Chapter 19: Heart Of Fire

Ryu was playing cards. Dragon Poker. Normally the rules didn't allow this many players, but they had all agreed to forget that part of it. All of them were the types of people who made their livings by conveniently forgetting the rules.

"I'll see you... and raise you fifty." Cort smiled, lighting his cigar. Bo choked, either on the smoke or on the number.

"Fifty? You're insane!"

"If you don't like it, fold. Sounds fun to me." Karn grinned. "I'll see it."

"Same here." Mote agreed, snickering. "Come on, Mogu, you're still in it too, right? The young guys gotta stick together..."

"I suppose." Mogu nodded uncertainly. "What about you, Ox?" The big Builder Clanner sighed heavily and tossed his cards down.

"Sorry... I'm folding. It's not my night, I guess."

"Looks like all your luck's gone to me." Gobi rubbed his hands together. "I'm still in the game!" Cerl rolled her eyes.

"Why am I not surprised by this. I'll bow out, thanks... bit of a risk."

"Where's your spirit of adventure?" Deis laughed scornfully. "I'm riding with it."

"You always do." Nina sighed. "So, when are the others getting here?"

"Fairly soon now." Zog rumbled, scanning his hand. "We'll be dealing them in before long, if the game's still going then."

"Oh, it will be." Uncle Specs assured him. "The game's been going strong since I was your age. Er... are you my grandson?"

"No."

"Didn't think so." The old transient muttered. Ryu blinked, not really at ease with his surroundings.

"Are... we supposed to be here?"

"Not really." Sara admitted. "Close, but not quite... it's about time you and your friends left, actually. There are things you still have to do." Ryu nodded.

"Shame, really... this is kind of a nice place."

"I've always liked it." Ladon agreed. "But it's not the place for you." Ryu nodded and stood, along with the rest of his team.
"Well, we'll be along then... see you all later." Suddenly, Sara's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist urgently.

"Wait! Don't leave us, Ryu! Wake up!"

"Sara...?" Ryu mumbled as the room swam around him and grew dark... and then he opened his eyes.

"Wake up, Ryu! Please, don't leave us now..." The old woman sobbed. He was lying on his back in a room he had seen a million times... a room he had grown up in.

"Grandma...?"

"Ryu!" Esma smiled through her tears. "You are alive... thank Ladon!"

"What... what am I doing back here?" Ryu wondered. "The others... where are they?" Somebody else approached. It was Theo.

"They're all fine, grandson." The old man harrumphed. "It was... bizzarre. One night, I had the strangest dream... Sara came to see me. She had friends with her... a man with blue skin, a small child in robes, a beautiful woman with golden hair and a fierce-looking man in black armor. Sara told me to take care of you, and your friends... and then I woke up and walked outside, and the eight of you were lying there on the lawn, unconscious and wounded. They're all fine, but... we didn't think you were going to make it, Ryu."

"By all rights, I shouldn't have..." Ryu agreed thoughtfully. "Sara... how did she..."

"Even now, she protects you." Esma said quietly. "Ryu... we know Sara's dead." Ryu didn't respond. "Your friends told us everything... they've been worried sick about you. Especially the Wing Clan girl..."

"Nina..." Ryu whispered.

"Hello?" Nina knocked on the door before entering. "Is... oh..." Her jaw dropped. "RYU! You're back!" She rushed over and hugged him without thinking. "You've been out for three days... I thought... Ryu..."

"Don't worry." Ryu smiled. "It takes more than that to finish me off. Everybody else is alive, then?"

"We're all fine." Nina confirmed as she released him. "Sara... she and the others somehow saved us all. Ladon's help...? None of us know how... let alone why they did, instead of letting those three finish us off."

"Those three..." Ryu muttered. "Jade... what has he been doing?" Nina's face was grim.

"Ryu, he..."

"Hey, Nina, you in here? We got a red alert!" Karn yelled, bursting in. "That damn thing's headed this way at full throttle!"

"What thing?" Ryu demanded, standing up. Karn blinked.

"Huh? Boss! You're awake... it's Obelisk, boss! They've resurrected Obelisk!" Ryu said something that made his grandparents frown.

"Myria's flying fortress?"

"That's the one." Nina nodded grimly. "They've been parading it through the sky all over the world ever since we came to. Scande's nothing but a hole in the ground... the whole world knows what's going on now. You say it's coming this way, Karn?"

"No mistaking it." Karn confirmed grimly. Ryu ran for the door, with the others following. Once outside, he looked into the sky grimly. Over the ocean to the south, hovering like a specter of death, was the flying fortress, Obelisk. It was half-spherical, like a ship, with an apparently flattened top; from below, they couldn't see what was up there. Its passage was slow but sure; nothing could stop it.

"Jade..." Ryu hissed. At that moment, inexplicably, Obelisk stopped moving forward. It hovered in the air for a few moments, then turned west, away from Drogen.

"No way..." Nina whispered. "How... did he..."

"He knew." Ryu confirmed grimly. "He didn't come this way to blast Drogen... he came here because he knew I was waking up and he wanted to make sure I saw that. In other words, the Gold Lord just threw down the gauntlet."

"So what are we going to do, boss?" Karn asked. "I'll be honest... we're starting to wonder here. Nina's been keeping us together for the past few days, but... you know, the Tiamat Unit were one thing, but an actual GODDESS?"

"It's okay, Karn." Ryu smiled strangely. "I've got a plan. What time is it?"

"Almost sundown." Nina answered. "Why?"

"Just wondering." Ryu turned to go back inside. "It's too late tonight... I'll tell you all the plan tomorrow."

The others in the group were similarly overjoyed to see Ryu back on his feet. Over dinner, they chatted as normal, but behind their words the Light Dragon could sense a tenseness. Something had changed, and they all knew it, even if none of them said it aloud. Several times they tried to get Ryu to tell them his plan, but he steadfastly refused, insisting that they would know tomorrow. Finally, they turned in. The people of Drogen had been rebuilding in Ryu's abscence, and there were enough spare beds for them all. But Ryu did not go to sleep. He waited several hours in his bed, then silently slipped outside. Nobody saw him.

"I'm sorry, guys... but you've done more than enough." He whispered as he sneaked out of town. "I can't ask you for any more... not now." Once he was well clear, he transformed into the Rudra Dragon and took off into the sky. Nina's prediction about this form was right; he was able to rise as high as her Great Bird could easily. He soon spotted Obelisk; even miles away and in the dark of night, there was no mistaking the flying fortress. Now he could see the top of it; it was almost a city unto itself, with ancient buildings rising from the flat surface. Like Wisdon, however, it was all uninhabited and in ruins from the effects of time. One spot near the front caught his eye; a strip that was long, narrow and flat, leading into a small building-the only one that was still in any shape to be entered, actually. It was obviously meant for landings from the air, and Ryu used it for exactly that purpose. Taking a moment to check that there were no guards of any type watching him, he walked into the building. Inside, there were two of the glass teleporter orbs he had seen early on in his adventure; however, one of them was shattered and the other was dull, inactive. Beyond them was a square of earth. Ryu shook his head and muttered a mild oath.

"Damn... and this was the only way in I saw. Maybe if I look around, I'll find a weak point..."

"Not happening." A voice in the entryway behind him disagreed. "Jade may have issued a challenge, but he's not going to make things easy for you, either. This is the only way we'll get inside." Ryu turned to see Nina standing in the moonlight, the others lined up behind her. Before he could say anything, she stomped up to him and did something a casual bystander would judge as suicidal, considering Ryu's present form. She belted him one right between the eyes. Ryu's head swung back, not really hurt but surprised nonetheless.

"Nina, what..."

"Don't give me that, you idiot." She snapped. "A plan. Right. You call this a plan? Flying off by yourself and getting killed? Maybe you could take Goda by yourself, but not Jade... and sure as hell not Myria!"

"I couldn't ask you guys..." Ryu muttered, looking away. "Not for this. Like Karn said, the Tiamat Unit are one thing, but an actual Goddess like Myria... how was I supposed to tell you guys to go up against that? It'd be suicide any way you look at it... but I thought I might at least be able to take them down with me, and this way I'm the only one whose life is in danger..." Nina struck him again, but with much less force this time.

"You fool..." She whispered. "You never even considered what WE would think of that plan... did you? How do you think we'd feel if you died like that, without us doing a thing to try and help you?" Ryu blinked, startled, as the others came closer, faces resolute.

"Boss, I'll admit. The enemy is very powerful... even moreso than before, with Myria's backing them." Bo assessed gravely. "It might not look very good for us..." The Forest Archer's mouth curved upward. "But hell, when has it ever? By all rights we should have gotten our brains beaten out months ago... but we didn't. We stayed alive through five invasion attempts, three encounters with the Tiamat Unit, and an assault on Scande itself. What's one more risky venture?"

"That's what we do." Ox agreed. "It's what we've always done ever since we joined up with you, boss. And we're doing it for a reason. I've got a wife down there, and a kid on the way... you think I want them living in a world ruled by Jade and Myria? I'm ready to risk everything I've got for them. We're the only hope for the future our planet has... I'm not holding back."

"We started this... you were alone at first, but we all joined in for the entire effort, boss." Mogu said firmly. "We have to finish it all together too... it's become our responsibility. Our Clans, our people... all of them, and everybody else... they're counting on us. We can't let them down."

"And that's not all... this is personal, boss." Karn reminded him. "For all of us. Jade screwed with you most of all, I know, but that doesn't change the fact that each and every one of us wants a piece of him... and Goda, too. Those chumps went out of their way to make us their enemies, and the others in the Unit learned the error of that... like we're going to let those two get off with just you gunning for them? Not likely, bossman... not even close."

"They've all got points... and believe me, I know." Deis smirked. "I'm sort of an expert on these things... after all of the ones I've sat through, this is a doozy of a finale. And there's no way in hell I'm missing out on it. I woke up from my hibernation to join in the effort here, and I'm seeing it through to the end whether you like it or not, boss." There was a moment of silence, and then everybody looked at Gobi, who closed his eyes and chuckled.

"You know... less than a year ago, I thought there was nothing that was worth risking getting killed over. You could always just beat it and set up somewhere else. Now, though... I'm probably insane, but I'm not bowing out of this either. And it's not just because of the loan, before anybody makes any wisecracks. I'm with you to the end, boss."

"What they're trying to say... we're trying to say, Ryu... is that you can't just go and try to finish this by yourself." Nina finished. "We're all with you... every one of us. Even if we're going up against a Goddess... even if our chances of dying are worse than ever before. You assembled us... you gave us a cause, a purpose. To save the world. Let us help you, when it's needed most." Ryu looked at them all, one by one, and then he gave them his answer. He reverted to his humanoid form and pulled Nina close. As usual, everybody else cheered and whooped. After a moment, they both turned to their team and smiled.

"Let's go back to Drogen, team." The Light Dragon grinned. "We've got some assault planning to do... for real this time."

"All right, people." Ryu opened the meeting. "You've all made it abundantly clear to me that we're not going to do this half-assed." The others made various responses of agreement. "To start, then, we should make our objective clear." His eyes flattened. "We will attack the flying fortress Obelisk. Our targets are three. First, the Black Warrior, Goda. Second, the Gold Lord, Jade. And third, the Goddess Myria herself. Once we enter, we shall not leave until all three are no longer a threat to the world. Does anybody have anything to change or add?" There was silence for a moment, and then Karn raised his hand.

"About Obelisk... it'll probably come apart if we waste Myria, but in case it doesn't, we're not going to just leave it flying around, are we? We should put something in there about plowing it into a mountain." Bo silently raised an inquiring eyebrow, and Ryu nodded, prompting the Forest Clanner to kick Karn in the shin. "OW! Hey!"

"Anything ELSE?" Ryu rolled his eyes. Nobody spoke again. "All right. Now, we figure out how to make it happen. Mogu, did you get a look at that place while we were up there?"

"I did, and it's not good." Mogu said grimly. "I can't dig through dirt when I have that narrow a space for any great length. Not yet, anyways. Elder Dugron can, though... I'll have to return to Gramor and learn it from him."

"We'll do that, then." Ryu decided. Karn raised his hand again.

"If that's going to take any length of time... could we go back to Bleak while Mogu's learning it? Turns out there's one more of my clan hiding out there... all this time and I never knew it."

"Stop by Bleak for Karn to learn one last Fusion." The Light Dragon nodded. "Anything else?"

"Well..." Gobi frowned. "How are we doing on funds?" Karn slapped his face.

"NOW, Gobi?"

"We're loaded." Ryu told him anyways. "Gust, Spring and Carmen all insisted on giving us 'a little something for our help.' Plus what we got from all the rulers back after we stopped the invasion of the East, we've got plenty. Why?"

"There's an open market section at Prima... only for the very wealthy." Gobi explained. "Like Karn said, if we have a day or two in wait, I should spend it there... I might be able to pick us up some things that could help."

"I feel like a flying taxi." Nina complained mildly. "Maybe I should start charging fare."

"Not if you want Gobi to have enough left to buy us things." Ryu countered, taking out his wallet. As he did, something else fell out of his pocket.

"Hey, what's that?" Deis asked, looking at the stone slab. The Light Dragon picked it back up.

"Oh, this? Just a gift from our OLD friend, Uncle Specs. I ran into him while I was catching a pufferfish for your amnesia antidote, Nina... he pulled this out and let me keep it."

"Huh." Ox craned his neck to get a better look. "What's that writing on it say?"

"Writing?" Ryu scanned it quickly. "This wasn't there before..." On one side of the slab was an ancient engraving. The source of life... where mystic water lies... ultimate power sleeps... On the other side, the writing was much newer. Where we first met-Uncle Specs.

"The Cave of Cleansing Water?" Bo asked, raising an eyebrow. "He wants us to go back there? What do you think, boss?" Ryu was staring at the slab, eyes slitted in thought.

"Yeah... we will. But we'll do that last... take care of everything else first. So, anybody else got something to add?" There was nothing. "All right, then. Gramor, Bleak, Prima, Cave of Cleansing Water... and Obelisk. Let's get to it."

Nina took them to Gramor in only a few hours. The Mole People had all arrived back by now, and they were extremely friendly, almost worshipping with their praise over Zog's death. Underneath it, however, was a hidden desperateness. They knew not even Gramor would be safe from Obelisk.

"Obelisk has to fall." Elder Dugron agreed with the heroes once they had gotten through to him. "However, from what Mogu has told me of the entrance... it would be a tough job, even for me. No... there's only one way to do it. We'll need the Iron Claw."

"Iron Claw?" Ryu asked.

"One of the treasures of our Clan..." Mogu explained. "Where is it then, Elder?" The old Mole Clanner coughed.

"Well... to be honest, I... lost it. Several years back... I dropped it into the ocean."

"Prima." Gobi snapped his fingers. "If it's a treasure, one of my Clan will have found it. And if it's not still for sale in Prima, we can find who bought it."

"Do that." Mogu agreed. "I'll stay here... you have to finish training me in technique as well, right, Elder?" Dugron nodded.

"Indeed. But you're sharp, Mogu... a tribute to our Clan. And I've noticed your self-esteem problem seems to have lessened as well." Mogu nodded.

"It's because of my friends."

"Couldn't have come this far without you, Mogu." Ox grinned. "Learn what you need to... we'll be back with the Iron Claw before you know it." From there, the heroes flew to Prima, making a quick stop at Bleak to drop off Karn. Once they were back in the underwater merchant city, Gobi quickly took them to Trout's bar.

"Guys!" Trout yelled, dropping a mug he had been polishing in shock. "Where have you been? Everybody's going nuts! It's the end of the world!"

"Not if we can help it, it ain't." Gobi disagreed. "Trout, we need your help. Has anybody been selling a strange artifact they found down here recently? We're looking for something called the Iron Claw."

"Iron Claw... oh! Bob sold this strange mechanical claw a couple weeks back!" Trout snapped his fingers. "This old human lady bought it... think she lives on an island off of Tantar." Gobi nodded.

"Thanks, Trout. I owe you one."

"So, we need to find this island now." Bo sighed. "Good luck at the market, Gobi... we're off again." Leaving the fat Maniro in Prima, they soon located the island. Its only feature was a rather pleasant cottage that looked like it was right out of a child's storybook, complete with white picket fence and vegetable garden. A somewhat stout old woman was working in said garden as they landed.

"Don't get many visitors out here." She commented without looking up. "Not saying that I mind, of course, but I'm guessing you people didn't come here just to make a new friend." Deis chuckled.

"Blunt, but effective. All right, then. We heard you own the Iron Claw."

"Sure do." The old woman admitted casually. "I collect weapons of all sorts. It's a hobby of mine in my retirement." She looked up at them. "So, you need the Iron Claw? Well, I'll admit to you right now... I'm not just giving it away, and I don't need money."

"Is there anything else we can do for you, then?" Ryu asked. The old woman nodded.

"You can help me find an old friend. We were in the army together... we shared our hobby. I haven't seen him in over a decade, though... and I don't know where he's gone." Ryu blinked.

"The army... would that be the Dark Dragon Army, under General Hassan?"

"You already know him, then?" She asked, not standing.

"We just might. We'll go check up with him."

"You do that." She nodded, continuing to garden. Heading south, the heroes soon located the tent of the old Dark Dragon ex-soldier who had helped them topple Castle Nabal.

"Well, if it isn't the young Dark Dragon." The old man greeted them. "What can I do for you?"

"We may have a greeting from an old friend." Nina explained. "When you were serving under General Hassan... was there a woman who was a weapons buff like you in there?"

"Sure was." The old man nodded, then blinked. "Wait. Are you saying... she sent you to contact me?"

"You got it." Ryu nodded. "At least, we think it's her."

"Only one way to be sure." The old man vanished into his tent, then reemerged with a long, ancient strip of parchment. "Here... take this to her." It was a list of weapons, most of them crossed out. "We used this to keep track of our collection back in the army... she'll be sure to recognize it. Where is she now, anyways?"

"An island off of Tantar." Ryu informed him. "We'll take this to her."

"Thanks, Light Dragon... here." He pressed something else into Ryu's hand. They all stared. It looked like the boomerang... but at the back, where the bend was placed, a third arm stuck out. The three extensions were balanced exactly the same between them. Ryu hefted it.

"What... is this?"

"I'm calling it the Tri-Rang." The old man shrugged. "A while back, I was exploring the Island of Pagoda, and I found this. It should be even more deadly than the boomerang. Consider it my thanks for finding an old friend for me."

"Yeah... wow." Ryu grinned. "And who says Light Dragons and Dark Dragons don't get along? Thanks. Later, old man."

"Back north..." Deis groaned as they flew off again. "How long has it been since we slept? Argh..."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll take a break soon." Nina told her. Landing on the island again, they found the old woman still gardening. She looked up and saw the list, and immediately dropped her trowel.

"It... is him..."

"You recognize the list then, I take it." Bo guessed. The old woman nodded, taking it.

"I remember... we never did get it completed..." Turning, she ran into her cottage. A moment later, she came back out with a bizzare device. It was a blue, metallic gauntlet with strange dials and knobs all over it. At the front were two iron spikes on either side of a spinning drill. "Here... you've more than earned this."

"So this is the Iron Claw..." Ox said, examining it. "Wierd... but if Mogu needs it. Thanks, ma'am."

"I should be thanking you." She insisted. "Oh... where is he living? I almost forgot..." Nina smiled.

"East of Gant."

"Right." She immediately went back inside. "I'd best start packing for a trip..." She didn't even notice the heroes flying off to Gramor. A few hours after dawn, they staggered in, exhausted, and made for Mogu.

"Hey, guys." He greeted them. "It's going great! How are you?" Wordlessly, Ryu tossed him the Iron Claw. "Wow... this is it, all right! How did you get it, boss? Uh... boss?" No answer was forthcoming; he and the others had all fallen asleep on the floor. Elder Dugron shook his head.

"Kids today... too lazy."

"All right, Mogu... give it a shot." Elder Dugron encouraged him. The group were all back at Gramor, and they were watching the young Mole Clanner. Mogu took a moment to steady himself, then leaped into the air. When he came down, he was a whirlwind of spinning, slashing force. Everybody ducked as dirt clods and wood splinters flew everywhere. When Mogu stopped moving, he was standing in a hole deeper than he was tall.

"All right... I did it!"

"Next time, try not to come down on the wooden stool." Elder Dugron coughed. "That aside, though, very well done. And that wasn't even using the Iron Claw... that was on strength alone. You should be able to get into Obelisk with no trouble at all." The smile on the Mole Clan boy's face was like the sun rising.

"Great job, Mogu." Ox smiled. "And good work finding us these new weapons, Gobi."

"For how much I paid for them, they'd better be good." Gobi winced. "Still, I doubt we'll find better on the whole planet. Sorry I couldn't find anything for you, boss."

"I got a new toy anyways." Ryu smirked, giving his Tri-Rang a practice toss. "All right, Karn. Your turn. Show us your new Fusion."

"Your wish is my command, sahib." Karn bowed flamboyantly. "Bo! Gobi! Ox! Come here!"

"All three of us?" Gobi demanded. "Not just two?"

"This one's special." Karn grinned. "Stop being a baby. Ahem. Fusios Karn Canus Bo Pisces Gobi Taurus Ox! Fusios Puka! Puka!" The spell commenced, and the other four stared.

"What the..." The final fusion was... to say the least, odd. It did not bear the slightest resemblance to any of the four used to create it. Puka was a small, green reptilian imp who hovered in the air on fairy wings. His paws and tail were all curled up, and his mouth was at the end of an elongated snout. As the ludicrous final touch, he wore a purple cap.

"Uh... Puka?" Deis asked hesitantly. "You sure you're the right one for this job?" The little green Fusion didn't speak in response; he curled up into a sphere and took off like a rocket, rebounding insanely off the walls, ceiling and floor too fast for them to track. Every time he hit, he left a dent. Deis hit the deck. "All right, all right! I'm sorry!" Puka instantly came to a halt and uncurled, smiling happily. Unfortunately, when he opened his mouth to reply, all that came out as a warbling combination of squeal and grunt. His eyes crossed, and he defused.

"Have GOT to talk with the guys about that... got to be some way of putting in speech." Karn muttered. Ryu smirked.

"I like it as it is, kinda. All right then, shall we head to the Cave of Cleansing Water?" Fortunately, the trip east to the cave wasn't really that long. Actually going down took even less time; the fanged slugs and giant blobs that had been so dangerous before were harmless to the heroes now. At the bottom, they found themselves on a small island in the middle of the biggest lake they had ever seen. The entire thing was underground, and yet they could not see the cavern walls in any direction. Ancient, broken pillars rose both from the island and from the water itself, and an ancient set of stone stairs descended into the depths. None of this, though, caught their attention. What they WERE focusing on was the most disreputable-looking old man any of them had ever seen. He was wearing a stained and patched tunic and leggings, shoes that did not match, a burlap cloak and a piece of rope for a belt. A battered felt hat completed the effect, and he looked both unshaven and drunk. He doubtless would have been filthy as well, save that he was in the middle of the lake, actually swimming in the Water of Life.

"Hey, kids." Uncle Specs called to them, doing a backstroke. "If you're looking for the Water of Life, you've come to the right spot. Otherwise, you're in trouble."

"Not this time." Ryu shook his head, chuckling. "What about you, old man? Why are you back here?"

"Me?" The old man blew water like a whale. "Talking to God, I guess. Sometimes he even talks back. Quite often, to be honest; me and Ladon have always gotten along well." Suddenly, he stopped swimming, and his face became serious. Grabbing the surface of the water, he actually pulled himself up and stood on it as if it was solid. "Enough. It's not going to work, Ryu. Too many things have changed since the last time, and we don't HAVE time for this any more."

"No, we don't." Ryu agreed, ignoring the slack jaws of the others. "So why don't you take us to meet your boss, already?"

"Strap your Gills on and come on in." Uncle Specs invited, sinking to the bottom of the lake with only a thought. Ryu did as instructed, and after a moment, the others followed. At the bottom, they saw what they could not before; there was actually a door in the side of the island, leading into it. Uncle Specs took them inside. As soon as they entered, the water was gone; just not there, in defiance of all natural law. The building was a perfect cube of glowing marble with only one feature; an altar. On that alter, three old men were standing side by side. The High Priests; Melchior, Belthasar and Gaspar. And behind them was the shimmering apparition of Ladon himself. Without waiting for formalities, Ryu walked up, ignored the High Priests, and to everybody's dismay, delivered a staggering right hook to the Dragon God's jaw. Deis, Uncle Specs and the priests smiled grimly. The others took it less well.

"Ah..." Karn stammered, pointing. "Guh... bah... we're all gonna die."

"No... I deserved that one." Ladon admitted, rubbing his jaw. "Destiny has not been kind to you all... you least of all, Ryu."

"No... not me." Ryu rejoined his group. "Sara and the others in the Tiamat Unit are the ones you should really be apologizing to. But none of that is the issue right now."

"Correct." Uncle Specs agreed. "The issue here... is the Goddess Myria, and her two servants, the surviving Tiamat Unit. We had hoped you would be able to stop her rebirth, but our worst fears were confirmed... it was inevitable. There was nothing any of us could do. Fortunately, we had prepared a contingency plan... that Slab I gave you back outside Obelisk. Now, it's time to put that plan into effect." Bo stared at him.

"Are you saying... the entire time, the hobo act... you were steering us in the right direction for Ladon? Who ARE you, old man?"

"Most names have no meaning." The ancient one shrugged. "I've had many... Martin, Nero, Mygas... but the one I use in this day and age... is Spekkio, Grand High Priest of the Dragon God, Ladon."

"In other words, the only guy in the world aside from Ladon himself we're held accountable to." Belthasar remarked. "You have passed the three stages of the pilgrimage, and mastered the power of the Dragon. Few make it that far."

"However, where the pilgrimage ends is not all that is possible." Melchior admitted. "There is a step beyond that... a step that has been forbidden for millenia. This power may only be taught in the most dire emergencies. The power of Agni."

"The power of Agni... in a way resembles the techniques of the Fusion Clan." Gaspar explained. "It combines the children of destiny... you... into one form. But that form is not just a combination of your strengths... it is an incarnation of Ladon himself, and he shall be with you."

"In layman's terms..." Spekkio sighed. "Goda and Jade, you can handle. They are still mortals... even if they're pumped. But Myria? Not happening. Not even close... by yourselves. THIS will let you play on her level... even the handicap." He scowled. "Obviously, if you even THINK of using this on anybody BUT Myria... well, we won't be able to do anything right away. But I'll have a little... TALK with you when you're done. So I advise against it for Goda and Jade." He relaxed. "You don't need it for them, anyways... trust in your own abilities. This is just for the nasty evil lady who doesn't play fair. Fight cheaters with cheating."

"Enough." Ladon said wearily. "It is time. Ryu... we have something for you." At a nod, each of the priests produced something. Melchior held a shield, made to attach to the forearm in a way that would leave Ryu's hand free to hold the Tri-Rang. Belthasar carried a helmet with an open face and ornamental wings. Gaspar offered a breastplate, thick and strong with a place for the cape Ryu had worn ever since he left Drogen to be attached. All three were green-scaled, with the face of Ladon engraved on them. And in Spekkio's hands was a broadsword, ancient but still spectacular. The hilt was bound with interweaving strips of gold and silver, and the blade was sharp enough to split a hair. "These belonged to the Ryu who came before you. He wore them to his battle with the Goddess Myria. They are yours now."

"..." Silently, Ryu put on the armor... then the helmet, and then the shield. Finally, he took the sword. Facing Ladon, he raised it in grave salute. Suddenly, a bolt of silver lightning blasted from the ceiling, striking the sword. For just a moment, Ryu was lit up from inside with a tremendous power... and then it was gone, and he stood there alone. Ladon was gone.

"Ryu... boss." Bo whispered. "You okay?" Ryu turned around. He was smiling. He nodded, without saying a word.

"That's it, then." Spekkio clapped him on the shoulder. "We've done all we can, kids. The rest is up to you... all we can do is watch and cheer. We'll be rooting for you." The other High Priests nodded. Ryu looked at them, still not knowing what to say. Nina came to his rescue.

"Thanks, guys." She said, standing by the Light Dragon. "And we mean it. All of us." Ryu nodded, and the two of them turned to the rest of the heroes. Bo, Deis, Karn, Gobi, Ox, and Mogu looked back at Ryu and Nina. The looks on their faces spoke louder than any words could. "Is everybody ready? Let's stop Jade!"

Goda, the Black Warrior, walked silently down the halls of Obelisk. The flying fortress still made him uneasy; despite repeated assurances from both Lord Jade and the Goddess, the thought of so much empty air underneath them was not a comforting one. Plus, every so often he would find some place that had come out of the palace, and looked familiar... and then would turn out to be completely changed. Goda shook his head in resignation as he passed a pair of the brutish, inhuman guards that Myria had summoned to patrol the flying fortress. They stopped and saluted at his passing, looking completely unnatural, and would not move again until Goda nodded his acknowledgement.

"No, I don't like this place at all..." The Black Warrior muttered to himself. "Brother... if you had survived this long instead of me... what would you make of this Obelisk?" Thinking of Mote made the painful memories come anew, and Goda halted for a few moments, gritting his teeth. He forced himself to think of what would soon happen. Ryu. Ryu was coming to Obelisk. Finally, they would fight. That thought gave Goda the strength to walk on, towards the core of Obelisk.

"Ah, Black." Lord Jade greeted him as Goda entered the throne room. For obvious reasons, what had been the center of Scande now served the same function in the reborn fortress of Myria. With some modifications; the Gold Lord was sitting on what had been Emperor Zog's throne. "And how are you today, my faithful Black Warrior?"

"Restless, my Lord." Goda admitted. "All I have left is my fight with Ryu and his men. There is nothing else for me to do but wait... this flying fortress and the Goddess Myria hold no joy for me."

"That's a shame, Black. After everything we've done for them... you could enjoy them a little more. Myria likes us, you know... very much. You should try asking her to grant a few easy wishes, at the least... just for the fun of it." He leaned forward, eyes blazing in a way that eerily resembled the dead Emperor's. "It's fascinating, really, how much she can do. She is everything the legends say, and more, Goda... the Goddess Myria. And she's ours... she belongs to the Tiamat Unit."

"We are all that remains of the Tiamat Unit, my Lord." Goda reminded him. Jade leaned back again, making a nonchalant flip of one hand.

"In body, yes... but in soul, they still remain with us, Black. And they shall, until the end of it all." He paused for a moment. "I'd ask Myria to bring them back for a short time... she probably could... but I don't think they would like that. White especially... doubtless they would be very angry with me. No... it is best to let them remain as they are."

"Agreed, my Lord." Goda forced himself to keep his voice calm. "However... we will not remain here for much longer anyways. You do know that Ryu will be coming here again soon." Jade's eyes flashed.

"Black, if there is one thing above all others that I know... that is it." He smiled wider. "After all, what point a party without the guest of honor, hm?" Goda nodded in agreement.

"Yes indeed, my Lord. We shall be ready."

"Oh, yes." Jade assured him. "Have you seen the soldiers our Goddess conjured up to guard this flying fortress for us? True demons, from an underworld far below our realms. And here I had thought they were just old legends... shows what I know of such things."

"They do look formidable... moreso than humans or Dark Dragons." The Black Warrior admitted. Jade snorted.

"I should certainly hope so. Of course, there's no chance they'll actually be able to stop our little invading party, but they'll slow them down... inflict a few wounds. That's where we come in." Goda's eyes lit up.

"Just give the word, my lord, and I'll give them everything I have." He growled enthusiastically. The Gold Lord thought for a moment.

"We'll put you... at the end of the Path of Stars, I think. You can wait for them there, in plain view... near the Yellow Brick Hall. Will that work, do you think, Black?" Goda nodded.

"That will be perfect, milord. Should they dare to enter my sight, I shall assault them with everything I am."

"Oh, they will." Jade promised. "That much is clear to both of us-you know that, Goda. I will wait here, in this throne room at the core of Obelisk... and the Goddess Myria shall be beyond me, in the Hall of the Dark. Be ready for them when they do come... this is it. There won't be any more chances after this... it all ends here, today. It seemed like an eternity before this day finally came... and now it has, and I am ready."

"As am I, my Lord." Goda bowed. "Both for this day, and for Ryu himself. Let him come." He paused and looked around, a bit anxious about something. "My Lord... is there a Statue of Ladon in our fortress anywhere? I have been unable to find one, and I feel the need to pray to the Dragon God one last time before I throw myself into the teeth of destiny..."

"Unfortunately, there are no Statues of Ladon in the entirety of Obelisk." The Gold Lord admitted with an apologetic shrug. "Our Goddess has certain... opinions about such things, and refuses to allow even one. It is unfortunate, but there is nothing to be done... on this matter, she refuses to hear any counterargument, even from me. Sorry, Black."

"Ah well... I cannot truly say I'm surprised." Goda sighed. "It is somehow... fitting, I suppose is the word. Red or Blue would probably have something philosophical to say about it, but I don't really know of such things myself. I just know how to make things come apart... in assorted ways, both living and non. Ever since we met on that road, ten years ago..." The Black Warrior shrugged. "Play to your strengths, and develop them well."

"That is why you were selected to be the Black Warrior of the Tiamat Unit." Jade agreed. "For such reasons were we all selected. It's what we do... what we were born for, and what the others died for." He grinned. "Let's go, Black Warrior Goda. Let's mark the Tiamat Unit's place in history for all eternity with the largest, flashiest finale the world has ever seen."

"For the Unit... for the others... for the world." Goda agreed solemnly. "After all, we are the Tiamat Unit... the six-headed dragon from hell itself. We have no past... we have no future." Saluting the Gold Lord, he turned and left the throne room. Behind him, the artificial light illuminating the room flickered, and went out... but the glowing, dancing eyes of Jade still shone through the darkness.

The flying fortress of Obelisk blotted out the sunset as it soared southwest over the mountains of Auria; a grotesquely ostantatious bulk, wallowing through the sky like a whale in shallows. A keen-eyed observer below, however, might have been able to make out another shape in the sky streaming towards Obelisk; a much smaller, faster and more graceful shape. A bird.

"Watch the landing, watch the landing!" Bo cried as Nina screeched in atop the flying fortress. She came to a perfect stop and calmly looked over one wing at Bo, who grumbled to himself as he disembarked with the others. The single clear building remained where it had been, and entering it presented them with the same crack. Mogu took a deep breath and stood on it, activating the Iron Claw.

"All right... here goes nothing! YAAAH!" Leaping into the air, he came down as a whirling, living drill that plowed into the floor like it was sand. He bored down until he was lost from sight, and then the noise of the digging stopped. "Hey, guys! Come on down, I made it!"

"Knew you could do it, Mogu!" Ryu congratulated him as he jumped down, followed by the girls. There was a moment's pause, and the Puka Fusion brought up the rear. The path ahead of them resembled the final floor of Pagoda; a long blue path hanging impossibly over a bright, starry void. Where Myria's prison had been straightforward, though, Obelisk's path was winding and twisted, forming strange shapes... hearts, stars, crosses. And patrolling the path between them and the stairs down were monsters of nightmares. Hovering ICU Units like the Eye Spy of Krypt... disembodied eyeballs wreathed in masses of blue flame... tremendous crustaceans, stalking back and forth with claws like construction equipment...

"Might as well get the party started." Ryu shrugged, tossing out his Tri-Rang almost carelessly. An ICU was hit and went down with an ugly thwack, causing the other guardian demons to notice the intruders. Roaring, the Light Dragon charged into the fray, striking down any in his direct path with the Dragon Sword. Behind him, more death and destruction came with rapier, cane and claws, and the flying Fusion Puka brought up the rear, bowling stragglers over and knocking them into the stars. They soon reached the stairs that took them down to the next floor, which was much like the room above. However, there was one major difference near the end of the path, visible from where they stood already.

"Goda!" Nina growled. "The Black Warrior!" Goda watched them approach, unconcerned. The huge, red-skinned muscle man had not changed since they had seen him in Pagoda. He still wore his massive armor, and his face was still blank and empty. In his palms, however, he carried weapons now... two sledges, each as big as the ones Ox wielded with both his hands. One was constantly covered with flames, the other carved with stars. When they were only a few feet away, Goda spoke.

"I have waited long for this, Ryu the Light Dragon. Ever since you killed my brother, I have lived for one thing only. To fight you."

"Goda." Ryu frowned. "Tell me one thing. Why did you join Jade? You and Mote... and all the others. Why?"

"You wish to know that?" Goda's brow creased in what at first looked like confusion... and then turned out to be humor. "Heh heh heh... now, at the end, you wish to know of beginnings?"

"We saw some... in Mote's mind." Mogu explained. "And the others said some things... but not enough."

"You wish to know of my beginnings... and Mote's." Goda took up a battle stance. "Very well... this is a place where wishes are granted, and I shall not refuse your request. However... I shall not allow mine to be held back a moment longer. Let's go... all of you!" Roaring, he charged, swinging his hammers like some terrible siege engine. Ryu leapt back even as he transformed to avoid the first hammer that would have shattered his skull like an egg. The second one, he caught in one claw, and winced in pain even as the others took up positions flanking the Black Warrior.

"I barely remember my parents." Goda began talking calmly, even as he swung around to kick Puka in the chest. "It may be strange, as I lived with them for twenty years... but it is probably for the best. I do not know what Clan they were... I assume that one was human, and one was not, but where this blood-red skin comes from I cannot tell. Perhaps an Orc... or one of the demons that guard this place, even."

"Demons?" Deis hissed, hitting the Black Warrior with an earthquake spell. "Myria has summoned them to Obelisk again? I thought those monsters looked familiar, but I did not know they were THAT ilk."

"Indeed they are." Goda nodded, barely missing her tail with his flaming sledge. "There are some who have scales the same red as my hide, so it is possible I and Mote are descended from them as well. The one thing I know for sure is that my parents were monsters worse than I am, even now. They taught me all I knew of fighting, the hard way... if I had been smaller, weaker, I would never have survived." He thrust an elbow towards Ryu, who clamped onto it with his teeth. Unconcerned, the Black Warrior knocked him loose with the hammer of his other arm. "I owe my mighty body to their genes, my fighting skills to their abuse... and yet I would gladly kill them if I remembered where we lived. I wonder if they have heard of me now, and know that their son now holds the world in the hand they created."

"Not for long, you won't..." Mogu growled, slashing at the big man's armored foot. Goda almost absently kicked him away, continuing his tale.

"When I was twenty, my little brother was born. I saw right away that he was different from me... small, and frail. He would never survive under our parents... he wouldn't last a year. They named him Mote... an insignificance, a nothing whose cries they would silence with beatings. So I took him, and I left that cursed family forever. I became a roadside bandit... with my strength, there was nobody who was safe from me. I cared for my brother... it was us against the world, and we were winning. And then, one day months later, I saw who I thought would be my next targets. A man and a woman with long golden hair and white cloaks... and another, slimmer man with his skin and hair both dyed blue."

"Jade, Cerl, and Cort." Ryu realized, unleashing his energy-storm breath. Goda nodded, blocking the attack with his flaming hammer. The implement of destruction was knocked from his grasp and went spinning off into the void.

"Correct. I could not defeat the lead man... he was stronger than me. When it looked as if he would kill me... my brother protected me. Psychic powers... I had never even suspected, but Mote had tremendous untapped potential. The leader, Jade, realized this... and mine as well. He seemed to recognize us, even though we had never met before. He offered us positions in the Dark Dragon Empire... at the top of the most powerful Land in the world. I could not believe it at first... but then, he showed me the truth." The Black Warrior lowered his remaining hammer. "Enough. I have told you what you wanted. It is obvious that you have surpassed me in this form. If you wish to finish this, follow me... otherwise, leave. If you continue onward, I will not allow you to interfere with Lord Jade unless it is over my corpse." Turning, he walked down the stairway behind him. Ryu glanced at the others.

"Anybody actually want to turn back?" Nobody spoke. "That's what I thought. Come on." The next floor down began like the others, with the stars to their sides and back... but in front of them was a huge wall that extended up, down left and right as far as they could see. Directly before the platform the stairs were on was a single tunnel, neither wide nor narrow, made entirely of yellow bricks. The end of it was blank, but they walked forward anyways. And then, as the neared the back... a pair of eyes in the wall opened.

"I gave you a warning... a choice. You ignored it... now face the result!" The entire tunnel shook as Goda roared in anger, and another yellow brick wall dropped behind them, sealing away the path back. But the wall in front of them was what held their attention, as one yellow brick fist and then another ripped out. A massive, humanoid golem lunged forward and loomed over them. "Even before I became the Black Warrior, this form of mine I learned from White was a legend in Scande... they called me the yellow devil. One of our journeys ends here and now!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Goda!" Ryu agreed, launching his energy-stream breath. The mighty golem charged forward, laughing, as he took the attack full-on in the chest. One cinderblock fist struck Ryu in the nose and sent the Rudra flying. Another swerved left and almost swatted Nina out of the air.

"Over here, rocky!" Deis yelled, blasting him with a concussive spell like a thousand explosions packed into a tiny radius. Goda grunted and turned, charging her, only to recieve a hundred pounds of whirling Puka in the face. He took a step back, and Ryu and Deis both blasted him again.

"Grr... try this one, then!" The golem's upper half crumbled, the bricks falling apart and then coming together in a hovering ball of stone above his legs. The wrecking ball blasted out and slammed Nina violently into Ryu, then returned to the Black Warrior and reformed. "Ha ha... what do you think of THAT?"

"On par with the rest of your Unit, about." Nina groaned, picking herself up. "Nasty, sure... heads and shoulders above most people. But to us... annoying, but not enough." Puka screeched his agreement and slammed Goda again.

"Oh, is that so?" Goda reformed his wrecking ball and launched himself once more, this time at Puka. But he didn't stop at one blow this time; he slammed into the Fusion repeatedly, hammering him into the ground. Mogu frantically began slashing at it, and Ryu joined him. Together, they forced Goda back, but what awaited them was not Puka's green form, but all four of their friends who had made him up.

"Ugh... what the hell?" Gobi clutched his head. Goda laughed derisively.

"Idiots... haven't your Clan taught you, Karn? Severe damage to a Fusion will cause it to divide back into its individual components... White told me. You fall apart... just like your entire team will, in the end!"

"You ARE an fool." Bo got to his feet, albeit a bit unsteadily, along with the other three. "We're as tightly bound to each other as you Tiamat Unit were... as you still are. We'll never come apart in spirit. You guys, take five... we've got this covered, don't we?" Gobi, Karn and Ox nodded.

"You sure?" Mogu frowned. "You don't look too good..."

"Trust us, fellas." Karn grinned. "While we were still Puka, we saw how to take this big brute down for keeps... we all know it. Right, boys?" Again, the other three nodded. "You four save your strength for Jade... let us handle Goda, and when we're done, we'll re-fuse and Nina will only have to heal one guy instead of all of us."

"All right." Ryu decided. "Take him down!"

"Fools!" Goda thundered. "You'll regret your overconfidence!" His upper body dissolved again, but this time it did not form into the wrecking ball. Instead, the bricks flew out seperately, mixing with those in the tunnels around them. And then, like a storm of huge, weighted insects, they began flying out, smashing into the four challengers. Growling, Gobi stood his ground, thrusting with his pike at each brick as it passed him. Karn leaped around, knives clenched in his hand, swiping through the air at his foe. Bo launched flaming arrows, knocking the weapons out of the sky. And still the bricks came on.

"Ha ha... keep trying! You'll never defeat me this way-EH?" Goda realized, too late, that Ox was not attacking the bricks. The big Builder Clanner had rushed the immobile lower body, ignoring the impacts the flying bricks made on his bulk. "NO!" The attacks ceased and tried to reform, but it was in vain; Ox's sledge was already descending. It slammed into the top of Goda's abdomen, and the bricks around there crumbled, revealing a glowing ruby, the size of a human heart. A ruby that cracked, faltered... and shattered into hundreds of shards. The bricks reformed around it, but they were immobile... there was no animation, no eyes stared from the head. And then they crumbled into yellow dust that covered the dying body of Goda, the Black Warrior.

"You... were right." Goda breathed, looking at them all with eyes already fogging over. "You... were stronger than I was. I couldn't avenge my brother... but now, at least... I will see him again."

"That you shall, Black." A voice that Ryu had thought he would never hear again agreed. Behind Goda, a shimmering nimbus of silver light formed into Sara... hazy, translucent. Behind her, Ladon watched silently as she bent over and picked up the gigantic man as if he weighed no more than a feather.
"Sis..." Ryu whispered, unconsciously returning to his own humanoid form.

"Hush, Ryu." Sara commanded gently. "You can't get depressed and dramatic now... you can do that after you're done here. Remember, Lord Jade is still waiting for you... Black was only the first of your adversaries here. And beyond Lord Jade lies a power even greater. Go, brother... finish the path you set out upon." And then, she and Ladon and Goda were all gone. The only trace of them remaining was the hole in the wall shaped like the Black Warrior's final form... and the abandoned, star-carved sledge. Ryu stared at it for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Right. Fuse again, guys." He commanded curtly. Karn, Bo, Gobi and Ox did so, and Nina took a moment to heal Puka. "Okay, then. Let's keep going... it's time to settle things once and for all with the Gold Lord."

From then onward, the flying fortress of Obelisk was only more intense. Now, it was a multi-level maze, forcing them to run up and down and across stairways and bridges and ledges, seeing the way down always but remaining so far away. The demons guarding it were many and deadly... yellow, shrieking gargoyles that would come tearing out of shadowy corners the moment eyes were averted... huge, lumbering green ogres... golden masses of slime in forms resembling humans and forms of hovering behemoths... and yet, like the ones above, all fell. In the end, the heroes came out in a familiar hallway... long, red and carpeted.

"Throne room up ahead." Nina remembered. "He'll be in there."

"Jade..." Ryu gripped his sword and Tri-Rang. "You're mine." The five heroes kicked open the double doors simultaneously and marched inside.

"Ah, there you are." Jade greeted them. "I felt Goda's life force slip away, and I knew you had bested him. You've managed to keep up with me... with my Unit... at every step ever since you assembled your own side, in spite of all the odds. Well done, all of you... well done indeed." The Gold Lord now sat upon what had been Emperor Zog's throne. It had been repainted to match his color of choice, Ryu noted, and what had formerly been his over the door was now coated in silver. The four other thrones-blue, red, white, black-remained untouched, but the chairs for the lesser officers had all been removed. Jade himself was unchanged-at first glance. He wore the same clothes, and his face still bore the same cold, emotionless smirk as always. The difference was in his eyes... they were the same as Zog's had been, dancing with internal fire. Whether it had always lurked beneath the surface or had only been brought forth by his recent dalliance with Myria, the Gold Lord's insanity stood clearly visible to them all.

"Jade." Ryu greeted him coolly. "Your Unit is dead. Cort, Mote, Cerl, Goda... Sara." His eyes closed for a moment, then opened, blazing every bit as much as Jade's. More controlled, more focused... but still there. "Get ready to join them. You're dead too, Jade."

"Funny... I don't feel dead." Jade countered. "As a matter of fact, I feel more alive than ever! The Goddess Myria... is amazing, Ryu. She is the ultimate power... truly, beyond mortal comprehension."

"Beyond mortal limits, is what you mean." Ryu shook his head. "She should have remained sealed away for all eternity, Jade... and you, in your foolishness, released her. Now it falls to us to stop her... and you."

"Interesting point there." Jade raised an eyebrow. "Your destinies are not set in stone, you know... and my Unit, as you pointed out, is very dead. If you switch allegiances and join me... by my side, you could understand the power of Myria as well. What do you say, Ryu? Want to rule the world?"

"TELL me you're not serious." Ryu made a disgusted face. "I mean, I know we don't exactly hold each other in high regard-to say the least-but come ON. You can't actually think I'll agree to that." Jade frowned... then laughed.

"Ha ha ha! No, you're right. The Goddess was the one who wanted me to make the offer... I told her you wouldn't go for it, but she insisted. She has this thing about trying to tempt us mortals."

"We noticed." Nina remarked dryly.

"Ah, but you were wrong about something else." Jade informed them. "I DO hold you in the highest regard... all of you. You are peers... equals to me and my Unit. It will grieve me greatly to dispatch you."

"Not happening." Ryu shot back. "Other way around, Jade. We're here to take YOU out... just like we did Zog, and like we will Myria after you're dead."

"Like you will... Myria...?" Jade stared at him incredulously, then laughed again, twice as hard. "Oh, Ryu! And I thought my old friend Zog was insane! But you... you take the prize, my friend! You think... that you will kill MYRIA? Now I'll regret killing you even more!"

"It's not quite as funny as you might think." Mogu smiled darkly. "We've got an ace up our sleeve... from somebody even bigger than your lady friend. The deck's stacked in our favor."

"My friends, the deck was stacked AGAINST you since even before MY Unit was formed." Jade chortled. "You think you know what is happening... and yet, you truly know so little..."

"So tell us." Ryu challenged. "Each time we met one of your Unit, they told us a little more of the puzzle. Now you're the last one left... so you should finish it. How did it begin, Jade? Why did you form the Tiamat Unit, why did Zog go insane? How did you turn five good people into merciless killing machines? TELL US." Interest flickered in Jade's eyes.

"Ha... so that's why you haven't attacked me yet. Curiosity. Very well, I can oblige you that much. Sit back, my friends, and I shall tell you a story of two young men... the best of friends they were. Fifteen years ago, it was... bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they set out on a journey, as young men often do. But this journey was not just for fun and games... it was to unlock a great power, unique to their Clan. To do so, they needed to visit three Dragon Shrines, located all around the world. These young men... their names were Prince Zog, and General Jade. Zog was a forceful young man... charming, handsome, charismatic. He already had the nation behind him, and it was widely believed that he would be a credit to the Land for the history books. His father was old, soon to die, and Zog knew he would take the throne soon. To do so, his Dragon Powers needed to be unlocked, and so he took his best friend from childhood and set off. Jade, now... he was more intelligent, but less popular... he was the quiet one, never given much to social niceties. But he knew how things worked... he could see what people were truly like, behind all their false smiles and bravado. Thus, he was in invaluable asset to the Prince... neither alone would have been able to hold down their positions, and with a weaker partner they would have been only mediocre... but together, they were truly a force to be reckoned with."

"You know... once my father dies... I'm going to be the Emperor, Jade..." A young man's voice came from nowhere. "I'll make our kingdom even greater than it already is... I'll make treaties with the other Lands, friends with the other Clans... I'll unite the world."

"That's a big dream... and it's one that can't be accomplished through willpower alone. You're going to need somebody to help you... somebody who understands both you and the way the world works, Zog." Another voice, this one familiar... Jade's, although the Gold Lord's lips were tightly shut. "But don't worry... it's covered. I'll stay with you the entire way... and give you a shoulder to lean on when you're at the top."

"And so it went, for two Dragon Shrines..." The present Jade continued. "And then, the third came... up near Gust. In that one day... for those two young men... the world shattered. Jade went first... to prepare the way for his Emperor, he said. And there... in that room, the High Priest left. Jade wondered why... and then he found out. The beast that was summoned to fight him... it spoke. While they battled to the death, it talked to him... terrible words, that etched themselves into Jade's mind in fire, every one. And no matter what he did, Jade was unable to silence the beast."

"What did it say...?" Nina whispered. Jade grinned, baring his teeth. It was a hideous sight.

"It told Jade... of the future. And not vague generalities... specifics. It told Jade of what would become of him and his friend Zog when they left here. It told Jade of the Tiamat Unit he would create... of Cerl, heart broken and outcast from her people, with nothing left but revenge... of Cort, altering himself forever in his zeal for knowledge... of Goda and Mote, fleeing from a hell they were born to... of Sara, sacrificing herself to save her people." His eyes flashed. "It told me of YOU... Nina, the Princess of the Sky... Bo, the Forest Archer... Karn, the Prince of Thieves... Gobi, the Merchant of the Sea... Ox, the Mighty Giant... Mogu, the Master Digger... Deis, the Legendary Sorceress-THAT one was a shock, I assure you-and... Ryu, the Champion of Light. And then... it told me of how events would play out between us. Your rising in the Lands of the East... the deaths of my Unit, one after another... my betrayal of Zog, and my freeing the Goddess... and here, where we are now. I already know the truth of what will happen... it is carved in flames, tattooed into my soul. And so, Jade finally slew the beast and emerged with the Power of the Dark Dragon. He watched his old friend Zog enter, knowing full well that when he came back out, he would no longer be the same either... that the final trial would drive him horribly insane, warp his dreams of a unified world into dreams of a conquered world. The lust for domination over all would burn his oldest friend out from the inside... and he watched him go, and did nothing to stop him."

"The truth..." Mogu realized with horror. "Sara and Goda said you showed them... and all the others... does that mean..."

"Indeed it does." Jade agreed. "And now you see the reality at last. To transform them into the Tiamat Unit, I showed Cerl and Cort and Goda and Mote and Sara the same truth that Ladon-for doubtless, it was he-showed me. They all knew the future as well as I did. They knew of their own deaths in advance, and did everything in their power to fulfill those destinies to the letter. THAT is the truth of the Tiamat Unit. In becoming the Unit, we abandoned our pasts... knowing full well the point at which our lives would stop, and we would have no future. And in the last, final moments of his life... even poor, mad old Zog knew it too." Jade threw back his head and laughed, long and deep... and nobody spoke. They all watched Ryu, whose head had become bowed.

"...You." His head snapped up. "How DARE you! Those were people's LIVES you talk about... not just the Unit, but everybody else who died because of the Dark Dragon Empire! And you've been behind it all... steering it all onward, just to make things come out here?"

"That's right." The Gold Lord stood. "And I succeeded. Everything has gone exactly as I wished... now, it's just us here. My Unit died for my glory... now, it's time for the purpose those deaths occured for to come to a head. Are you ready, Ryu? And all of you? Your chance has come. If you disapprove of my life... if you think I was wrong... then show me." He threw his arms wide, welcoming. "Prove to me that I was wrong, the only way you can!"

"Oh, we will..." Ryu hissed, transforming into his Rudra form for the second time. "This is it for you, Jade. You're not the only one who can see the future, you know. I'm seeing yours, right now... and I see death. Take your dragon form, and let's go. For you, everything ends... NOW."

"My dragon form? Oh, no no no..." Jade's eyes began glowing. "That form, while powerful, pales in comparison to TRUE power... the power that only the Goddess Myria can grant... the power that is MINE, and mine ALONE!" The Gold Lord's form became completely dark... as if he was only a vague shape, completely filled in with black. The darkness spread, covering the throne room, and the five heroes stood, alone in the void. And then... in front of them... someTHING moved.

"Ladon..." Nina whispered. The Gold Lord had become a monstrosity beyond their wildest imagination. A mass of biological spheres; the main body a mix of midsized, smooth purple ones and huge, warty red globes. Spiny, yellow insect legs crawled out from the bottom and dangled below. On top, piled in a heap were a mass of tiny orange orbs, with long black tentacles poking upwards from them. And deep inside the entire jumbled mess, two baleful green eyes flashed.

"Behold TRUE power!" Jade screamed in triumph, releasing a blizzard that raged over the heroes like an avalanche. And yet... they stood.

"This isn't true power..." Ryu declared. "This is an abomination... a mockery. You HAD power, Jade... and you threw it away. Zog's mistake, the one that cost him his life, was yours as well... and it will bring an end to you." Flying forward, he sank teeth and claws into one of the warty red spheres. Jade laughed.

"That will avail you nothing... see!" Flickering, the globe detached and flew out, slamming Ryu into a wall before exploding. Instantly, a new one grew in its place. "This body is a living weapons cache... infinitely regenerating, impossible to destroy!"

"Don't count on it, jerk!" Deis raised her staff. "One thing I've learned in all my years... NOTHING is impossible!" The concussive spell she had unleashed upon Goda shook Jade's body, ripping at the interior, and the Gold Lord grunted in pain. Turning, he released another red globe into the Sorceress. As soon as he did, Puka rammed him from behind, then shrieked into the mess. The ultra-high-pitched noise knocked off a purple sphere.

"ARGH! You'll pay for that one, Fusion!" Jade howled, smashing Puka into the floor with one massive claw. Where the purple sphere had been, it did not regenerate; instead, a thick red goo oozed.

"The purples!" Nina realized, swiping at another with her saber. "Aim for the purple ones-ACK!" Another leg had swiped her aside, but the message had gotten through. Ryu aimed for the sphere she had targeted and exhaled, hard. The blast of energy atomized the sphere. In the rear, Mogu dived on another, dug in and ripped it from its socket.

"Got you!"

"Damn... very well, then! Survive THIS!" From the pile on Jade's top, tiny yellow globes were launched high into the air, to rain down on them all... and burst, liquid that smoked and burned.

"Acid!" Deis hissed. They scrambled to brush themselves off, but to no avail. Jade laughed.

"Ha ha... who has the upper hand now, my little heroes?" He sneered... then froze. Something behind him... something familiar... he whirled around and saw silver sparkles raining from Nina, covering her and all her allies, erasing the acid and any previous wounds. "WHAT? Complete healing, instantly... on multiple targets?"

"Ultimate White magic." Nina nodded grimly. "Something I saw your friend Sara, the Silver Priestess, do... and that's not all you get." She pointed behind the Gold Lord, just as a wave of intense pain swept over his back. Every purple sphere on the rear was loosened, weakened in pain. Overhead, Jade saw the edges of the spell; a storm of blistering power, like the Rudra's breath but much more wide-ranging.

"The Comet spell." Deis lowered her smoking cane. "The most powerful Black magic I know... NOW I remember it. Still, I'm glad I did at all." Jade winced as the wounded spheres on his back were finished off by Mogu and Puka.

"It's as I said, Jade." Ryu growled. "This isn't power. You lost your power... and you didn't even realize it."

"What nonsense do you babble?" Jade hissed. "I never give away power... I TAKE it!" This was punctuated by another burst of acid spheres. Ryu stood still in front of the Gold Lord, ignoring the pain and knowing that Nina would heal them again. A moment later, the silver sparkles flashed, and it was gone.

"Your true power wasn't like this." Ryu reminded him. "Your real power... was your team. Cort... Mote... Cerl... Goda... Zog... Sara. If you had kept them by your side... the world WOULD have been yours, and we would be dead by now. Instead, you used them... sacrificed them to fulfill some idiotic 'destiny'. And look at you now... all alone, with nobody left but Myria... and you're losing."

"My Unit died for me." Jade agreed. "They knew they would... and they did so to bring me to ultimate power! Their deaths were their purpose for living... they gave everything for me!"

"And THIS is how you repay them?" Ryu demanded. "Talking of them as if they were some commodity, to be used and discarded? You didn't deserve them, Jade... you didn't deserve any of them! You never intended any of this to be FOR them... you just made them do the work you couldn't, and hid behind your selfish excuse to endanger the world! Their lives were wasted on you... you've made their deaths meaningless!" Behind the globes and orbs, the Gold Lord's eyes darkened.

"You... SHUT UP!" He lunged forward, claws grasping and tentacles throbbing, and Ryu dodged to the side.

"Ha... there we go. Emotion, from the 'man of ice'? Looks like that question cuts pretty close to the truth!" Enraged, Jade dived for him again, and again the Rudra dodged. "But then... why emotion if it's entirely true? Would the man who truly thought of them as nothing but tools be so angered?"

"What do YOU know about it?" Jade demanded, facing him. "You know nothing... NOTHING!"

"WRONG!" Ryu yelled back. "I know EXACTLY what it's like to lead a group of people you trust... care about... rely on... even love. What it's like to lead them onward into an impossible situation... knowing that you might be getting them all killed. And I know... that you're dealing with this the wrong way. Jade... your Unit didn't follow the 'man of ice.' They followed the man who took them in when they had nothing, who picked them up out of the gutters and gave them an entirely new world they never dreamed could be theirs. They don't want you to purge yourself of emotion... not now. Stop hiding, Jade! Don't hold back ANYTHING! If you want true power... then BE true to your power! Not false power from Myria... your REAL strength! Your Unit... and yourself!" Jade's eyes narrowed, and then sagged... brightening.

"Then... you and me?"

"You and me." Ryu nodded. "Until one of us falls. On determination... and will alone."

"Agreed." Jade concentrated, as Ryu inhaled... and then both attacked at once, Ryu exhaling a constant stream of molten energy while Jade smashed out with interlaced javelins of light. Neither moved; they remained in place. Neither let up; they continued attacking. Both were glowing now, the energy being unloaded into their bodies accumulating. And then... only an inch at first, but then more and more... the lances of light began fading. Ryu's energy blast continued, but Jade's weakened... faded... was gone. The spheres shook... trembled... the green eyes dimmed... and then, in one horendous explosion, the abomination exploded into a million pieces, leaving the mangled, bloody, beaten Gold Lord hanging in air. Clothing and skin were both shredded, bloody red, like he had been run through a giant cheese grater. And then with a flash, the darkness around them disappeared, revealing the throne room again as the Gold Lord smashed into the floor, plowing up pieces of tile as he skidded into the back wall. Nobody spoke, but on simultaneous urges, Puka and Ryu both reverted. The eight heroes gathered around Jade, silent... and the Gold Lord spoke, his voice agonized.

"So... I lose."
"That's right." Ryu nodded. "But you gave it all you had before you did. Your Unit... would be proud."

"We are." A familiar voice agreed. This time, Ryu didn't turn... none of them did. They simply parted and stood in rank on either side as the two hazy, ethereal spirits approached. This time, however, they were not alone... five more walked with them. Jade's dying eyes struggled to focus.

"Silver... Emperor... all of you...?"

"We're here to take you away." Ladon agreed. "Your job is done... she has no more purpose for you. Like all who have followed her, she has abandoned you... but we are here to give you rest."

"Her...?" Jade gasped. "Do you mean to say..."

"Correct, Jade." Ladon nodded somberly. "It was not I who spoke to you and Zog."

"...The seal." Deis snapped her fingers. "After all this time... it would weaken, just a fraction. Not enough for her to even think of escaping... but to send her voice to a place where such things are strong... and to alter two mortals." Jade struggled to sit up, even through his fatal wounds.

"To alter... two mortals..." He whispered. "Then... all of it... the truth, the future... she told me that... so I would make it so, and free her?"

"Myria is the Goddess of Lies." Sara nodded somberly. "None of us knew either, until after our deaths... and once we were hers, Ladon could not change us back."

"Jade." Ryu walked forward again. "She told you... that you would lose this fight, didn't she?" Jade slowly nodded.

"Yes... that was what truly pushed me over the edge... knowing that I would die hated, reviled, a figure known and despised across the world... and the only people who thought different, dead before me..." He made a noise almost like a sob. "Yes, I hid my emotion... who wouldn't? I was stricken insane as well, as my Emperor was... I just disguised it better."

"That's why you lost our final batle of wills." Ryu realized. "I had to live... and you knew you would die. And... what did she say would happen after this fight?" Jade looked up at him, smile grim.

"You have to ask? You go on, you fight Myria... and she destroys you all. But..." His smile widened. "That truth... is no longer valid. You said... you had an ace up your sleeves. Is it... a good one?"

"Best I've ever seen... and I haven't even seen it yet." Deis told him. Jade's eyes flickered.

"Then... I have one more thing to say. Ryu... all of you... the Tiamat Unit is dead. Finish... the job. I won't ask you to forgive me... I won't ask you to sympathize with me. I deserve none of that... for my foolishness. All I ask... is that you finish the job. Only when... SHE is gone... will I and my Unit be able to sleep. Farewell... Champion of Light." The Gold Lord's eyes glimmered once, and something glittered in them... and then they were closed, forever. Silently, the Tiamat Unit and Zog stood around him, and together they lifted his body. His sword, unused in the battle, fell and clattered to the ground, ignored. With Ladon leading them, the procession of dead spirits walked away. When they had gone, Ryu sheathed his own sword, and picked up Jade's.

"Let's go." He said, and the seven others nodded. One by one, they followed him out behind the throne, each of them remembering the Gold Lord's face in his final moment. His expression was serene... calm... but his eyes were brimming over with emotion.

Across the starry void the eight heroes walked, on an invisible path to an unseen end. They kept going forward, ignoring the sights that raged around them. War... battle... death... from the Dragon War, the more recent attempts of the Dark Dragon Empire, and other confrontations throughout history. Deis' eyes narrowed with recognition at some scenes, but aside from that, none of them showed the slightest emotion. They simply continued forward. No more demons tried to bar their way; the path was clear. And then, underneath them, purple tiles appeared forming a sunburst. The eight of them stood, one on each arm of it, and in the center, a shining light appeared. Not white, not gold, not any one color but a flickering, flashing combination of every one they knew, it grew and took a form. A small, impossibly beautiful girl with golden hair, wearing a simple blue dress. They had seen her once before, being carried from Pagoda in the Gold Lord's arms. Now, she stood before them directly.

"Hello." She said cheerfully. "You're Ryu, aren't you? And you're Nina... and Bo, and Karn, and Gobi and Ox and Mogu... oh, and Deis! Here you are, come to see me again! It's nice to meet you all again. Did you come here to have a wish granted?"

"Cut the crap." Deis growled. "You know why we're here."

"People come here to have wishes granted." Myria continued, smiling as if she hadn't heard the Legendary Sorceress. "Lord Jade wanted me to grant some wishes for him... I did. Goda didn't, though... he was a miserable man, really. So sad... both of them were, to be honest. You, however... I LIKE all of you. I'll grant any wish you want, for you guys. Go on, ask! Ask me for anything..." Hovering into the air, she floated over to Gobi. "How about money? Gold's an easy trick for me... I can make enough to keep you all happy for the rest of your lives." The Goddess moved in front of Mogu. "Power, too. I can give you that as well... enough to make sure nobody ever laughs at you or thinks you're weak again." Now she switched to Ox. "Perhaps knowledge of the future? I can show you of worlds yet to be created... of people yet to be born. You can see how it will all turn out, now." She turned to Karn. "Maybe life, then? I can grant it, even to people long dead... and not just zombies. I can restore entire Clans to full life, if you ask." She smiled at Bo. "Should I give you strength of mind? All worries, all fears, can be banished forever... you'll never fret over anything again." The Goddess switched to Nina. "And then there's love... with my power, rules and regulations are nothing. You can have who you want, when you want, and nobody can stop you." She glanced at Deis. "You'll have friendship... and respect. You'll never be lonely, ever again... scores of loyal friends, willing to die for you and me." And then she stood before Ryu. "So, how about it? Anything you want, anything at all? Ask, and it shall be granted." Ryu looked back at her, face expressionless... and then he swung at her with Jade's sword. The Goddess leaped back, narrowly avoiding it, and her eyes grew confused. "What? What are you doing?"

"We need no wishes... we make our own destinies." Ryu spoke for them all. "Like those who locked you away, Myria, your temptations won't work on us."

"You... didn't come here to have a wish granted?" Myria's smile disappeared. "Then... why ARE you here? Why did you draw your sword on me? Do you want to fight me?"

"Now you get the picture." Bo smiled humorlessly as the others all readied their weapons. "You probably know this already, but Goda and Jade are already dead. That just leaves you. The Goddess Keys are gone... even if we had them, we don't know how to seal you away again. That leaves us with having to get rid of you the old-fashioned way. I suppose it's a bit inapproriate for one of your stature, but it's all we could come up with, so you'll just have to be satisfied with it." Myria stared at him for a moment, and then she put her hands to her eyes as large tears began welling out of them.

"No... don't! I don't like fighting!"

"Tell that to all the people you killed in the Dragon War!" Deis yelled scornfully, releasing her Comet spell. It was like a starting gun; the other seven rushed forward and attacked. Sword, bow, rapier, sledge, daggers, claws and pike all struck home, accompanied by more destructive spells from Deis.

"Stop! Please!" Myria sobbed, making no attempts to fight back. They ignored her and continued... and still she did nothing but scream in pain every time they struck. The wounds they inflicted should have been fatal, but the little girl just cried and bled more, begging them to stop. "It hurts... it hurts! No more... I didn't do anything! Please... don't hurt me any more!" Slowly, one by one, the heroes began lagging in their attacks. Ox was the first, followed by Mogu... then Nina, and Karn... Bo and Gobi. Finally, even Ryu and Deis pulled back.

"This... this ain't right, boss." Karn muttered, subdued. "This isn't how it's supposed to go... is it?"

"Yeah..." Gobi agreed. "I mean, I know who she is... but... just looking at her, you just... can't."

"This is probably bullshit... but... I can't either." Bo admitted. "I don't... I don't kill little girls, boss."

"She's not really a little girl... she's a Goddess... but..." Nina shook her head. "What's wrong with me..."

"After everything she's done..." Mogu said, trying to convince himself. "She's responsible for it all, but... she looks... kind of like my sister..."

"I'm... thinking of my kid." Ox sighed. "What... if it's a girl? What if it... looks like this? Geez..."

"Stop it." Deis snapped. "All of you... and me, too. We have to stop thinking about it. Of course... it would help if SOMEBODY would fight fair... sister." Everybody broke off their talking to stare at Deis... and then at Myria, who was smiling again.

"I was wondering when you were going to acknowledge that, sister. You barely tell anybody about it... sometimes I think you're ashamed of me. But I still love you, sis... even though you sealed me away."

"SISTER?" Nina demanded.

"That's right." Deis nodded. "She's my twin sister... always has been. We're nothing alike, fortunately... although what she REALLY looks like does have a snakey touch to it, I suppose. Why don't you show them, sis? Let me see your REAL face again, hm?"

"If you really want me to..." Myria pouted. "But you don't REALLY... do you? You don't hate me, really... do you, sister? You know I care for you... and you try to pretend you don't care about me, about anybody. You put up a tough facade, but you really do get so lonely over the years... and I'm the only one who sticks around." She made a face. "Well, there's dad too... but he's not exactly the social type. Why, I'll bet the two of you haven't had one father-daughter moment ever since you've woken up again. He barely ever even came to see me when I was locked away." She smiled again. "But I don't hold grudges, sister. We can be friends... good friends, all of us. You're all a very close group, aren't you? Don't you have room for one more member? Please? Come on... I'll do anything for you! Like I said, I like you guys! Won't you all be my friends?" Deis' teeth gritted, and her eyes were closed. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"This is a trick..." Ryu spoke for the Legendary Sorceress. "She's trying to turn us... like the Tiamat Unit. We have to be strong... resist her..."

"Did somebody call our names?" A new voice broke in. A strong, confident woman's voice. Above Myria, seven hazy, ethereal figures appeared. Cort... Mote... Cerl... Goda... Zog... Jade... and Sara. All of them looked upon the child goddess with scorn as Sara spoke again. "Don't be taken in, little brother. This is the Goddess of Lies, remember? You can't beat her like this... like you are now."

"I am not!" Myria turned to them, indignant. "I've done nothing!" Sara shook her head in contempt.

"You can't snare us again... we're beyond your reach forever, now. Ryu... simply being in her presence like this exposes you to an assault you can't see. She's fooling your heart... she does that to any mortal who sees her like this. She is evil, hidden in lies of innocence. The only way to turn it off... is to see the truth. Ladon prepared you for this, but you have to actually take action. Use the power of Agni... that will show you the reality here." Myria's eyes suddenly caught fire, turning into live coals.

"Agni! You have that? He gave you THAT?" She whirled on Ryu, and her hair flew upward, lifted into the air in a violet nimbus of power that suffused her body. "Don't you dare...!"

"Agni, huh..." Ryu smiled coldly. "All right, sis... you've made your point. We've got this." The Tiamat Unit nodded and vanished as Ryu closed his eyes, feeling for the power inside him. "Ladon entrusted us with this power... it's time for us to live up to that trust! The truth now, Myria... let's see what you REALLY are!" His eyes blazed golden, and Myria fell to the ground, stricken.

"You... you actually mean to do this." She hissed, all traces of good will gone. "You mean to fight me... mere mortals want to fight ME to the death!" She smiled, showing a mouth full of vicious fangs. "Very well then... I tried playing nice! Now, I'll let you join your friends in the Tiamat Unit! You gave me no choice... now face the consequences!" The small girl shimmered, and her entire form-skin, dress, hair-shifted texture, becoming scaly yellow skin. From below, long tentacles unfolded, like an octopus... but they were not tentacles, but fanged worms, grinning mouths dripping with poison. Where their back ends joined, a twisted torso bulged upward, covered with blue eyes and long horns. Two spindly, sticklike arms ended in clawed hands. And yet it was the head that was worst of all. Not one, but two hideous mouths filled with rotten fangs grinned gruesomely down, with a pair of tiny, beady eyes just above them. The Goddess Myria, larger than even Zog had been, glared down at them with pure hatred. "Light Dragons... always, always interfering! Always spoiling my fun! Not even the Dark Dragons could kill you... but I can! Tremble, puny mortals, for a Goddess is here to strike you down!" And yet... despite the awesome, impossible might before them... not one of the eight heroes had fear upon their face. Ryu looked up at the Goddess of Lies, with eyes blazing, and spoke four words.

"I don't think so." The golden light from his eyes spread out, and touched the other seven, forming an interlacing network of power... and then they disappeared, even as Ryu grew, grew like the Goddess had. Myria stared in disbelief as the titan rose. A centaurian body, four taloned legs and two powerful arms... a curving tail, and a huge mane and beard of brown fur. Multiple horns jutted up, and two broad, pure white wings stretched. And the face... was like every dragon in the world, pulled together into one. No... it was the face of Rudra, and it was the face of one other. Ladon himself. The mighty face raised, and its eyes flashed.

"Agni..." Myria whispered, in awe of the titan that had risen to rival even her power. "He has truly... come to you."

"I am one with Ladon." Agni agreed, his voice deep and rich. "No... I am an incarnation of Ladon himself, created by the wills of eight heroes. My existence serves one purpose. Ridding the world of you." His mighty arms flexed, and his feet pawed the floor. "You are a Goddess of Lies... but I am a God of Death. YOUR death, Myria." Agni roared, and in that roar was a million bolts of light. Myria was knocked back... but she rose again, and on her twisted features was... intrigue.

"Ha... ha ha ha! A God of Death, you say? Ha! How interesting, how terribly terribly interesting!" She buckled with mirth, and her snake heads laughed with her. Agni frowned.

"You laugh? You still think this is a joke?"

"Oh, no... you are a very real threat to me." Myria agreed, still grinning. "I'm just so happy... happy to know that people like you still exist today. You change the world, no matter what you do, just by being in it... that's the only way you could pull this off. In other words... you're like me. Come on then, Agni! Let the world tremble at our coming!" Agni frowned... then smiled.

"NOW you're talking my language." The room around them was destroyed; despite the illusion of starry void, it had its limits, which were too much for one of the titans, let alone both of them. They now stood atop the floating fortress of Obelisk itself, soaring above the clouds for the whole world to see. And the world saw the Gods clash. Agni rushed forward, arms ourstretched, and Myria met him head-on, their arms clanging together. Palm to palm, they shoved and struggled, trying to force the other to back down. When they saw that neither of them would, they turned to other methods; Agni lowered his head and thrust, goring with his array of horns. At the same time, Myria's lower mouth opened, and a froglike black tongue lashed out as a whip, trailing acid. Both fell back a few hundred feet-a few steps for them-then looked up and smiled before charging again. This time, however, Agni ducked under Myria's grasp and grabbed one of the fangworms, twisting it violently. The other worms attacked, snapping at his sides, and the Dragon God was forced to fall back with his target only wounded, not removed.

"Is that all you are?" Myria asked scornfully. She raised a hand, and a ten-foot-thick lance of ice speared her opponent through. Agni stumbled, but did not fall.

"Not at all... I've got all sorts of tricks, just like you. Here's another one!" Drawing a pair of flaming daggers out of nowhere, he spun and threw them with deadly accuracy. Both meteors of fire slammed into the wounded fangworm, which writhed once before flopping to the ground.

"You'll pay for that one, wretch!" The Goddess of Lies promised furiously as her remaining fangworms opened their maws. Out from each came a blast of water, but not gentle water like a lake, or even dangerous water like a river. These high-pressure blasts of water were the kind that men had once used to tear down entire mountainsides. And yet Agni was not torn down. Reaching out again, he created a sledgehammer that crackled with electricity. Striding forward, he swung it repeatedly to knock the water aside, away from his advance. Myria's tiny eyes widened as he reached her and swung the sledge with deadly force, releasing it at the last moment to smash into her chest. The Goddess of Lies tumbled back, shrieking.

"How's THAT for a piece of work." Agni huffed, replacing the hammer with a pair of mighty claws, thicker than his arms. Rushing forward, he struck Myria as she struggled to rise again, slamming her into the ground with enough force to actually embed her there, then tearing another fangworm off and hurling it away. "Ha! They were right... I CAN win!"

"How's THIS for right, MORTAL?" Myria raged, summoning a tornado that flung Agni away, skidding across Obelisk. Rising again, the Goddess of Lies swept his entire body with a lightning bolt that she wielded like a flail, striking again and again. "Die... die... DIE!"

"Not happening, lady!" Agni suddenly caught the bolt in one hand, then snapped it with a quick motion as he stood. Below his feet, a tidal wave rose, lifting him high into the air. The Dragon God surfed on the force of the water, holding a pike in front of him like a jousting lance, straight towards the stunned Myria. "Matter of fact, beatdowns for YOU are on sale right here and now! NO PURCHASE NECCESSARY!" The Dragon God and his weapon slammed into Myria like a meteor's impact. The pike emerged from between her shoulder blades, covered in black blood. And yet, Myria smiled.

"Got you!" Her spindly arms suddenly tightened around Agni's upper body, pinning him to her as the fangworms began savaging his hindquarters. The Dragon God struggled, but to no avail. Gloating, Myria concentrated and raised chunks of the debris from around them, then slamming them into the Dragon God's unprotected back. One particularly large, pointed one pierced him through. "YES! A fatal strike! How loudly do you strut now, my wretch?"

"I don't strut..." Agni growled. "I just keep walking forward!" The white wings on his back suddenly began beating, creating wild currents of air and slamming into the locking arms. Shrieking, the Goddess of Lies desperately tried to keep her hold, but Agni freed one arm and instantly filled it with a rapier that he slashed her body with. Despite her efforts, she was knocked loose.

"Damn you... so your body is as tricky as mine! Why... why won't you DIE?" Her palms thrust out, and two mighty flamethrower blasts were emitted, bathing Agni's head. Unconcerned, he strung a colossal bow with not arrows, but tremendous icicles. Two of them, one for each palm, shot forward and impaled the appendages.

"Why won't I die? Simple truth, missy." His eyes flashed. "I... am stronger than you."

"You are MORTAL!" She howled with rage. From her upper mouth came a ball of glowing blue energy that struck Agni in the chest. With it, she directed all her hateful power, her immortal strength, willing this inmpudent mortal to die now, for his heart to stop in his chest, never to beat again, to perish... and then, to her shock, Agni opened his own maw and fired it right back into her. For a single moment, she felt her body freeze, and then she frantically forced it back into action. Agni raised an eyebrow.

"Am I now... sister. If you're a Goddess... what does that make ME?" Myria paused for a moment, as if considering it... and then the Goddess of Lies raised her shattered hands heavenward, almost as if beckoning, with the surviving fangworms turning their sightless heads upward as well, keening.

"What does it matter what it makes you now... for in just scant moments, you will no longer exist in any form at all!" Agni glanced downward, startled, as the entire surface of Obelisk below him began glowing white... and then it erupted, thousands, millions of energy bolts rising upward, bearing him along in a flood of pain, of power. Upward he rose, and Myria watched him writhe, smirking in exhausted satisfaction... and then her eyes froze. The Dragon God was glowing as well. From his pain-wracked body, Agni struck back. A web of pure, impossibly bright light, streaking and crisscrossing and darting through the swarm of Myria's energy, converging on one point. Her. Myria screamed as Agni's power flowed into her, grinding her down into Obelisk, even as her own continued to drive him skyward.

"No..." Agni growled, then roared. "I WON'T DIE. This world still has need of me... but for you, it has none. Fade away and disappear, Goddess of Lies... this world will NEVER be yours." Myria glared upward, refusing to surrender, even though every pulse of energy was like a sword through her heart. A sword that Agni held, she now saw, that the light was emitted from. But that wasn't all she saw... around him, she saw the faces of the eight heroes that made him up. Snarling, she increased the energy flow from Obelisk, not caring about what would happen as a result. All that mattered was removing the hated beast above her from existence. The eight faces faltered, and began to fade, and she pressed forward in victory... but then something flickered at the edge of her vision. Turning, she saw seven tiny forms charging her head, each a different color. Involuntarily, she turned one hand to swat them away, and realized to her horror that her hand passed through them, the seven figures insubstantial wraiths. She whirled back, but it was too late; in that one moment of distraction, Agni had released the last of his power, doubling the size of his energy net. As the light rushed over her, Myria saw her own flood of death fading, Obelisk dissipating. Dimly, she saw her fangworms falling limp, losing control of arms that were no longer there. The Goddess of Lies fell apart like dust in the wind. Even as she felt herself fading away, she looked upward one last time, and saw the eight... no, the NINE faces staring down at her. The last one, the one in the center, held her attention the longest... and she smiled.

"You think... you've won, don't you?" She laughed with a mouth that was already dissipating into nothing. "You thank existence that you're finally rid of me... while sorrowing that you had to do this. I know you all too well... too well for your victory, as it turns out. Even if... I am gone... a seed has... been planted. My will... shall remain in this world, even after. Watch for it... and prepare your Light Dragons. It is coming..." And as the last teeth disintegrated, the stricken Goddess of Lies cried to heaven one final word that reached the farthest star. "FATHER!" And then... she was gone.

There was absolute silence. Not even the wind dared to make a noise. And then Agni landed. Shrinking, he became a glowing ball of light that divided into eight seperate, exhausted forms. Only Ryu moved; he stood, and raised the Dragon Sword in one hand, and Jade's blade in the other.

"Master!" He announced to the heavens. "It is finished!"

Below them, Obelisk rumbled dangerously. Without the Goddess of Lies to power it, the flying fortress would normally fall like a stone... indeed, that was how it had lodged in the southwest mountain range, all those centuries ago. The battle of the Gods, however, had nearly split the boundaries of reality itself, and Obelisk could take no more. With the indescribable noise of ripping steel, the entire flying fortress tore itself apart, exploding into two large pieces and millions of smaller ones. The main body of the fortress went down south of Auria, slamming into the mountains there and flattening a good portion of them. The earthquakes were titanic. Another, smaller but still substantial piece landed in the northeast edge of the Desert of Arad. The rest was scattered to the winds, a million pieces of twisted metal and broken desire. All who could see it watched, breathlessly, hoping against hope to see something else... and then, they erupted in glee as a single, startlingly large pink-feathered bird winged its way out from the explosion and streaked across the sky, carving a path through the clouds themselves.