Hello, and big hugs to everyone out there. I'd really like to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews. The type of reviews I am receiving really are the type of reviews that make a writer want to keep on writing. Yes, this story is halfway over…..that fact makes me really sad, since it feels like I just started on this fic last week. Time really isn't anyone's friend, and since this fic is almost over, I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on it. Speaking of everyone…I wonder where my good friend Uzu-chan went. I hope she's okay.
To Shifu (PRIVATE): Thanks a lot! I'm really glad you liked my chapters. I'm really happy that I was able to pull of Red very well. I actually thought I did a bad job on him, especially compared to the Red of 'Complexity of a Soul'!
To Prjct.War: Go ahead and rip Red's head off. While you're at it, take every Red's head off. Heehee. Sorry, but that other story kinda made me develop hatred towards the name 'Red'…..
To the Great Khilai: I cannot thank you enough for your all of your words! But there is something I do not understand-you're a fourteen year old high-school student, and yet you're writing sentences that would make a thirty-year old college professor's eyes widen. What, did your mother eat a dictionary before you were brought into this world!
I bet the very first book you read was the dictionary! And after that you went straight to the thesaurus!
And my fic is the first fic you've read? I am honored to be the author of this fic then. I hope that my fic somehow inspired yours. I am saddened by the fact that this experience is almost over, but when your fic ends, the whole world will fall into mourning. Thank you very much for pointing out everything you liked about my recent chapters. You wanna know how and why I end my chapters the way I do? I actually gain my inspiration from exciting anime shows and books I read, and from my own inability to wait. I love watching and seeing cliffhangers, even though they irritate me to no end. But they are so exciting! For every chapter I just cut off the string when I know it's right, so I can leave all of my fans hanging by a mere thread! Hahahahahaha-
To MyGBAcanTalk: Oh no! I hope you do not get into any trouble. Please don't trouble yourself! Everything's cool-I understand why you had to wait. I used to have the same kind of problems myself, EVERY SINGLE DAY……
And To Khilai and All of You Out There: LONG REVIEWS ARE NOT A PROBLEM. I PREFER LONG REVIEWS TO SHORT ONES, BECAUSE I CAN FIND OUT WHAT YOU GUYS LIKE AND WHY. ONCE AGAIN, LONG REVIEWS AREN'T A PROBLEM! (smiles and bows)-
The inside of the Lava Factory caused the young Black Tiger to think of an enormous volcano. A hundred shades of red were all over the walls of the factory, and the heat of the atmosphere was beyond intense. The air was thick with the smell of fiery anticipation….and millions of flames were dancing throughout the endless realm of red twilight. Silence was soaring through the entire place-the only things that were making themselves heard were the small flames. The silence, however, did not eliminate the fact that Axl could sense the presence of evil forces-there were shadows lurking in the darkness….and they were waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. As he made his way through the factory, he waited for his new friends to launch their attack, so he could put them right out of their misery. He was in no mood for games-the look in his eyes would have made that perfectly clear to anyone with half a brain. His eyes were calm, yes, but they were also filled with the very same determination that also moved X to tears. There were also other emotions behind the determination….sadness, regret…..and hatred. The young one was still unable to shake of the uneasiness and loneliness his heart was experiencing, but a part of him really didn't want to. He want to be near a friend-any friend.
Everything he had gone through with Red caused his self-esteem to shoot itself down.
He knew that everything Red said about wasn't true. He knew that he was strong, strong enough to take care of himself….he knew that he shared wonderful memories, wonderful days with him…..
"You worthless piece of garbage!"
"I should have left you out in the street to rot!"
The smiles, the tears that had fallen…..all of the peaceful days he had shared with Red….
Were gone.
It was as if Axl had created some type of false reality for himself……
Everything was…..gone.
He wanted to be near the Hunter called X, the one had come to mean so much to him. The Hunter was always worried about him, and he cared for him deeply. He wanted to hear the voice of the Hunter called Zero….
He barely knew that Maverick Hunter but he truly wanted to become a very dear friend of his.
Red had abandoned him….and so now it was time to fly…on his own. He wanted to shake off everything that was tormenting him….but at the moment, it was extremely difficult to do so. He knew he had to keep on flying…he knew he had to stay strong….in order to protect the ones he loved, the ones he cared for more than life itself….
His two new friends X and Zero.
Thirty minutes flew by like cold, icy winds of the darkest winter. Darkness engulfed the entire factory in a flash, surprising the young one greatly. The only things that were visible were the oceans of red fire streaming through out the realm of black eternity…..the roars of the flames touched his ears the way a cobra's teeth pierced the skin of a child…..
What's going on?
A devilish voice reached his ears, causing blades of poison to shoot right into his heart.
"Heh heh heh……why hello there, my little friend."
The eyes of the young one widened, and he swiftly scanned his surroundings the way a frightened eagle looked about its new environment. His heart began to pound upon the drums of suspense madly, as if it wanted to escape from its prison……apprehension rose into the young one's eyes, but that was simply because he had lost the ability to see. Anger dominated the anxiety instantly.
"I'm in no mood for games, pal, so you'd better show yourself, NOW!"
The young one's voice would have melted the coldest block of steel.
Hundreds of vermillion red flames shot up around him and almost consumed him. The young one could feel the heat of every flame…..and the ability to breathe was distant. The roars of the flames became even louder….it was as if they were trying to speak to him-
"Oh, but you're going to like the party I have planned, my dear guest!"
The heart of the young Tiger jolted with excruciating pain, and a gasp ripped itself from his throat. His eyes became beautiful, shimmering jewels of tension….they put the most beautiful sapphires to shame…..
"I'd like to have a little fun with you. Why don't we start now, hmmm?"
The voice belonged to none other than Flame Hyenard, who, of course, had once been an ally of Axl's. But when the ocean of flames parted, the young one saw something that horrified him. Hyenard was no longer the Hyenard he knew. The Reploid's eyes bore a great resemblance to the red eyes of a black dragon….and he had the appearance of a black-hearted vampire.
Hyenard looked like a demon that had just emerged from the underworld.
And there was another problem. A few more problems, actually.
There wasn't just one Hyenard. There were four.
Hundreds of flames continued to surround the young Reploid. Each and every flame was excruciatingly hot…..and flames seemed to be falling from the ceiling……the oceans of flames continued to roar……
And the demons continued to look down upon him.
Hyenard's voice was the type of voice that would cause an infant to break into tears. It was the voice of a true demon……..
Sigma had gotten to him. The evil ex-Maverick Hunter had worked his magic on him.
"Let's dance, old friend, for the sake of old times!"
The oceans surrounding him continued to scream……flames surrounded him…..the ability to breathe was no longer in existence……the ability to see clearly was gone….there wasn't anywhere for him to go….
Axl's eyes shimmered like moonlit sapphires, filled with the light of intense apprehension. He was trapped, trapped like a mouse in a cage-or in this case, trapped like a kitten in cage. He had not a single option-he could hover in the air, but only for a few moments-
Hyenard swept the young Reploid into his arms, soared high into the air, and plunged towards the ground at the speed of light. The young one couldn't break free, and the grip Hyenard had on him was dealing out an unbearable amount of pain.
His heart jolted as soon as he realized that Hyenard was diving right for the oceans of lava.
Hyenard would be able to survive a plunge into the lava. He knew that.
He was trapped, definitely trapped like a kitten in a corner.-
