Standard disclaimer: I don't own the series.

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AN: Hello! Heh, the last chapter was actually supposed to be kinda serious... but yeah. We all know how that works for one of my stories ^_^; Anyway, hope you're enjoying the ride :)

Here are the reviews:

ZoharKnight: A new reviewer? Sweet! Hiya! I surprised you? I think you surprised me! You got the joke about the giant robot!!! lol Heh, funny thing, I actually thought about doing that for like two seconds as a joke or something ^_^ Anyway, glad you like the stories :) Yeah, the BoF series is a great RPG series (IMHO) I really do hope they come out with another one soon (looks hopeful). Anyway, hope you continue to enjoy the story :) BTW, did you get some of the jokes in the titles??? Just curious :3

Nina Windia: Heh, yeah. That about sums up Jin’s reaction to Nina’s questions. Wait til he has to explain that stuff to Momo ^_^;

Hee, I bet it would sound a little odd. Well, in the US the legal age is 21, so um yeah. It’s still kinda funny ^_^; Heh, Nina’s a stickler for rules.

Really? Yeah, the only places I have read about the whole cycle thing was in fics. Reborn Again is a really, really good story :) I don’t think its on the BoF fanfic library, it’s on the author’s site. It is a great website :)

Meeerf: HIYA!!! Nice to see you again :) Hee, glad to see that you’re having a good time :) Cool :) AHAHA! I think you are okay to have a drink :) Nina’s still in her blue and black dress outfit ^_^ I’m glad that you are liking the mythology and the characters :) I actually tried to plan this out before writing it ^_^ I’m glad it turned out okay.

Yeah, I know ^_^; Gotta love the US legal drinking age :( I bet if they lowered it, it would lead to less drama and stuff for the younger ages. Uh, anyway, I thought it would be really funny to have her make Jin squirm a little bit ^_^V

Heh… yeah. Their marriage may be a bit… odd… but it’s going just fine :) Glad that Wyatt’s rambles make sense. Oh yes. Hehe… It will be interesting, let me assure you :)

Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)

Garr watched in silence as he cracked his neck and shoulders. Deis was sitting on the desk with one leg swung over the other, a look of intense determination painted on her face. Garr knew, however, that the look was just a façade. He noticed the signs of strain on the ancient goddess’ face.

Deis said nothing for a long moment. She merely took to inspecting her long, red painted nails. Garr stretched his wings and looked on with a look of stoic silence on his face. He wasn’t too sure as to why Deis decided to suddenly pop up in his office, especially with all that was going on recently, but he knew that it was important. Even if she was acting to damned casual about the whole thing.

Deis finally lowered her hand and turned her attention to Garr. She gave him a bitter smile and sighed.

“You know that all things will soon come full circle,” Deis stated.

Garr merely shook his head. “But what will be the final cost when all is said and done?”

Deis looked thoughtful. “It will be hard, especially for Nina… the sacrifice that must be paid.” Deis looked down at her hands. “The final decision is Ryu’s and Ryu’s alone. None of them can decide for him. It was he, after all, that came to that conclusion.”

Garr merely gave Deis a curious look. “What is it that you speak of?”

I can answer that…

Garr over to his left just in time to see Miyuki’s spirit form shimmer into existence. Garr frowned slightly. He knew that the girl died to save Ryu and Saria, but it was still unnerving to see her appear out of nowhere.

“Hi Yuki,” Deis waved slightly.

Yuki smiled slightly and placed her hands behind her back. She turned her attention from Deis to Garr. Ryu told me that he is willing to use himself as a stopgap to cap off the powers of that damned Gate that Aaron created. Even if it means killing himself in the process.

Garr merely nodded. Yuki tended to have a blunt way of putting things. A habit she apparently had gotten from her older brother. Yuki sighed and crossed her arms.

“Of course,” Deis said with a smile. “We will not let that come to pass. Will we?” Deis’ grin grew as she leered at Garr and Yuki.

Yuki giggled and nodded. Garr could actually say that he was beyond confused. What was Deis and Yuki getting at?

Yuki did not give Garr a chance to ask his question. She glanced over at Deis and frowned slightly. Deis… This plan of yours. What exactly is it supposed to entail? You have said for some time that you had a plan. What exactly is it?

Deis smiled sadly. “I am a very powerful sorceress and seer, not to mention a goddess of magicks. I have been planning for this moment from before the time that Myria fractured Ladon. My plan will save creation…”

Garr cleared his throat. “It’s not like you to be vague.”

Yuki rolled her eyes. Oh yes it is! Deis, what is it that you aren’t telling us?

Deis grinned. “I stacked the deck. My key player is a Destined… and the only one that will be able to undo all the damage that is about to be wrought upon the world because of Legence and those who follow him.

“The next few trials are the ones that are going to push Ryu to the edge and back. I just hope that he is not pushed over the edge,” Deis finished with a slight frown tugging at the corners of her red lips.

Yuki looked thoughtful. What’s Sari got to do with anything…? Yuki’s eyes widened. Deis? What did you do? Yuki asked carefully.

Deis smiled all knowingly. “Oh? I did nothing… much. I just know what she can do. And she knows it, too. That’s why she went with Ryu and his companions. That’s why she is Destined. What she will do will make all the difference… even if they do not know what that difference is yet.”

Yuki nodded, understanding finally dawning on her. I… see. So, that is how it will be. I understand.

And with that, Yuki shimmered out of existence. Garr looked from where Yuki had stood seconds before, then back to Deis.

“There is more to this, isn’t there?” Garr asked. “What is it about Saria that you know that we don’t?”

Deis looked thoughtful once more. She placed her pointer finger to her lips and hummed. She finally looked back to Garr and gave him a dazzling smile. “I know her lineage.”

And with that, Deis stood up and inclined her hear slightly and vanished in a plume of light. Garr just stared at the spot that Deis had just been. He finally sighed slightly and crossed his thick arms.

Both Yuki and Deis knew something was going to happen, and soon. Something what about to happen to Ryu that might send him over the edge. As Ryu’s Guardian, he could not let that happen. Garr made up his mind. He knew what he had to do.

He would save Ryu, no matter what. Even if it was from himself.

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“This is sooo boring!” Troy grumbled more to himself as he and Manna walked down the dimly lit, stone hallway.

Manna had to suppress a groan for the fifth time since they left the others. Okay, so they decided to split up. It was not the smartest plan in the universe, but it would at least help them cover more ground this way.

She glanced behind her to see Troy slowly walking along. He splayed his fingers behind his head and stretched. “You think for the king of a rich and powerful nation, Gideon could afford some lighting in here.”

It had been like that for the past few hours. Troy would complain about something so insignificant. That complaining would then turn to full-blown whining. Manna gritted her teeth and glanced up at the ceiling. What in the name of all that was sacred and holy did she do to deserve this?

She knew, however, that even though Troy whined more than Yuki and Ryu, he was a very powerful individual. One did not become an avatar of a god and not have some sort of power.

Manna could see what others normally could not. She was the Overseer, after all. She also knew that even the Overseer could be destroyed. That’s what happened to Lucien, after all. Some time ago, Deis had approached her and suggested that they train people that could take over in case something was to happen to the current Overseer.

Manna knew that Deis knew who she really was. Deis knew beyond a shadow of a doubt as to who Manna really was. Both also knew that no one else could ever know. Not even Myria and Ladon could know. Even though they were the two halves of the creator god.

Both knew what was going to happen. Due to the rules of the Grand Design and their respective stations, neither was allowed to completely interfere. Not without dire penalties to them and the world. Manna knew the workings of the Grand Design in and out. She felt that Deis understood in a similar way.

After all, Deis had not been created when Creation was being built. She, like Myria and Ladon, had always been there. Like Lucien had always been there.

If Deis worked out in the open, then it was her job to work in secret. That was the agreement, after all. Now everything had changed. Now she was being forced to actively work in the open. She knew that Legence knew of her and what she was planning. The only thing he didn’t know was what Deis had done before the Fourth Cycle truly started.

Manna did not approve, but she knew that it was the only way. Saria had been her student, after all. She was rather fond of the fairy hybrid. She knew that her powers were great, far too great for a mere mortal.

But Sari was far than just a mere mortal. She was the granddaughter of a goddess, after all. Even if Sari herself did not know it.

But all that would come later. For know, Manna was stuck wandering through the dungeons of Castle Laurante with a complaining Troy. She knew that Troy was just trying to kill time. She also knew that he was nervous, like her. They were both very powerful beings, but like all mortal forms, they could be killed.

Manna would rather not deal with something like dying that close to the end.

Both of them knew what would happen if they ventured this deep into the heart of the Castle. There was something that Manna was looking for and she knew that Aaron had brought it there.

Yes, she was looking for clues. Yes, she realized that she probably should have said something to the group, especially Ryu. But if Ryu had known what Aaron was about to do, then he would have gone with them instead and possibly gotten himself killed. Again.

Troy had a faint idea of course. One did not travel with Manna and not know when something was up.

“It really stinks down here,” Troy mumbled. He lifted up his boot. “Un…”

Manna scowled. “Don’t. Don’t even finish that sentence. I really, REALLY don’t want to know what you just stepped in.”

Troy nodded. “Dragon jizz.”

“Troy…” Manna warned.

Troy frowned slightly. “Well?” Troy pointed forward. Manna raised her head and looked in the direction that Troy was pointing in.

“I wonder if that counts as something?” Manna smirked slightly.

“Nah, I highly doubt it,” Troy said in mock surprise.

Both of them had stumbled upon the very heart of the castle. In the center of the room was a platform, but there was nothing on it. A few feet away was a large table with various medical tools on a cabinet right next to it.

Lying on the table was an unconscious, very pale, very naked woman with long blue hair and white draconic wings jutting out of her back that was covered up by a simple white sheet up to her chest. There were various computer equipment attached to her head and chest that were displaying various readouts as well as an oxygen mask over her mouth and noise.

Manna looked up at one of the monitors and noticed her heart rate was rapid and uneven. Troy merely shook his head and walked around the table, trying to figure out what was going on.

“This… isn’t right,” Troy finally said. He stopped at the head of the table and glanced down at the woman’s face. He noticed a slight similarly with the woman and Ryu and Nunnally. Troy’s face screwed up in confusion. “Say, you don’t think this is Ryu’s mom, do you?”

Manna merely made a noise in agreement. “She does kind of look like Ryu… and Nunnally for that matter. But… something seems a little off here.”

“Yeah… like this woman is suppose to be DEAD!” Troy snapped. “What is going on here?”

Manna frowned. “Maybe this is one of Aaron’s experiments…”

Troy adopted a look of disgust. “Surely you jest! Even Aaron wouldn’t be that sick to do something like this with a dead body.”

Manna shook her head. “He turned his wife into a chimera when she was on her deathbed. Nothing surprises me about that bastard.”

Manna looked the body over. She stared at the center of the woman’s chest. How she didn’t notice it before was beyond her. Maybe she was getting rusty in her old age. Either way, there was something gold and shining coming from the woman’s chest. It was centered on where the woman’s heart was supposed to be.

Manna placed her hand in the air over the area and flinched. She turned to Troy and frowned. “I think we just found out what happened to the Light Key…”

Troy frowned. “What?”

“Very good, my dear Overseer,” a male voice said from the shadows.

Both looked to the source of the voice and drew their respective weapons. Aaron walked from the shadows, dressed in lab coat. The older man smiled slightly and held his hands out.

“Come now,” his chided. “I have no weapons. There is nothing I can do to an avatar and a goddess anyway. Especially ones with such power as you have.”

Manna lowered her staff, but only a little. She glared at Aaron. “What did you do?” Manna growled.

Aaron walked over to the body and placed his hand on the woman’s chest. He smiled. “Gideon asked me to. He said that he could simply not leave his cherished wife in such a state forever.”

“So this is Valerie then,” Troy muttered darkly. He hefted his sword up and pointed it at Aaron. “What did you do to her?”

“You all did well with decoding my journal,” Aaron said as he clapped. He grinned and he regarded Manna and Troy. “But, there was another way to cure Cysmosion. A way I had not thought of earlier.

“You see, sap from the Yggdrasil has this way of restoring life, but I had no idea how to apply this to real life. It was just a theory, after all. I do believe there was another that had tried to apply that theory once before, to revive his dead mother.

“But in the end, he just ended up turning himself into a monster. Of course, I did not want that to happen to myself. So I took another path. So, while all of you were running around the Sea of Trees, I helped myself to the Light Key that the avatar of Yggdrasil was suppose to be guarding. I took the sap and devised another cure and free Valerie of her stone prison. I then implanted the Key within her.”

Manna watched as the line on the heart monitor started to race. Valerie’s chest arched as the light within her chest started to flash rapidly. Aaron frowned slightly.

“Of course, there are still a few problems with the experiment. She seems hell bent on fighting me every step of the way.”

“Why are you doing this?” Troy growled. “I have half a mind to just end your miserable existence here and now! I’m sure Jin would be happy to here about your demise.”

Aaron smiled. “Yes, I believe you are right about that. Unfortunately for him, I doubt he would be able to hang on much longer anyway.”

Manna frowned. “I was right then…”

“Manna?” Troy asked.

“That idiot!” Manna snapped. “He should have gotten treatment after we got back to Shevat…”

Troy looked slightly surprised. “Oh no…”

Manna’s head snapped back to attention. “Aaron,” she said in a dangerously low tone. She pointed her staff right at Aaron. “What is Gideon… or should I say, Legence, wanting to do with Valerie?”

Aaron smiled slightly. “Oh? What do you think he wants to do with her?” Aaron’s smile widened. “He wants to use her powers, of course. She is the mother of the Destined Child, as well as a descendant of the Light Dragon Clan.”

Troy scowled. “Why are you helping Legence? This is low, even for you.”

Aaron tilted his head slightly. “Who says I am working for anyone? I am here simply as a scientist. Even if my guinea pig is a live person… or at least partially alive.”

Manna frowned. “That’s it! I’ve had enough! I’m taking you down!” Manna shouted as she battle charged Aaron.

The doctor merely smiled and placed a hand on Valerie. He chanted something and in a plume of light, vanished with Valerie.

Manna swung at open air. She growled as she strapped her staff to her back. Troy sighed and sheathed his sword once more. Both just looked at each other with looks on hell on their faces.

Neither one of them knew what it meant. What could Legence possibly do with Valerie? Manna frowned slightly. Was Aaron going to turn her into a monster like he did with his wife? What would Ryu and Nunnally do?

“What did he mean about what he said about Jin?” Troy asked as he turned to Manna.

“Jin…” Manna said as she looked up. “He’s dying.”

And with that, Manna turned on her heel and walked out of the large chamber. Troy frowned and turned to walked out. He stopped when he caught a look of something shiny behind him. He turned and walked back into the chamber. Manna turned and watched him go.

Troy smiled when he came upon what he spotted. Before him on the ground was a sword. The sword was gold and silver and had two dragons intertwined around the hilt. Troy smiled as he picked up the blade. He turned back around and exited the room.

Manna looked over Troy’s shoulder and smiled.

“The Dragon Blade,” Manna said. “Well, at least this wasn’t a total waste. We should get back to Shevat and wait for Ryu and the others to get done in Worent.”

Troy raised an eyebrow. “What? Aren’t we going to go and help them?”

“Fuck no!” Manna said. “I am NOT getting into the middle of a cat fight.” And with that, Manna walked out once again.

Troy merely looked confused. “Just what are you talking about? Manna? Manna~!”

 

To be continued…