Author's Note: Uber apologies for the delay everybody! Yes, I said uber. It's how much I apologise. I have no excuse.

That's a lie. I do. I had four weeks to help produce a play with a cast of 36 for my final practical exam of the year, as well as multiple essays to worry about.

But that's not a proper excuse. I was just so burnt out from work I couldn't write.

I'd like to say everything will be better now, and I'll update faster, but I can't promise anything. I'm still pretty burnt out from this story.


On a side note, as pointed out, the link in the last chapter didn't work, to the wallpaper. It's been fixed now, so I hope you like.

If for some freak reason it doesn't still work, and you want to see it, let me know and I'll e-mail it to you.

And the evoke ancient curses upon imageshack for failing me again.

Okay, maybe not that second part.

Anyway, hope you enjoy, and really sorry it took so long! I'll try and improve, I promise!

CHAPTER XVIII

"Say what?" Bootus questioned.

"What?" Vivli asked innocently, as battle raged around them.

"That was the worst thing I've ever heard anybody say in my life." The massive galka grumbled.

"Excuse me?" Vivli protested, placing her hands on her hips. "It's not my fault if not all of my heroic quips are classics!"

"Classics? 'We're the Light Warriors, we're back, and evil is about to pay'? Could you have said anything worse?" Bootus argued.

"Hey! I had to come up with something! We could hardly land like that and not say anything." Vivli tried to point out.

"Would have been better than that!" Bootus countered.

"Guys!" Zinkata snapped, ducking under a sword swiped at him. "Can we focus?"

"Sorry Zin, but I'm a man of principles. And I cannot let a bad line like that slide." Bootus stated firmly.

"Principles? I bet you don't even know what a principle is!" Vivli yelled at the gigantic galka.

"Isn't he the guy who runs a school?" Voldos inquired.

"Clearly something you've never visited." Vivli grumbled.

"Seriously! Focus!" Zinkata groaned. "We're in the middle of a war here."

"It's okay. Nobody will mistake you for warriors in those clothes." Came a booming voice from behind. The four spun around, and all suddenly grinned.

"Iron Eater!" Vivli cried happily, at seeing their old friend.

"Good to see you again, Viv. I'm sure there's some rule about you guys being united, but right now, I really don't think we care." Iron Eater gestured to the chaos around him.

"I think we care." Zinkata shot, his eyes darkening at the site of the galka. "Do you have any idea what you put us through?" By 'us', it was obvious he meant 'Vivli'. He still cared for her a great deal, and everything she had dealt with had been Iron Eater's fault.

"I'm sorry Zinkata, but you know, I serve the President of Bastok." Iron Eater stated firmly. "I have to obey his rules." Zinkata growled lowly. "Now would somebody please tell me what Bootus is doing in a tie-dyed t-shirt?"

"Hand me downs. We got stranded on an island for a while, all I got were some charity clothes." Bootus explained a matter of factly.

"Oh right." Iron Eater nodded.
"Wait a minute!" Vivli protested. "Why does he get asked why he's wearing that, but you don't think what I'm wearing is odd?" Iron Eater fell silent for a minute.

"Oh. You're in charity clothes too?" He inquired, sounding a little surprised.

"Yes!" Vivli fumed.

"Oh. Sorry. I just thought- Well, y'know, looked like the kinda thing you'd wear." Iron Eater tried to explain, seeing Vivli get madder and madder.

"WHAT?" She snapped.

"You remember the focusing thing?" Zinkata sighed. "Can we try that again, please. I'm sure we almost got there last time."

Olose, Talia and Remasa rushed into the President's office, having managed to get there via the airship (which itself had a few shots fired at it, not that Crazy Steve seemed to notice).

"Mr President, you have to stop this! Now!" Olose cried.

"Stop it? Why, the elvaans attacked us." The President said innocently, not even rising from his chair. Olose raised an eyebrow. He seemed oddly calm for someone being confronted by a rampaging group of people. "Again. It seems like a sign of war to me."

"The opening assault wasn't them!" Olose argued.

"Oh. That's a pity." The President smiled. "But I guess the pressure we put on them afterwards just forced them to attack. Forced them to start the war proper."

"It's a false attack!" Talia suddenly spoke up. "You're being manipulated! This whole thing is just a manipulation!"

"Talia, my dear," The President smiled, "These manipulations you speak of only brought to the surface what was already there."

"We never said her name." Olose said in sudden realisation. "How did you know-"

"What she was called?" The President finished, finally rising. "Oops." He smiled.

"President Karst!" Remasa protested.

"Karst has been dead for four years." The President suddenly laughed. "Oh, and point of interest? He never had a son." A man stepped through the door behind the trio. Olose turned around, and recognised him. He was the President's 'son' the Light Warriors had apparently murdered.

"I know you!" Talia cried. "You're a werewolf!"

"You tricked them!" Olose realised. "You split up the Light Warriors."

"They were a threat to our operation Olose. Like you." The fake President smiled. "Only, I could not dispose of you so easily."

"Why not?" Olose growled.

"Because it's personal." The President shot back, walking forwards from his desk. A sudden haze seemed to overtake him, and whatever illusion was making him look like Karst faded, and before Olose stood Abaj. "I've been running this backwards nation for the past four years." Abaj cackled. "They never realised. Even when I had a son mysteriously appear from nowhere. Claimed we'd pretended he had never existed, fearing political repercussions if this 'off the rails' son was found out. Everybody brought it. And it served as perfect reason to drive a wedge between the Light Warriors."

"Except, you failed. They're united again!" Olose snapped.

"Are they?" Abaj laughed. "The mithra is certainly broken. The others have commitments elsewhere now. They'll never be truly united." Abaj smiled, before turning to Talia. "Oh, and I'm so disappointed in you dear."

"You never told me about this…" Talia whimpered.

"Of course not." Abaj laughed.

"You don't trust me." Talia shot.

"Never did." Abaj casually sighed. "You're the daughter of my rival. I knew one day you'd turn on me."

"Then it is true…" Talia whispered, near tears.

"I'd love to keep up this chat." Abaj grinned. "But let's end this, shall we?"

"Let's." Olose growled, lunging at Abaj and knocking him right through the back wall, and out of the building.

Talia went to follow, but the other werewolf, the President's fake son, snarled behind her. Talia and Remasa spun around, and took fighting stances.

The Light Warriors ran and hid behind a building.

"You're looking for a demon, you say?" Iron Eater inquired.

"Yeah." Voldos nodded. "Big. Demonic. Collecting bodies."

"Voldos. The master of description!" Bootus announced boldly.

"Like that?" Iron Eater inquired as a gigantic hulking black creature walked by, bodies slung on its back.

"I'd imagine so." Zinkata commented dryly. "Get people clear, Iron." He ordered. "Let's see if we can't take this guy down."

"Oh, I've got a bad feeling about this." Vivli whimpered.

Olose stood over Abaj's crumpled form, the wall of the President's Office crumbling behind him.

"That all you got, Abaj?" Olose taunted.

"You've seen nothing yet!" Abaj suddenly cried, leaping up and punching and kicking at Olose, who was driven back, blocking. He grabbed Abaj's leg and swung him around, causing him to crash into the Windurst Embassy. Stone crumpled down as Abaj leapt out in full werewolf form.

"Oh, and I thought this was going to be boring." Olose smirked, bursting into his own werewolf form. The two leapt at each other and clashed in the air, plumpting to the ground and tearing at each other. Abaj grabbed Olose by jabbing his claws into the hero's chest, and flung him over his head. Olose crashed down near the lifts down into the ironworks.

"Do you really think you can kill me?" Abaj roared.

"I've done it enough times." Olose grumbled, standing up wearingly.

"Yeah, and look where we are now." Abaj laughed. "You'll never be rid of me!"

"That's okay." Olose's werewolf form seemed to smirk. "This is amazing stress relief."

He flung himself at Abaj again, and the two clashed their claws, causing sparks to fly.

Behind them, the door to the President's Office exploded open as both Remasa and Talia were forced through it by the other werewolf. Remasa went flying backwards through the air, but Talia merely adopted her werewolf form and dived at the other, already in wolf form. The two began to clash at super speeds, but Talia quickly took the advantage as she started casting spells of her own to assist. Remasa ran in and quickly cast protective spells on Talia.

Olose managed a sideways glance, noticing how little either mage was helping him, and felt Abaj slam into his side. He rocketed back across Bastok, into a nearby wall. He hit a button and a spike shot out, impaling Olose.

"This is my home turf now, Olose. You didn't think I didn't have some traps installed, did you?" Abaj grinned.

"Clever…" Olose grumbled. "But if you were really as smart as you act….you'd of made it out of SILVER!" Olose roared as he pulled the spike from the mechanism that held it and tore it out of his flesh, wielding it like a weapon. He spun it in the air and sliced at Abaj with it, who leapt back.

"And you're so much smarter? With your big club?" Abaj taunted as Olose swung it around and hit the evil werewolf back.

"I like to think so." Olose smirked.

The four Light Warriors, weapons assembled, stood behind Furcas.

"Hey, big guy!" Voldos cried. "Can we have a word?" Furcas began to turn around, and Voldos let fly an arrow. Furcas caught it before it hit him, and grinned.

"A pathetic start for a pathetic group." Furcas snarled.

"So, who are you meant to be?" Bootus shot. "The big bad wereape?"

"I am Furcas!" Boomed the demon. "Servant to Promethia! His loyal demon! And soon, I shall be the one who brings him into this dimension!"

"We might have a thing or two to say about that." Zinkata warned.

"Ha. Then speak, mortal." Furcas laughed. "I am a being of pure darkness. My soul is one with Promethia. When I summon him, I shall become his vessel. And he shall walk this world in all of his glory. And you shall all know the wrath of a God."

"Of course!" Vivli cried. "Promethia's power is darkness, like Altana's is light. With a being of pure darkness upon this world, he can take direct control of that vessel, given the proper ritual."

"Thank you exposition girl." Bootus grumbled. "What if we kill him? Can he do the ritual then?"

"Well, no." Vivli admitted.

"Alrighty then!" Bootus grinned.

"This is going to be fun." Growled Furcas. Zinkata and Bootus ran at the demon. Voldos fired his arrows as Vivli began to cast.

Olose rammed back Abaj with the gigantic spike, slicing him across his face.

"Even the best people's plans backfire." Abaj growled, uttering a curse. "I guess it's 'til we meet again, Olose."

"Got an escape route planned?" Olose laughed. "Because I'm as sure as hell not letting you get away!"

"Oh, please. I have a linkshell. My mages have heard this entire conversation. You may have stolen Talia from me, but I still have magic from mortals at my disposal!"

"You won't get that chance!" Olose yelled, driving the spike forwards, towards Abaj. But he simply vanished before the spike made contact. "Dammit!" Olose cried.

Talia ducked under a swipe from the werewolf and jumped over another, before diving aside as Remasa shot it with a lightning bolt. It staggered back and Talia spun around, slicing off its head. Olose ran up to the two.

"It's a lost cause here. We need to get to San d'Oria. Perhaps we can still persuade them-" He began.

"What about the Light Warriors?" Talia questioned.

"Yeah. We can't leave Vivli in this!" Remasa concurred.

"Okay. I'll find them." Olose decided. "You two, prep the airship."

"Wha?" Remasa looked blank.

"That means try and find a way to make Crazy Steve understand where we're going." He mumbled.

Bootus slammed into a nearby shop, and found himself in a pile of weapons.

"Ouch!" He announced. "Okay, so Ape Boy is strong."

"Fast too!" Vivli announced in a worried tone as he leapt over Zinkata's sword swipe and hit him in the back, rocketing Zinkata down the street.

"Not too bright though." Voldos input, sticking a bunch of arrows in his back. Furcas turned around with a growl, and began marching towards the elvaan. A sudden blast of energy hit him back.

"Go Carby go!" Vivli cheered, jumping in the air, as the tiny greenish blue form of Carbuncle leapt at Furcas.

"Anybody would think you'd forgotten you were a summoner." Bootus grumbled, dusting himself off. Carbuncle leapt over Furcas and let out another blast of energy into his back. Furcas spun around in anger.

"Wow. Little guy is really kicking ass. He must be miffed." Voldos observed. Zinkata charged up behind Furcas and drove his sword at his back. Furcas jumped again, causing Zinkata to run right underneath him. He turned just in time to see Bootus hit him from behind. Furcas stumbled forwards, being slashed by Zinkata's sword as he did so. More arrows thudded into his back, and he roared again, kicking backwards and punching forwards to send both Bootus and Zinkata flying at the same time. Carbuncle leapt into the air again to blast him a third time, but he snatched the small green creature out of the air and threw into the ground, before stamping on it.

Vivli's eyes went wide, and she suddenly felt a bit sick.

"Carby?" She whimpered.

"Okay. That was something I didn't have to see!" Voldos announced as the squished remains of Carbuncle melted away in a white light. He suddenly noticed a massive galka flying at him. Apparently Furcas had picked Bootus up and thrown him into Voldos. Vivli jumped in shock, and tried not to giggle at Voldos's horrified expression. She quickly cast a healing spell on the two of them, and gulped as Furcas's vision snapped to her. He began marching towards her. Zinkata ran and thrusted at him with his sword in an attempt to distract him. Furcas simply grabbed Zinkata by the arm and threw him aside. He walked right up to Vivli, who stumbled away in fear, but couldn't get away fast enough. He grabbed her, and hit her once, knocking her unconscious with ease.

"White mages. Such frail things, don't you think?" He cackled. Bootus charged at Furcas, but he simply pulled a massive post that was holding up a balcony out and smashed it over the head of the galka, knocking him down. More arrows hit Furcas, but this time he pulled them out of his thick hide, and threw them back at Voldos like darts, causing them to thud into the elvaan and make him drop to his knees. Zinkata ran at him again, thrusting with his sword so quickly this time it drove Furcas back. Furcas kicked upwards however, knocking the blade from the paladin's hand. Zinkata didn't have time to react before Furcas knocked him back, causing him to crash into a nearby building.

The four Light Warriors groaned, all in deep pain.

"Pathetic!" Furcas roared. "Is that it? Are you all that this world offers to oppose me? Four weaklings so easily beaten? Are you the best this world can offer?" And suddenly the demon heard a voice from behind him:

"Well, I wouldn't say the best."

It was Olose Sampson.