Terranecare Saga Chapter Seven v1.0 By Sqrfrk sqrfrk@hotmail.com (I enjoy comments, so drop me a line!) My Rants If you think the chapters aren't making any sense at all, rest assured-it does. It sounds a little confusing, but it will all come clear at the end... For example: (I'm assuming that you read the preceeding chapters) (1) Elle: What are you talking about? Dark Gaia is dead! Besides, we were out to resurrect him! DG: ...belive whatever you want. I only want to....KILL YOU! (2) Elle: Can that be the seal...? Where did you get it? Kumari?: Ummm...I found it... Don't worry-I completely planned it out for it to make sense. This chapter should bring some light on these confusions. (By the way, I still tell the difference between unknown people by how many ? they have in their name.) *** Chapter Seven: Neo Sigma Alpha *** Crysta, now turned to rubble-is deserted and destroyed. Elle's last experience with Death Gaze wiped out the entire village. ???: Awaken... A dark blue light flashed out of the sky and circled its way around Crysta. The dust of Death Gaze mixed in with the sand, as the wind carried it around Crysta. It was impossible to sift the black dust. ???: Wake from your sleep... The blue light found its target. It swifted down from the sky onto the sand. Waves of blue came out, and the ground Crysta was on shook. ???: Pull yourself together... The black dust that was mixed into the sand rose up, as if it were being magnetized. All the black was carried up. Not a grain was missed. The cloud of black was engulfed inside the light, and gathered up into a single space. The light shined, and a new body was formed. Neodeath Gaze: I will kill you...Elle... "He" rose his hands as if it were grabbing something, and an dark black scythe formed in his hands. Neodeath Gaze was no longer in a cape. He looked completely black, with metal straps binding his body together. NDG: I...will...kill...you...!! As the unpure being floated in the air, he flashed through the sky, moving with a blinding speed. ???: Foolish idiot... *** Elle and the rest had found a farm patch, with enough vegetables to sustain them for the journey. They set camp there so they have time to stock up. Meilin: Elle...can I ask you a question? Elle looked up from her temporary harvesting. Meilin: Back there...at Crysta....you said the Dark Gaia was near. How do you know that? Elle looked a little confused. Elle: To tell you the truth...I don't know. I just had this strange feeling and sense when I was at Crysta... Yomi zipped in. Yomi: Hello little farm girl. I'm guessing you have a problem? Elle frowned at Yomi. Elle: Where were you back there? You could've at least helped me? Yomi snickered. Yomi: I zipped out in the hole. But I did see what you were doing, and it didn't seem like you needed help... Meilin inturrupted. Meilin: Yomi...? Where is the Dark Gaia? Yomi just floated there, like a sack of jelly. It did answer though. Yomi: Last time I saw the Dark Gaia, Ark was bashing his face in at the Gaia Stone. Elle: Gaia...Stone? Yomi: Yes. It's a mysterious place inside this world's sun. It's a neverending corridor representing the ages of the earth. Elle: And the people in this world who are done with what they are here for...are those crystals, right? Yomi: Exactly. Perel stood up from his vegetable picking job. Perel: There's one problem. If the Gaia Stone is in the sun, then how do we get there? I mean, it's not like we can warp up there or anything. Kumari?: Wrong. Kumari also stood up. He wasn't picking very well, he was off in his usual trance. Kumari?: I am, after all, the Light Gaia- Kumari gave out a short, unnoticable shudder...unnoticable to all except Elle... Kumari?: And just as the Dark Gaia teleported Ark there, I can take all of you there too. Elle gave Kumari a strange look. Elle: Elder...are you all right...? You've been acting sorta strange ever since I went to talk to you in Lhasa... Kumari?: Hmmm? Oh, I'm fine, thank you. I'm just getting over seeing you in your battle like glory...that's all... Elle thought for a moment. Elle: (What kind of cheap excuse is that? But then again...he has been observing everything I do what the most closest attention...) Meilin: Okay Elder...let's go! Kumari shook his head. Kumari?: I'm...a bit tired. Let's go tommorrow, when the sun's up. That way, we'll be ready for anything. Anything? Perel: Okay Elder. Then let's finish our picking and go to sleep. And they did. All except Elle. Elle: (...I wonder....Who is Kumari...?) *** Kumari?: Okay...Are we prepared? Everyone nodded. The crystal sun broke through the shining clouds. After a bit of trouble from Perel waking up, they all got prepared. Elle: Elder, what do we need to do to get there? Kumari?: I need to find a beacon of energy so we can zip through the air and into the sun. Have any ideas? Yomi zipped in from its short sleep. Yomi: I remember Ark traveling in the underworld to five towers to ressurect the continents of the world. I'm guessing that a continent weighs a couple hundred trillion tons and since the towers brought them back, it should have enough energy to take us through. Meilin: Let's go then! Using the instructions from Yomi, they traveled off toward one of the towers. As they walked, they saw the destruction around them, all caused by the Dark Gaia's death. But they saw a strange sight... Perel: What the heck happened? The trees and ground all were black, and it seemed that it was either melted or burned. A sign can be seen on the floor in front of them. Elle: What is this sign...? It was humongous. Perel: We can't see it while standing at this angle. We need someone to fly up and look at it from the sky. Elle had a grin on her face. They all looked toward Yomi. Yomi: OHHH NOO. I'm not going up. It's dangerous. Besides, with my wings, I can't fly up that high. Elle slowly tip-toed behind Yomi...and then... Yomi: I've made up my mind. There's absolutely no way-AHHHHHH!!! Elle grabbed Yomi, and gave a small toss into the air. Then, using her spear as a bat... *CRACK* Yomi: I'M GONNA KILL YOU ELLE!!!! Yomi flew up, and while falling back down, it looked at the sign. Then Yomi lost its purple color. Elle ran and caught Yomi...but Yomi was shaking... Elle: What is it Yomi...? Yomi: A message...A scythe was burned into the ground, and above it has your spear...broken... Elle frowned. Elle: A scythe you say? Kumari?: It looks like... Elle: That bastard's come back... They kept moving, walking over the sign left by their...messenger. The foliage all around them was either burned or cut. But they didn't have to look at it any longer. Yomi: The tower... It was a massave building, but the countless ages it suffered through had left it cracked and broken. Yomi: Ark went to the highest point in the tower, into the navigation room. Elder, since you're a Gaia, you should be able to channel energy from the point of the tower. Elle: Well then, let's- Elle's senses had picked up. *whoosh whoosh whoosh* Elle: (Wait a second...Oh SH-) PEREL!! DUCK!! Elle took a quick jump and landed on the floor. She then pulled at Perel's legs. He tripped and was dragged on the floor. But when his head came down, a glimmer of light trimmed the top of his cap. Elle looked up, and the glimmer began to lose speed. It took a form as it spun slower and slower... Elle: A scythe.... The scythe spun and neared to a stop, then it was grabbed by a black hand. Elle stood up, and had her back against the being. Elle: I thought I finished you back there... NDG: I don't think so. My master has revived me...but for only one purpose...TO KILL YOU!! NDG flashed and reappeared with a clang, as black steel met red metal. NDG: You are strong...but you are still human. You cannot begin to comprehend who or what I am... Elle: Yes I can. You are a ruthless bastard that has no honor...hurting defenseless people... Perel frowned. Perel: (So that's what happened...) Elle: And for that, I'll make sure you'll be destroyed beyond recovery or recognition... Elle dissapeared and reappeared behind NDG, and moved like liquid. She struck his black body. Then she reared back and was about to stab him when... NDG: Hahaha...give me a little more credit... NDG flashed foward and turned about face. NDG: I've finally figured it out. Why paralyze you...when I can control the people that you care about...! NDG waved a hand, and thrust it up. Perel had felt a cool shock in his body... Perel: (What the hell...!!) AUUGGGHHHHH!!! Perel turned beyond sleep. He blacked out. Elle: Perel! What happened?? Perel rose his head...And his eyes were blood red... NDG: HAHAHA!! Let's see you get out of this! Kumari?: I wonder how she's going to get out of this... Elle: YOU BASTARD!! I'LL KILL YOU!! Elle flashed foward and was about to thrust a fatal blow...but stopped before it reached its mark. Elle: GET OUT OF THE WAY PEREL! NDG: He can't hear you now. So...I'm wondering how you can solve this problem? Are you going to kill him...? HAHAHA!! NDG raised his hand, and dropped the scythe. Perel caught it with his controlled hand. Elle: YOU COWARD! YOU HAVE TO HIDE BEHIND MY FRIEND? NDG: Oh this is sad! You try to intimidate me? I expect better from a heroine! NDG flashed behind Elle and gave her a hard punch on her back. Pain surged through her. Then Perel spun the scythe and knocked her on her chin with an upward blow. A black imprint of the haft of the scythe was burned on her skin. Elle bit down her, and did a little manuever. She dissapeared and came out of the spot by landing two feet away from them. NDG: This is getting really boring. Perel-finish her! Perel switched directions, and flashed toward Elle. Elle: Forgive me...Perel... Elle zoomed foward and struck him in the stomach. He fell foward, but flipped and got right back. NDG: He has no sense of fear or pain. He's the ultimate warrior. So you only have one choice-kill, or be killed... Elle took a sprint and switched the spear with the sharp side foward. It went right for Perel's throat. Elle: I have another choice... Perel still ran, not acknowledging the current situation he was in. Elle: TERRA STUN!! Elle flashed right pass Perel, and he was immobilized. Then, while her back was against his back, she went into a fury and struck him on the back seven times. The blunt end of the spear was used. Perel's eyes cracked through the red, and he nearly fell to the floor, except he was caught by Perel. Elle: I don't have to kill him...I can just knock some sense into him. NDG moved down. NDG: Then I guess I'll have to kill you myself! He flashed foward and landed a hit on Elle's side. The scythe didn't dig in very deep though. Elle: I though you were better than me in skill... And NDG realized it. His scythe slightly stuck in her side, and he was wide open. Elle took advantage of this, and struck NDG on the head with the flat side of the spear. Elle kicked him backward. NDG zipped foward, but dissapeared. Elle: You've already tried that...don't you think I see that coming...? But instead of reappearing in front of her, a blur of NDG's images whirled around her. NDG: Maybe....maybe not. You see, I learn attacks and assimilate them with my own special ability. You've never seen this before...because I saved this for the most absolute moment... NDG closed in, and engulfed her. When he closed in, his whirl opened back up into a circle again. Elle: AHH... Elle spat out blood from her mouth. Her outer layer of clothing was cut up, and bruises were all over her body. NDG kept whirling, and Elle stared at a daze. NDG: You see, I move so fast that every image you see seems like a physical body. So you get hit by every single one... Elle: (I'm in trouble...I only have one shot to hit. If I miss...then I'm finished...) Elle looked around... Elle: (C'mon...there has to be something different...wait a second!) NDG's images all moved foward, moving toward Elle. But strangely, not one hit Elle, and NDG zoomed back into a circle. NDG: What the hell happened? Three gouges appeared in NDG's "skin", and he slumped over in pain. Elle: Hahahaha....You moved so fast that you didn't even feel it... NDG: How did you... Elle: Why should I explain? I'll just destroy you! NDG stood up and took up his scythe. He took a desperate slash, but his wounds hindered his speed. Elle: So slow... Elle moved like a blur...and before NDG knew it, she landed the other side, where NDG's backside was a wide open target... Elle: Thanks for teaching me another move. Elle blurred through NDG, and came on the other side. Elle: Terra Flash. NDG crumpled at the end of those words. Elle: That was too short and easy for a battle. Meilin ran up to Perel, and cradled his head in her arms. Kumari went up to Elle. Kumari?: By the way...How did you dodge Neo's blur? Elle: Ha...Even though he spun at fast speed, the light helped me. Kumari?: What...? Elle: He spun, and his illusion trail was made. But the light glaring on his scythe pointed him out easily. I just follow the glare and single him out, then I strike. Kumari?: So that's how... Elle: Why do you ask Kumari? Kumari just shrugged and walked away. Meilin: Perel...Are you...? Elle gave out a little laugh. Elle: Don't worry Meilin. He's just sleeping. I made sure when I hit him. Meilin gave a frown. Elle: Elder! Shall we be off to the tower? Yomi led all of them up the stairs. Strangely, all the monsters and demons were slaughtered, most hung in despicable ways. Elle: What happened here?! They continued their ascent, and finally made it to the navigation room. Yomi: Elder, see that orb? The orb was glowing and radiating light. It was attached to the wall. Yomi: That's this tower's source of energy. You can channel from there. Meilin: Yomi, will it ever run out of energy? Yomi: Sooner or later, yes. But right now, it should have enough to sustain us. Kumari walked toward the orb, and touched it. After a couple moments... Elle: What's this light...? Perel was glowing with light, as everyone else was. He was still in his dazed sleep. Elle's sight was blocked off by light. All she was able to see was white energy... *** The tower started to glow. A huge beam of white and blue blasted down from the heavens, and struck the tower. Small white orbs were then taken out of the tower, and were carried back by the beam. Elle: Elder! What is this glow...? Kumari?: It's a beacon to carry you to the Gaia Stone. Just relax and enjoy the ride... But all of them were hideously scared when they were beaming across crystal space. The sun was just ahead... Perel: Wha...what's happening...? Perel found himself zipping straight for the sun. Perel: AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! WHAT'S HAPPENING!!!!!???? Perel collided with the sun, and a white flash covered all of their eyes. *** Kumari?: Elle! Wake up! Elle opened her eyes, and found herself on a infinitely long corrider. Elle: Is this...the Gaia Stone...? Kumari?: Yes. We must hurry. Get up. Elle looked around her, and found everyone else had woke up. They all walked down the corrider. Kumari?: Before we go on, I want to explain a few things about the Stone. They all listened while walking. Kumari?: These steps....stone, and grain, represent our world's history. Time will carve more and more paths on the corrider, and we will be forced to live it. So, in light of this...Do you think that your life may be pointless...? Elle thought for a moment. Elle: Elder...I really can't answer that right now. I mean...it's like you're asking which is better-living the same life for eternity, or just stopping and ending all life...All things die sooner or later, and choosing whichever decision ultimately leads to the same outcome... The elder paused. Then he started to walk again. Kumari?: You're very intelligent Elle. Now...let's go to the very place where the Dark Gaia was sealed... They kept walking....time didn't exist in this world. They couldn't tell if they were walking for a couple of seconds or a couple of centuries...but they walked. The corrider stopped in a cracked dead end. Over the dead end was space. Elle: I don't understand....why does it stop here...? The elder looked at her. Kumari?: This is now, Elle. This is where all of it is being carved. Even as we speak, bits and bits of stone are being placed on this very corrider. That black empty space over the end... Kumari pointed to the starry black space. Kumari?: Is full of potential. You will make destiny Elle. This is your fate... Elle looked over the vast emptyness of space. Elle beckoned Meilin and Perel to come with her. Yomi followed Kumari in. Elle: This is it...Let's go. Elle stepped over the end, and dissapeared. *** Elle opened her eyes once more. Elle: What in the world....? They were all on a corrider, but in front of them was an arch. A carved Pentagram can be seen. And on the middle of the star was a jagged circle... Elle: The second piece! Let's go!! Elle ran toward the arch, but was blown back by a force of energy. Elle: What the hell...? ??????: Do not enter you defilers... Two forms of dust swirled opposite from each other. A white glow figure was seen in each cloud. Then they materialized, right in front of the arch. Elle: Who the hell are they...? Kumari?: They are the guardians of Dark Gaia. Alpha: No one shall enter... Sigma: The penalty for trespassing is DEATH! The one which called itself Alpha, was a spine armored brachiosaur, standing like a lizard. It had an A on its forehead Sigma was a twisted bear-like reptile, holding a glowing black sword. It used one of its arms to support itself on the floor, and used its legs to half-stand. It had a straight, backwards three on his forehead. Sigma: YOU SHALL PAY THE PRICE!! Sigma waved the black sword with its free arm. Elle: What is this pulse of energy....WAIT A SECOND! Elle grabbed her spear, and an explosion amassed in front of her. It was an invisible light beam. The explosion forced the spear out of her hand. The Hero Spear flew backward, and dug itself toward the floor. Elle made a run to get it, but a blur in front of her stopped her. Alpha moved in front to prevent her from getting her spear. Alpha: DIE....DIE!!! Alpha swung its tail and struck Elle on the side...the same blow from NDG. She flew, but stopped herself from going over the side of the corrider. Alpha roared, and aimed its mouth at Elle. Alpha: Alpha Streak! A thin beam of light flew out from its mouth. It flew fairly slow, so Elle jumped out of the way. But when the laser missed, it turned up, and flashed straight down toward Elle. Elle: (WHAT? IT'S FOLLOWING ME...?) Elle jumped again, and the beam found a mark on her arm. Then the beam hit the corrider floor, and dissapeared. Elle's arm was in a mass of blood. Although a line of skin was burned away, it kept on bleeding. Elle: Damn...I gotta stop this blood... Elle got her right fist, and struck her left arm, right above the the cut. A mass of pain surged through her arm then toward her head, and Elle screamed in pain...but she managed to stop the blood. Perel: How did she stop it...? Kumari?: A fine warrior she is...She purposely dislocated her bone from her shoulder socket so the bone would be pressed against her vein... but she can't keep it up for long...unless she wants to lose an arm from lack of blood... Sigma reared from behind, and grabbed her into a sleeper hold. Elle: ckkk..ckk... Elle was choking... Alpha faced its mouth toward Elle again... Meilin: Elle's in trouble...!!! Elle: (N...n.nnoooo....) Alpha: Alpha Blast! A much larger beam came flying toward Elle. Elle: (So much light...My eyes hurt....wait...my eyes...why...?) Elle found that her hairpin was reflecting light. Elle: (My pin....has a thin spike on the back...) Elle moved her head foward as much as she could, and forced it back. The spike stabbed Sigma in the chest. A trickle of pain went through Sigma, and Elle fell from its grasp. Sigma: You little rat... Elle jumped sideways. The Alpha Blast was flew right into Sigma, and melted it away in moments. Alpha: No... Elle ran toward Alpha, and jumped up high into the air. Her sight caught Meilin in front of her. Elle: MY SPEAR!! MEILIN!!! Meilin acted quickly. She picked up the spear, and threw it at Elle with all her might. She threw it like a discus. Elle: (I hope I catch this...) The spear spun and flew slightly higher than Elle. Meilin: Oh no... Elle pushed her arm out of her outer shirt, and while grabbing it, she flung the shirt upward. It caught the spear...Elle had a hand outreached. She caught it. Meilin: Yes! Elle looked at her, and mumbled something at Meilin. Meilin: What is she saying...? GET AWAY... Meilin: LET'S GO!!!! The trio ran as far up toward the corrider as possible. Elle flipped the spear, and aimed the point straight down. She was fairly high above Alpha. Elle: TEEEERRRRRRAAAAAAAA......!!! A blue aura surrounded her, as it looked like a tall flash of light that stretched from the corrider ground all the way up to the outer limits of space itself. A tower beacon of light... Elle: WAAAAAAAVVVEEEEE!!! Elle speeded down in a blur, leaving a trail of her image following behind. Alpha: NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Elle's spear stabbed the ground, as it went through Alpha. The stars in space moved away and dissapeared and the universe itself changed color gradiently. A raging tower of dust blew upward from the ground. Waves and waves of energy blew across the corrider, uplifting and raising the ground inch by inch. The explosion was extremely loud, but at first the impact was so powerful that all sound was broken and not heard. Alpha's body was ripped piece by piece. The clouds of dust absorbed back into the ground, and the upraised corrider came back to its original state. The strange power of the corrider meant for history to remain stable, so the corrider flattened out again. Alpha was gone. The trio came back to the spot after the onslaught. Perel: That....was truly awesome... Elle grabbed her left arm, and bent it. A pop was heard. Blood started oozing out again. Meilin: Oh my...let me treat that wound... Elle stopped her by raising a hand. She touched the wound, and it closed up. Meilin: ...You can heal yourself...? Elle nodded. Meilin: Then that means you're invincible! Elle shook her head. Elle: I can't heal during the heat of battle, and there are some wounds that are impossible to heal. That's how life and death works...by fate. Kumari?: Is that so...? Elle looked at Kumari. Elle: Did you say something elder...? The elder moved into the arch, and picked up the second circle piece. Kumari?: Elder...? Hahahahahaha! I know of no elder! Kumari got the first piece and reattached it with the second. The crack repaired itself, and it was a full circle. Kumari?: HAHAHAHA! Behold!! I don't need this body anymore! Kumari's body fell to the floor, and a white orb came out. It merged itself with the seal. The seal then shot out yellow beams. Perel: Is...that....the rays of Asmodeus...? Then that means... ?????: Behold!!!! I AM DARK GAIA!!! Meilin looked shocked. Meilin: Elder...I don't understand... Elle stopped her. Elle: The Elder can't hear you Meilin. He's on the floor. I should've known from the beginning... Perel: What do you mean...? Kumari was the DARK GAIA all along...? Elle: No...did you notice how strange the elder was laughing...? The dark gaia used kumari's body to get here...He was using all of us as puppets the whole time! The Dark Gaia was never dead! Crysta, Asmodeus... the Dark Gaia was only sealed of his power! He never died!! The Dark Gaia formed itself into a body. A spike ball was holding his middle together. DG: It feels so good to be back in my own body....! Elle: I have only one question for you...why did you call all the monsters...? Kill my friends...? We came to ressurect you, and yet you still tried to kill us...? DG: Do you want to know why...? I knew that those monster were not enough to stop you...So I used them to gauge your abilities!! Elle: BUT WHY...? DG: All you techniques...your healings...your thoughts...sooner or later we would come to this spot, and you would find out that that pitiful being- He pointed to Kumari. DG: -was me, the Dark Gaia! So I had to come prepared. I gathered and calculated your abilities...to make the Ultimate weapon to kill you!!! Elle stood steadfast. She was ready for a battle. Elle: And your results...? DG: COME MY FAITHFUL WARRIORS! MASTER OF MY GUARDIANS, COME! OMEGA!! Ripples of light gathered up to one point. A being materialized. It was Omega, the master guardian. It had wings, and a built body, a head like a dragon. It held nothing. An omega sign was on its head. Omega: I live to serve you, o dark one. DG: AND MY STRONGEST OF ALL- *Flash* ???: I need no introduction. A body was in the dark space of the room of space. Footsteps can be heard, coming ever so closer... *Footstep* Meilin: It's not...possible... *Footstep* Perel: ...no... *Footstep* Yomi: What are you...doing... *Final Footstep* The body was in the light. A blue imitation clone of the Hero Spear stabbed the ground. Elle: Oh...my god... Elle came down to her knees. She couldn't find the courage to move. Elle: ....No...it can't be.....Ark... Ark was wearing the same thing as he was last seen. His form was all the same...except for one thing...his eyes were red, and he had a spear marked on his forehead... DG: I summed up all your abilities Elle...and needed only one weapon... Ark?: ... Ark took the spear out of the ground, and jumped. He intended to land directly on Elle with the spear. Elle: ... Elle: No... *** HAHAHA! It's fun to keep all of you in suspense...Chapter Eight will be coming... Brought to you by SQRFRK © 2000.