AN: Yes I decided to type in something a little different..soo? (mwhahahaha)
"Apocalypse Battles: Legend of the Crystal Warriors"
'Stage I: Blind King'
Written by: Chief Aki
E-mail: chiefaki@hotmail.com; yumi0@yahoo.com
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Disclaimer: All respectable characters are owned by their creators. All other characters are owned by me and may not be used without my explicit permission. No money is being made here.
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She never gave up once. My mom is my hero.
-Kimberly Anne Brand
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Episode VI: New Beginnings, New Life
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Ariadne sleeps peacefully in her bed, the only dim light coming from the window gazing into the outreaches of space, revealing the ships that surround the Radam flagship, while its position sits in the orbit of Pluto. She tosses and turns in her sleep, mumbling quietly, and reaches out, grabbing a pillow in place of a figure that isn't there.
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Tekkaman Saber looks out at the surface of Charon, eyeing the bases' construction and the careful planting of the new spores, which can now withstand harsher conditions than before. He gazes at the planet of Pluto, which took two weeks to plant spores and bases all over the planet. He taps his armored foot impatiently as four comets appear on the horizon of the moon. The streaks disappear and four tekkamen land and bow in front of him. He glances left to right, taking a look at each tekkaman respectively. The gold and black armored tekkaman raises his head staring at its master.
"Narcissus, report," Saber commands gruffly, looking at the gold and black tekkaman.
"Everything is set, my lord," Narcissus replies submissively.
"Good, everything is going according to plan," Saber states, "Make sure it stays that way."
"Yes, sir," the four tekkamen reply in unison.
"Narcissus, head to the base in the north," Saber orders.
"Yes, at once, my lord," Narcissus replies and he streaks off toward his destination.
"Uma, go to the south and oversee the production of the spores," Saber commands, and looks in the direction of a yellow tekkaman.
"Yes, Lord Saber," she complies, taking off and heads to the south.
He stares at the two remaining tekkamen. One, a male tekkaman with white and green armor and the other, a female with glistening amber and orange-colored armor, with her long orange hair flowing around her.
"Taro," Saber motions to the white and green tekkamen, who stands when his name is mentioned.
"Yes?" Taro asks, awaiting his order.
"Head to the spidercrab nursery in the west. Make sure nothing inhibits the hatching of the spidercrabs."
The tekkaman nods, and speeds off, on his order. Saber glances at the last remaining tekkaman. Since Ariadne had become pregnant, all of her generals are now under his command. He doesn't want her in battles any longer, obviously due the face she can endanger herself and the life of their child.
"Kota, go to the communications in the east, and keep them up and running," Saber orders calmly.
"Yes, Saber," Kota replies and takes off.
Saber watches her disappear across the moon's horizon and stands alone in silence for a moment. He turns, gazing at the planet of time and revolution, Pluto, before his gaze moves to the hovering Radam fleet, especially the flagship. He sighs, thinking of his wife, wanting nothing more than to be at her side now. Unfortunately, he has a job to do, and he can't go back to her until he finishes. He takes off, bursting into a ruby streak towards what seems the desolate planet of Pluto.
It is a cold desolate planet alone from its sisters, Pluto is. But, this long forgotten sister shall bring down her siblings. She's now part of the greatest plan conceived by the Radam since the first war, ten years ago. He flies down through the atmosphere of this lonely planet, while two figures await his desolate arrival. He softly lands before a gold and yellow tekkaman, who kneels before him, as does the yellow and green one behind it.
"Kino," Saber's voice booms to the gold and yellow tekkaman, then looks at the smaller tekkaman behind Kino, "Shakti, report."
"All is well, sir," Kino replies.
"Everything is secure," Shakti follows up, "Tani and Koko are supervising the supply lines."
"Good," Saber says slowly, relief in his voice.
"Heading back to the ship, sir?" Kono replies.
"Yes, and tell Koko and Tani, once the supplies are delivered, to stay down here," Saber orders.
"We will, Lord Saber," Shakti replies casually.
Saber nods, and takes off like lightning. He has been on these dustballs for about twenty hours and he doesn't want to stay another minute. He speeds off, heading directly for the Radam flagship.
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Star gazes at the serene, enclosed lagoon. Leviathan gently noses her with her snout. Star slowly replies by wrapping her arms around the tip of her old friend's snout and lays her head against the gentle creature, seeking comfort.
"Poor child," Leviathan whispers mentally as Star cries under the pale moonlight.
Star closes her eyes, taking comfort in her childhood sanctuary.
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Cain sighs in exhaustion as he opens the door, quietly stepping in. He walks through the small living room, then moves his way into the kitchen. He looks around for a moment before grabbing an apple, and taking a huge bite. He munches on the apple and stretches, his eyes revealing how fatigued he is. He finishes his apple and throws the core in the garbage incinerator. He runs his fingers through his jet-black hair, his next prerogative being to jump in the shower.
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Ness turns to one side, than another in his bed, before turning to gaze at the ceiling, and sighs in exasperation. His thoughts wander as he studies it, but really they go nowhere. Ness worries about Star, knowing she took the news hard and to heart. After a couple moments of debating, he lets out a growl of frustration, and grabs his pillow, throws in anger, before plopping back down on the bed.
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Cain closes his eyes as the rushing water beats down on him. He lets his head droop down, his wet black hair covering his face, as he pushes his hand against the wall, in an attempt to stay standing. He sighs and his body relaxes for a moment before a scream rings through the quarters. His body tenses, and his green eyes shoot open as he recognizes it as his wife's.
"Ariadne!" Cain yells worried, as he turns off the water.
The bathroom door opens as Cain, dressed in jeans, and his hair dripping wet, runs out. He watches as Ariadne tosses and turns in her sleep, crying.
"Cain…Cain…" Ariadne cries in her sleep.
He gives a look of relief and worry as he realizes it is a nightmare she's having. Relief that someone didn't sneak in here to do her any harm. Worry about what kind of nightmare she's having. He quickly walks over to her, to try and wake her from her nightmare, when all of a sudden, she stops moving, returning to her state of peaceful sleep, though she's still sniffling. He softly sighs at her, before brushing a rebel strand of her long and silky black hair from her face. He wonders what she had been dreaming about, but doesn't want to wake her, due to the fact that she's sleeping peacefully again. He smiles softly as he looks down to the floor, picking up her book that has fallen off the bed, a book on pregnancy. Like any normal curious mother, she wants to know in more detail what exactly is going on inside her, and what to expect. But, besides the obvious, what else is going on inside her is something no book can tell her and prepare her for. She is more than just normal and so will be their child. Cain quietly sets on the nightstand, as he watches her sleep. He softly walks to his side of the bed, and slides in beside her, exhausted. He wraps his arms around her, and instinctively, she rolls over and snuggles into him. He softly strokes his fingers through her hair, watching as her sniffling stops from the comfort she feels in his arms, before falling asleep soundly.
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Sara softly gazes at the dark red rose absorbing the shimmering moonlight and sighs. Her silver nightgown flows effortlessly in the gentle breeze. She glances around at the rose garden, her eyes sweeping to the sparkling water gardens beyond. She had felt their presence leave their home, and wonders when they'll return. Possibilities float through her mind about why they both left. She lowers her face, breathing in the sweet scent of the rose.
"Shara," Sara whispers, "Why did you go? Where did you go?"
"I normally don't catch girls in their nightgowns on my usual midnight strolls," a man's voice says, causing Sara to whirl around, startled.
"David," Sara says softly, "What are you doing out here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing, Sara" David tells her.
Sara turns and looks up at the moon, "I couldn't sleep."
David walks to her side, wrapping his arms around her, "You're worried about them, aren't you?"
Sara nods, keeping her gaze on the moon, "It's so very bright tonight."
David moves his blue eyes from her to the glistening moon, "It is, isn't it?"
"Just like the day I was born," Sara whispers, "so my mother tells me."
"That's how you got your middle name right?" David asks, knowing small talk with put her mind at ease.
"Yes, Sara Moon," Sara says softly, "and…Shara…Jupiter."
"Don't worry," David consoles her, holding Sara close to him, "They'll be fine."
"I hope so, David, I hope so," Sara whispers to him.
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In a cavern, deep under a long dead city, a figure stands and stretches. She kicks the shredded body of a dead man aside, and lets out an evil high-pitched giggle. Her black angel wings furl under, as the familiar form of Genesis Angel appears.
"That man was a fool," she laughs insanely, "but that makes my task a lot easier."
She chuckles evilly to herself as she walks down a corridor to a hidden chamber. She looks down at herself rubbing her belly, then laughs.
"I never dreamed humans were such fools!" she laughs, "Now, I must prepare myself. I hope you're ready for what's coming my dear sister!!"
Genesis Angel's laughter rings down the corridor as she disappears into the darkness.
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Two sleek, black motorcycles race alongside each other, both racing against time itself. One on the left, definitely a man by his build, his face cover by his helmet. He glances to his right, at his partner riding alongside. His companion is a woman with silver hair flowing out of her helmet, whipping in the wind. She glances back at him, nodding. Both of them speed up, and wind down the road surrounded by deep forests, the moonlight stabbing through the tops, desperately trying to win their race against time. For they know if they don't reach their destination soon, all could be lost.
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Meanwhile, back in Sirene City, capital of the Amazon nation, a figure of a woman stands partly in the darkness on a balcony of the Royal Palace. A young Amazon approaches her and kneels before the woman.
"What's the word?" the woman demands.
"Nothing yet, my Queen," the girl answers," There is no sign of them."
"Go," the Queen of the Amazons tells her, and the girl quickly leaves.
A sigh escapes from her lips, "Please, Shara, return home safely. There is not much time left. The dragons and Siren need your help. Please, Shara, come back to us."
A cold, hard wind blows, almost blowing her words away, as if it were a messenger, delivering a message across the land. A message, a prayer for the ray of hope, that is nearly dissipated, to shine.
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Cain stirs to the bell ringing at their door. He groans, running his fingers through his hair. Ariadne raises her head, her hair slightly mussed, that almost makes Cain laugh. As he tries to surpress his laughter, Ariadne notices his arm around her, and turns to look at him, with a smirk on her face.
"And what in the world is so funny, Mister Cain Carter?" Ariadne says half-asleep.
"My wife," Cain admits with a sleepy smile, with causes her to chuckle, "Are you okay? You had a nightmare last night when I cam home, but it ended before I could wake you."
"It was horrible," she whispers as she snuggles into him.
"You wanna tell me about it?" Cain asks, but then the door rings a second time.
"Who the hell is here this early in the morning?" Ariadne asks grumpily, trying to get up, but lays back down, holding her stomach, "Guess I'm not getting up anytime soon."
"Morning sickness?" Cain asks concerned, which Ariadne answers with a nod, "Don't worry. I'll get it."
He slowly gets up, as the door rings a third time. He's going to kill whoever is on the other side of that door, being in no mood to play games this morning. He stumbles out of the bedroom, walking through the living room, to the main door. Cain presses a button and the door slides open, revealing Hera standing in the hallway. Least to say, Cain is jumping for joy at the site.
"What the hell are you doing?" Cain demands, just a bit irritated, "Do you have any clue what time is it?"
"Well, by Earth Standard Time, it's nine in the morning," Hera says cheerfully, which makes Cain wish he can just kill her.
"You better have a damn good reason for being here," Cain says grumpily, "For I would like to get at least a couple more hours of sleep, if you wouldn't mind."
"Well, you better forget about sleep," Hera says, stepping in, the door closes behind her, which causes Cain to groan, "Hello, sister, how's the momma-to-be this morning?"
Cain suddenly turns around, and sees Ariadne leaning against the bedroom doorway, still holding her stomach. She smiles weakly at her sister. He notices her temperament with her sister has become less fiery than it used to be. Cain walks over to her as she starts to walk, helping to the couch, where he softly sits her down.
"How do you feel?" Cain asks softly and ignores Hera's amused looks.
"Like crap," Ariadne replies.
"You'll probably feel better after you've had something to eat," Hera says smiling sincerely at her sister, "You want some toast? It's not too heavy, not too light."
"That'll do fine," Ariadne says softly.
"All right, I'll get you some," Hera complies sweetly.
Hera makes her way into their kitchen to fix some toast. Cain sits down beside Ariadne, holding her.
"I have a feeling, I'll be leaving again," Cain admits with a sigh.
"I saw more of you before we were married," Ariadne complains.
"I know. Don't worry," Cain reassures her, "It'll be over soon."
"Yeah, you say," Ariadne argues," but which side will be winning when it's over?"
"Ariadne? What makes you say something like that?" Cain asks a bit startled.
"In my dream, Blade…he…he killed you. And I couldn't do anything to stop them. Starlight, she ripped our child from this life. I never felt so helpless, Cain," Ariadne whispers, burying her head into his shoulder.
He cradles her softly, holding her tightly. His eyes flash a look of anger in them.
"It's okay Ariadne. That will never happen. Never," Cain says, determination showing through his voice.
Ariadne looks up to him, smiling weakly and kisses him. Hera walks in, smiling, and lets out a giggle.
"Awww…the newlyweds are sharing a private moment," Hera teases.
Cain looks up, glaring at her. She holds out Ariadne's toast.
"Sorry," Hera apologizes as her sister quietly munches on her breakfast.
"So, what is it, that is so important, that you told me to forget about sleep?" Cain questions, wondering why the hell she actually came.
"Daddy's orders," Hera says in a cheerful tone.
Cain lets out a sigh, "What are they now?"
"We're to begin phase two of his plan," Hera tells him.
Ariadne nearly chokes on her toast, and then looks at her little sister with wide eyes. Hera gives her a look that says "be careful, sis."
"Phase two!?" Ariadne exclaims, "This soon! But, Cain hasn't even been back that long! Besides, isn't he worried that moving this soon will alert the Earth fleet?"
"I know," Hera admits, "But, Father wants to keep going while it's good. All the satellites around Earth and this solar system have been destroyed. Leaving Earth without eyes and ears. Plus, the military squadrons that are scattered about Earth will keep them busy."
"But, what about Genesis Angel?" Ariadne questions, "She was defeated, you know."
"Only temporarily," Hera answers, "Father knows why too. But, it is a minor setback. But, I'm sure that the victory has left Earth confident and relaxed. Which is why he wants to begin phase two. You have about an hour and a half until he wants you to leave for Nereid, Cain. Well, I must be going."
With that, Hera gets up and leaves. Ariadne and Cain stare at each other in an awkward moment of silence.
"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Ariadne says in a cracked voice like a frightened child.
Cain shakes his head, "I don't know, I'll be back as soon as possible as I can. It could be a whole month."
"A whole month?" Ariadne asks in a whisper, "Cain, that's a long time to be away."
"I know, I know," Cain says, "Hang on, okay? You know I'll always be thinking about you. I'll be back, I promise."
Ariadne nods slowly and Cain kisses her on the forehead as they hold each other in their embrace.
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Star rubs her eyes sleepily, squinting at the sunlight piercing through the treetops. The gentle trickle of peaceful water is heard as the smell of lilies dashes the air. She slowly sits up, her long green hair slightly mussed, trying to figure out where she is. Suddenly, she realizes she's in enclosed part of Leviathan's lagoon. Had she slept here all night? Star feels a presence behind her, and turns around to see Leviathan staring at her.
"Sleep well, dear child?" Leviathan asks in a soothing voice.
"Yeah, I did, despite everything that goes on around me," Star admits.
Leviathan gently nudges her, "You better go. Your mother will be worried, if you don't return to the palace."
Star giggles, imagining her mother. Leviathan lets out a sound that only can be equivalent to a sigh of relief at hearing Star giggle.
Star hugs her friend, "Thank you."
"It's no problem, Lady Star. I shall always be here when you need me," Leviathan answers softly.
Star smiles at her, before jumping across the rocks. Leviathan watches the young woman run back to her home, where her family is, before she slips underneath the surface, heading back towards the deep blue sea.
Star sprints across the lily fields, across the forests. She smiles as the wind whips her emerald hair, almost blowing her troubles away. Leviathan and her lagoon is her comfort, her sanctuary. The place she can run to when she feels her world begin to crash down. The place that makes her realize that she's not totally and utterly alone. She runs with a new hope and new desire. Some of her Space Knights, who just happen to come across her, wonder what demon has possessed her to run like that. She runs up the terraces, through the gardens, through the halls of the palace to her room. She hasn't ran like this in ages, not since the days of the lily fields with her mother, before all the chaos rang upon her world as a child. But those days are gone, only the present exists, and the possibilities of a hopeful future.
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Tekkaman Blade stands on the edge of a cliff, observing the somewhat bustling city below. Crystal Bay is growing, becoming a place of commerce, trade, ideas, dreams and hope. Many people have begun to flock here to seek shelter and a new life. Parts of the small city are already designated; there was the Amazon district and the Space Knight district, where most of the refugee Space Knights reside for now, and the civilian district. He gazes at the two construction sites in progress. One, leading out from the city to the bay itself, the construction of the new Space Knight Command Center. Star sure didn't waste any time rebuilding her pride and joy. He glances over at the second site, unsure of what it is. He knows that Star has something to do with it, what, he doesn't know, but she won't even give him a clue. He recognizes some of the workers as Space Knights and some as Amazons and even looks like some civilians. In fact, he remembers Star talking with some Amazons earlier this week. What exactly is she planning? What are they building? He knows that Mac had some idea for he had come across Mac and her discussing something, and showing her a report one day, and they both stopped what they were doing as soon as they saw him. It hurt Ness' feelings a lot that Star won't share something with him, but then again, he guesses she'll tell him when she's ready. Blade wonders where Star is anyways. She didn't come back last night, and wasn't in her room this morning when he checked. Suddenly, something catches him out of the corner of his eye. He watches as Star runs through the water gardens of the palace, and sees the smile erupting on her face. He swears he can see the hope itself radiating from her face as her green hair flows behind her. He fires his thrusters, taking off as she runs into the palace in hopes of catching her.
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Sara softly smiles, as she begins to stir from her sleep. She feels warm, powerful yet gentle arms wrapped around her. She rolls over, and stares straight into David's sleeping face. She lets out a soft sigh, brushing a blond strand remembering the night before. After much consoling and comforting, David has escorted back to her room.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" David asks softly at her door.
"Yeah," Sara said sullenly.
"Come on, sit down," David said, a bit exasperated.
He pushed her through the door, and made her sit down on her bed, looking straight at her.
"Listen to me, Sara," David said, gazing into her blue eyes, "If Shara wanted to tell us where she was going she would, all right? Anyways, it must not be that important if she didn't tell us. So, don't worry about it, there's nothing we can do. Just relax, she'll be fine."
"Easier said, than done," Sara admitted, which caused David to smile.
"Well, try and get some rest, okay?" David told her softly, "I don't need you breaking down or anything on me because you're tired and didn't get any sleep."
Sara nodded, and shivered at the same time. A cool breeze blew in from her balcony door. David walked over and closed it as Sara slipped under her covers, seeking warmth.
David turned around, softly gazing at her and smiled. He walked back over to her, sitting down on the bed beside her. He laid back, wrapping his arms around her as she snuggled in, laying her head on his chest. The soft skin of her face rubbing across his red shirt. David softly stroked his fingers through her white hair.
"You're so beautiful, you know that?" David said warmly.
"Oh, David," Sara said blushing.
"It's true," David answered her comment, holding her close.
Sara sighed happily, listening to the slow, rhythmic, loving beat of his heart. Her eyelids drooped as his heartbeats put her to sleep. She softly closed her eyes as she drifted into a deep, relaxed sleep.
She sighs softly, remembering the comfort she had felt from being in his arms. Sara opens her blue eyes only to stare into David's baby blues.
"Hey, you," David says softly, smiling.
"Hey," Sara returns with a smile of her own.
David pulls her closer to him, and kisses her softly. Sara moves her hands slowly up his chest as their lips part from their sweet embrace. Then, she smiles mischievously as in one swift motion; she pushes him away, hard.
"What the…!?" David cries out as he falls off the bed and crashes to the floor.
Sara sits up laughing as David rubs his head. She leans back towards the edge of her side of the bed, continuing to laugh.
"Why did you do that for?" David asks confused.
"I don't know," Sara laughs, "Just to see the look on your face!"
"That wasn't funny, Sara," David replies, "You scared the hell out of me!"
"Yeah, it was!" Sara laughs, but then loses her balance, letting out a brief scream, as she topples to the floor.
She slowly gets up, rubbing her head, and whines. David can't contain himself and busts himself up into laughter, his fist pounding on the bed. Sara glares at him and smiles, catching something out of the corner of his eye. David's laughter is muffled and stopped as he's hit right smack in the face with a pillow. He looks over as Sara tries to hold in her giggling. David retaliates by hitting back with the pillow, chuckling. They both glare at each other as silence enters the room. Then, suddenly both of them jump up on the bed, grabbing the nearest pillow they can get.
"PILLOW FIGHT!" they both exclaim, standing on top of the bed, followed by the sounds of pounding pillows and their laughter.
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In the deep recesses of a dark cavern, red vines grow from the ceiling and the walls. They writhe with life as they spread themselves, infesting the underground network of tunnels. At the source of these hideous things, a humanoid figure sits up in a ball, encased by these very vines that seem to sprout from her. Her stomach looks slightly bulged and seems to be growing rapidly as small soft cries emanate through the cavern. The figure raises a blue clawed finger to her lips and the cries silence.
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Two motorcycles race past the gates of Sirene City. Dawn has arrived on what seems a peaceful land. Both of the riders race towards the palace. They slow down as they reach the palace gates. The woman stops her motorcycle in front of the two Amazon guards. She quickly shuts the machine off and steps off, removing her helmet, and reveals herself as Shara Summers. Her companion does the same revealing himself to be Cid. Shara glances over at the two guards.
"Lady Shara!" one of the guards exclaim, "Thank the Great Mother, you're here!"
"Where is the Queen?" Cid demands.
"She is waiting," the other guard answers, "You have an audience with her immediately. Please follow me."
Shara and Cid follow the woman through the halls of the Amazon Palace. They relax, feeling comfort from being in such familiar surroundings. The guard leads them into the dimly lit Throne Room. The windows are covered up by curtains, petite rays of light shooting through them. Both of them look up to see an outline of a figure sitting on the throne, and kneel down before it.
"You summoned us, Your Majesty?" Shara asks calmly.
"Yes, it's time," the Queen answers, "The dragons need to be awakened if we are to ever win this war. They are the keys to awakening Siren. Shara, your mission, is to awaken them."
Cid looks up, "But, why her?"
"She's the only one who can," The Queen answers, "Cid, I need you here. You will remain here until she returns."
"But!" Cid replies in protest.
"That is an order, Cid," the Queen tells him.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Cid answers in defeat.
"Good," The Queen says, "Shara, you will go at once. Once you awake the head dragon, the others will awaken on their own.
Shara nods, "Right."
"You may go," the Amazon Queen tells them, "that is all."
With that, both of them, stand up and leave the room. Shara speaks nor looks at Cid. She can tell he's upset, just by the way his footsteps are placed.
Shara stops, closing her blue eyes. Cid notices this and stops a couple paces in front of them.
"Don't worry, Cid. I'll be all right," Shara says softly.
"I don't like this, Shara," Cid admits, "You're going into a dragon's lair all by yourself. I don't like this at all."
"I don't like it either, Cid," Shara comments, "but it has to be done, and I'm the only one who can. Don't you understand?"
"I do," Cid answers, "but why must you go alone? Why can't I go with you?"
"I don't know," Shara states, shaking her head, "She just needs you here."
Cid walks over to her, taking her face gently in his hands. She gazes into his blue eyes, before he lowers his face softly kissing her on the forehead.
"Don't make me come after you," Cid says softly to her, as he steps back away from her.
Shara runs from him, then stops at the entrance of the palace hall. She turns around, gazing back at him. He stands there, watching her in silence, before she takes off running.
Shara gazes at the rising sun, so much has changed in a short amount of time. She sighs softly, her body tired from the long trip here, telling her to sleep. Sleep will have to wait; more pressing matters are at hand. There is only a short time window left. She gazes at the surrounding mountains where her destination is now laying, the legendary Eterna Cave. She sprints off, heading towards her date with destiny. She knows it will not take long to reach Eterna Cave, but the longest journey awaits inside. She sprints throughout the outskirts of the town as it gives way to forests and ravines. Shara mentally thanks her training she was put through as an Amazon. She crosses the ravines, jumping from ledge to ledge effortlessly, her speed and strength pulling her through. Many thoughts cross her mind as she jumps along the ravenous path on her way to the cave. The morning sunlight skims through the trees as he light footsteps break the silence of the forest. Shara keeps her eyes straight ahead, her other senses kicking in, in case something wants to spring a nasty surprise on her. She jumps over a fallen trunk of a tree, dashing through the woods. As she runs, she hears a twig snap, and knows it's not from her. She quickly stops, jumping up onto a branch of a tree, looking for the object preying on her. She hears the moving of a bush, and tries to figure which direction it is coming from. She knows now forest animals would never make that much noise, they're usually much quieter. Someone is following her for sure. Her thoughts travel to Cid, but she knows that even he doesn't make that much noise. She quickly jumps to another branch of a tree, then another, making her progress less trackable, more aware of her surroundings. As she maneuvers through the trees, she lands on a branch and it cracks, giving way. She quickly jumps to another branch and watches it crash to the ground. Shara hears the shouts of men in the distance, and realizes the military imbeciles have crossed into their borders. Is that why the Queen sent her alone and made Cid stay? Is the city under attack? Did she figure that by just sending her, that she will be able to slip under their noses. Now, she doesn't have time to stand there. She jumps down from the branch and sprints through the forest, trying to escape her predators. If they are on foot, it will be no problem to outrun them, but the military never plays fair, most likely their sol tekka are hiding somewhere. If Shara can reach the cave before she if found, she has a chance. She runs like a madwoman, desperate now. If she transforms into Rapier, she will be spotted at once; she has no choice but to remain in human form.
Suddenly, the forest gives way to a clearing. Shara spots an entrance to the cave about 400 meters ahead. She runs faster, due to the fact, she's more vulnerable in the open. She can hear the voice of the men now in the distance. 200 meters. Suddenly, a blast impacts the ground near her. She knows from the shot that she is right about the Sol Tekka. 100 meters. The shots increase now; she can hear the sounds of their thrusters screeching the sky. They are gaining on her, but so far they can't get a lock or hit. Shara practically dives for the cave entrance, as the blasts hit each side of the entrance, opening it wider. She quickly gets up, as she realizes they just opened it enough where they can fit through. She bolts through the cavern, jumping over huge rocks and up ledges, in efforts to keep a step ahead.
"This just keeps getting worse," Shara mutters as she runs.
She ducks shots, hitting the ceiling while doing her best to maneuver through the cavern. Suddenly, she trips on a rock and falls down a steep incline away from the path. She stumbles up running, and comes to abrupt halt, as she nearly plummets of a ledge, dropping straight off into an underground river. She quickly glances up, seeing there's no way back up. Suddenly, shots rings through, hitting the ceiling above her, and a stagnite falls down, she jumps out of the way of the debris, as she sees the sol tekka heading straight for her. As she backs off, she loses her balance and falls off the ledge. Shara screams and plummets straight into the river.
The two sol tekka that were following her, look over the ledge. They both lower her weapons.
"I guess that's the end of her," Sol Tekka #1 says.
"Yeah, I don't think anyone will survive that fall," #2 adds, "Let's get out of here."
"Agreed, this place is giving me the creeps."
Both of the sol tekka flee the scene, giving up their query to the river. Meanwhile, Shara's head rises to the surface, releasing a fit of coughs. Her wet silver hair clings to her face, as she looks around for a way to get out. Unfortunately, she can't fight the swift current for her strength is waning. Her attention is diverted from finding a way out when she hears an approaching roar. Shara's blue eyes widen in horror as she careens over the waterfall.
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Meanwhile, Cid watches as the military squadrons band together to bust through the perimeters of Sirene City. Suddenly, he feels a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He shakes his head, hoping that it'll go away.
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A bruised and battered figure of Shara lays unconscious on the muddy bank of a cavern river. She lets out a soft moan as she moves, returning to consciousness. She slowly opens her blue eyes, rolling over, trying to figure out her surroundings. Shara carefully brings herself up to her knees, holding her head.
"What a ride," Shara says quietly, then looks and sees an eerie light protruding from an entrance to a cavern.
She weakly stands up, heading in the direction of the calm light. Shara leans heavily against the wall as she walk exhausted, her body now craving the sleep it needs and desires. She pushes herself on, determined to find out where the light is coming from. Shara drags herself into the cavern, to find that a floating orb produces the indigo-colored light. She gasps as she sees the outlined figure of a giant beast.
Approximately, a 1920 meters long, the creature has brown scaly skin, with two horns at the back of its head, seeming to protect its neck, and two more horns, one located on either side of the face. It has large talons on its feet and long bat-like wings, which made Shara guess its wingspan is about 3840 meters long. She can hear its breathing, soft and slow; the creature is asleep. Shara looks at the sight before her, realizing this is the dragon she must awaken. Wondering how, her sights travel to the orb and gets an idea formed in her head. Shara softly steps to the orb, touching it with both hands. The indigo light goes to a soft calm to a shattering bright light. The creature slightly stirs as Shara feels her strength drain from her. A word comes to Shara slowly begins to let go of the orb. Her eyes close as she releases it and the orb disappears.
"Gaghiel," Shara whispers, before collapsing to the ground.
The dragon opens on its crystal blue eyes as Shara passes out. It raises its head, letting out a bellowing roar.
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"Lord Cid! The Amazon forces can't keep them back, they're overrunning the city!" a young Amazon reports to him.
"Of course," Cid says to himself, "Attack when we let our guard down and half of our forces are at Crystal Island."
"Sir!?" the young woman cries, "They'll be in the palace within a matter of minutes!"
"Where's the Queen? Escort her out of here immediately!" Cid orders, "Tell everyone to get out of the city!"
Replies of "yes sir" came as everyone dashes about in effort to save what they can from the military. Cid stares out at the battle. The military has played illusions, most of them had been thought to be scattered groups, but actually came together to fight them. Now, without the main force, there is nothing left to do but run. He wonders where Shara is, and if she's okay.
"Cid."
Cid looks around to see who's calling him, but he sees no one looking at him.
"Cid."
His eyes widen realizing who it is, "Siren."
"Tell everyone to run as soon as they can and as far as they can from this place.
"Why, Siren?"
"Something that's out of my control is going to happen."
Cid looks around at everyone, "Get out of here, now."
He begins to run, escaping with the main crowd, when the earth begins to shake, and hears many startled cries. A giant geyser of pure energy shoots up from the mountain like a volcano. Cid stares with fixed eyes as a gigantic figure shoots up into the sky, letting out a terrifying roar that can be heard throughout the countryside. The dragon spreads its wings as geysers of fire and ice spring up nearby. When the geysers dissipate, two distinct forms climb out of the mountain. The one to the right of the hovering dragon is red-colored dragon; bulky and built like a tank. 960 meters long with two horns resting on top of its head. Unlike the other one, it has no wings, and lets out a bellowing roar. To the left, a smaller, slimmer dragon appears. 480 meters long, the small dragon has no horn or wings; its build resembles that of an overgrown slinky lizard with blue-colored skin. The small dragon lets out a roar of its own.
"Gaghiel," Cid whispers, staring in awe at the lead dragon, then stares at the red, then to the blue, "Israfel, Sandalphon."
The lead dragon stretches its wings, then swoops down, heading straight for the city. The two smaller dragons follow on foot, crashing through the forest on their destructive path. Cid, realizing what's about to happen, cries for everyone to get out of the city immediately. As the word is passed on, cries of fear and hysteria run rampid through the streets. He takes off, running himself, knowing that dragons will protect them, but by the cost of destroy their city. It doesn't matter anymore, if the dragons doesn't destroy it, the military will continue their infestation and won't leave until there's nothing left. At least this way, the dragons will destroy these persistent pests. Cid stops as he sees a child crying under some steps, her mother's cold body lying beside. He rushes over to the young girl, as dirt covers her soft blonde hair. He kneels down, looking at her, as a memory of his younger sister comes to mind. This orphaned child looked so much like her, when she was that age.
"Come on, it's okay," Cid says, "No one's going to hurt you."
"Cid," the young girl cries, for even children of this age know his name, "Mommy…"
"I'm sorry, little one," Cid says, opening his arms, and the girl rushes to him, crying out of grief and fear.
He stands up as a hard breeze blows by, and a giant shadow passes over them all. He turns away, shielding the young child from an explosion that destroys a building near by. He looks up as he sees Sol Tekka chasing after the dragon. Cid, then sprints away, knowing time is of the essence, as a battle rages on overhead. Meanwhile, Gaghiel whirls around, coming to face with its opponents. The military sol tekka let out rounds of Z-tron energy at the creature. It evades them efficiently, before flying straight at them. As it flies by, it clamps one of the sol tekka by the arm, and swings it away from itself. The dragon spits the arm out, obviously not liking the taste, and watches as the remainder of the sol tekka explodes. It turns its head sharply to see two or three more squadrons of sol tekka appear in the skies. The great dragon roars in defiance. Gaghiel spreads its wings, shooting up in an updraft of air, and opens its mouth; bright light beginning to surge. It lurches its head forward, releasing the breath attack of pure energy, irradicating the forces and destroying part of the city with it. Israfel and Sandalphon now plow through the city. Military soldiers try shooting at the, but Israfel looks at them angrily, releasing its breath of fire, continuing to bathe the city in more flames. Sandalphon quickly whirls around as it screams in pain as it takes a hit right by its hind leg. The creature opens its mouth and ice streams forth, freezing everything and everyone. Sandalphon whips its tail, shattering everything, that section of the city now nothing but rubble of ice.
Cid runs through the streets, the child still in his arms. He stops, hearing the clanging of hooves against the pavement. Cid turns around to see a running black mare, with a white diamond on its head, ridden by a silver-haired maiden with blue eyes.
"Shara!" Cid cries.
The horse slows down, stopping next to Cid and the young girl. Cid looks at her, happy that she's safe.
"Hurry, get on," Shara states, "We don't have much time, until the whole city collapses on us!"
Cid holds up the girl to Shara, who places the child on her lap. Cid jumps up behind her.
"Hold on tight, okay?" Shara tells to the little girl, who nods, and grabs the horse's mane, "Shadow Dancer, let's move!"
The horse takes off in a gallop, carrying its three passengers. Seconds later, where they had once stood, is covered with the rubble of an exploding building. Shadow Dancer runs through the streets, as they all look for a means of escape. The black mare suddenly comes to a halt as a military soldier appears with a gun. The man smiles viciously but turns to a look of pure terror as a howl graces the sky, and looks up as a brown wolf with a white underbelly jumps down upon him. The man lets out a brief cry of pain, before the wolf tears out his throat.
"Keva," Shadow Dancer says, "It's about time you got here."
"Sorry," Keva apologizes, "We must hurry, Gaghiel's temper is getting shorter."
The mare paws the ground, before galloping off, following Keva. They rush through the bombardments and the rubble, jumping through the fire and over the bodies. They run into the fields and up a mountainous path, joining up with the rest of the refugees. Shara and Cid slide off Shadow Dancer, looking down into the valley below, watching the destruction of Sirene City. Cid wraps his arms around Shara as she holds the little girl close, trying to comfort her.
"What's going to happen now?" Shara asks as Gaghiel engulfs the last of the city in her blasts.
"I don't know," Cid answers, "Siren's awakening is close at hand. I guess all we can do is go back to Crystal Island."
The three dragons roar in triumph as the last of the attacking forces is destroyed. Flames engulf the city, as an eerie calmness settles over its survivors.
"I guess it is the Amazons' destiny to end up at Crystal Island," Shara speaks softly, "So, the great battle is coming after all."
"Yes." Shadow Dancer replies, "It's time."
"Let's go home," Keva tells them, "Home to Crystal Island."
"He's right," Shara states, "Let's go home."
The Amazons stand there, staring at the destruction of their life and homes. Even though they have lost everything, hope still resides in their hearts. Hope of starting a new beginning and a new life. A whole new world on Crystal Island.
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My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
-Mark Twain
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