Disclaimer: See the prologue.
Extraneous: Ditto.

Author's note1: CRUD! I knew that I forgot about a game, but I just wasn't sure which one. Disgaea2: Cursed Memories is © Nippon Ichi.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Makai
Previously on Summons of the Oracle:

It has been a little under a week since the premier of Saito's Requiem of Shadows. Things are going rather smoothly in the Netherworld when the Oricaltos received an interesting piece of news from the Alternate Overlord. Apparently, there was some sort of anomaly that just popped-up in Priere's backyard, but Saito had a premonition that this was no fluke. After assembling his allies once more, the Oricaltos proceeded to the location, where he found a Makai Gate and a messenger from Pram. After the young witch had correctly identified him, she stated that the Oracle had an urgent need to speak with him. Saito agreed to come-along, and, soon enough, they were all on their way.

Makai Kingdom: Zetta's Netherworld
Year: 6580 AD
Time: Three minutes after Saito activated the Gate in the Barren Wastelands

A tiny ray of light descended from the sky, hitting the sphere on top of the Makai Gate and gradually filling it, much like water being poured into a pitcher. When the sphere finished filling, there was a brilliant flash of blue-white light, and when that had vanished, Saito removed his hand from the sphere. "We're here," was all he said, and it was all that he really needed to say. The landscape had changed dramatically, and the leaders quickly realized that they weren't in their Netherworld anymore. The young witch who had been sent as a messenger swiftly detached herself from the living chain and smiled as she approached Saito. "Welcome to the Makai Kingdom, Oricaltos. Now, if you would be so kind as to follow me, I will take you directly to the Orac..." She trailed-off when the mage raised a hand. "I can already see where she is." "What are you talking about, Saito? Where's Pram?" "Where do you think, Laharl?" the Oricaltos responded as he gestured towards a vaguely familiar building. "...Point taken, Saito," the Overlord sighed as he recognized the design of the building. The structure that Saito had pointed-out bore a stunning resemblance to Draconia's Hall of Prophecy.

The mage then turned and gazed at the group assembled behind him. "Team leaders, come with me. As for the rest of you, take a break and enjoy the weather." After Laharl and the others had formed-up behind him, the mage spun on his heels and began to walk towards the hall. About halfway there, he paused and looked into the sky. His brow furrowed for a moment, but then he suddenly dove to his right, just in time to avoid a rather huge purple lightning bolt. "Looks like someone is out to get you," Priere commented, giggling lightly. However, the woman fell silent once she saw that pissed-off look on Saito's face. His eyes were navy blue, and they were darkening by the second. "All right. Who threw that?" he rumbled, but the only response he got was laughter coming from the roof of the Hall. "What? Are you afraid of a little lightning or something?" the figure called, turquoise eyes glittering merrily. He raised his hands to cast another Omega Thunder, but a rather angry yell caused him to pause. His face went as white as a sheet, and he began sweating profusely.

"ALEXANDER!" EEP! "Yes, Pram?" "What in the hell do you think you're doing by attacking my guests?" The legendary God of Destruction (G.O.D. for short) swallowed rather hard before running a hand through hair the color of his eyes. "Nothing..." "Well then, get your lazy behind inside this instant!" Alexander sighed aloud before turning away from the edge of the roof. "Yes, Oracle." Saito grinned to himself before mentally calling-out. Thank you, Pram. You're VERY welcome, Saito. Why don't you guys come on in? The Oricaltos laughed aloud before cheerfully responding. That's what we were planning on doing. With that said, Saito led the leaders in through the main doors.

Pram's Study: Hall of Prophecy: Makai Kingdom

SMACK! "OUCH! What was that for?" Alexander whined as he rubbed the back of his head, looking innocently at the fuming Oracle. "That was for disobeying a direct order that I gave you, for your own good," Pram snarled, her blood-red eyes glittering dangerously. "I don't want you to be killed-off by the Oricaltos just yet!" The Overlord took a moment to adjust his scarf before sneering at the young Oracle of the Netherworld. "And what makes you think that he is capable of killing me?" "You'd be surprised by the number of reasons she could give you, God of Destruction," a new voice called from the doorway. Pram rose to her feet, smiling, and Alexander spun around, preparing to cast another Omega Thunder. Then he froze in his tracks, eyes growing impossibly wide as he found himself staring at an incredibly pissed-off hybrid.

The first thing that Alexander noticed was that the man's hair was standing nearly straight up. The color was auburn, bordering on flames. The next feature that the G.O.D. took notice of was the man's eyes. These caused him to freeze, not because they were narrowed to slits, but because of their color and pupil shape. The mage's eyes had golden centers, surrounded by a ring of jet-black. But what sent chills up and down Alexander's spine was that the man had slit pupils rather than round ones, a trademark of the draconic race of legend. After that, Alexander's eyes were drawn to Saito's wings. They were those of a full-fledged Kaiser: fully scaled, jet-black on the outside, metallic gold on the inside. Stretched to their fullest extent, the wingspan was exactly 6'2". He was dressed in black from head-to-foot, with bare arms and a sword hanging from his left hip. Wrapped around his right arm was a dark gray chain, which had the appearance of being razor-edged. At his throat rested a dragon's orb pendant, a pendant resembling the Overlord's Wrath, and a single key. The rest of the keys were on a ring on his belt, but they refused to move, even when he did. A single ring rested on the man's right hand, or claw, to be more precise. Both hands had taken on a color and texture reminiscent of darkened steel, and Alexander knew that they were unbreakable. Finally, Alexander caught a glimpse of a fairly well-muscled tail, jet-black in color.

"I take it that you are the one who launched that spell at me, correct?" Saito snarled at the man standing before him. With turquoise-colored eyes and hair, it was always easy to spot him in a crowd. That, and the fact that he wore pants which resembled the skin of a yellow tiger. Alexander started for a second, but then his face twisted into a snarl. "Yes, I'm the one who attacked you. After all, right now you're just a speed bump on the road to my ultimate goal." The hybrid raised an eyebrow as he looked over at Pram. What in the hell is he talking about? Alexander has a grudge against Zetta. They were always fighting, but each and every single time they dueled, it ended in a draw, at least from his point-of-view.In other words, Alexander was just being a sore loser. Yup. So, recently he came-up with this crazy notion that if he absorbs the powers of a few of the other Overlords, then he will be able to finally beat Zetta, Saito finished. Precisely.

The Oricaltos sighed aloud before sadly shaking his head. "If you think that Zetta is more powerful than me, then you've got another thing coming." "Prove it." "Meet me on the plains southwest of here in one hour, and I most certainly will. Feel free to bring-along as many vassals as you want. After all, it won't really matter in the end." Alexander shrugged casually before smiling at the mage. "Deal." Pram reluctantly shook her head at the Overlord's horrendous blunder. "You really do have a death-wish, don't you? Going against Saito is suicidal, and even Baal is smart enough to have learned that lesson." Before Alexander could snap-off a rather sharp comment, the door behind the leaders opened once again.

"Am I interrupting something, Pram?" a fairly shy, female voice called from the doorway. Saito turned and inclined his head before motioning for the other leaders to clear a path. "Not really. She was just explaining to that idiot," he said, jerking his thumb in Alexander's direction, "that facing me is suicidal, and even Baal knows it." "She's right, too," the young woman agreed, turning to look at Alexander. The G.O.D. could not keep his jaw from dropping in shock and astonishment. "And how in the hell do you know that, Trenia?" She was about to answer when Saito raised a hand. "Maybe it's because she isn't as clueless as most believe her to be. Is that accurate enough, spirit of the Sacred Tome?" Trenia giggled before tossing her long turquoise hair from side to side. "You nailed it, Oricaltos."

Author's note2: Sorry to abruptly stop the story here. I just need to explain something for those who have never played Makai Kingdom. The Sacred Tome is a collection of prophecies, histories, and legends. It also happens to be the embodiment of Zetta's Netherworld. When the Overlord burned the book in a fit of rage, he accidentally began the destruction of his own plane of existence. In order to stop the destruction of his home, Zetta sacrificed his corporeal body in order to bind his soul, and thus, his existence, to the Tome. However, this process had an unknown side-effect. You see, the Sacred Tome already had a soul, but this was forced-out as a result of the ignorant Overlord's actions. As is the way of the universe, this lost soul was given a body, and thus, Trenia came into existence. Back to the fic!
"I have a request for you, Master Saito," Trenia stated rather demurely, her turquoise eyes downcast. "What is it, Trenia? If it has anything to do with keeping Zetta in the Tome, then I'm afraid that I can't help you." "I know that," the young woman sighed, "but I do not want to be bound to that book again!" The diralec rolled his eyes before reaching over and gently patting Trenia on the head. "I promise that you won't be forced back into the Tome again." "REALLY?" the young woman exclaimed, raising tear-filled eyes to glimpse the genuine smile on Saito's face. "I swear it upon my title as Oricaltos. Now, if you don't mind, Alexander and I need to settle the debate as to how powerful I really am." Trenia nodded, and then The mage left the Hall, heading southwest.
Forty-five minutes later...
Following Alexander: Southern Plains: Makai Kingdom

The God of Destruction snickered gleefully as he looked-out over the massive force he had managed to assemble. Thank you, Zetta, he thought, shaking his head in sadistic glee. His rival had allowed him to utilize his forces, massively increasing Alexander's destructive potential. Spotting one particular unit near the front, he smiled wickedly before calling to his female commander. "Send the new unit in first, Solana, and then follow with the main body of the army." "It shall be done, sir," the blonde-haired, red-eyed woman responded before signaling to her troops. It was time to move-out.

At the same time, Saito received a rather disturbing piece of news from Laharl. SAITO! I have some really bad news for you. What is it, Overlord? Well, I just checked on the majority of our forces, and our clerics are gone. There was a moment of silence, just before Saito exploded. WHAT? HOW? I have no clue, but... it gets even worse, another voice interrupted Laharl's. HEY! Don't interrupt me! SORRY, Overlord, Pram snarled, the sarcasm painfully clear in her mental "voice", but I think that my words take precedence over yours. Why you little... LAHARL DANIEL KRICHEVSKOY! Allow me to reiterate the first thing you should learn about surviving in the Makai: NEVER piss-off the Oracle. ...Sorry, Saito. I just got carried-away. It won't happen again. Good... There was a momentary pause, but then Saito began once more. You were saying, Oracle? Alexander somehow brainwashed them, and they will be the first unit to arrive....Thanks, Pram. I had a bad feeling that he was going to try something like this, and have already taken appropriate measures. ...I just hope that they work. ...So do I.

The Oricaltos broke-off his mental connection with the Oracle as he opened his eyes. Sure enough, the clerics were making a beeline straight towards him. Following behind, cloaked in a massive cloud of dust, was the majority of Alexander's forces. Saito allowed himself a grim smile of satisfaction as he spread his wings and glided backwards, drawing the clerics further away from the pursuing army. He needed to isolate them in order to get them back to normal, and Saito knew that he had only one chance to get it right.

Maria was at the head of the group, her light footsteps leaving no trace of her passage as she followed the trail left by Saito. With a spear in her hands and a specially designed earpiece that made her unreasonable, the young Dimensional Gatekeeper was only interested in following her orders and pleasing Alexander. Therefore, when she abruptly lost the mage's trail in the tall grasses, she nearly panicked. But then, as if Fate were smiling down upon her, she found the trail again. A soft smile crossed her face as she silently motioned for the other clerics to follow her, not knowing that she was running into an elaborate trap set by the Oricaltos. But once she lost sight of the rest of the army, her rational thought-process slowly started again, causing her to doubt the orders she had received. It was then that Saito made his move, striking with lethal efficiency.

At first, Maria thought she was just hearing voices in her head. However, one in particular seemed to stand-out. She couldn't place it, but she had heard this voice before. You have forgotten, correct? Wha...? What are you talking about? There was a brief moment of silence, but then the voice returned. I guess you really have forgotten. Very well. I'm not going to enjoy doing this, but you left me with no choice. WHAT? What have I forgotten that was so important? EVERYTHING, the voice rumbled, and then the images came. The cleric gasped in shock and dropped to her knees, closing her eyes and clutching her head, moaning as the mental anguish seemed to increase. All around her, she could hear that the other clerics were going through the same thing. Make it stop! Please, I'm begging you, she wailed at her assailant. However, his advice to her was rather unorthodox. Remove your earpiece. What? But why? You want the images to stop, correct? ...Yes. Then don't ask questions and do it!

The cleric reached-up and removed her earpiece. Immediately, her head cleared, and she realized what had been done to her at the hands of Alexander. Her crystal-blue eyes shot open and lifted to those of the Oricaltos. Maria was horrified. "What...happened to all of us?" "You fell under the influence of the God of Destruction, and were under orders to eliminate me." The young woman drew in a sharp breath, her eyes beginning to well with tears. "I'm...so sorry...Master Saito," she choked out, but the diralec merely shook his head. "It's okay, Maria. You're back to normal now. However," he added with a grin, causing Maria's eyes to dry instantly, "there is something that you can help me with..." Saito's cleric smiled at him, her eyes now glittering with barely restrained glee. "As long as it involves getting-back at Alexander, then count me in!" "Now that's the Maria that I know!" Saito chortled as he began to outline his plans.

Fifteen minutes later...

"Master Alexander, the is Commander Solana." "Go ahead." "We lost the first unit." "Hmmm..." Damn. He's smarter than I thought. "Fan out and try to locate them." "Yes sir." Click! Alexander put his radio down and was looking towards the south when he heard several distressed yells coming over the channels. "DAMMIT!" "AMBUSH!" "How is it possible...?" "What in the hell...? Solana! Give me an update, now!" "We've been ambushed, sir." "I know that, but by who?" "Who do you think, Asshat?" the mage snarled over the frequency, using the nickname that Alexander hated above all others. "Your forces were being arrogant and stupidly ignorant, so I exploited the flaws in their defenses. Here's the current situation: As of this moment, I am leading a group composed solely of ten clerics, and we just wiped-out nearly half of your army." "That's impossible!" "Nothing is impossible. I thought you would have learned that by now. But don't worry too much. After all, I am just getting started!" Click! CRUNCH! "Dammit..."

Twenty minutes later, Alexander himself fell prey to the Oricaltos, thus ending any debate as to who was stronger.
Pram's Study: Hall of Prophecy: Makai Kingdom

Poke, poke. "OUCH! Will you cut that out, Trenia? It really hurts." "Sorry, Alexander, but please remember that you brought this upon yourself." "Quit reminding me," the Overlord grumbled as he allowed the Oracle and the spirit of the Tome to bind his wounds. Looking over at Saito, Pram gently smiled, and was about to speak when a voice rose from her desk. "Congratulations. You passed not only Alexander's test, but mine as well." Saito considered this for a minute before shrugging. "I was wondering how Alexander was able to create such a massive force in such a short period of time. Still, it was just an exercise for me, Zetta." "Point taken," the confined Overlord conceded, and Nicholai could only shake his head. "There are other introductions to be made..." but we don't have the time right now. Ah, I was wondering when you would arrive, Babylon. How are you feeling? Never better, Oricaltos. However, I don't have time for pleasant formalities. Agreed. What's the problem, and where is it? It's in Veldime, but there's a twist: it is an alternate timeline. OOOH! I always wanted to try and straighten one of those out! But who do I get to bring? The leaders, your core group, Pram, and Zetta are all you need. Thanks.

"Do you have any other details, serpentine Overlord?" Only that many believe that you are just a myth, Oricaltos. "That works for me," the mage said as he turned to address the others. "Okay people, listen-up: Our next experience is going to be a rather strange one." "What do you mean by 'strange', Saito?" Jennifer asked, and the others looked at him for clarification. "We are going into an alternate timeline. What that means is that you may encounter yourselves." "What about you, Saito?" Alouette asked, but the hybrid shook his head. "Throughout all of time and space, there is only one Oricaltos. Are all of you ready to go?" "We are prepared," Pram responded, passing-around several hooded robes. Once they were all robed, everyone except for Saito raised their hoods, and the Oricaltos nodded his approval before turning towards the exit. "Let's go!"

Author's note3: Into the Makai, and then back out again. From Veldime back to the Makai, and then into the... Oops, kinda lost my train of thought there. Anyway, this is just a warning that the next chapter will contain some plot spoilers for Disgaea 2. If you don't want to know, then wait for Chapter 3. Either that, or if you don't mind, check out what Wikipedia has to say.

Crossing into alternate timelines can be fun, but it is also very dangerous. What sort of surprises await Saito and his allies once they arrive? Is this all some sort of joke? Or is something terribly wrong? Find out in my next chapter, Blast from the Past, Visions of a Future. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.