Me: Almost a month since a last updated, I know, but only ALMOST
Mushra: that doesn't make it sound better
Me: it does to me, shut up
Mushra: so do we beat this guy yet or not? I'm getting tired of his hissy fits…he…hissy…
Me:….
Mishra:….
Me: I'm not answering, Mushra, SPOILERS, why would you even ask?
Mushra: I dunno..
Me: okay, well, I-*is shoved to the ground*
Mushra: *speaks quickly* ENJOYTHISCHAPTER, REVIEW, SHENEEDSIT-GAH!

Chapter 8—Standing Against the Snake

Covering her eyes once more, Winter kept peeking as the light being emitted from the cards grew, almost seemed to widen in its reach, before it vanished, as if absorbed or sucked away and she finally looked, taking a step forward toward the tubes, only for her skirt to be grabbed by Ungar.

Looking down, she raised a brow down to him.

"Save…the emotions for later…understood?" he advised. "This must be done, as quick…as possible…"

"I'll do what needs to be done to bring them back to the mindsets they need to be in." the young woman said and continued forward as Mushra fell from his tube, Sago crawling out of his shaking, and Xavier still sat in the corner of his, eyes shut tight.

She ached to race to him and take him into her arms, soothe him, tell him it was alright, but she had to shake them all to their right minds. And she knew what to do with Mushra and Sago first. She went to Mushra, gentling touching before grabbing his forearm and tugging him beside Sago and he followed her guidance, crawling or dragging and moving to sit on his knees, huffing a bit. They both looked like they'd been through hell, and pushing aside guilt about that, she knelt before the two of them, taking one hand each in hers and she squeezed.

"Sago…Mushra.." she began, softly, and she took a breath, strengthening her voice so that she could express to them urgency as she began. "I'm sorry for everything you've just been through. You've been changed, altered, back and forth, but we all have to get it together. There's a fight ahead, and none of us can beat it alone. Jaden and Heather could be fighting Ryuma, RIGHT now!"

Sago's head rose slightly, while Mushra's hung as he breathed in and out.

"We have to help them!" she urged, grasping their hands even tighter. "You two have always been protectors, great friends! And you will be that again, and help me save my sister and friend!"

They were reacting, but far too slowly. Swallowing, she let go of their hands, and spoke in her strongest tone. "Yakumo would want you to push forward, and beat this. She would expect you to win, she knows you can, as I do… Please…Guys, we have to do this."

Mushra, taking in a deep shaky breath, looked up then. His eyes, seeming tired and lifeless, only seem to be filling with a blue fire as his breathing strengthened. Sago clenched his fist and began to stand, Mushra at his side. Winter hurried back to her feet and rushed to Xavier in his tube. He had relaxed from his tense position, but when she reached him, he tensed up once more, not looking at her, but his eyes were wide and angry…

"Xavier… Hey, its okay.." she spoke gently, smiling as she tried to crawl in with him. His tensing up the closer she got increased her guilt, but she had to shove it down—she had to get these boys fighting, or Jaden and Heather would pay. She reached for his hand. "It's Winter, it's okay."

He yanked his hand away, and turned angry eyes on her. She was unsure about the anger in his eyes, but pushed on, taking his hand, persistently but gently.

"I'm sorry…for all of this, but we've got to push on. We have to get out of this, okay? And I need your help… Will you help me?" she spoke to him softly.

He just watched her, eyes still angry, but his brow twitched, as if there were conflicting emotions in him. She hated seeing this, she knew it had to be a freaky jumble for all three of the boys, but they couldn't stay here, like this.

She came further in, right before him, and reached a hand to his cheek and despite his brief jerk away, once her hand made contact, he calmed a bit more. His gaze changed, watching her. It was still intense, but there was softness there. That tender care she knew so well. She leaned forward and kissed him then, an urgent, loving, but brief kiss before she stood, still holding his hand and then pulling him to stand and he did, following her every move then.

Ungar began to stand then, which had Mushra and Sago trained on him.

"I will lead you to the arena… You must follow me closely, we can have no delays." He stated.

"Why…should we trust you? You're the snakes lap-dog, aren't you…?" Mushra accused him, then rubbed the back of his neck as if he had a headache and looked to Sago with a raised brow. "Isn't he?"

Sago nodded, and glared, seeming the most clear minded so far, but that wasn't saying a whole, whole lot, as he looking sleepy and dizzy.

"He's the one who brought all three of you back, WITH your powers. He-"

"Wait, so…were we dreaming…or were we really short and young and stuff…?" Mushra questioned, rubbing his temple now.

"You really were. We'll talk about that, PLENTY, but only after we've all gotten out of this, okay?" Winter urged. "Come on guys. Are you guys gonna fight or not?"

"Of course we are." Mushra stated.

"Are you sure you can really do this?" she pushed.

"Yes, we are." Sago stated.

"And are you going to follow me?" Ungar asked then, coming before them.

Sago and Mushra looked to one another, and though they seemed as if they wished they could do anything but this, they both nodded to one another and then Ungar. Xavier was at Winter side no matter, it seemed, and soon enough, they were leaving.

I I I

Blades clashed, spears were lunged, and ice was cast across the ground. Ryuma was determined to take one of the girls down, though as his temper grew, his people had to wonder whether he might take out both of them.

Heather and Jaden weren't going to make it easy, though. Working together now, they were more of a force, though they were feeling the lack of power. It would have been useful against the Lord, but they had no choice now. Whatever was to come, they had to keep fighting.

Jaden had fallen down on her back, dropping her swords, but soon rolled behind Ryuma as Heather had his attention with rapid attacks with her staff. Standing, Jaden swiftly sent a kick to Ryuma's back, summersaulting to her blades and grabbing them as she was on her knees. Of course, hearing the angry grunt of Ryuma, she turned quickly, just in time to stop his blade with her two.

Putting a lot of her strength into pushing against his, she was struggling more, pushed down on her back as he kept pushing, now over her. He wore a scowl on his face, though it began to grow into a malicious smirk.

"Is your dear friend to be my bride?" he asked. "Say your last words, human, for this may just be your last moment!"

Jaden just glared at him, struggling to keep his blade angled away from herself. As she saw his smile grow wider, and the pressure of his blade against hers grow, she'd had enough. With a raise of her leg, he took a kick to the crotch. Though it didn't have the lasting affect she'd hoped, it still made him waver enough for her to start to get away.

Only for him to raise up his blade as she suddenly felt her hands and feet frozen over. Rage in his eyes, his blade was coming straight for her.

When suddenly the shaft of Heather's staff was around his throat, and Heather herself upon his back, using her staff to attempt to choke him. She even threw in a little hair pulling. This was only enraging the Lord of Reptiles, but as Jaden start breaking through the ice, she realized that could work to their advantage. The more enraged he became, the less control he held and surely, he would slip up. That is, if he didn't hyper form before that.

But she kept it in mind as she joined back in the fight, Heather still back-attacking as she engaged Ryuma from the front. He was very distracted and this gave chance for a few hits—Jaden even managed a slice across the chest and shoulder. She smirked as he glared at her and lunged.

Moving out of the way, she laughed. "Come on, Ryuma, don't hold that anger in!" she taunted. "Surely you gotta be more pissed than this!"

"Yeah!" Heather yanked the shaft against his neck, making him choke and yelp with anger, and he was about to reach and grab her, but Jaden engaged him again.

"Our powers are gone before our battle was up, and why do you think that is?!" Jaden continued to push, swiping at him, and she was very proud to see him having to take a step back as if unprepared, and she pushed further, with her attacks and her words. "Someone betrayed you! Someone could be turning your people against you right now! Someone could be freeing your enemies to come and defeat you, at this very moment!" she taunted, hopeful and cocky about the possibility, as well as her current prowess combined with Heather's.

Only for the tables to turn. With endless rage in his eyes, Ryuma collided blade with Jaden's left blade, managing to knock it out of her hand and in the swipe back, he cut a shallow wound in her forearm that began to bleed.

"Jaden!" Heather called, yanking to choke Ryuma again, only for him to reach back and take her by the hair (the fake he'd added, and the real), and suddenly she was flung off his back to Jaden's feet.

Jaden knelt down, and through a pained voice, she asked if Heather was okay. Heather, noticing the fake strands of hair were free, tore them out.

"I'm fine. Your arm." She rolled to help, as Ryuma laughed like a mad-man behind them.

"You have provoked me for the last time, you miserable wenches! Now you shall witness, REAL power!" he called as Heather help Jaden with her bleeding wound. With nothing else to help, Jaden tore more of her dressed and wrapped it as tight as she could endure around her arm, Heather using the removed strands of fake hair to tie it up.

Soon enough, though, their attention was pulled by the growing laughter and they looked to Ryuma as the light of his form-changing died down, and standing before them now was Hyper Ryuma.

"This isn't good." Jaden whispered, wincing but keeping her eyes trained on him.

"It ain't stopping me." Heather said, though, taking up her staff again.

"Heather, wait—this is more dangerous, we can't just—Heather!"

With a cry, Heather launched at Ryuma, racing and with a leap, she had her staff trained on him. But his blade met the shaft, with enough force to knock it from her grasp, and in turn she was turned off course, and he blasted her back with an energy blast that pained and chilled her. She landed, curled up, shivering and wincing.

Jaden raced to her side, one blade still in hand, though she was careful with her wounded arm.

"You two are fools. Just as foolish as that human, Yakumo, but with far less potential.." he taunted now, as he neared them, grasping his blade tight. "Not even a drop of power in you unless it is given…you may never have been meant for this world, but I can promise you…one of you will fall…and the other shall be slave to this world for the rest of their life… If you both do not perish first!"

He raised his blade, and Jaden was chilled to bone as she witnessed the blood-lust in his eyes. This was it. She curled over Heather protectively, waiting for the blow.

But instead of the sound of the blade piercing her, such was replaced by brief clashing in the distance, and then the sounded of something busting apart. She could hear the audience mumbling in surprise, and some angered gasp from Ryuma. That's when she started to open her eyes, which seemed surprisingly difficult for the moment (weariness was wearing on her). But her eyes crossed the arena, to the now broken and fallen doors and who she saw first made her heart leap.

Winter! She was alright! She seemed better than alright, actually… Jaden was both happy and worried to see her here at this moment, but mostly she could only be happy. Then she took notice of who else she had with her.

Mushra, Sago, and Xavier! And thank the Guardians, not in their child forms any longer! Fully grown, and she could hope back to normal again, they were back! And also with the four of them…Ungar?

Ungar betrayed Ryuma? She could only wonder why, though the sorcerer did have a past of doing so at least once before—helping Yakumo to take down Mushrambo, whether it was against Ryuma's wishes or not.

"How..!?" Ryuma demanded to know as he faced the other group. He shook his head in denial, in absolute rage, before aiming his sword straight at Ungar. "How could you have done this to me, Ungar?!"

"This is not the Lord I had promised to follow! I will not let you corrupt yourself!" Ungar stated.

"Traitor!" He raised his blade, and it seemed to be filling with energy of an attack. But just as he was about to bring it down, Winter stepped in front of Ungar, to Xavier and Jaden's displeasure. He hissed. "Protect who you wish, child, you'll only be taken down with him!"

As he slash, the ground between him and Winter cracked, and a slab of earth shot up to block the attack, and then it started heading Ryuma's way. He cut it down, only to see Xavier standing in front of Winter.

"You…" Ryuma narrowed his eyes. "You all will face your end, here! No matter your numbers, I will not be defeated!"

"Say so all you want, pal…" Mushra spoke up then, sounding weak, unlike himself. Heather stirred under Jaden. Mushra took a step forward, summoning his staff into his grasp, Sago following suit behind him with his own weapon. "But that's easier said than done… Especially when you're up against me!" Mushra then took aim with his staff, and though he still seemed weak, out of it, even tired, there was the fire in his eyes. And it just seemed to be growing.

Jaden saw Sago and Xavier take stance as well, as she started to aid Heather in standing. She left Heather to stand on her own, as she hurried to grab their fallen weapons while Ryuma was distracted, and then she was back at her friends' side, walking her around the arena while watching Ryuma's every move so he didn't notice them.

No such luck, of course, as he caught them out of his peripheral, and hissing, seemed ready to attack them next. Taking grip of his weapon, he was prepared, but soon a cry from Mushra, and the lung of his staff distracted the Lord from his previous targets getting away from him. The two of them began to engage, as Winter ran to her friend and sister and embraced them tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I tried to get to you guys as soon as I could!" she said, hugging them tightly, despite their wincing, though she looked them over and seemed distressed.

"We're fine." Jaden lied, smiling to her sister. "You got here, that's all that matters."

"Fine we are." Heather said, and then gave a violent shiver. "M-mother of alchemy, I'm freaking cold."

"Then lets get back into the heat of battle, shall we?" Jaden offered, looking to the guys as they all started to engage Ryuma in battle, beginning with weapons but soon, attacks of fire, water, and earth were flying.

Handing over her second blade to her sister, Jaden also gave up Heather's staff to her as they waited for the right moment to join the attack. Though it was hard to find the right moment; between the boys being in the way or attacks flying, there wasn't much opening.

"We gotta g-get in that." Heather commented, bouncing in place. Or maybe she was shivering.

Jaden nodded, but their attention was drawn away as Ungar spoke to the three of them.

"Your skills are more than Ryuma would like to admit, but they would do better elsewhere." He stated.

"What d-does that mean, dud-de?" Heather turned to him and asked, distrust on her face, but she seemed willing enough to hear him out.

He raised a hand to the stands around the arena. And there, the girls noticed the audience and what few guards were left among them were beginning to stand and move…they were going to join the battle. "If my lord is to be stopped, he must be taken down as swiftly as possible. Aid your…friends in doing so."

Jaden nodded. "We can do that." She looked to the sorcerer, considering him for a moment, before saying. "…Thanks…for the help."

Ungar hesitated, but with a sigh, nodded. He didn't like having to do this, but he seemed to be firm in his belief that it must be done.

"L-lets get to i-it then." Heather stated, and despite the shiver, she still sounded decently fierce in her words. And as the reptiles descended into the arena, the three of them launched into battle against them, and they were holding nothing back. Nor were the boys, but it seemed they and Ryuma were all filled with rage in their fighting, it was becoming a fierce battle, on both ends.

The spinning double-ended razor blades whizzed through the air, only to meet the steel of Ryuma's blade. Ice was coating the battle ground where the four men fought, and it only led Mushra to ill-thought, in-battle taunts. As per usual.

"Making an ice-rink, Ryuma? Or is your aim really that poor?" he asked, with a lung of his spear, and when it missed, he jabbed it into the ground and swung expertly on it, landing a surprisingly gracefully applied round-house kick to the Lord's side.

Ryuma made aim on Mushra, until he heard the whizzing of the blade again, and with a turning dodge that turned his gaze on the water Enterran, he realized what they were doing—each moment he was distracted by one of them, the other two would attack. He turned then, on Xavier, who was coming straight at him with an upper-cut revving, the ground behind him cracking as if he were dragging an attack with him.

He made to engage him, and Xavier almost hesitated, and that's when Ryuma sprung at him, so swiftly he almost missed it. As Ryuma brought his blade to slash at him, Xavier raised his arm with the armor on his forearm, and blocked most of the attack. But the slash was downward, and he caught Xavier at the elbow.

Grinning, he ignored the sounds of the others trying to attack, and kept at Xavier, slashing swiftly and madly, until Xavier finally gave him a punch to the face. And following the punch, he was launched into the air by a shard of earth. And Mushra, with a leap, followed after him, and their weapons clashed until they sent the other crashing down.

Sago's blade just happened to slash an incoming minion, but despite its impassioned charged, it was speared down by shivering Heather, who then proceeded to whack a lizard coming up behind her without even looking.

And apparently without realizing it was there. She turned around and looked down. "Didn't see ya there, man. Sorry." And she followed the apology with a stab to the chest, which carded him.

Together, the girls cut, slashed, and battled through a wave of minions and warriors. Some came straight to them, and they fought side by side, not a single one of them really wounded. But some caught on to their efforts and tried to go for the guys.

Well, they of course split up and raced to stop them, Heather reaching the leading few minions and engaging, Winter right behind her, and they took on their own handful of enemies. Heather was like a berserker, lunging out in sudden and unpredictable ways. Winter was graceful and decently on point, though half of her fighting was offense and defense. And Jaden's efforts were all determination-driven, even if with some sort of technique, there was a spark to her attacks now and again.

They feared more reinforcements were coming though, when they heard the door open behind them, and turned to see and hear little small explosions. Which they then noticed were directed AT the entering warriors. Ungar was throwing some sort of potion bottles at them. He was helping.

Winter cast him a smile whether he saw it or not, and with the combined efforts, their adversaries were dwindling quicker and quicker. As Winter slashed down a lizard, Jaden came for a crocodile right behind her and together, they took it down. Heather was making her way to the boys, intent on aiding them now. She even caught Ryuma's eye and gave him a smirk as she finally overcame her shivers.

But there was a cry from her then, as a knife sliced her arm and she turned to see a gecko Enterran racing for her. And she charged for him, the girls already tailing him. Just before him, Heather dropped and slid, taking him down and rolling to her hands and knees and standing as she and the other two surrounded him with their weapons.

"Stupid move." She told him.

He was shaking, probably the sort to risk himself thoughtlessly just for the pride of doing it, only to realize he never wished to risk his life truly. He whimpered, muttered pleases, and then started calling for help.

The girls looked to each other, surprised. Of course, his calls of help could bring forth the other minions, but Ungar was managing them pretty well currently.

"My Lord! Help me, save me!" he cried desperately to his Lord, which was pointless.

And Ryuma had to make it a big point of being pointless.

With a yell, he sent a blast of ice that cause the boys to take their distance, and he glared at the gecko. "Why would I save such a weakling!? You are worthless!" and with a blast, ice shot straight for him and with yelps, the girls leapt away. The blast took the gecko out, even covering and cracking the gecko's cards, and others around him as the cards were scattered.

And suddenly, the blasting behind them stopped.

"Ungar!" Winter turned, in worry of her new ally, only to see he was fine…he'd only stopped.

The next wave, as small as it was, stood as they seemed to consider if it was worth fighting anymore. After their Lord carding, and then destroying their fellow warriors' cards, it surely must have been a blow to their loyalty.

Ryuma took little notice of how his minions slowly but surely slinked away, even the ones sneaking through the bleachers. Taking note of this, the girls were able to turn their attention completely on Ryuma. And the first to launch any attack, of course, had to be Heather. With a little bit of a run, she launched her staff straight at him, and cut a decent wound across his chest.

He didn't even have time to turn his anger on her—the boys were becoming relentless, and it was a miracle Ryuma was even dodging or surviving the attacks of flame, earth, and water flying is way now. And as he was hit one attack after another; a blast of fire to the arm, a water dragon to the chest, and the earth sending him into the air, he seemed to catch on to that miracle.

Upon landing, he sent another blast of ice. On his side, he moved to his feet and raised his blade into the air with a cry.

"GRANDORA!"

He opened his arms, the ice around him crackling threateningly when the girls or the boys tried to near him.

"Come, my darling, and join with me!"

The roar of the beast could be heard, even at whatever distance it was. The girls join with the boys, all the weapons trained on Ryuma, but their gazes looked around the room.

"We have to kill him now." Jaden stated, panicked.

"Can we take down that dragon?" Xavier asked in doubt.

"It can be done if we work together. Beside, defeating her isn't the problem." Winter told him, swallowing.

"Stopping the card before he takes it is what is important." Heather said. "Mushra, we have to take him out now, don't we?"

"We have to be at the ready guys, the dragon can be here any minute, we don't need it coming down on our heads because we're too focused on him." Sago stated.

"But what if he gets the card—We don't have Kutaal." Mushra stated. "We were Mushrambo, DARK Mushrambo when we beat Grand Ryuma…"

"…Too late.." Winter stated, as there was a rumble, and then another roar up above as suddenly something crashed through the ceiling of the arena.

The group scrambled back, knowing what that something was. The great three headed dragon fell with the rubble, landing on its hind claws and smashing the bleachers behind it. Ryuma at her side, Grandora moved to all fours as her three heads narrowed their gazes upon the group, growling at the sight of them.

Xavier took a step back, grasping Winter's arm and pulling her with him, but her eyes were trained on the beast, as were the eyes of all the others. Mushra and Sago readied their weapons, looking really reluctant and concerned.

"We can do this, guys." Heather spoke, looking to the boys. "Right? We can do this, together."

Sago looked to her and nodded slowly. "We'll give it our all, for sure. Just, stay away from her jaws, as best you can. That's...where we went wrong."

"Yeah we remember." Jaden commented, especially with the fact that the episode that that event had happened in turned out to be her first—even more specifically, that scene was the first ever that she saw. Taking a breath she looked from her friend to her sister, then the guys. "We'll keep to distracting her. Hit her from below, or where ever we can manage… We'll give our all."

Grandora roared then, the roar growing as each head joined in.

Jaden didn't seem as sure now. This was an adversary too big and too dangerous for them, she feared. How were they going to go up against her, especially if Ryuma launched back at them?

Suddenly, there was the sound of a blast, and Grandora gave a roar of anger. Something had exploded against one of her heads and she looked to the hole in the ceiling, the others looking as well, as there was suddenly laughter and yelling above…

"How's that taste, ya big blue bat?!"

"BINKA!" they all cheered at once as the spunky brunette came hovering down in her turtle, with a yellow furry mass behind her. A mass that stood and started swinging a mace with a cheer as he leapt from the hover craft and swung down at one of the roaring heads.

"Take this, you beast, haha!" he called, knocking the head sideways and falling nearly on his rear, but of course felines almost always land on their feet. Racing away, he joined the boys, who greeted him thankfully. "What would you two ever do without me?" he stood proudly.

"Or me?!" Binka added, as Grandora spat some ice chunks their way, which she shot and blasted to pieces, and then shot the head that had spat at them. "Yeah, take that!"

"Shall we?!" Kutaal urged.

"Let's!" Mushra smiled, seeming more himself.

Sago looked straight at Jaden, and without a word, nodded to Binka's turtle. Understanding, she wrangled her sister and Heather and they raced to join Binka, who graciously welcome them. The boys on the ground and with use of their power as well as their weapons, they could hold their own, and above, the girls would cover the air and distraction.

They noticed Ryuma lurking, seeming to more be watching for now, but they knew it wouldn't last.

But they would be ready. Their numbers and power had increased, and they were not going to be defeated. Together, they were going to win!

Mushra: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WE BETTER KILL HIM IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.
Me: Patience, young one.
Mushra: Young one? Dude, you were, like, twelve or thirteen when you were watching me, and I was fifteen then. Who's the young one here?
Me:…. Okay, hope you enjoyed, next chapter coming!
Mushra: YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN JAILBAIT TO SAGO