Note: Just a heads up, sorry if some parts seem shorter than before. Work's crunched my time in some places, so I've got to fit in what I can before I've got to go. For example, I work at a retirement home in dietary, yet I'm not allowed to say much more. There was a whole orientation to what you are and aren't allowed to say/post to the public. That said, I'm beginning to like the morning shift better than the evening shift, and I'm thinking of asking if I could get most of my time transferred there, as it'll give me more of the day to do stuff.

References to Sword of Mana in here, as while I'm aware that the Mana games technically don't have a timeline unless stated otherwise (a la Heroes), I sort of want to make some connections as I think it'll flesh out the world more.

Infiltration

"Move out!"

No one needed any more instruction; all platoon members moved forward towards the gates and entered through, run by several of the slumbering guards on the outside of the structure. As he ran, Hawkeye caught one of the amazons that had hung around the back and stopped at the sight of one of the sleeping agents, raising her spear to strike him down.

"Leave him," Riesz ordered. "He's of no threat to us now."

Gertrude was bewildered by the blonde's command. "But Captain-"

"I said leave him," she repeated, voice firm but only as forceful as necessary. Gertrude ultimately obeyed and joined the others, everyone now standing outside of the entrance to the inside. "Tell me," Riesz asked Hawkeye. "What can we expect from…" she was about to say 'your friends' but thought better of it. "What can we expect?"

Hawkeye's lip tightened. "I won't lie," he said. "Expect the place to be dark so that they'll have time to make a jump on you," he explained.

'It'd certainly fit the scoundrels.' So Riesz thought, yet kept the comment to herself. "Anything else?"

"Just one thing." the thief said. "I know you said that, Isabella. That she probably wouldn't receive any…" he paused, clearly struggling to say something. "I get it. I do. I want her to get what's coming to her too. But…"

"But what?" Riesz asked, confused, yet noted how he reacted to the mentioning of Isabella before.

"I...I don't want you to hurt her."

The blonde was taken aback by this. "Not hurt her? What are you talking about? Is she not responsible for you leaving your country?"

"Yes, she is. But…"

"But what? For what reason would you want to give this woman any sort of mercy?" Riesz asked, yet Hawkeye remained silent.

"Are we going to do this or what?" one of the amazons asked, their Captain knowing well that they needed to get this operation underway. And while the pollen of the flowers would last them long, it wouldn't last them forever.

"Yes. Let us enter." pushing open the door, several amazons entered, Kevin and Eliza hanging back with Riesz and Hawkeye, mainly to watch the backs of the two, as her aunt was advised to stay behind due to what happened with Harcypete and the Mana Stone. The woman was far from caring for her CCaptain's decree, yet nonetheless obeyed it. The young, blonde woman turned to the violet-haired thief. "So far, you've been rather efficient and beneficial," she told him. "Indeed, I do owe you many thanks for your support." despite the compliments, Hawkeye sensed that they weren't the point she was trying to make. "I only pray that you don't disappoint me. For you have been a...valuable ally." she noticed how a pang of hurt was on his features. "I prefer to say what I think aloud rather than lie and keep it secret."

"I understand." he simply noted.

"Thank you," Riesz answered. "Now come." she looked through the open doorway. "It's time to take back our kingdom." Alma and Eliza looked at each other, noting how Riesz struggled somewhat in saying that. Indeed, while it belonged to them all, the kingdom, given her father's status, ultimately belonged to her—a fact she didn't wish to acknowledge just yet.

The only question was, when would she, if she could.

Entering, the amazon captain surveyed the area, Hawkeye, Kevin, and Eliza all too observing and taking in any sort of possible oddity or anything out of place. "All right." Riesz began. "Squad A, take to the east." she pointed to a collection of amazons. "Squad B, take to the west," she commanded another group before turning to more of the women with her. "Squad C shall watch the outer regions and keep watch." she then gestured to herself. "While I and the other three investigate the northern areas. Now, spread out!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The women splintered off, going their separate ways.

Riesz looked to the thief, beastman, and fellow amazon. "I shall guide you two through. And in turn, you shall keep these invaders off our backs. I trust you're ready?"

"Yeah!" Kevin declared. "Or...yes, ma'am?" Eliza giggled.

Riesz gave a small smile of amusement, though the moment didn't last long. "Let us go."

Amazon Secret Base

While she far from liked it, she could understand her Princess's logic in keeping her here. Or rather, their Queen.

Even now, it seemed unreal that such a thing was a reality: that blonde little girl, her sovereign ruler. And not just of her, but all of Laurent. Indeed, it was rather much to take in. So much that Riesz herself outright seemed to avoid mentioning it altogether. Alma didn't need to wonder why; Joster's death was still fresh on her and everyone else's minds. Yet she couldn't deny that, for her highness to return to them at their darkest time to lead them to victory, that had to mean something.

Something like that, that was from the Goddess Herself.

Yet, with the others with her, Alma was brought back to her times during the Peddan War with Roget and his band of defectors, along with several others from various kingdoms. Though now, it seemed that the kingdoms were all warring with each other instead of a common enemy. And only after nineteen years as well. And instead of benefiting them, it seemed that the Benevodons saw fit to act on their destructive nature, though their assistance before seemed to be mainly due to their disdain against Pedda and not because they held concern for the world. And now that Pedda was no more, it appeared that they had free reign to do with the world as they saw fit. Yet why would some, like that wizard and knight, wish to release them? Surely they understood the consequences of doing so, right? Alma wasn't sure, yet she suspected that the legendary creatures were only a cog in a grander plan, and she wouldn't put it past Isabella to be aiming for the same goal.

And in all this madness, she could only hope that the to-be the Mana Sword wielder, as well as her Queen and her companions, could get to the Sanctuary first.

"N-No…" Alma was drawn out of her thoughts by a voice from one of the cells, particularly the purple, cat-like being. "No…"

"Hm?" The blue-haired amazon raised a brow.

"Ha...Hawkeye…"

Alma rose from her chair and went over to the creature. "Yes?" she asked. "Can you hear me? What about Hawkeye?"

Niccolo seemed to be suffering from a reasonable degree of pain, body trembling, and soon, he was brought to his knees, clutching his head. "N-No…"

"What is it?" Alma questioned, reaching through the bars to touch him.

"NOO!" Suddenly, the cat began bashing his head into the bars repeatedly, the other prisoners seeming to have no regard or reaction to the cat's actions.

"Hey! Hey! Stop!" the woman tried to grab the cat to stop him, yet he, with surprising strength, pushed away from her hands and kept bashing his head. "Stop it! What do you think you're doing!?"

"Nearly...there!" Niccolo said in between bangs. So he kept at it, on and on until, finally, finally, with one final, mighty impact, he was thrust back, his forehead exploding with pain. Then he went still.

"Hey! Are you all right?!" Alma questioned. "Hang in there!" she tried to reach him through the bars, relieved when he began to stir.

Niccolo lifted himself, holding his head. It was throbbing due to throwing his head against the bars, yet for once in a long while, his head was finally clear. "At...at last." he stammered, struggling to get to his feet, off-balance and falling to the ground. "I...I'm free." he then looked at Alma, who noticed his eyes were clear and wide as if a fog had been lifted from them. "I'm finally free…."

Laurent

The party of four made their way forward into the darkened halls of the citadel, leaving their foes several places where they could hide. Moonlight shone through the windows, Kevin looking at them with contemplation. The others hadn't seen what he could turn into; how would they react?

"What is it?" Eliza asked, noticing the beastman's expression.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing," Kevin answered, looking for a way to get her eyes off him. "So...it's...nice here. I guess."

"It was," Riesz said.

"Who knows what that demoness has set up here," Hawkeye added. "But," he put a hand on the amazon's shoulder. "Whatever comes, we can take it."

"We must," Riesz confirmed. "For everyone else's sake." she then tightened the grip on her spear. "And for father…" just then, the hairs on her neck raised. Everyone else seemed to get the same feeling. Something was here.

From the shadows, an assassin stepped out, and from the corners of the room, more emerged, surrounding the group of four. Yet then, more strange, unnatural beings came to join the human thieves. Small little devils with pitchforks, the same that they had faced on the road to the secret base, and what appeared to be swords floating in the air. "What the?" Eliza said aloud, quite bewildered by the blades. "How...how are they doing that?"

"I suspect that, just like the Imps, they're not of this world," Riesz answered. "Or are enchanted in some way." she recognized that the swords were indeed those that served as decor for the citadel, further confirming her theory of how magic was at play here.

Hawkeye gripped his daggers, narrowing his eyes. "Damned witch…" he snarled, looking at the cold, dead eyes of what once were his fellow members of the guild.

Then, the assassins, Imps, and swords sprung forward.

Kevin leaped out of the way of an assassin while Eliza ducked her way under the incoming pitchfork of an imp. Riesz blocked an incoming sword, yet she noticed Hawkeye not making a move. Instead, he just stood there, watching their attackers, notably the desert-clad men wielding daggers similar to his own. "Watch out." he finally said, as if to make up for his inaction. "These guys might not be all armored up, but they know a good few tricks."

"So I have seen." Riesz snarled, though her aggression was not directed at the thief alongside her. Still, as they surrounded them, memories of that terrible day flooded her mind, elements of it all rushing in simultaneously. Fire, blades clashing, her amazonian sisters, either unconscious or dead, sprawled out on the ground, those damned desert bastards flooding the citadel...her father's freshly slain corpse on the floor at the foot of his throne… and Elliot. So tiny, defenseless Elliot was taken away…and she was powerless to stop any of it.

She could take it no more.

She took several assassins off their feet with a mighty swing, yet some jumped back to avoid her spear. The sword she was previously dealing with stabbed forward; she then blocked it and sent it whirling to the side, sticking it in the wall. Seizing the opportunity, Hawkeye leaped forward and brought down his daggers. The sword was surprisingly not too durable as it splintered upon impact, wisps of magical energy pouring out from the blade as it was destroyed. Just as he thought, the thief mused. These items were cursed. Damn witch…

There wasn't much more time to curse the red-haired woman as Hawkeye's fellow guild members came forward, many clasping their hands together and seemingly chanting something under their breath. "What are they doing?" Riesz questioned.

"I don't know," Hawkeye admitted. Yet then, both noticed what appeared to be some sort of force forming underneath them. "What the-" the thief got no further than that as the energy trailed across the ground in 'x' formations, bursts of water, fire, and electricity rising from the floor and coming right at them. "Look out!" They maneuvered out of the way, yet they couldn't hope to avoid all of them, Riesz being assaulted with surges of electricity while Hawkeye was taken off his feet by geysers of water from underneath. Soon, they were on the ground, several assassins standing over them, ready to plunge their daggers right through their skulls. "Guys!" the violet-haired thief pleaded. "It's me! Hawkeye! You know, the guy that won't stop running his mouth? The guy that stays around and always brags about a mission going well, only to have it blow up in his face?" they remained silent, yet some looked at each other as if contemplating his words. "Guys...please. Don't do this."

Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears, the desert-clad men going back to readying themselves to strike and end the two's lives.

Meanwhile, Eliza and Kevin had to contend with the small Imps proving to be quite meddlesome. The continuous jabs and stabs from their pitchforks didn't allow much room to counter-attack, and the swords flew and dashed forward at them, further adding to the problem. Then, one of the Imps began taking in deep breaths before closing its mouth, its cheeks puffing wide. Had they not been currently fighting them, both beastman and amazon would've possibly considered the tiny being as 'cute,' yet what happened next definitely was not. A stream of fire poured from its mouth, aimed right in their direction. Both Kevin and Eliza were taken off guard by this, leaping out of the way just in time, yet the amazon lost her foot and fell to the floor. She was somewhat dazed, yet her senses were brought back by the sensation of something sharp meeting her ass; she yelped in response. One of those little devils had up and stuck her! The cheeky thing was giggling too! Kevin saw that this action was used as a distraction, as several Imps were at her other side, one of the cursed swords in their grasp. Raising it high, their intentions were clear, Eliza's neck just in the right place for the blade to cut right through.

His golden eyes then centered on the moonlight pouring through the window. He had his answer as to how to combat this better. Though, he could only hope the others wouldn't be too shocked by it.

Leaping through the pale beams of the moon, Kevin concentrated and activated the change, his blood growing hot and fur exploding from all over his body, muscles rippling and expanding while a snout formed where his human-like face once rested. A feral roar came from his mouth, drawing the attention of everyone from the downed Riesz and Hawkeye to the Imps about to chop Eliza's head off. With a swipe of his claws, the transformed werewolf dashed forward and beat back all the Imps, the small devils crashing into the walls and some disappearing in puffs of darkened smoke as if obliterated from this plane of existence. The swords thrust themselves forward, the one about to decapitate Eliza joining them, yet Kevin clawed his way through them all, the blades breaking and splintering under the power of his claws.

Riesz and Hawkeye were astounded at what was happening; Eliza soon joined them as she got off the floor to see what was happening. What had happened? This beast wore Kevin's clothes, yet it indeed couldn't have been him, could it? His movements and motions appeared similar to Kevin's, yet such ferocity was most unlike him. He only did what was necessary whenever he fought, especially against human foes. Neither Hawkeye nor Riesz could recall one drop of blood being spilled by the beastman. From the fellow members of his race in the battle of Jadd to the Altenan mages in Valsena, he only did what was needed and went no further than that. Not that his allies wished to engage in bloodshed, yet if it came to that, then it would be an unfortunate but necessary step, at least in the minds of Duran and Riesz. Angela seemed to follow this logic, yet it seemed more based on raw emotion, and they were unsure of Charlotte and Hawkeye. Yet Kevin had displayed the most pacifistic traits, so to see him behaving viciously was a departure from his usual nature. Neither Eliza wished even to approach him as several Imps, and cursed swords fell to his claws.

Then, the werewolf's eyes fell on the assassins, the humans dashing towards him, throwing shurikens in his direction. The transformed beastman rushed forward to meet his incoming assailants, sharpened claws that rivaled the talons of Harcypete slashed and tore through the clothing and flesh of the desert thieves, the men being hurled back and crashed against the wall or into each other. Hawkeye looked in horror as one fell by his side, the assassin's chest displaying deep claw marks, fresh blood pouring from them. He rose to his feet and ran towards the werewolf.

"Hawkeye, wait!" Riesz called out, going after him.

Eliza looked on at the ferocity of the transformed Kevin, mouth agape and eyes wide at what she was seeing, wincing as some droplets of blood splattered on her. Another assassin was tossed to the ground like a ragdoll, another being seized by the throat as Kevin looked at the struggling human; he then stabbed the werewolf's arm, a blade sinking into the beast's flesh. This seemed to enrage him further; he sunk his teeth into the assassin's shoulder with a sickening chomp.

"KEVIN, STOP!" Hawkeye hollered, leaping upon the werewolf's back. "STOP, PLEASE!"

The werewolf snarled and threw the thief off; he was thrown back against Riesz, knocking them down. To the ground. The assassin struggled and kicked against his captor, the werewolf drawing away from his shoulder, fangs, and lips wet with blood, and gazed upon the desert dweller's throat. He brought himself closer, only to feel a dagger come in between him and his target, his prey making one last-ditch effort to save himself. Kevin began to chomp down on the blade, the metal more durable than the cursed swords, it not giving under the pressure of the werewolf's teeth, yet the creature's strength was far superior to his, and it was clear that he would only be able to hold the beast off for only a bit longer.

"There you are!" Riesz and Hawkeye turned to see Duran and Angela approach them. "We've been looking all over for-" the soldier stopped, eyes wide at the furred beast before them. "What the hell?! How did-" he then stopped. "Wait." he recognized the werewolf's clothes.

"Is that...Kevin?!" Angela asked, shocked.

"You've got to stop him!" Hawkeye cried out. "He's out of control!"

The assassin in the werewolf's grasp finally had his only means of protection taken from him, the beast's superior strength catching the dagger in his teeth, and he tossed it over to the side, ready to plunge his fangs into the vulnerable neck before him. Kevin then heard the sound of a sword being drawn out, looking to see Duran readying himself with both sword and shield. But, sensing that he would be trouble, the beast dashed forward, tackling the soldier and immediately bringing him off his feet. Duran was taken aback at the sheer force of the attack, leaving no time to react as he was busy fending off the snapping jaws aimed in his direction; his shield was the only thing between himself and Kevin.

"Cyclone!" Angela shouted, aiming her wand, a gust of wind forming underneath Kevin's feet. It took him off the ground and tumbling over, but he quickly recovered and made a beeline for the sorceress instead, slamming his fist into her abdomen and sending her hurling back against the wall. Unfortunately, she had no time to perform another spell as the werewolf seized her by the wrists and hoisted her up off her feet, Angela dangling in the air and pinned, the wand knocked out of her hands. Kevin gazed upon her throat, opening his mouth to reveal his teeth, yet he felt a pair of arms wrap around his throat, Duran and Hawkeye hanging onto him to try to dislodge his grip from Angela. Soon, everyone joined in, yet they were all thrown off, the violet-haired magician looking at the once docile beastman with terror-filled eyes.

"KEVIN!"

The werewolf and everyone looked to see a short, blonde girl with a two-ended cap standing there, mace in hand, yet eyes wide at what she was seeing.

Kevin looked at Angela, then to Charlotte, deciding after a moment to abandon the sorceress and go over to the new visitor. Charlotte stiffened, pondering whether or not coming out was a good idea. Yet, given how things were going, it seemed that perhaps she was everyone's only chance. Kevin sniffed her, recognizing her scent, yet nonetheless, he pondered whether or not she would be a threat like everyone else was. "Kevin?" the girl began. "Kevin...it's ok," she said, not entirely sure what to say, yet she had gotten too deep in already, so, as they said, the show must go on. "No one's going to huwt you. We'we fwiends."

Friends...Kevin looked around, surveying the nervous eyes gazing upon him, then he looked back to the more petite yet technically teenage girl. His eyes slowly yet steadily regained a sense of humanity compared to their former animalistic state, pupils widening and growing warmer. His form appeared to shrink somewhat, the werewolf falling to his knees and his fur receding into his pores, tan skin taking its place. The snout disappeared, replaced with a more human face, and haunches sank, feet becoming more human. Soon, the Kevin they were familiar with was kneeling on the floor, breathing heavily as he had just gone under heavy physical labor.

"I…" Kevin coughed out, shocked and appalled at what had just happened. "I'm...I'm sorry. So so so sorry." he apologized profusely.

"What WAS that about?" Duran questioned, rubbing his shoulder to ease away the ache caused by the beastman throwing him off.

"I didn't know you could transform too," Angela noted, massaging her sore wrists and retrieving her wand.

Kevin lowered his head, images of Karl's body flooding his mind. "I...I didn't mean to…" he then looked to the moonlight coming in. "I was trying to help," he confessed. "I thought that maybe if I…that I could…" he then looked at Hawkeye. "But I thought you were a threat when you got on me. And...the rest of you…" he looked at everyone before lowering his head in shame. "Lost control." he meekly said. "Just like the time I…" he punched his fist into the floor repeatedly until his knuckles bled, Charlotte running over and seizing him by the arm to stop him.

She took his hand and surveyed the damage done, placing her hand over the wounds, and immediately got to work. "Well...another thing," Angela said, wishing nothing more than for this to get less awkward. "What are you doing here, little miss?" she asked Charlotte. "I thought you were supposed to be back at the base."

"I towd you, I'm not weak anymowe. I can get up and awound." the blonde said with confidence. "Besides, it wooks wike you shouwd've wet me come with you in the fiwst pwace." she then regretted her choice of words as she saw Kevin's guilt-ridden eyes.

Eliza crawled over to the assassin that Kevin was previously dealing with; he was motionless on the floor with several of his brethren. She touched his throat, feeling the slight vibration beneath the skin. "This one's still alive." she declared, seeing Hawkeye sigh in relief.

"These are too," Riesz answered, yet then saw Duran approaching them, gripping his sword.

"Whoa, hey, what are you doing?" Hawkeye stopped the soldier from moving any further.

Duran looked at the thief. "What do you think? I'm taking care of these guys, so they don't cause us trouble later." He raised his sword but then felt a hand seize the blade.

"Yeah, sorry. No, you're not." Hawkeye argued, struggling with the swordsman for his weapon.

"The hell do you think you're doing?! Get off!" the soldier jerked this way and that, yet the thief refused to let go. "These people tried to kill you, and if you just leave them there, who's to say that won't up and try again?!"

"Then we can just beat them off again!" the thief shot back. "But you don't have to go that far!"

"And how many of her people have they killed?!" Duran asked, gesturing to Riesz. "You're acting like I just want to chop their heads off for its sake! I'm trying to protect all of us!"

"You can do that without killing them!" Hawkeye argued back, still holding onto Duran's blade.

"Let go!" the soldier demanded.

"No, I won't." the thief said calmly, the wild-haired young man somewhat shocked at the eerie calm of Hawkeye's voice. He and Duran continued to struggle against who got to claim the sword, Duran beginning to use his shield to fend off the thief while said thief began to apply pressure to the soldier's wrists and pressure areas to get him to let go. The two continued this tug of war until finally, the amazon reached her limit.

"Enough! Both of you!" Riesz shouted, getting in between the both of them, forcing Hawkeye to let go, yet instead of his hand, hers placed itself on the handle of Duran's sword. Eliza flinched, knowing well her Captain wasn't exactly in the best of moods. True, she was once known for keeping her cool, yet it was clear that just being here was testing her. She then noticed Riesz looking at both Duran and Hawkeye square in the eye, then to the fallen forms of the assassins on the ground. She was silent for a good while, closing her eyes and contemplating what to do. Once again, she was conflicted. She would have to act fast. Otherwise, the choice would be taken from them, as the assassins wouldn't be down forever. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Riesz came to a decision. "We press on," she said.

"What?!" Duran asked, shocked. "You can't be serious!"

"Dead serious," Riesz answered, voice authoritative yet calm. "At the moment, they are of no threat to us, so we are to leave them. They are unlike the Imps or swords, whose loss was of no consequence. We shall press on." Hawkeye was about to sigh in relief when, "However," Riesz continued. "Should they once again pursue us, or if there are others that make the situation too overwhelming...then I'm afraid we may not have another choice but to make the solution final." her tone was grim, she momentarily averting her gaze from the thief's pleading eyes. "Come." she then said, turning away from the both of them. "We'll get nowhere just standing here." she began to go ahead of everyone, they somewhat left at a loss at what to do, but eventually, they followed.

Charlotte took hold of Kevin's hand, looking up at him worriedly. "I'm ok. I think." he was unsure how to answer, yet there were still things to do. But one thing was sure: he wouldn't change into that form if he could help it. It was too unstable. The last thing he needed was another incident like the one with Karl repeating itself. Especially with Charlotte.

Duran looked at Hawkeye, then to the fallen assassins, sighing in frustration. Honestly, he couldn't hold it against the thief, knowing well that perhaps he would've done the same thing had it been his fellow soldiers. Yet, they were trying to take back a kingdom at the moment, and any potential hazards needed to be removed. Hawkeye understood Duran's perspective, yet that far from meant he would allow him to lay one hand on any of his fellow guild members if it didn't intend to knock them out. And that went for everyone else.

'I feel a dark power hanging over them.' Faerie said from within her host. 'Though...I guess that doesn't help us, does it?'

'Not exactly.' Duran responded mentally. 'Not when we've got a whole castle to cover.' indeed, it wasn't a situation anyone liked, but their hands were tied at the moment.

"Please try to understand." they both heard Eliza speak. "She's trying to take everyone into consideration, but she's being spread thin."

"I see," Duran answered, understanding, Hawkeye nodding in response.

"We've been planning this for some time now, so it's pivotal that this is successful." the blue-haired amazon looked at the fallen assassins, then to Hawkeye. "She's caught between you and everyone else, so please, be patient with her."

"I understand," Hawkeye said though he wasn't exactly optimistic about that answer.

"Well...shall we?" Eliza asked, following Riesz; everyone else had left.

Duran and Hawkeye looked at each other, Duran sighing in sympathy, yet still, his mind was made up. If it came to bringing down his sword, it would have to be an unfortunate necessity. Hawkeye seemed to know this as well...he just hoped that he could at least buy his 'enemies' enough time for him to at least bring them down before that had to happen.

Most North Section of the Citadel

They had come.

Isabella wasn't too distressed by this, predicting that the amazons would make a move to reclaim this place eventually. If anything, this would do much of the work for her, as that Princess, or the little Queen, would be coming here with her platoon. Bill and Ben relayed what had happened, how the pollen had put the guards and all the troops outside to sleep, yet the red-haired woman noticed Ben was displaying some 'worrying' signs. Though he didn't get far, she noticed that, upon reporting the situation to her, the second of the ninja twins shakingly pointed an accusing finger in her direction.

"You…" he said, voice wavering. "W-Witch...demon…"

Isabella raised a brow. "Ben, dear, are you all right?"

Ben rose to his feet, his knees buckling, yet he still stood. Bill watched him curiously yet prepared himself for whatever was to come. The ninja slowly approached Isabella, the woman casually situated in the chair, yet nonetheless kept her eyes centered on the man's movements. "You…" Ben choked out, hand slowly reaching for one of his daggers. "You killer." he struggled to get out.

Isabella tilted her head. "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't quite catch that. Would you please repeat it?" Ben fell to his knees before her, yet nonetheless, drew out his dagger, his hand unsteady yet still clasping onto it. "You can't do it." the woman remarked, her eyes glowing yellow. "No one is above my power. Or that of his Majesty."

"D-Damn you…" Ben snarled, voice wavering. "Demoness...from Hell…"

"Close, but no cigar, dear. I and my dear…'associate', Malocchio, are of Mavolia." Isabella responded with a chuckle. "A step above Hell. However, the Majesty has connections with that area below. We have a long family line there, from back to the dawn of the Second World." it was before her time, yet she and her kind had heard stories of the event, as well as several other near catastrophes that had taken place since then. One of which involved a distant relative of hers that she had taken her name from a good while back when the Mana Women were still around and a Dark Lord's heretic hunters were persecuting followers of the Goddess. Her dear grandmother was taken by the darkly shrouded man and thus, sought to gain his affections. 'Looks like I share some of your preferences, granny.' Isabella thought. Though personally, whoever this Dark Lord was, in her personal opinion, he had nothing on her Majesty. Her dear, Dark Prince…

"D-Doesn't matter." Ben stammered. "I...I'll send you there...anyways."

The red-haired woman chuckled. "Dearest Ben, you should take a lesson from your brother." She thrust her hand onto his forehead. "You should know by now that any chance of freedom is hopeless." with that, a great force expelled from her palm, sending the ninja back and slamming against the door, the impact forcing him to fall back to the floor.

To her surprise, it seemed Bill was taken aback by what Isabella had done, abandoning his former place and rushing to his brother's side. The woman narrowed her brow. It was inevitable, yet it was still something she didn't wish to happen. As powerful as her magic was, it didn't last forever. And it seemed that these two were overdue for another dose.

"B-Ben…" Bill spoke, holding the still form of his twin in his arms. He then looked to Isabella. "You...you…" he fell forward, clutching his head.

"Yes?" Isabella walked over to the struggling ninja. "You look like you're in pain, dear. Here," she then raised her hand. "Let me help you."

"N-No!" Bill backed away. "Don't...touch me! Don't want...any help...from you!"

"Oh, but it's not about what you want, dear." Isabella shoved her palms on both the temples of Bill and Ben, her eyes glowing golden. "It's about what my Majesty and I want." Both ninjas struggled, yet her touch and the influx of her power rendered them immobile. "Relax now; you two will feel better in no time." Bill tried to fend her off, trying to keep her hand off him, yet ultimately, he found what remained of his conscious mind being seized once again; he joined his brother lying on the floor. Isabella rose to her feet, gazing upon the two still forms. Soon, in unison and robotically, the ninja twins rose. "So, boys," she said. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Bill answered.

"Fine," Ben added.

"Fantastic." Isabella clapped her hands together. Once again, she proved her power was unstoppable. "Now, I don't think I need to remind you what to do, do I, boys?"

"No, mistress." both ninjas said at once.

"Excellent." she then gestured to the door. "Go. Find the intruders. Bring them to our dear 'visitor' that's set himself up nearby."

"Yes, mistress." with that, both ninjas moved away and out the door, leaving the red-haired woman alone.

She placed herself back on the throne, musing over the current events. "I know you're here, little bird," she said aloud. "You've gone and hooked yourself up with another Princess, have you? Poor Jessica. When she hears the news…" she tsked and shook her head. "Though I'm sure your Princess...oh, excuse me, Queen, is dying to hear about the little Prince. Well, don't you two worry about a thing." she clasped her hands together. "You'll all be together soon. You, AND your friends."

Outside the Citadel

She charged and leaped upward, yet a fireball met her chest, sending her flying back and into her fellow soldiers stationed outside the guard the gates and keeping down any assassins that may potentially awaken from the effects of the pollen. More and more of the women charged, yet all met the same. They all soon lay on the ground with the still slumbering Nevarlan agents.

"So," Koren said, looking up at the towering structure before him. "This is the supposedly 'impenetrable' Laurent." he surveyed the citadel yet wasn't impressed. Valda's castle was much more impressive. Even that of the little king Richard was a better sight. Damage of the Nevarl invasion remained, no matter how much those here tried to clean it up. A testament to the amazons' failure perhaps, yet Koren only gave a mocking huff.

His former companion, the dark knight, had not accompanied him here, having been left behind. He was stationed back in the Dragon's Maw with his Lord via a rather powerful and draining teleportation spell, hence why he hadn't come to the citadel immediately. He had to heal himself from the wounds delivered to him by his 'comrade.' He had tried to warn his Lord. He TOLD him that no matter his hold on the knight, magic wasn't infinite and would need to be recast and re-energized. And it seemed that this incident only proved his point.

'I have christened him my Darkshine Knight.' he remembered his Lord said to him upon his and the knight's introduction. 'And while you may be too young to have lived through it, those who have survived the war would know him well if they hear his true name.' his Lord didn't reveal it to him, of course, possible to keep him in suspense, yet slowly, Koren began to piece together a theory as to the knight's true identity.

And though he dare not mention it to the Lord. Again, a part of him pondered whether or not his Lord KNEW of the wavering control he had over his Darkshine Knight. Perhaps he was using this to test the wizard, to better strengthen himself against all forces, even those that were supposed to be working with him. Koren thought it would be the perfect test, something right up his Lord's alley.

"If you don't want to be treated like a boy, then you must prove to me you're not," he remembered his Lord saying not long after he made the dangerous trek to the desert landscape where they first met. "My faith is wavering and fickle, so you must make an effort to keep my interest. But, lest I decide that maybe I would wish to take what little power you've developed for myself…" he swore that, even in the thick, dense shadows, his Lord licked his lips in anticipation.

No, Koren swore to himself. He would not let such a thing happen. He had come too far to simply let himself die by his Lord or anyone else's hand. Instead, he would succeed where several others had failed. Indeed, after meeting him, his Lord showed him that the wizard was far from the only one to come to the Crystal Desert to seek power, their bones mockingly prettied and coated in thick, glimmering layers of sand and stone. However, those were nothing compared to the more recent ones, some of which hadn't even been picked clean yet. As far as he knew, he was the only one to survive his journey there and had it not been for his Lord, he would've very well joined those bones.

No. Koren shook his head. I will not. I will not go back to the way I was. he would find out what was going on here and report it to his Lord. At least he could go back with something, seeing as the acquisition of the Mana Stone failed. If new enemies were working without their knowledge, the sooner he could bring that information, the better. I am not a boy anymore. He mused, stepping forward towards the citadel.

Inside

So far, things had been relatively silent.

True, they had run into some more assassins and enchanted swords (and they couldn't forget those cheeky little demons either), yet things had been going at a reasonable pace for the most part. Now that the group was more prominent, more power could be put behind their attacks, and they weren't as quickly swarmed. Still, it far from meant they were in the clear yet. Quite the contrary: the quiet only seemed to aggravate and irritate everyone; they all waited in anticipation for something to happen so that the horrid dread could be over and done with.

Angela could take no more after a while and decided to say something. "So, uh, I take it you girls know this place like the back of your hand, right?"

"Not really," Eliza confessed. "At least, not me." she nervously chuckled. "Even after all the years of living here, I still find ways to get lost."

Well, that got her nowhere. Angela then directed her attention to Eliza's Captain. "What about you, Riesz?" the amazon didn't answer at first, focusing intensely on what was before her, surveying every shadow and darkened area, looking for any sign of anyone that may have been hiding. "Uh, hello? Riesz? Yoo-hoo?"

Again, she didn't answer. So Eliza stepped in to answer for her. "Captain knows this place better than I ever could," the blue-haired amazon explained. "Although, there are areas here that have been rumored not to have been seen by anyone."

"What do you mean?" Angela asked.

"Well, for starters, Auntie's room is off-limits to everyone, even captain herself, and…" she lowered her voice, bringing herself closer to the magician's ear. "When King Joster was still...alive, it was rumored he kept things in Auntie's room."

"What kind of things?" Angela questioned, interested.

"I don't know exactly," Eliza admitted. "It ranges from some thinking its articles from the Peddan War, or perhaps some proof of a secret affair between the two." her eyes then furrowed at that. "Though those types of people just like to stir up drama. Everyone knows that King Joster was completely loyal to Queen Minerva." she then put a finger to her chin. "Still...I gotta admit, I do wonder what Auntie keeps in there…."

Suddenly, Riesz stopped, everyone else doing so as well. Before anyone could ask what prompted her to stop, everyone saw two figures standing in the west corner of the hallway, seemingly waiting for them. They had opted to present themselves out in the open only made the situation tenser. Immediately, Hawkeye rushed up beside the amazon, amber eyes wide.

"Bill?! Ben?!" the thief called out. "By the Goddess, you're alive!" However, his relief was short-lived as he noticed how still and silent the two ninjas were. "Guys?" a sinking realization came to him. "Oh no." he shook his head, not wanting to believe it. "Don't tell me...she got to you too."

"If by 'got,' you mean enlighten us to our true purpose in life…" Bill began.

"Then yes." Ben finished. "Mistress Belladonna has provided us with what is truly important."

Hawkeye raised a brow. "Bella...donna?"

"Though, you would better know her as 'Isabella.'" Bill clarified.

Riesz then stepped up. "You two…" she gripped her spear. "You two were the ones who…."

"You are...the Princess, yes?" Ben asked. "Or is it Queen now?" he noticed her cringe at hearing the word. "We've been waiting for you."

"And the Mistress has been talking about you quite a bit," Bill told Hawkeye. "So has our Princess…."

Hawkeye stepped forward. "Jessica?!" he shouted. "What about her?! What has that witch done to her?!"

"She's been taken care of," Bill answered. "And," he then looked to Riesz. "So is a little Prince."

The amazon's blue eyes widened in horror. "Elliot…" she stepped forward. "Where is he?! TELL ME!"

"He's sharing a room with the desert Princess as we speak," Ben answered. "From what I hear, they've become quite good friends." he then surveyed the others. "Just like you've gained a few yourself, young Queen."

Duran lifted his sword, ready to strike if need be, yet Faerie spoke to him. 'The power hanging over this is far stronger than the others.' she said. 'This 'Isabella' or 'Belladonna' figure must want them on a tight leash. I haven't felt such a heavy cloud of dark energy before now.' she thought grimly. 'Though I doubt that it'll be the last.'

'That's great and all, but how to deal with it? Just a theory, but if we take out the source, then everything should return to normal, right?' Duran responded.

'I'm sorry, but I don't know.' Faerie admitted. 'Wait.' she and Duran felt a linked chill run up their spines. 'There's something else here. Something not of this plane of existence. It comes from beyond this world.'

'Like those Imps?'

'Yes, only stronger. Much stronger.'

Bill and Ben stood silently; the two then held out their hands. "That's the reason we're here," Bill said.

"We're here to take you to them. Both of you." Ben finished, his and his brother's eyes centered on Hawkeye and Riesz.

Then suddenly, the space between them seemed to spring to life, a great fire igniting and lighting up the area somewhat. What appeared to be a demonic fireplace was centered in the wall, mouth with sharpened, angular teeth agape and looking as if it were ready to swallow everyone whole. Its lining was lined with a series of horns and a pair of large, eerily human eyes. The eyes looked down at the group hungrily, seemingly sizing them all up as morsels to be devoured.

"So, let's go." Bill then said. "To Mistress Belladonna."

Note: Sorry if Duran seems a little bloodthirsty, yet I feel that, given his hot-headed nature and impulsiveness, he'd want to take care of the problem before it became an issue, hence his actions. Granted, he will learn to mellow out in time.

Also, this is an excerpt from the Mana Wiki explaining the differences between Mavolia and Hell.

'Many of the early Mana games simply called it the underworld due to the consistent localization/translation not existing in the series until Sword of Mana, upon which the name Mavolia was added, likely to distinguish it from the other underworld, Hell (Jigoku in Japanese, meaning Hell/Afterlife of Sinners). Mavolia is more akin to Makai, meaning the Demon Realm in Japanese.'

According to Japanese mythology, there are four worlds: Reikai, the spirit world, a sort of Heaven, if you will; Ningenkai, the human world; Makai, the demon world; and Meikai, which is essentially Hell. Unlike demons in western mythology, Japanese demons can be either good or evil depending on their mood. There are many different words for demons, and each has its separate meanings and connotations.

Also, Bill, Ben, and Zehnoa will be separate boss battles but will be coinciding with different characters.

Thank you for reading! Please give your input!