Fan Fiction ❯ The Goddess Sagas ❯ When the fire goes out all your left with is smoke part 1 ( Chapter 41 )

Chapter 41; When the fire goes out all your left with is smoke

Part 1

Hikari, Lounaru ,and Tenki knelt down infront of Taromecika, and an badly weakened

Saiyoua, who sat on the demon gods knees, holding on him thightly for support, panting

heavily, sweat pouring down her face. Taromecika's voice was harsh as he addressed the

three.

"We did not succeed in getting the orbs before Ryan and his pitiful friends arrived, they

will probably attack us very soon. We can't let them get up hear in Saiyoua's weakened

state, Ryan may be able to get through to that accursed Marie-Maya, and if he does then all our plans and Saiyoua's life will be forfeit. We CAN'T let that happen."

"......."

"Tenki, I want you to have an android waiting at every level of the building, how many of

these androids do you have?"

"Kasumi, Dunya, Zusza, Elisabeth, Angela, Maria, Leif-fang, and Lisa, the eight shells

that was once my sisters, at about every five floors I'll set up one of them to attack.

Hikari and Lounaru can take care of the floors after that."

Taromecika thought for a moment and smiled. "Good Idea...An attack at every five floors

however that will leave10 floors, not counting this one unguarded."

"Oh...I have a little surprise for them." Tenki grinned, darkly.

"No, I have a better idea." Keith spoke, coming up behind them, drawing the attention of

everyone in the room. "While the others can fight whatever Tenki has planned, I would

like to take care of Ryan and Mara personally in my chambers."

"Of course my son, do what you wish to them." Saiyoua forced herself to smile threw her

veil of pain. "Less of Key's light there is, better it is for us."

Keith did not say a word but smiled a cruel sadistic smirk. ` Ryan you wont escape your

faith this time.'

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

Genki sat alone in the dark of one of the bed rooms, staring down at the photograph of his family, an sad expression plastered on his face as he gazed down at each family member,

until he came to Tenki's face, an hiss escape his throat as he clenched his fist in anger.

"How could you Tengi, and how could I only realize it now?" He slammed the picture

face down on the bed, and buried his face in his hands, setting there wordlessly and

unmoving. He did not even flinch as Bra came into the room, worried she sat down

beside him, gazeing at his concealed face.

"Genki....Everything will be ok. I know you and your friends can defeat her, I just know

it."

"I know my friends will destory Saiyoua, that's not what's bothering me."

"Then what?" Bra asked confused.

"That night, that night when our parents died...in that car crash...you said that the breaks

were cut..."

"Yes, it must of been one of Taromecika's followers or---"

"No." Genki shook his head, cutting her off. " Bra, where was Tenki that night?"

The woman gasped, blanching, pulling away from her little brother. "What are you

saying?"

".....It was Tenki wasn't it? Why else would he be smiling...." Genki handed the

photograph to Bra who gazed into the yes of the eldest male Brief, eyes widening in

disbelief and pain as she saw too, for the first time ever an faint smile twitching at the

end of his lips while everyone else was crying. She let the photograph drop, the picture

frame did not shatter but laid face down on the carpet. Her hands gripped her white lab

coat, squeezing the cloth with trembling fists.

"I...I don't believe it. It couldn't be....."

"I didn't want to believe it either but....why would he do it Bra? Why?"

"I....I don't know..." Bra admitted sadly. "I never thought Tenki was capable of doing

such horrible things. Things has changed so much....and none for the better. What did I

do wrong? I tried to keep this family together, I tried my hardest but....I was not able to

do anything...how pathetic is that?"

"Bra, don't say that. You were the best older sis anyone could ever have. I don't know

what I would have done without you, you mean so much to me."

Bra threw her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. "Genki, you were always such a

sweet child, promise me just one thing...I know you and your friends are going after

Taromecika again...I know there is no stopping any of you, so just promise me, just

promise me one thing, promise me you wont die...I know you never break your

promises...so please just tell me you'll come back."

"............Your right, I never break my promises." Without another word Genki got up and

left the room leaving Bra behind to only watch him leave.

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

Ryan felt someone walk into him and startled he twisted around to see Genki. The boy

still looked troubled, and upset about something.

"Ryan, we are going back there tomorrow aren't we?"

The demon-half nodded slowly.

"Ryan, can you come with me for a moment? Also I'd like it if Mimi came to, I have

something for us three to speak about."

Ryan blinked confused not really understanding what Genki was up to, but knew by the

boy's tone of voice that it was important, and followed. They found Mimi setting at the

kitchen table talking to Lena. Seeing the grave looks on the two boys face Miss.Lena

excused herself and left leaving Mimi wondering what was going on.

"Ok Genki, why did you want to speak to us?" Ryan asked.

"Is anything wrong?" Mimi was concerned.

Genki took out the three goddess stones from his school bag, setting them down on the

table.

"We know that Saiyoua wants these, I don't think it is safe for one of us to carry all three

shards at the same time. If the one carrying these gets captured then, all the stones will

be in Saiyoua's grasp..."

"The we'll just leave them hear..." Ryan began, but Genki shook his head.

"No, something tells me that....we will need the Goddess Stone. Which is why I think it

would be best if each of us carried one of the stones on us."

The two nodded, reaching out Ryan took Cid's golden crystal and Mimi took Amy's blue

one while Genki received Kim's red one.

"Well, is that it?' Ryan asked but the boy still looked troubled, and shook his head.

"No, there is something else."

"What is it?" Mimi asked quietly.

"If something happens, no matter how horrible it is, don't either of you ever give up, all

right? Can you promise me that?"

"Genki.......I promise." Mimi said softly, leaving the room, head low, eyes sad.

Ryan nodded and began to leave to but Genki's voice stopped him "Wait."

The demon-half turned around, Genki's eyes were downcast, face hidden in an dark

shadow underneath his bangs.

"Can you take care of Mimi for me? Make sure she's ok, that nothing bad happens to

her?"

Ryan bit his lip, taking an step backwards, sadness and pain creeping up inside of him,

clenching his fist he shook his head. "Don't talk like that....don't talk like you aren't

going to be hear. You never gave up before, why are you so ready to give up now?"

"I'm just scared....I just want to make sure that if I do die, that everyone will be ok."

Genki said softly.

"We are all scared Genki. All of us."

"Do you think Alex was scared when he pushed that button? Do you think he was afraid

to die...?"

Ryan did not respond right away but sighed deeply before nodding. "Yes I think even

Alex was scared to die. But... he knew that he had to do it...I think that that's just what

it's going to be like for us tomorrow."

"Yeah..."

The next Day

Squall still sat beside Lemon whose condition was still the same, fortunately it did not

worsen, but still....how could it get much worse?

"Lemon, I'll be leaving now...be alive when I get back, please." Leaning down he gave

the boy a kiss on the forehead. "Take care Lemon..."

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

Carrie sat down next to Colt, brushing his hair back with one of her hands. "Colt, I'm

going to be leaving now to fight... I'll be back, I promise you, I will be back..."

She got to her feet and began to head towards the door when a raspy voice stopped her in

her tracks

"Carrie...."

"Colt!?" She gasped, hurrying back to his side.

"Carrie." He spoke again sounding more relaxed, he reached out with his good arm and

took her hand in his. "Becareful."

Carrie's eyes watered and she smiled. "I will."

As she left Colt closed his eyes allowing some tears to slid threw his eye lid. `I still don't

understand why....why do they fight....?'

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

Lima sat on her knees hands clasped, head bowed. "Pai-Pai, I will make you proud. I will

do all I can to help save this world, please be with me."

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

Rose stood infront of an mirror, staring at herself, before putting her hand on her heart,

bowing her head. " I understand what I'm suppose to do in this life now, Tommy, your

still in my heart, and I will always care for you, but it's about time I start doing the right

thing."

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

"Genki." Mimi spoke, stepping up behind him.

"Yeah, what is it Mimi?"

"Genki..." She spoke softly, taking his hands in hers, causing the boy to blush beat red.

"Let's both fight our hardest today and do our very best, the whole future of the worlds is

depending on it. And....before we leave I'd like to thank you."

"For what?"

`For being the best friend I ever had." She gave him and hug which he returned.

"I'll always be hear for you Mimi, I always will."

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

"Rya, do you think we will be able to save Ruto?" Mara asked as she watched Ryan get

his weapons ready.

"I know we will, I can feel it in my heart."

"......Do you think Keith will be there....?" Mara's voice became sad.

Ryan clenched his fist. "Yes. I...I'll make him pay for everything he's done....and

especially for what he did to you...."

Mara shuddered slightly. "I still remember the rape...I can't forgive him for that....I can't

ever forgive him, though he was once my friend."

".............Mara?"

"Yes?"

"What was it like when I first came to the magic school?"

"....!" Mara gasped startled. "What?"

"Why can't I remember...?"

Mara forced a smile. "I told you, you and your sister came to the school, found by

Miss.Lena, you were orphans and you were brought to Marlo's magic school. You were

ill when you first came, and memory lost must have affected you."

"..............No, that just doesn't seem to add up." He mumbled.

"I'm not lying." Mara looked away, voice a mixture between false anger, sadness and

guilt.

"I'm not saying you are, it's just.....just forget about it, let's go."

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

Bra and Lena stood before the brave fighters going forward to save the world, Ryan,

Genki, Mimi, Squall, Lima, Mara, Carrie and Rose. It was hard to look into their faces

knowing that they may never come back, but to not look into their eyes shining with

courage would be very dishonorable, for these were the ones that would save both

worlds.

"All of you becareful out there, it'll be dangerous." Lena warned, worried.

Ryan nodded. "We will."

"I want you all to come back, so if it gets to dangerous don't be ashamed to come back

hear and make a new plan."

"Ok Bra. You two take of yourselves while we're gone." Genki then smiled widely. "Hey

Sis, don't look like it's the end of Gaia! Everything will be ok!"

Bra smiled weakly. "You were always so optimistic. Little brother, remember that I love

you, and take care of yourself."

Genki nodded, and giving their final farewells the group left, ready to fight an unknown

power. Not knowing if they would be able to keep Bra's request of all of them coming

back.

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

Surprisingly the entrance of Capsule Corporation was left completely unguarded, but this

only fueled their worries of traps on the inside. Bracing themselves they entered, and

found themselves standing in the center of an huge hall.

"This place is big." Lima commented gazeing around herself in awe.

"Genki, what...is this...?" Mimi began shaken.

"What happened hear...!? This is nothing like how it use to be." Genki commented, shaking his head confused. The whole building was dark, the floors and walls had become metal grates stained with blood and rust. Everything was dark, though the were lights on, the light they gave off seemed to be snatched away by an invisible hand.

"This is the power of Saiyoua." Rose began quietly. " She makes everything horrible, like

a nightmare."

Everyone looked around themselves, shivering, the place, one could feel the pure power

of darkness emitting from it.

"Saiyoua is on the balcony...that would be the top floor, come on everyone, let's get

going." Ryan said after a few moments. The grouped headed to the elevator, but as Mara

pushed the button the lights blacked out, leaving them in pitch darkness.

"What happened to the lights!?" Mara shirked.

"An ambush!?" Lima cried out worriedly.

"Not quite."

The group twisted around hearing Keith's voice echo over the room, threw intercoms

which nested on the sides of the walls.

"KEITH!!" Ryan hissed. "HOW COWARDLY TO HIDE IN THE DARK!!!"

"KEITH, DAMN YOU!!!" Genki growled. "SHOW YOURSELF!!"

"In due time, I will deal with you Ryan. So, Genki, dear cousin, how is it like to come

home? Your sisters are waiting for you, what a cute little reunion it will be. Actually

it'll be more bloody then cute."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM!? ANSWER ME!!!!!!" Genki shrieked, trembling all

over in rage.

"You'll see, Saiyoua is waiting at the very top, hope you will make it up there alive. Oh and, don't you think the dramatics of this whole thing would be dulled if you took the elevator? No...you must take the stairs. On every stare way you will have to solve a puzzle to be able to attain the key to the next flight of stairs. On every 5th floor there will be a battle, you will have to win the battle to get the next key. Just think of it as a video game. Oh and as I said before, there is a `boss' battle at every five floors, but just for the fun we let the failed experiments loose on all floors of the building."

"Failed experiments?" Carrie blinked confused.

"Of course, don't tell me you've forgotten! The kidnapped children was used for

alteration experiments to change them into those lesser demons you fought. These

children you'll fight are failed experiments, you'll see what I mean when you run into the twisted little freaks."

"KEITH!! PARFAIT IS NOT AMONG THEM!! IF SHE IS, I'LL KILL YOU

PERSONALLY!!!"

"Noooo." Came Keith's voice taunting. "Parfait is safe and sound for the time being,

but will she be when you reach her?"

"IS THAT A THREAT!?"

" I don't know. It's up to you if you kill her or not, I don't know what your going to do, This is a very amusing game...Who will get game over first? I'd becareful, in this game you only have one life and no continues."

"KEITH!!!" Ryan screamed, but the intercom was quite once again, the demon-half

shook his head, taking Parfait's locket into his hand. "What did he mean? I would never

want to hurt Parfait."

"....Come on everyone, let's go..." Genki mumbled.

"But we can't see anything." Lima pointed out.

"Wait, allow me." Carrie said, closeing her eyes, turning her palm upright she summoned

an medium size ball of magical energy, which glowed brightly and floated up into the air,

showering the room with light, and little to the northeast of the large hall was a flight of

steps, the light trick was rather handy, for the ball floated behind them where ever they

went allowing them to see, They walked up the steps and entered the 2nd floor hall. It

was a long hallway, the floor and walls were still made of metal grate.

"At the end of this hallway is the door leading to the third floor stairs." Genki informed.

"What kind of puzzles would there be?" Lima asked.

Genki frowned. "I really don't know. There were always lots of puzzles, really complex

ones hidden through the whole building to stop spies and outsiders form seeing the

experiments that took place inside and...." Genki sighed, glancing at Lima. "And to keep

the cops out."

The group blinked surprised.

"Uh...why would you need to keep cops out of this place?" Squall asked quietly.

"Wait....It wouldn't have anything to do with...no..." Rose shook her head. " The

basement...Keith always ordered everyone to stay away from the first five floors, to never

go through the doors and walk threw the halls. I was always confused, what's wrong with

the bottom level?"

Genki bit his lip, folding his arm. "The first five floors were used as an insane asylum.

Many scientist who worked with my family would sometimes got into accidents

involving an very dangerous chemical called `Centan.' it destroys the minds brain

cells...and it makes those subjected to it see hallucinations...we treated them down hear,

and we thought they got better after awhile but the madness still lurked in their minds,

and in many they became violent and murdered people...so the Brief family kept them

locked up down hear as prisoners starting on the 3rd floor, however the puzzle on the

second floor stopped outsiders from finding out."

The group gasped shocked.

"You'd keep people locked down hear!?" Carrie shrieked shocked.

"Genki....no way!" Mimi looked stunned.

"I found it out when I was fifteen, it is indeed cruel but....well....it's better then letting

them out to kill innocent people on the street."

Lima frowned. "This is a direct violation of the law but....well I can understand your

point, besides I can't turn my friend into the cops! So you don't have to worry about me

telling."

"Thanks Lima." Genki smiled thankfully.

"Genki, would you know how to solve the puzzles?" Carrie asked. "I mean you did live

hear."

Genki shook his head though. "No, my family was very careful to change the puzzles

everyday, and with Saiyoua around we can be positive they are very different then what

they use to be. Well, let's check it out I suppose."

The hall was long, quite and creepy, all the doors were brown wood expect for the last

one which was steal and engraved with a three, there were five indents on the door,

around the size of quarters, there was also a note attached to the door. Genki groaned,

running his hand threw his bangs.

"What is it, Genki?" Ryan asked, nerved by the boy's reaction.

The fiery fighter sighed. " I hate this kind of puzzle, we have to find three coins and fit

them into these indentations, that will unlock the door."

"But there are five slots." Carrie pointed out.

"That's the puzzle, we have to put them into the correct places. Hears the riddle." Genki

took the note into his hands, reading it.

"first lies the seat of

he who is peerless

silent and empty,

heartless and fearless

beside him sits one who knows,

the place of the servant is next to the throne,

Dozens of feet,

yet not a single toe

The one that is hidden

beside him doth go,

Seducer of dreams,

creature of Hades,

lying further from

man and closer to lady.

Man and woman seeing all,

Heedless to the Raven's call.

Silent and hidden the two may be,

they be not there for you to see,

Return them to whence they would be,

I speak thus with the north star behind me,

The birth of the sun is the start of the story."

The group blinks.

"What the hell does that mean!?" Rose exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips in

frustration.

"That doesn't make any sense..." Squall commented.

Genki shrugged. "Hey I said it would be complex."

"Yeah but you didn't say that it would be impossibly complex." Ryan frowned.

"......There are three coins?" Mimi asked.

"Yeah, I remember this puzzle, however....the riddle and the places to put the coins

change every weak, so I have no idea what the answer is."

"Is there anything different about each coin?"

"Yeah, um, each has a picture, one was a old man, the other of a prisoner and another of

a snake."

Mimi frowned in thought. "An old man, a Prisoner and a snake...."

"Perhaps it would be wise if one of us stay behind hear and try and solve the riddle while

the rest of us try to find the coins." Carrie suggested. " It would take less time then if all

of us went looking then tried to solve the puzzle."

"Yeah." Ryan nodded. "That is a good idea but...it might not be safe if only one person

stayed behind, I mean, Keith did say those failed experiments would be wondering

around the halls..."

"I think maybe I can solve it....but, if an attack does come, I may not be able to defend

myself to well, it is not secret to say I am the weakest physically in the whole team."

Mimi said.

"Someone has to stay with her. I'd love to stay but...I am the only one who knows the

layout of the floors, this place is built like a maze and there are plenty of traps." Genki

frowned. "Ryan you choose, who stays?"

Ryan frowned. "Well your the one who knows this area, and we need Carrie with us so

we can see, since her energy ball follows only her around...we need someone skilled in

battle..."

"You can't stay hear either because you have the talisman of light, maybe we might need

it, it is a very powerful item and if Saiyoua attacks it may be able to help us." Carrie

pointed out.

"Hmmm, well, the three strongest fighters we have that can stay hear are Squall, Lima

and Rose. No offensive to you Lima but we'll need someone who can help Mimi try and

solve the puzzle...Squall, you have the ability to sense thing coming better then us, so

you'll be ready to attack before they get close. Mara can help the rest of us hear them

coming, so we will all be prepared before they get to close."

"All right Ryan, good luck."

"You too."

"So uh, Genki where do we go from hear? There are tons of doors in this hall."

"....Ummm...wait a moment." Genki lifted up his hand and pushed a button on his watch,

the group looked in awe as a map of the building showed up in an large 3D hologram, of

the second floor. It was a very complex structure.

"Why are some of these doors marked red while others are in green?" Lima questioned.

"The ones marked red leads to dead ends. As you can see most of these doors are red,

there are many rooms, but there is no way to tell in which rooms the coins are in, so we'll

have to check every one."

"That'll take forever!!" Mara shirked.

"Not really. See, all the doors in this hallway are red except for one, in the next hall,

there are three rooms we have to check out, and the only other unlocked door leads to

another hallway, in that hall there are five unlocked rooms, and two that leads to separate

halls. In the east hall there are three doors unlocked and in the west there is five. So all in

all on this floor there are sixteen rooms for us to check. If we spilt up to look into the

rooms then we should be able to cover lots more ground in quicker time."

Ryan nodded. "All right Genki, let's go then."

The group began to leave threw the only unlocked door out of the many, but before

leaving Genki paused and turned to his two friends with a smile.

"Squall take care of Mimi, Both of you take becareful, and good luck with solving the

puzzle Mi! I know you can do it!"

"Thanks Genki, I will try my best. "Mimi smiled watching at the boy left, before turning

back to the puzzle ready to give it her all.

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

"All right." Genki turned to the group. " We'll spilt up into pairs of two and search each room. These are where the records are kept on the patents, there are always battery powered lamps on the desks in case of black outs, so you don't have to worry about searching in the dark. It might be dangerous, we don't know what Saiyoua has waiting for us, and remember my sisters, namely Dunya and Elisabeth were very keen on setting traps down hear. I don't know what kind of traps were sought, but it wont be anything deadly, my sisters weren't murders. Ryan you make the call, who goes with who?"

Ryan frowned, he did not like having the responsibility of pairing people up, he had to

think about many factors, strength, personality, relationship, ect. If he paired the wrong

people with each other it might put them in danger, and it would be his fault, but he

could not worry now, they were waiting for his answer.

Ok...there was Rose, she was strong both physically and to some extent emotionally. He

should pair her up with someone less strong, it would not be wise to pair up two of the

strongest members together, because then weaker members such as Mara and Carrie

would not be as well protected. Ok the best person to pair Rose with would be Carrie, there was no relationship between the two, and they would be able to balance each other out good enough, for Carrie, though lacking Rose's straight forwardness, was far more likely to notice things in the room that seemed out of place.

"Ok, Rose and Carrie you go to the first record room, and the second team will be Lima

and..."

I'm not sure if I should put Lima with Genki, Mara or myself. Hmm...I don't think it

would be wise to put Mara with her, both girls are rather dense at times, as much as I

hate to think that, but chances are the two of them together will over look something

important. I know Mara would work alot better with me, besides Genki would probably

like to keep watch on Lima, for there is no doubt that these records probably has things

that no matter under what circumstances, a cop can't ignore.

"Lima you and Genki check out the second record room."

"Alrighty!" Lima smiled.

Mara beamed up at Ryan blushing and latched on to his arm. "I'm happy you decided to

partner up with me, Rya!"

Ryan smiled down at her before turning to the other two teams. " Teams like this will

stay until we solve all the puzzles. I think it's the best choice."

Genki nodded. "All right, remember guys check everything, but if something looks too

obvious it probably is a trap. Good luck."

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

"Hmmm, first lies the seat of he who is peerless silent and empty, heartless and

fearless...hmm, an man and prisoner and a snake...peerless, silent and empty...someone

who is all alone, with no one to speak to? An old man whose relatives all died?

Um...heartless and fearless...well an old man would not be heartless, and he would still

have things to fear, but...I got it! This first part is talking about the prisoner. A prisoner, is

he would be put in jail then he must have did something wrong, and the fearless part is

that he is empty inside, he lost everything so he is not afraid of loosing anything for his

life lost all meaning...That's kind of sad." Mimi frowned. "Ok so I know who the

prisoner is and..."

"Mimi, something is coming." Squall said, turning to her looking alarmed.

The fairy-half gasped, turning to fallow his gaze, but spotted nothing. "How close are

they?"

"Close but not too close, they are moving slowly, keep you mind on the puzzle Mimi, I'll

take of them."

Mimi nodded watching Squall transform, standing ready for the attack before turning

back around and began trying to solve the riddle, hopeing her hardest that she would be

able to.

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

The first record room was small, consisting only of a small desk, a lamp, and two shelves

filled with files. The walls were a plain white and two notes laid scattered on the desk,

they were records of two patents, in which Rose walked over and scanned, while Carrie

nosed around the room.

"Hey, lesson to this; Genki was right this chemical really did cause madness in people. "

Rose said turning around a for a second to glance at Carrie who was studying a book

shelf.

"Really, what do they say?"

"Lesson,

Jack Danials:

He has attempted suicide three times in the past for reasons unknown.

Although he is normally a model patient who follows our orders and behaves most of the

time, he must be watched closely due to his past pattern of

sudden and violent suicide attempts. He was subjected Centan three years ago and is still

mad. He continues to see images of his wife, who died five years ago, and becomes over

ridden with guilt about something an attempts to kill himself. Though holds no violence

to others he is a danger to himself and must be kept down hear so we can better take care

of him. Refuses to speak much but is really open to our youngest sister Holly.

~ Zusza Brief ~

Joseph Barkin:

A man whom Dunya was dating, he threatened her and she purposely subjected him to

Centan. Though I kept this from the rest of the family, I still feel guilty keeping him

down hear, but I can't turn my sister into the cops. I told the others it was an lab accident

and they believe it so might as well let it drop and stop worrying about it. He had it

coming to him anyway. His symptoms suggest a psychotic break and paranoid delusions.

Normally calm, but has a tendency toward violence when excited. Attacked Kasumi,

mistaking her for her Dunya. Kasumi's eye was taken out, and Joseph continues to attack

any red headed girls mistaking them for Dunya, can't let this guy out on the streets,

unless for some weird reason we want to get rid of everyone with red hair in Angeles.

This man doe not like women coming around him so giving him his medication and food

is mainly left to Tenki and Genki. We don't let the other workers outside of the family

down hear, or even know if it's existence; it's just common sense, but this man seems to

be getting crazier by the loneliness down hear.

~ Susza Brief ~ "

Rose huffed, setting the files back down on the desk. "I sure hope as hell I don't run into

this guy, how can someone hate red heads, humph! Gee, according to this not all of the

Brief family was as nice and innocent as Genki now were they?"

"Yeah, hmm, this book looks strange." Carrie commented, staring at a book on the shelf,

it was very different. All the other books had brown covers while this one had a bright

red, curiously Carrie reached out to take it down, but as she pulled on it to instead titled

almost like a lever and she heard a soft click. She blinked confusesed, wondering what

happened, leaning closer to the book to see if there was anything behind it. Suddenly

behind her she heard an sharp gasp and a *ding* sound, twisting around she saw Rose

standing before her, Katana stretched out, as if blocking something from Carrie's back

like a shield. Following Rose's gaze she spotted to her surprise a long dart laying on the

floor, an white substance dripping from the tip of it. Carrie watched shaken as Rose

picked it up, sniffing the end of it.

"Hmm, it's tipped with some kind of poison, maybe even that Centan stuff."

"Thank you Rose, that would have hit me." Carrie breathed.

"Hmm, no need to thank me, I would have done the same for almost anybody. I don't

think there is anything in hear, but, maybe we should just look around a little more to

make sure. But, this time be more careful, remember what Genki said, if it looks to

obvious it's a trap."

Carrie nodded, and the two continued their fruitless search of the room.

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

As Ryan and Mara opened the door, they were greeted by pitch darkness. Stumbling

around blindly Ryan came across a desk, and in the process of searching for the lamp

almost knocked it over. Soon the room was lit.

"Eck, this play is such a pig sty!" Mara wrinkled her nose disgusted.

The room was indeed messy, pictures of butterflies leathered the room, and crumpled

paper covered the floor, also...pieces of black and very skimpy lingerie. The walls were

painted black and the light on the desk was purple. The room kind of looked gothic more

then anything else. Blood red crosses and words praising dark gods were drew in red lip

stick on the wall,

"I wonder which one Genki's sister decorated this place. She and Keith must had *really* been close." Ryan commented.

Mara giggled. "No kidding, maybe they should get together, but I'd hate to see how they decorated their house, it would

probabl---" The cat stopped talking in mid-sentence, Ryan watched concerned as her eyes

grew wide, face long and pale, turning he followed her stare and had almost the same

reaction. Two figures were standing in the corner of the dark room, they were small, and

slowly, almost as if staggering towards them. As they got close enough into the light for

them to be saw clearly, Mara screamed and Ryan gasped in horror reaching for one of his

swords.

The figures were that of two children, two little boys around eight and six, both looked

as if they had once been cute but were now twisted...now mutated beasts! They faces

were twisted and crumpled like brown paper bags, their bodies covered in blood and rust,

just like the grating of the floor, flesh hung of their twisted limbs. They moaned, coming

towards them, hands out stretched.

"Oh my god!! This is horrible!" Mara screeched.

Ryan just stood their unmoving. `This is what they did to children...those cold hearted

bastards....Parfait....please be all right....'

"Mara we have to kill them." Ryan said seriously.

"Wha, wha, wha...!?" The cat stuttered. " But they are children Rya!! We can't kill

kids!!"

"Mara, can you call *that* being alive, look at them, they are suffering, and they will be

kept down hear to suffer forever unless we put them out of their misery, do you

understand?"

"..........." She nodded her head, and began to fasten her metal claws. "I understand, but

I'm going to have nightmares about this Rya."

"...Yeah, I think we all will."

The battle was a horrible one, not because it was hard to win, but because it was easy. It

was as though they were attacking normal children, and they went down as quickly as

normal children, well they once at one time were normal kids. But that was not the

horrible part, it was their cries, their screams....and the fact they tried to shield

themselves as they were killed. By the end of it Mara was sobbing, holding onto Ryan for

emotional support, while Ryan just looked down at the slaughtered bodies.

`How can Taromecika and his goons find killing children or anyone, fun? I still

remember how Lounaru laughed as he slaughtered children merciless, and how Lexy

carved them up like pumpkins. Are we no better? After all we did kill kids...but, no, we

did the right thing, those kids were suffering in pain how they were, and their minds were

gone. We did the right thing, then why do I feel so horrible inside?'

"Mara...let's check the room, maybe there's something." Ryan said, sounding depressed.

The cat nodded weakly, pulling away from him and started to search. Ryan looked things

up and down until he came across a folder setting on a desk. Opening it there was one

large page inside, glancing at Mara who had come up behind him, he started reading the

sheet out loud.

"So maybe what I am doing is terrible, but I had no other choice, he threatened me a

great deal, and I got scared, I subjected him to Centan on purpose, Suza was the only

one I could turn to, she was always the kindest to me. She wont tell anyone I am sure,

and I don't feel guilty about Joseph, what I do feel guilty about is what Elisabeth and I

were doing out in the courtyard on the fifth floor.

Something was affecting these men much more then the Centan, I have no clue what,

though, but there was an large over crowding in the basement of those who lost their

minds. The craziness, I'm starting to think is started by Centan, but it's not only Centan

that causes the illness. Centan seems to cause hallucinations, this hallucinations caused

by the subconscious. I know this for a fact since I've secretly tested Centan on some

people, while a few men I work with went crazy from the stuff, my brother Genki and my

little sister Holly, the only two who are not into all what's going on down hear did not go crazy at all, leaving me to think that the Centan brings out the guilt, sin and anger in

people until it drives them crazy and is to much for them to control. Genki and Holly has

no anger, sin or hate in their hearts, both are completely innocent, which makes me think that the lost of innocence leads to madness.

Then why aren't I mad? I am indeed not innocent, and what about Elisabeth? Well,

perhaps she is mad, she always loved blood baths. As I was saying before, only Elisabeth and I has the key to the fifth level courtyard, and in that courtyard is hidden the key out of this crazy house. No one else but us two goes into the courtyard, so they don't know...Bra is worried crazy about the missing patients, but I know what we did to them, I know. But I will never tell, I will never tell!

~Dunya Brief~

"She sounds...evil!" Mara exclaimed flabbergasted. "She tested Centan on her own

brother and sister!? Plus subjected innocent people to it! Geeze!"

"Centan....an drug that causes people to go crazy. Hm? What's this?" Underneath the paper was

an key tucked away into the folder. It was black and shiny, weighing it in his hand, he

noticed that it was rather heavy.

"This must be the key to the courtyard."

"Rya, this place is scaring me, there is nothing else hear, can we leave?"

"All right. Do you think we should show Genki this file?"

Mara thought for a moment. "I don't think so, we know his sisters are probably all dead

so there is no reason why he should read such horrible things about them."

"Your right, I wonder if anyone found one of the coins."

"I hope so."

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

Genki and Lima explored the second record room, this one the one where Bra kept her

records, the room was neat and tidy, flowers sat on the desk, but they had long weltered

and died from lack of watering and care. There were many files about Centan and some

patients progress but nothing interesting, pictures of tress and flowers laid flat against the

walls, the only thing out of place seemed to be an a newspaper clipping on the wall inside

of a frame. Leaning forward Lima read it out loud

"The police announced today that Walter Sullivan, who was arrested on

the 18th of this month for the brutal murder of Billy Locane and his

sister, Miriam, committed suicide in his jail cell early in the morning

on the 22nd.

According to the Police Statement, Sullivan used a soup spoon to stab

himself in the neck, severing his carotid artery. By the time the guard

discovered him, Sullivan was dead from blood loss, the spoon buried 2

inches in his neck.

An old school mate of Walter Sullivan's from his hometown of Angelo

said "He didn't look like the type of guy to kill kids. But I do

remember that just before they arrested him he was blurting out all

sort of strange stuff like "He's trying to kill me. He's trying to

punish me. The monster... the red devil. Forgive me. I did it, but it

wasn't me!"

The school mate then added "I guess now that I think of it, he was

kinda crazy." "

"I remember this, Pai-Pai and I arrested that man, why would Bra have this clipping

down hear?"

Genki shuffled his foot. "Um, Walter was the first one to be subjected by Centan, we

treated him down hear and he seemed to be all better and we let him go and he killed

those two children...Bra felt horrible about keeping people down hear and kept that

newspaper clipping down hear as a reminder of what might happen again if she let them

go free."

"Uh...I want to know something, it has always puzzled everyone of the force but what did

he mean by `the red devil?' "

Genki frowned. "I don't really know, but...well, all Centan victims said something about

`the red devil.' and..."

"And?"

"Lots of people were found killed, ripped to shreds in their cells, some killed themselves,

but some others were killed, someone else must of done it, but...it wasn't human, that

is why Keith ordered people to stay out of this basement....whatever did the killings

might be down hear."

"WHAT!?"

"I did not want to panic everyone. That's why I did not say anything."

"Oh my...oh my, oh my..." Lima trembled. "Do you think it has anything to do with

Saiyoua?"

"No. I feel it in my bones, it does not relate to the her at all, and I don't think it is

going to be a concern to us, at least at this point in time, who knows what the future may

hold."

"I swear once Saiyoua is destroyed, I don't want to go on anymore scary adventures, so

don't even suggest this `red devil' guy is going to be something big."

Genki chuckled, very unlike himself. "Maybe, maybe not, but if he does, maybe we wont

be the heroes that time, maybe we'll be the victims."

"......? Genki you scaring me..." Lima frowned. "Your acting weird."

Genki blinked looking puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"!? What? But you...about the red devil...."

"I only said that Centan victims often talk about him, what's so strange about that?"

"But, you just said...."

"I didn't say anything, but whatever that thing is, it's probably not any of our concern,

now, knowing Bra..." Genki reached out talking the corner of the wooden frame in his

hand and pulling on it. The framed newspaper clipping opened like a door, and there was

a hole in the wall, a little bigger then Genki's arm.

"What is she hiding there I wonder." Lima frowned.

"Well, let's see." Genki reached his arm slowly inside, feeling around in the darkness of

the wall, suddenly his eyes widened and he began to scream.

"What is it!?" Lima exclaimed panicked.

"SOMETHING'S GOT MY ARM!!!" Genki cried.

"Oh no! No! What do I do!?! Genki!!" Lima jumped around panicked.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha,ha!!" Genki suddenly laughed pulling his arm out. "Gotcha ya!"

Lima turned a mix between ghastly white and livid red. "You....you.....you....."

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

"AHHHHHH!!!!"

Mara, Ryan, Carrie and Rose stood in the hall and looked over startled as they saw Genki

run threw the door, Lima hitting him over the head with her staff.

"YOU JERK!! BIG MEANIE!!! ROTTEN PRICK!!!" She growled, continuing her

onslaught.

Genki desperately tried to shield his head all the while protesting "It was a joke! It was

joke!!"

"What the hell?" Rose muttered folding her arms.

"Hey! Hey! You two stop that!" Ryan stepped forward trying to hold the angry elf back.

"What did he do Lima?"

"He tricked me!!"

"Come on." Genki said, starting to laugh again. "It was funny, you should have seen your

face. Come on, couldn't you just feel the suspense of it all? Ha,ha,ha...Ow!"

Lima hit him over the head again.

"What'd he do?" Mara asked.

"Never mind."

"Must of been mean to get even Lima pissed off." Carrie whispered, while the cat

nodded.

"Genki, you of all people should know this is no time for jokes. We have to find those

coins." Ryan scolded.

"Yeah, I know, but I did find something in that hole. Look." Genki unfolded his hand,

revealing a steal coin with the picture of a prisoner engraved on it."

"Hey good gob!" Mara smiled. "Only two more left to find, by the way, Rya and I found

the key to the courtyard of the fifth floor, a journal said that the key the 6th floor

stair-way is hidden there."

"Dunya's and Elisabeth's place?" Genki blinked. "I've never been there before, I was always

wondered what they kept there....hey, maybe one or both of them are being kept up there!

I hope they are all right. My sisters always treated me so nice, I don't know what I would

do if they were all dead."

"....." Mara and Ryan exchanged looks, remembering what they read, before forcing

smiles. "Yeah, we hope so to."

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

They checked out the next hall, that stumbled across the other Brief's records rooms, it

seem each family member had kept records about people down hear, except for Keith, Genki

and Holly. But, none of these rooms had anything of interest or any of the

coins, but they did have lots of traps, and before moving onto the next hall some of them

had to heal themselves. Ryan decided that Rose and Carrie should go to the east hall the

check out the three rooms there, which is where some older files and spare junk were kept,

while the other teams searched the five rooms in the west hall.

Besides a few of the twisted-children, in which they had been warned about, Carrie and

Rose found nothing else worth their time, expect old yellow papers, which had

cockroaches and bugs eating away at the pages, which was nothing less then disgusting.

Meanwhile the other two teams were searching the last of the five rooms on the other

side, and still had yet to find the coins.

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

" I do not, like this room, Rya, I want out of this room, Rya, get me out of hear now,

Rya." Mara was babbling on as they waked into the men's shower room, and found that

the walls were laced with cobwebs and spiders coming down the silky thread from the

celing.

"Mara, we have to check this place out first."

"I am not!! Spiders!! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky!

Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky! Yucky!"

Ryan rolled his eyes as the cat continued to squeal 'yucky', over and over again. Bugs

never really bothered him, after all, they were just small little things, they couldn't hurt

you. He walked forward, lights were on, lit on the ceiling, but the light was affected some

what by all the cobwebs. There was really nothing except for shower stalls, and a

constant dripping noise. Ryan frowned shaking his head, maybe there really was nothing

in hear. He turned around to leave, much to Mara relief, but as they did suddenly all the

showers turned on, water raining down on them from all over, and knocking the spiders

off the walls, causing them to land in the water and drown. The luckier spiders landed on

Mara and Ryan. With an loud screech Mara ran out of the room, hitting herself all over,

in an pathetic attempt to kill the bugs which crawled over her skin, hair and fur.

Ryan shook his head, calmly picking some spiders off of his clothes, looking around

himself to see what had triggered the down pour he noticed that only one of the showers

weren't turned on. Frowning he walked over to it, looking at it, and noticed that

something was blocking the faucet, something gold and shiny. Reaching out he gave the

object a tug, removing it and was instantly showered with a ton of water. He blinked,

hair laying, unfavorably unspiked and flat against his head,limp strains toching the tops of his shoulders. He looked at the object in his hand and noticed that it was a coin of an old man. He smiled, weighing it in his hand.

"Well, it was worth getting a little wet. But, I hate my hair down long like this, eck...but

no time to worry about fixing it or anything. I wonder if Mara will recognize me what my

hair down, I don't think I ever wore it down in my whole life. Well not from what I can

remember anyway. Why am I thinking of this? It's not important." Spotting another

spider clinging desperately on his shirt he picked it up in his hand, and was about to drop

it in the water with it's other fallen friends, when he paused, and then lifted his hand

back up to the ceiling, allowing the spider to cling to a piece of thread and host it's self

back to safety.

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

"Genki...what is this place?" Lima asked slowly, breathing hard.

"Uh...it was a place where when my sisters were tired they'd from sorting files they

would go lay down, but....um....it never looked like this."

The room was filled with red blotches against the floors and walls, the beds were ripped

apart, and only one bed was left intact, but the sheets was stained with red and an large

form rested, covered completely under it.

"Whoever is in the bed, looks like they have been butchered...Oh god, don't let it be one

of my sisters." Genki trembled, approaching the bed, as he was about to undo the sheets,

he turned to Lima. "Lima turn around, you don't have to see this, it's bound to be

horrible, but I must see, who."

"Ok." Lima turned her back to him, praying for the best, her heart raced and almost

stopped as she heard Genki gasp, and then heard a sob in his voice as he cried the words.

"Duke!!"

She turned around, and saw him cradling the body of the dead sheep dog. She put her

hand to her mouth, eyes tearing as she saw the poor animal tattered and ripped apart. Big

and sad brown eyes staring out at infinitey.

"Oh, Duke, poor guy, what happened to you?! Who did this to you boy?" Genki stroked

the dogs muzzle, as if it would still be able to feel the tender caress.

"Genki was this your dog?"

Genki nodded. "Yeah, he was mine and Keith's. Bra found him stray on the streets and

brought him home to us to try and cheer us up about our parent's death. Both Keith and I

loved Duke so much, he was such a great friend, he was always trying to protect us and

loved to play..." He shook his head, before closeing his eyes. "Rest will Duke, you were a

good boy." Genki then unfastened Duke's collar, where two coins rested on it, one was a

golden one, engraved with the dogs name, but behind it was a copper one, engraved with

the picture of a snake. The final coin of the puzzle. He removed that from the collar and

put it in his vest pocket before stuffing the collar into his shorts pocket, wanting to keep

something to remember Duke by. Giving the dog one last final hug the two of them left

the room, sadly.

They found Rose and Carrie already waiting in the hall, along with an screaming Mara

who was slapping herself crazily.

"What's wrong with her?" Lima asked puzzled.

"I don't know, she just came running out of there screaming, and hitting herself a few

moments ago." Rose shrugged.

"She was screaming something about spiders." Carrie explained.

"Oh. Um, we found a coin where's Ryan?"

"He didn't come out yet, he's not scared of a few spiders unlike Mara." Carrie grinned,

finding the whole sean with the cat girl quite funny to watch. Ryan chose that moment to

walk out of the shower room dripping wet, the group blanched suddenly backing away

from him. Ryan blinked confused.

"What? Do I still have spiders on me? Are you all afraid of bugs or something?" Ryan

asked confused by their frightened display.

"Ryan?" Genki asked startled. "Is that you?"

"I don't look that different do I? I know my hair is wet and everything, but..." Ryan

fingered the shoulder length blonde hair, which was still dripping.

"No, it's just that....don't kill me for saying it, but you looked just like Lounaru for a

moment, you scared us."

Now it was Ryan's turn to blanch. "What!? What are you saying, I don't look anything

like that insane pyromaniac!"

"You do." Carrie spoke up. "If it wasn't for the fangs, pointy ears and tail you'd be a

carbon copy."

"It's funny we didn't notice that until now, I always thought Lounaru reminded me of

someone." Lima thought.

"I don't think anyone really took the time to notice, I mean, Lounaru was always trying to

kill everyone, so they did not really focus on his face that much, but...I wonder, Lemon

was very close to Lounaru, it would be hard for him not to notice the similarities." Rose

pondered.

"I do NOT look like the crazy guy!" Ryan snapped. "I'm going to respike my hair as soon

as possible..."

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

When the group arrived back at where they left Mimi and Squall they gasped, spotting

ten of the twisted-children laying dead on the ground, Mimi had her back turned to them,

and was shivering, frightened, while Squall was staring at the mess on the ground sadly.

"Can't believe anything could be as twisted as to do this to children..." The man-beast

just shook his head.

"........I think I solved the puzzle." Mimi said after a moment. "Did you find the coins?"

"Yeah." Genki solemnly handed her the three coins and watched as she placed the old

man coin in the second slot, the snake in the fourth and the prisoner in the last, they

heard a soft click, and the lock on the door was released.

"Wow Mimi! How did you solve it!" Carrie exclaimed.

Mimi smiled. "It's a secret, right Squall?"

Squall laughed. " Yeah, puzzle and riddles solvers never tell their secrets to solving

things."

"???"

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

When they reached the 3rd floor they were greeted by an horrible stink. Urine soaked

beds, rotting flesh and blood. Everyone turned green and looked like they were going to

be sick.

"Genki...I thought they were taken care of down hear...I'm sorry but if...if matters for the

people hear were this terrible..." Lima began.

"No." Genki shook his head, shocked. "We took care of the people down hear, Holly and

I talked to them, fed them, changed their sheets...I know...it was never this bad hear."

"AHHH!!!" Mimi suddenly screeched, backing away spotting something in one of the

cells, frightened the group turned to see and all of them screamed out in terror. A man

laid pinned against one of the cells walls, gutted like a fish.

"Oh my god..." Ryan muttered as Rose twisted around throwing up at the gruesome sight.

"What the...who did this?" Carrie whispered flabbergasted.

"Was it Saiyoua?" Squall asked unsure, but then Lima piped up.

"Or maybe it was the red devil?"

The rest of the group blinked confused, while Genki just looked ashen. "No...No, The red

devil is just a fantasy made up in the minds of those who are mad. There is no way

illusions can come to reality."

"What red devil? What are you talking about!?" Mara demanded.

"Those injected with Centan would always comment something about a red devil, and

that it was going to kill them, going to punish them. I don't understand it, can't say I ever

will. But murders were happening down hear, lots of gruesome murders and suicides, in

some cases the bodies even went missing. "

Ryan and Mara glanced at each other again, did this Dunya and Elisabeth have anything

to do with this red devil?

"Anyway, our concern is Saiyoua, not this red devil guy, whoever he is."

"Genki....your right let's continue."

As they walked down the hall, they were greeted by many more cells, then one door,

which lead to another hall full of cells, then this hall lead to another hall of the same

kind, they walked threw fifteen doors and was all greeted by the same surroundings, the

only thing different was that in each hall there was some twisted-children for them to

fight. They reached the end, to see two metal doors, one of them was a regular door while

the other had a picture of pretty lady dressed in green, but the door was weird for the

woman's hand stuck out like a 3D image, one could hold her hand if they wanted, this

was the door to the fourth floor, but...it was locked and engraved on the door was like the

last was a riddle.

"Ok...this one is almost like a story, lesson." Genki began to read.

"Five is sticking out

Stretching out in empty air,

Each all different sizes,

but all of them are bare.

Lead and copper once adorned them,

but were taken away from the lady,

by a cruel and bloated man named "him."

Three of them will remain bare,

but the lady she don't care.

For only two of these five,

still has meanings that are still alive.

Each finger means a different thing,

so then it's only natural,

that each finger belongs to a different ring

Tis lady she did die, it was murder he can't deny

for the ladies heart, he knew was as thin as thread,

And she died from the grief, for the lost of her rings,

still to this very day remains in her head.

The bloated man greedily took all rings from her away.

A ring from her Mother, A Ring from her father,

And the ring that had symbolized her very heart,

now forever broken, and the pain from this lost,

she found that no matter hard she tried she could not part.

And still to this very day, year and time, remains looking for it.

Lead, now it maybe, but you will see,

this is one of her missing keys.

The other ring bore the face of her dog,

whom like her parents lay dead in it's internal resting bed.

the last was given to her by the man,

who to her acted like a young and charming lad,

who had given her his ring in marriage.

She still loved him when she died,

and gave him everything she had left behind,

not knowing he was the one who made her cry.

Now she knows and only her pure hate remains,

knowing that justice on the man,

will never be claimed.

On her hand once rested between her parents,

Father tall, and mother small,

was the ring that belonged to her heart,

a heart as thin as a spiders thread."

"......." The group blinked confused.

"What was that again?" Lima asked.

Genki shook his head. "Another puzzle, but fortunately I know where four of the five

rings are!"

"Really? Where?" Carrie questioned.

"Threw that door leads to three rooms, Holly, Keith and I kept medicine and food down

there for the patents as well as some status reports and stuff. I know where I hid two of

the keys, and I know where Holly hid them, but...alas I don't know where Keith did. It

could be anywhere knowing him, and, sorry to say Bra never told me the answer to the

riddle."

"Genki, what do the rings look like?" Mimi asked, not looking away from where she

continued to read the puzzle.

"Uh...well the rings I have are two lead rings of a spider and one of a dog, Holly has two

copper rings an middle age man and a woman, and Keith he has a copper ring of an very

ugly looking guy."

"..........." Mimi frowned in thought. " I think I can solve it, just give me a moment."

"Ok, Mimi, where counting on ya! See you guys!"

Once again Mimi and Squall were left to solve the puzzle while the group continued forth

to find the five rings, which will hopefully be easier to find then the coins, and for Mara's

sake, hopefully would not involve bugs. The hallway was aligned with cells like the last

one but had three doors resting in a row on the far wall. One was painted a light pink and

had a cute little doll hanging off of it, another was painted an dark blue and the last was

left a simple and ugly rusty gray.

"Ok! Carrie, Rose, you two go in Holly's study she has a music box on her desk, when

you open it, pull up on the ballerina, you'll see a hidden slot, the keys are hidden there,

Lima and I will go to my study, that leaves Ryan and Mara to tackle the challenge of

finding where Keith hid the ring."

"Gee, thanks." Ryan grumbled sarcastically, while the other boy just smiled back

sarcastically.

"Your welcome."

It was not hard to tell which door belonged to which person, obviously pink would not

belong to either Genki or Keith, well, HOPEFULLY it wouldn't. And blue was easily to

guess as being Genki's favorite color and it was very much like Keith just to leave his

study dull and simple.

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

Inside Holly's room it was painted a bright pink, and everything would of seemed

cheerful if they did not know the faith of the girl whom had once used this study. Things

were neat, except for a stuff animal or two that laid of the floor. On a small little desk

was a little music box, which with respect Rose opened allowing a soft melody play

throughout the room. The two girls watched as the ballerina made of gold and ivory

danced in a circle and only stopped as the music did. Gently Rose pulled up on it and

sure enough a secret apartment opened revealing two copper rings.

"They aren't very cute looking." Rose shrugged, handing the two rings to Carrie. "You

take them."

The young sorceress looked insulted. "Gee, thanks." she frowned gripping the cold

copper rings in her little fist and taking a step backwards, stepping on a teddy bear that

laid abandoned on the ground. It squeaked, as though it had screamed and Carrie jumped

startled, looking down at the bear which stared up at her with beady black eyes. Smiling

she scooped it up in her arms, giving it a squeeze.

"Aww, isn't it cute?"

Rose glanced at it uninterested. "It's just a teddy bear."

Carrie was about to say something in her defense when her hand hit something hard,

buried underneath the fake fur of the toy. Expecting it she found a zipper. Rose was no

longer uninterested as she watched Carrie unzip the bear and take out a pink book, the

words Dairy, marked in orange on the cover. Quickly Rose snapped it from the other

girl's hands and started to flip threw it.

"Nothing interesting, nothing interesting...Aha! Listen to this."

"What is it?"

"I've been running...I can't run anymore, I'm hiding right now, underneath my desk,

trembling with fear, a cold sweat dripping down my face and back. I'm scared, no, more

like terrified. The past few days, it has been pure terror. I will write down everything that

happened to the best of my ability so that if my younger brother Genki or my beloved cousin

Keith comes, they will be able to know what's going on, because I'm sure I wont be

around when they return.

I did not realize what was going on at first, but I saw some of my sisters grow

strange...when I say some of my sisters I mean Dunya and Elisabeth, also to some extent

Suzua. Then...Tenki, he began to grow isolated and weird. More and more patents are

disappearing everyday. Could it be the red devil they babble about? No...I don't even

want to think about that beast, we have to much beasts on our hands already.

Anyway, the demon-god attacked, I found this out, all this time my own brother was

working for him, presenting him Angeles on a sliver platter, why? How could he? And

what hurt the most though was the fact he was offering my sisters and I as experiments

for alteration. I ran, frightened, they are planning on resurrecting Saiyoua, and summon

Oisa, the darkness which devours all. But why? Why attack hear? I heard something

about darkness being strong hear...but I don't really understand. All my sisters were

already injected with Kamertion, leaving them like emotionless dolls, waiting to be

turned into androids, but Dunya, and Elisabeth they aren't injected with Kamertion they

offered themselves to the darkness. They offered!! Why!? Why!? How could they!?

Bra and I found each other but she was knocked out of the third floor widow by Tenki,

he injected me with a needle in the side...Kamertion is flowing threw my veins right

now...It's only a matter of time before I become an emotionless doll....before I become

unfeeling like my sisters, now machines and forced to serve Saiyoua and Taromecika,

doing horrible things. I know I'll become a doll...I know I have no hope of escaping that

faith...I can already feel my body and mind shutting down, But...I....I refuse to become a

machine...to become....to become a killer. I'll escape....I have to. Brother, Keith, If you

read this, avenge our family, kill Tenki! The traitor!!

~Holly~

Rose closed the book. "She did escape from this place, before becoming a machine, so in

which case we should be happy for her......."

"Genki should see this." Carrie spoke solemnly, the red head nodded in agreement,

closeing her eyes sadly as she held the book close to her.

"Yeah, she wrote this for him so he should read it, if not for his sake then for hers."

Carrie nodded and the two of them left the room, leaving the teddy bear behind, where

it's dark eyes gazed lonely at the ceiling.

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

Genki and Lima walked into a messy little office, papers scattered the floor, drawings

done with the skill of a professional Manga Japanese comic book artiest. It was mostly

fantasy drawings, and most of them were of fairies.

"Wow, Genki, you do have many fairy drawings hear, did you draw `em?" Lima asked.

Genki blushed. "Ah, yeah."

Lima looked around herself, she did not say anything until her eyes came across a

beautiful colored picture, huge and rested right over the boy's desk, of an fairy with pink

clothes, hair, eyes and wings standing in a windy rose garden, an sweet smile on her face,

below the painting was written, `The Rose princess of Fairies.' except for slightly

different facial features, height and clothes, the girl looked just like Mimi!

"Genki! Is that a picture of Mimi?"

Genki blushed redder. "Ah, no...it's a picture...I drew before I met Mimi...you see I was

always fascinated with Fairies since a young age, and...I would write stories about a

beautiful fairy princess who loved flowers, but her favorite was white roses. I drew this

picture of her...It took me years to get it just perfect. When I went to Marlo's magic

school, I did not have many friends, no one took the time to speak with me, I felt weird

and useless. I was walking down the hall one day when I heard a scream and I ran

forward. I saw three boys beating up on a small girl and I instantly rushed to help her. It

was not until the bullies were gone that I got a good look at her and saw...to my disbelief

it was my fairy princess. She said her name was Mimi. I noticed her foot was hurt and

she was crying I took her outside to clean her wounds by the fountain and like a miracle a

beautiful white rose was blooming right there infront of us. I gave it to her and she

stopped crying, she thanked me and...we were friends after that. I grew to love her in a

very short time, not because she was the princess from my stories, but because she was

such a wonderful person...but I'm just to shy to say anything." Genki shook his head. "I

don't know why I'm telling you all this Lima, but your just good to talk to."

"Thanks, that story was so sweet! You should tell her how you feel!!"

"....I can't...besides, now would not be the best time. Maybe after this is all over." Genki

smiled brightly. "Yeah! After this whole adventure is over, I'll tell her how I feel! Now

let's go get those rings so we can finish this whole thing even sooner!"

"Where are they?"

Genki smiled. "In the drawer."

"What?"

Genki shrugged opening the desk and removing two lead rings, stuffing them into his

pocket and smiling. "Hey, I'm the odd ball in the family, remember? Were you expecting

a secret hiding place or something?"

"..........Kind of..."

Genki just smiled, hunching his shoulders. "Don't be disappointed!! There is a lot more

puzzles ahead of us, believe me."

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

Ryan and Mara walked into Keith's study room, gasping in awe, there was a huge sword

collection hanging on the left wall. Tons of different swords of different makes and

different styles. The rest of the room was rather simple, and tidy, office papers in neat

stacks on the desk. None of them were very interesting, but as Mara looked over at the

swords Ryan spotted something setting on the desk, face down. Picking it up his eyes

widened and he gasped silently, in the picture three children stood in it, two boys and one

girl. The girl was a cat with orange hair and large green eyes, wearing a simple yellow

and white Sunday school dress, her arms was draped over the two boys shoulders, one of

the boys had black hair, blue eyes, and dark clothes, a small smile on his face, he

recognized those two, Mara and Keith but it was the third one that shocked him. A little

furry, red head green eyed demon-half was standing beside them, an big grin on his face,

and the background of the picture was `Marlo Magic School.' The red head boy was the

boy from the visions of the golden hair woman in which he saw die.

"Rya! Look!" Mara squealed and he laid the picture face down again, quickly, knowing

he was pale.

"What is it?"

"In the handle of this sword! Look!"

Ryan followed her gasped and gasped, a copper piece with the picture of a very bloated

and twisted looking piece was inserted into the handle, with a smile thinking `how very

like Keith...' he removed the ring, but as he did he heard a soft click. Protectively he

pushed Mara to the ground, ducking himself as knives sailed over their heads. The cat

breathed heavily from terror, while Ryan sat still in shock before finally muttering.

"I should of seen that...A mile away. Of course Keith would of sat up a trap."

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

When they got back to Mimi and Squall, they once again was able to figure out the

puzzle. Mimi smiled up at them, blushing from their praise.

"It really wasn't that hard to figure out. The two rings of these five that goes on her hand

are the rings of the bloated man, and the ring of the spider, for according to the riddle, the

rings we put on her are the rings which still has meanings that are alive. Since it says her

dog and her parents are dead that excludes the rings of the man, the woman and the dog. I

figured out the places when it said that the ring to her heart rested between her father tall

and her mother small, her heart was represented by a spider's thread so put the spider

ring on the finger between the pinkie and the middle one. Finally, the bloated man's ring

was given to her as a wedding ring, so it should then go on the ring finger."

The group did as Mimi said and not surprisingly the door opened, leading them up to the

third floor. This time, the group came to a giant grandfather clock instead of a door at the

end of the hall. There was scratch marks on the floor as though it could be moved, but...it

couldn't, no matter how hard they all pushed on it. On the clock was wrote with a knife

into the wood.

"Three different sizes,

time on the run.

Three young men circling'

round the sun.

Henry is short and

very, very slow,

Scott can't stop,

he's always on the go. "

Next to that were marks on the wall which looked alot like children marking how tall

they were on the walls, the names of the children were Henry, Millred and Scott. The

funny thing about these height lines however was the fact that Henry and Millred's lines were lop sided.

"Genki I thought Tenki was your only brother." Lima frowned. "Who are these people?"

The fighter looked almost smug and crossed his arms over his chest. " They aren't

people. Heh, I made this riddle up all by myself. It's good isn't it?"

"No." Rose answered. "But it sure explains why it's so simple."

"...H...Hey...."

"Yeah!" Mara giggled. "Even I can figure it out!"

"Don't tell me you all know the answer!" The boy exclaimed horrified.

The whole group nodded, apologetic smiles on etched on their faces, Lima just frowned.

"I don't know it."

Genki beamed happily. "At least!!"

"Genki." Mimi giggled. "I find the riddle very poetic, but it is simple, but very cute."

The boy blushed. "Thanks."

The answer to the riddle was very easy, how anyone could over look it was a mystery.

The answer was to realize that the lines following the names, Henry, Millred and Scoot

weren't height lines but arrows, like the hands on a clock. Anyone could tell that Henry

was that hour hand, and Scott was the second hand, leaving only Millred to be the minuet

hand, the only other thing they hand to do to solve this puzzle was place the hands on the

clock in the position the arrows on the wall were. Very quickly they advanced to the fourth

floor, on the door was thirteen letters written, Z, M, K, A, D, G, B, T, E, L,K, H, L

Genki once again revealed the answer, but not before allowing his friends to try and solve

it, for once again it was a riddle he made and he took pleasure in the fact that *THIS*

one was not simple. After the group finally gave up on it, pissed because he would not

reveal the answer he pushed the buttons down in the right order which ended up being;

BTKDZEAMLLKHG. If you wondering how this answer was figured out, it turned out to

be the letters of the Brief children's first names, pushed in the order from oldest to

youngest; Bra, Tengi, Kasumi, Dunya, Zusza, Elisabeth, Angela, Maria, Leif-fang, Lisa, Keith

Holly, and Genki.

However this was the end of the easy questions, as they walked down the hall of the

down the fourth floor, a dark feeling began to creep up on them, sending shivers down

their spines. The hall seemed to go on forever, until at last they came two the end of the

hall and found two doors, each were engraved with a piece of writing, and above both of

them were words written in red on a stained yellow paper.

" Two stand side by side,

One tells nothing but truth,

The other nothing but lies.

Two stories, each opposites,

One leads beyond this floor,

The other leads to thine grave.

Choose wisely whom to trust,

whom it is you must believe,

and if wisely you choose,

beyond this floor you may go."

The group turned to Genki hoping that he would also know the answer to this one, but the

boy was starring at the two inscriptions on each door, baffled. "This...This is

different....then what it was before." The group followed his gaze, the first door read.

"There is a maiden fair, with bright red hair who is being held captive by a prisoner in the

5th floor courtyard. Prisoner dark is killing the girl, torturing her on the executioners

block, as which is something he loves to do, as he has done it many times before with a

partner to share in the blood bath."

The next door however read. "There is a girl with skin of cinder, being held captive in

the 5th floor courtyard. Once a prisoner, but she did nothing wrong, but is now being

executed by a girl fair with bright red hair, whom has killed many times with her sister,

whom took pleasure is bathing in the blood of many victims."

The group blinked, frowning confused.

"Genki, I don't understand this. How do we know which one is the lie?" Mimi frowned,

worriedly.

"I have no idea, this is not the original riddle." Genki shook his head. "And from what I

remember the person would not die if they went threw the wrong door. I guess Saiyoua's

darkness has caused the riddles and other things to change drastically. I don't know

which one is the lie. From all I know no prisoners were tortured or killed hear, so the first

one must be correct."

Ryan and Mara along with Rose and Carrie exchanged looks and as Genki reached

forward to turn the knob on the door they all shouted at once.

"STOP!"

Genki, Squall and Mimi looked at them puzzled.

"Wha--?" Genki stared at them baffled. "What is it?"

The four exchanged looks again before Ryan stepped forward. "Um, Genki? The second

door is true...we...we found you sister Dunya's journal...she killed and tortured prisoners

along with Elisabeth in the courtyard and your other sister Suza was covering up the

whole thing."

An unreadable expression washed over the fighters face. He stayed silent for a moment,

shaking his head slowly. "It's...It's a lie...."

"No...it's not, we read the whole thing....it's true." Mara insisted.

"......................" Genki looked as if he was in shock, then his brown eyes glistened sadly.

"I don't believe it, but I guess we'll find out what's true when we open the door."

They waited but as they saw that Genki made no move to open the door Ryan stepped

ahead and turned the knob, walking inside, followed by the rest. Though they were glad

to see that it was the right door and that they could advance, Genki bore an tortured

expression, though glad they all choose the right door he was also hurt to know that it

was true, a few of his sisters were killers.

The fifth floor took on a frightening twist. Things were pitch black, even Carrie's energy

ball gave off little light in the choking blackness. The place smelled of urine, blood and

body sweat. From what they could see the cells were filled with rotting corpses and thick

blood caked the rusty walls and floor. Up ahead of them was the 6th floor stairway door

but it was locked, with no riddle or way to open it what so ever, just locked.

"What do we do now?" Lima wondered.

"We have to go to the courtyard..." Genki looked troubled. "There is suppose to be a

battle on every fifth floor, and I fear I know whom is waiting in the courtyard."

"Genki...." Mimi frowned sadly.

"Genki, it'll be ok." Ryan tried to comfort. "Let's go, where is the courtyard?"

The boy sighed drearily. "Yeah, fallow me."

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

Genki lead them through some hallways, nearer to the courtyard they got the more

disturbing and horrible the place seemed to get, blood was everywhere. The doors to the

Courtyard it's self though was the most oful thing to look at though, it was covered in

blood and rust, and threw the large metal doors, pure evil seemed to sweep out of it.

Ryan glanced at Genki, seeing that the boy was pale and trembling. He felt terribly sorry

for him at that moment. He to knew who their enemy would be when they got threw the

door. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the key they had taken from Dunya's dairy

and unlocked the door, but allowed Genki to be the one to open it. He had the right.

As they stepped inside the whole group gasped in horror, bodies leathered the ground,

their corpses fertilizing the rich soil of the courtyard's grass. It would have been a

beautiful place, a simulated nature, complete with starry sky above, if it was not for the

horrible blood bath. An young girl's scream echoed around them, but they were to late to

save her, for as they entered a knife was already being slammed into the dark girl's breast.

Genki fell to his knees, staring into the eyes of the killer, which stood above the body,

grinning at them madly.

"I knew it was you. I knew it had to be, but still, I hoped. Dunya, how come?"

"Genki, you can be such a foolish boy. Why I did this? You should be asking me why I

enjoyed it." Dunya stepped into the light, short red braid swishing back and fort, brown

eyes glistening with madness, around her neck on a thin chain dangled a key, the 6th

floor key.

"Dunya! Tell me! Are you doing this from your own free well? Or is Saiyoua controlling

you!?"

"Brother, brother, brother. I'm controlled by nothing. I always killed like this, I always

enjoyed it. However I got scared....I kept on seeing the red devil. He was trying to kill

me, he is the reason why Saiyoua choose to take over hear, for the darkness in this place

is the strongest in Gaia. The red Devil wanted to kill me , and claim my soul, but now!

Now that I have become an machine I have no soul for him to claim and I have nothing

left to fear, not from people or the red devil!! No one!"

"Dunya! Have you gone mad!? Who is this red devil!? Is he actually real!?"

"Genki, it's no need for you to worry about him. But hear this, if your going to try and

destory Saiyoua then I will have to stop you! I wont let you take this gift of eternal life

and power away from me! Join us! Why fight it? Already most of our family except for

Bra, and Holly has joined the darkness and has become machines. It was Tenki's idea, at

first he forced us to change but now I thank him for it."

"No..." Genki clenched his fist. "Everyone, let's get ready to attack."

"Genki, are you sure?" Ryan asked concerned.

"That is not my sister that is just a machine."

Ryan nodded slowly. "All right, get ready everyone."

The group got into battle stances, waiting for the first move, in blinding speed Dunya

rushed forward, slashing the knife, missing Genki by a few inches. Though he didn't

want to in a quick movement Genki sent a kick to her stomach sending her staggering

back, hanging onto her gut with a groan before looking up at them growling in rage.

"Water Twister!!"

"PETAL DANCE!!"

The elf and fairy exclaimed together, mixing their magic together in a powerful

combination. With a scream Dunya was picked up into the air by the twisters of water,

the razor sharp flower petals slashing her body before she was dropped back to the

ground. Though she was hit hard she was still far from out and in her next move chose to

throw her knife at the blinding speed only an Android could manage. Everyone in the

group froze, watching the knife sail threw the air, but none of them having enough time

to move out of the way. It was moving so face all they could see off it was a silver blur

until it finally hit one of the group.

Rose gasped, gripping her side where the knife had embedded it's self into her exposed

skin. With an growl she clutched the handle the pull it out, drops of her blood staining

the knife and falling to the grass which had many times before been watered with blood.

"You give red heads everywhere a bad name." She began with a scowl glaring at Dunya.

"And then you do something as cowardly as this? I wont forgive you for stabbing me!!

Let's see how you like being on the wrong end of a knife!" With a warriors cry Rose

dashed forward Katana poised to strike, Dunya was taken off guard and without weapon

and lack of knowledge on how to fight physically was left defenseless as the Katana

rammed it's self right threw her stomach, with a cry Dunya fell to the grass, bleeding her

artificial blood, as she gasped for breath. Rose pulled the Katana out as Genki walked

over to her.

"Your her brother, you do what you will with her, it's not my place to destory her so I

made sure not to destory anything vital."

Genki nodded and stared down at Dunya who gazed up at him painfully. Rose stepped

aside waiting to see what he would do as did the rest of the group.

"Bro...Brother, please, help me."

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

"I'm sorry....just....help me up...."

Silently Genki extended his hand charging up an energy blast. Dunya's eyes went wide

and she growled, barring her teeth.

"You wouldn't kill your own sister!!"

"My sister Dunya is already dead, your just a machine, you said yourself you had no soul,

so killing something with out a soul would not be killing, would it?"

The girl's eyes went wide at the others words and as the energy blast engulfed her body,

evaporating her body to bits. Bowing his head Genki whispered under his breath

"Though you were a bad person, may your soul someday be able to rest in peace Dunya."

He turned back to the group, some of them nodding to him, others looking stunned.

Quickly covering the depressed look on his face with one of determination, he clenched

his fist, picking up the key which lay undamaged on the group.

"Come on everyone, let's continue on, we have to stop Saiyoua."

Ryan nodded, a determined smile on his face.

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

It was nice to get out of the prison area, the building was actually nice looking above the

fifth floor and for a moment they found themselves forgetting that the place was under

evil control. At the end though was another puzzle, this one involving, believe it or not,

teddy bears,

"There are thirteen bears, on a picnic.

A pink Mommy one and a blue daddy one,

Two red headed twins, and two smart twins,

One very beautiful bear, the other very plain,

The other loves makeup and very girlie things.

One of them is very cute and loves frilly things,

the other is not a brother or a sister,

but lives with the bears just as though he were,

and then finally it's the little baby bear."

On the floor infront it was a picnic blanket with thirteen seats marking the place of each

bear.

"Ohh!! Teddy bears!!" Lima squealed.

"What does all that mean?" Ryan asked turning to the fighter.

Genki laughed lightly, blushing a little. "Well you see, on this floor is all our bed rooms

where we slept, as you cans see there are thirteen rooms in this hall, one of them is

locked and was not used for years, the rest is my families bed rooms. We each have a

teddy bear from that poem, we get each teddy bear and set it down in their proper place

on the picnic blanket. It is rather easy, however, we can only go get one bear at a time,

because inside of them are switches, if they get to close to one that is not suppose to be

beside them, they will zap us, and believe me, that hurts."

"So we take one room at a time, then come back hear and place them?" Carrie asked.

"Bingo! Bra's bear is first, come on."

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

Bra's room was tidy and had now dead plants setting on her shelves. Her bed was still

freshly made, some note pads and skin cream rested on her stand, accompanied by an

large pink teddy bear, a little dog tag on it's neck read "Bra's bear." Lima picked it up,

hugging it with a giggle.

"It's so cute and soft!!"

"Lima stop acting childish." Squall commented folding his arms, pouting Lima handed

the bear over to Genki, whom brought it back to the hall, placing it in the Moma bears

spot. The next room was Tenki's which they entered,Genki with a sour expression. The

room as also tidy, a bear thought sat propping up some books, dusty and uncared for, it

was big and blue. Ryan picked it up and they were about to leave when Genki picked up

Tenki's dairy from off a desk, he flipped threw it but found it had all be written in code,

except for the last page.

" I don't really care about Saiyoua or Taromecika, but more darkness to bring upon the

earth, better it will be for my master plan. I wont describe my plan hear though for

someone might get their hands on this, but I just know the once I accomplish it I will be

the most powerful man in the universe. I will never be looked down apon again. My

parents always thought Bra was better because she was older and always showing off her

intelligence, but I'm just as smart as she is, no smarter, and better. I showed my parents

though, and I showed my pitiful sisters by turning them all into mindless and soulless

machines so they have to fallow my every command. They always looked to Bra for

answers and advice, but now they can only turn to me, only to what I say. Two of my

younger siblings remain far from my control, though one of them is like a dead doll and

my brother, ha, he is not even fully human anymore, if only he would turn to Saiyoua's

side and obey the darkness, then he would not have to be killed, though I could of let him

die that time he was attacked by that virus Lexy inserted in his brain, I did not want him

to die until I had a chance to try and talk him over to our side.He would be a great help to my master plan...but it's not use waisteing time, he wont join me, he is to brainwashedby Bra. Well this has gone on long enough.

~Tengi~

"Bastard..." Genki mumbled hatefully under his breath.

"Genki..." Mimi whispered concerned.

"It's all right. I'll be ok. But I will get revenge on Tenki for what he's done!"

"He is probably hiding somewhere in this building." Ryan stated.

"Let's just focus however in passing through the puzzles." Rose spoke up, crossing her

arms. "Deal with your brother when the time comes."

Genki nodded, leaving the room with his friends and placed the dark blue bear down next

to the pink one, the next two rooms they went to was Kasumie and Dunya's the two girls

were identical twins, but just from looking around the rooms they saw that Kasumie did

not take after any of Dunya's dark personality. Flowers and animal posters filled the

room, followed by the sweet scent of perfume. There were two identical red bears,

whoever Dunya's wore a black bow and Kasumie's a white, placing the two bears down

in their proper places they traveled to Leif-fang's room then to Lisa's. Once again they

were greeted with two twins, both brown hair and brown eyes, however in a picture they

saw on the desks, they saw that each girl wore their hair different, Leif-fang in to braids

which curled in circles under her chin and Lisa wore it down long. Their rooms were

exactly the same however, filled with books. However Leif-fangs books were all about

history and Biology while Lisa's were all about medicine and herbs. The two teddy bears

were both brown, but wore different color glasses. Placing them in their proper place,

Genki shuddered as they approached the next room, he turned to his friends with a

nervous frown.

"Um guys? This is Elisabeth's room, no one has ever been inside but...She is a very

rotten person, even before I found out she was killing people, she was always horrible,

always icy . She always loved death, I can only imagine what she has hidden behind hear.

It's probably filled with traps, I don't know what's in there, but I know she was known

for setting up traps that activate as soon as an non-member of the Brief family enters in

an area they weren't allowed, and there is always chances that her room has traps like

that so I should go in alone."

"Genki, will you be all right in there by yourself?" Mimi asked concerned.

"Yeah, of course!" Genki smiled in his usual manner, but it was easy to tell it was fake.

"Wait out hear, I'll be right back!"

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

He lied, the truth was he did not want his friends to see how horrible his sister really was.

He shut the door thightly, gazeing around Elisabeth's room with a sad and disturbed

frown. Torture instruments were everywhere, Iron maidens, a fire place and many pokers,

different tools of torture cluttered the area, but the most disturbing one of all was, a cage,

shaped like a ball that was to short to stand in but too narrow to sit in. It was on a pulley,

and had dozens of spikes stuck into the cage. He had seen it in work before, when Keith,

Holly and him had went spying in her room, they hid in the closet and watched as

Elisabeth lay in her bed, this horrible thing right above her, pulling on the pulley the cage

would be swung back and forth, so that whoever was inside would be torn to pieces on

the spikes. It was horrible...They had saw her force a young serving girl into the cage and

watched as she was ripped apart and her blood fell like rain onto Elisabeth's body which

was stripped of clothing, bathing in the blood, moaning as if it was some kind of great

pleasure. All three had nightmares since that day, but were to frightened to tell

anyone...They did not want this to happen to them. It happened when Genki was a tender

age of eleven, and tried hard to block out the memories, so did Holly and Keith, but

there was no denying it now. Elisabeth was a crazy murderer...he just never thought Dunya

as surly as she could be at times would stoop to the same low. He looked around for the

teddy bear but stumbled apon a book the laid on a desk, spots of blood on the cover.

Genki shuddered, this was Elisabeth's torture book. It was ways she tortured her servants

and probably a few of the missing prisoners. However most of these tortures in the book

was ones she performed when she had been away in another city married to some guy

whom died a few years ago. Knowing Elisabeth, she probably had killed him. Looking

back at the book, he opened it. He was to afraid before to know just how bad his sister

was, but he had to now, just how bad...after all if he did not find out now, chances were

that he never would.

In so many words, what do I like to do for fun? Well most of my fun can not be

accomplished hear, but still, getting rid of that husband of mine after I got all his money

is always good, and there are still people hear to torture, such as those mousy maids and

serving girls whom roam the hall, acting with a few other of my sisters like members of

the family. And then there are those crazy lunatics. I hate crazy people, they all should

die, but then again, it would take the pleasure out of killing them myself. Still I have to

becareful not to get caught, last I need is to be kicked out of Capsule Corp. Anyway, least

I forget with all the work of a science woman now apon me, I will write down my favorite

ways to have fun.

1. Beating the servant girls with a heavy cudgel.

It was so entreating to hear there screams echoing with their snapping bones. Bones

so fragile and weak that they snap like the bones of a dear within the jaws of an hungry

wolf.

2. sticking pins into the upper and lower lips of the girls, into other

parts of their flesh, and under their fingernails

Oh my! How so many, trying to hold on to their pride would try so hard not to scream

out in agony, it was so fun to see tears escape from their thightly squeezed eye-lids and to

see some bite down on their lips so hard to stop themselves from screaming, that their

teeth go right threw their lips.

3. having the women stripped naked and forcing them to perform their

household duties in full view of men.

As entertaining as it was to see them suffer because of their pride, it is far worst living

without any them suffering with it. This torture is made to shred their pride and every

little bit of dignity they have left into pieces, such as what I soon will do to their flesh.

4. forcing the servants to go on fasts with nothing to eat or drink for

days.

Ohh!! How pitifully weak they would get! Stumbling apon the floor without no energy

to give as they desperately tried to serve me the tea or wine I requested, and every time

they stumbled or dropped an drop of my wine on to the dish or floor I would strike them

with a scalding hot poker and then tie them to a chair to watch me eat my food and wine,

and see as I throw a good percentage of it to the dogs! How their mouths would water in

hunger!

5. having cold water poured over naked girls, while they were outside in

the cold and snow, until they froze to death.

I can say it was fun to see them shiver, cuddling up to each other in desperate attempts

to keep warm while they were mocked by passing men as they slowly died from the cold.

6. having girls submerged in a frozen river in winter

How they would plead for me to raise the cage and release them from their frozen

prison, and how fun it was to watch the urgent air bubbles raise to the surface and then

at the moment of bitter death they stopped as the water claimed the servants life.

7. having iron keys and coins heated red-hot and forcing girls to hold

them.

And if one of them dropped the coin or scream out in pain I boiled them in a red hot

iron pot where their flesh melted a bubbled almost like the coins it's self.

8. having naked girls smeared with honey and then forcing them to stand

outside for twenty-four hours and endure bites from insects.

How they would whimper and cry, itching with foul rashes which covered once smooth

skin. Those who did not complain bore only the rash but those whom I caught crying, I

took care of the rash...by peeling off their skin with a red hot cheese grater! That will

teach them to soil my shoes with their disgusting tears!

9. placing paper between the girls' toes and setting it on fire (called

"star kicking")

My favorite game! How I wished I could have played this with my younger siblings,

but I can't risk getting caught, and I wish not the hatred of Mother and Father, for they

are the only people I can bring myself to care about.

10. putting my fingers into one girl's mouth and pulling until it split at

the corners.

I did this only once, for I did not like the saliva, but this girl!! Oh did she deserve it!

When I was speaking she dared yawn! She quickly said it was because she had worked

hard and was very tired but before she could close he mouth again and grabbed it in my

fingers and pulled it until it spilt. How she screamed and cried, what a weakling foolish

girl! I got rid of her though with my wonderful cage.

11. setting pubic hair on fire

Well this was a phrase, I did not care for the smell, all I know was that it was painful,

which made it fun.

12. thrusting the hot iron into the face of the servant if my collar was not

properly pressed.

What is a servant for!? If she can not press a collar properly then she is as good as

sliver fish crawling over an freshly washed floor!

13. scorching girls with fiery swords or tongs

Something I would do when the girls did something wrong, or just when I felt like it,

14. pouring scalding water on servant girls

This got old to fast, it was painful for them, yes, but not my cup of tea really, but

still, when I feel lazy it's a good way.

15. biting and ripping out the flesh of the servants

I did this to serving girls whom I noticed were getting round and fat, meaning they

must be stealing food and/or money from me in order to get a round belly, so I take back

what I can in their meaty flesh. Piggish girls!!

16. cutting off fingers with scissors

Ha, Ha, how frightened they'd get when I cut off each and every last one of their

fingers and then tell them to go fetch me tea, and if they spill one drop of break one cup I would put them in the cage.

I also have quite a few interesting torture devices I was able to sneak back hear into my

room, to use whenever I can.

Iron Maidens, decorated with human hair, garments, and jewelry. I

would

instruct a servant girl to fix the jewels on the Iron Maiden, and when

a certain jewel was moved, the Maiden would grab the girl, spikes would

come out of the breasts, and the girl would quickly bleed to death.

A cage, shaped like a ball, that was too short to stand in, but too

narrow to sit in. It was on a pulley, and had dozens of spikes jutting

into the cage. The cage would be swung back and forth so that the girl

inside would be torn to pieces on the spikes.

Genki closed the book slowly, paled face and shaking. He knew she was terrible but he

never thought she was pure evil! Finally he felt tears sting his eyes and stubbornly wiped

them away, he was not crying from the shock, or self grief or anything like that, but for

the poor girls whom were killed by her in such gruesome actions. Feeling sick he looked

around, spotting an green teddy bear, dotted with blood laying on her bed, he glanced up at the cage, shaking, seeing fresh blood dripping from it. He looked down at his feet, he did not want to see whom was up their. He grabbed the teddy bear, but as he did he heard a soft click then something painfully sharp piece him in his left shoulder. He cried out in

pain, the wound which seemed to burn as if being torched by fire, his fingers found a dart

which he pulled out of his skin with an wince. He stared at it then suddenly his vision

went blurry, eyes rolling into the back of his head he collapsed to the ground.

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

Outside the room his friends were growing worried, he had been in there for 14 minuets,

how long could it take to find a teddy bear? Unless something happened to him? Besides

he did say there were traps in that room.

"I'm worried..." Mimi whispered. "Do you think he's ok?"

"I hope so." Carrie frowned worriedly.

"I'll go in and see, he might need some help." Ryan said seriously.

"But you heard what Genki said about traps activating as soon as non-Angeles citizen

enters!" Lima exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter, I'm going to check on him." Ryan opened the door walking inside.

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

He gasped, this place was not a bed room it was a torture chamber!! He then looked

down, spotting Genki laying on the floor, twitching.

"Genki!!" Ryan gasped frightened, taking a step forward when from all around the room

knives came flying out at him, with lightening quick speed he pulled out his swords

reflecting all the knives before dashing towards Genki's form, pauseing for a moment to puzzle about how he was able to move so quickly to advoid the attack, but pushed it out of his mind, he was more concerned for his friend whom laid twitching painfully on the floor.

"Genki!? Are you ok!?"

The hyper fighter laughed weakly, eyes swirling dizzily.

"I...Can't...Move....a....muscle...."

"What happened?"

"...Numbing....Poison....dart...ah...."

"Numbing poison?"

"....paralyzes....for...an....hour...uhhh...."

"Oh great! We need you to show us around this place and you had to go get yourself

paralyzed!" Ryan rolled his eyes, scooping the boy up in his arms and dropping him over

his shoulder, carrying him like a father would carry a child on his back. The demon-half groaned.

"For someone so skinny you sure are heavy."

"Ha...my muscles...."

"Come on, your in no postion to show off, let's go."

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

When they got back to the hall they saw a few twisted children laying dead on the floor,

The group ran up to them worriedly, asking if Genki was ok, they explained to them

about the numbing poison, and went on to place the Elisabeth's bear down in it's correct

spot. Genki informed that the next room belonged to his sister Angela, the room looked

like that of a poets, on the desk sat a picture of Angela, limp brown hair, dull brown eyes,

long and pale face, freckles and looked to weigh 230 pounds, still a sweet smile dotted

her round face, and a gentleness shimmered in her dull brown eyes. A gray colored teddy

bear sat on the shelf, propping up some poetry books, they took this bear and sat it down at it's proper spot, the next room was Maria's, orange and white with pictures of fish on the walls, and an aquarium full of white and orange, tiny little fish which now floated upside

down and rotting in the disgusting green and slimy water. A small fridge was in the

corner but the contents inside had began to rotten. Tons of makeup rested on the shelf, as

did many pictures of a dirty blonde boy with jeans, black shirt and a green jacket.

Probably her boyfriend. An large stereo, TV with VCR and a truck load of cute Anime

movies with titles like Dragon Half, Slayers, Sailor Moon, and Here is Greenwood filled

the rest of the room. An orange teddy bear sat on top of the TV, after placing that one in

the proper place they then traveled to Holly's room. The room was small and everything

was a shade of pink and white, frilly bed sheets, curtains, and frilly and cute ornaments

sat on shelves along with an large collection of dolls, pictures of male pop idols hung on

the wall, a few smeared with pink lip stick. On a frilly pillow sat a dark pink bear

wearing a light frilly pink dress and an large oversized bow clipped to one of it's ears.

When they got to the hall and placed that bear in it's proper spot Genki desperately tried

to move off of Ryan's shoulders, he succeeded in doing so but his legs still being as

numb as they were fell to his knees like a child who was just learning how to walk.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" He protested. "This next room is mine and Keith's! Just wait for

me to be able to feel my legs again and I'll go get `em myself..."

"No way." Lima grinned. "We want to see what your room looks like!"

"Well...I do want to see what kind of secrets Keith has hidden in there. "Ryan admitted.

"And what kind of secrets Genki has." Carrie added slyly.

"Oh, we really should respect his privacy." Mimi commented, but was ignored as the

whole group walked into the room, leaving Genki setting on the floor protesting.

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

The group stared stunned, they could really see whoes side of the room was whoes,

considering one side was painted entirely black and the other blue. On the black side

rested another dagger and sword collection, occult and ancient language looks covered

the shelves by the window and picture of a Pentagram painted in red on the wall along with a few playboy posters. On a

shelf near the bed was a photograph of a man and woman, were they Keith's parents?

Another picture sat on the dresser, and to Ryan's surprise it was the same one he had seen

before of the child Keith, Mara and the red head demon-half. Why was this picture so

important to him? This side of the room was very tidy and neat, however Genki's side of

the room looked like a tornado hit it. The sheets were messy, gaming magazines and

Japanese comic books laid scattered over the floor, on a desk laid a sketch book and a

large drawing kit sat in the corner. Sprawled out on the bed was a small light blue teddy

bear with a little white scarf wrapped around it's neck. The group chuckled, it looked

like unlike the rest of his family Genki actually slept with his teddy bear at night. A

playsation rested in the corner of the room along with a half a dozen of games.

"Hey!!" Genki's voice came form the door as he staggered in limping, still numb. "Don't

peak around my room!!"

He tripped, falling face first on the ground. Mimi giggled, kneeling down beside him.

"Genki, you shouldn't try to stand until the poisoning wears off."

"*Groan*"

Lima blinked pointing to the door, wear a photograph of a girl drooping her arms over a

very disgusted and annoyed looking Genki, from what it looked like it seemed as if the

girl on it was used in replacement for a dart board.

"Genki whoes that?"

The group stared at the picture confused, as Genki turned red.

"That's Mimaran....she was a girl Bra tried to set me up with, but she was very annoying

and snobbish, very vain and very mean. She was a rotten girl and would never leave me

alone for even a minuet, acting as though she owned me or something. I didn't like her

one bit."

"Well, considering that the picture looks like it had more then a million darts thrown at

it, I guessed so." Squall commented.

While the rest of the group was absorbed in looking at the picture which looked as

though it had been killed to death with darts, Ryan opened Genki's draw out of boredom and curiosity, and gasped silently at what he found, a loaded gun along with a knife and a few razor blades. This was something he thought he would of found in Alex's room, not in Genki's. Frowning he thought back to something he had heard Keith say to Arisu once.

-Flash back-

Ryan was walking threw the hall of his school around three years ago when he spotted

Keith talking with Arisu. Seeing the troubled look on Keith's face he ducked behind a

wall, listening to what the pair was talking about. Normally he wasen't so nosy but, he never seen such a expression on Keith's face before and he wanted to know what was going on.

"Master Keith, what is troubling you? You seem worried."

"I got a letter, it seems my cousin tried to kill himself again."

"Again? The cousin you live with, you mean?"

"Yeah, he acts so cheerful at times but then suddenly goes off and cuts his wrist. It's

serious this time, he stabbed himself with a knife yesterday, but he'll live, still...I'm

going to suggest he comes back to this school so I can keep an eye on him."

"Master, this is a new side I've never seen before."

Keith blushed, before forceing himself to scowl. "It's not because I care for him! It's just, Bra has did so much for me and

lost so much I don't want to see her loose her little brother and suffer anymore then she

must!"

-End flashback-

`Of course then I didn't know Genki was his cousin, funny I didn't remember this till

now...still it's hard to believe. I wonder what could have left him so upset...is he still

thinking of taking his life? Genki? I can't believe it.' he closed the draw, picking up the

teddy bear and tossing it to the fighter who grabbed it, giving it a squeeze with an happy

smile.

"Ted, how I missed ya---" Turning crimson he realized what he said and did and looked

at his friends whom all gave him an odd look in return.

After they placed the final two bears in their place the door unlocked and they

continued to the next floor, the next ten floors Genki had informed was his family's

living area while the rest of the building was the science factuality. The rest of the

puzzles on this floor were rather easy and did not acquirer to much complications. they

were puzzles in which you had to slid pieces across to get them in a certain shape,

without moving it backwards. It seems that the Brief's did not want to put complicated

puzzles in their living area because that would kind of make things annoying to move

around. They were soon on the tenth floor and much to Genki's dismay that meant

another boss battle. At the end of the hall was a door with pictures of the Brief family,

minus Genki, Bra, Holly, Dunya and Tengi hanging on the wall, an inscription on the

wall written in red said

"Behind a picture is a key,

The key opens a door,

The Key will lead to another,

which will open this door.

But which one has the key,

hidden behind it's photo?

That is for you to find out."

"Is this a puzzle?" Carrie wondered.

"No..." Genki growled, clenching his fist, now fully mobile again. "I'm being mocked."

"Genki, this is so cruel of them." Mimi muttered sadly.

"...I guess we better start looking, and I just know the one whom has the key behind them

is the next one we have to kill..." He said pained. Ryan looked at him sadly as the boy

reached out and raised the picture of Kasumi...no Key, then the picture of Zusza... no key,

Elisabeth... no key, the picture of Angela...a key.

Genki's heart sunk, as he removed the key from the wall.

"No...not Angela...No...."

"Genki..." Ryan and Mimi said together sympathetic.

The boy shook his head. "Come on...I know where this key leads, it's the large dining

room key. We'll get the key we need to continue on."

He pushed past them, leaving his friends to stare after him in pity.

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

They entered the kitchen, finding an large table, decorated with a white lace table cloth,

dead flowers, and drips of crimson blood. An large girl, round like an volley ball was

leaned over a plate ripping at a hunk of raw meat. Her round face was covered in blood,

and so was the end of her limp shoulder length hair. She looked at them through slanted

eyes like a bear would eye enemies trying to take away it's food, like Dunya she had the

key on a chain around her neck.

"Angela!" Genki exclaimed, eyes wide with fright.

The girl jumped up from the table, glaring at him, wiping the blood and spit from her

mouth sloppy with her sleeve.

"What do you want?"

"Angela..." Genki began shaken. " ....Are you still you, or did you become a machine to?"

"What ya mean by that!?"

"N...Nothing!! I was...I was just wondering, because Dunya told me Tenki turned

everyone into Androids, but you don't look to metal to me, considering machine's can't

eat, tell me, were you spared, Ange----"

"ARE YOU CALLING ME FAT YA LITTLE TWIT!?!?"

"What!? N...No, of course not!"

"YOU THINK I'M FAT, DON'T YA!? YOU DON'T THINK I CAN BE A ANDROID

BECAUSE I'M OVERWEIGHT!!! YOU THINK I EAT TO MUCH, YOU CALL ME

FAT AND DISGUSTING, AN LAZY SLOB DON'T YA!! YOU SAY THINGS LIKE

THAT BEHIND MY BACK JUST LIKE THE REST!!!!"

"I...I would never!!!!"

"Everyone always teased me my whole life because I was the only ugly one in the whole

Brief family. Were you adopted, they would say? Did your Moma run out with an ugly

man and had you? Bra's Lovely, Tengi is handsome, Kasumi and Dunya were called the

sexy ones, Elisabeth was called the beautiful one, Maria the hot babe of the bunch,

Leif-fang and Lisa the natural but pretty ones, Holly the ever so cute one, Keith the ladies

man, and you, the sweet little baby of the family. What was I? The ugly one, oh yeah."

She smiled in contempt. "You guys said that I was the plain one. I guess to you guys

plain was just a nicer way of putting ugly!!" Angela turned around and began to weep

loudly. "Your all the same! Thinking looks are everything!!" The group exchanged looks,

Genki took a step forward, approaching his sister, an understanding and caring look on

his face.

"Angela, you know I would never make fun of a person just from the way they look, none

of us would, well, except for Elisabeth and Maria, but that's just them, they are mean to

everyone. Elisabeth is really cruel, but Maria just likes to tease, she doesn't really mean to hurt you. I don't really give a damn about looks. Sure, pretty things are nice to look at, but sometimes things that appear pretty can be really terrible things. So what if your not beautiful it doesn't matter, it's the inside that counts not

the outside."

Angela turned to look at him, eyes taking on a dangerous look, as she stood to her feet,

tears still dancing in them.

"So your just like everyone else, you just called me ugly."

"What!? No, I didn't..."

"THERE IS NO DENYING IT GENKI!!" Angela screamed, her gaze dropping to the

floor. "You hate me just like everyone else, don't you know how horrible it is to be hated

just because of the way you look? How no one ever gives you a chance? Now that I am a

machine I will get revenge on them....make them, regret all the mean things they have

ever said." Angela reached into her pocket pulling out a gun. "All of them....And you are

no different, prepare to die Genki!!"

With an cry of surprise Genki narrowly dodged the bullet which sailed over his head.

Somersaulted backwards, he charged up an energy blast in his hands.

"Angela I hate to do this, but I know that the real Angela would never think about hurting

even a fly, for her I will kill you!" Tossing back the energy blast he struck his sister

making her stagger back bait, but did not do to much to harm her. She aimed her gun

again, this time at the unsuspecting Carrie. The Fernandez gasped seeing the bullet come

towards her, squeezing her eyes closed she screamed, as it hit her in the arm sending her

crashing to the floor.

"CARRIE!!!" Mimi cried out falling on her knees next to the girl, placing a hand on the

bleeding wound, eyes round and wide with panic.

"...Mimi....I'll be ok." Carrie reassured, trying to push herself up.

"Don't move I'll heal you!"

Angela growled aiming her gun again, pointing it at Squall whom turned into a wolf, the

bullet grazing his leg, but not causing to much damage. Weary of the gun however Squall

hesitated before attacking.

"KAMAHA!!!" Genki exclaimed, jumping into the air, aiming his attack downward,

however amazingly dispite her size Angela was quick enough to avoid it and aimed her

gun into the air taking two shots at her brother. One of them struck him in the hip,

causing him to yelp, gripping the wound, covering his hand in blood.

"BUBBLES!!!" Lima screamed, causing water bubbles to surround the area, creating a

thick fog, leaving Angela twisting around puzzled, looking for her enemies.

"COWARDS!!! DON'T HIDE FROM ME!!!"

She spotted a flickering in the corner of her eye, and twisted around to face it, and nearly

avoided being hit by one of Carrie's energy balls, however this was just what Carrie

wanted to do, catch her attention. As Angela turned to shoot the figure of the young girl

whom stood healed by Mimi's magic of her wound, Squall rammed into her side,

knocking her flat to the ground, sending the gun sliding across the floor, where it was

caught by Mimi, whom held it close to herself and away from Angela. With an growl of

rage she dashed forward towards the small fairy-half swinging her chubby arms, but was

not able to reach her as Ryan and Rose attacked, Ryan driving his sword threw her

stomach and Rose threw her back. Angela stood stunned for a moment and slumped to

the floor, bleeding, eyes wide, threw the wounds made they could see machine

underneath. The fog cleared, and with an Solemn look Genki slowly approached the

dying body of his sister.

"Mimi, hand me the gun."

"Genki?" Mimi asked surprised allowing Genki to take the gun from her hands, quietly

she watched as he walked over towards Angela, pointing the gun down at her and

squeezing the trigger, killing her once and for all with the final bullet. The group watched

stunned as Genki allowed the gun to drop, as he pulled the key off the chain.

"......She is now able to rest in peace...."

That was all he said as he pushed past his concerned friends and walked into the hall, in

his mind, who was left out of his sisters? Kasumi, Zusza, Elisabeth, Maria, Leif-fang, and

Lisa, whom will he have to kill next?

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

Tenki smirked, watching the group walk through the halls on a large monitor, putting his

feet up on his desk as he leaned back on his chair. " I didn't know that he had it in him. I

guess he finds death to be a better faith then being a soulless machine. He is really going

to prove to be a nuisance to my plans in the future if he lives though, I have to make sure

he dies and I wont fail in ending his life this time."

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

Though the first three floors of the next floor had easy puzzles like the last, the fourth

puzzle left the group baffled.

"Four blades there be,

Carried by four knights,

whom served the Great King Solomon

The white knights, of virture,

VS the black knights of vice,

One of the four however,

was black in disguise of white,

and lead the white knights to destruction.

The knights of the heavens cry out for vengeance,

and with their swords will slay the traitor,

but their weapons were lost forever in death.

Weapons must be replaced, but not that of the traitor,

for his weapon is a disgrace to hold to them,

and will punish anyone whom place his sword,

within in their frozen metal hands."

Three metal knights stood as if guarding the door. Agreeing to go and search the hall for

the four swords, it did not take long for the group to return, after having to kill off a few

twisted children, with the four desired blades. One was a sword, the other a dagger, one

was a Katana shaped much likes Rose's and one was a knife. Each had been engraved

with the words on the blade "Weapon of one of the four knights." Now the group stood in

a circle staring down at the weapons trying to figure out which one was the black knights.

"I don't know anything about swords." Mimi shook her head. "I don't think I can help."

Genki chewed his bottom lip in thought. "If Keith was still an ally then I bet he could

solve this, I have no clue, this was not the puzzle hear before."

The group turned towards Ryan and Rose.

"How do we find out which one don't belong?" Carrie asked.

"How are we suppose to know?" The two asked surprised.

"Well, you both use kinds of swords so, naturally you both have more knowledge about

these kinds of weapons then we do." Squall explained calmly.

"Hmmm, I guess so." Rose shrugged her shoulders.

"A sword, a Katana, a dagger and a knife..." Ryan frowned looking at the blades. "They

all have white handles, and sliver hilts. I don't have a clue...there has to be a difference in

them that we are over looking...."

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

Suddenly Rose's eye lit up in realization. "That's it! Squall your a genius!"

"Huh?" The man-beast blinked confused, watching as Rose picked up the knife.

"What you said, `We both use kinds of swords' a knife is not a type of sword, and since

the black knight was the different then this must be his weapon."

The group looked at her in amazement.

"Wow!" Lima applaud. "That was amazing!"

"Are you sure about this?" Ryan asked as Rose started placing the sword and dagger in

the hands of the knights, before finally picking up the Katana.

"I'm sure, but if I'm wrong we'll see after I place the last sword now wont we?"

Rose handed the Katana to the last knight and with an silent click the door unlocked but

when they opened it gasped in shock, there was no floor, just a pitch black hole.

"Ehhh..." Carrie's eyes went wide. "What's this?"

"I think it's a big pitch black hole." Lima answered.

"Well duh." Squall rolled his eyes.

"Genki do we go down that?" Ryan asked, gulping, he did not see any bottom.

"I...uh...I guess?" The fighter shrugged his shoulders. "This place has changed quite a bit

since I lived hear, it's Saiyoua's magic, but I don't see any other way, do you?"

The group shifted around uncomfortably.

"Your right." Ryan said after a moments hesitation. "But....I really don't want to go down

there, I guess we have no choice though."

"Well." Genki grinned, summoning his wing. "At least me and Mimi know how to fly.

We'll check to see if it isn't to deep."

"All right."

The group watched as Genki and Mimi jumped down, their wings fluttering to keep them

up in the air when suddenly they screamed, their wings unable to keep them up in the air

as an invisible force pulled them down.

"MIMI!!!"

"GENKI!!!"

The group cried out, watching as their two friends disappeared into the dark pit.

"I'M GOING AFTER THEM!!" Ryan shouted, jumping into the dark pit after his two

friends.

"Your not going down there alone Rya!!" Mara shrieked jumping in after him.

"Well, can't let them go alone..." Squall transformed into a wolf, and Carrie jumped onto

his back.

"I'm coming with you!"

They left an frowning Rose and a trembling Lima behind.

"Oh, yeah that's smart! Let's all jump down in a for all we know could be a bottomless

pit. As if trying to destroy Taromeicka and Saiyoua wasn't going to be trouble enough,

lets go jump down into the unknown for more."

"What!! Hey!!! HEY!!!" Lima screamed as Rose gripped her hand pulling them both

down into the dark hole.

End Of part one of chapter 41