Galerians: Ash - Alternate Destiny

**DISCLAIMER: This is a short story based on one of my favorite Playstation 2 games, "Galerians: Ash." The characters and original storyline are not mine, except the character later known as Gia (pronounced Guy a.)**

File 16650: Nitro's End ... Ash's Demention

"RION! You can't go out there! This is more then likely a setup!" Lilia yelled out.

Rion had stormed into Lilia's lab without hesitation, searching for any new PPEC's he could get his hands on to inject himself. He would need everything they've got. Rion heard Lilia's words, but they might as well have fallen on deaf ears. Rion was like a machine. He took action without hesitation or warning ... just anger in his blood and sorrow in his heart. Lilia through her screams slowly began to cry. "Its no longer about defeating Dorothy ... is it?" Lilia asked. Rion finally stopped. There was moments of silence, as Rion turned around to face Lilia. "Its for her, isn't it? For Gia." Lilia replied courageously, despite her own heart. Rion sighed again, and shut his eyes. "I ... I don't know. Its been so long since I've felt anything ... but, I do know ... I want to protect her ... I want to ... to be around her. For one reason or another ... I finally felt my life had a purpose because of her. Its strange ..." Rion replied. Accepting this as his answer, Lilia smiled. Now she knew for sure. Despite how confused Rion was, or how badly he couldn't read his own heart, Lilia had finally accepted what Rion was trying to figure out.

He had fallen head over heels in love.

Lilia took a sigh and walked over to Rion's side. She started packing in Rion's belt, PPEC's he could inject inside him to help on his journey to Mushroom Tower. "These should help you ... should anything go wrong. Some of these are not yet tested ... but I'm sure that's a risk your willing to take." Lilia replied sweetly, as Rion watched her. He slowly smiled at her, this friend whom he had gone through so much with. "You should go now, Rion. Before Romero and the others stop you. I'll cover for you." Lilia replied. Rion looked up to the clock above Lilia's door. It was 8:02. If he knew any better, it was best to leave now.

Lilia walked Rion to the hatch that lead outside to Michelangelo City. Rion walked out and took another look at Lilia. With little hesitation, Rion leaned over and gently pecked Lilia on the forehead. "Thank you, Lilia ... for everything." he softly replied. Lilia smiled and backed away from him, as she pushed the hatch door closed. Rion knew ... he looked upon his friend for the last time.
With the door closed, Lilia placed her forehead on the cold door, slowly crying, yet happy. As surprisngly as ever, a recovering Cas visited her by her side. "So ... he's really off to this death trap, isn't he? You think we should hold a welcome party for him when he gets back? I'm sure Romero will be thrilled ..." Cas joked, knowing that the Commander wouldn't be too thrilled at all. It was suddenly quiet as Cas looked at Lilia more closely. She was crying, yet smiling. "Lilia?" Cas called out. Lilia sighed and began walking back to her lab. "The party won't be necessary Cas ... Rion ... won't be coming back."

"What? What the hell does that mean?"

"I know Rion. He'll fight to the death to win. Especially now with Gia on the line. He'll risk it all."

"Hmph ... all this to be a hero huh?"

"No ... all this ... for survival ... and love. Thats the Rion I know."

Cas looked at Lilia again, feeling sorry for her. "And ... your feelings?" she asked. Lilia laughed and turned back to Cas. "A silly crush ... haven't had one in awhile. Who has time for it with this war going on?" she laughed, still making Cas quite confused. "You have that much faith in him ... that he'll finsih it?" Cas questioned. Hearing this only made Lilia smile more. "Yes ... I always have. He'll be the one ... to end it all."

***

Rion wasted no time getting to Mushroom Tower. As he approached the base of the large tower, he took a red capsule of PPECs, and injected himself with it. After the small sting pasted by from his neck, he slowly started making his way towards the entrance doors. Without much surprise, a shrill laugh filled the air, making Rion stop in his tracks. The voice carried all around him, making it difficult to know its source. Rion's anger inside him, also made him impatient. "SHOW YOURSELF NITRO!" he beckoned.

Swiftly as he said, Nitro appeared through a cloud of smoke before Rion. Her arms crossed, and her expressionless eyes set on Rion. "Your quite the early bird ... aren't you? So determined. Ah, how boring it all is." she replied. Rion eyes squinted narrowly towards Nitro, knowing this all too well. "Let me guess, to get up there to the top of the tower, and to Gia ... I have to beat you." Rion replied, tired of all this playing around.
Nitro clapped happily for him, though her face showed no proof of it. "How clever, Rion, clever indeed." she slyly remarked. She then slowly started walking to Rion, as Rion kept his ground. "You know ... you should of seen Ash's face when I handed her Gia. He was so pleased. You could say he was ... quite enjoying what he saw. Gia is quite the looker ... such a delicious morsal to one so handsome and saucy as Ash ..." hissed Nitro, playing with words to rattle Rion's feelings. Rion closed his eyes, trying not to get worked up over the perverted and devilish man Ash was, trying his best not to get visual images. "Aw, Rion ... that doesn't bother you, does it? I'm not getting you worked up am I?" Nitro playfully teased. Rion smiled and scoffed. "As a matter of a fact you are -"

As quick as a flash, Rion took Nitro's arm, and twisted it so fast, that Nitro fell to her knees, with a surprised look.

"And now you'll regret it." Rion exclaimed.

***

Gia layed upon the cold floor of Mushroom Tower, as she slowly regained conciousness. As her eyes set on the all too familiar scenery, Gia jumped up in fear, backing away to the nearest wall. How did she get here? Her golden eyes soon fell on the destroyed skeleton of the machine Dorothy once resided in. The simple look of it, made Gia quiver in fear and scream in terror. "Now ... now ... now ...." a sudden voice called out, echoing through the room around Gia. At the sound of this voice, Gia's eyes grew wider in fear. "No need to wail like that ... this place should be like a home to you ...."
Suddenly, Ash hovered down from the sky and stood before Gia, making Gia start to hyperventilate and cry hysterically. "This has always been a home to me ..." Ash wickedly replied. Gia closed her eyes tight, hoping Ash would just go away. Ash was the one who tortured her to do everything at Dorothy's command. He tortured her to become a useful Galerian, to be controlling in her powers and to be obedient. But this Ash ... he was different. He now spoke soft words ... now he tried acting coy and sweet to Gia, making Gia more uncomfortable.

"Come to me, Gia. Don't you want to be held .... to be touched?" Ash replied, sliding his hand up Gia's leg. Gia immediatly pulled away, scared of what Ash was capable of. Ash's perverted and demented nature reached a new level, in where he was feeding off of Gia's inner power. That's what he wanted. Now that he witnessed what Gia's powers had done to Spider and Parano, the feel of Gia's power sent Ash into ecstacy ... he fed off power ... he wanted power. Now, to him, there was no point in destroying Gia. He wanted her power ... and to get to that, Ash now had to get to her. Yet, if she didn't obey ... he had no problem ending her life and taking her power inside of him. But for now, he was to wait for Rion ... and with that time, "play" with Gia.

Gia running away only fueld Ash's attempt in getting her. Gia ran to the opposite side of the room, as Ash transported himself in front of her. Gia run in so many different directions, only to be stopped by Ash. Finally, Ash had enough chasing, and grabbed Gia by the throat, lifting her up in the air. "Oh, dear Gia ... why so tense? I can read your mind ... I know what you want ... You want to be touched by another ... you want to feel love. Well, I can give you that ..." Ash perverted stated, again, making his fingers slide up her leg and under her dress. Gia for once lifted her courage, and grabbed Ash's wrists. "I do ... want to feel love ... to be touched by the one I love ... but ...that's ... not ...you! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS!" she screamed, with her sudden yell sending Ash flying to the opposite wall. Gia fell to the ground, choking for air. All she heard then was Ash's cackling.
"Yes .... yes, dear Gia .... that's it! There's the power!" he laughed insanely. "Thats the power I want ... and if I have to get inside you to achieve it, so be it! Either you help me ... or I'll kill you to get inside you!" he replied. Gia arched her eyebrows in anger to Ash, who slowly rose back to his feet. "Your only in love with my power ... you wanted me dead! Why not kill me now?"

"And have your dear Rion dissapointed?" Ash remarked.

Upon hearing Rion's name, Gia almost fell apart. Rion ... she thought to herself. All those cruel things I said to him ... Why would he come for me after all that? He loves Lilia ... Gia thought, crying again. Ash laughed out loud again, echoing through the room once more. "Dear Gia ... have you forgotten I can read minds? Rion indeed has come for you ..." Gia's eyes widened, looking back towards Ash. "He was never in love with that silly Pascalle woman ... in his heart he was all about you ... though he's still too brain dead and dense to realize it just yet. Such a confusing emotion, really ... and now, he's placing his life on the line to save you. If he doesn't defeat me ... he watches as you die. If he wins ... you both walk away happy. Don't bet on that." Ash replied cold heartedly, yet with such ease.

"You monster ...." Gia uttered.

Ash bent down towards Gia again, and licked from the corner of her mouth to her ear. Gia shuddered in disgust and fear, as Ash merely laughed. "He's taking longer then expected ..." Ash replied, making his way to look out the broken hole in the room to peer down at the fight. Gia slowly crawled over to see, as Gia could see nothing but smoke rising from the bottom of Mushroom Tower. "Rion?" she whispered. Ash smirked and scoffed to himself. "Seems Nitro did quite a job. Now Rionis out of the picture ... and your all mine ..." Ash replied, licking his lips as he moved towards Gia.
Gia could feel herself about to scream as suddenly, an object whizzed between Gia and Ash, stopping them. Ash walked over to the object, and kicked it over with his foot ... onyl to be staring at Nitro's decapitated head. Ash showed no remorse or fear, yet sighed in anger and dissapointment. Without even turning aorund, Ash felt Rion's presence hovering int he sky before the hole in the room, peering in at Ash. Gia's face lit up, as she stared lovingly at Rion. "Rion ... you came for me." she whispered.

Rion smiled and reahced down to Gia, as he caressed her cheek with the bakc of his hand. "Are you alright?" he asked. Gia nodded, leaning her face against Rion's hand. Rion then directed himself back to Ash, as Ash kept his back to him. "So, Rion ... you've changed I see." Ash replied, soundly less intimidating as before.

"Let's end this Ash ... Now! I won't let you hurt Gia or the survirors."

"Ah yes ... same old monolouge of every hero. How boring." Ash replied, kicking Nitro's head aside.

Ash slowly turned around and smiled. "So ... new PPECs are out on the market, are they? I don't remember you having the ability to fly." remarked Ash, feeling Rion's overwhelming power. "There risk takers ... its true ... but I'll risk it all to defeat you."

"And win back your little girlfriend no doubt." Ash replied, smiling wickedly, playing at Rion's feelings as Nitro did. Rion returned the smile, as Ash frowned in confusement.

"No Ash ... to win back ... the one I fell in love with."

***** END OF FILE 16650