Good lord!  It sure has been awhile, hasn't it?  But hey, you can't blame me; I'm an eighth grade boy dealing with girls, grades, marching band, weight lifting, and the dreaded driver's Ed.  I don't know why just typing 'driver's ed' freaks me out; it would be great if someone could give me some tips or something in reviews.  Here's a question for all you drivers, do you use manual or automatic?  Also, how did you figure out what was best for you.

Now about reviews, there was another reason why I didn't bother writing a chapter for so long, I only received one review for my last chapter.  I'm not pissed off at the fact that it was constructive criticism, in fact I'm glad I got, thanks Ronin.  I redid the f---ing chapter two or three times and no one reviewed it!  Of course, I know some readers read it, but where are the reviews?  I HATE IT WHEN S--- LIKE THIS HAPPENS!!!!  I practically dedicated myself to this dammed fic, only for what?  To be disowned by people?  I'm trying not to let this get to me though, so I'll say this…

This will be the final time I will ever post something on FF.net if no one tries to at least be considerate enough to leave a review.  To tell the truth, I had this story in my head for I don't know how long, now with my dreams almost shattered, I might as well move on and forget about it.  I might write a novel for my school just to vent my anger out and to see my real talent.

Anyway, I might just go on and say 'f--- all you m-----f-----s that just read the fic and kept your comments to yourself' and just continue on with the fic, regardless of reviews.

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Act II: Revelations of the Darkness

By Ansem Revived, your average angry author

Chapter 7: The Beginning of the End

Gene stood above the stairwell, leaning against the wall.  He stared nowhere in particular; he forced himself to only focus on thinking.  He cricked his neck of stiffness.

His words cycled through his mind, a wind that was gradually increasing in speed.  How could he say something like that about his crew?  Without them, he would've gotten where he was today, in fact, most likely dead.  This gave him an uncomfortable twist in his stomach, a feeling of his denial.  His confusion was tearing its way through the innards of his mind, causing his neck to get stiff again.

Even he never showed it much, Gene was thankful for having these people around him, though he would admit that to no one but himself (which was also quite rare).  But Jim though, how could he say that of all things?  The faithful sidekick to the hero, the one who would always come through, why would he say that?  Of course, he didn't want to be thought of as being soft, but that still didn't give him the right to unfairly judge the people whom he practically depended on.

Gene just needed to clear his mind.  He took in a deep breath, which made him shiver a bit.  He had to get his mind of this madness.

"Hey Mel!  How you holding up?  Need some help?"

Melfina responded, "N-no…I'm fine…"

Hearing the small timorous reply, and a bit relieved to do something else, Gene asked, "What's the matter?  Are you ok?  Did you cut yourself or something?"  Gene started to make his way down the stairs.

Melfina now retained a still voice, "I'm okay Gene, really…"

Walking into the kitchen, Gene saw Melfina tending to some over-boiling pot, the steam started to make his hair wet.  She had his back turned towards him, now humming hastily.

"What's wrong?"  Asked Gene, a part of him wanted to finish the sentence with 'now'.  He shook his head a bit to stop himself from thinking about it.

Oddly, Melfina's hands were scouring the stove dials frantically; she was twisting knobs back and forth, switching other stovetops on and off.  Then, the android attempted to grab the pot right off the stove from the stove with her bare hands.  She then quickly withdrew her hands after being scorched.  Gene sat through this addled.

"What's the matter?  Don't you know how to work the stove?  You didn't forget did you?"  He grabbed her hands to inspect them.  Other than being cherry red, they looked fine.  Wanting to speak to her, Gene looked into her face.

Her face was that of a dead person, blank and emotionless.  Melfina's benevolent face was now washed away and replaced with something else, something cold.  Her look sent a small freeze down Gene's throat.  Those pleasant eyes were now cold.  Dead.  Also, her skin was unusually pale.  Gene felt as if he was staring at a corpse.

"M-Mel?  Are you feeling ok?  You look sick or something."

The horrible walking dead thing only said, "I have never felt better."  Melfina forced a smile, which looked more like she was stretching her mouth to her sides, and it looked forced.

"Are you sure?  I mean look at you!  You look like a zombie or something."

"I-I do?"

"Yeah, you do.  What the hell happened?  You're freaking me out now."

Melfina simply turned around and said, "Someone's at the door, Gene."  She went back to cooking.

"I don't hear noth-"

Gene flinched when he heard the knocking from the front door.  "Damn, I have to get over this.  I'm becoming a wuss…" Gene trotted to the door when the visitor knocked for a second time.

"Hey!  I'm coming!  I'm coming…"

He then heard that familiar voice of the one person whom he always hated to hear.  "Hey!  Open up!"

Gene unlocked the door and scowled yet again.  "Aisha, what…  What the hell is wrong with you?"

Aisha just stormed pass him, clearly disappointed.  "I really don't want you to start something stupid with me today, so bug off and leave me alone."  Gene watched her as she ran up the stairs to her room.  When she reached the top, Aisha slowed down to a walk, rubbing her eyes.  She reached her room and closed the door behind her; the click of the door locking was heard.

"What kind of day is this?" said Gene.  He scratched the back of his head.  "Everybody's screwed up today.  What happened?"  Gene stood there for a minute thinking.  He knew that it wasn't his problem, so he should get into it.  But there was Melfina…

"The woman looks like the living dead."

"Who looks like the living dead?"

For the second or third time today, Gene felt the shock of fear in him…again.  He flinched…again.  He was about to curse out his mind to the person.  He pointed out one finger, but Suzuka spoke first.

"Calm down."

And with that said, Suzuka departed for her room, without saying where she was all day, even though he would rather keep it like that, for this was Suzuka.  Gene stuck his head out the door, looking up at the sky briefly.

"Twilight."  That was what Gene only needed to know.

He came back inside, closing the door and locking it for the day.  Everyone was back now, back from whatever they were doing.

Gene slid against the door, sitting on the carpeted floor.  He stared downwards at his legs before bringing one up to lean his elbow on.

"Maybe I need some rest…  Better yet, take some painkillers with some alcohol and then sleep."  He stood up and yawned, still talking to himself.  "Even better, why don't I just go out tonight?  All I need is some booze and nice women to get me situated.  I'll wake up for that!"

He walked across the room and proceeded to the stairs, but stopped to look at Mel.  She seemed to have the pot under control for she was stirring some food in it.  She still looked ghastly, but she was acting normal again.

I hope she's okay, thought Gene.  He wanted to help her, but he knew that she would shrug him off again.

"It's no use," said Gene quietly to himself.  Without another thought about it, he went up the stairs and continued to his room.

He started to think about Jim as he passed his room.  The boy hasn't been out for quite a while, Gene only saw him earlier today.  Gene was reluctant to knock on Jim's door, since everyone he knew seemed have been through something strange, but did anyway.

He knocked.  "Jim, what's up?  Are you sleeping in there?"  He decided to make a little crack at Jim like he did the last time.

"Hey Jim!  It's okay to use only your five fingers.  Once you get older, your dick'll get longer.  Trust me, I used to be the same way…"

As Gene suspected, Jim answered back rather harshly, but with a twist.  "Fuck off…" he said with a hushed, but poisonous voice.

Gene stood there for a bit.  His concerned face slowly changed into a grin.  He laughed to himself as he went to his room to get ready.

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Haze…

Mist…

Fog…

Melfina couldn't think about what to name it.  Blacking out and waking up to this terrified her.  She couldn't see her own hands in front of her in this peculiar place.

"Am I dreaming?"

It was too real for a dream; she could hear her breathing and footsteps.  Her breath made a steam with the cold air; she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.  The air was cold and humid, an unusual mixture.

She remembered her body being taken over; maybe who or what ever did that sent her to this place.  So that would mean that she was…

"Am I dead?" she questioned to herself.  She felt her wrist, only to feel a slow relieving rhythm.

So I'm not dead after all…  Melfina wasn't the one who would talk to herself, seeing as how she was always around someone who was willing to be a conversant.  Through this experience, she thought to her self.

What is this place? How did I get here? What happened to me?

She went like this for a while, always searching in some random direction in hope to find something.  Anything.  The fog was becoming claustrophobic, even though it was obvious she was in the open.  Her heart was pounding as she elevated from a brisk walk to a run.  The fear was overwhelming.  Running and running, calling and calling…no one was coming for her…she was going nowhere.

"Will you stop?  It's becoming hard to catch you in this place!"

Melfina froze.  There was someone here after all…

A 'someone' who was chasing her…

She turned…and screamed.

It was almost like looking at a reflection, a reflection that would suddenly do something else other than copy the real person.  This 'reflection' put her hands to her hips and snickered.

"What are you afraid off?"

Melfina was still stunned.  She was looking at herself!  Same clothes, same hair…same everything…

The other Melfina looked down at her clothes, "You have a bad choice of clothing, this is hideous!  I understand what you were trying to do, but these were the wrong choice.  Maybe I can convince that redhead to buy me some clothes, presuming that he was your boyfriend."

This must be the person who took over my body.  Mixed emotions started to develop within Melfina: hatred, fear, confusion, anger…  the negative manner.  Who was this person?  Why did she look exactly like her? What…what's happening?

"Who…who are you?"  Melfina put her hand to her chest.

The other Melfina wrinkled her eyebrow, "I'm the real Melfina."  She scanned Melfina from head to toe.  "You really need to change your attitude."

"W-what do you mean 'real'?" stammered Melfina.

"……….." She didn't reply for a moment.  She blinked for a while, in either confusion or surprise.  Finally, she said, "It's a long story.  I would tell you, but I will leave that to James…once your friends meet him in person."

"James?"

"You find out about him later, you might just be surprised on what he has to say."

Confused, Melfina asked, "To say about what?"

The other Melfina grew serious all of a sudden, "I can't tell you more…but everything will be answered…trust me."  She then looked up; her eyes scoured the area.  She then grew tense…

"He's here…"

"Who?  Who's here?"

No answer.  The other Melfina simply closed her eyes and outstretched her arms.  Clouds around her started to change white.  The clouds then surrounded her slender body.

"What are you doing?"

She still didn't reply.  The clouds started to glow fiercely, piercing the darkness.  She started to speak.

"We will talk later, when it's nighttime.  The time has come, Melfina.  You and your friends are going to go through the toughest challenge ever.  You must stand up and face the darkness.  As long as you believe, anything can happen.  But it is up to you only.  You determine your outcome, whether you ascend to the light or descend into the darkness, you are you…"

And with that, the other Melfina vanished, leaving the android all alone…

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Well, I know that this wasn't the best chapter I've written, but some readers should at least say something.  Like I said before, people need to review.  But no, some m-----f---ing people are just douches.  So…that's why I have to say this.  This will give you a good idea of what I'm talking about.

BELATED

APRIL

FOOLS'

DAY!!!

I bet some of you people believed what I said.  I know it was a joke, but really though, people should be kind enough to review…

Ansem Revived (who will change his name into 'The Big J' by one week.)

GOOD NIGHT MY LITTLE CHILDREN!!!!!!!J