Updated as of June 7, 2007

Disclaimer: This story represents the deflowering of my virginity. I wrote it a long time ago, over the course of a friendship that has since ceased. At this time, a rough period in my life, I would like to take a moment and dedicate this story to her, and the rough life she had when I knew her, and probably still has.

Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits
Choco's Rescue

The unforgiving sun beamed down heavily on the desert continent of Halshinne. The once bountiful land, scorched to near death by the heat of the sun and by the carelessness of the Dilzweld Empire, lay flat at the mercy of the elements, and of the harsh nature that inhabited the unfortunate deserts.

Down in the far south of Halshinne, near a tide pool whose waters had once belonged to the vast ocean, Darc and the other Deimos dismounted from their capable but exhausted Pyron, who was relieved to have the opportunity to rest. Darc hopped down, patting the Pyron's back in an uncharacteristically affectionate way. He glanced at the others blankly, not really paying attention. He watched Delma and Camellia arguing over who had the better tan, saw Volk standing at the grassy edge of the oasis. He watched Bebedora who, in turn, was watching her reflection in the deep, dark pool of water. He could only see half of Choco; the other half was hidden from view inside her pot as she rummaged around, looking for her ribbon.

Darc sighed. He was preoccupied. The events of the last few weeks had bothered him greatly. He had wished many times that he hadn't learned the truth about his father... and about the Wind Stone. He looked at his Dragonia Ring, and shook his head. He didn't know if he was prepared to lead the Drakyr. He shook his head, disgusted with himself. If he could lead Orcoth, surely Drakyrnia wouldn't be any harder.

Would it?

That was two weeks ago. He remembered the dragon guardians vividly, felt the scars that their teeth had left behind. He had too many bad memories, he thought. He kept clinging to his task, keeping in his mind his motivation, finding his courage, the skill he had to lead the Deimos. One day, he would save the Deimos, save all of them, from the Drakyr, to the Orcon, to the poor souls of Barbadoth. It was power, he reassured himself, it was all about power.

But Droguza...

He remembered the Megist, the things that had happened there. He looked once again at Camellia. She and Delma were still arguing ("It's not a sunburn! My skin is naturally pink!" yelled Delma). Darc watched her, still amazed at the startling difference between the withered old plant that she used to be and the stunning blossom that she had become. That was the change he wanted to make, the impact he wanted to have on all the Deimos, and to do that, he needed power.

But he remembered Droguza. All he had wanted was power, and then... Darc had once thought of him as the noble survivor of an extinct race of Deimos. But that had all changed. Darc unconsciously palmed the crest on his arm as he thought about it. Droguza's mutation... his death. It was a dishonorable way for a proud Deimos warrior to die... even if the Deimos warrior wasn't a real Deimos at all.

He looked again at the others. Of all of them, only Volk seemed to share Darc's discomfort as he stared off into the vast desert horizon. Darc walked over to him, dodging a clod of dirt that flew from Delma's hand. Volk still stared off into the distance.

"You did the right thing, Darc," he said.

Darc blinked, adjusted his breastplate. "I don't understand it. Why would a man create a creature, if he were only going to destroy it?" He looked down at his sword, drew it from his belt. "I could draw a picture in the sand with this blade," he said, "and all it would take would be a flick of my foot and it would be gone. But why would I do that? That picture, if I let it be, could be a home to an insect, or maybe inspire someone to write, or paint... one simple sketch in the sand could do great things. So why would I take something that had so much potential, and just snuff it out, not giving it a real chance?"

Volk shrugged. "Sometimes there are those who are destined not to have that chance..."

Sensing that Volk was thinking of his family, Darc remained quiet at that. He had great respect for a Deimos who could keep his fighting spirit after such tragedies had shaken his life. Darc remembered how Volk had fought in the Rueloon arena. The two had fought side-by-side against the most difficult foes. For thirty battles, they fought. And won. Darc turned to look at Choco, who had found her ribbon and had joined Delma and Camellia in their dirt clod war. Such a unique prize; when she had hopped out of her pot, Darc had thought that he'd need to protect her. It didn't take him long to see how wrong he was... and how lethal Choco's shoes were.

He had taken the sudden addition to his team in full stride with the rest of the strange things that had been going on lately. He had originally only entered the tournament in Rueloon to become strong enough to defeat Darkham. Now he had an extra edge in that fight, and couldn't wait to exploit it.

He nodded to Volk, who took the motion as his cue to join the rest of the scattered Deimos. Darc coughed and, before he turned to leave, he stuck the tip of his sword in the sand at his feet, drawing a likeness of the Crest of Will in the earth.

Satisfied with this, he returned to the tide pool and cleared his throat audibly. Instantly, all eyes turned to him. Choco stopped hurling dirt clods and Camellia and Delma, who had already stopped fighting, sheepishly pulled dirt out of their hair and clothing. Bebedora turned from the pool to stare blankly at Darc in her usual, perforating way, and Volk, whose attention Darc already had, silently scratched his muzzle.

Darc looked them over. "All right," he said, using the best authoritative voice he could muster, "we all know what's coming. We're headed for the Maluise tower, and we will kill that dog, Darkham, for what he did to Droguza." He looked down. "Droguza may not have been a real Deimos, but he was as noble as any I know... and much nobler than any of us could ever be," He looked up again. "But we cannot let his memory vanish into thin air! Droguza will be avenged, and Darkham will get what's coming to him." He looked at each Deimos in turn. "All of you have worked hard, fought hard. You've all earned what you've gained, and we've done more than any Deimos has done before."

He blinked. "If any of you want to back out now, then I won't stop you. Hell, I can take on Darkham myself, and you all know it. If you don't want to stand beside me and fight, that's your call. I won't think any less of you. But if you're going to back out, it will have to be now."

There was a shocked silence. Darc had never said anything like this before. Only Volk knew what he was thinking. He didn't want to lead any more Deimos to their deaths, like he'd done to Droguza. Volk looked around at the others beside him, who were all stunned and confused. Finally, he stepped forward. "Darc," he said, "I don't think that we're going to get anywhere just standing around talking. Let's go."

The others nodded in agreement, and Darc, though his expression remained unchanged, breathed a silent sigh of relief. They were all going to stand by him. Wordlessly, he turned and headed off the grassy edge of the oasis in the direction of Barbadoth and the looming Maluise tower, with his team closely in tow.

The drawing of the Crest of Will remained etched in the sand as the six Deimos disappeared into the distance.

"I'll kick your ass! TORNADO!"

Delma shoved her palm forward and a blast of wind blew a mummy off his feet. She sprinted across the heated desert to pursue him further.

The battle raged across the Kanara desert. The cries of spells and the whistling of swords through the air could be heard everywhere. Claws slashed, earth shook, fire blasted. The combat was intense.

"Take this!" yelled Darc as he sliced his opponent across the side and turned to duel with another one. Nearby, Volk made a move to hack at a desert devil, which dodged and retaliated with its claws. Camellia, who had just dispatched another devil, tossed him a great herb and hurried to aid Bebedora, who was facing three mummies.

"My puppet threads a weave of despair..." she said as one approached. Soon, it turned and began to attack one of the other advancing foes. The enemy fell from the onslaught from the mummy and from Camellia's ranged attack. At that moment, the third mummy advanced behind her, unnoticed.

"GET OUTTA HERE!" came the voice of Choco, as she blasted the mummy away with a jet of water. She landed upon the wet sand, bouncing happily. "This is fun." She turned to see another devil skittering away from her and, delighted at the prospect of more entertainment, she ran after it.

It wasn't long before the sand settled back to the ground, and the battle subsided, leaving Darc and the others standing amid dead mummy corpses and desert devil wastes in the otherwise empty dunes.

Darc sheathed his sword, watching Bebedora vaporize her mind-controlled mummy. "You were my puppet," she said, "and you were an enemy. Now you are no more." She looked around herself. "There are no more enemies." She looked at Choco. "Are you the enemy?"

"'Eminy'?" Choco replied. "What's an eminy?"

Delma walked over to stand next to Darc. "I hate mummies. They give me the creeps."

"Still trembling, Delma dear?" wafted the flowery voice of Camellia, prompting Delma to turn a deeper shade of pink.

Darc shook his head, looking around at the various gold pieces and spirit stones scattered around the battlefield, and at Choco and Bebedora, who were busy collecting them. Some of the coins he had already collected jangled in his pocket as he walked across the sand. Volk was nursing a scraped leg he had received from the devil's claws. "You all right?" asked Darc, and the lupine nodded, wrapping a bandage.

Darc bent over and picked up a hard stone from one of the corpses and tossed it over his shoulder. "Worthless," he said.

"Well, what'd you expect?" said Volk, catching it. "A life tree berry?" He tossed the stone up and down in his hand. "It's a wonder these mummies didn't fall apart because of these stones. Hell, they were no match for my blade." He laughed. "But then again, nothing is."

Darc chuckled, despite himself. "I wouldn't be so sure." He drew his sword again. "Care for a rematch?"

At that, Volk swooned suddenly. "Oh, my leg! Ouch!" he cried, in mock pain. Darc laughed. "That's what I thought."

It was then that he saw Choco picking up a small pile of spirit stones. "I wonder how it tastes!" she said, eyeing a bright blue stone curiously.

And without a moment's hesitation, she popped it into her mouth.

"Choco! Don't!"

Darc and the others ran over to the bewildered Choco, who had just swallowed the spirit stone. Camellia knelt down in front of her. "Choco," she said, "why did you do that?"

Choco shrugged. "It looked yummy. I wanted to know how it tasted." She burped, and some blue-green mist wafted out of her mouth. She giggled. "Choco's making blue stuff!"

Camellia shook her head and stood up. "From what I can tell, she's all right. We'd better move on."

Darc nodded, and the pack of Deimos started down the desert path.

Choco however, had only walked a few steps before she stopped and clutched her abdomen. "Oooh..." she said, "Choco doesn't feel so good..."

She stumbled forward a bit towards the other Deimos, and presently fell down, face first, into the sand, unconscious.

The few seconds that it took her to fall were enough for Camellia to return to her side. She carefully flipped Choco onto her back and breathed a sigh of relief. "She's still alive." She stood and motioned for the others to step away. Then she held her flower between the palms of her hands. "'Tis my love," she said, "please accept it." She raised the flower high. "Vital Energy!"

The air around Camellia shone out in a rainbow of light and colour. Streams of star-like like swirled down from the air, encompassing both Camellia and Choco. The stars settled on the ground, emitting their healing light, and Darc and the others immediately felt the strength that they had lost returning to them.

Finally the green glow and the bright starlight faded, and the spell drew to a close.

Choco was still unconscious.

"Damn..." Camellia muttered, then turned to Darc. "There's very little I can do for her out here in the desert. If we return to Barbadoth I may be able to work with the medical Quorop there and find out what the spirit stone has done to her."

Darc hesitated, reluctant to delay any further. Finally, he nodded. Camellia smiled at him, then turned to Delma. "Do you have any revival medicine?"

Delma nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know if it's enough."

Camellia took the medicine from her, returning to Choco's side. "It won't revive her," she replied, "but it should be enough to sustain her until we reach Barbadoth." She opened Choco's mouth, pouring the contents of the small bottle down her throat. She stepped away, and Volk lifted her up, heading in the direction of Barbadoth. The rest of the Deimos followed him.

Darc, however, couldn't help wondering what a spirit stone tasted like.

Upon reaching Barbadoth, the Deimos were greeted by the familiar stifling heat and overwhelming stench, the signatures of the unfortunate village's environment. Countless creatures, Deimos and monster alike, lined up for water from Barbadoth's only source: an ancient pump whose contents weren't very appetizing.

Barbadoth couldn't really be considered a village; it was a refugee camp, a well-lit display of the atrocities of the Dilzweld. Every soul that found its awkward way to Barbadoth had nothing more to lose, save for its life. A dead mummy lay decaying next to the water line as Darc's group walked by. They walked past the mummy and past the line, ignoring the Deimos that was delivering a rallying speech to a waiting crowd.

Their destination was the marketplace. One of the more populous shopping centres on Halshinne, the Barbadoth marketplace was a hotbed of lost antiques and rare items. Thus, Barbadoth often attracted a higher class of Refugee, and even some off-continent Deimos, mostly of Orcon or Lupine descent. The Quorop merchants here were usually busy in the market, but today as Darc entered, the place was nearly deserted.

Darc shrugged. So much the better, he thought.

They found the Quorop medic and walked over, Darc and the Choco-laden Volk in the lead. The Quorop was busy packing a large bag. "What?" he threw over his shoulder, seeing the shadows approaching. "I'm busy."

Darc cleared his throat. The medic bristled, still not turning to look. "I said I'm busy. Go away!"

Darc cleared his throat once again. Finally, turning to look, the Quorop said, "Look, I already told you..." He stopped mid-sentence as he realized who he was talking to. "Darc! Uh... I... wasn't expecting you!"

"Apparently," Darc replied. The Quorop's skin went pale. Satisfied, Darc continued. "We've got a sick Deimos here. We need your services."

The medic, who looked concerned for his personal safety, swallowed and replied. "I'd love to help you Darc, but the last healing wells in this region have dried up, and my medicinal supplies are drained. I don't have anything here that could be of use."

Volk, who saw Darc's sword hand twitch, decided to cut in, holding Choco's limp form out to the medic. "Even if you can't do anything to cure her, can you at least tell us what's wrong with her?"

The Quorop took one look at Choco and nearly fell backwards from shock. "That... that's not a Deimos, is it? That's a... a... well, it looks almost..."

He gulped. "That looks like a human!"

Instantly the marketplace went silent, and all eyes turned to the corner where Darc and the others stood. Bebedora turned to look around. "I see fear," she said, "and anger. Lots of anger. They could be enemies."

Delma took a step closer to the medic. "Whaddaya mean, human! That's a Deimos!"

The medic backed away, shaking in fear and refusing to look at her. "I'm sorry! It's just that... she looks nothing like a Deimos!"

Darc was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. He turned to all the Deimos in the marketplace. "If you know what's good for you, you'll go back to your business!" He then turned back to the medic, crossing his arms. "Doesn't look like a Deimos, eh? What about me? Would you call me a Deimos?"

The medic still couldn't look. "But... b-but..."

"Well!"

After a few moments, the poor Quorop looked up and sighed resignedly. "Yes." He reluctantly reached into his bag and pulled out a cloth blanket, spreading it on the ground in front of him. At a nod from Darc, Volk laid Choco carefully on the blanket. Removing an eyepiece from his bag, the Quorop put it to his eye. Extracting a few more instruments, he proceeded to examine Choco. After a few minutes, he sat back on his haunches and scratched his snout. "That's odd..." he muttered.

"What?" asked Camellia. "What is it?"

"I don't know," he replied, "but whatever it is, it's beyond me." He removed the eyepiece, looking quizzically at Choco. "Frankly, I'm amazed that she's still alive. There's an enormous amount of spirit energy in her system, far more than I've seen in any Deimos. You were right that this... child... isn't human. No human has that kind of magical potential. But I've never seen a living Deimos in such a condition."

Camellia knelt next to Choco. "Strange... a single spirit stone doesn't have that much power in it. Eating a spirit stone shouldn't be that dangerous."

"Oh, heavens no! No, I've seen cases of Deimos children accidentally swallowing spirit stones before, and all they suffered was a mild stomach ache." He crossed his arms. "No, there's something else going on here."

"Well then, what do you suggest?" asked Darc.

The Quorop thought for a minute. "Hmm... wait, I know!" He got up. "I've heard tell of a place north of here, south of the Dilzweld Empire and just a short hike from that..." He shuddered. "That awful Maluise Tower. The place, called Azur Springs, is supposedly home to a group of Quorop, and one of these Quorop is a medic who specializes in paranormal illnesses. If you find this place, the doctor may be able to help her."

Darc nodded, and turned to the others. "Let's go. That's a lot of ground to cover." They turned to leave.

"Wait." said the medic quietly, and they turned back around. The Quorop stepped forward. "Give this talisman to the doctor at Azur Springs." He presented a stone talisman, upon which was carved a large crescent moon.

Darc took it. "What's this?"

"Every Quorop who graduates from our medical school is given the Crescent Talisman," replied the Quorop. "It is a rite of passage, a symbol of medical prowess."

"But why do I need it?"

"Well," he said, "the location of Azur Springs is a secret that is known only to the Quorop. No other Deimos is to know of its existence. You will not be welcome there without proof that the knowledge came from one of their own."

"Oh," said Darc. "Um... thanks." He turned and walked away, and the others followed him. Volk picked up Choco and left, too.

Camellia, however, remained behind. "What about you?" she said to the medic. "Won't you need that talisman?"

He waved his hand. "I told you, there's nothing for me here anymore. I'm going to retire, maybe go to Aldrow or someplace nice."

Camellia nodded. "Thank you." She hurried after the other Deimos.

The Quorop sighed, resuming his packing. But he was worried. Either whatever happened to the little Deimos was a freak accident, or the world was in very deep trouble.

Azur Springs greeted Darc and the Deimos with the welcome sound of splashing water and tall, leafy palm trees. It certainly was secret; if they hadn't been told it was there, the path to the springs would have appeared to be merely an expanse of empty desert. Hopefully, thought Darc, the doctor that the Quorop in Barbadoth spoke of would be here... and would be able to help.

They approached the path between two large, grassy dunes that led to the springs, with Volk carrying Choco, and Darc in the lead. A large Quorop saw them coming, and stepped in their path. "You will not pass. This oasis is for the Quorop only."

Darc stopped, and spoke. "I am Darc, of the Drakyr." He held up the hand which held the Dragonia Ring, presenting it as proof.

The Quorop shook his head. "We have no business with the Drakyr. Please leave."

"Please!" said Camellia, stepping forward. "I am Camellia, sage of the Pianta. We have with us a Deimos who is very ill, and we were told that your doctor may know how to cure her illness."

"Pianta?" The Quorop looked confused. "A Drakyr and a Pianta? And there are more of you yet! You," he said to Delma, "you're an Orcon, aren't you?" He looked to Volk. "And you're a Lupine! I've never seen the like of this." His eyes rested on Bebedora. "And what are you? What tribe are you from?"

"What's a tribe?" she replied. "I'm Bebedora."

The Quorop shook his head. "How curious." He finally looked at Choco, hanging limp in Volk's arms. "Is that your sick Deimos?"

Darc nodded, pulling out the medallion. "We have with us a Crescent Medallion from one of your own. It was he who told us of your location."

The Quorop pursed his lips. Then he said, "Wait here." He left the six Deimos, walking around the dune on the left in the direction of the water. When he returned, a Quorop dressed in medical garb was with him. The doctor blinked her eyes at the strange group before her, and spoke.

"Camellia? Is that you?"

Camellia stepped forward. "Miralda? Madam Miralda? Can it be?"

Both the guard and the rest of the Deimos looked at the two of them in confusion. Meanwhile, Camellia and the Miralda woman embraced as if they were sisters. They drew apart, and Camellia wiped a tear from her eye. "How did you ever escape?"

Miralda waved her hand dismissively. "Bah, details, details! But I should ask you the same question! You're looking positively youthful! Last time I saw you, those tests had put you to your worst."

Camellia shook her head. "It's a long story. But we've come here for a reason. Let's go, I'll explain..."

They walked into the village, Miralda leading the way, and Camellia in tow, telling her what had happened. Darc and the Deimos, at a nod from the guard, followed them along the path and up to the water.

"Come," said Miralda, a serious expression on her face. She laid a cloth blanket on the sand, near the water, and motioned for Volk to place Choco upon it. He did, and backed away as Camellia and Miralda prepared to do their work.

"There's no time to waste," said Miralda. "Go and fetch me some water from the springs." As Camellia hurried off to get the water, Miralda placed a string of jade beads about her neck. A bag of spirit stones at her waist glowed as she chanted: "May the path to restoration be revealed." She clasped her hands as she cast the spell. "HEALING VISION!"

Instantly, wisps of blue mist erupted from her hands and surrounded Choco, lifting her inches off the cloth. The mist expanded, and soon wafted away from Choco to surround Miralda, who closed her eyes. A look of concern passed across her face, and presently she opened her eyes and clapped her hands. "I understand," she said.

The mist disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and Camellia returned to her side with the water.

"Have you found the problem, Miralda?" she asked, handing her the water.

Miralda nodded. "It is a warning..."

"What?" Camellia asked, confused.

Miralda shook her head. "I'll explain later." She placed the bowl of spring water in front of her. In the bowl, she placed several herbs, some powders, and some Coleopt froth. She stirred the mixture with her long fingers, and a fine reddish-gold mist began to float from the water's surface. She took a spoon and fed some of the mixture to Choco, and sat back.

Darc stepped forward. "Now what?"

"Now," she replied, "we wait."

Hours passed. The bright heat of what had been the late morning sun had crossed into afternoon, and Darc, Camellia, Miralda, the other Deimos, and some curious Quorop were all seated around Choco, waiting for the potion to take its effect.

They had been quiet for a long time, and Delma, growing tired of the tension, decided to break the silence. She looked at Camellia. "So," she said, "how exactly do you and... uh... Miralda know each other?"

Camellia bristled. "It's Madam Miralda, Delma dear."

Delma's face turned red, and Miralda spoke just as Delma opened her mouth to speak back. "That's quite all right, Camellia. I dislike titles." She turned to Delma. "To answer your question, Camellia and I lived together for a long time, suffering under the Dilzweld's tests."

Camellia looked at her. "That reminds me, Madam, how did you escape from the testing chamber?"

Miralda chuckled. "The Dilzweld don't like to talk about that one..." She looked up again. "There was, for lack of a better word, a Deimos riot in the testing chambers. Many Deimos died, sadly, but I took the opportunity, along with some others, to sneak out the proverbial back door." She waved her hand. "It wouldn't work now, of course... I hear that they've increased security in the testing area."

Volk snorted, and Miralda looked at him in confusion. Darc couldn't help smiling either, nor could Delma or Camellia. Bebedora just stared blankly.

"I'll explain," said Camellia. "I've been travelling with this group of Deimos since they liberated me from that... Argewalt machine. We've been trying to find the Great Spirit Stones; or, at least, we had been, until recently. That quest led us here, to Halshinne, and we paid a visit to the Megist last week. I think it's safe to say that the... um... security forces aren't quite as impressive now."

Miralda was wide-eyed. "Impressive. Very impressive. And the testing chambers? What of them?"

Camellia's head drooped. "There were no Deimos left... intact. They'd all been mutated... they weren't Deimos anymore. They were... they were..." Camellia couldn't say any more.

Miralda sighed. "I see..." She pawed at the sand. "I heard a rumour that Droguza was last sighted on the Megist, but after what you've told me, I'm not sure I want to know what happened to him."

Darc shook his head. "I can say that he... never lost his honour as a Deimos."

All the Deimos bowed their heads.

"These are troubled times indeed..." said Miralda. She looked at Darc. "You will bring vengeance to that Darkham man, won't you?"

Darc nodded. "For all of those Deimos."

Miralda wiped a tear from her eye, but said nothing.

Suddenly, Choco coughed, and all the heads in the area turned to her. Miralda acted fast. "Quick. I need a dose of Revival Medicine." Volk handed her a bottle, and she drained its contents down Choco's throat.

They waited in suspense, wondering what would happen.

Then, Choco breathed in a deep gasp of air, and her eyes snapped wide open. Her mouth moved rapidly, as if she were trying to speak and the words weren't coming.

Slowly, she started to rise from the cloth blanket, as if lifted up by some spiritual force. She rose higher and higher, and everyone except Miralda began to back away. "Stay!" she said. "We must listen! Stay, I say!"

The Deimos stopped backing away, but all heads were bent to look up at Choco, who was rising higher and higher, held upright now, as if she were standing on an invisible platform.

Suddenly, Choco stopped mouthing words, and her pupils disappeared, leaving her eyes a deathly white. The air around her began to glow a pale white, and she looked down upon the crowd of Deimos, no longer Choco, but something else.

Finally, she spoke, but not in her voice; a deep, dark voice replaced her own.

"The hour of the Black Abyss draws near; the Spirit Stones have gathered, and the Spirit of the Dark shall soon awaken. Two enemies will match their blades, but know that the darkness shall drive their souls to find a new light. The humans and Deimos will suffer before their pain is cured, for the Black Temple has yet to reveal its true power. Heed these words, for the suffering shall begin..."

"Now."

The second Choco spoke the last word, a great flash of light erupted from out in the desert. All the Deimos who turned to look had to cover their eyes, shielding them from the sudden brightness. when it faded, all they could see was the remains of an energy beam that had punctured the sky.

Volk peered into the distance, dodging the panicking Quorops. "That blast came from the Maluise Tower!"

Darc's eyes narrowed. "Darkham."

Miralda sank to the ground. "May the Holy Mother help us..."

Darc turned back to her and saw that Choco had come to rest upon the cloth blanket once again. She opened her eyes and looked around groggily. "What's going on? Where is Choco now?"

Camellia knelt by her side. "Choco! You're awake!"

Choco shook her head and bounced onto her feet. "Yup yup! Choco's all ready to fight!"

Darc nodded to the group. "Come on! We've got a job to do!"

He bounded off, leaving Azur Springs behind, and the rest of the Deimos followed him in the direction of the Maluise Tower, where the five Great Spirit Stones were gathered, where Darkham stood in control of a terrible weapon...

And where a decisive battle was about to take place.