He thought he was dead. No one could survive an attack that strong. He had put all his strength into it, knowing that it would rebound and hit him.

How was he alive?

It hurt so much. He was sure he was blind in one eye, his arm and leg unable to move, his entire body screaming in agony.

How had it come down to this?

She had called to him. Reached out. Invited him into her arms. Yet when he made it to her, something called him back. She had let go and whispered words he couldn't remember.

What did she say?

Footsteps. He could hear footsteps. A pair of shoes fell into his line of sight. A worried voice spoke in a language he couldn't understand.

"M-Mom..."

The world went dark.

xXx

Lucas Locke had no idea where he was.

The young blonde teen lay on the ground, not having moved since laying there in defeat about an hour ago. Tears stained his cheeks and he curled up more as he whimpered pathetically. So much had happened over the past few days, too much for the timid, emotional boy to handle, and waking up in an unfamiliar place had crossed the line. He thought his journey had made him stronger, but in the end it had seemingly broken him. He thought pulling the final Needle would make things better when so far things were even worse.

Where were his friends? Where was the tomboyish Kumatora? Where was the kind-hearted thief Duster? Where was his faithful dog Boney?

He sobbed, blue eyes clenching shut against the unfamiliar world around him. He'd lost so much already. His mother... lifestyle... brother... Why did he have to lose his friends too? Why was the world so heartless and cruel? All he wanted was for his small island home to go back to the way it was, before Happy Boxes and Dragon Points and cars and greasy foods. For his mother and brother to be alive, his family whole again and laughing as they ate omelets together. For a normal life.

What went wrong? He'd pulled the final Needle like he was supposed to, despite how much he wanted to hug his twin's lifeless body and mourn his death with his injured father. The world had shook like it did with every other Needle, had thrown him to the ground as the Dark Dragon stirred. Only this time, the world didn't settle. This time the tremors lasted longer and he had thought he heard a roar before everything just... vanished. Ceased to exist as consciousness left him. He had dreamed then, dreamed of fire and lightning and tornadoes ravaging the land, before everything in the dream faded and he had heard a voice he couldn't make out.

Then he had woken up here.

Something landed on his nose, a feather light sensation that nearly made him sneeze. A sense of calm banished the storm of emotions in his heart, his eyes half opening to stare at the magic butterfly who had provided him a small amount of comfort. Once it had sensed that he was relaxed, it fluttered its wings and flew away, the blonde finally sitting up and rubbing at his face once it was out of sight. While he was still upset, he felt strangely refreshed; he would never understand how the psionic insects were so powerful.

After a few shaky breathes, Lucas stood, looking around himself. There were trees surrounding him, but he could see what looked like houses in the distance, some of their windows glowing a soft yellow with artificial light. Wiping his face one last time, he then cupped his hands over his mouth, figuring that it was worth another try despite his failure earlier...

"Kumatora!"

No answer.

"Duster!"

No answer.

"Boney!"

No answer.

"Dad!"

Still no answer. He choked back another sob, resisting the urge to lay down and break into tears again, instead sitting and hugging his knees. "Where are you..."

A twig snapped and he instinctively rose to his feet, grabbing a nearby stick as he scanned the surrounding darkness. Silence followed, a tense atmosphere settling in the air as the timid boy felt and heard his heart racing in his chest. He knew something was watching him, could feel the stare of hostile eyes, and he tightly gripped the stick in his hands, grateful that he at least had the weapon that had served him well his entire journey.

With a blood chilling roar, the beast leaped at him, its impossibly large mouth filled with so many teeth it would put a shark to shame. Lucas squeaked in terror upon recognizing it, barely dodging and taking off into the forest, knowing that despite everything he had gone through, battling this pink skinned monster was a lost cause. There was a skidding sound and mere seconds after, he could hear the thing roar again before giving chase. He still didn't know what sort of animals had gone into the making of the Ultimate Chimera, but he did know one thing; it would never cease until it had torn him to shreds.

Branches scraped against his arms and face as he ran, his breath loud in his ears. He didn't know where exactly he was going, unfamiliar as he was with his surroundings, but he couldn't let that slow him down, lest the horrifying thing behind him catch up. His mind thought back to the first encounter, how it had cornered him and Boney, how he could smell the blood and decay on its breath as it roared in his face and lunged forward for the kill. If not for the bravery of a little monkey named Salsa leaping onto the beast's back and pressing the out of place button between its massive shoulders, he would have never made it to his first Needle. When the Ultimate Chimera had collapsed, its golden eyes a dull yellow, he had thought it was dead.

Yet days later, on the quest to the final Needle guarded by the cause of all his misfortune, it had returned. He had been forced into a maze of restrooms and one wrong turn had led to a reunion with that massive grin that promised a painful death. With Salsa nowhere in sight to save him, he and his companions had fled, desperately searching for the right path and racing into the elevators right as the monster had caught up and nearly took Lucas' leg in its tooth filled jaws. He had been horrified to find it very much alive, but had relaxed upon thinking he had escaped it for good this time around.

And now it was back, still eager to taste his blood.

Suddenly he found himself falling, arms instinctively flying in front of him to catch his body as he landed with a sharp gasp. He could hear his stick land a few feet in front of him as he hurriedly glanced at the culprit, an exposed tree root that had tripped him up. Scrambling to his feet, his eyes grew wide in terror as the Ultimate Chimera charged towards him at full speed, its jaws open wide and saliva dripping from its blood stained teeth... His mind raced and he hurriedly lifted his hands, begging for this psionic energy to gather in time. "PSI Shield Alpha!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth when the thing leaped at him, only to crash into a force field and end up skidding clumsily a few feet away. The shield of psionic energy buckled violently from the collision, flashing a brief teal before shattering and causing Lucas to wince from the recoil. If only he had had more time to gather his power, he would have been able to make a stronger barrier that would have lasted at least another blow. However, now was not the time to wish; Now was the time to act. Before the chimera could recover fully, he retrieved his stick and braced himself, swallowing his fears and trying to act as brave as his missing companions. As much as it pained him, he had to face the hard cold truth. He was alone now and had to fend for himself.

The Ultimate Chimera snarled, flapping small, purple bat-like wings as it circled him. He could almost sense its confusion, wondering when its prey had decided to stand his ground when earlier he had been running for his life, how the fear had vanished to be replaced by confidence, even if it was shaky and fragile. The timid boy couldn't help but give a weak smile. "I-I know running is useless. I'm lost and you'll catch up when I'm tired." He wasn't sure if it could understand him, but one of its pointed ears twitched as if listening. He gulped, grip on his stick tightening. "I-I just have to push the button on your back. Then you'll turn off again. At least long enough for me to get away."

It continued circling him, growling intimidatingly. He resisted the urge to shudder and trailed it with his eyes, not once looking away. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest as the tension in the air thickened, both beings waiting for the other to make a move. A cool breeze ruffled blonde hair and Lucas inhaled, raising a hand and flinging it at the beast. "PK Love Beta!" As the words were yelled, a blast of teal, lavender, and pink color flew towards the chimera, which cried out before leaping at him again. This time he was ready, dodging to the right and holding out his arm. "PSI Shield Alpha!"

This time he was able to strengthen the psionic shield before the monster attacked, its claws raking against the force field and making it ripple briefly before going invisible again. Before it could strike again, he lashed out with his stick, hitting it over the head then swiftly leaping out of its reach. His efforts were in vain however, as he had only managed to anger it rather than harm it. As it released a bone chilling roar, he whimpered and bit his lip.

Stay strong. What would Kumatora do?

He dodged as the chimera charged again, eyes focused on the grey metallic button on its back. The tomboyish princess would probably be grinning cockily and throwing elemental PSI at it, distracting it while Duster or Boney tried to reach that button and Lucas provided defensive backup.. Slowly, a small smirk graced his lips, his hand once again rising as he waited for the Ultimate Chimera to run at him again. He had a plan of sorts forming. All he had to do was time it right. As the monster came closer, he took a shaky breath and focus his power. "PK Flash!"

A bright light filled the small area and Lucas quickly averted his gaze and stepped to the side. The beast however was not as lucky, the unexpected light temporarily blinding it and causing it to scream in pain. As it passed, the boy jammed his stick into the button, grateful when he managed to succeed in his small window of opportunity. With a final roar, the Ultimate Chimera stumbled to a stop before falling, its eyes dulling once more.

He had done it. By being as courageous as his friends he had managed to outwit the chimera and defeat it all by himself. Maybe, just maybe, this journey had made him stronger after all. Casting one last look at the beast, he turned to leave...

A flutter of wings, followed closely by a click.

His heart froze, breath catching in his throat. Time seemed to slow as a low, angry growl filled the once silent air, and he turned to see a sight he didn't want to see.

The Ultimate Chimera glared at him, golden eyes narrowed in rage. Perched on its head was a small yellow bird, which ruffled its feathers before flying to a nearby tree. He recognized it and took a step back in terror, realizing how the beast had managed to survive the first encounter. That bird... That horrible bird was a backup, somehow designed or programmed to turn the chimera back on should someone shut it off. A chill went down the blonde's spine as he stared helplessly, watching as the monster took a few shaky steps forward before breaking into a run.

The first attack, a swipe of claws, shattered his weakened psionic shield. The second attack, a flash of large teeth, hit their mark. Lucas screamed, feeling the thing's teeth sink into his side, ripping into sensitive skin as blood soaked his red and yellow striped shirt. He didn't know if the bite had hit any internal organs, but there was no doubt in his mind that blood loss was going to claim his life. The Ultimate Chimera bit harder, causing the blonde to scream again as he fell to the ground and tears of pain filled his eyes. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. He shut his eyes, not wanting to see the end, not wanting to accept this.

A woman's scream, followed by a man shouting in a language that sounded unfamiliar. The beast paused in its torture, its jaws slackening slightly before it dropped him completely and stepped on his head with a possessive growl. A predator defending its kill. Blue eyes opened weakly, vision cloudy as he tried to see what was going on. He could feel his blood pooling around him and knew that if he didn't act quickly, if he didn't heal himself, he was going to bleed out and die. Consciousness was failing him though and he whimpered.

Footsteps were the last thing he heard as he passed out.

xXx

He could hear a male voice speaking, using a language he couldn't understand. His side hurt, a dull ache that seemed to pulse with his heartbeat, and something warm and soft had been wrapped around his body. Despite the pain, Lucas couldn't help but feel cozy, sighing as he shifted under what had to be blankets. Any minute now, Claus would wake him up for breakfast...

Claus was dead.

He shuddered as his mind slowly cleared, memories rushing back before he jolted up straight with a sharp gasp. The Ultimate Chimera. He had been fighting it, only for it to... Wincing, the teen looked down at his chest, noticing that his shirt was missing and someone had taken the time to bandage his wounds. With shaky fingers he traced the white cloth, biting his lip as he found spots more sensitive than others. A morbid curiosity hit him and he reached for a tucked end before a hand suddenly took his wrist, a stern voice snapping in that language from earlier. Blue eyes blinked and looked up.

A boy, probably a few years older than him. His skin was tanned, looking rather dark compared to Lucas' fair white skin, and his eyes stood out with their blue color. He was wearing a green and white cap and the timid boy could see some strands of spiky brown hair sticking out of the sides. As Lucas continued to stare, the stranger let go of his wrist and stood, adjusting something in his hands as he continued talking. After a few seconds of confusion, the blonde recognized it as a phone, something that had been introduced to his village along with money and Happy Boxes.

The older teen snapped the phone shut and muttered something, a palm meeting his face. Pocketing the phone he left, leaving Lucas by himself to scan his surroundings. He was on the floor of what seemed to be a bedroom, sunlight streaming in from an open window. Judging by the intensity of its rays it was around mid-day and he briefly wondered how long he had been out.

"Oi!"

He jumped and turned to see that the boy had returned, a steaming bowl in his hands. At the sight of potential food, the blonde's stomach rumbled and he blushed in embarrassment. Either not knowing or caring, the stranger lowered to his level and spoke to him. All Lucas could do was stare pathetically back, biting his lip as the boy growled in irritation and repeated himself in a louder voice. He could feel his blush worsen as he gripped the blankets covering him. "I-I don't understand."

Blue eyes widened in realization. "Oh! You speak English!"

"Eh-English?" What was English? He spoke the language everyone on the Nowhere Islands spoke.

The boy nodded, handing him the bowl and a pair of small sticks. "I thought you looked foreign. What's your name?"

He awkwardly picked up the sticks, unsure of what to do with them before hunger got the best of him and he merely picked up the bowl, treating it like one would a cup. Once half the broth in the bowl was gone he wiped his mouth on his wrist. "L-Lucas." The stranger gave him an odd look and he averted his gaze. "Lucas L-Locke."

"Ah." The tan boy scratched the back of his neck before offering a hand. "Hato... er, Heiji Hatori." When Lucas didn't take it, Heiji shrugged and took the abandoned bowl and sticks. "You should rest up, Locke. Whatever that thing was took a pretty bad bite out of you."

Lucas nodded and laid back down, watching as Heiji left and wondering what the future held as his eyes once again closed.