"Apocalypse Battles: Legend of the Crystal Warriors"
Written by: Chief Aki
E-mail: chiefaki@hotmail.com; yumi0@yahoo.com
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Disclaimers: (stuff for lawyers) All characters are owned by their respectable 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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AN: Stage I is finally starting to draw to a close.
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The more we know the better we forgive. Whoever feels deeply, feels for all who live.
-Madame de Staël
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Episode XIII: The Beginning of the End Part I
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The fire burns brightly as a solemn and grave stillness settles over the desolate scene. Tekkaman Saber stands over the rubble which used to be a city. Three tekkamen approach him cautiously and kneel before him. Lately, he has been antsy, as Ariadne's due date draws closer.
"Lord Saber," the third tekkaman addresses, "the battle went fairly well, there were no casualities.
"Very good," Saber replies calmly, "What about the other battles?"
"I've heard that the other battles have gone pretty good as well," the second tekkaman answered.
"Continue the advancement," Saber orders.
"Sir?" the third tekkaman speaks up.
"What is it?" Saber snaps.
"Why don't we just attack Crystal Island itself? They are so easy to attack right now, it's unbelievable." The first tekkaman tells him.
"I will not have a repeat of ten years ago. If we even leave a pebble unturned, that gives them a chance to rebel against us. Divide and conquer that is the plan understood? Divide our forces and destroy the opposition as we advance to the island." Saber maliciously tells them, causing them to slink back.
"Yes sir," the three tekkamen bow and then take off into the sky.
"Divide and conquer. Wasn't that plan used by Julius Ceasar and he failed?" a woman's voice asked smartly.
Saber whirls around and sees Ashura standing behind him, "Yes, but he did succeed most of the time, I've taken the original strategy and modified it."
"Modified?" Ashura questions, "This should be interesting."
"Basically, divide and conquer until we reach the island and then unite and overrun them. We'll be everywhere, and there will be no place to run or hide." Saber continues, "And why are you asking me about the battle plans, shouldn't you be with Ariadne, protecting her."
"Yes, but she wanted me to check and see how you were doing. She misses you, and I wanted to see if you were screwing up yet." Ashura says.
"You really don't want me to hurt you, you'll get back to your post if you know what's good for you," Saber growls.
"Yes sir," Ashura says cockily and flies off.
Saber turns around and lets out a barely breathable sigh, "I miss her too."
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Ness rolls over, and gazes out in the night window. He woke up troubled by something in his soul, and tries to shake it away. Ness didn't want this now, the past few weeks have been quiet. Star and him took some well deserved time off and everything had seemed to running smoothly. He didn't want to come back to awful things, but something keeps nagging at his soul. His green eyes travel to the sleeping form next to him as it lets out a sigh. Ness smiles as Star sleeps peacefully, thankful that at least she is, he knows these last couple of months; hell the last year she hadn't been sleeping like she should be. He gently lays his hand on her bare shoulder as his wedding band shines in the light. It was hard for him to believe that they were allowed to get this far. He finally lets his hand slide down comfortable to her waist.
She shivers slightly, mumbling incoherently, obviously in a dream. Ness looks up concerned, then slides the comforter up over them both. He snuggles into her, kissing her on the cheek.
"Sleep peacefully, my love," Ness whispers to her, "so I can watch you look so beautiful as you do...I want to remember and cherish these moments forever..."
He closes his green eyes and tries to sleep but for awhile it doesn't work. When he finally does, he still can't shake off the feeling that's something is wrong. The feeling that something's waiting....and that hell is rising from its labrinth once more.
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Yumi glances over the reports as she sips some tea. The control room of the Space Knight Command Center was awfully quiet except for the occasional bleeping of the monitors. Since Chief and Commodore took vacation time, she was left in charge. A fact that she was not happy with in the beginning. But for some reason, they both believed in her. Everyone agrees that she has grown up considerably since her 'kidnapping' and so far, she hasn't cause any major disaster. The only thing she hated was these 3rd shift days, they were the pits. David offered to take some days and alternate so it wouldn't be all that bad. Tonight was her night and her last one at that. D-boy and Chief would be coming back the day after tomorrow, and things could return back to normal...somewhat.
"Commander," one of the communication officers say, bring Yumi to attention.
"Yes, what is it?" she asks looking up from her reports.
"It seems that one of the old Space Knight branch stations sent out an SOS signal," the officer says.
"What?" Yumi says, rising from her chair, "That's odd, I thought they were no longer functional.."
"I thought so to but it's going off," the officer reports back to her, "What should we do Commander?"
At that moment, Hayato had decided to walk in. He and Yumi have patched things up a bit, and we're talking again. He couldn't sleep and went to her quarters only to find her not there. Hayato had then realized it was her night to stay up, and walked in right at hearing those words.
"What's going on?" Hayato asks.
"It seems that one of the old branch stations is up and running and sending signals," Yumi says, now walking down the steps.
"What region is that in?" Hayato asks turning to the other Space Knight.
"Region fifty-five..." the Space Knight had replied.
"That is strange..." Hayato mutters.
"What is?" Yumi asks looking at him.
He motions for Yumi to walk over to an area away from everybody. She nods and they stand aside from everyone else in the room, and talk lowly.
"I was in town earlier today, and some people coming into town were talking about some strange rumors floating around there, which is near there. " Hayato says, "I forgot about it til recently, that's what I came to talk to you about."
"What rumors...?" Yumi says now nervous.
"Most are saying a possible power outage. No one has been able to communicate with anyone in that area or any areas beyond that. But of course that's nothing new, considering we're trying to rebuild everything again. But some others say that the towns were destroyed for no one came from that direction and people who have went to see what's going on have never returned yet, and they think they have seen shooting stars...red shooting stars," Hayato says. "I didn't want to say this in front of everyone because it might cause a panic."
Yumi nods, "You're right..but why didn't you remember something this important earlier?? Baka..."
Hayato looks at her, "Forgive me.."
"Forgiven. Go wake up David, Goliate and Natasha and head out for area fifty-five..." Yumi orders.
"Right Commander....aren't you coming?" Hayato asks.
Yumi shakes her head, "No...I have to watch things from here.."
He nods and walks off, and Yumi hopes that there are just rumors and she didn't just overlook and make the biggest mistake possible.
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The smoldering ash crushed under the black armored feet, snuffing out the embered screams of his victims' remains. Saber smiles sensing his brothers' presence from so far away. Luckily and efficiently they had been advancing closer on the island within the last two weeks and his brother was still not aware. Finally the time had come for them to attack. His forces had gather hidden under the stars, he had sent his spies earlier to sabotage the equipment making it look like power surges and broken breakers. And on top of it, he made sure to leave no survivors escape, either died or captured. Even though everything is going well for them, it seemed all too easy, and Saber knows not to underestimate the Crystal Warriors now gather under the light of their protectorates.
"Lord Saber...." the tekkamen report to him, "the flagship is in position."
"I see, begin...no wait..." Saber says noticing something approaching, "Hold your positions..."
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David yawns, as he sits in the chair in the navigation room of the Blue Earth Craft. Hayato glances at him.
"Get enough sleep David?" Hayato muses.
"Don't start with me....boy.." David snaps back, "My ass stays up all night, watching your back while your ass sleeps..so don't give me no crap..."
"Now children," Natasha warns, wondering if she going suffer another headache from the two young men again this week, and then mutters under her breath, "I can't wait for Chief and D-boy to come back."
Goliate turns his attention to Yumi whose face appears on the screen, "What are we exactly out here for?"
"To check out suspicions, an old station came online we thought was shut down. It shouldn't even have any power running through to be active. So be on your toes," Yumi tells him.
"Yumi, you called all of us out here for that?" Anita asks who had been piloting the ship, "You could have left some of them at home."
Yumi shakes her head, "Not only that some disturbing rumors have risen up recently. I don't want to be underprepared."
David sighs understanding, and thinks to himself, "If they're true, it's already too late for us.'
"Be careful you guys..." Yumi says and starts to say something but the transmission is cut and the screen turns to static.
"What just happened?" David demands, now nervous, "Why do we lose the signal?"
Hayato ran a scan and came up with nothing, "...David...something cut it off..."
"Do you think something's wrong?" Natasha asks nervous, thinking of the possiblilites that could have happen, "Do you think we should turn around."
Goliate knows what's running through Natasha's mind. Communications just don't disconnect, and she worried about leaving her friend, no matter how capable Yumi is, by herself with something wrong. He too feared being ill prepared and this was turning out to be past ill prepared. They all had heard something, some more than the others, but D-boy and the Chief instructed them not to move at all, so Yumi followed their instuctions and only maintain surveillance. But this action was the first time she disobeyed their directive, and it had made them all nervous, now this. They all began to feel that something's wrong. He glances at Hayato, only trying to imaginiing what is running through that boy's mind.
"You guys, we're already near the station," Anita confirms then looks down at the bleeping sound on her screen, "We have boogies at twelve o'clock and closing fast! David!"
The tekka signs on the tekkamen flashed and they knew this was no ordinary enemy. They felt the powerful entity but didn't not recognize it, all except David that is. He recognized from the last battle he had, before they had awakened.
"Anita! Evasive manuevers now! Tekkamen, tekk set and prepare for battle! Move it!" David orders and runs to hangar bay.
The three others follow, as Anita prepares the laser canons on all the ships to fire. She was nervous, she had flown the ship with it joined like this before, all systems running into one, but never in battle. She looked on the screen as she barely dodged the ruby streak of light that had cascaded by her. Anita turns the ship around as she sees a figure she hadn't seen in months.
"Saber...he's alive...still.." Anita whispers, then turns on the intercom. "David! It's..."
David already hears as he enters the bay materializing his crystal and cuts her off, "I already know! Tekk Setter!"
The bay doors open and a streak of light exits followed by three more. They all head towards the now advancing platoon of spidercrabs and tekkamen. Summer throws his lance, and charges up to Saber, his dagger still in hand. He hovers there observing the figure, whose making short work of the Radam in his way. Tekkaman Autumn slices through her opponents with a sword and dashes away before they explode and takes her place by Matariel and Sahaquiel's sides as they handle themselves fairly well for first real combat against Radam. They turn and observe Summer and a tekkaman they thought was long dead.
"Is that who I think it is?" Sahaquiel asks.
"Tekkaman Saber..." Autumn whispers.
"Wait a sec...he's supposed to have died ten years ago.." Matariel says, "He's alive."
"He's been alive for awhile guys, just took him a couple months to show his damn face again..." Summer mentally tells them.
"Wait, Summer, you knew, this whole time, and didn't say anything..?" Autumn argues back before reinitinating battle.
"I thought that Chief and Blade would've have told you by now." Summer answers as he pierces another one in the head as he catches his lance, reuniting it.
Saber smiles amused under his armor, then calls out in a loud voice, "You're the one known as Summer aren't you? It's been awhile...you've improved..."
"A compliment from you?" Summer retorts, "How comforting.."
"Well unfortunately, today will be the death of you..." Saber says, "Just like all the other ones back home."
"Quit talking shit!" Summer yells and charges at him, only to be parried by Saber.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Radam forces swarm around the ship and the three tekkamen who try their best to plow through and eliminate the horde, but they seem to be getting quickly overwhelmed.
"As we speak, half my forces have already begun to attack. Ashura is leading them," Saber says, knowing Summer's weakness already from their last battle.
"So you kept the little bitch around eh? Can't do your own dirty work by yourself?" Summer snaps back. as he kicks Saber in the side, pushing him away.
Saber recovers, smliing slyly as flies behind him quickly and charges. He loves playing dirty, he raises his lance to cut Summer down the middle, but Summer twists his body blocking. Saber takes the chance and knees him in the stomach, before punching him in his mask, sending Summer flying to the ground.
"Summer!" Matariel cries but is attack by a tekkaman and cries out as it takes off a piece of his armor.
Matariel uses his lance, while blocking, to somehow knock the tekkaman upside his head, makng it stagger backward. He plows his lance into its stomach, skewering it, and throws it over his head, making it collide with other Radam before it explodes. But as soon as he destroyed it, three more appeared in its place. Matariel lets out a battlecry as he charges at them and destroys two of them, but the third eluded his attack. A blast of laser fire irradicates it and the Blue Earth Craft flies by letting out rounds of cover fire.
"Thanks Anita," Matariel says and continues his attack.
Tekkaman Autumn joins his side, her armor and sword covered with Radam blood. She nods to him motioning that she'll guard him. Matariel nods back, opening up his blasters.
"Sahaquiel, the spidercrabs!" Autumn yells, as she quickly attacks and kills the tekkaman coming close to her and Matariel.
"Roger!" Sahaquiel says running about on the ground, dodging the spidercrabs spray and cuting them down one by one.
One pops up from the ground, clicking its claws hungrily and Sahaquiel spiral jumps over it, twisting his body to land on his feet as it slices it open from behind. It's blood spewing all over the ground. Another charges at him and nearly takes him out, if he hadn't turned around. Sahaquiel drops his sword holding it's mouth apart with his hands. He uses his feet to slow its momentum and then with all of his strength rips its head causing the body to explode and splatter its entrails all over him. he uses his laser tether to recapture his sword, swinging just right so he can eliminate more spidercrbs before recapturing his tekka sword in his hand.
Meanwhile Saber laughs as the cloud of dust, revealing Summer embedded in the ground.
"Well, she volunteered to go," Saber chuckles evilly, "It's sad really, that you couldn't be there. I can just imagine, oh what's her name....Winter..is that the one you're so fond of? Ashura wanted to kill her with her own hands. It's a pity really when she pulls out her heart, that she'll be screamng out your name, like the slut she most likely is. Sad that I can't be there to relish it."
Summer lets out a low snarl, now extremely upset. He sits up, clenching his weapon tightly. His thrusters blow away the dirt that surrounds him as he kneels ready to pounce.
"Don't you ever talk about her like that....you son of a bitch!" Summer growls loudly, charging at him in pure fury.
A loud clang is heard as their weapons make contact, and a screeching grinding noise sound through the air from the pressure of each one struggling against one.
"I was wondering when you get moved enough to be a challenge for me," Saber mocks, "Did I hit too sensitive a subject...truth hurts doesn't it?"
"Don't you ever disrespect her like that! I'll show you that truth hurts!" Summer yells.
He kicks him in an area that is he hadn't been so pissed, that he would never kick and wince at thought about being hit there. He raises his other foot kicking him in the chest, then gives him left hook right to the face, and finishes it off with a roundhouse kick. Saber smacks into the ground, coughing in pain, surprised that boy has some good moves, while his surrounding forces attack Summer. Summer though was so upset he ripped through them all, letting out a frightening battlecry.
Tekkaman Matariel charges up his blaster cells as Tekkaman Autumn protects his back.
"Reactor Voltekker!" Matariel yells as he lets out his attack.
Saber shakes his head, then glances up as the Matariel's voltekker seperates into tiny beams each of it chasing after its own victim. The Radam turn and run trying to avoid its path, as some were destroyed, a beam joins into another beam making it stronger and some seperate again chasing new prey.
"What the hell is that?" Saber asks never seeing that attack before, "I see my brother has made up some new toys.
The Reactor simmers down, as Matariel grows tired, and as it fades away they see that it has eliminated atl east half of the attack force, but it was easy to see that they weren't exactly winning yet. Tekkaman Saber flies up in front of Autumn and Matariel.
"Well, well, what do you have here, boys and girls," Saber says materializing his lance again.
A clash is heard as Autumn blocks protecting herself and Matariel. Saber quickly brushes her aside and she screams as she flies. Sahaquiel catches her keeping her from getting hurt on impact. Matariel charges but Saber whirls, and in one swoop grabs his lance and hits him upside the head with it. Matariel falls unconscious to the ground, an explosion marking his impact. Saber throws the lance back at him, aiming for the heart. At the last moment a streak of light intercepts it and it disappears; the light collides into Saber. The three Space Knight tekkemen look up as see Summer battling it out with Saber, his lance in one hand, Matariel's in the other.
"Very nicely done." Saber comments as he blocks the onslaught of the attack, "But not good enough."
Saber raises his hand stopping the impact of the lance from piercing his head, blood trickles down the lance as it cuts into his armored hand. Saber lowers his head, ramming it to Summer who falls backward, but uses his thrusters to stabilize himself. He tosses Matariel's lance away and it clammers on the ground.
He charges at Summer, driving his lance into his left shoulder. Summer screams in pain as he feels it tear through. He hears his comrades scream for him, while he hears Saber mental commands.
"Aid the attack forces on the island! Now!" Saber orders mentally to his subordinates.
"Yes, Lord."
Saber withdraws his lance, as ruby blasts eminate from his wrist gauntlet, sending Tekkaman Summer into a one way ticket to the ground. As he falls, the Blue Earth craft tries to blast Saber, but Saber turns on it, and slices off its wing. The giant craft falls and crashes into the ground. He hears Anita's scream before the transmission turned into a sound of pure snow.
"Anita!" Tekkaman Autumn says racing towards the wreckage, but is cut off by tons of buggers, "OUT OF MY WAY!"
On the ship, Anita lays on the floor among the wreckage, she feels something warm flow across her face and she smells it, blood...her blood. She falls back unconscious as she hears what sounds like someone tearing about scrap metal...and horrific screeches of spidercrabs.
Tekkaman Saber laughs evilly and flies up gathering a ball of energy in the palm of his hand, "I've had fun playing but it ends now!"
He lets out a cry charging the blast of energy at Summer, pummeling him into the ground. As he sees it coming he issues what looks like his last order. The three tekkamen now surrounded by Radam and trying to defend themselve watch as he falls with the speed of a hot comet.
"All of you retreat now! Get back to Crystal Island!" he tells them mentally before he lets out a scream as the attack blasts into him, He feels the armor being torn to pieces as he falls deep into the ground.
"Winter..." he say his mind as he pictures her face, "...Sara..."
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In the palace, Sara wakes up screaming, a cold sweat enveloping her. She could hear David's scream in her dream. Glancing to her side, she notices he no longer by her side watching her sleep. The tekka sign glowing on her forehead confirms her fears, that was no dream. He was screaming. Sara jumps out of bed running to her opened window, her white hair blowing in the breeze, as she hears his last whispered cry. Tears stream down her face as it is her name he is calling. The scream she lets out is so blood curdling someone think she was the one being murdered, and the truth is, she was, in her heart. It echoes through the halls waking up everyone, just as the portals open and in the distance the Command Center is racked with an explosion.
"DAVID!" she screams into the night, before collapsing to her knees in a hysterical crying fit, even as their enemies attack.
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Yumi stumbles, running through the Command Center, picking up stragglers, sending them to evac tunnels as gun fire of those brave soldiers who would surely die protecting them. She let out an emergency signal to the palace immediately recognizing what was going on. Yumi couldn't believe that this was happening, she felt like a failure, not be able to recognize an enemy attack before it occurred. A person cries out from under the rubble, and Yumi kneels down, using all her strength to pry it off of him.
"Get to tunnels now! And take anyone with you along the way!" she orders and she stumbles against the wall as another blast smacks into the Command Center.
She stumbles along the corridors, trying to find any survivors not killed by the blast. Yumi knew she needed to be out in fight, but she was in command at the moment, and she had to make sure to keep as many Space Knights alive as possible. She hears screams coming down the corridor as an explosion blast through another wing of the Command Center as she can hear them cry as the people trapped fall to their deaths Yumi closes her eyes trying to block it out of her mind. She rushes down the last of the corridors left and finds nothing, then she hears a muffled cries from the stairs. Yumi pushes open the door to see a young Space Knight trying to carry two injured ones while instructing weary survivors where to go. Yumi instinctly grabs one, grabbing the young injured man under his arms as she uses her weight to lift most of his off his injured leg.
"Keep going!" Yumi yells, trying to drag the man down the steps.
"Commander, shouldn't you be fighting out there?" the man asks.
"Don't worry our boys can handle it for a little bit, I'm going to make sure that as many Space Knights that under my command are safe," Yumi answers.
The group shows relief throughout that their commanding officer cares that much. Yumi huffs it to the front, leading the group.
"This way," she says carrying them down another flight of stairs before shoving the door open.
The ragtag group limps down the corridor to the last flight of stairs that would take them to safety. The door was slightly ajar but didn't seem to budge. Yumi kicks it repeatedly, shoving it open.
"Go straight down, you'll be safe now," she orders.
She watches as the Space Knights, with a new burst of energy, run as fast as they are able to do down the steps. Yumi turns to the boy who looks very pale as during the escpade, has lost a lot of blood.
"Hang in there.." Yumi says to him, causing him to look up.
"I'll be fine Commander, let's go," the boy says.
Yumi starts to walk down but she lets out a cry as the whole building shakes and she looks up to see the ceiling start the crash down on her. She starts to turn to cover the boy, but the boy pushes her out of the way to her surprise.
"Watch out!" he yells just before he crushed by the rubble.
Yumi screams as she falls down the steps as the ceilng crashes down the stairs. She lands at the landing, unconscious as the rubbles falls on top of her. Her vision is blurred as she hears the others around her screaming before everything goes black. As she does she secretly asks Blade to forgive her for what is happening.
"Commander!" is the last thing that Yumi hears.
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Comets collide from the sky into the city as people run terrified as spidercrabs and Radam tekkamen alike cut them down. The giant meteor of fire slowly approaches and as it draws closer they see that a Radam battleship is landing on their planet. It lets out rounds of canon fire, bombarding the Crystal Palace. Sara's piercing scream though had alarmed everyone that something had gone terribly wrong. They were slightly more prepared but not by much.
Star pounded on Sara's door while Ness ran to the control center. Cecil had already beaten him to it, and Terra was there also but she was ordering the personnel.
"Activate the main guns and fire at will!" Terra yells, still in her nightgown, "Get any fighters out there asap! Move it! If all else fails evacuate!"
"Mother..." Ness says running to her, noticing her energy sword in hand.
"Where's Star!?" Terra demands through the commotion.
"She's back trying to get Sara out of her room!" Ness yells then notices that Cecil is messing with the control panel on his chair, Rosa standing by his side. "What's he doing!?"
"Don't worry about him," Terra says and grabs Ness by his shoulders, "Listen to me. Go and get Star with or without Sara. If it's necessary, make sure she escapes. She could be the last hope we will have left."
"What about Sara?" Ness asks surprised that she doesn't seem to care about her other daughter.
"She'll have to fend for herself. " Terra says as a door behind Cecil and Rosa appears and they walk through the lighted corridor.
"What the hell..." Ness spits out.
"They're sealing off the Crystals..if we die at least Golbez won't get what he wants..he'll need to know Father's passcode to open up the barrier. It's bio-tech magical barrier....nothing will break through it...ever..." Terra says then takes off, "I'm leaving it to you to take care of Star!"
He watches her as she heads off into battle to halt the invasion. A couple moments later, he takes off back to where Star is.
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Star, meanwhile, falls to the ground as the gun fire explodes to the ground. Star finishes rewiring the door and it opens. She finds Sara crying on the floor as if unaware that they were being attacked.
"Sara! Damn it! Come on! We need get out of here!" Star yells pulling at her younger sister noticing how the gun fire missing the area but getting closer.
"Leave me alone...let me die," Sara says blankly.
"Sara! what's wrong with you!?" Star says now wrapping her arms around her sister and dragging her.
Sara results by fighting back, not wanting to go anywhere by staying there, "Leave me here!"
"Sara, I'm not leaving you," Star says trying to hold her while dragging her away. "I'm not going to let you die!"
"Why should I live if David not here with me!" Sara yells out and it startles Star, and she releases her.
"What...?" Star says in shock.
"David's...he's...I heard him scream and cry out my name..." Sara cries..." Didn't you hear him? Or don't you care at all?"
Star stands there in a numb shock. She had been in such a deep sleep she hadn't felt any telepathic messages from here, D-boy neither. She couldn't believe that David was gone.
"You didn't did you?" Sara yells now angry, "You don't care at all as long as you're happy!"
Star looks at her pissed off and punches her square in the jaw. Sara staggers backward, as Star sees the enemy approaching. Resulting to the only thing she could think, Star grabs her sister by the hair, yanking her out of her room. and then grabs her by the arm, dragging her along before she can realize where they're running too. They turn the corner just as an explosion destroys the area where their rooms have been.
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Meanwhile Ness is running back through the halls, pushing past the running people either trying to escape or going to fight. He hears the personnel around him yell.
"Residential quarters are under attack! Make sure the civilians are safe!"
Ness runs faster, forgetting his sense of duty to fight and only thinking about one thing.
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Star tries to run down the steps, pulling Sara, who's resorted to crying. Now accepting the fact that David is more likely than not dead, she becomes silent except only for her tears. She follows her sister like a puppy that's just found its mother again. Star opens the door and runs down the hall, heading for the next and last flight of stairs. Sara tries to follow but falls, and lays there crying.
"Sara!" Star turns around, rushing back to her, and picks her off the floor, "Come on, we've got to get out of here!"
Sara gets up and runs with Star but they scream as part of the corridor behinds them explodes. Star looks behind her as the rubble burns, she grabs her little sister and runs even faster. Sara runs with her, now completely frightened.
"Almost there.." Star tells herself as the stairway draws nearer and stumbles as another shot destroys another portion fo the hall.
Sara starts to look back, but Star pulls even harder on her arm, yanking her forward. She regains her balance before she pulls them to the stairwell.
"Don't look back! Just run damn it!" Star yells as her as Sara begins to run with her again.
The stairway looks ever so close and Star almost instinctively reaches her hand out as if reaching for the door. Suddenly the wall blasts behnds and sends them both flying. They screams as the sheer force sends them flying spewing with rubble that springs from the collision. Suddenly all is quiet as dust fills the air and drops down on the two silent bodies.
After a few moments, Sara walks up feeling a searing pain in her leg. She looks down at it, to see the blood pouring out from the deep wound, obviously cut by shrapnel.
"Star...." she whispers looking at the motionless body, and tears fill her blue eyes, "Star!?"
She tries her best to crawl over and gazes at her elder sister, who's laying on her side, in horror. A piece of shrapnel had pierced Star's back between her scapula and her spinal cord. Sara trembled, for she knew it was deep, and could tell by where it was and how it was in, that is was close to the lower chambers of her heart. Sara started to shake fearing the worst.
"Star...wake up....you have to wake up!" Sara screams hysterically.
When Star didn't move, Sara resorted to hitting her with her fists, "Damn it! Wake up! Wake up!...wakee uuupppp!"
Sara bursts into tears when that didn't even move her. She rocks back and forth for awhile before shaking her even harder than before.
"Don't leave me! Wake up! Sister!" Sara cries.
Finding her efforts were futile, Sara lays down beside her sister and lays her head down on by the waist of her now motionless sister. She curls up into a fetal position and sniffles, now almost completely silent, and resorts to whatever fate may await her.
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Ness sprints down the hall, looking for his wife. People scramble about the wreckage he sees as he goes in further where the quarters used to be. He reaches the stairwell to the second level, his nervousness now fear. He should have seen them by now. Ness climbs up the frail stairs and presses the door open, and gapes at the sight. The entire corridor has been blasted to nearly bits.
"It can't be..." Ness whispers,
He knows they had to pass through here...and all the upper levels are destroyed. He didn't pass them on the way here. Ness leans weakly on the door in dispair, but perks up as he hears a sniffle. He peeks around the door and looks in disbelief. There lays Sara in shock, with blodd pouring out of her leg and next ot her lays the silent Star. Ness drops the laser rifle he'd been carrying and rushes over to them both.
"Sara..." he says looking at her, but she doesn't even respond, she just stares in nothingness and sniffles, her body racking as she does.
He then sees what had happened to Star, and moves Sara off of her before jumping over to her.
"Star!?" Ness says emotion cracked in this voice, "Oh please..no..not you..."
He gently touches the shrapnel then jumps over to her other side, stroking her face as tears fall from his emerald eyes. He cups her face in his hands, noticing how pale she is and tries to hold in his screaming. He lifts her body into his arms gently, cradling her as he rocks back and forth.
"Baby...please don't leave me...." Ness cries as he holds her, "you can't go..I need you..Star....I love you...don't go...STAR!"
*******************************************
Aeris and Cloud race around the launch bay as they try to get as many fighters and sol tekka in the air as possible. She pulls out a suit and runs.
"I'm going to help them!" Aeris tells Cloud and starts to run off.
Before she has chance though, the wall collapses as spidercrab screeches, hungry for blood. The sol tekka that were suited up but not launched fired at it. Cloud races to Aeris throwing herself and him out of the way as more charged through the building.
"Radam!" the warriors yell as they release gunfire as the Radam march on through.
The ceiling gives way and Cloud looks up and see as a spidercrab crashes though. Aeris can't help but scream. Cloud grabs her and runs to the nearest door which happened to lead to the basement. A support beam comes down as Cloud whirls avoiding the debris and falls into the hallway. The beam comes down shutting the door, but locking them in. In the darkness, he press her body against his, prepared to use himself as a shield.
*********************************************
Shara leads the charge with the other Crystal Warriors against the human Radam soldiers that once belonged to the military and now terrorizing the survivors. Her silver hair flys as she materializes her gloves onto her hands and she punches the nearest one in the temples killing him instantly. She flips over him and slides under another and flips onto her stomach and jumps up, kicking him in the crotch, then turns and delivers a high kick to another soldiers' face. She backflips back to her original spot jumping in the air, gathering energy around her. She pulls her fist back and punches the ball sending it straight into enemy forces. They cyr in pain as they dies but Shara turns around gasps as a soldier attacks her from behind. She suddenly hears a warcry and the solider's head comes off, as she sees a blonde man appear with a very long sword.
"Jonny.." Shara says, "Thanks for the save.."
Jessie appear stabbing her lance through a solider's torso, "There's too many of them. Shara we're going to be overrun."
"Right! Everyone retreat!" Shara says, "You two go ahead and do it.
"Haaa!" Jonny yells as he charges as he slices down three soldiers with one swoop of his sword, 'I'll go first rest of you retreat.
Shara and Jessie run like hell as Jonny leads the troops away. An item finds its way into his hand he turns around as water sprouts around him, as the item is revealed as a power stick with the symbol of Mercury.
"I summon thee, Guardian of Mercury, Leviathan!" he yells as he dissappears into a geyser, "Tsunami!"
"Run for high ground!" Shara yells as she heads up a hill trying to get to higher ground.
Leviathan appears from the sea, hissing setting a surge of water through the city. The Radam collapse from the pressure of the waves and flow with the water as they wash into a basin. On Jessie's neck, a pendant with a crescent moon on it glows. She gathers all her mental energy into casting a spell.
"Bahamut, creature with whom I formed a pact. Heed me now and answer my summons. Come to me my emissary!" Jessie yells as she begins to disappear in a blind pillar of light, "Mega Flare!"
Shara closes her eyes and holds out her hands, "Siren, guardian mother of the Amazons. become a barrier to protect us and guard our passage through..."
A giant dragon soars over head and flips around, gathering energy in its mouth as it spreads its giant wings. Bahamut's mouth lights up as the fiery breath concentrates. It releases the blast as it head pulls back and the energy collides into the basin, incinerating the Radam in there. The shockwave resonates and the barrier Shara erected around the soldiers is visible as the two energies collide. Shara grits her teeth as she uses Siren's power to hold up the barrier. The shockwave dissipates and Shara releases it, and as she does she sees a purple comet of light streak overhead tearing through the Radam forces. She gazes to Jessie who nods.
"Go on..." Jessie tells her.
Shara runs off taking out her black tekka crystal, "Tekk Setter!"
A light envelops her as she takes to the sky turning into Tekkaman Rapier. Wielding both her swords, she slices through the Radam but they overwhelm her and push her back. Scimitar comes to her aid protecting her back but finds too they are outnumbered.
"Rapier, up!" Scimitar says firing this thrusters shooting upward.
Rapier follows suite know what he's doing and charges her blaster cells.
"Ready! Now!" Scimitar says opening up his voltekker emitters.
"Voltekker!"
The Radam pack disintegrates under the combined blast but more platoons fly out from the battleship, though it takes them longer as the battleship for some reason is flying away. A ruby streak of light cuts through the sky and Tekkaman Ashura hovers in front of them both.
"Well what do we have here?" Ashura says smartly.
She whips out her tekka sword and initiates combat, and Scimitar is first to counterattack as he blocks every blow and attacks back. Ashura though having the flexibility advantage, twists her lower body placing a foot on his hip and one over his head and flips him over in mid-air, sending him crashing into the ground. Rapier comes up and attacks her using both of her swords to combat against her. Ashura growls as she has a hard time fending off her opponent as she tries to block both swings. She cries as Rapier pierces her shoulder, and kicks her away. Ashura holds her shoulder as she grips her sword.
"You're not half bad..." Ashura growls.
"That's what I thought too..." a man's voice says and Ashura looks up while Rapiers whirls around.
In front of them both is Saber, who had been watching intently. He had like what had been done to the island and personally he was please but at the same time disappointed. Everything was going to plan which pleased him but he was surprised that Blade hadn't showed up yet.
"Well looks like you'll have to do," Saber says brandishing his lance.
Rapier pushes Ashura away and charges at Saber bringing one sword in an downward arc and she swings the other in up the side. Saber blocks the first blow then quickly moves his lance while blocking the first to block the second sword. Rapier flies back as Scimitar charges up trying to get from behind and Saber whirls around and charges back at him. The clash marks the crossing of their weapon and Ashura uses this chance to attack Rapier, but she's too fast. She moves to side as Ashura points her sword at her back,but Rapier had turned around. she brings up her knee connecting to Ashura's stomach and Ashura drops her weapon. Rapier brings up her other foot and kicks her in the side of her face. Ashura hovers back and Rapier twirl using one of her swords to slice into Ashura's chest. Ashura screams as she falls to the ground. Rapier charges back at Saber who pushed back Scimitar and raises her swords up in a position to kill. She flies down at him as Saber turns to look and using his lance knocks one away but she knocks the lance out of his hand, but the other pierces his chest. He growls in pain as he grabs her neck and flings her off of him. She screams as she makes an impact crater. Scimitar yells as he sees him fling Rapier like nothing. Saber uses his laser tether to recapture his lance and brings up to bear, and flies up turning into a red comet. Scimitar follows suite, bursting into amethyst-colored light. The comets cross as the Radam continue on their attack, but in the end Scimitar too falls. Saber hovers as he watches his two opponents lay on the ground. Rapier gets up, gritting her teeth.
"Scimitar, we can't give up," she says in pain.
"I know..." he answers as he recovers consciousness.
Jessie and the rest of the party watch as they too fight the Radam. She stabs through more Radam as she watches the two gather for a last strike.
"We have to do something!" Jessie says, "But I don't have enougth strength to summon again."
Nina appear shooting the spidercrabs with her laser arrows out of her automatic bow. She rolls across the ground avoiding their piercing talons and jumps on a cliff.
"Leave it to us!" Nina says, "Don't forget we have the ability too!"
Human soldiers lets out rounds of laser fire, and Nina's blond hair flies up in the wind as she casts a spell, "Barrier Shield!"
Kat jumps from object to object, knocking them down with her rod. As one gets up Lina slices through him, his blood running down her sword.
"You think we can harm a tekkaman!" Kat says as she runs through battle.
"It's worth a try!" Lina says as she twirls around gathering energy around her sword and lets a blast of ice fly.
"Icicle blades!" the dark-haired women yells as shards of ice cut Radam to pieces.
"Kaeli!" Lina says looking back as Kaeli punches through a Radam.
"We have no choice to...we're going to be dead soon unless something changes." Kaeli says, "The Radam will block him. eliminate them !"
While this was going on, Rapier and Scimitar flew into the air once again. Saber feels the adrenline pumping while pushing away Scimitar and block Rapier mutliple blow back to Scimitar attacking again. He could feel the thrill of battle go through him once again. But he was no fool as he sees Rapier and Scimitar charge at the same time leaving him unable to block. He flies to his right slicing through Scimitar's armor into his torso. He hears the man cry out in pain as he falls to the ground, and while he did that he wrapped his laser tether around Rapier's leg. She screams as she is flung back but twists herself her swords meeting with Saber's lance. Saber knocks one out of her hand and she blocks with her remaining sword, twisting her body and elbows him in the face instead. Saber lets the tether let go of her but punches her in the face causing her to cry out at the same time she does her manuever. He then fires his thrusters and charges full speed. Rapier shakes her head and sees him coming and raises her sword to block. He lets out a battlecry and they collide and he sends her smashing into the ground. She cries out on impact.
Back on the ground, Nina is overcomed by a golden light as a locket in shape of a star appear on her. Her blonde hair blows briskly in the breeze as it opens up and its center lights up brightly.
"Starlight Song!" she says as the golden rays emanate from it.
Saber grunts as the rays hit him and watch as the spidercrabs cry out in pain as the locket sends out a painful frequency for them and they explode into a purple mess. White energy gathers around Kat as she jumps up into the air.
"Madeen!" Kat yells, "Terra Homing!"
A white fericious beast charges through holy energy all around it. It gathers the Radam into a portal including Saber, where they are hit with an onslaught of holy arrows. Saber tries his best to dodge, but cries out as some smash into him, tearing into his armor. The portal opens up littering the dead corpses on the ground, except for Saber, who still alive, bleeding but alive. A tiara appears on Lina's forehead and the crystal on it glows violently as streams of energy emanate from it.
"Twilight Flash!" she yells as bright flashes of energy sizzle their opponents
"Damn it!" Saber wheeze now his injuries adding up, "Even this defeated they are strong..."
"Kaeli! Do it now!" Lina yells, "While they're down.."
"Right!" Kaeli says closing her blue eyes, and putting her hands togehter, "Heart Moon Rod!"
She seperates her hands and from appear a small staff with a heart on top with a crescent moon in its middle. Pink-colored energy gathers around her as she swings it around. This may not kill them, but it should would annoy and hurt like hell.
"Pink Sugar.."Kaeli says raising the staff into the air, "Heart Attack!"
The pink energy spread out and exploded like popcorn. The spidercrabs screech in pain and explode while Radam tekkamen who were injured especially in appendages, lost their body parts or their lives as the energy which had fell inside the wounds exploded. Saber, luckily, had enough sense to see what she was going to do and decided not to stay for the result. He felt the tiny explosions singe at his armor and he became a tad bit upset. Saber whirls around and prepares to fire his voltekka when a voice calls to him.
"Saber! Retreat immediately!" Golbez's voice says to him mentally..."
"Master... but..." Saber says back.
"Do as you are told Saber...." Golbez orders then adds,."Something's happening..get out of there!"
At those words, Saber takes off in a speedy retreat. The four women leave out a sigh of relief, they could feel his bioenergy rising and for sure thought that it was all over with. Suddenly a gentle light envelops them as as a barrier comes over the island. Outside, Saber watches in amazement.
"Even as we shattered everything they still have enough power grids to raise a barrier not for long!" Saber yells, "Fire! Voltekka!"
As Saber fire his Voltekka so do the other tekkamen, but the barrier grows brighter and produces a shockwave that pushes them all away.
"That's no ordinary barrier.." Saber says to himself.
"You're right...it's not..it's magic..you won't be able to penetrate it...only the strongest members of the Crystal Warriors can cast a spell like that..retreat for now.." Golbez orders.
"Yes sire..." Saber answers and orders the troops to retreat.
Inside the barrier, Jessie and the other let out a sigh of relief, all of them exhausted but glad they could hurt Saber if only by a combined effort. They watch as the Radam release their voltekkas but the barrier holds and pushes them back. Inside the Radam suddenly die as streams of light encompass them. For some reason they hear a distant echo of a scream as the voltekkas hit the barrier. .They turn to see a pillar of fire on top of the mountain. Kaeli feels the energy coming from there and a presence.
"what is that?" Lina asks.
Kaeli gasps, "It's Queen Rosa..she using her own life force to erect the barrier to protect us."
"Queen Rosa...:" Lina whispers.
*************************************
Up on the top of the mountain, Rosa stands in the middle of the pillar of fire, holding the barrier in place. The regular barrier wouldn't come up, so she asked the Crystals to use their power along with hers until the force field could come back up. She knew that Cecil wouldn't approve but she had do this for all of the people of this Island. She could feel the pain as they tried to break down her magic barrier. Her life force was draining but she wasn't going to give up, she wasn't planning on dying yet unless she had to.
"Crystals, preserve me..." she whispers as she closes her eyes, using her life force to strengthen the barrier. "And protect them...Cecil..forgive me..."
Rosa closes her eyes, standing there as her life now hangs by a thread as with the rest of life on this planet.
******************************************
Cecil and Kain rushes to the top of the mountain where the pillar of fire emanates from. They stare at it to the barrier.
"Rosa stop!" Kain says, "You'll kill yourself!"
Cecil stands there speechless, not knowing what to say, why was she doing this? The Crystals power surrounded her and even he could not overpower it. She had asked them for their protection.
"Why? Why are you doing this?" he yells.
'Because she wants to protect all our children'
"Was that the Crystals?" Kain asks looking at him.
Cecil nods, and turns his attention to the voices in his head, "She wants to protect them..."
'She is a shelter from the storm until a new one was built...that's all we can say.'
Kain gives a puzzled look, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Cecil think as he stares at the barrier, then it dawns on him. He grabs Kain by the collar and pulls him over so he can look in his face.
"Get all the back up generators online and fix the power lines and supply..we need that force field back up NOW!" Cecil angrily orders.
Kain nods, knowing how Cecil gets when he's angry and takes off, in an attempt to save his friends. Cecil sighs, and walks back but not before turning back to look at the pillar of fire.
"Rosa...I won't let you go..not yet.." Cecil says, "Hang on...for me.."
He turns and runs away to save the life of the woman he loves and who saved him. But before he walks away he sees the smoldering ruins before him, and he senses a familiar presence.
"Hello brother"
"Golbez, you finally decided to show up..." Cecil mutters.
"I see you're fiesty as ever...that will change...you won't win this time...as you can see..."
"Don't underestimate me....brother...."
"Well, you've already lost...cause you've underestimated....me...how ironic is that? You'll see..this is only the beginning...you'll know when I'll step my foot on the soil...you will know...
Cecil laughs almost insanely, "It'll be the death of you..."
"Well if you want to be that way...I'll be waiting..."
***********************************************
Terra walks through the ruins of the city, looking on in despair. Her wounds now closed are caked with dried blood. She was lucky to only suffer minor injuries, many of her soldiers were not. She hears glass cracking and turns toward the sound, weapon in hand. Out from the shadows, Edgar appears covered in blood. She relaxes as she sees him. Edgar walks over to her and touches her face and Terra looks at him puzzled.
"I had to make sure I wasn't dreaming," he weakly smiles, then unexpectedly leans over, grabbing his shoulder in pain.
"Edgar!" Terra says and pulls back his cape seeing the deep wound, "By the goddesses!"
"I guess I got too carried away with being the knight in shining armor," Edgar winces giving her his charmed smile but weaker.
She eases him to the ground as he breathes heavily. Terra glances around at the desolate scene.
"Help!" Terra cries, "Somebody help!"
She hears no one, and eases his body down the ground. Terra looks into his blue eyes filled with pain. Clasping her hands together she summons the powers of light to help her as she waves her hands over the wound, letting the light penetrate it and begins to heal it. She takes a deep breath, focusing her energy all into healing him. Suddenly Celes and Locke appear, rushing to their side.
"Edgar!" Celes cries out.
"I'll be all right," Edgar hoarsely whispers.
Celes looks up at her big sister, who looks tired, "..Terra..."
She lowers her hands stopping the spell, "That's the best I can do for now..."
As she says it she takes her husband into her arms, smiling sadly.
"Let me try," Celes says preparing to cast a spell.
Edgar shakes his head, "Save your strength. Just go get help, the other survivors will need it too."
Celes hesitates, then slowly nods, "All right if that's what you want I'll go."
Celes takes off running through the smoldering city looking for anyone or anything that could help them. Locke looks down at his brother, and Edgar just smiles at him.
"Locke do me a favor," Edgar says weakly.
Locke kneels down next to him, his green eyes filled with pain, 'What is it?"
"Find the girls..make sure they're safe," Edgar says.
Locke stands up and gives him a small nod, and runs off as well.
Terra holds her husband close, and he closes his eyes. His wound is better but it still open even with Terra slowing down its bleeding. She can feel his rasped breath on her face, noticing how distinctly slow it is. Tears stream down her face, dropping onto his own face as she runs her hand through his blond hair and kisses him on the forehead.
"I love you..." Terra whispers as a cold wind blows through the ruins.
*********************************************
Ness rocks his wife in shock, staring into nothingness. He brushes the side of his face against hers, unwilling to just let her go. Then he feels it, the slight string of hope that make his life worth living. He stops his green eyes no longer dull but alive as a couple seconds later, he feels it again, faintly. A breath, though barely felt and hardly strong, was there. A couple seconds later, he felt it again, though way bit slower than usual and terribly weak, it was there. Ness gently lays her down on her side as not to impale the object any more, his senses coming back to and kicks himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. He had become so blinded by just seeing her there, that he did not check to see how she actually was. Ness gently places two fingers on her neck and his heart flutters, a weak pulse but there's one. He curses himself for costing her precious minutes. Ness rolls her over gently on her stomach. He wouldn't be able to run with her, for the case of pushing it further. He leans down and whispers in her ear.
"Hang on, Star...I'll be damned if you die on me now.." Ness says repeating the words she had whispered to him so often before.
He sighs, knowing he wouldn't have enough strength to pull it out, but then he thought about where he could take her. He takes off his vest to try to help her preserve some body heat.The blood will pour fast when he pulls it out, he would have to take her somewhere quick. HIs green eyes move to a slight cough and sees Sara lying on the ground in the puddle of blood. He rushes over, looking at the wound.
"Sara...Sara..." Ness says repeatedly, trying to get her to look at him, she moves her eyes slightly to indicate that she's still there.
Pulling off his shirt, he rips in half, and ties it around the wound the best he can. He looks at it as he knows it will soak it in no time but it will put pressure on it, slowing the bleeding.
"Sara, listen to me.." Ness says putting his hand on her shoulder, "I'm going to get help. Stay with us....I'm not losing you too...David would have my ass in a sling..."
Tears flow out of Sara's eyes as he says that, and he wonders what is wrong. In the back of his mind, he wonders where the hell David is, but at the moment he tries to comfort her.
"Hey, don't cry," Ness says, "I'll be back soon."
With that, he takes down the stairs and off through the shambled halls, trying to find where the emergency med bay is set up . His emerald eyes gaze at the strewn rubble and bodies, his bare chest being biten by the now cool wind that races through there. Momentary gaze to the sky lets him notice that the barrier is up, and leaves him wondering, looking at how things are, how they got it up. He turns the corner and bumps into Locke, who takes a step back almost pulling out his weapon. He relaxes at the sight of the man.
"Ness..." Locke says in relief, "You all right?"
"Yes, but Star.." Ness says, "She and Sara...they've been hurt really bad..I need to find them some help."
"We've have emergency medical bunker in the lower levels that weren't hit. I'll go get some help." Locke says now in a hurry to turn away.
"No..I'll grab them, just hold the doors open for me," Ness says, "Star doesn't have much time.."
Locke turns and sees the grave look on his face, "All right. go and get her. I'll have everything ready.."
Ness watches Star's uncle run off before turning back to where Star and Sara lay, hoping they are still there.
****************************************************
Rapier moans as she recovers consciousness and she sees the dim light of sunrise peak over the waves. She feels arms under her legs and back and she looks up into Scimitar's face, realizing that he is holding her.
"You had me worried there for a moment.." he says to her.
"Did we...?" Rapier starts to ask.
"We didn't lose...but we didn't win either.." Scimitar answers.
The sun starts to rise letting light onto the scene, Rapier glances at the desolate city, crumbled and embering away at the last of the fire that burned it to the ground. She then sees the Crystal Palace, the place she had now called home in shambles and almost completely destroyed. The same was also for the Command Center and it looked half-sunken beneath the waves. She looks away burying her head in his shoulder as her silver hair blows in silent breeze.
"What about the others?" Rapier slowly asks.
"Kaeli and them are fine...they went to find survivors..but we were the only tekkamen fighting.." Scimitar answers painfully.
"Not even Blade?" Rapier asks now tearful.
"No." was the flat answer that her love delivered as her heart was breaking.
Rapier clings to him tightly, wondering if anyone even had a chance to make it out and transform. Or were they the only two tekkamen left alive to fight? Scimitar, sensing her distress, tilts his head down on top of hers to comfort her and his own self.
******************************************************************
Ness sprinted through the halls, his heart racing. The emerald crystal finds its way into his hand as was his urge to get back rushed through him. A light enveloped him as he turned into Tekkaman Blade once more. The white armor figure flashed through the shambled halls. The metallic clanging of his feet slowed as he approach the two figures. He gazes down at Sara, who acknowledge his arrival with the slight movement of her eyes.
"Hang on, you'll be safe soon." Blade tells her before moving over to Star.
His armored hand strokes her face as he gently lays her on her stomach. Holding her body softly but firmly with one hand, he grasps the shrapnel with the other. Taking in a deep breah, and inside of his armor he closes his eyes, prays that what he's doing is right. Blade with the strength he would have not had in human form, pulls it out and tosses it aside. Her blood smears on the ground as it rolls away. The blood starts to flow from the opening, the pressure now released. Blade grabs his vest that he had once placed over Star for warmth, and uses it to plug up the wound again, now that danger of damaging her any more was lost. Star's limp body raises in his arms, her green hair streaking against his white and red armor.
"Sara, remember, what I said," Blade says, looking down at Star's younger sister, and sprints off down the hall to the medical wing, running as fast as he can for Star's survival hangs in the balance.
Star's green hair trails in the wind and Blade runs and leaps over debris, running as fast as his now enhanced legs could take him. He holds her close, as he rhythmically breathes with his footsteps, trying to conserve his energy. Blade whips around the corner that he walked around previously heading for the area that Locke told him that he would be waiting. Suddenly he see Locke standing there next to stairs going down into the ground protected by nothing. He doesn't wait for Locke to tell him to go down, he runs down them, ducking his head slightly to avoid hitting the ground as he enters the underground stairwell.
He slow downs as he slids into the underground bunker. Children cry out startled seeing the massive tekkaman come in fast but then quiet realizing that it is their planet's hero. He quickly steps past them all as he walks into where the emergency medical bunker is set up. The doctors clear a path and then follow him in a swarm behind him as he lays Star down on the nearest table. Gazing down at her prone form, tears start to form in his eyes, but he shakes him away.
"Take care of her, I'll be right back," Blade says and takes off, though with some hesitation.
Blade races through the area as he heads back to where Sara is. Now as he runs through the ruins he glances about taking a real glimpse at the damage evident at the city and the Command Center below he had slighty looked at on his way to find help. He finds Sara shiver as the blood now was starting to completely soak his torn shirt. Blade lifts her into his arm, taking pity on her and his mind wonders where the hell is the one who says that he loves her so much. His thoughts are startled by Sara's raspy voice.
"Please let me die," Sara says, tears flowing from her weak blue eyes.
"I can't Sara," Blade says as he begins to carry her back.
"Please..I can't go..on.." Sara whispers weakly.
"I won't let you die," Blade says to her determined, "I won't let any of my family go again."
*******************************************************************
Saber stands in the midst of a beautiful field that amazingly was spared during his attacks. The fragrant flowers fill the air. His eyes light up red through the mask as he gazes up to see a battle cruiser. The battle cruiser slowly begins its descent. Stray petals blow across the field as the cruiser lets out its landing gear and fires it's thrusters in prepartion to land. Tekkaman Saber grabs a petal that floats across his vision.
"My dream...is becoming a reality," Saber says with a comforting thought.
*************************************************************************
Blade tears through the Command Center, now with new purpose. He had spent hours in the bunker praying for the recovery of the two women. He had learned many disturbing facts along the way, things that he could and should have prevented. The rest of the planet had fallen and Rosa was using her life to protect them. Star's father was hurt and trying to recover. Sara would make it through even though she was weak and Star was still a possibility. He thought he was going to go crazy, seeing his wife so pale and so void of life that she hid but could always see in those eyes. Those eyes that he longed for and tortured him now that they for some reason can't open. Shara and Cid were resting, weak from their battle with Saber, which he should have known was here but he was so disturbed; everything had become closed off. He had manage to dig Aeris and Cloud out of the rubble, alive, as they obviously had some time to escape and hide, unlike the others with them that didn't share that fate.
The once proud savior now stands on the brink of a nervous breakdown due to his overflow of emotions as he pries the debris apart looking for something, anything that would tell him that his Space Knights were alive. He couldn't find him and Sara had tried to say something about David, but she couldn't make it out and Blade feared the worst. Tears stung his eyes inside his armor, thinking about the young group. Charming Anita, who had something to make light of the situation, Goliate silent and proud and like him hid his feelings, Natasha so fiery and strong, yet keeping in a lot of anger, Hayato, determined yet unsure at the same time, Yumi so innocent but brave, so much like Shara, even if she was sometimes a bit clutzy and ditzy, and David, once so shallow and falsely cheerful, now more mature and decisive not to mention more responsible than ever.
His ears prick up as he hears a moan admidst the shambles. His feet clang on the hard ground as lifts a piece of wall off a Space Knight. He lift the man so the man's fragile gaze meets his.
"Hang on, I'm here to help," Blade says as he gazes through his mask at the injured man.
"Commodore..." the man whispers.
"Take it easy..." Blade tells him, "Where is the Commander?"
"The Commander....was trying to....help the injured....escape..." the man answers in a weak voice, "but the area collapsed...I...I'm so..."
The man suddenly lets out an exhausted sigh and closes his eyes, stirring no more. Blade turns his head away, as he gently releases his grip on the man, laying him gently against the wall. Standing up, he takes a deep breath, trying to think. The man said she was trying to help the others. The escape tunnels! She had to be there! If she was, why didn't she come to the bunker? Was she and some other survivors trapped in the tunnels? He starts making his way around the complex. The great tekkaman's solitary steps ring through the air as he makes a path among the shambles. He stares out into the tranquil ocean, the only thing that seemed to have remained intact in this world.
***********************************************
Lily petals whip across the scene as darkness pervades over the field. Tekkaman Saber turns and looks up, his black and red armor standing out against the white and pink petals. The flagship blocks out the sun as it prepares to land.
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Blade growls in frustration as he continues to walk through the Command Center's remains. It smoulders and moans as the soothing waves carress it. He wearily makes his way to the last escape entrance of the compound. With effort, he pries the door apart, looking at the shambled steps. He pulls away the debris and finds the mangled body of a young soldier. Looking away for a moment, Tekkaman Blade stands there in silence. He turns back, moving his gaze down the stairs. Blade gasps as he recognizes the unusal hairstyle of a blonde. The white tekkaman steps over the body and tears through the wreckage towards her. Carefully lifting off the pieces of debris from her, he takes care not to harm her any more than she is.
He kneels down beside Yumi assessing her condition. Her pulse is slightly slower than normal and her ventral cavities were filling up. She had internal bleeding and need medical attention quickly before she gets any worse. Blade slides his armored arm under her neck, and gently lifts up her torso, causing her head to roll to the side, resting against his chest, armor blazed with the color of red.
"D...boy..." Yumi murmurs through her unconscious state.
"Shh..." Blade says in a comforting tone.
As he soothes her with his presence, he slides his other arm underneath her legs. He gently stands up, hoisting her into his arm as comfortably as he can. Blade looks up at the hole in the ceiling. He vaults up into the air, clearing the roof. His form, illuminated by the sun, sparkles as if he had been reborn. He hovers as if flawless. His engines roar to life, though lowly, and he moves through the eerily silent sky. He rushes toward the medical bunker, where she would need surgery stat.
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The flagship guiets after its last hiss. A cloud of dust settles around it, as it casts a shadow on a nearby area. The cargo bay door opens and a platform stretches down. Saber walks carefully towards it, stopping at its edge. He looks up, his heart skipping a beat. Suddenly a form appears out of the shadows. Ariadne slowly walks, with a bit of a woddle, into Saber's sight.
"Ariadne," he says softly.
"Saber..." Ariadne replies in return as she slowly and carefully starts her way down the incline, as she rubs her enlarged belly.
She reaches the end of the steps and Saber takes her hands into his own armored onces. He turns so she can see the field and from then on, are the maginificient spore trees which have begun spreading themselves rapidly across the planet.
"Welcome to our world, my love," Saber says as he now stands behind her, "And our sanctuary."
The breeze, blows playing with Ariadne's dark hairs as her long dress floats about her ankles. She smiles as her brown eyes sparkle.
"It's perfect," Ariadne answers, then gasps.
The dark tekkaman looks down at her startled, 'What's wrong!?"
She runs her hand along her stomach, "The baby was kicking. She's eager to see her new kingdom."
Saber's gloved hand runs along her stomach as well. Another month yet. He had until then. his fear of the flagship being blown to bit before landing was gone. Though he doubted that it would have happened, but it was still a possibility. Now, the only thing left was to destroy what would threaten them two...and that laid on Crystal Island. If Blade knew...no, he would not... he wouldn't get that chance.
"Be patient, my princess...it'll be waiting for you when you get here...Daddy will make sure of that.." Saber says in a calm tone.
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Blade stands on the cliff, gazing at the setting sun. No matter what, he couldn't give up, not now. He had to go see, when the barrier was let down...he would go to find David and the others. Today had marked a renewal in him. He wasn't going to let the Radam take anything away from him again. He had failed today and wasn't going to ever again. Blade knows he must find the others to help him...but if necessary...he would do it alone. He had done it once before, he'll do it again. And nothing was going to setop him from succeeding...not even Saber. Blade stands there like a proud statue against the rays of the blazing sun. It set on the day of loss and pain and set the tone for what was to come...
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When it comes down to it, we all just want to be loved.
-Jamie Yellin, age 14
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