Sacred Validia

(TIME-LINE) - December the 15th 2112 / 3:18pm

[what did all this mean? was this truly the end? damn you Victor for your actions. no, you were not you. i walked all over that hotel suit, thinking on what to do next. Dokuno just left and i was worried about him. something seemed off about him leaving like that. what did it mean? was he even unsure about the situation? gosh there was just countless amounts of questions unanswered]

[Kai] "Lenn, are you alright? do you feel sick?"

"no Kai, i'm okay. i just needed to think about something."

[Kai] "Dokuno, right?"

[Dr. Hule] "he is truly someone of a mystery."

[Madame Leslie] "sir, you have no idea! day one, lets go and mess up my tavern. day two, lets go and collect some precious objects. all the way to... well i lost count, but we're here and fighting the damn world seems like it."

[a knock on the door and a waiter came in the greet us]

[male waiter] "good evening to all. you have a special guest waiting for you down in the lobby. should i send them up to your room?"

[Madame Leslie] "come, come now! who is this person!?"

[male waiter] "it's a young woman, dressed in pure black and fitted with what looks to be strange weapons."

[Kai] "you think it's the Xias?"

[Dr. Hule] "female you say? how many?"

[male waiter] "just one is waiting, sir."

[Dr. Hule] "send our guest up, please."

"that's alot of guts."

[Dr. Hule] "i don't believe its the Xias. females don't seem the type."

"you'll be quite surprised."

[we all waited for this guest to appear. always staying caution, i kept my weapons close to me. few minutes had passed when the door opened slowly and a woman walked in. she was in all black and had alot of weapons on her. like if war had been right outside our door, she was just armed to the teeth and bone. wearing a pair of shades that almost covered her top part of her face. she had a badge on the left side of her black uniform. a large pistol in a holster to her right side. this definitely was not Xias]

[Dr. Hule] "Bella "The thorn" Black, or should i just call you Bel?"

[Bella] "Hule, still playing doctor?"

[Dr. Hule] "used my work on you in the past."

[Madame Leslie] "the hell!?"

[Bella] "the only reason i feel i owe you. Hule here has pulled me out of the grave a couple of times."

"you must be the leader of the faction. the UPB."

[Bella] "yes, i am. and all of you?"

[Dr. Hule] "i apologize for the miss on introduction. this is Lenn, Kai, Ted, and Madame Leslie. behind you is a young lady by the name of Tatiana. we have another, but he has stepped out for the time being."

[Bella] "so whats the plan?"

[Dr. Hule and Madame Leslie sit down with our guest and explain the whole situation to her. she seemed very uncertain about our position, but nods firmly to the knowledge of both of them. i walked over near Kai and stared out the large window. this city was vast and wondered when Dokuno was coming back]

{My palms were filled with sweat. I tried to maintain a straight face as Bella and Madame Leslie were chatting to Dr. Hule. The smell of fresh roses filled the atmosphere as a maid was tending to a few around the room. Okami was away for a long time now, but that could have just been me thinking about it too much. Minutes were as long as hours at this point. Lenn was talking to Kai and checking one of her guns with a rag. I felt like an outcast standing by myself there}

{Kai} "Hey Tatiana, come here. You seem very quiet and chilly."

"I am alright. I'm just thinking when Okami will come back."

{Lenn} "Kai, go and turn up the temperature. It is getting a bit chilly in here."

{I felt slightly better, but the report on the tv was stirring horrible things once again about the creatures. Grim needed to be stopped. What was going to happen. A sharp pain had entered from my stomach and then a knock at the door."

{Dr. Hule} "Who is it?"

{There was no reply}

{Bella and Lenn were the first to pull out their weapons and aim them at the door}

{Madame Leslie} "Well don't just stand there, go answer the door."

{Ted had started walking to the door}

{madame Leslie} "no, no, not you! You know how many life points you got left? Maid, you go and answer the door, quickly now!"

{Bella} "Well if that wasn't just being righteous."

{The maid was very nervous as she walked towards the door and placed her hand on the door knob. Turning it slowly and then opening it fast, while crouching down to the ground. Nothing happened. No one was outside the door. We all stood uneasy and then I tried to sense anyone outside}

{Lenn} "A prank?"

{Madame Leslie} "Please! Don't be ridiculous. A prank!?"

{Suddenly a small, metal capsule busted through the window behind us and a flash, followed by a loud noise erupted. I couldn't see, and I was knocked down by something, or someone. I heard gun fire and screaming from Kai and Ted. I was having a hard time breathing with the smoke and guns}

{Bella} "Shit, I can't see! Come on you bastards!"

{More gun fire flashed throughout the room and I just closed my eyes. With my right hand in the air, I stood straight up and waved it, while the other hand made a thrusting motion. The smoke and capsules were being forced back out the broken window. I tried to be very careful with everyone else and only forced the capsules and three men wearing nothing but black out the opening of the room}

{Bella} "That works, now lets get the hell out of here!"

{Kai} "We can't leave without Okami!"

{Bella} "Why does that name sound familiar? Just follow me, we'll head to my hideout, its not as shiny as this place, but its safe! If your friend is smart, he'll find us."

*As if the world was being held down by the maker's thumb. No one could escape, everyone could feel their last breath coming to an end. We had to make a way towards Grim fast. I stopped by some of the places here, stores that carried med packs and antidotes. I had to get back to the hotel fast, but before I could even finish that thought, News had broke out about the hotel everyone was at was attacked. I paid for what I could remember grabbing and made haste out the store. upon arriving at the hotel, the entrance and exits was being blocked off.

*Woman near officer* "I would like to know what on earth is going on!"

*Officer* "Ma'am, please wait beyond the line for your own safety. We are currently under going an investigation."

*Woman near officer* "More like a cover up if you ask me! What was it? Terrorist!? A bomb? Maybe some creature from that place is here!"

*The woman wasn't going to let off, but it did give me a chance to try and get in. Luke's car was still hanging around the building, so everyone had to still be in there. With an orb in my hand, I released it and let it roll towards the woman and officer. A great flash erupted from it, blinding everyone in the area. This was my chance without letting anyone know about me*

*Woman near officer* "I knew it! I knew it! Terrorist! Oh no, I cant see! Stop them!"

*Officer* "You know I can't see either, Just shut up and go home!"

*Woman near officer* "This is my home, I live here!"

*Inside, I found the place to be completely abandoned. Something didn't seem right. The way the entrance and exits were blocked off, there should be someone here. The air seemed thick, filled with a scent I couldn't quite describe. I took the elevator to the room. Power still was given to the building. As I got to the room, I noticed the large hole leading outside the room. Cold filled the room with no bounds. I closed the door behind me and was back out in the halls. An odor hit me from down the hallway. I thought to myself, no way could it be. Madame Leslie's smoke had left a trail. I followed it to the turns and stairs of the buildings. I ended up in the basement where there seemed to be a wine cellar. Under the wine cellar was a underground tunnel line, but not the sewers. I sure as hell know that even all the dekus in the world couldn't force him to go through that, well maybe if in all the world. I had to keep moving. I patched a device on the wall to let Luke know that we had been moved. He'll know what to do until we come in contact again*

(We were taken through the underground tunnels by Bella. She had shared stories about how this place came to be. How miners would dig underground secret passages and getaways. Everyone was keeping quiet most of the time. Step by step towards the light at the end of the torch-filled tunnel. We were greeted by almost what seemed like a dozen other females of the organization that Bella was in, maybe more. Lenn had been greeted first out of everyone there)

(Dr. Hule) "Well hello there ladies."

(Madame Leslie) "Oh knock it off! Where to now?"

(Just then, all the females, including Bella had their weapons drawn and pointing behind us. The tunnel had a soft howl passing through it. Like wind, but sent a chill up the back of my neck. Bella walked up fast to one of the other women and told her to close the door quickly)

"What if..."

(It was too late. The door was closed tight with a loud, roaring slam)

(Lenn) "We need to get to Cura-fona and fast!"

(Bella) "You don't think we all don't know that? What we need first is a ride. The street level is being patrolled at the moment, but if we head out at the man-hole exit about a hundred more yards from here, we'll end up at my office building, but."

(Ted) "BUT!? What the hell is the but?"

(Bella had been getting contact information through the ear piece she had. It seems that there's an elite Xias soldier standing right on it)

(Madame Leslie) "Great, fucking perfect to know that now. Its the damn hospital shit all over again. Maybe..."

(Lenn) "I know what you're thinking and no! We are not going to have Tatiana go through that again."

(Madame Leslie) "...whatever then."

(Tatiana) "If I am needed, I will do my best to aid everyone out of here..."

(Bella) "Quiet! We aren't alone."

(When everyone tried to go for their guns and weapons again, they were stuck in place, or more like magnetically attached to the holsters. The only one that could really pull theirs out was Madame Leslie. He had that golden pistol out and at the ready. A pack of black scorpion cigs were thrown at Madame Leslie from the darkness)

(Dokuno) "You should really quit, you know that?"

(Madame Leslie) "The day when I own every hotel and tavern will be the day that happens. You're fashionably late, again!"

(An orb filled with a high electric field had evaporated into the air, letting everyone get to their weapons again)

(Bella) "Son of a bitch, I knew it! Dokuno Okami!"

(Dokuno) "Right now we don't have the time to catch up on things. I have a ride. We leave for Cura-fona now!"

"We can't, there's a Xias soldier at the exit we need to get to."

(Dokuno) "Luke has been monitoring us from the start of the hotel, I'll take care of the Xias. Bella, is this your whole team?"

(Bella) "twenty-five here, another twenty waiting at my office. We have to get to my garage and we're out of here."

(Dokuno followed Bella in a fast pastes to the man-hole. There he had us wait down below while he went up top. A minute only went by when he returned and gave us the all clear. I was told to go up first, and as I reached the top, I saw the soldier. He was burned, but not on the outside, but from the inside. Luke was near the wall of the building waiting for us. I got in and then Lenn, Dr. Hule, Madame Leslie, Tatiana, and finally Ted. Dokuno had gotten in the front with Luke)

(Dokuno) "We meet at the high hills of Cura-fona, just outside the barrier!"

(Bella nodded and ran back to her team. We took off and went through some highways that had taken us through a back road that completely bypassed any kind of checkpoint out of the city)

"Cura-fona..."

(Lenn) "Scared?"

"Aren't you?"

(Lenn) "Yeah, but this is what stories are made from."

*Luke* "Heads up, we're near the place, where should I park this?"

"The hills on the far left."

*Cura-fona was a very sacred place. Wars were created here. Heroes come here to die. It was suppose to be the place that held the doorway to Validia. On top of the hills, we could see down on the field of Cura-fona. Chimeras, Hybrids, Demons, all were accounted for and surrounding the great barrier*

*Lenn* "By the maker, its like an abyss of fiends and darkness."

*Dr. Hule* "We aren't going to last a single minute down there. Even with the handful of the team we got, won't be enough, not enough at all. This is a one-way trip, Dokuno."

*I stood straight up and looked down at all of them. Lenn was right, it was nothing but an abyss. My Silver bite is taken out and lifted into the air. The blade howls softly in the bone-chilling air. The last of the sun's rays reflects off of it. Clouds appear and form in the center of Cura-fona and lightning strikes all around. Darkness overcomes the abyss and the hill we stood on*

"All of you know your position, there's no shame in returning home. Hule is right, this could be a one-way trip."

*Madame Leslie* "Well as much as I am all for going home and getting a nice bath, my hair done, maybe a skin refreshment..."

*Ted* "We get it!"

*Everyone looked down with me and knew in their hearts to stay. I could see strength in their eyes. Suddenly the sound of a gun goes off. We all looked back at Dr. Hule holding a small pistol, aimed at Madame Leslie*

*Kai* "Dr. Hule, What, why?"

*Madame Leslie, now on the cold, dirt covered ground looks up in surprise*

*madame Leslie* "Yes, why the fuck did you just shoot me! AND of all places, my god damn leg!"

*Dr. Hule* "I'm sorry, Leslie, I can't let you go down there. I had make sure you go home. I can't have you throw away your life. Now that you are in no condition to fight, it time for you to go home. Luke, please insure that Madame Leslie returns home. I didn't hit anything life-threatening. Just wrap it up and get home."

*Madame Leslie* "You son of a bitch! When I..."

*Luke and Ted had ran to the both sides of Madame Leslie and helped him in the car. He tried to kick and scream at Dr. Hule, as they gentle tried to place him inside and close the door. You could still hear him inside, yelling at the top of his lungs*

*Luke* "You know you could have just told me to lock the doors and kept him in there."

*Dr. Hule* "We're not going to talk about that. Now, lets go and face out fate."

*Lenn* "You suck at moral hyping, you know that!?"

*Dr. Hule* "I wish I had my beauty of a rifle with me, I could pick some off and lure them to me."

*Luke* "Got just the thing for ya, if you please follow me. Just get into this trunk here... Ah hah, got it! Here you go!"

*A trunk full of weapons were on display like some black-market in front of us*

*Luke* "This baby here is sort of an antique, but it still works and can punch a hole in damn near anything! Its a 3rd generation sniper rifle. It has a 10 round clip, I have more clips for ya in the bag right here. A 12x to 20x scope with a read back interface. Thermal imagery. Bipod 660 frame for great stance precision, and even explosive rounds if you want to get a little nasty. I give you the Chypher tec M400 intervention!"

*Lenn* "Holy shit!"

*Tatiana* "What a collection of weapons you have."

*Dr. Hule* "Okay, this will do for now."

*The com-device flickers and makes a signal tone*

*Com-device* "This is Lethany, come in!"

"Read ya loud and clear, actually, really clear."

*Lethany* "Sir, we have your signal and coming in hot! Get ready for one hell of a party!"

*The sound of a massive hum roars throughout the land and the Crimson Flower flies over us. From the north, the Black Lycos, the east, the Jade Leaf, and from the West, the Rock of the West garden appears*

*Everyone jumps and yells in excitement*

*Kai* "They made it, they all made it!"

"They got through to the other gardens."

*A side-by-side line of armored-looking, white and black vehicles, trailing snow and mud into the air, raced towards us. One came right up to us and from the top of it, Bella popped up and saluted us*

*Bella* "Ready to dance with the devil!?"

*Dr. Hule* "Maybe this might not be just a one way trip."

*Ted and Dr. Hule climbed into one of the vehicles, Tatiana and Kai jumped into another, and Lenn and I jumped into the one Bella was in. I grabbed hold of the com-device*

"All gardens, focus your attacks on the barrier itself, break it down and give us a way in! Try to take out as much of the force you can. UPB Break through the creatures and make your way through everything to get to the barrier as soon as the gardens shut it down. Everyone, be careful and pull the hell out if it gets too out of hand!"

*Com-device* "You better come back to us, all of you! This is Kagome, out!"

*The vehicles were equipped with heavy armor and a huge steel-like front panel. We floored it and crushed anything that was in front of us as soon as we hit the base of the hill. I climbed to the top and hacked and slashed away at the creature we passed. Sounds of a heavy weapon coming from Dr. Hule's rifle took out the bigger creature all the way near the barrier. Tatiana sent a wave that pulsed the ground and knocked the creatures off their feet. I noticed something about Kai's staff as he was swinging at them. I got on the com-device*

"Kai, your golden staff is a sun arbitor, it can clear the skies and bring light the land!"

*He lifted it high and the staff created a clear hole in the darkness of the clouds. The sun once again appeared and shined apon the land of Cura-fona, blinding the creatures. We all broke through most of them and found ourselves half-way near the barrier*

*Lenn* "They haven't destroyed the barrier!"

"We still have time, just kill your way through until then!"

*Bella was on the top of the vehicle with a chain-gun and open fired on everything. A bullet hit the side of the armored vehicle, the Xias were trying to fire back from inside the barrier. Vehicles behind us were being taken out. Dr. Hule was making direct shots on them, until there were only those that were firing from the ground*

*Bella* "Teach your asses to take my girls out! Die!"

*Com-device* "What the hell is going on down there!?"

*Lenn* "Who's this?"

*Com-device* "It's Madame Leslie, watching your asses from above. Can't do much from here and wit ha bum fucking leg, but I can tell you that you guys might want to watch yourselves from the east, our messed up friends from the petrified forest are coming in with vengeance! We'll try and cover you from up here! Oh... and Hule, I am so going to fuck you up after all this is done, so don't die on me so I may get to kill you myself!"

*Lenn* "I'm not even going to ask how the hell he got up there."

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

*Dr. Hule on com-device* "He has his ways, probably hitched a ride, or threatened Luke."

"We gotta move, fast!"

*We fought our way through and got closer to the barrier. Creatures seemed to get faster, and bigger. The car was stopped and damn near totaled from the crushing blows we were making. Bella still fired like her life depended on it. Lenn cutting and shooting around us. We were surrounded and I conjured up an orb and made it large enough to be my size. Hurled it up into the air and took the Silver bite and sliced it. The two pieces flew in opposite directions and electrified a large group of creature from the front and rear of us. We continued on through the temporary opened pathway. The barrier was in front of us, still activated. Creatures once again in no time overcame us as we continued striking them down. We jumped out and slashed away at the creatures surrounding the place. Lenn was knocked backed into the side of the vehicle, Bella backed her up as she recovered*

*Bella* "Shit, there's too many of them!"

*The other vehicles came to us and assisted in the fight. The gardens were sending out soldiers and still finding a way to break through the barrier for us. Kai and Tatiana met up with us and kept the creatures at bay. Dr. Hule's was hanging back a bit from the distance and taking out the Xias on the outer walls. Kai was struck by a large two-headed creature to his left and was down, before the creature could make another move, A long saber-like sword cut down the creature. Another beast from behind it was rushing towards Kai, and it gets struck down by multiple blades from the sky. A man and woman dropped down and defended Kai. The man was in a ranger coat and a wide, cowboy hat. The woman was in green with a mask of a black crow*

*Ivy* "Sorry, the blizzard had us at a pause on the way here!"

*Kaplin* "Com'on little fella, get up and don't give up!"

"So I take it they gave him the proper rest?"

*Ivy* "Thankyou, Okami."

"Celebrate later, we have to get into this place!"

*Com-device* "We got it, sir! But only for a short time, Go! NOW!"

*The barrier only opened up at the main entrance. Lenn, Kai, Tatiana, and I went through. As soon as I passed, the barrier was back up*

*Lethany* "From here we're going to lose your signal, it's already fading and it prolly has something to do with whatever is inside. Get in there and take care of that bastard! We're keeping fighting out here. Come back home to us and good luck!"

*Ivy and kaplin were just outside the barrier, they kept fighting as we were in there*

*Kaplin* "It's time for us to repay ya, I tilt my hat and forever in your debt Mr. Okami, or should we still keep it to Mr. Nameless? Go, stop all this crazy shit, mate!"

*We continued inward and even in the surrounding sounds of all the fighting outside, we could hear the laughter of someone deep inside*

[we followed the laughter that echoed throughout the temple like monument. it seemed to get louder as we walked upon the old ancient rubble and half decaying structures. a dark figure that stood on a stage like platform. was it him? the laughter was coming from him. his back was facing us, as he stood in front of an arc way that contained a portal with ripples in it]

"Victor!?"

[Dark figure] "........................hhhahaha."

"stop this at once!"

[Dark figure] "no, no, no.... i can't stop, i won't stop. not now, not ever. and i'm not Victor, no. no... "

[the dark figure turned around in his long, dark, and leather coat. his face was hidden just under the hood of it. he continued laughing from the top of his lungs and then started breathing heavily. he took off his black gloves and then with the left hand, he pulled the hood back to reveal what was underneath]

[Dark figure] "the main event is about to start, and we can't stop!"

[his face was of Victor's. at least half of it. the other half was just nothing but a skull with blood dripping from the eye]

[Dark figure] "behold, Grim-Victor!"

"NO! give him back!"

[Grim-Victor] "he's gone, all that is left of that pathetic man is this poor excuse of a body! i control it, i can destroy it, which is what i intend to do after i have crossed over!"

[Dokuno] "what good will that do!? all you'll do is break this world and never make it to the other side."

[Grim-Victor] "see that's where you're wrong, this world will be destroyed, you got that right, but Validia, sweet fucking Validia awaits me. i will create a new world and with the help of you, Tatiana!"

"I will never help you! Not what you want to do!

{Grim-Victor} "Stop being stupid! You know we can erase all this and build a whole new world. We don't have to ever fight again. Come, Tatiana, come take my hand and I'll free you from all of this right here, right now."

"You're a monster! You just want to destroy!"

{Grim-Victor} "I would have you stop all this and be at peace. To go back home and to see that so-called person you were looking for. They probably don't even realize that you're here, failing to try and save this world. I can help!"

{I created a huge wave of wind. From some unknown direction, it flows and carries dust with it. A chill follows behind and like a wave, it sweeps throughout the place. I just wanted it all to stop. I just want him to shut up and stop all of this. I knew that even after that, it was futile to try and stop something that is already lost}

{Grim-Victor} "That... That is a shame. It's going to be a great loss to destroy such beauty as yourself. To kill the agile gunslinger, and definitely the great Dokuno Okami! Now the real deal is you... Young monk, ready to die? Ready to face death in the eye? To give up your soul and to perish in an instant. Go home, boy!"

(I gritted my teeth and held my staff tightly. So tightly that it felt like the engravings were trying to break into my skin. With one end of the staff, I stamped it into the ground. The staff makes a loud, vibration sound that spreads to all corners of the place)

"I am not afraid! I will face you and damn it, will die trying! I will face you and bring you down!"

(Grim-Victor) "Hahahahah! What is this!? Some kind of script of a hero's dying words!? You are nothing! You will be a sad soul that will wanders the netherworld forever. Your words will not do you justice! I will make YOU fall, and..."

(My staff pounds into the ground once again, and Grim-Victor falls dead silent. I kept my ground and stood firm with an angered expression. He looks at me with the same look that was given to me not but a minute ago)

(Grim-Victor) "You ARE ready to die. Then let me be the one to send you to your early grave. Even a naive boy like yourself deserves to die by my hands. Consider it an honor to die by me, boy."

(My hands, still gripping tightly to the staff loosen up and relax. I stay focus and never took my eyes off him. He walks slowly in the direction of Dokuno, while still staring right at me)

(Why won't they understand? Why can't anyone understand what I'm trying to do. To bring an order to all the chaos. My hands felt like ice, numb and dry. Each one of these poor souls are going to die and for what cause? This isn't saving the world, they're just denying the life they could have. Peaceful and filled with serenity)

- "I could have given all of you a new world, a new experience on life. You could have been kings! Could have all been queens!"

(Like empty vessels of nothing but skin. Their eyes are filled with the lack for life. Each one of these people will never appreciate my gift. I can't leave this world without cleansing all of them)

- "So you would all just throw it all away? Freedom... Power... Immortality..."

(Lenn) - "That's not what we want! That's not what we need!"

- "Kings over man!"

(Kai) - "Not a desire to hold, power and greed brings fear and consequences."

- "To never be frightened of broken promises!"

(Tatiana) - "All can always be forgiven."

- "All of your life stolen... you can't bring it all back. Turn the clock backwards. Start anew!"

(Dokuno) - "..........................................."

- "You know I am right!"

(As I stood there, staring at all of them, I see that I would not get though to all of them. I hear the sound of the boy's staff hit the ground once again. The sound of the naive girl's guns being cocked and aimed at me. Tatiana's eyes were closed as if to reject me and my dreams. Her hands at her sides and a single tear rolled down the left side of her delicate face. The glimmer of the silver blade being pulled out from the one person I could have called brother. The blade echoes a faint howling sound that almost stings my ears)

- "Shame... Lets make this a fight the world will never forget. That all of you can take to your grave and finally be at full paradise in your own way."

(I held my head up high and kept my hands still. My right hand reaches for the large, long blade carried on my back and my other hand reaches for Amanitas. Victor could never appreciate such a beautiful weapon. The back of my long hooded cloak rips as my blades slowly pull away from my flesh. Dripping with desire, they come out hungry. First two, then another four, bringing it to six in total. The thick blood vessel-like strings that attached to each one was covered in blood)

- "I will consume all of you and still make you my kings and queens of my new world."

[i ran left just passed Kai and fired both my weapons at Grim-Victor. He brings all his blades together in the center of him and shields my bullets. Kai runs after me and from his staff, a beam of light, as if the pure sunlight was beaming at him. It could have blinded him, but at the same time it was so bright that I didn't even noticed that a stringed blade was flying towards me. I jumped out the way and continued firing at him]

"over here, you son of a bitch!"

[i jumped high, while executing a back flip out of his bladed attack, counter firing while in the process. Dokuno created orbs that would just push Grim-Victor back, but not enough to make him distraught. A blade makes its way towards me and with the flat side of it, hits me hard to the ground, but roll out of the next sharp sided attack. Tatiana runs and tries to pull his attention away from me and as he briefly looks away, I fire two rounds at his back, but he turns fast and deflects my rounds with both the long black swords]

(I remembered something that master Gon had shared to me. Something about the staff bringing in certain things. Ahhh, what was it, I knew I should have listened that day. Dokuno was trying to get in close to Grim-Victor, but was kept at bay as he was hurling blade after blade at Dokuno. I ran to back up Lenn, but was struck hard by a blade that came towards me so suddenly)

(Lenn) "Kai!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine, concentrate on him!"

(wished I could be more useful. I ran fast out of range of the stringed blades and then tripped. I rolled and nearly hit the wall in front of me. Looking back I saw what I trip over and it happened to be a rock)

"No, this isn't a rock, it's a piece of metal."

(Wait, the metal item I placed in my side leather bag. It fell out and... That's it! Master Gon had shared to me that the staff takes in certain metals, but how do I combine it? The staff pulled the metal away from my hand, like a strong magnet. It reshaped the piece of metal and was forming something on the top of the staff. A thick sharp spear-like blade now sat on the top. I noticed a burning feeling in my palm and dropped the staff. A branded emblem was burned into my palm. It was the emblem to master Gon's temple. A blade came rushing at me again and I tried to pick up the staff to block the attack. Its sends my staff hurling away, but the burning feeling came back, but not as strong. The golden staff circles around and returns to my hands)

"I understand now. Master Gon passed on the staff of Ashura to me. The staff of the eternal star. Lets see what else you can do."

(I twirl the heavy staff around and then with all my strength, throw it towards Grim-Victor and he doesn't see it at the last moment and it severs one of his strings on his back. He goes on a rage trip as the staff returns to me)

{While Grim-Victor was in rage, I ran at him while creating a huge wave of water. It blows past him. He looks at me with anger and hurls his blades at me. From the ground, I rise up two flat pillars of ice and shield myself. His heavy blows break through and I get hit by the shattered ice. I get up and form a another wave, but this one collected the rocks and some debris of the cracked ice around me. I push all of it and it pounds into his body. He takes each one, but comes back at me}

{Lenn} "Tatiana, get out of there!"

{A sword comes swinging at me from above, but was blocked by Dokuno's sword. I am then pulled out of the way and Dokuno stood between us. I try and bring up a new wave while Dokuno runs at him. I force a new one and have it follow him. He jumps out the way and as it passes, he throws an orb of purple light in the wave. The wave of energy mixed with Dokuno's orb hits Grim-Victor and he flies back into a wall}

"Take that!"

{Grim-Victor rises up with the help of his five blades and laughs hysterically at us. With such speed, he vanishes from his spot and goes for Dokuno. Before Kai could come to his aid, Grim-Victor vanishes from his spot and shoulder rams Kai, making him hurl past Lenn. Then before Kai could even hit the ground, he returns right in front of Dokuno and continues unleashing sword blows to him. Dokuno parries each attack, but for how long. I shake the earth ground beneath Grim-Victor to try and throw him off balance, but he vanishes again and ends up behind me. Before I can turn around, he hits me with the handle of one of his black swords. I hit the ground hard and try to recover, while seeing a blurry vision of him going back at Dokuno}

*Everyone was trying to evade Grim-Victor's attacks, but he was out maneuvering us. He seemed like a machine that wasn't going to stop for anything. I tried to counter his attacks as he found his way to go to someone else and then back to me. Kai create a small ball of light, which then changed in size to a much greater size. It made its way towards Grim-Victor and I and separated us*

*Kai* "Dokuno, run!"

*Grim-Victor* "That's it!? I'll rip you apart!"

*I ran over by Kai and before we both knew it, three blades came along and swipe at us both simultaneously. Lenn kept firing bullet after bullet at him, hoping one would eventually hit. Tatiana tried to create a barrier for us. As Grim-Victor tried to break through it, I make my way around him and try to attack from the side*

*Lenn* "Running out of shells here!"

*With a vertical leap, I launch myself from the ground and then rotate myself where my feet hit the ceiling, and then push off from there in an angle. I'm diving downwards at Grim-Victor with my blade just behind me. I strike at him, making him side-step to the corner of the stage-like platform*

- "This is STILL only the beginning! You will not be the end of me!"

(Like a thick cloud of smoke, I vanish and move all over the place. I let out a laugh as I watch all of them trying to find me. Figure out my next plan of attack)

- "I will end you, one by one. I will torture each and everyone of you even after your sweet deaths!"

(I place an attack on Kai, but is deflected by his staff. I then place an attack on Lenn, and she steps back and nearly gets hit. They are a formidable team, but still it is futile to match me! I end up behind Tatiana)

(Lenn) - "Tatiana, get down!"

(I smile at her as she watches me clear up from the darkness of the smoke like atmosphere. She shakes her head slowly as we both looked down to see the Amanitas. It's almost like she never saw it coming, didn't even feel it, until it was just too late. I turn away, while at the same time taking the Amanitas out. I vanish once again into the air)

*Kai* - "Tatiana! No!"

(Dokuno with another huge leap towards her, catches her before she could fall)

- "I told you that I would end each one of you, one by one. It's really a shame she was the first. You can't save her, Dokuno! Once the Amanitas strikes, it's blackness courses through and shuts everything down! Heal-ling warrior, you could never save her!"

(Lenn) - "Hey, asshole!"

(I defend myself from the raging Lenn, while laughing away)

{I hear the laughter of Grim-Victor and the screams from Kai and Lenn as they try to fight him off. I feel warmth leave me and pour slowly away from me. Dokuno held me close and tight. He tries so hard to create an orb, it was warm for a moment, but after that it goes away. Every time he would attempt it, beautiful colors came from within. I reach out to him with my right hand and stopped him from using what strength and power he had left}

"Hey.... Doknuo....?"

{Doknuo} "......................?"

"What did he mean by Heal-ling warrior?"

{Dokuno} "I was saved by a village, a young girl and her family of villagers a long time ago. I place or peace and such beauty. I was saved powers of healing and time. I was saved, by you. By the maker, I am so sorry Tanya!"

"So you're the lone, blue wolf. I get it now, Dokuno Okami. The village gave you that because of your blood. You're an ancient. Even at a young age, you were born way before us. You must have seen so much death. You've changed so much since we took you to our village. What happened to your eyes? You had such beautiful dark eyes. Your hair even lost it's style."

{Doknuo} "Stop talking, please. We're going home!"

{I smiled so hard that it made my cheeks kinda hurt. I've never smiled like that for a very long time. Even after hearing that I had found him. The boy with the promise. The years spent finding him. I never blamed him... I never blamed anyone. Home... home sounded so well to my ears. I cried and hung tightly to Dokuno's warmth as much as I could. I was happy as my vision darkened and the world went away}

* I placed my jacket on the ground and gently lowered Tatiana's head upon it. I looked up to see both Lenn and Kai defending themselves from Grim-Victor as he continued laughing. I stood up and dragged the tip of Silver bite on the ground. As I lifted it up, a howl echoed through everyone's ears. A halt in the fight and Grim-Victor stares at me. He launches all of his blades at me. I evade, block, and counterattack the last two. In the space of evading and blocking his attacks, I conjure up an orb and slam it into the ground. It seeps right into the hard dirt and appears in the ceiling above Grim-Victor. Struck by the orb, he goes into a daze for just a mere three seconds. I roll towards him and at the last moment, he spots me and hurls another blade at me. I roll to the side and then cut through the blood vessel-like string. The blade falls with a heavy thud and the string is brought back into him*

*Grim-Victor* "I was going to leave you last, but I'm going to enjoy having your friends watch you die!"

*With the four last blades he had left, he launches them at both Lenn and Kai. Lenn had just used the rest of her strength on him, judging by her arms. Her left and right arms had the deep shades of purple from the ability to have her guns take her blood to increase their power. Kai breathing hard from all the evading and hard hits he had been trying to block. The blades with a mind of their own circles around and work together to get in closer to both Lenn and Kai. First, Kai gets surprised and then pinned to the wall by two the blades. Lenn struggles to get in and save him. I run over, but Grim-Victor stands in between. Lenn's left leg gets hooked by one of the blades and then tossed over near Kai. Before she can recover, she gets pinned by the last remaining blades*

*Grim-Victor* "Now, to watch you die, to feel pain like never before!"

*Silver bite makes a loud tone as I hit the ground and make a dash attack towards him. He has only his two blades to work with. He can travel even while pinning both Lenn and Kai. I couldn't even strike at his strings holding them. He moves are faster than lightning. As I made a strike at his head, he blocks with the Fusha blade and then attacks with the Amanitas. Both of them were very pwerful weapons. The sounds of A thousand screams erupted as the Amanitas and the Silver bite collided together. Howls, screams, and then sparks of darkness and light in between both the blades*

"Stop this now! You won't achieve anything from all this!"

*Grim-Victor* "Getting scared? Lost your nerve? Okami, you just won't understand. This right here, the feeling of death around the corner, it's the only way to get to know. Soon you'll find out!"

*We both pulled away and came colliding together once more. As I created an orb, he created laughs and blocked it. The Amanitas was spitting out it's black liquid and he used it to his advantage. With a heavy swipe, the Amanitas' body spits into my face and blinds me. I try and wipe it off, but as I cleared it, Grim-Victor comes and kicks me hard in the face. He puts away the Fusha blade and takes the Amanitas to his side and sticks it into the ground. It's blade creates a small puddle around it. His left hand picks me up and the other hand comes and hits me hard. He beats me down to the ground and stands above me*

- "It has come to my attention that you are a worthy adversary, Dokuno! Your powers could be the ideal choice to scar me, but that's just it... To scar me, but never to beat me. You think you and your friends of Gaia protectors could ever stop me. You can only have wishful thinking. Look at you, you're bleeding and coughing it up! No more long stories, just... DIE!"

(The two free blades hover above me and slowly come close to Dokuno's face. His eyes, oh how I hate those demonic eyes. I'll remove them first. I want him to suffer! The first blade backs up and then hurls at him with such force that it pierces through his chest)

(Lenn) - "Dokuno!

- "Watch, see your sad little friend die before your eyes and be my greatest kill! I will drain you of ever last drop!"

(The second blade hurls in and wraps around his neck. He hangs in front of me, still trying to stay strong-willed and well, alive. I squeeze his neck tighter. As I watch the light in his eyes fade away, A scream fills the air. A high-pitch sound that shakes the ground. I let go of Dokuno, but not before taking his body and whipping it to a wall. My blade stands straight up and at the ready, like a rattlesnake shaking it's tail. From just A dark corner of the place, I see two eyes, but in the way of seeing the reflection of the light bounce off them. As the figure steps out from the darkness, I see that it is her)

- "You can't be... Oh, I see now. I miscalculated how your body works. You take and absorb certain materials and manipulate it. In this case, I had awaken your true self with the power of my blade, my Amanitas, and what creates it. The black liquid!"

(Tatiana's body was transformed. All those years we knew what would happen if she was injected with the black liquid, but the Amanitas' coating... it was completely nothing but the darkest ink of it. She slowly lifted into the air and her hair grew longer. Pure blackness in her eyes. Her skin was like glossy black oil. Before I could speak again, a rush of pure energy forced me to take a couple steps back. She lets out another scream and throws me against the old, stone pillar. I pick up the Fusha blade and first make an attack with my blades, but they shattered in the air. I felt my strings burn away. The strings that were holding the blades to Lenn and Kai were also burned away)

- "This... this is what you are... you want to protect everything, but will end up destroying it!"

(Tatiana lands on her feet and releases the pure dark energy around us)

(Tatiana) - " NO! I never wanted any of this! I can control it now, because I see now what I must do! I'm sorry, but not to you Grim, to Victor!"

(With a bitter, deep cold, and then to a scorching, fiery blast of energy, I am slammed hard to the ceiling and then to the floor. I make one more try with the Amanitas this time and threw it like a spear. It flies past her, but still catches her left arm. She gets a direct contact to my face and the skin peels off, what's left of it anyway. I look at her and realize that as much as she said all of that, she still won't be able to control it. The energy stops and I fall back into the ground, noticing that my arms and right leg is gone. Torn away by the blast. My blades are no more, my body is shattered. She hovers over me. I stare at her as she looks down at me like she isn't done. She creates a ball of darkness, and with the last of my will, pull my last bloody string out and wrap it around her. I pull her down to me and smile)

- "Now... we... can be... together!"

(The ball could very well destroy everything here in the place, maybe even outside. I will have my world no matter what. I welcome all the blackness. All the tears of the souls I have collected. I am ready to rebuild my world. Yes, take me to my new world! I am surrounded by the black liquid as she looks at me with emptiness. I tell myself that I can finally let go, before the black oil ate away at my bones. A strange stage of events came over us. First the cold blackness covered us. I felt myself fading away, Tatiana screams through the liquid, and then... white and purple electrical energy, more then ever filled both of us. That was all before I saw a place in my mind, like a tunnel... a tunnel that had a light at the end of it)

(TIME-LINE) - December the 15th 2112 / 6:29pm


THE CRIMSON FLOWER


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(Issac) "Focus all attacks on the area that the creatures are gathering at. Re-route all power to the main plasmas and flush them all out!"

(Gun tech.) "Yes sir!"

(Rasmus) "These readings from the structure are spiking!"

(Issac) "What the hell is going on down there?"

(Female observation member) "The creatures are starting to fall back, sir!"

(Issac) "have we driven them away?"

(Lethany) "They're reacting to the structure!"

(Issac) "I can't even begin to think what the hell is going in there. Lets keep the pressure on these things, make sure they don't have any second thoughts."

(Lethany) "The other gardens are pushing more than half of them away, sir!"

(Rasmus) "Look! The structure is emitting a bright light. It looks like a huge surge of energy."

(Lethany) "It's a wave of electrical energy! It's coming towards us! Ah, it's too bright!"

(Issac) "I can't see anything! What's going on?! Everyone, pull back, pull back now!"

(Lethany) "What about..."

(Issac) "We can't do anything right now, just pull us ninety degrees south! We'll get into another position!"

(Kagome) "It's him."

(Rasmus) "Well if that's the case, he's doing a grand job of making our equipment go nuts here!"

(Lethany) "Hanging back for the mean time then. We'll be back, Dokuno, promise!"

{A hand stretches out to me and grabs mine. It was the hand of a small boy}

"Hello here, little one. What's your name?"

{Small boy} "My friends call me Vic. it's short for Victor! Some day, I'm gong to be a great warrior."

"Victor... you want to be a great warrior?"

{Vic} "Yes, I want to protect everyone I love!"

{This world is the past? It's looks like a very peaceful village. The air was clean and there wasn't any fighting. I walked with the little boy and he led me to his house. He opened the door for me and I stepped in. Inside was a nice little fire pit. Vic ran to the other side and showed me his little toy sword. I continued to stare at the fire and the little embers hovered above it}

{Vic} "Tanya, please don't be mad at me. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to cause harm to anyone."

"Vic, what is this place?"

{Vic} "It's neither the past, or the present. It's a world that has completely stopped in time."

"Why am I here?"

{Vic} "So that I can tell you that you have nothing to worry about. Your world is safe now."

"What about you, Vic?"

{Vic} "I'll be fine. Because now... I'm free. I may be here, but I can restart now! I can protect the people here."

"Vic, I never blamed you. I know you meant well."

{The small boy ran up and held me tightly}

{Vic} "Hey, please tell my Lenny that I love her and that I'm sorry for everything, please."

{He starts to fade away and everything starts to turn into an abyss of white light. I land next to a woman and she smiles at me as I reach out to her to lift her up}

"I told you that I would come back for you when you find your way back."

{Nessa} "Took you long enough! I mean I found so many weird obstacles. I am so hungry, everything was an illusion, I couldn't even find a bathroom or anything. My mind is about to go nuts! Where is that Leslie! I hope he stopped smoking, did he cause alot of trouble? Is everyone else okay, what have I missed!?!?"

{I turned to see the small boy waving at us. I waved back with tears in my eyes}

{Nessa} "Who is that?"

"Someone that's home now."