This is one of those short-battle chapters, an interesting battle featuring the anime Naruto's "Byakugan," if you don't know what that is, then you either don't care or YOU DON'T WATCH THE SHOW OR PLAY THE GAMES. It's Team Neutral after this fight, but I fight alone, because they knocked out the other two.

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Episode 8: Enter Skullopion

It was time to liberate the Earth Crest, and complete Lumina. I had already defeated the Relic Keeper, the Water Guardian, the Fire Guardian, the Frost Dragon, the Wind Guardian, Queen Ant, and the Sky Guardian, Tower of Death. It was finally time, so I gathered up Sonic and Amy, and headed off to the shrine again. When we got there, questions in the other two arose.

"Just how are we supposed to defeat him?" Amy asked, skidding to a halt in front of the shrine.

"If this one is anything like the other Guardians, we have to smash its core with my sword. That always worked, except for the Tower of Death, where I had to hit the blue, opened eyes." I answered, nearly running full on into the shrine.

"We don't even know what it looks like, let alone what its capabilities are!" Sonic said, nearly crashing into me, as he put on the parking brake.

There were two crashing noises, and then a large, looming animal, which looked exactly like the shrine, loomed into view. The core was in it's jaw.

"Looks like we need to stun it in order to expose the core," I said, as it crashed in front of the team.

I grabbed a rock, and using all my strength, picked it up, and chucked it at the monster, just as it was about to hit Amy with a mouth spray. The rock busted against it, and it reared up, in pain. I then began to bombard it with energy blasts, until it was stunned, mouth agape.

"Lumina Strike: MIGHTY STRIKE!" I shouted, swinging the sword against the core, which was hit, and a shockwave pulsed out from the point of impact. As though the environment were reacting to the battle, a song began to play.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! I'm unbeatable!

Walking down this endless highway, with nothing but my friends beside me…

I cut loose with a Kamehameha, and blasted its tail off, causing it to howl in pain.

Never give in, will never rest, Advanced battle is the ultimate test! From the Earth and the sea and sky, they can never win, but they sure can try!

Sonic used a spindash, and hit it on the head, causing it to rear back and expose its core again. I ran up, and hit the core again, causing it to charge into me, but I recovered.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! I'm unbeatable! It starts now: Advanced battle! Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! I'm undefeatable!

I hit it with ten ki blasts, causing it to crack. Amy hit it in the exact same spot with the hammer, causing it to charge, which she rode right into Sonic's spindash. It was ready to push up daisies.

From the stars and the ancient past, they've come to play, but they'll never last!

I charged at it, a battle cry escaping my throat, as the blade made one final contact with the core.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! I'm unbeatable! It starts now: Advanced battle! Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! I'm undefeatable!

The Earth Guardian, known as Skullopion, began to shake, as white lines issued from beneath the core. After so much, it exploded!

Oh, oh, oh! Advanced battle: I'm unbeatable!

All that was left of the Crest Guardian was the core. I picked it up, and the core went into the core.

"Yes! The Earth Crest has been liberated!" I shouted, pumping my fists in triumph.

The team retreated to the campsite. I and Amy sat in the tent… together as always, bond stronger than ever. I was ready for anything, and soon drifted off into sleep, as she leaned on my shoulder, our heads touching.

Finally, I began to think.

After this is over, I think she and I would stay together, I guess, it'd be only the right thing if we truly love each other… I'm sure most everybody except for Zach would understand, because he has almost no emotion.

Flashback

"You and your stupid emotions!" Zach shouted, hitting me over the back of the head with his fist as I surfaced with Amy.

End Flashback

My eyes opened, and I reached up with a hand to stroke her quills, as she purred into my ear all the while. Just then, a random paper airplane, as though there was any paper around, drifted slowly into the tent.

"It's a note. It reads: 'Come to the eastern portion of Sunset Vista, for a race that will test just how fast you are.'" I read off the note, and shrugged. "Who in their freaked up mind would want to race us in the first place? Other than a team with Shadow or Zach on it… wait… dammit!"

"What's wrong?" She asked, staring into my eyes with worry clearly showing.

"Looks like Team Neutral, if they are called so, wishes to race us tomorrow," I said, and as though fate were against me, the blue blur himself raced into the tent.

"So the team with your cousin and Faker on it wishes to race us?" Sonic said, referring to Shadow as Faker.

"To tell you the truth, I can't see why. Unless Zach plans to use Byakugan on us…"

"Byakugan…? What's that?" the two asked, and I came up with an explanation.

"This is my guess, but using his own energy, he can stop anyone's energy flow, causing the unfortunate opponent to usually stop dead in his tracks." I explained, unsure if my explanation was truly correct or not, but it seemed probable. I had witnessed it in action, but I never asked him about what it does.

Later, that night, a scarlet-colored moon rose, and I just sat on the edge. Soon Amy came by, and suddenly, a poem forced into my head, as we kissed, again.

Bathed in the light of a crimson moon,

Listening to an inaudible tune,

As we spend the night under the stars,

There are no ultimate black bars…

We spend the night kissing under the crimson moon,

Wrapped in the reddish light,

We aren't really fools,

We have no reason to have plight.

It really doesn't matter what we do now,

We don't need to have a cow,

As long as the voice inside drives us through,

We prove that we are not fools!

I knew I couldn't bring myself to recite it to Amy, because I was shy like that and all. I could only imagine it: I attempt to recite, it comes out miserable, and I go as red as the moon as it currently was. The only other thing on my mind, before we broke apart, staring into each other's eyes, before she just lay her head on my chest, and I fell asleep, hugging her in the process.

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I know the poem sucked eggs, but at least I could write something that seemed fluffy enough. R&R, now, please.