Chapter 20: Final Battle--Kikki, Nya!

Kikki (AN: Who was now Mew Pudding) was still running as she then came upon a light at the end of the tunnel. And when she stepped out of the corridor, she gasped at her surroundings. Pudding was now out in a big, gigantic field filled with wild flowers and a few tall trees scattered about. She also noticed that it was boxed in by three other walls and a very tall ceiling.

"Wow, what a pretty place…" Pudding muttered as she then shook those useless thoughts out of her head, "Now's not the time to think of that; I have to find him instead."

"Who do you have to find again?" questioned a familiar voice behind her as she turned around to see Pangia standing afar from a distance away, "I couldn't really hear you well. Care to repeat what you said?"

Pudding made a glare to the red haired teen, "Where is Ed?!" she demanded.

"Why, he will be coming soon," Pangia started to say as he made a sinister smirk on his face, "In fact, why don't you turn around; and see for yourself."

"What…?!" questioned Pudding as she turned back around to the front. She widened her eyes at what she saw.

There, standing not too far away from where she was, was Ed. He was dressed up in his Emerald Knight clothes and had out his razor claws/leather gloves that he wore on both of his hands. His head was hung down, as if he were tired.

"Ed!" Pudding gasped with shock and happiness as she ran over to the tall Ed, "Ed, are you alright? Please, speak up!"

"…" he soon looked at Pudding as he lifted up his head. That's when he did something she would have never suspected for him to do; Emerald started to slash at her with his razor claws as Pudding was able to get out of the weapon's way just in time.

"Ed?!" Pudding questioned with shock as she continued to dodge his fast, slashing attacks, "Please, please stop!"

Emerald finally stopped his assault to catch his breath; you could see an angry expression on his face, along with narrowed eyes. It was then that Pudding saw something that terrified her; his eyes were hollow, black and dead.

He was being possessed.

"Ed…" Pudding muttered weakly as she failed to notice someone right behind her.

Suddenly, she felt her right wrist being grabbed from behind her as Pudding screams in fright. She was forced to turn around to see Pangia. He gripped onto her wrist tightly as Pudding then started to feel her energy rapidly leaving her.

Pudding cries out in pain as she then glances back at Emerald, tears now streaming down her face from the pain she was enduring, "Ed! You gotta snap out of it!" she started to shout to him as you could now see her face growing pale from the loss of energy so quickly, "I-I need to tell you that I love you!"

Pangia gripped her wrist even tighter after she said those words. Pudding screams in pain once again as you could hear her voice growing hors. That's when she finally stopped screaming and submitted to the pain. She was now unconscious.

"There we go; all better for me now," Pangia stated as he then threw Pudding's body off to the side of him, almost like a rag doll. He then turned back to the possessed Emerald and said, "Finish her off."

Emerald nodded his head as he slowly walked over to Pudding's unconscious body; his razor claws ready to be used as he kneeled over her body. He was about to pierce her skin with his claws until something suddenly stopped him.

"… Hey, Emerald!" shouted Pangia, notice his sudden stall of his act, "I commanded you to kill her! Now, do as I say!"

"…" Emerald was silent as he then stood up from where he kneeled. He then looked up towards Pangia; his eyes were not black anymore; they were hazel-green, "You demon from another world! I will banish you back to whence you came!"

And before Pangia knew what hit him, Emerald dashed over and sliced him with his right razor claws from his left shoulder and diagonally down. Pangia cries in pain as he is then turned into dust. Emerald stood there for a moment as his clothes turned back into Ed's clothes.

"… Kikki?" Ed questioned as he turned back to Pudding (AN: Who was now dressed like Kikki, by the way), where she was still lying down on the ground in an awkward position, "Kikki!" Ed gasped as he was now by her side.

"Kikki, a-are you awake?" Ed started to ask her as he shook her shoulder gently; she did not respond. Ed could feel his heart beating faster in a panic at this situation; was she…?

"No… s-she can't be!" Ed started to say with denial as he shook his head from side to side; his eyes shut tight as he continued, "She can't go away!"

"… I'm not… going… anywhere, Ed…" muttered a weak voice as Ed's eyes popped back open with surprise. He glanced back down at Kikki, "I am… staying right here… with you, Ed," she muttered as she then turned her head to him; her eyes were open to see him.

"Kikki!" Ed said with his usual happy tone as he lifted her into a sitting position up against him, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now… thanks to you," Kikki said as she wrapped her arms around his left arm, blushing a little as she. Ed blinked at her actions before he asked, "Are you sure? It looks like you have a fever."

Kikki chuckled at his clueless comment as she constricted her arms around his arm even tighter, "Ed…"

It was then that Ed realized what was going on, "… Oh…" he muttered as he blushed himself.

They sat there for a moment before Kikki made a gasp, "What is it?" Ed asked.

"Corina and Double D; I forgot about them!" Kikki stated as she tried to get up, but was unsuccessful in doing so. She then turned to Ed to say, "Corina and Double D were taken here like you. Eddy and Bridget are trying to find them, and so are the others."

Ed widened his eyes at this information, "We gotta find them!" he stated as he then helped Kikki up to her feet, but she looked like she couldn't walk from the lack of energy, "Here let me help ya there."

"Oh, well thank -- ack!" Kikki started to say as she was then picked up by Ed. He soon placed her on his shoulders; like a piggy back ride. She then giggled at this turn of events, "Alright, let's go find them now."

Soon Ed walked over to the other side of the place, where there was another passageway to go down…

Ack! A somewhat frightening chapter with a happy ending to it! Next it will be Bridget... and then Eddy...