A/N: I probably left you with some questions, ehh? Some self explanatory if you've been paying attention and guessing who our mysterious figure was? Ah, but now I get to tell you the story's just now starting to wind down and there's still more twists and turns to come!
For now though let's return to the story, and as always I do not own To Love Ru!
With Momo and Nakajima
Nakajima is huffing as he just manages to catch up with a simmering Momo, who's making her way quickly the opposite direction. "Wait, Momo, what's going on?" Nakajima asks as he puts a hand on her shoulder to slow her down, "I don't get why you aren't happy for Rito and Lala-" He suddenly stops as Momo turns around to face him, looking up into his eyes. She actually takes a moment to look at her own reflection in his eyes, the anger and frustration on her face in her reflection. She pauses to collect herself before addressing Nakajima.
"I don't know why you're bothering trying to talk to me Nakajima, it isn't like you really care about me either, you've just gotten buddy buddy with Rito ever since you left," Momo states, huffing as she crosses her arms in annoyance at the other teen, "You don't even know- you wouldn't understand the way I feel right now, after I found out how I must have made a laughingstock out of myself in front of Rito and my sister." She turns away from Nakajima and kicks her foot forward, her tail curling in front of her out of reflex as she pouts. "I- I don't know why I'm going to tell you this, maybe because I know it doesn't really matter much, but I- I had a cr-cru- a crush on Rito," she finally spits out, as she bites her thumb and closes her eyes in regret, as the words leave her mouth, "I thought I could mold him into the perfect boyfriend- one that I secretly wanted, it seems." She puts her hands down, shoulders sagging in defeat. "I seemed to always be at odds with my sister; she wanted to let him grow by himself, I wanted to force him to bloom before he was ready," Momo states, "My sister knew I was smitten, even though she didn't know I confessed, and she just stood by and watched as I practically threw myself at him; threw him into scenarios I created..." Nakajima opens his mouth, gritting his teeth as he listens to her speak about Rito.
"Yeah, well, listening to you whining like this Momo, I can easily understand why she didn't confront you!" Nakajima barks out in an unusual fit of anger, "Maybe she didn't want to hurt your feelings, maybe she didn't know how to approach you as the older sister, maybe she actually believed that there was some GOOD in what you were doing!" Momo steps back, surprise on her face as Nakajima continues, simmering down as he removes his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. "Maybe she assumed you would get the hint from Rito himself, especially from what I saw in the VMC, Rito never seemed to get two words out of his mouth around you, before you yanked him around," he shrugs his shoulders as he speaks, "Yeah, maybe it didn't help I and the others ganged up on him when we saw you around him, but growing up in Sainan, there isn't a kid in our school system that hasn't heard of the 'Perverted Klutz', or how he messed up the gardens in Junior High." He crosses his arms, as Momo suddenly grows angry at his accusations about Rito.
"Yeah, well Rito isn't like that, and stupid rumors from long ago don't interest me, Nakajima," she says, matter-of-factually, crossing her arms and huffing in annoyance, "You're all just childish because you can't appreciate what you'll never understand, since your species is such prudes regarding matters of the heart, and the body." He actually laughs at that, which catches her off guard.
"You're calling us prudes?" Nakajima states, crossing his own arms, "From what I learned while talking to Kuro and Zastin, we may be a bit backwards technologically, but a lot of people are like us when it comes to matters of the heart." He adjusts his glasses and smiles at Momo. "For instance, despite all your moping and groaning, your not angry at Lala, your misdirecting your jealousy towards Rito onto her," Momo widens her eyes, and sputters at that unbelievable comment, but he keeps on talking, "You know, it isn't really comparable, but I have an older cousin who practically lived with us her last year of school, just to marry some guy who lived in our old neighborhood." Momo raises an eyebrow at his story, but he ignores that. "She was like, my second cousin, or something, I was, like, six or so at the time, and I had the biggest crush on her because she was the only one of all the older kids who played with me when the family got together," Nakajima states, frowning as he relates the experience, "I didn't want her to go and leave us, leave me, so every time she brought her fiance over, I did everything in my power to make his life miserable, until one day he did something unexpected." He pulls out his wallet and grabs something from inside it that was tucked in a corner.
"He decided to take me out with her to some carnival, or festival that was going on, and he treated me to cotton candy, even helped me scoop a goldfish, when he took me aside while my cousin went to use the restroom,"Nakajima states, smiling, "He said,'Kid, you're the only one who doesn't like me right now, but I get it, you don't want her to leave, but, I gotta ask ya somethin'" Nakajima wipes a tear from his eye, as he smile sat the happy memory. "He kneeled down and pulled out this box from his back pocket, and handed it to me, and he told me exactly what he wanted me to do with it," Nakajima states, "'When you think I'm worthy of her, you give me this box, so don't lose it, and I'll know I'll have your blessing to marry her' is what he told me." He hands the strip of photo over to Momo, who takes it cautiously and begins to look it over. "He gave me the ring he wanted to surprise her with, because he knew I didn't like him, yet he brought me along anyway to show me he wasn't a bad guy, and then while we were taking photos," Nakajima states, as Momo watches the result play out in the four frames, "She came back, I saw a photo booth and knew I wanted a picture to remember the day, and gave him the ring right before the first flash of light." Momo looks at the pictures and smiles, seeing a tiny Nakajima without his glasses handing a man a box, while his cousin was unaware and making a silly face. She saw the next frame show her surprise at the man holding the box, while the next one showed him showing the ring in the box as he kneeled in the cramped photo booth. She also noticed that while Nakajima had given him the box, he didn;t exactly seem happy in the pictures.
"You didn't seem to share their excitement, so why give him the ring?" Momo softly asks, "I wouldn't at that age..." Nakajima nods, before Momo hands himt he photos back, and he gingerly replaces the faded strip back into his wallet.
"I realized that despite my jealousy, her mind was going to be made up, no matter what I thought, she was a big girl and knew what she was doing," Nakajima states, crossing his arms and shaking his head, "I was six, so forgive me if I didn't quite understand or like all the kissing I saw that day, but I realized I couldn't keep her from her happiness, just because I wanted her to be mine..." Momo softly closes her eyes, as she finally gets the point he is making. "Why don't you go find her, apologize to her, because we both know she didn't mean for this to happen," Nakajima states, spreading out his arms wide at his surroundings, earning a small chuckle from Momo in return, "So be the mature woman you and I know you are, don't hold her back just because you want to keep her as 'your big sister'; we both know after today he's already won her over again..." Momo smiles, wiping a tear from her eye, much more calmer and relieved than she thought she should be, but strangely happy.
"You matured Nakajima, maybe you aren't as stupid as you look," she states playfully, punching him softly in his shoulder, "And I'll forgive the insult that you think I wasn't acting mature." He chuckles, but he follows her as they head back towards the direction of Lala's room. Suddenly both here a scream coming from down the hallway. Nakajima turns to Momo, and she looks back at him. "Go see what's going on, I'll go check on Lala and see if Rito's involved," Momo commands, before she hands him her Dedial, "If we aren't there in time, if the guards need help, you know what to do!" Nakajima nods and runs off towards the source of the scream, Momo hurriedly turns around and heads back to find her sister's room once more.
Meanwhile
As blade clashed with fist and tail, Gid came to blows again and again, parrying his opponent. He didn't know why his most loyal advisor and general was attacking him, but he knew it had something to do with the sword. It was also why, Gid believed, that the sword was the reason Zastin was matching him blow for blow, as even though Zastin was the second strongest on the planet, his skills and power were still under Gid's own years of honing. While he couldn't keep this up forever, he knew that he was wearing down, deflecting Zastin's powerful swings was of utmost importance to him, keeping any hit from connecting. Then he slipped up, when Zastin feinted, turning his blade low and striking him in the knee and causing Gid to regretfully fall. He looked up to see the sword leveled to his face, just as Lala, Rito, and others reappeared to speak to him. A maid screams in the distance, but all Gid can see is the hate coming off his younger advisor's eyes. The boy he had watched grow up in his court from a squire, this was not him, but an icy, meticulous, ruthlessness wearing his skin. The eyes alone were enough to judge this by, as his eyes were fully an empty gray, filled now with hate, rather than the blue eyes that occasionally shone gray in certain lighting.
"Papa!" Lala calls out, looking at the scene playing out before her, her anger flaring at Zastin, "What are you doing Zastin, you're committing treason!" She is surprised as the smile travels up his face, turning to smile at Lala.
"But Princess, I'm only doing what your father asked, he said anyone who wanted to approach Rito must go through him," he says, as if stating a simple fact while holding her father at sword point, "You see, unlike Lacospo, I have the ability to fight Rito, and choose to do so." He removes his sword from Gid's neck and replaces it in his scabbard. He bows and pulls out a rose from somewhere, to offer it to Lala. "While I apologize that this must happen on your wedding day, or rather your engagement, but it is a necessary evil I assure you," Zastin states pulling up from the bow and tossing the white rose at her feet, "I don't care about you marrying Rito, oh no, my reasons actually extend personally to the matter of succession, or rather, inheritance of the crown and the empire..." He sneers at Rito as he points a finger at him. "I challenge you Rito, a duel to decide who will rule Deviluke and inherit Gid's crown, the hand of the fair Lala belongs to you at no cost, because I will become King and restore the Diskenth line to the throne," he states, and Gid's eyes suddenly show the barest of hint of surprise, that catches both Lala's and Rito's attention, "Because, as you are likely unaware, millennia ago the last son of the house of Diskenth was exercised from this place and cast out into exile; I have come here to permanently end the vendetta between my ancestor and yours, Gid-sama, Lala-hime, and claim the throne from your chosen favorite."
Gid stands up shakily from his position on the floor, and stares in contempt at Zastin. "I do not know why or where you have dredged up such a terrible moment from our history," Gid states, "But I can assure you that the Diskenth line was exercised from history for a reason, his line cut off and removed from the royal courts, long ago." He walks over to stand in front of Lala and Rito. "You are mistaken Zastin to think by just challenging Rito for the right of the throne, that you will get it by defeating him," Gid states, "You know as well as I that only the oldest heir to the throne stands to gain it, their can be no such challenge permitted, no exceptions." At that Zastin smirked.
"While that is true of male heirs, when the matter of succession falls to a woman, as stated in the ancient bylaws, the eldest male who holds even the tiniest amount of royal blood, may challenge the daughter's champion for right of succession," he draws a thin line over his wrist, and a few small flecks of blood drop to the ground in the throne room, "You'll find that even though the royal line of Diskenth has been removed from the history books, Zastin's claim to the throne is still valid." As they wonder what he means by that, the sudden pulsating light that begins to illuminate the ground under their feet, travel up the walls, and create a vast, complex set of visible runes around the room, answers that question for them. Suddenly the throne doors slam close, cutting off the access to the hallways, and leaving Nana, Lala, Rito, Gid, Sephie, Darkness, Kuro, Mikan and Celine alone in the room with Zastin. "Now, as the challenge has been meted out, and the runes discouraging interference set, I believe you should select your champion, Lala-hime," Zastin states with a crazed smile on his face, "I would hate to pick for you from among all your favored friends..." He eyes Kuro, Darkness, and Rito in turn, before turning to Lala.
"You are crazy if you think I'll send in someone to fight for me, Zastin, or whoever you are!" she yells angrily at the man, "The Zastin I know would have never let it come to this!" He chuckles at that, before brushing his hand through his hair and smiling crazily through the gap between his thumb and forefinger.
"Well, you are right Princess, since Zastin isn't really in control right now, nor has he been since your friends went and fixed the Ninth Blade for me!" he smiles as he turns to Rito, "You already know, Rito, who I am, don't you; Adam more than likely told you who I was after all..." He then turns to address the others. "You see, my name isn't Zastin, but rather Creed Diskenth, the original wielder of the improperly forged Ninth Blade, and base personality of the monster you would call Bladix!" At that the others feel their blood turn cold, Lala feels her heart skip a beat, as she remembers exactly what happened when she had visited the future that time. The one who had pretended to be 'Adam' but was really something, someone else; a mad King who ruined a universe for his own selfish gain, destroying her family in the future after Rito lost control of his powers. A darkness born from hellish hate and the death of someone that had been proven to be her own family.
"That's right, I am the exiled son of Deviluke, a King in my own time, but your history books wouldn't say that, would they Gid?" Creed calls out towards the wounded King, "History is written by the victors after all, no matter who is right or wrong, not the losers." He bitterly frowned as he delved into his story. "Once, long ago, Deviluke was fractured into kingdoms after the death of a great King who had but one heir, an infant son yet weaned off of his mother's bosom," Creed states, "As the world fell into disorder and chaos, civil war as rights of succession and rules came to blows between men, then armies, then whole cities..." He crossed his arms and continued. "I was the closest to the crown, the Diskenth being cousins after all with your own family back then Gid, though time has thinned that connection now, but as a young man I knew while the child was alive, there would be no rest from war until a hero arose, the young prince was crowned king; so I sent him away to loyalists in the Northern provinces." He pulls out his sword and strikes it into the stone, a clang echoing through the throne room as metal strikes rock. "I did seize power, by any means necessary at the time, and perhaps my methods were more harmful or strict than helpful and kind, but during my rule all attention was turned to me, and me alone, as I cut swaths into those who sought their own power," he grips his handle tightly, "Those who sought to use the shadows to hide their ambitions, their greed for power, were exposed or executed by my own hand, until the day the young Prince was old enough to begin to gather power in the few loyal cities to the north." Rito's eyes open in astonishment as he comes to realize just what Creed was getting to.
"So you vilified yourself to become a martyr, a person for the peoples sorrows and problems," he states, as Gid and Lala both look at Rito in astonishment as he speaks, "So when the King gained the power he needed to take back his father's possessions, unify your people from the civil war they had faced, you were cast out, exiled to the stars for your crimes; but how?" Rito steps forward with a puzzled look and a raised hand. "If your people were still in the equivalent of Earth's dark age, when Kings ruled, how is it your people managed to become star faring in such a short time, while under such despair?" he asks, "Wouldn't you be more focused on yourselves, than the skies above?" Creed smirks at Rito, recognizing that he was askign the right questions.
"You would wonder correctly, how it was exactly that my people grew to join the stars; the answer being that the stars had came to us long ago, aliens who walked among us as gods enslaved us while were too young and stupid to question it, then one day it seems they simply left us to be," Creed answers, "One day, during my exile, I sought to follow the myths and stories to see if gods had truly walked among us, and I found the answers to be more disturbing than the myths and legends of the Pale People that legend spoke of." He kneels down on the floor to sit as the others tense. "Tales spoke of the Pale People as beings like us, though they could do extraordinary things such as heal the sick, even bless those like them with a power we eventually came to know as Tao," he laughed as he spoke, and turned towards Gid, "It is ironic, really, to learn that what we thought was natural to our people, coveted by our people, was simply a gift left to us to utilize to the full, to spread and to share it with our world." He sneers as he looks towards Gid. "Instead, the selfish and the power hungry kept it between themselves, and eventually what we knew as the 'Royal' bloodline, was in fact the last of the genetically enhanced, those gifted with, but unable to use, the power of the Tao." Gid looks at Creed, gripping his hands together and growling. "Yes, Gid, that is the source of your unimaginable power, the power to destroy planets and wipe out your enemies and suffering only the curse of regressing in age; the result of Tao energy enhancing our peoples natural abilities," Creed states, "And we had abused it for so long, I realized that to undo the travesty we had created, I had to become the hero, a real Hero this time, and seek out our gods and the weapons they left behind." At that Lala looked to the sword, as did Rito, who also observed his own sword in its scabbard.
"The swords, you thought the Charmian's were your gods, just because of the weapons Chronos had created?" Lala states exacerbated, as tears fell down her cheeks, "You killed my ancestor's brother, just because he had an ability, the skill to create these weapons and blades and guns?" She falls to her knees, not caring about her dress anymore, nor the wedding that could have happened. "You became a monster just because you wanted a stupid sword?" she says disbelievingly, much to the alarm of Gid and the others, save Rito who had seen the events play out before, "It's no wonder they called you a foolish soldier, a worthless man, its no wonder they called you a villain; because you are one!" The words actually gave Creed pause, but the malicious smile returned shortly.
"Yeah, I guess I did... heh... heh... ha.." Creed states, as he removes the sword from the stone, and stares into the reflective black material, "Man, when you put it like that, I guess I did become a villain..." He looks up and meets Rito's eyes, and in that instant Rito realizes exactly what he is planning. Rito doesn't hesitate, and he ignores the cries and pleas of his Sister and Lala as he steps forward, drawing his sword.
"I can't let you become King now, you know that?" Rito states, leveling his sword at Zastin/Creed, "I'm sorry, if you can hear Zastin, but Creed needs to be stopped, here and now, since he's become a monster." Creed freezes, half his smile drooping while the rest remains, and an eye flickers between lifeless gray and bold blue. Rito merely nods as Creed assumes full control of his body once more. "I accept your challenge as Lala's champion, no as Deviluke's champion," Rito states, flaring up his body with dark matter, leaving a visibly light-bending aura, "When you yield, you will release Zastin from your grasp, exorcising whatever anger, pain, and rage fuels you; do you accept these terms?" Creed merely smiles wider, to the point of almost splitting skin.
"If you win Rito, if, so when I win, you forfeit your life to feed my blade with your empowered blood," Creed states, as he strikes his blade on the floor, and both he and Rito are surrounded by a circle of energy, "When you leave this ring, or I kill you first, then Lala can cry her heart out and step aside when my new reign begins!" Raising his own blade and leveling it with Rito's, he steps forward and crosses blades. "Let us duel!" he orders, and in the following flare of darkness and sparks of light, the two are off matching each other blow for blow.
Outside the Room
Momo, Nakajima, Nemesis, Mea, even Saki, Rin, and Aya are standing near by, as a host of guards bring in siege equipment to break down the door. "Again, again!" Momo commands, "Your current and future King's and Queen's lay beyond that door, as does the remainder of the royal family and other important guests; we must break through whatever barrier is disrupting our entrance!" The others step to the side, as the group of men hoist their battering ram and hit the door once more, causing it to crack and splinter. At that they stop and step aside, as Nemesis walks up to the door and attempts to phase through the shadows beyond the door. After a scream, she pulls back and coalesces once more into a physical body.
"Damn it, whatever is beyond that door, its utilizing the minimalist amount of Tao energy to keep us out," Nemesis states, as she brushes herself off as Nakajima helps her to stand, "Tell your men to stop, Momo, trying to get past Tao enhanced barriers is like crushing a diamond with your bare hand, while lacking your Deviluke physic." Momo waves the guards off, and they return from whence they came.
"So there is no chance of getting in there?" Momo asks, as Nemesis shakes her head, "Then let us pray that whatever is going on beyond that door doesn't last much longer, or else we may have to blow up the wall around the doors..." Nakajima doesn't know if she is kidding or not, nor does Saki, or the others.
"I thought I saw Zastin before the doors closed, and he had the King on the floor at sword point!" she states hysterically, crying into Aya's shoulder, "If I hadn't have screamed, would we have been able to stop him?" Aya merely consoles her, as does Rin. "Zastin-sama, what are you doing?" she cries while staring towards the door, "Why would you risk your life to do something so foolish my love!"
OoOoOoO
'He's attempting to off balance you,' Adam states from within Rito's mind, 'Go for a low swing, make him block, then through your weight into your left shoulder to try and force him back.' While Rito was listening to Adam's suggestions, the very fact that the man in front of him was a trained soldier with practice on the field, made it very hard to match him at his current level. 'Block!' Adam cries out, as Rito almost misses getting nicked by the blade, huffing as he steps back and wipes sweat from his forehead, while the two men circle each other, 'Zastin is the solider Rito, Creed is just a phantom wearing his skin, he lacks the honed focus and dedication Zastin bled to achieve.' Rito rolls his shoulders as he prepares to block Creed's downward slice, looking back to see that had he not deflected it, he could have been very well pushed over the edge. 'Creed is an echo, a parasite left over from the Bladix entity, he isn't Creed anymore than he is Zastin, even though he has memories,' Adam states, smugness in his voice, as Rito parries, 'You've defeated Bladix by sheer willpower alone, Zastin is controlled the same was as Rin was that day, you already had the will, now you have the power and the skill to beat him outside of the mindscape.' Rito gets a rush of memories, as the events play out in his head, of Rin, Bladix, and every crazy thing that has gone on this past year alone. He had been near death more than once, he saved the world with his friendship's and connections, he met, confessed to, and moved on from the girl of his childhood dreams, to find the woman of his dreams having been standing next to him all the while.
With a roar of renewed energy, he swings and finds his blade clashing with Creed's. "Do you think that you can win?" Creed yells, lunging forward to swipe, "You may have the muscle memory that monster passed on to you, but I posses the skills and knowledge of two battle-hardened men to put them into practice!" He pivots and retreats a step, letting Rito take the chance to lunge and swing, before he deflects the blade and manages to kick Rito in the shin. While he doesn't fall, the dirty move hurts,and causes him to return to the defensive. "I'm glad you are learning your place, Rito, you don't have the spine to stand up to your enemies, so remember that while you can," Creed states, not letting up as Rito continue's to block, "It's a mercy, really for me to do this now!" Creed has managed to push Rito backwards, to the edge, and he prepares to end it. "I fare thee well, Rito Yuuki," Creed states, raising his blade to rush him, "You wouldn't have had the brains to survive." As he lunges for the last time intent on spilling blood, it is Rito's intention to block him, so he pivots his foot to do so. In an act of sheer coincidence, Rito falters as he moves with his injured foot, causing him to fall to the ground as he barely blocks Creed's downward hack. Creed is shocked as he tumbles forward, sword bouncing off Rito's at the last glance, and tripping over Rito's sprawled form and out of the ring.
The lights that had been illuminating the throne room suddenly dim, as the doors crash open with a mass of sprawling vines and flowers that tear the doors from their hinges. The others look back as Momo storms in with palace guards following her, among them Nakajima, Saki, and the rest swiftly file in. Lala's eyes are filled with joy as she begins to walk towards Rito, until her father and Nana hold her back. She's confused until she watches Rito stagger up and face Creed with his own blade raised. "Now, you've lost, so let Zastin go!" Rito commands, as he winces in pain setting his injured foot down, "Come on Creed, as a man of your honor, shouldn't you be letting go of whatever petty feud it is that's kept you going after Bladix's death." At that the downed form of Creed begins to laugh, as he slowly gets back up onto his feet, leaving his sword on the floor.
"You think this is about a sword, Rito, about honor?" Creed states, turning to look Rito in the eyes, "I've been reborn in a vessel fit to met out my retribution on Deviluke, I am not just some hateful sword, lusting after blood; I have goals, ideals to put into work, and if you think you'll stop me now..." He walks forward with his sword hand swinging freely and held up by his free hand. "I'm Creed, now and forever, and I'll die restoring Deviluke's purity, then let you pollute the line further with that witches blood!" he yells, staring with full hatred directed towards Lala and Rito, "Your people refused to help me back then, so I took what was rightfully mine, to see my family line drawn down so low; it sickens me to see what putrid, hellish offspring has resulted from that toxic mixing!" The glint in his gray eyes are full of crazed wildness, determined anger, and hatred so strong it chills Rito to the bone. "If I can't stop you from being King..." Creed states, turning his attention to Rito, "Then you'll have to kill me first!" Rushing towards Rito, brandishing a dagger form his armor, Rito grabs Zastin's unbroken hand and forces him to relinquish his grip on the weapon. Rito had forgotten to use his sword to keep him at arms length, instead using his free hand to try and do the same. With one last, wicked smile, Creed breaks out into a chilling laugh as Rito's eyes arch in surprise. When the first drops of blood hit the floor, the whole room is plunged into silence, while Creed brandishes his tail in the open air, freshly flecked with blood from having plunged into Rito's chest.
"Rito?" Lala cries out, as she struggles against her family, "RITO, NOOOO!" She breaks free, the contents tucked into her dress falling out as she tumbles to the floor in despair. With a clink on stone on stone, the silken package rolls free and out onto the cold floor. "RITO!" Lala cries out, as she reaches out for him, "Rito, no!" The princess watches as he slumps to a kneeling position, as blood starts to pool beneath his legs and feet. Forgotten, the glistening white orb sits on the floor ignored, taking in everything around it as the actions of the world are reflected across its surface. The opalescent pearl shines brightly as the light refracts in rainbows the detailed fall of Rito Yuuki, until the red pool spreads and stains the room crimson. "Rito!" Lala chokes out in one last sob, "Forgive me!" Blood red, the reflection of Lala's tear stained face is the last thing the pearl shows, as a whitened cord reaching from the hand on her finger is shown to be attached to the connecting end on Rito's ring finger. While going unobserved to the world around it, busy with their newfound grief, the cord suddenly multiplies and spreads outwards like a web, starting to shine as it turns everything white.
A/N: WOW...