Fan Fiction ❯ The Goddess Sagas ❯ Innocence abandoned ( Chapter 35 )

Chapter 35: Innocence abandoned

Lexy bowed infront of Taromecika, and to Saiyoua who sat on his knee, arms draped around his neck.

"Lexy you are failing, your sisters were able to get so much more Magention then you, and at least their students stayed loyal."

"I'm sorry, master Taromecika....forgive me."

"Two more chances that is all you have." Taromecika spoke icy.

"Only two...?"

"You lucky." Saiyoua grinned. " Considering your failures, the best thing to do would be able to kill you now, but I will be merciful."

"......."

"After all, your sisters were able to do much better then you because they didn't give up their humanity to become a machine with an human mind."

The words were cold and cruel. "Yes my goddess Saiyoua. I shall get you the Magention you need."

Lexy bowed and got ready to leave when Saiyoua stopped her. "No...I want you to take care of another task for me. You know of Genki? Well, since he is the innocent one, the mistake which should not have happened, he is very dangerous to keep on our enemy's side. I want you to drive him to insanity, to the darkness."

"But how...?" Lexy blinked confused.

Saiyoua smiled. "You know the Brief family, Genki's own brother, created your ROBOTIC body. He installed an chip inside of you, you can download it into Genki's brain, it will trap him, and confront him with his worst fears and nightmares until he drove absolutely insane. With him out of the way, we wont have to worry so much, sure he may only have a fraction of our power, but as long as he has an sense of me....as long as he is a fragment of myself, he proves trouble and must be either turned to our side or destroyed."

"Yes....I understand."

"Meanwhile, Keith will get the virus active by using the computer program. While this is going on, Genki's older brother as created an device that can enhance Hikari's sensory, with this she can locate the other Goddess Stone holders."

Lexy gasped. "R...Really!?"

Saiyoua smirked. "You lucky, you may have a chance to survive after all."

************************************

A man with short brown hair, and glasses typed at an computer, his brown eyes narrowed at the screen.

"Tenk." Keith spoke as he came into the room, causing the man to turn around to look at him.

"Tenk, are the programs complete?"

"Both are ready to run."

Keith grinned, setting down at one of the computers. "You do know that this `Reality' program is going to be use on your brother."

"I am aware of that." Tengi answered, lighting an cigarette.

"Uncle Tengi." Keith grinned slyly. " I thought you liked you little brother."

"I do. But, he is fully influenced by Bra. He would side with her right away, and ruin everything for me. I created this program in hopes to turn his mind away from that bitch's influences."

"Genki was never the one for conquest. My little cousin, the one that grew up like a brother to me, the one who carries my cells as well as my mother's in his veins....how I hate him, yet loved him like a brother, for he was my flesh and blood, and still is since he has mine and mother's cells. He was aways so innocent, bright, optimistic, happy, carefree and childish. The complete opposite of me, I would even be close to calling him an twin star, but that tittle is reserved for Ryan."

************************

Bra sighed laying on her bed, folding her arms over her chest. She had been studying for a long time, trying to find a cure, he assistant lay snoring on the bed beside her already tired from the days work. Tears stung Bra's eyes as she remembered the talk with Genki.

"My little brother...the one I raised like my own son....you can't be a monster like Keith, no I refuse to believe it. Your so innocent, and gentle. There is no way you have any of the evilness inside of you. Your not heartless like them....your not, but when you get hear, it might be better for you if you were, I'm not sure if you can face what our home has become...it may be to much for you gentle little heart to handle."

Outside the townspeople were on their knees chanting words, crazily and mournfully.

"Saiyoua! Saiyoua!"

*****************************

The group had been walking for a long time, it had begun to snow, and it was freezing cold, and still it was hours from the nearest village.

"I'm to cold! I can't go on!" Mara sobbed falling to her knees.

"I....I....I k...K...Know what you mean...." Lima shivered.

Pan sneezed and Lemon cradled her worriedly in his arms. "Squall, Pan will get sick if we don't get her warmed up soon!"

"......" Squall was silent but looked fearful for his child, glancing around for anything he could use to keep her warmed up.

"It's getting to late to keep walking." Alex observed. "But if we stop for to long, we will freeze."

"If we can find some wood then I could use my magic to light a fire." Carrie pointed out.

"Then we'll get some wood!" Genki exclaimed.

Mimi sneezed, before beginning to cough rather violently.

"Mimi, are you ok?" Colt asked concerned, while Genki hurriedly, knelt down beside the Fairy-half to get a closer look at her pale, yet flushed cheeks.

"Mimi, your sick, why didn't you say anything!?" Genki gasped worriedly.

"I didn't want to slow everyone down...."

"Mimi, don't worry about that! If your sick you should have said something!"

"Genki's right!" Carrie agreed.

"Mimi, you stay hear all right, while we get some fire wood, Carrie you stay with her, all right?" Ryan asked, tenderly.

"Wait, I have two capsule tents we can use, to bad the capsule houses got stolen by those gypsies awhile ago, they would be real useful right now." Genki frowned, uncaspueling two tents one pink and one blue. They were large enough to sleep in, but they would all be squished together.

"Thanks...." Mimi coughed again.

"Mimi..." Carrie whispered, helping her into the pink tent, worried for her adopted mother's health.

"....Squall? Do you think Carrie and Miss.Mimi, will be all right by themselves?" Colt asked shyly.

"You should stay and watch them, Incase Colt. Besides, a man has to protect their mate take care of your Carrie, and Mimi."

"Yes sir!" Colt exclaimed.

"Coltie." Lemon smiled, using the nickname he came up for the boys a few days ago. "Could you watch Panny too?"

Colt smiled nodding. " Sure thing! Panny is so cute, I'm already starting to think of her as a little sister."

Lemon giggled. " Yeah! She really is fond of you Coltie!"

"We better get moving. The sun is going to set soon, monsters will attack us if we move around in the dark. Or we'll get lost in those Pine Tree woods." Ryan spoke, causing the group to start getting to the task at hand.

*****************************

They had gathered some wood, and easily met up with each other in the small clove of tress that made up the woods. Ryan sighed, running his hand threw his spiky golden hair, considering he had been the one that got most of the wood. For a spilt second infront of his eyes however he saw a woman, the one woman that often haunted his dreams, his eyes grew wide. He saw he fall shot to the ground, and a figure concealed in the shadows get off an horse, and fall to it's knee's in horror, shaking violently, before gripping it's head and screaming.

"Rya?" Mara blinked confused by the boys sudden blank out from reality.

"A woman..." Ryan pointed towards the spot where he had saw the woman fall dead. " I just saw a woman get shot, by a figure on an horse."

The group gave him a confused looked.

"....There is nothing there..." Even Lima looked at him like he was stupid.

"No...No....I think I was dreaming. It was the woman that I dreamt of before, long blond hair, blue eyes...." Ryan shook his head.

Lemon turned away from him, looking directly at the snow covered ground. "Your probably just seeing things. Don't think about it to much."

Squall looked at his lover confused, the boys cheerful attitude and chipper voice had once again turned dull and dark. It was like how he acted when he was still part devil. Something about it nerved him to the bone.

"Hmmmm....."Ryan sighed. "Guess your right...."

The group began to leave the forest when suddenly Genki and Alex stopped and twisted around. The solider was the first to whip out his gun and take a few shots at an enemy the group had yet to see.

"What's going on!?" Mara gasped, startled and frightened.

"I sense an android...." Alex snarled.

"And I sense one of Saiyoua's followers, it can only be Lexy!"

"Very smart of you Genki, but your to late, you already fell into my trap!"

Genki gasped, twisting around to watch Lexy leap out of some bushes, she extended her hand forward, and Genki felt something pierce the back of his neck. Pain.....so much pain! He screamed, and dispite himself tears stung his eyes.

****************************

Mimi, Carrie and Colt turn towards the sound of the scream that echoed threw the skies. The fairy's eyes went huge and she reached out her hand desperately towards the tress.

"GENKI!!!!!"

******************************

"Sweet dreams." Lexy giggled, blowing an kiss before disappearing.

Genki lay on the snow covered ground unmoving, eye brows furrowed in grief and pain, as he groaned mournfully, but still did not stir.

"Genki!" The group exclaimed.

Ryan knelt down beside the fallen fighter, shaking his shoulders, but the boy did not even stir.

"Come on, wake up! Wake up!"

"GENKI!!!"

The group turned towards Mimi whom stumbled weakly towards them, coughing as she did so. Carrie and Colt following her worriedly. The fairy-half's eyes went huge and she ran over as quickly as she could, dropping on her knees at Genki's side.

"My god....what happened to him." She asked, tears filling her eyes. "Genki, wake up, please....wake up! Genki...." She sobbed, her tears hitting his face.

*********************************

` Come on ya maggots! Get moving! The generator is busted, the fire is going to spread.'

`What about that guy?'

`Ah! Leave him! That's the idiot who thinks he is going to save the world.'

"Where am I?" Genki thought as he opened his eyes, his surroundings were blurry and unfocused as was his mind. "Who am I?" he forced himself it a setting position, he was on a bed of some kind, that was the first thing he realized, the next was the blaring alarm, then the smell...

"Ugh..." He gasped disgusted putting his hand to his nose. " What is that god oful stench...."

He forced himself to his feet, his eye went wide with horror then utter disgust. "What horrible living conditions!"

The room was filthy, an pig pen was more sanitary! The old stone brick walls were covered in slimy green moss, and.....ugh....thinking about the rest made him sick to the stomach. The beds was covered in urine, but as he checked himself, he saw he was not wet at all....the sheets must have been used before him. No longer able to stand the replusiveness of the room, he rushed out of it, threw the opening in the stone wall, what awaited him was a image allot more disturbing then that of the room.

He was in a tower of some kind, made entirely out of gray brick. There was cells aligned all over the walls, he could see people in the cells below, screams echoed all around him, they were the cries of the insane...they were horrible...maddening in themselves.

"WHAT is THIS place!?" Genki gasped, eyes widening as he took in his surroundings. It was horrible.

He eyes landed on a small flight of steps next to him, they lead to an upper railing of the tower, and a statue surrounded by darkness stood, brilliantly in the shadows. On the other side of the room, he could see some cloaked figures, if he went by the stairs and went down by the other side he could get to them. But something really was only drawing him towards the statue. But first...the alarm.....it was driving him nuts....the shrill noise....he couldn't stand it!

He stumbled around the corner, and came to a button that he pressed, and the alarm shut off quickly. He looked around, something was really strange....shouldn't more people be around?

"Be...beware....you will get trapped....if you let go of your inn---inn---innocence...."

Genki turned around, eyes going wide in startled surpassed, a figure cloaked in darkness stood before him, it's arms seemed to be trembling.

"Beware? Beware of what?"

"The slime..The black oooozzzzz!!!" The figure laughed crazily. " It will eat you up! Devour your soul....! There is no escaping it! No escaping....no escape at all...ha,ha,ha!"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Slime?"

"Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!Eat you up!!!!!!!" The figure danced around crazily, before suddenly vanishing.

Genki drew back, frightened. "Just what is going on....?"

The boy continued walking forward, scared, he climbed up the steps, he was about to walk right towards the statue but something else caught his attention. Another figure, this one different in shape and size from the first was repeatedly smashing it's head against the wall, leaving a sickening streak of blood on the gray stone every time his head met with a sickening thud.

"I failed...failed my duty....I failed....failed....failed....failed....failed....failed....failed....first battle....failed....failed....failed....failed...failed...failed...faile d...failed...failed...failed...failed..failed...failed...failed...failed... " the figure titled it's head back and screamed to the sky before turning to mist.

"FAILED!!!!!!!"

Genki fell back, startled, shivering all over from fright. "What is this!?"

"Circus! I am going to circus! So much...clowns....balloons, games...the circus!"

Timidly the boy turned towards the noise and spotted a figure, smaller, but taller then the other to setting in the corner, arms holding a imaginary doll.

"Excuse me...." Genki found the courage to speak.

"The circus is so much fun, I love the circus...but It got free....I let it out..................

and it's going to eat us all! Heh-heh...eat us all....we all are dead." The figure began to sob before disappearing.

"Is this real....?" The boy turned towards the statue, as if it could answer him, but no matter how hard he looked, or how close he got, he could not see the statue...could not see what it was a statue of.....

He gave up, and as much as he didn't want to he stilled continued onward, in search on answers. He came to the second flight of stairs, leading to the side where he had saw the other cloaked figures, but first there was a figure crying, shadowy face, hidden even more by it's hands.

"What's wrong?"

The figure looked towards him. " My baby....my baby....Mother took my baby away! My sweet little baby....Her and all those damn pumpkins....all evil....pure evil."

"That's horrible! How could your mother take away your child!?" Genki exclaimed appalled.

"Not only my mother....everyone's mother....she takes away the children, says she protects them from meat.....my baby...where is she now?" The figure sobbed mournfully before vanishing into thin air.

"Are they ghosts?" Genki puzzled, before walking down the stares, the first figure him came to was screaming frantically, in pure terror, smashing the ground with it's hands.

"Get away! GO!! Leave me ALONE!!!"

"Huh? What are you talking to?"

"The bugs...." The figure looked up at him, even though he couldn't see the face, he could tell that the eyes were looking at him in shock. "How can you stand all those disgusting creatures crawling all over you!"

"Um...." Genki began nervously. " I don't see any bugs....maybe you are just imaging it..."

"They are going to take over the world.....unless me and the master can stop them....unless we can....we have no hope....they are going to kill us all...!"

Genki frowned angrily. "Come on! Think about it, how can some bugs take over the world?"

The figure began to laugh, crazily. "These aren't ordinary bugs...these are robots! itsy-bitsy, teeny-tinny, ROBOTS! But the master is a great help, he kills bugs dead, but..." The voice broke into a sob. "They always come back....They always come back..."

"Wait! Tell me whom this master is!" Genki begged, but the figure had already disappeared without a trace into the darkness of the tower.

He turned towards the other figures, there seemed to be to children setting side by side to each other, holding hands.

"Freezing cold....so cold....freezing.....cold......freezing....." The smaller one repeated over and over, actually shivering, dispite of the immense heat the flames that burst from the busted up generator gave off. Genki drew back frightened, the generator was so close...it was going to explode at any time! He turned back to the kids, the taller was screaming at the top of his lungs

"Get me out of hear! It's so small, and empty....dark.....get out of hear....please....please....."

"Only children...." he shook his head as he watched the two `ghosts' disappear.

His eyes landed on another shadow, this one was...eating his own arm!!!

"GOD!!" Genki screamed, falling on the ground, legs going like jello.

The shadows laughed. "They'll eat you up! rip apart the flesh, devour your insides, and suck the marrow from your broken bones! They will devour us all! Ha....Ha....Ha...Ha.....!"

Genki cried out in terror, eyes widening slightly as he watched black shadows drip from the `ghosts' mouth, he felt sick in the stomach as he realized those dark shadowy drips which hit the ground was blood...He turned around and threw-up in the corner, no longer able to stomach it. The self-cannibal laughed again before vanishing, like all the others before him. He was alone now...all the ghosts were gone, and the fire was spreading.

"Where am I? Who am I? And...And..." Genki trailed off with tears in his eyes, before finally loosing it, clenching his hands together he titled his head towards the ceiling, screaming at the top of his sore lungs.

"WHY AM I HEAR!!!!!!"

`This is the nut-house...the funny farm...loony bin...what don't you understand?' the voices of the ghosts echoed to together hauntingly.

`Leave you innocence behind...leave it behind....leave it....leave it.....join us....join us!'

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" The boy screamed, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Silence!" A heavenly voice suddenly stopped him, and he turned towards the statute, it was still covered in a shadow, but the candles all around it was lit, giving it a beautiful appearance. Slowly, and numbly Genki walked towards it, heart pounding in his chest.

"You can't give in to the darkness, something wants to keep you hear....it wants to trap you in a world of madness. Don't fall into that void."

"Can you tell me who I am?"

"I can't, you must find that out for yourself. I could give you your name...but names are only something other people use to call you by. That wont tell you, whom you are."

"Statue, is this real? Is this a dream? Am I insane? Maybe I'm dead....How...how can I find myself?"

Suddenly a piece of stained glass appeared in his hands, there was eleven spaces for people, but their pictures were completely left white.

"What is this....."

"You must find them and complete the picture before the darkness devours your innocence. You must hurry, you don't have much time!"

"Find the complete the pictures....how can I do that...?" Genki sighed hopelessly.

The area around him began to grow white, the last thing he heard and saw was the shadowy figure of the statue.

"Whatever happens do not abandon your innocence!"

Then the world faded into nothingness.

*************************

`What's with this interference...?' Keith puzzled as the computer indicated as interference with the system, suddenly the boy smiled. "Huh, I guess things will be a ot more interesting then I first thought."

****************************

"Genki, what's wrong with you....?" Mimi sighed drearily, as she watched over the still sleeping boy, sweat was running down his face, and his moaned and groaned in his sleep. She tenderly brushed back his bangs from his forehead. She was aware of the others at the camp site, where a nice warm fire had been started, were staring at her, and she knew without having to look in their eyes that it was with pity. Did they all know...? Know how she felt about him? How could they know? Maybe they knew before I did.

"Genki you got to wake up, promise me, you'll wake up....Genki...."

*****************************

Genki looked around himself dazed, he was in a little village of some kind, fall leaves leathered the ground everywhere. He looked around himself, he was standing infront of a statue. It seemed to be the same statue as the one from the tower, it was still dark, but it's feet were light enough now for him to see. The gray statue was wearing a pair of boots. Allowing his gaze to wonder, he spotted a few buildings and then some children who had their backs turned to him, playing tick tact toe with chalk on the deserted street.

"Billy are you still playing? I can hardly tell, it was so easy to beat you." The girl teased.

"Not fair! You cheated." The boy, that must have been Billy accused.

Genki took a step forward, confused. "Um...Excuse me..."

The two children turn around to face him and he gasped, hardly containing a scream. They were....they were monsters!! Half of the girls face was bone, and the other half was so twisted....like mince-meat....and her hands, were huge with bones and veins sticking out of them. The boy, was white as the chalk he was holding in the face, and had....two mouths, three noses, and one eye.

"What are you staring at?" Billy frowned.

Genki was to shaken to answer.

"Billy, shut up, we can't talk to adults...." The girl reminded, worry evident in her voice.

The children turned away from him, leaving Genki staring in shock, before finally finding his voice.

"Hey, um, where is this place?"

The kids turned back to face him.

"We can't talk to strangers." The Billy frowned.

"Who are you?" Genki asked, still confused as ever.

"I'm Jessie Hatcher...and this is Billy, he is so annoying, what is your name, Mr?"Jessie questioned.

FLASH

A blurry face entered his vision, and girl's voice began, the word started with an G, but the rest of her sentence was distorted.

FLASH

Genki shook his head, dazed. " I don't remember my name..."

"Then your a stranger, go away."

The two children turn away from him again. Genki sighed drearily and gave up on them. He looked around himself, and spotted yet another child, a chubby little girl, with curly blonde hair, straw hat, and blue dress, jumping rope. That would have seemed normal if it wasn't for the fact that she had two wooden legs.

"Excuse me...?" He slowly approached her. The girl stopped and stared at him confused....one of her eyes were all red and bloody, and her lip was twisted like....like a monster off a horror movie.

"Who are you Mr?"

FLASH

"Gen...." The girl's face was a bit clearer this time, but he could not make it all out, but it seemed familiar, once again, her words faded away before he could hear them.

FLASH

"I....I don't know."

"You don't know you own name!?" The girl gasped, looking at him astonished. "Maybe you should think about it harder, when I forget things, I remember them when I think about it."

He sighed drearily. `I don't even remember who I am, how do you expect me to think, when I don't have any memories what so ever...?'

A pink flower blossom fell from the sky, and floating gently in the breeze, right infront of his eyes. Gently he reached out and caught the single blossom in his hand

FLASH

"Genki!" A girl half giggled, he face was still blurry, but her could make out pink hair, and a girl of short height, a sweet and kind voice....he wanted to hear her speak again. "Your always so kind to me!"

FLASH

"Genki...?" He blinked confused, as another gust of wind blew the blossom away from him, he looked around to see what tree it had came from, but the only trees he saw were pine trees. `Is that my name? Who is that, that girl?'

"Mr?" The skipping child frowned. "Did you say something?"

"Yes, um....my name is Genki."

She smiled. "Cool, now your not a stranger, so I guess it's all right to talk to you. My name is Meg, but everyone calls me Peg leg...."

"That's mean! I would never call you that!"

Meg smiled brightly. " Wow! Your nice!"

"Um...Say, Meg? Could you tell me where all the grown ups are?"

The girl fidgeted, worriedly. " Mother says we can't talk about that, sorry Genki."

"Mother? Your mother?"

"She's not just my mother. She is everyone's mother."

Genki furrowed his brows confused. "Um.....Ok. Where can I find your mother?"

"Please, I can't tell you." Meg begged pleading.

The boy sighed, studying the girl, sadly, she never once stopped jumping rope since he started speaking to her. " So you really like to jump rope, eh?......Excuse me, but doesn't that hurt with your wooden legs?"

"What?" The girl asked, sounding deeply confused."Oh? My legs?" surprisingly she laughed, a short little snort. "That's all right! As soon as I am finished growing, mother says I'll forget all about my legs!"

`What the---?' Genki shook his head in disbelief. "Where are we, Meg? What is this place?"

"This is home, silly!"

"I know this is your home Meg." Genki spoke threw clenched teeth. " But doesn't this place have a name?"

"Didn't you see the sign?"

Genki looked around himself, but he didn't see any town signs, he dismissed it, knowing Meg would not give him any good answers.

"Well, um, Meg, it was nice speaking to you."

The little girl nodded curtly and continued jumping rope.

Behind the girl was a large church, it was the biggest place in the village, and took up an large part of it. A sign was outside reading

`The gates of heaven

Reverend O'Toole.'

Beside where Meg was jumping was a school house, the boards were boarded up shut, that was normal, considering there seemed to be nothing but kids in this village, but unnormally the clock on the school wall, above the door was going backwards in time. Baffled he shook his head and wondered back to the first to kids he met Billy and Jessie, maybe now they would talk to him.

Just like Meg, when he told them his name they figured that he wasn't an stranger anymore and decided to speak to him, however they were not nearly as polite...

"Genki, that's a stupid name!" Jessie sniffed, crossing her arms over he chest.

"That's a rude thing to say! I like my name! What would your parents do if they heard you say stuff like that?"

"They don't yell at me anymore now, and you can't either because your not my dad and I don't have to lesson to you."

"I had a gold fish named Genki once, but my cat ate him. He pooped orange for 2 days." Billy added.

Genki recoiled in disgust. "Gross! Do your parents know you tell such disgusting stories?"

"Yes, but they aren't saying anything." The boy seemed disturbingly smug about that.

Genki had to close his eyes, he could not stand looking at their faces, it was horrifying!

"Excuse me..." He tried his best not to sound sick. "But what happened to your face!" the last part came out more frightened and disgusted then he had meant it to, but the kids did not seem to notice, instead Jessie smiled.

"Oh! Mother did this! Aren't I pretty? I want to be as pretty as mother when I grow up."

That was way to much....it was....it was sad, and slowly he muttered. "Yes....very....pretty, Jessie...."

"What about me!?" Billy snapped rudely. "Mother made me handsome too! Is mother going to make you handsome also?"

`Dear god, I hope not!' " Um....no, I'm not lucky like you children."

"Yeah! Adults aren't ever lucky!"

"Um....Can I meet your parents?"

"Sorry, Genki, but we don't know where they are." Some of the sharpness in Jessie's voice left.

Genki blinked confused. "If you don't know where your parents are then who is this mother you keep on mentioning."

"She---"

"Jessie!" Billy snapped. "Shut up!"

"Do you want to play Tc,Tac,Toe?" the girl asked quickly, trying to change the subject. "I am the best there is!"

"Sure..."Genki gave in, maybe by playing with them he could get on their good sides and get more information out of them. Tic tac toe, he could remember this game well, it was after all a simple kids game, how hard could it be?

Surprisingly hard, Jessie and him had tied around thirteen times before Genki finally won. The girl's pride had been seriously wounded.

"I let you win, cause your new! Normally I would never have been beaten!"

"What about Meg and Ellen?" Billy teased, receiving a smack over the head with Jessie's fist. "They were both girls, everyone knows girls are smarter then boys. But I've got to admit, Genki, you are smart for a yucky old boy."

"Gee....thanks...."

The fighter looked around himself he spotted a bridge leading up to an house, and the town hall , beyond him he could see an old fishing house, an lemon-aid stand, a graveyard, to his right he could see a general store, some kid toys, a little boy whom he could not see to well, and beyond that was a bridge broken by a sudden flood of water, across from that was a pumpkin patch, just outside of it was three large pumpkins and a little girl sat on them with her back turned to him. Down past the fishing house was a little path leading downwards, and a little boy was there fishing. Near the fist bridge he sighted he saw a boy and a girl swinging on a swing set, both monstrously transformed but they seemed happy anyway. He turned his gaze back to the pumpkin patch, he sensed something horribly wrong with it.

"Um...."He began, causing the children to look up him questionably. "What's up with that pumpkin patch?"

The children backed away fearfully.

"It's a scary, scary place! Only the bad kids get put in there, like Maria!" Jessie exclaimed, frightened.

"But what's so scary about a pumpkin pat---"

"SHUT UP MR!!" Billy hissed. "Mother will get angry if she sees us talking to you, especially about the pumpkins! Go away!"

************************

Puzzled Genki walked back towards Meg, questioning her about the pumpkin patch, but got only `I wouldn't go near there if the world depended on it!' as an answer. For small talk he mentioned that Jessie said that Meg beat her once, and Meg frowning corrected him saying that she beat her not once but four times. He walked past her into the church. It was dark inside, the only light coming from a small little lamp on a corner of an disk in the front of the pews, since the stained glass windows were so dirty no light could come threw. Not was really interesting in hear except for a cut rope to the church bell and some files in the draw of the disk which he skimmed threw with mild interest.

" Marina Discoll was found dead in bath tub, both wrists slashed, husband Jeddah Discoll was taken in for routine questioning.........Charges of child abuse against Jeddah Discoll where dropped.........C.Discoll...found beaten savagely........Jeddah mysteriously killed in accident at barn......"

There was nothing else written and disappointed he threw down the files and exited the empty and unholy little church. He walked towards the little general store, where the little boy he spotted before continued to repeatedly bounce a ball. Seeing his face, Genki drew his breath in with a surprised hiss. The boys face looked like it was melting! The child stared at him, and asked in a drooping and high pitched tone, which added to the melting effect of his face

"Who are you?"

`That's a good question.' "My name is Genki. What is yours?"

"My name is Marty. M-A-R-T-Y-."

"Hello, Marty, say where are your parents? Where are all the adults?"

"I am not allowed to talk about that." Th boy sniffed stubbornly.

"Ok....Could you tell me what is going on then?"

"I don't know, it all started happening after Jeddah died, first my sister Meg's legs shriveled up, then my face, then all the adults disappeared...and...."

"Marty?" Genki asked concerned when the voice stop talking.

"No! I don't want to talk about this anymore!"

"Fine, then. Um....you said your sister was Meg? I spoke to her, nice kid...."

"Nice!?She calls me mush-head, because she says my head looks like it was put in a blender."

"That's mean! But she wasn't always mean to you, was she?"

"No...she's only mean when her legs start bothering her, ever since mother started changing us...."

"Changing...?"

"No! Your trying to trick me! I'm not telling you anything! I don't want to end up in the Patch, P-A-T-C-H."

"The pumpkin patch, I heard about it...what is so bad about it, Marty?"

"Evil, E-V-I-L."

"What is evil about it?"

"I have a ball, B-A-L-L. I can bounce it."

"Yes, that's nice, I use to have one just like that when I was small."

"This one is mine."

"I know, but Marty I was asking about the pumpkin patch....what...."

"AIIIE!!!" The boy cried clenching his ears. Angrily Genki turned away from him knowing he wasn't going to get any answers. He spotted the girl in the white dress he had saw setting on the pumpkins earlier, she was just outside of the pumpkin patch, but he could not get to her because of the broken bridge, not only that, but as he gazed at her he to his surprise and disgust noticed that from the waist down she was half worm....

He walked away from the area, getting a closer look at the Lemon-Aid stand as he did, the lemon-aid in the glasses was all moldy and unfit to drink, to bad, he was really thirsty.

It may had been a trick of the light but when he blinked, for a spilt second he could see a thirteen year-old blonde....was it a girl? It wasn't sure, but it had wings, fangs and claws...but it was gone in a spilt second, and he was left wondering if it had been real or just a trick of the eyes. Before him was a graveyard, children were crowed inside, playing. It was a very disturbing image. He approached it, with an sigh, would he find anything out?

*********************************

He took in his surroundings, all at once, it all being almost to much for him to handle. The first kid he saw was wearing dirty and smelly brown trousers, blond hair matted, one eye rested on his cheeks, the other was swallowed up by flesh which bubbles up, like how air bubbles form in raw pancake batter. The next was a little girl, wearing an black and white dress, her hair was done up in braids, she seemed normal except that her legs were like tree roots, and her face was freckled with orange spots which looked allot like acne. The other was a boy, which was nothing more then a baby, her had two eyes as big a plates, but were entirely white, and his skin was half green and half brown, he hands twisted like twigs as his gripped an lolly pop. Another was a red-headed boy in a sailor suit, he skin, it was leafy.....and his eyes were as red as blood. The last was a big boy, poor miss-shaped kid....He was wide and fat, he had no neck, and the left side of his face drooped downwards, eyes, nose, and lips mixing together like mish-mash.

"Um...excuse me...." He spoke softly. The first boy he had saw looked at him rudely and snapped at him in an annoying tone.

"Excuse yourself!"

"How rude! Didn't your parents teach any manners?" Genki frowned angrily.

"Didn't your parents teach you to mind your own business?" The boy hissed back.

"Look, whatever your name is, I am in an seriously bad mood, you tell me what is going on hear or else I'll blacken your eye, got that?" It was an fake threat, but Genki hoped that the rude boy wouldn't know that.

"Geeze, Mr! I'm not going to tell you anything, because your a stranger, and mother said don't talk to strangers, and to stay away from them if they are an adult."

"Ok then, My name is Genki and I am not an adult, I am a teenager! Will you tell me now!?"

"No."

"Then just answer me this, what's your name, and were are all the adults?"

"My name is Denies O'Toole, and all the adults are at the place you are suppose to be, infact I would watch my back....if I were you."

"Watch my back!? Look, kid, I had enough of your and your little threats...."

"Hey! Hey! Mr!! GEEZE, I was just warning ya! After all your are the only adult left, it's only a matter of time before mother gets you." Denies put his hands up in defense.

"Who is mother?"

"I am not tellin'!" The boy stuck his tongue out rudely.

".....O'Toole....I saw that name at the church...."

"The reverend was my old man." The bratty tone softened a little.

"Was?"

"Yeah, was ya got a hearing problem, old timer!?"

"Old timer!?" Genki exclaimed, with a whimper. `That's something I wasn't expecting to be called until I was at least fifty....'

Genki turned away from the boy, and approached the girl that was setting on the bench, she looked up at him and smiled sweetly.

"Hello, sir! My name is Ellen Resha! What is your name?"

"Well, Hello, Ellen. My name is Genki."

"That's a cool name! It's been such a long time since I saw a man in this village! All of the boys hear, are simply that, boys, all gross and disgusting, like Billy and that disgusting cat story."

"He tells that one a lot." Genki smiled weakly.

Ellen laughed. "He told it to you to!? That's Billy for you!"

"Um, Ellen, can you tell me what's going on around hear? Like where are all the adults, and....well....who is mother?"

"I don't know what happened to our parents....but mother takes care of us now, and she says she protects us, because we are special. Mr.Genki, can we not talk about this, I don't want mother to find out, she will get mad and...."

"And throw you in the pumpkin patch, right?"

"Yes....but I don't know what is so scary about it, I would love to see all those pretty pumpkins up close, but ever since Maria was thrown in, she never came back to the village, she just stays there, setting on those pumpkins."

"Maria, she's the girl in the white dress, right?"

"Yup, there is an old board in the shed that use to cross the broken bridge. I use to go and see her every day, but she would never look at me, or speak. I think she's mad at us."

"Why would she be?"

"I really don't want to say....."

"All right then...say, why are all you kids playing in the graveyard?"

"Because Denies says so, he is our leader, he really likes it hear. He loves to play hide and seek, say Genki?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you play a game with us, you just have to ask, Denies, I'm sure he'll say yes, because he likes an challenge. If you win, you get an key to the General store, inside is our fort and our candy, toys, and lots of other things! Maybe if you act like you are one of us, Mother wont try and get rid of you."

"Hmmm....Thanks for the suggestion." `The General store might have something useful.....'

"Hey Ellen, your one of Jessie's friends right? She told me that you beat her at

tic-tac-toe, once."

"Once!? I beat her seven times! She's says she's the best, but she really isn't."

"I beat her once myself, she was hard."

"Yeah, but after you get to know her, it's simple to beat her."

Genki decided to speak to the other children , they might give him important clues to solving the mystery of what was going on. He approached the little boy with the lolly-pop.

"Hello."

"My name is Derek, what is yours?" The child asked....it sounded like he was just learning how to talk.

"Genki."

"Hi, Genki! I'm Derek!"

"I know.....Derek, where are your parents?"

"Gone."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Where is mother?"

"I don't know."

Genki started getting annoyed. " Ok then....can you tell me what happened hear?"

"No."

Genki gave up on the child and turned to the boy in the sailor suit.

"Who are you, Mr...." The boy asked quietly.

"I'm Genki, what's your name?"

"Edward....Mr, you better get out of hear, Mother wont like to see you hear...."

"Who is mother, Edward."

"............"

"Ok. Could you tell me what happened hear, then?"

"Meat."

"Meat?" Genki's quirked his eye-brows confused.

"Mother said that meat was harming us, and that she will take care of us from now on, because our parents didn't know how."

"Where are you parent's anyway?"

"Mother took them somewhere. I don't know where, but I do know that if I'm caught talking about it, Mother will get mad and throw me in the patch, just like Maria."

"Can you tell me, anything?"

"No.....living right now is bad enough.....I don't want to make things worst for myself."

It was so heartbreaking, that Genki had to turn away, eyes brushing over tombstones, the names of the dead printed in worn letters.

`Paul Goodman, killed by tainted meat.....'

`C.Discoll, missed dearly by mother.'

His eyes landed on the big kid, that only one he did not speak to yet.

"Hey."

"Hey, who are you?" The boy spoke in an sloppy tone.

"My name is Genki, what about you."

"Lumpy."

"That's not you real name, is it?"

"No, it's John Discoll, but now that our parents are gone no one calls me that anymore just call me Lumpy."

" Discoll, oh....I'm sorry, I read about your mother and....um, an C.Discoll that died, your family?"

"Was....But I got a new mother now, and she promised me that she would never go away."

"But, she can't promise that, eventually, we all....go away....." Genki did not feel comfortable explaining the terms of death to a small child, but he felt compelled to tell the boy this, he should know that nothings lasts forever....it will save him pain in the future."

"No! What do you know, mother is going to live forever and so will I when she's done!!"

"But Lumpy---!"

The boy turned away from him and refused to speak another word. With an sigh Genki turned to leave, but was stopped by Denies who suddenly darted infront of him, blocking his path.

"I heard you and Ellen talking! So...you want to play Hide and Seek with us, huh? And heck, if you can beat us then you can have to key to the store for keeps!"

"I simple kids game, should be no problem..."

"That's what you say now!" Denies laughs. "But we have a secret weapon!"

"Secret weapon? What is it?"

"If I told ya, it wouldn't be a secret!"

"Fine...."Genki sighed, running his finger threw his bangs, and heading towards an tree, where he covered his eyes and counted to ten. When he reopened them, all the kids that were in the graveyard had vanished, like they were never even there. Frowning in thought he walked over to the shed and opened it, their was the board Ellen had mentioned she used to cross over to Maria, and their was a crowbar, both appeared useful, but both were to big and heavy to carry about for long. Leaving them, he peeked behind the tress, just Incase one of them had chosen that as their hiding place. No luck. He exited the graveyard and passed behind a bush the was next to the lemon-aid stand, and just before the fishing house. Within the grove, an group of mutated children held hands around a monstrously craved pumpkin. They were singing.

"Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day."

`It's haunting.....'

"Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day."

`Maddening even....'

"Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day."

`No more...No more, I don't want to hear anymore!'

"Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day."

`Shut up! Shut up!'

"Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day. Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day."

"SHUT UP!!!!!!" Genki screamed gripping his head, and falling to his knees, breathing heavy. The voices...he couldn't stand them, they chilled him to the bone, gripping icy fingers around his heart, freezing his breath within his body until his lungs felt like bursting! The voices of the children was far worst, far more insane in the screams of the crazy.

"Stay away from the pumpkin patch, if you don't, you wont come back. Mother said to stay away, if you want to play another day."

Dispite himself Genki forcefully wiped an gloved hand over his eyes to brush away intruding tears. This whole place....it was pure horror. He had to save these children! He had too....He had to find, Mother.

***********************************

He did not know how long it had taken to compose himself, maybe it was an hour, if so, these kids were really patient and were still hid away in their hiding spots, he had found lumpy in an old barrel outside the fishing house, the house which he entered only contained useless junk. He had went down to the lake, spotting a boy named Timmy, he was the most normal of the children, and said the same thing as most kids. The only thing of interest he had said was that he was Denies younger brother, he never went into the village and always fished, except when he heard the call to mass, but since his brother cut the church bell, the bells hasn't rung in a long time, but compared to what he said next...

"What is happening hear, Timmy?"

"I don't know, but mother says she is protecting us from the disease, because we are gods special children."

"Special children?....Wait a moment!? The Disease!?" ` A disease!? Is that what happened to these children.....?"

"The disease of meat!"

"Meat!? Is mother an vegetarian?"

"What's a vegetarian?" Timmy asked, confused.

"That means she only eats plants, not animals."

"I think that is what she is." Timmy had said thoughtfully before turning back to the water and his fishing rod, Genki glanced and the cool blue surface, suddenly the water began to bubble and the fish and came to the top dead. He turned to Timmy, and to his surprise, saw that the boy did not even notice that all the fish were dead.

He had left and had found Derek hiding in the shadows the church, and he had found Ellen, setting on a ledge behind the church, using her hands to carried herself to the statue in the town square where all the children he had found waited for him to find the rest or give up. With legs like her, it wasn't a surprise that Ellen was crippled, and sadly he watched as she sat down, picking up a shovel that lay on the ground near the base of the statue and began to dig little wholes, planting pumpkin seeds, into the soft moist earth. He had ventured upwards, towards an house, huge veins covered the area like out of an horror movie greenhouse. The large thorny plants were thicker and unable to cross over them from were he was standing, around the barn. Their was just no way to reach it, but from where he trailed the area beyond him with his eyes, he saw that the only way to the barn was threw the pumpkin patch. Forgetting about it for awhile, he entered the house, he spotted Edward peeking up at him from underneath an bed. Knowing he was caught, the boy pouted and left to join the others in the square. Only Denies was left to find. As he was leaving something in the corner of his eyes made him stop, it was an little red book, laying in a draw. The word `Dairy' wrote in messy blue crayon on the cover, it appeared to have been written by a little kid. he picked it up and flipped threw it, amazed he could read the messy little scribbles. He was about to put it down when an page caught his eye.

What a terrible day! A big rock fell from the sky and hit that barn dad is mad because we are going to loose all our pumpkins dad is even madder because the reverend told us not to cut the vines that have suddenly began to grow around the barn and not to move the rock dad is yelling now he's been drinking allot him and Mommy fight allot when he drinks that stuff.

The child had terrible grammar but he understood the message perfectly, it was sad. He turned the pages until he came to another page that seemed to jump out at him

Mommy is with god now daddy is mad he is drinking more and more whenever he drinks it makes his breath smell bad he is always yelling at me i wish he would stop even my big brother is getting scared and he never gets scared plus the veins are getting bigger i get so scared at times but the big rock makes me so happy it is warm and glowing and sometimes I can even hear music coming from it

Slowly Genki turned the page, it was written two days after the last one he read.

Daddy is drinking more and more and he hits me more and more and he yells at me was i a bad girl? sorry Mommy if i am bad i don't mean to be i wish though daddy would stop hitting me it i hurt allot but i can't cry because then he makes everything hurt worse when i do.

Blinking back tears, Genki turned to the next page....it was blank....the rest of the dairy was empty. He shivered, this could only be a bad sign. That poor child....

He left the house and searched all over the place for Denies, but could not find the brat anywhere. He searched every place he could think off, except over the bridge, but it was only a little patch of earth, before a fence leading into the pumpkin patch began, and he knew none of the kids would willingly go in there. And the huge pumpkins on which the little girl, probably Maria sat on took up most of that little space...the only place he didn't check was....The School! But the doors were all boarded up...unless. Appearing at the side of the school, he spotted a window, part way opened, it was to small for him to fit threw and to dirty for him to see threw. Thinking about the crowbar Genki went to get it and quickly pride open the doors to the school. The images inside were something he least expected to see.

He had found the parents.

Burnt and rotting corpses nailed to the walls of the school, blackened flesh still held in expressions of agony, the stench of burnt flesh filled his nostrils making him sick. The stench causing his eyes to water. In the corner he spotted Denies setting down among the dead, beside a corpse, whoops white preachers collar was the only thing left unburned. The child's father....but yet the child did not even care.

"Dear god...." Genki mumbled, crossing himself, the memory came to him on his own about how his sister would always make him cross himself before going inside a church of before staring upon the dead. Until a few moments ago the memory was foreign to him, but with this sudden jump start of horror and shock it rushed back to him at once.

"You!" He exclaimed, gazing at Denies in shock. "What kind of hiding place is this!?"

The boy ignored him and ran out of the building joining the others outside at the statue. Quickly he left the buildings, relieved to get away from the smell and the images. He approached Denies, more then a little disgusted.

"All right, I found all of you! Give me the key."

"No! You forgot about our secret weapon!"

"But I found all of you!"

"You didn't find all of us! You still need to find Carlo. But no one can find her, Mr, so you should just give up!"

"You brat.....I'll find Carlo, just you see!"

"She's been hiding for a very long time."

"She's the best at this game."

"She was my best friend, I wonder where she is at....'

`I wish Denies would tell me where she was hiding...."

Lumpy had been the last of the children to speak, the sadness in his voice made him put an comforting hand on the boys shoulder.

"I bet Denies doesn't even know where she is himself."

*****************************

Carlo was just no where to be found, and even though Genki still kept an eye out for her, he had decided to go talk to Maria. He crossed the bridge, the board being more then an little wobbly. The girl didn't even turn to look at him.

"Excuse me, are you Maria?" He asked softly.

"Yes, Maria Santiago, nice to meet you."

She still didn't turn to look at him, he could tell by her soft tone that she wasn't a snob or rude, so he was baffled why she didn't bother turning around.

"Why wont you look at me? If your scared of mother and don't want to talk to me, I understand....I----"

The girl turned her head towards him, he staggered backwards, putting an hand to his mouth to stop an startled burst of an scream. The girls eyes were missing! Was she in an accident?

"Please don't leave, It gets lonely hear all alone...." Maria begged.

"Of course I wont leave you...."

"Thank you...."

"My name is Genki."

The child smiled. "Thank you Genki."

"Maria, who is mother, I keep hearing about her, but it doesn't seem like she is no one's real mother."

"No she's....she...." The girl shivered, voice cracking as if she was about to cry.

"Maria, what happened hear!? To you, and everyone!? What is going on?"

"It's a long story, but I'll tell you. Before Mother came, everyone hear was fine, people were happy. But then mother came along and made all the adults go away. Then she started changing us....into....into monsters! It all started when a comet hit the barn, the preacher said that god was angry about the pumpkins, and refused to let anybody remove the rock, Jeddah, the pumpkin patch owner was really mad! But The Father was really scared of the comet. It was then, that the adults disappeared one by one, and then, mother changed us so we can be good like her, because meat was really bad! The adults were really bad because they let their self pride and lust rule their souls and hearts and leads to their and others destruction. She told us that god sent her to protect us, because we are his special children. But then....I did something really bad. I went looking for our parents, Mother caught me, and said that I was to curious. She made the other children throw me in the patch..." Maria's lips began to quiver. " It was scary in there....and those birds, black wings....they pecked at my eyes....It hurt allot! But when they were gone, mother took the pain away...."

Feeling faint, Genki placed an hand over his heart, staggering back a few steps. " that's horrendous! How could she do that to a...a child!?"

"It's all right....they don't hurt anymore."

"All right!? Maria....."

"Please, Genki, I don't feel like talking about this anymore, I said way to much already."

"Where is mother, I did not see he in the village, and I can see the pumpkin patch clearly, she's not there either....and....the barn. She's in the barn, isn't she Maria?"

"Um...No...well....maybe.....yes." The child sighed, giving in.

"The patch...it doesn't seem so dangerous...."

The truth was, the patch began to appear more and more inviting the more he gazed at it. It even began to seem beautiful, and he started to become drawn to it, and would have entered if it wasn't for the tall gate, locked with a combination lock.

"Don't let it fool you." The girl warned. " Once you go inside, everything turns bad."

"Maria, what's the number for the lock?"

"Why do you want to know? Your not going in there are you....well, it's your own choice...but....be careful. I don't know the number myself, but I heard mother say once it had to do with something about Jessie loosing stuff.

"Jessie, loosing stuff......what.....hmmmm....."

I didn't beat her once! I beat her four times!

Once!? I beat her Seven times! She's says she's the best, but she's not.

I beat her once myself, she was hard.

"471!!"Genki exclaimed, turning the lock to each of those numbers. It opened with a small click, and bravely he entered. Maria called out to him.

"Genki, try and come back alive, please!"

"I can say, that I will do my very best." Taking an deep breath he stepped inside, and gate behind him swing shut, but thankfully it did not lock it's self. There was pumpkins as far as the eye could see, all big, round and orange, with large green weeds. The path was curvy and leathered with fall leaves. It seemed like a calm and very peaceful place, and once again he felt drawn to it, but as he took an step forward, an feeling of dread came over him. Blanketing him like a thick mist, washing away any feelings of peace and calmness. Taking an step back however, the feeling of calm returned to him. He knew better now however, then to trust his feelings. He needed a weapon. His eyes scanned the area around himself, he saw a broken up tractor just behind him, the most good it could be used for was spare parts, but that is not what caught his eye, their was a scythe. Something about it seemed familiar, and suddenly the image of the vision he had seen at the lemon-aid stand flicker into his mind, but as soon as it had came the image vanished, leaving him to stare out at the pumpkins again. Taking an deep breath he walked forward, gripping his hand around the handle of the scythe. Turning back around he gazed deeper into the pumpkin patch, he wasn't going to be fooled this time about how peaceful the place looked, he knew better. Suddenly the area infront of him rippled, like water when a stones thrown in, and for the first time he saw the patch the way it really was. It was dark....evil. The pumpkins around him laughed, their faces craved into grotesque grins. Mad grins. The vines were moving, swinging about like arms, and birds...black birds flew in the sky like vultures seeking pray. His hands tightened around the Scythe, taking a step forward he spoke

"Time to slice and dice."

The words however were not in his voice, nor was he the one that spoke them, but never the least he walked forward, the laughter of the pumpkins growing louder. Two birds swiped in at him, unprepared for the sudden attack he was pierced by the sharp beaks several times on the back, neck and arms as he shield his face in his panic. As they peeked at his hands he nearly lost the Scythe.

`Fight back! Come on!'

Once again the voice entered his head....now that he thought about it, it was his voice, but it was strange....he wasn't thinking those words. Suddenly his arms sprang out, twirling the scythe in the air like a cheerleader twirls an baton. The blade cut the birds into, their blood rained down on him like a gentle summers rain. Bracing himself he stepped forward, more birds came at him, and he got ready to strike again. He weapon lashed out like an snake posing for attack. More blood soaked the ground, and for the first time he saw, the every droplet of blood that landed on the ground, made the pumpkins around him grow bigger. The blood was feeding them. As he walked forward he was forced to slice at few more birds, and finally he came to an clearing, blocked off by an gate. It wasn't lock and he opened it. It was a large clearing, another gate was leading towards the barn, all the way at the other side, opposite of were he was standing. In the center their was an scarecrow, with pumpkins surrounding it. The scarecrow was dressed as an common one would be, except it's head was made out of an pumpkin, and in it's hands he carried an Scythe, not like the one he was holding, but one that was all covered with freckles of dark red rust. Next the it however was something that seemed like on those prison things, that captured a person's hands and head inside, except this one was made to fully expose the neck of the captive person. Their was an large bowl under it, for what purpose he didn't know. Their was also a stone statue, which seemed very out of place, of a girl around eight years old. Ignoring it, he walked forward, suddenly all the pumpkins around the scarecrow lit up, causing him to gasp, but the thing that made him backup the most was the fact that the scarecrow was beginning to move. It laughed, turning to him with an sneer, before it started coming towards him.

"Oh....Shit!"

Genki tried to get away from it, but it was quick and soon he locked Scythe's with it. It was now that he noticed that the scarecrow's scythe wasn't freckled with red rust, it was freckled with blood! In panic he gained the upper hand over the creature and pierced it several times, it crumpled to the ground deep. Genki took an deep breath of relief. Relief that was short lived. Something wrapped around his ankles throwing him to the ground, the scythe fell from he hands. Twisting around he screamed, struggling against the veins that were holding him captive. The scarecrow got back to it's feet, somehow revived from the dead, and tore him away from the plants grasp. He forced him to kneel infront of the trap, the one he spied before, with the bowl under it. His hands and head was locked into it, even as he struggled. For the first time he saw what was in the bowl. It was stained with blood.

`I get it.....I understand. Blood causing the pumpkins to grow. They forced the parents to kneel hear, cut their throats, captured their blood in the bowl, and used it to water the pumpkins. Then, when the bodies were drained entirely, they...they burned them in the school. My blood is going to be used to water the pumpkins.....'

The scythe, rusty with blood came closer and closer to the soft skin of his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut, waited for the onslaught, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes and saw the stone statue of the girl had come to life. She had long brown hair, shining in the sun, violet eyes so bright that it made his own eyes water. He skin was the color of an delicate peach, and the yellow dress she wore blew slightly, but their was no wind. She seemed like a vision, a vision of an angel, she seemed like......memories. He knew this girl....he could feel it. His eyes lowered down to her hands, un-human claws, painted with bright yellow nail polish dawned them. Was this girl an mixed species? He eyes found the scarecrow melted into an pile of goo, he turned back to the girl, she had destroyed all the pumpkins that had been surrounding his would be killer.

`I get it! Those pumpkins were the secret to his immortally!'

"Ah....Ah..." He stuttered. "Thank you."

The girl stared at him, before smiling and turning back into stone. He stared in shock. Had she been real....was he seeing things. Maybe he went crazy....But crazy of not, he had to find out what was in that barn.

Walking into the barn yard he saw the green rock that he had read about in the child's dairy, it seemed to be the source of all the mutated plant life....maybe even the source of this....mother. Next to it was a generator used to bring power to the barn, and a jumper cable was plugged into it, the other end laying on the ground....this could cause quite an electric shock and burn the grass if the machine was turned on. Well at least the grass wasn't metal...or wet metal for that matter, besides it wasn't even turned on, nor did it have any gas in it to make it work. Bracing himself he walked forward, swinging open the barn doors. His eyes grew wide in horror. An large mass of slime, woods and leaves with yellow glowing eyes, and an large mouth with jagged teeth as brown and as dirty as it's....could it really be called skin? It looked more like slimily tree bark.

"Wh....Wh....What are you!?"

"Stop staring at me and close your mouth, crude meat thing, your breath is making me sick." The creature spoke, it's voice as shrill and as disturbing as someone raking their nails down an chalk board. " I was hopeing that the pumpkin patch would...stop your from getting this far, but I suppose it was inevitable. Not a problem, I'll weed you out, just like the others in a little while."

"Weed me out!? That's what you did to the parents!? You weeded them out!? So...why, why did you leave me alone huh? Why aren't you weeding me out right now?"

"I dew time little meat." Mother laughed.

"My name is Genki, not meat!"

"Your name is meaningless to me! An animal noise! That's what it is. You sick with flesh, as are the children, but I'm stopping this disease from spreading."

"Your the one doing this to the children to? Why? And why spare them and not the adults? Aren't the kids just, meat to?"

"Yes! And it makes me sick! However...the children still have some innocence...but you saw them. Bricking and separated, but soon their salvation will come."

"Salvation!? what salvation can you give them?"

"Once I'm finished turning transforming my seedlings, they well be one with me forever!"

"Seedlings!? These are human children, not your seedlings! And what kind of salvation do you have to offer, that their parents can't!?"

"They children are sick with flesh! Soon they will be plants and the meat will be weeded out. The meat named Jeddah as did the one named preacher showed me how harmful your kind can be."

"Jeddah, and the preacher? What did they do so wrong?"

"Jeddah prayed on his own child, causing her to suffer and die. And the Preacher turned the townspeople away from rational thought, causing them to turn an blind eye to Jeddah crimes against Carol."

`Carol.....Carol! She's....she dead?'

" She spoke to me when no one else would, he voice was like music to my ears. She was my favorite and I failed her."

For a moment he felt a small ping of pity for this creature but within an blink of an eye it was replaced with cold hard rage.

"So you killed them!? You killed all the adults!?"

"Their crime was the same as Jeddah's. They watched as he killed Carol and they did nothing!"

"And the kind of Salvation you giving the children! What kind of salvation is turning them to simple plants!?"

"SIMPLE PLANTS!?" Mother roared. "FOOLISH MEAT!!! Do you know what your problem is? You lack structure. Your a bag of loose flesh and cells. It's a wonder why you don't burst. My form is superior to yours in every way, Animal!"

"Then why are you scared of me?" Genki asked calmly, almost mockingly.

"SCARED!? OF YOU!? HA!! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!!! I'm just taking my time, because like the children, I sense some innocence from you, breath deep, crude meat thing, and be cleansed! And you may call me as the children do, Mother."

"Mother!? I'll call you what you are! YOU PERVERSE BLOATED EGOMANIAC!!!!!"

Without a word but with a grunt of rage, Mother picked up one of her vines off of the ground, wrapping it around his leg and tossing him out of the barn, sending him skidding on the ground painfully.

"I got to....destory that thing before it kills the children...."

He made his way back threw the pumpkin patch. With the scarecrow destroyed the place seemed to have lost it's danger, but it still appeared evil to his eyes. He met up with Maria who was still setting on the pumpkin, looking worried.

"Maria!"

"You back, thank goodness!"

"Maria, Mother she's....she's not human, do you understand what she is doing...!? She's...."

"Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings..."

"Maria...!?" Genki paled, growing confused.

The child whimpered. "I....I....I...I don't....." He voice cracked, she went silent, then gazed up at him threw he empty eye sockets, her face deprived of any emotion. " Maria is safe now, let her sleep. She will be cleansed soon enough, why don't you join them...?" Mother laughed, her voice coming out of Maria's mouth. Quickly Genki across the board, not wanting to look back at the poor blind child.

He saw Marty gazing back him confused, still bouncing his ball on the porch steps.

"Marty! I saw mother....she's....."

"Mother is good, G-O-O-D. Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. H-A-R-M. The meat must be killed, K-I-L-L-E-D. so that the seedlings can grow.S-E-E-D-L-I-N-G-S. We are all mother's seedlings...."

"Seedlings!? But your a child! A...A human child!"

"No! You what to ruin everything! Mother was right, your bad meat! Bad!"

"Marty....."

"GO AWAY!! A-W-A-Y!"

Genki sighed in defeat an walked forward, coming face to face with Jessie and Billy who were still playing tic-tac-toe on the street.

"Jessie! Billy! I saw mother, she's not human, do you understand what's she doing to you, she going to....."

"Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings..." The children chanted together.

"She's going to kill you....." Genki whimpered softly, tears stinging his eyes.

"NO!!" Billy snapped, turning away from him.

"Don't be silly, Genki! Mother says she'll be turning me into a flower, I'm going to be such a pretty flower, don't you think?"

"....But your a child...."

Genki turned away from them, spotting Ellen staring at him sadly.

"Ellen...."

"Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings..."

"Your a human child...not a seedling.....Not a plant....."

"I know Genki, but look at my legs. They are ugly, I don't want them anymore. Mother says she'll turn me into a pumpkin.....that's what daddy would always call me....his little pumpkin...." Tears formed in Ellen's eyes as she started to sob. With pure pity Genki bent over embracing her, allowing her to cry in his shirt, drenching it with her tears. After a few minuets she quitted down and refused to speak another word as she sniffled and sobbed on the ground from wear she was planting her pumpkin seeds.

He turned to Edward, who had watched the ongoings with slight curiosity.

"Edward, do you want to be a seedling to!?" Genki cried." Don't listen to Mother...please...she's....."

"Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings...She says that I can be a Lilly pad, and float down the lake just like Timmy, it will be so much fun!"

"But..."

"Don't ruin things for us! Leave us alone!"

"Derek!" Genki turned, hopefully towards the child.

"Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings..."

"Derek....." The hopefulness in Genki's voice had been replaced but total despair.

"Mother says that I can be a sugar cane! I'll be the yummiest of all! Your a bad man...stop trying to ruin things!"

"Meg!" Genki ran over to her. " Mother is not nice, she's going to...."

"Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings..."

"But Meg!"

"No Genki, don't stop her." Meg was close to tears. "She says that she will let me be a Rose."

"But Meg, rose's can't play, they can't jump rope!"

Meg began to sob. " I tired of being fat and ugly. All the kids make fun of me, but they'll see! I'll be the prettiest of them all!"

"But Meg, you don't have...." Genki began, his own tears forming in his eyes. `You don't have to be beautiful to be happy. What's the point of being lovely if you can't move, if you can't smile, if you can't play....what's the point of being beautiful if your dead?' all this was said to himself, because he could not bare to speak another word, knowing that the tears would fall down his cheeks.

"I thought you were nice, Genki, but now I see your just like everyone else. You want be to stay fat and ugly forever so you can pick on me!" Meg's voice sounded betrayed and she turned away from him, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Meg...."

"Shut up.....SHUT UP!!!!"

Tearfully he turned to Denies, but before he could speak an word, the boy raised his hands in the air.

"Mother is good! mother is the way! She protects us from the meat that would harm us! The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow! We are all mother's seedlings!"

All the children around him began to chant that same phrase over and over again, it was driving him insane. Had he failed in protecting the children....was this all he was good for? He found mother but....he....he couldn't do anything to stop her from....he can't stop her from killing the children. He couldn't even make them lesson to him.

Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings..."

"Mother is good.....Mother is the way......." Genki found himself muttering, catching himself he clenched his fist thightly, grabbing an rock from the ground and throwing it at the church bell. It rang with a shrill ding, causing the kids to stop chanting and stare at him. A large metal cross that had been nailed to the roof of the church fell to the ground with an large thud, knocked loose from it's place by the force of the rock and the loud ringing.

"DOES THAT GET YOUR ATTENTION, DAMMNIT!!!"

Timmy approaches him from the river, stares at him, meeting his gaze with soulless eyes.

"Mother is good, mother is the way. She protects us from the meat that would harm us. The meat must be killed so that the seedlings can grow. We are all mother's seedlings...Why wont you join us?"

The children all went back to doing what they were doing before Genki had begged them to lesson to him about Mother.

"Are you going to give up on finding our secret weapon yet?" Denies laughed.

Genki looked at him sourly, and approached Ellen, he gazed up at him sullenly.

"Ellen, can a borrow your shovel?"

"....Sure....I'm done planting my pumpkins."

"Thank you."

***************************

Genki walked towards the graveyard, almost in an daze. He stopped at the gravestone that read

`C.Discoll; Missed dearly by mother.'

and began to dig. He did not know how long it took him to hit the coffin, but before he knew it he was gazing at the wooden casket, big enough to fir that of an small child. He opened the lid and was overcome by an overwhelming stench, but he didn't even blink as he stared inside. A young girl, thin black hair kissed with a Russian red was tied back in the defalcated braid, which hung limply over her shoulder. Hands stiff, with skin that had become rotten laid flooded over the chest off her black and white dress. Her final dress. Before he knew it, Lumpy came up behind him and picked the girl up, placing her in a wheel barrow.

"I'm so glad she's back, I missed my little sister so much! Take you Mr for finding her!"

Genki watched sadly as Lumpy carried the child away in the wheel barrow.

`Dennis secret weapon....Carol....'

*********************************

"I dug up your secret weapon! What kind of twisted freak are you!?" Genki yelled at Denies, boiling inside with anger.

"Hey, Mr! Don't get yourself wrapped up in a knot!! Geeze! Take the key and go away!"

*********************************

The general store was filled with useless junk, except for one thing that Genki took, and knew was going to be very useful. An can of Gasoline. Next he went back outside the church and picked up the cross, went down to where Timmy had been fishing and dunked it in the water before heading back to the barn.

He moved swiftly, wanting to get this done before mother found out what he was up to, and it was to late to stop him. He placed the wet metal cross on the rock, and placed the other end of the jumper cable on it, before filling the generator with the gas. He took a moment to breath in, releasing all his anger in the breath and flipped the switched. The cross sparked, the electricity running threw the wet metal caused an explosion, followed by an scream. An blood curling scream. Mother's scream.

"AT LAST!! THE CHILDREN ARE FREE OF YOU!!!"

After the electricity stopped flowing threw the barn, Genki wondered over to the rock, surprised that it caused that much of an explosion. The rock was utterly destroyed, and as he reached out to feel the remains, he found that he didn't need the cross at all...the rock....it was metallic. He wondered into the barn, and threw up at the image and the smell. Mother was reduced to nothing but exploded and gooey remains.

"What a mess...." He coughed, leaving the barn.....for good.

In the Pumpkin patch, he met with the girl whom had saved his life before. She had become flesh and blood again. She did not speak a word to him, but instead too his hand and led him threw the pumpkin patch. They first came to the place Maria use to set. She was gone...no...as he looked closer, she was there....but in her place....there was goo....an simple puddle of melted flesh and worm. Panicked he raced across the bridge, the once girl of stone following calmly behind him. Marty's ball still bounced, but Marty was no longer around, but in the rocking chair of wear he sat was the gooey remains of flesh and plant, her gazed around himself....gooey remains of flesh and plant was in all the places the children once were. The ball rolled down the steps, hitting his legs. Tears filled his eyes and he fell to his knees sobbing loudly.

"Dear god....what have I done....I killed them....By killing mother....I killed the children."

And your the innocent one? Your a killer. You can't save anyone, so why do you think you can make any difference in saving the world from Saiyoua. You'll just end up killing your friends, just like you killed the children. You think your helping, but instead your leading them to their graves.

An familiar voice mocked him. Tears continue to spill over his cheeks, it was true....he is just leading people to their deaths....

An image infront of his eyes flickered, and he looked up to see a one of the shadowy figures from the tower approach him.

"I know you....your....."

FLASH

The figure looked towards him. " My baby....my baby....Mother took my baby away! My sweet little baby....Her and all those damn pumpkins....all evil....pure evil."

"That's horrible! How could your mother take away your child!?" Genki exclaimed appalled.

"Not only my mother....everyone's mother....she takes away the children, says she protects them from meat.....my baby...where is she now?" The figure sobbed mournfully before vanishing into thin air.

FLASH

The shadow opened up it's arms and the little girl the still stood behind him, ran forward embracing the shadow. Suddenly in a flash of light he saw the blonde he had seen visions of at the lemon-aid stand and when he saw the Scythe, and it was holding an baby in it's arms, the baby...it was once the little girl. Suddenly memories came flooding back, not allot, just names.

"Lemon, Pan?"

Lemon smiled and vanished along with the baby. Genki looked at the stained glass the statue had given him. One of the faces were filled in. Lemon and Pan, the first piece of the puzzle had been solved.

FLASH!

"Where am I now?" Genki looked around himself, and spotted what seemed to be a circus. There were tents and bright lights....it was all pretty and amazing, but creepy as well. He suddenly found himself being filled with a childish delight however as he stared at the rides, games and the blinking lights.

"Wowie an Circus! I don't like clowns, but games and candy...." Genki caught himself, and put an hand to his head, feeling an headache coming on.

"What the....I am thinking like a child...." Taking a breath to calm himself he stepped forward, and suddenly began to feel an tingling feeling cover his body. He looked down at himself, and gasped, confused, he was shrinking. He closed his eyes as a sudden pain rushed threw his body. When he reopened them, he stared down at himself in shock. He was wearing pair of brown shorts, an loose white shirt, he had his hair braided, but on top of his head he had the orange cap he had always worn as a little boy.

"I am a child again...?" He said out loud, running his hands over himself in amazement. His voice was small and squeaky, he always hate his voice when he was young. He moaned painfully gripping his head as pain rushed threw it. He could just feel his maturity and adultness fading away from his mind. He was going to be a silly, childish ten year old again mentally as well a physically!

"Hey kid, you ok?"

"Huh?" Genki shyly gazed up at an man with an curvy black mush-tash, and sparkling clothes.

"Yeah...I am ok, Mr. Where am I?"

"Why kid, your at the circus! The best circus in town!....well....we are kind of floating on an island in the middle of nowhere, but let's not mention that. So, where are your parents, little one?"

"My Parents...."

FLASH

"I am sorry, Genki, but mom and dad died."

"No.....!!" an young Genki ran away, leaving an worried woman calling out to him.

"Genki, wait, come back!"

FLASH

"Mommy, and Daddy are dead...." He sniffled.

"Awww...I am so sorry to hear that. Tell you what, I'll give you this free pass to the circus, all attractions and games are free. What do you say?"

"Thank you very much Sir...but Mommy said not to take anything from strangers...."

"That is very wise of your mother, kid. My name is Mr.Donalds, you are?"

"Genki, sir."

"I know your name, and you know mine, so see we aren't strangers any more so you can take the pass."

Genki smiled, taking the pass gratefully. "Thank you very much!"

"Your welcome kido! If you have any questions I'll be at the big top!" Mr.Donalds walked away, leaving him to explore the circus on his own.

****************************************

"The power of the groups friendship is strong...." Keith observed to himself. "Those visions of his friends...they may prove to be a problem, or they just may end up making his unwinding more, entertaining...."

****************************************

The place was huge! The circus was on a island, half sunk into the water, however, it was still big. There was a long twisting path, which was a wooden bridge which if you go right led to the big top, separated from the rest of the circus on an high up hill, there was an house, from the distance he was at all he could make out was three figures and a fire which was confined to a metal can. He followed the path to the left he would come to a tattoo parlor. Infront of the big top were many games to play, the people inside the booths calling to him to try out their games. If he followed the path downward he would come to the waters edge. Down there was a carousel, a freak show and a fun house! Pass the fun house, though he couldn't see anyway to get there except by going threw the fun house was an hill the lid upward to a fortune tellers house. He was overwhelmed with excitement, but it dulled when he looked around himself. `Where was everyone else? Was he the only customer hear?' Weird.

`Might as well play some games....' He thought, the first game was a shooting game, he had to shot targets. The men in the stand was a nice guy, and greeted him with a big grin, showing of a pair of yellow teeth.

"Welcome kid! Ya want to try and shoot the targets? I see ya have a pass. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have charged ya anyway, what would be the point? Hear take yer best shot, lad!"

"Thank you sir." Genki replied, taking the gun with an smile. His face flashed with surpise. What kind of carnival used real guns? He had thought it was a fake. Still he tried, and got five out of five targets dead in the center.

"WOW!! AMAZING EAGLE EYES!I'VE SEEN THAT SKILL WITH TEENAGERS BUT NOT WITH CHILDREN!!" The man praised, proudly.

"Thanks sir!"

The rest of the game people were lot lest nice, the man with the pins to knock down with a baseball got mad when he accidentally hit the pins to hard with the ball and busted up the came. Childishly, Genki picked up one of the fallen pins, deciding to keep it as a souvenir. He ran into one of the game venders, whoops game was out of order, and was just setting back, reading an book titled The Great Octopus.

"Hello, sir." Genki greeted politely.

The man put down his book. "Hey kid, how did you get hear?"

"I don't know...."

"Well you sure couldn't have got hear by boat, that's for sure!" The man exclaimed.

"Why not?" Genki asked, curiously.

"Well, the monster lives in the water."

"Monster!?" He cried alarmed.

"Yep, didn't you hear about it? His name is Eggie. Other people can tell you more about him if you want, I would prefer not talking about him."

"O...Ok...." he stuttered walking away from the man and to the big top, perhaps the owner could tell him about Eggie.

The big top was filled with life, people all over the place was practicing there act. There was a girl with dark skin, dressed in a tight yellow performer suit, thick brown red hair cut short like a boys, but she was still amazingly beautiful....and she was breathing fire! Cool! The next guy he spotted was bald, and fat. He was juggling ten tiny red balls. There was another guy with long black hair and dark eyes, he was slim and seemed frail but he was letting huge weights, he must be the Strong Man of the circus. The circus owner he met before was standing in the center, behind him were.....two clowns. Genki shivered. He hated clowns....he couldn't stand them, they frightened him for as long as he could remember. He did not really know why....but....they gave him the chills. He watched the juggler interested.

"Sir..." He began.

"Shh, kid, don't speak and break my concentration. Just throw me a new challenge, something besides a ball, and I'll give you a treat. I'd get it myself but I don't want to break my record, I've been juggling these balls for three months!"

"Wow!" Genki exclaimed, and look thoughtful for a moment before tossing the man the bowling pin he stole earlier. The man caught it, and grinned happily.

"Thanks kid, hear!"

The jugglers tossed him one of the red balls, while he continued to juggle.

"Thanks!" He exclaimed happily, before going over to the fire breather.

"Cool...do you really breath fire?"

"Oh, hi there little one! How are you? Yes, I do breath fire. What's you name?"

"Genki."

"My name is Rachel, but everyone now a days calls me my stage name, Inferno."

"Inferno, can you teach me how to breath fire?"

The woman laughed. "Of course! I was going to teach my own kid someday the trick, but since my husband died that one year ago....my hopes of having an child died with him."

"Oh I am so sorry Inferno. What happened to him?"

"He and a few other men went to try and kill that cursed Eggie...they never came back."

"Who or what is Eggie, Inferno? Is he really a monster?"

"You bet kid, he's a monster all right....a monster on the outside and in the inside. But let's not talk about, ok kid? Hear, I'll teach you all you need to know about breathing fire, I can give you a fire wand, but you need to find me some rubbing alcohol, because I only have an little bet left for my act."

"Ok Inferno, I'll be back with some rubbing alcohol."

Mr.Donalds turned to them and laughed. " Ah! Inferno, trying to get us another little performer? Woman and child fire breathers, hey....I like the sound of that, if we weren't all bait for the overgrown squid I would include it in the act."

"Bait!?" Genki gasped alarmed.

"Donalds, your scaring him!" Inferno frowned angrily.

"Sorry about that, little one, it just slipped my thounge."

"Can you please tell me who Eggie is....or what he is?"

"....No, it's to scary...." The fire breather began, frowning.

"Nonsense Inferno! It's bets he knows so he can protect himself better. You wouldn't want him to go childishly taking an swim in the water."

"Your right....Well, you see, dear....Eggie...."

"He's a bastard that's what!" The female clown sobbed. " He ate my poor doggie, my poor little Mr.Poopers!! That big slimy arm came up and just grabbed him while he was trying to go to the bathroom one day!!"

"....S....S....Sorry about your dog, lady...." Genki stuttered, he was afraid of clowns so much.

"Sorry! You being sorry is not going to bring Mr. Poopers back, you brat!"

"Now sis...." The male clown began.

"Shut up, ya big retard!"

Genki turned away from the two bickering clowns, and gazed at Mr.Donalds and Inferno pitifully.

"Sorry about Ritza, she hasn't been the same since he dog died. Well....she never was nice, but you get my drift. Anyway, Eggie lives in the water, he is an giant half human half squid creature. He feeds on the people hear at the circus. It's best to try and stay far away from the water, but even up hear....those arms can reach quite an distance."

"The freak show master can give you all the details if you want, sweet heart. Don't worry, you'll be all right. I'll let you stay with me. I have a room in the back of the big top. My husband made the doors out of the thickest and strongest wood in the world, you wont get hurt. I promise."

"Thank you!"

"Your welcome, kiddo! You go and have some fun, but come back hear in an hour, ok? It's soon dark out and that is when Eggie starts looking for prey. You'd do best to wait to talk to the freak show master tomorrow at mid-day. Eggie is the laziest at that time."

"Ok! I'll see you a little later then, Miss.Inferno!"

The woman smiled as she watched the little boy run out of the big top. `I wish that my husband could have saw you....'

Genki walked up the hill towards the house. An chubby round boy dressed in dirty white clothes stared at him, joy dancing in his eyes. A tall skinny man stood near the canned fire with a woman. The man seemed kind with a long brown bear and mustache, while the woman, with long black hair and crimson eyes seemed mean.

"Cool another kid, let's play....!!"

"Tod! Stay away from him, he is with those evil circus demons!"

"Evil?"

"Don't play stupid, your probably an shape shifter or something, hear to slay me and my child. This man takes the form of my husband, but I know he is trying to kill me to! Those circus people were the one that bright that squid hear. The only reason why my family and I were spared was because our house was the highest one, everyone else sunk with this island and were devoured my Eggie!"

"I am not an shape shifter, I am just a kid....."

"Get out of hear you brat! I know what you are! Your leading that squid hear to eat me, to eat my Tod! You and this man are both trying to kill me, but I wont be FOOLED, just you see!!"

Genki turned to that man with a confuse expression. To bearded man shook his head sadly and whispered `Go.' he understood now, the man's wife had gone crazy. It was no wonder, if there really was an giant squid going around eating people. Before heading back to the big top, he stopped at the tattoo parlor. He had asked for an tattoo, but the man laughed and said he was to young for one. However when he mentioned that Inferno was going to teach him how to breath fire the man kindly gave him an bottle of rubbing alcohol. It was dark outside now, and he was getting very tired. Slowly he made his way back to the big top. Inferno was waiting for him worriedly.

"Oh! Thank goodness! I was so worried about you, kiddo!"

"Inferno, I got some rubbing alcohol!"

"That's great! I'll teach you how to breath fire tomorrow, since you can't learn anything knew when your falling asleep."

"I'm not sleepy..." Even as he spoke, he yawned tiredly. The woman laughed, and led him by the hand, behind the curtain of the big top. It was an small area, with several doors inside. Inferno pointed to her room at the far end. The door did look an great deal stronger then the rest. But before they got there, Ritza opened her door, almost hitting them in the face with it.

"How dare you Inferno! You take a little child into safety, and you wont take me into your room! How dare you!"

"Well, Ritza, I'm not going to let some woman you tried to steal my husband, then call him an weakling coward when he dies, into my room....ever!!"

"Well, at least I am not an slut, taking little boys into my room...It's wonder what Dan saw in you..."

Inferno bitch slapped Ritza in the face before, still holding Genki's hand took him into the room. She closed the door, locking it, before sighing an deep breath.

"I am sorry about that. Ritza....just makes me so mad...."

"What she said to you was really mean. You don't have to feel bad about getting angry. I would have hit her too!"

"Your an sweet kid, so innocent, hang on to that ok?"

*****************************

"What....Tenki...? This virus....it's not programmed to do stuff like this...what the hell is going on? Does the people in this game actually feel things?" Keith observed, confused.

".....The areas and situations they are all dreamt of by Genki....but the people...they could actually be real...No...but that is just not possible. Tenki shook his head, watching the computer screen in bewilderment.

******************************

Genki's eye brow furrowed as he tossed in his sleep, he could see a group of people...none of them except for the boy and the baby he met in the pumpkin patch were clear. No there was another, a girl...he could almost see her....but she always faded from his view. It was like he could see her but couldn't at the same time. The image faded from view and he could see himself, as a teenager, standing in the center of a room. One of the people in it was himself as he was now, a him with one wing, an him closer to his twenties a dressed completely as a fighter, an him dressed in one of Angeles scientist uniform, the kind that his family always wore, and then finally a dark him, black hair and eyes, black shiny wings and milk white skin.

`Which one are you? Who is the true Genki?'

The questioned echoed around him in all the voices of each of the different forms. But all so much like his own it sounded like he was thinking the thought to him.

`Give it up!"

Genki gasped as the dark him clenched his shoulders, tightening his hold until the grip was bruising.

"Give what up?"

"Your innocence, let it go...or else...."

"You'll die!" Keith's face took over all other images, as it laughed cruelly.

*******************************

Genki jumped awake it breath, breathing hard. Inferno who had dressed into a cotton loose pink night gown, woke up and wrapped her arms around him concerned.

"Your trembling, Genki. Shhh....calm down, sweet heart, it was just a bad dream."

"But...it all seemed so real."

"I know, dreams can feel that way. But try and calm down, sweetie."

"I'm to scared to go back to sleep...."

"Oh, don't say that, hear, lay your head back down on the pillows."

With a sigh Genki obeyed, yawning, suddenly feeling tired again as Inferno soothingly caress his long bangs and his cheek.

"You remind me so much of my little brother....it's scary....Awww, kid, don't worry. Your save, your going to be just fine."

She smiled as he mumbled a few unheard whispers threw his yawns, as he slowly drifted off to sleep again, to hopefully dream of more peaceful things.

**********************************

"Mimi..." Carrie whispered, sadly, approaching her timidly. Everyone else had fallen asleep, by the young Fernandez was to worried for her friend, and adopted mother to get an wink of sleep. The grieving fairy-half turned towards her, how swollen and red her eyes were....it was heart wrenching to look apon.

"Oh Carrie....is he ever going to wake up.....?" her voice cracked as she formed the words.

"I don't know...." The young girl turned her gaze onto Genki who laid, flushed in the face and breathing heavily, his hair matted to his forehead as he swatted profusely, and dispite that he was still burning to the touch.

"But Mimi, please don't loose hope, you can't give up....after all." Carrie forced a smile. "Your the holder of the orb of hope!"

".........I don't think I'm worthy of it...."

"Mimi, what do you mean?"

"Whenever things got a little tuff....I always feel like giving up inside.....that it why....I'm just not worthy....of anything."

"Carrie! Please don't say that, it isn't true!"

"It is Carrie, there is no use denying it...I'm just not worthy....I'm not worthy of anything, not him...."

She gazed down at Genki, caressing his bangs.

"Oh Mimi....."

*********************************

Genki woke to loud crashes outside the door, he opened his eyes, blinking in the darkness, trying to see what was happening.

"Genki!" Inferno cried, wrapping her arms around him, protectively and from fear.

"Inferno, what is going on?"

"I.....It's Eggie....he's searching..."

"Searching for what?"

"....Food...."

Genki trembled fearfully, finding himself holding on to Inferno in the same way she was holding on to him. He could hear the slithering of an huge tentacle, as it scarped the floor just outside the door. After a few heart stopping moments of total silence there was a loud bang, just outside the hall. There was an scream...a distinctly female yelp of surprise and horror.

"RITZA!!!" Inferno cried, eyes growing large.

"NOO!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!HELP ME!!!!!"

The anguished cries ended quickly and was replaced by silence.

He began to sob, shaking with fear as he buried his head in Inferno's night gown. She held him, caressing his bangs soothingly in an effort to calm him, dispite her own tears. But then....the sound of that tentacle moved closer, slithering towards their door, and struck it with a bang. With every strike they screamed, and with every string the door grew weaker. It had been made for the worst a man could do....not for the worse a monster could do. With one last strike the door burst opened, swingy loosely on it's hinges. Woman and child pushed themselves farther up in the bed, still gripping at one another to terrified to move. The arm of death reaching out towards them. Inferno cried, a scream of pure fear and hopelessness, as the tentacle brushed against her toes.

"RACHEL!!!" The strong man, that had been lifting weights at the big top cried, rushing in to the room, gripping the tentacle in his arms, pulling it away from the screaming pair.

"....KARM!!!!!" Inferno cried, putting her hands to her mouth in alarm, as the tentacle he had been holding away from them, wrapped it's self around his waist, lifting him up into the air, and began to pull him out of the room.

"Oh god no....Karm!" Inferno sobbed.

Something inside Genki snapped, and he screamed, extending his hands forward, and energy blast erupting from them, striking the tentacle, which let go of Karm, and retreated painfully. The man fell to the ground, moaning painfully. In an heart beat Inferno was at his side, crying, and asking him if he was ok. Mean while Genki just stared at his hands in shock. Had he just done that....? Why did it feel so natural....was....was more of his memory coming back?

"Kid...." Karn looked up at him, grinning weakly. " I think you saved my life....Thanks...."

"We are just even, if you hadn't come in when you did, Inferno and I would have been fish bait."

The man laughed weakly. "You don't think I would let that happen to Inferno....or a little child, do you?"

"Karn...Ritza's gone...." The fire breather sighed sadly.

"....I never liked her attitude, and she wasn't the easiest person to get along with....but....no one deserves to die that way....no one."

********************************

Genki had gotten up in the afternoon about, Inferno had already been up for hours, but she was not really cheerful, no one was. Last nights events were extremely trying on everyone's sprits. But dispite her damp sprits Inferno took the time to learn him how to breath fire. It wasn't that hard really. The fire cane is put into fire, where it attracts heat. The fire breather holds the rubbing alcohol in their mouth, and spits it out just above the fire cane, causing it to catch on fire into bursts of flame, creating the illusion that the person was actually breathing fire. It was cool and he learned it quickly, Inferno commented that he was a natural, that made him really happy. He ventured down to the waters today. The ocean looked so peaceful that it was hard to believe the an flesh eating monster was concealed below the waters. He met the freak show manager, who looked surprised to see an new face.

"Hey, I don't think I ever seen you before."

"I'm new hear, Mr...." Genki trailed off.

"Kant. Mr.Kant."

"Mr.Kant? What is Eggie?"

"It's not what, but who."

"Who?"

"Just because it's a monster, doesn't mean it is not a living creature kid."

"....I never thought of that...."

"Well, you should. That is way the earth is such a terrible place. But to answer your creature....Eggie was a freak in my freak show, I found him one day, homeless and alone and I took him in. I mean....he would bring in big cash and he had no other home or people to care about him."

"Why not?"

The freak show man sighed. "I don't know how the world works kid, I just picked him up, caged him and charged people money to stare at him, one day he broke free when the water tied came up....and he started to devour the people. All I know is....I should never have brought him hear, it was my biggest and fatal mistake."

"Can't you tell me more about him then that?" Genki pressed.

"No, not me kid. But why don't ya go into the freak show? I still have three freaks left, they can tell you about Eggie."

"Sure, ok thank you!"

*****************************

To say the cages in which the freaks were housed in was less then sanitary would be putting it mildly. The wagons were filthy, and the straw was broken and soiled. As he looked closer he would see white bugs crawling threw the woods that made up most of the wagon and cages. The first freak he came to was a brother and sister....attached together at birth...and...blushing he looked away, they were naked.

"Oh look at the little kid whose come to stare at us, Paul." The girl sniffed rudely, talking much like one of those stuck up popular girls did.

"Yeah I see, Sara. What is it brat?" The man asked.

"Um...Well, you see, I just got hear....and I was wondering...."

"About Eggie right?" The man finished for him.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Kid, it doesn't take a genius to know that any child...any human stuck hear would want to know who Eggie is. " The girl, Sara, replied.

"We can tell you much about his past, but to get the scoop on what happened to him while imprisoned hear I suggest you talk to elastic man over there." The man gestured towards a tall, and skinny, very bone balled man who sat in his cage, twisted in impossible angles. Next to him was an empty and broken cage. Eggie had to had been the freak housed right next to him.

"Ok...can you tell me about Eggie's past?" Genki asked.

"Sure, we said we would." Sara replied. " It all started many years ago...you see, there was this beautiful woman, the daughter of an noble man. She was married off to another rich man whom loved her with every fiber of his soul, and treated her with total kindness. An year went by since they were married, and he was called to war. While he was away fighting, his wife lonely and alone went to talk to the local preacher at the church. They became very close friends, but then, there friendship turned to passion, and they made love in the church, infront of the eye of god, never thinking about the sin they were doing."

The brother, Paul took over for his sister. " An year later, a baby...Eggie was conceived. The preacher furious at the woman for baring his child for all to see and ruin his name slaughtered the woman, bathing the statue of Christ in her blood and tears. He...not wanting anyone to find the baby, hid the newborn infant in the church cellar, concealed in the floor boards under the statue of the Virgin Marry. It was dark and wet and alone down in that cellar where Eggie lived for twenty years. He undergone a horrible transformation during that time, turning in half man...half squid. Some says it was an effect of the dampness and darkness of the cellar....some says it was an punishment from god....for he was born out of an sinful act. But either way, Eggie was alone...and twisted monster. It was then he was found by the freak show master and brought hear."

Genki took this all in. It almost made him feel sorry for the Eggie, just like her almost felt sorry for Mother, but just before, he remembered that the squid was evil and would had devoured both him and Inferno last night if it hadn't been for Kant. He thanked the twins before moving on towards the elastic man. His name Juno, and he told the story of Eggie with pleasure. Juno commented that he did not really often get to speak to people lately, and he missed the sight of children. Unlike the other freaks he became one of his own free will, to entertain the kids. It was nice of him....but foolish to willingly want to be treated like a caged animal. Genki lessened intently to the story.

"Eggie had always been alone, and when he was captured and brought hear for hundreds to stare at him, it was hard on his nerves. All the cameras, the people pointing, laughing...mocking, spiting apon his person. All his life, he was all alone, wanting nothing more then to be accepted, to meet people....to be cared about. And what happens to him? He is caged like an animal and mocked but hundreds. His first gaze upon other living things, and his was mocked, and treated like dirt, except by one girl. A girl who was very cheerful and kind....but foolish. Unaware of Eggie's growing insanity, and his growing hatred for human kind. A flood happened, flooding this town, the girl lets him go...she was his first meal. He escaped into the water, and he continued growing bigger, and bigger, devouring fish in the day, and people at night. That is how he became the Eggie of today....that is how he became a killer." Juno finished, sounding like a true story-teller. Reaching his hand threw the bars of the cage he took Genki's hand. "Boy, I'll tell you something interesting. If your ever confronted by Eggie, he can only be destroyed by things that burn. I notice you have an fire cane...that little toy may save your life, someday."

The last freak was a dog boy....it wasn't a man-beast, but more like a like a big dog that stood on two feet and spoke, having hands and feet like humans did. He was running back and forth in the cage insanely. The boy growled, turning towards Genki snarling.

"Stop staring at me kid!" The voice was that of an fifteen year old.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Don't call me sir, my name is Kyle!"

"Kyle." Genki corrected himself politely.

"I'm so hungry..." Kyle moaned. " Get away from me or else...I'll eat ya!

The young boy drew back frightened. Kyle sighed shaking his head.

"No...I couldn't eat you....I'm not like that insane bastard Eggie...just...I'm starving, the owner never feeds me...and I can smell...bones, they are driving me crazy, I'm so hungry and those bones, they are making my mouth water."

"Maybe I can bring you, your bones." Genki offered but Kyle shook his head.

"No...they are buried under ground. There is no way your little hands can dig them up. But I can dig them up easily, please let me out."

"Well....ok." Genki pulled at the cage door, but it was locked and wouldn't budge.

"You have to find something to pick the lock, something small." Kyle informed.

"....Hmmm....I'll try my best to find something, I'll be back in an while, Kyle."

****************************

As he left the freak show, he failed to find anything he could use to pick the lock on the ground. He approached the carousel, the white horses had red eye, and twisted features...they looked kind of evil, making him figure that he wouldn't go on the ride even if it wasn't out of order. He passed threw the unmoving and unfeeling horses and walked towards the fun house. A heavy built man sat behind the stand, and looked at him, laughing meanly.

"Hey, squirt! Welcome to the fun house, you can only go in if Metsu the clown says so!"

"Metsu?" Genki blinked, looking around, there was a clown on top of the fun house, it had an angry expression on it's painted face. Genki looked over to his side, there was a large wooden sign of a clown, the sign had a big hole in the center in the place were a nose should be.

"Why is that clown on the roof, Mr?"

"He is looking for his nose, that a little brat, whom kind of looked like you stole from him at the last town we visited."

The ten year old frowned at the acusion. "What did you mean I can only go in the fun house if Metsu says so?"

"Step up to the sign, squirt!" The mean man exclaimed, before turning his attention away from the child.

Genki timidly approached the sign, shivering...clowns always gave him the creeps. As he stood infront of it, it seemed to tower over him, and try as he might, no matter how high he jumped he could not see over it. The clowns big red lips suddenly twisted into a disturbingly sad frown, causing the clown fearing boy to take a step back in surpise.

"Aww! To bad! My first customer after all this time and he's to short! Come back in a few years...that is if Eggie doesn't eat you."

Genki ignored the man and stared at the sign frowning. He did not like clowns...but this sign seemed so sad and empty...it's nose. He guessed it's hard to be happy without a nose. He reached into his pocket taking out the red rubber ball the juggler had given him and he placed it inside the hole in the sign. The frown turned upside down into a twisted smile, and like magic the sign lowered it's self until Genki could see over it with ease. The rude man in charge looked at him in shock.

"Huh! That's the quickest growth sprout I've ever seen in my life! Ok, stretch, go on in!"

**********************************

It was dark, and filled with blinking lights and scary music and screams. It was more like an hunted house then a fun house, but it was still cool. It was also a maze inside and full of mirrors. Thinking about it, he figured that this would be an even safer place to hide form Eggie then in Inferno's room. He would have to tell her about the inside of this place. The mirrors were fun house mirrors and he laughed at the funny shapes it showed him as in their reflections, until he came to one mirror that when he gazed in to surface he saw an teenager inside...it took him a moment to realize that, the teenager inside of it was himself. In whatever magic that had made him become an child again, he had almost forgot about his adult body. He stared in amazement as he reflection banged on the glass, screaming.

"Let me out of hear!! Why am I being forced to watch this? Is this me...? But not the same me that I am now? This is not making any sense! Let me go! I want out of this nightmare! I WANT OUT!!!"

The mirror shattered into hundreds of broken piece. Baffled, Genki knelt over, picking up one of the shattered remains.

"The same me that I am now?"

***********************

Mimi opened her eyes, blinking confused before leaping awake, startled. She had fallen asleep on Genki's chest as she watched over his ill form. She had forgotten all about her own illness and concentrated only on him. But even if she did not focus on her own sickness, it was still there and all the worrying was making her feel worst. Sighing she reached out taking Genki's hand in hers, kissing it gently.

"Come on wake up...We all need you...I....I need you, so please....wake up."

************************

On his way out from the other side of the fun house, he came face to face with an crying clown, waving a whisky bottle in the air as he spoke.

"We all are going to die! There is no hope, even if we find the best hiding place in the world!"

"Why not? If we can hide from Eggie, then..." Genki began, but was cut off by the clowns sobbing laughter.

"Then we will all starve! All are food has ran out, and with Eggie around there is hardly anymore fish in the water, not that we would be able to fish without becoming food ourselves!!"

The clown continued to sob, and slowly Genki sneaked past him and towards the fourteen tellers house, on top of an hill. Inside there were scented candles, an small little table with an crystal ball and tons of other things as well. But the most eyes catching was the woman herself. She dressed and looked like one of the women who was forty but still believed themselves twenty. Even so, her eyes held wisdom beyond her years, also did her voice.

"Welcome child, let me read you palm."

Shyly Genki handed her his hand. The woman stared at it before growing pale, her bottom lip quivering.

"Oh child...you hands tell a story of a person older then your age. I see you are not who you appear to be, and you are not whom you think. The true answers lay within your heart. There are two possible futures before you, each altering a great path in history."

"Which one should I take?"

"That is up to you child. It depends on what is in your heart, what is in your soul. Is the innocence of your soul more powerful then the corrupted blood flowing threw your veins? But beware, in one of the choices you make, you life shall be lost, and in loosing it, it will bring forth the key to ultimate destruction."

**************************

Keith's eyes snapped open. " The key to ultimate destruction?"

**************************

"What do you mean?" Genki asked wide eyed.

"You'll have to find out on your own. But first you have to escape from this place and confront your nightmares."

"But how to I escape?"

"Carrying with you the wand, the flask and the reflection, descend into the pit of darkness, burning the evil with flames from hell, release the soul of an memory and reawaken as someone else."

"Huh....?"

FLASH!!

Genki looked around himself startled, he was standing infront of the big top. Frowning in confusion he walked inside. He did not spot Inferno or Kant, so he waked into the area of the rooms, towards Inferno's door, which had been fixed that morning. One his journey there however he heard an muffled voice coming from Kant's room. Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, he pressed his ear next to the door and lessened.

"Inferno, Inferno,

You make me...err...um...Burno!

Let me be able to have your heart,

let a relationship between us start?

Oh I am just no good at poems! I've given her enough, and she never figured out whom secret admirer was...maybe she's not interested....sigh..."

Feeling a childish kiddyness inside of him, he ran over to Inferno's room. She was laying on the bed, reading an book. When he came in she smiled at him, and waved him onto the bed next to her.

"Hey, kiddo, what's up?"

"Hey Inferno, I've found out whose been writing you love letters!"

The woman blinked surprised. "How'd you know about that?"

"I was walking past Kant's room when I heard him trying to write a poem for you

Inferno, Inferno,

You make me Burno,

Let me be able to have your heart,

let a relationship between us start."

Inferno sighed. "Yep, it sounds just like the other poems I got. Kant? I can't believe it..."

"Are you going to give him a chance?"

"I do still miss my husband, but it has been a long while and I am lonely for a man in my life, but I know Kant. He use to flirt with all the girls around hear, before they became food for Eggie. I'd need to know he was serious, and that he wasn't only going to go out with me because I was the only young woman left."

"Hmmmmm......"

****************************

He stayed with Inferno for awhile, and she read him some stories from the book she was reading, titled 101 short stories of adventure and heroism. While he lessened with interest his mind also thought about the fourteen tellers words and how he could get Inferno and Kant together. Because he knew he would have to leave and he did not want to leave Inferno all alone and lonely by herself. But if she had Kant....now, how could he get them together....hmmm....he had an idea! He waited until Inferno was done reading and talking to him before going to Kant's room. The man was embarrassed that Genki had over heard him, but of course the young boy had left out the fact he had told Inferno.

"Maybe you can show her how serious you are, Mr.Kant, if you get a tattoo of her name."

The man looked thoughtful for a moment, before grinning. "My god! Your right! That is a perfect way to show my serious feelings about her, thanks kid!"

Kant got up off his chair and headed towards the door, before vanishing like a ghost, causing Genki to gasp. The boy blinked, rubbing his eyes. He had to be seeing things. Heading back to Inferno's room he exclaimed.

"Hey Inferno! I just saw Kant, he was going to go get a tattoo of your name!"

The woman looked surprised before blushing. "....I guess if he is going to do something that......sweet....he has to be serious, so I'll give him an chance, it would be nice to have romantic company again......I sure hope my husband doe not get his feelings hurt in heaven, though."

"I'm sure he wouldn't of wanted you to be lonely Inferno."

She smiled. "You right. Genki, go along and play ok? But make sure your back before dark, all right?"

"All right!"

"Promise me now."

"I promise you, Inferno. I'll be back before dark."

**************************

Genki went to vist Kant at the tattoo parlor. He was really going threw with it. As he was about to leave, his eyes landed on the needles that lay on a disk before him. They weren't very clean...but they were good enough to...pick a lock with. Looking first to see that the tattoo man's attention was fixed only on Kant, the boy pocketed the needle, whistling innocently, wondering around a little bit before leaving. He hurried back to Kyle's cage, a dog boy looked almost excited to see him.

"Did you find something!?"

"Yeah, will this do?" Genki asked showing him the needle.

"That's perfect, pick the lock kid!"

Carefully the boy worked the lock until he got it opened, in an swift movement Kyle jumped out of the cage, knocking Genki in the back of the head with the heavy gate, before scampering off in search of the bones. It took him around an hour to trace where Kyle had gone. He spotted the whole in the far corner of where the family lived. When he got there, he noticed only the man left, huddling near the fire. It seemed that Eggie and dined on more then Ritza last night....

Genki landed on his knees looking down into the dark whole. He could see Kyle standing there, but it was to dark to see really good.

"Hey Kyle! Did you find your bones!?" He called down.

The dog boy gaze up him, even in the darkness he could see the eyes of the escaped freak, shimmering with fear.

"Yes, but...something is not right. It's all wet down hear and I can't see....it's smells rotten..."

Genki peered downwards, spotting the bones that Kyle was standing on....they were....broken human skeletons!! That could only mean.....!

"Kyle! This must be where Eggie eats!"

"Yes, I guessed that, help me out of hear!" The dog boy reached out his paw towards the young boy, who reached out towards him also. There fingers were almost touching when Kyle let out a yelp of surprise and disappointment as he was suddenly pulled downward. Genki watched in horror, just before Kyle disappeared underneath the water, and large tentacle, wrap around the dog boys body. A whole of anguish and pain was the last thing to ever leave Kyle's mouth before he was pulled underneath the dark watery surface, that was to become his grave.

"KYLE!!!!!!!"

KYLE!!!!!!!

KYLE!!!!!!!

KYLE!!!!!!!

His cries echoed off of the pits walls.

********************************

Inferno and Kant became a couple, but it still didn't stop Inferno from spending her night sharing her room with Genki. After all, she did practically seem to have adopted him. Genki frowned, gazing at the sleeping woman. Unlike her he couldn't sleep, his mind thought back to Kyle sadly and then back to the words of the fortune teller.

Carrying with you the wand, the flask and the reflection, descend into the pit of darkness, burning the evil with flames from hell, release the soul of an memory and reawaken as someone else."

The boys eyes grew wide, the wand...the fire wand, the flask....the rubbing alcohol....and the reflection, the broken piece of mirror! Descend into the pit of darkness...the pit Kyle had dug, burning the evil with flames from hell....breathing fire from the wand. That was all clear but, release the soul of an memory and reawaken as someone else remained unclear.

"Still.....I have to go, I can't stay hear forever...Inferno...I am going to mess you though." The boy sighed, getting up from the bed and gathering his things, before scribbling a note to the sleeping breather, and leaving, not knowing if he would live to see what the rest of the fortune tellers prophecy meant.

****************************

"Mother." Keith began, kneeling before his mother whom stood out on the balcony.

"Yes?"

"What is the key the ultimate destruction?"

The dark goddess turned towards him, eyes growing wide. " Where did you hear that term!?"

"You know of the plan on corrupting Genki's mind threw insanity, well, in the program, a fortune teller told him that he had two choices, and in one of the choices it would cost his life and the key the ultimate destruction will be unleashed."

"....Messiah....'

"Hm?"

"If you fail in taking over Genki in that program then tell Tengi to release project R to destory him and the rest of his friends, it is to dangerous for him to continue to oppose us."

"Yes, mother."

****************************

It was pitch black, he cold barely see his own hand infront of his face. He was standing on the only dry area in the whole underground cave....Eggie's lair. There was some grass laying in a single beam of bright moonlight. Taking the broken mirror from his pocket, he laid it in the light, reflected the heat onto the grass causing it to catch aflame, he got the fire rod ready for use, and held the flask of rubbing alcohol close to him as he ventured downward into the water. He stepped threw the mass of skeletons...pass meals of Eggie, their bones cracking and breaking underneath his shoes. He landed in the slimy and cold water, sticking rotten with the smell of flesh and blood and puss. There was an nagging feeling inside of his head that told him to turn back, to go back in Inferno's room, snuggle up in the blanket and live an short yet longer life then was going to live right now. But he pushed that thought out of his head. He couldn't run, no now, not ever!

A large tentacle sprang fort from the water infront of his face, quickly he blew the fire just how Inferno showed him to. There was a scream of pain as the tentacle retreated back underneath the water. As ventured deep into the cave, Eggie attacked again and again in the same way, sometimes two or three tentacles at a time. Sometimes the boy got injured but he always managed to get the tentacles to retreat with his flaming breath. He was finally close to the exit, he could see a bright white light glowing infront of him, looking much like the gate into heaven. Breathing in deeply the boy began to run towards the exit, when something dark in an corner made him stop. An rotting corpse of an girl laid against an rock. Her skin was not devoured but was rotting. She wore an tattered dress which was brown and dirty, it was impossible to tell the color it had once been. She must had been the girl that released Eggie...so he didn't eat her but.....was she kept down hear until she died? He stared at the corpse who suddenly grinned at him, causing him to fall onto his butt into the water in shock. The girl was not dead she was just...rotting alive!

"Eggie, dinner time! Dinner time!" the girl chanted crazily. All this time in the dark dampness, watching friends and family be devoured must have caused her to loose her mind.

Emerging from the waters like a vision of darkness was a head, followed by limp black hair, it was a man from the strong looking chest upwards, but the rest of the man was a squid. The huge tentacles came up out of the waters, trapping the young boy within an confined area. He was shivering, from both cold and fright but Genki forced himself to press his lips into a frown and get ready to attack.

"Burn In hell you freak!!" He hissed breathing fire directly in Eggie's face.

The squid man hissed, sending an tentacle slamming into the young boys chest. With an scream he flew backwards, getting caught by one of the other slimy arms. It squeezed around his waist, thightly, cutting off his breath. Whimpering in pain, he worked his arms loose from Eggie death grip, nearly dropping the fire cane in the progress. Using the little bit of breath he had left, he breathed the fire, freeing the squids arms. With an growl of pain the arms unwrapped themselves from around him and he plunged downward, slamming into the water and rocks below. He cried out in pain, an loud crack echoing off of the cave walls. A few ribs were broken, he knew that. He twitched painfully, unable to move...his spine must have been broken too.

`Am I going to die?'

He could see the arms moving in overhead, but they were becoming blurry as his vision became darker. He felt himself being picked up again, and slammed against the wall of the cave repeatedly. A sickening trail of blood oozed down the rock as he head came into contact with the stones. He could hear laughter....Eggie was laughing. the vile creature enjoying the pain of his own creation. He gazed down at Eggie, hardly being able to see him anymore. Then the squid looked upwards, and Genki gasped. The face in Eggie's....it was familiar...it was....dark hair....blue eyes.....

"K...K....Keith?" he whispered, a few selected memories from his childhood and teenage years flooding back to him.

Eggie's grin grew wider, and let Genki drop, however he did not let the boy hit the ground, instead he caught him by the throat. Not squeezing but just holding him in the air. Suddenly the tentacle slammed into the rocks and water below and then into the ceiling again, knocking a few stones loose. Eggie continued to pound him mercilessly.

********************************

"Genki....." Mimi trailed off, confused and worried as she removed an trickle of blood away from his lip. " How come, your bleeding?"

The boy did not reply, but instead continued to sleep, lost in an nightmare.

Eggie continued to slam him against the wall, in Keith's voice, taunts echoed around him,

Scream Genki, Scream.

He forced the words away from his ears, setting his whole will against crying out in agony. It wasn't as hard as he thought, for most of his senses were shutting down. He couldn't see anymore, and the taunts were becoming just mocking mutters. His whole body was numb, and the only way he knew he was still being hit was from the force every time he slammed into the rocks. The only sense that was left was he smell. But he wished that would leave him to, for the smell of his blood and the rotting bodies was to much to bare. Also Eggie's hot bitter breath...it smelt like he was smelling evil it's self. Finally Eggie, having enough fun playing with his food let him drop, causing him to smash into the rocks one final time.

He laid to the water, letting the mud and dirt bury him. He laid unmoving, staring upwards threw dim and unfocussed eyes. A steady stream off blood flowed from under him, turning the water crimson.

****************************

"Genki! Genki!" Mimi shouted worriedly as the boys breathing became shallow and forced, as if he couldn't breath, as if he was dying.

"GENKI!!! GENKI!!!! WAKE UP, GENKI!!!"

******************************

`It's over....I am dead....'

Genki!

`I couldn't defeat Eggie...I couldn't solve the mystery of...who I am......'

`Genki!

`Maybe I should just....give up. There is nothing I can do....am dying....'

GENKI!!!

`Shut up voice...shut up....what can I do...I am laying hear in a pool of my own blood....lost, not even knowing who I am.'

GENKI!!!

`If I didn't die, what would be waiting for me anyway? A world that I don't belong in...a world in which I can't remember anything...'

GENKI!!!!!!!

`Please voice, shut up....and let me die in peace....'

*****************************

Tenki stared at the screen, shaking his head he flipped a switch. "No....not yet. I don't want you to end up dying at least until you come home."

*****************************

" Genki, you can't start giving up now....please...don't give up...." Mimi begged holding his hand thightly in hers, her tears dripping on his skin.

********************************

Genki felt warm all over, regaining his vision he saw that bright golden light had surrounded him. It was so warm....

Genki, you can't start giving up now....please...don't give up....

`That voice...it's so familiar....who is it.....?'

Eggie backed away surprised as the boy got to his feet, wounds healing up. The child turned to him, eyes narrowed and shining, appearing more like the eyes of an god then the eyes of an child. It all happened so quick it seemed to go in slow monition. Genki raised the fire wand to his lips and breathed an breathed an burning flame, hitting Eggie directly into the chest, burning an whole deep inside of him, a whole threw the place a heart should of laid. The beast cried out in anguish, collapsing into the waters that has now become his grave as well as many others. The young boy fell to his knees, breathing heavily, it was over....Eggie was killed.

An flicker of an shadow caught his attention, it was the corpse of the girl, except she had turned into an shadow. She walked towards him, stopping to stare right at him, as if wanting him to greet her.

FLASH

"The circus is so much fun, I love the circus...but It got free....I let it out..................

and it's going to eat us all! Heh-heh...eat us all....we all are dead." The figure began to sob before disappearing.

FLASH

The shadow began to take on an solid form. an tall, shapely elf girl, with blonde hair and really big blue eyes.

".....Lima?" The name suddenly came to him, as if he had met her before.

The elf smiled before disappearing. Genki took out the stained glass, in one of the blank areas was an image of the elf girl. He turned to the bright light, he knew he had to go threw it. Taking a deep breath he walked forward, not knowing were the future was going to take him

FLASH

I'm sorry Inferno, but I had to go. I'm going to kill Eggie, not only for what he has done but because I know that it was probably the reason why I was brought hear. I know I don't belong in this place...maybe not even in this world. I know I'm different from everyone else hear and that I need to seek out myself. Inferno, in the little time we spent together I have really come to look at you almost like a mother. And though it pains me to leave you, I know that you wont be lonely because you will have Kant, and you will be able to have your own child someday and be happy, for I promise that Eggie will be killed. So long, maybe someday, somehow we will meet again

~Genki~

Inferno pressed the note to her chest, closeing her eyes as tears forced themselves down her cheeks.

FLASH

Genki moaned, landing on his knees. He shook his head, memory fuzzy. Looking down at himself he saw himself dressed in a fighter uniform. White outfit, head band and red gloves, an black belt fastened thightly around his slim waist. He felt different inside, he did not feel any of the warmth he had before, only bitterness and coldness. However he could still feel some compassion...it was just dulled...a lot more duller then it had before. Taking an step backward in disgust he was a huge bug flying straight for his face. An huge, worm, that appeared half machine and was wearing an harness. With an disgusted growl, he sent a fist slamming into the beasts side, green blood and yellow puss oozing out of the wound. He stared at his fist in complete shock. He knew he was strong....but he wasn't even putting force into that punch and he did that much damage!?

He looked around himself, becoming more disgusted with the area then he had been with the huge bug. It was all the color of flesh, and there were moving blue veins in the wall. There houses, or rather lumps of this stuff that made up huts. Feeling sick he turned to his right and threw back in replusiveness, there was something that seemed to be a little hole....it was spitting out eggs...slimily yellow eggs. Turning away he stared down at the body of the bug he just killed, staring at the harness, it appeared to be an ID harness of some sorts.

"This may be useful in getting around this place..."

The bug had been huge so he did not have a problem in fitting the harness around his slim waist. As he walked forward his foot steps squished grossly on the soft gooey surface. As he turned the corner, sick to the stomach an beeping from his harness sounded and a voice echoed over the area.

"ID varied, worker drone 28, you may proceed."

He understood now, the bugs were blind and they were only able to tell who was who and what was what by wearing ID harnesses, so that means they thought he was another bug...He looked around to see where the voice came from. There was an intercom on the side of a huge lump of...whatever this stuff was. Blinking he thought he saw something move, looking more closely he saw that he did. The wall was blinking....realization dawned on him, there was an giant eye in the wall...this whole please was the bloated mass of one beasts body!! Feeling suddenly sicker he resisted throwing up and walked over to the intercom.

"Worker drones forbidden from entering the queen chambers." The machine buzzed before going silent.

"Damn...."

The `Hive' as he called in now was thankfully small, well huge for being one beasts body, but small as a whole. Most of the huts which he realized to be living area were locked with intercom passwords, none of which he knew. Walking around he came to this one hut which was not locked but instead wide open, as if it was a visitor center. It was not something so pleasant. It appeared to be an giant furnace. Clear white glass stopped him from crossing over to the fiery pit of flames, thankfully since one trip and he would be melted instantly. There was an machine in which they pumped air into the furnace, two worker worms was taking care of that job, there was a panel of some sort near the pumping machine which looked like it had just be repaired....poorly. And there was a giant Ant working on the control panel, which was connected up into the furnace.

He coughed the smell inside of hear was sickly, it was something he never smelt before and he failed in placing in his mind just what was making the horrid stink.

Looking back at the fiery pit he saw another worker worm, carrying an young human

child with it....he watched confused, wondering what was going on until the worm threw the child, no more then two years old into the flames. Pure horror seized his heart as he slammed his hands against the glass, knowing it was to late to save the child, but still not wanting to just stand there and do nothing. He could hear the screams as the crackling flames engulfed it. Now he knew what the bad smell was...it was roasting flesh....

"Not so many! Two many will overheat the furnace!!" The ant at the controls hollered.

"ARE THOSE HUMAN CHILDREN THEY ARE THROWING INTO THE FIRE!?" Genki screamed in horror.

The ant turned to him blinding both of their harnesses beeped.

"Oh, don't be alarmed drone guard" the ant said as though he was filthy." They will not harm the furnace, the queen says so, besides it is the best way to get rid of their sickening little bodies."

Genki tried to keep his anger under control, there was noting more he want todo then kill this son of a bitch, but he couldn't get caught....maybe he still had time to save more children from being met with such a sickening faith.

"I'm hear conducting an search of the furnace, can you please tell me about this place and what it is for. I have to test your intelligence as well. Queen's orders." Genki hoped his act was good enough.

The ant sighed. "Fine, this furnace gives the hive power. So we will be ready when the big attack comes."

"Attack?"

"Does this investigation acquired I tell you everything? Very well....the attack on the upper world...on the humans who has forced us down hear."

"Humans forced you down hear? Down, where?"

"Underground, you fool! Our race has been forced to live in the underground for hundreds of years now, because of those stupid humans however Kojio is going to deliver to us our freedom."

"Who is this Kojio, and why would humans force you to live underground?"

"Because they are power hungry and selfish, however Kojio is an acceptation, he is going to save us, but he is like all the rest, an traitor, only helping us for more power, even though I can not say this to the queen because I will be beheaded."

"Kojio is a human, like m----" Genki cursed himself for his small slip up. "I mean is Kojio a human like those mean evil creatures who forced us underground?"

"Where have you been!? Don't you know anything? Kojio is the direct servant to the queen, to imagine, such an honor gone to waist on an human. Now if you would excuse me, guard drone, I have work to do. All you need to know is that Kojio is going to help us kill those humans, after all the years of suffering we had to endure."

The ant turned away from him. The fighter turned back to the glass, and watched as another screaming child was thrown in. Feeling helpless he rested his palm up against the glass, an sad expression on his face.

They will not harm the furnace, the queen says so, besides it is the best way to get rid of their sickening little bodies."

Making a fist of pure anger his smashed in down on the control poorly repaired panel next to the machine which still pumped air into this horrible machine. It smashed into pieces, and the two worms went quickly to repair it.

"Do not pump any air into this machine now, it will cause it to explode!" The heartless ant warned.

Genki blinked, just noticed something. There was two holes in the wall under the glass where the Ant was standing. They were from the furnace...if an explosion were to happen...a feeling of satisfaction spread over him, as he stepped on one of the air petals causing an explosion to burst outward, fire burst from one of the holes he had seen, just as he knew it would, frying the Ant into cinders. Kneeling next to the body, he saw that it two had been half machine. He did not know how useful it would be but he picked up the Ant's machine arm. It could be helpful........

Turning towards the panel he frowned....there were so many buttons and switches, he had no idea how to work it, but he felt that he should be able to.

FLASH

"Genki your suppose to be an scientist like the rest of the family, not an fighter, you have an brilliant mind and your putting it to waist!" A woman with brown hair and glasses exclaimed in an pleading tone, to a him who was dressed in a fighters outfit. He tied his shoes calmly.

"Bra....That's the problem, everyone in this family is an scientist, I don't want to be like everyone else, I want to be me."

The girl fumed angrily. " What is wrong about being like the rest of us!?...well....well, fine! If you want to disgrace our family, so be it! Genki....you were such a smart boy, why can't you just lesson to me and concentrate on technology and brains instead of power and brawn."

"Because.....the life of an scientist is not adventurous or exciting enough for me....I wish you could understand, Sis...." He sighed drearily to himself.

FLASH

"Was that me? I don't remember any of this....." he shook his head in confusion and turned back to the board.

"Dammit!" He swore, hitting his fist onto the board, a force field covered it, absorbing the attack. He closed his eyes trying to block out the screams as another child was thrown into it's fiery grave.

`I need to shut this machine down....but I'm not smart enough to do it....I should have lesson to that woman....Bra....I should have lessened to you Bra.'

"Hey, don't say that, we are who we are, your a fighter, be proud of that. Let me take care of this for you, ok, Genki?"

Genki gasped, he was staring at an version of himself. He was glowing with an white light, an lab coat draped over his shoulder covering his jeans and simple yellow T-shirt. He hair was cut short, and an pair of glasses rested lowered on his nose. He smiled at him cutely, before turning to the machine and starting to press buttons.

"Who are you.....you look just like....Me....." Genki trailed off, confused.

The `twin' flipped an final switch on the board, an voice echoed over the furnace in an mechanical force as the fire died down to nothingness.

"Furnace off-line...."

The twin tapped the others chest where his heart was, smiling again before disappearing. Genki watched in dazed confusion, before shaking his head.

"The smell in hear must be intoxicating me....."

He left, thankfully he would never have to walk into this god forsaken place ever again.

As he left the furnace, he to his shock spotted another human! It was a man around his own age, with dark blue hair and orange eyes. An ID harness was attached around his waist, just like the one he wore around his own.

"H...Hey! You over there!" Genki called out, causing the man to look over at him and stare at him in complete shock.

"Great Warrior Genki! What are you doing hear!?"

"Great Warrior....?' Genki frowned. "What are you talking about? Who are you anyway?"

The man looked at him in shock and horror. " Did you hit your head or something!?.....Listen, come to my hut, and we'll talk we don't want to attract the bugs attention."

*******************************

The man, whose name was Cecile, told him that many years ago, two races lived on Gaia, the humans and the bugs. Neither side could share the earth, hating each other. There was a war fought and the bugs who lost completely were forced to live underground. However lately the bugs were coming from the underground, and attacking the upper worlders. There was a huge battle, an year or so ago, and that he, fought for five days non-stop, taking out more then a 1/4 of the insects yourself. Things calmed down...but there was activity in the Hive, and he and an research team lead by Kojio went to inspect what the bugs are up to. Kojio is getting them to sign an peace treaty, so we can all live in peace with no more wars. They all had ID harness, and the rest of the research team worked in the queen hives, while he was a Protégée of Kojio.

"Cecile, but...I've heard one of the insects talking...Kojio is planning to help the bugs destory the humans!" Genki protested.

Cecile looked almost insulted. " That foolishness! Kojio is an honest man, and is just looking for peace!"

"But Cecile, I'm sure of what I heard...."

"I will not believe you until you can show me proof of what you say, Genki."

".....Ok. I'm sure if I can get into the Queen's chambers, I can find the proof you need!"

"....Ok, but for you sake, you better find something. The ID harness your wearing though, will not get you into the chambers, you need clearance to get in upgraded. Let's see....If I make my position sound important enough, I think we can fool them....All right. Tell them that Cecile, Protégée of Kojio, honorable assistant to her majesty requests it."

"Thank you, Cecile. I'll be back with the pouf you want, be sure of that."

*****************************

He walked into the upgrading room, in which Cecil had pointed out to him. It was filled with machines of all kind, and god oful screaming. He looked towards the sound, a huge half cockroach, half machine, that stood only an head shorter then him was performing a grotesque experiment, shoving bits of machinery into a human infant...who was screaming and crying at the top of it's lungs. Genki cursed to himself, even if he got the child away from this...this...monster it would still die. It was a miracle it was still alive now, but it would be best if it just let it's self die....to at the very least save it from more pain.

"Excuse me." Genki approached the bug, resisting the urge to kill it.

"Yes? Drone guard?"

".....Um, I wish to get my ID harness upgraded."

"Whose orders is this?"

"Cecile, Protégée of Kojio, honorable assistant to her majesty requests it."

"Searching for Cecile on memory storage files...." The machine bug beeped. " File found, position, correct, please step up to the machine." The bug gestured towards an huge metal scanning machine, inside was an small whole that would fit a bugs size of arm. He did as told and was told to put his arm inside for ID scanning. Knowing that his arm was to big to fit in, and even if he could fit it in, it would blow his cover he took out the machine arm of the ant he killed at the furnace and placed it in instead of his arm.

"ID varied."

An scan wave washed over his body, causing the harness he wore to beep.

"Upgrade completed."

`That went pretty fast....' Genki thought to himself, leaving the hut, as he approached the queen's chambers unsure of what would be waiting for him. ` I suppose it's good that it went quickly, something tells me, I don't have a lot of time to spare.'

*****************************

As he walked into the queen's chambers, he stop, face palling, eyes growing wide.

"Oh dear god......"

Aligned against the wall were human infants in bottles, there were hundreds of them. Some of the babies were badly hurt, some were unharmed physically, but from the way they screamed from inside the bottles, cries blocked out from behind the thick glass, he knew they had gone crazy. The more well off ones were the ones which were dead. They did not have to suffer anymore. Laying near the shelves was a human man, dark hair, green eyes and......half bug. He was writing on the floor in agony, fingers digging into the ground.

"What has happened to you!?" Genki screamed, falling on his knees next to the unfortunate soul.

`K...K....K....K....Kojio...t...t.....the....tra....tra....trato ...trator!...H..he....d...d..ddid...t....this...t...t...to....m....ME! As...h...h....he....d....did...t....t....to....all....all....the...o-o--o-- others!"

"Were you part of the research team? All the others, the rest of the team, you mean? He turned you in half bug? What's with the bottles, why are their children in them!?"

The man reached out grabbing his hand, eyes gazeing at him pleading. " S---S----S----St--Stop him---p---p----p---please......"

the man's arm went limp as he died, a tear falling from his closed eye lids, eye which would be closed forever.

Genki put an hand on his heart and bowed his head. " I promise you...I will avenge your, and the children's deaths."

*************************

Cecile stared in horror at the baby in the bottle Genki threw on his table.

"Is that proof enough for you."

"Oh my god....Genki, how could this be? Why would Kojiro do this....to an infant?"

"I don't know, baby it's where they store the infants for the furnace." Genki replied coldly.

Cecile blinked confused. " The furnace?"

"They were fueling the fire by throwing children in it."

The other human turned white as a ghost in the face, and began to tremble wildly all over.

"N...No! That can't be...."

"I also spoke with one of your research members."

"Who was it? How are they?" Cecile asked, voice edged with worry.

"He died...but, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to him at that point."

Angry the other man stood up, red in the face. " Explain yourself!"

"Cecile." Genki spoke calmly. "Along with going stark raving mad, he had also been transformed into half bug."

The other man just set back down, an look of disbelief plastered on his face.

It did not take Cecile long to decide for them to sneak inside Kojiro hut. It was easy for Kojiro was at the queen chambers and that Cecile knew the password.

"OISA." he spook into the intercom.

Genki's head snapped in shock, that word....

FLASH

A ball of darkness took the sun's place in the sky, it was huge and burning hot. A bright light filled his eyes and he saw himself floating in space, far above Gaia and the earth that was right next to it. Suddenly Gaia spilt into, and earth became black and empty.

FLASH

The fighter shook his head and followed Kojiro into the hut. It was small, but bigger then Cecile's place. There was desks filled with papers he couldn't begin to understand. Mutilated grubs laid impaled with knives and needles on the floor and on top of papers. Probably subjects of grotesque experiments. There was an messy bed and an locked draw, and that was really all there was.

Cecile cursed, slamming his fist on to an desk. " So that's why....combining human, bug and machine he plans to make a species that would resemble....gods....Such an fool. Hmmm....it seems hear that they.....oh dear lord!!"

"What is it?"

"They are planning to attack during the peace treaty tomorrow! By wiping out our leaders....oh shit....some how we have to get there and warn them!"

"Then lets get going!" Genki urged.

"No use, the main city is at least two weeks, by car, away."

"Well, there HAS to be away!"

Cecile frowned in thought, before snapping his fingers as an idea came to him suddenly.

"We can use the great machine!"

"....The great machine?"

"Yes, it's an transporter device, however....Kojiro has taken the two may pieces out and brought them to the hive, he said he did it to keep some rebellious bugs from going to the city, but now I know, he did it to keep me out of the city. Genki, I'm not brave enough, nor strong enough to venture into that hive...nor can I bare to see my team members in the state of which you told me. Can you please recover the pieces? I shall be fixing the machine, so it will be ready."

"All right...but, there only seemed to be that one big room...."

"No, you did see the....suction thing....the...well...thing that...well, it's hidden in the wall, it's pass you threw into her stomach. The queen is half machine so instead of going into an stomach, you'll be going into actual rooms."

"Eww...ok if I must."

"Good. It says hear you need the Sound Generator to open up the transport tube." Cecile informed, ruffling threw the papers on the desk, noisy.

"Ok...but where is it?"

"Hmm...it should be around hear somewhere."

They looked around the small little place, but the only possible area they came across was the locked drawer, and unfortunately, no key to open it. Angry Genki flopped down on the bed, throwing his head on the thin pillow.

"Oww..." He moaned, setting up, and throwing the pillow off the bed, to find a huge golden key under it.

An grin spread across his face. "Bingo."

***********************************

Genki sat the sound generator infront of the suction like tube, it was slimy and gross, looking, allot like the thing he saw which eggs were being spit from.

"Must I really pass threw a bowels of an monster....? Eh...guess I have no choice....gross." He sucked in an breath, and turned on the sound generator. He prepared himself for the worst, for something horrible as the tube widened and with a gust of air pulled him and the sound generator in.

When he got out at the other side, he fell to his knees, eyes growing wide in shock, and horror, then finally sorrow.

"I was prepared for something horrible....but not for this."

All around him were children in cages, in mournful cries, hands reaching threw the bars of the cage, they cried out.

"Father! Father!"

There disparate pleas never seemed to calm down, but only grew louder as an door opened to the right, quickly Genki hid, ducking behind one of the large cages. A man, tall, black hair and blue eyes walked into the room.

Father! Father!

The man laughed, sneering down at the caged children. " My children...." He left threw an door on the left. Genki came out of his hiding place, face red in anger, What kind of man, caged his own children!? What kind of Human would do that to any child! The cages were all locked by an computer code, which he had no way of learning. The children would be saved if they could get the Great Machine working. He was sure of it. The room had an little room to the right, inside there was no much to look at, except for another one of Cecile's research members, also turned half bug, and also close to death and crazy. So crazy he couldn't understand anything that he was trying to say, and with pity left him to die as in much peace as possible, assuring him that the bugs would pay, and that Kojiro would pay to. He walked towards the door at the left, and saw that it was locked, but there was four buttons on it, that when he pushed them, each played a different little music note.

Father! Father!

Genki paused, turning towards the kids, their screaming....now that he lessened closely, sounded like an horrible little melody.

Fa--ater, Faaa-teer.

"I wonder...." Genki thought out loud, pushing the buttons, trying to compose the melody, but failed, not being the one good at machines or music.

"Damn...." He swore.

"Need help again?"

Genki jumped startled, and turned around finding himself face to face with himself again.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the other you, understand?"

Genki watched as his smarter double pressed the buttons creating the proper melody, the door slid opened, and he disappeared into thin air. Genki shook his head, things were getting very weird.

When he came into the next room, he was overcome by rage and terror.

"IN THE NAME OF GOD!! WHO THE HELL IS TWISTED ENOUGH TO DO THIS!?"

Children hung on the wall, which he remember was the inside of the wretched queen. Wires and machines poking out of their bodies, draining the blood out of them and into the queen....it dawned on him, filling him with disgust. This was how they feed the queen...with children's blood.

"Great warrior, Genki....I'm afraid you came to late...."

He turned towards the voice, and spotted a girl, also half turned bug, with orange hair and an dirty and torn yellow dress. She was staring at the children sadly.

"Who are you?"

"My name is of little importance now....but if you must call me something then call me, doomed. For like the rest I soon will go crazy and die."

"What is happening to these children!?" Genki demanded.

"Can't you see their, blood is being drained to feed the queen. It is a horrible faith for these poor clones, and I try to make their short lives a little less painful. It hurts me overtime one is close to death, they take it and bring it down to the furnace."

"Clones....? These children, they aren't real?"

"Clones yes, clones of Kojiro." Doomed spoke the name like it was shit. " But real they are. Look at their faces, lesson to their cries, it is all very real. And if they can feel pain, then they are real enough for me."

"Yes....your right. Can you tell me what is happening, why Kojiro doing this?"

"Well, it's a long story but I will try and make it as brief as possible. a long time ago their was a war between the bugs and the humans, the bugs were forced underground when they lost. Another war broke out after that, and if it wasn't for you Genki, I don't think we would have won. However a few years after that bugs began to attack the surface, but they now were half machine. We went down into the hive to investigate, my research team and I , led by Kojiro, whom betrayed us to the bugs. He spared Cecil, because, he wants to wrap his mind into following his will. Cecile was always Kojiro's favorite. He turned the rest of us into half bugs, in an effort to make us obey the queen. Kojiro is jelouse of you, Genki. He did this because he was to weak to fight and make any difference, and he was to be fired from the research department for illegal experiments. It was he who made the bugs half machine. He figured that if he couldn't be an hero among the humans, then he would be an hero among the bugs. Tomorrow he plans to attack during the signing of the peace treaty. My family and everyone back home will be destroyed...our race will be wiped out...or worse, they will share my research team and I fate."

"Don't worry, Cecile and I have come up with away to stop Kojiro. We are going to get the great machine working and we will go to the city and warn the council of peace about the bugs plan, and Kojiro betrayal. We just need to find the two missing pieces."

Doomed's eyes brightened. " Really? Hear...I found one of the pieces. The other one is right threw the door behind me. Their is an flight of stares that lead to the upper level. Promise not to go threw the door in the upper level, just take the piece and go. The door leads into the queen's chamber. Kojiro is making a speech to the bugs on how they are going to destory the humans tomorrow. If you walk in there, our only hope will be gone. So don't be foolish. It is much more then you life on the balance."

"I understand. Even though there is nothing I would like to do more right now then to kill him for what he's done to your teammates, yourself and the children."

"Me to, but you can't always let your emotions control your judgment."

*****************************

Genki opened the door, and followed the flight up the stairs, it was a small space, a door to the right and a hunk of machinery in the wall. He picked up the machine, but could not help stare at the door, he really wanted to kill everyone inside of there, but not only that but he felt as though he had to go inside. Something was drawing him towards it....the vengeance inside of him.

`I could destroy the bugs and Kojiro, after, they did say that I was a great warrior, and that I wiped out many bugs before....how hard could it be....' He took an step towards the door, hand reaching out towards the knob.

`Are you really willing to go in there and kill everyone?'

He paused looking around himself, but could not spot anyone. " Yes. For what they done they deserve to die! They deserve to be burned like those children in the furnace!"

`Would you do this at the cost of your innocence? You don't really want to kill do you? You don't like blood and slaughter. Your a fighter, but not a killer, not a great warrior, don't you understand that?"

"I fought for her...."

`What?"

"That time Rex...raped her, I fought to kill him in the tournament, for revenge."

"Her? Do you even know who you are talking about? Your memories are all jumbled up. You did not kill Rex, he killed himself. Your hands were not soiled with blood for the lust of vengeance."

FLASH

Genki stared at Rex, eyes cold, his power died down and his began to approach the other.

"You have no power left, now. Give up. I may hate your rotten guts, and thirst for your death, but I wont end up dirtying my hands with your blood, because, that is what Saiyoua wants, isn't it? For me to dirty my hands by killing another human being...one that had not be corrupted and controlled by her power. By killing someone whose will was completely free. Well, I wont give up my innocence, just for revenge."

FLASH

Genki turned away from the door, head bowed and left the hive with the final piece of the great machine.

******************************

"Ah! You got it! What else did I expect from the great warrior?" Cecile laughed as Genki handed him the pieces.

"No...I am not a great warrior....so don't call me something I am not...."

The other man looked at him confused before fixing the machine, and worm hole appeared beside them, leading to the chamber of peace. Nodding to each other they jumped threw.

For an moment Genki was surrounded by nothingness, just blue light. He was there all alone until suddenly the figure of Doomed appeared in front of him. She was gazeing at him almost expectantly. Genki smiled.

"Hello, Mara."

Doomed smiled, transforming into the shape of a beautiful cat girl, before disappearing. The stained glassed glowed again, and he gazed at it.

"Lemon, Lima and Mara....memories are coming back, but I am still I far way from discovering whom I am."

A bright light filled his vision and everything around him disappeared.

FLASH!!

Genki opened his eyes, weakly from where he laid bruised on the ground, slowly he pushed himself upward into an setting position.

"Oh Genki!" A girl, slim with short green hair and blue eyes exclaimed worriedly, crawling over to him on the bed he was laying on. " I am so glad your awake, I thought your sleep was that of the forever kind!"

"Where am I....?" He asked. " And who are you?"

The girl gasped alarmed. " Oh! My poor baby! Genki it's me Mimaran!"

".........."

"Your wife!"

"........."

"Don't you remember our children either?"

"Children? I have children?"

"Of course you do silly! Come on! Get out of bed and go see them! They are worried sick about you!!!"

Mimaran clenched his arm and began to drag him out of the room.

********************************

"Oh boy.....Mimaran, thought we've seen the last of her....." Keith groaned having returned from the computer room, the whole thing about `the key to the ulimate destruction' still bugging him. How could Genki be a key to the ulimate anything? He was just a fluke...a mistake. Still he shooked his head and looked back at the girl on the screen. " Even in a dream she is as annoying as ever."

"Mimaran?" Tenki quirked his eyebrows, confused.

"An `wife' Bra picked out for Genki. Mimaran was bossy, vain, an ego the size of Gaia, and rude. Genki hated her even thought she was crazy about him. Bra was always trying to pair Genki up with someone, because she thought it would get him to settle down and become an scientist. Mimaran was kind of crushing Genki into her will, and if he didn't leave and met Mimi, he might gotten stuck becoming an scientist and marrying Mimaran. Luckily, Mimaran was never the one that could go a week without a boy to latch on to so she met and married someone else after Genki left. I don't know how she got into his thoughts though...."

"Hmmm, well he is dressed as one of the Brief scientists, maybe Mimaran represents the life of one of his selves." Tengi pondered.

"Mmm...perhaps, lets see how this on folds."

****************************

"Daddy!!" two girls and an boy ran up to him, throwing their arms around him happily, and smothering him with kisses. He blinked confused, staring at the children in bewilderment.

The oldest was a girl with green braids and chocolate brown eyes, an energetic smile plastered on her face, and skinned knees could be seen in the orange shorts she was wearing, and a pale yellow mid-drift tank top. The second oldest was an boy, having brown hair and blue eyes, looking more clean and kept then his eldest sister. The last was a little girl brown hair and eyes just like him, wearing an pale blue dress with an pattern of roses on it.

"Children." Mimaran scolded. "Your father is suffering from memory lost. Could you please tell him about yourselves, perhaps it will jog his memory."

The children looked baffled, and the oldest girl put her hands on her hips frowning.

"Geeze dad! Glad were so easy to forget, sheesh!. Well...if you really can't remember my name is Capricorn. I'm fifteen...um...I like to kick box...and I also like to...well...I like boys and....Heh-heh!" The girl chuckled, Genki began to get an sick feeling to his stomach. His daughter was running around laying on her back for boys at this age!? He had to have an talk with his wife.

"My name is Leo, my stupid sister is just teasing you, none of the boys even look at her, she's to boy-like. Girls aren't suppose to fight, their suppose to keep the house clean."

"What do you know!?" Capricorna hissed. " YOUR only TEN!!"

"I know much more then stupid GIRLS like you know!"

"CHILDREN!!!" Mimaran shouted into the bickering children's ears.

"....Um...um....my...my name is Aries...." The youngest child blushed, tugging at his pants leg. " You don't remember me daddy?"

"....um...I......"

Aries eyes began to water sadly.

"Oh, shhhhh, don't cry, Aries...." Genki hushed holding the child in his arms.

"Daddy!" The girl smiled throwing her arms around him happily.

The door of their small little home burst open and an man came running in, young with black hair and pale blue eyes. "Genki your awake. Good thing...we need you to look at some samples...we need to find away to stop these....things!"

"Huh?" Genki blinked confused.

"Kicheses, he....lost his memory, I think we should explain to him what is going on hear. Get his mind back in order."

"Oh, alright, damn what a terrible thing to happen now, when you were so close to finding away to stop them....you had to get hit your head, didn't you?"

"Umm..." He trailed off not sure what to say.

Mimaran took this time to turn to the kids.

"Children go and play....but stay INSIDE, is that clear!?"

"Yes mom." The children obeyed and ran off to somewhere in the house, leaving the three adults to talk.

"Your lucky you can't remember, I kind of...envy you in a kind of way, but ignorance don't last forever. An race a of bio weapons as been released on this earth...We don't know who released them, but whoever did had an twisted mind...an twisted and sick mind. These creatures devour human flesh...they ate almost everyone....our world wiped clean, the flesh picked away from the bones, insides devoured. All what left is an hand full of us. Genki you and I were scientists that worked in the corperation who made these monsters. We tried to stop the people there but they were to foolish. Genki, only you and I can come up with the ability to stop these creatures. Guns, fists, swords...it doesn't work against them...they just regenerate themselves....that is why we gather cells samples, to try and find an way to destory those creatures. There has to be away, there is no such thing as immortality." Kicheses explained.

"All the people has moved into this underground shelter....oh, honey I am so scared!" Mimaran threw her arms around him, sobbing. " Those things can come at any moment...and our children...I fear for them....and poor Aries....she was born when all this horror began...will our poor baby never know peace?"

"We'll find away to stop those things, Mimaran, I promise. I'm not going to let some artificial made life forms destory us!"

"Oh honey! Your soooo wonderful!" The woman squealed, happily.

"Enough with this mush....Genki, come to the lab with me. We have much to work on."

"All right."

"Hey...Genki...." Mimaran began, smiling kinky. " Make sure you come home tonight, don't stay up working. The children need you.....I need you."

The boy blushed. "Um...sure. See you...ah....um....honey."

****************************

Capricorna and Leo were still bickering, when he and Kicheses left the house. They were in an cave of some kind, little houses mad of dirt and wood crowded the area....but for houses the whole population...it seemed kind of little. There was an bigger building to the left, that was were Kicheses was leading to him.

"Daddy!"

Genki twisted around to see Aries run up to him, latching on his leg. " Can I please come with you? I feel so much safer with you, because I know my daddy will protect me. Please."

"Um...."

"Let her come. She'll be safer at the science lab, the creatures never attack that building, they fear it, because it reminds them of their enslaved birth place."

"Then why don't we just move all the people there!?" Genki exclaimed.

"Don't be foolish." Kicheses scolded. " We know that someone hear is an spy for the creatures...maybe something..we can't get rid of everyone....but at the same time we can't trust anyone, and the last thing we need is to come up with a way to destroy them and have the creatures warned about it."

"Oh...."

"Daddy? Can you carry me?" Aries smiled cutely, letting her arms out to him.

Genki smiled ruffling her hair. " Sure sweety."

"Yeah!" The child giggled as she was lifted up into his arms.

Unknown to the two men an pair of yellow eyes were watching them, appearing out of the darkness like fire flies.

*************************

Ryan yawned, pushing himself up to his feet, tiredly. He could still see the glow from the fire but it was becoming dull, and near death. He frowned sadly, numbly approaching it, finding as he expected, Mimi still by Genki's side.

"Mimi...." He sighed softly.

The fairy-half, just noticing him gasped with surprised, and turned her puffy eyes towards him, shyly. "Oh....Hi, Ryan....I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No, I just couldn't sleep....we're all worried about him."

"........."

"But Mimi you can't let your worry get the better of you, you have to remain strong, you can't let worries break your sprit." Ryan smiled, half hearted. " Besides you know how stubborn Genki is! He wont die so easily!"

Mimi laughed a small, short and yet sad snort. "Your right about that, he is stubborn...in all the time I known him, he never gave up, even when things seemed impossible. I still remember one day....on my first day of school, some kids were teasing me, and Genki he came right up to the bullies and punched the leader right in the nose. It was six on one, and he got hurt very bad, but he still wouldn't give up, and he sent those bullies running in the end......I had held the ord of hope, but he has much more hope then I....I always gave up to easily....I was always weak and an coward. But....ever since I remember I always had someone there to protect me....my parents, and when I went to the school, trying to become independent....I found that I still needed help...and even though he always stayed at a distance from me...when I was in trouble Genki always showed up to help me. Ryan....I don't want that protection gone....am I selfish for that....I.....I need him."

"Mimi, your not selfish, we all want to be protected at times, but I know very well that you would offer your life to protect anyone in this group. Mimi, your kind, your gentle, and your warm hearted and sincere in everything you do and say. You just don't think enough of yourself. You see yourself as this helpless girl, cowardly, and needing protection. But that self image of you is as false as a cheep magic trick. Mimi your a strong person, you just don't realize it. Besides....if you gave up hope to fast, you would already be gathering flowers for his grave, but your not, instead your setting beside him, using up all your strength with healing magic, and watching over him like his guardian angel. And you say you have no hope? Mimi....he protected you when you were in trouble, and right now, your the one protecting him."

Mimi's eyes wavered with tears and she threw her arms around Ryan with a sob. The demon-half just held her close, trying his best to comfort her. He knew he never would understand how someone as kind, nice, friendly and warm-hearted, how such a great creature could have such a terrible fault. The worse fault in the world.....the fault of not being able to believe or trust in one's own self.

****************************

Aries had fallen asleep on a small, ragged and dusty couch that sat in the corner the large, yet empty room, lit only by that of an computer screen as Kicheses typed at the keys bringing up an screen of twisted human-like creatures, skin rotten and peeling off of their bones, back slumped, and arms drooped downward to the ground in an ape like state, jaw huge and filled with jagged teeth.

"These are the forms of that of the bio weapons unleashed on us, they are hungry for human flesh and very savage. They can't be killed by regular wounds, except if the wound causes them to loose an great deal of blood all at once. But to inflect a wound to cause that much harm, one would have to get very close, and that is nearly impossible with these creatures. However....well, you see Genki. These Bio weapons....they weren't always creatures like this, but human's infected by toxin, an horrible toxin which forms a parasite within the human body, an parasite which eventually kills the humans own brain and takes over the body. We figured that the only way to destory them is to try and find something that could kill the parasite. You, were on a way close to a break threw before....you got in that accident and lost your memory. However, I have my own theory on how to kill these creatures. Genki, come with me into the next room."

The memory-less boy nodded and obeyed, following Kicheses.

The room smelled of medicine, the wall so white and spotless he could see his reflection in it, he was wearing an white lab coat, a pair of jeans and an red shirt, he seemed to be in his early thirties, his hair was pushed back in an short and messy pony-tail. There were many cages stacked up on shelves, and in those cages were monkeys, rats, snakes, cats. His heart pained to see the poor animals gaze out of the locked cells with pleading and sad eyes....How horrible.

Kicheses was not affected by the pitiful display but went right to an locked draw and pulled out an needle filled with an green goo. Genki watched confused as he opened the cage to an young monkey, who backed up fearfully in an corner.

"The chemical in this injection is made to attack the nerve system, causing intense pain to the subject, without actually inflecting any physical harm. I was thinking that perhaps we could use this on the Bio weapons, the sudden stress to the nerve system may kill the parasitic brain, or at least immobilize them long enough for use to deliver a wound great enough to kill them, since in their pained state we would be able to get close enough, without being ripped apart. I came up with this formula, but I'm not sure it'll work on them, let's observe."

Genki gasped as Kicheses injected the sharp point of the needle into the monkey's torso.

"Stop! That's cruel!!"

"It's just in the interest of science."

Genki watched with grief as the monkey began to screech loudly with pain. `That's not science, that's torture....'

****************************

Aries yawned tiredly, stretching her small little arms. Setting up, she looked around herself, seeing that she was alone in the room, but seeing an light on in the lab, she smiled and ran over to the door, spotting her father and Kicheses typing at an computer, and were speaking about things she couldn't understand.

"Damn! My formula is to weak to work on them!" Kicheses cursed.

"Hmm...but using this cell sample, perhaps we can work on making the formula more powerful...."

"I made it as strong as I possibly can, Genki."

"Then let me give it a shot."

Kicheses opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced when Aries, no long wanting to wait for the men to finish talking ran up into her father's arms.

"Daddy, I want to go home. I'm sleepy!"

Genki smiled, scooping the child up into his arms. "Ok, honey. Kicheses, I'll start working on this first thing in the morning, ok?"

"......."

***************************

As they left the lab, the last thing they suspected to see was the underground town to be ripped apart, as creatures, the bio weapons swarmed over the streets.

"Shit...." Kicheses swore.

"Daddy!" Aries screamed, burring her head in his shoulder, fearfully, while her father just looked on in horror. People were being ate alive on the streets!

"Genki, we got to get rid of these creatures!!"

"How, Kicheses!?"

".....I have no idea....change of plan...as I said those things wont go into the lab, go gather the survivors and get them hear, I'll help out. Most of the men hear has been trained for this, but they still need help! Genki try and stay alive, ok?"

"Alright! Aries, get inside the lab!"

"Daddy....please don't die!"

"I promise, I wont."

The child ran back into the safety of the lab, and Genki was about to run off towards his house when, Kicheses laid an hand on his shoulder, and handed him an gun. "Hear take this."

"But, why? I thought you said an gun wont kill them."

"It wont, but if your about to die, you might as well kill yourself....your death will be least painful that way."

".....I understand....good luck, Kicheses."

"You to, Genki."

**************************

There was death all around him, as he ran forward, trying to dodge the attacks from the creatures, all his mind was focused on was getting to his house, Mimaran, Leo, Capricorna...let them be safe! He could see his little shack of an house in the distance, pumping up his speed, his reached the door and threw it open. The house was trashed, blood covered the walls.

"MIMARAN!! LEO! CAPRICORNA!!!!"

"....D....Daddy....."

Genki gasped and ran forward, behind the kitchen counter laid his son, Leo, bleeding on the ground, skin shredded and torn, laying in an pool of his own blood. Tears instantly filled Genki's eyes as he scooped his son's head in his arms.

"L...Leo...."

"I....I don't want to die....D...Daddy...I....I don't want to....."

The boy went limp, as his breathing stopped, tears rolling down his closed his lids. Genki gasped, tears falling down his face, sobbing he cradled his lost son in his arms. He supposed he would of stayed like that forever, if it wasn't for the scream of his wife.

"Mimaran!!" He gently laid his son back down, crossing himself, giving the boy a silent prayer, before running off to where he heard his wife scream.

Mimaran was laying on the bed, held down by two of the carnivores beasts, screaming her little heart out, tears of pure fear running down her face as she tried to struggle against her captors.

"LET HER GO!!" Genki exclaimed, dashing forward, fist posed to strike. The creature growled, gripping him by the wrist and throwing him against the wall.

"GENKI!!!!" Mimaran, screamed, trying to run to him but was pushed back down on the bed, an scream of agony escaping her lips as one of the two creatures drove it's teeth threw her shoulder.

`Mimaran...Leo....my wife...my child....I.....I can't let this happen...I....I....." Genki clenched his fists, and began to glow. "YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" he screamed, splitting in half, the other half that of an fighter whom dashed forward, striking the beasts with his fist and head, cutting them in half, the beasts splitting in half, intestines and guts flying into the air. The double bowed in regular fighter stance before disappearing. Mimaran blinked in confusion, and shock, while Genki had much the same reaction but was able to recover quicker and ran to his wife's side. She was wounded pretty bad, and was breathing very hard.

"Mimaran!" He shook her to get her out of her shock, she stared at him before bursting into tears.

"Leo! My poor little son!! We were setting at the table, eating supper when those....those...monsters just burst in and attack. Capricorna got thrown out the window...I saw her run down to the house a few houses from ours. I hope she's ok....but Leo he stood to protect me and...and....!!" Mimaran was not able to continue as she broke down.

Genki wanted to break back down into tears again himself, but he knew he had to be strong for his wife. "Mimaran, can you get to the lab, I'm going to go get Capricorna."

"Ok...be...be careful, Genki....please...."

"You to."

****************************

It did not take him long to reach the house, and right infront of it, he saw another man, only a few years older then him, laying on the ground, throat being ate out by one of those creatures. The beast spotted him, and growled before leaping into the air disappearing. Genki landed on his knees next to the man who rabidly gasped for his breath.

"Hang on!"

"....t....t...t.hey...ar..en't...w..w..ha..t..t.h..ey..see..m... " Those were the dying man's final words before he went limp. Once gain, Genki found himself praying for the dead once again. He entered the house, praying to god that his oldest daughter was alive. At first all he saw was an dark little house, upturned furniture laid broken on the floor, but to his relief he spotted his daughter, setting on an chair in the corner, hands laying clasped on her knees. She seemed to be starring at nothingness, lost in an state of shock or something.

"Capicrona, are you all right? Capriconra?" he asked, laying an hand on her shoulder. The young girl tumbled of her chair as if pushed and laid unmoving on the ground.

Genki gasped and took an startled step backwards. "Capricorna!?"

The girl muttered an soft moan, her smooth and small little hand clenching together, before it suddenly transformed, into leathery brown skin so thightly stretched across the skeleton, it looked as though it was bone. Terrified, Genki backed away, trembling.

His daughter, lifted herself to her knees panting and moaning painfully, breasts heaving up and down rabidly as she gasped for breath. She was moaning and grunting in pain, letting her head towards the ceiling, eyes turned upward as sweet poured down her face. He teeth clenched together. In horror Genki watched as the side of her face spilt apart as jaws became larger, spiky bones formed out of her back ripping apart the material of her shirt. Her legs became massive and boney as she continued to grow in size. Her hair fell out like straw falling from an very old broom, and her eyes, once beautiful eyes turned blood red. She stood, now towering over him and let out an ear splitting screech.

Genki backed away frightened, was this beast his daughter? What....what happened to her?

This had to be a dream....no a nightmare, an horrible and frightening nightmare.

"Let me wake up...." He pleaded, voice shaking as the monster came towards him, mouth dripping hungrily with saliva.

"What the hell are you doing! Genki get down!" Kicheses screamed, aiming an strange gun at `Capricorna' on reflex Genki did as told and a bullet...no a needle with flying overhead striking Capricorna in the chest. She screamed and collapsed to the ground breathing heavily, however she was far from dead, just momentarily paralyzed. In her moment of weakness Kicheses wasted no time grabbing some cooking fuel from the floor of the old house and pouring it over her twitching body. Genki could only watch in a numb shock, snapping out of it only when Kicheses handed him a match.

"I'll leave it to you to light the match."

"Capricorna...." He sighed sadly, feeling his eyes water.

"Not any more...she is now just a beast, free her before she kills someone. Maybe even a little child. If you don't, I will."

"I understand." Genki struck the match, approaching Capricorna who was slowly regaining her strength.

"I can't remember who you were, but I know that this will be one of the hardest things I'll ever do."

The beast screeched out in agony as her father threw the match on to her oil drenched skin, catching her up in a ball of flame. Tears burning in his eyes as wickedly as the fire burned his daughter, all he could do was watch.

*****************************

Many people had been killed, and only a few were left unharmed. Mimaran and Aries, along with the other women and children dug graves for those who died, drenching the soil with their bitter tears. Genki felt as though their was a huge whole within his heart, after only finding out he had children,two of them were taken away from him. Mimaran was left broken inside and Aries clung to him to frightened to leave his side. It still baffled everyone as to how the beasts could have gotten hear, could they of sensed them from above ground? For what seemed like weeks all what Genki did was experiment on the beasts DNA, he had to find some way to destory them....he had to. He would spend days at a time at his computer in the lab, researching, testing, trying with all his brain power to come up with something. He knew that Mimaran was beginning to worry about him, and Kicheses was watching him like a hawk. He was trying to find away to destory the toxin within the body, without harming the person. There had to be away to save the poor souls who were infected. He nearly found away but at 95% complete their would always be an error in his anti-toxin. It was driving him insane, only 5% away from saving the whole world, and he was to dumb to figure it out. Kicheses was trying his own experiments, but from what he knew, the other man was much farther behind him to discovering an cure.

"Anti-Toxin, DNA error, 95% completed. 95% completed."

" I don't get it...I studied the DNA sample Kicheses gave me from those creatures so well I know it as I do the back of my hand, but I just can't get it an positive sample when I compare it to the ones we gathered from the creatures who attacked hear. I don't understand, damn, I too stupid..."

"Honey...."

Genki turned his head away from the computer screen to see Mimaran and Aries standing behind him, sad and worried looks on their faces.

"Honey, please come home, you've been working so hard. We need you."

"Daddy, don't you love us anymore?"

"Of course I do....It's just that....."

"Genki, you can't kill yourself researching. Spend some time with your family, I'll see if I can come up with something, ok?" Kicheses spoke, entering the room.

"Hmmm..." Looking into the sad eyes of Mimaran and his last living child Aries he nodded with a small smile. "Ok."

********************************

He did appreciate a break, his wife cooked an home-made meal, and the three of them played games and laughed, said a prayer for Capricorna and Leo of course and then tucked Aries into bed with her teddy bear. She smiled sleepily at them, giving her father a little peck on the cheek.

"I love you daddy."

"I love you to, sweetheart."

******************************

Genki laid back on his bed, gazeing up at the ceiling, his wife stood back turned to him. No matter how happy his family made him, he just felt a whole inside of him missing, that somehow this whole thing was wrong, that...that it shouldn't be. And how could he just lay there knowing that those creatures could attack and slaughter them all at any given moment?

"Genki, what's wrong?"

"Mimaran....I'm so close to finding a cure for that Toxin...I just don't see what I'm doing wrong..."

"Genki, try and get your mind of it for one night, please, for me?"

"I'm sorry, Mimaran, but I can't...not after what happened to Leo and Capricorna, I'll find away to stop this toxin, even if it kills me."

"Is that the only thing on your mind?"

"..........."

Mimaran unbuttoned the front of her dress, little the soft silky material slide down her smooth shoulders, and to the floor. She turned towards him, fully undressed and began to crawl over to him on the bed. Blushing like a crazy man he turned away, but her soft hands reached out and caressed his face. "Genki, look at me."

Like how a siren lures men at sea to their deaths, he could not help but give into to the temptation of looking at the body displayed before him. Creamy white skin, breasts freckled, large and smooth. The woman smiled pressing her soft lips onto his, he closed his eyes savoring the taste of her moist mouth, but something about it just seemed so empty.

*************************************

Mimi put an hand to her chest as she felt an sharp pain within her heart, slowly she turned to look back at Genki, whose cheeks had blushed a light red, his breathing soft and gentle.

"God forgive me for what I am about to do, Genki...I've longed to do this for such an long time, and I know I will never have the courage to do so when you are aware of it." Leaning down gently over him, she gave his lips an tender and sweet kiss.

***************************

The kiss had suddenly turned into an sweet, tender one and he opened his eyes to gaze upon and different girl, breath stopping short in his breath. It was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes on. She was leaned over him, body an smooth and creamy peach, her breasts were small but round and smooth, nipples the gentlest of pink, like a newly blossomed rose. Her silky hair and eyes as perfect a pink as a flower shone in the moonlight. Her wings sparkled like diamonds, as she smiled at him, so beautifully.

"Are you an fairy? You look like a princess...so beautiful..."Genki whispered, breath taken.

"Yours." She whispered back into his ear, before gently and not at all forcefully buttoning his shirt, and removing his glasses from his face. He let himself fall into her embarrass and she kissed him gently on his neck and face. He found himself rubbing his hands over her smooth and slender back and waist. As it processed forward she rolled under her, allowing him to kiss her hardening nipples, as she moaned softly in pleasure. Her lowered himself downward her body, kissing her all the way down, before tasting of her, it was like the sweetest strawberries with cream. It felt like hours had gone by before both fell asleep in each others arms, hair whipped across their faces, both blushing slightly as they breathed softly. Unlike with Mimaran, being with this girl, whoever she was, just felt so right.

****************************

"Mimi, are you feeling better now?" Ryan asked, coming back onto the campsite, worried about the grieving fairy-half, but stopped surprised before smiling as she watched her sleep on top of Genki's chest, both of them blushed and smiling happily, as though they had been seeing each other in their sleep.

*****************************

"Who is that girl? She was not programmed into the chip..." Tengi frowned confused.

Keith blinked, and spoke in a tone of voice that could not ever really be described in words. " That is Mimi. I suppose he really did care more for her then just a silly crush. Wow....I didn't know Genki had it in him to dream about sex. He just seemed so....so...um....pure? I don't know, I guess he's a man afterall."

"So that is the girl whom stopped him from leaving the magic school. Mimi is the one who kept my brother from coming back home." Tenki spoke starring at the screen, at the sleeping pair.

`Doesn't really matter, he'll be home soon, and when he comes he either agrees to become part of my plan, or else he can be soul food for Saiyoua.'

***************************

When Genki awoke the next morning, it was not the angel from the night before that laid beside him, but Mimaran. Feeling disappointed and guiltily he got to his feet. Because there was no sun underground it was impossible to tell if the sun had risen yet. Deciding he would take a walk to try and clear his mind, which was confused with all that had happened, and with his memory lost.

It was cold, but he could of easily protected himself from the coolness but deciding not to, needing some discomfort to keep himself from thinking himself crazy. He wondered around lost in a train of thought until he came to wear all the graves of those whom died were marked. He gazed at them, feeling tears sting his eyes.

`I don't understand why I can't complete my anti-toxin..I studied the DNA sample Kicheses had given to me so much...but it doesn't work on the sample I got from the monsters hear...they are the same kind, aren't they?' Genki's eyes suddenly widened. `Or are they?'

************************************

He knew he had to have been in the lab for hours, working non-stop. He took the sample of the monsters that attacked hear, ignoring the earlier DNA sample Kicheses had given him earlier. It was different. Fixing his anti-toxin to match the difference in the DNA his computer beeped, finishing at 100%. The toxin was positive!

"But why...? How come the DNA of the creatures from above ground are different of those the were underground...it doesn't make sense, why would their be two different types of Toxin? I just don't understand....Unless...someone else other then the one responsible for creating the first created this second toxin...."

He did not have time to ponder this before he felt something whack him across the back of the head, causing him to fall into a faint.

When he opened his eyes he found that he was strapped down to a table in another lab, Kicheses was starring down at him, hard and cold.

"Kicheses, what are you doing?"

"You should have let your memory of your anti-toxin stay lost."

"Wh..What?" Genki stuttered shocked.

"I drugged you and then made it look like you fell and hit your head, so you would forget. But no, you had to go and remember."

"But why?"

"My family was killed by those creatures, I couldn't let you find the cure. I will be the one to find out how to destory them, you just had to keep getting in my way while I tried to perfect my anti-toxin."

Genki could feel all the pieces of the puzzle fitting themselves together in his mind, his eyes widened and he snarled, rage bubbling within the very depth of his soul.

"YOU MONSTER!!!" He screamed, well aware of angry tears burning in his eyes. " Now I know why the DNA samples from the creatures were different...you created your own Toxin, to make more of those creatures to test your Anti-toxin on....you were the one who did that to Capricorna, and killed Leo, and all those people!"

The memory of all the crosses which marked the dead flashed back threw his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut, allowing tears to spill past the closed eyes lids. "You bastard...how could you....?"

Kicheses not the least bit affected by any of this left the room, coming back with a needle, filled with a yellow substance. In the short time it had taken him to return, Genki spotted another man chained to a bed, half eaten...a victim from the monster attack.

FLASH

The shadows laughed. "They'll eat you up! rip apart the flesh, devour your insides, and suck the marrow from your broken bones! They will devour us all! Ha....Ha....Ha...Ha.....!"

FLASH

"Hey Squall, as quite as ever....but of course your not really hear are you?" Genki spoke quietly, watching the image of the torn body fade away. Kicheses took his chin in his hands, and turned his face towards him.

"I didn't even injected you with the toxin and your already seeing things, poor thing. Scared so much you have already lost your mind. Don't worry, it wont hurt, and think of it this way, the research I can get done with your infected body will aid our world."

Genki's eyes went wide in terror, and he screamed, struggling in vein against the straps as the point of the needle came dangerously close to his exposed arm.

"No! Let me go! LET ME GO!!"

He sucked in a gasp as Kicheses injected the toxin, eyes growing large in agony

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

FLASH!!

***************************

He gasped, blinking his eyes many times, rabidly. Everything was dark, pitch black, and he could barely move for the area he was in was so small. He was in what seemed to be a shelf or something, and it was freezing cold. Banging on the door of the shelf with his head he managed to break the door, and rolled himself out, on the bottom of the shelf which moved on small rollers. It was colder outside then it was inside the shelf.

He was in a tiny room, which was so chilly, frost had formed on the walls and he could see his breath hang in the air. Their were tons of shelves all around him, large enough to hold bodies in. on a bed in the middle of the room laid a little girl with blue hair and green dress, her skin a pale gray, it was easy to tell she was a corpse, which gave himself his final clue as to where he was. A morgue.

Getting to his stiff and numb legs, shivering he tried to open the door, but it was locked by a series of switches, levers and buttons, all interconnected and complicated. He couldn't understand it...he was locked in. Locked in to freeze to death.

"You must not give up now."

Genki jumped frightened and turned towards the corpse who had sat up on the bed, bones creaking, eyes soulless.

"They want to keep you hear where it is cold and empty. Don't let it get to you don't let the despair defeat you from within. You must not die here, for if you do the world shall perish at the hands of Oisa. Don't give in to the bitter cold, for if you do the cold will devour you and eat you up from within."

"....And how do I get out of hear?"

"It is for you to find the way, just don't fall asleep, for if you do, you shall sleep forever, like me. The coldness is making me weary, try and escape." The child closed her eyes once again and laid back down, crossing her arms over he chest, and just laying still as though she had never moved.

"She is dead, isn't she, or maybe I have finally lost it." Genki shook his head, baffled and went back to trying to open the door, but failed, the cold was starting to make his eyes close but he forced them with all his will power to stay open, but after awhile exhaustion over took him and he sat down, taking out the stained glass, hoping that looking at it would stop him from falling asleep. He stared at the familiar faces with faded memories.

"Lemon....Lima....Mara...Squall...." He looked back at the corpse on the bed, something flickering in the back of his mind. " Carrie." one of the blank faces on the glass suddenly filled in, a bright light erupting from it, blasting the door out of existence. He stared in shock before thanking god and hurrying out of the icy prison. The rest of the morgue was cold, but not as cold as the room he had been locked in, still he would like to get warmed up. The morgue was small, the main doors locked. Their was the body room he had just escaped from, the furnace room and a strange and very messy study. He decided he would go to the furnace room first and try and get some heat on. It was rather hard to do so, considering there was no coal for the fire to feed on, so, knowing it was disgraceful, he grabbed a body which hung on the wall dead in a sack and opened the furnace tossing it inside. Dispite the smell of roasting flesh which followed the warmth felt good on his icy skin, and slowly he could feel the warmth spread threw the whole morgue. Running his hand threw his hair he found that it was wet, it must had been so cold frost had formed on his hair. Exiting the furnace room he couldn't help but get an look at himself in the glass, he was dressed back as he was when he was in the pumpkin patch.

"Not the child, not the fighter, not the scientist...what is this form anyway, I can't find the particular meaning of this form..."

`Get me out of hear! Help me! Get me out!'

The boy blinked confused and followed the cries for help back to the body room, it was warm inside and the other shelves were no longer frozen shut. The screams were coming from one of the draws...

Yanking it open, a Young boy, red hair filled with ice gasped, eyes wide, arms wrapped around his quivering body.

"Thank you, Mr."

Genki blinked for a moment, before smiling. "Your welcome, Colt."

The boy vanished and once again a piece of the stained glass was filled in.

"Just four more.....four more to find." He whispered leaving the body room, going to the last area of the morgue, the study.

Paper and files covered the floor like fall leaves covering the ground. The desk was upset, and three chalk boards covered the walls. To the far corner was a door, locked by voice password, a password he didn't know yet. Deciding it was the only thing he could do, he went to what was written on the chalk boards. On the first chalkboard it read.

there were three gOdesses, one wAs named key, the goddess of

light who gave biRTh to all Things who live on our planets of

earth and gAiA. there was Saiyoua who gave birtH to the planets

and then finally there is Messiha who has the power to save the

world with three words, or destoRy a word with three words.

Messiha' choice will decide the faith of the world, and all that

causes it pain and grief will one day be wiped out of existence.

The second board read:

a War brokE out Among The creatures of earTh and gaIa,as

They battled and Slaughtered Each other and even their own.

HeaRts became black aNd cold. Innocence died away, and key

left with no other cHoice, decided to be reborn on to gaia, to end

the figHting. the world was left without a goddess to guide them,

and people were then in charge of their own lives and could not

relay on help or put blame on an higher force. key thought she

done right, but there is more to her rebirth then what was first

thought.

And the last board read;

key and Saiyoua were reborN iNto one human chIld.

messihA protecTer Of the liFe stream and of the Goddess

stone dIsappeared when tHe Goddess stone was used

to gIve rebirth to the goddesses. the Life stream was Left

with out the innocent soul of Messiha to guide it, and some

souls turn to ghosts and become lost. the remains of Messiha

fears these within her heart above anything else, and seeks

someone with an heart as uncorrupted as hers to once again

watch over the life stream as she completes her final task, and

joins the stream of death, life and rebirth herself. like Messiha

the baby who was born on that faithful day is neither good or

eVil, but both, and it is her finaL will as to what destiny all life

on earth and gaia will take. may she not allow oisa to feed of

the life blood of the planet by eating away the souls of the

lifestream.

Genki frowned, these messages seemed to be hiding something behind them but he didn't know what, but the legend it's self seemed very familiar, and all the memories of the goddesses came back to him, as well as the memory of almost his whole adventure, however many pieces were still missing, but now was the time to try and find away to escape from the morgue. What was it he was over looking. Frowning he went back to board one.

`Why are some of the letters dark and why are they Capitalized in middle of words? Hmm...wait a moment...' Genki looked around the room, grabbing a piece of paper and an pen he saw laying around on the floor.

"OARTTAASHMR` " He read the word which all the dark and bigger letters spelled. "What the? This doesn't make any sense...unless...unless the word is scrambled...oh great, this is going to be hard.

He tried the letters every possible way, he was getting so frustrated he could not resist the urge of hitting his fist on the floor, shouting curses at the top of his lungs. Forcefully he brought himself to try again to unscramble the word.

"Sora Ma'harta" Was what he got on his final try. He blinked puzzled for a moment, confused, something about the word seemed so familiar to him, he just could not place it. Closeing his eyes he tried to focus, an man with black hair and an black trench coat, words in red above a bloody cross read Sora Ma'harta. What did it mean....he remembered now, it meant...

"The darkness lives."

*********************************

Keith grinned, glancing at his black trench-coat, wear the word was displayed. " Indeed it does."

*********************************

Going onto the second board, he once again gathered the letters.

"WEATTITSEHRNIHH."

It did not take nearly as long to unscramble this one, for it was in English unlike the word before.

"Withinthehearts, or rather it spelt, within the hearts."

"Sora Ma'harta, within the hearts...." Genki read what he had so far, before moving to the final board.

"SNNIATOFGIHGILLVL"

This word was hard as hell to translate, but not as hard as the first, finally he got it, and the result was like slap in the face.

"of all living things. Sora Ma'harta, within the hearts of all living things...the darkness lives within the hearts of all living things."

"voice password correct, proceed."

Genki looked towards the locked door puzzled as the lock beeped and it opened. `What a twisted way to hide a password....' Knowing in his gut that on the other side of the door something dark awaited him, he crossed himself once before walking threw the door, into what might be for all her knew, his death.

A man waited on the other side of the door, arms crossed and grinning infront of a portal, he was wearing an trench coat, a Pentagram on his chest, piercing, black hair and cold blue eyes. hateful eyes.

"Mother, Eggie, Kojio, Kicheses, they were all the same person, and that person is you Keith!"

*****************************

The real Keith's eyes widened a little taken back. " So in his mind, I was all those monsters? All that darkness....all that evil. Is that what he thinks of me?" his face darkened. "Fine then! Genki, you will be eaten by the darkness and you will never wake up from this nightmare! Hear me, you'll fall into and get trapped in the darkness forever!"

Tenki glanced and Keith, unfeeling, before smirking. `Why are you so worked up Keith...can't you handel the truth?"

****************************

"You'll never defeat me, you might as well stay hear with the corpses, at least you wont be alone when you wither and die." Keith grinned mockingly.

"Keith, I swear I'm going to wrap my hands around you scrawny little neck and I am going to squeeze it so hard that your god damn head will pop off!"

The other laughed amused. " Oh, I'm so scared. But before you even have the chance of doing that, you have to catch me first."

"KEITH!!" Genki snarled causing after him as he dashed into the portal, Genki following.

****************************

Genki opened his eyes, confused for amount, feeling different inside, as though he was not even human anymore. Looking down at himself he saw that he wasn't. All around him were people on their knees while a young girl with short black hair and gray eyes danced around with fans in her hands, wearing animal skin. All around him was glass walls in which he was reflected everywhere he looked. His hair was let out of his pony-tail, flowing down his back, his eyes as clear as the glass it's self. His chest was left bare, except for some shining silver armor that were attached to his shoulders, metal straps crisscrossed over his bare skin in the front and back. Gazeing at his hands he saw that they glowed with power, on the tops of them were three jewels, glowing sliver as bright as the moon it's self. The power glowing around his hand were coming from them.

around his waist a pair of tight white pants was held to his trim waist by an large sliver built, holding an picture of an stone, beautiful to look at. His feet were left bare, and slowly he trailed back up to look at his face. He wore a pair of silver ear rings, a silver head plate wrapped around his head, shimmering, but not as bright and as pure a silver as a oval shaped diamond in the middle of his forehead. He took an step forward, a beautiful gray wing sprouting from his back. One wing, only one wing.

"Where am I?" He asked, the dancing girl turned around and instantly fell to her knees.

"Oh praise heaven! You have come to save us, great Genki,from the dark angel! No one thought you would show up, but I knew and so did my father, wont the villagers be happy..."

"Don't waste time with idle banter!" He snapped. " Tell me as to why I was summoned hear, time is not always something that can be wasted."

"Of course! Forgive me!" The woman whimpered. " An dark Angel named Keith has

attacked our village. We worshipped him at one time, but now...we can't stand to look at him! He has been nothing but cruel and heartless, which is why we need you to defeat him, since the angel of light cannot be reached. Please...help us."

"I will do my best." He began to leave threw the opening he saw before him.

"Wait!" She called him back. " Speak with my father, the village chief, he will tell you very important information, do not try and attack Keith head on right away, please."

"......"

************************

Keith gasped in horror and disgust, pulling away from the computer in which he still watched the on goings of Genki's nightmare.

"That girl in the dream, what the hell is Nagisa doing there!? She's speaking lies, I would not be cruel to her!"

"It appears that the `dream' is no longer just a dream, but a new reality. How interesting..."

****************************

Genki walked outside, and was overcome with the smell of rotting flesh and blood. The sandy soil was turned red, the planets watered with blood, bodies fertilizing the ground like decaying toys spoiled children discarded themselves of.

"How horrible."

To his left, there was an huge rock slide, blocking exit from the village, the rocks stained red, he knew many people must be rotting underneath the heap of stones. Near this rock slide was many steps leading up to an large throne in which Keith, black wings and skin painted with blood sat. Bodies were piled at his feet, fertilizing the soil. Feeling anger boil up within him, he approached the blood stained stairs, to his right he noticed a boiling lake of lava, with amazingly enough a tree growing within the center of it. However his mind was not focused on this but on the blackness in front of him. The cold ice eyes watched him amused as he ascended up the steps. He was not but half way up when he was thrown backwards back onto the ground by a powerful force of energy. Hitting the ground he snarled up at the other, clenching his fists.

"Keith, why are you doing this to these people!?"

"Because they are traitors."

"Traitors!? How?"

"They were once worshippers of Saiyoua, but they turned their backs to the darkness to try and embrace the light, but what they do not know is that the light will never have them, they are drawn to the darkness from the day they are born and they will die in the darkness!!"

"You monster! Just because they were once evil beings such as yourself does not mean they cannot change! Release them from your dark hold or else I will be forced to kill you right hear and now!"

Keith laughed, throwing his head upward. The chilling, icy grip of his chuckle caused Genki's bones to shake, it was an horrible laugh. A horrible heartless laugh.

"You fool!" The dark one spat. " What can you do? Only the wings of light can ever have even the slightest chance of destroying me. You of all people should know that only a light as bright the other is dark can hope to defeat each other. But you, you have no light and you have no dark, your a nothing." Keith snarled raising his hands into the air which flickered with dark magic. " AND I WONT HAVE A NOTHING BEAT ME!!!!"

Genki cried out in surprise as the attack struck him, throwing him backwards, skidding into the sand. Prying himself upward with his hands, he gasped for breath. He was lucky he wasn't killed, but how could the other have gained so much power? He looked around himself dizzily, he was in the part of the village which was still standing, barely. It was full of clutter, and the well was dry. Past that he could see a little bridge leading to what once must have been a temple, but it was covered with rocks and debris. He was to far away to see it to good, so he didn't know if there was away to get inside. As he walked forward, he saw that the outside of the house was empty except for one old lady, yellow and dirty dress and long matted and tangled gray hair. Her hands and bones were twisted with age and her face was covered with black spots. She was mixing something to a bowl, a combination of herbs of some kind.

"Old woman, tell me where is the village chief." He demanded.

"Oh so they actually succeeded in summoning you? Where were you and the angel of light before? Why come now when we are almost all dead!?" She demanded in an raspy and bitter tone.

"Still your thounge!" He snapped back. " We are not tools which will come whenever you desire, human kind must learn sometimes to depend on it's on power, so be lucky I came at all, now tell me, old woman wear is the village chief?"

She sneered back at him. " In the houses, now if you would excuse me." She turned away from him and continued mixing stuff in the bowl.

"What is it you brew?" He questioned.

"Medicine for my old aching bones, age has not been kind to me in the least."

"Shouldn't the witch doctor make you your medicine or was he killed?"

The woman laughed bitterly. " My husband does not care for me or making any medicine! He is away in his tent the opposite side of hear. He is working with some kind of Voodoo, can't say I know or care. If he thinks one of his little spells is going to defeat the dark one then he might of already lost his mind."

Genki made the choice to leave her alone and enter the string of houses. They were all interconnected and in the first one he entered he was greeted by a grieving woman, young with red hair, green eyes and freckles.

"Why is it you grieve?" He questioned, causing her to look up at him surprised.

"Oh great Genki! I did not mean disrespect!" She sounded frightened. " I'm just crying because my husband was skilled in the fight with Keith. He was one of our warriors...there were seven who was not killed in the rock slide, and he was the youngest of them all. They were all killed as easily as flies by the dark one, and because of their shame their sprits are trapped on this earth, but they have gone quite mad and the only things that escape their mouths are mad wails and moans of defeat."

"Your husband should not feel shame, young widow, for he fought and died a brave death for one as young as he. What was he name, may I ask for if I am to meet him now, or maybe someday in the life stream I may tell him that he died honorably and not to fret."

"Thank you, Genki!" She smiled. " He is name is Al...could you tell him that I, Samantha send my love?"

"I will."

******************************

He left the woman so may continue to grieve in peace, and entered the next room wear an old woman, but not as old as the bitter one he spoken to, sat on the floor, starring at her feet. She gazed up at him, eyes turning bright.

"So my daughter Nagisa was able to summon you! Praise the angels in heaven you are hear!"

"Your husband is the village chief?"

"Yes. He will tell you are plans...but...." The woman dawned an sorrowful expression.

"What is it?"

"He has been quite rotten lately. Since our other daughter, the twin of the one you met died....he has abandoned all belief in you and the angel of light. Oh Great Genki, please be merciful on him."

"Hmmm....where is he?"

"In the next room." She answered simply, watching him leave.

***************************

The man was middle aged, but one would call him young for his position as the village chief. He was setting in the corner of the room, looking like a ragged and un-used doll.

He rewarded him with a sneer as he spoke.

"So your the great one winged angel? Not impressive, considering you are still only a little boy."

"Speak so rudely to me again and you'll regret it! I was summoned from my duties to aid this village, your village, so show some graditude or else!"

"Graditude? GRADITUDE!?" The man laughed, shaking in rage. "YOU EXPECT ME TO SHOW YOU GRADITUDE!!??"

"........"

"OH I'LL SHOW YOU SOME FUCKING GRADITUDE ALL RIGHT!!! FOR WATCHING AS NOT ONLY THE MEN BUT THE WOMEN, CHILDREN AND INFIDELS WERE SLAUGHTER!!! ONE OF MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTERS CRUSHED BENEATH THE ROCKS AS SHE PRAYED IN THE TEMPLE FOR OUR BRAVE WARRIORS WHO FOUGHT AND LOST THEIR LIVES!!! OH YES, I'LL SHOW YOU YOUR GOD DAMN GRADITUDE YOU BASTARD!!!!!"

Genki saw the fist coming towards his face but even so did not make even the slightest effort to move out of it's way. It struck, causing his head to turn slight to the right. He turned to the man, eyes narrowed in an indescribable sort of way, an large red bruise already forming on his face. His hand short out from his side and his fingers tightened around his attackers neck, squeezing it softly but hard enough to produce ragged gasps for breath.

"Don't blame me for what happened to your village, you are the village chief, it was your duty, not mine. Besides you are right, I am just a boy, lost on some kind of wild goose case, going in and out of different personas, not knowing what the freaking hell is going on, You better keep your mouth shut, because it is not wise to make an angel angry when he is already pissed off!" Genki tightened his grip. "SO, UNLESS YOU WANT TO DIE HEAR AND NOW THEN DON'T PISS OFF THE ANGEL, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!?"

And with that he let the terrified village elder drop. The man snarled up at him from where he sat on the stone floor, rubbing is sore butt.

"It is not my village, I'm only village elder because I am one of two men left in this whole forsaken village, and the other so old he could die at any given minuet, so don't blame any of this on me!"

"Then, don't blame it on me either. I am Genki, the one winged angel, not your personal servant, so don't blame me for your problems. You may put your blame on god when things don't go your way, but I am far from a push-over, so don't you dare try it with me."

"I still doubt you are the one we summoned, but prove it, bring my daughter Arisu back from the life stream!"

"That I cannot do...once one has passed threw the life stream it is impossible to bring them back."

"Then you are not the one we thought you to be, and if you are, then we were misled because we thought you were powerful! But look at you! Your nothing but a weak boy!! I mean, an punch from me has left a bruise on your flesh, how can you defeat Keith when I'm sure I could beat you in a fight."

"This body of mine may be weak, but the very power I hold in my fingertips is enough to destory worlds."

"Then why don't you just destory us all now....we are doomed anyway, with you us our savior."

The chief who had just gotten back to his feet was quickly forced to his knees when Genki in a sharp and quick motion kneed him in the stomach, the man's eyes went wide and he spat up blood. Genki held him that way for a moment, before grinning.

"Do you remember what I said about pissing off the angel?"

Trembling with pain, eyes wide, the village chief slumped to the ground, and lay moaning in agony on the ground. Genki's grin faded as he spoke icily.

"I thought so."

******************************

He figured it would be best to talk with the witch doctor, who was as the bitter woman said, near but far enough to be safe from were Keith was setting. His skin was as black as coal, and his face was painted like a white skull, he wore simple brows cloth around his area of male pride while the rest of his body was left bare except for piercing and beads. He greeted Genki with a simple bow of his head.

"Thank goodness, I knew you would show. With the angel of light lost, you are our last hope."

"Although I hate being second choice, I will help you, when I find out what to do."

"The chief has not told you?"

"No." Genki shook his head. " All he has been doing is pissing me off."

"His mind is in turmoil from the lost of his daughter and the failure to help his people. But if his daughter were to be returned to him then, perhaps his bitterness will subside and he will gain trust in you."

"As I said to him, I CAN'T bring people back from the lifestream, unless if they have some great unfulfilled purpose that has something to do with the faith of the universe, and I doubt some peasant girl qualifies. I'm sorry about her death, but there is nothing I can do."

"She is not dead."

"What!?"

The witch doctor spoke again. " She is alive inside the caved in temple, the entrance was not harm, and she is there, trapped, but safe."

"And that stupid fool of a man did not even check to see if she wad dead or not!?" Genki exclaimed disgusted.

"I just know that once you retrieve her the chief will trust you."

"Hmmm...hey, I was told by your wife that you was working on a spell, what kind of spell do you think could be powerful enough to defeat an angel."

"No, I know the spell will not defeat the dark one. I was planning on making a power spell and using it on myself. I'm hopeing it will make me seem powerful enough to Keith to poise a threat and cause him to use up some of his power on me, therefore he will be weakened enough not to be able to shield himself from your attack."

"But, you are aware that you will die, right?"

"Of course, but if I can help save what is left to the village then I do not mind."

Echoing cries, coming from what seemed to be the wind surrounded them, Genki looked around himself, eyes sad as he spotted the flickering ghosts of the dead warriors, only six of them, he could not find the seventh. They cried out in agony, madness and defeat before once again disappearing into nothingness.

"It must be a cruel faith as not to be able to join the life stream...."

"Hmmm......."

*****************************************

If he had eaten he would have lost his lunch from not only the smell but at the site of the ruined temple. Bodies laid impaled by debris or crushed, flies fluttering around their rotting corpses. It was....sickening to say the least.

A large broken stone laid infront of the entrance, blocking the way into the temple. It was an obstacle no human could ever hope to get past, but then again he was not entirely human. Extending his hands calmly infront of him, he unleashed an small energy wave which blasted the rock into small crumbs of rubble. Walking inside he spotted a young girl, blue eyes and looking much like the dancer, Nagisa.

"Are you ok?"

".....How could Keith have done such an horrible thing....I respected him....how did he become so cruel? Why?"

".........."

"I use to even love him." Arisu shook her head bitterly. " But now.....I hate him, with all my body and my soul, I hate him."

*****************************

It felt like a thousand knives going threw Keith all at once, but hurt quickly turned to rage.

"How dare he....how dare he have my Arisu and my Nagisa say such lies about me. I wont forgive him...."

Keith stared at the screen as Genki brought Arisu home where her `mother', `father' and Nagisa waited for her receiving her happily.

"I CAN'T WATCH THESE LIES ANYMORE!" He roared, preparing to backhand the computer screen, but was stopped when Tenki gripped his arm.

"Are they really lies? It's true, that is why you are so angry, isn't it Keith? I'm right aren't I?"

The blow that was meant for the computer went instead to Tenki's face as the enraged young man fled the room, black coat fluttering behind him.

Tengi just smirked, rubbing his reddening cheek. "And I think you know it too."

*************************

"I'm sorry....it's just that loosing my daughter...." The chief tried to apologize, but his pride was making it difficult for him to do so.

"If you had only gone and checked then she would of been back at home a long time ago. Now tell me, what must I do to get rid of this darkness which plagues you.

"Alright...I'm not sure if you got a good look at the inside of the temple, but you see how there are seven bells laying on the alter. You must play the song of Ersulie, the goddess of mercy.

"The goddess of mercy?"

"You of all people should know their are many gods and many goddess then just Saiyoua, Key and Messiha."

"......."

"After you play the song, our temple hidden in the water will rise, you will need two offerings to enter it, The blood of a brave and pure man, and a heart that does not grieve. Inside the temple is a path leading done to where Keith's body was buried after he died and became a god....the goddess stone is buried with him." The chief finished almost shamefully.

"WHAT!?!?" Genki screeched at the top of his lungs. " YOU BURIED THE GODDESS STONE WITH HIM!? NO WONDER THE LIFE STREAM IS IN SUCH CHAOS!!! GOD, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!? THAT IS THE REASON WHY HE HAS BECOME SO POWERFUL!!!!"

"We know...."

"If he possesses the power of the goddess stone then I can't..."

"You will steal the stone from him in the tomb..."

"That is all easily said, but there is the matter of fact that right now he could destory me in an instant, if he finds me in his tomb, he'll just turn me into cinders before I even get close to reaching his tomb."

"You heard the witch doctors plan, right? Well, not only will Keith's powers of protection will be weakened, but so will his ability to sense where we are. But you will have to act fast, according to how strong he is, he will fully regain his power in five minutes after attacking Jegan our witch doctor."

"I understand...."

"THAT OLD FOOL!!I KNEW IT!!" The old wife of the witch doctor stood in the doorway shaking, before running away.

When Genki came outside she was back to mixing the medicine in the pot.

"Your husband is doing a brave thing, he will help save all the villagers hear..."

The bitter woman growled. " What about me!? I want him hear with me!!"

"Don't be selfish! Your wants and your needs are not as important as the lives of everyone hear!"

The woman just spat angrily and turned back to her mixing of herbs and roots.

**************************

The witch doctor whose name was Jegan informed him that he needed a fruit from the tree of power and might which was the tree he had saw blooming in the middle of lava. He was glad he could fly, else getting the fruit would be impossible. He got the fruit and handed it to the doctor, whom would be finished making the potion in a few minuets. He went back to the temple, to find that Arisu and Nagisa were already there waiting for him. They were the villager singers and dancers, know ing the song they rang the bells doing the ceremonial dance, summoning the temple from under the water, it was a beautiful site, the walls made of ivory, and gold, a great door with no knob or handle blocked the entrance. There were two over bowels, probably bowels for the two sacrifices he would have to offer. Curiously, he had went to the temple but found that he could not get up the ivory steps for a spirit, flickering golden blocked his path.

"...I...will...pro...protect the temple...." It wailed.

"I'm the one winged angel, Genki, you can let me threw."

"No....not until I can....rest....I can't let you pass...."

"Are you one of the warriors whom died?"

"Yes....I was the youngest....I failed my first mission....failed...."

"You should be proud to have such honor, you fought at such a young age."

"....No honor....shame....whole army...beaten....by one army...."

"Keith's not a man, he's a monster. What will let you rest in peace?"

"Give necklace...I made to....Samantha....chief...has it...."

"All right...."

FLASH

Genki smiled, nodding his head. " All right Alex, I'll give the necklace to Samantha."

The ghost flickered out of existence, and Genki looked at the stained glass, seeing the once again an face was filled in...Just three more to go....Three more memories to uncover and one evil darkness to defeat before he would find his answers.

Though he knew that the ghost of Al or rather Alex was just a image he felt compelled to go and get the necklace from the chief and give to the weeping widow. She smiled happily, saying she would no cry anymore now that she knew Alex's soul was at rest. With a final good deed done he went to the witch doctor who had just finished mixing his potion.

"Before I die...I would like to thank you for doing this for us."

"Don't thank me, your the one giving your life."

The man smiled, nodding him head, taking a gulp of the potion and running up the steps towards where, Keith the dark angel sat.

Jegan knew he was going to die, but still as he ran up the steps, seeing Keith extend his hand forward and his finger tips crackling with power....it was frightening. He was hopeing that some way...somehow maybe just maybe he could survive, that Keith's attack wouldn't be strong enough to kill him, but as he felt the evil energy it seemed to just roll off of his soul, and e knew....he knew there was no way he could hope to survive, he was going to die.

The energy blast struck him in the chest, blasting a whole right threw him, with a sharp cry of pain he fell backwards, hitting the ground, laying bleeding among the dead. Bowing his head in respect Genki approached him, cradling his head in his arms.

"....T...Take my...blood to....open ...t...the....tem...ple do...do...doors....Kira...has....the.....heart!" Jegan gasped with his final ounce of life before his head fell to the side and his eyes rolled back into his head.

Feeling the rage boil inside of him Genki stared up at Keith who grinned mockingly back at them.

***********************************

Quickly retrieving a pot and gathering the witch doctors blood inside of it, he hurried to the bitter woman, who he was sure was the one Jegan referred to as Kira. He stopped dead in his tracks and shook his head sadly. The first thing he saw was the pot the woman had been mixing herbs and roots in, turned over and empty, some of the contents, a green colored and thick drink spilled out on the sand, and the old woman laid sprawled out on the ground, clutching a crystal heart, which seemed to be a present one would share with a lover, to her chest. She had poisoned herself so she could join Jegan, her lover and husband in death. Feeling guilty he removed the crystal heart from her stiff fingers and hurried to the temple. He placed the sacrifices on the alters, thanking the old man and woman as the doors magically opened.

Their was no floor inside, but instead a long dark drop, which he jumped down, landing like a cat on his feet. Everything was dark except for himself which glowed brightly sliver and The goddess stone, a beautiful gold, red, blue and sliver stone. Before he allowed himself to think to much about it, or what would happen he gripped his fingers around the stone, which emitted an burst of light, he could feel power fill every single muscle in his body, he felt as though he could destory even the most powerful god with his pinkie finger alone! But no...he couldn't...he couldn't let the power control him. Crying out with pain the newly gained power was causing him he disappeared in a flash of light.

He was standing in front of the stares, and Keith was looking down at him in horror. With a warriors cry he ran forward, charging up an magical attack and sent it flying directly at Keith, who in fear and panic made an energy attack of his own. Silver and black battled each other before sliver finally won and the whole area was engulfed in a bright light.

FLASH!!

"Ohhh..." Genki moaned, opening his eyes and looking around himself startled, and shocked. He was laying in the middle of an forest, and girl was setting near the fire, trying to warm herself up, an worried expression on her face. She turned to him startled, her face brightening in pure happiness, throwing her arms around him happily.

"Oh Genki!! I'm so glad your all right, I was so scared!!"

"Mimi...." He blinked, before smiling. " Yeah, I am all right."

She pulled away, eyes teary with joy. "You have no idea how worried I was...never scare me like that again. When you fell off your air board, you hit your head very hard and I thought you would never wake up."

He looked at her confused. "Wait....that' not what happened...I didn't fall I...."

"What are you talking about? Of course you fell. I had to carry you back to the camp site."

"No...I...I didn't fall I..."

FLASH

Genki gasped, twisting around to watch Lexy leap out of some bushes, she extended her hand forward, and Genki felt something pierce the back of his neck. Pain.....so much pain! He screamed, and dispite himself tears stung his eyes.

FLASH

"I was attacked." He finished bluntly.

"Oh no, you fell, I saw you." Mimi smiled cutely. "Besides who would attack you? Everything is fine, we were just on our anniversary and you fell off your board and hurt yourself."

"Anniversary?"

"Of three years going out, remember, silly?"

"........"

"Ever since that day you saved me from those bullies that were trying to beat me up, we have been going out. I'm so happy you asked me, now come on, stop pretending to have memory lost."

"I never asked you out....I'm to shy....I never had to guts to ask you out...."

"Don't say that, of course you did."

".....Mimi, how's your cancer?"

"Cancer?" She looked confused. "What cancer? Ohh, are your worried I'm sick? Don't worry about me when your hurt yourself."

Genki turned away from her. "Your not....."

"Don't say it!" She suddenly sounded desperate, turning his face to look at her. " As long as you don't say, you can stay hear with me forever, everything will always be happy, no pain, no sadness, no woe or death. We can be together, marry, have children and live forever, staying young and full of life, never apart. Not only that but there is no evil attacking hear, everything is peaceful. All our friends are hear to, everyone is happy. Plus you can just be yourself...you don't have to be the holder of innocence, you don't have to have Saiyoua's bad blood, you can throw away your horrible faith and embrace a new one." She threw her arms around him. " Oh, please stay with me."

"Sorry..."

Mimi pulled away from him terrified.

"But your not Mimi..."

"NO!!"

"Your just a vision I made up...this whole place and you, you aren't real."

"PLEASE....!!!"

"And the holder of innocence and the bad blood is who I am...besides I can't stay hear when my real friends are in trouble, they need me and I wont give up on them!!"

"STOP!!!!" She screeched before disappearing, the whole forest soon following her after.

`Even though it was fake, I would have liked to stay hear...' Genki thought as Mimi's face was added to the stained glass, and he fell into a bright light.

FLASH

When the light faded, he gasped in fright, the area around him it was like a mixed up puzzle. The area he was in now was grassy, but dark and misty, a grave yard...the graveyard from the town with those frightening children, all of the children were in a circle singing that horrible song which had almost drove him mad him before

don't go in the pumpkin match, if you do you wont come back, mother said to stay away if you want to play again another day.

Beyond that were thick and thorny vines, leading up to the head of a huge clown, beyond that was a small river filled with skulls, and small squid arms wiggle up threw the surface. Pass that was an underground town with tons and tons of machines, which were hooked up to a locked door which was the entrance to an very small and circular morgue, with a huge whole going right threw the top of it, allowing him to see even beyond the stone walls, beyond was surprising part of the hive, a large metal door with no keys wholes or locks blocked the way beyond the pulsing walls, but still he could see pass that to huge steps, and something very bright, but he failed to be able to see much better then that of that particular area from the distance he was standing. It was all very shocking, but the biggest shock of all was when he looked down at himself, he himself was nothing but a white image, he had no form. He reached in his pockets, and instead of just finding the stained glass he found a fighter's bandanna, a pair of glasses, a small orange child's baseball hat and a single silver feather.

"....I understand...this whole time, none of it was real. Not the kids, not Inferno, not Mimaran, Capricorna, Leo and Aries, the people in that village, Cecile, everyone they weren't real."

He stared around himself not knowing what to do, his eyes handed on an grave stone, it read the name Jeddah, the man from the pumpkin patch who had killed his daughter Carol. He frowned, something was telling him that he needed to open the casket, but it was deep under ground...if he could just blast the earth...

"I think I get it...." he whispered, gripping the sliver feather in his hand and in a flash of light he transformed into the form of the one winged angel. With an simple blast of energy he made a large hole in the soil and was easily able to reach the coffin. Opening it he found not bones but the feet of the statue he had seen at the beginning of this unreal quest. Taking it into his hands he passed by the singing children, taking to the air to avoid stepping on thorny path ahead, which would be all but painful to step on. He reached the large clown head, but frowned as he saw how small the opening to inside of it was. Looking upward, he saw the faint shimmering of an force field, stopping him from being able to just fly over the clown head. Frowning, he landed on the walk way, spacing his feet just right to avoid the razor sharp thorns. He took out the orange hat and placed it on his head instantly he felt his body change again and he was once again a ten year old child.

Climbing threw the small whole which he easily fit threw now, he made his way inside the clown head, shivering for the inside was dark, except for circus lights and evil wails of laughing clowns. He quickly made his way to the nose of the clown, pushing it out. The red ball popped out, bobbing up and down on an spring which he climbed down carefully and landed delicately on his feet in the water. The cold and bone filled water reached him to the waist, and he waded threw it, pushing bodies out of his way and breathing fire on the small squids which attacked him on his way. Finally he got out of the water and was in the underground town, he walked over to the large machines but was to short to reach the buttons and the controls were to complicated for his young mind. Removing the hat from his head he put on the glasses and instantly became one of the brief scientists. He easily found the way to open the door to the morgue, but also discovered an secret panel hidden in the wall, which when opened he found the body of the statue.

The morgue was very small, and very empty except for a place underneath stained glass the same glass he had with him, it was also missing the last three faces. Looking around himself trying to spot things in the shadows, he discovered a pale body trapped in the wall but thick and slimly black ozz.

"Almost to last face, hello Ryan, trapped in the darkness, huh? Well I don't blame you, it is hard to escape."

The figure like all the one's before disappeared and on both stained glasses one of the empty spots was filled in with Ryan. Underneath the stained glass suddenly appeared a pestle one would place a sculpture on. He knelt now careful setting the legs of the statue down, then placing the body on it. The statue would be complete as soon as he found the head.

He continued on threw the other side of the morgue and walked onto the sticky and fleshly floor of the hive. Checking the metal door over he saw that their was really now way to open it logically, he would have to relay on brute force. Removing the glasses he tied the bandanna around his forehead and transformed into the fighter. Smashing the door with his fists several times the door broke off of it's hinges and fell to the ground with a loud bang. He ran up the stairs ahead of him, towards the bright object which rested on a high platform.

As he reached the top he found that the bright object was a glowing crystal, the head of the statue inside of it. He ran forward towards it but was thrown backwards by an invisible force field. He looked around himself for another way to get to the crystal, which was the source of the field.

Lightning cracked over head in the dark and cloudy sky, however it was louder then normal thunder and was forced to cover he ears with a cry. That was when he realized, the crystal amplified sound.

For the first time he looked around himself a gasped, his friends, Ryan, Lima, Carrie, Colt, Lemon, Squall, Alex, Mara, and even Mimi were laying around him impaled on spikes but still alive, squirming and crying out pitifully.

"Guys!" He called out, extending a hand out to them. "No...their not real...their aren't real! If the crystal amplifies sounds then...oh god...I know what I have to do....damn you Keith, even if they aren't real this is cruel..." He approached Ryan who looked at him pleadingly. Looking away as he did so Genki pushed Ryan down farther onto the spike, causing his screams to turn louder and more agonized. Blinking back tears he did the rest to the clones of his friends until her came to Mimi, screaming and crying.

"Your not real.....Your not real....YOUR NOT...!" He repeated over and over again, as he wrapped his hands around the screaming girls body and proceeded to push her down, as her cried turned more agonized tears fell from his eyes.

The loud and agonized screams combined with his sobs amplified an screeching and defending sound which shatter the crystal. Grabbing the head of the statue he ran down the steps, tears shining in his eyes as he choked back an sob.

He came back to the morgue and bravely placed the head on top of the statue, it shimmered brightly, the statue that had always been shadowed from he view turned bright allowing him to see the figure. It had been Mimi all along, it had Mimi who had been guiding him...and one of the faces appeared on the stained glass...just one more face...one more...

He was devoured by a white flash of light instantly, and was now standing on the final battle ground.

FLASH

Infront of him he could see an white portal, leading to the way out of this nightmareish

maze of illusions. He was standing on an huge chessboard, to his right were four statues. One of his child self, one of his fighter self, one of his scientist self, and the last of the one winged angel. Each one of them holding an glowing orb...the orb of innocence.

Ignoring them he walked towards the portal, but the exit was replaced with Keith's horrible and frightening face.

"This is as far as you go, you can't escape the darkness! Now is time to fight your true and worst enemy!"

The black tiles on the chessboard transformed to black ozz, which grew and combined together until it formed the shape of an person, an nude and entirely black figure of a teenage boy. The figure was himself. Genki gasped in shock and fright.

"My worst enemy...my own self..." He whispered, looking down at himself as he did so to see he was exactly the same as his dark self except where the other was fully black he was fully white. Black and white, good and evil, the inner battle of balance, virtue VS vice, to be fought hear and now.

He attacked, but the his dark copy mimicked every move. Every punch he threw his clone threw one, every kick he sent so did his clone. However there was one difference between the two of them, the clone fought without feeling, mercy, or remorse. Dark Genki sent a punch the light Genki's face causing him to crash to the ground with an sharp cry of pain.

You always failed at everything you've ever tried

He forced himself to his feet only to be threw back to the ground with a kick to the gut, blood flying from his mouth which opened in a scream.

You've let everyone down

Genki dashed forward with an growl, sending a might judo chop to the side of dark Genki's neck, his eyes widened shocked as his clone just grinned at him, and blasted him into the air with an energy blast. Jumping up into the air after him the clone smashed him back into the ground, smashing an large whole in the chessboard.

Give up, you can't win, you were always weak

Forcefully climbing to his feet he screamed. "I'LL NEVER GIVE UP!!" blindly he rushed forward, charging up an powerful energy blast

"SPIRIT RUSH!!!"

Sliver light shot from his hands striking his dark figure who had become frozen in fear. Smoke and dust filled the air, but when it cleared despair seized Genki by heart and he fell to his knees, hopelessly. His clone did not even have an scratch.

"Who or what are you....?"

The clone did not open hi mouth but he could still hear that dark voice echo around him, but now it had...dear god, it had his own voice mixed into it.

I am your despair, I am your self-doubt, I'm you weakness, I'm your inner darkness, I'm your hate, I'm your anger, I'm your shyness, I am you.

"No." Genki shook his head. "You not me. I know who I am and there is no way I am an monster like you." He took an step forward, and began to glow silver. " I am the child, I am the fighter, I am the scientist, I am the angel."

The light from the orbs as will as the souls of each of the statues, each of the selves he named entered into him, causing him to glow intensely.

"I AM GENKI BRIEF, THE ONE AND ONLY!!!"

The clone screamed as the true Genki's body was evolved in bright light, as he transformed back into his true shape, and the last face on the stained glass was filled in, his own face.

The dark version of himself gripped it's head in agony and crumpled away into nothingness, as did the vision of Keith. He rushed towards the portal, which was beginning to close as though as a final desperate way to keep him trapped.

"Genki!" Mimi's form appeared into the portal reaching out towards him. He took her hand, just as the portal closed and the world turned white.

FLASH

Wishing on a dream that seems far off,

hopeing it will come today,

Into the starlit night, foolish dreamers,

turn their gaze, waiting on a shooting star,

Mimi was laying awake on the ground, starring up threw sad eyes at the starry sky,

`I wish he would wake up...Genki...you have no idea what it would mean to me for you to open your eyes...if I had one wish in the world it would be that...so please Genki, open your eyes....don't leave everyone....me....I care about you alot, even though I am to much of a coward to say so...'

But, what if that star is not to come?

Will their dreams fade to nothing?

But when the arisen darkness most,

we all need to believe there is hope.

Mimi choked back an sob, tears making their way down her cheeks. "Who am I kidding...? I'm such a fool...Genki...please....don't die...even though I know I am not much to return to...just please return to me...please....just don't die on me..."

As though on cue she heard him cough ad groan, startled she turned towards him, eyes widening as she saw him weakly trying left himself up.

"Genki!" She sobbed, and in a matter of seconds she threw her arms around him, crying softly out of relief and joy. Confusion turned to embarrassment for Genki as he turned red in the cheeks, but then smiled hugging her back.

Is there an angel watching closeing over me?

can there be a guiding light I yet to see?

I know my heart should guide me but,

there is an hole within my soul.

Awakened the rest of the group came over to the camp site and instantly rejoiced the image they saw, their friend was awake and not dead like the majority of them thought.

"Mimi, thanks, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to escape." Genki thanked as Mimi gently pulled away.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, it's a long story. Hey guys, are you just going to stand their, come on over!" Genki waved to the rest of his friends, some who had tears in their eyes, all over joyed and happy, will Alex didn't show it, but he never showed any feelings.

What will fill this emptiness inside of me?

am I to be satisfied without knowing?

I wish then for a chance to see,

now all I need( desperately)

Is my star to come...

******************************

Lexy growled, watching from the tree tops as the group rejoiced their friend's recovery.

"I wont have myself die...I wont fail....DIE!!!"

The groups happy reunion was cut short as Lexy and a horde of monster jumped from the tree, poised and ready to strike.

"Damn, not now!" Ryan hissed. " Mimi, Genki you stay hear, we will lead them away from you."

" But..." Genki protested trying to get to his feet, but fell back weakly.

"Your in no shape to fight, Mimi take care of him." Ryan instructed.

"Yes." The fairy-half nodded and stayed by Genki's side protectively as the rest of the group ran to battle.

Lexy giggled. "My monsters will take care of you for now, ta-ta, see you later if your not dead!"

"Coward, to afraid to battle us on her own, how machine like." Alex snarled, as Lexy disappeared.

****************************

Mimi and Genki watched the battle in horror, their friends were getting pounded into the ground.

" I HAVE TO HELP THEM!!!" Genki exclaimed, trying to dash forward but will held back by Mimi.

"No, your not strong enough yet...please your still hurt, don't fight!"

"I can't just leave them, Mimi they are getting hurt!!"

"Then I will fight, just please don't....I don't want you hurt again!"

"Mimi....I have to fight, I'm sorry."

"But...."

"No need to worry, Fairy-half, he wont be fighting."

Mimi and Genki turned around shocked as Kim and Amy leapt out of the bushes. Quickly Kim gripped Genki around the neck, holding him thightly. To weak to get away his struggling was useless.

"GENKI!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" She shouted dashing toward Kim to try and free Genki from her hold, but was blasted backwards by Amy's `arrow of Faith' attack.

"MIMI!!" Genki screamed as she was thrown painfully onto the ground.

"DESTINY'S FORCE!!" Kim screamed, killing Lexy's monsters.

"GENKI!!" The group cried turning towards Kim, Amy, Genki and Mimi in horror and shock.

"What are you two doing? let him go!!" Ryan ordered.

"Sorry, but we got to run." Amy smirked.

"Yeah, got to find the goddess stones and save the world, I advise you to give up, you wont be the ones to save Earth and Gaia, you were about to let this dangerous creature live, but we will take care of him, we will take care of everything from now on!"

"NO!!" Ryan screamed, dashing towards them but both women and Genki disappeared seconds before he reached them.

"He's gone..." Mara gasped, eyes going wide.

"No....I don't believe it...." Mimi sobbed, forcing herself to her knees, tears falling down her face.

"GENKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*********************************

"I knew it would fail, I'm glad, because I want Bra to see her precious little brother die." Tenki smirked, shutting off the computer and leaving the room.

******************************

Elsewhere Keith ran his hand up and down the twins Arisu and Nagisa's bare bodies as they lay on his bed. He smirked.

"I treat you will, don't I?" He teased, and dispite their tears the twins answered

"Yes, you do."

********************************

Lexy appeared into the computer testing Lab where Hikari had been hooked up to the machines.

"The program, failed before I found the last holder of the goddess stones, but I found two of them..." Hikari handed Lexy a piece of paper with two name written of it. The androids eyes widened.

"I don't believe it! They are the one's who hold a piece of the goddess stone? Well, this is an interesting new twist, isn't it?" She smirked, grinning cruelly.