Chapter 16: The Judgment Hours--Hour IV--Black Fire vs. White Fire (Russo vs. Eddy)

Double D and Eddy were running down the dark corridor they were in; they knew that their time was running out. They soon came upon a light at the end of the tunnel. And when they stepped out of the corridor, they stepped into another wide room. It was the same size as the fielded courtyard that they walked through before, only that this room was not filled with flowers; it was actually very plain; with gray-tinted walls all around them. There was once again another exit on the other side of the room.

"We better hurry before the exit closes on us," Double D said.

Eddy could only nod his head in agreement as they started to run to the exit. But as they continued to run to the exit, "Wait."

Double D soon stopped running and turned around to face Eddy. He had stopped in the middle of the room, looking around as he stood there, "You go on ahead; I think I need to stay here."

"B-But Eddy, what about--?"

"I have a feeling I'll see her soon; here in this room," Eddy interrupted Double D, "You go find Ami, I'll meet you when I'm through."

Double D made a worried face to his friend; he could be so stubborn sometimes, "V-Very well Eddy," he said as he then ran to and through the exit. The exit disappeared after Double D went through it; leaving Eddy with no way to keep on going forward or go back the way he came.

Eddy made a deep sigh as he then drew out his sword, "Come on out Russo! I can tell you're in here!" he shouted as he kept looking around for someone.

He heard a sinister chuckle, "Heh, very well, shrimp."

Eddy then saw a red portal appear about ten feet away from him; it was Russo, "It always great to see you again Eddy."

"Not to me," Eddy replied as he drew out his sword, "Tell me where Rei is; now!"

"Why? So you can talk to her?" Russo joked with a laugh, "I think that's a splendid idea. You two should talk before I kill both of you."

Russo then made a snap of his fingers as Eddy got into a fighting position, thinking that it was an attack. He did not expect what he was going to hear.

It was a groan of pain.

Eddy's heart seemed to have stopped beating for a moment when he heard that groan. He swiveled around to see something that he would not forget soon. He saw someone tied into the wall behind him; pieces of the wall were wrapped around her like an anaconda would do to squeeze the life out of a person. Her head was hung down low.

"Rei!" Eddy exclaimed as he started to rush over to her side.

Suddenly, he fell to the ground on his rear. He smacked straight on into an invisible wall; it was about a foot away from where Rei was trapped.

"On a second thought," Russo started to say from behind him, "I won't let you get near her; that is, if you can beat me."

Eddy soon turned around to face Russo, "Fine, let's have it your way for a while."

Russo made a chuckle, "Of course we will," Eddy soon saw that the white part of Russo's eyes were turning blood red; he was about to do an attack. Russo then put out his right hand and shaped his thumb and index finger into a gun. He soon pointed his 'hand gun' at Eddy.

"Dark Blaze!" Russo shouted as a swirling ball of black fire comes shooting out of his hand. That ball of fire soon grew into a bigger fireball. But Eddy was ready for it; he knew a way of defending himself.

"Fire Shield!" Eddy yelled out as a shield made of white flames developed a few feet in front of him.

Boom! The two forces of fire collided with each other, equaling out in their strengths. Eddy, being the closest one to the blast, yelled as he flew backwards into the invisible wall, which seemed to shatter when Eddy flew through it. Russo also had the same effect from the blast, but only fell from where he stood. It's too bad for him that he hit his head on the ground, knocking him out.

Eddy made a rough landing, slightly skidding on the ground, "Ouch, that was a rough ride," he stated as he got up from where he landed.

He soon noticed that he was near where Rei was; he took this opportunity to go to her, "Rei!"

"… Eddy…?" she questioned weakly in shock as she held her head up to see Eddy coming to her, "Eddy!"

"Rei," Eddy said with a few tears in his eyes as he finally came to her, "T-There's nothing to w-worry about anymore. I'm here."

Tears were now streaming from Rei's violet orbs, "I would hug you if I could."

"No problem there," Eddy stated as he got out his sword in front of him and slashed vertically on the pieces of the wall that bonded Rei.

Rei soon fell to her knees as Eddy was there to catch her before she fell completely down.

"Rei; Are you alright?" he asked as he placed her back on her knees.

"Eddy… you're really here?" Rei questioned weakly as she looked into his foggy blue orbs, "I thought you were gone when Russo--"

She was suddenly interrupted when Eddy placed his right index finger on her mouth, looking into her majestic violet orbs as he did, "I'm alive; and that's all that matters for us now, Rei…"

And before Rei knew what had hit her, Eddy removed his index finger and gave her a simple kiss on her lips.

Back on the other side of the room, Russo was starting to come back to consciousness. He looked over to where Eddy was, only to find him with Rei; their lips together in a kiss. Russo glared at the sight; how dare him to kiss his ex in their battle! His eyes grew red as black flames grew bigger and bigger in his fisted hands, "I'll blow them away for good this time; even if it kills me!"

Rei was blushing beet red in shock as Eddy's lips separated from hers; he was blushing beet red as well. Rei was flabbergasted for a moment; she had never felt happier in her life ever before this, "Eddy…"

Soon something caught her attention not to far away behind Eddy as they both got up from where they were on their knees. It was Russo, black flames growing around his body; he was starting to walk over to them. She widened her eyes, "Oh no…"

"What?" Eddy asked as he then looked at what Rei was seeing. Even more black flames appeared around Russo. Eddy made a glare at him, "What's he doing now?"

"He's doing his forbidden attack!" Rei stated with horror, "He's going to blow himself up, along with us!"

"W-What?!" Eddy exclaimed as he looked back at Rei, "Are you sure that is what's happening now?!"

"Your little princess is right, shrimp," said an all too familiar voice to them as they looked back at Russo. They felt the heat from the black fire around him as he came closer, "Are you two prepared to die along with me?"

The two looked at each other in their eyes; Eddy's left hand grasped onto Rei's right hand. They both soon made a smirk on their face; they both had the same idea.

"Yeah, bring it on, ya jerk!" Eddy said as he turned back to Russo, his smirk still intact on his face.

That smirk on Eddy's face snapped Russo's mind, "Fine, you've asked for it!" the flames were now going inside Russo as he then shouted his outlawed attack.

"Combusting…"

"Fire Shield!!!" Eddy shouted at the same time as Russo as the same shield from before appeared in front of him and Rei. They soon backed up against the wall behind them, still holding hands.

"… Darkness!!!"

Boom!!!

Russo's body exploded as the black fire inside him pushed outward. The explosion covered up the whole room with black fire and unbearable heat. Strangely, the room's walls and floor were all fireproof. The ceiling wasn't so lucky; the force of the explosion blew the top off the room (AN: And blew up a floor above them, I might add). As the explosion went away to the room above this room, we could see no sign of Russo anywhere in the room.

But what about Eddy and Rei?

They were still there; Eddy's fire shield still intact this time. How, you may ask? The force of the impact had little effect on them because of the wall behind them; they didn't fly backwards like Eddy did last time, meaning that the shield could last longer when they were standing still.

They stood there for about ten seconds before they realized that they were still holding hands. They looked at each other and both made blushing faces.

"Well…" Rei started to say, "It looks like it's over."

"Yeah, looks like it," Eddy replied as he then widened his eyes, "Wait a minute… I just remembered something."

Rei made a confused look at him, "What is it?"

Eddy made a slightly worried face, "Double D went on ahead to find Ami when we came to this room," he explained.

"You're right, I forgot that Ami's here too!" Rei agreed with a nod of her head, "We have to find her and Double D."

"Oh, I don't think either of you will!" said a sudden, feminine (AN: And malevolent, I might add) voice boomed around them, "You two will sleep in the darkness like the others!"

And before they could do anything, Eddy and Rei were separated by a force. They then saw that they were both being surrounded closely by black glass around them. They both then blacked out as they were enclosed in their own black crystal and soon disappeared from the room.

Hello everyone, here's the next chapter. The next chapter will focus on the last Ed; Double D, and his battle with Weiss. The next chapter after that chapter will then focus on Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. Stay tuned for the next chapter (which I haven't typed yet, but has plans written down for it!)!