't need to knock.
"Ariadne!! Cain! You here!?" Hera yells out.
Cain softly stirs in his sleep and slowly walks up, feeling strange. He wonders if he's sensing another tekkaman, but thinks it's his imagination since no tekkaman has been around for days. Cain rolls over, wrapping his arms around Ariadne, who's sleeping peacefully, and tries to get back to sleep himself. Then he hears it; the annoying voice that nearly drives him to insanity, Hera's voice. His green eyes fly wide open, realizing what it means if Hera catches them.
"Holy shit!" Cain says, and reaches for his clothes, and as he does, crashes to the floor, and startles Ariadne from her sleep.
"Cain?" Ariadne asks sleepily, trying to look over the bed, "What's going on?"
She wakes up as Cain jumps up, buttoning his jeans. He reaches down and throws her clothes at her. She starts to say something, but is interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Cain? Ariadne? Where are you!?" Hera yells at the top of her lungs.
Ariadne's dark eyes flutter wide open, and sits up, now fully awake. She starts throwing on her clothes as Cain pulls on his shirt, already heading for the doorway.
"Cain! Keep her busy until I'm dressed," Ariadne tells him, "If she finds out..."
Ariadne doesn't have to finish the rest of the sentence. Cain knows what will happen if Hera knows. Cain practically runs down the hallway as he rounds the corner, bumps straight into Hera.
"Hey!" Hera yells, as she looks at him, "Watch it! Where the hell were you!?"
"In there," Cain answers, motioning back towards the room, "And what are you thinking!? Waking people out of a deep sleep! You're loud enough to wake the dead!"
"Geez, sorry," Hera apologizes, "Where's my sister?"
"She's trying to wake up," Cain lies to her, "I wouldn't go in there. She's totally pissed off at you."
"Oh well," Hera says and starts walking down the hall, but Cain steps in front of her, "What are you doing?"
"I really think you should wait until she calms down," Cain stalls.
"Whatever," Hera replies to his comment, annoyed, "It's nothing I haven't seen before.
Hera pushes Cain aside, throwing him into a wall, and continues walking down the hallway. Cain stumbles up, in an attempt to stop her, and as he does he hears a loud smack and Hera's crying.
"Sis!! What did you do that for!" Hera whines.
He looks to see Ariadne staring straight at her sister, while Hera's holding her cheek where she got slapped. Ariadne glances over at Cain, before looking back over at her sister.
"Are you crazy or what!!" Ariadne screams, "It's not like we're deaf!! You didn't have to scream like that!!"
"I'm sorry," Hera whines, "You both are to come with me immediately."
"Why?" Cain asks suspicious; Ariadne glances at him nervously.
"Father's orders," Hera answers, which make Cain and Ariadne pretty much jump.
"Father!? What does he want?" Ariadne inquires, while both of them wonder if he already, somehow, knows.
"He says that you should be fine enough by now. Which you are, considering you're standing here," Hera tells them, "And you are to come back into battle immediately. Come back to the ship, we're going to launch an attack tonight."
"Tonight?" Cain asks, "On Crystal Island?"
"Uh, duuuh..." Hera says, rolling her eyes, "Now let's go, the ship is outside town, waiting.
Hera takes off down the hallway, towards the back door. Cain and Ariadne stand there for a moment, and watch Hera leave. Then, both of them let out a sigh of relief.
"I thought we were going to be caught for sure," Ariadne says softly.
Cain walks over and hugs her, "But we didn't, we'll have to more careful from now on, won't we?"
Ariadne slowly nods, "Yeah, we better get going before Hera comes back, wondering where we are."
"Right" Cain answers her, and both of them head out of the door.
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Star, turning in her sleep, rolls to one side of her bed; when her room shakes, causing her to fall off the bed. She quickly screams as she hits the floor, startled.
"Oh, that hurt," Star says, as she gets up, rubbing the top of her head.
She gazes up at her clock, seeing it was three in the morning. She has been able to get Ness to calm down and sent him back to his quarters to get some sleep. Star looks at her bed, wondering how she fell off; then her room shakes again, and sounds of explosions are heard. Star quickly stands up as the alarms go off throughout the palace.
"We're under attack!" Star says to herself, before her tekka sign flashes, and she senses a familiar presence, "It's her; she's back, Evil."
Star runs out of her room, only to fall again from another explosion. She can hear the sounds of shouts and yells from Amazons and her Space Knights alike, trying to get mobilized before the Radam pass through the rest of the defense grid. Suddenly, Star feels a pair of arms grabbing her softly, helping her up. She looks up to see who's helping her and gazes straight into Ness' emerald eyes.
"Star, you okay?" Ness asks her, worried.
She nods, "Yes, I am, thanks."
Suddenly, another door opens, and Sara walks out, still in her silver nightgown, and leans heavily against the wall as another explosion rips through the palace. She gazes at her older sister, fear in her eyes.
"What's going on!?" Sara cries out.
"We're under attack! We've got to get to the throne room!" Star cries, and runs down the hallway, her pink robe flowing behind.
Ness and Sara follow her through the halls, as all three of them head towards the throne room. Once Star gets there, she starts barking orders to all of her Space Knights.
"Chief! We've got a Radam cruiser and..." says Olivia, one of her communication officers, "Ma'am! A military cruiser has just come out of nowhere"
"Great," Star says, "They're going to try and surround us!"
"Chief! Part of the inner defense grid has been breached!" yells another one of her officers.
"What!? On screen!" Star orders.
The main screen shows the part of the island swarming with spidercrabs and bathing in fire. Ashura's leading the spidercrabs, and Radam tekkamen and Ness and Star gasp at the sight they see; standing on twin cliffs, stand the familiar forms of Tekkaman Saber and Tekkaman Evil. Suddenly, two comets of light appear across they sky and attack Ashura, and sends her crashing into the ground.
"It's David!" Sara cries out.
"Dead's with him too," Ness replies calmly, seeing Tekkaman Dead hovering next to Summer.
"Olivia, where's my mother?" Star orders.
"Princess Terra and the others are out fighting, but I don't know their exact location." Olivia responds.
Ness stares at the screen as Dead and Summer take their fighting stances, "They aren't going to really take on all the spidercrabs and tekkamen, and Ashura, Evil and Saber by themselves?"
"They're insane!" Star cries, "Who else is in that vicinity!?"
"There's no one else, everyone else in that sector was wiped out," Olivia reports.
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Summer throws his lance, slicing it through the spidercrabs, while he stabs his dagger at one of the Radam tekkamen, who's decided to charge at him. He is determined not to let any of them through. Dead flies over to help Summer, only to be tackled to the ground. Not knowing who his attacker is, he swings his tekka sword at whoever is on him, and hears the sword cutting through armor, and drawing blood. His attacker pushes him away as it cries in pain. He turns to face a very angry Tekkaman Ashura holding her arm.
"Oh, you little brat!" Ashura screams, "You'll pay for that!"
Dead brandishes his sword, "Oh, I'm a brat? And what does that make you, considering you're younger than I am, little girl!"
"I am not a little girl!" Ashura growls and charges at him.
Dead has only time to raise his weapon in defense. They parry like this as Summer does his best to destroy the spidercrabs and tekkamen, luckily, taking only superficial hits.
"I don't have time for this," Evil says, anger boiling in her voice, "Let's leave that one to the spidercrabs; he'll tire out eventually."
"And what about Ashura?" Saber asks.
"I need her," Evil answers," to help destroy this island for me, while I attend to some unfinished business; and this time, it's personal."
"Your orders, my love?" Saber inquires.
"Destroy that little one Ashura is fighting and go on ahead, I have a little surprise for out beloved Starlight," Evil says as the wind softly caresses her black hair.
Saber nods, and takes off, heading towards the battle between Ashura and Dead. Ashura flips over Dead, swinging her sword down, but Dead blocks it by raising his above his head. He pushes her away, and charges at her, getting the upper hand, and slices her in the side, but unfortunately for him, it is only a scratch. She spins in a spiral and brings her foot around to kick him right in the face. Dead flies backward and shakes his head, but suddenly senses something and turns to see Saber heading straight for him. Dead tries to dodge to his right, to move out of the way, but it isn't enough. Saber swings his lance upwards, cutting Dead deeply in his side. He cries out in pain, and does his best to counterattack, but manages only to slice Saber's back, cutting down to his scapula. Summer, who is managing to finish off the spidercrabs. Summer, who is managing to finish off the spidercrabs, sees the blows between Dead and Saber and watches as Dead starts falling.
"Dead!!" Summer cries out to his friend.
"Damn, that kid's pretty good," Saber grits in pain, watching Dead bleeding profusely from his side as he falls, and looks over at Summer, "and he might be a handful."
"Damn1" Evil says, taking off towards the battle.
Ashura flies up towards Dead, and slices him on the other side. Dead cries out in pain again, dropping his sword. He tries his best to keep himself from falling, but the pain is so unbearable, he can't really function.
"Dead!!" Summer yells, heading towards the battle.
"Save yourself," Dead's voice says in Summer's mind.
Summer ignores Dead's plea, and heads straight for the battle, determined to help his friend. Suddenly, a red comet of light crosses the sky and dissipates, revealing the form of Tekkaman Evil; she flies straight down at Dead, her lance aiming for his heart. Dead prepares himself for the final blow, unable to do anything more. Summer can do nothing but watch as Evil drives her lance through Dead's heart, and twists it, making Dead scream in his last moments.
"No!" Summer screams as he watches the death of his friend.
With all of her strength, Evil flings her lance up in the air, dislodging Dead's body from her blood-covered weapon. Ashura's voltekker emitters come forth, aiming straight at Dead's lifeless form.
"Now Ashura!" Evil orders.
"Voltekker!" Ashura screams as crimson red energy shoots forth, disintegrating Tekkaman Dead.
Summer hovers there in silence for a moment, as rage boils to the surface. Ashura, Evil, and Saber turn to see Summer howl in a vicious rage.
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In the throne room, Star and Ness watch in horror as Dead's life passed before them. Sara's eyes fill with tears, not mainly because of Dead's horrific end but because of the fear now residing in her heart.
"No!" Sara cries out, "They're going to kill him! They're going to kill David!"
Sara's outburst startles Star and Ness nearly out of their wits. Star tries to stop her sister, but to no avail. Sara bursts out of the throne room and down the hall.
"Sara! Wait!" Star cries out from the doorway.
"Sara! Where are you going!?" Ness yells at her.
"I've got to save David!" Sara says, then turns around a corner and is gone.
Star and Ness stare at each other for a moment, before taking off after her. Meanwhile, Sara stands on the balcony and watches the unveiling battle. The bloodstained wind plays with her silver nightgown and robe. A green tekka crystal finds its way in her hand.
"I won't let them kill you, David," Sara says calmly, "I won't let you die. I need you."
Sara stares at her tekka crystal for a split second, before raising her hand into the air, "Tekk Setter!"
By the time, Star and Ness reach the balcony; a green streak of light dots the night sky.
"What is she thinking!?" Ness says.
"We have to go after her, Ness!" Star cries out, a bit of fear and desperation in her voice.
Ness nods as she looks at him, and both of them, with tekka crystals in hand, cry out, "Tekk Setter!"
Down below, surviving members of the continuing battle watch as brilliant sapphire and emerald comets cuts across the sky. The comets revitalize the weary warriors of their hope as they continue their struggle to free their planet from what will seem a coming oppression.
*****************************************
"This is one pretty smart boy," Evil replies as she backs away from Summer towards Saber.
"Yes, avoiding Ashura's attacks, and blocking outs, he knows who he can get away from and knows what kind of punishment he can take," Saber says to her.
Summer has been faring somewhat well in his battle with the three. Knowing he can't dodge Evil and Saber's attack, he keeps his distance as much as possible. Ashura hasn't been able to land a hit on him, due to the fact he can dodge her. Saber has made tons of blows to him, all of them pretty much superficial, due to the fact, that at the last minute, he manages to pull away just so Saber can't do any real damage. Evil, he blocks totally, backing off when she gets the best of him. Saber and Evil know he is smart, smart enough to realize not to take his eyes off the both of them.
"He's got to tire out soon," Evil says, watching as they both let Ashura do battle with him.
"Yes, Ashura should tire him out, and all those scratches should add up," Saber comments in a calm tone.
Summer flies away from Ashura, who keeps trying to swing her lance at him, mainly keeping his eyes on Evil and Saber. He wonders what they're u p to, just standing there. He is getting tired of the waiting.
"Will you hold still, you little runt!" Ashura yells as Summer dodges another of her attacks.
Summer flies quite a distance back, breathing heavily. He is getting tired, and his body is hurting from all the damage that is dealt. But he raises his weapon, pointing at Ashura, determined not to give up.
"I grow tired of this, you coward!" Ashura screams angrily, "Come here, so I can tear you to pieces like I did your friend!"
"I grow tired of this as well." Summer replies to her, "Let's finish this now!"
Summer unexpectedly charges at Ashura, which catches her off-balance. She raises her sword to block, only to be pushed back by him. He moves to dodge, but stops, sensing another tekkaman. But Ashura is so concentrated on destroying Summer, she doesn't notice until it's too late. Something rushes by, and sends Ashura crashing into the ground, than it destroys the nearby spidercrabs.
"What the hell?" Evil asks, looking around, "What's destroying them?"
"Is it another tekkaman?" Saber asks, "I sense another one, but where?"
Suddenly, they all see it. A black streak of light cuts across the glow of the moon, cutting down, flying through the fire. Then suddenly, standing on top of a crumbled building, surrounded by fire, stands a black-armored female tekkaman, holding a tekka sword in each hand, her long silver hair whipping in the breeze.
"Who exactly are you?" Evil says, glaring at the unknown tekkaman, as she now stands by her kneeling sister's side.
"I'm your worst nightmare, and I'm here to clean up, but I'm no janitor," says the black-armored tekkaman, "but since you're my new playmates, you may call me Tekkaman Rapier."
"Rapier?" Saber stumbles out, taking a step back.
"What, have a problem with my name, little man?" Rapier cuts, as a dark purple and black-armored male tekkaman appears from nowhere, "Oh, did I forget to tell you that I brought a friend with me. How rude of me. Scimitar? Will you kindly introduce yourself?"
"As you wish, my lady," Scimitar replies, eyeing the three tekkamen, before both Rapier and Scimitar fly up into streaks of light.
Scimitar is easy to see as a green streak of light, but Rapier is harder to find, only being able to be seen if she crosses by some light. Scimitar circles them, keeping his distance, and only closes in when attacking Ashura, who is able to block his attacks. Rapier focuses in on Evil and Saber. Evil is able to dodge most of her attacks, but isn't able to focus on a counterattack. Saber gets hit, but luckily it isn't near any vital organs.
"She's not bad," Saber replies, grasping his arm, trying to figure out where Rapier is, "but she's too young, her tactics show it, inexperience."
"Yes," Evil answers him, her back to his, "It looks like Starlight has been busy while we were away. This girl has promise even if she is a fledgling. I'm surprised Starlight is not here herself. Is she afraid of me? Does she not want to fight me? Is she such a coward, she must send little children to try and do her job for her?"
Just then, Ashura breaks away from Scimitar, heading towards Summer, who is now caught off guard. As she closes in, the crystal on her forehead lights up, just before a green comet of light flies from out of nowhere, and knocks her away from Summer. Rapier and Scimitar break off their attacks to see who this new tekkaman is. The light dissipates and reveals the form to Tekkaman Winter.
"My sister isn't afraid to fight you or any other Radam scum!" Winter cries out, pointing her spear at Evil.
"Winter!" Summer yells, "What are you doing!?"
Winter flies toward Summer, still eyeing her opponents, "Are you all right?"
Summer nods, "Yeah, but are you out of your mind?"
Ashura brandishes her sword, "Well, well, well, if isn't the fledgling tekkaman and her lover boy, now I don't have to hunt you down. Now I can tear you both to shreds!"
"Hmmm," Evil says calmly, "So that's Starlight sister. I wonder how she will feel when we deliver her sister's heart to her front door."
"Unfortunately for you, that won't be happening," says a man's voice, that both Saber and Evil recognize, and they whirl around.
"Well, if it isn't my brother, Tekkaman Blade," Saber sneers, glaring at his brother and at Tekkaman Starlight hovering next to him, "and Starlight. We were wondering when you would join the party."
Blade glares back at him, "I wouldn't dare dream of missing it, my dear baby brother."
"I'm not that much younger than you, big shot," Saber retorts, "only by four minutes."
"It seems more like four years," Blade snaps back.
Starlight brandishes her lance, "As for you, Evil, I guess I'll have to show you who the real coward around here is!"
"I feel so honored," Evil says sarcastically.
Nothing seems to happen for a couple moments as the two opposing couples glare at each other, sizing each other u p. Then, suddenly, without any signal, they take off and initiate the fire of battle. The younger tekkamen watch in awe, as comets of light line the sky. Starlight spins her lance, and then swings it downwards, blocking Evil's attack. Evil raises her left foot, kicking her in the side, and pushes her away. Blade swerves to his right and Saber slices his lance through the air. Blade spins so his lance cuts into Saber's side. Saber grits his teeth, whirling around, bringing his lance down hard. Blade raises his lance quickly, able to block the attack, the tip of Saber's lance inches from his face. Each one struggles against the strength of the other, neither one willing to give up, both determined to win. Their eyes never leave each other, competing in what has been their long-lasting struggle for power. Starlight crosses lances with Evil once more, and whirls around to see Evil fleeing, trying a new tactic. A vicious tactic. Evil bursts into a streak of light, heading straight for Blade, who has his back to her, due to the fact that he's locked in a power struggle.
"Blade!" Starlight cries out, morphing into a sapphire comet, and cuts through the sky.
Blade almost flinches as Starlight's voice, and Saber, noticing this, presses on. Blade quickly plants his foot straight into his brother's torso, and pushes him away, quickly breaking off the attack. It is then he turns around and watches as Evil heads straight towards them. He tries to maneuver out of her way, and does somewhat successfully. He cries out in pain as she slices deep into his arm, not to the bone, but deep enough. She swerves around, coming back for another face, and Blade raises his lance, but turns slightly to see Saber heading at him from the other direction. Blade has only moments to figure out which one to block and which one will cause the lesser of the damage. He turns to face Evil, the closer of the two, and blocks her devastating swing. As he struggles with Evil, he mentally prepares himself for the blow Saber will deal.
"Leave him alone!" Starlight's voice calls out to Blade as she hears two weapons clash, and a loud crash, only caused by Saber's body hitting the ground.
"How dare you!" Evil says as Blade pushes her away, and flies himself a safe distance from her.
He turns to see the younger group of tekkamen handling themselves with the spidercrabs and the less dangerous Radam tekkamen. But a scream cause him to jerk his head the other way, seeing a cloud of dust and Starlight's sapphire encrusted lance fly through the air, before sticking itself in the ground. Fear plants itself in his soul, and he quickly races towards the battle scene, which has now cleared. Saber has his lance pointing at Starlight's throat, who is totally defenseless. Starlight watches, preparing herself for the worst as Saber seems to stand there, rejoicing the moment, before he raises his lance to kill. Blade speeds through the sky as Saber's lance reaches as high as it can, his worst fears seeming to become reality before his eyes. The lance begins its downward arc and Starlight looks straight at Saber. Her eyes bear into his as he begins the preparations to end her life.
"I'm sorry, Blade," Starlight whispers, barely audible, even to herself.
"STAR!" Blade screams at top of his lungs.
Blade's scream of desperation and fear, and of the boiling madness of rage entering his voice, startles Saber. He flinches for a moment, gazing up, just in time to see Blade bear down on him, knocking him away from Starlight. Saber crashes straight into a wall of rubble, as Blade stands protectively over Starlight, completely furious. Evil gasps as Saber struggles to unbury himself from the pile of rubble he is caught under. Starlight lies there, frozen to the spot, before Blade turns to look at her, kneeling at her side. Starlight sits up using her tether to recapture her lance, and sits there as they hear the pounding of Saber trying to escape from his prison. Evil glares at them, preparing to do what she is forbidden to do by her father. She lets out a scream of rage, making both Starlight and Blade realize that Saber is the least of their worries. Blade wraps his arm around Starlight, and grabs his lance with his free hand, bringing it to bear in front of her protectively. His eyes light up furiously like dancing fire. Evil flies straight up in the air, spinning, and twirling her lance like a baton. She suddenly stops, holding out her lance in front of her, the blood ruby crystals on her armor emanating a bright light.
"I call upon you, almighty of all creatures," Evil cries out, "I summon you, Demon Tekka Dragon! Narse! Come forth and heed your master!"
A sudden bright light comes forth, molding into a shape of a dragon. The light disappears and a gigantic dragon covered in black, red, and gray tekka armor appears. Starlight and Blade gape in horror as it spreads its wings and bellows a terrifying roar. Saber finishes unburying himself in time to see Evil summon Narse and stares in awe.
"What is that!?" Winter cries out.
"I don't know, but let's get the hell out of its way!" Summer yells as he grabs Winter, pulling her out of the way as Narse heads in their direction.
Narse opens its mouth and lets out a stream of blood red energy, looking similar to their voltekkers, but wiping out military units, Radam, Space Knights, and anything else in its path.
"We have got to stop this thing!" Rapier calls out to everyone as it flies b y.
"Destroy, my sweet pet! Level everything until there is nothing left!" Evil orders, laughing maniacally.
"But how? That thing looks pretty indestructible," Scimitar replies, "so if you have any idea, now will be the time to use them, Rapier."
"There's nothing we can do to stop it," Blade says, "They're going to win."
"There has to be something that can stand up to it," Starlight states, standing up, with her lance in hand, "That thing has the same type of armor we do, we can take it on."
"Starlight! That thing is like a million times bigger than us! And there's no way one of us can get close to it!"
"Blade..." A young woman's voice calls out in Starlight and Blade's minds, causing them to look around..
Suddenly, both of them are transferred from the battle to a serene place full of light. They glance around, keeping alert, not know what to expect.
"Tekkaman Blade...you are the Father of the Tekkas," the woman's voice whispers, "Your duty is to protect the Great Mother."
"Father of the Tekkas?" Blade asks confused, "Great Mother?"
"You as the Father of the Tekkas will help the Great Mother," the voice continues, sounding very familiar to both of them.
Suddenly, a gentle light flashes, and a familiar face that almost brings them both to tears, stands in front of them. The woman softly smiles, with her purple eyes and long blonde hair.
"Shara...." Blade whispers, emotion cracked in his voice.
"My dear brother, it has been a long time," Shara says, "but I must get to the point; we don't have much time. Blade, you must protect the Great Mother. This is your duty as the Father of the Tekkas, to protect and help her."
"Help her do what?" Blade inquires, "Who is the Great Mother?"
Shara smiles softly at him before her gaze moves to Starlight. She walks slowly to her and gently touches the side of Starlight's helmet with her hand. Starlight shivered, because for some reason she can feel the cold resonate off Shara's hands. Her touch is cold as ice.
"And you, Tekkaman Starlight," Shara begins, "are the Mother of the Tekkas; you will create a new breed of tekkamen. Many will follow in your footsteps after your creation, but the only difference is that you may only create the Universal Soldiers, those destined to help you help free our people. And for this, you are called the Great Mother. You will begin a new era for tekkamen, but first, you must learn to conquer the powers, which lay dormant inside of you. Once those powers are awakened and conquered, you will truly become the Mother of the Tekkas."
Blade glances over at Starlight, "Star is the Mother of the Tekkas."
His sister nods, "Yes, you may not understand this all right now, but you will in due time."
"How do I awaken my powers, Shara?" Starlight asks, "Everyone needs my help, Evil and Narse are destroying everything we hold dear!"
"You must look deep inside your soul, inside yourself," Shara tells her, "To battle the Demon Tekka Dragon, you must awaken the sister."
"The sister?" Starlight asks, confused.
"Yes, the sister of Narse, the Tekka Dragon of Light, Tiamat," Shara says calmly.
"The Tekka Dragon of Light!?" Blade and Starlight both exclaim.
"Yes, two dragons given the tekka armor long before any of us even existed; they are very powerful creatures. But, those that have the ability to summon them are even more powerful yet. That is why only Starlight will be able to summon Tiamat. Only the Great Mother can awaken her." Shara answers them.
Starlight nods, "I have to summon her. I have to stop Evil."
"Blade, you must help Starlight no matter what the cost," Shara says, taking a few steps back and looks at him, "For you are important too, you must help Starlight in creating a new generation of tekkamen, this task will not be easy to do alone."
Blade nods, "I will."
Shara smiles softly at her elder brother, "Now you must go, remember, no matter what, it shall be your love that will pull you through anything. You must both stick together. This is going to be a long and hard-fought battle ahead."
As she speaks the last of her words, she fades from view as Blade tries to reach out and touch her. Blade stands there, his arm still outstretched. He slowly makes a fist with his hand, and then opens it again, realizing how close he was to his sister again. Starlight gently lays a hand on his shoulder, trying to best she can to comfort him. He looks over at her, before pulling her into a hug, holding her close. Suddenly, the sounds of battle are heard again as the battleground returns to them once more.
Evil laughs maniacally as Narse destroys everything in its path, having no opponent that can withstand her. Saber stands on a cliff, watching the blood bath unfold. Starlight pushes a startled Blade away.
"Blade," Starlight says, "This is my battle."
"Starlight!" Blade calls out as Starlight walks calmly away.
"EVIL!" she calls out to her rival, who stops laughing, and looks at her.
"Well, look who's back. We thought you ran away," Evil says smugly.
"This battle ends now!" Starlight yells as a sapphire light envelops her.
"Oh, and what can you do to stop me!" Evil retorts.
Starlight clasps her hands together, her long green hair floating upwards, "Oh, mystical creature, hear my prayer, unlock the power that's there. I call upon three, almighty being, I rise from your sleep. Bless me with our power and guidance. I summon you, great creation, Tekka Dragon of Light! Tiamat! I now break the seal and awaken you from your sleep!!"
Flowing light streaks overheard, disappearing to reveal a beautiful dragon, dress in white, gold and white armor, with huge emeralds decking her armor throughout. Evil takes a step back, not believing what she's seeing. Narse, sensing her sister, turns around and heads straight for Tiamat. Both let out a horrific roar that shakes the land, each one challenging the other to battle. Narse gets the first blow, raising her claws to scratch along Tiamat's side. She roars in pain and retaliates by hitting her sister in the face with her tail. Narse falls into a cliff, completely obliterating it. Narse slowly gets up, shaking her head, as Tiamat flings around, spreading her wings to full length. Energy gathers around her mouth as she opens it, then she jerks her head back as sparkling emerald energy explodes forth. Narse quickly takes flight, avoiding the blast as it digs a huge crater into the ground. Narse quickly takes flight, avoiding the blast as it digs a huge crater into the ground... Narse bellows and shoots forth her ruby breath as her sister heads toward here. Tiamat quickly pulls to the left, letting blast pass harmlessly by. Both dragons scathe each other at incredible speeds. Evil watches the battle and laughs.
"This is the end for you, Starlight!! Not even Tiamat can win against Narse now! Not after all these years of dormancy!" Evil exclaims in glee.
Starlight braces her lance in front of her, the sapphire crystals sparkling in the moonlight, "Don't go underestimating me yet, Evil!"
"Oh, you wish to take me on...?" Evil smirks.
"Since I'm so generous, I'll give you two choices. One, take Narse and leave forever or, two, I'll rip your heart out!" Starlight declares.
"How about...I tear you to pieces instead!" Evil yells and charges at her, but suddenly stops as if caught up in some type of field.
"Evil!" Ashura cries, before she, herself, is caught up in the field, "What's going on!?"
Narse bellows and twists and turns in anguish, unable to do anything else. Tiamat rushes at her, only to be pushed away by some kind of shock wave. She falls to the ground, her gigantic body plowing the ground bare. Saber, Evil, Ashura, and Narse are caught up in the force field holding them there.
"Could it be?" Saber says, his voice strained, "Master?"
Evil gasps, "Father!?"
"Ariadne!" Golbez's voice calls out to the four beings' minds, "You have disobeyed my direct orders! Retreat at once!"
"But, Father," Evil musters out, "Starlight! Narse can beat her!"
"You are a fool!" Golbez yells at her, "You weren't supposed to summon Narse yet, you foolish girl! Retreat immediately!"
"But, Father!" Evil begs, "We can do it! Let me finish the battle!"
"And have you lose Narse! If you will not obey, you leave me no choice!" Golbez says angrily in their thoughts.
Suddenly, there is a bright light that forces Starlight and Blade to cover their eyes. Even Tiamat looks away from the light. The pressure builds on the bodies of the four beings inside the field. Narse roars a cry of confusion and anger.
"Father!" Ashura cries, "What are you doing!?"
Evil feels the pressure increase on her body and tries to see what's going on but can't.
"Saber!" Evil cries out in desperation.
"Evil!" Saber calls back to her, unable to find her.
The light grows brighter, and then disappears. As they uncover their eyes, they find the dragon and the three tekkamen gone. Starlight looks around to see if there are any signs of them, but doesn't find any.
"They just can't disappear," Blade says, now standing by her side.
"Well, they just did, and I've got a bad feeling about it too," Starlight replies.
Tiamat shakes her head and stretches her wings. She calmly lowers her head toward Starlight and Blade, observing with her big sapphire eyes. Starlight gently lays her hand on Tiamat's snout, and the dragon nods, taking flight. Blade watches as gigantic iridescent comet lines the horizon.
"Don't worry, she'll return when we need her," Starlight says calmly.
A blue light envelop Starlight as she returns to her human form, but quickly collapses. Before she totally falls, Blade catches her in his arms.
"Blade!" he hears a voice cry, and turns to see Winter and the others come to meet him.
"Is the Chief all right?" Summer asks, looking at the unconscious form in Blade's arms.
"Yes, I think she's just exhausted," Blade says, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Let's get her back to the palace," Rapier replies.
Blade nods at her, and all of them fly off to the palace.
******************************************
Ariadne tries to open her eyes weakly but sees nothing but blackness. Where is she? How did she get here? What happened to Narse? But most importantly, where is Cain? She looks up somewhat, barely able to see, and sees a figure looming over her.
"Cain...?" Ariadne whispers, before falling back unconscious.
**********************************************
"Are you sure all right?" Ness asks Star.
"I'm fine, I just used a lot of my energy; that's why I passed out," Star replies.
Star had shortly recovered consciousness when they had gone back to the palace. Terra had figured it must have been due to the power she had used to break Tiamat's seal that caused her short lapse of fatigue. Star looks at Ness for a moment, and starts opening her mouth to say something, when Sara comes bounding through the door, hugging on her sister. She's followed by David, who looks like he's been shot to hell.
"I'm so glad you're all right!" Sara exclaims, hugging her sister.
"Now, Sara, don't try to suffocate your sister," Terra softly chides.
"Oh, sorry," Sara says, smiling at Star, then turns to look at David, and her smile falls.
Star and Ness, both, turn to look at David, who has his back to them. Star lowers her head and closes her eyes.
"David..." Sara says softly, and steps toward him, but Star grabs her shoulder, holding her back.
"David," Star calmly states, "Dead End was a fine warrior, and Space Knight. He shall be missed by everyone. I know you think his death is unfair, but I believe if he had a choice, he rather go down fighting like he did than anything else. We will go on, and we shall defeat the Radam. Dead End's untimely demise was not in vain; look at all the lives he saved. He chose this path, to fight and put his life on the line, as we all have. Unfortunately, he took the one path that some of us don't even want to think of taking. But, by doing what he has done, he's stopped the Radam from destroying what is left of this planet that he has left behind."
"Dead," David says, his back still turned to them, "was my friend. My one true friend."
"I know, David," Star acknowledges, "but we must go on. For not only Dead but for everyone else that has died. We must fight on. I know you want to quit, but if you do, that means that the Radam will win. Do you think Dead would want the Radam to flood over the Earth?"
David shakes his head, "No, he wouldn't."
"Then, you must continue fighting," Star softly tells him, "There is nothing else you can do but fight on for those who can fight no longer."
Sara softly steps toward him, hesitating with each step. David turns around and looks at her soft blue eyes, seeing a bit of comfort there.
"David.." Sara whispers.
He gently places his hand on her shoulders. Sara looks up at him questioningly as David stares into her eyes, a small smile forming on his lips.
"I'm all right, Sara," David consoles her, and then glances up at Star, "Thank you...Chief."
Star slowly nods, as Ness comes over, wrapping his arm around her. Star glances at David. She knows David's reputation for being smooth with the ladies all too well. This time though, she has a different feeling, his eyes, she notices, have a different look in them, not the usual playful look he gives women when they're next on his list. Anyone else would think it's the pain from losing his best friend, and that is there, but there is something else, something different. Star can't figure out what it could be, but she has a good feeling about it.
Suddenly, the door opens, which jars Star from her thoughts. She sees her mother and her aunt stand up, waiting. Celes clasps her hands together as if almost in anticipation, a slight mist forming in her eyes. Sara turns to see who walks in the doorway, and her eyes widen in surprise and happiness. Her eyes closed, in shorts, a pink T-shirt, her long silver hair that falls all the way down her back streaks the yellow button shirt that is left opened. Star gasps as she sees the long silver hair.
"Can it be?" Star asks aloud to herself.
The young woman opens her eyes, revealing their blue color. She looks around, looking at Sara first, then at Star, then Terra and back to Sara, who is now glancing over at Celes. The young woman stares at Celes, who stares right back at her, emotion filling in both their eyes.
The young woman takes a step towards her, then hesitates, pulling herself back a bit, looking a bit unsure. Celes nods slowly at her as if acknowledging some secret question.
"M...M..Mother," the young woman stutters out.
"Welcome home, my daughter," Celes says, opening her arms.
Celes's daughter rushes into her mother's arms, hugging her and Celes returns it with a hug of her own. They pull away, looking at each other.
"Mother, is it...is it really you?" her daughter asks.
"Yes...it's me...wait until your father gets here," Celes says, looking at her child, her flesh and blood, "He'll be so happy to see you, Shara."
Ness, startled, looks at the young woman now revealed to be Star's cousin, who shares the same name as his sister. Star knows what he's thinking and places her hand on his shoulder.
Suddenly, a young man steps through, and Sara rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and gets a disgusted look on her face. The young man, tall and handsome, with crystal blue eyes and wavy blond hair, is all too familiar to Sara and Shara, and had Yumi been in the room, she would be proud to exclaim that it is Mr. Young himself.
Shara looks over her shoulder, and smiles warmly, "Cid."
Celes looks at the young man, whose two years older than her daughter, and who her daughter has definite eyes for, just telling by her speech and the look on her face.
"Oh, please, don't tell me you're Scimitar, Cid," Sara says, a bit of disapproval in her voice.
"Well, hello to you too, Sara, or should I say, Winter?" Cid retorts, not even looking at her.
Sara looks at her cousin, and says, a bit sarcastically, "Shara, please enlighten me as to what you see in this man."
"More than you ever can!" Shara says defensively.
"Oh, please!" Sara scoffs.
"It's true, Sara!" Shara argues.
"Oh, tell me one thing!" Sara demands.
Star and Ness just look at the two younger Summers girls as they argue with each other. And, in the end, they agree, that both the girls bicker more at that moment than Yumi and Natasha ever have in their entire lives.
*************************************************
A friend is a gift you give yourself
-Robert Louis Stevenson
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