"It is time for the second match of the Kombat!" the ominous voice once again roared. "Contestants, please take your places!"

The spotlights that came from nowhere rested at the edges of the arena, but only one Kombatant could be seen. Ermac stood and looked across the stadium. "Where is the one that is supposed to fight me? Show yourself!"

The crowd jeered and called for a worthy opponent. After a few moments, it seemed that Ermac wouldn't have an opponent to fight; he would win by default. The voice was getting upset. "Where is the Kombatant?"

Sapphire sauntered out onto the field, already visibly shaken. Her head was held high, but her nerves were racked and tears already ran down her cheeks. She called out with as much force as she could build up. "I am here! I am ready!"

"BEGIN!"

Ermac charged at the girl with all of the force he had. He attempted a punch, but Sapphire did what was instinctive to her, which was run away. The next time around, Ermac approached slowly, but he was thrown off guard when suddenly she charged blindly, kicking and punching at any spot on his body. It worked for a few hits, but then he pulled back and landed a strong punch in her stomach.

She immediately collapsed to the ground. She was unsure she had the power, but she swung her leg out and knocked Ermac to the ground with a thud. This was enough time for her to retreat to a few yards away. There was only one thing that she felt she could do.

Sapphire charged at Ermac, pulling the sword out of the hilt and swinging it full force at him. She felt the delay as it dragged through his flesh, and saw the blood coming from the wound. He fell to the ground almost in slow motion, clutching where the blade had gone through him. Collapsing into a heap, the crowd roared, fueled by the gore of the fight. Sapphire put her sword back in its resting place, and made two peace signs; she felt like she should have fallen over instead of her defeated opponent.

"SAPPHIRE WINS!"

She walked towards the exit until she saw James in view. Her pace picked up until she was running towards him, and when she reached him, she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at him, eyes slightly glazed over, and he knew that something has struck a nerve in her. "Do you want to stay for any more fights?" he asked.

She shook her head as though in some sort of disbelief. "Let's go," she whispered.

They both found their way through the crowd of Kombatants and were almost out the door when they heard a voice. "Remember! I'm out for you! PrEpArE!"

Only James glanced back to see the hovering figure before they left the arena.

*R*

"Are you OK now, Jessie?"

They had been sitting in the tent for quite some time; they could hear the Kombatants retreating to their sites for the night. Propped up back to back, James had put his hands on top of hers to try to comfort her. It seemed to work, but only after a long while.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better."

"Why were you so scared, Jess?"

"James," she said, turning both herself and him around to look in his eyes, "I could have killed that man. I don't want that on my conscience."

A fleeting gag- What conscience?- ran through his mind, but he dismissed it because it wasn't true. Jessie and him both wouldn't bat an eye at threatening someone's life, but the thought of actually taking it with their own hands made them extremely uneasy.

"Yeah, that's true. But don't worry, we won't have to do that. We just need to fight our hardest and get out of here."

She nodded in agreement. He lifted his hands from hers only to wrap them around her in a strong embrace. "Let's get some sleep, OK? We need our energy to fight tomorrow."

They both laid down in their sleeping bags, hoping they would relive the previous night. Maybe they would fall asleep, be awakened by a noise, and be sent back to their own world...

*R*

"James, James! Wake up!" He was shaken from his sleep by a familiar voice. "We have to eat before we leave!"

"OK, OK, I'm up." He sat forward in his sleeping bag. He could smell something cooking from the opposite corner of the tent, but he wasn't quite sure if it was edible. "Jessie, how long have you cooked those?"

"They're nice and brown."

"Then it's been way too long."

It was interesting how they could still have a conversation like they used to at home. The difference was that in fifteen minutes he would throw on his armor and his hilt and try to defeat some of the toughest opponents this side of the Netherworld. Yesterday and the day before, he had waited just a moment to open his eyes after he woke up, to wish for that extra second that he was back home. It was just an illusion.

Jessie served him breakfast, which they ate quickly before they geared up and rushed to the stadium for the Kombat. They had fought tough, and each of them had made it to the semi-finals, which were being held today. The final match was also to be held today, an hour after the end of the second semi-final.

"Hey, James." She was just about to step out on the field for her match.

"Yes, Jess?"

"What happens if we both win?"

"We're going to be alright. Just win the match."

"But..."

"Just win, Jessie. Fight your hardest. Use your heart."

She hesitated, but shook her head in agreement. "I will, James."

"And now here she is, one of the fiercest fighters in the Kombat, hailing from the Neo-Outside, SAPPHIRE!"

Running to the center of the field, she gave her signature peace signs and stood tall to wait for her next opponent. Even though her stature made her appear strong, her mental state felt horribly weak. Would she have to fight her best friend, the one that built what she was today? She was jolted by the ever omnipotent voice above her. "And now, the challenger! Fighting for the mortals, here is... RAYDEN!"

Sapphire's stomach did a flip. This was the one character that she couldn't beat, no matter how hard she tried. She would just have to try her best to win this one.

"BEGIN!"

This chapter has been sitting on my computer for six years. I don't know if I'll ever finish this fic, although it's one of the first that I can remember planning an actual ending for. Maybe, maybe, probably not. But here's what I have so far, so please enjoy.