Standard disclaimer: I don't own the series.

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AN: Hiya! Here's the next chapter! And to think, the story's almost over. It's got another 25% to go, and then it's done! YAH!!!! ~victory dance~

Now, here are the reviews!

Meeerf: Oh thanks!!! Hahah! I thought it would be pretty funny. Heheh, my boyfriend says I am evil during that time of month. I have no idea what he means… (looks innocent) Hehe, glad you liked the fight!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Nunnally frowned slightly as she glanced out the window of her room. Of course, Shevat was beautiful, but she felt like there was something missing. Of course she missed Ryu and their mother. She wanted nothing more than for them to be together again, along with Demus and their father.

Unfortunately, a minion of the goddess made sure she would never have that life. After all, her mother died when she was only two.

Was it Ladon’s will that things were going in this direction? She had always tried to be faithful to the Ladonic teachings. She knew that Myria was the mother of heresies and lies. She also knew that Myria was the goddess of destruction. She had learned much about the slaughter of her race by the goddess.

She knew of the Goddess Wars and the Dragon War. She knew that the first war split up the noble families of the Dragon Clan and the second Great War almost caused the mass genocide of her entire race.

She knew so little of the outside world. She was small, sick, and scared out of her mind. The only solace she had was the fact that both of her brothers were still alive and well, as well as her cousin. Maybe there was a way to save her family, but she just didn’t know how.

Nunnally glanced up from her wheelchair as the door to her room opened. Leon walked into the room, a small smile on his face.

“Good afternoon, Nunnally,” Leon said.

“Hello, Demus,” Nunnally said. Leon flinched slightly.

“Sister, I have told you that I am no longer called by that name,” Leon said carefully as to not upset his little sister. “I am called Leon now.”

Nunnally frowned. “Yes, I know that,” she said with a thoughtful look on her face. “But I have always known you as Demus. It is hard for me to change after knowing you as that for many years.”

Leon nodded slightly and sat down on a chair next to Nunnally. She smiled and took Leon’s hand. Leon looked slightly startled but smiled nonetheless. Nunnally looked at Leon with those green-piercing eyes.

“Nunnally, what is wrong?” Leon finally asked.

Nunnally looked at her brother. “Do you think that Ryu will ever forgive Father?”

Leon frowned slightly. “I… do not know. Part of him might, maybe… but there’s no telling with him.” Leon grinned slightly. “But do not worry about him not loving you.”

Nunnally looked thoughtful once again. “That girl that saved Ryu… do you miss her?”

Leon was taken off guard with that question. “Pardon?”

“The girl… Miyuki? Yes, her. Do you miss her?”

Leon shook his head. “I am unaware of what you are trying to say, Sister…”

Nunnally smiled. “I can tell that you are not telling me the whole truth. You at least have some feelings for her, do you not?”

Leon smirked. “If you mean that she’s an annoying person, then yes. If you mean that I might possibly love her, then I am not really sure how to answer that.”

Nunnally’s smiled grew slightly. “You do have some feelings for her. Even back when she was a child. Am I right?”

Leon scowled. “I don’t know what you are talking about. And besides, she’s dead. Nothing could come from it anyway.”

Nunnally nodded. “Never say never, Brother. You never know what will happen in this world.”

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“In recent events, an unknown group of terrorists invaded and managed to infiltrate the Castle of Laurante. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but King Gideon Laurante has issued a substantial award for any information in regards to the terrorists…”

Yui muttered something to herself as she flipped the T.V. off. Terrorists? Ryu and his companions were not the terrorists. It was Gideon and his Swords and Dragoons that were the danger to the world. On top of that, they were the ones working for Legence. And to make matters worse, she still didn’t know how Aaron fit into the whole mess.

Yui sighed and sank back down in the plush chair she was currently sitting in. Gideon really was going all out now. First he ordered his men to attack Wyndia, then the Shrine of Namanda. Next on the list was the Sea of Trees, then after that Angel Tower. Last, but not least was Worent.

As she understood, it was the Goddess Keys Gideon was after. But why? She knew it had something to do with that Gate thing that Aaron had found. Or was he the one that created it? She really couldn’t remember anymore.

She gripped the armrests. She hated them all. She hated Gideon for trying to start a world war. She hated Aaron for what he did to her husband, Yuki, Wyatt, and Ryu. She hated Myria for creating that angelic bastard to begin with. She hated Legence for all the death and destruction he was causing. Most of all, she hated herself for the monster she had become during that time she was under Legence’s control.

She had almost killed her four-year-old daughter. If Jin hadn’t blocked the attack, she would have killed Momo. She knew that Jin didn’t blame her. He had said as much. He knew she had been under a spell and could not control her actions. She also knew that Momo didn’t blame her. She still couldn’t understand how Momo was able to process all of that.

She knew the child was a prodigy, but this was borderline insane. Momo seemed to know what to do and when to do it. She could use her powers; something that Jin wasn’t able to do until he was roughly nine or ten. Yuki had been around the same age as Jin before she could use her powers.

What worried her the most was the simple fact that Momo had told Wyatt that he needed her help to get the next Goddess Key. According to that crazy old man, the next Key was one that not even Legence knew the location of. For it was Manna herself that had hidden the Key away in a place that hardly anyone could get to.

Yui also knew that the risks were too great. Maybe that was why Momo said that Wyatt would need her help.

Yui sighed again and turned her attention to the bathroom. She snickered to herself. Poor Wyatt. The boy had awoken to find himself naked on that table… in front of four women…

The boy had reacted like any normal person would have. He had bolted to the nearest room, which happened to be the bathroom. He hadn’t come out since. During that time, Jonothan had managed to find Wyatt some clothes and had handed them off to the now adult Wyatt.

Yui heard the bathroom door finally open. Wyatt walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a short black jacket with the Godwin sigil on the back. He had on a black tee shirt over a long white shirt, black jeans, and boots. He also had a gun holster attached to his belt and his twin guns in the holsters.

Yui stood up and smiled at the young man. Wyatt started down at Yui and ran a hand through his unruly read hair and grinned slightly. Yui herself was dressed in a brown sleeveless top with gloves and a long shirt over a pair of pants and black boots. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun.

Wyatt snickered. “You look like the naughty school teacher from one of those video games.”

Yui frowned slightly. “Manners young man,” Yui said in a reprimanding voice. She pointed at him. “I AM a school teacher, though not the type you seem to be hinting at.”

Wyatt’s grin grew wider. “Ah, are you so sure about that?”

Yui rolled her eyes. She grabbed Wyatt’s arm and dragged him off to the lab where the Professor, Jonothan, and everyone else was. When they entered the lab, Momo glanced up and waved. Yui smiled back and walked over and picked up the child. Wyatt grinned as he realized that he was finally taller than Seth and Shelley.

“So, what’s the game plan?” Wyatt asked as he shoved his hands into his back pants pockets.

“You are to go to Tyme Tower to retrieve the Time Key,” the old man said. He turned to Yui. “You might want to go to Narave.”

Yui looked slightly amused. “Why is that?”

“Because that’s where the Dark Key is located,” the old man said. “Besides, that’s where Ryu and his group is heading next.”

“And why would my presence be needed again?”

The Professor frowned slightly. “Because, Legence might try something, and having someone that was from the Guild might be helpful.”

Yui sighed and nodded. “Then, I suppose I will not be going to Tyme Tower with Wyatt and Momo after all,” Yui said.

Wyatt grimaced. “You were going to go, too? Eeesh, glad that’s not the case…”

Momo only nodded in understanding. Jonothan turned his attention to his lady assistants. He gave them a slow look. Both women nodded as if agreeing to something. Shelley cleared her throat.

“Little Master,” she said. Wyatt turned to her. “We will accompany you to Tyme Tower and help you to retrieve the Time Key.”

Wyatt glanced over at his grandfather, but the man would not even meet Wyatt’s gaze. Something was wrong if the man would not even look at him. Jonothan had always been open and honest with him. What happened that changed all of that?

Yui glanced at Wyatt. She smiled slightly. “You have your mission, I have mine. We should head out and get this over with so we can rejoin Ryu and the others.”

Yui hugged Momo, then placed her down on the ground. She knelt down so she would be at eye level with Momo. “Be a good girl and try not to cause too much trouble for the little master, okay?” Yui asked with a small smile on her lips.

Momo looked like she was thinking about something. She looked up at Yui and said in a calm voice, “I am not allowed to make jokes about his height anymore?”

Wyatt’s face fell. Even Momo was in on the joking now? It was then that Wyatt realized that he was at least 5”8 now. He was just an inch shorter than Ryu. Wyatt grinned to himself at this little revelation.

Yui giggled slightly and shook her head. “No dear, I am afraid not.” Yui hugged Momo one more time and then stood up. “Remember, I love you sweetie.”

Momo nodded. “I love you too, Mommy.”

Momo walked over to Wyatt, Seth, and Shelley. She took hold of Wyatt’s hand with her left and grabbed Shelley’s with her right. She glanced over at Seth. “Please take hold of Shelley.”

Seth looked slightly confused but took her sister’s hand. Before Momo teleported off to Tyme Tower, the Professor walked over to Momo and held his hands out. On them was the little robot Honey. Momo looked slightly confused.

The old man smiled slightly. “She will be of more use to you than me, now.”

Momo let go of Wyatt and Shelley’s hands and reached up and took the little robot. “Thank you,” Momo said simply. She placed the little robot in one of the pockets of her jumper. She took hold of Wyatt and Shelley’s hands once more.

With one last nod, Momo, Wyatt, and the two sisters vanished in a plume of light. Yui glanced over at the Professor and frowned slightly.

“You know something, don’t you?” Yui said nervously.

The old man said nothing. He merely looked at the worktable. Yui crossed her arms in slight annoyance. She eyed the old man and scowled slightly. “You’re not going to answer, me are you?”

The old man sighed and turned his attention to Yui. “You will be of better use at Navare. That’s all I know. Now git woman. You’re all out of time.”

Yui nodded slightly, realization slowly dawning on her. “O-of course. Goodbye then,” Yui said. And with that, Yui warped out of the lab.

The old man smiled slightly to himself. “Did you get all of that, Assistant #3?”

Jonothan and Wes looked over at the old man and frowned.

“Um, Prof.?” Wes asked. “Who are you talking to?”

The Professor smiled. “Why, the pilot of my giant robot, of course!”

Jonothan cleared his throat. “Mm, there is no one here.”

The Professor smiled. In a sudden plume of indigo light, a figure appeared in the middle of the lab. Wes could only stare in muted shock. Standing before the three men was a young woman with long brown hair, dressed in a red tang-top and a pair of khaki capris. She had on short, brown jacket that had long pieces of material attached to the short sleeves fluttered behind her as she moved, and a pair of brown slip on shoes.

The woman placed her hand on her hip and smiled brightly. The Professor grinned like a mad man and nodded. The woman shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head slightly.

“What can I say?” the woman said in an all too familiar voice. “Are Deis and Manna awesome at what they do or what?”

Wes blinked. “But… how…?”

The woman smiled. “Never say never, Wes.”

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In ancient times, there existed a town called Carmen. Carmen was a village located west of Tock, the Tower of Time. This village once expelled Cerl as a young girl because she wasn't human. She later returned and used the Time Key in clock to distort time and space in the village.

It was only when her childhood friend Alan reached out to her in a desperate plea of mercy for the villagers that so cruelly discriminated against her, did she finally relent and surrendered the Time Key to the first group of Destined Warriors.

It was such that the Time Key could be considered the most dangerous Key of the Fabled Goddess Keys. If one knew how to use the Key, they could rend time and space to pieces. A person did figure that out and built Tock to better control the Time Key so that it did not go out of control.

When the Goddess Keys were once again scattered to the four winds, it was Manna that had been charged with finding a safe hiding place for the Keys. Each of the Avatars was to hold and protect a Key, but Manna knew that without an Avatar, she was directly responsible for the safety of the Key.

So, she took the Key back to Tock. With the residue energy released by the Key running wild, Manna placed the Key at the very top of the Tower in a protective field. Getting through the tower itself would not be a problem. The problem lies with trying to get the Key from its resting-place.

For the shield around the Key can age a normal person. For every second a person is in contact with the shield, they age severely.

So, it was with that knowledge Wyatt Godwin tried to figure out how to get to the Time Key. Locating the place was a challenge in its self. He had no idea how a small child like Momo knew how to get there.

The ancient village of Carmen was long gone and the continents have long since shifted and changed around so much, it was almost impossible to even recognize the shapes as they were. But Momo had said that she had some kind of vision or dream that told them that if they access the realm of the dreams, they could get to the Tower.

And with that, Wyatt took out the wreath of flowers that served as the key to the Faerie Ring and they entered the village of the Faeries. After a very, VERY quick explanation to the queen that yes, they were friends of Manna and Saria, and they were looking for Tyme Tower to get the Key before Legence was to get it, they were given directions as to how to get to the Tower.

It was almost smooth sailing after that. Most of the dream specters were taken out via Seth and Wyatt’s quick gun work. Shelley provided backup in the form of spell casting; she was very quick with vanquishing spells for the little uglies that didn’t want to die by the bullet.

Momo was also able to hold her own, strangely enough. The small girl was able to cast barrier after barrier, healing spell after healing spell. Wyatt had to wonder if it was Jin that taught her all those moves. He was also trying to figure out how she would be useful to them when they finally got to the top of that damned tower.

It was when they finally reached the final floor did it dawn on Wyatt how hard it was going to get the Key.

Wyatt sighed as he glanced over at the center of the room. There was a small key that was sitting on the column in the middle of the room, surrounded by it’s own ever-present, ethereal light.

Wyatt was about to walk forward and take the key, but he was pulled back by a shocked Seth. She sighed and shook her head.

“Little Master, if you take the Key, you will age severely. Remember what we were told about the Key and its protection?”

Wyatt growled under his breath. “Okay, so how are we supposed to get the damned key then?” he clutched his hands into fists and shook his head. “I mean, it wasn’t all that hard to get here, thanks to Momo, but… huh?”

Wyatt looked over to where Shelley and Seth were staring. Before them, Momo had stepped forward and was about to approach the shield.

“Momo?” Wyatt asked in confusion. “What… what the hell are you doing?”

Momo looked up at Wyatt and pulled Honey out of her pocket. The small robot beeped something to Momo. Honey merely sat there as Momo started forward once again.

Wyatt shook his head. “Momo? MOMO! Answer me! What the hell do you think that you are doing?!”

Momo gave Wyatt a look that clearly read ‘what do you think?’ and merely turned her attention back to the Key.

Momo stared at the Key. “I told you that you would need my help in retrieving the Time Key, did I not? Is it merely a coincidence that I am Destined and I am traveling with you? Is it not strange that I am the daughter of the former Overseer and I have such powers by blood?”

Seth slowly nodded in realization. “Momo, are you saying that you knew this was going to happen?”

Wyatt shook his head. “Momo, I can’t let you sacrifice your life to get that Key!”

Momo merely looked up at Wyatt. “I know that you would say something like that. Honey, please restrain Wyatt.”

Honey beeped in reply and waddled over to where Wyatt was standing. She reached her hands out and shocked Wyatt. Wyatt screamed and collapsed to the floor, only to be caught by his assistants. Wyatt tried to move, but found it impossible.

“Honey merely shocked you,” Momo explained as Wyatt glared daggers at her. “The paralysis is only temporary and will pass in a few moments. I am sorry, but I cannot let you stop me.”

Seth and Shelley looked at Momo. “Are you sure, Momo?” Shelley asked the child. Momo nodded.

She made a hand sign and a white light engulfed her. She boldly stepped forward and into the protective field. Wyatt watched in horror as Momo aged very slowly as she walked further into the field. She paused and made a grab for the Key.

There was a bright light and the protective field faded out of existence. Wyatt, Seth, and Shelley covered their eyes as the light temporary blinded them. When the light finally died down, the three looked up and spotted a figure standing before them. Wyatt expected the worse, that Momo was now an old woman or something.

He did not expect to be staring down at a slightly taller Momo, her brown hair slightly longer and her clothes only shredded a little bit. In fact, Momo looked only to be around six or seven years old. She looked at the Key for a moment before finally looking over at Wyatt and the sisters.

“My powers protected me from the fields effects,” Momo explained. Even her voice only sounded a little older. “Instead of rapidly aging me, the field only aged me by a few years.”

Wyatt could only stare in confusion. “Momo… you knew all along, didn’t you?”

Momo merely smiled. Feeling returned to Wyatt’s body. He stood up with his assistants help. “So, now what?” Wyatt asked.

Momo gave them a solemn look. “We go to where Mommy is.”

 

To be continued…