"Gods are powerful beings. They can have a multitude of strange and mystifying powers. They could use these powers as keepers of the peace, or become creatures of rampant destruction..."

It all began with this line. This line, so abhorrent and ignorant of its own narcissism, established "Gods'" firm foothold in this universe. From that day forth, the worlds have paid plenty a price for his crimes. The once innocent peace of the Mushroom Kingdom was surrendered to a war between warriors from the past, present and future. Reality nearly crumbled to nothingness, saved only by suspect circumstances. The Hero of Time fell, conquered by the restored Demon King, whose existence would not have been possible were it not for the Phoenix of "Balance".

The remnants of a proud warrior race were transferred to another world and slaughtered to be used as fodder for "Gods'" personal pet project. Darkness reigned supreme over the hearts of light, and threatened to consume the universe whole.

There are so, so many other events that you are not privy to, viewers beyond the static veil. But...the puppets responsible are not to blame for what has happened. At least not fully. They were simply tools, played and discarded at "his" whim.

But I do not need to deal with the Phoenix of Restoration or the Phoenix of Balance. So long as the Phoenix of Destruction is removed from the picture, there will be no way for "God" to replace him...But my direct presence shall not be required for the next part of this plan. For that, I shall leave it all up to my comrade.

Only one link keeps the boy tethered to sanity. But it is the strongest link of all, one born of the purest, naivest love.

I underestimated you, Shina Aurora. I will admit that now. I should have presumed from that start that you would not be easily swayed to disassociate yourself from that puppet. But in order for my success to come to pass, there can only be one possibility moving forward. You've left me no other choice, Shina Aurora. But let that be a testament to how much I respect your strength of will. You earned the right to wield the Cosmos Drive, and let no one say otherwise.

...A pity then, that it had to end this way.

Extra Stage Chapter 1: The Man Caged by the Future

It has only been a couple hours since Shina and Alex left Gensokyo behind them. Utilizing Yukari's "gift" of transportation, the two were slowly drifting towards their true final destination. Shina cautiously kept the artifact out at all times, but the trail it created lined up perfectly with the way the air bubble was gravitated towards.

So far, the Phantasm hadn't lied. But that didn't mean she'd earned any forgiveness. Shina could only think angry thoughts about her as she looked at the near comatose Alex, who was lying on his back with his limbs bent around, and his eyes as blank as paper.

She sat on her knees and waited for a response, but the only thing he did was breathe in and out. She budged a little closer, but stopped at the edge of his feet upon feeling them shake. They could only muster a glancing kick, but it stung of rejection towards her assistance.

"...Ok Alex," She spoke softly, forcing a smile as she eased back and laid her hands on her legs, "I'll be riiight here."

A few days then passed uneventfully. Shina got only a few hours of sleep, and her stomach was growling like mad. Her head started to bob, only for her to bring it right back up while smacking her lips. Her legs were feeling stiff and weak, and her vision groggy. Her fleeting strength may have been causing hallucinations, for she could swear she saw Alex's limbs straightening themselves out.

But it was no illusion. Far from it. The boy had regained enough strength to move, and his breathing got louder. Slow, steady breaths, but none of them ragged or dry. Shina gasped raspily and leaned in closer, hoping to hear him speak.

Instead he lifted his fingers up, and they were trembling as though they were dipped in ice. With what little strength he had to muster, he created a couple apples and some peanuts beside him. Then his hand flopped down, and he let out a couple rough coughs.

Shina looked at Alex for a bit, and saw him blink for the first time in a while. She smiled and a couple tears trickled down her cheeks. Then she scrambled for the food he gifted her and gobbled it all down in minutes, stiffening a grin the whole way.

Then a week passed, with Alex continuing to provide Shina sustenance so she wouldn't collapse all of a sudden. This didn't do anything to help her sleep cycle, which was getting worse by the day. She'd only get a couple hours of rest at a time, if even that.

Alex's condition was steadily improving. He tried making decent attempts at sitting up...But they were just that. Attempts. He'd fall back down, and Shina would provide her a cushion of aura for his head every time.

Three weeks after leaving Gensokyo, Alex finally succeeded in sitting upright. He hung his hands between his crossed legs and hunched over, his eyes sagging and his lips in a constant frown. He lifted his head just enough to look at Shina, and his nose started twitching.

She smelled bad. She hadn't gotten to shower all this time, and it was beginning to show. But instead of resolving the problem, he hung his head and groaned. His head hurt, like a nail had been taken to the back of his skull. He could vividly recall what had happened prior to arriving in this bubble, but had naught the courage to tell Shina any of it.

She kept watching over him, and he responded with no more than three words at a time whenever she'd ask him if he was doing fine. His throat felt scratchy, even though it was moist inside. His powers kept him from sleeping, so he sat there and often watched Shina drift off without her own realization of the fact.

"This isn't right..." He thought, his mind tormented with guilt as he squeezed out a scowl and clutched his fists, "I'm just a burden to her now..."

"Burden"...Just thinking that word dredged up Yukari's voice, and her ridiculous stories about an "Author" and his "Blanks" squeezed his brain like a grape. He punched the ground and sent a soft ripple through the bubble, which awoke Shina from one of her many naps.

She stared at him with wrinkles under her eyes and murmured with concern, "Not doing so good, huh?"

He turned his head aside and didn't speak. She nodded, adept to his way of thinking, and just sat back and drifted into slumber.

Alex just didn't know what to do. How could he keep up this lie? Because...maybe this would be the one thing that Shina just wouldn't be able to handle? He wasn't certain what her breaking point was at this point, only that it felt close to happening.

Succumbing to paranoia of the mind, Alex shut up entirely and only continued to provide Shina food.

Finally, after a full month had passed since their departure, their surroundings began to change. Gone were the blackest depths of space. Now everything was bright green with mixes of blue, all of it drowning out the light of the stars. There were a multitude of planetoids dotting the area. Even from here, the two of them could identify twenty, each with their own unique biome.

And beyond them all lied a gigantic, bright blue light akin to a sun. But it did not project warmth, nor did it scorch all in its path. It provided something pure, something that could not be explained by science: Life.

Life, in its purest, undilluted essence, filled the depths of space and allowed this beauty to take bloom. Shina's artifact started to pulse in her hands, with prolonged exposure making her body tingle. She was too tired to even stand, and yet there she still sprang up on both her feet and rushed towards the edge of the bubble.

"Its there! I can't believe it...we're finally here!" She cheered triumphantly, blissfully unaware of the tears that ran down her face.

Alex slowly swiveled his head towards the bright blue light, but caught a glimpse of something far to the right. It was a massive orb of pure darkness, which throbbed like a beating heart. Any light that came close was devoured, creating this terrible, unnatural divide between it and their destination.

"Thus when the Realm of Darkness breeched the 'fictional' universe, it created a spacial rift in the 'real' universe that dragged the 'Author' into our 'fictional' universe..." The Phantasm's words echoed in his head, and with a scowl he turned away from the darkness and faced the light.

That was when he noticed that the bubble was beginning to decay. Not slowly either. The whole thing would be gone in three seconds, and they would be exposed to the harsh elements of space. Alex's body throbbed stiffly in pain and made it impossible to stand. So he swung his right arm and yelled "Shina, get back!" while trying to muster up another air bubble.

But not only was he too late...There was little to fear. Their bodies floated around without gravity to hold them down, but neither of their skins turned the slightest shade of blue. Shina naturally breathed in and out, and giggled excitedly.

"That's amazing! The space here's breathable!"

"...How in the..." Alex squinted towards the blue light and realized that it was the only explanation. Though..."explanation" was a bit of an overstatement, seeing how it was difficult to process how a single celestial body could change the laws of space like this.

But as long as they could breathe, there was no need to think too long about it. Not like he cared too much to get the answers at this point.

Shina floated over to his downtrodden self and reached out with a smile. She thought a little change of scenery might be the cure Alex required, and eagerly urged him by saying, "Come on Alex! We gotta check out a couple of these planets before we reach the Cosmos Drive!"

They' ve almost been on this journey for two years. They're SOOO close to their goal...and yet still she wants to go exploring.

"Heh...hehe!" He smiled, through no exertion of his own, and reached out to her hand. She clasped her fingers gently around his wrist and turned around, tugging him along towards the nearest planet.

It was this purity that he loved...This purity that he did not deserve.

The planet they landed on was full of grass. It was all bright and colorful like an aurora borealis, and the individual blades tickled their legs with warmth. Shina let go of Alex and leaned out, placing a hand before her forehead to scan the horizon.

"Grass, grass, grass as far as the eye can see!" She said with such enthusiasm. Then she pulled back and turned around to Alex, "Don't ya get what this means?"

He remained silent. She was fully expecting him to snark about the grass, and thus frowned a bit when he didn't. Nevertheless she perked that smile back up and explained, "This is all the Cosmos Drive's doing! The Grand Cosmic Aurian Sage musta figured out how to create a functional biome on a solar system wide scale! And if its that powerful, then there's no WAY that Gravitus'll be able to beat it!"

"Guess the wait was worth it, but..." Alex closed his eyes and shook his head.

Shina puckered her lips and turned around, leaning her head back to quickly say, "I-I'm gonna explore a bit. That ok?"

"...Take your time, I'll be here." He muttered before turning around and tucking his hands into his pockets.

Shina frowned and was about ready to depart when her conscience started screaming at her to "SAY SOMETHING!" She squeezed her eyes shut and grunted, then turned around and waddled back over to Alex. She didn't make a peep, and thus caught him by surprise when she saddled her arms around his waist.

His heart didn't leap out of his chest, but his body did stiffen with fright. She melted his stiffened muscles with her hug and softly reassured him, "Whenever yer ready to talk, I'll be here to listen."

She then stood up, pat her hands atop his shoulders, and mentioned, "Don't let 'er get the better of you Alex. Promise?"

He trembled and remained silent, so she backed off. She was happy enough having tried her best to get him to open up, and let him have his space for now. It'd certainly make exploring this strange, lively planet tougher to swallow without having him around.

But she wanted to get some idea of what the Cosmos Drive was capable of. After all, soon it'd be hers to command! The thought of wielding that much power made her antsy, but as long as her head remained clear and focused she figured she wouldn't go mad with power.

The gravity of this planet was much lighter than Earth. She imagined it was similar to if she were on the Moon. So every step had to be carefully made so she'd not go bouncing ten feet off the ground. After a few minutes of wandering forward she noticed something poking up into view.

"Is that a tree?" She ran closer to it, but "it" quickly became "them" as she was overcome by a whole menagerie of trees.

All of them were ten feet tall and had bright red bark, while half of their bodies were surrounded by a thick, pink organic material resembling the outer layer of a brussel sprout. Shina's eyes sparkled as she ran up and laid her hand against this bizarre material. The skin felt like leather, and the "veins" felt like velcro.

"Oh...My god! These are Crysbloom Trees! But...our history books said they've been extinct for over ten thousand years..." While wondering how they still lived, Shina recalled the way to entice the fruit from its shell and coated her hand in aura, then gently stroked the center of the divide in the shell like she was unzipping a coat.

The shell split open and spread itself like an umbrella, filtering through the luminescence of space to create a soft purple atmosphere. In unison, the other trees bloomed one by one until a whole forest awaited her. And underneath the canopies were these bulbous red fruits with see-through skins filled with these sparkling, crystal like seeds.

She leapt up and snagged one of the fruits from the branch, then softly pinched the top of it. It opened up, hissing air like a deflating balloon, and releasing all the seeds into her other palm. They were moist with juice, yet hard at the same time. She didn't hesitate to fling them all into her mouth and bite down, where those juices exploded into a tsunami of flavor, all contained within her mouth without cutting off her ability to breath.

Her cheeks turned bright pink. It was like eating something with the texture of rock candy, only with the juiciness of an orange or a strawberry. The flavor was indescribable. One second it was sweet, the next it was sour, and it just kept shuffling through those differing flavors like it was on a roulette.

But it made her feel energized again. All that strength she lost from a lack of sleep was returned twofold, and the next thing she knew she sprung high into the air and smacked her head into the bottom of the tree's canopy. She snapped back to reality and rubbed the back of her sore head, then looked up at the fruit with a smile.

"I can see why this stuff's no longer around. Everyone musta gobbled it down!" She reached for another fruit and plucked it down. Then when she was about ready to take another bite her hand froze partway there and retracted to her hip.

"...Maybe this'll help perk up Alex's spirits." She brought the fruit to her side and nodded her head. Then she left the sanctity of the forest and started to head on back to where Alex was.

The grass was high enough to retain the imprints of her footsteps, luckily. So she merrily trotted her way back, looking out and reaching towards the other planets that littered the sky. She longed to visit each one, figuring that each one HAD to contain lost or extinct bits of Aurian history.

But she didn't lose sight of her goal. The last stop, that bright and blue light, remained centered in her vision. Her smile slanted into something of a frown, and she let out a long, longing sigh.

"...I'm coming home soon sis. Just hang in there just a teeny bit longer..."

"Yes, it certainly has been a long, long journey, hasn't it, Shina Aurora?"

Shina froze in her tracks and looked around, her heart fluttering in surprise. She could faintly hear a man's voice. He sounded wise, and spoke softly...But perhaps she was simply hearing things, cause there was no presence on this planet besides hers and Alex's.

"That was weird..." She ruffled her nose and turned around to keep walking.

"Ahem...Next time you hear a voice, try thinking a little closer to the heart."

That voice was unmistakeable in how close it was to her. Yet when Shina looked around again, there was still no one to be found. Thus, there was only one possible explanation to deduce.

"Wait huh? Are you...inside my head?"

"Why yes I am. I would say it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time but...I've had my eye on your for quite, quite some time, Shina Aurora."

The person's voice was certainly non-threatening. Actually, he was very well-mannered and polite. Though, considering Yukari tried to display that same kind of attitude, Shina chose to remain cautious optimistic about returning that politeness to him.

"Ummm...A pleasure to meet you too...Mister...?"

"My name is Justek Arcavira. But you may simply refer to me as Justek. Truth be told, I've never been quite fond of my last name."

"Jus...tek?" Shina thought something was fishy about that name, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She raised her brows and inquired softly, "You said you've been watching me...A-Are you the Grand Cosmic Aurian Sage?"

"Heavens, no! I've never even met the guy, let alone know enough to properly mimic his voice or mannerisms."

"Oooo...kay?" Shina thought his way of speaking was a little weird, but he still didn't seem to be presenting any harm. So she continued away with a couple more questions.

"So if you're not the Grand Cosmic Aurian Sage...Who are you? And...how do you know about me?"

"Ah, excellent questions! Both I feel obligated to respond to. You can say, in no grander terms, that I am the relic of a bygone era. A person best forgotten, not remembered, in the annals of history."

He paused to breathe. What was frightening was how life-like it was. It was as though he was looming right over her shoulder. As Shina's body began to shiver, the man hummed and told her gently, "Do not be frightened. It is merely a by-product of one of my powers. I will try to keep any unnerving actions to a minimum. Will that help ease your mind, Shina Aurora?"

"S-Sure?" She didn't know how to respond to such...forthcomingness.

"Now, as to how I know you...Lets just say that like your mother, I am one who can glance into the future. So I glimpsed at your journey long before you were even born"

Shina's eyes widened and she let out a slight gasp, "Y-You know my mom?!"

"...'Knew' would be a more apt turn of phrase, my dear. It has been two-thousand years since her and I made eye contact let alone spoke to one another as equals."

That definitely rang a bell in her head that something was up, so she decided to ask while cautiously squinting her eyes, "How come?"

"Because the road I chose to change the world around me was decidedly different from that of my peers, and so I have remained imprisoned in this cage ever since."

"In fact, my prison is not too far from where you are now. It is how I am able to reach you telepathically."

"I...reeeeeally don't think I should be talking to you." Shina started to move once again.

But then Justek calmly and firmly requested, "And you are not wrong. But it is not a conversation I desire, but a pair of open ears to listen. Your ears, to be precise."

His words gave her increasing discomfort, yet every time those feelings arose he'd immediately say to her, "Forgive me. I swear I mean you no harm."

She shouldn't have been enabling his kind of behavior. It was basic Stranger Danger 101...But, there was something about the way he behaved that made it feel like she had known him all her life. A kind of bond of trust that could only have been formed through a lifetime of experiences.

"N-No! Its ok...I just..." She let out a sigh and admitted, "We've...had a bad experience with this person-"

"Yukari Yakumo, yes?"

"You...know her too?"

"Devilish woman that one. But yes, I understand the pain you've been going through."

Why were his words so genuinely...nice? Though a great distance separated the two, Shina could feel a slight melancholy projecting off Justek's voice. Perhaps...he was being sincere.

"Let it be said that what I am about to say is for your benefit, Shina Aurora. So please, let me say everything I need to before you respond."

"...You're not going to leave me alone until I say 'Yes', are you?" Shina said with a sigh.

"You have my solemn vow that you shall never hear a word from me again when we're done."

So Shina shut up, and Justek continued speaking.

"I have watched many timelines unfurl over the course of the last two-thousand years. Some good, many bad...I have watched many souls die, unable to do anything myself because I was caged for my own hubris. But there is one calamity I can most certainly prevent...Should you prove willing to push yourself that far."

"...By now, I am certain you have heard Yukari's spiel about the Phoenix of Destruction. Tragically, I can affirm that she is not entirely wrong. Alex Whiter poses a threat to all living things. Not just in this timeline, but many others."

Shina squirmed and her body tensed up.

"But it is not as though it is a tragedy that CAN'T be averted. Far from it. There is still a chance to nip the event in the bud before the possibility can come to fruition. But you are the only one who can get the job done. And the act must be performed with absolutely 100% certainy in what you are doing."

"...Why?" She sniveled and scowled, "Why does everyone keep having it out for Alex?"

"...I'm sorry to place this burden upon you, Shina Aurora."

"No you're NOT!" She screamed while thrusting her head back to look at the sky. Her eyes were filling with tears, "You're no better than Yukari! Just cause you say Alex is gonna become something, doesn't mean that he will!"

"...The difference between her and I is that I can confirm that said future will come to pass. Unless...you believe that I would see futures that cannot exist?"

His chuckle only added salt to an open wound, and Shina tightly closed her eyes and shook her head while continuing to yell, "I don't want to hear anymore of this! You and Yukari can just screw off!"

"Can you really take the risk that you may the one who is wrong? I suppose you will find out soon enough, seeing how you shall be his first victim."

Shina's feet stopped after only a couple of steps.

"...Your faith in him has been admirable. That strength of will was obviously inherited from your mother...But sometimes, a person's nature simply cannot be changed, especially his."

"You're wrong..." She quietly growled back.

"I'd love for that to be the case...But I'm a realist, not an idealist. You need to understand, Shina Aurora. If he's pushed towards killing you, the one he loves the most, then what will stop him from killing everything else? The people you met, heroes and villains alike...And your family. They're all in danger."

"...Alex would never try and kill me." Shina spoke with certainty, even upon being reminded of when he was 'posssessed' by his split personality.

"'Never' is an absolute...Perhaps you'll understand what I mean more once I tell you a story."

"There was this boy. A young, simple-minded boy who wanted to expand his horizons and see more of what the world had to offer. He'd wander off under his parents' purview and visit many other lands and take in their culture. But he quickly learned that the world wasn't so at peace as he believed it to be."

"The many cultures he visited were at constant war with each other, fighting for territory or resources that the other's claimed for themselves. They were at a constant impasse, and had been fighting for centuries. So seeing this conflict, the boy took it upon himself to become a hero that would unify the lands under a banner of peace."

"At first, he ran into another boy who lived in a tribe that was neutral to all the conflict surrounding them. Through his charismatic, optimistic point of view, the boy quickly made friends with this stranger, and the two would set out together to make his goals a reality."

"The boy absorbed the unique knowledge each culture contained like a sponge. His peculiar way of thinking enlightened many adults to see things differently. Some were far more stubborn than the rest, but slowly they opened up to the idea of reaching out to their fellow neighbors and trying to mend the broken bridges that had kept them apart."

"He grew older and older, and so did his friends. But while they changed, he remained the same as ever. He always saw the world in black and white. If he could see the good in someone, he'd believe in that until the bitter end."

"...But that belief was nothing more than a shelter to shield him from the pain. His belief in justice led to him making terrible mistakes. He saw his best friend as the same person he used to be, and refused to kill him when his betrayal was made obvious. He ignored the madness of his brother, and believed he could still be saved. Had he just killed them both when the opportunity arose, then true peace would have been maintained. But instead he paid the ultimate price and had his soul sealed away, while the lands he loved collapsed to ruin over the span of a century."

"...Now, what does that story remind you of?"

"...I...I don't know." Shina said, firmly shaking her head.

"It reminds me of the dilemma presented to you now...You may have your mother's eyes and will of spirit...But you have his heart."

"But I implore you. Do not make the same mistake he did. Save the universe. Change the future. You're the only one who can."

"No." She responded softly, shaking her head as she yelled straight up into the sky.

"I choose to believe in Alex Whiter...Because I love him! And its gonna be our love that'll change the future. Not death!"

She swung her fist up high and proclaimed, "So you can take your lectures and stuff it! I ain't gonna do you or Yukari's biddin'!"

Shina took her first step forward with her head held firmly high and a smile as bright as could be. But then Justek let out a very, very long and dreary sigh, and her body suddenly froze entirely in place.

"...Regardless of the atrocities I'm about to commit in your name, I thank you for listening. But I cannot take any chances. I will not let my friend's legacy be stained in blood and fire, especially not because of a pretender to the title. I sympathize with your plight, I truly, truly do Shina Aurora. But...you are not the only one whose love is strong enough to change the future."

Shina's body began to move quietly through the grassy fields.

"What's going on?" She cried puzzledly in her mind, "I-I'm not doing this! Why is my body moving on its own?!"

"Forgive me. You gave me no other choice."

"You're doing this?! Let me GO! I won't be your puppet! I WON'T!" Shina screamed and yelled but her body only stalled ever slightly. She was scraping at the walls of her mind, which now acted as her prison, and watched as slowly 'she' made her way towards Alex.

"Stop! P-Please, I'm begging you to stop...!"

She didn't set off any of Alex's warnings. How could she? He trusted her way too much to believe that she'd ever do him harm. He just stood there, unaware of 'Shina' drawing her rapier towards his back.

"We tried to make you see the truth."

"We? We?! You're working with Yukari, aren't you?!"

"...I am. And damn her to hell for making me have to do this." Justek spoke like a defeated man, even though he was on the cusp of victory.

'Shina' was stopped a foot away, her rapier being readied in alignment with Alex's heart. The thrust was performed without hesitation, with Shina screaming internally at the top of her lungs "STOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

Her arm twitched, the blade's path was diverted...Only to puncture through the dead center of Alex's back, and emerge drenched in blood. He let out a pale gasp and swung his arms out.

Silently, Shina regained control of her body and began to cry as she pulled the blade free and shook it dry.

"...Defiant to the very end. You made a grave mistake expecting her to yield, Yukari."

Justek's voice turned to silence as Shina hastily reached out towards Alex and begged and begged for his forgiveness. But as he turned around, all he heard at first was a muffled voice. He grimaced while clogging his bleeding wound with the palm of his right hand, his vision being hazy at first.

He recognized the sight of Shina, but could only wonder "Why?" with excrutiating pain.

Her voice started to be heard, but after she dryly spoke his name...She then snickered and chided herself, "Darn, I missed..."

His eyes flared wide open as he looked up to see her grinning from ear-to-ear whilst laying a hand against the side of her face.

"I guess...It wasn't going to be easy after all." She almost sounded proud of herself as she smiled.

Next Time: Kill the Phoenix of Destruction