Chapter 3: Destiny

Hope awakens after having a very odd and confusing dream.

"Are you alright?" A girl walks over to her. She has long dirty-blonde hair and hazely-blue eyes. She wears a long torn blood-stained white dress.

"Yeah. I'm ok." Hope replies. She tries to sit up, but is unable so she rolls onto her side instead. "I did what I had to do."

"Yes, but in doing so you incurred Talpa's wrath on yourself. You shouldn't have..." The other girl starts.

"Destiny! You can't possibly believe that I was going to sit here and let them..." Hope cuts her off.

"Hello, girls." Anubis enters. "Hope, nice ploy saying you were Halos sister too bad it didn't work." He pauses. "I don't think it would be wise for you to do it again." He leaves.

"You told him that you were...?" Destiny says in disbelief.

"The only thing Talpa doesn't know is that it wasn't a ploy. It's true. Halo is my older brother." Hope says.

"You had a disturbing dream didn't you?" Destiny asks.

"Des, Stop reading my mind." Hope replies annoyed. "Yes. I did have a rather...odd dream."

"What was it?" Destiny asks sitting on the bed as Hope finally manages to pull herself up.

"I remember water and fire. There were fish, but I think they were dead." Hope replies thinking hard. "Why what happened?"
"Oh Hope. Your dreams are still showing you what's going to happen even when you sleep through it." Destiny pauses. "Torrent was revived while you slept."

"Hmmm...Two more to go..." Hope says obviously deep in thought. "Star's brother is next...Then..."

"There was more to your dream?" Destiny asks looking at her shocked.

"Yes. There was snow and a really big boulder." Hope says standing slowly. "I have to go..." Hope runs out of the room...

A LITTLE LATER...

Destiny is sitting on her bed staring at the black wall in front her. 'I wonder if Hope is ok.' She thinks to herself looking a little concerned. The door opens with a bang and Kale storms in.

"Where is she?" He asks gruffly. Destiny jumps startled out of her thoughts by his sudden intrusion.

"I don't know." Destiny replies. "She left awhile ago."

"Damn that girl." He says and leaves slamming the door behind him.

"Destiny says that she left awhile ago." He reports to Talpa and the other warlords who are present.

"Very well. I know where she is." Talpa says. "Go destroy Halo before he can revive Hard Rock. And bring Hope back."

"Yes, Master." Kale disappears.

A short time later...

'I hope I make it there in time' Hope thinks to herself as she runs through a forest. 'Brrr...It's getting colder the further I go. I should've brought warmer clothes. Can't turn back now though.' She continues.

Sage and Mia are on Mt. Daisetsu. It's snowing and the wind is blowing cold and fierce. They've already made it to the stone, but unknown to them so far Kale has been watching. Suddenly Kale appears and attacks them almost without hesitation. Sage quickly calls his armor, but Kale moves to the rock and plunges his sword into it.

Almost as soon as he does this a white blur passes him and slams right into Sage knocking him to the ground. It's Hope!

"Hope, you little wench! What are you doing here?" Kale asks angrily. Hope giggles.

"Hope..." Sage says sounding shocked. She stands and then helps him up.

"I missed you." She hugs him. Then turns to face Kale. "I could ask you the same question." Her hands fall on her hips.

"Just wait till this is over and I take you back." He says threateningly.

"Oh,what no invitation?" She asks sarcastically. A moment of silence. "I'm not going back." She says defiantly.

"We'll see about that!" He comes at her quickly, but Sage blocks him. They battle till both Sage and Mia fall off the cliff into the waterfall below leaving Hope alone with Kale.

"You say your not coming back, but I say you are." Kale says to her raising a hand threateningly.

"Don't take me for a weakling." She takes a fighting stance.

Meanwhile

Sage and Mia are ok. They lay asleep a few feet under the cliffs overhang on a strip of land. While they sleep the ancient comes to them and tells Sage that if he is to awaken Kento of Hard Rock he must master the thunder bolt cut.

A few minutes later they awaken.

"Wow. We're alive and..." Mia says. "Where's Hope?"

"She's probably still up there." Sage looks up.

"I'll go help her out. You work on mastering that technique." Mia says and heads back up to where they had been. There Kale and Hope are locked in fierce hand to hand combat. Hope's thigh has a red-colored gash, but because of the cold it isn't bleeding. She winces as she attacks again.

"Hey!" Mia yells cupping her hands to her mouth. "Kale!" She succeeds in distracting him for a moment and Hope gets him down, but not for long. He immediately is up again and slashes at her stomach. She falls and lays there moaning in pain.

"You." He approaches Mia who backs away until she can no more.

"Kale. Leave her alone!" Hope cries out standing again. "She has...nothing..." She looks a little fearful as Kale approaches her.

"You prefer if I destroy you first." He's right in her face. She meets his eyes defiantely. "Such a shame. Such a waste." He fingers her hair. He kisses her roughly. Her eyes widen with shock before she pushes him away and slaps him.

"Don't touch me!" She backs away staring him right in the eyes. Anger flashes across her face.

"Very well then." He prepares to attack her again. "Hard Rock should be dead by now. And now you'll join him."

"Kale, don't touch her!" Sage cries out. "Now you have to fight me." Hope moves quickly to go stand by Mia(As quickly as her wounds allow anyway). A light shines around Sage. "Thunder Bolt Cut!" He attacks the rock slicing it in two.

"Ha. You're too late." Kale laughs when nothing happens. He jumps on top of the rock. Suddenly a light erupts from it and his sword comes flying out. Kale disappears into the light. Kento bursts out destroying the rock altogether.

"Hey dude." Kento greets them. "Hey what'd you do, find a girlfriend?" He notices Hope who's now standing beside Sage.

"No." Sage laughs. "This is my little sister, Hope."

They descend the mountain and start to get in the car.

"Aw crap." Hope says. "I'm bleeding." Carefully she tears off two strips of her dress and wraps her wounds.

"I think we'll need to find you more appropriate clothes." Mia says. They climb in the car and drive away.

"You held out very well against him, Hope." Mia says.

"Whoa, you fought a warlord?" Kento looks at Hope surprised. Hope nods.

"That's how you got those cuts." Sage says. "At least we know you can fight." He sighs.

"Where are we going?" Hope asks.

"We're going to meet up with Ryo and Cye..." Mia replies.

"Ryo? Oh I remember him. He has the armor of Wildfire, right?" Hope asks. "Then Cye must be Torrent. And you're still missing Strata." She states. They all nod looking a little shocked.

"I'm hungry. How about we get some food?" Kento says breaking the sudden silence.

"You just ate three hamburgers." Hope says.

"C'mon I was in that rock for a long time." Kento protests.

Hopes stomach rumbles. "Alright I'm still hungry too."

Thay all laugh...