"We've followed the Han since we rose to power through the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans. We've been seen as heroes of our time on our world. Yet now it feels like the Han is going to be our end."
As the sun rose on a grassy meadow, there was glistens of water reflecting in the rising light...but slowly, the grass was being crushed, stepped on, by a gigantic wave of Flood, as they were charging through the meadow.
"Our world has never encountered this form of enemy before. Organizing our forces at first proved effective at halting their movements."
As the Flood rushed on, they failed to notice the sudden swarm of green energy arrows coming at them, wiping out a majority of their group, before a several armies of hover bike riders carrying energy spears and swords alike, coming towards them.
"Five days have passed since the battles against these Unversed began."
We now see Cao Cao standing before a part of his large army, bearing the proud blue flags of Wei, as he appears to be instructing them on what to do.
"The first day proved we could fight back, we could hold our ground. Di Dao, one of the destroyed forts we once held, became our new main battleground during that day. Our forces of Liu Bei, along with Yuan Shaos and Gongsun Zans were capable and proved our spirit to the enemy."
We now see soldiers, of varying colourful armours, using the likes of steel spears, clubs, axes, swords and bows to the more modern tech versions of such items, fighting off all kinds of Unversed within what appeared to be ruins of a castle-like structure, with Cao Cao watching in the distance, on horseback. He was especially watching Chad, as he was rushing through groups of the Unversed in his mobian form, carrying the Blade of Darkness. With Cao, was Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan. All three soon noticed a shadow over them, and looking up, they saw a ship above in the sky.
The Arcadia.
"By the second day, help came from a woman named Kei Yuki. Using her ship she managed to drive away the Unversed and allowed us to secure Di Dao."
Within the ruins, as the sky turned orange with the sun going down, Cao Cao, with Chad and Terra to his left, and Keaton and Liu Bei to his right, met with Kei Yuki, Dark Rich, Roll, Eraqus and Aqua, Cao Cao shaking Keis hand in gratitude.
"She was once a member of Keatons forces, but didn't wish to return. She merely wanted to return our friends and help Chad. For some strange reason. Terra assured me we can trust her, especially as he knew both Aqua and Eraqus, fellow Keyblade wielders. We welcomed their aid and expected this all to be more easier from here."
It was now the end of night, and we see two guards in blue armor standing near the once main gateway of Di Dao fort, with a few torches lit near them, relaxing and conversing, not noticing the three sets of glowing red eyes slowly approaching, eventually showing the outline of what they were, three Trinity Armours, one of them soon within the lights of the torches, alerting the two guards as they saw it rise its fist above them.
"Taking Di Dao seemed to make them redouble their aggressive efforts."
"Charge! The Nanman will make these invaders regret attacking our world!"
The cry came from Meng Huo, raising his fist towards the starry night sky as he sat on an elephant that was suited with strong metal armour. It, as well as dozens of other war elephants as well as a thousand soldiers wearing fine crafted wooden armour, charged towards one of the Trinity Armours that was protected by hundreds of Scrappers and at two dozen Bruisers in the darkness.
"He Jin ordered the Nanman to take the lead after we had to retreat from the fort due to our losses. He thought they could do what we could not. With sixteen thousand tribal men and wild beasts, he even expected them to win by dawn."
As the light of the sun was rising above the mountains in the distance, bodies of tigers, elephants and man alike laid in the dirt, the fort remains, in the grass. One of the bodies was the wife of Meng Huo, Zhu Rong, her guts spewed out across the ground, and close by was the blooded, lifeless hand of her husband, close to his now destroyed tribal crown.
"They were wiped out. Di Dao remained back in the Unversed hands. They then showed us they were after something alright, or more precise, someone. They focused on attacking Jie Ting, trying to get into it. He Jin deployed the forces of Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo, Gongsun Zan, Sun Jian, Yuan Shu and Liu Biao to hold the mountain town along with his own personal army. He then decided to send Zhang Lu and his army of twenty six thousand to try and divert their attention, moving from Long Xi to the remains of Bao Han..."
Terra was seen on horseback, along with a score of Wei troops also riding horses, as they ventured into a forest...where each tree was showered with blood, decapitated bodies hung from the branches, the insides of each man and woman pulled out and left hanging there, each with a look of fear in their faces...Terra soon halted his force, as he saw, in a nearby clearing, The Lady, standing there with the remains of Zhang Lu before her, drawn and quartered across the ground.
Terra ordered everyone to retreat, looking back to see if she was pursuing them.
She never moved from her spot.
"They were killed before they even got into position. We've lost four kings to this invasion. He Jin sees it as their weakness for being defeated so easily. I see it as flawed movements. Now today, He Jin has suggested another move to gamble our lives on. Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and Sun Jian, supported by Grievous, are to avoid Di Dao and charge straight at Jin Cheng to break the enemies spirit. We believe the enemy commander resides there, the Lady. Liu Biao, Gongsun Zan and Dong Zhuo with a man called Master Xehanort are to continue the attack on Di Dao to divide the enemy..."
We now see Cao Cao standing at a long wooden table, outside of a tent with several lit torches nearby. Above him the stars and moon shined in the night sky. Standing around him at this table, were several others. Liu Bei, Terra, Eraqus, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Kei Yuki, Dark Rich, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan...and two others that weren't so much a welcome addition.
Chaos, and Keaton.
"And we are to provide reinforcements to the attack at Jin Cheng. He Jin obviously expects them to have great difficulty. The march begins at first light, and we are to move in once the main force has began its attack." Cao Cao pointed to where they were right now, outside of Shi Cheng, and used a quill nearby to draw a line from there to Jin Cheng. "That's all He Jin has ordered for us."
"There's a lack of battlefield strategy here Cao Cao." Chaos had his arms crossed, looking down at the map. "He Jin has not given us a clear idea of attack. I assume you have your own to back up what he lacks."
"I have an idea. But it is for my own forces to handle the Unversed. He Jin has not placed a commander of the field in this either. By rank, Keaton Al'Keriff should be in charge of how we proceed, with all due respect, Grand Commander."
"Hmph, it's good to see some of you Hero Base annoyances know your place in things. Very well. You keep to whatever ideas you have for yourself while I take care of everything else. Everyone listen closely, on this scroll is a map of the Jin Cheng area. Now-"
As Keaton unfolded out a nearby scroll, Cao Cao turned and took his leave, heading inside the tent. Terra noticed, and quickly followed him, while the others were indeed focused on Keaton and his now suggestions for what's to come. The only other person alert to Cao Cao's departure as well as Terras was Chaos.
Cao Cao entered the well lit tent, and walked over to a nearby bed, as if getting ready to get some sleep when he heard the tent flap open and someone walk in after him. "Terra."
It caused the Keyblader to stop in his tracks, surprised the king knew it would be him following. "Forgive my intrusion Cao Cao, but, what is your plan for the coming fight? You're isolating yourself from the others right now."
Cao Cao turned to face him. "To be honest, I'm not intending for combat. We keep pushing against them, and they just increase their efforts. I think there's another approach for us. I want to use the rest of them to keep the Unversed busy while I complete my own plan."
"...That is...?"
"Why Terra. I want to talk to this woman. This Lady."
Terra was certainly surprised by this. "Are you insane? She obviously won't let anyone near her let alone speak to her!"
"...I had a dream Terra. It showed me something, a sign. Because we approach with weapons drawn. I don't intend to. She wants something in Jie Ting. I want to know what it is and see if we can come to an agreement to stop the loss of life."
"You won't be able to get close. The Unversed are like the Heartless. A swarm. It'll be hard to get to her if she summons them to protect the place thanks to everyone else trying to get in."
"I am certain there's a way. If the dream is right, we just need to wait for the right opening. Are you with me on this?"
Terra nodded after a moment of uncertainty. Sure this guy was basing on a dream on what they should do, but with this strange unknown before them... "I'll help you Cao Cao. But I just want to say I still think this isn't going to work, but you need someone to guard you."
"Good."
"But I'm surprised, why haven't you told Xiahou Dun or Yuan? They're more closer to you as allies then me. They're sure to believe you about this dream too."
Cao Cao nodded his head a little. "They have had me encounter strange dreams before, and often they were accurate signs, but this time I don't want them to. I want them to lead my men through this coming battle. I trust them enough to organize my forces, to lead them to battle, and to come back with as many alive as possible. I have a feeling that's why they did not follow me in here, knowing I need them to lead. But you..." He seemed to stop talking, turning away from Terra, and laying down on the bed.
"But what?" Terra wondered.
"Get some rest."
"Hold on, you can't just me hanging like this. Why am I different to you?"
"I told you. Get some rest. You need to be alert for the battle ahead."
Terra grudgingly left, leaving Cao Cao to close his eyes, hearing only now the flickering of the flames...
He could feel himself fall asleep, allowing dreams to take him. But before he knew it, beneath his eyelids, he noticed the colours had changed. He slowly opened his eyes and found the once orange shadows on the walls of the tent coming from the light of the fires, had turned blue.
He slowly sat himself up, and saw that the flames had changed colour, the tent flap was shut...and there on the table nearby, was a neon blue butterfly, gently folding and opening its wings as it rested there.
"So it was here I saw in that dream." Cao Cao mumbled to himself as he stood up, slowly heading over to the table. "And indeed, you are here again, strange one."
The butterfly as he now noticed on approaching, was made of some sort of living crystal. The flames and their light were reflecting off it slightly before it fluttered it's wings and took off, flying around the tent.
Cao Cao looked down at the table, and there now, was a map of Manusya. Glowing in the same colour as the butterfly, was a dot, at where Jin Cheng was. Specifically, it was placed at where the north side of the fortress would be. In the coming battle it would be seen as the rear of it.
The Wei king then found the butterfly had landed on his left shoulder, resting again. He found himself feeling tired, and before he knew it, the tent, the butterfly, everything here melted away as other dreams began to take form.
Meanwhile outside, after an hour of ideas and suggestions from everyone, Keaton had just finished up explaining his plan to the others, and they dispersed, heading to their own temporary tents for the night. Eraqus was heading to his own, but found someone walking with him. "Chaos. I don't know if I should be happy with seeing you again."
Chaos was idly walking with him. "I'm surprised you're here. Are you trying to rejoin our efforts in the civil war?"
"No. I gathered yours and Keatons true intentions for my people. The Zerg attack gave that away on my world."
"Oh? What made you think we arranged for that attack?"
"I saw Unholy Rich with them." Eraqus glared a little at the man.
"But if I recall, the Shinra Federation purged your world, killed all those people. I had the Zerg with me, and I can assure you none of them had left my side during the failed attacks on Gaia IX and Earth X. Unholy was also present on my side."
That made Eraqus stop for a moment, facing Chaos now. "What are you suggesting? The Shinra Federation used the Zerg and had someone disguised as Unholy to make it seem like you lot betrayed us?"
"Of course I am. They were aware of our plans and no doubt aware of the clones thanks to Keatons inability to get the Hero Base Faction to our forces. A Net Navi could easily be changed to look like Unholy, and it wouldn't a genius to toss a cluster of Zerg on an old GF ship and auto-pilot it to your world. Your people who fought with us died by Shinra hands...as did all of those on your world."
"...The Hero Base Faction-"
"I admit, they are clean on this one. They were willing to defy the SF by helping you. You must remember they are only a subjugated force. They still have some control over what they want to do. While I doubt they'll ever turn against the Shinra Federation, it is a blessing that they saved you, Kei, the two clones, Aqua, and what Keyblade wielders they could...but their time here will be short. They won't have this world for long."
"What do you mean they won't have this world for long? We're working with them to end these invaders." Eraqus quietened his voice to make sure only Chaos could hear him.
"We're working with the Han, not them really. He Jin intends to pull them apart. Yuan Shao, the once High Minister? We intend to make him join us in the civil war. Along with the Han and some of those kings on this world, we'll rebuild our forces here...and the Keybladers are more than welcome to join us to avenge their tragic loss, of their home."
"Why would you tell me this? I have not said I will work with the Galactic Federation again after last time."
"Because you can still hear them, can't you? Their cries for help, before the Shinra silenced them...I heard about the bunker, the way they blasted it open, saw it was innocent civilians, weakened Keyblade users, people who just wanted to be safe...and they killed them all."
Eraqus indeed could. He could hear those of his world...those he failed to protect.
"Rufus wants you dead, Eraqus. If you, Aqua, Kei and the others stay with the Hero Base Faction, Rufus will know and you'll be handed over for their own survival, or if you go it alone, you'll be hunted forever. Every path but one leads to your death. You know which one will lead to your survival."
With that, Chaos went his own way, leaving Eraqus in his own thoughts...his own doubts.
Meanwhile in a location much further south, Chad was seen sitting on the ground, a distance away from the massive camp he had come from. He needed some quiet alone time, after constantly walking around with Yuan Shao and Darkmega. The High Minister wanted them around to simply show off to those on this world he was friends with those who killed Unicron. It was fine for about an hour on the first day but lapping around the camp after four hours each day after was pushing it.
Now he just sat there, alone in his own thoughts-
"Hey Chad..."
Nevermind. Quickman had arrived, soon sitting down next to his operator. "Hey Quickman."
"...So I noticed during these fights you've been more and more asshole-y towards Darkmega and more buddy-buddy with Richard. You don't even seem to like the Dark Navi anymore. Did anything happen when we came here? Did he flirt with Anna or something?"
Chad looked baffled at his Navi. "What? No. No I just don't trust him. His a dark soul."
"Okay I grant that normally means bad, especially to us Navi folk, but Darkmega proved to be helpful, understanding, learning from others even. I've never seen a dark soul do that before. Richard...I don't know. I remember when we first came to the base you even felt a bad vibe coming from him before you and Anna tried to befriend him."
"Yeah. But now his doing right with me. His been there at every battle, helping us take down these Unversed things."
Quickman leaned back a little. "Shademan just barely accepts him, and Roll, she used to be one of his more actual friends, now she's just keeping some distance from him. If they can't trust him, something isn't right, you see where I'm coming from Chad?"
Chad understood, but, something was telling him that trusting Richard is the best thing and ignore these doubts. "Quickman, relax. I got this. Trust me if something major happens and we meet Unicron, you'll see Richard fighting with us, not against us."
"...I'm more concerned and if you and Darkmega have to fight Unicron-"
"I won't need Darkmega."
Quickman sighed, and got himself up. "I hope you're right man...anyways, you heard about tomorrow right? We're gonna push again. Yuan Shao wants you and Darkmega leading the front units."
"Oh for god's sake. Doesn't he get that being the 'slayers of Unicron' doesn't amount to jack against these things!? Even his men have clicked on that and don't get the 'morale boost' and 'inspiration' to fight for him like his expecting anymore."
His Navi just shrugged. "You know his not the brightest person around Chad."
"It's getting tiresome meeting waves of those things before anyone else. I've had to quickly learn how to focus my Chaos energy attacks more just to survive, and its getting exhausting when I'm rapidly using Battlechips as the fights kick off. Shadow thinks there's a way to make me not waste my energy, tapping into Chaos energy to use with the battlechips or something but his not sure."
Quickman smiled a little. "Good luck with it anyways man. I'm gonna get an early night. You coming?"
"In about half an hour."
Quickman turned and walked away, walking past another person that was heading up to where Chad was.
"...Chad?"
The boy turned his head to look.
It was Roll, giving him a warm smile. "Do you mind if I join you for a little bit?"
Chad sighed, but still gave a smile back. "Sure. I was after some peace and quiet but I can make an exception with you."
Roll soon sat down with him, her knees bent up as she placed her arms around them., looking at the stars. "...Do you remember that encounter on the space station? The one where there was more than one Richard?"
Chad looked at her oddly. "You mean when there was two? One I really didn't like and the one we have now?"
"Yeah...I've been meaning to tell you that, he was from the future."
Chad frowned a little. "If that's the case, why did he give off the feeling the moment we looked at eachother he utterly despises my very existence? I mean compared to Richard now, that one felt like he honestly wanted me slaughtered, like I committed murder to someone dear to him."
"I, don't think it's the Richard we know right now. The way he talked before you came to save...our, Richard, it sounded like they weren't the same person. He said about chasing our Richard down before he chased that Richard...then he said about we'll thank him, Me, you, Anna, and 'his' Chad, if he killed our Richard."
"...So could he be a clone then? I just remember the pain he put me through, and saying his something I'll never stop, said something about a Darkrift..."
"Strange thing is, he also claimed he wasn't a clone when Richard arrived..."
Chad looked confused. "When Richard-wait what? What are you talking about now?"
Roll then realized what she had said, the next thing she was going to bring up. "Oh, yeah, that GF Navi that got wounded. I took his helmet off...it was Richard."
"Get the fuck out of here."
Roll frowned a little. "I'm serious, he was. It was another Richard."
Chad thought about this, thinking back to the cloning chambers. "...Ah. Could be number 5 or 8. They were both still supposedly active. 6 was Light, and 7 is Dark."
Roll wasn't so sure. "I don't know, he, the Richard from the future, was willing to wipe out this third one and our one. And the third one sounded like he wasn't a clone either."
"...God my brain hurts from thinking about this. So we have our Richard, future Richard, and unknown Richard, as well as two clones we know, and two we don't, one of them could be this unknown Richard. Maybe he doesn't realize he is a clone himself. Could be the 8th, he was suppose to remain in stasis...and meant to be more Zerg than Human..."
Roll wasn't so sure on that. "He was very much human looking to me."
"Could've been some kind of ability to change his appearance...So why are you bringing this up now? We had a good chat a couple of days back." It was Chad's turn to frown. "It's about my friendship with Richard isn't it?"
"I take with the way you're looking at me you've been having people talk to you before about it huh?"
"First Anna, then Yuan Shao mentioned it in passing, and just now Quickman."
"Well you do seem to be quickly growing into good friends, for all the crap his put us through before you returned and his siding with Unicron..."
Chad looked to the ground. "He saved me Roll. I owe him for that. His willing to stand by me right now. Maybe a part of him wants a friend now, maybe he wants to do what's right and stop fighting against us."
"I want to believe that. I really do Chad. But we know Unicron isn't gone. His alive, and Richard could easily still be following him. Until Unicron is dead, I can't...feel safe with him."
The Mobian lad sat back a little. "Roll it'll be fine. I'm sure of it. We'll kill Unicron again, beat Chaos, fix this mess this world has got into then go back to Zebes to chill out and hang around. Be what we used to be...just with me and Anna dating, and Darkmega stuck with us."
Roll looked at him. "Don't be like that. His a nice guy."
"Whatever."
She sighed, before she heard footsteps behind her and Chad and turned to look.
Richard had joined them. "Hey. Mind if I sit down for a moment?"
Roll focused on Chad, who nodded. "Sure, come and join us."
"Thanks." He sat down, crossing his legs whilst his claws seemed to fold in a little on his back. "I noticed you both out here and wanted to see if anything was up."
"Well I wanted peace and quiet but that hasn't been happening, and people keep noticing how we're being more like friends now and things aren't good between me and Darkmega..." Chad explained.
Richard looked at Roll for a moment...and she was sure he had given her a murderous glare, before looking relaxed towards Chad. "Well you should keep things cool between you both. It did take both of you as a team to defeat Unicron. Maybe we should go and talk with him right now?"
"...Maybe."
"It'll help settle things before tomorrow."
Roll was surprised with Richard's advice to Chad but still couldn't help but feel unnerved with him here. "Maybe you guys can do it in a moment? I just wanna finish talking to Chad incase I don't get a chance tomorro-" She stopped as she saw Richard glance in her direction...something was really warning her he was dangerous right now.
"I think you should leave for now Roll." He said to her.
Chad faced her as well, smiling a little. "It's okay Roll, we'll have time tomorrow. Promise."
Roll slowly nodded, giving him a weak smile before getting up and leaving, looking back several times, noticing Richard was keeping an eye on her, until she was finally out of sight.
Richard then turned to Chad, smiling, while one of his Zerg claws was aiming at the boy. "Now Chad, I feel we need to pay someone ELSE, a quick visit. His gonna love seeing you."
Chaos had made it to his tent, clearly in deep thought, but the moment he entered, he was greeted by two people, both standing in the middle of it as Zerg veins slowly disappeared from around them, glaring at him. "...Well I don't recall suggesting I share with you two. Aren't you suppose to be with Yuan Shao's forces to be ready to attack Jin Cheng, Chad? Richard?"
Chad was still glaring quietly, while Richard broke into an evil grin, his claw still pointing towards Chad during all this. "Well to Chad we're still there."
"...?" Chaos slowly walked over to Chad, and put his hand on the boys head. He didn't respond to it. "Interesting...Control. How did you do it?"
Richard shrugged. "The guy already had a Dark Soul. All I had to do is interact with it and dominate it. Forced it to progress and advance in his body in a non-intrusive manner rapidly and vola, we have a puppet who can't think for himself right now. Of course this is just an idle state..." Then suddenly, one of Richards eyes turned purple, his right one.
Chad's did the same, as he suddenly flung his fist forward, making Chaos stop it with his hand, before the mobian lad charged him, swinging punches left right and center, trying to connect as Chaos was easily dodging each attack or parrying them. Chad seemed unfazed...he actually seemed still out of it, his face showing no emotion. "Interesting, very interesting. Normally this level of control can't be achieved with Dark Souls connecting to one another."
Richard gave a chuckle, as he let Chad keep trying. "Oh I know what we are...all of us."
Chaos came to a stop, his attention on Richard for a moment, before receiving a blow in the face by Chad, knocking him back slightly. Chad now stopped, and just stood there.
The man recomposed himself, before speaking again. "So, you know."
"I sensed it before you beat the living shit out of me. My Zerg genes can pick up similarities."
"So what are you here for? I don't think it's to switch back to my side."
"I'm on Unicrons side. The side that demands destruction. He gave me these gifts, I intend to repay him."
Chaos laughed a little. "Unicron has been destroyed. You're alone now."
"Don't try and bullshit me. I saw Diamas. I know you're working with him."
"I see." Chaos walked over to Chad, looking at him for a moment, before slamming his fist into the lads face, sending him to the ground, the boy not reacting to it. " Then you need to know we're a united group. We're all striving for the same goals. So if you honestly serve 'Unicron'...you're on my side now." He looked down to Chad. "Take this asset of yours back to Yuan Shao's camp. Follow along with everything that's going on with Earth V. I'll make sure Unicron lets you know when to use the boy and return to us."
"Fine. But if you try to turn on me again Chaos..."
"If I do, this time I'll most likely kill you." Chaos seemed smug on saying that, which annoyed the Zerg Overmind greatly.
"Onward! Let us drive the enemy back!"
Yuan Shao's words rang out loud and clear across the land, as his forces pushed towards the walls of Jin Cheng, and the huge wave of Unversed blocking their path.
The battle had began at first light. It was now around 10ish in the morning. The first clusters of Unversed had been met with and destroyed, but the champions of Yuan Shao's, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were forced to withdraw early on as the Unversed wiped out their troops. Yuan Shao didn't want them to risk their lives that much.
Didn't matter about Chad, Darkmega and Richard mind you. They were forced to keep pushing on, leading the golden army towards the city. Thankfully they had some help from other members of the Hero Base, as well as officers from Sun Jians forces who mixed themselves into Yuan Shaos men to stay united.
Yuan Shu meanwhile had become the rear guard, merely keeping to the back of all the fighting, not even sending a single unit out to battle. Grievous wanted to deploy him but he was under orders to let Yuan Shu do as he pleased by He Jin...something that annoyed him greatly. The cyborg himself had his own personal troop of about 5,000, and had been luring squadrons of Unversed his way to lighten the attack on the rest of the army.
"Keep your focus! We will take the city and claim the head of the enemy commander!" He bellowed out to his men, whilst using two lightsabers easily to dispatch several scrappers.
"EXPLOSION!" Chad had yelled this out as he swung the blade of darkness down, striking the ground before him, killing off about a dozen or so flood. He was tired , panting away as he saw more unversed coming. "Oh come on..."
"Dark Buster!" Several purple energy shots went by Chad, and struck the unversed coming, taking them down as Darkmega arrived near the mobian. "You okay Chad?"
"I'm fine." Chad quickly tried to look like all was good. "I didn't need your help." He said that as another scrapper appeared and before it could do anything, he hacked it in half.
"Chad your starting to look like shit. You need to take a break. Drop back and let Yuan Shaos men continue the fighting for a while. I seriously doubt the Unversed are going to go anywhere." Darkmega quickly activated a cannon battlechip and fired a few times at a nearby bruiser who had been crushing the bodies of several soldiers before the cannon shots took him down.
"I said I'm fine Darkmega!" Chad readied his weapon once again, as a wave of Monotruckers with their menacing red pickaxes were racing their way. They were halted by a hail of arrow raining down on them, coming from somewhere else on the battlefield.
Link and Sun Shang Xiang were teamed up, having gotten themselves a squad of archers and saw the Monotruckers. Sun Shang gave Chad a wave, before focusing back on the Unversed coming to her and Link.
Link had been joining in on every battle there was against the Unversed. Losing the Master Sword and being injured by Diamas had really got on his nerves and he felt like partaking would help him feel useful without the blade after the four years he carried it. "No more effective then the Heartless. Wonder how many are left?"
"Enough for us to stay on our toes Link!" Sun Shang answered, firing several arrows at once to strike down a few flood.
Then one of Yuans men spotted what they had been waiting for to make the push to Jin Cheng more successful. "There! At the hills! Shu and Wei flags! Reinforcements have arrived! We can finally win this battle!"
"They can't win."
That was Cao Cao, as he rested at the top of one of the nearby grassy hills, leaning on the handle of his hover bike, looking over the fortress of Jin Cheng. Next to him was Terra on his keyblade glider in his full armor. Below them marched Liu Bei, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Kei, Eraqus and Keaton holding up at the rear, all keeping their forces altogether as they were heading down to partake in the fight.
"What? Why?" Terra seemed surprised at that observation by the Wei king.
"Look inside the fortress. It's empty bar two figures, yet the Unversed don't seem to run out of numbers."
Terra looked over at Jin Cheng, and indeed the place was looking completely vacant, bar a silver throne in the middle of it with the Lady sitting on it, leaning back and looking bored, while the Symphony Master was standing beside her holding his golden baton up, which seemed to glow a white aura at times and each time it did, another wave of Unversed seem to pop up just outside the walls of the fortress. "...Then shouldn't we tell the others to back off? Aren't we wasting lives here?"
"They must keep the ones in charge distracted Terra. While we move in around the back. I intend to keep the element of surprise here. That's why only you, I and a team of fifty riders shall move in. We'll get to the woman, and speak with her."
While they slowly disappeared from view off the hill, the rest of the armies had come together and pushed even harder against the Unversed. Sun Ce seemed to feel like they were making better progress now with their men revitalised with the reinforcements in play. He was clubbing whatever creature came close to him with his Tonfas, made much more effective by the art of Hokuto his learnt so far. "Come on you nasty little bastards! I need to keep paying you back for Liang province!"
His tutor, Mr T was close by, having just found himself face to face with a Mad Treant. He was smiling over this. "Oh now we're gonna have some proper fun!"
Link meanwhile was using his tough hero's bow to smack a few of the flood aside before pulling an arrow out and shooting down a nearby scrapper, before noticing Sun Shang was now watching her back, as yet another scrapper had appeared and pushed itself into the air, claws ready.
Three arrows met with it, and made it drop to the ground with a thud. Link knew, holding out his bow that one of the arrows was his. The other two...
"Well I see we're all together again!"
Xiahou Yuan. Link spotted him close by on horseback, smiling and waving at him and Sun Shang. "You two wanna see who can get the most kills?"
Sun smirked. "Now? I've already killed like forty five or something!"
Link shook his head, before mentioning his count. "I think I got about thirty."
"That was my first one guys! Jeez, can't you wait for me next time?"
Further to the rear of the battle, Yuan Shao was on his own horse, trying to keep an eye on fighting. Next to him on horseback was Guo Tu. "My lord, the reinforcements have swelled our numbers, should we inform all forces to keep charging or perhaps set up a plan?"
"Grievous is the one who is in charge. Let him decide. I am content to remain here...out of the fighting for the moment. No need to spoil my armor on those worthless aliens, don't you agree?"
Guo Tu gladly nodded. He was no fighter and if Yuan Shao was content to keep back, so was he. "Of course my lord. Your appearance must always be perfect no matter what happens."
Despite Gaia IX, it was clear Yuan Shao still needed to learn how to be a slightly more effective commander.
Taking it slow took them about 30 to 40 minutes, but soon Cao Cao, Terra, and his 50 additional hover bike riders had found themselves at the rear gates of Jin Cheng...which were strangely left open, letting them see inside into the once market area of the fortress, the stalls vacant and stripped bare.
Terra didn't like this at all. "Cao Cao, to leave the gates open like this..."
"They are expecting us Terra, yes." Cao Cao finished for him, trying to listen out carefully for anything besides the cries of fighting at the opposite end of the fortress. He couldn't hear anything close to them bar the wind. "men, move in and check every corner. Once you have found the exit from the market area and are sure it's clear come back so that Terra and myself can move in."
One of the nearby riders nodded, and soon Terra and the Wei leader found themselves alone. The men had entered and despite Cao Cao expecting the gates to slam shut and a trap to be set off, there was nothing. Eventually his men vanished from view, and they both waited.
And waited.
Terra felt more and more tense as minutes seemed to trickle by. "Cao Cao..."
Cao Cao decided to get on his com-link, one of the troops he sent in was a captain that he made sure had advanced communication tech on him. "Report at once."
There was just horrendous static coming from the com-link, before it went dead.
Welp, that got Terra to seriously think about their next move. "So either something happened to them, or this strange woman knows how to stop communicators from working."
The man next to him didn't answer, instead he slowly led his bike through the gates.
Terra followed, guiding his glider and looking around slowly, trying to see if something was waiting for them.
There was, but it wasn't what either expected.
Before they knew it and those outside on the battlefield, a dark, purple dome had suddenly formed in a flash of light covering the whole of the fortress like a shield, making it pitch black inside, impossible for those attacking the Unversed to see anything within.
But to Terra and Cao Cao, after the flash of light...
They were in Jin Cheng, but now the sky was a grim purple, the ground beneath them grey, cracked and most certainly dead. The fortress walls and stone buildings looked greyed out and heavily damaged, visible cracks on almost every structure. The gates behind them were closed, but they looked like something had smashed into them several times, chunks of wood had been ripped off, letting them see outside beyond the fortress.
Looking at a dead world. Trees bare and lifeless, the ground dried up and useless. No sounds of battle, no sounds of people or life. Just a howling eerie wind echoed through this place, around the collapsed stalls...
And the corpses, of the men Cao Cao had sent in, as well as rotting, almost skeletal remains of whoever lived here, barely covered in tattered rags and destroyed fragments of green armor. Cao himself noticed a torn down flag nearby. He moved his bike to it, and looked down. It was old, dirt covered, but he recognized the symbol and the green colour of it.
It was a Shu flag.
"...Liu Bei's forces. But they've never been stationed at Jin Cheng before. Or wherever this truly is." He saw a nearby stone building which had a sign hanging outside it...well, the remains of one. He turned off his bike and got off it, pulling his sword out and made his way over.
Terra quickly got off his glider and made it return into his Keyblade before going after Cao Cao, not wanting to have him leave his sight.
They entered, and indeed it was once a shop. It had blades, spears, shields, iron and steel ingots littered about...thrown about actually, several corpses within, and if there was a back room, the roof to this building had given way a while ago, leaving rubble to block their access to it.
"...These are the type of armaments we have on my world, but still..." Cao Cao murmured, making his way over to a corpse in the far corner of this place, pushed up against it, it's head had been slicked open and hacked apart. The person, a man by the looks of it, had been wearing a full set of armor now damaged with dry flaky blooded holes piercing it and had a shattered spear at his feet, as well as a small book that looked damaged and dusty.
The thing was, that damaged armor and destroyed spear to Cao Cao was strikingly familiar to the point he was able to put a face to it. "...Zhao Yun..."
"Who's that?" Terra asked.
"A member of Liu Beis forces. Still alive and well..." Cao Cao looked at the fallen general carefully and indeed, if his head was in one piece, this would be Zhao Yun. He bent down with his knees and grabbed the book carefully, opening it and finding it's last few hand written pages...
10th September, 2042 N.O
Lord Liu Bei has sent word that what remains of the kingdom of Wei has been successfully transported off this planet by the galactic force known as SCI. Without Cao Cao they were lost. Cao Pi knew the dark meteor from the sky was a signal of the end times for us. All of the eastern north part of Manusya has fallen silent, from Chang An to the most eastern city of Dong Hai, and to the most northern city of Liao Xi.
The sky remains it's unnatural state. SCI has been willing to aid us to try and find out what has happened to our world, despite our past refusal to join their forces to focus on our, what now truly feels like, petty war for control of the land.
I recall what I wrote before this. I have now seen the enemy compared to just hearing reports from the very few survivors that escaped from the lost cities. Black insect demons with a singular unnatural red orb for an eye, able to melt into water and flow across the land to rebuild themselves elsewhere, and with the fallen and living alike, they flow into them and use their bodies, twisting them to their whims. I slew more my own men did I did those creatures on my scouting mission on Chang An.
22nd September 2042 N.O
Wu Zhang Plains and San Pass have been lost. I have now been transferred to Jin Cheng to keep a steady connection with Liang Province. Ma Chao is deeply concerned for his people but Liu Bei feels I and Liao Hua are more capable for the task.
Speaking of my lord, I am worried for his decision recently. SCI had contacted Wu to try and ready for an evacuation of their people, but they have refused and chose to keep fighting and to protect their homeland. Liu Bei upon being offered the same thing refused as well, though his reason is to protect the people that will no doubt be left behind if we were to try and escape this nightmare.
I admire his benevolence greatly, but with what we face, demons from the stars...will it be enough?
30th September 2042 N.O
Tian Shui has been lost! Lord Huang Zhong and Wei Yan held on for as long as they could but despite my efforts as well as Zhang Feis, they were overrun! Long Xi, commanded by Meng Da, is our only connection to Shu now in these dark times!
I pray that Ma Liang, our top strategist will soon come up with a way to fight back against the darkness that is upon us! God Raiden, please protect us now!
7th October 2042 N.O
Wu has fallen silent these recent days. With Chang Sha and Jiang Xia having been reported to be overrun, no messengers are able to reach them. These monsters have been slowed at all, they are driven to kill and conquer. No tactic has been successful nor able to slow them. What do we do? What can we do? Perhaps it would be wise to send a message to lord Liu Bei, explain to him that despite our just reasons, leaving this world may be a wiser choice now.
Jie Ting had been attacked recently by a few of the beasts. A sign they are on their way to it. We've gathered all the people that can't fight and brought them to here, Di Dao and Long Xi, away from the fighting, and, as I fear, the slaughter.
13th October 2042 N.O
Long Xi and Di Dao, in one night, destroyed. With our connection to Shu gone, all we last heard was that Yang Ping Pass was under attack by the monsters. We've had a handful of survivors from Di Dao reach us, and we allowed them what little food and water we have left. Crops are dying away, the air has became increasingly difficult to breathe lately.
I've chosen to warn those of Liang Province that should Jin Cheng be attacked at any point, I shall send a messenger on horse to Long You to tell them to destroy all connecting bridges to their homes, to divide them from the mainland.
I've seen them lately, beyond the walls. I know they will soon come. Liao Hua has readied an army of 3000 brave men to lead a frontal attack to slow them should they show signs of heading in our direction.
But I know deep down, it will not be enough.
I, will not be enough.
Lady Veronica, please preserve us in this darkest of hours.
Cao Cao had stood up by now, having read through the journal. "Lady Veronica...N.O...Raiden? Most unusual, but worrying."
"What is?" Terra wondered.
Cao Cao handed him the journal. "A war took place on this, version, of my world. A war against those we are against I believe, though the description is not any of them I recall looking at. But with each of them looking so different this may be another form of them."
Terra read through it carefully, walking around a little, careful to not trip up on the bodies and objects on the floor. "I'm not sure. None of the Unversed beings we've seen so far have one orb-like eye and can twist living beings. Though, I'm confused by the issue of breathing Zhao Yun mentions. The air, despite the strangeness of the sky, is breathable."
"I was baffled by that myself...perhaps we should look into this version of Jin Cheng more. Check the central courtyard where we saw the Lady in our version." Cao Cao started to head out.
"Not like we have much of a choice Cao Cao. We appear to be stuck here anyway." With that Terra followed the man, keeping hold of the journal.
In the midst of the Unversed and the troops of Earth V clashing, one figure had now entered the battlefield, his Master Sword glowing with a dark red aura in one hand while in the other was the Master Sword that once belonged to Link. Grievous had quickly spotted him in the distance and growled a little. Diamas was supposed to have arrived much sooner than this to help out. "That damned elf took his sweet time...Kel'Thurzard said he was reliable yet now as Jin Cheng is impossible to enter because of that barrier he appears."
The Hylian seemed to be walking rather slow and calmly, looking across the field of slaughter as if searching for something...then he seemed to stay focused on one direction.
"Work with the armies Diamas. We could use you on the frontline." Kel'Thurzard was standing next to him within the castle in the void. They were in a corridor, alone with but a few torches lighting the way.
Diamas shook his head. "I must do a task friend. For Ingrid's sake I must. I must hunt down the Triforce and regain it."
"If you do you'll be alone. Everyone is focused on the unknown invaders, even I have sent some of my Shadowlaw forces to handle the issue. They are in nobodies plan and need to be dealt with."
Diamas started walking away. "I care not Kel. I only wish to do what I feel has to be done, for all of us. I must be Unicron, again."
Diamas' walking soon turned to running, then sprinting as he raised both Master Swords up and started to madly swing them, hacking down not just the Unversed but the troops as well, anyone who seemed to be standing in his way.
"What is that damned fool doing!?" Grievous was infuriated now, quickly readying his lightsabers to go after Diamas. But the Unversed were showing in interest in the sudden arrival and slaughter, but rather on what they were doing in the first place as a trinity armor had taken a fancy against Grievous, flying towards him and swinging its fists.
Grievous easily moved himself out of the way of each swing and in one swipe of his sabers, one of the hands had been sliced apart. "Don't get in my way!"
Diamas meanwhile continued to charge on, blood spilling on his swords as it became less of the Unversed in his way and more of the Earth V forces. He could just see the glimmers of green cloth as he got closer and closer to the one he wanted.
Link.
The hero had been focused with his bow, striking down yet another scrapper that was trying to get close, before he spotted who was coming. "By the goddesses of Hyrule..."
Diamas had cut his way through and finally met Link, in the midst of the chaos of battle, standing there before him, a few meters apart. He was panting, trying to rest for a moment from what he had to do to get here, before smiling a little and tossing the hero's Master Sword to the ground, bathed in blood at the feet of its original owner. "That is yours, carrier of courage."
The forces around Diamas and Link had noticed that the one in black clothing had been killing their own, but with the Unversed still being relentless, they could only continue fighting on while he seemed to be busy with another.
Link bent down, and slowly grabbed the hilt of the blade. "You...my ancestor. I can feel it. The Triforce of power. It's coming from you."
"Demise...Ganon, is dead. I had destroyed him when I fed on our world. His piece became mine. Now I want another."
Link didn't hesitate despite the faint itch coming from the scarring on his face, reminding him who done that, he rushed forward, swinging his sword horizontally, Diamas easily stopping it with his own, before he began a flurry of blade strikes, each one an attempt to stab into Link, each one Link had to give his all to stop and deflect away, stepping back with each blow while Diamas came forward.
Link cursed himself. To leave his shield behind due to the lack of a sword! Instead he found himself holding the Master Sword with both hands to keep it steady against his ancestor. Managing to avoid one attack and thrusting the blade he caught Diamas unaware and made him jump back a little. "You carry a great evil! That sword may look like my own in shape but I can sense what it is!"
"I don't care!" Diamas lunged and took a mighty swing at Link, who ducked beneath the weapon swung his own which was easily stopped by Diamas with shockingly fast reflexes. "You will give me the piece I want!"
Link then readied his sword as Diamas tried once more, this time the hero parried the blade away, leaping backwards afterwards, holding the Master Sword behind him, as holy energy began to build up around it.
Diamas recognized the move Link was about to perform, the whirling blade, and quickly placed himself in the same pose, black energy quickly covering up the red aura around his sword, now both of them focused on gathering energy.
"HEYAH!"
"HAH!"
The energy built up on Links blade suddenly turned red, as a swirling blast of energy erupted from the sword as he spun around, surrounding him and colliding with Diamas...or so he hoped. Diamas though knew of the move, and had learnt of one greater.
He was spinning around a dozen times, energy constantly flowing out of his sword as he went quickly towards Link, disrupting the energy Link had built up and unleashed.
The hero of time felt the evil blade stab deep into his left side. It stunned him, his eyes widened as he dropped the Master Sword.
Diamas pulled the blade out, letting Link fall to the ground, holding his rapidly bleeding wound. "You could never beat me. I was one of the first. I know the techniques passed down. I'm sorry, but here is where it ends." He raised his sword up, pointing the tip towards Links chest as the Hylian stared up, realizing he was about to die.
Sun Shang Xiang noticed her friend was in trouble, but she was just being swamped by the damned Unversed. It was down to Xiahou Yuan, who had swung his steel rod to bash a bruiser out of the way before spotting Links predicament. He quickly pulled out his bow, grabbed an arrow and took aim at Diamas. "Oh no you don't you evil sonnova-"
His bow snapped in two. With the constant use it had been in lately he had failed to check on it, not noticing it had recently gained a crack at the tip, and this time pulling it back as quick and hard as he could strained it too much. He just stared at the bow segment that went upwards for a moment, time seemed to slow down, before he looked back at Link.
Diamas' blade came down and impaled the Hylian on the ground, causing him to cry out in pain, twitching as he felt the blade reach deep through his clothing, before finally falling still.
"LINK!" Xiahou Yuan tossed his bows remains aside and grabbed his rod clutching it tightly in both hands as he rushed forward, but a cluster of Unversed decided to get in his way, trying to attack him and forcing him to deal with them first.
Diamas pulled his sword out and turned away, looking down and the top of his hand. There was the glow of the Triforce. The part of power already glowing brightly, then next to it, the part of courage appeared. He smiled and began walking away, holding his blade ready as Unversed and troops alike, whoever he was closest to tried to stop him, but they each just became another corpse in one fell swoop as he moved on.
Soon Cao Cao and Terra had ventured their way into the courtyard of this, strange version of Jin Cheng. Before them was the main building of this fortress, and in the courtyard was a silver throne...surrounded by a massive swarm of neon blue butterflies, glistening in the faint light of the sky. Close to them was the Symphony Master with his back on Cao and Terra, not noticing either of them.
"That must be one of the commanders Cao Cao. I suggest we sneak up and-"
Terra then only noticed that the Wei leader was just walking up towards the throne, making sure to walk around so he could be at the front of it, thus in sight of Symphony Master. "Cao Cao!" Terra stayed back, unsure of what to do at this moment.
The moment Cao Cao came into sight of Symphony Master, he looked straight at the man, watching him closely, as Cao Cao got around to the front of the Unversed, standing several meters from it. "I have come to find the Lady of your kind."
The Symphony Master had his arms folded, his baton nowhere in sight, as he looked down at the man. He did not respond.
Terra slowly started to sneak down towards them.
"I wish to seek an audience with her. You obviously knew I would come sooner or later, or you would have struck me down." Cao Cao explained.
It continued to remain silent.
"I seek a peaceful resolution to our conflict. It is clear to me she is in pursuit of something."
Then a voice came from the throne, within the swarm of butterflies. "You are bold Cao Cao, like the ones I have. I could sense your desire to end our conflict, but I know that stems from something else you want from me, from my people."
Cao Cao slowly walked forward, carefully watching Symphony Master as he slowly passed the unversed before standing before the wave of crystal butterflies, and cautiously bent down onto one knee, bowing. "Allow me to fulfil whatever it is you wish from our world, then we can discuss what I want from this."
"You are willing to get what I want?"
Terra was now getting closer and closer to the throne himself.
"Yes. Pray tell me what it is fair lady, and I shall provide."
The butterflies shattered into fine tiny pieces, glittering across the ground, as now sitting on the throne was the blue skinned woman, but now she lacked the butterfly mask...and the white robe, showing that beneath it, she wore nothing but one thing, a necklace, with a teal jewel attached to it. "Tell me Cao Cao. Who am I?"
Cao Cao looked up at her as she slowly stood up from the throne. "...A woman who's beauty is nothing like I have seen before."
She smirked a little as she started to walk around him bare footed. "True, but who am I?"
"...The Lady, of Chaotic Space."
"A label my lover has placed on me. I suggest you inform Terra to stand down."
Cao Cao quickly spotted Terra as the lad was at the throne, getting his Keyblade ready. He simply shook his head at the keyblader to make him stand down and just look at what was going on, and for a time, he was staring at what he was seeing, whilst Cao Cao spoke. "Your lover? Who is he?"
The woman stopped at the side of Cao Cao, looking to her throne. "That's a costly question. If you were to know, your life would be changed forever."
"How so?"
"He watches over everyone where you come from. He can decide your fate, your movement in life. He would no longer protect you...you might be disposed of...unless..."
"Unless what?"
She placed her hand out towards him. "Become mine. Let your soul belong to me."
Cao Cao looked at her, surprised. "What?"
"I think you heard me clearly. You think this is unusual, but for me dealing with your kind as well as my own in this manner is not. He is the same, especially when you wish to know some daring truths. So, will you give yourself to me and find out who it is I seek? Who it is that gave my name?"
The man gave himself a moment to think. The daring truths...He looked straight at the woman, into her starry eyes.
He had to know. He placed his hand into hers, getting himself up to stand with her. "I shall give my soul to you to protect."
"Cao Cao!?" Terra looked stunned.
"You little Keyblader. Go to sleep." The woman used her other hand, waving it dismissively at Terra who felt his eyelids go heavy in mere moments before falling to the ground, entering his own realm of slumber.
...
The voices were muffled, hard to make out...
"...Jin Cheng is ours again..."
"As is Di Dao, but Gongsun Zan was killed before the Unversed withdrew to Liang Province."
"Five kings have died now. It was a costly mistake this plan."
The voices faded...then, he could hear more again.
"He Jin is requesting the emperor to come and decide in person what we should do for Liang Province...It's isolated, and we can leave it in the Unversed hands, or take action...or we, could take our own action."
"Cousin?"
"I have grown tired of the Han. When I spoke to Xehanort over what had occurred at Di Dao, Gongsun Zan was ordered to make a suicide attack by He Jin. His killing us...and I'm done with that."
"What of Yuan Shao?"
Terra felt himself slip away again, briefly seeing the blurry outline of one of the neon butterflies...
He soon began to wake once more.
"You wanted to see me? Is this about the Keyblade user you've been worried about?"
"No Zhuge Liang...We need to talk."
Terra knew the voice talking to Zhuge Liang, it was clearer now. Cao Cao. He could feel he was on some sort of bedding, it was night time, the fires from the candles in the room were reflecting in his eyelids as he continued to listen intently.
"What about?"
"...She wants to speak with you."
"You spoke to her."
"Yes. Yes I did...Azrael."
Terra felt his heart stop for a moment. Did Cao Cao just-
"So you know."
And did Zhuge Liang confirm it to be true!?
"Indeed."
"...Why?"
"Because your cowardly retreat from before proved something was amiss to me. I wondered why you would act like that. So I wanted to talk...and through my dreams, she answered and summoned me."
"I see...This is why you've changed since the Unversed retreated. I can sense a barrier around you, a spiritual one. You no longer are connected to this Lifestream."
"I belong to her now. She wants to talk to you."
"Talk to me? I have no desire to speak to her."
"She wants you to acknowledge her once again, to look at her. In exchange she shall return to her multiverse and withdraw most of the Unversed."
"I see. It is me she wants once again, playing this game of chase."
"I know it is not the first time. How many worlds have you allowed destroyed for this game?"
"Many."
"And will you give this one as well to be her plaything for a short time? One with the likes of that boy on it right now?"
"...Hm. Tell me something, why did you say 'most' when it came to the Unversed?"
"I have asked her to aid me."
"...You have made a dangerous mistake. But very well, I shall come with you to meet her. Where?"
"It is close by, the opening to the Lifestream."
"Ah. I know well enough then. That location has always been one of my own personal favourites in this universe...but let me warn you, the moment her and I have finished speaking, I will abandon you to your foolish endeavour on this world. I have no desire to watch a betrayer play with those unclean creatures for a selfish plan."
"Ronni is my god now Azrael. I have renounced you."
"You will find yourself very alone in this universe then, Cao Cao...goodnight."
Terra waited for things to go silent, as two lots of footsteps were heard walking away...before a third set was heard walking in, and sitting down in a nearby chair.
He slowly opened his eyes, letting them get used to the change in lighting, before he found himself looking at Aqua who was sitting at his side. They were in a small wooden room, several candles were lit in sconces on the walls, and Terra found himself fully dressed, laying in a bed, with his Keyblade close by to him.
Aqua smiled a little. "Hey. You missed Cao Cao just a few minutes ago. His been sitting in here for the last three hours."
"Well I overheard him chatting to...someone." Terra forced himself to sit up. "Damn, it feels like I slept for weeks..."
"It's been about a day and a bit since the Unversed suddenly backed off to Liang province. You and Cao Cao were found in the middle of Jin Cheng. He carried you back here."
Terra looked a little confused. "...Here being?"
"Oh right. This is Jie Ting. Things have settled down a little since that battle. We're all still keeping ourselves ready for another attack from the Unversed, but for now, all's good."
"...Any idea why they retreated?"
"None really. It was after the strange barrier that went around all of Jin Cheng disappeared, they just fled...What happened there?"
"I..." Terra thought about it for a moment, before shaking his head and looking down at himself. "I have no real idea. I recall Cao Cao and me meeting their leader, she put me to sleep at that's it. Everything else is like a blur to me...It was like a nightmare. The place was all dead, the sky was strange and we found this book...!"
He quickly patted himself down. The journal! Zhao Yun's! "Wait a minute! I kept that somewhere on me! That'll help me remember!"
Nope.
It was gone.
He cursed his luck, leaving a confused Aqua to watch him get himself up and start searching the whole room.
Whilst Cao Cao was walking down a hallway across the way of where Terra was, with a dirty damaged journal in his hand.
Zelda was at Jie Ting herself.
She was on the upper floors of the castle here, in one of the rooms that gave her a fantastic view of the mountain range around this place, the starry sky above, the cool air flowing into this place...
Yesterday though, a cold shudder came with that wind. Something felt terrible. Something had happened.
She left this room to see those who had come back.
"...oh no..."
She remembered looking at the cart that brought him back.
There he was, neatly placed inside it, a leathery blanket covering his body, the Master Sword and Hero Bow atop it, his hat to his side. Riding on the left of the cart was Xiahou Yuan, to the right Sun Shang Xiang. Riding ahead of it was Xiahou Dun.
Unlike those who died that came from this world, who, unless they had a name and title, were simply tossed into mass graves, Link was an off-worlder. All off-worlders were being brought back, but Link's stood out with the fact several members of the Hero Base were following behind his, including Chad, Darkmega, Mr T, Shademan and Samus.
The cart was soon stopped by Xiahou Dun as he saw Zelda, allowing her to approach. She walked over, and placed her hand on Links face.
Stone cold. She then slowly placed her hand into his as she felt herself begin to weep for him.
That's when she felt an evils mark on Link, from the blade that killed him. She knew this feeling from before, this blade before. It had made her go into a shocked silence that was only broken when Xiahou Yuan spoke up. "P-princess Zelda?"
For now though, it gave her peace. She stood at the window, eyes closed letting the wind go around her face, through her hair...
"I wonder, do you honestly remember?"
Zelda opened her eyes, sighing. She knew that voice well enough. There in her room, sitting on a chair with his Tarot cards floating around and above him, was Zuo Ci. "I remember alot of that life."
"Then you know he killed Link."
"Yes. I know. I just never expected him to..."
"Go this far? Three million years, pining for you and your love, to make Primus 'pay' for what he did. Your change has made him not even aware, or perhaps it is his time in Unicron that has truly blinded him."
"...I chose to give up that life, to separate from it and to be reborn happy..."
"Yet each time you come back to this life, you keep being sad...being one of us was never that harsh." Zuo Ci stood up, his cards lowering down and now floating around his chest and arms as he walked over to the other side of the room, his arms at his back, looking upwards.
"I was infected. I was losing control. I knew that if I was brought back like that I might still have suffered side effects. It was better to give up his child, his love, to be sane again..."
"Yet now he will come and find you. Din, Farore, Nayru. All of them are watching him and you now. If you die they will let him carry the final piece and unite their powers to grant him a wish."
"...When he comes. I will tell him the truth."
"Of course you will, but my question to you is, will he listen?"
There was a knock at her room door. "Princess?"
Zelda turned around, noticing Zuo Ci was gone. "Come in."
Darkmega slowly opened the door, next to him was Medi, carrying a rather large bouquet of exotic flowers as they both entered. "Hey, uh, Wily and Light sent this. They wanted you to know they are truly sorry for your loss of a loved one. They have, taken his body back as requested and are arranging a burial to be done for him when we all finish our mission here."
Zelda gave a nod, looking saddened. "Of course..."
Medi gently placed the flowers down on a nearby table. "They also want to know what you want done with his weaponry. Do you want it buried with him or...?"
The princess didn't answer. Her look of grief and sorrow was enough of a hint she wasn't ready to answer that yet.
Medi looked to Darkmega and mouthed to him that they should go, before focusing back on Zelda. "Don't worry, they don't need an answer anytime soon...Take care, alright?"
With that, they departed. Zelda went over to the door, making sure it was closed properly before she returned to her position at the window, now this time she was looking at the back of her hand.
The triforce mark glowed, showing her carrying the piece of Wisdom.
"...Will it help you Diamas? Will it honestly help you?"
Diamas had returned to Unicrons head. He was with Kel'Thurzard and Chaos in the central part of the brain. He showed them what he had now.
Chaos was busy at the computers, while Kel'Thurzard seemed impressed, a little. "Good work Diamas. Although you may have caused some problems. I heard from Chaos Grievous was still trying to find you back there after you killed Link."
"That cyborg was too distracted like the others. It was the best time to strike and take his piece."
Chaos then talked. "I have to agree Kel. Now the Unversed are settling down a little, that was most likely his only decent chance without the likes of Chad and Darkmega finding him."
Kel'Thurzard leaned on a nearby machine. "I just hope we can get more distractions and time. The process of rebuilding is a slow one, and Princess Zelda is going to be extra cautious now Link is gone."
"Don't worry. I have heard Cao Cao is growing very discontent with the current leading force, and the emperor of the planet is soon to move on the roads towards where the armies are placed...if someone was to make sure Cao Cao takes the chance on the roads to show his anger, well, the conflict would certainly buy us plenty of time." Chaos glanced over at Kel.
Kel smirked a little. "Ah. I'll get He Jin to falsely give out plans for assassination moves against Cao Cao. The fat bastard always wanted the throne for himself and his sister, so he'll certainly play along with it."
Diamas thought about He Jin and his sister Empress He. "What will we do with them once my body is complete? Are we really going to help Keaton and them in the civil war?"
Kel'Thurzard chuckled. "Well I'd expect you to feel very hungry. And Earth V has got alot of life on it..."
Diamas gave a small laugh, as we see outside of the damaged head of Unicron, dozens of strong, massive cables coming out from the neck segment, going into a metal ground of a planet, deep into its structure to begin the slow process of harvesting resources and transforming the world into a new body.
The empty world of Cybertron.