Wish of the Dahlia

by Tomas the Betrayer

Fear is the Black Dahlia's ally. When her wishes are revealed, that fear will only grow. A final trinity of chapters exploring the Skullgirls' terrifying urban legend.

3. The Last Skullgirl

"Filia?"

The girl shot upright with arms flailing in panic. She knew only terror, striking madly at the last thing she remembered before…

"Filia!"

Next thing she knew a pair of hands seized her wrists to hold on tight. Panting, the terrified teen froze, staring in front of her at what turned out to be no more than a rock wall. She was inside a rough-hewn alcove lying on a blanket. Light came from an oil lamp set on the ground beside her. When Filia turned her head it was to find Squigly gazing at her anxiously with Leviathan sprouting from her skull.

"Oh, Squigly!" she gasped.

The two girls flew into each other's arms then. Their respective Parasites hovered overhead offering one another the same worried looks. Filia couldn't bring herself to speak. What she needed more than anything was this right here; a moment without being forced to think about her situation. A chance to feel safe, for what might be the very last time. Because if she thought about it too much… if Squigly was still with them, that could only mean the Skull Heart…

Oh, mercy.

"Tell me it's not true," Filia whispered with her cheek pressed to the zombie soprano's cold flesh.

The fingers of Squigly's skeletal hand dug down convulsively.

"It's true," that ghostly voice flitted through her mind. "She has become the Skullgirl."

---

Less than a year after the fall of Bloody Marie, the Skull Heart resurfaced. Back then no one could say for sure whether or not that maddening relic had been destroyed once again along with its previous wielder or simply passed to another candidate. The answer was made clear with the appearance of a new Skullgirl: Nurse Valentine, a former minion of Marie, now known as Heartsease Val. The joke was, 'More like Heart-cease.' No one thought it particularly clever.

As far as Skullgirl rampages went, this one would normally not have been ranked very high. The dead rose, for certain, Sienna Contiello among them. Canopolis issued a nationwide emergency, alerting its neighbors of the Skullgirl's resurgence. Nearly a month afterwards, little had happened. Pockets of the undead were located and destroyed, however no sign of their mistress emerged. The media was awash with rumors; Heartsease was building up her forces elsewhere for a major push. Perhaps the Gigans or Chess Kingdom had allied with the Skullgirl and were preparing to launch an assault that would wipe out the Canopy Kingdom in its entirety? Some even went so far as to suggest the royal family had struck a deal with Heartsease to forestall such an assault. Those voices were quickly silenced. All were left to wonder what fresh hell the latest Skullgirl had in store for them.

Then it happened. Heartsease Val appeared in Canopolis itself and took control of the medical district with her ghastly crew. There she performed unspeakable atrocities upon the helpless patients and their loved ones. All those intent on battling the Skullgirl for whatever reason converged on the capital. The final battle took place in the cavernous confines of the House of Healing, a vast medical complex now overrun by the undead and newly christened as Mortuary del Mundo. Heartsease Val found herself faced with the combined if not conjoined forces of Black Egrets, Medici Mafia, and Anti-Skullgirl Labs, all intent on her destruction and eager to get their hands on the Skull Heart before anyone else.

The whole thing proved to be a death trap. Val was prepared for their attack, her training and familiarity with both military and shadow organizations serving her well. The result was a slaughter. Those who died in the ensuing mayhem rose instantly to become members of Val's army, bolstering her ranks even further.

With any organized assault blunted, the independents saw a chance to throw their hats into the fray. Filia and Squigly were among them, having come late to the battle. Alongside others, they fought their way through the Mortuary, finally confronting the horror house's mistress within the very depths of her abode, which Heartsease humorously referred to as her Operation Center. Here the results of her 'experiments' came to the fore. Evil entered a new stage then. Heartsease Val was a monster, without a doubt. But she actually apologized for it in the end.

Or at least, she did to Carol.

Carol… or rather, Painwheel ended it. Filia had been lying only a few feet away, dazed by a blow from one of the abominations and able only to watch as her former classmate sought to save her. She remembered shivering while Painwheel howled uncontrollably, the corded death blade from her spine wrapped around both her and Heartsease, spikes from within her mutilated body pinning the two women together as the tortured science experiment furiously headbutted the blazing blue skull which was now her tormentor's hideous face over and over again.

'I'm sorry… for hurting you…'

Filia clearly heard these words as Carol's bleeding features smashed the Skullgirl's head into fragments of bone. That once alluring body collapsed in an inferno of smoke and fire. When it cleared, the Skull Heart hung in the air, whispering its compelling promise to all present.

It should have been the end right there. Painwheel was just drawing back her Buer Drive to slice the Heart apart. But she hesitated, looking past it to where Filia still lay watching. Their red eyes met. In that moment Filia felt certain she knew what Carol would have wished for.

She never got the chance, as a bullet blew her brains out.

What happened next wasn't quite clear to Filia. She remembered rushing towards Carol's corpse screaming as it crumpled to the ground and holding the dead body in her arms while she wept. She remembered how peaceful that scarred, twisted face had seemed as it lay in repose. And most of all, she remembered Black Dahlia swooping in to seize the Skull Heart in her hand.

It was like some awful dream. They were so close Filia had only to stretch out an arm to touch her. For once the Medici enforcer didn't pay any attention to her favorite victim. Didn't even acknowledge Filia's existence in any way. Her hidden face focused entirely on the treasure she held in her grasp, a smile evident in the way her voice rang out above the fray.

"SKULL HEART!" the Dahlia cried. "I wish… to grant YOUR wish!"

Hearing her speak broke whatever spell had gripped Filia. She and Samson surged up to attack the monster, with several other fighters joining them.

Then it was like the whole world fell silent, and they could all hear what sounded like something huge taking a deep breath. A giant maybe, or perhaps even the planet itself. And it said…

FINALLY…

After this it was like an earthquake. The ground fell out from under Filia, and then she was falling with a scream while above her a blue light grew and grew until it washed away everything else.

Even over the roar of the cataclysm, she could still hear Dahlia laughing.

---

Five minutes after waking Filia felt strong enough to get up. Together she and Squigly proceeded down the tunnel lit by interspersed lamps both electric and not. They passed groups of Black Egrets and armed Dagonians on their way. None of them stopped to speak. It was like they were on a mission. Squigly hovered at her elbow, alert to any indication she was about to collapse. Filia couldn't blame her. She stumbled only once and had to lean against the wall for a few moments while her head swam with queasy memories.

"Maybe you should lie down a little longer," Samson insisted from her crown. "You want to be rested for what comes next."

"I'm alright." Pushing upright, Filia ran a hand through her hair. She looked over to Squigly. Was it her imagination, or did the revenant opera singer seem paler than usual? "Squigly, do you need to rest?" she found herself asking without thinking.

In response the girl's stitched lips pressed together even tighter. Her single eye closed as a shudder stole over her. It was Leviathan who answered for his mistress, looping down to coil around her head solicitously. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Filia. But there is no time to waste. Our allies wait upon us even now. We should make haste."

"Worrying about someone is never a waste, Leviathan," she mumbled back half-heartedly, but took his point. Soon enough they were proceeding on. Eventually the girls and their partners came to a checkpoint manned by several Black Egrets. The guards communicated through walkie-talkies and then gave the thumbs-up to let them through. Soon after Filia found herself in a well-lit chamber. By now she had figured out they must be underground. Where exactly they might be remained a mystery.

"Good. You're awake. Let's get started."

The person who spoke turned out to be a little girl with sea-green hair that hung loose and a patch over one eye emblazoned with a yellow star. Something resembling a ratty wolf pelt looped around her small shoulders. Despite this she looked and sounded like she meant business, one wave of her hand causing both Filia and Squigly to sit down in the indicated spots without question. There were others present in the chamber, almost all of them women.

Filia recognized Princess Parasoul, of all people, wearing a military uniform while standing with her Living Weapon Krieg point-down between high-heeled shoes. There was something off about her appearance, but Filia couldn't quite peg it. Hunched against a wall with knees pressed to her chest and arms wrapped around them was someone else she recognized: the Medici enforcer Cerebella, who looked utterly crestfallen. The two of them had fought briefly back when Bloody Marie was on the loose but hadn't been given a chance to interact much since then. To the circus performer's right sat a scarred feral who had joined them against Heartsease Val, legs stretched out and flicking a bell around her neck in bored fashion. Still, when Cerebella shivered the feral reached up and patted her bare shoulder consolingly. The same comforting gesture was made by a skinny kid to Cerebella's right wearing black and red tights with two long feathers affixed to either temple. It was hard to tell whether they were a boy or a girl. Filia wondered if the three of them might be friends.

"For those of you who've been unconscious up 'til now or don't watch TV, I'm Annie of the Stars," the one-eyed girl from before spoke up. "This is Princess Parasoul. I'm given to understand you all know one another." Annie reached behind her and withdrew something that looked like a large medical journal from a knapsack. She then placed it carefully on the floor in front of them before looking back up. "It's Armageddon, and we're all here to save the world."

No-nonsense. That really did describe her well.

"You maybe want to fill us in?" Samson asked. "That is, if you want our help from here on out."

The Star Child crooked a green eyebrow at him. "Basically? The world's going to heck. There are three very peeved off, nigh-omnipotent goddesses rearranging the very fabric of reality up topside. New Meridian has become the heart of their empire. We're deep beneath its streets at the moment. There are dinosaurs roaming around up there if you can believe that, and other things that by all rights shouldn't exist in this dimension. A lot of good people have died…"

Here Annie's voice faltered. She gazed in brooding fashion at the ground, fingering the wolf pelt draped protectively around her neck. After a few seconds, the feisty little warrior shook off her bout of melancholia and got back to the story.

"Everyone I could contact has joined us here in the old emergency tunnel network built around the turn of the century. There's been precious little contact with the other kingdoms. No word from Chess, but last I heard the Gigans were marshaling for an assault. Our enemies have turned Medici Tower into their stronghold. The Queen sent out a sort of proclamation a few days ago. She says all who submit to their rule will be… the word she used was 'honored,' but salt me if I know what that means."

The princess chose this moment to speak up. "Lady Annie…" The narrowing of one golden eye seemed to indicate this form of address was being taken with a grain of salt, but if she noticed, Parasoul gave no sign. "Perhaps it would be best to share with our new guests the entirety of our pursuits."

"Sure, why not!" Annie huffed. "Not like the fate of the world is at stake."

"That's exactly why they should have all relevant information," the noblewoman replied.

Annie appeared to relent. She reached forward and tapped a finger against the heavy-bound tome. "Okay. This is the journal of Valentine, whom you might know better as Heartsease Val. What you probably don't know is that after defeating Bloody Marie, Valentine wished upon the Skull Heart in order to learn everything she could about its origin. The result was remarkably informative. There's detailed records contained in here that I've only been able to find scraps of through centuries of intense examination."

No one commented on that, so Filia let it slide. She recognized this was all being done for her benefit, though why they thought it important if the world really was in peril she couldn't say.

"In spite of what she did afterwards, it's not too far-fetched to say we owe Valentine a great deal. She sacrificed herself to obtain this intel. In fact, if we make it through this, I'll be the first to recommend we erect a fudging statue to the woman, cleavage and all." Annie opened the journal and flipped through it, scanning the pages with the intensity of a hawk searching for field mice. "In the time since she first took up the Skull Heart, Valentine learned everything she could and recorded it in here. She managed to fight off the Heart's influence during that period, but she knew it was a losing battle. Eventually she'd succumb and become a Skullgirl in full. Before that could happen, Valentine came to me and entrusted me with her research. I've been studying it ever since. Thanks to this I finally know what we have to do to end all this for good."

"Ummm… excuse me?"

Virtually everyone looked at Filia as she raised her hand. The girl blushed awkwardly at their perusal. "Before we go any further, would you mind telling me who you are and why you would…"

"I told you, I'm Annie of the Stars," the prepubescent cyclops snapped in return. "I'm immortal thanks to the Skull Heart, I kill Skullgirls for a living, and I'm not inclined to babysit little princesses." She looked over at Parasoul. "No offense."

"None taken," the tall redhead spoke with a quirk of her lips.

Having been through a lot in the past, Filia found she could not find any reason to doubt this narrative even if she weren't inclined to naivete at the best of times.

Unfortunately, Samson didn't share her team spirit. "Hey, One-eyed Monster," the Parasite snarled from within his nest of hair. "Maybe ease up on the kid, okay? She's not the one who pissed in your porridge, or whatever's put you in such a bad mood."

Leviathan whipped around to glower at his ancient colleague. "Samson, you reprehensible dolt! Learn to read the room, if nothing else! There is grief enough to spare amongst this company, and while my heart goes out to your host, there are more important matters at stake!"

"You think I don't know that? The air's full of Theon energy even down here! I know exactly what we're up against just as well as you. Still doesn't mean I'll be some snot-nosed brat's doormat!"

Annie leapt to her feet to glare into Samson's ochre eyes. "You're only alive because Beowulf and that whacky cartoon nut-job sacrificed themselves to keep the Dahlia occupied while you all ran away!" she bit out accusingly.

"Dahlia…"

Everyone turned to looked over against the wall, where Cerebella had finally lifted her tear-streaked face.

"She killed Vitale," the circus acrobat said, nearly choking on the words. "She killed everyone! All my friends, all the Medici! Hertz, Beatrix… even Lorenzo! She murdered my whole family!" Her head sank back into her upraised knees. "She has to be stopped."

This display of mourning served to put out any sparking tempers. Subdued, they turned back to their war conference. Annie got the ball rolling again.

"The journal holds all the answers." She placed a hand with fingers spread out across the pages. "It's given us our best and only chance of winning this war." Her lone gaze swept around the room. "Answer me this: what does the Skull Heart do?"

"It grants wishes?" Filia supplied lamely, knowing already that this wasn't the answer Annie wanted.

"Twists wishes, you mean," Squigly corrected beside her. "And turns those foolish enough to succumb to its temptations into Skullgirls."

"That's the official line," Annie acknowledged. "But there's something more basic you're forgetting. The Heart has the power to raise the dead. Believe me, I understand that when fighting a Skullgirl this might seem like the least of their powers. And in a way it is. But that's only because no one has ever been able to activate it fully. Until now…"

She then turned to a bookmarked page. Everyone saw a diagram of three eerily drawn women in a triangular formation.

"Ages past, the world was ruled by an empire of Theons, what we now refer to as Parasites. At its head was the Lilium, the immortal trio of Queen Lamia and her daughters, Aeon and Venus. Their power was so great it's said they could control time, space, even life itself. An empire like that should have gone on forever. But as we all know…" Annie flipped forward a few pages, "… it didn't."

"One of their servants grew hungry for power and staged a coup de tat. She managed to murder Queen Lamia's two daughters, precipitating a chaotic conflict that threatened to engulf the world. Lamia, driven mad with grief at her loss, disappeared from history at this point. Most assumed she died. I once read a translation saying she 'fled into darkness', but never knew what to make of it. Her empire collapsed, the conspirators failing to keep it together, and the whole thing broke apart into a colossal mess. Many people suffered. Despite the hatred for Parasites that came as a result of this betrayal, reverence for the old queen and her daughters remained, eventually growing into an organized religion which you all know today as the Divine Trinity."

At this point Filia finally realized what had seemed off to her before; Princess Parasoul was no longer sporting her necklace, the sign of the Trinity. She normally was never seen without it.

"According to Valentine's notes, this was not the end of the Lilium. At least, not completely. Using her power, Queen Lamia actually managed to suspend her murdered daughters and herself in a dimension removed from our own, past all notions of reality mortals can comprehend. This was not meant as a last recourse, however. Her aim was to resurrect them all at some point. In order to accomplish this, Lamia used every drop of power she possessed to create a tool capable of doing just that." Another page turned, to reveal a skull-shaped artifact wreathed in flames.

"The Skull Heart," Parasoul intoned simply.

Annie nodded in agreement. "Made by a woman, for a woman. Like I said, it has the power to raise the dead. What we're used to is rotting zombies and skeletons who obey the whims of whatever Skullgirl happened to be in control. But it's far more than that. At full strength, the Skull Heart has the power to resurrect dead gods. Having put so much of herself into its creation, Lamia lacked the strength to activate it herself. For that she needed a living host to bind themselves to it."

Several more pages turned up showing text and pictures of Skullgirls throughout the ages. Filia found herself amazed at how much detail the book contained. Val… or rather, Valentine seemed to have gone to great lengths to include as much information as possible.

No time was given to study further as their pint-sized storyteller soldiered on. "Up 'til now, no one has ever been able to fully activate the Skull Heart." She glanced over at Parasoul, whose face had turned dark with displeasure. "Even when your mother had it the results were not total. And she nearly destroyed all of civilization. What we're faced with now is much worse. I always thought the Skull Heart grew stronger based on the purity of the wish made. If done for selfish reasons, even those intended to do good, it warped them, imposing a punishment of eventually transforming the supplicant into a Skullgirl based on how corrupt their wish had been. But I was wrong. The creation of a Skullgirl was always its intent. A person capable of tapping into its full potential would then have the ability to bring back the lost children of Queen Lamia, which was her dream all along. It had to be a woman, because we are the bearers of life. Still, no one has ever been able to reach that point. Their own desires always interfered to some extent. Being mortal, every Skullgirl to this day simply didn't have the focus, willpower, or whatever you might call it necessary to bring about Lamia's plan. So for thousands of years we've been stuck with rampaging mother-of-all-maniacs fueled by a deathless queen's hatred for the living who mock her loss with every breath we take."

Annie closed the book and settled back to regard them all. "That is no longer the case. Finally, a woman has touched the Skull Heart and made a wish that surpasses all others. From what I've heard, by choosing to grant the Skull Heart's wish, Black Dahlia managed to avoid the trap everyone else has fallen into. She made a wish not for herself, and not even for someone she had feelings for. Instead she abandoned any self-interest and gave the Skull Heart a wish that it couldn't corrupt, and wouldn't refuse, because doing so satisfied its very purpose for being. I can't say if the Dahlia knew what she was doing or it was just bad luck. But she managed to pull off what Lamia always hoped would happen. Now, she's the Skullgirl. And the gods have returned."

"I should have killed that woman when I had the chance!" Princess Parasoul swore darkly. "There's been scant sign of the Skullgirl since that day. Only her forces, which are pretty much everywhere. They and the monsters brought in by the Lilium now control the whole country. My father is dead and most of our army has been destroyed. The Trinity is preparing to expand their power base. Things look pretty hopeless."

Annie tapped her eyepatch confidently. "But that doesn't mean we're beat."

The newly established Queen of the Canopy Kingdom closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again to gaze at the assembled women. "Which brings us to…" A faint smile twitched at the corner of her mouth as she glanced down at Valentine's journal. "…our last hope. As bad as things look, we've been given an opportunity. All we must do to win is kill the Skullgirl."

The tiny vigilante rose to stand by her biggest fan. Everyone seemed to cluster closer in eagerness to hear what came next. "The Skull Heart has been obliterated countless times throughout its history, and always it has returned after a 7-year period. Thanks to Valentine we finally know how this process works. Whenever a wish was made upon it before, the wielder never gained access to the Heart's full power. That meant some amount was always left in reserve, unreachable and unobtainable. It was this fraction, however small it might have been, that enabled the Skull Heart to reform ready to be used again after seven years."

Annie seemed willing to explain this for Filia's benefit, which the girl appreciated. However it hadn't escaped her notice that both she and Queen Parasoul had avoided looking at her for the last few minutes.

"But now, that is no longer the case. Black Dahlia has access to the Skull Heart in all its glory. She is the most powerful Skullgirl imaginable. And as Valentine put it, she is also the most vulnerable." A hard, mean smile caused that seeming child's lips to curve upwards, revealing teeth that seemed no less fierce than those of the wolf pelt she wore."Because with nothing kept in reserve, the Skull Heart has no means to restore itself should it be destroyed again. If we manage to defeat Dahlia, it means the Skull Heart will cease to exist permanently! And without it, Queen Lamia and her godly children will be consigned back to the void from which there can be no returning. Their power is immeasurable, but their lives are still dependent upon the Skull Heart! It's the only thing permitting them to exist. This is our chance to end the Age of Skullgirls for good and all!"

"Trinity watch ov–" Parasoul caught herself in time.

"My partner Saigan is inside the former Medici Tower keeping an eye on things as we speak," Annie continued. "They call it 'Tian Di' now. From what he's shown me, virtually every pure Theon in existence has answered Lamia's call. I've had a bit of trouble correlating everything I've seen since both the interior and exterior are so warped in terms of time and space. But according to Saigan, Dahlia isn't with them. Instead she's withdrawn to the underground Catacombs beneath New Meridian. Defense of Tian Di has been passed to their Theon generals. The Trinity themselves are too busy torturing that bloodless traitor to really pay attention to much else at the moment."

"Best news I've heard in a hundred generations," Samson spoke with wicked relish.

Annie shrugged his bloodthirsty comment off. "Seems they keep bringing her back to life when she dies. Or maybe they're rewinding time, who can tell. Anyway, our plan is simple. Our remaining forces…" she gestured around at the assembled party, "will launch a direct attack against Tian Di to draw the Lilium's attention. While this is happening, a three-woman team we've selected will proceed into the Catacombs to destroy the Skullgirl. Our own 'Trinity', as it were. Now that our final soldier is with us," she threw a pointed look at Filia, who blinked uncertainly, "we can start the operation."

She finally got it then. Filia looked around in great confusion before pointing a finger at her chest. "Wait… you mean me?"

Parasoul noticed the trepidation in her face and spoke to address it. "Three have been selected owing to their capabilities and relationship with Black Dahlia. Miss Fortune," she lifted her chin regally towards Nadia, "is bonded with the Life Gem and is rendered effectively unkillable as a result."

Nadia grinned and popped her own head off to scratch behind her ears. The princess grimaced distastefully but continued. "Miss Contiello, despite her… handicap, can say much the same. As an undead, she is able to endure great damage, and her partner is an Ancient who has grown far stronger as a result of all the Theonic energy unleashed of late."

"I accept, of course," Squigly said in her distant voice. The last surviving member of the Contiello smoothed her skirts daintily, a far-off look in her eye. She had been somewhat withdrawn and restless up 'til now, but here she seemed to have a grip on herself. "If it is within my power, the Dahlia shall answer for her crimes."

Behind them the cat-burglar Nadia Fortune hopped nimbly upright. "Don't forget about me, Grave Gal. I've got a score to settle with that witch from back when I was in one piece. But Yu Wan tells me she's gone and kidnapped a friend of mine. It was purr-sonal before." Her bright green eyes gleamed in the low light. "Now it's fatal."

All this made sense to Filia. Despite that, she found herself hesitantly forced to ask, "Ummm… so then why me? I'm pretty normal, aside from Samson."

It seemed like things got very quiet then. Several people avoided her eye when she looked around at them. Only Annie chose to meet her gaze squarely.

"Because the Dahlia wants you."

Pure cold flowed through her body at these words.

Filia…

It was like she could hear that madwoman's voice whispering in her ear. It caused a clamor of discordant noises, a cacophony inside her skull. She clutched at her temples in desperation, and as if on command a soothing balm of blankness fell over the noise (memories?), muffling them. The girl relaxed.

"My sources told me a great deal about you, Filia," Parasoul spoke in a gentle manner. "You have no recollection of who you once were. That could be a boon in a certain light." For a moment her eyes locked with those of Samson, who stirred restlessly. "But by now you must have realized there is a connection between you and Dahlia, one which means something to her especially. Val… I mean, Valentine even mentioned you in her notes as a possible weakness concerning her. With everything at stake, we cannot afford to overlook any advantage. You must accept your fate."

There was a pain in her chest. Filia found it hard to breathe. Her ears still rang, and she swayed where she sat.

Upon seeing this, Cerebella spoke up. "If she doesn't want to, then I–"

"No."

And Filia stood, eyes red as blood.

"I'll do it."

---

Shortly afterwards an enormous fellow in a trenchcoat and fedora squeezed inside the chamber to inform the Queen and Annie that their preparations were ready. The leaders of the uprising drew off to confer with him after wishing their three volunteers good luck. A rather adorable shark Dagonian in a lab coat took over, escorting the trio of fighters to their assigned location. None of them spoke much on their way through the tunnels. Filia felt nervous in the way she sometimes got before competing in sports activities at school. It was almost funny that she reacted the same way to serving a volleyball as she did to hunting down an unstoppable killing machine. At one point they passed someone who looked suspiciously like her teacher Mrs. Victoria dressed like a dominatrix, but that was probably just nerves talking.

"This is it," Stanley the scientist remarked as they came upon a certain cave. No lights were set here, and Filia scanned the dark hole in apprehension. There could be anything in there…

Stanley checked his watch, held it to the side of his head for a moment, shook it, then sighed and thrust both hands into the pockets of his coat. "The assault will begin in approximately 25 minutes. That should give you enough time to breach the Catacombs and locate your target." He hesitated, then took off his glasses and cleaned them before looking at the girls again. "I'm sorry," the dumpy little fishman stated. "You kids shouldn't have to deal with something like this, but we're out of options. I know you must be scared, so I'll just say…" and here he took a deep breath before hooking his spectacles back on. "There is no scientific evidence to support the concept of 'invincible'. Every Skullgirl 'til this day has been defeated. I see little reason for that pattern to end now. Good luck."

"Thank you, kind sir," Squigly sang.

"Yeah," Nadia grinned. "That actually makes me feel better. Way to go, Dr. Jaws!" And she gave him an affectionate punch to the arm.

"Ow." Stanley grinned, revealing an amazing amount of teeth. "You're welcome. Oh, and before I forget…" He then handed over a small fanny pack to Nadia, who belted it around her waist without question. Filia assumed this was something they had discussed beforehand. With that Stanley stumped past them to go trundling down the corridor until he vanished round a curve.

They looked askance at one another. Filia, Squigly and Nadia gave identical nods before entering the cave mouth. Each knew exactly how important this was, and all had very good reasons to see it done.

There was no need to admit they were scared. It went without saying.

Nadia took point, slipping soundlessly forward like a shadow. Squigly dropped straight into the ground and was swallowed up. She could keep track of anything that might be coming towards them from down there. It was pitch dark in here. Filia was glad to have these two very powerful and capable allies. But at the same time, it made her experience a sharp case of… inadequacy. Would someone else have been a better choice? Somebody stronger, smarter, more sure of themselves? What if I mess up?

What if I mess up and we all die?

"Steps up ahead," Nadia informed her. "They lead down. Take my hand."

"Okay." She did so, feeling that wiry hand encircle her wrist, the claws pricking faintly. When Miss Fortune took a step down, Filia shuffled forward until her shoes picked up the edge of the stairs. With that she proceeded to follow her partner's lead.

"Hey, Tuna Helper," Samson spoke up. "Can you really see where you're going?"

"No."

The Parasite made a choking sound. "NO?! Waddaya mean 'NO'?!"

"Relax, will you?" Nadia shot back from the darkness before them. "I make a living creeping around in dark places. I don't need my eyes to know where I am. Have some faith. Not all cats are bad luck, y'know." They proceeded for a few minutes in silence. Then, "We're at the bottom."

It was a relief to have level ground underfoot again. Filia followed at a more brisk pace. There was a dry, musty odor in the air she wasn't sure she wanted to identify.

The sound of rock splitting came below them. "We've reached the Catacombs. There are sepulchers here. All empty. Beware, their former occupants might be close by."

"Nice," Samson grunted. He came loose and began slowly waving his tendrils about like an octopus searching for signs of food. Filia kept her eyes peeled, for all the good it did. There still wasn't even the faintest glimmer of light down here.

Then she noticed a change in the air. Around her feet… was something glowing? "Do you guys see that?" she whispered. As she did, the glow intensified, and she sucked in a gasp. Before she knew it Filia was surrounded by a sluggish pale blue fog that gave off an eerie incandescence. It rose all around, encasing her in an undulating cocoon.

Both she and Nadia froze. The feral was vaguely visible in front of her now, but even with only a few feet of distance between them Nadia's image was so indistinct as to be a ghost. Suddenly her grip tightened. "Hsst!" Miss Fortune hissed. "Did you hear something?!"

Filia narrowed her eyes, listening. "Like what?"

No sound came through the fog. The girls stood tense and anxious. Filia turned her head, and for just a moment she believed there was someone standing on her left. It looked like a small girl with fins sprouting from her head, arms outstretched in a mute plea for aid.

Then Nadia let go and sprang forward. "MINETTE!" she shouted furiously. As she did the mist seemed to swallow her. Both Samson and Filia reached out to try and grab her, but neither of them made contact. There was a brief pattering noise, and they stood alone. Filia could feel panic rising as her heart began to pound in desperation.

"Filia, stay calm." Squigly appeared at their side. "Don't give in… to fear. You must… fight…"

Suddenly the zombie appeared to lose her footing. She sagged towards the floor, catching one of Leviathan's coils to keep from falling. The blue-haired beauty trembled.

"What's wrong?" Filia reached for her anxiously, but one bony hand came up to ward off any aid.

"It is the Skull Heart," Leviathan spoke in subdued tones. He rested his forehead against the side of Squigly's head, and the girl's shaking subsided to an extent. She stroked his smooth chin as if in search of reassurance. "Its call is overpowering her. This is much worse than what took place during the tenures of Heartsease Val or Bloody Marie. Even with my augmented strength, I fear she might be taken from me before long and become another member of the Skullgirl's entourage." He glanced over at Filia, and she could practically see the pain this admission caused in his reptilian features. "We must conclude our business before that happens," the worm spoke with steely resolve.

Filia nodded doubtfully. It was now clear what Parasoul had meant when she referred to Squigly's handicap. At any moment the influence of the Skull Heart might seize control of her dead friend's mind and soul, transforming her into an obedient slave of the Skullgirl.

"I will be fine," Sienna insisted, her ephemeral tones sounding strained to Filia. "Give me but a moment to collect myself and we may proceed."

Sick at the thought of what was happening to her cherished companion, the high schooler glanced all around, alert for any shambling hordes which might be bearing down on them even now. She strove not to think about how easily their last resort was falling to the power of the enemy. We haven't even reached the Dahlia, and already we're down by one. What chance do we really have?

Squigly opened her eye. When she did, a figure appeared through the mist. A woman, with long silver hair and pointed ears, wearing a great fur wrap and smiling wickedly. The moment she saw her Sienna Contiello recognized the person who had made her mother a monster. Compelled by the prospect of vengeance on that hateful form, the singing songstress forgot all about her mission, rising to follow as the taunting temptress beckoned her.

And thus Filia found herself alone.

She knew without looking that Squigly was gone. There were tears rising to her eyes, and her face felt hot and swollen. The urge to break down and cry built up inside. "I'm all alone!" she gasped. "What am I supposed to do, Samson?!"

"Take it easy, alright? Those two are tough birds. Don't count them out yet. We'll just keep on moving and I bet you anything we'll run across them again. Like the cat said, have some faith, Filia."

"But what if it's all on me now?" she protested. "I don't think I can do this alone! I don't even know where to go!"

"Yeah you do, kid. We both do."

She knew what he meant. Stripped of her memories, faced with heinous enemies and cast adrift in a world that hardly made any sense, Filia had persevered despite all the odds stacked against her. She fought with Samson and strove to make a life for herself in spite of having no past. And to her credit, it had worked out pretty well. She'd made friends and continued to seek clues which might explain her existence. Through it all, they had worked together, but Filia was the one who decided for herself that she was not going to quit in spite of everything arrayed against her.

You go forward. That's what Samson was saying.

It's just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. Keep moving. Don't stand still. Eventually you'll get somewhere. It might not be where you expected, but it beats staying put and just hoping things will work out. My past might be lost, but my life certainly isn't.

And so, shoulders squared and chin lifted determinedly, the young warrior pressed on into the gloom.

Filia couldn't say for sure how long she walked. It honestly felt as if she were upside down at some times, or moving at an angle perpendicular to the floor. Resolutely she brushed these sensations aside and kept going.

The fog disappeared without warning. The young woman found herself on a narrow ledge of rock faced by a fathomless chasm that spread out to either side past her field of vision. A blue-white glow filled this abyss completely. The roof of the cavern was completely dark. Far away she could make out what looked like a sky-high wall composed entirely of gigantic skeletons, their bones packed tightly together in what could have been the resting place for everything that had ever lived on the planet. From the edge of the outcropping she stood upon there sprouted a staircase made of bones stretching up into the air without any visible support.

She was distracted from this awe-inspiring sight by the dozens of nearly identical women standing before her. They were all dressed in showgirl bunny costumes with black bodysuits and fishnet stockings. Some were fair-skinned, others dark, with a variety of hair colors. To a woman they were armed, and each wore a skull-shaped mask with rabbit ears on top. Numerous black holes for eyes gazed upon her. Filia raised her arms and took a stance in preparation for battle.

To her surprise, the wall of hostile females split down the middle to form a corridor leading to the staircase.

"She's waiting for you, Filia," one of the Skull Bunnies said in amused tones, indicating for her to proceed.

Cautiously the girl edged forward. She half expected them to swarm her the moment she stepped out into their ranks. This did not come to pass. Unnerved, Filia proceeded to climb the arch of bones. That armed posse took up step alongside her, moving as she did. Together they trooped up the stairs, heels clicking on dry bone. Filia couldn't help but shiver at the thought of what lay beneath her. There was no indication her escort shared this sentiment. The Dahlia's personal forces marched with a military cadence that seemed unnatural. Were they really still alive? Or had their leader required one more sacrifice on her girls' part if they were to continue to serve her?

These women obeyed the will of Black Dahlia. So did I. Maybe I'll wind up just like them? This served as a reminder of the person she was about to face. There was something compelling about Dahlia. In large part, the recognition of what they meant to one another had served to bring Filia here even more than the prospect of saving the world. That's why I came: because if I want to move forward, there's one person blocking my way. She's always been there. If I want a future, I need to get past her once and for all. She won't let me have it any other way.

At last they drew abreast of a floating plateau where the staircase terminated. This structure was shaped like a ring with numerous heavy stalactites hanging from its underside. True to form, it was composed entirely of corpses, some skeletal, while others still had cloth or rotting flesh clinging to them. The disc looked to be well over a hundred feet from one edge to another. For the large part it was featureless; a flat carpet of ossified remains that served as the ground on which they walked.

Here, on a throne of the dead, the Skullgirl waited for her.

Black Dahlia sat before a small round table with an empty chair across from her, like she was preparing for afternoon tea. At first glance little had changed about her. She still wore her trademark hat and veil, and her dark purple dress remained glossy and rich. Only when Filia drew closer did she detect a subtle but marked difference. The white half-cape Dahlia wore that always reminded her of a doily remained, but now the pattern cut around its edges looked like tiny skulls. The loop of pearls hanging from her good shoulder was also revealed to be carved into skulls. Most striking of all, her right arm was completely skeletal, composed entirely of a gunmetal blue alloy that gleamed in the pale light. This appendage moved as though it were a part of her body.

A nun in a blue habit stood at her right. The priestess' hands were clasped as though in prayer, eyes closed and face composed and peaceful. As Filia approached, however, those eyes opened a crack, allowing red light to peek out. The nun smiled briefly before resuming her worshipful attitude.

Dahlia sat back in her throne with legs crossed at the knee and chin resting against one hand. In a strange way, Filia was just a bit disappointed she still couldn't see the woman's face. Just that vague shadowy mockery that always left one feeling uneasy. Regardless, there was no mistaking her. It wasn't the mask they all had grown up dreading, but the person behind it.

Without being asked the girl slid into her seat across from the two women. She didn't look back to see what might be happening with the bunny gals. All her attention focused on them.

This is it.

Funny. I thought I'd be more scared. Instead I feel kind of relaxed. Like there's nothing left to worry about. I wonder if that means I'm ready to die?

"I'm here," Filia said.

Black Dahlia smiled. She lifted her metal arm, the exposed bone fingers flicking out in a negligent command. In response a few of the Skull Bunnies brought forth two crystal champagne flutes with gold-painted rims and a bottle tucked into a bucket of ice. As they set the cups down the nun came forward and popped the cork, proceeding to pour a measure of bubbling golden liquid into each glass. She handed off the flask and moved to retake her place by the Skullgirl's side. The glasses were placed before them. Filia looked at hers mistrustfully, then up at Dahlia, who reached out slowly with her human arm to grasp hold.

"Oh, Filia…"

The chiding voice from behind the veil felt like a bonesaw raking up the girl's spine, making her sit up straight with sweat dripping down her cheeks.

"Do you really think I brought you here just to poison you?"

Lifting the flute to shoulder level, Black Dahlia smirked. Seeing it, Filia found she couldn't do anything but comply. Numbly she raised her glass in an approximation of a toast.

"Cheers, dear."

Dahlia didn't wait for her to speak. Instead she took a drink straight through her veil. The champagne left a stain on the fabric almost like a kiss. Filia stared at that mark, hypnotized. Her chest felt tight as if a cold metal hand was slowly squeezing her heart. When the Skullgirl looked at her expectantly as if asking why she didn't take a sip, Filia explained, "I'm not old enough to drink."

Dahlia laughed and leaned over to her cohort. "You see? I told you she was a good girl."

"Such an obedient child," the menacing nun crooned.

Their mockery made Filia bristle. She shut her eyes tight and bit her lip. Samson coiled around her scalp, spoiling for a fight. All it would take was one word to get things started.

Instead she looked up and scowled at the Dahlia. "Tell her to leave," she indicated towards the nun with her chin.

For a time they just gazed at each other silently.

Then the Skullgirl turned to look at her accomplice. "I need some time alone with this one, Double."

"As you wish, Priestess," the creature responded with a bow. "I shall report to the Trinity as to our current situation." Her form shifted quite abruptly, becoming a swarming mass of bone and body parts that writhed in one place. A huge red eye stared at Filia briefly. Then the thing appeared to swallow itself, vanishing with a disturbing slurping noise. Filia steeled herself for a possible attack.

"They don't trust me, you see."

Instead the Dahlia leaned back in her throne, swirling the champagne slowly back and forth. She rested her chin on one hand again and stared off to one side, seemingly lost in the endless dance of blue light that made up the majority of her domain. Even like this, Filia could make out nothing about her face.

"The Trinity. They call me their 'high priestess' and reward me with whatever I desire." Her glowing eye flickered briefly over to Filia before moving back. "But they have Double watching me constantly. I can understand their concern. They need me, after all. Still, you have to wonder… is she meant for protection, or to keep me from making any moves against them?"

"Maybe you shouldn't have murdered your last employer," the girl snapped angrily back.

"Hah!" Black Dahlia came about with a laugh. She emptied her glass onto the floor, letting fine champagne splash over dry bone and flow like golden tears through gaping empty eye sockets. Leaning forward, she fixed Filia with a knowing look. "Tell me something, dear," she spoke teasingly. "Have you remembered anything about yourself?"

No response came, but this appeared to be enough for Dahlia. She tapped a skeletal finger on the table. "No, hmm? Maybe someone thought it would make you less effective against me. Not that it matters." A hungry smile flashed beneath the veil. "You never truly forgot me, did you?"

Filia wanted to deny it. If anyone deserved to be forgotten, it was this fiend right in front of her. But for some reason she held back, and said only, "You can't forget someone you never really knew."

The killer chuckled and lounged back. "So I'm not important enough to remember, is that it?"

"No." Filia cocked her head to one side, choosing her words with great care. When this all goes down, I want her to be in as little control as possible. The slightest uncertainty or anger I can make her experience might make all the difference. "I just never understood why you were in my life, did I?"

This seemed to make the Dahlia contemplative. She watched Filia, studying the lovely teen's face with great attention. Red eyes stared right back without blinking. Even though her whole body was tensed in preparation for battle, Filia fought to appear calm.

"Oh," Dahlia whispered, "No one really knew that, Filia. The Labs, Lorenzo, the ones who came before you…" Her words became a sharp hiss at this point, filled with a desire so intense it couldn't be hidden. Filia felt her flesh crawl in sudden terror. "None of them realized why I was in their lives until the end. They saw me as a weapon, or an ally, or just someone who had always been there and didn't need an explanation." For once it didn't sound like Dahlia was smiling. Her white eye burned through the concealing fabric. "But I was there for them. Just like I'm here for you now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" It took everything she had to force out enough air to speak. That sense of a hold on her heart was back full force, made even worse by the way it was pounding like a sledgehammer against her ribs.

The paramount Skullgirl swept an arm out across her domain. "You see what we're standing on? Every last one of them is here thanks to me." From out of the cemetery flooring a fleet of bones leapt up with a rattle, stacking atop one another like building blocks until they had come to form a human shape which hung there twitching and jerking as though in pain. "These are all the people I've killed in my life."

There was something bizarre about the reanimated doll. Staring intently, Filia felt a vicious shock go through her. The severed cable coming out of its spine… the hole through the head and the misshapen, tortured skeletal structure all told her she was looking at Carol.

"You sick freak…!" Samson snarled. He swept out to dash the champagne bucket and glasses from the table. "I'm gonna–!"

"No."

The Parasite grew quiet at his mistress' clear, strong voice.

"Let her finish."

They stared one another down, face to hairy face. But at last he obeyed. Upon returning her attention to the Dahlia it was to find her smiling again. Filia really hated the way she did that.

"It's so wonderful to see how you've grown, Filia," the undead assassin said in a lighthearted manner. "It just goes to prove how wrong your parents were. They thought you soft and sweet. Nightingale, they called you. Their little treasure. But Lorenzo knew better. He saw the makings of greatness in you, so strong he was even willing to overlook his own children in your favor. Your father objected, of course. Not because he wanted the job for himself, I think. Given the choice he would probably have stepped aside for your uncle Vitale. He was just worried about his little girl. Your family had such a lot to say to one another regarding you. Things got very heated. Tension built up between them so bad, it needed only the slightest thing to set it off. Until one day…"

Dahlia snapped her fingers together suddenly. And in spite of herself, Filia flinched.

"Pop!"

Her host settled back, making herself more comfortable to enjoy the sight of the girl's pain. "They're in here, you know." She tapped one high-heeled metal foot against the carpet of bones. "Your whole family, from Lorenzo on down. Someone once said it was my job to decide when the Medici died. He thought I was an angel of death. I thought that was cute. As if there's a higher power behind what I do." Dahlia reached out to grasp the reanimated Carol by the back of the neck. Her metal fingers flexed, and the corpse's skull shattered, causing the whole miserable thing to crumble and disappear back into the floor. "There's only me."

Filia's hands gripped the side of the chair tightly. Her blood was boiling in a way she had never known possible. It was all she could do not to go tearing through anything between them and rip that hateful creature limb from limb. It's time, it's time! I know it's time! Time to make her pay for everything she's done! But before then, let me just ask once…!

"What do you want from me, you crazy witch?!" she snarled in blackest fury.

That masked face tilted slightly. "Oh, Filia…"

In a flash Dahlia had clambered atop the table. And then she crawled towards Filia, a sight so nightmarish it made her freeze up with horror. As she sat there petrified, Black Dahlia drew up right in front of her, reaching forward to cup Filia's face between gloved and metal fingers as she knelt on the tabletop. Her victim couldn't move. Samson was the same. She could feel him struggling, but something kept him from coming to her aid. They were helpless, both of them. The Skullgirl's touch had robbed her of the ability to react. Was this some power they had all along? Or is it just her, Black Dahlia, the last and most powerful of the Skullgirls?

"I've watched you since you were born," Dahlia crooned, stroking those plump cheeks in eager fashion. "I knew from that day you and I were meant for each other. You're not the first, dear. There've been other girls before you, I'm not ashamed to admit. I waited for the right moment. Sometimes it was when they were at their happiest, the height of euphoria and filled with hope! For others it came after they hit rock bottom and had nowhere else to go. They all came to me then to find the answer. And when it ended between us, I started looking for another. Let the Trinity have this world, it makes no difference to me. I've already got your replacement lined up for when we're finished here. She's a cute little thing, a Dagonian I met while out on assignment. I've really been looking forward to her. And afterwards, maybe I'll pay Queen Parasoul's little sister a visit? But before then…"

The hold on her face passed over the pain threshold, bringing tears to Filia's eyes.

"I want to feel your heart," the madwoman gasped, panting hard so that her veil flew back and forth. "In your chest, Filia! I want to hold it in my hand while it's still BEATING inside you!" Her grip spasmed tighter. "I want to breathe in the last breath from your lungs! I want to hold your body against mine as you stiffen and go limp! I want to hear your final SCREAM! Just me, no one else!"

Black Dahlia sucked in a breath and roared, "I WANT TO FEEL YOU DIE, FILIA!"

"DRAUGEN PUNCH!"

The table exploded beneath them as something erupted through the bone floor. Dahlia somersaulted off it laughing. Filia went tumbling backwards, taking the chair with her. She skidded along on all fours until coming to a stop. Doing so let her see Squigly and Leviathan spinning like a drill. The dancing duo fluttered downwards in slow motion, a graceful flower in bloom, landing with unearthly grace to stand protectively before Filia.

There was no chance to speak. Black Dahlia floated before them. Her right arm snapped with blue fire, and when it cleared the gun arm was back, only now the artillery case resembled a giant skull attached at her elbow. Three gun barrels emerged from the nose and eye sockets. Its lower jaw was missing, and its upper teeth were grenade cannisters. Without hesitation Dahlia aimed and fired, triple blue shots roaring from her cannon towards Squigly. The zombie grasped Leviathan's long tail and wiggled him lightning fast up and down in the manner of a battle rope before lashing out. The shots exploded on contact, and both girls sprang back, coming up side by side with eyes locked on their enemy.

"Oh, girls!" Dahlia practically gasped with laughter. She still hadn't come down, and now hovered several feet above the ground. A blue inferno burned all around her. Her arms and legs were spread out as though to embrace them both. "GIRLS! You're just not getting it! If you couldn't stop me from killing your whole family, what makes you think you can do it NOW?!"

Neither of them responded. Instead they just reached out and took one another's hand, bone sliding over flesh in a secure affirmation of trust, friendship, and resolve. They had one shared goal. And they were needed.

Suddenly Leviathan wound securely around Filia's wrist. He then snapped forward, launching her straight at the Dahlia. Samson sprouted raging from her head, all spikes and claws fashioned solely from hair. "BANSHEE!" she howled, the two of them transforming into a winged moth monster aiming to blow straight through that wicked woman.

Her doily cape swept up between them, and just like that the duo rebounded off it as though they had slammed into a brick wall. Filia landed hard and quickly looked up in time to see a Skull grenade roll right in front of her.

She heard Squigly cry her name. There came a blue flash, and then smoke and flying bones were everywhere.

Squigly emerged through the cloud cover at a run. The soprano launched herself up high and sent Leviathan striking downwards towards Dahlia, hard and fast enough to penetrate anything. Their enemy watched him approach with a smile, and said…

"Foolish children…"

The dragon lance gave a start. Before he could escape a huge fist grabbed him by the neck. Squigly stared in amazement. Below her a muscular wrestler wearing a wolf's pelt now stood in the place Dahlia had previously occupied.

"There is no opposing the divine," Double sang, her lilting tones flowing from Beowulf's grinning mouth. "For your sins, we shall grant you eternal repose."

Even as the shapeshifter spoke, Squigly felt a trio of gun barrels press against the back of her head. "Take a bow."

The trauma from her final moments of life came back at this touch, and she relived the shocking pain from when the bullet traveled through her skull even as the same person who killed her once prepared to do so again.

Before she could fire, however, Dahlia jerked back as something came hurtling towards her from above, missing by inches. With a snarl the master assassin looked down to see a large wooden coffin smash against the floor. Even Double stared in confusion at this sight, allowing Leviathan to wriggle free and go streaking back to rejoin his mistress, who landed lightly near the broken casket. "Are you two all right?" she spoke with some concern.

"You didn't have to step in." Samson uncurled from out of his Hairball technique, a spiked cannonball that surrounded Filia completely and could defend against lethal assaults. "I had it covered!"

"Think of it as good teamwork, Samson," his partner declared, rising to dust off her skirt.

Together they stood back to back facing off against the pair of nightmares. Squigly confronted Double, while Filia challenged Black Dahlia. She raised her fists and glared at her hovering opponent, who gave a mocking salute. "The odds are even now, Dahlia!" Filia shouted. "It's two against two!"

"Four against two," Leviathan corrected her in a pedantic manner while weaving back and forth. "We Theons are not to be discounted in the end."

"Giving a flippin' math lecture even now!" a sour grumble came from Samson.

Filia took this brief interlude to catch her breath. She still felt a little lightheaded from the experience of being buried alive however briefly. Squigly's quick thinking had certainly prevented them from sustaining any injuries, but a part of her had to wonder if maybe Samson had been right and they could have resisted the attack all on their own. In truth Filia had never felt so powerful as she did right now, as if the strength she shared with Samson was enhanced just by being in this place. The rush of power had also contributed to her momentary dizziness. Could it be they were drawing on the energy of the Skullgirl's domain in and of itself?

She watched her opponent cautiously. Dahlia had only been the Skullgirl for a few days. It was entirely possible she hadn't worked out all the advantages this afforded her yet. Which meant she was still relying mainly on her own formidable combat prowess. Could that be another reason the Trinity had tasked Double with watching her, to make sure their champion had time to adjust to her newfound abilities? If so, maybe we really can take her.

"Feckless traitors!" Double hissed, reverting into a winding blob of offal as she did. Her words cracked like a whip through the dusty air. Elsewhere Black Dahlia had withdrawn behind her cape again, keeping most of her body hidden. She smiled and crooked a finger invitingly, daring Filia to come at her. The girl's eyes narrowed.

"Watch it," Samson warned her as she took a step forward in preparation for battle. "She's baiting you. This lady really knows how to get in people's heads."

"That's okay," Filia responded. "I'm pretty much empty-headed as it is."

He managed a chuckle at that. Filia began to walk forward. Her pace quickened until she was running full tilt at the villainous necromancer. They heard gurgling cries and a weirdly beautiful voice singing behind them and knew Double and Squigly had come to blows, but Filia had every faith her friend would keep the monster occupied long enough to finish things here.

Samson sent tendrils rooting into the bone floor like stakes. They used this as support to launch Filia feet first at the Dahlia. Her shoes collided with the warding cape with as little to show for it as before, but this had only been meant to cover ground.

"Surprise!"

In a flash Filia had dropped down to lie flat as though lounging on her bed flipping through magazines. At the same time her living locks burrowed through the graveyard before bursting back out as a drill aiming to pierce the Dahlia from top to bottom.

Doing so gave her an up-close look as one high-heeled shoe pivoted, side-stepping the incoming hair spear while Dahlia's other metallic foot came windmilling around to smash into the side of Filia's face.

The impact threw her halfway across the platform. They had taken hits before, but never anything like that, not even when fighting the previous Skullgirls. It was like diving face-first into an empty swimming pool. For a moment the only sensible thing was to curl up and whimper.

Filia was back on her feet before the pain set in, ears ringing and groggy but determined nonetheless. No lying down on the job!

"WHOAH!"

Her head jerked to one side without her conscious decision. A trio of burning bullets flashed by close enough to singe their split ends. Good thing one of us was paying attention, otherwise we both might have wound up decapitated. "Thanks, Samson!" she acknowledged his aid gratefully.

"Just get her!"

"Right!"

Filia took a moment to check on her other partner. By the looks of it Squigly was managing to hold her own against the revolting nun. At one point there were actually two versions of the zombie soprano fighting each other, one color-swapped to a more muted palette. Purple fire roared from Leviathan's mouth, to be answered by a crimson blast from his doppelganger. The platform itself rocked from the force of their conflict, forcing Filia to leap high overhead or risk being flung into empty space.

The Skullgirl seized upon this moment. She appeared before them in a rush of cold blue flame, her left hand lashing out straight towards Filia's throat. In doing so the whole forearm split apart, revealing a pair of sharp blades that scissored outward to chop her to pieces. In response a veritable salon's worth of scissors, razors and combs made of purple tresses shot forth to meet them.

Their weapons connected, and both Parasite and wielder winced as the murderous blades sheared through theirs with seeming ease. Yet even still, the sheer amount of weapons they brought to bear proved telling. Those hair products which survived flew to skewer Dahlia, who was forced to check her attack and whip up her cloak swiftly to block them.

In response Filia propelled herself higher to hang for a moment like an autumn leaf waiting to fall. Then Samson flourished around her in a nest of hair, his jaws springing open wider than ever 'til he resembled a giant slavering wolf. "Fenrir…"

"… Drive!" At this he came howling down towards the Dahlia to devour her alive with Filia clinging to his pelt.

From beneath the edge of her armored cape Dahlia's knee shot up. It split at the hinge, a pilot light flicked on, and then a flamethrower roared to life, sending a blue inferno billowing down the Parasite's throat. The pain this caused him was worse than anything Filia had ever known. Their rapid dive became a heedless tumble as they crashed to earth.

Coughing, the girl struggled to sit up from the huge mass of twitching hair that had served to cushion her fall. Don't pass out! Don't pass out! Even like this, Samson had sought to protect his host. Yet her throat felt like it was scraped raw, and she could breathe only in ragged gasps. This isn't working! Why isn't this working?! I haven't seen her do anything near the level of what the other Skullgirls we've fought were capable of!

It's not that she doesn't know how to use her powers. She doesn't need to! She thinks we're not worth it!

"Shall I tell you a story, Filia?" a voice whispered soothingly in her ear.

She spun around to deliver a vicious strike with one elbow, only to come up short as a hand seized hold of hers. Dahlia crouched beside them smiling, but it was not she who had caught the attack. Instead Filia looked down to see a skeletal arm emerging from the hair carpet. Immediately more of these cadaverous appendages burst forth to grasp her body, dragging the terrified girl down into the embrace of the undead. She struggled in a panic as rotting hands grappled her arms, digging into bare thighs and tangling bony fingers all through that wealth of hair until it was a knotted mess of ribcages, teeth and femurs. Filia lay pinned painfully beneath the press of limbs. Her eyes darted around in desperate search for some kind of aid.

"When you were a small child, and you had a nightmare, you would always run to your parents' bedroom for protection. They used to tuck you in between them and the three of you would drift off to sleep together. Isn't that sweet?"

A few loose strands of hair became a buzzsaw that whirred forth with enough force to chop down a redwood. They passed so close to Dahlia's throat it caused her forelocks to flutter. But the veil didn't so much as move, and soon enough even these recalcitrant follicles were locked up tight by the horde of crypt-spawn. Her tale continued without pause.

"I was there, Filia. At the foot of the bed, watching you. Watching you sleep! I could have killed them both then. Had I wanted, you would have woken up the next day sandwiched between Mommy and Daddy, only to realize that you had been sleeping so peacefully next to two corpses the whole night long."

Black Dahlia chuckled, causing Filia to shudder.

"Let's see how that would have looked for real."

Filia…

A dead man sprouted from the cemetery lawn. It had a hole in its forehead, bleached hair still clinging to its scalp and broken glasses hanging askew from the pitted remains of its ears. This thing lay beside Filia, staring with its blind white eyes into hers as rotting lips moved. My… little girl… it whispered.

Baby… another hideous voice groaned. An arm came from behind to encircle her trembling frame tenderly. The hands of her captors forced a teary-eyed Filia to look behind her. There a woman's corpse with long blonde hair and no eyes breathed its fetid stench into her nostrils, the swollen tongue dangling loose as it whispered a grotesque attempt at a lullaby. Go to sleep, Nightingale. Momma and Poppa love you so…

It should have hurt. These were her parents. She knew it with absolute certainty. Filia had found something she would have given so much to learn only days ago. Faced with clear evidence of her past and heritage, there should have been at least a little pain to experience, an ache of longing and denied comfort. More than that, it should have been soul-crushing.

Instead Filia closed her eyes. "I'm sorry," she gasped, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I don't… remember you…"

Behind the veil, Dahlia's eyes narrowed.

A purple flash lit them all briefly. Filia managed to twist her head around. Doing so allowed her to see Squigly standing triumphant over the remains of Double. Leviathan shrank down from his muscular limbed apotheosis. The ruined mass of flesh sought in vain to pull itself into a form that would permit it to continue fighting. Hands, faces and feet belonging to people they knew and others never met appeared briefly in the demon chum bucket. Squigly's nose wrinkled in disgust at this obscene display, and she dropped into a curtsey prior to obliterating her nemesis with an impending blast of fiery dragon breath.

All of a sudden Sienna Contiello went still.

"Sit, girl."

One single finger encased in an opera glove pointed down with this command. At once Squigly took a seat obediently. Leviathan collapsed quivering around her, undone by his mistress' inescapable compulsion to obey the Skullgirl. She stared forward blank-faced with stitched lips shut. Behind her Double lifted upright, once more assuming the favored guise of a benevolent holy woman. She cast a disdainful glance at the undead who had nearly brought her low. "Both your fates shall be determined by the Trinity themselves, blasphemers!"

Filia watched in despair as her only remaining ally had her mind and will cruelly taken away. The exhausted girl felt herself going numb. There's nothing left. We blew it…

Right then a great multitude of voices intruded upon the gathering. Filia looked up in time to see a swarming mass of bodies plummeting out of the dark sky above and land in their midst. In moments she recognized several of the Skull Bunnies from before, all of whom were engaged in battling a single fighter who bounced and whirled with cat-like agility in their midst.

"Don't worry, ladies! One order of filleted feline, coming up!"

Filia's heart soared. Nadia!

There came a woomph sound. At the same time a white canister arced through the air and landed in the middle of this warring mob. There then followed a detonation that completely engulfed Miss Fortune and the Skull Bunnies, leaving only a gigantic turquoise bonfire burning atop the platform.

Black Dahlia cocked her gun-arm up on one shoulder, the barrel still smoking, and threw a baleful look at Double. "I thought you said she was contained."

"Forgive me, priestess," the hellish creature inclined forward in a show of penitence. "It would appear I have underestimated this one."

"You wouldn't be the first." Black Dahlia looked Double up and down. Pinned to the floor, Filia noticed there was a quivering around the edges of that mysterious creature's form, as though it was having some difficulty maintaining this shape. In an instant she knew with utmost certainty that Dahlia was contemplating killing her compatriot now while it was wounded. The blame could be laid on Squigly or herself. That was exactly how she operated.

Instead Dahlia appeared to lose interest in such a prospect. Maybe she didn't want to aggravate the Trinity. Or it could be she considered herself more than capable of finishing off Double at a later date, wounded or not. Whatever the case her attention swung back around to where Filia lay helpless.

"Now, I believe it's past time we finally…"

Suddenly that murderous woman paused. She tilted her head ever so slightly back over one shoulder at the firepit housing the remains of her army. Within that holocaust a shadow arose. Bent over with pieces of itself dangling off, this resolute figure arched upright, recombining as it did.

Dahlia swiveled around fully with a glare. "Scratch that. One last loose end in need of tying up."

A hellish shriek sounded, and then Nadia Fortune came tearing out of the inferno, body still ablaze in places and limbs whipping around her as she sped towards the killer of her kin in a whirlwind of vengeful claws and teeth.

In response Black Dahlia lifted the cannon on her arm and fired once.

The shot hit Nadia in the head and checked her attack, causing her to go spinning about in a sort of rubbery-limbed dance. Ropes of meat and muscle retracted back into their founts as she found her footing. The astonished cat burglar blinked and reached up to touch the hole where her right eye had been.

Dahlia stalked forward, firing grimly time and again into the feral. That seemingly indestructible body jerked backward from every shot. A blast took her square in the chest that sent Miss Fortune pitching flat on her back. She shuddered and gave a wracking cough, chin dripping with fresh blood. Seconds later a triple-barreled weapon was pointed right in her face.

Nadia's one remaining eye met that of her killer. "Ca–!" she coughed weakly. "Cat-ch you–!"

A shotgun blast of blue flame blew Miss Fortune's head to bits. That scar-covered body went limp. Black Dahlia said not a word as she examined the remains of her old foe for some signs of life, debating. Then her attention turned once more to Filia, who was too stunned at what she had seen to even wonder what might happen next. At a gesture more skeletons rose to clamp down on Nadia's remains, and then Dahlia came prowling towards the helpless girl, that same inhuman smile lighting up what little could be seen of her face.

Filia saw death approaching. There was nothing she could do to stop it. At the same time, though, movement caught her eye; down on the floor, reminiscent of bugs crawling. They grouped together. At the same time, a hand twitched, unzipping a fanny pack she vaguely remembered seeing from before.

This sound also served to warn Dahlia, who whirled around with her weapon raised against any assault. As she did one clawed foot lashed out to send something rolling and bouncing towards her. The mass murderer looked down in surprise to find the severed head of Nadia Fortune glaring back at her, a cylindrical device clamped between her teeth.

"… LATER!" the cat-girl screamed as she bit down on the detonator. Black Dahlia flung up a hand to cover her face right before the bomb exploded.

Filia had no idea what Stanley had cooked up to aid them, but it certainly made an impact. Literally. A column of yellow energy shot into the sky, enveloping the Skullgirl in its depths. The floating platform on which they stood shook violently. After a few seconds the blazing cylinder began to shrink, dwindling away to be replaced by a black cloud emerging from the new-made crater that carried the scent of charred corpses.

A pillbox hat with a veil came flying out of the smoke and dropped to rest atop a mound of Skull Bunny parts.

The clammy hands holding her down went limp. Filia scrambled up wiping desperately at herself to get the last lingering scraps of moldering flesh off. She looked over to where Squigly seemed to have recovered herself and now sat back with a dazed expression on her face. Of Double there was no sign. They stared at one another, then back at the smoldering wreckage. A noise caught their collective attention. Both were slightly appalled when their friend's headless body rose to sit with legs crossed. Red fluid came leaking out of the ground beneath her, sliding up the torso and finally congealing atop her neck. Moments later Nadia cricked her newly refashioned skull from side to side. She knocked a palm forcefully against its side and grimaced. "Ugh!" the comely criminal winced. "Think I picked up some parts that weren't mine on the way back."

Filia managed to speak at last. "Is it… over?"

As if waiting on this, someone began to laugh.

The girls glanced around in renewed dread. At first they looked at the still-smoking pit, but after a while all found themselves instead casting their eyes beyond it to where the Dahlia's hat had rolled.

The cap lay crookedly on a pile of body parts. Even so, they could all see quite clearly… behind the veil, an eye shone bright. A mouth was open in wildest laughter. The barest minimum of a face could be seen there. Yet there was no head to be found behind it.

In a rush the smoke from before went spiraling back down into the hole. Revealed there stood Skullgirl Dahlia. Her dress was somewhat ragged around the edges, and the opera cape had been shortened to little more than a neck wrap. Other than that there was no visible damage.

More than this, though, without the hat her face was finally uncovered. When she saw what was there, Filia's blood turned to ice.

The visage that stared out at them was shrunken and puckered. A cadaverous pallor infused its wrinkled flesh. It had neither eyes nor nose, only glowing pits. Lipless jaws were clamped shut on twisted teeth through which blue light shone. Yet throughout the abyss that menacing laughter still rang.

Filia realized she was looking not at a human being, but at the Skull Heart.

While she was too stunned at this revelation to react, Miss Fortune sprang into action. She sped forward yowling to aim a volley of mighty kicks at the exposed Heart. Dahlia's body matched her blow for blow, spinning and striking out with her mechanical legs at superhuman speeds. Nadia's limbs shattered from the crushing impact, blood and bone bursting from beneath her skin to send the valiant young woman crashing to the floor in a wrecked heap. All the same, the power of the Life Gem flowed through its mistress, knitting and connecting her back together as she growled in furious bloodlust.

Filia watched their clash in an agony of indecision. In spite of throwing everything they had at them, their enemies seemed no closer to defeat than when this started.

"Samson…"

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath. "This… isn't enough. What we've used to beat others won't be enough to kill the Dahlia!"

"So waddaya suggest?"

Her fingers clenched hard against the gruesome turf. As she did, Filia felt something that did not register as bone or anything else organic. This seemed odd. Very carefully so as not to draw attention to what she was doing, she nudged a mass of shattered pelvises and ribs aside.

Beneath it metal gleamed. Her heart pounded as she realized what this was. A plan formed lightning fast.

As this exchange was taking place the Skullgirl glided over to retrieve her missing headwear. Placing it atop her ivory hair-bun, she turned around, and once more Black Dahlia watched them from behind the veil of death.

"I know this looks bad," she sketched a mocking bow, "but trust me, it only gets worse from here!"

Double emerged from wherever it had been hiding to stand near the bearer of the Skull Heart. The Skullgirl floated up once more, only now she was joined by other fell spirits. They came out of the ground or simply emerged from thin air. The dead; hundreds of them, even thousands. Burly men, humongous Gigans, even aquatic Dagonians. The Skull Bunnies reformed whole behind their captain as well. It was far more than just those the Dahlia had slain. Some were familiar to any resident of the Canopy Kingdom and beyond due to their terrifying legacy. A small girl in a maid's dress floated with weapons formed from cleaning tools. There too was a nurse armed for stealthy combat. Queen. Singer. Mother. All former Skullgirls, all disturbed from whatever unquiet graves held them to serve in their successor's bloody campaign. It would take power and courage beyond that of any mere mortal man to face such a ghastly horde.

Fortunately Filia had more than just strength going for her. She had a plan. "We need to go all out. Big as possible. Can you do that?"

"I dunno… you might not be able to take that much power."

She snorted capriciously. "What's the worst that could happen? I die?"

"Point taken. Alright, here goes nothing!"

Floating at the head of her army, Dahlia took note when Filia came to her feet. She had been enjoying the sight of Miss Fortune struggling madly against the revived Fishbone Gang but was more than willing to overlook the fight's inevitable conclusion. The Skullgirl gazed at her chosen target in keen anticipation of whatever strategy the girl might have concocted.

Her hopes were met when insane amounts of hair erupted from the Parasite host's head. They wound all around one another to create a form so massive Filia herself was lost to view. It was the size of a wooly mammoth and just as hairy. This mass of dark purple filaments and Theonic energy braced its spindly arms and legs against the ground before giving a terrific war cry. Samson beat his clawed fists against his chest. "COME ON!" the ancient warrior thundered in challenge.

With a smile the Dahlia raised a hand to send her legions surging down in an overwhelming attack. So focused was she on this impressive specimen, she almost failed to notice the tiny figure still down at its source. It looked like she was holding something. Oh, Filia, what are you…?

The girl came fully into view, and before the living dead knew what was happening Filia spun around and hurled what she had found straight at the Dahlia. It came spinning at her, propelled with the strength of two arms augmented by Samson's filaments. Sensing imminent danger to herself and without needing to know anything more, Dahlia fired her Skull Cannon at the approaching missile. To her disbelief the supernatural shot pinged off that whirling windmill with no effect whatsoever.

In doing so she finally realized what it was. The Buer Drive; a weapon crafted by the very Anti-Skullgirl Labs that Dahlia once belonged to, specifically designed to resist the power of a Skullgirl. Left behind by Painwheel, this four-pronged throwing star tore through several zombies and even a former Skullgirl with ease as it whirred towards its target like a heat-seeking helicopter blade.

On instinct Dahlia reached over to grab Double and fling her into the Living Weapon's path. "WHAT…?!" the Trinity's devoted follower emitted a cry which turned into a gibbering screech as the Drive chopped her apart. And still it came on. Enraged, the Skullgirl flew backwards, aiming her grenade launcher at the approaching death blade.

Too late. The Buer Drive sliced through before disappearing into the formless void. Behind it Skullgirl Dahlia fell to the ground with a disturbing thud, cut clean in half at the waist.

This time there wasn't even a chance to wonder what might come next. The world simply exploded.

The dimension which they now found themselves in was filled with corpses, those belonging to men, animals, and creatures so fantastical they might have been the stuff of legends. Ghastly wails filled the air like the screams of the damned. The platform on which their battle took place up 'til now had burst apart. Meteors of bone spun lazily past one another in defiance of anything resembling gravity. Filia clung to one of those roaming charnel houses in fright as everything she had taken for granted about existence stopped working all at once. The dead bodies which made up her perch had come alive to some extent, shifting and scrabbling against one another. Samson remained in his full released form, but he was having more trouble than her getting his bearings as his great hands and feet sought to find purchase on a much smaller area than had previously existed. Where are we?!

"YOU BRAT!"

Her head came up, and Filia found the nightmare had actually worsened. In the very center of their new deathly realm floated the Skullgirl, a frightful sun around which everything else here orbited. She was now just a legless torso, but behind her there loomed a monstrous shadow version of Black Dahlia that copied her movements perfectly. This demonic entity fastened its blazing eyes upon Filia, who shrank in horror from what she was being made to witness.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN CLOSE THE CURTAIN ON ME?! LIKE THIS IS ALL SOME STORYBOOK AND YOU CAN JUST REWRITE THE ENDING IF IT DOESN'T SUIT YOU?! THIS ISN'T A FAIRY TALE LIKE YOUR PARENTS USED TO READ YOU! IT'S THE KIND WHERE LITTLE GIRLS END UP CHOPPED TO BLOODY SCREAMING BITS WITH THEIR HEARTS GETTING EATEN! I WANT TO HEAR YOU SCREAM, FILIA! THERE IS! NO! OTHER! ENDING!"

A form landed higher atop the orbiting sphere she clung to, and Filia looked up in horror to find a blank-faced Squigly gazing at her from this elevated position. Leviathan hung limp from the cavity in her cranium. He was either unconscious or dead. The zombie girl reached for her with clearly hostile intent. More of the dead had apparently zoomed in on her position and came flooding towards them in a tidal wave. Samson reared up to meet them.

"Squigly!" the teary-eyed teen whispered. "Please…!"

No recognition passed over her friend's face. Instead she grasped Filia by the wrist and lifted her up, taking the hulking Samson along with them. Next thing she knew dry fleshless fingers had twined around her throat and begun to squeeze.

Staring into the Contiello heiress' unresponsive eye, Filia did the only thing she could think of. Reaching forward she grabbed the stitches holding Squigly's lips together and ripped them all out with a convulsive jerk.

A gasp passed those suddenly parted lips for the first time in fourteen years. Squigly dropped Filia and stumbled back, looking all around for some explanation of what might be transpiring. Whatever dark spell that had been placed on her seemed to disperse momentarily, and Leviathan lifted upright to peer about. "What has happened?!" he demanded, sounding seriously put out.

Squigly noticed Filia crouched on the miniature moon in front of them. She threw a long sleeve up to cover her mouth in shock, eye going wide.

"F… Fil-i-a?" an unfamiliar voice rasped from deep in her dusty throat.

It was the first time she had heard her friend truly speak. But Filia could not find the time to dwell on this as Samson went lurching off to one side, taking her with him as he grappled against nameless undead horrors whose empty eye sockets flared blue.

Upon noticing this, the blue-skinned bard flung out both arms and tilted her head back. Closing her eye, Squigly drew in a breath and sang aloud.

It was only one note, sustained for several seconds. But in this sound was a purity that had not been heard in their world for over a decade. Upon perceiving it, her fellow dead went rigid, what could be seen of their faces lapsing into a sort of tranquility. The song spoke to them, telling of rest and heartsease, the beautiful gift of death which was the one thing that could never be taken away by anyone. Yet somehow it had. Their eternal repose had been defiled, subverted, profaned! And the source of that desecration was not far off.

As one, the undead menagerie looked to where the Skullgirl hung like a dark mandala at the center of their universe.

"No!" Dahlia hissed.

They all came at her in a rush which she met head-on. The giant living shadow she now cloaked herself in grasped the oncoming attackers in its huge hands and crushed them to dust. Dahlia fired blasts of energy from within her protector's embrace. Together they resembled some multi-armed goddess of an exotic religion. Even when it was only one against millions, Black Dahlia did not give in.

Squigly turned to look at Filia. "I can't match her power for long!" she said. "Eventually they will all fall under her sway again, myself included. I'll finish things before that can happen. Try and get away from here while you still can."

"What?!" the younger girl demanded. "No way, we'll fight her together! I'm not running away while you sacrifice yourself for my sake!"

"Filia…" A smile turned that blessed little mouth upwards. Taking the living girl's hands, she leaned forward and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek. "Believe me, a friend like you is worth any sacrifice."

Before Filia could respond the slender pair disengaged and hopped back. Squigly spread her skirts and curtsied with a smile, while at the same time her partner offered them a graceful serpentine bow. His tail then ignited in a jet of purple flame that sent them soaring towards where Black Dahlia waged her one-woman war on creation.

"Leviathan, you snooty tapeworm, get back here!" Samson shouted after his old ally.

"Tally-ho, old friend! You've finally regained some honor," the wyrm called back. "Keep one another safe now, lest you make me a liar in death!" So saying he then swelled to enormous proportions, becoming a heavenly dragon with purple mane and black claws on four stout legs. The opera singer and her ancient guardian soared onwards, emitting an awesome ball of violet flame at the Dahlia. That malevolent figure raised six arms both solid and shadow to bring them crashing down on the approaching pair. Fiery energy of different colors soon surrounded their battle until they were lost to view inside a white-hot star that incinerated anything which came near it.

Despite their allies' encouragement, the other Parasite duo did not take this opportunity to escape. Samson swung from one roving meteorite to another, agile as a gorilla in the jungle. They passed unnoticed through the undead throngs. However as Filia landed on one skeletal celestial object in particular, her foot snagged on something and she fell with a yelp. Turned back around, the girl was shocked to find a bubbling liquid face watching her.

"You shall not… be allowed…" Double gagged, "… to impede… my masters!"

The deceptive trickster kept a hold on her shoe as it reached for Filia's throat. However at that moment something cannonballed into Double to send them both careening off with an audible 'splat'. Thinking it was Samson who had saved her, Filia was thrilled to see Nadia Fortune wrestling with the living slurry, their mercurial bodies seeking a hold against one another that proved hard to find.

"Go after that damn murderer!" the daring bandit shouted while scratching at numerous eyes. "Give her one for every member of the Fishbone Gang, you hear me?!"

"Worthless!" her semi-solid opponent opened a huge mouth and tentacles looped around those scarred limbs. "I shall drink your blood to the last drop, until everything that allows you to live… is a part of me!"

The crushing jaws bit down around her as Miss Fortune strained mightily to keep them from closing, arms and legs trembling with the effort. "Is that a fact?" she sneered. "Well, maybe there's something worth stealing inside your rotten intestines. As soon as I find out, I'll be teaching you a little move I like to call 'Cat-Gutted'!" Her narrowed green eyes flashed over to Filia. "Get moving, will ya?! It's all or nothing this time!"

Considering what was at stake, she felt they had no choice but to obey. The last they saw of the struggling fighters, Nadia abruptly let go and went diving straight down Double's gullet, causing the body-snatcher to hop around while contorting into painful-looking positions. The two sped forward, each praying silently that they weren't already too late.

At last they landed on the planetoid which served as the ostensible center of the deathly galaxy. The previous all-consuming supernova was no more. Instead Black Dahlia and her avatar remained where they had previously been. Only now, a blackened Leviathan hung in her grasp, resembling an earthworm shriveled up on a hot sidewalk. Of Squigly no trace remained, not even ashes.

Upon seeing this Filia screamed louder than she had ever thought possible. Furious beyond measure, the young woman and her partner flew at the underworld goddess. Bolts of raging energy tore at them, but Samson merely opened up holes in his frame to let them pass through without harm, while Filia proved too small to hit. Huge hair-claws closed against those of the Shadow Dahlia with a noise like cymbals crashing together. This conflict was echoed in miniature as Filia drove towards what remained of Black Dahlia. The Skull Gun reemerged to point at the girl, but she closed so swiftly there was no chance to fire. Uttering an angry shout Filia knocked that hateful weapon aside with one hand, grabbing hold at the elbow to prevent it from being turned on her again. Her other encircled the Dahlia's left wrist and forced it out of the reach of any bladed weapons or what-not that might be turned against her.

Long spikes shot out of the gloved forearm to pierce her hand from one side to another, yet still she did not let go. With a manic strength born of grievous loss the teenager managed to hold the undead cyborg back. Dahlia's face loomed before her, mouth twisted in a snarl. Even this held no fear for her. All Filia could think of was the people who had lost their lives to this vile lunatic. Her parents, Squigly and her family, the Fishbone Gang, even poor Carol. The memory of how her friend had died inspired Filia, and without hesitation she began to smash her forehead into the hidden Skull Heart, trying to crush Black Dahlia's skull in just as Painwheel had done to Heartsease Val.

As she reared back for another blow, Filia felt something press against her stomach. She looked down to spy a bone arm made of metal had sprouted smoothly from the Dahlia's cannon. It held a small derringer in its grip.

The gun went off, sending two shots into her belly.

Filia's eyes flew wide in surprise. Very slowly she let go of Dahlia and slumped down atop the small planetoid beneath them. She gave a cough and blood came spurting through her lips as pain ripped through her. Filia could not believe how tired she felt, and so did not resist when she toppled over on her side. A moment later Samson fell beside her. Being linked, the strength of one depended upon the other. Grievous injury to her was also transferred to him and vice-versa. As such he could no longer maintain the inestimable level of power which he had been riding up to this point.

"I believe I told you," Dahlia's pleased voice chuckled from far above them, "how this would all turn out, princess." There came a spine-tingling sound as a heavy hooked blade designed for penetrating the rib cage slid from a compartment on her arm. She bent down to loom over Filia, a barbaric butcher straight out of the darkest fairy tales. "Let's have a look at that heart, shall we?"

"Like… hell!"

What happened next felt like every nerve ending being ripped out of her body. Filia screamed, awash in uttermost ruination. Samson did the same, as the Parasite forcibly peeled free of his host and launched himself at the shocked Dahlia. Before she could stop him he had latched onto her head and dove into that defenseless ivory coiffure.

"I'll never let you… get my girl, you nasty hag!"

Dahlia hissed in outrage. Her gun transformed back into an arm, and she began to claw at her own scalp in an effort to rip him loose. Cobalt flames erupted all through her hair. Both Skullgirl and Parasite roared in anguish now, twisting away to go spinning off as they sought to destroy one another, leaving the mortally wounded teen far behind them.

Filia lay where she had fallen. Blood ran from her nose and ears. The separation meant she would die soon if not reconnected to Samson. More horrible than this was the sudden onslaught of memories which were no longer being held back. Her past, her family, the life she once lived; it all hit full force. Even as she sagged dying, the sum total of her lost experiences came crashing down on Filia. She remembered her parents' real voices, untainted by the throes of death. The rumors that surrounded her family, and the stranglehold that her grandfather Lorenzo kept on all of them. Hopes and dreams… the love of those closest to her… the faintest stirrings of regret and recrimination…

A tiny glimmer caught her eye. She stared at it entranced. Focusing her fading vision, Filia found she was looking at a thin silver ring on the finger of a bony hand that stuck up before her. There was a spike driven through the skeletal palm covered in a dried blackish-red substance. For some reason she couldn't take her eyes off that tarnished engagement band, as though it called to her, saying…

'She killed me… she killed my baby… please… stop her…'

Yes.

Reaching out, the dying maiden took hold of that hand by the wrist and snapped it off. She hefted her makeshift weapon and rolled off the asteroid into empty space.

Filia knew only seconds of life might remain as she plummeted towards the moving epicenter of this hellish maelstrom that was the struggle between Samson and Dahlia. For a moment it seemed like she would veer wide of it. But then a huge loop of flaming hair swung in her direction. Without thinking the girl seized hold of this offered support, unaware of the pain that came washing through her as a result. Instead she swung on the vine, aiming at the brightest spot in the whole conflagration where Black Dahlia hung raging. That bisected madwoman tore savagely at her own flaming hair, ripping out great hanks that dripped with the blood of Samson. He was already dead, Filia realized. I am too.

But I'll take her with us.

The suddenness of her heart stopping took Filia by surprise. Yet even this wasn't enough to dissuade her as she crossed the remaining distance between them. The two women slammed into one another, and as that creature of pure evil tore madly for her heart, the blood-encrusted spike Filia bore drove through Black Dahlia's veiled eye and pierced deep into the Skull Heart itself.

The world fell out from under Filia, and then she was falling, at peace, while above her a white light grew and grew until it washed away everything else. She could hear the Skullgirl screaming in agony and knew she had succeeded; against all odds, the Skull Heart had finally been destroyed. All the previous Skullgirls that had been resurrected now swarmed around Dahlia, dragging her into the out-of-control pit of her own power backlash. The remaining dead were crying out as their souls came free of the bonds placed upon them by that broken instrument. Many sounded joyful.

But over them all was a voice wracked by unimaginable sorrow. It was so awful it caused Filia to look up in search of who could be experiencing such grief.

High overhead the limitless black ceiling had changed to blazing white, a swirling horseshoe galaxy made entirely of stars. Illuminated by this celestial outpouring, a mother clutched her dying daughters, weeping in agony as they were taken from her once again. Seeing this, Filia couldn't help but feel sympathy for that poor woman.

I'm sorry. I know it's all my fault. You love your daughters the way my parents loved me. It hurts so bad to lose someone dear to us. You just wanted to be together again. If only we could all be… together…

Filia looked down and saw the maelstrom around the doomed Skull Heart. The demon at its core continued to howl as she was sucked into Hell, while above the goddess wept. Caught between them, Filia felt like her heart was growing, flying out of her body. I wish it wasn't like this. I wish we all could have a second chance!

Here she looked to heaven for aid. The brave soul petitioned those divine figures high above. I wish for… a world where we can all still live… your family… and mine. It seemed to her the goddess took note, observing her tiny worshipper with a grief-haunted face that was nonetheless eerily beautiful. Can she hear me, I wonder?

Then the light began to wax in strength. Filia found herself awash in this all-powerful force. It drew her inside, offering comfort that went beyond anything she had ever known. Time and Space blended all around her, held in place by what she realized was nothing less than Life itself. Filia Medici gazed around in wonder.

Is this…

… the End…?