Scenario V-Decision

Chapter I-Clash Between Heroes

Diva's enigmatic words—

Musica's betrayal—

With so many questions still lingering, Kaede is alone on her way to Sanctuary.

Kaede scowled as she wiped the manikins blood over her face. "What the hell's going on? The manikins are everywhere." She looked off in the distance. "Have the others returned to Sanctuary? And what the hell is Musica thinking? Just when will those stupid crystals Cosmos talked about appear? We won't have time to get that power at this rate…" getting to her feet, Kaede ran off through Namimori, heading in the direction of Sanctuary…

Cosmos sat on her throne in Order's Sanctuary. Luffy stood by her side. Cosmos looked up. "Kaede…"

Kaede looked around, only seeing Luffy, whose eyes narrowed. "I guess the rest of 'em still haven't made it back here yet. The fighting out there…it's something else. Those things, those manikins…they just keep coming. And every one of 'em wants us dead. And Musica… I don't know what he's after, but he's turned on us, and now he's attack his own allies."

Cosmos gasped. Luffy shifted slightly.

"I got separated from the others. I'm not sure they even managed to get out." Kaede said.

Cosmos closed her eyes.

"Cosmos?" Luffy said.

Cosmos opened her eyes, looking mournful. "It's Gajeel… I felt his spirit growing weaker, and then…it vanished."

"Vanished? So he was slain by one of Chaos's fiends." Luffy said.

Kaede scowled. "I wouldn't bet on it. they have someone on the inside doing their work for them."

"You think…Musica did it?" Cosmos said.

"Gajeel's not the only one he's gotten to. I saw him with my own eyes. I saw the friend he'd already betrayed, and I saw him try to claim his next victim too." Kaede said.

Cosmos shook her head. "You must be mistaken. I can sense all the other warriors are still—"

"THE OTHER WARRIORS AREN'T COMING!" Kaede said furiously. "Listen to me. Two of us made it out of that mess alive, and you're looking right at them! We keep taking orders from you, and we can forget about the crystals. We won't last that long!"

"You're right." Luffy said. "We cannot win." Suddenly, Kaede was forced to duck as his fist stretch to punch her.

"No…" Cosmos gasped.

Kaede scowled, as her vectors emerged from her back. "You too…just like Musica. Another traitor! What do you even want?" she shouted, her vectors launching forward. Luffy's body weaved in an out, dodging as he brought a kick down.

"I'm afraid that doesn't concern you at present." Luffy said. Kaede reached out, and grabbed his shoulder. Luffy gasped as she raised him into the air. Twisting out of her grasp, Luffy unleashed a flurry of punches, which Kaede blocked with her vectors.

The two leaped back, then charged forward, and drew back their heads. Then, they lashed out. Their was a loud thud as their skulls clashed, and they jumped backed, a small stream of blood running down their face. The two charged forward, unleashing punches and kicks, as Cosmos watched in horror. Luffy grabbed Kaede's leg, and began to spin her around, slamming her head into the rocks. Then, with a yell, he released, sending her smashing through boulders. With an infuriated yell, Kaede ran forward, her vectors grabbing the boulders, and throwing them. Luffy dodged three of them, swerving in and out. However, the fourth struck him hard, sending him smashing into another rock. Suddenly, Luffy's body swelled like a balloon, causing the boulders to explode. Luffy yelled as he leaped through the air, and Kaede smashed into the ground as he brought his kick down on her shoulder. Kaede retaliated with a bone shattering punch to the chin, that sent him flying into the air. Luffy rightened himself, and charged down to her, his arm stretching out to attack, as Kaede's vectors reached for his throat.

"Enough!"

The two fighters froze, hands inches from the others throat, glaring at each other, breathing heavily, covered in bruises and blood, their clothing torn. They turned, looking. Cosmos was standing up, looking furious. "You mustn't' fight! Stay your hands!" she ordered. Kaede and Luffy glared at each other for a minute. Then, slowly, they lowered their hands. Cosmos snapped her fingers, and a wave of light washed over the two, healing them. Then she looked at Luffy.

"Speak. You know more than you reveal."

Luffy shifted nervously, and lowered his hat, so Cosmos couldn't look into his eyes. "I'm sorry. I intended to tell you about Musica later. This fight, you see… Musica and I… We've yielded." Luffy said.

"What does that mean?" Kaede said coldly.

Luffy sighed, and began to explain. "No sooner had you given us your power, Cosmos, than the twisted entities we came to know as manikins appeared in this world. An endless spring of military might, directed by the forces of Chaos. For each we would slay, ten more would take its place. Had we so chosen, we could have fought until our last ounce of strength was drained. There was one thing, however, that we knew we could never do: win. And the longer we fought, the more painfully apparent that became."…

Chapter II-Plan

Luffy sighed as he leaned against a crumbling building in the Zoo. "It's no use… No matter how many fall, there is always another wave. What kind of numbers must these abominations have?" Suddenly, a shadow passed by. "Musica!"

Musica stopped, and looked over his shoulder. "My fried. You're unhurt."

"Yes… But breaks in the fighting are few and far between. I can only hope the others have fared as well." Luffy said, sitting down.

"Manikins…" Musica muttered.

"What of them?" Luffy said.

"I wonder. How do you place our odds? Against numbers like these, do you think we actually stand a chance to win?"

"I can't say about the outcome. But we can fight as long as we have strength." Luffy said.

Musica chuckled. "That's one answer." Then his eyes narrowed. "You are correct. We can fight for as long as we have strength, and almost certainly lose. But if! If there were a way to make winning possible, by accepting that loss as inevitable…"

Luffy looked up.

"Would you be able to commit yourself to such a purpose?"

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.

"We are trapped. This war is a cycle with no proper end. We fight and fall, we are revived, and the process repeats." Musica explained. Luffy stared in shock. Musica smirked at Luffy's expression. "I realize it's not easy to believe. But consider. If what I've said to you is true, then so is this: we'll have another chance. As long as some of our strength remains, we will be brought back and provided with a chance to fight again." Musica said…

Kaede scowled as Luffy finished his story. "You're taking down your own allies and putting them to sleep so they'll get revived? You expect me to buy that? You don't thing we can win, so you think we should just lose on purpose?" she shouted in Luffy's face.

"Yes. It's our only hope of winning." Luffy said.

Kaede sneered, turning away. "Where do you even dream up a fairy tail like that? Look… Even if what you're saying wasn't completely crazy, what's the point in getting revived so we can keep fighting an endless war?" She directed these last few lines at Cosmos, who closed her eyes sadly. Kaede walked away angrily. "I mean…if this war isn't gonna end…why even fight? What in the world are we doing here?"

"Making the war end. Isn't that right, Cosmos?" Luffy said.

Cosmos stared at her hands, folded in her lap.

"We are here to use the power Cosmos granted us, our crystals, to bring the cycle grinding to a halt. But as matters stand, we are doomed to fall before we can even obtain them." Luffy continued.

Manikins are merciless. They know only how to deliver death and destruction, from which there can be no return. Kaede scowled as she remember Crocodile's words.

"If we do not embrace the cycle, the crystals would never be ours to wield." Luffy finished.

"Not exactly uplifting."

Kaede gasped, and turned. Miroku, Alphonse, Lucy and Ikki stood there.

"That puts a different spin on things." Alphonse said.

"We don't even have time to consider our options." Lucy said. Ikki scowled.

"It was my hop that you would journey onward, to face the next fight." Luffy said.

"And you? What are you gonna do?" Lucy asked. Luffy looked up.

"I've sworn and oath to Musica. While he puts the other warriors to sleep, I am to be his shield." Luffy explained.

Miroku scratched his head. "Are you like brothers in arms to the bitter end?" he asked.

Luffy ignored him. "Whatever hope we have rests upon you and the next fight. Sometimes you must lose a battle to win the war. Please try to accept this. The crystals are our only hope." Luffy stated.

"You're wrong." Everyone turned to look at Kaede. "The two of you can do whatever you want. But don't go asking me to believe in this crap. Me…I make my own fate. I'll keep looking for hope until I find some. Say you're 'next battle' were to start now. There wouldn't be any fewer enemies out there. And starting over fresh doesn't guarantee we'd get our crystals any faster either. At the very least, we might as well cut their numbers down first. It sure can't hurt, can it? and it might just give us a shot."

"Guess now's a good time as any." Alphonse said.

"We've gathered some news that might change the whole game. You wanna ever our odds? Try this on: We know where the manikins are coming from." Miroku said. Everyone looked at him and Alphonse. "Well, more 'how to find where they come from'. But if you wanna go looking, I'm up for it."

"You are?" Kaede asked with narrowed eyes.

Ikki grinned. "You know…I'm in too. I promised to help end this thing, and that's what I'm gonna do. I'm not giving up now. I'm finishing what I started. We've got better things to do than napping."

"I'm coming too. I can't just sleep here while you're all out fighting. I can't turn my back on people like that. If I can help, then I'll keep fighting." Lucy said.

Luffy gazed at each of them. "The path you choose is no easy one. You would still walk it, knowing what you face?"

Kaede, Lucy, Miroku, Ikki and Alphonse nodded.

"Very well. Then I shall place our hopes and trust in you." Luffy said, and the others began to walk away. Alphonse stopped.

"Luffy, is brother…"

Luffy gave him a reassuring smile. "He was one of the first Musica put to sleep, and placed somewhere safe."

Alphonse sighed in relief, then hurried after the others.