Wave Battle: Delphinus Ice

Three icicles came out of the lake next to Delphinus Ice and rushed at Zero, who rolled to the side out of the way. As she came to a stop she pulled out a Battle Card,

"Gatling Gun!" she said as her arm turned into a Gatling Gun. She fired at Delphinus Ice, who jumped into the lake. "That water's going to be a problem!" Zero said.

"Any bright ideas?" Xerox asked.

"One," Zero said activating a Pulse Gun Battle Card. She waited until Delphinus Ice came out of the lake and fired at her, doing heavy damage. While Delphinus Ice was paralyzed, Zero activated another Battle Card and ran up to Delphinus Ice.

"Heavy Ax!" she shouted as the Heavy Ax appeared in her hands. Unfortunately Delphinus Ice recovered and flew into he lake before Zero could slash, "Damn it!" Zero shouted as the Heavy Ax vanished.

"Kid, watch out!" Xerox shouted. Zero looked to the side a few seconds too late, and a tidal wave pushed Zero into the lake.

In the lake things got bad. Delphinus Ice rushed past Zero tackling her, sadly being in the water slowed Zero down greatly and she couldn't dodge her attacks.

Zero tried to activate a Battle Card, but Delphinus Ice slapped it out of her hand and hit Zero with her tail. She then swam after Zero and punched her a few times. Zero held up her sword arm and blocked Delphinus Ice, and then kicked her back. She then activated a Cannon Battle Card and shot Delphinus Ice away, giving her time to swim up to the surface.

She took a small breather when she got on dry land. While she was catching her breath Delphinus Ice jumped up from behind Zero and was about to strike at her.

"Got you now!" Delphinus Ice said as she was about to come down. She was shocked though when Zero turned around, her right arm replaced by a Mega Cannon. Zero fired point blank at Delphinus Ice knocking her back into the lake, apparently doing serious damage listening to how loud Delphinus Ice screamed. Zero activated an Elec-Slash Battle Card and thrust the sword into the lake charging the water with electricity. Inside the lake, Delphinus Ice was being electrocuted, taking continuous damage.

The attack dried up the lake, revealing Delphinus Ice lying on the ground helplessly. Zero slowly approached Delphinus Ice, who got up and screamed angrily. Zero got in a fighting stance realizing that it wasn't over yet.

"She's not done yet?" Xerox asked.

"Apparently not!" Zero responded. Delphinus Ice looked at Zero with an insane expression.

"I'm not going to let you ruin this for me!" Delphinus Ice said, "I've waited too long for this day!"

"For what day?" Zero asked.

"The day the Ara chose me as the next vessel!" Zero and Xerox were confused by that statement.

"What the hell is an Ara?" Xerox asked.

"That's none of your concern!" Delphinus Ice snapped, "All you need to know is that I've trained a long time to be able to handle the virus, and I'll be damned if I let you ruin this for me!"

"Looks like you've trained so long to be able to use the virus that you made yourself go insane without it!" Xerox said, making Delphinus Ice even angrier.

"Shut up!" Delphinus Ice shouted rushing at Zero reaching for her neck, "You and your damned Wizard can go to hell, and I'll be the one to send you!"

"Why are all of the water EM Beings I know psychopaths?" Zero asked herself, remembering Leviathan of the Lake from a few months ago.

Back on the stage, Lynx and Elpizo were fighting close quarter. Elpizo kicked Lynx away and then took out a Battle Card.

"Gatling Gun!" Elpizo shouted crushing the Battle Card in her hand. Unlike Zero, who had her Gatling Gun equipped on her left arm, a large two handed Gatling Gun appeared in Elpizo's hands. Lynx looked terrified as Elpizo started firing at her. Lynx jumped on the rafters to dodge the fire, but Elpizo kept firing, so much that the rafters ended up coming aloose.

Luna's mother was running through he area looking for her daughter and her friend. She was almost frantic.

"Luna! Kitty!" she shouted, unaware that a rafter was about to fall on her. When Elpizo saw that she was horrified.

"NO!" she shouted. Lynx, who also saw this, did something plainly shocking. She ran past Mrs. Platz and pushed her out of the way just in time as the rafter fell down.

Mrs. Platz looked at Lynx in shock; why did she save her? Before she could get an answer though, Lynx jumped away.

Elpizo breathed a sigh of relief, but then noticed the Nightmare Virus rushing past her. She turned and saw that it was going into the projector, where Zero still was. Elpizo frowned, and then rushed into the Cyber Core.

Inside the projector, the virus was surrounding Zero and Delphinus Ice, who were still struggling against each other.

Delphinus Ice looked around and smiled, "I knew it wouldn't forsake me," she said in a tone suggesting madness.

"Kid," Xerox started, "We can't let her get a hold of the Nightmare Virus! If she goes insane, then the people outside are in trouble!"

"I know, but what else can we do?" Zero shouted. This was starting to look hopeless, and Zero didn't see a way out of it.

She noticed that she was getting heavy, just like before. Why did this keep happening? Was this normal?

As her grip loosened, she let go of Delphinus Ice, who turned away, "Looks like you loose Zero," Delphinus Ice said evilly. Zero held her hand out trying to reach Delphinus Ice, but to no avail.

"Wait... Stop...! If you can't control it then..." Zero managed to get out.

"I'm done listening to you! I almost hope I go insane from this. That way, I can use this new power to delete you!"

Zero's arm fell to the ground. She was so heavy that she could barely stand, barely breathe. Delphinus Ice moved forward a bit, and prepared herself to absorb the virus.

Elpizo Transed In, and ran forward until a red aura prevented her from going any farther, that was how much of the Nightmare Virus was present. She saw Zero on the ground, Delphinus Ice in front of her with red crystals surrounding her.

"Zero!" Elpizo shouted, "Get up! We have to Trans Out now!"

"Geo..." Zero said to herself, "What would you do...?" she asked. She then remembered Mega Man, how he would put himself on he line to save everyone. Thinking about her parents and Kitty outside, Elpizo nearby, and all of her friends who were counting on her, Zero tightened her fist...

She knew what she had to do...

(Play Song: Green Grass Gradation/Mega Man ZX)

Zero slowly pushed herself up to her feet, shocking Elpizo.

"Zero? What is she doing?" Elpizo asked herself.

Zero looked on her wrist at Xerox's image on her screen. Xerox nodded in understanding. Zero then screamed at the sky, doing something extremely shocking...

She was absorbing the virus herself.

Delphinus Ice noticed the virus was floating away from her, and turned around in shock.

"What are you doing?" Delphinus Ice shouted, even Elpizo was shaking her head looking at this in shock.

"She's taking the virus into herself!" Elpizo said, wondering if this was a good idea. Would Zero be able to handle this much of the virus inside of her?

Zero was engulfed in a red light, and there was a huge explosion after all of the virus was absorbed.

The person that stood in Zero's place was a sight to see. She looked just like Zero, only her body armor was dark gray, her shoulder pads, breast plate, gloves, boots, and helmet were jet black and white instead of red and white like usual, and her normally blue visor was red.

Zero had become Nightmare Zero.

Elpizo didn't know what to make of this. Zero was the first EM Being she knew of that actually evolved from the Nightmare Virus.

Delphinus Ice was extremely upset, "No! That's supposed to be me!" she shouted. She then rushed at N-Zero enraged, "You're going to pay!"

N-Zero held her left arm up, turning into a different Z-Saber with a purple blade instead of green. She looked at Delphinus Ice with a look that made Delphinus Ice stop. It wasn't insanity...

Zero was in control...

Zero rushed at Delphinus Ice and slashed at her, instantly making her explode. She Transed Out before she was deleted, and reappeared outside on the stage.

On the stage, Satella Police officers ran up to Ariel and put her in hand cuffs. As they pulled and pushed her off the stage, Ariel struggled and screamed in a blind rage.

Lynx watched Ariel as she was escorted off stage in shame and confusion.

"Why didn't Issac tell me about this?" Lynx said in sadness. She was his second in command, so she needed to know these things. Had she had known, she could have made sure Luna and her family didn't get involved. She Transed Out and went outside to think.

Inside the projector, N-Zero fell to her knees, and in a red flash turned back to normal. Elpizo ran up to her.

"Zero," Elpizo said getting on one knee next to Zero, "How do you feel?"

"Strangely enough, fine," Zero said looking at Elpizo, who smiled in relief.

After everything calmed down, Luna and Val were outside talking about what happened.

"Now you're sure you feel okay, Luna?" Val asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But why am I? I thought the virus made EM Beings go insane. Even Xerox is okay, right Xerox?" she asked her partner, who was in her Hunter VG.

"Yeah, I don't think anything's wrong?" he said. Val nodded, still wondering why Zero had such a strange reaction o the virus.

At that moment, Luna's parents ran up to Luna and hugged her.

"Luna!" Mrs. Platz said, "We were so worried."

"Mom, Dad," Luna said hugging her parents back.

Strangely Val frowned slightly looking at that, and then turned around, "I would like you to come to the Satella Police base tomorrow morning, Luna."

"Okay then Val," Luna said. Val nodded and walked off. Luna stepped back, realizing who was missing, "Mom, Dad, where's Kitty?"

Luna's parents pointed back to the stage entrance, where Kitty was sitting on the steps by herself thinking. Luna walked over Kitty and sat down next to her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Luna asked Kitty.

"Yeah, just a little shocked is all. I didn't think Ariel of all people was with Neo Arcadia," Kitty said, quite honestly too, since she really had no idea.

"I'm sorry," Luna started, "I know that you were a big fan of her, and this day was supposed to be special-"

"It was special," Kitty said suddenly, surprising Luna, "I got to spend the whole day with my best friend, and it was still my first concert. Even if the concert got ruined, I'm just happy that I was with you Luna," Kitty embraced Luna in a loving manner, "You're the first real friend I ever had. I love you so much, Luna."

"Kitty..." Luna was really touched hearing this. She could feel Kitty's friendship flowing all through her, and it almost brought her to tears. Luna returned Kitty's embrace with a smile, "I feel the same way about you, Kitty."

Kitty's eyes lit up hearing that, and she let go of Luna so she could look at Luna, "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah. For the longest time he only other girl I knew who was my age was Sonia, and we didn't become official friends until recently. Before that she and I were silently in competition with each other, and we never related to each other very well. With you it's different. I feel comfortable with you, like you understand me," Luna took Kitty's hand, "Kitty, I care about you a lot, and I want to help you. Truth is, I'm worried about you Kitty."

Kitty was taken aback by that statement, "Worried? Why?"

"You never let me walk you to your house, you sometimes seem depressed about something, you went through your whole life without a single friend. You told me that your parents died when you were young, and that you're staying with someone, right? Is this person a relative?" Luna asked.

Kitty slowly shook her head, "No, he isn't."

"What is it like there? Do you live well, or are you in rough living quarters?" Luna asked.

"Luna, I-"

"Please Kitty, tell me he truth. I have to know that my best friend is okay."

Kitty's head was spinning right now. She never knew there was anything better until she saw Luna's house. It was so nice and big, and it had things in it that the Neo Arcadia base didn't. Issac said that they lived simply, but was it possible that they could even live like Luna?

Kitty sighed and looked down, deciding to tell Luna a bit of the truth, "Well, it's not as nice as your place. Your bed is so soft, and your kitchen is really nice..."

"How would you like have all of that?" Luna asked, shocking Kitty.

"What do you mean?"

"I talked about it with my parents, and they really like you. So much, that they agreed to allowing you to stay with us."

Kitty almost had a heart attack hearing that, "You'd let me live with you...?" she asked slowly, as if she didn't believe it.

"Yes, because I want to make sure you're okay. I would hate it if anything happened to you."

Luna was the first person to ever care this much about Kitty. Not even Issac cared this much about her. It was true that Kitty secretly hated the Neo Arcadia base, and that ever since she went to Luna's room for the first time she wondered what it would be like to sleep in a nice room on a nice bed.

That's when the tears came. Kitty had no idea why they came, but they did. She couldn't hold it in any longer, so she hugged Luna and sobbed loudly.

"Thank you Luna," Kitty said in between sobs. She had no idea why, but this was the happiest she had ever been.

"Kitty..." Luna said hugging Kitty tightly. She knew that she was doing the right thing.

Then she remembered Geo's warning about being careful who she trusted. At first she was scared, but she eventually thought against it.

Not Kitty, Luna thought, There's no way he meant Kitty.