Fan Fiction ❯ The Goddess Sagas ❯ Darkness Returns ( Chapter 55 )

Sinful Goddess

Squeal to: Shadows Of The Goddess

By: Mimi Sakura

Opening song:

It seemed like it was a dream at first.

You stood so close to me, holding my hand,

But then you took me into an embrace,

and I could feel my heart beating next to yours.

Since that moment, I have been afraid to wake up,

The thought of loosing you, to hard to bare.

To stay with you forever in this dream,

that would be the most wonderful thing.

But now that I am awake,

I can see you smiling back at me,

and I rush into your open arms,

and I hold you tight, never ever wanting to let go.

And then slowly our lips meet,

the feeling is pure magic,

a garden of flowers blooms around us,

as we remain locked in tender embrace,

and wonder if we are still in our beautiful dream

But still as we stand hear now,

I feel as though we are flying threw the air,

your wings covering mine as we fly towards the stars,

it is all so magical and beautiful,

sometimes I find it hard to believe, that all of this is real,

but my love for you is just to strong,

for all of this just to be some wonderful dream.

And even if it's all an illusion,

made up by a lonely and broken heart,

my love will always remain with you,

and only just with you, my first and eternal true love

And as world is illuminated by light,

threatening to tare us from our dream and one another

I reach out my hand

at the same time you reach out yours,

and we pull each other back together.

Dreams are so beautiful (so beautiful)

They are the secret wishes of our hearts,

And in our dreams we will always be together,

as long as we never give up on what we believe in our hearts!

The stars twinkle above, the moon shining bright,

silhouetting two figures as one in the night,

Two figures deeply in love, and never

wanting to let the other go.

And as they gently pull away from each other,

I see that the figures are mine and yours.

And now I know, that even when sun comes up,

and I awake, tomorrow night I will dream again,

and see you standing right hear waiting for me.

Chapter one: The Darkness Returns

An 21 year old woman stood on a cleft side looking over the city of Tokyo. The sun set had colored her dark skin a shade of golden orange, and a slight breeze blew back long white puffy pigtails. Her large pink eyes turned towards a brown haired and brown eyed five year old boy who stood by her side.

"The day is finally hear...I watched this darkness grow all this time, unable to locate where it was coming from...and now it has become so strong, and I still can't locate where it is coming from."

The boy looked up at her and shook his head. "But I still believe we are missing something important and it should be right under our noses."

The girl frowned looking back out at the city, lights were coming on in the city one by one.

"It doesn't look like Oisa is hear, doesn't it?"

".......Maybe he isn't...."

"But....that doesn't make sense!" The girl protested. "I can just feel it hear...!"

"Think about it...does this place look like it's being punished...or...or maybe..." The boy's eyes went wide slowly. "Maybe it's not the planet that will feel the judgment..."

"You mean....?"

".....I think so...."

"But then how? How do we stop it?" The woman sounded worried.

"...........Perhaps.....we have to make the ultimate sacrifice...."

The woman's eyes went wide. "You mean, the goddess stone?"

"Yes." The boy nodded. "But...I'm worried about them though. I just know Oisa will punish them the worst and we need them alive. Not only that but, I want them alive."

"Well." The woman looked back over the town. "Let's go back to Gaia and warn them. Though it's not obvious I can feel Oisa hear on earth. As long as they are a planet away from it, they should be safe."

"Yeah, I hope..."

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

"YEAH!!! HAHAHA!!!" A beautiful young girl howled with laughter as she lunched herself off of the cleft, a pair of pink angel wings keeping her up in the air. She closed ocean blue eyes against the wind with a smile, as her hair blew back in the wind. Short brown that went to her shoulders except for the front which was golden blond and went down to her slender waste. A long peach dress, with brown stitches on the side and large pockets complete with an short sleeved red vest was held thightly around her small body by a furry brown tail. She laid down in the air, just keeping her wings moving to keep from falling, and closed her eyes peacefully.

Another girl walked out into the clearing. Short brown hair cut in a boyish style, and violet eyes looking around herself. At first all she noticed was tress and the glistening lake. Then she noticed the shadow and looked upward spotting the other girl.

"Angel, your father wants you back at house!" she called up.

"Ohh....why?" Angel whined childishly.

The other girl folded her arms over her large chest clad only in a very short and tight yellow tank top which said the words `Fight' in big red letters on it. The pair of red knee shorts, the bottom outlined in yellow also hugged tight to her body, showing off her figure. Unlike the flying girl, she was not a modest dresser.

"Everyone else has arrived and they would like to start the picnic."

"Awww....I was having so much fun...." The girl slowly began to lower herself, never removing from the position she was in.

"I don't see what is so fun about flying....Up in the air, walking on the ground, what's the difference?"

"Pan..." Angel whined. "Your really no fun at times, you know?"

The recently just turned seventeen year old frowned as the sixteen landed in the water, floating on the cool surface, sighing contentedly.

"Now, see you've just gotten yourself all wet." Pan shook her head in dismay.

Slowly Angel allowed herself to be submerged. Pan blinked, and looked over into the pond worriedly as the other girl did not come back up.

"Angel! Angel! Hey c...come...this isn't funny...!"

Suddenly the winged girl popped up from the surface and put her arms around Pan's shoulders pulling her in. The older girl cried out in surprise as she tumbled in with a loud splash.

Angel laughed as Pan came back up, gasping for breath.

"Angel!! Oh, that wasn't funny!"

"Yes it was, you should of seen the look on your face Pan..." Angel chuckled. "It was so funny."

Slowly Pan's frown faded and a small smile formed on her face as she shook her head. "Your such a child."

Angel smiled, giggling as she splashed the other with some water. Pan chuckled slightly and splashed her back repeating again the words.

"Such a child...."

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

Back at the house or rather Ryan's orphanage, the whole group along with their children and families were gathered. Each had aged and changed over the progress of eight years, sixteen since Saiyoua and Oisa was destroyed.

Ryan had aged, but was still far from old still being only thirty-three. His blonde hair had dulled somewhat, and laid limply to his chin, the top was a little spiky, but it was mostly straight. Like his hair, his clothes had also become somewhat duller, being only a pair of blue jeans and a white muscle shirt.

Mimi at the age of thirty-two still looked to be in her twenties. Her pink hair went to the middle of her back, and though all her bangs and most of her hair was hidden behind the nun hat she wore, one could see she still kept it will brushed and taken care of. Though black was not really Mimi's color her nun dress fit her slim figure like a charm. She had grown taller, but not by much.

Parfait was twenty-six years old, and though she hated the fact, she looked alot like she did when she was Hikari, except...nicer...sweeter....she did not have the look of pure evil on her, not the dark fashion sense. She was wearing a long jean skirt with golden buttons running up the middle and a simple orange colored tank top, her red hair done up in a fancy pony tail, golden loop earrings shimmering in the sun light.

Squall, though the same age as Ryan looked a bit older, having a few wrinkles hear and there and a small beginnings of an beard and mustache. His hair going down to his shoulders, covered by his old jacket he still wore to this day. Underneath his wore a thin red shirt and a pare of loose leather pants.

Lemon on the other hand, dispite his short boyish hair cut, still looked the same as he did sixteen years ago. Guess that was the luck of being able to choose what age he wanted to look like. However, looking like a thirteen year old, made strangers think that he was Squall's child instead of lover. The only other thing then his hair that had changed about Lemon was his taste in clothing. He was wearing a tight pair of red jeans, that outlined his body a bit to much for modesty, but unlike his pants his pale gray long sleeved wool shirt fit loosely enough to make his outfit look not showy. Right now his pale skin was covered in a thick yet invisible coating of sun screen, and a pair of black sun glasses shaded his violet eyes. The sun had began to become more of a problem over time to his new fully vampire body, which is one of the reasons why his clothes became so covering. Robes just exposed to much skin.

The other two lucky enough not to change that much since their newly wed days was Carrie and Colt, whom looked much the same then they did eight years ago. Carrie still wore glasses and her hair was still long and tied back. Faint makeup touched her face and nails. Her clothes a white blouse underneath a tight, opened light blue shirt. An regular, knee length blue skirt hugged her shapely hips tightly. Colt, his hair was cut short, and wore a simple pair of gray sweat-pants and baggy orange shirt.

Rose's hair had been cut to her shoulders, the ends of it streaked blonde. She wore her wrestling outfit to the picnic, and gotten yelled at by a few of the group whom had young children at the picnic. Her wrestling outfit was a pair of leather shorts so tight and short, and a black shirt of the same fabric and make, that both of them could be classified as panties and a bra. Over the shirt was a sliver vest, with cow-boy fringes. Her gloves and boots were also sliver and also covered with fringes. Rose had just shrugged them off and had sat down, not caring if she would be giving the little boys from the orphanage their first glance at a almost naked woman.

Lima must of been the one age had been hardest one, at age 37, her short blonde pony-tail had streaks of gray in it and her face had become some what wrinkled. She was not unattractive though her looks were fading. Over her fragile looking body she wore her usual type of dress, this one was green with pink flowers. Beside her was her husband Gabriel. An serious man, but kind hearted enough. His shoulder length, curly black hair had dulled and had gray running threw it, and had a couple of wrinkles, most hidden under an small and well trimmed beard and mustache.

All of them spoke with each other while their children were doing their own thing. The children of the heroes they were all very different from each other and in many cases from their parents.

Raifan, the third oldest of the children, Pan and Angel being two years or and an year older then her, was setting on the ground under a tree, reading an large text book. Her dark face was set in a monotone expression, glasses shielding her blue eyes. The sun made her long, waste length black hair shiny and beautiful. She was dressed in her school uniform, a long brown skirt, the end of it a darker brown, and she wore a brown sleeved vest over an white blouse, an a red tie. Raifan had grown up to be a mean version of her father. She was very snobby, mean, short sighted and thought that she was better then everyone else. None of the other children really liked Raifan, because she was always bossing them around and so she was always by herself, not that she seemed to mind. She really just did not seem to care about anything but her studies.

Her fourteen year old brother, blonde hair, brown eyes, Gau, was completely opposite of her. He hated books and anything to do with studying and was also a socialite. He had a big mouth and was always flirting...right now he was flirting with two girls whom stayed at the orphanage, and was doing a good job getting their attention.

Lima's youngest child, eight year old Lilli was setting on the ground, playing a little children's game with Lime and Ein. Lilli was a cute, innocent looking child whom had large blue eyes, little blonde braids tied with large pink bows, and a pink Sunday school dress, tied in the back with an large red bow. She was very kind, warm hearted, but...had an IQ of a cotton ball. Lime, the eight year old son of Squall and Lemon, looked just like his mother, except for his gray eyes. He had short blond hair cut in a bowl-cut, girlie and sweet looking face, pale skin, fangs, and sliver bat wings. He wore a simple pair of loose pink shorts, long rainbow colored socks, and violet tank-top. Just as Lime acted like his mother, he was sweet like Lemon too, but...was very quite and very shy. Neither Squall or Lemon knew where he got his sensitivity and easily hurt feelings from, since neither of them were ever really bothered by little things like being teased.

Ein was eleven, but was very bratty and immature for his age. He was a handful for Carrie and Colt. He was always playing pranks, running off, yelling, refusing to do things and believing himself to be an adult. He was dressed cute in a pair of brown pants, white shirt, brown coat with matching boots, gloves and cow-boy hat, but...when you got to know him, the sweetness was just on the outside.

"I wonder what's taking Angel and Pan so long to get back?" Ryan frowned.

"Ah, don't worry bro." Parfait was touching her face up in her powder mirror. "I'm sure they'll be hear soon."

"They are the best of friends." Lemon added with a smile "They are probably just hanging out."

"Yeah...I guess...." Ryan was still frowning. "But, I'm still a bit worried...."

"You worry to much!" Lima giggled. "What's the worst that could happen to her?"

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

"Ryan, relax a little ok?" Carrie smiled. " It's nice that you care about Angel so much, but you can't worry you self sick whenever she is out of your site."

"Carrie's right." Colt agreed. "Angel is a growing girl, she needs time alone and time to hang out with her friends."

"I guess...."

"Hey." Gabriel spoke up, his voice being of the inquisitive type. "....Have you ever told her about her mother, yet?"

Gabriel was a friend of Ryan's, he was easy to talk about things to, because no matter what he always seemed interested but, the man was just to damn curious about anything involving the goddess. He suppose it must be a fascinating topic for someone...who hadn't fought against Saiyoua. Right now, Ryan only wanted to forget about goddesses for the time being, but even so his mind never drifted from Ruto for long, if at all, and from the knowledge that Angel still did not know just who her mother was, and what she was.

"....No."

"Ryan!" Lemon looked at him shocked. "You mean you never told Angel about Maya? Why not?"

"....." Ryan looked down at his feet guiltily. "I did not want to cause her grief....I don't want he knowing she is part goddess, and that....she has those....cells inside of her. I told her about the reason why she looks part demon, but left out the whole goddess thing part of it. It probably did not make much sense to her but she seemed to accept what I told her...I did not mentioned Ruto because.... I just...don't want to upset her."

"Brother...." Parfait shook her head. "You'll have to tell her one day."

"I know." He sighed. "But she is just so full of life...so happy now, I don't want to see that happiness fade..."

"Hmmm..." Mimi frowned at him sympathetically, then looked around spotting a few of the orphanage children playing happily. "They all seem so happy....You must take really good care of them."

Ryan smiled, grateful for the change in subject. "Yeah...I don't have alot of money...but I take care of all of them the best I can...and they all seem rather happy dispite the lack of toys and beautiful clothes. Well..." He looked a little sad for a moment, glancing behind him towards the house, where a girl, no older then his own daughter leaned up against the side of the house, an expression of grief plastered on her freckled face. Pale blue eyes looking forward as though they were in some kind of trance, limp almost black brown hair that reached the tops of her shoulders darkened her face with shadows. A slight breeze ruffled her knee length black dress, the white shirt she wore under it was dirty. Both articles of clothing, even boots and gloves she wore looked old. The only thing that looked shiny was the chain belt she wore around her waist.

"She came hear when she was fourteen." He explained. " She has been like that since that day she arrived. Always so sad and upset...she sometimes sees things and cries...something terrible had to happen to her...I don't know...but what ever happened to her deeply affected her...poor girl. I only know her first name...she wont tell me anything else...maybe she doesn't even remember. Her name is Ayane."

"Oh, poor girl." Parfait commented sympathetically.

"......She kind of reminds me of myself....no past...lost and afraid." Ryan shook his head. "I think maybe we should go get Angel and Pan, it'll be night time before they get back to the house if we leave them on their own."

Lemon smiled. "That's for certain! Lime, honey, can you come hear?"

The little boy glanced at his mother from where he played with his friends. "Yes, Moma?" he asked, voice raspy and a little on the feminine side.

"Could you go get your sister for us?"

"Yes mom." The boy nodded, dashing off into the woods.

"Lilli coming to! Heh-heh!!" Lilli giggled, dashing after the little boy happily.

"Ok, Lil, come on!" Lime laughed, taking her hand, helping her run.

"H...Hey!!" Ein growled, jelouse as he took after them. "Wait up!"

Lima chuckled. "Hey, I hate to assume things but I think that maybe Lime and Ein has a crush on my daughter."

"Now, Lima." Gabriel shook his head. "They are much to young for that now."

"It...would be a...interesting combination." Squall said thoughtfully, while Lemon just laughed.

Carrie shook her head. " Well...if that is true, either way Lima your going to be stuck with a grandchild that is Human/ Man-beast/ Elf, or Vampire/man-beast/ elf."

"Wow...I'm starting to wonder what that would look like." Lima giggled loudly, as did the rest of the group.

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

"Hey..." Angel began, looking up at Pan with a smile as she laid on the ground, having just climbed out of the water.

"Yeah?"

"....Don't you think it's cool that...our parent's saved the world? That they actually saw angels and goddesses? I wish I could go on a adventure like that."

".....Whatever." Pan hunched her shoulders. "I believe that my father was a hero....but mom? I don't know about that one."

"Pan." Angel frowned. "You should not talk so about your own mother! Lemon is such a nice person...I don't see why you always talk about him so mean..."

"I don't know...guess our personalities clash. He's just to...sweet...to perky...to....I don't know....I don't get along with mother. Maybe if he'd act more like a man, more serious then perhaps....but all he acts like is some kind of woman wannabe."

"...." Angel sighed. "Pan...you should appreciate your mother more....your lucky to have one. There are many kids at the orphanage and even myself that never even knew their mothers." she looked away, into the water, staring at her reflection sadly.

"Uh...Angel...sorry, did I hurt your feelings?" The she-beast asked concerned, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Uh...no." The younger girl shook her head. "I was just thinking..."

"About what?"

"My mother....father never says anything about her. He told me why I look part demon...but he never explained to me about the wings...I look at myself, and pick out my father's features and look at what's left behind trying to see if I can see what my mother could of looked like. I want to know her but...." She shook her head slowly. "It pains daddy so much to even think of her...I don't want to hurt him...I never want to hurt him."

"Hmmm...I heard my parents mention a woman named Ruto...my mom calls her Maya...from what I heard she died and that she and Ryan were very close...but that's all. Maybe this Ruto or Maya person is your mother?"

"....Maybe, but a name....a name is not much to go by."

"Hmmmm....."

"Sis!?"

Pan turned towards the voice and scowled, seeing her little brother and his two friends approach them.

"Oh look, it's the rug rats. What do you little brats want?" she folded her arms, meanly.

"Uh...Pan...Moma wants you and Angel back..." Lime said timidly.

"I guess I've been keeping father and everyone else waiting, let's go!" Angel smiled, getting to her feet when suddenly a pain flashed threw her head, and with a cry she clenched the side of her head painfully.

"Angel!" Pan exclaimed startled, rushing to her side. "What's wrong? Are you all right? What happened?"

"Miss. Angel? Are you ok?" Lime asked worriedly.

"Do you need a aspirin?" Lilli blinked.

"AHHHHH!!!" She screamed again, pushing away from Pan, both hands now gripping either side of her head. "T...The pain...I...it hurts me!"

"Lime, Dammint! Use those little wings of yours and fly and get us some help!" Pan cursed, helping lay Angel onto the ground, where she gasped for breath, still whimpering out with pain. Without a word he obeyed and flew off quickly towards the house.

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

Ayane gasped, freezing, eyes growing wide as her already pale skin dropped a few shades.

Ryan looked upward startled, in the back of his mind her felt something flicker, then a agonizing pain flow through his body. With a gasp he fell to both of his knees, startling all of his friends, ending the conversation at once, the talisman of light that dangled around his neck shimmered brightly as though wandering something away from him.

"Ryan! You ok!" Mimi exclaimed worriedly, falling on her knees beside him.

"Big bro!?"

"...I...." Ryan choked painfully, forcing himself back to his feet. "I feel something...something evil in the air...something familiar....it's....I felt this darkness before..."

Squall's eyes snapped opened wide. "Could it be.....?"

"What Genki had said before....the....the new evil...he had talked about before he died?" Carrie asked frightened.

".....But! That can't be, Saiyoua was destroyed." Gabriel protested.

"Ahh!! What is that!?" Raifan dropped her book, and pointed up into the sky, eyes wide, mouth open in both scream and awe.

The group followed her gaze, and all felt dread, horror, panic and pure fear fill them to the point in which they were to shocked to even breath. Up above them, looking as though at any moment in time it could crash was that bitter thing in which they saw eight years ago....Oisa.

"NOO! How! How can this be happening!?" Ryan screamed, eyes growing small.

"Oisa....what is it doing hear?" Mimi cried, taking a step or so backwards fearfully.

"Colt...I'm scared...please hold me." Carrie was almost sobbing, embracing the man, burying her face in his shirt.

"I thought we had won...." Rose trembled, frightened.

"After all we went threw...it came back...how...? Who summoned it?" Squall asked numbly.

Lemon fell to his knees. "....It's like a nightmare..."

"No not again! Please not again!" Parfait screamed, crying into her hands. "I thought it was over...Dammit!!"

Gau looked up at Oisa, feeling his knees turning to jello. "What....What is going on...?"

"...N...No..." Ayane whimpered, crawling back fearfully, fingers digging into the ground.

Ryan's eyes went wide. "ANGEL!!" He began to dash forward into the woods, when he almost crashed into Lime.

"Ryan! Oh! Angel she collapsed, she's by the pond and..." He looked at the group confused, seeing them all looking up into the sky, he followed their gaze and frowned. Everything looked normal to him.

"Um...What is everyone looking at?"

Ryan had already taken off into the woods, in search of his daughter, but the rest just turned to him confused.

"Lime, don't you see it?" Squall asked slowly.

"See what, daddy? The sky? It looks like a nice blue sky to me..."

The group exchanged confused looks before looking back at the boy in confusion, who just blinked back at them puzzled.

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

"What the hell!?" Pan gasped, looking up into the sky, seeing Oisa. "Is that...? What the fuck is that!?"

"Ohh..." Angel opened her eyes weakly. "Oh my....what is that thing? It looks so horrible! Ohh....." she groaned gripping her stomach. "It hurts..."

"What's is what?" Lilli blinked, looking up at the skies and smiled. "Oh look at the birdies!"

Ein raised an eye brow. "....Were you sniffing dope out hear or something? There is nothing up there!"

Pan stared at them almost bewildered. "Are you crazy or just blind!?"

"Angel! Angel!" Ryan screamed running into the clearing, pushing aside the two children as he landed on his two knees beside his daughter.

"Angel! Are you ok!? Are you all right!? What's the matter!?" He asked, trembling all over.

"Daddy..." She whimpered. "Something is hurting me....It hurts...alot!"

"She just collapsed, does it have something to do with that thing in the sky? What the hell is it?" Pan demanded.

"....Oisa."

"WHAT!?"

"There is no time for explanations. Let's get Angel back to the house."

"All right..." The older girl nodded watching as Ryan left she turned towards Ein and Lilli. "Ein, bring Lilli back to the house...I want to go home for a moment and get something...I think I might need it...if that is really Oisa up there..."

"...O...Ok. Lilli, want a ride?" Ein looked at her strangely, glancing back up in the sky, seeming confused. Just how....how could he really not see anything up there!? The elf seemed a little confused but was smiling as always. Could they really couldn't see it?

"Sure! Heh-heh!" Sure she laughed, hopeing up onto his shoulders merrily.

Pan watched as Ein transformed into a blue wolf and dashed off into the woods the little elf on his back.

"Either both of them are blind or...." She looks up at the sky. "....Or the rest of us are crazy. How can they not see that thing?" she shakes her head. "I better get moving." closeing her eyes she transformed into a blond wolf and took off in the opposite direction.

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

"What the fucking hell is that doing back up there!?" Rose swore, smashing her fist into the wall.

"Rose!" Ryan hissed. "Angel's just fallen asleep be quite!"

Rose glanced at the girl who laid on the bed limp and breathing heavily. "What's wrong with her anyway?"

"It could be her cells reacting to Oisa's power...I can't think of anything else....I don't want to loose my only child to that dark monster like I lost....!" Ryan got up and left the room, a pained expression on his face. Rose showed no reaction, taking another glance at the girl she followed him down the stairs.

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

~Dream~

"Hmm...what? Where am I?" Angel frowned looking around herself, staring out at a huge lake. "....What a beautiful place..."

She began to approach the water as though in a trance, with a smile she knelt down beside the docks....

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

"Pan..." Lemon looked worriedly. "Ein, she said she was going back home to get something...probably her weapons....I'm worried what if there is something out there? Squall I'm going to look for her, ok?"

"Lem...I'm not going to let you go out there alone, I'll come with you."

"No...you stay hear with Lime. I'll be all right by myself, besides, if...if someone attacks it'll probably be hear and your one of the strongest fighters we got. They'll need you hear."

"......" Squall looked uneasy about this decision.

"Hey...I'll be fine." Lemon smiled weakly. "I can just summon my scythe if I get attacked, kay?"

"I'll come with you to get Pan." Gau offered. "She's so cute! No problem! If we get attacked I'll fight and destory all the baddies!"

"You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag." Raifan sniffed before poking her nose back into her book.

Lemon laughed quietly. "See Squall, it'll be fine! I wont be by myself! We'll be right back, ok?"

"....All right Lem...Becareful."

"I will." Getting on his tiptoe toes Lemon gave Squall and gentle kiss.

"Gau, don't get careless." Gabriel frowned.

"Please, watch yourself out there." Lima gave her son a kiss on the check.

"Ah! I'll be fine, besides." Leaning forward he whispered. "It'll give be a chance to impress the ladies, and Pan."

Ryan and Rose came down stairs in time to see Lemon and Gau leave the house. Mimi noticed him and answered.

"They are going to go get Pan...I hope they'll be all right."

"Yeah...we better get down to business though and try to figure out what is going on." He said seriously.

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

Raifan sat outside, hands resting in her chin as Lime, Ein, and Lilli sat next to her.

"Damn...stuck out hear with little kids. Why not let me listen to what they are saying...and...what the hell is that thing? It's....it's frightening. Is it real...? Maybe....it's a hologram? Or..."

"What are you talking about!?" Ein demanded. "There is nothing up there, it's just a normal sky!"

"A pretty blue sky, with lots of birdies and fluffy clouds!" Lilli smiled widely, staring up at the sky.

"Actually...it does kind of look different..." Lime studied.

"You think?" Raifan looked at them as though they were crazy.

"Yeah." The vampbe (Vampire/Man beast) smiled dreamily. "It looks alot prettier..."

"WHAT!?" Raifan shirked, pulling away from them. "Were you sniffing something or what!? The sky is not beautiful, it's horrible! A fiery black meteor hurdling towards us! You call that pretty!?"

The three children exchanged confused looks.

"Sis, Lilli don't see anything weird up there, Lilli think Raifan is acting silly!"

"Don't call me silly, cotton brain! I know what I see!!"

The younger elf's eyes began to water and she started to cry loudly, the two boys cast angry glares at Raifan and comforted the little girl. The elder just ignored them and stared up at the sky, worriedly.

`Or maybe there is a reason why they can't see it and we can...but what? What could it be?'

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

Gau looked up frowning at the sliver bat that flew quickly ahead of him.

"You seem really worried, you know Pan can take of herself."

The bat looked down at him, and transformed back to lemon, landing gently on his feet. "I know she's tuff...but....I'm worried. I don't want her hurt. She is too head strong, she rushes into things to quickly."

Gau hunched his shoulders. "You know she'll just yell at you for coming after her."

"I know but...." Lemon looked sad. "I just want to make sure she is all right...even if she gets mad at me."

"Hmmm...."

The two of them continued to walk forward for awhile, the fallen leafs from the tree cherishing underneath their feet. They had to pick their steps carefully as to not trip over a tree branch which laid concealed for it was very dark out and it was hard to see.

"Wait one moment." Lemon froze. "Gau..."

The elf looked nervous from the sudden look of confusion and fear in the vampire's eyes.

"What?"

"Look at your watch, tell me what time it is?"

Gau frowned, looking at the time. "It's...." he turned pale. "It's 2:35 Pm....and the sun...." He looked up, eye brows going up in surprise. "...The sun is up in the sky?"

"Huh? What the..." Lemon looked up at the burning orb which was not concealed by Oisa. "Your right, the sun is up...but where is the light...This is getting very confusing...I wonder....Ahhhhhhh!!!!"

Gau jumped startled and twisted around to see the vampire falling to his knees, landing onto the ground.

"Lemon!?....uhhh...." He took a step backwards frightened as he saw several creatures...looking like the form of rotting women stalking towards him, flesh hanging off of their bones, holding long huge spears in their hands. "What are those things!?"

"Owww..." Lemon forced himself to his knees, blood flowing from a wound in his back. "Ahhh....they look like....like giant dogs...and tons of different people....all bleeding and stabbed...some are burned and...."

"What?" Gau looked puzzle. "That's not what I see...but guess that don't matter...I guess we fight, huh?"

"Well....duh." The vampire looked at him as though he was stupid and summoned his scythe.

Hesitating a moment out a fear, Gau reached for the bow and arrow he always kept at his side...mostly only to show off his archer skills to girls, he never thought that when he brought them they would be used for a real battle.

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

Pan strapped on her weapons. While she used her fists to strike, she was a fan of using items to make her attacks more brutal. On her arms she would strap on light blocks which had large metal spikes sticking out of them. She would strap a block on each arm, and on her leg she strapped her large hunting knife. Running a few fingers threw her hair she took off outside. She also noticed the sudden darkness, and began looking around nervously. She felt something...

"YAHH!!" She shouted, twisting around, throwing her fist out into the air, she batted away a creature that came flying towards, the spikes she had strapped to her arm ripping right through it. It fell to the ground and began to bleed, shivering violently before dying.

"What the fuck....what is that?" She said with disgust looking down at the remains, it looked like a...like a creature with four legs and no head...it was...weird. She sniffed the air.

"There are more of these things and that scent...Mother and Gau....hmmm....they'll need help." She partly transformed into a wolf and on all fours dashed forward.

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

"Argh!" Lemon cried out alarmed as he nearly avoided getting struck by one of the spears. He brought down his scythe chopping the creature in two. Gau stood at a distance attacking with arrows, shooting the creatures that came after him. Bringing his hand up into the air the vampire slashed one of the creatures across the throat, before sending a kick to it's side, twirling around he sliced the heads off of three creatures which came after him.

"Lemon! They keep coming! OW!" Gau hissed, gripping his shoulder as the spear ripped threw his shirt, cutting his skin. He was surrounded, but even though Lemon was a better fighter the girlie boy could not go to his aid for even more baddies surrounded him.

"Gau!" He called out worriedly, twisting around to look at the boy to see if he was all right, but the movement caused him to be hammered to the ground.

"Le---Ahhh!!" The younger boy whimpered shielding himself with his arms as the beasts ripped his skin with their claws.

"Uh...YAHHHHH!!" Pan leapt threw the air, sending her two feet smashing into the beast which was attacking Gau, sending that one crashing into it's freinds, sending all four of them meeting the ground.

"Oh...uh...thanks Pan." The elf looked a bit embarrassed, being saved by a girl. Especially since it was the one he wanted to impress.

"Your a man, can't you save yourself?" Pan looked at him disgusted before turning to Lemon, who had reached his scythe and chopped creatures head off that was attacking him. He slowly pulled himself to his feet, and smiled widely at his daughter.

"Oh! Pan! Your ok!"

"Of course I am. What did you think you were doing coming out hear looking for me?" She scowled angrily. "I can take care of myself!"

"Panny...I know your strong and....but I don't want you hurt...as your mother I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Well, I'm fine, ok, mother." The girl glared. "I don't need you to poke around my business, I'm not a little girl anymore!"

"Pan, can't you see when someone is worried about you? I worry just because I care...*gasp* Panny look out!"

"Hu--ahh!!"

Lemon jumped forward pushing his daughter out of the way when out of the ground black vines appeared, wrapping around his body and suspending him up in the air. He whimpered trying to get loose, by the vines held him in a painful grip.

"LEMON!" Gau called up to him frightened.

"M...Mother!?" Pan trembled shocked.

"I...Ahhhhh!!!!" The vampire screamed as some kind of dark power filled the vines and electrocuted him until he was to weak to struggle.

"I'll get you down from there!" she screamed dashing towards the vines but was thrown backwards by an invincible forcefeild. She looked back up at her mother from the ground just in time to see the vines pull him downward underneath the hole it made into the ground.

"M...Mom!" Pan crawled towards the whole and looked down into a deep dark void, she could not see anything, but before she could even consider jumping in there after her mother the black void vanished leaving no trace of it's self, the vines or Lemon.

"Oh...shit..." Gau was trembling all over. "Is...he....dead....?"

Pan ignored him and knelt down beside the hole, lifting up he mother's scythe it which he had dropped when the vines had grabbed him.

"...C...Come on Gau, let's go back to the house...the others have to hear about this."

"...A...All right."

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

"But where do we start looking?" Carrie asked. "We have no idea what to do...the goddess stone was destroyed....Ruto...is gone...the sword of light is no longer with us, it turned into energy in the last battle...what do we do....? Where do we go from hear? I mean...we don't even see any bad guys...all we see is Oisa."

"But someone had to summon it, right?" Gabriel reminded. "We need to find this person."

"But even if we did." Rose shook her head. "Oisa was not destroyed when we defeated Saiyoua...."

"We can't just give up, we need to do something." Mimi protested.

"...What can we do?" Lima sniffled.

"She's right." Colt looked pained. "How many of us got hurt and lost our lives in the last battle? And it was all for nothing....Oisa is back...are we going to fight and have our friends die again, just for it to come back?"

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

"I can't believe you all are already giving up!" Ryan hit his fists down on the table. "What did Ruto, Mara, Genki and Alex give their lives for last time? For us to give up now...!?You can decide to not fight if you want to but I'm going to go and find out who summoned this thing."

"I'll come with you Ryan." Mimi offered. "I...I wont let Genki down...he asked us to fight...so I will."

"....I'll fight." Squall replied. "...I don't know how Lemon will take it...he might not like the idea...and he may not want to fight but, I'll fight."

"Yeah...what are we...cowrads?" Carrie said in a shaky voice. "I'll fight too."

"As will I." Colt put his arm around his wife, holding her close. " I learnt years ago that we fight because we live, and I want us all to continue living."

"Hey...I never gave up fighting...so...why start now. I'm in." Rose added.

"I can't let all my friends go and put themselves in danger, I'll come as well." Lima smiled weakly.

"....I'm not a good fighter and all, but, I refuse not to be there for my wife. I'll stick by her in this battle."

"Thanks Gabriel."

"Ok." Ryan smiled. "That's all of us...well, we'll see what Lemon decides when he gets hear, but I'm sure he'll fight too."

The door opened, Gau walked in, looking behind him worriedly at Pan who came in after him.

"Mother wont be fighting..." She spoke lowly, having heard what they said from the other side of the door.

"What!?" Squall looked at her horrified.

"He....I think....I think he was...killed." Pan handed her father with a shaking hand Lemon scythe.

Everyone was in silence as Squall took the battered weapon in his hands, staring down at it in shock. "P...Pan...what happened to him...is his body....where is he!?"

The She-beast shook her head slowly. " This black vines came from underneath the ground and grabbed him. I tried to get him down but I was thrown away by a forcefeild. Before I had another chance to move the vines pulled him underground into a dark void of some kind."

Squall was trembling. "Take me to this void, maybe...maybe he's alive down there!"

"No...dad...the void closed, it's just solid ground now..."

Squall sobbed, falling to his two knees, holding the weapon close to him. "L...Lemon...!! You said you'd be all right...."

The door opened again, and rushed in Lime, looking around frowning. "Daddy, where is Moma? Did he go looking for Pan with Gau?"

Squall trembled more, and choked back a loud sob.

"Daddy?" The little Vampbe(vampire/man beast) looked frightened.

"...Lemon....Lemon's gone Lime...he's...he's...gone."

The little boy just stood there for a moment before his eyes welled up with tears and he fell onto his knees sobbing loudly, burying his face in his hands.

"....Lemon..." Mimi sniffled. "I can't believe it...."

"I don't want to believe it." Colt shook his head. "Lemon was not the strongest out of us but...he was strong...how could something so effortlessly kill him? Why didn't he sense it coming?"

Pan looked at the ground with a pained expression, though Gau knew what happened he did not say anything.

"That does it...whoever is causing this...will pay..." Ryan clenched his fists angrily.

"DAD!!!" Raifan ran into the house, falling on both of her knees.

"Raifan!?" Lima gasped worriedly, while Gabriel dashed towards his daughter.

"What is it, honey?"

"MONSTERS!!! EIIII!! OUTSIDE!!!" She trembled, one hand clenching her knee which was bleeding from a horrible wound.

"AND YOU LEFT EIN OUT THERE!?" Carrie shrieked, as did Lima only shouting Lilli's name as both women and their husbands ran outside.

Ayane came down the stares, pale face drawn, eyes small in fright.

"What are those things outside..." She shivered. "I'm so scared..."

"Ayane, can you watch the other children hear? We're going out to take care of those creatures." Ryan asked, looking at the scared girl who stood on the steps. She nodded, nervously, and politely.

"...uh...o..ok. Becareful."

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

"Ein what are those?" Lilli asked a little frightened, holding on to the boy.

"I don't know...they look like...big black shadowy creatures, I can't see them well..."

"Maybe they, want to play?" The elf asked.

"They attacked Raifan..."

"Yeah, but!" Lilli giggled. "Riafan's mean, let's go play with them!" the little girl dashed forward, followed closely by Ein. She grinned looking up at one of the shadowy things.

"Hey! Hi!"

The creature looked at her threw blazing red eyes but did not attack or do anything.

"I said, HI!!!" Lilli shouted at it again, still getting the same response.

Ein frowned curiously and reached out a hand, touching it. "Weird...I feel something...but at the same time, I'm not touching anything."

"Weird..."

"EIN!!!"

"LILLI!!"

The children's mother's exclaimed horrified as they saw their kids standing right infront one of the twelve creatures gathered. The other's in the group ran outside and stopped in horror at what they saw. At any moment they expected to see the children devoured for lunch. But instead the monster's jumped over the little children and began to attack them instead.

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

Ayane sat at the table silently, Lime still crying on the floor, setting next to his mother's weapon. Raifan, sat huddled in the corner.

"I want to fight...I want to help daddy..." Lime sniffled, picking up the weapon, weighing it in his small hands.

"It's too dangerous." Raifan frowned. "A little kid will be chopped up to bits!"

"...He'll be fine." Ayane suddenly spoke, a little to calmly for comfort. " They aren't after him..."

"Huh?" The elf blinked at the human girl confused.

"You sure...? Well...ok! I'm going to go help my daddy, and my friends!" Lime grabbed the scythe and dashed out of the house.

"HEY!!" Raifan growled. "You do know you probably just sentenced a little kid to death, right!?"

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

"Hey answer me!!"

"..........I she a good girl?"

"Um...that's a boy, but yes...Lime is nice, but what does that have to do with anything!!"

"....Were you attacked?"

"Of course!! Those things are blood thirsty! Never mind the fact they look like crippled and twisted infants!"

"........So that's what you see...."

"Huh...eh...you must be crazy, your not making any sense, leave me alone..."

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

Without any weapons Ryan had to rely on his fists but that wasn't doing him much good, he was being slashed at and wounded painfully by these creatures that kept on coming at him.

Parfait continuously sent power blasts of wind, sending the beasts crashing against tress or torn to pieces by the sheer pressure.

Carrie and Lima attacked over and over again with her magic while Colt, Pan and Squall teamed together in wolf form and did their best to try and finish these things off.

Mimi attacked with the Rose sword Genki had given her years ago, she was glad right now that she always kept it with her, but the weird thing though was that it seemed to had increased greatly in power over the years, even though it went unused.

Gabriel, clumsily attacked a few of them, but was not a fighter, and was quickly thrown out of the battle. His son Gau was doing better at least, with his arrows.

"DADDY!!!" Lilli covered her eyes as one of the beasts pinned him to the ground with a foot, and opened it's mouth ready to strike. "TRY!!" She cried, extending her hands, sending out a magical blast in the form of a triangle which struck the beast, throwing it away from her father.

"Lilli!" he looked towards her, with a soft smile. "Thank you."

"DADDY, LOOK OUT!!"

"Huh!?" He turned around, noticing a deep darkness surround him, like a mist engulfing him. "....!!" he did not have time to scream as the black fog devoured him.

"DADDY!!!!"

"GABRIEL!!!" Lima cried, eyes filling with tears, when suddenly the dark mist appeared around her and devoured her as well.

"MOMMY!!!" Lilli threw her arms around a terrified Ein sobbing.

"What the hell is happening!?" Rose cursed watching the disappearance and possible death of two of her friends.

"Is this what happened to Lemon?" Squall asked Pan in a painful growl. The she-beast answered back in a yelp.

"No...vines got mother.."

The three wolves dashed forward to attack once again, but their three targets suddenly spit at them some kind of burning acid, which caused them to back away painfully.

"DAD!!" Lime screamed, jumping infront of his father with the scythe as one of the creatures got ready to attack him again.

Squall turned back to normal, eye wide with fear. "LIME!!!"

The beast however stopped in mid strike and turned away from the boy, dashing towards one of the other members of the group. The other two wolves changed back and looked at each other confused.

"Daddy! I'm scared!" The little boy cried throwing his arms around his father. "What are those big black shadows!?"

"S...Shadows?" Squall looked puzzled.

"Wait..." Pan began. "I see things made out of legs...slimly skin...no heads...Gau however, when we were attacked out in the woods saw women with skin peeling off of them. What do you see dad?"

"I see..." Squall looked back out at the monsters. " I see beasts...something like a mixture between a big bare, a wolf, human, and...tons of teeth."

"What? I see...I see, creatures that looks almost like tables, but with tons of teeth and skin made of fur." Colt commented.

"Huh? This is damn weird!" Pan shook her head. "Why is it we don't see the same things...whatever, it doesn't matter right now. Lets keep attacking!"

"Lime...stay away, I don't want you hurt!" Squall demanded.

"But...!"

The man-beast looked down with a pained expression at the scythe the boy held in his little hands. It was now more then ever that his son's resemblance to his mate made his heart ache. Was...was Lemon really dead? He did not want his son dead to..

"Go." Squall ordered.

"...All right...I'll go get Lilli back into the house then!"

"Ok son, hurry and becareful!"

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

Angel began to breath heavily in her sleep, tossing and turning rabidly, sweat rushing from her face. She groaned and mumbled painfully in her sleep, before finally screaming out in agony, a bright glow surrounding her body.

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

"What the..." Raifan's eyes grew wide, spotting a flickering in the stairway that lead to the attic in which Angel rested.

"...." Ayane began to tremble and suddenly dashed out the doors, leaving Raifan alone and puzzled.

"H...Hey! What is that light...? I think it's coming from Angel...hmm...maybe I should get out of hear, but...then again those creatures are out there, ohh...what do I do?" the elf looked around worriedly. " I guess the right thing to do would be to stay hear with the children. Yeah...that's what I'll do....it's more safer in hear then out there anyway."

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

Lime, Ein and Lilli made it to the doors of the house, but turned to look at their families and friends fighting, they could not bare not to. The twelve beasts that had been out there had been killed many times over but they continued returning back to life strong and healthy while the group kept on getting weaker and weaker.

"MAGICAL ORBS OF LI--" To weak to finished the attack Carrie began to fall backwards in a faint when vines suddenly came up from the ground snagging her.

"MOM!!"

"CARRIE!"

Ein and Colt rushed towards the vines panicked, but like Pan was unable to approach them, the forcefeild stopping them from saving her.

"Someone! Help me, please!" Carrie begged, pitifully hanging suspended up in the air.

"CARRIE...." Colt cried out again, leaping forward only to get stuck by dark light, and like Lima and Gabriel vanished into thin air. Ein was left shivering and crying as his mother was pulled under ground into a dark void with a screech and disappeared.

Squall froze, eyes going wide. "Vines, vines like that Pan? Is that what got Lemon....? Carrie and Colt....they can't be dead...Lima...Gabriel....." he shook his head. "Who is doing this!?"

"RYAN!!!" Parfait screamed suddenly as Vines reached up from under the ground, latching around her foot and began to pull her across the ground, towards a black void. Her eyes wide in fear, arms reaching out towards him.

"Parfait!!" Ryan cried dashing forward, trying to grab her hand. At first the forcefeild made him flinch back but the talisman of light shimmered allowing him to grab her hand. But it was more of a mockery in disguise as a blessing for the vines tugged tighter, and as he was attacked from behind by one of those nightmarish creatures, her fingers slipped from his and with a scream she was pulled under.

"NOOO!!! PARFAIT!!!" He screamed dashing towards the void after her, but it vanished leaving him only hitting the ground. "PARFAIT!!! No...not again...."

"NO---!!!" Rose's startled cry caughth his attention and he turned around just in time to see her vanish in the horrible dark mist.

"All are friends!! No!!" Mimi cried out, falling to her knees sobbing. Gau and Pan was frightened to say the least. They had just witnessed a group of twelve of the old heroes go down to three in less then a hour.

"What the hell is happening..." Pan shook her head. "This is just to..."

"Mom...and Dad, what happened to them?" Gau's eyes were wide, bottom lip trembling frightened. "What happened to everyone...are they all....dead...?"

"I don't know....DAD LOOK OUT!!!"

Squall jumped startled as he heard his daughters frightened cry, but before he had time to move he felt vines wrap around his waste and pull him under. Under with the rest of his friends into the deep darkness of the void.

"DAD!!! DAMMIT!! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!!?" Pan cursed, falling on her knees on the ground where her father had vanished.

"Daddy...." Lime bit his lip as he watched from the house tears in his eyes. Ayane had come out a little while ago and was holding the trembling Lilli and Ein close trying her best to comfort them, though one could hear her own teeth chattering.

"Look..."Gau suddenly spoke, pointing at the monsters which were beginning to vanish into thin air. "They are retreating."

"Why? Why now....when almost everyone is gone..." Ryan cursed bitterly.

"Ryan...." Mimi held his hand, trying to comfort him but felt her own tears sting her eyes. "We are the only ones left...."

"Everyone!!" Raifan opened the door, almost throwing Ayane and the children off the porch steps. She ran outside, the children of the orphanage following her. "Something is in the house! I got the children out, but...I couldn't even approach the stairs to help Angel, something is stopping me from being able to go up there. Some kind of dark light. I don't know how to describe it but the sheer power coming from it is unbelievable!"

Ryan gasped, breath growing short. "ANGEL!!!" he screamed pushing past Raifan and into the house.

"Angel!!" Pan cried out more calmly, following him inside.

Mimi clasped her hands together in a silent prayer as she stood outside, being left alone

with Raifan and Ayane to take care of the many confused and some crying children.

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

Angel groaned painfully opening her eyes. She blinked rapidly in confusion as she sat up.

"What happened? How did I get hear? Hmmmm....my head...." She closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples as if trying to ward away the headache, but a noise in side of her head sounded like metal being drug across the floor. Wait a moment...was The nosie really in her head....or....?

She opened her eyes startled and gasped in fright, she began to crawl backwards in her bed, watching the figure that has so scared her through large ocean eyes before screaming out in pure terror.

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

Ryan and Pan gasped as they heard Angel's terrified scream. The man growled, clenching his fists and tried to dash up the stairs when he was tossed back by some kind of powerful magic into the wall. Pan was not going to let that scare her and tried to go up herself but like Ryan was also thrown backwards, away from saving her friend.

"There has to be some way to get up there!!" Pan hissed.

"ANGEL!!!"

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

"DADDY!!!" Angel called back, hearing her father's desperate cry and jumped from the bed, backing away towards the wall. Away from the creatures. There were two of them, and they looked identical to each other. Each had a strange head dress that looked like a giant red pyramid, or at least she thought it was a head dress. There clothing was a white color that had long turned brown with dirt and sprinkled with rust and blood. It's hands were gloved, but one could see huge claws underneath. The only thing different up them was their weapons. One held a massive metal knife which drugged heavily on the wooden floor. The other a long and savage looking spear, held in a position that would make it easy to strike at any time with. Shivering with fright Angel slid across the wall, back pressed to it as she tried to reach the stairs. The Pyramid heads were coming towards her slowly from either side, and running between them would leave her getting struck in both sides with each weapon.

"G...Go...away...." She said fearfully. "G....Go away...now!"

The beasts still continued to come towards her, leaving her to behind to panic. She glanced over at the stairs from where she could hear her after her and Pan screaming her name. Not knowing why they weren't coming up to her she screamed out fearfully.

"HELP ME PLEASE!!--AHHH!!!"

She threw herself out of the way as the spear tried to strike her. She rolled on the ground for a few moments before pulling herself to her feet. The voices down stairs were more desperate now, she could hear the panic in them. Seeing her chance she dashed towards the stairs but before she could even start down the first step she was grabbed by one of her spiky blond pigtails and held up into the air by the Pyramid head, wielding the knife. She closed her eyes thightly, awaiting the pain. Pain did come but not in the way she expected it. The sound of shattering glass filled her ears, followed by a grunt when suddenly she was dropped to the floor.

"Oww...." She whimpered setting up, but did not have time to think as someone grabbed her hand, forcing her to her feet, and pushing her behind them, and forcing her to back up towards a window. A samurai sword was held protectively infront of her and she finally was able to take a look at her savior. Pale blue hair done up in high pony tail that reached the middle of his back, dark brown almost copper skin, dark blue eyes, wearing a simple pair of black pants and T shirt that hung loosely off his muscular body. Angel gasped, putting her hands to her mouth in surprise.

"Your...."

"Long time no see Angel, but now is no time for chit-chat, listen to me...where getting out of hear from the window, ok?"

".........A...All right...."

"Ok...FLARE!!!" The room was lit up in a bright light and Angel felt herself pushed, next thing she knee she was falling, and being to stunned she did not have time to use her wings but the man held her closed to him, shielding her from the force of the ground as they slammed into it.

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

As the force field disappeared Ryan and Pan rushed up the stairs only to catch a quick sight of the two Pyramid heads vanishing.

"Angel....?" Pan walked around the room, looking for her friend.

"Angel!!" Ryan cried out desperately, heart racing.

"Relax! Look...she's out there...wait...is that...." Pan blinked looking out the broken window, spotting the man, clenching her teeth in an angry snarl she growled. "It is!! It's Leon!"

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

Mimi had rushed up to Angel relieved, and after checking if she was ok, turned to the man thankfully.

"Thank you so much for saving her! But...who are you?"

Angel smiled at Mimi, before turning to the man. "It's...Leon...but...." He expression became confused and sad. "What are doing hear...? Where have you been so long...?"

"Angel." He spoke in a deep yet young voice. "It's not business where I was. There are more important things now."

"But...."

"ANGEL!!" Ryan cried out, running outside, swooping his daughter up in a protective hug. "Your all right!"

"Leon saved me, daddy. What is happening?"

"I don't know sweet-heart... Leon, is that really you?" Ryan turned towards the man who bowed politely.

"Yes."

The blond man smiled lightly. "Thank you for saving her."

"It's the least he could do after what he did to her before." Pan scowled, crossing her arms. "You shouldn't thank him at all!"

"Pan, you haven't changed at all." Leon commented. "Since we were kids you were always such a bitch."

"YOU...."

"Pan...I'm sure he had reason for leaving....but...I'm glad he's back...." Angel smiled weakly.

"But..." The she-beast looked unsure of what to say.

"Thank you for your forgiveness Angel. I'm sorry I left you all those years ago, but that is not what matters now. I came back hear only because I felt that you were in danger. No other reason."

"I....I understand." Angel looked hurt. Ryan held his daughter close as though to comfort her.

"What should we do now?" Mimi asked. "Is there anything we can do?"

"There has to be...but...first...Angel...take this." Ryan removed the talisman of light from around his neck and handed it to his daughter who looked back at him confused.

"I don't know why...but I have a feeling it may protect you. Besides, I would feel more at ease if you had it with you."

"....Daddy...."

"We may have to begin a journey...if only we had something to guide us."

"....A journey...." Gau mumbled. "I guess....we all are in?"

"New and old fighters for the world. I will fight." Pan said solemnly.

"Me as well...hey...I always wanted an adventure." Angel force a weak laugh, but knowing it was useless allowed a sad look to dawn her face instead.

"I really scared...but...I wont let those beasts get away with what they did to my parents." Raifan chewed on her lip in both worry and anger. "Besides, you'll need my brains."

"I suppose I will fight as well, what did I come hear for?" Leon commented.

"...I promised Genki I would fight again...and I will." Mimi gazed down at her rose sword, sadly.

"...We want to fight to!" Ein along with Lime and Lilli suddenly exclaimed, approaching them, serious looks plastered on their faces.

"What!? We're not letting let kids come with us! It's to dangerous." Pan snapped.

"I'm NOT a little kid!" Ein argued.

"Lilli wants to come!!"

"No! For once I agree with Pan." Raifan wrinkled her nose. "You'd just get in the way!"

"Hey...!" Lime frowned. "We don't want those beasts to get away with what they did to our parents either!"

"....Ok." Ryan gave in.

"What, Daddy, they'll be in danger!" Angel exclaimed surprised.

"No...I don't think so. Never once did those creatures attack them...and none of them can even see Oisa."

The rest of the group pondered this until Ayane walked up to them, eyes downcast, sounding almost shy. "C...Can....I come along too? I can see Oisa up there as well and I don't want to be left by myself, I don't want to be the only one left behind that can see it. Please let me come...I don't want those creatures to attack me when I'm by myself."

"Ayane..." Angel said comforting, knowing the girl quite well, and being friends with her on some scale. "Daddy, can she?"

"Yes, if she can see Oisa then I think it's best."

"Thank you, very much."

"But...who'll watch the children?" Mimi frowned, looking back at the gathered group of orphaned children all standing around puzzled.

"Hmmm...Keele, Himmie!" Ryan called to a fifteen year old boy with short messy orange hair and red eyes, and a squirrel girl with blond hair, brown skin and a long tail. The oldest in the group gathered.

"Can you two watch the younger children while we are gone."

"Sure thing!" The boy Keele exclaimed.

"Take care, Ryan, please come back and be safe, you just like a father to us all." Himmie had tears in her eyes.

"Himmie, thank you for saying that." Ryan smiled. "We will come back, I promise."

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

A boy with black hair reaching his knees and a long red trench coat stood outside on the street, eyes brows furrowing in the confusion as he stared up at Oisa.

"What is that....? Strange...that thing shows up so soon after father disappears...but what doe sit mean...so many people, especially the children do not even see it. What is it that makes some see and others don't...why do I see it....?"

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

Ryan stood, leaning against a tree. They had walked a few miles, seeking to try and find some answers in the nearest village. Rumors, anything would be helpful. It wa slate and many were tired so they settled down to rest. But Ryan found that rest for him just wouldn't come.

"After all we went through, the death of some many people and friends...and the death you Ruto...after all that it happens all over again. Why....why can't we just live in peace. Didn't we suffer enough for this world already? Why must be fight again. Why?"

"Ryan..."

He twisted around startled to see Mimi staring at him concerned, she walked over the him, but was not really focusing on him and instead she started to speak. "There is not a day that goes by that the memories of that day don't haunt me. I can still remember Genki dying...the memory plays over and over again in my mind and even though it has been sixteen years since that day...the pain is still so fresh. I can understand just how you feel. We both lost those we truely loved. But that is why we can not give up, to give meaning to their deaths we have to save this world. Genki asked me to fight again just before he died...and I will, for him."

"I will fight for Ruto to. I wont let her of died for nothing."

A beat of uncomfortable silence passed between the two of them, before Ryan turned to Mimi, suddenly frowning. "Mimi."

"Yes?"

"Could there be a reason why only us were left behind?"

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

"Look out!" A small voice screamed, and the two twisted around to see a five year old child dash through the tress.

"What...?" Ryan blinked, before feeling a shadow appear behind him. Both him and the fairy-half turned around, see the two Pyramid heads. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, before finally the creatures struck both of the remaining hero's with their weapons. Ryan with the sword, and Mimi with the spear. However instead of falling to their knees in bleeding heaps both disappeared in a flash of black light.

"No!" The little boy cursed as he watched the two Pyramid heads vanish along with their newly captured flesh.

The woman with the white pigtails came up breathlessly behind the boy, having ran after him. She shook her head. "We were to late."

"Aria...." The little boy shook his head looking up at Oisa. "What is going on hear....?"

"I....I don't know...but whatever it is....it's deadly."