Last time, as Cornelia and everyone else taken when the Naz'riak gassed our heroes woke up, they were taken to a large cavern in the base of the demons. There they found where the children already taken were being kept. The Empress appeared in the flesh, revealing herself to be Pai-mey Matoya. The Empress explained that the children taken and Cornelia's group are to be sacrificed to the God Hand in exchanged for 'Ultimate Power.' With time running out before the God Hand is summoned, Will comes up with a last ditched plan to stop the ritual and save those about to be sacrificed. On with the show!

Chapter 22: A Farewell to an Arm.

"Well I've got a plan," said Will, "It's not a good one, but it's the best I've got right now: Naruto, you head down and move to the far right of the platform. Luffy, you head down to the far left, and I mean left." "No problem," said Luffy, "Not a problem." "Everyone else, be ready to cut lose our friends and to get the children to safety."

"What are you doing in this plan?" asked Matt. "I'm gonna distract the Empress while Naruto and Luffy get into position to get that Behelit away from her," said Will, "I've got a feeling that it's a good idea to destroy it." With that, Will quickly made her way down to the cavern floor. "Well I'm not gonna sit around and watch our friends get sacrificed," said Naruto, "You coming?" he asked Luffy. "I'm already there." Said Luffy as they headed to their positions.

Once Will reached the cavern floor, she made her way past the hoards of biots surrounding the platform. They didn't notice her, as they were so focused on the Empress. "My loyal creations!" exclaimed the Empress, "The time for the ritual is here at last! Now is the time for the sacrifice!" "Sacrifice! Sacrifice!" chanted the biots and Naz'riak. "In three minutes time, the moon shall be in position in front of the sun! Soon, the Behelit shall summon the God Hand to this plane of existence. Soon, your Empress shall be in possession of Ultimate Power! "Ultimate Power! Ultimate Power!" chanted the minions.

"This is just great!" moaned Nami, "We're about to be sacrificed to a bunch of otherworldly demons, and the worst part is, I'm gonna die before completing my map of the Grand Line!" "You think you death sucks," said Zolo, "I'll never be the greatest swordsman now." "Shut up!" exclaimed Taranee, "Just because we're about to die doesn't mean we're certain to die right here and now." "What makes you so confident?" asked Nami. "Our friends are still out there," said Cornelia, "If there's anyone who can save us, its Will."

"Well just incase they don't make it in time," said Sakura as she faced Saske, "Saske, this isn't how I wanted to tell you this, but, I love you with every fiber in my being." It took Saske a few seconds to respond, "Sakura, I, I don't know what to say." "Well say something," said Nigel, "we're gonna die in about two minutes."

At that time, Will reached the base of the platform. Pulling out the Heart of Candracar, she transformed into her Guardian self. Will flew up onto the platform exclaiming, "Pai-mey Matoya!" The empress looked to see Will. "The keeper of the Hearto fo Candracar," said the Empress, a gleeful smile on her face, "I was hoping to see you before the ritual. Anyway, you're just in time to witness my ascension into Ultimate Power."

"That's not gonna happen!" exclaimed Will, "Now let my friends go and release the children." "You're deluding yourself," said the Empress, "Besides, you're too late to stop me! The Eclipse has begun!" The Empress held up the Behelit, and to Will's horror, the facial markings on it began to move to their proper places on a face.

Back up top, Elyon stared at horror as the moon began to block the sun (Martin had provided special viewing glasses for eclipses). "This is it," said Elyon, "I know I just said it, But Will, whatever you and the others are gonna do, do it now."

The Empress cackled with glee as she held the Behelit up high in her left hand, the facial markings on the stone continuing to align. "Do you see Guardian!" exclaimed the Empress, "All your efforts at stopping me were in vain! Victory is mine!" "I beg to differ!" exclaimed Will, "Naruto! Now!"

Far to Will's right, Naruto stood ready on a lower ledge. He held a large collapsible shuriken. He held it unfolded, hefted the throwing star to launch, shouted, "Demon Wind Shuriken!" and threw it at the Empress's outstretched left arm. It sliced through at the elbow, the severed limb falling to the floor with a smack of flesh and flowing blood.

The Empress crumpled to the ground, howling in agony as she clutched at the bleeding end of her severed arm. Will looked and saw that the Behelit had rolled away from the severed arm. She saw that the facial markings had settled in their correct places, the stone eyes just beginning to open.

"Luffy!" exclaimed Will, "Smash it!" To Will's left stood Luffy, ready to act on another lower ledge. He stretched out his arm, grabbed the Behelit, brought it high in the air, shouted, "Gum Gum Smash!" and brought the stone crashing to the stone floor. It shattered to pieces upon impact.

Caleb and the others raced to the platform to free Cornelia and her group. Their assistance was unnecessary, for as soon as the Behelit broke, the chains binding them broke. Also, the crystals holding the children dissolved, lowering them to the cavern floor. As Caleb reached Cornelia, the two embraced, tears falling from Cornelia's eyes. "I was so scared," said Caleb, "I'd thought I'd lost you!" "It'll take more than a demonic sacrifice to take me away from you." Said Cornelia reassuringly.

"I wasn't scared at all," said Nigel, "I knew you guys would come through in the end." "Then what was that sound that resembled knees knocking?" asked Taranee. "Um, uh…" stammered Nigel. "We'll talk later." Said Taranee as she kissed him. "That was a nice throw," said Saske to Naruto, "A real life saver." "Indeed!" exclaimed Rock Lee, "That was a one in fifty shot, at least!" "Aw, it was nothing!" exclaimed Naruto, "I'd say it was half luck, and half skill, believe it!"

Pardon me for running the mood," said Kiba, "But something doesn't feel right." "The biots," said Zolo as he retrieved his swords (they were displayed on the platform) "They're not moving." "Neither are the demons," said Chouji, "They're all just standing around like brain dead zombies." "I'll bet it was the Behelit that was keeping them active," said Hay Lin, "Without it, they're listless."

"That's only partly what I mean," said Kiba, "I feel like something really bad is about to happen." He tensed as Akamaru growled in agreement. "Well before anything bad does happen," said Naruto, "I suggest we take our leave. Kiba, you, Shink, Hinita, Usopp and Sanji get the children out of here." The children had woken up, and being confused about where they were, and where their families were, the children were starting to panic.

As Kiba and his group lead the children out of the cavern back to the surface, Rock Lee pointed at the Empress and asked, "What about her?" The Empress had crawled over to the shattered remains of the Behelit, and was gathering up the pieces with her on hand, blood still flowing from her severed limb. "Chopper, see what you can do to help her." Ordered Luffy.

"Why?" asked Ino, "This woman, this disgraced Shinobi has done nothing but make the lives of this world miserable. Why shouldn't we just let her bleed to death?" "It would be easy to do that," said Will, "But the right thing to do would be to help her." "Besides," said Saske, "She is a disgraced Shinobi. She should be taken back to Konohamaru to finish her life sentence."

As Chopper binded her wounds, Will bent over to here what the Empress was muttering. "This isn't how it was supposed to be," moaned the Empress as she gathered the shards of the Behelit, "I did everything they told me to." "Who?" asked Will, "Who? The God Hand?"

"Uh, people!" exclaimed Nami, "I think it'd be a really good idea if we were going now!" "Why?" asked Shikamaur. "That's why!" exclaimed Irma as she pointed at the roof of the cavern. Or, at least where the roof was, for in it's place was a large, red vortex, which was growing at a large, loud pace. "What the f#ck is that?" asked Chouji. "I'd rather not know," said Naruto, "Not that I'm suggesting that we run away, but…" "Let's just go." Finished Will.

Back up top, Elyon had breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened when the moon completely blocked the sun. "They did it," said Elyon, "I don't know what they did, but they did it." "Forgive me for spoiling your mood my Queen," said Vathek, "But what's that?" A beam of read light had shot down from the moon onto the mountain. "Oh crap!" exclaimed Elyon.

As our heroes made they're way back to the tunnel, Will felt a strong wind pick up, the vortex was growing larger. "Look!" exclaimed Luffy. While the wind was growing stronger, it only seemed to affect the biots and demons, for they were being sucked into the red vortex.

Back on the platform, the Empress was on her knees and shouting at the vortex, "No! I did everything you told me to do! This isn't fair!" She resisted, but the pull of the vortex was too strong, and the Empress was sucked into the redness.

Suddenly, the tunnel began to shake. "Earthquake!" exclaimed Usopp. "No!" shouted Cornelia over the howl of the vortex, "The whole mountain is being consumed! We have to get out of here now!"

Time seemed to slow down as Will and the others made their way back up the tunnel. But finally they made it out of the darkness back into the daylight. "What happened down there?" asked Elyon as she came running up to Cornelia. "Run!" exclaimed Cornelia, "Just run!" Our heroes didn't stop running until they were well away from the mountain. Will turned around to see that the beam of red light that Elyon saw had expanded into the red vortex, which had all but consumed the mountain.

Finally the vortex and red light faded, and the moon moved away from the sun. Will gazed in awe and horror at where the mountain stood, for there was nothing left but a huge, gaping hole in the ground. "What was that?" asked Elyon. "A vortex to hell," answered Will, "Or wherever the God Hand lives."

"What about the demons?" asked Elyon. "Gone," answered Naruto, "As well as the Empress." "She really was Pai-mey Matoya," said Saske, "And today Pai-me learned that when you make a deal with the dark side, eventually, the dark side is gonna come collecting."

"Then it's over," said Shikamaru, "It's over." "Shikamaru," said Ino, "Shut up and kiss me." "Gladly!" said Shikamaru as they kissed. "What the!" exclaimed Sakura, "When did this happen?" "Not too long ago," said Kiba, "It just happened." "Then there's hope for me yet," said Sakura to herself while her inner ego yelled Yes! Saske is mine! All mine!

The end of chapter 22. Next chapter, our heroes return to their respective dimensions. See you next time!