Chapter 316: The Extreme Succession of the Liberi Fatali

While Aeris and her counterparts were transferred to Arubboth, first they were dropped off in the Shinra Tower below in Midgar. The Airbuster Krysta had sneaked into was dropped off to be stored in the tower.

As it landed it was inspected by a soldier from a different army from a different world, a Galbadian soldier. The one in red looked around before he grumbled out," Lieutenant Wedge hurry up! I want to get this done in time before Lady Scarlet gets angry! Ugh, why do I have to take a order from some brat?"

The man in blue armor winced before he turned around," oh come on! Major Biggs! Sounds like you wanted her to be angry! And she is are current superior!"

"Don't you think I know that? Just shut up and hurry up Wedge!"

A man in a Magitek armor to the left, and a man in a white uniform all looked up before one said," Which Wedge are you talking about? I'm Wedge Kincaid sir!"

"Ugh, ALL of you move it before we get demoted or worst!"

"But what about checking the machines sir?" His native Wedge uttered, causing Biggs to spat out," It's in one piece so its fine. I'm no scientist Wedge, as long as its not blowing something up its fine! Come on let's move!"

After all the Bigg's and Wedges moved out, no sooner had the machine been clamped down and prepared for refueling and refitting than the Turk made her move. Again, opening the Airbuster was easy for her remote command. She took a moment afterward to patch in a general signal alerting all surrounding Shinra technology to effectively "ignore" her presence as a potential hostile and leave her off the log books.

However, she knew full well that she couldn't rely on that failsafe anymore completely. There had to be adaptations in the tower already. With that in mind, she only gingerly made her way out.

The place looked innocuous enough. Basically a loading bay for the heavy machinery and war machines they were using…although she didn't like how some of the docking stations looked rather gigantic (as in skyscraped sized) and yet were vacant at the same time. Her eyes gauged for the presence of motion detectors, cameras, traps, or anything else that could raise a silent alarm. On seeing nothing obvious, she put her gun at the ready and made her way out.

She kept on the lookout for anyone else as she moved along, but fortunately this docking bay seemed to be fully automated and dependent enough on Shinra technology to ignore her. However, as she moved on, she did at last start spotting some cameras and motion sensors.

None of them were tripped off, but she was only able to sneak forward a little more before she soon realized her path forward was inescapable. Whether she liked it or not, she had to risk being picked up by them. With that in mind, she took a deep breath and snuck out further in the open.

Fortunately, her luck seemed to hold out as no alarms were sounded and no one came. Finally, near the exit, she found a terminal. She went up to it and tried to access it, immediately finding that she was locked out. She nearly tried to go for one of her default overrides before getting an idea. She instead tried to log in via the Turks network, and smirked on seeing it succeed.

Makes sense… If the rest of the Turks are on their dole, then the tower here must respond to their authorization. That'll make it easier on me…

She tried to access information on where Aerith might be headed, but that didn't work out nearly so well. Not only were large blocks of the tower restricted to Turk access and disclosure, but she soon found out the facility was taller than the old Shinra HQ Building. She groaned inwardly.

Damnit…she could be in any of the restricted areas. It would take hours to search them all and I don't have the time, even if I could slip by everyone until then. I don't even have a good starting place. If only I was around when the first Shinra HQ Building was standing I could have at least guessed they'd use roughly the same floor… I guess I'll start with the upper levels.

She performed one last task on the terminal—opening the large, armored doors into the rest of the facility. Taking a deep breath and readying herself, she made her way inside. It opened into a simple enough service corridor, which she knew would be the "easy part". On the other end there was no telling who or what she'd run into, so she readied herself for anything.

And as it turned out she didn't have to ready herself very long. For no sooner had she made a turn in the path when she found someone coming down the opposite direction.

Immediately, her gun was up and at the ready—but much to her displeasure her opponent reacted just as fast and in a none-too-comforting way. With a flourish and sound of flame, a great whip suddenly danced through the air like it was made out of raw fire. And as a result, it immediately illuminated its wielder in a fiery glow.

A woman with pixie-cut hair in a horned headdress and a slimming gown. Yet a moment later, Krystea couldn't help but be a little confused. She barely looked teenage, in spite of her ferocious look.

For a brief moment the two faced off against one another silently.

"What are you doing down here?" the one with the whip accosted sharply. "This is an automated floor."

"Official Turk business," Krystea answered. "Now drop the whip before I drop you."

This made the girl crack a smile. "Well, aren't you cocky? I thought your gang was supposed to know things…like pulling a gun on a Sorceress is a really bad move." She raised her other hand, and the flames on her whip grew larger yet.

Enough to where the temperature in the hall rose sharply. "But that's assuming you are a Turk, which I doubt. Don't think just because I'm so young I didn't already memorize your faces. And since you have the same face as the one Hojo captured, I'm not likely to forget it."

This, however, made Krystea grit her teeth. "Where is she?"

At once, the girl's face turned. "Huh?"

"Where is she?!" Krystea shouted louder. "Tell me where they're keeping her!"

The Sorceress blinked, giving Krystea a "derp" stare. "Um…don't you, like, know? The rest of your supposed gang was out helping him capture her and all."

Krystea actually advanced a few steps forward, causing the Sorceress to blanch and actually take a step back. "I'm going to ask you one more time and if I don't get an answer I'm going to blow your head off—where is she?"

"Wha…where else would she be? Upstairs in the special experimental chambers. Wait…why am I answering you?" Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her whip in front of her in a snapping flourish. The heat and fire were so great it made Krystea recoil away from her again. "You still haven't answered who you are and what you're doing down here. I can set a lot more things on fire with a wave of my hand than just my weapon, so start spilling it."

"The only thing you and the rest of your insane freaks need to know is I'm leaving here with Aerith, and I don't care how many of you try to stop me and what kind of tricks you have up your sleeves."

This made the girl look even more dumbfounded. "Wait a sec…did you just say you're here to rescue her? As in…you're not with us?"

"Of course I'm not. Do you think I'd be running around down here aiming a gun at your head if I was?"

The girl stared silently at Krystea for two seconds, and then suddenly broke out into a laugh. At first, the Turk tightened up as she assumed it was mockery. Yet as the girl kept going she eased up completely. Her flaming whip vanished and the handle returned to her side.

"Sheesh, why didn't you say so in the first place? I just hope you're not all of the reinforcements she mentioned. I could use a few more…"

Krystea raised an eyebrow. "What're you saying?"

The girl smirked as she waved her hands at Krystea. "Settle down and lower that thing out of my face while you're at it. Infiltrate the place all you want. Blow it to bits for all I care."

"Wait…what?"

"We're on the same side. In fact, that's good luck for you because otherwise you'd have a snowball's chance of making it to Arubboth in time. You'd be massacred by security long before you got there. Just got to do one thing before we go…"

With that, the Sorceress began to calmly walk forward. Krystea tightened up momentarily, but the girl ignored her completely and walked right by to the hallway she had just come down. Soon realizing she was in earnest, the Turk lowered her weapon.

"You're…serious, aren't you? But why? Aren't you one of them?"

She scowled. "That's what I wanted them to think. And you better believe how much it stings to have to suck up to Lady Mianyl after what she did to me… But it was worth it to get this far. I didn't think I could do much to begin with. It'd be a miracle if I could get far enough along to slip a knife in her back. But with you along, and assuming there are more coming, we might have a shot."

Krystea blinked again before slowly going easing and following after her. "So you're actually willing to help me save Aerith?"

"Well, I kind of have to," she shrugged as she passed through the doorway. Krystea followed after her, only to see her turn about and head for the same terminal. "Even if I wasn't eager to ruin whatever they're planning, I think it's kind of my duty as a Sorceress to save my matriarch, don't you?"

"Your dut…?" Krystea began to say, before she cut herself off. Everything began to click. "Wait…you said you were a Sorceress, didn't you?"

She turned from the console long enough to give her a hand wave. "Sorceress Faerio the Dayspark. And what're you saddled with?"

"Krystea."

Faerio reached into her dress and pulled out something. Soon after, she slipped it into one of the terminal ports and typed some buttons. "I guess you've got relations with Aerith, Krystea?"

"Well…yes, of course. She's my sister."

Faerio froze in the middle of pressing the last button. She slowly turned back to Krystea. "…Are you serious?"

"Yes. Why?"

Faerio stared at her a bit longer than Krystea cared, but then she typed the last button. With that, she turned around and started to walk back toward her. "And…you do happen to know that one possible universe of this world will have your…sister…becoming our great matriarch, don't you?"

Krystea grimaced slightly, but nodded.

Faerio hesitated again, but ended with a smile. "So I guess that means we're weird, multiversal, distant blood relations. And it also means we're definitely on the same side. And right now, I'm not lying when I tell you we're going to need all the help we can get to even get out of this alive…let alone get the revenge we're both looking for. So…"

Coming to a stop in front of her, she held out a hand.

"What do you say? I need a Sorceress Knight and you need a partner. Deal?"

Krystea hesitated again, looking somewhat uncertain, but it seemed the girl looked as earnest and friendly as she did fierce before. With that in mind, she slowly extended her own hand and, after a moment, took hers and shook.

"Alright then. Let's get going. We don't have much time."

Turning about, she started to head back the way she had come. Krystea, looking a tad hesitant, soon fell in behind her.

"What were you doing down here?"

"Huh?"

"You said this place should have been automated. So, what were you doing down here?"

"Oh. Well, it seems we've got one other person in here on our side. She wanted me to deliver a message, and down here was the only terminal she could secure for me to do it where no one would see it."

Krystea frowned. "So that's why I was getting in so easily. What kind of message?"

"I'm not sure. I guess we'll find out soon. Now stay close. I might be free to move around the tower but you're not, and the moment anyone sees you with me we're cooked so you're going to need to stay in range of my magic…"

As Faerio hid Krysta with a spell and the two moved up, the allies she left behind were just realizing she was gone, one of them being Ragnar.

The man looked uneasy as he came running back out of the massive hole in the side of the Temple of the Ancients. As he dashed back toward the others that were getting serviced by Taraketh, Shionne, and the other healers, he spotted Azure doing the same. The two ran up to each other and met.

"Did you see her out here?"

"No. What about in the Temple?"

"There's a lot of dead or disabled bodies in there, but definitely no Turks."

Azure looked uneasy. "You don't suppose she was captured too, do you?"

Ragnar winced. "I had considered that possibility. This version of Shinra wants Aerith too including both versions of her…" He shook his head. "But no. If they just wanted Cetra blood they could have grabbed me. I think they want her for more than just her genes…damn it."

He glanced over at Ezan as he said this, staring for a moment as he saw the look on his face.

"I guess the two of us have something else in common… But Ezan is going to track down Aerith. Let's focus on Krystea."

"Excuse me,"

Ragnar and Azure turned on hearing a woman call out to them, and with their respective powers tied to planetary energy they both felt a little overwhelmed to see Eden sans helmet and fully healed hovering just a few inches off the ground as she came over to them.

"Did you two just mention Krystea?"

They looked back uncertainly for a moment before Ragnar nodded. "Yes. Um…ma'am, I don't think we had the chance to get properly introduced until now. Eden, wasn't it?"

She nodded back.

"I'm sorry, but…are you an esper?"

"Guardian Force…whatever," Eden sighed back. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"Uh, no…no problem. It's just I'm not used to seeing one who resembles humans so closely. Uh, no offense."

"None taken. But it's better for all of you that I stay in this body. I tried testing out my 'true form' a couple years ago and…well…let's just say it's a little big to be practical. Forget that, though. You two are friends of Krystea?"

Ragnar winced again. "That's a bit of a stretch…but acquaintances if nothing else. For better or for worse."

"I see. Well, I can help you find her."

Both men looked surprised. "Really?"

"You feel like you've got a bit of Sorceress bloodline in you, but I'm essentially a Planet personified. I think I'm slightly better at feeling my way through a Lifestream." She straightened herself up at that. "This would be harder if I hadn't met her already, but I know her signature now…"

She closed her shimmering eyes and held there momentarily. Yet after a few seconds, her face fell when she opened them again.

"I cannot detect her anywhere on this planet."

Ragnar frowned. Azure tensed. "Does that mean she died?"

"No. If that was the case, I would have detected her inside the Planet if nothing else. So either she managed to space travel to another world…" She frowned. "Or she's in that big, growing void that's appearing, because I can't detect anyone in there."

Ragnar didn't care for the sound of that. Azure tightened his own hands into fists. "That sounds a bit like what my dad and mom told me about when they went up to the Great Northern Crater. Only bigger… That means it's a sure bet the rest of our opponents are there. Including…him."

Eden grimaced, but after a moment of silence looked between them. "You know, the three of us and my own friends aren't exactly the 'heavy hitters' around here. Something tells me we'll need to watch each other's backs more carefully from this point onward if we want to get through this alive. Why don't I introduce you to them?"

Azure nodded back. "I don't think working as a team more could hurt, could it, Mr. Vice?"

Ragnar was about to nod his own consent, when he paused. He caught something…or someone…out of the corner of his eye. Sitting to one side of the gathering, proverbially and literally licking his wounds because he refused to go to Taraketh, was Tiamat.

He didn't even look toward the others much less listen to them. He still had a draconic sneer on his face as he curled around himself—huffing out blasts of hot air from his flared nostrils while glaring at the ground.

The Cetra grew colder in expression as he turned away from the two. "Go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Azure looked puzzled as he saw Ragnar start to walk away from them, but when he was about to speak he saw where the man was headed and quickly clammed up. He was left in silence to walk right up to the Guardian Force.

As soon as he got near enough to where it was clear he was approaching him and not merely wandering, Tiamat's eyes flickered toward him with a slight growl. However, it aborted soon after.

"Oh…it's you. What was your name again, rodent?"

"Ragnar."

A snort. "And what do you want? Got 'a bone to pick' with me? Well take a number and get in line. I've had my fill of annoying humans today."

"Sorry, but that's not how this kind of thing works," Ragnar half-snapped back as he stopped before the draconic creature. "We're about to go into something that none of us might make it out of, and we're going to try and save someone who's rather important to me even if she isn't the one from my universe, so if I'm going to have it out with anyone then now is the time."

Tiamat closed his eyes and let out a sigh that bared his teeth, before he elevated his head to look him in the eye. "Look, 'Rag Nard' or whatever idiotic name you gave yourself, even if I was the type to not just incinerate whatever weakling wanted to complain about me…which I'm not…I really don't care about you or any of your little grievances. So why don't you do what you humans like to do and go back to your little pow-wow and talk about how brave and bold you all are or whatever…"

Ragnar didn't budge an inch as he scoffed. "You are the most self-centered, arrogant creature I've ever run into. And I fought Jenova once and Sephiroth twice. Nothing and no one matters to you at all if they can't do something for you, do they? Life has no value to you unless it's something you can use against Bahamut. Do you even remember what you did to me?"

Tiamat rolled his eyes. "I tried to ruin your pitiful little band of heroes. Am I close?"

Ragnar's hands tightened into fists. "You almost killed my best friend! You got hundreds of people in my army killed! And you sacrificed the last two creatures that were loyal to you in order to do it!"

The dragon slammed a fist on the ground and wheeled to Ragnar. "And what exactly do you want to hear from me, human?" He twisted into a mocking voice. "'Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry sorry! Gee golly gosh gee…please forgive me! Wah-wah!'" He snarled again. "Toughen up, little rodent. You know how many of your kind have died for someone else's ambitions over the span of my life? Even you and your little bleeding heart couldn't possibly remember them all. Or are you trying to say you actually remember all of the precious little lives that volunteered for your little army in the first place? You probably never even met half the ones who died for your 'noble cause'."

"They died for a cause they believed in just as the people who killed it did it for theirs. What about you? What cause have you ever had besides 'be better than my brother'? What have you ever done with your life? Did you ever really truly want to save anyone for their own sake? Or believe in anything that was worth giving everything for?"

"Throw our your mewling little sentiments with the rest of the trash, human! I never needed any of the pitiful little delusions your kind loves so much to justify myself! I always believed in myself and my own power, and that's all I've ever needed! And why? Because I'm not a worthless, weak creature like you!

Unlike the rest of your miserable little race that has to scrape and claw and resort to stealing the remains of espers to have any semblance of power, I was born to be strong and immortal! And because of that, I've seen your precious little ideals and morals and bonds burn away to nothing again and again and again and again! You know what remains? Me! My power! My glory! My strength! So I won't bother entertaining any lectures about what I value being inferior to your values!"

He leaned his face in closer, enough to where Ragnar could smell his breath, and formed a cruel smile.

"Or haven't you noticed that you're the one who's that other human's lap-dog now…barking and biting whenever he tells you…even though that human woman supposedly means so very much to you? What other proof do you need that one's own power is all that matters?"

Ragnar's temper flared. He nearly lashed back at Tiamat, his lips actually parting to retort. However, after holding a second, he was able to shut it again. Taking a forced breath, he calmed.

"Did you ever wonder what happened to Zola after you died last time?"

Tiamat's smile reverted to a frown. "Feh…I'm assuming you took his head off. Are you saying you were so soft you couldn't even manage that?"

"I admit…I wanted to. And I nearly did. He stopped me, though. He convinced me he was a better asset to me dead than alive."

Tiamat scoffed as he leaned back. "He always was a little worm. Changing masters to whatever suited him best at the time. That's why I knew he'd backstab you to begin with."

"You're wrong."

The Guardian Force raised an eyebrow.

"Sparing him ended up being one of the better decisions I ever made. He was loyal, he was devoted, and he spent the rest of his life trying to make up for what he did when he betrayed me. He helped save Aerith and he died helping Krystea. He might not have been able to save her as well as he wanted to, but I know things would have been worse if he hadn't. He had nobility in the end. He had honor. And it made him stronger."

Tiamat scoffed. "You can't be serious."

"I am. It made him push himself harder when he knew he was fighting to atone for something. He went above and beyond when he had something greater than his own life. And that's why Bahamut kept beating you even though you were always stronger."

Tiamat sneered. "He beat me because he always had some damned trick up his sleeve!"

"You can call it whatever you want, but those 'tricks' were from people who believed in him and had his back. And they were people he loved. You may think the only use I had was making him mad and goading him into a fight, but you never thought past that.

You never thought that maybe Bahamut had to be stronger for someone besides himself. Maybe he had to force himself to be strong enough for people who never could stand up to you. Did you ever think maybe the reason he kept managing to beat you within an inch of your life after everything you planned is because you threatened people he cared about?"

Tiamat barred his teeth, but said nothing in response.

"Maybe if for once you had something to fight for after you couldn't push yourself any harder, you really would have ended up stronger than him."

With that, Ragnar turned away to walk back to the others. Tiamat let out a growl after him.

"That's right, you smug little rabbit. Talk down to me. Wave your miserable little self-righteousness in my face. Fat lot of good it did your little woman! Or this universe!" On seeing Ragnar kept walking, Tiamat sneered and turned back to his wounds, licking one of them again. "Little runt… Puny little codependent mortal. You couldn't possibly ever understand the pride of someone like me."

Just as he was about to lick his wound again, suddenly Daigo cut in with, "Hey man, I get it. People don't get what it's like when you have to deal with a tail and wings and all that. But how about talking with someone that does understand?"

Tiamat turned his eyes up, seeing Daigo approaching him. His teeth barred once again. "Did you humans take me literally about that whole number thing?! Are you all lining up to brow-beat me?!"

Daigo let out a laugh. "Oh right. Yeah, this is just my human form. Here, I'll show you. Slide Evolution!"

Dagio glowed before after a flash of light he morphed into Hiryuumon. The now rookie Digimon wagged his tail before he shrugged. "See? We may not be the same kind of dragon's but we are both dragons! Well, I'm a dragon Digimon but close enough."

"Good for you," Tiamat snorted, before snapping. "Now get out of my sight. The humans have already wasted all my patience. I don't have any left for wyrmling children."

Hiryuumon sighed. "I'm not a child, man! I've been alive for centuries! This is just my Rookie level form! Digimon can morph into stronger forms to conserve energy. It's like this! Hiryuumon Digivolve to...Wyrmmon!"

Tiamat saw Hiryuumon now transform into a larger dragon, but registered even more irritation when he heard the name. It made him narrow his eyes. "Oh, I see…you're not here to brow-beat me…you're here to mock me. Using that name of all things…"

Wyrmmon sighed. "I did not come here to mock you, I just had a question! The others said you did a lot of really bad stuff to your brother for a long time and I…I just wanted to know why. Did he steal your food or something? Or was it a girl? I know how that feels."

"My…my food?!" Tiamat retorted, before he bellowed out in an angry roar so loud it was as if he was trying to blast Wyrmmon away with it. "You…you're just as insipid as the humans! You don't understand anything, fool!"

Wyrmmon growled back. "Hey, you don't think I know anger or pride, Tiamat? You're wrong, I know what being jealous of your friends and family does to you. It turned me well, into this!

Wyrmmon, Dark Digivole to…Helldramon!"

Wyrmmon shocked Tiamat before exploding with dark energy, and transforming into a demonic looking dragon that was now bigger than Tiamat.

He was now a massive red and black dragon that's entire body was covered in black flames and three pairs of wings were on its back.

"Gods and planets…" Tiamat murmured in his shock.

Helldramon growled with enough force to cause birds and Chocobos in the area to fly away. "This is not a form I use very much. This Mega form makes people anxious. But, it's also good for sending a message, eh?"

Clearly not desiring another humbling, Tiamat eased but only to start sulking again. "So…are you the same as that other one with silver hair…that 'Ezan'?"

Helldramon laughed. "Hah, not at all but I do make him fight seriously! It took me a long time to be able to use this form casually. I turned to this when my anger consumed me and…I had to master my anger to make up for the friends I hurt, and the planet I blew up.

So I do know really damn well what anger is Tiamat. I, I betrayed my friends because I was jealous people liked them more to me. It made me do some really stupid bad things and honestly it got me killed. I was jealous of my friends Seiya Leingod. He, he was the one girls fought over like Serenity, he was the one everyone respected.

It's true he fought impossible odds and I was just a pilot, but I was to petty to see things that way back then. I just wanted respect no matter what, so when someone offered me power, I took it, only realizing too late that I was making a deal with a demon serving our enemies, the Zannacross Empire.

By the time I realized what happened it was too late, I just felt I had to do what it took to have power or I'd be nothing, and so I was nothing.

I was not able to make it up to those friends that I betrayed. I only was able to start to make it up to after the angels in my universe revived my soul as a Digimon to help my current friend Ben Auro.

So…I heard you were reborn too so that's why I wanted to ask you why you did what you did to your family. Were you just as jealous as I was when I saw the others woo over the girl I was crazy about or something like that?"

Tiamat saw Daigo was not as simple minded as he came off. With that in mind, he clamped his jaw and looked away for a moment. He closed his eyes and exhaled.

"The day we were born, it was just the two of us. We had Crusader…who, of course, ended up being a traitor…but other than it there was just me and my twin brother. The only one I can call family. Practically hatched from the same egg. We did everything together. We trusted each other completely.

We had each other's backs in everything. The others…they were never really our siblings. The sea snakes were their own pair of twins, and they were both always cowardly and stuck-up know-it-alls. Phoenix and Starlet were only interested in being proper and pretty and making Crusader smile. Odin…he only ever cared about himself and his strength right from the start; years before I did. They never had any interest in us. They were never even friends, much less brothers and sisters.

It was the two of us that were bold enough to defy Crusader. It was the two of us who ventured out of Ultima Nexus into the world below. We were the ones who discovered Crusader's true nature and the Four Archfiends.

We were the ones who found the remains of humanity. We were the ones who learned of our true power. And it should have just been the two of us. None of them ever cared. They would have just lived in their little paradise bowing to Crusader forever. We didn't need them before and we didn't need them now.

But Bahamut believed we did. He didn't have enough faith in us. That's why I wanted the power to begin with. Oh, I'm sure he fed you the same story he's fed everyone for years. How his great, terrible, and evil twin just lusted after all the power and glory for himself, right? Well he's wrong. I wanted him to help me gain more power so he'd see that, as always, all we ever needed was each other.

That we didn't have to bow and scrape to our supposed kin for help. I'll admit I loved it. And the more power I gained the more I wanted. I might have even thought I really was the stronger of the two of us. But it was still us at that point and it would have remained that way.

"But then he helped them, and he started connecting to them more than me. He stared sharing everything with Leviathan and started to shun me. He started thinking about what he could do to make them stronger and develop their power. And once he became the strongest of all of us, he simply left me behind.

He took his position as king or god and concerned himself with anything and everything but me. He became just like the rest of them…creatures who only ever saw me as something annoying and temperamental that they just had to 'live with'."

His claws tightened, raking across the ground.

"It still pisses me off to this day that he just threw that all away. That we were twin brothers for so long, and then after one big fight I'm suddenly just his subordinate. Just some dog who needs to stop yapping and heel for his master. And he did it so easily. So easily he even boasts about how it made him more virtuous.

How he was now thinking of the good of everyone…how he was so great and noble he'd defy his own twin…how he'd assume the 'horrible, heavy burden' of becoming stronger and stronger and stronger so that he could handle everything by himself. And yet I'm the one everyone says was greedy for gain. It doesn't matter if he was serving himself or a million others…he still wanted that power all for himself because he never trusted me with half of it.

"And yes…I hated him for it. A part of me still hates him for it. A part of me still grins every time I remember smashing his face in or burning him with my breath. Because I wanted him to know…I wanted him to always remember…that he'll never be strong enough to forget me again. He'll never be mighty enough to just pretend I didn't even exist for an entire millennium ever again. That I'll never be just an 'inconvenience' or 'afterthought'. That I'll always be strong enough to knock him off of whatever pedestal he gets on top of.

"And in the end I didn't care what I had to do in order to get that far. Whether it be bathing in raw mako for generations, selling my body to aliens, organizing what was left of a shattered world to kill the human race, slaughtering millions of people, or just plain giving some human brat the worst day of his life. Whatever the cost, I would keep knocking him off of those pedestals. And I'd keep doing it until he stayed down there in the dirt as forgotten, irrelevant refuse…which was exactly how he saw me."

By the end of it Helldramon sighed, before he turned back into Daigo. "Well, I can't say you were right for what you did, but I can understand feeling so inferior that you wanted to do anything to prove you are not always number two.

It was not the same…but that feeling you had with Bahamut, was what I felt about Seiya and my other friend Kamina to. For a long time, it was just the three of us in a universe that did not care about if we lived or died. I was the pilot of our space ship the Spry Falcon, and they took care of stuff outside the ship and I did the stuff inside. It was not much, but we were happy. I was even happier when we became hero's and met more girls.

But, I quickly realized all the respect everyone had for the others, was not the respect they had for me. And, they did not betray me but, they did treat me differently after a while, more like their lackey then an equal. I should have known that when a war was going on across the universe there was more important things but, I did not care, I just felt angry.

I played a stupid game, and I won a stupid prize. I, I should have just left, I could have left at some point but just doubled down, and ruined everything.

That's why, when I first found out what I really was I was angry, but when I got all my memories back I, realized I got lucky. I could have been forced into a lot worst then being teamed up with Ben. He, he was clearly loney and just glad to have a freind that had his back. He did not ask do what the angels did to me, so I did not blame him. The only thing that changed was that are relationship changed between that of a human and a Digimon parther, and that of freinds. But, he did give me time to go off and find myself, it helped a lot on my end.

But that's why I wanted to ask, why did you not just leave and make friends elsewhere or something?"

Tiamat let out a bitter laugh. "And where would I go? There was only one kingdom for my people. That clown my brother, once again, got the pleasure of throttling to death ruined it. We're all but extinct now. There's only sixteen of us even left and humans have grown to be on par with most of us. We spend our days hiding from them now." He scowled. "Guess killing the clown didn't improve our lot that much, did it?"

Daigo sighed. "Man, that does suck. I've seen other Bahamuts on our worlds and they never seem to mind just waiting around for someone to pick a fight with them but, it's never the same. But everyone is different. Well, if you could have the freedom to do something else, would you choose to just fry humans or do something where you could be friends without being a jerk?"

Tiamat was silent. His face didn't change, but neither did it turn angry again. He simply stared at the ground.

"I've never really had that choice before."

Daigo smirked. "Well, it's a big Multiverse, Tiamat. Now you might have a choice. In the end, we are all fighting to not have everyone's life be decided by just a few jerks with the biggest fist. Well, can't promise anything till we stop Sieg and Shinryu from breaking the whole thing but like, if we do this then you might have those options.. "

He kept staring, silently brooding over this latest piece. "Huh…options, you say? I'm not sure I've ever considered what kind of options I might have with all my power…much less what I could have been in a different universe."

"Hey, we don't know what we really are for a while at times. Took me a while to think I was anything but a sidekick or a pilot. I can't tell you what to do but just keep an open mind, ok? If we get through this in one piece, I'll even help you look for a place where you might belong if you want."

This caused Tiamat to flicker his eyes back to Daigo. "And why would you do something like that for me? Knowing full well the kind of creature that I am?"

Daigo looked down. "Because like I said…I know what it feels to be isolated. No matter what I'm not saying you're a great guy. But I also get that sometimes, sometimes life does not give us many options. I can't promise anything. I'm not sure what's left to be honest. But, at the very least I want to give you a chance to have something else in life. I mean if you screw that up then game over man. But…could be fun. Just, think of it as something to fight for other than just being angry, I guess?"

Tiamat paused. He assessed Daigo for a moment non-verbally, but saw that he was being serious. He closed his eyes. One of his claws reached to the tip of his chin.

"Something to fight for besides myself, eh?" he half-muttered back, then lowered his claw and exhaled. "I'll have to see whatever universe we end up in has to offer, but…I suppose this does give me to look forward to."

Daigo smirked. "That's fine. I know Ezan and you started off on the wrong foot but it's just that he takes this very seriously. With the enemies we been fighting, it's the only way we could survive."

Tiamat glanced at Ezan, seeing him talking with the others in the distance, then turned back to Daigo. "I'll tell you want I want far more than anything right now—seeing the ones who unleashed Shinryu dead. So if nothing else I'll follow any plan he comes up with until then. After that, all bets are off."

Daigo nodded. "I get ya'. This is bigger than anything any one of us have dealt with. But everyone from everywhere is joining together to fight back, and we have to make that be enough. If anyone can get people to work together, it's Ezan."

Daigo then goes on to explain more of both his past and the Enji to Tiamat as Ezan goes about planning things with the reinforcements from the Multiversal Rebel Alliance.

As more and more of the reinforcements were arriving those not use to any other world but there own were having to adjust to more than a few things. Mack saw some of the Gundam's fly out of the Eternal before he widened his eyes.

"Wow…would you look at that. I don't think Shinra in our world ever came up with anything like those. At least…not so many. It's like they took the old Proud Clod, improved it, and mass produced it. It's gonna be nice having some giant robot mechs on our side for once."

Masaki overheard him and laughed. "They're not giants, man; they're Gundams! AKA high tech mobile suit units!"

Mack turned to him in surprise, but soon got his confirmation. As the 00 Qan passed by, the chest cavity cracked open and allowed Setsuna to get out of it.

"Ok, phew…color me major impressed," he finally was able to get out. "It's enough to make me wish the war was back on if I could get at the helm of one of those."

"You a pilot? Want to give it a try? We got a few spares after some of the Gundam's lost their pilots."

Setsuna nodded before he looked at the Eternal. "He's right…the Immortal Justice Gundam and Destiny Gundam are still without a pilot."

Mack looked at the two Gundam's in the hanger bay, blinking almost like a kid at Christmas. "You serious? Well…I'm honored, but I think I'm going to have to say no. I'm not sure I want to helm a machine I didn't have time to train with. I…don't suppose you have anything along the lines of a more traditional airship?"

Masaki shrugged before he glanced at the Mother Vanguard ship. "Well, not sure if the Voltron guys have a spare lion. Oh right, we raided a base where those Shinra assholes were trying to complete some new thing. It's some native thing they were reconfiguring, an, Emerald WEAPON? I think it could turn into a jet like state?"

Masaki pointed above before Mack was shocked to see a winged green giant. His jaw practically hit the ground and he gaped in silence for several seconds.

"Something the matter?"

"You said Emerald WEAPON…just letting it roll off the tongue. Do you know what that thing is? That thing was built by the Planet itself to be capable of killing all mankind. It's a living engine of mass death and destruction. And Shinra was really trying to turn it into a war machine for their personal use?"

After a pause his answer was."…You mind if I can see how it looks from the inside?"

Masaki smirked. "Sounds good to me! Just um, got to prove to the others you know how to not blow everyone around you up, ok?"

As the two pilots went off to talk shop Ezan saw Masaki looked excited before he allowed himself a small smirk. "I'm glad so many were able to arrive. Sergeant Cortez, you're sure more reinforcements are on standby?"

Another member of the Multiverse Rebel Alliance who was part of the Time splitter war, a member that wore a black shirt under grey flat armor, as well as black pants, black gloves, and his trademark goggles walked up. He also wore a strap on his torso, with two blades sheathed on the front, and a red light shining over his left shoulder. As he saw Ezan look at him he snickered. "C'mon Ezan. At this point if it's not time to split now then there won't be a next time so…it really is all or nothing."

Ezan paused before he saw Kregg, Anissa, and some of the other surviving Viltrumites land near him before he gave a nod. "And I'm grateful despite all you had to adjust that you came to help."

Kregg grasped his fist before responding with a bitter, "You really think we would just hide and mourn, Ezan? This is the only way we can avenge Nolan and all the others that this infernal IV & Conquest killed, so just tell us the plan so we know what to break!"

Ezan sighed as he saw Cloud talk tensely with the younger Sephiroth before he looked in the direction where Shinryu went. "It's simple really…we are going to raid a city, and take out everyone there till we secure the Tuning Fork and rescue Aerith. Those two things are the only things to hold back on, along with any other bystander still stuck in Midgar."

"Simple is just what I need right now." Anissa hissed out. "So how much time do we have?"

Before Ezan could reply the ground started to shake, causing the sliver haired man to grit his teeth. "Time seems to be up."

Tseng and the other Turks were proving their loyalty could be questioned, when Tseng's monitor sent a message before he widened his eyes. "The pre, Rufus is making a speech?"

He gave his phone to Cissnei, who nodded and gave the phone to the other Rebel Alliance member, Lucca Ashtear. The purple haired woman took out a gadget to put it on her robotic body guard's head. As it did, it expand the image to allow everyone to see Rufus in his office. The head of Shinra, and member of the IV &C let out a smirk before he waved. "Greetings to everyone on the planet, including those who foolishly decide to still resist destiny. I want to give you one last chance to go to the Promised Land.

"The late president, my father...single-handedly turned a small arms manufacturer into the greatest company the world has ever seen. And transformed all our lives with the miracle of mako. So I invite you to join me in a moment of silence for a great man gone too soon.

"We live in challenging times. Some may feel that I am too young—too inexperienced—to lead us. But to them, and you all, I say this... The Shinra Electric Power Company will endure. The challenges we face can be overcome, if we summon our courage, and cut ties with the past. Yesterday is behind us. We must look instead to the promise of tomorrow.

"For today is a new day. And the first long, arduous journey which we must take together. Follow me, and we will reach our promised land. This I do solemnly swear before you all, as president of the Shinra Electric Power Company. My friends—place your trust in me, and together will we achieve our dream of a better world.

But there are those who are too arrogant to see the truth in front of him. I know there are some who are confused about all the changes that have taken place in the world, but all that matters is that successful actions are always taken by those who don't hesitate. This alliance with the Infinite Victory and Conquest is to make sure we all prosper. But great glory, comes at great cost. And those who are unable to see that, are in the way. To prove we are serious, an example must be made.

"For some time now, Wutai has insisted on resisting destiny and being a thorn in are side. Godo Kisaragi has had many chances to do the right thing, but has deluded himself about his chances. Now, there is a price for that. Scarlet, tell General Douglas Hein it's time to make them pay that price with the Zeus Cannon."

Scarlet looked ecstatic as she walked up. "Still think you don't have to pay the Tariffs, Wutai? YOU'RE PAYING NOW! Do it!"

Yuffie tensed up as she uttered, "Wait what…what are they doing? Are they going to try and use that giant cannon from Juno?"

Ezan tensed up as he looked in the sky and yelled out, "Masaki, we have to find anything in the sky that's a, huh? No!"

To his horror he saw a light before a beam from the sky and come down in the distance. An explosion could be seen from where they were, causing Tseng to widen his eyes. "Did…did Rufus just nuke Wutai Village?"

Ezan saw Nil and some of the others behind Rufus looking delighted before he grasped his fist tightly. "He may not be calling the shots anymore. But it does not matter, he made his bed and now he has no choice but to lie in it."

Yuffie cried out in despair as she fell to her knees, "No…dad…everyone…NO! DAMN YOU SHINRA! It's never enough, ITS NEVER ENOUGH TILL YOU TAKE EVERYTHING!"

Ragnar shuddered even as he gnashed his teeth at the sight. "So this is what it would have been like if they had finished that weapon… Damnit. I don't think Godo had any chance of drawing any secret plan this time… With an orbital weapon they didn't even have a warning. Even Leers wasn't that ruthless."

Barret looked at the Zeus Cannon before he grit his teeth. "If these assholes could do that, why did they not fire that at us?"

Ezan had his aura erupt before he answered with, "Because they either wanted to show we can't stop them or knew I would deflect the attack. Either way, they will pay for thinking victory is already theirs."

Rufus went on to keep talking as he made a dramatic gesture. "Wutai paid dearly for clinging on to the past. The ideal of nations is over, we are in the era of the network state. A network state is a highly aligned online community with a capacity for collective action that crowdfunds territory around the world and eventually gains diplomatic recognition from pre-existing states.

"A network state is a social network with a moral innovation, a sense of national consciousness, a recognized founder, a capacity for collective action, an in-person level of civility, an integrated cryptocurrency, a consensual government limited by a social smart contract, an archipelago of crowdfunded physical territories, a virtual capital, and an on-chain census that proves a large enough population, income, and real-estate footprint to attain a measure of diplomatic recognition.

"This is a far superior way to function than the inefficient states of the past. Shinra will guide the future. So, one more time, you will come with us to the future or be left behind."

The transmission ended, before Lazard winced. "Rufus…you always wanted to prove you were better than me, father, and everyone. You always said that fear ruled better than money, that 'a little fear is all that was needed to control the minds of the common people'. Do you really think you're in control now?"

"I don't care what he thinks!" Yuffie yelled out in fury, "He's going to feel the pain of my people before this ends no matter what! I'll blow that entire damn city up!"

Ezan winced before he motioned to Angeal. "We still can't blow everything up or we will lose everything Yuffie. If you want to avenge what you lost, make sure there's still something left before this is over. But, speaking about the things we can't blow up, it's time to see what the status is on the things and people we need to pull it off correctly. Angeal, did they have any progress with Benji?"

The sword men winced before he sighed. "Aki Ross and a Dr. Sid have been working with him along with a few others, but it seems this counterpart of your friend is severely traumatized. He's only spoken a few words."

"Is he even aware of where he is?"

"You can ask her; they just brought him here."

Ezan turned around to see a woman with a few soldiers come out of a shuttle, with Benji in a chair. The woman had shoulder-length bob-style black hair and brown eyes. When not in her USMF recon jumpsuit, she wore a formal gray blouse and skirt. She saluted Ezan before sighing. "Sorry, I tried my best but, he's been damaged for some time."

Ezan saw Benji looking around like a cat ready to bolt before he sighed. "Is his mind so gone that he can't see reality?"

"At the very least, he's responding to basic things that prove he is aware where he is, I think that he just…does not trust anyone."

Ezan took a deep breath before he closed his eyes. "Understood. I'll try and reach out to him."

Bahamut eyed him carefully. "What did you have in mind, Ezan?"

The sliver haired man looked at his sword. "Whatever it takes, but…I'll try the less extreme method first. It…might be easier to calm him down with my various Sharingan spells and that might make him obedient at first, and if he's not able to respond for what we need him to do, alter the path of the energy. Furthermore…no matter what state he is, he's still a human being and deserves the chance to being talked to like one. I owe Auro and all the others that much. Aeris would be better at this, but I'll do what I must. After all this time, at least some of her compassion just might have rubbed off on me."

Ezan walked up and saw Benji eye him. He just yelled out again before Ezan put out his hand. "Can you hear me Benji? I am Ezan Zeon, and I'm not your enemy. We never met, but you remind me of a friend of mine. You're safe here, for the moment."

Benji looked around before he yelled out, "Benji…mother…see."

Ezan sighed before he looked down." You want to see your mother? I'm sorry, she is not here right now."

Benji cried out again as he looked up. "N…No! Protect…mother…safe."

Ezan sighed before he looked at the sky. " Can you understand me? I learned a bit about you Benji. You were a soldier that fought to protect your mother?"

Benji's eyes twitched before he looked more coherent. He looked at Ezan, for the first time looking more aware of his surroundings before he muttered, "Wanted…to be a hero…but failed."

Ezan nodded before he looked at his own hand. "I know what it means to fail, and what it means to not be able to protect what is important to you. I used to think I was too good to fail, that I could not fail, but that friend I talked about opened my eyes, along with a few others. I know, that people have been harsh on you for some time. But you're not meant just to suffer. You can be a hero still."

Benji widened his eyes before he looked around. "I…I can still be a hero? Still…so much pain, so tired."

"You don't have to do the fighting that I and the others have to do really soon Benji. We just need you for one thing. Shinra…has a tower. This tower is unleashing energy that will kill us all if we don't stop it in time. The man in charge of this tower has the same hand as you. That means, if you go there, you can stop it."

Benji looked shocked before he blurted out, "I, can stop it? I can, save people?"

"Correct. All you have to do, is think of moving the energy to somewhere else than where it's been made to go. Can you do that?"

Benji looked around and realized how many were looking at him before he looked at his hands. "Someone like me…can still be a hero? Someone like me…is not a loser?"

"Not everyone can be a warrior, but anyone at the right place and right time can be a hero, and can have pride, as long as they have the will. So do you have the will Benji?"

Benji had tears come out of his eyes before he nodded before Ezan smirked. "Then we will work together. I have to start fighting soon, but others will help you get to where you need to be. You can be a hero Benji, I promise."

Rivet walked up before patting Benji on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help you understand the tech stuff man. I'm great at explaining tech even for d, er, even for newcomers. And my new friend can help with the tech stuff too, right Lucy?"

Ezan noticed a woman walk next to the Lombax. It was a young woman of slender build with light skin. She had naturally white hair and red-purple eyes. She wore light red eye and lip makeup. Her hair was cut in a split bob - with her left side left longer - and dyed with a colorful pastel rainbow gradient.

Her eyes appear to reflect with the colors of her hair. Her style generally follows Kitsch mixed with Neomilitarism as Lucy wore a cropped white jacket with a black netrunner leotard with red accents over a pair of white shorts and high gray stockings, and black knee-high boots.

She had a deep dive port installed on the back of her scalp, that she covered with her hair. The woman saw Ezan glance at her before she shrugged." I'm Lucyna Kushinada.

Being a hero is not really my thing but, you guys got me out of Arasaka Tower and kept David alive…so since I really don't want to die or be stuck shackled to another tower, I'll help blow this other one up."

Ezan saw David Martinez give a thumbs up behind Lucy before he looked around before he took out his sword. "Fair enough. Alright everyone. It's about time. At this point, it's all or nothing. We either shut down Shinra, or everything dies."

Daigo narrowed his eyes before he gave a grim nod. "You got my back no matter what Ezan. These jerks have taken enough and I'm sick of how much they can get away with!"

"All that means is we have nothing to lose," Eden added before she deployed her own helmet again, lighting up the visor. "Which means no need to be afraid."

"I think I like that philosophy," Ragnar half-chuckled. "Besides, 'weakling' or not, I still feel pretty invincible with Master Bahamut at our sides."

The dragon looked a bit grim at that, but only for a moment. He took a deep breath as he flexed his renewed body up to full height. "I can't promise I won't fall again, but I won't falter this time. That thing that calls itself my father will die. There is no other option."

A loud thump on the ground was heard nearby. Bahamut turned and saw, still sporting half a sneer, Tiamat walked up to his side. Giving one last mighty stretch, the last of his wounds sealed and he too flexed to full height.

"Just tell me what you need dead, human," he addressed Ezan. "And I'll oblige you for today."

Garland smirked before he cracked his neck. "No matter how much chaos there is, I'll kill it all! But, sounds like I'll need some back up on this one."

The younger Sephiroth nodded before he closed his eyes. "I can't speak for my counterpart that is my enemy to come, but I hear the planet screaming. If this other Sephiroth ever cared about the planet, he does not care now. That's all I need to shut him down."

Another member of the Multiversal Rebel Alliance, the mecha pilot Gaiou, the King of Destruction, cracked his neck. "It's time to show these scum whose passion is burning brighter eh? Let's go!"

Ezan nodded before he grasped his blade tightly. "Just hang on a little longer Aeris. No matter what it takes…this mission will be completed successfully!

A humanoid Frog walked up before taking out a sword." Come comrades, no matter what let us fight with honor!"

Carbuncle gave a nod…before doing a double-take on the newcomer. "Uh…ok. More espers. Can't knock having some more of those."

The humanoid frog man laughed. "No, rabbit, I'm not a pet. I'm a Knight and master swordsman."

"Well I'm not a pet either…" Carbuncle grumbled back.

Something caught Frog's eyes—namely the weapon that Azure was keeping at his side. It caused him to turn to him, which, in turn, alerted the young man. "Oh, you also have Masamune? You hath potential to be a good swordsman! If we live through this, I'll train you!"

"Thanks, but I'm hoping this battle means a universe where I have less reason to use this sword," he quietly answered.

Ragnar looked around, taking note not only of the different versions of people but the plethora of different sizes, shapes, and apparent time periods. "This is the real thing… Yesterday I thought the Multiverse was something from movies or comic books. Now we got a whole army from across it."

"It's encouraging," Eden's mechanized voice responded. "I'm glad to see no matter what reality you come from people don't care for being shackled down by a few greedy a-holes."

With that, the entire gathering prepared to move out.

As they did Rufus may have finished his speech but he was not done yet. Back at the Shinra HQ he saw Shinryu casually fly into the sphere in the sky, and the rift caused by the Tuner Fork before he narrowed his eyes." This dragon…you're sure it won't attack us?"

"No need to fret." Nil replied." Shinryu is powerful, but a beast all the same. As long as we distract him with energy, he will be sated enough to not interfere. But it's time to speed up the pace. Transfer all energy to hear now."

Rufus glanced at a monitor before he shrugged." Unless you want to use a spell, we are transferring energy at full speed already."

"Heh…that was before we enhanced your Mako Reactors to a level of effectiveness beyond what you could do with your previous level of technology."

Rufus paused before he narrowed his eyes." And this has been…tested?"

Hojo smirked before he licked his lips." No worries, President Rufus, it will speed up are objectives."

Rufus sighed before he nodded." Then go ahead."

Scarlet looked ecstatic as she yelled out," Let's have some fun!"

She pressed a button, before all the Mako reactors in Midgar started to glow. The ground started to shake before it released a burst of fog that consumed all of Midgar. The citizens still living in the city were trying to get to Shinra tower, one of them being the loathsome middle-aged man with a short and portly build, the lecherous crime lord Don Cornero. He had fair skin, sported a thin mustache, and blond hair shaved on the sides.

He had the word "Love" tattooed on the side of his head. Corneo wore a red, three-quarter length coat with fur trim on the collar and cuffs, an open white pocketed-buttoned shirt, blue jeans a dark brown buckled belt, and white dress shoes. He also wore an assortment of jewelry, including stud earrings, a medallion necklace, and several rings on his fingers.

He was riding a giant monster, and was looking down a bloody man with white hair, with a dozen woman who were all looking at Corneo with contempt. Coreno licked his lips before uttering," Really Leslie…you and your pal Guy Montag hear thought you could deny me what I want to do with my property? I don't care if every last one of you ladies despise me…I bought you all so your my personal celebration toys! Hotch…Kotch… Beatty! let's show these gal's how rough the night is going to be?"

He was caught off guard by hearing screams, and saw fog was sweeping across the city. He saw the fog before he raised an eyebrow." The hell is going on? The brass is playing with the weather for some more creepy crap?."

As his lackeys shrugged in confusion a new male voice replied with," Oh its nothing like that. Its nothing abnormal. The death of the body is a natural phenomenon. And in liberating our souls from their corporeal shells, we are returned to our true forms. People always decry the truth when forced to face it. Soon, you too will come to understand how meaningless these earthly vessels truly are."

Coreno saw that the man who talked was a man in black who was mysterious man wearing a Hannya mask as seen in Noh plays. Coreno raised an eyebrow before he spat out," Are you one of the Turks? I told Rufus I'll do whatever he wants but put on the damn uniform!"

"Oh I'm not that…I'm Hannya of the Faceless, hear to welcome all the new members."

"I don't care what order you're from I'm not joining!"

"I never said you would want to join."

"What the, huh, AHH!"

The fog consumed Coreno, and everyone else in Midgar, causing the man named Hannya to laugh madly as he saw ghost like figures slowly march out of the fog." People always decry the truth when forced to face it, but now the entire Multiverse will be forced to see the truth."

While the masked member of the IV&C laughed, most of those who were still alive in Midgar were horrified, Rufus included."

As the ground kept shaking Rufus glared at Hojo." You idiot, you killed us all!"

"Don't be so over-dramatic sir, this is part of the plan."

"But you're killing everyone with that fog."

"Nonsense, if you calm down you will see everyone of our employees will not be effected by the fog thanks to the ID tags, and the metal on them."

"You killed everyone in the city?"

"Shinra is about to expand sir, the "Normal" people of this city are no longer any use to us after the end of the experiment."

Palmer let out an uneasy chuckle before he rubbed his head." But how are we going to stay in business if there is no one to buy are stuff or tax or all that?"

Scarlet snickered before she shrugged." We already milked these idiots for all there worth, Shirna can expand to make even more profit from this!"

As Heidegger nodded Hojo smirked as he looked up." The entire life-stream of this plane is now ours…we will appease this dragon, my son will ascend to be what he always was supposed to be, and we will all get what we deserve."

Rufus saw some alarms go off, and saw that the Alliance was quickly coming to Midgar before he narrowed his eyes." We will see. But it is becoming quite clear that Avalanche and its new allies won't accept reality till it's smashed into their faces. It's time to settle this."

Lady Nil smirked before she glanced behind her. "Well now, think you can make these rebels know their place Luca Blight?"

A man with shoulder length dark brown hair and dark devilish eyes with always a cruel and wicked smile on his face. He wore a full clad of white armor in a gold trim with a black long sleeve v-neck shirt beneath it, black pants and white thigh high boots in a gold trim.

He also had a blue cape within his armor and took out his sword before he had a wild look in his eye." Let them come! You can round up a million maggots to try to defeat us... but you'll still all just be maggots! Grahf, Ramsus, Miang Hawwa, prove the worth of that Gebler fleet of yours and take off already!"

The masked man next to him had his eyes glow before he uttered," Yes, we will destroy god. That is our purpose... That is our destiny!"

As the group prepared to move out, their targets were already approaching.

The Hagane, The Eternal, the Mother Vanguard, the SRF-003 Calnus, the Durandal, the Elsa, the Epoch, the Castle of Lions Altean battleship, and the Neo-Highwind all flew to Midgar as the Gundam's and the other members of the fleet started to spread out.

Bahamut instantly knew something was wrong, asking what Shinra did.

Ezan used his Rinni-Sharngain to look into Midgar before he widened his eyes." No…aside from the soldiers, I don't detect anyone in Midgar."

Cloud paused before he looked around." You mean, the entire city is attacking us?"

"No…its worst." Ezan answered bluntly." I think, everyone who's not a member of Shinra's army or staff is dead."

Ragnar saw that the Mako reactors were glowing, and his eyes filled with dread. "Even worse than that… All of the voices I've been hearing screaming and yelling until now…they're gone. I can't sense the Lifestream of this planet anymore anywhere…" His teeth clenched, before he pointed at the reactors. "Except from those."

Barret's jaw dropped before uttering," Son…you saying Shinra just sucked this planet dry!? Wait…if the staff is still there then…this was on purpose."

Tifa widened her eyes in horror as she uttered," No, Jessie's mom… Marle, the Angel of the Slums, Chocobo Sam, Aerith's friend that was the teacher who worked in the Honey Bee Inn, they, they are all dead!?"

Barrett widened his eyes before looking behind him." Wait, Marline…Marline's still safe in Kalm right? She and Aerith's mom got out safe right!?"

"They are for now." Ezan answered bluntly." Its only everyone in Midgar that's been killed. But, that might not be the case for long."

Barret grasped his fist tightly before hissing out," Was not enough to kill thousands when you caused sector 7 to fall, when the hell is it going to be enough for you heartless pieces of,"

"NEVER!" A shrill voice cut in before the ground started to shake. Suddenly right in front of Midgar a giant red monster burst out. It was a skyscraper sized red monster with large claws before Red XIII growled." That's their new machine?"

Ezan paused before he narrowed his eyes." Right, you have not fought him yet in this universe.

Its more than that…its Ruby Weapon, one of the planet's defenders. With the state of the planet, have the weapons awakened to fight for us."

All of a suddenly beams of light came out of the eyes of Ruby Weapon before the hologram of Scarlet appeared and she laughed." Kya ha ha! Do you not get it yet? Everything on this planet belongs to Shina! You rats have lingered on long enough, so at least you get the privilege of being part of my Heavy Weapons Platform Testing!

Allow me to present...the latest innovation in Shinra battle armor... Designed by yours truly. This'll be a memory to cherish for the rest of your lives. All thirty seconds of them."

Dael uttered in disgust that they really reconfigured one of the planet's weapons into being their toy before Bahamut growled out that it was not just one that got reconfigured.

Suddenly a giant white monster and a giant humanoid dragon, Diamond and Ultimate Weapon flew down, before a hologram of Heidegger came out of Diamond Weapon and a hologram of Palmer came out of Ultimate Weapon before Heidegger 's hologram laughed." G'yaaa, Haaa, Haaa! So you really showed up! You sure did treat us like dogs up to now! But you're learning the hard way that everything and everyone's fate on this world is up to Shinra to decide! Everyone!"

Palmer let out an uneasy chuckle before adding," You're either a winner or a loser, that's the breaks!"

Barret aimed right at Palmer before howling out," Or you're just a suck up tub of lard that landed on the right side you damn fat ass!"

"SHUT UP!" Palmer hissed out." I had it! And now you're going to pay! I'm a director and you will show me respect! We are the masters of everything, and you're going to beg for mercy before this is done!"

Ezan had lighting crackle around him before he uttered," No matter what you stole, it won't be enough for you to stop you from getting what you deserve."

Scarlet had her eye twitch before she yelled out," You don't realize just how much we have now eh? Unleash everything! EVERYTHING!"

Ezan saw another giant with a red core emerge before he tensed up." Wait…that's Lost Babil…the machine created by Zemus and other radical Lunarians to destroy Cecil's world?"

He then saw a large warship that was generating a whirlwind before he uttered," And that's…Sky Fortress Bahamut…the sky fortress Vayne Solidor tried to use to destroy Rabanastre?"

Tiamat let out another sneer. "They even named their airships after him…"

"Oh, put a sock in it…" Carbuncle's own telepathic voice chimed in.

Ezan then saw the bio-mechanical giant Atlas from Lighting's world, the parasite Lavos, and others emerge before he closed his eyes." You can gather as many grunts as you want, I'll cut them all down."

A new voice chimed in at that—not on the radios or through telepathy, but radiating through the very air itself.

"And what good would that do, Mr. Zeon? Or any of this, for that matter?"

Eden froze just as she was beginning her newest transformation. "Oh no…"

Even if Ezan couldn't see the look on her face, the look on her comrades' was something else entirely. Each one of them had gone white as Carbuncle's ears slicked down.

"Great gods…" Ceja gasped.

"Oh no…oh no, no, no…" Cid practically sputtered.

"Not her…anything but her…" Cryder lamented.

Jalab began to shake as he grasped his staff with both hands and recited a mantra.

"Ok, I'm out…I'm not dealing with this…" Carbuncle half-muttered as he simply turned around and tried to walk for the nearest corner. "Just…just tell me when she's dead, ok?"

Taraketh could only close his eyes, exhale, and speak quietly. "I should have known we'd eventually see you again too…Lady Mianyl."

Before Ezan might have responded, a pillar of darkness erupted from the skies itself. The shade vanished soon enough—only to reveal the young, cold, and stoic form of Sorceress Mianyl beyond it. She kept pace perfectly with the rest of her allies, and stared the entire fleet down without fear or change. Her crest spread behind her—already bearing the marks of all three of the other Sorceresses in addition to her own.

"She's already come back at the peak of her power…" Eden spoke nervously.

Mianyl's eyes lit up with violet light. "It's been a while, Dael. Or Eden. Whichever you prefer. Such a pity. So many of us snatched from blissful oblivion to be given the curse of existence yet again. But do not fear. Your suffering is at an end. Everyone's will be very soon. I'm sure you remember the others, yes?"

Ezan narrowed his eyes before hissing out," Are you suppose to be some sort of evil counterpart to Aeris? Wrong time to try and taunt me."

Dagio eyed the new arrival tensely before he sighed." Her scent is not entirely the same Ezan, but sounds like she's trouble based on how are new freinds are looking."

Mianyl raised a pair of clawed talons and snapped her fingers. Two more pillars of darkness erupted on either side. Both Eden as well as those on board Ezan's ship tightened up on seeing the new arrivals.

"Sorceress Veriguno…" Jalab remarked.

"Sorceress Cybus…" Taraketh practically sneered.

"Again we find ourselves on opposite sides of a conflict," Veriguno stated plainly as she crossed her arms. "Well…no sense arguing at this point. Or lamenting the past. Jalab…I hope it's quick for you, if nothing else."

Cybus smiled, as Eden grit her teeth on seeing her youth was restored in this form as well. "Why hello, my darlings! It's so good to see you all again! And Taraketh? I'm so very sorry, but you know what they say about Hell having no fury like a woman scorned. And I'm still quite sore about you rejecting the generous offer I gave you. So now I'm afraid I won't be singing you all a blissful dirge to send you into the great beyond this time. But good news!" Her teeth bared malevolently. "We've brought you some old friends to play with!"

She waved her hand to generate her harp of ice and immediately strummed it before Eden could say a warning. Except it didn't seem to matter this time. Instead, four new monstrous pillars of darkness appeared. Soon, Eden and Bahamut alike were wincing and sweating on seeing the horrendous forms of Yug, Shaddamehl, Soddoth, and Hulukith emerge and fill the sky.

"Oh, and by the way, my lovelies…we perfected them this time. That means each time you manage to kill one, you can expect its new and improved replacement along directly behind it. So fight all you like. I'll enjoy as you never get so much as an inch closer to the tower while they slowly wear you down before eating you alive." She held a moment before shrugging. "Oh, why not? Have some more!"

More portals appeared as the classic four fiends Kraken, Tiamat, Lich, and Marilith.

Other monsters from the Two headed dragon Lullenth fought in the Dark World, to the Necron spawn Zidane fought also appeared before Garland saw the four fiends and grit his teeth." Ash, Neon, Jed, Sophia! They made you their slaves!? Damn them all!"

The Warrior of Light grasped his sword tightly before uttering," I don't think they are the same ones Garland, so don't feel the need to hold back, just kill all the "chaos" you want."

Another roar was heard before a very mutated monster erupted out of the ground. Barret saw that it was a monster with a human head, a egg shell like body, tree like legs and arms, and a hat with a giant human heart on it before he winced." Oh hell, how much mako you have to swim in to turn into a monster like that!?"

Strohl looked at the new monster in disgust before answering with," That…is a human."

As others looked at him he sighed." In are world, the United Kingdom of Euchronia, humans are a class of rare monsters with bizarre, unnatural forms that set them apart from normal beasts ,a human.

We later found out that they were actual humans like you all, just like the other tribes but mutated beyond recognition through intense exposure to melancholia, the toxic form of magla. If exposed to sufficient amounts of melancholia, anyone from any of the nine tribes that mutated from human beings can become a human.

We later found out that Louis' end goal is to force all of the former human beings to evolve into humans, which would (according to him) erase all inequality among the tribes, and leave only those with the will to become "new humans" that will rebuild a stronger civilization devoid of anxiety. This one is called Homo Avades."

Barret snickered before spitting out," Some of these assholes have way too much free time damn it."

Another demonic being arose out of the shadows before Edge Maverick tensed up." Wait…some of the Grigori are hear to? That, that's the Kokabiel we fought on En II!"

The inhuman being just folded its hands." We are the one who is all, and the all who are one. May your hymns of despair become the first cry of a beautiful new universe as they weave together in infinite harmony."

Another castle came down from the sky before the Voltron Lions flew up and the pilot of the black Lion, Lance, cried out," Wait, is that Castle Doom? Prince Lotor?"

As the castle suddenly transformed into a giant mecha Lance cried out," He turned the castle itself into a Robeast? That won't be enough, form Voltron guys!"

As the lions combined into a bigger robot, a giant demonic woman burst from the ground before Alica winced." No…the Profound Darkness that terrorized the Algo Solar System?"

Masaki saw a giant red and white monster descend from the sky before he winced." Wait, that's Neue Regisseur and the Einst? Guess they got "Bought out" by Sieg to!"

The masked man Hannya appeared out of the darkness as well before he laughed." Such a shame it is, that none of you can appreciate the wonders of this journey! I was not mistaken, I succeeded! The two realms…connected at last! When the souls of humanity are at last free from there mortal prison…they at last will be made pure! I shall finally be made one with my family again! We will exist…IN ETERNAL PARADISE! UNSHACKLED BY LOSS AND SORROW!"

He absorbed the souls of what seemed to be his wife and child, along with countless others to become a giant three headed " Amalgamation" Visitor demon.

As he roared, Luca Blight laughed as he slammed the ground with his sword." All your army is really going to amount to be food for my Beast Rune Incarnation!"

A giant two headed wolf emerged as well Mianyl started to glow. "It's over, Mr. Zeon," Mianyl stated flatly. "For you, for Dael, for Bahamut, and for all of your allies. Our forces are infinite. It's folly to even try to overcome them. You're only making things harder on yourselves. The sooner you realize how meaningless and pointless your struggling is, the better it will be for all of you. However…" She flashed her violet eyes toward Dael, forming a hint of an sneer. "Knowing how stubborn that little planet over there can be…I doubt you'll take my words to heart. Yet as you will soon see, that also means nothing. I go now to bring oblivion with both our blood matriarch and our true matriarch."

Dale, Bahamut, and Ezan all charged at her only for energy blasts to come her way.

He saw it came from a large black mecha with bat like wings that was descending from the ships above. As other mecha like it also descended the machine's eyes glowed." I can see…that most of you before me are strong enough to sate my hunger!

I am Grahf, the seeker of power. Doth thou desire the power? My fist is the divine breath! Blossom, o fallen seed, and draw upon thy hidden powers! Grant unto thee the power of the glorious 'Mother of Destruction'! At least make me push Alpha Weltall to its limits!"

Daigo growled before spitting out,"Man, times like this these jerks like to rub in that they really have infinite bad guys waiting to come pile on!"

Luca Blight then came for them on the ground, with a swarm of Shinra soldiers and machines, along with soldiers from the Palamecian Empire, the Gestahlian Empire, the Galbadia army, the Empire of Archadia and its armored Judges, PSICOM soldiers, soldiers form the Empire of Niflheim, and more before he pointed his sword at Ezan." You seem like a worthy foe.

Let me tell you something. There are weak men and strong men in this world. The strong men take everything and the weak men die. That's how the world was designed. Now I will show you how it works, weaklings! Hey Deepground, show me you live up to the reputation those men were talking about!"

The others saw a pillar of darkness before a few crazed men and woman came out. One was a thin man with long unkempt black hair and magenta eyes with feline irises. A mechanical pair of wings spreads from his back. On his left was a male of superhuman size, who stood at a full 9'5. His yellow eyes glow with black sclerae, and he had glowing blue streaks on his face due to the mako in his system.

He wielded a huge firearm. He had cerulean hair and dressed in blues, grays and whites, wearing a blue cape, tank top, gloves, trousers and boots. Presumably due to being infused with mako, his blood was neon blue.

On his right was a woman in her late twenties with shoulder-length crimson hair and matching eyes. She had a widow's peak and her hair was styled spiky.

Her outfit was revealing; she wore a connected one-piece baring the Deepground colors with crimson sleeves. She wore gold armguards and black gloves with spiky fingertips and a long, furry crimson cape that drags behind her, thigh-high boots and torn red stockings.

Yuffie saw the masked man's eyes before she looked even more bitter than before." That guy…that's the freak that killed Sonon when we were sneaking into Shinra! I may not be able to avenge everyone but, I'll avenge him damn it!"

Ezan looked at Yuffie in confusion before uttering," That…does not add up, but I guess Deepground being active earlier in this universe is not the most, disturbing kind of change."

The masked man widened his eyes before uttering," Much as I don't enjoy a barbarian giving us orders, I was short a few souls, and came to collect. I'm Nero the Sable of the Tsviets. Here is Rosso the Crimson and Azul the Cerulean. Are introduction, will be a bloody one."

Rosso licked her lips before she took out her twin blade and licked it." This is the mighty Avalanche eh? Tsc... they wouldn't last a day in Deepground! But this should be a fun game to play!"

Reno winced as he saw Shinra's most extreme soldiers approached before he spat out," Man Rufus really fired us and let these freaks stay on board? C'mon!"

Ezan saw Rossos's amusement before his aura erupted." I don't have time to waste on scum like you…I have a mission to see completed."

Luca Blight laughed as his sword glowed." You think the views of pigs matter!? Look at me! I am sublime! I am the true face of evil!"

Ezan just glanced to the others before he sighed." Is it ok if I leave the majority of these hostiles to you? I, don't have time to waste."

Bahamut gave a respond before Rossoa giggled." It's cute you think you have a say, this will be a day to, GAUH!"

In a flash Ezan showed how serious he was before he burst forward like a bolt of lightning. Rossoa blinked, before realizing her arm was cut off and she cut off blood." No, I will not grant you the pleasure of killing Rosso the Crimson! I, guh."

Despite her outrage, she fell over dead before she could do anything about it. Luca Blight also just realized blood was pouring out of him before he yelled in fury and turned around to see Ezan was already in the sky and yelled out," Unf! You insect! No! I can't be killed!"

Daigo, once more as Shinryudramon also had his aura erupt before he looked at how fast Ezan was going, saw the Giant of Babel coming before he narrowed his eyes." Ezan is right…no matter how many walls you put in are way we are blowing them all down!

Giga Drill Breaker!"

The Royal Knight Digimon had his drill come out just in time to plow through the giant in his way.

As they took off Bahamut saw Ezan casually shatter the four fiends that Dael's group fought in an instant with his shock-wave based magic spell on his way up the pillar of energy.

He then saw four new pillars of shadow immediately produce another four monstrosities.

"Mianyl wasn't joking…" he remarked. "And with her involved, things will be even more troubling. I'm concerned about how she remarked that there was another 'matriarch'…"

Tiamat snarled. "Stop analyzing things, Bahamut! Just focus on blowing these things away so savagely that they're too afraid to come back for more!"

With that, darkness oozed from the Guardian Force's jaws as he cracked his mouth open wide, took aim at the Sky Fortress Bahamut, and discharged a sky-shattering blast in the form of a Shadow Flare.

The man in command of the Fortress, Judge Zecht yelled out," I, Judge Magister, condemn you to oblivion!" As the weapon responded by shooting back with its own thunderous Mist Cannon…for all the good it did.

The Shadow Flare made contact with it and rapidly seemed to consume the entire blast into itself to only grow more potent and stronger, and it traced right up along the beam until it plowed right into the cannon and through the entire fortress, opening it up into a towering, flaming pillar that sounded a blast across the battlefield.

Tiamat grinned malevolently at the next nearest opponent. "Foolish humans… Some of you may have gotten stronger, but your toys are just as fragile as ever!"

Azul roared in defiance as he took out his giant chain gun and roared out," No matter what kind of beast you are, you are not stronger than us! Huh?"

He saw the ground shake before a bunch of humanoid sharks suddenly came out of the ground and started biting him before one that looked like the commander yelled out," You will see that the true beasts are the Shi'ar villain! Give him hell men! Born of the sand! Hammer in hand! Feared is the chorus of the Shi'arcs!"

The minion of Lord Louis who Cloud's group encountered in Cosmos Canyon, Zorba, saw the tall man being dragged down by the shark soldiers before he hissed out in outrage." You vermin won't stand in the way of Lord Louis and those who seek his dream! Now die! All of you die! There's no place for parasites like you in our new world! Mamudonyne!"

He prepared to attack everyone around him with a barrage of dark energy till Hunkelberg jumped up and slashed the blasts back with her blade. She glared at her enemy and hissed out," You're the parasite who won't stop infecting everyone around them Zorba! You can't stop us!"

"Lord Louis is everything to me! How could I expect a damned clemar to understand what it's like!? You... You must know... Surely an elda like you must know what it's like! To be an outcast, to be every fool's scapegoat! They call us "lesser tribes"! They loathe us! Their speeches of tribal harmony mean nothing when every day, they cheat and abuse us!

Do you think I didn't believe it once? That I never dared to hope my efforts made me equal? Then I heard exactly what they think of us... "The lessers are expendable. Send them to the fore and they shall be our living shields." They doomed us and laughed as we died! Well they won't be laughing anymore! I'll show you traitors my true rage!"

He unleashed a surge of dark energy before he transformed. His hair was now slicked back, his third eye was now open to reveal a demonic-like eyeball with red sclera and a green iris, he had two red lines resembling blood running down his face from his third eye through his other eyes and he laughed in mad delight. I am made for Lord Louis's world! My new form... proves I'm worthy!"

He fired another laser blast only for Leon to protect his ally with his shield before uttering," It just proves your insane you wanker!"

Zorba had energy crackle around him before he hissed out," Silence! You're fools all! You fail to grasp Lord Louis's ideals! You're expendable! The lot of you! Expendable! You hear me!? You're blind as all Lord Louis's enemies... and I'll see every last one of you dead! So now I'll, GUH!"

He was suddenly stabbed from behind, and saw it came from a man with the same uniform as him.

He was a tall young man with dark gray skin, red eyes, a scar over his right eye and long, messy black hair with a few short braids on the sides. He had features resembling that of an animal, which in his case, is a pair of sharp cat ears and a shaggy, long-haired tail.

His attire consisted of an untucked dark green long-sleeve button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and a white neckerchief worn with black flared pants. A brown belt with gold rings hangs loosely along his waist and he wears brown metal-tipped chelsea boots.

Zorba saw the ax go deeper into his heart before he hissed out," Basilio Lupus Magnus? How…how dare you!?"

"How dare you think I'd just watch Louis kill my brother Fidelio and think nothing of it! Louis is a liar, and you're a fool for listening to him! I'll die fighting to avenge my brother then just let this stand you, GUH!"

Before he could kill off Zorba he was blasted in the back, and the others saw it came from a man with purple hair. Basilio saw this man with tall, slim young man with pale skin and dark purple hair styled in an undercut.

He wore a black attire and boots under a long purple leopard print coat with black reptilian leather lapels and a matching sword belt. He accessorizes with a spiked piercing in his left ear, a gold igniter choker, barbed wire necklace and a gold necklace adorned with a miniature dagger, along with black half gloves.

Basilo saw the new attackers grin before he spat out," Damn you Idaeus Glodell! You think a man with that kind of honor will fulfill his promise to you?"

"There is no real honor you dolt!" Idaeus spat out smugly." There is only doing whatever it takes to win!"

"If that's the case then I don't feel bad about what's about to happen."

"You think you can, huh?"

He turned around to see a giant beetle-like craft the size of a city block coming at him before his eye twitched." A Gauntlet runner! Wait, NO!"

The machine smashed him before he could move, causing Hunkelberg to smirk." Nice timing Neueirus Corvus Corax! Now, Heismay Noctule, Juani Cygnus, Euphausia Etoreika, before he can recover!"

Her other allies, two woman and a humanoid white furred rat fired magical blasts to attack Zorba from all sides before the three eyed man screamed out," Dammit... not again... Lord Louis! AHHH!"

As he was vaporized Barret smirked." You Shinra scum may have hired a few more extra muscles but we got everyone from everywhere coming hear to show how fed up with your crap we are! It's over!"

"It's not over!" Scarlet roared out as she had Ruby Weapon fire a barrage of blasts that made Barret dive for cover." It does not matter how many beggars come at us like the rats they are…you're all going to learn the hard way that only the rich matter!"

She prepared to fire the Ruby Ray at everyone in front of her, only to hear another sound coming from outside of the WEAPON—one that sounded similar to her own attack only much louder and stronger. Confused, she looked out from the helm…just in time to see a ray twice as large and Emerald color sailing straight for her. Too late to gasp, she could only buckle in as it made contact.

Another air-shattering eruption went off as the entire Ruby WEAPON was knocked askew and sent scattering. Some of those turned to see the sight and, for a moment, would have felt an increase in dread as they saw the full bulk of Emerald WEAPON burst from the seashore, leap onto the ground, and then gun its engines to start hovering toward the battlefield. Yet that would have only lasted a moment before a new hologram switched on to join the others.

"Hey you Shinra sycophants! Lose something?" Mack's visage shouted as it was traced in midair. "Here! Let me give it back to you one shot at a time!"

With that, the shoulder sections of the Emerald WEAPON opened up wide and began to discharge concussive, repeated Aire Tam barrages against the entire enemy line.

Setsuna has the 00 Qan flew up and yell out," That's right…you who distort the world, all worlds won't be allowed to have there way! The Gundam's will cleave you down! Trans-Am!"

At the same time the Snow White Prelude Gundam flew at Diamond Weapon before Heero declared," Target: Heidegger, director of Public Security of the Shinra corporation. Lock on and fire!"

Before his winged Gundam fired the Neue Zwerg Buster Rifle barrage at Diamond Weapon. As the Phenex and Aerial Rebuild Gundams fired on Palmer in the Ultimate Weapon, and Suletta used her mobile suit's Permet links to remote control the Inmortal Justice Gundam and Destiny Gundam as well.

Grafh saw the mobile suits attack before his machines wings extended." That was... a most delightful scream. I was enthralled by it. Nothing is more beautiful than a scream of death. The absence of wrath is an impediment to utilizing your true strength, so I'll bring forth enough wrath for all of you."

He fired a fireball at the back of the 00 Qan, only for Gauo to have his own mecha come down and punch the projeticle away before the pilot yelled out," Sounds like you might give me a good workout! Don't let me down!"

As Gaou confronted the Alpha Wetail, Masaki and his pals attacked the Neuer Sternregesseur, and the others engaged the various forces Shinra unleashed, Ezan took one last look below at the state of the battle before he grasped his hand tightly." It seems, they can handle the current group of enemies. I have to have faith they can secure the Tuner Fork, at least for now. Right now, what I know for sure is every second I waste further endangers Aeris. I, I lost so much, I won't lose her too! Hang on just a little longer. Be it anyone from Sephiroth, to Shinryu to Seig himself…I won't let them kill you again!"

He and Daigo flew up through the sphere in the hole in the sky to get to the other side of the tower, but little did they know that someone was closer to Aeris then him, and was trying to work with her new ally to see it through in time.

But despite this, Krysta still had to work carefully, so as we return to where we left Aeris off last time she was still trying to stay calm, even if she was strapped naked to an ominous device as she was surrounded by sadistic men who looked at her like a science project to hack into.

At the moment Lady Nil had returned with Mianyl after summoning the extra monsters before Lady Nil smirked." Good work Mianyl, that should be enough to fix what's broken."

Aeris saw Minayl looked a bit like her and rolled her eyes." Damn it Hojo! Was not enough for all this but you just had to make clone servants of me for kicks?"

At this point Mianyl went over to the bound flower girl. "I'm not a clone, matriarch. I'm your descendant."

"Wait…what?"

"In a sense, at any rate. On my universe, the founder of the Order of Hyne was Sorceress Aerith the Radiant. The first of all Sorceresses. The herald of the rebirth of magic following the conclusion of the second War of the Magi.

She possessed the greatest of our powers, and it was split to her descendants. Their bloodline scattered and spread over time, but it always gave rise to new Sorceresses. Both though birth—and through inheritance as we pass on our powers to another upon our deaths.

"It is an honor to meet you, in spite of our circumstances. Know full well that I was the greatest of the Order of Hyne in my world. I alone managed to regain all of your diffuse power into myself. I used it in the most fitting way possible for an heir to the planet—to end the original sin known as existence. I failed then, but it seems I have a better chance now."

Aeris just sighed. "I don't know what Hojo, that Lazard creep, or the others programmed you to think but it makes me sick for them to make you think this way."

"They have done nothing to me," Mianyl calmly answered as other pillars of darkness appeared behind her, allowing the other three Sorceresses to join her. "My desires are my own. Life is nothing but chaos. Nothing but misery. Nothing but destruction. To even sustain a single life means it must consume and destroy others to sustain itself, and all actions, no matter how good or evil, only increase chaos. You must understand this more than anyone, Lady Aeris. After having lived the life you have. After having seen what your husband has had to endure.

"You have fought so hard, and yet this is all you have to show for it. Repeated deaths only to be brought to life again to fulfill the needs of others…and always to wage war and death. Yet even if you were to have a quiet life, what then? You would only sire children that would have to fight future battles, as Ben Auro and Doug Fitter did. You would selfishly sentence them to more pain and suffering to fight a battle you yourself could not win.

You must know by now that even if you were to escape, to save this world, to destroy Sephiroth, and then to go on to destroy Sieg and his Infinite Victory and Conquest Corporation, it would make no difference.

There would always be another 'Zannacross', another 'Beyonder', another 'Sieg'…and countless billions suffering and dying just to buy the universe a little more life. Why bother? Why be born when to live is pain and to survive is chaos?"

Aeris looked dismayed at the coldness in the clawed woman's eyes before she looked at Veriguno, Cybus, and Faerio and she winced. "And all of you feel the same way?"

"But of course, darling," Cybus cooed in reply. "This universe and existence has nothing for me. I lived the good, proper, honorable, and celibate life of a sagacious Sorceress for decades. What did it gain me? Nothing but a withered body and a religion honoring me with an alabaster tomb. I believe I deserve something for all I've done for the good of so many lost souls, needy individuals, and poor, orphaned children. And if this universe can't give me what I rightfully deserve?" She let out a light laugh before her voice turned cruel. "Then it can get thrown out in the trash and be replaced with a better one."

"I will not waste another second of my life on a 'noble cause'," Veriguno calmly yet firmly responded. "I am tired of defending people I care about and learn to understand only to have them snatched away from me regardless.

One by one, I have seen everyone and everything I have ever loved taken away from me both by the 'wicked' and 'good' alike. It does not matter if one calls themselves greedy or magnanimous…so long as there are powerful people, there will always be entire peoples and ways of life that can conveniently be overlooked in the name of profit or the greater good. I have nothing left to believe in anymore except Lady Mianyl's vision. I am ready for this to end."

Faerio was quiet for a moment, until she realized eyes were on her. At that, she coughed. "And I'm sick of always being shoved on the sidelines. We always had the power to change the world, but everyone always made us hold back. Follow the rules. Be prim and proper. We could have done some real change.

We could have stopped everything bad at the onset each time some bastard came along.

We could have made a world order that could have given a lasting peace. But instead we always had to hold back and let a bunch of self-interested, cowardly bastards run the show. And that's just what's going to happen again if the IV and C doesn't get their way. Instead of one corrupt corporation running everything is going to be run by a few thousand. Well, to hell with that!"

Aeris looked down. "If all you wanted to do was die, then why are you here and not dead already?"

"I told you already, didn't I?" Mianyl calmly responded. "Existence itself is the greatest sin. Simply dying will change nothing—we will all inevitably meet that fate. I want to ensure that existence itself is erased. That there are no more births or misbegotten lives to sully the universe with, and no afterlife for any souls to go to dwell in any form of perpetuity. I want beautiful, eternal, peaceful non-existence. A realm where nothing can ever live because nothing can ever be. No mortal life. No immortal life. Nothing but endless sameness and formless chaos…for all eternity."

"So your happy with just letting Sieg control everything there is? He sounds like the kind of guy you should hate the most."

Veriguno actually grimaced at this before she looked away. As for Mianyl, she stared plainly back at Aeris, unmoving and expressionless, before she took a few steps closer to her and leaned her head down—ensuring she could hear her speak quietly.

"Lady Aeris…from one matriarch to another…you and I both know how this will end. It's true that I have no desire at all for this Infinite Victory and Conquest Corporation to ever achieve its long-term goals. Even if they destroy all other universe in existence, having only a single one designed to last forever and dictated entirely by one man's will is, I dare say, even more repulsive of a notion to me than it is to you.

"But we're wiser than the others. We know what will happen. It will only be a matter of time before a man like him starts disliking the fact he must share his prizes with others. Before he starts to loathe those that could possibly be his equals. His madness will grow only faster in a universe of his own. He will kill them. One by one they will displease him and be destroyed by him. Until there is only him left. And then, left with nothing but his ever-growing madness and need to be validated yet incapable of suffering anyone to validate him, he will destroy himself and be consumed by his own chaos. Then I will at last have the blissful, multi-versal non-existence I seek."

Suddenly Ultimecia came in and smirked." All will get what they deserve foolish Cetra. Since time immemorial, we sorceresses have existed within a fantasy world, a world you so foolishly made up in your heads.

Sorceresses in black dresses, sacrificing pious citizens in dark rituals. The merciless sorceress who uses dark magic to burn your fertile land and to chill your homes at night. Such drivel. You, you tried to be a good " Fairy" to win over the masses eh? And how did that get you? Which one of us is living in a fantasy now?

Reality isn't so sweet, not sweet at all, and all that remains for you fools is this. You tried to run back to your fantasies. But now the time for running is over. You and I, together we shall create the final fantasy, and within it, life and death will be nothing but mere dreams."

Sephiroth snickered before he closed his eyes." No matter the universe, the majority of you are mourned at the time of your death, causing the entire world to fall into despair."

Aeris let out an uneasy chuckle before she shrugged." What can I say? Tried to be likeable when I could, makes living in the slums easier when less people want to steal from you, or worst."

Lazard laughed before licking his lip." Oh I'm aware my dear, that's why I want you to be my beloved!"

Aeris rolled her eyes in response before spitting out," Can be a drag when the pervs get the wrong idea though."

Wilhelm saw her defiance before he snickered." You been trying to define yourself your whole sad life eh? People always try to live a life of choices between 'good' and 'evil.' They make pessimism their foundation, and praise misfortune and sorrow. And then they try to seek a pure heart.

Yet this is nothing more than their individual view, born out of comparison with others. Is she who thinks of others 'right'? Is he who opened the door 'wrong'? Only those who stand in a place beyond that point can comprehend the true essence and gain knowledge of absolute truth. What we can do is limited. For precisely that reason, we need a world that is fitting for us. And we are the only ones who can accomplish that. Dreams, future, possibilities. She was born to put an end to these fleeting illusions. Everything follows the destined flow.

But alas in any case, the intermission is over and the players stand upon the stage. All that remains is to wait for the knight to appear. And for that, it is necessary that someone play the role of the villain.

T-elos, can you make sure things are secure hear while we check on things above?"

A woman walked up that had dark skin and aquamarine blue eyes. Her long hair was a silver white caliber and she was clad in wearing a black suit with red and dark purple highlights before the woman T-elos flicked back her hair and shrugged." If I must. How amusing. Try your best to entertain me!"

Lady Nil looked up before she sighed." Then let's go to the center of the Chaos Shrine so we can ward off Shinryu."

Sephiroth nodded before he pointed his blade at Aeris." Rejoyce Centra…your death will be unique across everyone in the Multiverse. Prepare."

He ascended out of the room with some of the others before Aeris winced at seeing the Zarathustra machine start to glow. She saw Aerith and the others start to panic before she tried to stay calm." Aerith, everyone, it's not over! To the very end, the planet, all are planets are not bound to these scum!"

Lazard laughed before making a dramatic gesture." No need to worry my dear, you will have a future, being reborn as my wife."

"Shut up!" Aeris shouted back defiantly." Ezan and the others got through worst…I remember how we saved Lacus from being absorbed into Zannacross, so I know he will make it here!"

"Your protests are growing tiresome, as well as flippant," Hojo remarked with a snort. "It's already too late for the brute to do anything about this. I planned this entire experiment out myself. Neither his limited mind nor any of his oafish companions can do anything to delay it now."

With that, he reached over to push the button to initiate the energy purge. For a moment, Aeris' heart skipped a beat on seeing his finger nearly touch it…

Before a resounding gunshot echoed through chamber—blowing Hojo's finger clean off.

He grit his teeth and let out a scowl…far less pain that was expected, but still yanked it back and clutched it to his chest. Cursing, he began to reach into his pocket for some sort of restorative as he looked up to see who had done that along with everyone else in the room.

Their eyes soon rested on Krystea stepping around a corner, gun out and aimed right in between the demented scientist's eyes.

"Guess you're not as smart as you think you are, because someone did make it in time."

Aeris widened her eyes with hope and smiled. "You're already best sister of the year, Krystea!"

While T-elos and some of the others instantly prepared to attack Lazard put out his hand to cause them to pause before he looked intrigued. "My now…we missed part of the collection? Thank you for coming, my dear."

Krystea didn't hesitate. Snapping about, she fired off another bullet aimed to take off the man's head. That was made quite clear to everyone when Lazard froze it in midair with his magic.

Krystea was undismayed as she stepped out, keeping her gun leveled, and fired again at the man. Even as he stopped that one as well, she fired off another shot as she called out to him. "The name's Krystea…Krystea Anne Valentine. And I'd tell you to shut down your demented experiment right now before I kill you, but that'd be a lie because I'm going to blow you and the rest of your mad scientist club away in any case."

Lazard laughed, completely dismissive of the threat. "Is she one of yours, Hojo? I thought we agreeded to clean up before the endgame eh?"

The man scowled as he smeared some sort of gel over his finger, which seemed to immediately close the wound and start to make it regenerate. "Of course not. If she was, she'd be strapped down with the rest of them. This one's clearly another failure. Some scrap of gene trash the Shinra from some backwards universe obviously made in a desperate attempt to copy the original."

Lazard narrowed his eyes. "I see…well I know what you are. You're one of us."

Krystea frowned as she fired the last shot from her gun, only to immediately lower it, crack open the barrel, and reach for a fresh round of bullets to load. "I'm not sure exactly what that is supposed to mean, and I don't really care. I'm not like some people.

I don't really want to give you the chance to try and crawl into my head. You better pray that your mana gives out before my bullets. Because otherwise I'll just have to come over there and break your neck with my bare hands."

Ultimecia laughed before she walked up. "I know what you are as well…Aleron."

Krysta was to shocked to hear the Cetra and just widened her eyes. For the first time, her resolve wavered slightly. She ended up shaking and nearly missing dropping her bullets in the gun before she stiffly slammed it closed. "No…that's not who I am."

Ultimecia's grin smirked before her eyes started to glow. "Oh, but it is my sad child. Let me show you your true self, from right out of time."

She caused a pillar of light to appear…blinding this time instead of shadows and darkness. Krystea tried to look upon it, but as it grew bright and golden and condensed into a sphere, she was forced to wince and look away. She held for a moment before the light suddenly terminated, and the moment it did she snapped back with gun drawn.

For a moment, she saw only black feathers slowly fluttering down, before a silver-haired form in a long black cape and one, long, black feathered wing dropped to the ground in a crouch. Krystea stiffened but steeled herself as she nearly squeezed the trigger on the individual.

Yet then the new arrival slowly rose up to her feet, and it soon became clear from the curves and form of her body that it was not Sephiroth. But if anything, this made Krystea even more horrified.

Aeris winced before spitting out," Oh come on Hojo, now you tried and fused me and Sephiroth together? You just want to break the creep bar at this point?"

"She's not a clone, she's Krysta if she embraced her darkness!"

"Oh...er...everyone goes through a phase Krysta its no big deal!"

Krysta was to shocked to respond. She would have dropped her gun right then and there if it wasn't strapped to her wrist, before she recoiled like a child before a tiger.

"No…no, it's…it's not…"

The figure, now standing, raised her head. And to the surprise of all of the Aeriths in the chamber, she had their face but Sephiroth's eyes.

"Hello Krystea," she spoke smoothly, darkly, and with a hint of seduction. "How nice to finally meet face to face."

The woman struggled to raise her gun, but was too petrified to move. "You…you can't be real…"

"Oh? And why not?" She chuckled darkly. "You don't really think there weren't any universes out there, especially in the Negaverse, where I finally consumed you like an unwanted cyst, do you? In fact, how can you be so sure you're not the anomaly? After all, you were never anything but trash before Hoeng's experiment gave birth to me out of your useless flesh and bone."

"Stop it!" Krystea shouted, loud enough to jar her body out of its immobilization to point her gun at her again. "I told you I'm not playing any of your mind games!"

Aleron was unperturbed, by her rebuttal or the gun. "Oh Krystea…you should know by now that soulless flesh puppets always flock to Sephiroth's line like moths to a flame. You didn't really think you were any different, did you?"

A gunshot went off, but it was so wild it impacted only the back wall. "Cut your crap! I don't care about any of that garbage!"

"So…you never realized the truth," Ultimecia smirked. "In that case, how about a thought experiment Ms. 'Krystea Anne Valentine'? Why in the world did you ever become a Turk in the first place?"

Krystea was so petrified of Aleron it took her a moment to register the question. "Huh…?"

"Why did you become a Turk in the first place?"

"I wanted to be like my brother. What's it to you?"

"Your brother? But I thought Aerith was your sister? She didn't have a brother."

"Foster brother!"

"Oh? So you somehow left the side of your sister and your dear mother Ilfana and ended up in another family. Did you grow up with your brother?"

"Of course! I always looked up to him! That's why I wanted to be a Turk! What's that have to do with anything?"

"But whatever happened to your dear brother?"

"Ugh…he's still here, but what does that matter?"

"Oh? What's his name?"

"Vincent!"

Aeris, hearing this, along with the other Aeriths, suddenly registered some confusion. "Wait…what?"

"Now how old is Vincent right now? And why isn't he with the rest of the Turks?"

Krystea grit her teeth. "Are you trying to distract me or something?!"

"Don't deflect, Krystea," Aleron smiled back. "Think about it."

"You shut up!"

"Go on…think about it. Assuming you even can think about it."

Krystea's face fell. "Wait…what?"

"Think about it if you are even capable of doing so. Why isn't your brother with the rest of the Turks?"

Krystea hesitated. She blinked. Her fear gave way to a somewhat blank expression. "Because…because…"

"Yes?"

"Because…he…he went with Professor Gast and Doctors Lucrecia and Hojo to…to…to Nibelheim…"

"Go on."

"And…and after…Sephiroth was…was conceived…he…he was experimented on and…and put into stasis."

"For how long, Krystea?" Ultimecia asked with a note of cruelty on her voice.

Krystea blinked. The color began to sink from her face again. Her pupils shrank.

"For…for…thirty…thirty years."

"And how old are you, Krystea?"

The gun started to lower again. Krystea began to shake. "I'm…I'm…a year younger than…than Aerith…"

Aleron smiled wider. "I have a riddle for you, Krystea. How can someone grow up alongside her brother when the day she was born he had already been in a stasis tube for nine years? The answer: she can't…unless she's not really who she thinks she is."

The gun dropped again. Krystea looked like someone had just shot her in the heart.

"Yes, Krystea…you begin to see it now, don't you?" Ultimecia cooed. "Don't blame yourself. After all, your creators genetically programmed you to never think about the false memories they gleaned from Vincent Valentine's sleeping body to make sure you weren't a catatonic lump of tissue when you awakened. Shinra didn't have enough Cetra material with the original Aerith. Hojo admitted that she wouldn't live long enough to be of any use unless they had a better specimen."

"Now I see—I knew it all along," Hojo spoke up with a snort. "More Shinra trash. Hacked together by some half-baked intern's project, no doubt. What an utter waste. This failure doesn't even look like she can talk to the Planet."

Krystea couldn't respond. She looked so weak it was like a breath would knock her over. She held up her own hands and stared at them. "I'm…I'm not Aerith's sister…? I'm just some…some clone?"

"Don't despair, dearly beloved," Ultimecia responded. "After all, the Sorceresses owe you a great debt. You may have been useless to Shinra, and you may be without mother, father, brother, and especially sister, but you were my progenitor along with Mianyl's. You left a very great legacy behind…even if it was one of blood and conquest."

It was like salt in an open wound. Krystea wrapped her arms around herself as she began to tear up on hearing this. "No…this…this can't be real…" She clenched her eyes shut, grabbing the sides of her head. "This…can't be true… It can't…have just been a lie…"

"Believe whatever you want for the next few seconds, Krystea," Aleron spoke as she began to walk forth. "You won't have the burden of needing to live with a lie much longer, after all."

Krystea grit her teeth, hissed, grasped the side of her head, then finally reacted. Snapping back to life, although tears were running out of her eyes and her face was wild, she raised the gun and pointed it at Aleron.

The woman stopped, but smirked again and snorted. "And what do you think you're doing now, clone?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Whatever I am, I am not you!"

"You better watch yourself, Krystea. I don't think you really want to fight me. Especially with all of that fear in your eyes. You know full well I'm more than you ever were or ever will be."

"Go to Hell! I couldn't stop you before but I'm going to now!"

Aleron smirked once more…then vanished. Krystea barely had time to gasp before the woman appeared right in front of her, burying her fist inside her stomach. Krystea's smaller body crumpled around her fist and arm before she was flung back and smashed into the nearest wall of machinery, hitting hard enough to break a few things before sprawling to the ground.

She struggled to get up, but barely managed to lift her head before Aleron was in front of her and kicking up; catching her under the chin and knocking her into the air. She was left airborne for another kick that swept her out of the sky and sent her toppling over like a rag doll before collapsing to the ground in another painful heap. She struggled to rise again only for Aleron to once again get on her; seizing her by the throat and yanking her up to eye level with a wicked smile.

Krystea, clearly sore, bruised, and in pain, formed a fist and lashed it out across Alerton's face with three focused blows. Aside from making Aleron's face shift a millimeter, she seemed to only damage her own hand while the female Sephiroth never batted an eye.

Instead, she pulled back a fist and drove it into Krystea's midsection, knocking the wind out of her again and sending her sailing across the room once more. When she smashed into another wall and began to sink to the floor, blood was oozing from her mouth and she grasped her middle as if something was broken.

"We finally get to meet face to face, and this is the best you can do?" Aleron taunted as she walked toward her. "How sad. I dreamed of the chance to be able to carve you out of your prison in my flesh, and now you're only disappointing me. Or maybe you just finally realized how worthless you are compared to me?"

Practically crying in agony, Krystea raised her weapon again and forced herself to aim steady. "No! You're just a mistake! A monster! My sister beat you, and I'm going to kill you!"

She pulled the trigger…but in the time it took the barrel to even kick back Aleron had already moved to her side. Krystea's eyes widened as Aleron seized the gun and, with one mighty clench, broke it into pieces. Krystea gasped before she was seized, yanked off the ground, and then slugged hard enough to slam back into the floor again. A splatter of blood painted alongside of her face when she went down.

"You fool...you don't have a sister. You don't have anything. You're the mistake. You always have been. You're nothing more than leftover genetic trash scraped together for someone's science project."

Yanking her off the ground, she smashed her fist into her again.

"A milkshake of bits and bobs of real people."

Another blow spilling her blood.

"Even your past and memories that shaped you were stolen from someone else and inserted into your freshly-created brain."

Another painful strike.

"Cloud was never anything more than Sephiroth's puppet, but you weren't even that to me."

She began to repeatedly beat Krystea, smacking her around one way and another, as she taunted her further. "That flesh slurry your co-creator made to try and recreate you...that is your true identity. You're the one who never should have existed. I at least gave your otherwise useless flesh and bone meaning and purpose.

You? All you've ever done is left hurt and pain behind. Your beloved 'sister' became a divine goddess in several timelines. You settled for being a cheap hitwoman. Ultimecia is your legacy. So if you really want to give your excuse for a stolen life meaning, be a good little Cetra...and die for nothing!"

With one more punch, Aleron sent Krystea spilling back and left her sprawled over a console. Her face and body was sporting a mess of bruises and cuts now, and she was clearly too sore to even get up from that pounding. As for Aleron, she simply smirked as she flourished her hand to one side, causing reality to warp before a long, cruel, and deadly scythe with a spear tip end materialized in it.

Hojo snorted. "A true failure of a specimen. At least the Sephiroth variant of her has some value. It might have been interesting to see what their offspring could have been… At least this settles that even a combat-ready Cetra was inferior to Sephiroth. It'll make for some interesting data if nothing el-"

The scientist stopped in mid-speech upon hearing a click. The others in the room turned at the same time, some of them looking rather surprised. Standing behind Hojo, a gun barrel pointed at the back of his head, was Maritza. And she was smiling quite broadly.

"Sorry, you old buzzard, but I'm afraid I just don't have the stomach to let you live a second longer."

Lazard let out a half-snort, half-sigh as he raised his hands to attack. "I knew it all along. Sheer impudence like children running amock in a swamp."

Seeing him and T-elos looking out for blood, Maritza cleared her throat. "Oh Astos? Now is the time."

The dark elf gave a curt nod, before he quickly reached over to a console and threw a switch. A moment later, Lazard, along with Aleron, T-elos, Krystea, Aerith, and just about everyone else seemed to slow down to be practically motionless.

Hojo, looking more annoyed than anything, looked about and saw this, but soon noticed that the only four who seemed to be moving normally were himself, Hollander, Astos, and the woman with a gun to his head.

"You have three minutes at the most," Astos stated. "That's the most I can give this temporal wake of recycling seconds over this small area."

"Plenty of time," Maritza coolly answered as she stepped backward. Once she had gotten away from Hojo, she motioned the gun barrel to him. "Turn around, little man. Let me get a good look at you."

Hojo let out a bored snort as he slowly turned around to face her. "I should have known all along. You small-brained apes would try some meaningless attempt at some sort of revenge." He sighed. "It really gets quite tiresome having to deal with such trifles. I knew all along you should have been killed on sight."

Maritza smiled calmly back, as she reached into her pocket. She pulled out what looked like a cell phone of all things, and proceeded to take a picture of Hojo—much to his displeasure. "Ah…that face. That face I remember so well.

Now this face…this face is of a man who has nothing to fear. Who knows he's well taken care of. That he has precious assets people want, and he's used to others working, paying, dying, and even killing to make sure nothing disturbs him. You…on the other hand…" She lowered her phone and turned her head at him. "You don't remember me at all, do you, Professor Hojo?"

He rolled his eyes and adjusted his glasses. "There's little point to remembering meaningless little lab interns. They come and go and never have anything to offer—intellectually or otherwise."

"Aw…I'm hurt. Tell me…professor…"

Her eyes looked wilder. Her smile grew. Her grip on her gun tightened.

"What…is the chemical formula for chalk?"

Hojo raised an eyebrow. "What sort of nonsense are you talking about?"

Martiza cocked the barrel of her gun. "What is the chemical formula for chalk?!"

"Fine, fine," he sighed back. "Calcium carbonate. Is this your pathetic idea of a joke?"

Martiza ignored him as well as his answer. "I remember you all too well, professor. I remember the day you walked in. Oh…things were great before you showed up. I had already spent four years with Gast. They said the future of weapons development was applied sciences so I got into his lab.

He was such a joy to be around. Patient. Never scolding. Used everything as a learning experience. Helped me awaken my new aptitudes. He was warm and kind… He baked cakes for our birthdays, did you know that? You had to have. Oh, they weren't any good, but you know…the thought that counted. He'd even roast hot dogs on that improvised electrode of his. Heh, I never forgot that. But most of all, he shared everything he learned with all of us. He didn't think it right to hoard it all to himself."

Her voice dropped.

"That's what you liked the most about him, didn't you? That's the value he had to you. I could see it from the first day you walked in. Oh, you had a different look in those days. You were still cold, critical, and had that sickening little smugness and self-importance on your greasy little face, but you also had that greed. That mad greed. I had you pegged from day one. I hated being around you. I hated to even look at you. What is the most abundant gas in the universe?"

"Hydrogen. And you obviously were an underperforming little lab monkey for Gast," he sighed dismissively. "Or you'd have realized that the moment your little time bubble disappears you'll be destroyed and have nothing to look forward to but eternity in hellish games you can't win. Yet, idiotic as you are, you thought this was worth a shot at 'getting even' when you can't even manage that. You can shoot now, if you want. It will be painful, but as meaningless as your struggling."

"There it is again. That same look. That same smugness. That's why you didn't destroy the tapes, isn't it? That's why you didn't care that some of Gast's old interns survived the little 'internal purge' you had President Shinra carry out for you once you became the sole custodian of his research.

That's why you didn't care if one of those junior researchers found them. But you want to know something? I knew it was you long before I watched them. I always knew you'd be the one who backstabbed him, you shriveled little worm. My biggest mistake was I figured I didn't need to warn him. What's the atomic number of Tungsten?"

"74," he answered, before grinning himself and chuckling. "And is this anger I see? Or jealousy? There were plenty of envious ones, to be sure…'were' being the key principle. I simply had the genius and the drive to seize my destiny. I always knew I was better suited to discovery and innovation than the old man.

His best years had come and gone, and now he was going to fritter away his remaining ones on a specimen of all things! Even Lucrecia knew that I was the superior choice to be the father of the Ancients! President Shinra saw which of the two of us was clearly the better one to keep around as well, and he signed off on the whole thing! And as for you, little lab intern?"

He let out a laugh.

"What're you? Nothing, of course. Nothing at all! Just some random wild woman with useless discoveries under her belt crawling up to me like some common barbarian with a gun of all things!" He let out a much wilder laugh. "As if I had anything to fear from any weapon in the entire universe! Lazard and Lady Nil recognized my genius, and so they already has me set for a Progenitor!

So by all means, you dullard! Shoot! I'll have fully been reborn just in time to take what's left of your body and make it into my next specimen…just as I have with every last revenge-seeking moron that has come before you! Now are you quite finished?"

Maritza bristled visibly…almost quivering like a lunatic…when Hojo foul-mouthed Gast. Yet somehow she held on and managed her smile. After a moment, she responded to Hojo's laugh with a small laugh of her own. As if he wasn't aware of a private joke.

"You know…I spent a very, very long time trying to figure out the best way to end things once I was in this position. Simply shooting you, oh…that's far too quick. Hacking you to pieces? Hmm…better, but not what I'm looking for. Burning you alive? Ooo…that would feel good…but no. Feeding you into a giant granulated paper shredder? Aw, now I'm just making more work for myself.

"You know what's wrong with all of those methods, professor? I'd only be killing you. I'd only be taking your life from you." Her voice lowered. "And that's not nearly satisfactory enough for me. No, no, no…just killing you isn't enough. Not after everything you've done. Not after everything you've caused."

Her voice turned madder.

"Not after having to stand in the same lab seeing that sickening smug look on your face and hearing your insufferable smarmy little voice day in and day out… You have to suffer. No…you have to feel pain. You have to know…for once in your rotten, misspent, revolting excuse for life…what it feels like to lose something you care about."

She brightened.

"And I think I found the perfect way in the most appropriate way possible. One nanometer is equal to how many meters?"

Hojo let out a long sigh. "Ten to the negative ninth power meters. And what would that be, you crazy simpleton? Waiting until I get a question wrong on this science pop quiz and then shooting me?"

Maritza smiled even wider in response. She slowly raised her camera and took another picture. On looking at it, she gave a nod. "Ah…that's it. That's more like the face that I remember from back in yesteryear. Here. See for yourself."

She turned the camera around and showed it to Hojo. He looked beyond bored and nearly responded…

…Only to pause. The picture of him was not of how he looked, but of him thirty years ago. Back when he was indeed a new researcher under Gast. At least, it appeared to be from back then. It was clearly a new photograph from recent history. And based on the background and his posture and facial expression, it seemed like it had been taken only moments ago. But that was impossible… His hair line had come back down, the lines on his face had faded, and his glasses…

He blinked. He was looking through his glasses now, but they were blurry. He reached up and pulled his lenses off, and saw he could see better than before without them.

"You liked to turn everyone else into a science project. So guess what? You're going to be my science project. In fact, you already are. Thanks to another person you crossed switching out the medgel you had in your pocket to treat your finger for something more up my alley."

Hojo, now looking a bit stunned, turned to Hollander. The fatter scientist spat at him. "You really think I forgot all that you did to me Hojo? Even if every universe is going to die, at least I can see you die first!"

"Hmph…you always were a hack, Hollander. You're not getting out of this any more easily than this psychotic twit is." He spun back to her. "So what did I take? Poison? A disease? Feh…it means nothing either way. I already told you the Progenitor will take care of all of it. You've wasted your time. All of…you…?"

Hojo hesitated. He blinked, realizing what he had just said. "All of you… All of you…" He echoed. Was his voice sounding…higher pitched?

Maritza grinned, a ravenous light showing in her eyes as she reached up and took another picture of Hojo. "Oh…oh yes, this is great. That look of confusion mixed with irritation. Now that's a look I loved. You had that look when I put tacks on your phone receiver. You had that look when I covered your glasses rims with skin irritant.

And when I laced your lunch with allergen-loaded shellfish. Or when I left unstable mixtures on your counter by 'accident'. Remember any of my 'practical jokes', professor? The ones that started getting a little more deadly once Gast was gone? The ones that made them reassign me…ironically sparing my life from your wrath before you could do me in?"

She stepped closer, still with the ravenous light in her eyes.

"Or maybe you don't recognize me because I'm younger now than I was then? What is an instrument used to measure electrical current?"

Hojo sneered at her and opened his mouth…and said nothing. His eyes went blank. They looked confused a moment later. He lowered his head, clearly thinking and concentrating for a moment, but getting nothing.

"You want to know what the science project is, professor? It's the same one I tried out on myself. The effects of specially-treated Jenova cells on the reversal of aging in an individual. It works wonders! Oh…except for two rather nasty side effects. The first… Oh, darn…I'm sorry to say that it tends to regress the brain along with the rest of the body. How many Sephiroth clones did you number?"

Hojo—eyes widening now—looked up to Maritza in shock. However, he didn't answer because he couldn't answer. He opened his mouth a few times, but it wouldn't come out. He blinked a few times, before he reached up to her. "You…you did…?"

He paused and gasped. His watch was hanging loosely on his arm now and his sleeves were too big. For the first time, he realized he was suddenly shorter than Maritza.

Maritza leaned so close she could breathe on him through her grin in his face. Then she turned the gun around, pointed it at her own head, and pulled the trigger. The sound of a kazoo and a burst of confetti went out. "Surprise!"

Hojo stared a moment longer, before he spun around and went over to the nearest console—rushing now. Astos stood to one side, but regarded him grimly as he went to the buttons. He reached out to them…only to freeze. His face paled.

"Don't remember what all those big fancy controls do anymore, do you, Hojo?" Martiza practically sang behind him. "But they're sure shiny and noisy, aren't they? Makes you want to ooh and aah like a little kid might, doesn't it?"

He spun back to her. "Stop this! Stop it at once!"

"You know what's the one thing in the world you fear to lose, Hojo? That big genius intellect of yours. All that knowledge and all that research and data that you thought was more precious than the lives of everyone around you and even of this planet. You've sacrificed literally everyone and everything for the sake of getting more of it. And now?"

She bent over and fluttered her eyes at him.

"Now all that big, bulky knowledge is going bye-bye!"

Balling his child fists in rage, Hojo opened his mouth again. "Yooo…yuh…yuuuh…?" Again, his face looked horrified as Maritza flashed her teeth.

"Oh…that's the aphasia settling in. The brain tends to regress a bit faster than the body. Makes the conversation kind of one-sided, huh? But I'm guessing at this point you don't even remember where Sephiroth was conceived, do you?"

Maritza drank in the horror she saw in Hojo's eyes, now little more than an eight year old's, as he shrank back toward the console to try and scuttle away from the madwoman. However, she wasn't finished.

Still grinning wildly from ear to ear, she slid in right alongside his terrified, trembling face and pressed her grinning one next to his. She proceeded to take a selfie of both of them. As she pulled it back, she made sure to show it to him—magnifying his horror even more as he made vague noises in a desperate attempt to talk.

"Oh…oh Hojo. I have wanted a souvenir like this for years. I dreamed of having it for nights on end. One where I get to see you so terrified, small, weak, and helpless that you're about to wet your pants. You might just do that in another few moments, you know."

Hojo couldn't answer. By now, he was only five years old and was rapidly beginning to fade into his own clothing. However, Martiza suddenly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him tight as if in a big hug, bringing her lips up to his ear.

"Now while you can still understand a word I'm saying I better finish this up. You mentioned that Progenitor device, right? Well…" She sighed, tsked, and shook her head. "Sorry, but that would be the second nasty side effect I mentioned. You see…that Progenitor device wasn't set to screen out Jenova cells. Can't very well have SOLDIER-types using them if it was, huh? Wouldn't want to end up with garden variety humans on rebirth and all that. That means you're going to keep those cells in your body even when you regenerate."

As Hojo quivered all over like a leaf, growing small enough for Maritza to pick up, she snickered like a lunatic.

"And as you've probably guessed by now, you're about to die in probably one of the more paradoxical and horrific ways possible…you're going to regress to the point of 'unbirth'. Preexistence, as it were. A maddening, empty void where you return to nothingness. Quite terrible. Quite traumatic. And then you know what's going to happen? That Progenitor of yours is going to respawn you right at the moment of birth…and you're going to reverse age back into unbirth again and again, FOREVER!"

Hojo burst into a toddler's cry as Maritza laughed maniacally. However, as he continued to regress in age, she leaned over and quickly faux "shushed" him. When he wouldn't calm down, she clamped her hand over his mouth to quiet him.

"One last thing, Hojo. And this is the icing on the cake. You know what the best…the very best…part about all of this is?"

She looked him straight in his infant eyes with all the wrath of maddened hate that thirty years could build up.

"You don't even remember me in the least. Just like you never remembered any of your associates, your victims, or any of those other 'lesser people' who were so beneath you. That means the one and only thought you'll ever manage for the rest of your eternity of agony and suffering is going to be of my face…"

She let out a wild, hyper laugh right at him.

"…and you'll never know who I am or why I'm doing this to you! Let's see your genius get out of this, you smooth-brained buzzard! Happy trails!"

Giving out one last wild laugh, Martiza yanked the infant Hojo up in the air, raised him high, and then slammed him down against the ground.

Before he landed, Astos' time wake aborted, restoring the time to its normal flow. All of the others had seen this just transpire; albeit at a very "fast-forwarded" speed. However, they were all in time to watch Martiza fling the infant against the ground—only for there to be nothing but empty clothes there by the time it landed.

Ultimecia saw what transpired and shrugged." I suppose I could reverse this but...his laugh was getting on my nerves."

In response to Hojo's painful fate, Lazard only took it all in with amusement as dark energy crackled around his finger tips. "The extent of your hatred is delicious woman…but I assure you my dreams won't be derailed by one petty whore."

As energy crackled around him, Maritza took in a deep breath, wiping her eyes and recovering from her ecstasy, before she looked at Lazard with a bored expression. "Oh please…'whore'? Really? Is that the best any of you can come up with? Lazy and basic. How about 'frizzled-haired cunt'? 'Looney bitch'? For crying out loud, I'm infertile, you jackass. You can't even come up with an insult that makes sense."

Lazard had an aura form around him and he flew up. "Enough. You clung this long to the stage but your intelligence can't help you when my sorcery is invincible!

Dark Savior!"

He was about to blast both Martiza and Krystea together. Yet as he unleashed a blast designed to split to hit both of them, a great sound of a whip cracking echoed through the air, and a tongue of fire lashed around and neatly struck the spell and sent it cascading to one side—blasting a hole into a wall of machinery.

Lazard looked down with a raised eyebrow, most of the others snapped around in surprise, and Maritza let out a whistle. "Cutting it close, shorty."

As for everyone else, they soon saw Faerio—surrounded by flames and flashing her flaming whip about her with one hand as she pulled down her lower eyelid with the middle finger on her other hand.

"Then how about a bit of my sorcery, asshat?"

Mianyl frowned slightly at the youngest Sorceress as her cohorts readied themselves behind her. "Lady Faerio…you disappoint me. One would think you would have learned from the fate of the other versions of you not to do anything so foolish."

Faerio looked back at her and took a deep breath. " I'm the same person! Lady Mianyl…from the very bottom of my heart, f- you." She glanced up to Veriguno and Cybus. "And that goes for you two as well! Sisters, my ass! You're even more deluded that I thought if you think I was just going to shrug off you killing me! And by the way…"

She turned her head slightly, so that the three could see a shimmering silk ribbon tied into the back of her hair.

"You won't be turning me into stone and shattering me again! I'm not going down so easily this time!"

"No, I suppose not," Mianyl simply sighed as she held out her hands, letting tempests of air start to condense inside of them which rapidly turned dark and started to thunder. "I guess I'll just have to annihilate you while you're still struggling."

Veriguno held her hands over the ground, causing a great hammer made of stone to pierce through the metal and grow into her arms. "You chose very poorly, Lady Faerio."

"You youngsters," Cybus sighed as she readied her own harp.

Faerio glanced between the three of them for a moment, then made her move. Her whip snapped out straight for Mianyl's face. The Sorceress didn't even flinch as it bounced harmlessly off of a magical shield around her, before she crossed her arms and sent the thunderous tempests shooting her way.

Quickly, the young Sorceress snapped her whip back around and cast it around in a spiral to make a counter-vortex, before she waved her other hand to increase the size of her flames. A good thing too, because the surge of inferno-like heat served to halt Veriguno before she could rush in and smash her with her hammer as well as Cybus from sending deadly ice darts her way. Gritting her teeth, the young woman snapped her whip aside to deflect the tempests away and then lashed out for Mianyl again.

She simply slid back, not exerting any effort at all, and raised her hands to start generating a Flare. Faerio tried to counter her while she was generating power, but the ground beneath her heaved, and suddenly she had to leap to one side before deadly, spear-like gems erupted from beneath her and nearly impaled her.

This, in turn, left her off balance as Cybus stroked her harp and sent a torrent of cold air whipping against her so fiercely that it would have frozen her solid in an instant. It took Faerio lowering her whip and using both of her hands to keep her fires burning enough to keep from freezing…but even then the cold was so intense it rapidly began to smother them into nothing while keeping her pinned down.

That gave Mianyl all the time she needed to complete her Flare and send it her way. Faerio's eyes widened on seeing the nuclear spheres headed right for her, but her eyes glanced another way briefly. Finally, gritting her teeth and focusing, she performed a Haste spell on herself to give her just the burst of speed she needed to evade the Flare before it could impact her. As an intense, burning explosion rattled her, she nevertheless let the blast send her sailing through the air as she whipped her hands together, generated a pillar of fire, and let it fly.

The attack would have barely tagged Mianyl, and she only needed to shift weight to let it sail harmlessly by. As for Faerio, she was about to recover before a sphere of ice struck her in the gut hard enough to make her eyes bulge and knock the strength out of her. She fell to the ground groaning, but struggled to regenerate her whip. She didn't get the chance, however, before the metal about her morphed into chains and bound her at her neck and wrists. She grit and struggled, but soon the chains retracted and left her anchored to the floor helpless.

"How pathetic," Mianyl idly muttered, holding up a single hand and beginning to generate a wind scythe within it.

Veriguno, now maintaining the spell that bound Faerio, tightened her grip. "If you wanted to die so badly, you should have waited for the end like the rest of us, Faerio."

Cybus gave her a light laugh as she came over to condescendingly pat her on the head, making the young Sorceress glare at her hatefully. "Really now, dearie. Did you seriously think one person alone could change anything?"

Faerio merely glared defiantly back, saying nothing. Mianyl, on her part, finished generating the scythe, took aim at her neck, and reared back to throw it…

Only to let out a mild cry and stumble forward in visible pain as a blast of holy energy shot her in the back.

As she struggled to right herself, Cybus and Veriguno turned in surprise while Faerio grinned—already generating the heat to melt through her restraints. They and everyone else soon realized that Faerio's spell had broken Aeris out of her shackles. The now free flower girl took some heavy breaths before she shrugged. "I just met her but I like her!"

Lazard laughed madly before he put this hand over his head. "You're even more exquisite when you're defiant, but it's no use! The numbers are still uneven."

Martiza snickered. Lacing her hands together, she swung her hands out and brushed them against a large switch on the nearest console. "Whoops!"

At this point Dael's group, along with Ragnar, Zack, Cloud, and a few others were fighting back outside of Midgar with the others.

Eden had just overcome Nero's attempt to drag them all into his darkness only for her to overpower it, when Garland saw a light coming for her and yelled out, "Watch it, woman!"

Garland tried to shoot at the light but only found out at the end it was not an attack as he, Eden, Taraketh, Cid, Cryder, Quaren, Jalab, and Ceja, Ragnar, Cloud, and Zack were struck simultaneously.

For a brief moment, the three looked and saw other lights come on around them in a digital readout, like they were being specifically targeted, analyzed, and coordinated through some sort of logistical program. Then, at that moment, blips of light encompassed them…

…only for the lights to reappear right next to Faerio in a circle. They dimmed a moment later to reveal the group had now been warped right to that very location.

During their moment of shock, Maritza blew on the finger that had flicked the switch as if it was a smoking gun. "Bifrost teleporter. Gotta love it. My compliments on my little friend sending the reprogramming codes into the system."

Cid looked around in alarm for a moment, but then spotted Faerio just as she managed to break free of her restraints. He instantly gaped in shock. "L…Lady Faerio!"

The young Sorceress, in turn, blinked as she recognized him. "Cid!" Forgetting about the battle completely for a moment, she ran up to the young Sorceress Knight and immediately embraced him. The engineer could do little more than release his weapons to hug her back.

Jalab was far more morose when he regarded the biggest Sorceress. "Lady Veriguno."

She let out a sigh as she hefted her hammer. "Jalab."

"Witch!" Ceja snapped back as she brandished her axe and stepped up to Jalab's side.

Taraketh grit his teeth on seeing the oldest Sorceress, tensing up and tightening his grip on his kusarigama. "Cybus…"

"Lady Cybus to you, Taraketh…you miserable little heartbreaker…" she sneered back, losing all pretense of amiability.

"Eden…" Mianyl practically scowled. "But without her sons to help her this time."

Quaren tightened up as he leveled his rifle at her. "Dael still has her friends with her, Mianyl."

"And I'm feelin' luck's on our side today, lass," Cryder smirked as he sliced the air with his cutlass.

"And Maritza!" Maritza shouted as she jammed her fingers at herself. "Think the numbers are more even now, Mr. Lizard?"

Zack looked around before he shrugged." I don't know what's going on but...I think I know who needs to get cut. Even if its not the Aerith I know, your not tormenting any of them!"

Ragnar was about to respond before T-elos suddenly tried to stab him with a blade housed in the covering of her left forearm before he and Cloud saw they had to both use there full power to keep her at bay.

Faerio broke off her embrace to smirk at him. "Some genius you turned out to be. We were doing this right under your nose…opening a hole in your little barrier not only to let all those guys outside come on in as soon as they get through your monsters, but teleported in some backup for us right here and now. Looks like I finally get to join the group."

Garland saw Lady Nil in the distance and narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what's going on but I'm settling this, damn it!"

Mianyl finally formed a frown. "The lot of you were barely enough to handle us one at a time before. I don't know where you get your confidence now." She waved her hand at the group. "Destroy them. I don't care how."

Cybus, Veriguno, and Aleron responded by immediately going on the offensive. However, they were instantly met by Eden and her allies, now being backed up by Faerio, and soon the Sorceresses were being held back in a stalemate.

As for Martiza, she quickly sprang into action herself. Getting another bottle of liquor off of her belt, she dashed across the impromptu battlefield for Krystea.

Aeris wiped the sweat off her head, realizing it was now her against Lazard, Mianyl, and Ultimecia, before uttering, "Well creeps, guess more care about justice then you thought, eh?"

Mianyl let out a snort at that. "Justice? Your new ally doesn't care anything about justice, your universe, or any universe. She only cares about saving her child."

"What?"

"See for yourself," she answered before pointing a taloned finger to one side. Aeris looked, and saw that Maritza was already next to Krystea's crumpled body. Not only that, but she was moving surprisingly tenderly as she slowly laid her against the ground. As soon as she was there, she unstopped the bottle, lifted her head and shoulders with one arm, and tilted it to her lips.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you?" she murmured in a much gentler, calmer, and more motherly tone. "You're always getting yourself all busted up, Krystea…"

She tipped the liquor to her mouth, apparently some sort of elixir or akin solution, and helped her drink it. Krystea stiffened a little, but her wounds immediately began to close up and her bruises subside. She coughed once, before she was able to open her eyes again—and was quite surprised to see Maritza was practically cradling her after helping her drink the potion. The look she was giving her couldn't be more of a polar opposite to the hate she gave Hojo. It was filled with nothing but affection and care.

"C-C-Colonel…Maritza?" she blinked, but then stammered. "Mianyl…did she just say…? But…you…?"

The woman closed her eyes and sighed. "I never wanted you to know. There was no reason to ever come clean about it. I didn't even want to meet you if I didn't have to. I was fine…happy just watching you grow…but…" She opened her eyes. "Lazard and Ultimecia insisted on exposing the truth, so you need to know the whole truth.

Shinra wanted to clone a Cetra, especially after they lost Aerith again. They had the artificial womb. They had the DNA sample. They needed only one other thing…a donor. Someone whose eggs could be nucleated with the clone DNA and manipulated to have accelerated growth to get the resulting embryo to adulthood in record time."

Krystea already got the insinuation, but Maritza's face grew sorrowful.

"I'm not a good person, Krystea. I won't claim to be. I've done a lot of dirty jobs over the years. Many of them I didn't have to. I'll burn for some of them. But know this…they told me that this meant I could have a child of my own, and that is the only reason I volunteered. I wanted so long to truly create something.

Not a weapon or an engine of death…but a life. I wanted to hold one in my arms. I wanted to watch one grow up into something better and more beautiful than I ever could be. I wanted a baby…and I finally had the chance to have one after hearing 30 years earlier that it would never be possible."

She frowned.

"They never mentioned what they really intended for my baby. To make her a specimen. To be able to poke, prod, and dissect her at will. To treat her as a lab commodity rather than a person. Meteorfall…it was a blessing to me. It meant when you were awakened from that pod, you had a chance to have your own life. To grow up as the daughter I always dreamed you'd be…"

Krystea was stunned, but didn't answer anything. She began to grow morose again…

However, she was snapped out of it when Taraketh's body went sailing over the heads of both women—laced with three separate bloody slashes and looking already drained of magical power. He landed on the floor only to gasp and pant for air. Meanwhile, Aleron…scythe now dripping blood…landed in front of the two women with a cruel smile.

"What a touching reunion. How lovely." Her scythe reared up. "Make the little failure feel special right before she dies."

Before she could strike, however, she abruptly aborted and twisted her scythe around to block a giant swirling axe headed right for her. The weapon connected, clanged, and bounced off, but a leather-clad woman immediately shot forward and snatched it out of the air before bearing down on Aleron with an overhead chop. The lady Sephiroth blocked it easily enough, but Ceja kept bearing down on her with grit teeth.

She simply smirked back. "You want to die first? By all means."

Instantly, the two went into a furious clash of weapons—with Aleron clearly being faster and stronger. However, it bought some time, and Maritza turned back to the woman in her arms. "Krystea…get up."

The woman simply looked to one side. "Why?"

"Why? Because we're in the middle of a life-or-death fight. That's why."

"I don't have a life. I never did. I've just been living someone's life who didn't exist with memories that weren't even mine. I'm not a person…I'm just a science project. Everything I thought I ever was that made me who I am…none of it existed. I shouldn't even be here. That's why…"

She sighed, closing her eyes as she began to despair.

"That's why I was never able to make anything better for anyone. That's why I just…just screwed everything up. Everything here…these…these Sorceresses…they all came from me. I never should have been born. I am nothing…I have nothing."

Maritza reached out, grasped her by the chin, and turned her face back to her. "That's not true, Krystea. You have a family."

"It was a lie. It was all a lie…"

"You're wrong," she sharply corrected, enough to make Krystea focus on her. "Use your head, you silly girl. You have friends. Friends who couldn't bring themselves to fight Aleron because they knew you were in there somewhere. You have a brother. A brother who infiltrated the heart of an enemy's defenses at the climax of a war just to save you. You have a sister. A sister who knew the truth of everything about you but never once thought of hurting you with it."

This made Krystea's eyes widen. "What…Aerith…she knew? Then…then why did she-"

"Because she's your sister, Krystea. It doesn't matter how you were born or who's memories made up the first part of your life…she loves you. You risked everything to try and save her from the New Shinra and you loved her and cared about her just as if she was your own. You don't think that sort of thing means anything to people? You don't think it leaves an impact? Take a moment to ask yourself something, Krystea. Even knowing everything you know now, do you still love Aerith?"

The woman hesitated. She clearly hadn't thought of that before. It took her a moment of thinking, but as she looked inside herself and thought it over, she had to nod.

"Then tell me this. Tell me something only your heart knows for sure. Is this love you have for her something that was planted in your mind…or is it yours?"

Again, Krystea was put on the spot. She had to focus again. She raked her brain and thought long and hard about all of the time they had together. Yet in the end of it, for as hard as she thought, she realized something. She had never known about Aerith originally. She learned about her from the files in the Turks. After she had woken up.

"It's…" she spoke almost breathlessly in realization, "it's…mine."

"That means it's real. It's as real as you and me right here. And that means you're really sisters. This is your time, Krystea. This is where you can make the difference! This is where you can take that destiny crap that those horned bitches over there have been spitting out, crumple it into a ball, and shove it right up their asses! From here on in, Krystea Gainsbourough writes her own destiny!"

Grabbing her by her shoulders, Maritza began to yank Krystea up to her feet. Yet the woman didn't entirely let herself be pulled. She found she had new strength to push herself up. In fact, she was feeling lighter and stronger all the time in this new light. The doubt and despair was starting to leave her expression.

"And you want to know how you get started?"

As soon as Maritza said this, the sound of a titanic blow rang out. Krystea looked up, fully snapping out of it, and watched as Ceja was smashed into the nearest console. She went limp, looking as bruised and bloodied as Krystea had a moment ago, while Aleron poised her spear-like scythe right in the middle of Ceja's pierced axe—now imbedded against the ground. She casually licked the blood off of the blade before glancing back to her.

"No more delays."

Martiza clamped a hand on Krystea's shoulder and leaned in close. "You prove once and for all that she's the fake one. For your sister. For yourself."

Krystea breathed in and out a few times, looking at Aleron again. She began to shake a little once again, especially as her narrow eyes gleamed and she grinned wickedly at her. Yet in spite of that, she swallowed back, she balled her hands into fists, and she forced herself to take a deep breath and a step forward.

"Alright…alright," she managed to say, "but…I don't know if I can pull it off."

"Oh sweetie…you don't think your mom is about to send you out to play ball without any new gear, do you?"

She felt a hand seize her on the shoulder again, this time sharply turning her around. When she did, Krystea was stunned to see Maritza had her gun out again in her other hand and was pointing it right at her chest.

A moment later, she fired point-blank at it. The woman gasped as she felt something heavy impact her in the middle of torso, only to look down and see nothing but a black blot against her. However, it lasted only a second before she let out another gasp as her suit and clothes began to erode right in front of her. Turning red in shock as well as embarrassment, she stepped back and began to cover herself.

"Just hang on a moment…" Maritza calmly reassured.

Krystea soon realized that form-fitting, silvery metal plates were forming where her clothing had eroded. Sleek and interlocking to be as smooth as fabric. Soon it started to spread out in the wake of her eroding clothes, until it began to eat away and replace her suit jacket as well.

As it reached her neck, it even reformed her tie…first into a raised collar around her neck and then even accented by turning the fabric into a tucked in scarf. It quickly rippled along the rest of her body, cladding her in what looked like a stylish, sleek, cybernetic suit or even futuristic armor.

Yet while it was still forming, Aleron took off. Krystea spun back around only to see her already on her again, fist cleared back, and looking ready to punch right through her body this time. She didn't even have time to wince…

But when the fist embedded against her new suit, she got a surprise. She barely even felt a thing aside from a light pushing. Aleron's wildness turned into puzzlement, and Krystea didn't do anything more than sway a little. Frowning, Aleron hauled off and snapped her fist into her chest again. The exact same result. Krystea barely even felt like she was touched.

Sneering, Aleron hauled back and struck Krystea across the exposed face with a hit that would have dented metal. Her head barely shifted more than a few millimeters, and she actually went wide-eyed at how little she felt.

"What is this?" Aleron finally scowled.

"Nanomachines, girl!" Maritza brightly answered with a smile from behind Krystea. "Not only is each little one mostly mithril, but united they channel her own mana to form a force field around her 100,000 times more durable than any one of the nanites is individually! Not to mention they also have the nice habit of reinforcing muscle strength, speeding up nerve connections, and even helping the brain process sensory input faster! Her new suit is an entire colony of the little buggers!"

Aleron narrowed her gaze at Maritza. An instant afterward, she dodged around to try and go for her instead…

…Only for Krystea to be even faster and suddenly appear in her path. Aleron froze and, for the first time, registered genuine shock. Krystea, on the other hand, looking far less afraid and more confident now, snapped back her fist and jabbed her in the face.

Aleron's pupils shrank in surprise as the fist connected solidly, and her head snapped back—taking her body with it. She actually staggered back a step before righting herself, and looked back around to see Krystea drop into a fighting position with both of her fists up. Hissing, Aleron again moved in a flash, going for Maritza again…only to have her outstretched arm get halted as Krystea's own arm seized hers. And on catching it, it held tight.

Aleron again gave Krystea another look of surprise as the woman glared back, now firm and angry, before she leaned back, raised a leg, and drove a kick into the Sephiroth lady's midsection. Her face showed nothing but astonishment as she went flying away from her from the force of the blow, and by the time Aleron stopped herself she instinctively grabbed her middle in pain…a gesture that instantly made her look furious.

She looked back up at Krystea as she again got into a ready stance, and gnashed her teeth at her. "Alright you little bit of gene slime…" she hissed before extending her arm, summoning her scythe into it. "Kokushibyou has an atom edge. Even your little machines can't save you or your soft flesh from that. I'm going to carve you up like a roast."

Krystea frowned back. "I'm just going to plain beat you to death."

Hissing again, Aleron was off in a blaze—reappearing right in front of Krystea with her spear tip out. However, Krystea was just as fast and raised her arm to deflect the thrust with the side of her arm before sweeping out a kick for Aleron's head. The woman vanished again, letting the kick hit nothing but air, only to reappear behind Krystea with her scythe blade up and sweeping out for her neck.

Yet Krystea was still faster, and rapidly arched her back to let the scythe sail over her head, and then used the built-up momentum to leap into a somersault over the follow-up strike for her legs.

As she was still spinning out of it, Aleron again vanished and reappeared in front of her with a vertical chop meant to bisect her, but in spite of her speed Krystea was still faster. Not only did she managed to swing her body out of the way, but she stepped forward and quickly gave Aleron a one-two punch across the face.

She tried to give another jab, only for Aleron to vanish again. This time, however, she reappeared right in front of her, scythe up and slashing out. Quickly, Krystea reversed course and backpedaled as the Sephiroth lady sliced out at her legs.

Yet she immediately reappeared a bit closer and sliced again, forcing her to move back once more. And again a third time. The rapid slashes were soon forcing her back, and nearly pressed her up to the nearest console to block her in.

Krystea, fortunately, realized what was happening. So before she could pin her, the woman leapt back, kicked off of the console she was being forced against, and lashed out with a flying double kick. Aleron quickly crossed her scythe blade in front of her to block the first hit, but Krystea pushed it down with her foot on the kick—leaving her open to get another blow to the face that again snapped her head back.

On landing, Krystea quickly pressed her advantage—moving on her and striking again. Aleron dodged her first and second fist, although clearly getting angry at being put on the defensive. But when she tried to raise her scythe again, Krystea answered by snapping her leg around and burying a kick into her side. Aleron arched around it in pain, leaving Krystea free to pivot around and swipe across her face with another kick. On knocking her askew, seemingly dazzling her, the Turk moved in for another hit…

Only for Aleron to quickly disappear and reappear at her side—the scythe at the ready and sweeping out. Krystea gasped and halted, pivoting away, but this time not quite fast enough. The scythe blade made contact with her suit and neatly cleaved into it; with the tip diving in to just barely open the skin underneath.

Feeling the hot pain, Krystea staggered backward, just as Aleron came around to try and finish her off with another slash for her midsection. As the intended final blow came in, however, Krystea again snapped to life and reached out with both hands to intercept the scythe in a blade-catch. Aleron's mako-infused eyes widened in surprise that she had both the strength and bearing to do that, before Krystea grit her teeth, summoned her strength, and threw the blade to one side.

As it imbedded in the ground, Krystea lunged forward to try and land another kick, but Aleron vanished along with her weapon and reappeared several feet away. In the meantime, Krystea noticed that her pain from the slash was rapidly dulling. She looked down and saw that her wound seemed to be getting forced shut and stitched by invisible forces, while the rest of her suit had reabsorbed the fragments of metal plates and "regrown". Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Aleron again as the woman glared back, and after a fateful moment they took off for one another again.

The two proceeded to get more ferocious as they fought on, with Krystea constantly throwing out punches and kicks and Aleron growing faster and fiercer with her own onslaught. Each one blocked, countered, and struck again and again. Punches and kicks landed from time to time, but so did slashes.

Sometimes more than one. Yet the suit kept regenerating and Krystea kept pushing herself. Over time, however, Krystea began to sweat as she pushed herself harder, while Aleron, for all the hits she was taking, only moved faster and faster with each passing moment. The blows were hurting her but not doing any real lasting damage. Krystea, on the other hand, began to wonder how many more slashes the nanites could recover from as both grew more determined and desperate to win…

Finally, Aleron's anger reached a breaking point. Gnashing her teeth, she let out a cry and struck out at double her previous speed. Krystea suddenly felt not only pain but overwhelming force strike her across one of her arms, but almost immediately afterward felt another pain strike her across her chest.

This one was hot, and for a moment she thought she had been slashed mortally…especially as she saw her body get ripped off of its feet and thrown backward with her own blood dancing in the air in front of her. She sailed through the air before she slammed down against the hard metal ground, crying in pain.

She looked up at herself, and saw most of the plates on one arm had been sliced off all together while another slice had cut her suit open over her chest. A deeper cut was there now, oozing blood that was starting to stain, and the nanites were working overtime to try and repair this one. She realized in fear that Aleron had purposely inflicted that much damage to leave her suit weakened and exposed.

The Sephiroth lady paused—just long enough to assess what she had done. Seeing her target stunned, she readied her weapon for the killing stroke. "Nice try, you xeroxed Cetra…but trash wearing a flashy new suit is still garbage!"

"Krystea!"

Hearing Martiza's voice, the Turk instinctively turned to her.

"Your gun! It has one bullet in it! Use it!"

Aleron let out a laugh. "You think even your fancy handgun can stop me? You won't even break my skin!"

In spite of that boast, Krystea, fretting a little, did as she was told and reached for where her handgun should have been even knowing it was already gone. Much to her surprise, however, she found another one sitting in her holster. And the moment she grabbed it, the nanites quickly rearranged to apply a much larger bracer around her wrist and hand. She pulled it out, only to marvel on seeing that her weapon had gotten bigger. Almost 25 percent larger, in fact, with a much bigger caliber.

Yet she saw a flash a moment later. Realizing Aleron was going in for the kill, she acted as fast as she could. Her brain took a split second to calculate where she would reappear to try and finish her off, and as quickly as she could she brought her other hand up to steady her aim, shift her gun barrel in that location, and then…while she still saw nothing…began to pull the trigger. She glimpsed Aleron reappearing in that exact location as her body completed the action—scythe already coming down…

It didn't land. Krystea's body was rocketed backward alongside the floor by the sheer recoil of her gun as it fired. It did not let out a gunshot or even a cannon shot, but something far beyond either of them.

She couldn't tell what it was exactly. It was like some sort of cosmic, rippling thunder—only instead of air being broken it seemed as if the world if not reality itself was breaking, not just once but multiple times, and then rushing back together. In an instant it struck the blade of Aleron's weapon…forged from mithril that had been folded in the same nature as the Masamune itself.

Nevertheless, it shattered the blade like it was nothing more than sugared glaze. It continued forward to blast a thunderous exit wound through Aleron's chest—so large and powerful that her entire heart and half of her lungs were ripped out and obliterated.

The echo resonated through the room so loud and long that everyone froze and stared. Krystea gaped open-mouthed as she clutched her smoldering gun barrel. Aleron's pupils were pinpricks and her mouth hung open, slowly oozing blood as she looked down at the cavernous wound where her chest used to be.

The fragments of her scythe toppled to the floor as she went as limp as a puppet severed of her strings. She had just enough time to look up at Krystea in total disbelief before the life left her eyes. Her corpse slumped to the ground and she moved no more.

The silence lasted a bit longer before Krystea began to breathe again. She trembled as she breathed hard, and nearly smiled. A sense of not only victory but validation went over her, as if she had just proven her right to exist.

Yet the moment passed. Her senses came back to her, and she saw what was still going on in the room. As her suit finished stitching her wounds and rebuilding itself, she slipped the gun back into her holster and practically hopped back to her feet, before turning her attention to the rest of the room and steeling her resolve.

"Who's next?"

At the same time Lazard Valeth had stopped being patient with Aeris. At the moment he saw the flower girl's defiance before he let out an erratic chuckle." You thought you could escape? I'll catch you yet. How angry that must make you feel…it's a delightful look worth making a memory of my beloved goddess!"

Aeris had her energy flare up before she shouted back," I already have a husband Lazard…and the only reason he's not going to kick your ass for saying that is that I'm doing it first! You maxed you the creep quota so you're paying the damn toll!"

She unleashed her Goddess Minerva power before her enemy looked even more unhinged." My beloved Goddess…my fantasy to become one with you…to become creator with you…will soon come true! I'm honored you brought friends to celebrate but you really should not have."

The book in his hand flapped open before pages formed a X around him. As the ground shook from his aura he raised his hand." Soon the door to the new era will open. And every foolish rebel will writhe in their powerlessness as all the lesser beings bow to me! So don't resist any further. I won't let such low, stupid, ignorant human whores steal defy my painstaking prepared history into disarray!"

"She's not a whore!" Aeris shouted out defiantly." And she deserves happiness far more than you! We won't let broken people like you break things for everyone! I met more then a few that would call themselves god, and merely having the power of " God" does not give you the right to rule over all! Judgment Arrow!"

She fired her holy projectile at the man, only for him to narrow his eyes." Ruling over all is but a fleeting fancy. To rule my beloved Godness! Why must you torment me so? I only sought to create a new realm for us to cure the aguish in my heart! Thunder Blade!"

A sword of lighting burst down to counter act the arrow before he hissed out," Don't be a fool, I'm offering you salvation! An Anarchic Entity is offering you salvation, the wise choice is to accept the judgment of your superiors over burning in agony for eternity! Frigid Damsel!"

In an instant Aeris saw ice was trying to consume her before she shouted back," I'm not your doll, I'm making my own choice! Photon Feather!"

Holy feathers shot out of her to shatter the ice and swarmed Lazard. One sliced through his pages and cut him across the cheek. He licked his lip before his eyes widened." Careful…lash about like a fool too much and you will suffer the agony of hell! I am the inheritor of my world's Odin's soul, I am a absloute enity, I am god! "

He had his twin sided Gungnir blade appeared above and shot for his target. Aeris tried to block with her shield, but to her shock after struggling for a few seconds it got cut through, as she dodged out of the way her right shoulder armor got cut as well.

As she saw the blade float back to its owner Aeris remained defiant." You talk a tough game but I been making creep's trip over there ego's for a while now."

Lazard snickered before his Monster Manifesto tomb floated by even quicker." I'm not just some random mage, I'm the Sorcerer who remade the world, who's on the verge of remaking existence! Remaking a woman's heart is nothing in comparison! Don't you see that I'm to free you of your misrable fate of suffering?"

Rebellious Repent!"

He had the ground ripple, before forming spikes to try and impale her. She tried to parry the strikes with her staff as she shouted back." I did not ask you to do that! Being free of one fate only to be your sex toy is really not much of a upgrade damn it! You think you were better than Hojo and the rest just because you made some dolls? That's not the same as knowing what emotions are! And if you can't understand that, you're not a genius, you're just a deluded creep!"

As she slashed through more spikes and got closer to her target Lazard had his eye twitch." You're too foolish to understand a thing, that's why I have to guide you! And I will teach you, even if I have to have a firm hand! Indifferent Judgment!"

Aeris struck him, only for his body to suddenly dissolve to sand. The ground around her exploded before she was blasted back. As Lazard appeared again he looked even more unhinged." I will teach you respect! Bow to me…worship me! Call out my name! Lazard Valeth! I made gods submit to me! You are arrogant enough to think your feeble magic could deny me!? You can't stand against me, only be absorbed into my dream!"

Aeris saw her body start to crystallize before she yelled out in pain. She looked around and felt her counterpart's aguish before she widened her eyes as she realized what she felt." Maybe…but I'm not alone…there are so many others that don't want to be mere pieces of your game!"

"You think the desires of maggots means anything to me? They are nothing!"

He fired a beam to try and neutralize Aeris, only for green or blue effervescent and luminescent liquid substances to burst out of some of the machinery and block the strike. Lazard looked around to see if some of the others were trying to cast a spell before his eye twitched again." None of your allies magic is superior to mine! Huh?"

More of the strands come for Aeris before she smirked." It's not magic, it's life. What you all did to the lifestream on this world was unforgivable. But even if you sucked every last drop of mako out of the planet, it did not mean you made the planet its master. The life stream is now in your machines, and it wants someone that will avenge it. And I'm all too happy to take up the job. No matter what version of me you abducted, none of them are down with this!"

"And that matters how?" Lazard hissed out as his aura erupted as he put his blade in the air." You all just want to see what lies beyond true terror? Chaotic Ruin!"

He formed a blood red magical symbol before firing a massive projectile at the flower girl, only for her to yell back," You really must only talk to yourself and your dolls eh creep? Even Genesis was not this amount of cring. Enough already! Holy Infinitum!"

To Lazard's shock, a massive white energy sphere burst right out of the ground and collided into the incoming projectile. Lazard had veins form on his face as he yelled out." No…no you can not surpass my genius! Drink deeply the power of my attack! Ahahahahahahaha! Kneel down before me! METEOR STORM!"

He unleashed a barrage of meteors to try and overwhelm the holy sphere, only to be horrified to see the Holy Infintum bomb grow three times as big in a second to shatter them before Aeris glared at her enemy hard enough to make him flinch." Please, I knocked back bigger meteors when I was dead so this is nothing! Seriously, I'm never kneeling to you, Sephiroth, or any demented psychopath like you ever again Lazard! GET LOST!"

Lazard saw the sphere coming for him before he hissed out," Your sprit…your soul…it belongs to me! Damned humans won't deny me…what I…RAHHH!"

Aeris saw Lazard get vaporized by the sphere, and as it went out of the tower Aeris took a deep breath." A soul…is something no other can possess. Nothing can rule another's heart, no matter how hard you all try. You have toyed with countless souls…and unlike others you have no remorse. For those sins you will pay with your soul."

At this point Aeris noticed Krysta had defeated her clone before she took a deep breath." But…there are still souls that can be saved."

She dashed over to Krysta and called out," Krysta! Digging the new look! It screams…you."

She actually looked a little embarrassed at that, glancing over her mythril plating hugging her curves. "You...really think so? Heh... Well, I guess it kind of matches the Minerva armor... But forget me. What about you? Are you alright? That pervert didn't do anything to you, did he? Did you get him?"

Aeris just gave a victory sigh." Yah, that Lazard creep did not read the room so he's totally canceled. Now…I can feel Ezan is close. Let's get to him and we can stop Sephiroth before,"

Both of them turned to her, seeing her now standing between them and the exit. Her anger finally seemed to have been raised, because her claws were out and her mana was rising rapidly.

"No one's going anywhere. If you won't submit willingly to the inevitable, then I'll deliver you to your fate unwillingly."

Aeris saw the coldness in her eyes before she sighed." Do we really have to do this? You really want to die for people like this? Trust me, I been dead and it's not something you want to take over life!"

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? Your struggling is pointless. You're only alive now because your enemies still don't view you as a true threat, which should let you know just how meaningless your efforts are. However, as I already told you, nothing but more pain, toil, and futility awaits you even if you could win. I'm being kind to you by killing you all now and delivering you into the peaceful embrace of nothingness."

Krystea frowned back at her. "You really are insane if you think people would prefer oblivion to having to struggle in life. Or maybe you're more broken than I was."

Aeris sighed before she closed her eyes. "I wish I could save you, truly. But if you want to kill everyone then I have to do what I must to protect everyone."

Mianyl glared back. For a moment, she seemed to get slightly angrier. "You damned fool...why? Why is this your reason for continuing? Why would you put your life on the line for those who exploited and abused you your entire life? What do you owe this world or anything on it? This world nourished the one who slaughtered your race. It sired that monster in the name of war, death, and conquest...and over mammon of all things.

Which of your captors, your nurses, or any of the rest ever looked on you with pity? Even when you blended in with the human race you were nothing but street trash peddling flowers to them. And that's to say nothing of this universe. Heaven...Hell...even the "One Above All" reject you. You're nothing but amusement to them now. A little game for them to wager on. That's what reality thinks of your justice, your mercy, and your kindness. And you'd fight to preserve those the powers that be thought deserved wealth and power instead of you? You'd truly say it's worth living in such a broken, twisted, warped universe as that?"

Aeris just narrowed her eyes." Trust me…I know how cold and petty so many men are. But the thing is you gave up on everyone, but there are still people I care about, people I'm willing to risk everything to keep alive. I'm sorry you never had that kind of person Mianyl, but what I have left, is something I'm not giving up on!"

"I found my own purpose, and I'm not about to just toss it aside for you." Krystea snapped out. "Just because you don't have anything you're willing to live for or anyone you're willing to help doesn't mean I don't. I'm not letting you or anyone hurt my sister again."

Mianyl's eyes flashed as her skin began to turn white. Her crest frayed and split behind her...turning into a mass of speared tentacles as her claws grew monstrous and her dress shred to start sprouting jagged edges of white fur. Her power surged as her full form of 'Mianyl the Oblivion' began to come to bear.

"So you think your flimsy little attachments to this dying universe make your resolve stronger than mine? Then let me show you just how committed I am to oblivion! If you hunger so much for more pain and despair, I'll give you more than you could possibly want!"

Authors Notes: I know we have another turbo charged chapter today but hope it was worth it.

Biggs and Wedge, and Biggs and Wedge, AND Biggs and Wedge are from both Final Fantasy 6, 15, and 8 respectfully.

Don Coreno, Diamond, Ruby and Ultimate weapon are all from Final Fantasy Seven.

Nero, Azul, and Rosso are from Dirge of Ceberus.

Heismay Noctule, Juani Cygnus (Junah). Euphausia Etoreika (Eupha), Idaeus Glodell, Basilio Lupus Magnus And the Homo Avades are from Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Neue Regisseur and the Einst are from Super Robot Wars Compact 2.

The Profound Darkness is from Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

The Grigori are from Star Ocean: The Last Hope.

Prince Lotor is from the Voltron series.

Luca Blight and the Beast Rune monster are from Suikoden II.

The Shi'arcs are from Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

Hannya is the main villain of the GhostWire: Tokyo game.

Sgt. Cortez is from the Time Splitters games.

Lucyna Kushinada or Lucy is form Cyberpunk Edgerunner.

Guy Montag and Captain John Beatty are from Fahrenheit 451.

The Dream Devouer, Frog, Robo, and Lucca are from Chrono Trigger.

T-elos is from Xenosaga 3

Ramsus, Miang Hawwa, and Grahf are from Xenogears

Aleron is from Piccolo Sky's Servant story, along with his own Four Fiends, Yug, Shaddamehl, Soddoth, and Hulukith.

Also, a extra Authors Note from Sky: Everyone, sorry for the long "detour" I made with the fate of Hojo. I just wanted Maritza to finally get her long-sought-after, slightly-insane revenge on him. Thank you, Darth, for giving the opportunity for Krystea to get her own revenge on Aleron at last.

Hope you all liked how things unfolded. As always thanks for the reviews, hope you like what you see to leave more and till next time stay sane.