Chapter.13

Return to the Castle of Dark Illusions:

Christine against Neo, Prove to me you're Worthy.

Christine awoke in the middle of a vast field, flowers blooming everywhere and grass a beautiful emerald green. Christine sat up and rubbed her head. "Ouch, my head's killing me." She moaned, "Where am I?" Christine scanned her surroundings the gorgeous field was a captivating sight, but she knew it was just a distraction. She jumped to her feet and saw a figure walking towards her. "It's Neo! Hey NEO!!!" She shouted excitedly.

"Hey Bitch," Neo replied, from behind Christine. She turned around and Neo sucker punched her in the gut. The wind was knocked out of Christine and she dropped to her knees. "Get up." Neo commanded, "I said GET UP!" Neo pivoted on his left foot and kicked Christine in the side, and she was forced sliding across the ground. She looked at Neo and noticed something strange, every step he took the grass died under his feet.

"What the Hell Neo! What's got into you?!" Christine yelled. Neo paused and looked at Christine with such unimaginable hate.

"You think you can just do something like that, completely destroy the events? You don't deserve the mercy I'm showing you right now!" Neo yelled. Christine rose to her feet and puzzled asked,

"The Hell are you talking about? Destroy what events?"

"Lance was supposed to die at the gates of that castle, you were supposed to leave him there and he was to be absorbed." Christine was shocked that Neo would say something like that about Lance.

"Do you think that I'd just let Lance die?! NO, I lo--"

"SILENCE!" Neo ordered, "You don't love him! You were just caught in the moment, you'll forget about him shortly after all of this. You were never meant to give him a second chance! You have thrown off the course of fate itself, and to set things straight, I will kill you!" Neo leaped forward drawing his sword and he swung. Dodged quickly and counter punched Neo in his ribcage. Neo, unaffected, swung again and again Christine dodged and this time kneed Neo in the exact same place. "You don't deserve Lance!" Neo yelled swinging his sword with all his might striking Christine's forearm. The blade was stopped on Christine's skin and soon after shattered before Neo's eyes. "What is this trickery?!"

"I don't deserve Lance?" Christine asked, thrusting out her left hand tightly gripping Neo's throat. Neo grabbed Christine's hand and tried to pry himself free, but he couldn't even budge one finger. "I've given my life for Lance and he's given his life for me. We've been through thick and thin, we've fought together and even see death in it's many forms. And you say I don't deserve him?!" Christine drew back her right arm and her hand began to glow blue.

"Tell me, Christine, has he told you that he loved you yet?" Neo asked, as a half shark's grin stole across his face. Christine paused just long enough for Neo to get free. "That's what I thought, he hasn't. And you won't live to hear it!" Neo shook him head and raised his left hand into the air. His whole body began to glow and the air suddenly grew so cold that Christine could see her breath. Neo was drawing the energy from the air.

"What are you doing?" Christine asked beginning to shiver.

"It's a trick I do called 'cold wave', it freezes all your magic abilities. If you want to fight me you're stuck in hand-to-hand combat!"

"Oh, Shit." Christine thought, "As far as physical combat's concerned, I can't fight worth shit. I get hurt when I hit a punching bag." Christine always used magic behind every punch and kick, and it was her only means of defense. "That's not fair!" Shouted the elf.

"Who said I deal in fair play? You're lucky that I'm even giving you a chance, you would be dead right now if I weren't feeling charitable." Christine slowly back away not taking her eyes off of Neo who was slow approaching. "Do you fear me? Are you afraid? No one's gonna save you, your going to die screaming, but you won't be heard.

Joey walked out of the Karaoke bar Bruce leaning on his shoulder his right hand covering his eyes from the light. Bruce groaned in pain, "Aw, shit man my stomach's in a f***in' knot." Joey sighed with his head hung.

"All those drunk girls and I couldn't get laid."

"Quit yer bitchin' man, at least you can see straight!" Bruce growled.

"Big talk jackass, you have four girls last night, at the SAME TIME!" Joey growled. The Mad Dark Magician looked up at the Command Mage and gave him a weird look.

"That may explain why I woke up surrounded by smiling naked women." Bruce grinned. Joey gave Bruce a pissed off look, quickly dropped his right soldier and Bruce fell flat on his face. "foo fmuckinm bashtfard." Bruce said him face planted into the ground. There was suddenly a faint scream heard from the distance and Joey looked down at Bruce and Bruce looked up from the ground, spitting out a mouth full of dirt.

"There's a woman in trouble!" CCM.

"There's a honey in danger!" MDM.

"We'll be there on the double!" CCM.

"To save her and bang her!" MDM. Joey rolled his eyes and the two magicians took to the air flying towards the source of the scream.

Neo had Christine pinned to the ground and he was on top of her. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to fight back? Oh wait, you are too weak to fight back." Neo leaned over Christine just a few inches over her body. "You know, you're powerless right now and I'm all-powerful. I could do anything to you I want. Neo gently kissed Christine on the cheek, Christine tried harder to get free but without her magic she was helpless.

Bruce was mostly over his hang over and Joey was still complaining to himself. "How the hell did I get turned down by ten drunk girls? Man I couldn't score if I were a millionaire surrounded by broke hookers." Joey bitched. Bruce could help, but laugh at how pathetic Joey was acting, no matter how right he was.

"Damn, Joey if you'd just make a move then maybe you'd get some. 'Wanna go upstairs and fool around', that's real weak." Bruce commented. Two magicians suddenly felt very weak and began to fall.

"Crap, what'd you do this time!?" Joey shouted.

"Oh, sure blame everything that goes wrong on the brotha." Bruce snapped.

"I blame you cause it's always your fault, not cause your damn black." Joey argued

"Bull-shit, it's always: the dinosaur's out blame the black guy, the white guy died it musta been the black guy, today's news Jimmy Bob died in his trailer home people around the world pay there respects. Oh yeah, and twenty black guys where killed in front of a K.F.C. People always hatin' on the black guy. I don't even like fried chicken! This is a buncha Fu--" Before Bruce could finish he and Joey both Crashed into the ground.

Neo looked to the sides and got off of Christine.

"Prepare for trouble!" Said a Chaos Command Magician rising out of one of the holes."

"And make it…wait why do you always go first?" Asked a Mad Dark Magician jumping out of the other hole. Both of the magicians looked at the man and blue woman and said in unison.

"Aw, crap."

"She was just screaming cause he was 'playing' too hard." Joey said.

"See that's why you have been laid. Why didn't you just say she was screaming cause he was bangin' her to hard?" Bruce said.

"Because you suck!" Joey yelled.

"You blow!" Bruce yelled back attempting to fire a mad dark magic attack at Joey, but nothing happened. "Aw, yeah of course the black magicians magic doesn't work. I'm yours works blue boy." Joey pointed his staff at Bruce and tried a shot, but nothing came out.

"Well, isn't this as nice as a kick in the ass."

"Hey, Bevis and Butt-head," Neo interrupted. "Get lost I'm trying to put fate back on track." Bruce gave Neo the finger and Joey walked over to Christine who was tied to the ground.

"Christine?" Asked the Command Mage.

"Joey, is that you?" Christine said.

"Hey it's good to see you, that your boyfriend?" Joey asked pointing to Neo who was in a verbal argument.

"Why you trying to hate on me, damn white boy Eminem wanna be."

"Where the hell did that come from, who's Eminem?" Neo yelled in pure confusion.

"No! He's trying to kill me!" Christine growled. Joey looked back to Christine and took his staff. "Your magic won't work, Neo's used a cold wave spell." Joey ignored her and took the sharp end of his staff and cut the restraints that held the elf down.

"What the hell?!" Neo yelled turning around seeing the Command Mage had freed Christine. "No! I won't let her live!" Neo clapped his hands together and slowly pulled them apart revealing a sword in between them. Taking his sword Neo leapt into skyward there was a pause then Neo threw his sword its sight on Christine. Without her magic she couldn't survive a direct hit from any of Neo's attacks. The Mystical Elf closed her eyes and raised her arms in defense knowing that it would help. Christine felt a sudden jolt knocking her backward off of her feet, opening her eyes Christine saw that she wasn't struck with the blade. Glancing up she saw Joey standing where she was and the edge of the Neo's sword sticking out of his back. Joey looked back to Christine, smiled and collapsed where he stood. The sword then twisted and jerked itself out of Joey's body and flew back into Neo's hand.

"Joey!" Christine and Bruce shouted running to his side. The Magician could barely breathe and his eye was squinting, straining to stay open. Christine, just then, noticed Joey's mask covering the right side of his face black with red stripes and his right eye was missing. Joey turned his head slowly towards Christine and whispered something, but she could make it out.

"What is it?" Christine asked leaning closer to Joey.

"Chris…tine," Joey said faintly, lifting up his hands. And in one swift move Joey grabbed Christine and pulled her on top of him and he kissed her tongue and all. She jumped back and began spitting making a grossed out face. Joey laughed jumping off his back and onto his feet. Looking at Bruce he grinned, "Betcha didn't see that one coming." Joey then looked at Christine who was still acting sickened from the kiss. "You big liar you know you were kissing back for a second there."

"Shut-Up! You lost the right to kiss me like that when we broke up!" Christine yelled.

"Broke up?" Bruce said, his brain (or lack there of) still having trouble processing what he just saw. "Hell must've frozen over!! Quick, someone get a camera!!" Bruce reached under his hat and pulled out a video camera, "Okay, Joey one more time!"

"Enough of this!" Neo shouted his voice booming like thunder. Christine, Bruce, and Joey all looked at Neo as he slowly descended from the sky and landed softly on the ground. "I've had more than my share of stupidity for the day. Since you've decided to help Christine you will all share her fate!" Neo thrust his sword forward towards Christine and Joey again took the blade for her, this time through his left arm. Joey winced in pain and Bruce run up and kicked Neo in the face. Both of the magicians looked Christine and smiled.

"Don't worry, Bruce and me've got your back Christy." Joey said pulling the sword out of his arm.

"Just leave it to us, we c'n talk about my reward later." Bruce smiled almost evilly. Christine got a chill, but it didn't matter now she had a fighting chance to defeat Neo. Joey dashed to the right, Bruce to the left, and Christine charged forward.

Neo was surrounded, but not the least surprised, they were all gonna attack him in a triple team. Neo just needed to know who was going to attack first and he could counter the rest. Christine was the closet so Neo targeted her first. Christine ran right at Neo and he raised his arms to defend, but she jumped over him throwing off his plan completely. "What?!" Neo said in shock. Bruce came from the left and he struck Neo in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him forcing him to lean forward. Joey attacked from the right tossing Neo's sword to Christine and elbowing Neo in the back of his neck. Crumbling him to the ground. Christine finished from the back, taking Neo's sword and driving it through his back and bursting through his heart and out his chest. Blood spilt violently from Neo's chest as he fell to the ground, silent, motion-less.

Christine fell on her butt sighing heavily in relief. "So," Joey began, "It's been a long time hasn't it, Christine?" Christine blushed slightly turning her head away from the magician.

"Y-yes it has, Joey."

"Wait, pause, just stop!" Bruce yelled. "You two know each other? How? When?! Where??!!" Joey and Christine smiled lightly then turned to Bruce.

"Back about a hundred Joey and I…"Christine began.

"We kind of were dating." Joey finished. Bruce's jaw opened wide and dropped to the ground. "Yeah, it was fun."

"Joey! Are you gay!? Why the F***in' hell did you let her get away!?" Bruce yelled slapping Joey upside his head.

"Well we decided that we weren't right for each other. So after that night we went our separate ways. I can't say I didn't miss he though." Christine smiled laying back. Joey sat next to Christine crossing his legs and smiled at her.

"I missed you too, but we weren't meant for each other. I got all nervous when we would kiss. And you would get all flustered when I'd say 'I love you', I almost miss those times." Grinned the magician imaging those times long since past. Bruce was now as puzzled as he was pissed off. All these new things and their explanations were so damn vague there were to many questions to think of.

"What a touching story, but unfortunately we'll never hear the ending." All eyes turned to the impaled corpse, who was, against all that was logical, standing. "Don't look so surprised. Fate doesn't want my life, it want you Christine! Now if you thought I was bad before, then you'll just love what's gonna happen next."

"Oh, I get it!" Bruce smiled, "White boy don't wanna go out without a real fight. Alright bring it on Eminem, you gonna get yo ass handed to ya." Bruce took his staff and started to spin it in his middle finger. "Pure skills baby, pure skills." Neo grinned evilly, held his arms out wide, and his body began darken until it was a black silhouette.

"Holy shit, it's multiply. Everyone get down!" Joey yelled. Christine, Bruce, and Joey dived to the ground, covering their heads. Almost automatic though Joey shielded Christine. Bruce looked up and his blood ran cold. There were Neos everywhere. Left, right, front, back, at least twenty in each direction in every direction. Joey and Christine opened their eyes and they saw the Neos completely surrounding them.

"So how do you like…"

"Our new look? You know the…"

"Best thing about being me…"

"Is that there are so many of…"

"Me. Even if you kill me…"

"There will still be more…"

"Of me to kill you." The Neos said one after another. The three spell casters stood back to back searching in a panic for any kind of opening.

"Well, isn't this ironic?" Bruce snickered. "Neo pulled an Agent Smith!"

"Dumbass." Christine whispered.

"Moron." Joey sighed. The Neos started to walk, in unison, in a counter clockwise fashion. "Don't worry, only one of them is real." Joey said sounding slightly confident.

"But we are all…"

"Solid and can…"

"Kill you. Where as…"

"You need to kill my…"

"Original. You don't…"

"Stand a Chance." The Neos stated, their tones all very over confident. Bruce pointed his staff at one of the Neos and fired a dark magic attack the exploded five Neos where they stood. His eyes opened wide as If to say "Whoa". His magic worked again, which meant Christine had her defenses back. Joey held out his hand and his staff appeared.

"Cry havoc…" Joey sneered.

"And let loose the dogs of war." Bruce snickered. Joey and Bruce dashed in to the crowd of Neos and soon after there were a series of fierce magical explosion. The army of Neos was thinning, but extremely slowly. Christine didn't move from the center of the circle and Neo's attacked her relentlessly. But compared to her defense they were just like annoying flies. Something seemed weird about the Neos though, they weren't attacking as hard as the original Neo did. For a moment Christine dropped her shield and one of the Neos struck her with his sword. The blade shattered on her skin, and it barely broke her skin. The neo that attacked her looked at his blade then stepped back slowly. Christine stepped up to the Neo, clinched her fist and punch. Her fist crashed through the Neos armor and it disappeared into the air. The Neos around her looked back and forth to one another with serious looks on their faces.

"She know our weakness…"

"And we can not defeat her in this state…"

"We must go back into our…"

"One body again then they…"

"Will all fall before us." The Neos all back away slowly and began to turn into black silhouettes again. The Black outlines slowly formed one main being again. As the Neos became one Neo, Joey and Bruce were at opposite sides of battlefield and they fired their magical blasts at the same time. The Neos by this time became one being and Bruce and Joey's attacks launched and Christine was in the dead center.

"Christine!" Joey shouted, dashing to her side. But the magic was to fast and Christine couldn't move.

"Lance…I'm sorry." Christine whispered as she was consumed by Joey and Bruce's magical assaults.

"Christine!!!" Joey shouted collapsing to his knees. He watched helplessly as Christine vaporized into nothing. Neo was solid again and smiled with an evil grin.

"Fate has been corrected." Joey suddenly grabbed Neo be the throat and began to crush his neck with one hand.

"Corrected, huh?" Joey growled his voice a mixture of sorry and hatred. "Then allow me to screw with fate again. Bruce! Get the book!"

"You can't!" Neo argued, "The Gods will rise if Christine lives! You mean nothing to her what are you doing this for!?"

"I've lost Christine once and I won't lose her again. And frankly I don't care if I'm nothing to her, for her I would gladly give my soul to Obelisk again." Bruce walked up to Joey with his book in hand.

"Joey, you gonna tell me what you and Christine did that night?" Bruce asked.

"In your terms I got laid." Joey said, crushing Neo's throat until he black out.

"WHAT!?"

To Be Continued…

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Alright everybody, only two chapters together and the next one's as big as it gets. Our Drake goes back to the castle with Demi by his side and look for Lance and Christine. Once they're all together they find themselves standing against Exodia the Forbidden One. Who will survive?"