Hi Guys!

As of now, I'm OFFICIALLY BACK!

As for my story... I have good news and bad news...

Good News is... I updated! Palakpakan! XDD

Bad News is... due to severe cases of writer's block, it's not the finale... nakakainis! T_T

Anyway... enjoy the latest chapter! Took me two to three weeks to think and write... -_-'

Of Good and Of Evil: The Final Stand

Prologue - Part Five (Finale Part 2)

As Sally and I broke off from our kiss, the other tutors couldn't help but laugh at us. Two weeks of separation could do things like this to lovers who have never left each other's side. I slowly got up, with Sally's help, and limped to them with a reassuring smile. I placed my paw on my armor's pocket, feeling the small box that my parents had given me just before I woke up in the infirmary. Angel, Cheryl and Teresa ran to me and kissed my cheeks, tears brimming in their eyes. Angel gestured that her sister, Azrael, to come over and join in this "moment" of reunion. Amanda was hesitant, but she eventually gave in and joined the hug. Kat was the only one who approached me after all the girls left my side.

I spread my arms open, expecting a hug from her. Instead, she punches me square in the face, knocking me back to the floor, writing in pain as the sores and the punch took their toll on my already broken body.

"What the fucking hell was THAT for?" I demanded, covering my nose as it started bleeding.

"That…" she hissed, "was for making us, especially me, worry about you for two goddamn WEEKS!"

I managed to stand up, and tried to look her in the eyes. I was expecting to see an angered chipette, clearly pissed off for my recklessness. Instead, I see a face of a sad and worried one, tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Her soft sniffles she tried to keep to herself by covering her glamorous face with her paws. I took one paw with my own so that I'd take a better glance at her. She looked deeply into my emerald green eyes, with her tears staining her cheeks as she wept. I consoled her by bringing her body next to mine, sharing a heart-warming embrace. She was just a little girl beneath that annoying and arrogant chipette, afraid of losing those closest to her. I gently closed my eyes as I tightened our embrace. I could clearly feel Kat's tears fall freely down one of my cheeks, her head nested on my good shoulder.

"I-I thought something terrible happened to you…" she whispered. I was shocked to feel her heart beat profoundly with both fear and love. I looked at the other tutors and Sally with a bewildered face, wondering what was wrong with her.

'I forgot to mention…' I heard my father's teasing voice enter my head, 'Kat has had a crush on you since you first met two years ago… she didn't care about the age gap. She had feelings for you for quite a while, but she knew your heart belonged to Sally. So she just teased you and treated you like a little brother.'

I slightly chuckled as the revelation sank into my mind. I tightened my embrace and kissed her forehead. My father was right. I'm like the little brother she never had, and she treats me as such.

The days passed on, and soon enough I was brought back to full strength. I looked over the horizon, trying to see why Tempest's forces stopped their march. I just recently received word from Michael that the Victory's weapons and shields were only at half capacity. It was more than good enough, since we wouldn't know when we'd need her fully repaired. Until then, we had no other choice but to prepare ourselves for the worst. All of us seemed to be tense as we briefed our forces, each tutor given a battalion of fifty elite soldiers. All of us that is, except for Phelan. Something was very off about him. Every time we'd finish a meeting, he'd often lurk around the shadows of the night. The first few times I shrugged off, knowing that he often likes to be by himself often. Now, with all this pressure building up, he's not normal with keeping his cool and calm like that. Okay, so all of us aren't normal. But, still, the fact that he was invulnerable to the pressures of the upcoming battle really scares me.

I finally found an opportunity to talk to him. We were just about to finish yet another strategy meeting. This time, we were talking about our eagle militia strike forces, with an elderly one-eyed eagle as speaker for this meeting.

"And from here, we'll counter the remaining ground forces with yours, general. We should have at least one tutor and battalion nearby to give us covering fire while we eliminate those troops that were scattered by Commander Phelan's ambush." Phelan was immediately interested with this plan. He looked deeply at the map and studied it as he carefully watched the elder eagle use his probe to move several purple blocks behind some blackish-red ones.

Each tutor and general (in other words, Sally and Me), along with his or her militia company, was represented in the map with blocks of their signature color. Phelan's was purple, mine and Sally's were white. Teresa's blocks were red and so on and so forth with the other tutors.

"I'm listening…" Phelan grinned, interested at this "plan" that the elderly eagle had planned.

"Very well… let's begin with General Andrew's plan…"

We spent more than two hours in the battle tent planning and re-planning our strategies, tactics and distribution of forces. I knew at the back of my mind we were going to be outnumbered one-hundred to one. But, they were nothing but ghouls and dark minions. We were groups of elite warriors, the best of the best of our calibers. We were willing to accept our fates that were destined to us when we decided to fight back.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the abyss of space, there stood the once green planet Lorek. On the dark planet's surface, lay the black citadel of Tempest himself. Unbeknownst to us, he was beginning to amass his forces around his unholy courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard stood a portal, a gateway for communication between him and the Dark Lord himself. A flock of black wyrms slowly flew overhead, their skeletal structures dripped with black ooze as their bony wings slowly flapped over Tempest's head. Tempest's lesser minions, the skeletal and ghostly remains of the fallen innocents who dared to stand against his will, marched slowly and clumsily toward the foot of the portal. Tempest walked gracefully like a king toward the portal, with one of his minions holding onto what seemed like a small box beside him. He tapped the portal once, and the black vortex within it followed suit with his hand as he moved it away from the portal. He formed a circle on the portal as he began chanting his spell.

"Edun Slavin Tee un setra villa y'is…" he spoke, as if he were in a trance-like state. He chanted the words over and over; with after each repetition lightning began to crackle in the sky above. His minions began chanting the same words, as they dropped to the ground kneeling, their ghostly or bony palms facing the tainted red sky. The more Tempest and his minions chanted, the faster the black swirl around the portal moved. The black vortex within looked no different than a black hole, as the spell began to spin faster and faster as each chant grew louder and louder. The vortex began to spin wildly as the spell had reached its peak. The chanting grew louder and louder, like the whole planet echoed with the tremors of the spell! The very foundations began to quake as the portal began to crack open. When the speed of the spinning ran at a constant, Tempest stopped chanting and stood proudly in front of his minions.

"SILENCE!" he commanded. With that, the entire planet stood silent, obedient to the evil lord. He stood proudly as the portal began to shatter. From the cracks came a giant demonic hand. It began climbing upward toward the tainted red sky, bringing the rest of its sickening body with it. There he stood, the Dark Lord. His twisted horns fastened tightly onto his skull-like head. His skeletal armor-like body smelled foul like a thousand corpses that had just recently rotted. The very air that surrounded him easily became tainted by the foul odor that surrounded his evil aura.

Tempest knelt proudly before his dark master. A sly smile crept into his face with excitement as his master fully appeared before him.

"Tempest…" the Dark Lord boomed, "Did you bring what I have sent you to retrieve, my faithful servant?" he asked as sat solemnly on his rough and bony throne made of the bodies of the fallen innocents that fell to his power.

"Yes, master… I would never fail you…" Tempest genuflected before him with a small grin on his face, chest in hand. He presented it to him as would a servant present a crown to his king.

The Dark Lord levitated the small chest up to him, and began removing the seals that kept the small box locked away from the outside world. The seals one-by-one began to burn off the chest, until all that remained of it was the small box itself. Feeling satisfied, the Dark Lord opened the chest. When looked for the contents, he roared, infuriated, threw the box in front of Tempest, and used his evil powers to put a choke hold on him.

"YOU FOOL!" he boomed, his glowing blood-red eyes now burning with fury.

"This chest is EMPTY! I thought you had succeeded in obtaining it, Tempest. I had already given you a portion of my true power, human. Explain yourself!"

"M-M-Master…" Tempest squeaked, feeling the Dark Lord's grip on his neck tighten, "I-I didn't… know… what… w-was i-in the c-chest…"

The Dark Lord, despite his furious mood, released his grip on Tempest. Tempest gasped for air thankfully, massaging his neck to remind himself to never anger his master ever again. Time and again he has done excellently under the Dark Lord's black wings. It was only now, of all the times in this war that he had failed.

"How could you have failed me?" he inquired, slightly annoyed. "I've given you the power you desired, and repay your master with this? I thought you'd be more loyal, Tempest…" his placed a bony, blood-stained hand underneath his dripping chin. His eyes now lit a corrosive green ember. He then had an evil grin on his face as he eyed the chest with a fit of both anger and glee.

"Well…" he echoed, "at least I know the one person, or perhaps, rodent who will not fail me…"

He began to cackle loudly to himself as Tempest began to wonder what he was talking about. Tempest didn't like where this was going. He had heard tales from the slaves that serve the Dark Lord of what had happened to servants that failed their master's will. Tales of how they were either tortured as a method of discipline, or were transformed into something more disgusting than they already were. Either way, Tempest did not feel comfortable about his current situation.

When the Dark Lord completed his momentary contemplation, he looked at Tempest with an eager smile. His eyes were blazing a bright orange now, and his liquefied, bony form started to solidify. Something big or of extreme importance was going to happen, otherwise, the Dark Lord himself would never prepare himself for a fight. His once slimy skin that exposed his bony interior began to harden into scales, the bony exterior expanding into what seems like a thick hide. His skull like face began to regenerate its original form. His dragon-like face exposing his demonic demeanor. The newly reformed hide on his chest began to form into what seemed like thick metallic sheets of padding. His shoulders began to broaden, and from his once blunt rear sprouted a long, spiny tail, with three long spikes at the end.

His molars were then replaced with razor-sharp, jagged, glass-like teeth, as he took a deep exhale, letting out a corroded green ember flow out of his large nostrils.

"Now, given your failure, I will finish this battle myself…" he thundered, his burning orange eyes boring deeply into Tempest's very soul. He readjusted his gaze toward the tainted red sky, as he let out a blood-curdling roar that echoed all throughout the planet and its neighbors nearby. As the roar continued to echo, the souls of those who had fallen in battle began to rise into hundreds upon thousands of unholy beings. All of them forming into skeletal figurines of what or who they formerly were. From bears to eagles, foxes and even chipmunks, all marched from their graves in response to the Dark Lord's will.

"Now, we move to Pacem in Terra, and claim this galaxy as mine once… and for all…" The Dark Lord began to cackle aloud as his armies marched onto their transports. Their ships were crude, but sturdy. They were made with nothing more than old titanium, with simple blaster cannons armed at every side of each ship. A total of over ten-thousand creatures were present, all were either land or air based. They amassed a total armada of a hundred and fifty ships in total. But the Dark Lord was not finished there. No, he was far from it…

Immediately, as soon as his transformation was complete, his swayed his newly formed above Tempest, casting a dark shadow over him. The darkness then held Tempest down to the ground firmly, dark tendrils wrapped around his hands and feet as the clouds above him began to swirl in the same motion as the vortex in the portal did. With a sly smile on his face, he stood majestically in front of him, and eyed him with no caution.

"As for you…" he boomed, "Your power alone shall be enough to provide my minions the strength they require. Thank you so much for volunteering, dear Tempest. You've served me without question for years, yet it disappoints me that you have failed me… especially now of all times. "

"Master!" Tempest cried, pleading for mercy as he was being taken away, "Spare my life. I'm your most loyal servant! You cannot do this to me!"

"Regardless, you are no more but a mere tool to me…" The Dark Lord replied, "begin the dark ritual, it is about time we prepare for the… 'Scourging' of Pacem in Terra, and destroy those who dare stand against me… once and for all."

With that said, Tempest's once faithful servants bound him to chains on the ground, within a spell-binding ring, surrounded by numerous dark runes. Seven amongst them represent the seven most powerful dark runes in the known universe as they circle the outermost portion of the ring.

And those seven are:

Orgulho…

Inveja…

Ira…

Ganância…

Glutonaria…

Luxúria…

Preguiça…

"No!" Tempest cried, futilely trying to struggle his way out, "you cannot do this to me! I released you from your prison! This cannot be happen-" but his words fell on deaf ears as the tendrils covered his mouth to finally silence him.

Once he was fully bound, the Dark Lord then let out a thunderous cackle from his claws, as he raised his arms up to the sky, chanting loudly with a voice that shook the very foundations of the Planet.

"In nome dei sette rune Del male, la tua anima può essere bruciato per sempre fino al midollo ..."

The red sky began to blacken as the runes surrounding the ring began to glow unholy silver. Tempest's body began to shiver and shake in epilepsy. Thrashing his chain bound body in and around the ring. His once bloody red eyes have now become a cowardly white. Due to his epileptic state, he began vomiting out his saliva, his body beginning to cripple and shrink as his own powers were being sucked right out of him.

The Dark Lord then gathered up the collected power into a gem-like artifact, and fixed it on a staff as tall as he was. The staff began to glow an eerie gray as the power of the gem seemed to glimmer in the dim red atmosphere. The Dark Lord then began to chant yet another evil incantation as he hovered his hands over the gem, letting his mind claim control over those of his now newly formed minions.

"Possa questo potere oscuro che ora tenere in mano portare avanti la distruzione dei miei nemici, e può finalmente regnare il male supremo ..."

With that, a faint aura began emitting from the staff as the gem lit up ablaze into a dark black and green flame.

(*A/N: If you've ever played Warcraft III, and have seen a doom guard, that's what the Dark Lord looks like, the staff is his sword-thing the doom guard carries, only I made it into a staff instead of a sword)

"March on, my warriors, march on!" He bellowed, "I will follow when you all have reached the planet's surface!"

His armies amass themselves in preparation for hyperspace. The Dark Lord, however, had other plans, and decided to phase out into a mysterious dimension.

Meanwhile, the other tutors, Sally and I gathered around in a private glade. This glade was our favorite resting place while we were still training in the temple. Even when we went our separate ways, we always found time to spend even an hour or so together in this haven of a place. Tirfing Glade, the only place in the entire of Pacem in Terra that has not been majorly affected by its population. Aside from the cool waters from the Arceus River that flows nearby, the cool breeze brought by the tall Santol trees always keep us secure from the unwanted elements. We gathered in a small circle around the glade, with everybody staring inquisitively at me, wondering why I've brought them to our most sacred place.

"What's going on Perry?" Kat asked a little worried. I lightly chuckled at her worry. Sometimes, dad, you can really tell those really do care for me, can ya?

"There's no real need for explanations…" I smiled back in reply. I secretly gripped a small round object in the palm of my paw.

"I can see that you're hiding something, Perry… don't think you can fool me…" Phelan darkly spoke. This was something totally unlike Phelan to do. Sure, he may control darkness, but I've never seen or heard him act so… dark, before.

"Phelan! Don't act so rude! He is your superior after all!" Teresa yelled, defending me. Her wavy dirty-blond hair beginning to glow a light shade of orange in anger.

"A paz, meu amigo…" I replied, cutting Teresa off, "não há necessidade de lutar aqui…"

Teresa angrily gave out a short huff, and gave me a pouted face. Phelan still remained emotionless, his dark eyes boring deeply into mine as we exchanged serious glances. After a moment of silence, I gave out a small sigh as I reveled the item I had hidden in my paw the whole time we were there.

"The reason why I've gathered you all here… is because my parents, Soron and Serenity, see us fit to bear the responsibility of being true Guardians of not only this planet, but on behalf of the entire universe as a whole, and proof of this is right here in my paw, wrapped in the very sheet that covered me when I was nothing more than a toddler."

The fourteen of us then gathered in a circle around the center of the glade, where all the elements were in equal proportion. Each pair of munks placed into their respective elements. As for the fire users, the glade had a burning plant that was kept hidden by the shadows of the trees, but it never burnt out. It was as if the flame had a mind of its own. DJ had called it the "Moses bush", when I remember telling them a passage from the book of Exodus about Moses and the burning bush. Ironically, the eternal flame from the Moses plant was a dim blue, where the heat was at its hottest, but it never consumed its own roots or that of any other plant that was nearby. Despite its non-dangerous looks, it still keeps us warm when we gather around it during cold nights when we wanted to get away from training and the temple.

*Flashback*

I was a shivering wreck. Bandages were found everywhere except my crotch, neck and crown. Every ounce of my strength wasted struggling to survive the harsh battle training I had just accomplished only minutes ago. I wanted to run away from it all… even for just a while. Sally was beside me, keeping me warm with her body heat. However, not even she could keep me warm. We dare not try to create a fire, unless we would want to commit suicide. We fled into the night, keeping each other locked in embrace as the long night continued to spread its cold blanket all over Pacem in Terra. We managed to find Tirfing Glade; however, my condition did not turn for the better. Due to the extreme cold and my weak body, I easily fell victim to hypothermia, and I began to shiver and shake uncontrollably as I lost consciousness.

Sally had no other choice but to start a fire, but her fear had convinced her otherwise. She was about to spark a pile of sticks when she noticed a hint of something crimson on the sticks. When the dim light of the moon touched it, she choked back shrieks of terror as she saw blood on the sticks. What was worse was that she noticed my near-lifeless body begin to turn pale. My crisp-brown fur was cold to the touch; my breathing from totally erratic to barely any at all. Time was running out, and Sally had to find a way out of this… alone.

She began to break down in tears when she noticed a dim light coming from the shadows. Seeing that it might be an explorer making camp in the clearing, she tried to carry my body over her shoulder, using the shadows to create a make-shift stretcher out of dark tendrils. She then dragged my body to the light, over the wide river with her wind her command over the wind. Just as Moses split the Red Sea, so did Sally with her command over the powers of wind. She gathered the cold air from the nearby trees and created a concentrated ball of air on her paws. When the ball had reached her desired size and shape, Sally thrusted her right paw out toward the mighty Arceus River, temporarily splitting the raging torrent of water in half. Feeling satisfied, she created a bridge of dark tendrils, circling her arms to move the tendrils into the shapes she desired. She then laid the stretcher carrying my helpless form on it and began to move me across the river through the now divided portion of the river.

Once we made it across, she panted heavily amongst the rocks, trying her best to recover after consuming so much energy just to make it across the river. Normally, she would've flown right over it, but she knew I'd be too heavy to carry. For her to make such a sacrifice is something I'd never expect from anyone.

I never really knew how much she cared for me… until now…

Once she regained herself, she used her will over the shadows to move the stretcher over to the light. She didn't care anymore if anyone was present; she just wanted to make sure I was kept safe and alive. When she finally managed to get me into the clearing, she stripped me of my robes and placed her palms onto my cold, furry chest. She was feeling for any warmth, but alas, my body was just about to give in to the bitter cold.

"N-no…" she sobbed as she lowered her head in defeat. "No, God please no… Perry…" She was about to give in when she felt something… warm… touch the very tips of her fur. She turned around and was surprised to see a burning bush, with its dull bluish white flames spitting sparks as its dim ember warmed the entire clearing.

Desperate, she dragged me toward the flame. She placed her paws into the flame, covering her paws with the flame's warmth. When she relinquished them, her paws were now burning with the blue-white flame, and she slowly placed them over my cold body. I felt the flame's gentle and warm touch all over my shivering and pale body. Her eyes began to glow a heavenly white as I felt my injuries start healing. All the sores and bruises lightening up; my wounds and broken limbs regenerating. Feeling relief from the flame's touch, I let out a satisfied sigh, letting my Sally know that I was alright.

I felt her tears stain the fur on my chest, its warmth acting like a sign that Sally was overjoyed about my safety. I felt my strength slowly return to me, and I tried my best to open my eyes to her… the one who has claimed my heart… the one who had saved my life… Sally… my beloved Sally…

When my eyes finally managed to open, the first thing I saw was Sally's tear-struck face, smiling from ear-to-ear as she let out a small giggle seeing me eyes open, like a mother would when she would see her child's eyes open for the first time. No words were spoken as we shared our smiles and looked at each other ever so lovingly.

"Hey…" I squeaked, barely above a whisper. My voice was hoarse, exhausted from training. The injuries on my chest made it even harder for me to speak.

"Hey…" she replied, smiling gleefully. "You had me quite worried back there… do you always have to take such big risks?" she tilted her head so we could look at each other face-to-face.

"Why save me then?" I asked in reply to her question, smiling lightly.

"Let's just say… People do crazy things… when they're in LOVE…" she answered, as she lowered her face to mine, sighing softly, letting my cheeks feel her warmth from her mouth.

Words finally left us as we shared our very first kiss together as a couple, with only the burning bush as the witness to our union as mates.

*End Flashback*

As the past memory of the bush re-entered my mind, it made my grin grow larger by the minute. The minute my glee overcame me, the object in my paw suddenly let out a bright hot spark. I yelped in pain as I dropped it. When it touched the ground, much to my dismay, it revealed itself and its purpose.

The object that I tried to keep hidden was a crimson red gem in the shape of a heart. The gem then began to shake uncontrollably as it began to float above us, catching the attention of the other tutors and Sally as they gasped in shock at the mysterious floating gem.

When the gem reached a certain altitude, it shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces. In the gem's place was a giant ball of white light. The light then suddenly released a huge white wave, and began engulfing the elements around us. From the earth from the nearby rocks, the water from the river, the air from the sky, the fire from the bush, the darkness from the shadows and its very own light, it began to form itself into what seemed like the figure of a planet, and that planet began consuming each and every one of us present there.

All of us tried to get away, but it was just far too strong to avoid. The girls shrieked with fear as their male counterparts grabbed them by their waists, keeping them secured to each other as they were brought into the planet-like being. Sally began to fear, but I smiled at her otherwise. I grabbed her hand and dragged her with me into the being. She screamed in fear, but I reassured her with a bright smile and kissed her passionately on her lips to silence her.

Phelan was among the last of us to enter the being. He grinned evilly, letting his dark aura reveal itself, as he walked casually toward the being.

"At last… the time for victory… is at hand…" he began to laugh maniacally before the being consumed him, his eyes finally glowing a bloody-red in place of his bright lavender.

The Dark Lord felt something of great importance occur, and he began to grin when he had felt a familiar aura reach his mind. With that, he began to cackle loudly as thunder struck with each breath of his laughter.

"And so…" he slyly grinned, "the Scourging of Pacem in Terra… and the rest of the universe… begins…"

End of Chapter

And so there it is folks! Hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter!

I have no idea when or how I'm going to update... but I will soon enough...

And I've decided to change my signature, seeing that everybody gets really annoyed with "I have no talent whatsoever..." -_-'

I hope nobody gets annoyed with this one...

'Livin' it my way...'

-Perry