A/N: Fluff warning, fluff warning…that's right! It's time to finally dive into the world of chubby honey bunnies! I bet everyone's more interested in romance than the story itself…it brings tears to my eyes…ok ok, maybe I was acting a bit. But hey, if you want romance, just come out and say so. I can always put romance in the least possible place you'd ever imagine! This is a story about everything!

Disclaimer: I don't own Xenosaga…how dreams can be shattered when reality rears its ugly face…

Dedication Time: This is getting hard to remember…because I can't remember who I've put on here and who I haven't. Ok, sorry. Just one minute…ah got it! This chapter will be dedicated to…SapphireDemon! Thanks for reviewing and reading my story! If you like romance, you'll get a little of it now! Just a taste though, the…action…won't start for another one or two chapters…three at the most…you hear me ForeverOblivion?

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(So…this is the girl Wilhelm was talking about…Maria…) Voyager thinks.

"Everyone, stay back!" Maria runs forward and swings her blade. Voyager ducks beneath it only to get hit by Maria's thrust kick. Voyager slides back and eyes Maria closely.

(My shield doesn't work against her attacks…how can that…? That Kevin…should've known he would've installed her with something like this…)

"Wow…I never knew KOS-MOS was this strong…" Shion says.

"Woo! Go KOS-MOS!" Tony yells. "You kick his ass good!"

Jr. hits Tony in the head. "This isn't a spectator's game. You remember when Ziggy lost his arm? Well, this guy's the one who did it."

"Hell, who cares?" Tony grins. "KOS-MOS is gittin im' done!"

(So…this is Maria…) chaos stares intently at her. (Why is Wilhelm so obsessed with her? And what is this feeling…I feel so drawn to her…it couldn't be…could it?)

Maria runs forward and slides across the ground with her legs out, planning her next move to trip Voyager. He quickly jumps over her and then ducks down to dodge her knife from behind. He spins around quickly and hits her square in the gut but it doesn't faze her. She merely responds by punching him hard in the gut with her left hand, sending him sliding back again.

(What the hell…? She didn't even flinch…is this the full power of that android?) Voyager slowly gets up. (No…I can sense more. More power beneath the surface. Well, maybe I'll be able to get some fun after all.)

Voyager starts focusing powers into his palms and soon his fists begin to glow a dark purple. (Now…let's see what you got.) He runs forward and starts punching wildly. Maria easily dodges each and every one of them with grace. Her movements were fluid, causing her hair and body to flow like no other. Voyager gets angry and then throws a fist at her face but she grabs his wrist, stopping the attack.

"Die." She stabs her blade into Voyager's gut and he disappears. She looks surprised for a second and then dematerializes her R-Blade. "Only an illusion."

"Hahahaha…don't think this is over, Maria. You haven't even gotten to see my true power yet. Though it was fun, you're not the one I'm after….hahaha…."

Everyone except for chaos runs to Maria and congratulate her for the victory. He stays back.

"That was so awesome!" Jr. says, jumping with excitement. "How'd you manage to hit Voyager when Ziggy couldn't?"

"I…" Maria starts to say but then she closes her eyes. She reopens them and her garnet orbs replaced her sapphire ones.

"KOS-MOS?" Shion asks.

"What is it, Shion?"

"What happened?"

"I do not remember."

"You don't remember Voyager?" Jin asks. "Or your blue eyes?"

"No... I can't."

"Well, this is odd, indeed."

Tony starts looking around. "Hey, where'd chaos go?"

"That's funny, I saw him a couple of seconds earlier…" Jr. says.

"I will go look for him." KOS-MOS says in her mechanical voice. She quickly leaves.

"What…was that about?"

"I don't know Jr. But we should head to the bridge and tell Matthews we need to head to Michtam." Shion says.

"Alright."

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chaos kept his eyes glued to the floor. He knew the Elsa by heart and didn't really care where he was going. He just wanted to go somewhere else.

(It's strange…I feel…sad for some reason. As if…as if something bad is going to happen to her…and I can't do anything to stop it…) He stops and looks up. A wall. "Well, I guess I kind of deserve it if I'm not paying real close attention…"

He turns around…only to see red orbs staring straight into his own.

"Ah!" chaos steps back and hits the wall.

"Did I surprise you?" KOS-MOS asks.

"A little. What are you doing here?"

"I was…worried about you." KOS-MOS says, looking away. "You left without saying a word to anyone…"

(What is going…ah, I get it…Maria must've done something to her programming to make her more human…if so…)

(These feelings…what are these…I don't remember anything like this…and what's with my way of talking…it seems…human…) She suddenly feels warm arms wrapping around her neck.

"chaos?"

"I'm sorry." chaos slowly lets go. "It's just…"

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

They both smile at each other brightly while the seconds slip away. They were both in their state of tranquility until…

"Hey chaos! KOS-MOS! Get your asses over here now! We're about to land on Michtam!" Jr. says. "We'll leave you behind to Tony's piloting and Matthews' bitching if you don't hurry!"

"That Jr…" chaos chuckles.

"We should get going."

"Yeah."

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Yuriev opens his eyes and holds his head. "Damn…still didn't work." He looks up into the sky. "Maybe I need more power…or maybe…"

He puts his hand over his mouth to think. "That bastard Heinlein must've known about this…so…that must mean there is a way to summon the Zohar. I'm just not thinking right yet…"

He starts emitting his purple aura and it grows with power as he intensifies his focus. "I think I know what I need to do…I'll need to wait for Rubedo…"

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(Rubedo…)

"Ah!" Jr. holds his head in pain. His other hand clutches on to the console right next to him tightly.

"Jr.! What's wrong?" MOMO asks worriedly. She puts her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"It's…Yuriev…he's calling me…but how…?"

"Calling you…? Like Albedo did when you left to go fight him?"

"Exactly…but…it isn't possible…only U.R.T.Vs can talk through a mental link…" Jr. slowly regains his posture and thinks for a second. (Is it possible…? It would explain why Gaignun is gone and why Yuriev has so much power…as well as him talking to me through the link…)

"Are you okay, Jr.?" Ziggy asks. Apparently, Jr.'s sudden headache has gotten the attention of everyone around him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to kick my bastard of a father's ass."

(I can sense you drawing near Rubedo; if you want to find me, I will be waiting on top the tallest building.)

(You bastard! Where's Gaignun!)

(So you've figured it out?) Yuriev laughs a little bit. (He's inside me…thrashing about trying to regain control of his body.)

(You…DAMN BASTARD FROM HELL!)

Yuriev laughs some more and then cuts off the link.

Jr. clenches his fist tightly and grits his teeth. (That…motherfucker…that motherfucking fucking fucker…I'm going to blow his ass off and feed it to the Gnosis…)

"What the…?" Hammer starts typing a little faster.

"Yeah, I see it." Tony says.

Two A.M.W.S. were approaching the Elsa. One had flying discs floating around it while the other had a long-range cannon that doubled as a spear (much like the Asher's weapon at the beginning of XSII) as well as a boomerang type weapon.

"Looks like this is our stop…" Matthews says. "Little Master!"

"Yeah, I gotcha. Let's get moving!" Everyone runs out and heads to the E.S. hangar where the Asher, the Zebulun, and the Dinah were currently docked in. (Matthews and his crew were actually smart enough to remember to get the E.Ss when they were on the Durandal…thank God…)

"Well, how are we going to do this?" Celina asks.

(I totally forgot about her…) Jr. thinks. (I'm guessing she doesn't talk much…)

Jr. stops outside the Asher. "You and Shion will take down those A.M.W.S. while the others follow me."

"What kind of orders are those?" Celina asks quizzically.

Shion looks at Jr. "Yeah, it is a bit odd that you wouldn't want to send all of us at the enemy."

"They're good ones! Now you either stay here and die by Hammer's loserness or go along with the game plan…got it?"

"Geez, no wonder he's a Little Bastard…I mean Master…"

Jr. glares at Celina and the flames between them were ever present.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are we splitting up?" KOS-MOS asks.

Everyone looks at her, surprised at her speech and her question.

"Well…Yuriev is about to release U-DO and we need to stop it." Jr. says. "chaos, Jin. You guys come with me. Ziggy, KOS-MOS…you head with MOMO in the Zebulun."

"And me and Shion will take care of those Vector A.M.W.S….right?" Celina asks.

"How do you know they're from Vector?" Shion asks.

"Trust me, I know. They must be trying to find you, trying to get you back."

Shion looks a little confused at the answer but shakes it off.

Everyone gets in their respective E.S. and the hangar opens.

"Alright, you guys. I don't know what you're going to do but try not to blow up my ship, got that?"

"Yes, mother." Jr. says. "Just so you know, any damage received to this ship will be financed with the money I owe to you for taking us to Fifth Jerusalem and the damages I accidentally caused."

"Damn."

All the E.S.s fly out. The Asher and Zebulun branch off from the Dinah and Celina as they approach the Vector A.M.W.S.

"Looks like they're unmanned." Celina says. "No G-force limit…This should be fun."

The four machines square off. The Elsa flies a reasonable distance away from the fight but stays close enough to still be able to watch it.

"My bets on our group." Tony says. "I'll stake 100 G."

"Awfully confident of you." Matthews stares at the fight about to ensue. "I'll stake 200 G on the other group. Shouldn't be one way, you know."

"I'll stay out of it." Hammer says. "I don't like to bet. I always lose."

Tony coughs. "Pussy."

"Call me whatever you want. I'll at least still have money in my wallet."

"You're still a pussy."

"Fine, then I bet 300 G that neither of them win!" Hammer says angrily.

"Damn, this is going to be a show to watch." Matthews says. "And a bet to be remembered."

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"There!" Jr. says. He looks at the tallest building and there on the rooftops, Yuriev was waiting.

"It's Yuriev!" MOMO says.

"Careful. He's emitting a strong aura. It's best to get our of our E.Ss and confront him directly." Ziggy says. "You never know what tricks he might pull."

"Yeah." chaos says.

The group lands on the same building as Yuriev and get out of their E.Ss.

"Good to see you've come…Rubedo."

Jr. whips out his guns. "Give Gaignun back!"

Yuriev stares at his hand. "I simply can't. You know how it is with souls and bodies."

"Souls and bodies? You can't mean…" Jin says.

Jr. clenches his guns tighter and confirms Jin's suspicions. "Yes, Gaignun and him are in the same body."

Everyone is shocked by the revelation.

"Then…how are we supposed to get Gaignun back?" MOMO asks.

"I don't know. I just know we have to stop this psycho."

"The pieces are all here…now come! Come and reveal thy shining light to me!" Yuriev cries.

The sky begins to darken and clouds cover the night sky. Lightning starts to cackle and a vortex starts to spin around in the air. Through the vortex, a large figure is seen.

"It's the Ark!" chaos yells.

"Why is it here?" Jin asks. "It can't be coincidence!"

"That's right…all the children are here. Including the traitor. The Emulators are just a homing beacon for the Zohar to come towards. You all are the source of the power used to be the light…like a lighthouse emanating light for a ship to see in the darkest of nights at sea…"

"Shit." Jr. says.

A blinding light envelops them all and the rain starts to fall.

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"Alright, enough waiting!" Celina says. She charges forward and punches the cannon A.M.W.S. with her fist. "I got this one! You handle the other one!"

The two fly off into another direction, firing cannon shots after cannon shots. Their shots neutralize each other but luckily, they haven't damaged the city itself yet.

Shion flies around, trying to dodge the destructive discs flying after her. (What is this…? The discs are homing in on me…so that's it…)

She flies close to a building and then immediately flies up to dodge the incoming discs. The A.M.W.S. ejects more discs and then grab two of them in its own hands. It flies forward and starts swinging its arms. Shion moves left and right, trying to dodge the A.M.W.S. attacks. She then flies down to dodge the other discs flying at her.

(Celina's right, this is definitely going to be an interesting fight…)

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A/N: Hoo hoo…yes, I am an owl! My teacher told me that once…that I was like an owl…silent but deadly. What's going to happen to Jr. and friends? Will Shion and Celina defeat the unmanned A.M.W.S.? Who will win the bet and the most money? All questions will be answered (hopefully) in the next chapter!

P.S.: And one more thing…I'm going to take a survey so your answer is needed for this question because I've been pondering this myself. Will Gaignun…live or die? Answer in your review! Or else, I will do evil things….