Gamer4 in! Two months late! Huzzah! (Note sarcasm in that huzzah, there.) Coming back with another chapter, finally, after all this time. Sorry about the wait, but writer's block hit me, and hit me hard. For this story. The thing is, writer's block for this story was accompanied by a number of ideas for different stories, especially the 'main' story I'm working on, Mario Mario and the Bottle of Lightning. However, it's really been too long since the last update, especially considering my 'writing schedule' (as much as it actually exists to begin with) called for this mini-series to be done by now. I don't want to make it sound like I'm not enthusiastic to write this story, or like I'm just writing it to get it overwith- no, if that were the case, I wouldn't be writing it at all. It was mostly a series of unfortunate events that prevented me from writing this story- and, occasionally, at all- so I hope you guys can forgive that hiatus, as we dive into the next chapter before I drag out these notes any longer.

Disclaimer: Feels kind of odd to be writing this one out, I'm saving my Don Quixote song for Bottle of Lightning disclaimers... er... how about that one Bach composition, you know, the one that everyone thinks is from Dracula? It would fit in with the Lovecraftian chapter title, at least...

Chapter III

The Shadow out of Time

A long, uncomfortable silence followed, broken, ultimately, by none other than Shinji Ikari, raising his hands and waving them around, seeming confused. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, back up! So... who are you people?"

"I am so glad you asked!" Ness grinned, turning on him and sidling up uncomfortably close. Ignoring Akane's exasperated sigh, he began, in a voice like he was trying to rap- badly- "199X on a distant night, a young man was awoken by a meteorite! His homy came 'round, saying 'What's that sound?' so the G and his dog went to-"

"And that's enough of that," Akane interrupted, stepping forward to glower at the boy.

"Oh- sorry," Ness responded sheepishly. "Not the time?"

"Is... is something wrong with him?" Shinji asked, sounding nervous.

"Is something wrong with me?" Ness asked, spinning around on him. "Is something wrong with me?!"

"Sorry!" Shinji quickly fell back on his tried-and-true reaction to conflict. "Sorry! So, so, sorry!"

"Nah, you're actually pretty spot-on," Ness smiled, leaning back and suddenly cooling down. "But still, I think the real question is, is anything right with you? I mean, mother dead at that age, father never really around- at all- and not even to mention what that Seal group is up to-"

"S-Seal?" Shinji asked, looking more scared and bemused by the second. "Is-isn't that a kind of animal that died off in Second Impact?"

"Second Impact?" Link asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, sorry- SEELE," Ness re-entered the conversation, shaking his head. "Didn't realized how it was pronounced- sorry."

"But how- how could you know about all that?" Shinji asked, looking terrified, earning him some sympathy from Akane.

"He says he's a mind-reader," she explained. "He doesn't seem to get that most people don't like getting their minds probed like that!" she added, throwing a glare at the young psychic.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Ness quickly said, raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, if you say so, I'll stay out of everyone's minds from now on!"

"I'd... appreciate that, yeah," Shinji noted forlornly. He felt like everything had turned upside-down... pretty much ever since Misato had mentioned Karasu to him and Asuka for the first time. The idea that someone could read his thoughts? Unbelievable, but... so was everything else that had happened so far.

Everything was interrupted as a mewling noise met his ears, and everyone turned to see the orange cat, mouth open and meowing.

"Oh, sorry, Fireheart," Ness said quickly. "Forgot- yeah, Fireheart wants to know what Second Impact is, too. Wouldn't mind knowing myself, come to it. Never heard of anything like that, and since Akane won't let me just read your mind..." He honestly sounded like a petulant child, despite the slight smile that suggested he wasn't really that annoyed by it.

"Yeah, if you could stay out of my mind, I'd appreciate it," Harry spoke up. "I'm getting enough of that back home, thanks. Wherever 'home' is, now."

Everyone silenced as they looked up at each other, Harry's words hanging over them, almost like a dark cloud.

"Home- where is home?" Shinji agreed, wondering out loud.

"That's a key question, indeed," Link put in. "I still don't know for certain if I can trust all of you, but it's starting to look as though we'll have to work together to get out of this city- to return to our 'homes'- so, perhaps we should tell each other a little bit about ourselves. Where... where are our homes?"

"And don't forget 'when,'" Ness put in.

"When?" Harry asked sharply. "What do you mean, 'when?'"

"What, isn't it obvious?" Ness asked, eyebrows raised. "Even if I was skeptical about it before, seeing her here basically proves it." Here, he looked over at KOS-MOS, silent all this time, causing a couple of the others to jump as they recalled she was even present.

Fireheart approached her and sniffed, searching for her scent. Turning back to Ness, he noted- "She looks like a twoleg, but... her scent's all wrong..."

"Because she's not a twoleg," Ness agreed, shaking his head. "She's a robot- er... how do I explain it? Sort of a... kind of like a twoleg made from metal by other twolegs... that probably doesn't explain it all that well... anyways, the point is, we've got robots of a kind in my time, but nothing this advanced!"

"And we have nothing even remotely like this in my time," Link agreed, examining the blue-haired girl closer. "A human made by humans... who is not human. This is... amazing."

"Why don't you step back a bit, you pervert?" Akane growled, her trained eye zoning in on the two.

"Asuka?" Shinji spoke up, drawing eyes onto him.

"What?" Akane asked, confused.

Shinji coughed, seemingly remembering himself. "Nothing- it's just... you remind me of someone."

They were interrupted by another meow from Fireheart. "What is with that cat?" Akane asked, gazing down at it.

Another meow, and Ness joined in, rolling his eyes. "I know, Fireheart, they're just not listening properly," he said exasperatedly. Addressing the others, he said, "Fireheart thinks we should find shelter- somewhere to stay for the night."

"That'd be nice, yeah," Harry agreed. "I don't know about talking cats, but if we're really going to be working together, maybe we should find a place to rest for the night, and maybe try to find out a little more about each other."

Abruptly, KOS-MOS spoke up, concise and blunt, as always. "There is a hotel approximately 2.34 miles from here- it is abandoned, but at current range, it may hold the greatest accommodations readily available to us from this vantage point."

Everyone stared at her for a moment as she headed to the stairwell. Finally, Ness shrugged. "Follow the leader!" he grinned, taking off after her.

Akane shook her head. "That boy would be lost without me," she grumbled as she followed, Fireheart hot on her heels.

Link and Harry looked uncertainly at each other for a moment, before apparently deciding to shelve their earlier differences, turning and following everyone else without comment.

Shinji, left alone on the roof, was trembling nervously. "She- she really reminds me of Rei," he muttered, reminded of how much he missed everyone back home. Rei, Misato, Toji, Kensuke, even Asuka... If there was any chance that they could help him get back home, he'd take it. So, against his better judgement, he ran after them, bringing up the rear in the line making their way from the jail building.

XXXX

As KOS-MOS had noted, the hotel that they arrived at was pretty rundown, bearing the same sense of ill care that hung over everything in the city. However, it was still standing, and was reasonably warm compared to the chill in the streets. The group didn't climb too high, choosing a room on the second floor to make their temporary camp in. Ness, naturally, was bouncing around the room like he was ready for a slumber party.

"Ness, will you calm down already and get over here!" Akane shouted over to him. She and all the others were gathering around a table, as Ness was 'oohing' and 'aahing' at all the sights.

"Oh, right," the young man said sheepishly, making his way over. "So, what's our next move?"

"Well, first off, the cat can get off the table," Akane growled, shoving Fireheart off of the table he'd just been standing on. He landed on the ground with an indignant mew.

"Oh, come on, Fireheart has as much right to be at the table as anyone else," Ness argued.

Akane sighed. "Look, I don't know what you're trying to pull with that cat, but none of us really believe you're talking to him... or at least, I hope none of us do," she added hopelessly, staring around at the congregation.

"Likelihood of psychic contact between human and feline- slim," KOS-MOS said simply.

"I-it's really not something that I've heard of," Shinji stammered out.

Link and Harry, however, seemed thoughtful. "I have heard of people who could communicate with cats before," Link commented. "They required certain artifacts, but if we're believing that boy has psychic abilities already..."

"And I've known some pretty smart cats," Harry commented. "Smart enough that I'm sure someone who can read minds would be able to communicate with them somehow..."

"I don't believe this," Akane growled. "The cat's not talking, end of story!"

"'The cat' has a name!" came a voice that none of them had heard thus far. "Ness, can't you do something about this, I'm sick of only talking to them through you!"

"Already did!" came Ness's voice from a nearby kitchen unit- he was grinning as he made his way through the cupboards. "Bit of psychic hoodoo- same thing I did so Jeff and Poo could understand each other! Ah, those guys are so awesome, I hope I get to see them again..."

"Ness..." Akane spoke, eyes wide. "Who- who was that? Who're you talking to?"

"Oh, that's Fireheart!" Ness replied, still rummaging around in the cupboards, looking for who-knew-what. "I expanded the psychic field- or something like that. Not really sure how it all works, I just use the powers, I didn't study them like my grandpa did, but you guys can hear Fireheart now! Should have gotten around to it earlier, really."

Shinji froze up as he heard this, and slowly turned his head to the orange cat as he hopped back up onto the table. "Hello... cat?"

"I told you, I have a name!" the cat spoke, turning his eyes to the black-haired boy. "I'm a warrior of Thunderclan, and my name's Fireheart!"

Akane's jaw dropped. "O-okay... I'll take it back..."

"And... BAMF!" Ness whooped as he slammed something down in the middle of the table, causing everyone to flinch back. "Got it, got it, got it! Good ol' Ness has the solution to all your problems! No need to thank me."

Everyone stared at what he'd slammed down- a cup containing an apparent seven straws.

"Um... Ness, right?" Harry asked, staring.

"That's right!" Ness grinned, nodding.

"Well... I'm sure I'm asking for everyone else when I say this..."

"What are you doing?" Link intervened.

"Well... yeah."

"Isn't it obvious?" Ness asked, sounding somewhat impatient that the others weren't already all caught up with his brilliant plan.

"Ness," Akane spoke up, hands together in front of her face, "Pretend, for a moment- just pretend, humor me here- that not everyone in the world has your mind-reading powers, and doesn't know what you're going to say before you say it. Then go ahead and explain what you're doing, as you would to those people."

"Oh, fine!" Ness sighed over-dramatically, taking a seat next to where Fireheart sat on the table itself. "Look, Link and Harry said it themselves- we need to know more about each other, so I figured this would be the best way! I wrote a number between one and seven on each of the straws, so we'll all draw one- I'll just take whatever's left- and then, in the order on the straws, we each get to tell our story!"

Shinji glanced nervously from the straws to the boy standing there, grinning as though he'd just introduced a plan to solve world hunger and halt global warming in its tracks. "Er... I'm not so sure that's the best idea..."

"No holding back, either!" Ness interrupted, detecting the unease in his voice. "We're all friends here, and what stays in the dilapidated hotel room, stays in the dilapidated hotel room! Anything holding you guys back from speaking, consider it officially suspended until we get out of this weird city! Any codes of silence, or- I don't know- statutes of secrecy-"

"Hold on!" Harry interrupted. "I thought you weren't reading our minds anymore!"

"Picked it up before Akane told me to stop," Ness shrugged apologetically. "Anyways, that also has a flip side- whatever anyone says, we'll just accept it as true, for the moment! Even if someone swears to have ridden a unicorn to the bottom of Lake Tess so they could ride Tessie to Stonehenge, which happens to hide an evil alien base, save your skepticism for when you get home!"

"Let me guess- you honestly think something like that happened to you," Akane noted, glaring at the boy.

"Oh, no, of course not, total ridiculousness!" Ness affirmed. "I didn't use a unicorn."

"Should have seen that coming," Akane muttered.

"So, before we draw!" Ness declared, "How about we just get the brief introductions out of the way? I'm Ness-" here, he paused for a second, as though expecting something. Nobody else spoke, simply staring at him. Seemingly disappointed, he continued. "Yeah, I'm Ness, and I'm from Eagleland, the year 199X. Quick summary- I fight aliens with my baseball bat and psychic powers."

"Wait a moment," Fireheart spoke. "I thought we were... er... drawing straws before we told our stories?"

"Well, I thought we could tell each other at least where we come from, when, and just a quick little introduction before we get to the stories of how we actually got here," Ness shrugged.

"Alright," Akane spoke up. "I'm Akane Tendo, I'm from Nerima, in Japan, 1996, and heir to the Tendo school of Anything-Goes martial arts. Aside from that, I've been handling some... unusual problems in the city for a while now, along with Ranma, heir to the Saotome school."

"Who," Ness added, "happens to turn into a girl when splashed with cold water, and yet she still thinks a cat couldn't talk."

"Ness, shut up!" Akane growled. "Anyways, who wants to go next?"

"I will," Link spoke. "Just to get it out of the way- I'm Link Faron, a warrior of the great kingdom of Hyrule. I'm not sure what year it might be on your calendar, but it certainly seems to be far in your pasts. It's my job to defend the kingdom from the evil that is always at our gates, coveting our green land."

"A twoleg after my own heart," Fireheart noted. "I'm Fireheart, a warrior of Thunderclan, one of the four clans that lives in the forest. I don't know where the forest might be, according to you, or any sort of year, but as a warrior, it is my duty to defend Thunderclan from any intruders."

A moment of silence followed this, before finally, Harry spoke up. "Well, it doesn't look like anyone else will go next, so... I'm Harry Potter, from Great Britain, 1995. I'm..." for a moment, he choked on his words.

"No statute of secrecy here, buddy," Ness repeated. "You don't tell anybody, we won't either."

Harry held his tongue for one more second before sighing and saying, "I'm a wizard in training at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"A wizard?" Akane asked skeptically.

"It's true!" Shinji interjected. "That jet of light that led you to us- that was him."

"We've been in hiding ever since medieval times," Harry explained. "Whenever we came out, it was nothing but trouble, so we decided to just stay in hiding."

"Makes sense to me!" Ness agreed. "So, Shinji- why not tell everyone your story, huh?"

"Oh, me?" Shinji asked, recoiling into his chair. "Well... I don't know if I'm really comfortable... why not ask KOS-MOS?"

Ness gave a slight jump as he turned to the final person at the table- KOS-MOS, sitting perfectly still and watching the proceedings with quiet interest. "Whoa- almost forgot she was here! Kind of like she doesn't talk unless someone's talking to her!"

"Really reminds me of Rei," Shinji noted quietly.

"Oooh!" Ness perked up, eyes lighting. "And who's this 'Rei?'"

"Ness, quiet!" Akane growled out, eyes on KOS-MOS. "Er... KOS-MOS...could you repeat that?"

"As I have said many times now," the red-eyed robot stated, "I am KOS-MOS KP-X, developed in the year 4767 T.C., a year that would, in your time, be expressed as 6015 AD, or alternatively, 6015 CE. I was constructed by Shion Uzuki to serve aboard the ship, the S.S. Tasha. However, on the very day I was activated, the ship-"

"Okay, that's enough for now," Ness interrupted. "We'll get to your story eventually, but for now, we need to hear what Shin-Shin here's got to say!"

"Please... just call me Shinji," Shinji said quietly, gaze fixed on the table.

"Oh- sorry," Ness backed off, sounding somewhat sheepish. "So... what's your story, Shinji?"

"I... I'm Shinji Ikari, from... Tokyo-3, Japan... year... 2015... Fifteen years ago, a meteorite struck earth, causing an apocalyptic event known as Second Impact..." Shinji couldn't help but notice that Ness raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't interrupt. "Along with it came... these creatures called angels, bent on destroying what's left of humanity in a Third Impact... I'm with NERV, an organization that uses giant robots called Evangelions to prevent that."

For a moment, everyone else was silent. "Well..." Harry spoke, eyeing Shinji with one brow up, "that... doesn't sound like a very happy future."

Akane, a year ahead of Harry, couldn't help but agree. "You know, Harry and I are pretty close to when you're saying this is supposed to happen... do you think there's any way we could stop it?"

Shinji blinked, looking up. He hadn't even thought of that... was it possible that these people, returned to their own times, could stop one of the greatest cataclysms known to man? But... but what would that mean for him? What would happen to him if time were to change like that-

"Well, let's worry about that later," Ness interrupted. "It's way too early to be talking about the effects of time travel, so how about we work out a way to get back home before worrying about that kind of stuff, hm?"

Everyone stared at him, with expressions ranging from exasperated to agitated to, in KOS-MOS's case, completely indifferent. The next one to speak, however, was Link. "It may sound cruel, but I have to agree with him. Even if you wish to change time to prevent this tragedy... it would still not be possible without returning to our homes first. In the end, even if you wish to change time- something I may be able to speak to- returning home should still take precedence."

"So..." Ness spoke, looking slightly unnerved at the less-than-warm reception to his previous comment, "maybe... maybe we should draw ourselves some straws?"

Everyone was quiet as Link nodded and quietly reached forward, taking a straw and glancing at the end for his number. The next to move was Fireheart, who, despite not seeming any more happy with the news about Second Impact than Harry or Akane, stepped forward and grasped one of the straws in his mouth. One by one, all the others fell in, until there were only two straws left. Ness looked up. "You gonna take one, KOS-MOS?"

"Very well," KOS-MOS nodded, finally reaching forward to take hers.

Ness shrugged it off and took his. "Alright, I am number two," he announced. "Who's got number one?"

Everyone looked around, until Link drew their attention, raising his hand slightly. "I believe this is the number 1," he noted, examining his straw. "Unless numbers have changed a great deal since my time..."

"No, that's it," Akane confirmed, examining it over his shoulder. "Looks like you get to tell your story first."

"Alright, here's the deal," Ness announced. "Tell us everything that happened, leading up to you getting pulled into that vortex- there has to be a reason that the seven of us got pulled to this weirdo place, something that connects us together- so don't hesitate to include anything. Even the smallest detail, don't feel like an idiot for including it."

"Alright," Link agreed. "I believe that it began with the kidnaping of Princess Zelda- she was investigating a nearby castle that had been empty for years, that had just been taken by a strange woman calling herself Lady Gavran. She was concerned about her intentions, and was right to be so, because this Lady had revived Vaati, one of my old enemies. Entering the castle with my comrade, Impa, we were able to defeat Vaati, at the cost of Impa's own life, but then Gavran herself appeared- she seemed strange, to me, with pale skin and long, blue hair..."

There was a thunking noise, and Link looked up to see looks of shock on the faces of everyone else present, sans Fireheart. "Was... was it something I said?" he asked.

"Say it again... describe that woman, Lady Gavran, again!" Akane said, sounding urgent.

"She was tall, and young- not far past twenty, I'd say- with pale skin and dark blue hair that came down to her back. Is... is that significant?"

Everyone else looked at each other, seeing the shock clearly present in each other's faces. "Okay... Ness, you're 2, talk quickly," Akane said.

"Well, funny you should say such a thing," Ness agreed, "because I had just gotten home from a several months-long odyssey, when I found my hometown being oppressed by this street gang- they called themselves the blue bloods, dressed in these blue jackets, and they were led by this woman- she called herself Corvus, tall, early twenties, pale skin, long blue hair!"

"Three, three, who's got three?!" Akane asked urgently.

"Um..." Shinji gasped, looking at his own straw, "We were just getting a new pilot, Karasu, and we were glad that there was some new blood, until she started threatening us, and eventually just went insane, hijacked an Evangelion, and started attacking the city!"

"And what did she look like?"

"Er... pale skin, blue hair, but-"

"My turn!" Akane interrupted. "My dojo was attacked by this other Master's school- she called herself Wu Ya, and they all wore these blue outfits. As for her- tall, pale skin, long blue hair!"

"I'm cutting ahead a bit," Harry spoke up, glancing at his straw with the number 7 on it, "but I was just entering a dueling tournament, and the duelists were all being murdered by this girl- she called herself Varnas, and... pale skin, blue hair."

"Well... that's creepy," Ness noted.

"I'd say so," Akane agreed. "But what about you, KOS-MOS? Did you meet someone like that?"

"Not exactly," KOS-MOS recalled, not speaking with nearly the level of urgency the others would have liked. "My ship was attacked by its own AI, known as the RV-10 system. As a computer, it had little physical form, but when I uploaded my own core AI into the system to do battle with it... it manifested as-"

"Let me guess," Link interrupted. "A tall woman with pale skin and blue hair?"

"Indeed."

"Which only leaves you, Fireheart!" Ness spoke, turning on the cat. "Did you see a twoleg before you got sent here? One with pale skin and blue hair?"

"No, it's been moons since we've seen any twolegs in the forest," Fireheart shook his head. "But..."

"But?"

"Well... Shadowclan was acting more hostile towards us than usual, so my leader, Bluestar, sent me and my friends to investigate their territory, and we found a... a massive creature there. Like a fox, but bigger, and so much more vicious..."

"What of it?" Akane asked impatiently.

"Its pelt... it was blue. And its eyes as well- Blackfoot called it a blue-eyed beast."

"Well, there you go," Ness exclaimed, brandishing his hands. "What sort of creature has actual blue fur like that?"

"What do you mean, 'there you go?'" Akane asked. "I mean... what does all this mean?"

"Oh, come on, Akane!" Ness exclaimed. "We all get attacked by this pale, blue-haired woman, and you still don't see the connection?"

"I see that there is a connection," Akane shook her head, "but that doesn't mean I understand it!"

"No, I think I see what you mean," Link put in, raising his hand. "You think this is the same entity, manifesting itself repeatedly across time... right?"

"That's what it's starting to look like," Harry agreed. "I can't think of any other way we'd all have such similar stories."

"No... but wait... Karasu died! Her Evangelion collapsed, and she died!" Shinji exclaimed, fear filling his eyes. "Are you saying that her brain was somehow uploaded to become a ship's AI... four thousand years later?"

"No... that doesn't make any sense, either," Ness shook his head.

"Not that any of this makes sense to begin with," Akane couldn't help but put in.

"Indeed, that would stretch my belief," Link agreed. "I killed Lady Gavran myself- I ran the Master Sword through her chest. She shouldn't have been able to return after that."

"The same for the Blue-Eyed Beast," Fireheart agreed. "It took the help of my friends, but we left that thing dead in a cave."

"With a box of scraps?" Ness suggested lightly.

"Not the time!" Akane interrupted, glowering. "I don't know exactly what happened to Wu Ya, either, but she shouldn't have just gotten up from where I left her..."

"Varnas killed herself," Harry agreed. "She gave me this speech about how humanity is the real monsters, or something like that, then she turned her wand on herself... and killed herself!"

"And Jeff dealt with Corvus pretty good," Ness nodded, raising his hands in a strange gesture. "So... I guess this means that whatever this... thing is, death doesn't mean much to it."

"But wait..." Shinji stammered, trembling as he raised his hand. "If none of us could stop this... this woman on our own... then how can we stop her now?"

"Simple- you don't," came a new voice, and everyone spun around and let out a series of shocked reactions, ranging from leaping back to hissing and back-arching, as they saw a young woman standing there. She was familiar to them all- a young woman with pale skin and blue hair, cut to her shoulders. However, she looked different here- while she had always appeared dressed in blue, here, she wore a blue robe over a black leotard, complete with a broach featuring a bird of some kind holding her robe together. On her forehead was a red jewel.

Everyone reacted at once, calling her by the name they'd come to know her by. Even Shinji lost his fearful demeanor, fury filling every inch of his face.

"Wrong," the woman shook her head. "Wrong, on all counts. Gavran, Corvus, Varnas, Karasu, Wu Ya, Blue-Eyed Beast, RV-10- all words that describe my incarnations, but never coming close to who I am, myself. There shouldn't be any more secrets between us- not after we've spent so long bonding. I've spent so long coming to all of your worlds, trying to show you the truth, but no matter how much I try, you refuse to see it- not anymore. This is my world, now, and you'll play by my rules. My name is Raven, and I'm the one who brought you all here."

"Why?" spoke a voice from the other end of the room, and everyone turned to see KOS-MOS, of all people, standing up, genuine anger seeming to fill her voice. "Why have you done these things? You are a human- you are free to act as you will, and yet you choose to attack us, and endanger those we care about-"

"You can quit with all those speeches right now," Raven spoke, eyes flaring up. "Believe me, I've heard enough of them to last a lifetime- helped deliver a few of them at one point, as a matter of fact. I didn't bring you here to preach to me, I had enough of that when I was in your worlds, thank you very much. No, you're here to finally see the truth. If you still can't see the truth of this world you keep fighting for after going through this world, then you truly are blind."

"I've had enough of your crap!" Akane shouted, leaping up and swinging a punch at Raven. Everyone watched in astonishment as her fist passed directly through.

"I'll give you a C for effort," Raven muttered, "but I hope you've developed your technique by the time you find me."

"Find you? You're not here?" Shinji asked.

"She's not," Fireheart agreed. "I can see her, that's for sure- but I can't smell her. No trace of a scent coming from her..."

"Yeah, and I can't sense her psychic presence either," Ness agreed. "We're just looking at a projection here."

"Very good," Raven congratulated, turning on the boy.

"Then why'd you bring us here, if you don't want to fight us?"

"What have I been saying the whole time?" Raven retorted. "I want to teach you a lesson. If you really want to return home, then come find me- I'm at the tower overlooking the city. The one shaped like a giant T."

"Why don't you come to us, and we'll settle this here?" Link suggested, eyes narrowed and using his hand to grasp at his sword.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Raven shrugged. "Like I said, fighting you isn't the point. I think I mentioned that to you as Gavran- I don't want to kill you, I want to show you the truth. And let's just say that any trip to my tower will be a little more eventful than a simple road trip. When you finally get there, we'll talk."

"Enough of this," Harry muttered, standing and brandishing his wand. "Stupefy!" A jet of red light fired from his wand. The next moment, the illusion was broken, and Raven disappeared, leaving the seven behind, staring at the spot where she'd stood.

XXXX

Finally getting this chapter out- I think the best thing about this particular part of the mini-series is also the worst thing- the source material, that Live A Live game I won't shut up about, doesn't give me much to work with in this part. Yes, this is based on the final chapter of that game, but, as anyone who's played the game can tell you, the final chapter is mostly just getting a feel for the characters at your disposal, and then getting them strong enough (preferably level 16 or higher, and grabbing the ultimate weapons) to take on the final boss. There's story, of course, said ultimate weapons are in hidden dungeons, and the final confrontation leaves nothing to be desired, but, at least the way I play, there's still a great deal of grinding involved. For those who were curious, my final party was the Sundown Kid, Pogo, Li, and Oboro, or Ness, Fireheart, Akane, and Link. Just my preferred setup. Anyways, enough rambling- depending on a few different things, there should be three chapters left in this story, the next of which will be up on- well, as anyone who reads Bottle of Lightning knows, I don't set times for myself, because they curse me more often than help me, but I definitely hope it'll be up sooner than this one was. My original plan was to upload a chapter of BoL, chapter of this, chapter of BoL, chapter of this, so I'll try to get back to that. In the meantime, please R&R, constructive criticism embraced, flames not so much, Gamer4 out!