FanFic: The Ringed Land

[Cranberry]

The Ringed Land
A PSO Fan-Fiction written by Cranberry

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso2.png

Prologue
People aboard Pioneer 2 had become excited as a new announcement had been made. Pioneer 2 would at last be landing on Ragol. At last the people could begin to settle on their new home. Excitement filled the hearts of soldiers, hunters, and civilians alike. Details of the landing remained classified, and the announcement said that final preparations for the decent were well underway. But despite all of this good news, uneasiness and tension still ran through the souls of many…

Chapter 1 – Brewing Trouble?

It was early morning on Pioneer 2, the clock had just struck 6AM. A young FOnewearl sleeps peacefully in her bed. Her name was Cranberry, her long black hair held a large red bow that rested atop her head. Her light blue nightgown flowed down to her knees. She had a pale white complexion, which contrasted well with her gown and darker blue sheets. The calm of the early morning quiet was soon broken by a buzzing sound emanating from the communications terminal in her room. She groaned groggily as she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

“What time is it?” Cranberry mumbled as she reached over to press the button on a remote sitting on her nightstand.

Responding to her remote, the communications terminal activated, as the screen light up it revealed a man that appeared to be in his early 20’s. He had strawberry blonde hair, a pale complexion and wore a brown wizards robe. A pair of glasses rested on his face, granting him a more professional appearance than your standard FOmar.

“Cranberry, did I wake you?” the man on the monitor asked.

Cranberry glanced over at the clock. “Actually, yes. What do you want Sage? It’s 6AM.”

“Sorry to wake you Cran, but we have a bit of an urgent situation that-“ Sage began before a loud hissing sound interrupted him. Perking up from the pillow beside Cranberry, a red Sato floated up and glared at Sage, snarling and snapping its jaws.

“Sato? What are you, HEY!” Before Cranberry could finish, the Sato took off and flew out her window, bolting down the hallway. “Crazy Mag. You were saying?"

Sage cleared his throat and continued. “I’m concerned. I’m sure that by now you are aware that Pioneer 2 will soon be landing on Ragol. I am very uneasy about this.”

“Please don’t tell me you woke me up at 6 in the morning because you are scared we’ll encounter turbulence.” Cranberry murmured groggily.

“That’s not it at all. Doesn’t it strike you odd that we are landing while monsters are still running rampant on Ragol? The government has been very secretive about landing details. Many of the hunters are getting suspicious. I’ve done some research, and I’ve discovered something. A landing area has already been established, and there is a gigantic construction project going on down there.” Sage replied.

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Cranberry replied.

“I didn’t think so either, at least not at first.” Sage quickly answered. “But here is the thing. The announcement declared the landing to be near the central dome. But this project is nowhere near the Central Dome. In fact its not even on the same continent. In fact, the official maps of Ragol do not even show the area this is being done in. A friend of yours accidentally found this place when an infrared scanner malfunctioned. I searched the Pioneer 2 database, and 1 restricted file resulted. The file was encrypted, I wasn’t able to get any information. And shortly afterwards, my account suddenly lost all access to database files. The lab says it’s a programming error, but I don’t buy it. Someone is hiding something.”

“That’s interesting, but why are you contacting me about it, and so early in the morning?” Cranberry asked as she adjusted her nightgown.

Sage adjusted his glasses and continues. “I need your help. Remember I mentioned that someone you know noticed this location when the infrared scanners malfunctioned? It was Dark Force that found it. She mentioned it in passing to me a few days ago. I snuck down to the hangar bay and used the sensor system on one of the personnel ships there. It was no infrared glitch, there is a huge project going down there, a large but very remote island. I was able to access a file on that ships database, and its not residential habitats at all that they are building. It looks to be some type of facility, with some of the heaviest armor I’ve ever seen. As you know the last few weeks Dark Force has been working in the lab on the landing project, I mentioned what I had found to her, and she was stunned. They had not said 1 word about this to her.”

Cranberry looked more closely at the screen. “They haven’t told her anything about this? But she’s one of the key figures in planning out this landing. The information they gave her said we’d be landing outside the Central Dome.”

“Exactly. Now you see why I’ve got some real concerns about this. Dark Force took it upon herself to resolve this. As you know on her Information Board she says that she is taking some time off for personal leave. But in reality she has gone down to investigate this project. I helped her get there by secretly changing the teleporters coordinates.” Sage answered.

“So that’s what happened to you. I heard you were caught tampering with the teleporter and restricted to quarters. I wondered what you were doing.” Cranberry answered, rubbing a little more sleep out of her eyes.

“Yes, they caught me as I set the teleporter back to normal. Fortunately they don’t know what I was doing. Ok Cranberry listen. This is why I woke you up. About 10 minutes before I called you, I got an emergency call from Dark Force. The message was jammed almost immediately; all I was able to make out was that she was under heavy attack.” Answered Sage. “My clearance to leave Pioneer 2 has been revoked for 3 weeks. I am being watched like a hawk anytime I leave my room.”

Cranberry jumped out of bed. “Dark Force is in trouble?! Now I understand why you woke me up. You are under such tight watch that you can’t go help her, but I’m under no such restrictions.”

Sage nodded. “Exactly, I’ve sent the coordinates to you through the BEE system. I know how important she is to you. I wanted to make sure..” Before Sage could finish, a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass sounded.

“What happened?” Cranberry asked, staring at the monitor as Sage gets a very nervous look on his face.

“Somebody set up us the bomb! Arrrgghh!! The fangs the fangs!!” Sage yelled as Cranberry’s red Sato suddenly leapt into view and sank its teeth into Sage’s head.

“Oh no!! Watch out!! I just had Sato’s teeth cleaned! Don’t ruin the shine!” Cranberry pleaded as she watched Sage dash back and forth through the screen. “….. thanks for the information Sage. I’ll leave right away. If I hurry I can sneak out during the soldiers shift change.”

“Wait you gotta help m” Sage began, but was cut off as Cranberry shut off the monitor.

Cranberry quickly changed clothes and dressed herself in her usual uniform. An orange midriff shirt and half-skirt that sat around her red shorts. (See picture above) She opened up her drawer and looked over her weapons and defensive gear on hand. She grabbed her Windmill, Purple Ring, and Sacred Cloth. Opening her bottom drawer revealed her slot items. She thought for a moment before grabbing her God/HP, God/Ability, God/Mind, and Cure/Shock. She was now ready to go.

End of Chapter 1

Chapter 2 teaser:
That’s it for the boring stuff! Now that the intro is taken care of, we can get right into the action. Cranberry’s first task is to make it off Pioneer 2 and find her way to the location of this mysterious construction project. What exactly is happening down on Ragol and what has become of Cranberry’s best friend Dark Force? Chapter 2 coming soon!

[Cranberry]

Chaper 2 - Undisclosed Land

It was 6:45 in the morning when Cranberry’s door opened. The young FOnewearl looked to be in her early teens. Despite her young age, Cranberry is an experienced and well-trained Force. Dark Force and she had traveled to Ragol together many times to hunt for rarities. If Dark Force was in danger, she had to help. Cranberry casually walked down the halls of Pioneer 2, doing her best not to draw any attention to herself. As she turned down the Altair wing her mind began to race. The teleporter to Ragol was surely under heavy guard after Sage had tampered with it. She’d never have enough time to reconfigure the teleporters destination, nor did she know enough about the transporters mechanics to do so. She’d have to find another way to get down to Ragol.

Cranberry increased her pace as she made a realization. 7AM is the time of day when the Pioneer 2 soldiers shifts change. The night crew would be replaced by the morning crew. After the initial chaos following the explosion of the Central Dome, activity on Pioneer 2 slowed way down and the army hadn’t had any real jobs for a long time. The soldiers had become a bit more careless, especially during shift changes, areas were often left unattended for at least a few minutes. It wasn’t much time, but it could be just enough time to nab a ship and make it to Ragol.

It was 6:57AM when Cranberry made it to the entrance to the hangar. Peering through the window she spotted 3 Soldiers on routine patrol. Inside the hangar were the space capable ships of Pioneer 2. Most of them were used to perform maintenance during the long voyage from Coral.

“These ships carry similar teleportation systems to those we use to get to Ragol.” Cranberry said to herself. “If I can deactivate the sensor grid, I can make it out of her without tripping any alarms. But I’ll need a diversion… hey, welcome back!”

Cranberry smiled as she looked above her. Her Sato, having finished its mauling of Sage had followed Cranberry to the hangar. “Hey buddy, we have a job to do. See that ship over there in the far corner? I need to borrow that to get to Ragol. The soldiers are going to rotate shifts any minute, but I’ll need more time to deactivate the sensor grid. Can you help me out?

The Sato bared its fangs in a type of evil smile and spun around in a circle excitedly. Receiving a nod from Cranberry, the Sato took off and flew behind a pile of crates. As 7AM hit, a green overhead light pulsed and a tone played, signaling that the time for a shift change was at hand. Cranberry cautiously crept around the corner, not wanting to be seen by the guards as they came into the lobby for the shift change. As the soldiers came into the lobby, the night and morning crews began to chat amongst themselves. Suddenly, Sato flew out from behind the crates and latched onto the arm of the nearest guard. The shocked soldier waved around frantically as his comrades gasped, and then burst out laughing. Sato pulled and began dragging the soldier down the hallway. At last his comrades stifled their chuckles and began trying to pry the Sato off of the mans arm.

Taking advantage of Sato’s distraction, Cranberry dashed into the hangar and looked for the main terminal. Spotting it in the corner, she ran to the terminal and viewed the screen. “Perfect, just as I anticipated. He didn’t bother to log expecting the next shift to take over.” Cranberry spoke as she looked through the options on the screen. “Sensors… sensors.. where are they? Come on!” Cranberry continued trying to navigate the screens on the terminal. There was no telling how long Sato would be able to keep the soldiers at bay.

“There! This is it!” Cranberry jumped as she spoke. “Sensoring system. Shutdown and reboot. Perfect, that should give me enough time to get out.” Setting the system to reboot in 1 minute, Cranberry dashed across the hangar until she reached the closest craft to the main door. “I hope Sato makes it back here in time, I don’t want to leave without it.”

Cranberry quickly opened the door to the maintenance craft and climbed inside. Fortunately, during the long voyage to Ragol, she had received flight training and had even run a few maintenance runs, she knew all the access codes and controls of these types of ships. The overhead lights of the hanger dimmed as the system reboot took effect. She had successfully taken the sensors down, but not for long, the system reboot only took a couple minutes, and she had to leave and be outside of their sensor range before the system came up again.

“I can’t wait any longer, I’m sorry Sato I have to-“ but before Cranberry could finish her sentence, Sato flew past the ship, spotting Cranberry inside it looped and darted into the access hatch. “You made it! Just in time too! Alright, lets blow this joint! Craft doors closing, engines active. I’m punching in the code to open the hanger door. Hang on we’re outta here!

Pushing the control stick forward, the craft comes to life and lifts off the floor of the bay. Responding to Cranberry’s emergency-override code, the hangar door slides open, revealing stars of space. Activating the thrusters, the ship flies out of the hanger, the door closing shortly behind her.

“Hang on. This is going to be a little rough!” Cranberry shouts as she pushes the control stick forward, sending her craft into a downward dive straight toward Ragol. “That sensor system will re-activate any moment. We have to get down to Ragol before it detect us! Gaaaah!”

Red flames surround the craft as it plummets into Ragol’s atmosphere. The heat shielding begins to get overwhelmed and the temperature inside the cockpit rises to a scorching 120 degrees, and climbing. “Hang in there… come on.. you can do it..” Cranberry whimpers, feeling a little light headed at the sudden change of temperature. “Almost there… so.. hot…. Almost… NOW! PULL!!”

With all the strength she can manage, she pulls back on the stick. The metal of the craft creaks and groans as the strain is put on it. “Come on… hold together… just a little more…” The ground is quickly approaching, and the ship is still in a near nose dive. A crash at this speed and angle will result in certain destruction of the ship. Pulling a little harder on the stick, the ship gradually begins to pull out of the dive. “Almost.. a little more.. do it! Do it!” The ship screeches and howls, cracks begin to form in some of the instrument panels. Finally, a mere mile above the ground, the ship levels out, ending the rough decent. The metal has become deformed in places, and the ship shows some signs of compression the lower regions.

“That was a close one, for a moment I didn’t think she could pull it off. But I knew these old birds were built tough. Now lets find this land Dark Force went to.” Cranberry said as she typed the coordinates Sage gave her into the navigational computer. Her screen displayed a map, and the coordinates appeared be in the middle of the ocean. “Even the spacecraft don’t have this place on record. Well, I’ll just have to see for myself. Course set, here we go. I just hope Dark Force is alright.”

The trip took about an hour, but at last she approached the coordinates that Sage had given her. Just as she suspected, it was not empty sea that she saw below. It was a rather large landmass, this landmass was nowhere near the Central Dome. In fact according to her map, it was on the other side of the planet, but not only that, it was the polar opposite of the Central Dome.

“What could they be doing so far away from the residential areas?” Cranberry asked herself. “I better take her in low. I don’t want to get spotted. I better land some distance away, this ship will stick out way too much.”

Cranberry guides the ship into a very low flight as she approaches the land. Finding a clearing several miles away from the construction zone, she brings the ship into a slow decent and touches down. “Well, I’m here. Now I just have to find Dark Force. I hope she’s alright. I should head for the construction area first. Lets go Sato.”

Grabbing her gear, Cranberry exits the craft, hoisting her Windmill, Sato hovering over her left shoulder. She lightly presses a button on the gauntlet worn on her left arm and activates her area map. Although it can’t scan ahead, it does record data about areas she has been in, which can help prevent her from getting lost. The clearing was surrounded by some very rocky and hilly terrain, she seemed to have landed within the ravine of a canyon. A great place to hide a ship, but it was going to be a chore to climb her way out. With a sigh she began walking toward the direction of the construction sight. The canyon walls were riddled with tunnels and caves, the place looked like a huge block of Swiss cheese.
“What happened here? This couldn’t have been natural. Was this part of the construction? In any case, with a little luck, one of these tunnels will go straight through. It’ll take hours to try and climb over the walls, and I don’t have that kind of time. Approaching the nearest passage, she kneeled and peered inside. It seemed large enough for her to fit into, and much to her surprise, she could see light inside. Crawling on her hands and knees, she squeezes through the narrow passageway and down the tunnel. The tunnel began to slope downward, she had to carefully dig her fingers into the rock to prevent from slipping. As she crept further down the tunnel, she could feel what felt like air blowing through her hair. “A breeze, all the way down here? What is this place?” She came to the end of the tunnel and crawled into large, open dome like area. The rock was unnaturally smooth as if it had been perfectly cut. Sitting in the middle of the dome was a bright glowing orange stone. Cranberry could feel heat being generated from the object as well as the light. She looked above and saw countless tunnels all around the dome, including many on the ceiling.

“What is all this? Where in the world am I? What is this thing?” Cranberry asked as she stepped toward the strange glowing stone. “Its, its beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She reaches her hand out, and just as she is about to touch the stone a loud deafening scream echoes throughout the cavern. “What!?” Cranberry spins around, gripping her Windmill tightly. “Who’s there! Show yourself!” A cold wind runs through the cavern, nearly blowing the bow out of Cranberry’s hair. As she looks up, she spots 4 ghostly white creatures emerging from the tunnels. They seem to have no set shape as they pulse and swirl like leaves in the wind.

“What are these?” Cranberry inquires as she gazes up at the strange apparitions before her. The strange creatures descend and dive toward her. Quickly diving to her left, she rolls and jumps back to her feet. The creatures smash into the rock floor, puncturing a hole into it. Floating back into the air, they move to surround Cranberry, hissing as they float above her. Holding her ground, Cranberry stares up at them. “You want to fight? Fine, here I am.”

Accepting the challenge, the first of the creatures pulses and charges toward her. Jumping to the side, she swings her Windmill at the creature. The creature passes right through her attack, causing the Windmill to spin faster than Cranberry has seen before, as if she were holding it in a hurricane. Pressing her attack she swings her Windmill at the other apparitions, firing its blade at each of them in turn. But to no avail, her attack travels right through each one, striking the walls of the cavern.

“Not afraid of photons huh? Well how about some fire!” Cranberry snaps. Diving out of the way of another downward charge from her foe, she counters with a Foie blast. “Chew on this!”

Hit by the ball of Foie, the creature illuminates into a cloud of flames. Thinking she has the advantage, Cranberry raises her Windmill to fire another burst, but before she can act, 2 of the creatures plow into her, one from each side, crushing her between them. Knocked to her knees, she’s unable to stand. Her legs feel numb. As she looks up the creature engulfed in flames rockets down toward her. Howling a scream the creature slams into her, seemingly penetrating her body as it passes through her, engulfing her in fire before it takes off back into the air, back in its normal ghostly form.

“Noo… I… I can’t..” Cranberry cried as her strength gave out and she fell from her knees to the ground. She could still feel herself burning, but her body had become completely paralyzed. “Its…. No…” She could feel herself beginning to black out, her mission had barely begun and already she had failed. A tear welled up in her eye, she was going to die here, she had failed, failed Sage and failed Dark Force.

The ghostly creatures gathered above, and peered down at their fallen foe. They began their decent, to deliver the finial blow. Cranberry was helpless, and had no way to dodge. The creatures launched into their dive attack. One more hit, and their target was finished. Suddenly, just before they reached their target, a wave of ice ripped out from a tunnel into the creatures. Screeching in agony, the creatures broke off and returned to a high flight near the ceiling.

“Cranberry! Are you alright? You look like you could use some help!” a voice called from a tunnel.

“That voice…. Is it..?” Cranberry stammered as she painfully tilted her head, barely having any strength left to speak.

From the tunnel emerged another FOnewearl. She wore a purple outfit, and a half skirt similar to Cranberry’s that set around her black shorts.
http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/DarkForce.png


“DF… its you.. you’re alright..” Cranberry muttered weakly.

“Yes, but you’re not. Don’t worry Cran, you’ll be alright.” Dark Force said as she kneeled beside Cranberry. Closing her eyes for a moment she cast her Resta spell.

Filled with the healing effect of the Resta spell, Cranberry immediately felt her strength return to her, her numbness was gone and the scorching burning sensation of her skin was gone. She slowly pulled herself to her feet. “DF, I-“

“The hellos will have to wait Cran. Its not over yet.” Dark Force interrupted as she looked up at the creatures above. The creatures began swirling angrily around the room, glaring down at the 2 below. “Get ready Cran, this isn’t going to be a walk in the park.”

End of Chapter 2

Chapter 3 teaser: Dark Force’s last minute entry has saved Cranberry from certain destruction. Though the 2 friends have been re-united, there is no time to celebrate. What are these new monsters that so easily toppled Cranberry? Will the 2 FOnewearls be able to stop such powerful creatures? The battle begins in Chapter 3.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 3 – Danger Zone

The 2 young Forces look toward the ceiling. The 4 creatures swirl around the ceiling, pulsing and warping their shape. Cranberry takes took a step backwards, clutching her Windmill tightly; a look of nervousness on her face. She’d already seen how powerful these things are, and wasn’t sure how they were going to defeat them. Dark Force stood beside her, peering up at the monsters as well, with a much more confidant expression than Cranberry. Although physically smaller than Cranberry, Dark Force was a very powerful and experienced FOnewearl. She griped her Magical Piece as she stared at the monsters above. Around her left wrist she wore a Purple Ring, matching the purple Sato that floated above her shoulder. Her armor was a DF Field and fitted into her armor were several slot items. A God/Technique, a God/Ability, a God/Mind, and an Angle/Mind. She also carried a Windmill inside her item pouch, a gift she received from Cranberry.

“Cran, listen, these are monsters of wind.” Dark Force began, not taking her eyes off the ceiling. “They’re made up of liquid and wind, and can bend themselves into any shape. In order to damage them you must force them into a solid form. Ice can solidify the liquid aspect of them and force them into a solid state. I’ll cast Gibarta, than you move in and attack with your Windmill. Be fast, they won’t stay solid for long.”

Cranberry nodded. As she stood next to Dark Force, she could feel their Purple Rings activate in reaction to each other, increasing the defense of them both. The first monster made its move, launching into a downward dive straight toward Cranberry. Cranberry gasped, bracing herself, as the creature descended, Dark Force thrust forward her Magical Piece, sending an arctic blast of Gibarta at the monster. As the ice struck the creature, it howled in agony and broke off its attack and flew back toward the ceiling.

“Get it Cran!” Dark Force shouted as the monster climbed in altitude. Cranberry tracked the monster with her eyes. It had change color, from a ghostly white to an icy blue, and it seemed to stay aloft with great difficulty. It was too high up for her to strike directly, but her eyes light up as she realized what Dark Force meant. Her Windmill still retained a great deal of speed from when a monster passed through it earlier. Dashing forward she thrust her Windmill toward the bluish monster above, sending the photonic blade flying into the air. The blade struck the monster above, prompting the creature to howl out in pain. Cranberry continued swinging her weapon as fast as she could, sending blade after blade into the monster. After a small barrage of hits, the creature falls from the air and crashes into the rock floor, shattering into fragments of ice upon impact.

“It worked!” Cranberry exclaimed in delight. “DF! Look out!”

Not taking kindly to the destruction of their comrade, 2 more of the monsters dove down, this time targeting Dark Force. Not having a chance to dodge, she held her Magical Piece in front of her and braced for the impact. The 2 monsters crashed into the FOnewearl, the sound of the impact echoed throughout the chamber. The collision knocked Dark Force off her feet, sending her to the ground hard, slightly dazed lying on her back. It was now the 3rd monsters turn, with the target down it launched into a high-speed dive of its own, going in for the kill. Looking up she could see the monster descending toward her. A look of panic formed on her face as she shouted “Cran!”

“Not Today!” Cranberry answered as she jumped to her friends aid, raising her Windmill. A beam of ice launched from her Windmill as she cast Barta on the monster. The wave of ice intercepted the creature, knocking it out of its attack and redirecting it into the wall. The frozen creature exploded against the wall, causing fragments of ice to rain into the corner.

“Thank you.” Dark Force replied as Cranberry helped her up. The 2 remaining monsters glared down at the 2 Forces. Their eyes changed from a pale blue to a deep red. The monsters began pulsing red and blue, evidence that they had cast Shifta and Deband on themselves.

After a quick Resta, Dark Force was again ready to go. She quickly prepared the duo for battle by casting Shift and Deband herself, powering up the offense and defense of both Cranberry and herself. “Looks like they are getting serious now CB. Keep your guard up.”

The remaining monsters howled in rage and dove at the 2, only this time they moved about twice as fast as their previous dives. Cranberry and Dark Force both dove to the floor, narrowly evading the monsters as they crashed to the cavern floor. Several large rocks fell from the ceiling as the cavern shock from the impact. Cranberry looked up and spotted a large piece of rock break from the dome directly above her. Rolling onto her back, she thrust her Windmill up, bracing herself. A deafening screech sounded as the rock collided with her Windmill, the blades scraping against the stone. Cranberry lay on the ground, using all her strength to hold up the rock, stopping it from crushing her flatter than a pancaek.

“Arrghh…. Ahhh…. Uggh…” Cranberry grunted as she struggled to hold up the rock. Dark Force’s Shifta spell had increased her physical strength, giving her just enough power to catch the falling rubble, but she wasn’t able to push it off of her.

Dark Force quickly picked herself up; fortunately the falling chunks of rock had missed her. “Hang on Cran! I’m coming!” she called as she ran to help her friend. Before she could get far, the wind monsters rose back up, whirling quickly around Dark Force in a tight circle. Small fragments of rock lifted off the ground, getting caught in the tornado the monsters were creating. “They’re creating a tornado of rock! If I try and pass through these fragments will rip me apart. Cran! Are you alright?”

“DF, I can’t hold this much longer!” Cranberry answered, her arms trembling under the weight of the rock.

Dark Force knew what this was about, the monsters were keeping her pinned to one spot until Cranberry could not hold the rubble up any longer, once Shifta wore off, she’d be crushed. Holding up her Magical Piece, she cast Gibarta at the swirling monsters. The monsters pulsed and changed the course of their flight, weaving around the blast of ice. The intensity of the wind increased, and more fragments of nearby shattered stone began swirling around Dark Force. “If I don’t come up with something soon, Cranberry’s finished.” She thought. “Wait! That’s it!” Dark Force took a small step backwards and grinned at the monsters as they orbited her. “Nice try, but not good enough!” She thrusts her Magical Piece forward and cast Rabarta. An aura of ice launched from Dark Force’s body and engulfed the monsters. They screamed as their bodies froze. Immediately the tornado around Dark Force subsided, the 2 monsters landed on the ground, partially frozen.

“Cran!” Dark Force shouted as she dashed across the room to her friend. Putting her Magical Piece away, she plucked her Windmill from her pack. “Get ready Cran!” She took up a stance beside Cranberry and readier her Windmill. “On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3!”

Dark Force swung her Windmill, striking the rock, at the same time, Cranberry pushed to one side, the force of the impact knocked the stone to one side, giving Cranberry just enough time to roll out from under it.

“Are you alright?” Dark Force asked.

“My arms feel like Jello” Cranberry answered as Dark Force helped her to here feet. “Enough of their tricks, lets finish them off!”

“Agreed.” Answered Dark Force.

The 2 remaining monsters had broken free of their ice and rose up off the floor, staring at the 2 in obvious anger that both are still alive and on their feet. Cranberry and Dark Force stood ready, Windmills in hand, awaiting the monsters next attack.
http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso3.png


The monsters quickly delivered, and charged toward the 2. Cranberry and Dark Force tapped their Windmills together and each unleashed an Ice attack. Dark Force struck high with Gibarta, Cranberry struck low with Barta. With nowhere to evade to, the monsters crashed into the waves of ice, returning to a partially frozen state, again crashing to the floor. Cranberry and Dark Force charged forward and delivered the final crushing blows, shattering the partially frozen monsters with their Windmills. The monsters released their final cries, and then all was quiet.

“We did it. That was a bit close, but we did it.” Cranberry said, rubbing her now very sore arms.

“Yes, are you alright?” Dark Force replied.

“My arms feel like Jello, but I’m alright. Thank you DF, I owe you my life.” Cranberry answered as she turned to look at Dark Force.

“Its no problem, you’ve helped me many times before as well Cran.” Dark Force responded, looking over at her friend.

“DF, what is going on? Sage contacted me early this morning. He told me about the construction project, and you coming here to investigate. You had sent out an emergency call, but it got jammed.” Cranberry asked. “As soon as Sage told me, I snuck off Pioneer 2 and came here.”

“Cranberry, thank you for coming, I know you have a lot of questions. But we need to go before more of those monsters come.” Dark Force answered. “Do you see that glowing thing there? That is no stone, its an egg.”

“An egg?” Cranberry asked, looking a bit skeptically at the glowing object. “A glowing heat producing egg?”

Dark Force nodded. “Its not natural, its been artificially modified, but the monsters don’t realize this. From what I can tell, these monsters are similar to bees. There are workers, soldiers, and a Queen. Cran this is the queens nest.”

“So that’s why they attacked me, they were trying to defend their nest. Yes, lets go before-“ A hideous roar interrupts Cranberry, echoing throughout the entire chamber of the dome.

“Before the Queen returns..” Dark Force stammers, taking a step backwards. A large, ghostly claw like appendage emerges from a tunnel, stretching into the dome. This claw alone is about 3 times the size of Cranberry. 2 bright red eyes emanate from the tunnel, staring directly at the 2 FOnewearls.

“This… isn’t going to be easy.” Cranberry gasped as she backed away from the tunnel.

End of Chapter 3

Chapter 4 teaser: There is no relief for the weary. Cranberry and Dark Force struggled mightily against the 4 wind monsters. Now they must face the Queen herself, and lets just say she isn’t happy. The cavern battle continues in Chapter 4, now against the queen of the wind monster.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 4 – Secret Plan

The creature emerged from the tunnel. Before the 2 FOnewearls stood the queen. She was made of the same composition as the monsters from earlier only she was much larger, and had scythe-like arms. The queen stood at about 30 feet in height. The glowing red eyes stared down at the 2, an ear shattering hiss released from the monsters gaping jaws. She hovered a few inches off the ground.

Cranberry re-cast Shifta and Deband as she looked up at the queen. “We can do it, I know we can.”

“Those claws look sharp. Cranberry, you distract it, I’ll hit it with Jellen. Ice worked before, maybe it will again.” Dark Force said, putting away her Windmill and re-equipping her Magical Piece.

Cranberry nodded, and steadied her feet, crouching her body to a stance where she can more easily dash in any direction. The queen glared at the 2 forces, each in turn. Her sharp scythe dug into the ground, piercing it like Sato’s teeth in Sage’s skull. Cranberry inched toward the queen. Sensing the movement, the monster lugged at Cranberry, lashing at her with a giant scythe. Anticipating such a strike, Cranberry lunged out of the way and countered with a Gibarta strike, sending a wave of icy particles into the queen’s eyes. As the queen lurched backwards, howling and rubbing her eyes with her scythe, Dark Force dashed in from her other side. She raised her Magical Piece and cast Jellen, weakening the offensive attack capabilities of the monster.

The monster retreated backwards 4 steps, coming to a stop near the glowing egg. Crouching low, the queen bared 4 sharp fangs; a low whistling sound began to play.

“What’s it doing?” Cranberry asked, keeping her eyes on the monster. But before Dark Force could answer, a blast of swirling air fired from the queen’s mouth. The vortex of wind lifted Dark Force off the ground and spun her in a violent circle as it lifted her toward the ceiling.

“Ahhh!! Waaa!! Help me!!” Dark Force screamed as the wind whirled her around the room, inching closer to shards of rock on the walls.

“DF! Stop that! Put her down!” Cranberry hollered as she rushed the monster, unleashing a wave of Barta. The beam of ice struck its target, the queen became more solid, but the wind vortex continued. The creature barely flinched at Cranberry’s attack.

“Aahhh! No! Gaaaaahh!!!” Dark Force cried as the wind pushed her into the side of the cavern and began grinding her against the rock as it whirled her around the dome.

“No! Dark Force!! This ends now!!” Cranberry challenged as she ran and jumped at the creature, but instead of landing atop the creature as she expected, she passed right through it. “What!?” Cranberry looked up, Dark Force was taking a beating, she wasn’t going to last much longer. If she didn’t think of something now, Dark Force was finished. Casting the first technique that came to mind, Cranberry waved her Windmill and cast Grants on the monsters jaw. Countless arrows of light formed and struck the beast, slamming its head to the ground, knocking a tooth out of its mouth. The vortex of wind quickly died, and Dark Force immediately began to plummet toward the ground.

“I got you!” Cranberry yelled as she sprinted toward Dark Force. Dashing forward, Cranberry leapt and caught Dark Force in mid air, breaking her fall. “Are you alright?”

Dark Force groaned painfully, having difficulty standing from dizziness. Blood ran from the left side of her face and arm. “Thanks Cran.” She spoke, holding her arm.

Before Cranberry could respond, the monster was upon them again, having recovered from the Grants strike. Moving at surprising speed, the queen struck Cranberry in the back, tearing a large gash into her as the FOnewearl cried out in pain. Both of the Forces fell to the floor, the Queen quickly looming over them, with only a moments hesitation, the monster swung its razor sharp appendage at Dark Force, moving in to finish her off for good.

Still holding her Magical Piece, Dark Force held it in front of her, intercepting the incoming scythe. Her hands trembled as she forced herself to hold the Magical Piece against the scythe, saving herself from being sliced in half. The queen hissed as it put more weight on the scythe, slowly inching it downward. “I can’t hold it very long… arm hurts so much.” Dark Force warned, her injured arm weakening.

“Hang on Dark Force!” Cranberry cried, pulling herself up despite the painful gash in her back. Charging straight for the monster, the queen lifted her other Scythe and swung it at the attacking Force. Prepared for the strike, Cranberry countered with her Windmill, thrusting it forward and catching the scythe within the spinning blades. A horrid grinding sound emanated from the collision, followed by a loud snap. The queen monster roared in pain as the blades of Cranberry’s Windmill sawed through the scythe, snapping it off the body. Not wasting a second, Cranberry whipped her Windmill forward and slammed it into the scythe that was pinning Dark Force. A loud clang sounded as the Windmill connected with the scythe; pulling her arms Cranberry looped her weapon around for a second strike. Her Windmill again struck the scythe, this time lurching it skyward. The queen reared up, trying to regain her lost balance. Taking advantage of the vulnerability, Cranberry held her Windmill forward and cast Gibarta. The freezing particles of ice blew into the queens face, solidifying the rest of her body and knocking her onto her back.

Cranberry quickly kneeled down to help her friend. Her arm didn’t look good, nor did half her face “Are you alright DF? Here, let me help.” Cranberry closed her eyes and cast Resta, as the healing effect of the spell took effect, both Cranberry herself and Dark Force felt the effect. Dark Force's strength returned, and she was able to get back on her feet, and the wound on Cranberry’s back greatly healed.

“Thanks Cran. Lets hit this thing while we have the chance!” Dark Force spoke. “Lets give it a double dose of ice!”

Cranberry and Dark Force readied their weapons and moved to approach the queen, whom was still partially frozen and struggling to roll off her back. With both Cranberry and Dark Force back on their feet and close to one another, their purple rings re-activated, boosting the defensive power of them both. With Deband and Jellen still active, it would be difficult for the queen to do any serious damage to them. Dark Force quickly crouched into her battle stance, as Cranberry stood ready beside her.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso6.png

Dark Force moved first, thrusting her Magical Piece forward as she cast Gibarta. Cranberry immediately followed with a Barta spell. The queen was sandwiched by the ice techniques. Her body into a block of solid ice, her thrashing arms stiffed into pointed rods.

“Now’s our chance! Rip it apart!” Cranberry cried out. Both Forces charged forward and unleashed the furry of their weapons. Cranberry swung her Windmill into the queen’s remaining scythe; the blades sliced through the frozen limb, snapping it off much like the first scythe. Dark Force focused on the queen’s head, slashing her Magical Piece into the monsters jaw.

The 2 pressed their assault, not giving the monster a chance to recover. They aggressively swung their weapons, sending small chips of ice flying in every direction as they hacked on the queen, literally ripping her apart bit by bit. The queen screeched and bellowed as one by one her limbs were knocked off.

“Lets finish it Cran!” Dark Force encouraged, point her weapon at the queen’s head.

Cranberry nodded and both teamed up to deliver the final blow. The Windmill and Magical Piece simultaneously struck the queen’s head, shattering it like a glass ball. The queen’s cries of pain ceased, and her body lay motionless on the ground.

“It’s done. Lets get out here before more come.” Cranberry said, turning to her friend.

Dark Force nodded, and motioned for Cranberry to follow her as she moved toward one of the tunnels. “This way.”

The 2 raced through the tunnel, quickly moving away from the dome. After crawling through a series of passages, the 2 emerged outside on the far side of the canyon on the edge of a forest. The sound of running water could be heard a short distance away.

“I am so glad to be outside again. For a while there I didn’t think I was ever going to see the outdoors again.” Cranberry sighed, doing a few stretches to loosen up after crawling through such tight places.

“Me too,” Dark Force answered, rubbing her arm lightly. “It wasn’t easy, but I knew we could do it with you there.

“How’s your arm doing?” Cranberry asked.

“It’s a lot better after Resta, but still a little sore.” Dark Force responded. “Cran, it’s starting to get dark, and I know you have a lot of questions. Lets set up camp for the night, and I’ll tell you what I know while we rest. It’s still a ways to the construction area, and we won’t last long if we are all worn out when we arrive.”

Cranberry nodded. “Alright.”

The 2 walked into the forest and followed the sound of the running water. The sturdy trees stood all around them, and there was no obvious paths or trails through the brush. After traveling 2 miles into the woods, they came across a small river of clear clean looking water running through the forest.

“This looks like a good place to set up camp.” Cranberry said, looking at the flowing water and realizing how dry her throat was.

“Yeah, lets set up here.” Dark Force agreed, setting down her pack. “I don’t have a lot, but I have a few supplies with me.”

Cranberry blushed in embarrassment, realizing that in her rush to get off Pioneer 2, she had forgotten to bring gear for a long journey; all she had was her fighting equipment and supplies. But she breathed a small sigh of relief as she saw Dark Force pull a small kettle from her pack. Now they could boil water for drinking.

Night was fast approaching, the 2 worked quickly to gather wood and start a fire. They filled Dark Force’s kettle with water from the river and set it by the fire to boil. Cranberry looked up to the sky, the stars were beginning to shine, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was comforting to see such beauty after such a chaotic day. She smiled softly, and glanced over at Dark Force.

“How are you feeling?” Cranberry asked as she walked over to Dark Force and sat down beside her.

“I’m alright.” Dark Force answered, looking over at Cranberry. “You?”

Cranberry nodded. “I feel a bit exhausted, but I’ll be alright. I’m just glad that I found you.”

“Me too.” Dark Force smiled. “Cran, I haven’t forgotten your questions. Before I begin, I just want to thank you again for coming. That really means a lot to me.”

“You’re my best friend. I’ll always be there when you need me.” Cranberry answered.

“Thanks Cran.” Dark Force answered, she then took a deep breath and began her story. “As you know Pioneer 2 is supposed to be landing on Ragol. I was one of those working on the landing project. But then Sage tipped me off to this construction project here. All of it seemed very suspicious. Why build a settlement so far from the Central Dome? And why didn’t they tell me, or anyone else about it? Not realizing what I was getting myself into, I packed my bag and used the teleporter to come here.”

The kettle began to steam as the water boiled. Cranberry poured some water into 2 bowels that Dark Force had brought, while Dark Force herself continued her story.

“When I got here, I immediately felt uneasy.” Dark Force continued. “There were these strange people I had never seen before. I don’t think they are from Pioneer 2. I did my best to stay out of sight, and I snuck into the construction area without being seen. They are not building a landing site at all here Cranberry. They are building a type of bomb.”

“A bomb?” Cranberry asked, taking a sip of water.

“Yes, a bomb.” Dark Force answered. “Cran this isn’t a project about landing Pioneer 2, it’s about the pre-meditated murder of everyone onboard. The entire landing pad is actually a giant bomb waiting to detonate as soon as Pioneer 2 touches down!”

“Why on earth would they want to destroy Pioneer 2?” Cranberry gasped.

“I’m not sure yet.” Dark Force responded. “I attempted to use one of their computer systems and find out more information, but I was spotted. The person in charge there, I know him only as the Purple Ring General. He unleashed monsters the likes I haven ever seen on me. I quickly became over whelmed. That is when I sent out that emergency call. I was almost destroyed, but I escaped when one of my techniques destroyed a power generator and shut off the lights within the room. I escaped outside of the complex and fled. I kept going until I reached the canyon, where I found you.”

“I’m glad you’re alright. Were you followed?” Cranberry inquired, taken back a bit by Dark Force’s tale.

“I don’t think so.” Dark Force answered. “I haven’t seen any indication I was. I wasn’t able to get a lot of information, but from what I could dig up, this whole thing is about the colored rings. And that’s all I know.”

“This isn’t something we can ignore.” Cranberry replied. “We have to check it out. First thing in the morning, lets head to the construction area.”

“I almost got killed the first time, I’m sure they’ve stepped up their security. But with you there, I’m sure we can make it inside this time.” Dark Force answered.

“Together, we can do anything DF.” Cranberry replied.

The two nodded at each other, and looked back into the fire. They had a big day ahead of them tomorrow, and they both knew that tonight’s sleep would be the calm before the storm.

End of Chapter 4

Chapter 5 teaser: In chapter 5 Cranberry and Dark Force will storm the construction area in an attempt to learn more about the trap being set for Pioneer 2. Who are these strange people that Dark Force does not believe to be from Pioneer 2, and who is this Purple Ring General? Look for the answers in Chapter 5 coming soon.

[RubyEclipse]

Cool story! I like how you threw in the pictures to fit along with the storyline. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Cranberry]

On 2006-04-14 18:05, RubyEclipse wrote:
Cool story! I like how you threw in the pictures to fit along with the storyline. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif



Thank you very much. I welcome the feedback. I am glad you are enjoying my work.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 5 – Construction Zone

Cranberry stirred and slowly opened her eyes. The early morning sun shown through the trees, lighting up the campsite. She felt a lot better after a good nights sleep, even though the hard ground was not the most comfortable of beds. She glanced and saw that the fire appeared to have fresh wood on it, and both the water kettle and a skillet within the pit. 2 small fish were cooking within the skillet. As she looked over, she spotted Dark Force kneeling by the fire.

“Good morning.” Dark Force spoke, seeing that Cranberry had woken up.

“Same to you. What time is it?” Cranberry asked. “How long have you been up?”

“I’m not certain, but it’s probably about 7AM. I’ve been awake for about an hour.” Dark Force answered. “I’m sure you must be hungry. A caught a couple fish for our breakfast.”

“Oh, I’m sorry DF I didn’t mean to make you do all the work this morning.” Cranberry replied, feeling guilty about sleeping in.

Dark Force shook her head. “Don’t apologize Cran. You looked like you were really exhausted. I didn’t want to wake you. Here, have something to eat.”

Dark Force carefully tugged the skillet out of the fire, revealing 2 sizzling golden brown fish. She next pulled the water kettle out of the fire and carried both over to Cranberry, sitting down beside her. “Here, have some breakfast.”

The 2 silently ate, although neither brought it up, both knew what the other was thinking. They were about to put their lives on the line; this could very easily be the last meal they would ever have. One mistake, and they might never see Pioneer 2 again. Each could see the nervousness in the eyes of the other as they finished their breakfast and cleaned up their campsite.

“You ready?” Cranberry asked as they finished packing up their gear. “How is your arm doing?”

Dark Force nodded slowly nodded as she extended her arm. “Very good, it’s not sore at all anymore. It seems to be back to normal.” Cranberry smiled and the two began their trek through the forest toward the construction area as Dark Force continued. “It’s a few hours away on foot. But if we hurry we can make it before noon.”

The two walked through the forest, cutting their way through the brush, staying close to the river as they traveled. Both of them kept a keen eye on their surroundings, looking for any monsters that may emerge. The last thing any hunter wanted was for a sneaky monster to take them by surprise. Much to their great relief, the forest stayed quiet. Nothing unusual or hostile presented itself to them as they walked. The two continued on for several hours in relative silence. Each one was attempting to mentally prepare herself for the task ahead of her. Their feelings of tension built as the forest began to thin out and they spotted the silhouette of the construction area ahead of them. Dark Force’s breathing became heavier as they approached.

“That’s it up ahead.” Dark Force said softly as she crouched behind a bush, looking out at the large area before them.

“You alright?” Cranberry asked, crouching down beside her.

“Yeah, just sort of nervous. Last time I was here, I got hurt pretty bad, I almost didn’t make it out.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry put her hand on her friends shoulder. “You’re not alone this time, we’ll do it together.”

Dark Force looked up at Cranberry. “Yes, together I don’t think there is anything we can’t do. I’m ready, lets get this operation started.”

Before the two was a wide-open area. The forest had been cut away here, and a large raised platform was in the later stages of construction. The platform was the largest that Cranberry had ever seen, it seemed to stretch for miles. Surely this was to serve as the landing platform for Pioneer 2, it certainly was large enough to be. Several smaller structures surrounded the main platform. All of these buildings were similar in size and shape. They were all short 1 story rectangular buildings with dark tinted windows. Countless people were atop the platform, many of them armed. Dark Force wasn’t kidding about the stepped up security. It appeared more like a military base than an airport.

“The command area is on the far end of this lot. All these side buildings are housings for the workers. Take a look for yourself Cranberry; I don’t recognize any of these people from Pioneer 2. Do you?” Dark Force began.

“You’re right.” Cranberry replied as she peered at the various people around the immediate area. “I’ve never seen any of them before.”

“Lets move out, but be careful not to be seen.” Dark Force continued as she slowly stood up.

“So the Command Area is where we are headed, right?” Cranberry asked as the 2 began to creep away from their hiding place from the woods and enter the open confines of the construction site.

“Exactly.” Dark Force answered as she dashed over to a pile of steel beams, crouching low behind them.

Cranberry quickly followed, crouching besides Dark Force. Piles of building material were strewn about, waiting to be lifted by cranes up to the main platform. They slowly made their way forward, dashing between piles of construction material as they made their way toward the main platform. As they moved deeper into the area, the number of workers and guards increased in number and frequency.

“This isn’t going to work.” Cranberry whispered. “We are going to get caught for sure if we continue like this."

“You’re right, we’ll never make it this way.” Dark Force agreed. “What do we do?”

“We need a good old-fashioned diversion.” Cranberry answered. “Follow me.”

Cranberry lead Dark Force watched the movement of the nearby personal, slowly moving toward one of the small 1-story structures. As soon as the coast was clear, they sprinted toward the structure, and Cranberry lead Dark Force to the rear of the building where they were out of sight any nearby workers.

“What are you doing Cranberry? Why did you bring us over here?” Dark Force asked.

“I’m going to start a little diversion; a little situation to keep them occupied for a while.” Cranberry replied. “DF, may I borrow your Magical Piece for a moment?”

Dark Force looked at her Magical Piece, and handed it to Cranberry. “What are you going to do?”

“They don’t call me the Fire Mage for nothing.” Cranberry grinned as she accepted the Magical Piece. “Get ready to run DF.”

Cranberry gripped the Magical Piece tightly. One of the special characteristics of Dark Force’s weapon is its affect on magic. By channeling their power through this weapon, the power of Gi level techniques would increase by 30%. And that 30% increase is just what Cranberry desired. Pressing the Magical Piece forward, Cranberry cast her favorite technique, Gifoie. A ring of fire emerged from Cranberry, its flames intensified through the power of Dark Force’s weapon. The circle of fire engulfed the structure, charring its outer walls. Cranberry was not yet satisfied, and cast her technique 2 more times, sending 2 more waves of flame into the building.

“Quick, over here!” Cranberry ordered as she raced toward another building, Dark Force close behind her. “If this doesn’t get their attention, nothing will!”

The flames quickly engulfed the building, and a black cloud of smoke began rising into the air. Shouts could be heard from the landing platform as people began to run toward the fire. An alarm quickly sounded as red lights began to flash around the landing platform.

“That’ll keep them busy for a while.” Cranberry grinned, handing the Magical Piece back to Dark Force. “Lets go before they find us.”

“Sage was right Cranberry, you really are a pyro.” Dark Force laughed

Most of the guards that had not come down from the landing platform ran to the side to see what had caused the alarm. Most of those down below had run toward the flaming building. Cranberry and Dark Force tucked their heads and sprinted toward the landing platform. Underneath the platform were hundreds upon hundreds of support beams. They would have plenty of places to duck out of view if they could make it underneath the platform. With the fiery diversion did its job well, and the guards didn’t notice Cranberry and Dark Force loop around and run past them. Upon reaching the underside of the landing pad, they ducked behind a support beam and took a moment to catch their breath.

“C-cran. L-look.” Dark Force wheezed as she pointed above them.

“My god!” Cranberry gasped as she looked up at the ceiling above them. “It-its.. It’s huge!”

Above them fastened to the ceiling was a very large cylinder-like shape. It seemed to encompass the entire landing pad, and stretched down farther than they could see. The casing was a silver metallic color, but several stripes added color to the casing. A Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, Purple and White stripe ran side by side down the shaft.

“Is, is… is that the bomb!?” Cranberry asked, her eyes widening at the sheer size of what lay above.

“I-I don’t know Cran. I never actually saw it before. But given where its positioned, it seems likely that’s it.” Dark Force answered.

“That’s it, it has to be! Are they completely insane?” Cranberry cried. “Something this big could make a 1000 foot crater in Ragol! If Pioneer 2 lands here and sets that thing off, it’ll be the end of everyone! The entire ship will be destroyed! This isn’t just an act of sabotage, this is going to be genocide!”

“Lets reach the command area and take this project offline, permanently!” Dark Force answered, glaring up at the huge explosive. Her earlier nervousness was now replaced with burning determination.

“Agreed! We won’t let this happen!” Cranberry answered, sharing Dark Force’s passion to reach the command center.

The 2 weaved their way below the landing platform, ducking behind support beams and sometimes making long detours to avoid guards they encountered. They had come too far to be stopped now; they couldn’t afford to be seen.

“Cran, there. I can see it. That’s it over there!” Dark Force said as she pointed to their left. “That’s the command building!”

“It looks pretty heavily guarded; a lot of men in front of it. Any idea how to get in?” Cranberry asked as she peered toward the building.

“I’m tired of sneaking around. Lets take them out.” Dark Force answered, glaring at the command center.

Cranberry looked at Dark Force in surprise, she was not usually this aggressive. Dark Force was very passionate about this. Cranberry could see that in her eyes. No matter what happened, it was rare for anything to truly make Dark Force angry. But this seemed to have done it.

“You want to fight them directly? All right, but lets not just rush in blindly. We don’t want them to call for help. Lets get in close and surprise them with a double Gizonde strike. That may short out any communications gear they have.” Cranberry spoke.

“All right, lets do this Cran.” Dark Force answered, a grin forming on her face.

“We’ll loop around it and approach from the side. Looks like 5 men are standing outside, take them out as quickly as possible. We don’t want them to be able to call for help.” Cranberry replied, pulling her Windmill into a ready position.

Moving farther down the lancing area, the two wait for an opening before sprinting toward a side building about 2 lots down from the command area. Now at a better angle to approach, they made their way back toward the command building.

“Okay now, there it is just ahead. Are you ready?” Cranberry whispered.

“One last thing” Dark Force answered as she cast Shifta and Deband on Cranberry and herself. “Now we’re ready. Lets do it!”

Cranberry and Dark Force made their move, dashing around the corner they raised their weapons and cast Gizonde on the unsuspecting guards. Bolts of electricity shot and ripped through the guards, striking each on in turn. Sparks shot up from several guards as their mechanical equipment shorted out and exploded.

“What! Get them!” One of the guards shouted, spotting Cranberry and Dark Force. The group drew their guns and took aim.

Dark Force and Cranberry stayed close to each other, their purple rings glowed, signaling that their rings had activated, boosting the defensive power of each. Cranberry crossed her arms over her face and chest as the guards opened fire. The photon bullets whizzed through the air as they sought their target. Cranberry gritted her teeth as she felt the impact, but to her great surprise, it felt like little more than a bee sting. Her purple ring had absorbed virtually the entire hit. Glancing at her arm, all she saw was the tiniest of scratches. Cranberry glanced at Dark Force; she was equally surprised, and had also taken little more than a scratch from the shots. The 5 guards took a step back in amazement equally shocked that their shots had virtually no effect on the intruders.

Cranberry and Dark Force grinned at each other, and bolted into a dead sprint straight for the guards. Retaking their formation, the guards resumed firing on the two. Their guns looked to be Custom Rays. The shots did not even faze the 2 FOnewearls. Their Purple Rings virtually absorbed every shot. In no time they closed had closed the gap and reached the guards. Pulling up her Windmill, Cranberry cast Gifoie, engulfing the 5 men inside her ring of fire. Dark Force raised her Magical Piece over her head and smashed it down into the chest of one of the guards, cutting a gash into his uniform. A couple guards threw down their guns and grabbed their hand-to-hand combat weapons; DB Sabers. One such guard lunged at Cranberry and swung his saber across her chest. Much like the Custom Ray’s before, her Purple Ring again all but deflected the strike.

Cranberry swung her Windmill and counter attacked the guard, sending the whirling blades of her Windmill into his face. Pressing the advantage Cranberry struck 2 more times, pounding her Windmill into the guard until she had knocked him off his feet. “I don’t know why our rings our working so well DF, but I like it!”

Dark Force raised her Magical Piece and cast a Gifoie spell of her own, boosting its power through her weapon, the flames ripped through the guards. “It is very convenient.”

“Alright DF! Time to finish this off!” Cranberry announced. Cranberry swung her Windmill in a circle and cast Razonde. Lightning emanated from her body, striking each guard around her. At the same time Dark Force cast Rabarta, releasing an aura of Ice from her body. The 5 men were overwhelmed by the might of the techniques, and collapsed at the feet of the 2 Forces.

“Good work Dark Force.” Cranberry complimented.

“You too. That was easier than I thought. Lets go in.” Dark Force replied.

The 2 stormed the front door and pushed their way inside. They found themselves inside a large open room, 2 sets of double doors lay before them.

“No one is in the lobby. But I don’t think we are going to keep our presence here a secret much longer.” Cranberry said, looking over at her friend.

“He already knows we’re here Cran, brace yourself.” Dark Force answered, grasping her Magical Piece tightly.

“He? What do you me- HEY! The door!” Cranberry shouted, as the main door to the building slammed shut behind them.

“So, the puny little worm has squirmed her way out of the ground once again.” A strange voice spoke as it echoed through the room. “And this time it brought a friend.”
“Who is it?” Cranberry challenged, holding her Windmill in a battle ready pose.
http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso5.png

A strange man stepped forward. He had long brown hair and wore a purple military uniform, much like that worn by the soldiers on Pioneer 2, except for the purple color. He had a large Zanba sword strapped to his back, and wore a Purple Ring on his left arm. But unlike the rings worn by Cranberry and Dark Force, this one seemed to be much larger.

“Well, this really is a surprise.” The man said as his eyes shifted between Cranberry and Dark Force, before focusing on Dark Force. “You got very lucky last time you were here, if not for your little light trick, you never would have left here alive. I never thought you would be foolish enough to return here. Do you think your little friend there is going to be able to help you?”

“Who are you?” Cranberry demanded.

“I am from the Alorsta world. You can call me the Purple Ring General.”

“Alorsta world?” Cranberry inquired.

“Knowledge of such things matters not to those whom are about to die.” Answered the General. “Well puny one, since you had so much fun with the before, how about a second serving? Arise my friends, come and take care of these intruders.”

“No, not again.” Dark Force said, stepping closer to Cranberry.

7 green balls sprung from the ground and formed into a more humanoid shape. The creatures appeared to be some type of plant. They had thick vine-like bodies, and leaf like appendages. Their feet bared a striking resemblance to roots, and their eyes almost looked like tulip bulbs.

“What in the world are those?” Cranberry asked.

“Careful Cran! These things are what ripped me apart last time! Their arms may look like leaves, but they are deadly!” Dark Force answered.

“Have fun ladies.” The General mocked, as he stepped back to watch his monsters attack.

The creatures began to move forward, their arms stretching like vines as they closed in on their targets. Dark Force took a few more steps back, gripping her Magical Piece shakily.

“We can do it DF. We can. But I need your help.” Cranberry encouraged, she pointed her Windmill at the nearest monster.

“Alright, I’m ready.” Dark Force answered, taking a more confident battle stance.

“No matter what, we aren’t going to lose!” Cranberry shouted as the monsters moved in.

Cranberry lunged forward to swing her Windmill at the monster, but before she could connect, she felt herself being pulled back from behind.

“NO!” Dark Force yelled as she grabbed Cranberry by her shirt and jerked her back.

“What’s wrong? Ahhh!” Cranberry screamed as the plant monster reacted to her anticipated attack with a whirling whip of its vine like appendages. The whizzed just out of reach of Cranberry’s head, cutting a small lock of hair off her.

“Don’t get close! Their arms are sharper than a razor blade. That’s what nearly ripped me in half before!” Dark Force cried, pulling Cranberry farther back from the blades.

“Thanks DF. It looks like we won’t be meleeing this.” Cranberry said.

The monsters increased their speed and began to charge at the 2 Forces. Realizing they were about to be ripped apart in record time, they turned and ran. The door was shut, but they could still run around the perimeter of the lobby.

“Yes ladies! Run, run like the scared little mice you are!” The General mocked as he watched the 2 Forces flee from his chasing monsters.

“DF, I have an idea!” Cranberry spoke.

“I’m all ears CB.” Dark Force answered.

“If they are made out of plant, than they must be vulnerable to extreme elements. DF, I’m going to get their attention, once I have them off your tail, hit them with a Foie technique!” Cranberry answered.

“But Cran! That’s dangerous!” Dark Force objected.

“We can’t run forever, we got to do something.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force signed, she knew what Cranberry was proposing was risky. “All right Cran.”

Cranberry gritted her teeth and turned to face the monsters. Taking a deep breath, she charged straight toward the monsters.

“CRAN! What are you doing? NO!” Dark Force shouted.

Surrounded by the monsters, Cranberry thrust her Windmill upward and cast Rabarta, blasting the monsters around her with an aura of ice. The monsters reeled back for a moment, but quickly regained themselves and swarmed Cranberry, slashing her with their appendages.

“Dark Force! Do it now! I can’t-“ Cranberry was cut off as the monsters overwhelmed her, slashing her entire body with their arms.

“A foolish choice my dear!” The General laughed from his perch.

“CRAN!!!” Dark Force screamed in horror as she saw her friend swarmed by the monsters. “Leave her alone!” Cranberry’s plan had worked, the monsters all focused on her, and Dark Force now had an opportunity to attack. Grasping her Magical Piece, Dark Force ran forward and casts Rafoie. A fiery explosion engulfs the plants, setting them ablaze. The plants reeled and groaned.

“Get away from her!” Dark Force demanded again, casting another Rafoie on the already reeling plants, forcing them away from Cranberry. They cried in pain as their bodies burned.

“Cran! Cran speak to me!” Dark Force shouted as she ran to her fallen friend. “Cran are you alright?”

Cranberry had deep gashes all over her body, blood was running from her torn clothes. Her breathing labored.

Dark Force kneeled beside Cranberry. “Hang on Cran!” she demanded as she cast Resta on her friend. “You’re finished! All of you!” Dark Force, charged straight for the plants, casting another Rafoie wave.

The monsters were ready this time, they charged through the fire and closed in on Dark Force. Before she could react, one of them had wrapped its vine like arm around her Magical Piece. Unable to pull her weapon away, they surrounded Dark Force and lashed out with their arms. Dark Force gasped as she felt one of their appendages rip into her back. Within seconds her arms were wrapped in the vines and she was unable to move.

“Arrrgh! I’m sorry Cran!” Dark Force cried as the monsters pulled her down.

Just as the monsters prepared to deliver a final crushing blow to Dark Force, an arctic blast ripped through the plants, their already charred bodies encased an ice like statues. Their burned and now frozen bodies gave into the extreme elements as they crumbled into small piles of black ice. Dark Force stood up and looked behind her. Cranberry was on her feet, holding her Windmill in front of her. Her face was still covered with blood, she looked very weak, and her breathing was labored, but Dark Force’s Resta had given her the strength to stand and cast Gibarta, saving the life of her friend.

“Very well done ladies. Most impressive indeed.” The General said, stepping forward. “You’ve defeated my monsters. But look at you two, you’re all torn up. Unfortunately for you, I’m still here. Though you have put up a brave effort, it ends here. Prepare yourselves ladies, you will not leave here alive.”

End of Chapter 5.

Chapter 6 teaser:
They’ve come a long way, and overcome some very formidable obstacles. But now they face their most formidable foe yet. The Purple Ring General. Do Dark Force and the badly injured Cranberry even stand a chance?

[HUnewearl_Meira]

Stickied.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 6 – Secret of the Rings

Dark Force ran to her weakened friends side and took hold of her arm. “Cran, are you okay?”

Cranberry leaned against Dark Force; she looked dizzy and was having difficulty standing on her own. Dark Force draped Cranberry’s arm around her shoulder to help support her. Cranberry had a dazed look in her eye, and her hand shook as she tried to hold her Windmill.

“You should feel lucky she is even still alive let alone able to stand.” The General said, calmly walking toward the 2 battered FOnewearls. “Very few are ever able to live through what she has. But as I look at your equipment, I can see how it is possible.”

“Our equipment? What do you mean?” Dark Force demanded.

The General continued, “You’re both wearing Purple Rings. I am well aware of the defensive increase it provides when you two are close. Tell me now; have you noticed anything strange about your rings since you came here?”

“Our rings?” Cranberry asked.

“You fought your way past my guards and reached here without so much as a scratch. I know you two weaklings don’t have enough skill to do that on your own. You two may be using the holy rings, but you have no idea the true power they posses. Not like this one on my arm.” The General answered.

Dark Force glanced at their rings, it was nothing unusual for their rings to react to each other, but they still seemed to have a much stronger reaction than normal. Then Dark Force looked at the General. His ring was at least twice as large as Cranberry’s or hers. And his ring seemed to be reacting greatly as well to the presence of the two FOnewearls.

The General continued. “You look surprised my dears. This ring is in many ways very similar to yours. It increases my defensive abilities to physical harm around other rings. But this one is far more useful than the ones you wear. For starters this one is not powerless by itself, like yours. It has been specially manufactured to give the equivalent defensive strength of 4 rings by itself. But it still receives a further boost around other purple rings, including those worn by you two. Only with this one can receive power from all rings within a 1 mile radius, where as yours only react when you are standing within a few feet of each other.”

“T-that m-means our r-r-rings are s-strengthening him.” Cranberry stuttered as she held onto Dark Force.

“That’s right. Many of you Pioneer 2 hunters own colored rings, but you have no idea the true potential and power that they hold.” The General mocked. “Of course my ring is also giving the 2 of you a little defensive boost, not that it’s going to help you. This time you are not leaving here alive, nor will your little friend there.”

“Wait! Why the bomb? Why do you want to destroy Pioneer 2?” Dark Force asked.

“Think about it in the after life!” The General snapped as he drew his Zanba. “Its been fun ladies, but now I’m bored with you. Once I take you two out, your rings are mine, you won’t need them where you’re going.”

The general pulled the Zanba from its holster and charged at the two. With Cranberry injured, Dark Force took the lead and rushed forward. A loud clang echoes as the sword collides with her Magical Piece. Holding her weapon at an angle, Dark Force parries the blow, deflecting it away from Cranberry and herself. The general recovers from his swing and strikes with another one, forcing Dark Force to her knees as she tries to block the strike and protect her friend. She can feel the defensive enhancement of her ring taking effect. Even though the large sword grazes her skin, she feels little pain. But more importantly she is able to keep the blade off Cranberry.

“You’re friend there is nothing more than a liability to you. How can you even hope to defend yourself while she clings to you like a crutch.” The General mocked. “Do yourself a favor and push her away. At least give yourself a chance to lose with some dignity.”

Dark Force stood her ground. “Never! She is my best friend, and I stand by her no matter what! And we have no intention of losing!”

Cranberry began to pull away from Dark Force. “DF, I’m holding you back. You should just-“

“Don’t even start that Cranberry! I need you!” Dark Force interrupted

“How very touching. Very well then, this only serves to make it easier for me.” The General answered. “Well, lets continue shall we?”

Dark Force braced her weapon; she struggled to come up with a plan. She had to find a way to protect Cranberry and still be able to defend herself. Although Cranberry was still very weakened, she didn’t seem quite as dazed as she was a moment ago. If she could just hold out a bit longer, Cranberry might regain enough strength to help her. The General didn’t give her any more time to think. He raised his large sword and launched himself the two.

This time it was a much more serious attack; he was through playing around with the two. Angling her body to keep Cranberry behind her, Dark Force met his attack. Pressing her Magical Piece forward, her hand quaked as the sword slammed against it, the force of the impact causing her hand to feel numb. Before she could react, he struck again, penetrating her defense and slashing her across the chest. Dark Force gasped in pain as the hit knocked both Cranberry and herself to the floor.

“Cran, hang on. I’ll.. Ah!” Dark Force began, but as she attempted to stand, she felt her clutching the Magical Piece pinned to the ground.

“Pathetic, truly pathetic. Is this the best you can do?” The General asked as he stepped on Dark Force’s arm, preventing her from lifting her weapon.

Dark Force squinted her eyes in pain as the general grinded his foot against her arm. Her chest began to sting from the open wound. She fought against the light-headedness that was starting to develop. She tried to lift her arm, but was unable to overcome his strength. She groaned in pain as the General pressed the blade of his sword against her already open wound.

“I warned you this would happen.” The General said. “Your friend held you back, and now you are both going to die.”

“Stop! Leave her alone!” Cranberry answered, slowly rising to her feet.

“Ha ha ha, and what if I don’t feel like it huh? What’s a battered little weakling like you going to do about it? “ The General scorned. “Look at you; it takes all the limited strength you have even to stand up. You honestly think you can even reach me let alone fight me?”

“Well, I’m going to give it a shot.” Cranberry answered, holding her Windmill more steadily.

“Well, what are you waiting for then? If you can even still walk, come over here. And you better make this attack count, her life depends on it!” The General mocked as he continued again grinded his foot into Dark Force’s arm, causing her to cry out in pain.

“I’m a Force. I don’t have to move to fight.” Cranberry answered. She lifted up her Windmill toward the General and cast Foie. A ball of fire generated from her Windmill and flew toward the General. He quickly threw his arms up in a defensive position, but to no avail. The fireball slammed into the General, knocking him a solid 3 feet backwards as he crashed to the floor.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso8.png

The weight off her arm, Dark Force weakly tried to sit up. Her chest throbbed in pain; she could still feel the piercing burn of the sword that had struck her. Her vision had become blurry, but she couldn’t give up. Cranberry would not last long without help.

“Well kid, I have to admit. That fireball packs a punch.” The General admitted. “You got a lucky shot. But you are in no condition to fight, and you can barely stand. You are a sitting duck to me.”

Dark Force struggled to her feet. Gripping her Magical Piece with both hands, she casts Resta on both Cranberry and herself. The throbbing pain in her chest became a little more manageable, and the spell seemed to benefit Cranberry as well, helping her to stand more stably.

“You know, you’re right.” Cranberry began. “I can’t stand against you. But I’m not alone. I am standing because of my best friend. It is through her that I am able to draw strength, and just like she told you. We have no intention of losing.”

Dark Force stepped next to Cranberry. Both FOnewearls were weakened and injured. But both had a look of sheer determination and confidence in their eyes.

“An emotional speech, but its nothing but delusions and fantasy. So if you are quite done preaching, lets continue this little skirmish.” The General snapped as he regained his composure and lifted his sword again.

“Come and get us!” Dark Force challenged as the two Forces exchanged small nods.

The General raised his Zanba and charged for the two. But this time they were ready. Each dove to the side and dashed under the strike of his sword. They rolled behind the charging General and sprung to their feet. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cranberry launched another Foie wave and Dark Force unlashed a bolt of Electricity in the form of Zonde. The momentum of swinging such a large sword took its toll on the General. He was unable to break out of his swing to take any defensive measures. Both spells hit their mark; the force of the impacts hurled the General into the wall of the room.

“Why you… how could you…? How could you do this kind of damage?” The General groaned as he pulled himself up and glared at the two.

“I’ve figured you out.” Cranberry answered. “Its true that your ring grants you very solid defense, but only to physical harm! It does almost nothing to protect you against techniques!”

“You may think that are rings are making you stronger, but in reality it is you that is strengthening us! Your ring can’t stop our techniques, but ours do defend against your sword!” Dark Force continued.

“Enough! I won’t be defeated by two weak little girls!” The General hissed as he rushed toward the 2 again. “You will perish at my hands!”

Dark Force and Cranberry took up defensive stances and readied themselves. The General lunged his Sword forward, aiming straight for Cranberry’s heart. Cranberry and Dark Force thrusts their left arms forward simultaneously. A deafening metallic clang echoed throughout the room as the sword struck.

“Wh-what? No you can’t!” The General exclaimed in surprise.

Holding their arms together, Cranberry and Dark Force intercepted the Zanba and wedged it between their rings.

“We can, and we did!” Cranberry replied. “We fight together, and you fell right into our trap. Its over!”

Dark Force and Cranberry pointed their weapons at the Generals head. Both cast Foie at point blank range, incinerating the General in an intense inferno of fire. The General screeched in pain momentarily as the fire scorched his body.

The General collapsed to the floor, his Zanba falling to his side, his Purple Ring falling from his hand as it too landed beside him.

Cranberry kneeled by the general and checked his pulse. “Its over, he’s dead. We did it. DF! Are you alright?”

Dark Force had fallen to her knees, holding her hand over her chest in obvious extreme pain. “I’ve been better. Are you alright Cran?”

“I’m aching in parts I didn’t even know I had.” Cranberry answered as she kneeled by Dark Force. Cranberry really didn’t seem to be in any better shape than her friend. Both FOnewearls had taken a lot of damage. And both of their clothes were torn and stained with blood.

With the strength she had remaining, Cranberry helped Dark Force back into a standing position as she spoke. “Lets find a place to rest for a moment. Maybe they have some water here too. Lets go into the computer room there. Maybe we can find a map, or at least a place to sit down.”

The 2 injured FOnewearls limped over to the computer room, only to find the door was still locked. A strange cylindrical keypad was just right of the door. There were no buttons or switches, just a strange circular indentation.

“Now if we can just figure out how to unlock this thing.” Cranberry thought out loud as she looked at the keypad.

“Cran, the ring. Try using his ring.” Dark Force suggested.

Cranberry limped back to the fallen General and picked up the ring lying beside his body. Returning to Dark Force’s side, she slid the ring through the circular interface. The door emitted a tone and slid open, revealing what appeared to be a large master computer before them. But more important was the chairs sitting in front of the control panels. Cranberry helped Dark Force walk over to the station and both took a seat. Dark Force rested her head against the station.

“Can you breathe alright?” Cranberry asked, getting her first good look at Dark Force’s wound.

“Yeah, but it hurts.” Dark Force replied as she slowly opened her item back and removed a small first aid kit. “Will you help me?”

“Of course.” Cranberry replied as the two began to help each other clean and treat their wounds.

“Cran, look at this.” Dark Force spoke as she motioned at the computer display.

“It looks like some sort of database. It’s talking about the rings. Maybe this can tell us exactly who these people are.” Cranberry answered as she began to read the files listed on the monitors.

“I found something Cran. He isn’t the only general. There are 7 total: Purple, Blue, Yellow, White, Black, Green, and Red. One for each color of ring.” Dark Force said as she looked through the displays.

“It’s all here, their entire project. They come from a planet not far from Ragol. This is all about rings. Everything here is about rings. The whole reason they want to destroy Pioneer 2 is to destroy all the hunters to steal their rings!” Cranberry replied.

“The whole project, the whole landing. It’s all a mad quest for power! All the work I’ve put into this project, it’s all been for some freakish aliens greed! We can’t let them get away with this Cran!” Dark Force growled, getting visibly upset at what they were discovering.

Cranberry nodded. “Agreed, we can’t let Pioneer 2 land. Lets see if we can find the location of these Ring Generals.”

End of Chapter 6

Chapter 7 teaser.

Cranberry and Dark Force have defeated the Purple Ring General. They quickly discover that his ring has lost its power, but keep it with them nonetheless. Cranberry and Dark Force are both badly injured and decide to leave the complex and set up camp where they prepare for a very long journey. In chapter 7 we will learn a little bit more about the history of Cranberry and Dark Force and about the bond they share as they recover from their battle and sort over the new information they have received.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 7 – The Bond of a Force

Cranberry and Dark Force copied the database from the computer to a storage disk, and then took a few moments to rest. Even though the Purple Ring General had been defeated, there was no telling how many of his men might still be around and neither of the Forces was in any condition to continue fighting effectively. No one had followed them into the computer room, nor had they heard any evidence of people within the building, but they still had to be cautious. Even so, they decided to have a look around the command building.

“It’s odd, there doesn’t seem to be anyone else in here. He must have been the sole operator here.” Cranberry said as she thought out loud.

“Yeah.” Dark Force answered softly. Although she hid it from Cranberry, she was still in a lot of pain and found it difficult to breathe. Cranberry herself wasn’t in much better shape, and she didn’t want to worry her friend any more than she already was.

“I think I’ve found something DF. It looks to be some sort of storage room. This could be just what we need.” Cranberry spoke as she peered into a nearby room. “Well, its not a lot, but it will come in handy.”

Dark Force forced herself over to where Cranberry was looking. Inside were several rows of stacked boxes. It appeared to be a type of general storage area. “Lets see what we can find.”

They rummaged through many of the boxes stacked throughout the room. Although many of the boxes contained equipment or uniforms that were of no value to Cranberry or Dark Force, they did find some useful gear such as medical kits, a type of map, water canisters and a small pack of canned foods. It wasn’t much, but it would definitely help them out.

“It’s not going to be much longer before someone realizes that something has happened here. Lets go Cran. It’s time for us to leave.” Dark Force said as they finished stocking their packs.

“I’d like to see what else they have here, but you’re right. It’s not safe to stay anymore.” Cranberry agreed.

The two made their way back to the main entrance of the building, and when the coast was clear outside left the building and quickly made their way around to the side. It was too dangerous to try and go back the way they had come. The fire Cranberry had set earlier had attracted too much attention; they’d never make it through. Instead the two pressed forward and continued on farther down the construction area. They had already traveled down a good portion of it; perhaps they could locate the other side and escape that way.

It was a very long and painful walk for both of them. By staying behind the buildings and using construction material for cover, they were able to stay out of sight much like they did during their initial approach. As the sun began to set, they at last approached the far end of the construction area. This side of the construction area did not lead into the forest, but instead a field that stretched far out in front of them.

“There isn’t a lot to hide us here. We’d best put as much distance between us and the construction site as we can.” Cranberry said with a sigh.

Dark Force groaned as she nodded her head. Both of them were exhausted and hurting. They badly needed rest, but they had to press onward until they knew they were safe. So they continued walking. At least now that they were off the construction sight they did not need to sneak around and could walk normally.

“It looks like it’s going to be anther clear night.” Cranberry began. “Not a cloud in the sky.”

“Yeah.” Dark Force answered softly as she glanced up at the sky. “Hey Cran?”

“Yes?” Cranberry asked.

“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll ask you after we stop.” Dark Force answered. “You holding up alright?”

“I’m giving it all I have, but I’m completely exhausted. I don’t have much strength left.” Cranberry admitted.

Dark Force looked over to her friend. Cranberry always did provide an honest answer. She never tried to hide how she was feeling. “Should we stop here then?”

“No, not yet. A little further, we have to be sure. Sure that we are far enough away.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force nodded. She really wasn’t in any better shape than Cranberry was. The sharp pain in her chest had only gotten worse as they hiked through the field. Neither of them had been given a real chance to rest since they left their campsite back in the forest.

The two of them continued to push themselves forward. The grass field began to thin out and several trees dotted the area. For another 2 hours they painfully pushed on. The sun had fully set and was quickly replaced with the dark of the night. The moon and stars above were the only light for the two Forces. Cranberry reached her limit, and fell to her knees.

“Cran!” Dark Force cried as she quickly kneeled beside her friend.

“That’s all DF. I can’t go any further. I’ve got nothing left.” Cranberry replied.

“This is far enough, we’ll set up camp here.” Dark Force answered.

Dark Force pulled her Windmill from her pack and used it to cut away the taller grass around them and dig a small pit into the ground to use for a fire. After resting for a few moments, Cranberry was able to locate some fallen tree branches and slice them up with her own Windmill for firewood. After stacking some wood into the pit and casting a quick Foie spell, they had a fire going and were finally able to sit down to rest.

“Cran?” Dark Force began.

“Yes Dark Force?” Cranberry replied.

“Back at the construction area, before we fought the general. Those plant monsters. They really hurt you pretty bad. I, I thought they had killed you.” Dark Force continued.

“I wanted them to attack me.” Cranberry replied.

“But they almost killed you.” Dark Force countered.

“You told me that the first time you were there, you almost didn’t make it out, and that those monsters injured you pretty bad. I didn’t want that to happen to you again. As I watched the monsters move, I realized they were only targeting whichever of us was closest to them. I knew we would not be able to outrun them much longer. If they had to catch one of us, I didn’t want it to be you.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force looked at Cranberry not certain how to respond.

“I knew it was dangerous, but I also knew you would be there for me when I needed you. You didn’t let your fear stop you. You showed them what it means to be a true Force.” Cranberry continued.

Dark Force stood and moved beside Cranberry, taking a seat beside her. “I couldn’t let them take you from me.”

“I trust you with my life DF. You’ve earned that time and time again.” Cranberry answered as she looked down at the ring on her wrist. “You’ve never let me down.”

“Thank you Cran. I feel the same about you.” Dark Force replied as she smiled softly.

Cranberry rested her head against Dark Force’s shoulder as she gazed into the flames of the fire. It had been a very long day, and she was grateful to be able to rest after all that had happened. She glanced up to see that Dark Force was still deep in thought. “More on your mind?”

“Cranberry,” Dark Force responded, “do you think they are still alive?”

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso50.png

Cranberry sat up straight and turned to face Dark Force. “What? The monsters? No, they are history.”

“No, not them. I mean.” Dark Force began, hesitating for a moment. “I mean mom and dad.”

“No.” Cranberry answered as she closed her eyes. “I don’t think anyone did.”

“Oh.” Dark Force replied as she stared at the ground, a tear forming in her eye.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m right. And it doesn’t mean you should give up.” Cranberry insisted.

Dark Force turned to look at Cranberry. “I don’t know Cran. Maybe you are not wrong, its been more than a year since the explosion. Maybe they really are gone.”

Cranberry put her arm around Dark Force and hugged her gently. “You’ve come a long way, don’t give up now.”

“Cranberry, do you remember when I first met you?” Dark Force asked.

“Yeah, I think so, the technique school on Coral right? We did a project together.” Cranberry answered.

“Yes, that’s right. I started going to that school shortly after my parents left on Pioneer 1.” Dark Force continued. “They left me behind on Coral, in the care of a family friend. I didn’t really fit in so well at that school. When we were asked to form partners, nobody really even looked at me.”

Cranberry closed her eyes as she thought back. “I was very much a loaner too. I have always had a pretty hard shell around me. I don’t trust easily, I never made friends well. Ha ha ha I was reading a book when we were told to get into groups. I don’t think I even heard our instructor.”

“He he, yeah. I distracted you by casting a technique next to you.” Dark Force replied with a chuckle. “You were the only one left without a partner.”

“And that’s when you asked me to work with you.” Cranberry answered with a nod. “Somehow you broke through my shell DF. You became the first real friend I ever had. And probably the only person on Coral that I trusted.”

Dark Force put her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder. “You’ve stood by my side ever since that day Cran. My parents were well-established scientists. Every day the schedule was filled. From the time they woke up, to the time they went to bed. Especially in the months leading up to Pioneer 1’s launch.”

“You’re family was definitely upper class. Everyone knew about your family’s work for the government. They were personally asked by the leaders of Coral to be on Pioneer 1.” Cranberry responded.

“Yeah, mom and dad were well known but not very public. They always kept out of the cameras, out of the public eye.” Dark Force said quietly. “We lived our lives within closed doors. My best friends were my mom and dad. That’s where these purple rings came from too. My parents gave them to me.”

“Yes, when I met you, you were wearing both of them. You never took them off for any reason.” Cranberry acknowledged.

“Mom said that I was to keep one for myself, and someday give the other one to someone important in my life. She said my heart would tell me who the right person was.” Dark Force replied. “They gave me these just before they left aboard Pioneer 1 for Ragol. I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t take me with them. Why they had to leave me behind.”

“I don’t know what your parents did for Pioneer 1, but I know they loved you. I’m sure they had a good reason for not bringing you with them.” Cranberry spoke as she looked at Dark Force.

Dark Force continued. “After the person that was watching me passed away, you were all I had Cran. You were always there for me any time I needed you. I started to understand what my mother had said about the rings before she left.”

“I remember the day you gave me your ring, it was the same day I asked you to come with me on Pioneer 2 to go to Ragol.” Cranberry said.

“Yeah, and you’ve kept it with you ever since. And then a week later we left for Ragol together.” Dark Force replied.

“We’ve been through a lot together Dark Force. Good times, hardships, even tragedy. But we’ve gone through all of it together. Much like our rings, I’m not at full strength without you DF.” Cranberry answered. “I don’t know for sure what the fate of your parents are, but we’ll find out. Dead or alive, we will find out.”

“Thanks Cran.” Dark Force said sighing softly. “Thanks for everything. Well, we should probably look through that database we copied. See what our next destination is.”

“Oh, I almost forgot all about that. I’ll get right on it.” Cranberry answered as she began to activate the data on the portable reader.

While Cranberry checked the map data, Dark Force began cooking some of the canned food they had taken from the command area.

“It looks like the closest one is the Yellow Ring general. He’s out in a desert to the east of here. We got a long walk ahead of us though. Probably take us a few days to reach it without a ride.” Cranberry informed.

“We can’t exactly go back for the ship you used to get here. We’d never make it through the construction area again.” Dark Force replied.

“Yeah, looks like there is no quick fix to this one. We better get some rest. We have a long trip ahead of us.” Cranberry answered.

“I agree. Lets have some dinner, then we can get some sleep.” Dark Force agreed.

End of Chapter 7

Chapter 8 teaser:
Cranberry and Dark Force continue to recover from their injuries but they still have a big job ahead of them. In chapter 8 they set off toward their next destination. What strange new monsters await them as they head toward their next goal? The history lesson is over, in chapter 8 they get back to work on the task at hand.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 8 – Journey to Yellow


Dark Force stared up at the stars in the clear night sky from her sleeping bag. Not far from her Cranberry lay asleep in her own sleeping bag. She looked over at her friend and sighed softly, glad that her weary friend had been able to dose off. But Dark Force herself found sleep difficult. It was not her painful injury that kept her awake, but instead the conversation Cranberry and her had an hour ago. So much had happened since Pioneer 2 came to Ragol. Cranberry wanted to come to Ragol after hearing the announcement that Coral was approaching planetary destruction. Although it was true that she had come to Ragol because Cranberry asked her to, she also hoped that she would be able to see her family again. But such was not the case, as is the story for countless other people aboard Pioneer 2. She had all but given up on ever seeing any of them again. But maybe Cranberry was right; maybe it wasn’t time to give up yet. Even if they didn’t survive, perhaps she could find out what they did on Pioneer 1.

As she thought about things Dark Force turned and looked at Cranberry. She whispered softly so as not to wake her friend. “You still have a mother and father back on Coral, don’t you? But you haven’t said one word about them since we got to Ragol. Why don’t you ever speak of your family Cran?” Turning her gaze back to the stars, Dark Force let her mind wander. “Whatever happens, I’m glad you’re with me. With you around, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do. Sleep well Cran. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.” Dark Force continued to stare at the sky, until she too fell into sleep.

The morning sun shown down on the campsite as Dark Force stirred. She felt the warmth of the fire on her face as she slowly opened her eyes. Sitting up she saw water was boiling in the pan and she could smell what seemed to be bread cooking.

“Good morning DF.” Cranberry said as she smiled proudly. “This time it’s my turn to get up early and make breakfast.”

“Hi Cran. How are you feeling?” Dark Force asked as she sat up and stretched.

“I sorted through the cans we pilfered from the construction area and found a can of biscuit dough. Perfect for breakfast.” Cranberry replied proudly.

“It sounds great Cran.” Dark Force replied. “Thank you.”

Cranberry brought the pan of biscuits and boiled water over to Dark Force and they both partook of the 8 biscuits that Cranberry made and drank some water once it had cooled. They then packed everything back into their bags and doused the fire with Barta.

“Sure wish we could get into some clean clothes.” Cranberry complained as she looked herself over.

“Yeah, all that fighting has taken its toll on us.” Dark Force agreed. “How are you doing Cran? I mean your injuries.”

“Resta isn’t a miracle cure but it does help a lot. That along with a good nights sleep and some food in my belly has put me in pretty good shape. I feel ready for anything.” Cranberry answered. “How about you?”

“I’m feeling better too.” Dark Force answered. “Are you ready?”

“I am.” Cranberry exclaimed. And with that the two were off on their journey.

The grass field stretched a long ways. By now they were far enough away from the construction area that they had no concerns about being followed. This area of Ragol was unlike any they had been to before. There were no walls or structures anywhere in sight. It was pure open wilderness and though they saw no animals, they heard occasional shuffles and noises from the grass. Proof that wildlife existed here, but thus far their travel had been unopposed. The air was clean and the sky clear. It was a perfect day, but though they did not admit it to each other each of the Forces was feeling nervous. They had no idea exactly what they were heading to, only that they were searching for the Yellow Ring General. And the thought of traveling through a desert was not something either was looking forward to.

“Hey Cran. I was looking over that data we copied. I found something that concerns me.” Dark Force spoke as the walked.

“What’s that?” Cranberry asked.

“Well, it’s the Black Ring one. He doesn’t seem to have a set location. These other guys, they all seem to have some type of base or main location that they are in. But Black, he doesn’t seem to have any sort of command center.” Dark Force answered.

“I forgot about that ring when I looked at that.” Cranberry admitted.

“Here, see for yourself.” Dark Force said as she handed Cranberry the data pad.

“You’re right, he’s not listed here. That’s not going to make it easy to find him. But I wonder what this means, is our data incomplete?” Cranberry wondered out loud.

“Maybe…” Dark Force replied as she took back the data pad. “One more thing Cran. The Purple Ring we took from the General. It, it seems different.”

“I have actually, it doesn’t seem to work anymore. It’s like its lost its power. It doesn’t react to our rings, and ours don’t react to it. But ours still react to each other.” Cranberry replied.

Dark Force nodded and decided not to think about it too much. The most important thing for them was to stop the generals. Whether the generals rings still worked or not afterwards was not important.

“DF!” Cranberry shouted, causing her startled friend to jump.

“What is it?” Dark Force asked.

“There’s something ahead!” Cranberry answered as she pointed ahead of them.

Dark Force directed her eyes to where Cranberry was directing and saw what all the commotion was about. About 7 large animals had gathered in front of them. They each had 2 large horns on their heads to complement their mouths of fanged and large beaver like bodies. Their tails were long and pointed, with 2 small spikes at the tip. Their legs were short but stocky, their legs ended with a large bear like claws.

“What are these? I’ve never seen anything like them before.” Cranberry spoke as she reached for her Windmill.

“Me either.” Replied Dark Force. “But they don’t look friendly.”

The monsters dug their claws into the ground and formed up side by side, staring down at the two. The one in the center grunted and growled a command to its comrades. The other 6 barked a reply, and suddenly the entire pack suddenly lurched forward into a sprint straight toward the two.

“Look out!” Dark Force shouted as the pack charged toward the two.

“No you don’t!” Cranberry shouted at the monsters.

Crouching briefly, Cranberry and Dark Force sprung up and leapt into the air, jumping over the charging herd.

“That seems pretty hostile to me!” Cranberry said as both she and Dark Force spun to face the herd. “Lets take them down.”

The herd ran a large semicircle as they turned around to face the two Forces. The monster in the center again began barking and growing to the others.

“That must be the leader. Lets not give him any more chances to talk to his buddies.” Dark Force said as she grabbed her Magical Piece. Dark Force ran forward and thrust her weapon forward as she channeled the energy of a technique through it. Gizonde was her chosen technique; a bolt of lightning flew from her weapon and struck each of the monsters in turn. The monsters reared up and began stomping the ground with their claws, tearing up the grass and creating a cloud of dust around them.

Dark Force took a few steps back and coughed as the dust overtook her. She was immediately blinded, as if the sun itself had gone out and shrouded all of Ragol in darkness. “Cough cough I can’t see!” Dark Force held her Magical Piece and cast another Gizonde, the bolt of lightning again flew from her weapon, but this time it struck the ground and found no target. “Where are they? Cran where are you? I can’t see anything!” Dark Force heard the howl of the monsters, and could hear the sound of their claws. They had begun another charge, but Dark Force could not see or tell which direction they were coming from.

“DF! Look out!” Cranberry shouted as she ran to her friend’s aid.

“Cran! Ack!” Before Dark Force could react, she felt herself pulled and forced to the ground. But it was not the stinging pain of sharp horns impaling her body that she felt. Cranberry had grabbed and tackled Dark Force forcing both of them just out of the range of the monsters.

Cranberry quickly stood up pulling Dark Force up with her. “Whoa! DF are you all right?”

Dark Force rubbed her eyes. “Ugh, thanks Cran. I think they di- ugh!”

“No time! MOVE!” Cranberry interrupted as she grabbed Dark Force by the shirt and dove with her to their right. The monsters had wasted no time. Instead of reforming their charge like last time they had never stopped their charge. Running in a wide arc they circled and came at the 2 again. Cranberry got Dark Force and herself out of the way just in time. The herd stampeded past the two.

“Cran, I can’t see. They did something to my eyes.” Dark Force said as she quickly pulled herself up.

The sound of a technique being cast was heard, and Dark Force felt the effects of an Anti technique cast. The darkness lifted and her sight began to return.

“It must be a special ability. They released some kind of powder when they kicked up the dust.” Cranberry replied as she watched the herd slow to a stop and turn to face the 2 again.

“Thanks Cran. I can see again.” Dark Force said as she turned to face the monsters.

Cranberry raised her Windmill. “Here they come. Get ready DF!”

The herd charged toward the two again, but by now their attacks were getting too predictable. Cranberry and Dark Force easily jumped over the charging herd. Cranberry spun around and lifted her Windmill as she lived up to her nickname of the Fire Mage by casting Foie and unleashing a fireball toward one of the monsters. Dark Force cast Barta, unleashing a wave of ice that struck 2 of the monsters. But neither Force had much success with their techniques. The monsters quickly reformed their formation.

“Not afraid of fire or ice either huh? Why can’t anything ever be easy?” Cranberry said in frustration.

Dark Force took a step back and waves her Magical Piece as she cast Grants. The arrows of light engulfed the closest monster. As the spell hit, the monster flipped over onto its side and thrashed around as it worked to right itself. The other monsters broke off their formation and began to spread out around the two.

“Grants is it huh?” Cranberry acknowledged as she saw the effect of Dark Force’s spell. “Lets do it!”

Cranberry cast Grants herself. The arrows of light engulfed the nearest monster. The light knocked the monster on its side much like the one Dark Force struck. The monster thrashed and flailed to get back to its feet. Cranberry didn’t let up and targeted the same monster a second time with another Grants spell. The technique hit but instead of doing damage to the monster, it simply knocked the monster into a different position, where it continued to thrash and flail as it attempted to right itself.

“Cran! Behind you!” Dark Force shouted in warning. One of the monsters had maneuvered behind Cranberry and launched forward while she was casting her spells.

Cranberry spun around, but too little too late. The monster charged through Cranberry, its horn ripping painfully through her side. She released a loud shriek as she was thrown to the ground, blood quickly filling the deep gash in her side.

“Cranberry!” Dark Force screamed as she ran to defend her friend. Casting Grants, she sent Cranberry’s attacker to the floor; it too flailed and thrashed like the two before it.

“Oh, oh my gosh that hurts!” Cranberry whined as she forced herself up shakily.

“Cranberry, are you okay? Here’s a little boost!” Dark Force asked as she cast Resta.

Cranberry’s wound closed up as the healing effect of Resta reached her. It still hurt, but she felt the strength return to her. “Thanks DF, we need a plan. Grants alone isn’t enough.”

Dark Force leapt to the side, using her Magical Piece to redirect the angle of a charging monster away from Cranberry and herself. “Cranberry, I think I have an idea. Spin your Windmill!”

“The Windmill? Okay, if you say so.” Cranberry replied with a look of confusion. But she obeyed and began swinging her Windmill, spinning the blades in the process.

3 of the monsters charged forward to rush Dark Force while a 4th went after Cranberry. Dark Force broke into a run straight toward the monsters. Just as they were about to collide, she pivoted and dove to the side. The herd stampeded past her. Rolling to her feet Dark Force spun and pressed her Magical Piece forward. The monster charging toward Cranberry was engulfed in the light arrows of a Grants spell and forced to the ground about 5 feet away from Cranberry.

“Now Cran! Slash its belly!” Dark Force shouted.

Cranberry swung her Windmill and released its special ability. The photon blades flew from the cane and struck the monsters underside. The monster squealed in pain as it struggled to get back on its feet.

“It’s working! Keep it up!” Dark Force called as she rushed forward to support her friend with Shifta and Zalure.

Strengthened by Dark Force’s Shifta technique, Cranberry continued her attack. She swung her Windmill as fast as she could, sending blade after blade into the monster’s belly. Responding to their comrades squeals of pain, the other monsters gathered together and lowered their heads to the ground.

“What are they doing?” Dark Force asked.

Cranberry turned to look just in time to see the monsters rear up on their hind legs and slammed the ground with their claws. An enormous shockwave generated from their hooves and raced toward the 2 stunned Forces.

“Oh you got to be kidding me.” Cranberry shouted as both Dark Force and she threw their arms up in a defensive pose. But it did them little good. They impact threw both of them to the ground.

Cranberry and Dark Force slowly rose to their feet, a little dizzy from the shockwave. But before either of them could react, the 6 monsters lunged forward. Unable to counter, both Dark Force and Cranberry were impaled by the horns and trampled as the monsters plowed through them. Both Forces screamed in pain as the horns ripped and claws of the monsters ripped through their skin.

Dark Force sat up first, trembling lightly in responds to the hit. She looked over and saw the herd running an arch to make another pass. “C-Cran, a-are you alright?”

“N-not really.” Cranberry answered weakly as she used the handle of her Windmill for support as she struggled to get up.

“T-they’re coming!” Dark Force cried as she saw the monsters rushing toward the two.

Cranberry and Dark Force both forced themselves up, each of them greatly weakened by the trampling. Cranberry looked at Dark Force. “We only have one chance. We have to try and immobilize them. Freezing is our only chance.”

Dark Force nodded. “Together then, good luck Cran.”

“You too.” Cranberry replied as both of them stared toward the approaching herd.

Dark Force raised her Magical Piece and Cranberry raised her Windmill. As the herd charged toward them, both Forces cast Gibarta. The arctic blast of ice flew into the herd. The monsters howled in surprise, but at least for the moment they could do nothing about it. The entire herd became encased in ice and was forced to an abrupt stop. Cranberry quickly cast Resta, as did Dark Force. The double Resta immediately boosted their strength and greatly eased the pain of their wounds.

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Back in fighting shape, they prepared to continue their earlier plan. Cranberry looked over and saw that the monster she had struck earlier with her Windmill was no longer moving. Their undersides definitely appeared to be their weak point, but getting hits in would not be easy.

Dark Force sheathed her Magical Piece and pulled her own Windmill. “I’m tired of these things! Come on CB, lets take these things down!”

Cranberry nodded and stepped forward while Dark Force spun her Windmill. Cranberry rushed toward the herd and cast Gibarta. The heard broke out of their charge and scrambled in different directions. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cranberry followed up by casting Grants on the nearest monster. As soon as the creature hit the ground, Dark Force attacked with her Windmill, sending the blades flying into the creature’s belly. Cranberry turned and ran back to Dark Force. As Dark Force finished off the downed monster with her Windmill, Cranberry protected her by continuing her Grants spells on the approaching monsters, targeting each one in turn.

“Its working Cran!” Dark Force exclaimed as she turned the attacks of her Windmill on another monster.

Cranberry continued casting Grants as quickly as she could. Although the spell was powerful and effective, it was also quickly sapping her magical ability. Grants took a lot of TP to cast, and casting it in such rapid succession was beginning to take is toll on Cranberry. Dark Force continued striking with her Windmill, sending blade after photonic blade into the downed creatures. Together the 2 had been able to take down 3 of the monsters, only 3 were left. Dark Force looked over to her friend and saw that she was beginning to struggle with her spell casting.

“CB, I’ll take over that. You melee.” Dark Force ordered.

Cranberry nodded and again began spinning her weapon. Dark Force held her Windmill forward and began casting Grants. Cranberry used her own Windmill and sent the blades flying into the monsters. The remaining 3 monsters had no chance to attack. Dark Force kept them pinned down with Grants, and Cranberry finished each one off with Windmill blades. Soon the final blow was struck, and the last monster stopped moving.

Both Cranberry and Dark Force dropped to their knees in exhaustion.

“We, we did it.” Dark Force gasped.

“That wasn’t easy.” Cranberry answered as she laid her head on the ground.

“A-are you okay Cran?” Dark Force asked as she crawled over to her friend.

“I think so, I’m just worn out.” Cranberry replied.

“Me too, we are both pretty torn up, lets rest a while.” Dark Force suggested as she put her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder.

Cranberry nodded softly as Dark Force helped her to stand up. “I hope the rest of the trip isn’t this difficult.”

The two took some time to rest after their battle and had some lunch. Although both of them had taken damage, Cranberry really didn’t look well. She had taken some heavy hits from the monsters and the horns really had ripped her up pretty good. Her clothing was badly torn, and she seemed to tremble as she walked. Dark Force stayed by her friend’s side and helped treat Cranberry’s wounds and gave her some water and another Resta technique.

“Nothing is ever easy for us, is it?” Cranberry asked as she rested.

“Certainly seems to be the case.” Dark Force answered. “Feeling any better?”

“Yeah, I’ll be alright. I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.” Cranberry replied.

Dark Force nodded and sat down to rest a few minutes herself. She looked up and saw that clouds were beginning to move in overhead. She frowned at the possibility of rain falling soon. After resting for 15 minutes, Cranberry stood up ready to go.

The two packed up their supplies and continued their journey. Dark Force’s concerns quickly came true as a light rain began to fall. Cranberry and Dark Force sighed at each other, but continued on their way.

As they continued to travel, they ran into 2 more groups of the monsters they had run into earlier. Fortunately these packs were no more than 3 and they were able to take them down quite easily with Grants and Windmill strikes. Neither of them took anything more than a light scratch from the monsters attacks. As they continued their trip, the field thinned out, and the ground became bare. The landscape gradually changed from one of grass to one of rolling hills.

As night fell they set up camp and rested for the night. Dark Force checked their data and found that the desert was about half a days travel from their current location.

“Looks like it’s going to be a miserable night.” Dark Force groaned.

Cranberry nodded. Although they sheltered themselves as best they could, the rain soaked them both. Neither of them slept well and come early morning it seemed to be raining even heavier.

“Well, you were right about one thing CB.” Dark Force groaned.

“What’s that?” Cranberry replied.

“It never is easy for us.” Dark Force answered as she tried to ring the water out of her hair.

“Yeah. What I wouldn’t give for a chance to wash up. I’m covered with mud. Well, lets go ahead and get going.” Cranberry responded with a sigh.

They nodded at each other and continued walking, glad that the night was behind them. At least neither of them seemed to be catching a cold. They traveled for several hours without incident, the grass completely vanished and the hills came larger and the terrain much more rocky. It was not an easy trip, and rain continued to pour the entire time making the ground even more muddy and slippery.

“Cran, look up there.” Dark Force said.

“That’s it! Sand! Lots of it! The desert begins just over this ridge. We’ve made it!” Cranberry said in excitement.

“Lets not keep them waiting, lets go find the Yellow Ring General.” Dark Force responded.

Filled with new hope, the two crossed the last ridge and entered the sand of the desert. It was time to go after the next ring.

End of Chapter 8

Chapter 9 teaser:
It’s been a miserable long trip, but they have at last reached the desert. In chapter 9 Cranberry and Dark Force cross the desert and come face to face with the Yellow Ring General. The action picks up and more new monsters await the two. Huh? What’s this? A Tsumikiri J-Tollaw? Chapter 9 coming soon!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cranberry on 2006-04-19 12:16 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cranberry on 2006-04-19 12:16 ]</font>

[Cranberry]

Chapter 9 – The Yellow Confrontation

Dark Force and Cranberry entered the desert. Rain still poured down on them, but a cloudy day beat the alternative of scorching sunlight.

“According to the map data, there should be a building out here somewhere. I can’t pinpoint its exact location, but I have a general idea.” Dark Force stated as they trudged through the sand.

“We’ll find it. I’m sure we will. And the sooner we get out of this rain the better.” Answered Cranberry.

“Keep your guard up, no telling what’s out here.” Dark Force said as they walked.

“You mean like that?” Cranberry said as she pointed ahead. The sand was bulging ahead of them; something was rising from the ground.

“Yes, like that.” Dark Force sighed. “Lets not let anything take us by surprise, stay close to me Cranberry.”

Cranberry stepped over to Dark Force; their purple rings immediately reacted to the presence of the other. They readied their weapons, Dark Force had re-equipped her Magical Piece and Cranberry still held her Windmill.

The creature emerged from the sand, revealing itself in a pale brown in color. The monster appeared to be lizard like, but instead of the typical reptilian appearance, this creature’s body represented more closely a rat. A long tail stretched from its body. Atop its head were 2 large pointy ears and its muzzle ended with a darker brown nose. The creature stood on 4 legs, in a posture much like a rat. Two dark blue eyes peered at the 2 from the creatures head and 4 large fangs could be seen in the monsters mouth.

“It doesn’t look so bad.” Cranberry said, unimpressed by the monster.

“Better safe than sorry.” Dark Force replied as she quickly cast Shifta and Deband on themselves.

The monster glared at the 2 and began to run toward them. The monster looked to be about 3 in height. The creature turned its sights on Cranberry and snapped at her with its teeth.

“Isn’t anything on Ragol nice?” Cranberry stammered as she held up her left arm and deflected the monsters assault with her ring.

The creature hissed in frustration and reared up on its hind legs, bringing its left claw down to strike at the Force. Cranberry held her Windmill up and intercepted the monsters strike, holding its arm up with the long handle of her Windmill.

“There’s only 1 of him and 2 of us. Let’s try hitting him with Bar-” but before Cranberry could finish, Dark Force raised her weapon and sent a purple ball of Megid flying into the monster. The creature howled and slumped to the ground. “Oh, that works too.”

Dark Force grinned. “Shall we continue?”

Cranberry chuckled as she nodded. “You enjoyed that didn’t you?”

“Of course.” Dark Force replied.

Cranberry and Dark Force continued walking. To their great relief the rain let up and the clouds gradually began to part. At last they could begin to dry off. Checking the map again, Dark Force estimated that they were now only about 2 hours away from their destination. Each of them strained their eyes to see if anything could be seen far ahead in the distance, but nothing of interest caught their attention. As they continued to walk, small green plants began to appear in the sand. They were similar to cactus except much they were very short and rounded. They looked like small domes in the sand.

“You think any cranberries could grow out here Cranberry?” Dark Force joked.

“You aren’t thinking of burying me in the sand are you?” Cranberry laughed.

“Hey, that’s not such a bad idea. A little water, a little Miracle Grow. Just think of the possibilities.” Dark Force continued, grinning at her friend.

“I knew sooner or later you were going to say something like that.” Cranberry chuckled.

Dark Force smiled as they continued walking. She looked down and blinked her eyes a few times. “What the?”

“Is something wrong?” Cranberry asked.

“Is it just me, or did that plant just move?” Dark Force responded as she came to a stop.

Cranberry looked down at Dark Force’s feet. She had stopped in front of one of the larger dome like plants. Cranberry stared at it for a moment. “This one here? It doesn’t seem to be doing anything.”

Dark Force cautiously took her Magical Piece and poked at the plant. The dome jiggled at the poke, but didn’t appear to have any other type of reaction. “I could have sworn I saw it move.”

Cranberry pulled her Windmill and tapped at the plant, getting the same effect as Dark Force. “Doesn’t seem to be reacting.”

“Oh.” Dark Force replied, a little embarrassed.

“Lets stay alert just in case, but shall we continue?” Cranberry asked.

“Sure.” Dark Force replied as she began walking again beside Cranberry.

Dark Force looked closely at each plant they passed. She was sure she had seen one of them move, but now all of them looked normal. She looked up at Cranberry. Cranberry was looking ahead, trying to spot anything she could in the distance, most likely trying to spot any structure that the General might be in. Dark Force looked back at the ground, trying to make sense of what she had seen. As she walked past one of the plants, it suddenly hit her in the foot, tripping her and sending her face first into the sand.

“Dark Force! Are you alright?” Cranberry asked as she reached down to help her friend up.

“Cran, I swear it! That thing just moved! That thing intentionally struck me!” Dark Force answered as she rose to her knees and pointed at the plant sitting at the point at which she tripped.

Cranberry turned to look at the plant after helping Dark Force to her feet. “This one here?”

“Yes, that’s it. CB I swear I’m not crazy. It moved. That is no ordinary plant.” Dark Force insisted.

Cranberry poked the plant with her Windmill handle, and again the plant jiggled at the poke but had no other reaction. “It doesn’t seem to be doing anything.”

Dark Force raised her Magical Piece. “Stand back Cranberry.”

Cranberry backed off, and Dark Force ran forward and clubbed the small domed plant with her Magical Piece. The plant jerked violently and began sliding rapidly back and forth.

“There! See!” Dark Force called as Cranberry stared in disbelief.

The plant rose 2 inches out of the sand and rotated to reveal what appeared to be 2 reddish eyes. Part of the dome parted to reveal what appeared to be a type of mouth.

“That’s no plant at all. It’s.. I don’t know what it is!” Cranberry spoke as she quickly moved beside Dark Force.

3 more of the plants rose from the ground. All 4 of them began to spin, causing them to hover over the sand as they did so.

“They’re going to attack.” Cranberry warned as she cast Shifta and Deband on Dark Force and herself.

The monsters rushed forward and spun toward the 2 Forces. Cranberry and Dark Force parried the initial strike with their rings, but the plants moved swiftly and quickly looped and struck them in the back. Cranberry and Dark Force felt the sting of the spines pricking their backs, but remained on their feet.

“They move so fast!” Cranberry shouted as she swung her Windmill in vain, missing the hovering monsters.

Dark Force cast Jellen as the monsters swarmed around them, lowering the attack ability of each one. “Don’t let them get the upper hand. They have to have a weakness, we can find it.”

Cranberry raised her Windmill and cast Gifoie. The ring of fire lurched forward and consumed the hovering monsters. The fire engulfed them briefly, but each monster quickly dove into the sand, dousing the flame before returning to an airborne state.

2 of the monsters flew up high and spun very quickly. Several sharp stingers flew downward and struck Dark Force, knocking her off her feet. Although the impact was rough, Dark Force and Cranberry were close together, and their rings provided a significant boost to protection from physical attacks. Dark Force pulled herself up and cast Resta, healing most of the damage. But as she stood up, she noticed what appeared to be a propeller like section on the underside of the hovering monsters. A flat blade-like piece that spun underneath their bodies. If she could disable that, they would not be able to fly. And the best way to do that was to damage the nervous system.

Dark Force raised her weapon and cast Gizonde, only 1 monster was struck, but sparks erupted from its body as it crashed into the sand and flailed around. It violently rolled and thrashed. The other monsters quickly came to its rescue and whirled into Dark Force, sending their spikes and stingers into her. Dark Force crossed her arms over her face, and though she protected her head and chest, she was left vulnerable everywhere else.

Seeing Dark Force in distress, Cranberry pivoted and cast Rafoie. A fiery explosion formed around the monsters, engulfing each one in flames and sending them into the sand to douse themselves.

“Thanks Cran. I have an idea CB. Electricity can overwhelm their nervous system and at least for a moment disable their ability to fly. They can’t extinguish themselves if they can’t dive. I’ll ground them, then you show them why they call you the Fire Mage.” Dark Force said as she retook her battle pose.

“No problem!” Cranberry replied eagerly.

All of the monsters rose into the air and launched themselves toward the Forces. Dark Force gripped her Magical Piece as the monsters descended. Thrusting it forward, Dark Force cast Razonde; bolts of lightning flew from her body and struck the 4 monsters. Each one began to wobble in the air in responds to the electrical surge. Dark Force again waved her weapon and unleashed a second blast of Razonde. Each monster erupted into sparks and crashed into the sand. Cranberry immediately raised her Windmill and cast Gifoie.

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Another ring of flames formed and spread outward. The fire engulfed the monsters, but this time they were unable to dive into the sand and extinguish themselves. The monsters thrashed and struggled against the heat. Cranberry did not show them any mercy, and raised her Windmill releasing another Gifoie technique. A hissing sound emerged from the monsters as the fire overwhelmed them and charred their bodies. They flattened out against the sand as the fire devoured them, and soon they moved no more.

“Well done Dark Force.” Cranberry replied as she looked at the charred remains of the monsters.

“You too Cran. Good work.” Dark Force answered with a smile. “Any damage?”

“Not really, that went pretty well.” Cranberry responded. “We really do make a good team.”

Dark Force nodded and they continued their journey, feeling more confident after their successful battle. As they continued walking, they passed many more of the dome like plants in the ground. Only this time they kept a close eye on them and made certain not to get too close. Although some of them did make a move to try and trip one of the Forces, they evaded the charges and kept moving. None of the monsters made any real attempt to pursue them.

“Dark Force! Look! There! I see it! Over there!” Cranberry cried in excitement.

Dark Force sheltered her eyes and looked where Cranberry was directing. It was a structure! The first building they had seen since entering the desert. “Yes! I see it. That must be it! We made it!”

They smiled at themselves and could not help but take some pride in their accomplishment. It had been a very long journey, and they had overcome some dangerous trials to reach this point. But they both knew that inside would be just as, if not more, dangerous than the trip to reach here.

“Are you ready?” Dark Force asked.

“With you by my side, I’m ready for anything.” Cranberry replied.

Dark Force smiled and patted Cranberry on the shoulder. “Me too.”

They took a quick break to drink some of the water they had bottled and then headed toward the building. The building was similar in size and shape to the one that they had seen back at the construction area. Except here there appeared to be no construction going on. Both of them wondered to themselves what a general would be doing way out here in the middle of the desert, but whatever the reason, they knew it could not be good. Approaching the front door, Cranberry took the lead. The door was already cracked open, and no one appeared to be guarding the entrance. Cranberry quietly pushed the door open and peered inside. The building was well let, and the low hum of a power generator could be heard though she could not immediately see where it was. Cranberry looked around but did not see anyone in the immediate area. She stepped inside and nodded to Dark Force.

Dark Force stepped inside after Cranberry and looked around. This lobby was much smaller than the last one. A wooden staircase was before them leading to the upper levels. The vast majority of the facility seemed to be upstairs. 2 small doorways were on both sides of the staircase. Each door seemed to lead to a small storage area. Ignoring the side doors, Cranberry and Dark Force began to nervously climb the staircase. Dark Force cast Shifta and Deband as a precaution. As they reached the top of the stairs, they found several doors. Most of which were locked, but one door was open and they could see light coming inside. Dark Force crept over to the door and peered inside, she gasped and stepped back.

“What is it?” Cranberry asked as she too walked toward the door.

“I- I think he knows we’re here.” Dark Force murmured.

Cranberry peeked inside and saw a large open room with a large projection screen on the far well, and clearly displayed on that screen were Cranberry and Dark Force as they stood just outside the door.

“Well? Are you going to come in or not?” A voice demanded from inside the room. “Don’t look so surprised, did you really think you could march in here and take me by surprise?”

“Who are you?” Cranberry demanded, though she already had a pretty good idea whom she was speaking too.

“Well why don’t you come in here and find out?” The voice demanded.

Cranberry looked at Dark Force. Dark Force nodded and they both stepped into the room. The door quietly closed behind them.

“There, that’s better.” The voice responded as the two entered the room.

“Where are you? Show yourself!” Dark Force challenged.

“Ha relax. I’m right here.” The illumination of the overhead lights increased and a figure stepped forward. An android stepped forward; it looked to be on orange HUcast. He held what appeared to be a DB Sword in his hand, though they could not tell what model it was. On his left arm he wore a large Yellow Ring. Except for the color it appeared to be identical to the ring used by the Purple Ring General. “Welcome to the desert. Of course you know that you don’t belong here, right?”

Cranberry and Dark Force sized up the android before them. He was somewhat small for an android, and his weapon did not seem to be particularly dangerous. These people were from another world though, and there was no telling what they were capable off.

“You, you are the general of the Yellow Ring?” Cranberry asked.

“Let me guess, you two are the ones that attacked Purple aren’t you? I got word that he had been killed, and his ring was missing.” The android answered, as he looked the two Forces over. “You two look horrible, what did you do, walk all the way here from the landing pad?”

“Is that okay?” Cranberry answered with a grin.

“What are you doing all the way out here in the desert anyways?” Dark Force asked.

“This is an important communication hub.” The General answered. “And a powerful data center where experimentation research is distributed.”

“Experimentation research?” Cranberry asked.

“I’m sure you are familiar with Dark Falz and the energies it contained. Well lets just say that we too have learned a few things from that creature and have gained far more control over life and death than we ever imagined.” The General boasted.

“What do you mean?” Dark Force asked in confusion.

“Do you really think I am just going to tell you all of our secrets? I’ve probably already said more than I should have. But I guess it does not matter too much. I am impressed that you walked all the way here, but that was not the wisest of decisions. Now that you are here, I can’t allow you to leave.” The General replied.

Dark Force and Cranberry took up a battle stance and readied their weapons.

“Eager to get started I see? Well shall we get started? Hmm, but this little android won’t do at all. What would work better? Ah I know!” The General’s body glowed, and his body seemed to melt way and reform. When the body solidified, a Red RAcast stood before the two holding a large NUGS Bazooka in one hand an a YAS 7000 Rifle in his hand.

“Striker!?” Cranberry shouted in surprise.

“What in the world?” Dark Force spoke, equally surprised by the sight of Striker standing before them.

The android aimed its bazooka and fired. The shell struck and both Forces were knocked to the ground, luckily avoiding a direct hit by the shell.

“You see I have no set form. I can copy the appearance and weaponry of anyone that I have touched. I spent a great deal of time on Pioneer 2 before I came here. And I know exactly who you are, Cranberry and Dark Force.” The General announced as he raised the YAS rifle toward Cranberry.

“You mean you’re a shape shifter?” Dark Force said after quickly rolling to her feet. “Cran look out!”

“I guess you could call it that.” The General responded as he fired at Cranberry.

Cranberry rolled to her feet, and dove forward, just missing the bullets of the rifle. Dark Force quickly rushed forward to help her friend. Rushing forward she swung her Magical Piece at the Striker doppelganger, buying Cranberry an opportunity to get back on her feet. The General intercepted Dark Force’s attack with his rifle and deflected Dark Force’s strikes away from his body. Using his other hand the General pulled his NUGS and fired directly at Dark Force. The shell exploded and sent Dark Force flying into the wall, she collapsed to the ground, her body smoking.

Cranberry, back on her feet did not give the General a chance to execute a follow up attack. Leaping from behind him, she smashed her Windmill into his head, knocking him off balance. Keeping with her momentum, she swung her Windmill 2 more times, knocking the NUGS from the Generals hand and forcing him to the ground. Holding her hand up she finished her assault with Foie, the fireball slammed into the General and pushed him across the room.

”Dark Force!” Cranberry shouted as she ran to her friend’s side.

Dark Force looked up at Cranberry. “I’ll be okay. I just need a little heal.”

Cranberry did not hesitate and immediately cast Resta on her friend. Feeling her strength return, Dark Force stood up. The NUGS shell had connected directly with her ring and the defensive boost from being close to Cranberry had saved Dark Force from what could have been very serious damage.

The General stood up. “So, you two are fans of melee? Well why not? But how about a more fitting form?” The general glowed, and his form again melted and reshaped. When he solidified, he was now in the shape of a HUmar holding 2 katana blades. A closer looked revealed his weapon to be a Sange and Yasha.

“He changed into X Launcher!” Cranberry said as Dark Force pulled herself up, now back in the battle.

The General drew his blades and rushed toward the two. “You were fortunate to deflect the NUGS shell, but my ring is the yellow ring of Luck. Any strike I make is almost guaranteed to strike a weakness and do critical damage.”

Cranberry and Dark Force stayed close, and rushed into close range combat with their foe. The General swung his twin katana blades and intercepted and deflected the weapons of the two Forces. Dark Force rebounded and swung her Magical Piece as Cranberry spun around with her Windmill. The weapons struck the General and knocked him back a step. A grin formed on his face, though he had just taken a direct hit, their weapons did not seem to do a lot of damage. Holding his blades forward, the General surprised Cranberry by instead of attacking with his sword, casting Barta. Though the icy wave was not particularly powerful, it knocked her off balance. The General quickly rushed forward and delivered a flying kick to Cranberry’s chest, knocking her to the ground.

Dark Force rushed forward to protect her friend by casting Zonde. The General quickly turned, his hair standing on end from the electricity. He rushed Dark Force and swung both blades at her. Dark Force held up her Magical Piece, but had no chance to cast any techniques. She weaved and moved her body, and angled and moved her Magical Piece; doing everything she could to deflect the dangerous katana strikes. She quickly realized she was never going to be able to beat the General in melee combat, especially while he was in the form of X Launcher. But she was pinned, and she could not break away.

The General clasped both his katana blades against the Magical Piece, holding it in place as he spoke. “You did well, don’t feel bad about it.” Dark Force gasped as he thrust one of his blades upward and forced her to lift her Magical Piece, completely exposing her body to attack. Dark Force winced as the general swung his blades at her belly. But instead of the stinging sharp pain of a fatal wound, a loud clang sounded, and all Dark Force felt was a rounded object pressing against her. Dark Force opened her eyes and saw Cranberry holding her Purple Ring against between Dark Force’s belly and the katana blades. The ring had redirected the blades, instead of piercing Dark Force as intended, diverted them into an X like formation, each blade missing Dark Force and instead going to her side.

Cranberry glared at the General. “You may be able to copy the powers and weapons of people, but you don’t have their skill. You can’t obtain that skill simply by putting on a ring. The ring Dark Force and I wear symbolizes more than a stat boost. It symbolizes the bond between us. And I will not allow you to harm my best friend any more!” Using her right hand, Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast Foie; the fireball flew into the Generals face and knocked him backwards away from Dark Force.

“Thank you Cranberry.” Dark Force said as she regained her composure.

The General slowly stood up, his body again changed. When he re-materialized he was now in the form of a FOnewearl dressed in white. “You two are not doing half bad. I can see now why Purple lost to you.”

“So, now you’ve decided to copy the form of Jess? Can’t you come up with your own fighting style?” Cranberry said in frustration.

“As a matter of fact I can. I’ll show it to you now.” The General said as he (she?) tapped a button on his (her?) gauntlet. A light shown down from the ceiling, and a creature began to form. As the teleportation ray de-materialized, the creature was revealed to be a Tollaw, no different than the ones found in the forest.

“A Tollaw? That’s your big plan?” Dark Force asked, stifling back a laugh.

“Not quite. Watch this.” The General answered. Turning to face the Tollaw, the General raised his (her?) arms and cast Megid. The Tollaw immediately howled and collapsed to the floor dead.

“What are you, nuts? You just killed your own monster!” Cranberry said in astonishment.

Dark Force nodded in agreement.

“Fools! Now you see the true power of what we generals have accomplished. Didn’t I tell you before? We now have power over life and death. And it comes in the form of level –30 Megid.” The General hissed.

“-30 Megid? What are you talking about?” Dark Force asked.

“Now prepare to face a creature unlike anything Ragol has ever seen!” The General turned toward the body of the slain Tollaw and thrust his (her?) arms forward. A ball appeared similar in appearance to Megid, except it was reddish in color instead of purple. The ball struck the Tollaw and lifted it into the air. The Tollaw’s eyes light up as it sprung to life and its body began to change. The Tollaw doubled in size and its sharp blade arms increased in length. “With Megid –30 I unseal the Tollaw and turn it into the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw!”

“What in the world?” Cranberry spoke, stunned by the transformation that just occurred.

“Don’t let your guard down CB!” Dark Force warned. “No telling what it can do!”

The General pointed at the 2 Forces. “Now my beast, go and destroy these two!”

The Tsumikiri J-Tollaw raised its 2 blades into the air and roared as Cranberry and Dark Force took up battle positions. The creature suddenly lowered its arms and broke into a run, charging right through a wall and bolting out of the room.

“Oh! It wasn’t supposed to do that.” The shocked General said as he (she?) peered out the hole the J-Tollaw just created. “AAHH!! Crud!!” 2 Fireballs struck the General in the arm as Cranberry and Dark Force resumed their assault. The General took off running and bolted through the hole the J-Tollaw made.

“You won’t escape us!” Cranberry shouted as Dark Force and she took off after the General.

The General’s body again glowed as he went through yet anther change. This time he copied the form of Nova, a RAmar. Equipped with a Frozen Shooter now, he pivoted and fired at the pursuing Forces. The shot struck Dark Force and immediately encased her in a block of ice. Cranberry quickly stopped to cast Anti to release her friend from the ice. The General took the opportunity to take cover behind a steel crate and began firing his rifle. Cranberry and Dark Force quickly found cover of their own behind some steel beams.

“Ha, what are you going to do now? Your Foie can’t hit me here! And the moment you come out I’ll blast you! So tell me, what is your big plan now?” The General mocked, and then looked down and saw his body surrounded by the light of a Grants spell. “Oh crap.”

Dark Forces Grants spell hit its target, and knocked the gun from the General out of his stance, the Frozen Shooter slid across the room as it was knocked from his hand. “Now’s our chance Cran!”

Before Cranberry could answer, they heard a loud roar behind them. They turned to see the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw standing 15 feet behind them, stamping its feet and flailing its blade like arms.

“Ah ha! So you came back! Good! Now take these 2 out! Destroy them!” The General commanded.

The Tollaw lowered its head and charged straight toward Cranberry and Dark Force.

“Oh great! Brace yourself!” Cranberry shouted as Dark Force and she crouched into a defensive pose.

But much to the surprise of both them and the General, the J-Tollaw leapt into the air completely over Cranberry and Dark Force and charged straight for the General.

“WHAT! No not me you idiot!! Gaaa!!” The General howled as the J-Tollaw slashed and clawed at him.

“You know, I kinda like that thing.” Cranberry said as the J-Tollaw attacked the General.

“Hehe.” Dark Force chuckled as she watched the chaos.

“Get off GET OFF!” The General struggled and finally managed to grab his Frozen Shooter and freeze the J-Tollaw. “Cursed creature!”

The General got up and bolted down the hallway. Cranberry and Dark Force quickly pursued him into the adjacent room.

“Give it up already.” Cranberry demanded.

“No, not yet. I have something special planned for you Cranberry. I have just the form to fight you with. It’s one I acquired not long ago, and from what I understand it belongs to someone that is a friend of yours.” The General answered as his body again glowed and changed. As he solidified he was now in the image of a FOmar. “Now I have both the attack and magical powers I need to take you two down! In the body of your friend Sage!”

Dark Force and Cranberry groaned at yet another transformation, but before either of them could say anything; a tremendous roar shook the entire room.

“What the? WHAT!!?” The General shrieked as Cranberry’s Sato suddenly bared its fangs and launched forward straight at the General. “Oh my god! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!! Aahh!!”

Dark Force and Cranberry stared in bewilderment as the Sato attacked the General. Dark Force’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor as pieces of flesh and blood flew from Sato’s fangs.

“AHHH! Someone help me!! Oh god the fangs!!” The General continued screaming as Sato mauled him.

“Cranberry, oh my god!” Dark Force said as she watched the absolute carnage.

Cranberry just stared as the hisses and growls of Sato echoed throughout the room. “Uh umm.. wow.”

“Oh that is just wrong!” Dark Force shouted watching the Sato.

At last the screaming stopped, and Sato flew back to Cranberry’s shoulder, the Yellow Ring fell to the floor near where the General was laying.

“Cranberry, that… was the most violent thing I have ever seen… in my entire life.” Dark Force replied, wincing as she looked at what remained of the General.

“Well…. Lets never speak of this again.” Cranberry suggested as she kneeled down and picked up the ring.

“Yeah… Cran! Look!” Dark Force cried as she pointed at the door.

Cranberry spun around and saw what Dark Force was pointing at. The Tsumikiri J-Tollaw was standing in the doorway, looking at the two Forces. Cranberry looked into its eyes, and slowly walked toward it.

“Cran! What are you doing?” Dark Force shouted as her friend approached the J-Tollaw.

Cranberry stopped in front of the J-Tollaw and looked at it, the J-Tollaw returned her stare. She reached her hand up despite Dark Force’s protest and touched the J-Tollaw on the cheek. The J-Tollaw snorted, but did not attack her. It merely shuffled its feet.

“Why, it doesn’t seem to be aggressive at all, not to us anyways.” Dark Force stated as she watched Cranberry pet the Tollaw.

Cranberry turned and looked at Dark Force. “So, can I keep him?”

End of Chapter 9.

Chapter 10 teaser: Cranberry gets a new pet, and the 2 quickly discover that the J-Tollaw is not only strong, but fast too. Traveling on Ragol has just moved to first class! But good humor does not last long when Cranberry and Dark Force discover that trouble is brewing on Pioneer 2. They make an emergency trip to Pioneer 2 and meet up with some new friends, just in time to battle a dangerous enemy. Don’t miss Chapter 10 coming soon!

[Cranberry]

Chapter 10 – Pioneer Trouble

Cranberry looked over to Dark Force. “Do you remember what the General said? About this place being a communication hub?”

Dark Force nodded. “You want to look for the computer, right?”

“Exactly.” Cranberry replied. “Lets try and find it.”

Cranberry and Dark Force began to search through the base; the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw followed them as they went.

“Are you sure its safe to bring that thing with us Cranberry?” Dark Force asked.

“Sure, he’s so cute. And he doesn’t seem hostile at all.” Cranberry answered as she pet the Tollaw on the head. “See? AHHH!! AHH my hand! My hand!!"

“Cran!” Dark Force screamed raising her weapon.

“Just kidding!” Cranberry said as she slid her hand back out of her gauntlet. “Ow!”

“Don’t do that!” Dark Force shouted as she whacked Cranberry with her Magical Piece, knocking her friend off her feet. “You scared me half to death!”

“I deserve that.” Cranberry mumbled as she stood up, rubbing her head.

Dark Force looked at the Tollaw, it did seem to have gentle eyes. As long as it didn’t attack them, as long as Cranberry didn’t pull another stunt like that she could think of no reason to deny Cranberry her new pet. She kept herself alert, but after a few minutes did not feel threatened by the Tollaw anymore.

After searching through the compound, Cranberry and Dark Force came to a sealed door much like the one they had found earlier after defeating the Purple Ring General. This door too had a socket for a ring. Just like the Purple Ring before it, the Yellow Ring opened the door. As they expected, inside was the computer room. But unlike the room back at the construction area, this one was much larger and seemed extremely active. Lights flashed all around the room and charts showed all kinds of displays. The two took a moment to absorb all that was before them before sitting down at the control board.

“So, which one of us is the bigger computer nerd?” Cranberry asked.

Dark Force stuck her tongue out at Cranberry and began looking over the controls. She presses a few buttons and begins to change the monitor displays.

“You do know computers pretty well DF.” Cranberry replied as she looked at the data indexes.

“I did a lot of work in the lab. Everything there is computerized. It wasn’t always the most fun job but I did learn a lot.” Dark Force said. “There is a lot here.”

“He wasn’t kidding about this being a data center was he?” Cranberry answered.

“Its both a good thing and a bad thing.” Dark Force began. “It’s good because we might be able to find out a lot. It’s bad because it’s hard to sort for what we need. And I’m not even sure what data it is that we do need.”

“We pretty much already know where the Generals are. Except for the Black Ring one. Lets see if we can locate him, and I’d also like to see if there is any information on Pioneer 2.” Cranberry replied.

“That’s a good idea.” Dark Force agreed and began to search through the files. “Okay, I got something. I’ll pull it up now. This looks like a communication log. Not very old either, just a day or so.”

“Can I say it? Please?” Cranberry pleaded just as Dark Force was about to bring up the data.

“Oh, alright. Go ahead.” Dark Force chuckled.

“Main screen turn on!” Cranberry cried as Dark Force pulled the communication log onto the monitor.

The main screen did indeed turn on and displayed a cached conversation that took place about 3 hours ago between the Yellow Ring General and the Black Ring General.

The Black Ring General appeared on the screen. He looked very fancy indeed. He wore what appeared to be a tuxedo, a black tie, long black pants and black shoes (No shades. Sorry Matrix Fans it’s not Smith). As expected a large black ring rested on his left wrist. His right hand sported a yellow Claw type weapon. It looked to be an S-Rank weapon. His head was topped with pure black hair, combed neatly to the left side.

“There has been an incident at the construction zone.” The Black General began.

“An incident? Do go on.” The recording of the Yellow General answered.

“Purple is dead. He was attacked at the landing site. You are aware what this means?” The Black General continued.

“Indeed. Do we know who has done this?” The Yellow General asked.

“Unfortunately no. A fire was set on the premise with no known cause. It is believed to be related to this incident.” The Black General informed.

“I understand. I will relay your message to the others.” The Yellow General replied. “How are things going on your end? What is happening there on Pioneer 2?”

“We have changed the landing schedule. Some of the people in the Lab are starting to become a problem. My contacts are going to attempt to take control of the Lab tomorrow. Once we obtain control, we can land Pioneer 2.” The Black General informed.

“Tomorrow? Sir the project is not ready yet. We will lose a lot of potential power.” The Yellow General complained.

“It is a risk I am willing to take. Purple was defeated, if word gets out about this project everything could fall apart.” The Black General countered.

“You think word of this will get out?” The Yellow General asked.

“Records show that Purple’s database was copied. Someone knows. Watch yourself Yellow. Our log shows that our command locations were copied.” The Black General warned.

“I understand. I know what to do. Yellow out.” The Yellow General concluded as the log ended.

The screen shut off and the two Forces looked to each other.

“If Pioneer 2 lands, it’ll be the end of them. We can’t let that happen!” Cranberry cried.

“We have to return to Pioneer 2.” Dark Force replied. “We have to return and find the Black Ring General. We have to get to the Lab.”

“I agree, but how do we get there?” Cranberry asked. “Even if we braved the construction area we’d never reach my ship in time.”

“Ryuker.” Dark Force answered.

“But the teleportation portal created is useable by anyone. It would give us away for sure.” Cranberry objected.

“I know, but what choice do we have?” Dark Force asked.

Cranberry hesitated, and slowly nodded. “All right.”

Dark Force gripped her Magical Piece and focused her energy. Thrusting her weapon forward she cast her Ryuker spell. The pipe like teleportation portal formed around her creating a gateway back to Pioneer 2.

Dark Force closed her eyes for a moment. “No changing our mind now. Let’s do this.”

“What about him?” Cranberry asked looking at the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw.

“Have him wait here till we get back. We can’t bring him to Pioneer 2.” Dark Force answered.

The J-Tollaw seemed to understand and quietly settled down near the pipe. It did not seem to mind waiting for them to return. Cranberry patted the J-Tollaw on the head and then followed Dark Force into the teleportation portal. They were both transported back to Pioneer 2. The portal deposited both of them onto the observation area above the lab, one of the 2 main junctions Ryuker and Telepipe portals formed at.

“We’re close to the Lab. I was hoping we’d be sent to the other junction area.” Dark Force grumbled. “This is a little too close for comfort.”

“Right in the heart of enemy territory.” Cranberry agreed. “We can’t close the portal, it’s our only way to get back to Ragol.”

“Yeah. I guess we should get started.” Dark Force answered.

“Do you have everything you need? This could be our only chance to visit the Check Room and retrieve anything we have stored there.” Cranberry asked.

Dark Force thought for a moment. “Actually, I would like to grab something.”

Cranberry nodded. “Lets get it while we can.”

Dark Force and Cranberry took a quick side trip to the shop area, which was not far from the Lab. Dark Force accessed her item storage from the Check Room and withdrew her Devil Wing’s MAG from her storage box. “I think I’ll bring this along with me. All right, lets get to the lab.”

Cranberry and Dark Force headed toward the Lab, hesitating only a moment as they approached the door. The door slid open and they stepped inside where a transporter sent them to the lab. The room appeared to be deserted.

“That’s odd, no operators, no researchers, no chief? Where is everyone?” Cranberry asked.

“It’s not closing time. There was no security guard by the door either. Come to think of it I don’t think I saw anyone on the ramp either.” Dark Force responded.

Cranberry walked up the walkway to the operator booths. All of the computer stations were idle, and no data was being processed.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Cranberry mumbled.

“Hey, Cran, over here. Look at this.” Dark Force called.

Cranberry looked over the rail and saw Dark Force below on the far end of the room near at the research posts. “Did you find something?”

“Yes, come over here.” Dark Force insisted.

Cranberry obeyed and trotted down the walkway to join Dark Force at the station. “What is it?”

“The transporter has been changed recently.” Dark Force answered.

“What do you mean?” Cranberry asked.

“Transporters operate nearly everything around here. That one was recently changed, I found the destination in the cache.” Dark Force replied.

“You mean it sent someone somewhere else?” Cranberry inquired.

“Exactly. The thing is, according to what I’ve found here it looks like there is another section of the Lab. I didn’t know about it, no one ever told me there was more to the Lab than the room here.” Dark Force continued.

“How recently was it accessed DF? Can you tell?” Cranberry responded.

Dark Force returned her attention to the computer display and manipulated the controls for a few minutes. “I’m sorry Cranberry, I can’t tell.”

“It might have been used by the Black Ring General. It’s the best clue we have. Can you re-upload the destination to the transporter?” Cranberry answered.

“I think so. Give me a second.” Dark Force replied. After a few minutes of navigating the menus, Dark Force nodded at Cranberry. “I think I got it.”

“Well done DF. Let’s go.” Cranberry spoke as she headed toward the transporter.

“Wait.” Dark Force stated.

Cranberry stopped and turned to her friend.

“This just seems too easy. I mean this information conveniently sitting here for us on the computer? Keep your guard up CB. This could be a trap.” Dark Force ordered.

Cranberry nodded. “Right, it may be a trap. But we don’t have anything else to go on. Lets stay close.”

The two walked up the ramp and activated the transporter, warping them to a new destination. They emerged in a dimly lit hallway, somewhere below the room they were just in. They took a moment to observe their surroundings and began to walk down the hallway. Far down the hall they could see a large closed door, it appeared to be the only way to go from this location.

“I feel like we are being lead down here intentionally.” Dark Force whispered.

“Only on way to find out. Here goes nothing.” Cranberry replied as she shoved the door open.

Inside was a large open room with 2 raised areas with railed walkways leading to them. Cranberry and Dark Force walked into the center of the room and looked around.

“Where are we?” Cranberry wondered out-loud.

“Stop where you are.” Someone shouted, causing the startled Cranberry and Dark Force to jump.

Dark Force and Cranberry looked up to the raised areas and spotted two figures peering down at them. One was a man in a military uniform with short brown hair. He held a Rappy Fan in his hand. The other was a woman with long black hair. She had a Red Handgun strapped to her waist. Both appeared to be in their early 30’s.

“We know all about the two of you. You’ve caused a lot of problems. We were told that you might be coming back to Pioneer 2.” The woman continued.

“Who are you?” Dark Force demanded.

“You’ll find out soon enough. But first we have our orders to carry out.” The man answered as he drew his weapon. “Shall we begin? You know the drill.”

Cranberry and Dark Force stood beside each other and readied their weapons. Dark Force quickly cast Shifta and Deband on themselves. The woman made her move first. Drawing her Red Handgun she fired on Dark Force. Dark Force jumped back just out of range of the handgun and counter attacked with a shot of Foie. The fireball struck the woman and knocked her over the rail and off the raised platform.

The man dashed down the ramp and rushed to attack Cranberry with his Rappy Fan. Cranberry crouched into a defensive pose and deflected the attack with her ring. As the man approached Cranberry sprung forward and attacked with her Windmill, the cane connected with its mark. Cranberry struck 3 times with her weapon, knocking the man to the floor. Neither of the two attackers stood up again and remained motionless on the floor.

“It… it can’t be that easy.” Dark Force spoke.

Before Cranberry could respond, both of them were suddenly struck from behind by a shockwave. Both of them were hurled across the room by the impact and launched a good 8 feet into the air before they slammed into the ground.

“Yes, you are right about that. Those two people you just fought were not real, can you say decoy?” A man’s voice stated.

Cranberry and Dark Force shakily pulled themselves up and looked over toward the door. They instantly recognized the man standing there. It was the same person they had seen on the communication log, the man in the suite, the Black Ring General.

“That was a cheap shot.” Cranberry complained.

“Cranberry and Dark Force, so it was the two of you that killed Purple. The latest information I have shows you two in the desert. So can I assume that you are responsible for the sudden termination of Yellow’s operations as well?” The Black Ring General demanded.

Cranberry and Dark Force said nothing, and instead cast Resta on themselves to repair some of the damage done from the attack they just received.

“I thought so. I really don’t understand how you two were able to take down both Purple and Yellow. You’ve been a real thorn in our side. Thanks to you two we’ve had to reformulate our plan. And I don’t like it one bit!” The general hissed as he swung his claw type weapon. Another shockwave much like the one from a Dark Flow weapon launched forward. Cranberry and Dark Force braced themselves, but could not whit stand the force and were hurled into the far wall of the room. Both collapse to the floor in great pain.

The General walked over toward the two as Dark Force tried to stand up; Cranberry was only able to make it to her hands and knees.

“You’re trying to hurt everyone on Pioneer 2.” Dark Force stated. “I can’t let you do that.”

Dark Force raised her Magical Piece, but before she could cast her spell, the General swung his claw and knocked the weapon from her grasp. Before Dark Force could react, the General swung again his weapon, slashing her viciously across the face and chest. Dark Force cried out in pain as she fell to the ground.

“D-DF! Are you all right?” Cranberry cried as she struggled to try and force herself up.

Dark Force was lying on the ground and did not answer. Cranberry could not tell if she was still conscious or not. She never got a chance to find out. The General turned to Cranberry and slashed her across the side and back with his claw. The sharp blades of the weapon tore through her clothing and skin. Cranberry lost her strength and fell to the floor, unable to move as she lay beside her best friend.

“D-Dark… For…” Cranberry didn’t have the energy to finish her sentence as her head fell to the floor. The pain was so intense that she could barely breathe. They had been surprise attacked so quickly, and with such great force that they never had a chance to fight back.

The General stood over the two fallen Forces. Dark Force was unconscious, and Cranberry was only partially conscious and unable to stand. “You two are never going to get in our way again. I understand that you two are quite close to one another.” The general grabbed Cranberry by the head and stared into her eyes. “I want the last image you see to be your puny friend ripped apart in front of you, while you lay here weak and afraid.”

“N-no Ple-“ Cranberry tried to speak, but her strength was gone, she could not talk, she could not move. All she could do was watch as the general raised his claw and slashed the defenseless Dark Force. Tears began to form in her eye. She struggled and tried to force herself to stand up, but her body did not respond. There was nothing she could do to stop the torture falling upon her friend.
The General raised his claw high into the air. “This is it, the final strike. Once I finish her off, I’ll be sending you to join her.”

A loud bang was heard, and the Claw was suddenly knocked off the General’s hand and flew to the floor. Gasping in surprise the Black Ring General turned and looked toward the door where 2 new figures now stood, a FOmar in a brown wizards robe with a pair of mechguns and a red RAcast holding a smoking Yasminkov 7000 Riffle.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso13.png

The General glared at the two intruders. “I know you. You are Sage and Striker. What are you two doing here?”

“You have harmed those two females over there. That is unacceptable. You will not harm them any more, you will now answer to us.” The RAcast Striker answered.

“You think you are pretty tough don’t you attacking them in the back like that? What’s the matter are you too weak to have a fair fight?” Sage challenged.

“This doesn’t concern you. If you leave now I just might forget I saw you.” The Black Ring General growled.

“Negative. Combat protocols engaged.” Striker answered. “Sage, I will keep him occupied. The women need your help. I have you covered, go and help them.”

Striker raised his riffle and opened fire on the General. Unable to match the pin point accuracy of a Ranger, the General was forced into a defensive stance as shot after shot connected with his armor. Sage ran across the room to the fallen FOnewearls and knelt beside them.

“You two are in pretty bad shape.” Sage began. “Hang in there, this will help.” Sage cast his Reverser spell on Dark Force. Her eyes slowly opened as consciousness returned to her body. He then closed his eyes and cast his Resta spell. The power of Sage’s healing magic greatly decreased the severity of Cranberry and Dark Force’s injuries, and much of their strength returned. Both found the strength to stand.

The General broke out of his defensive posture and dove across the room, snatching his Claw from the floor in the process. “Blast it. You’ll pay for this. I’m going to-” Before the Black Ring General could finish his threat, 3 simultaneous Zonde blasts struck the General. Cranberry and Dark Force were now back on their feet, and along with Sage had all cast their Zonde techniques. The General groaned and stood up, only to be immediately shot by Striker’s Yas Riffle. The General collapsed to his knees.

“Give it up. It’s over.” Sage demanded.

“You’ve won today, but I promise you this is most certainly not over.” The General answered as he pressed a small on his claw. The General’s body faded and disappeared from sight.

“Did he cloak? Watch out!” Dark Force shouted.

“Negative. Transportation detected. He has fled.” Striker answered.

“Are you two all right?” Sage asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Dark Force answered.

“Thanks for your help, but how did you find us?” Cranberry asked.

“We found your telepipe outside. Striker located you and we came to check on you. I hadn’t heard from you since you left Pioneer 2. That was a few days ago, we’ve been worried. What in the world is going on? And who was that?” Sage answered.

“You are both very hurt. You must rest.” Striker insisted.

“Before I answer, please tell me. What is happening here on Pioneer 2? What happened to everyone in the Lab?” Cranberry asked.

“Everyone is getting ready for the Pioneer 1 Memorial service. The people have wanted to say goodbye to their loved ones for some time now, but its always been on the back burner. Now they are moving forward with plans for the service.” Sage answered.

“Pioneer 1 service? A perfect excuse to get Pioneer 2 to land.” Dark Force replied.

“Affirmative. The landing announcement was made.” Striker confirmed.

“It has to be stopped! It’s a trap!” Cranberry cried.

“So you discovered something on Ragol?” Sage asked.

“Yes, remember that facility you told me about? It’s a landing pad, and its rigged with the mother of all explosives. That guy that was just here is one of the 7 Ring Generals. They are working to steal the colored rings of everyone on Pioneer 2, and they are going to do it by tricking Pioneer 2 into landing. Once it touches down on their landing pad, they’ll destroy the ship and collect the rings from the wreckage.” Cranberry answered.

Sage and Striker both stared at Cranberry with a hesitant look.

“It sounds far fetched, but its true. See these?” Dark Force spoke as she held up the Purple and Yellow rings. “We’ve defeated the Purple and Yellow generals. Pioneer 2 won’t be safe until we take out the rest.”

“But if Pioneer 2 lands, it’ll be the end of everyone. You have to stop the landing!” Cranberry pleaded.

“I see. It is that serious then? But what are you going to do?” Sage asked.

“We have to get back to Ragol right away. We have to go after the next ring.” Dark Force answered.

“May I accompany you? It sounds dangerous, you may need protection.” Striker insisted.

“The Black Ring General may still be on Pioneer 2. You and Sage need to protect the people here. This is too big a job for one of you alone.” Cranberry answered.

“I understand Cranberry. We’ll do everything we can up here. Let’s at least get you two cleaned up. We’ll guard your telepipe for you.” Sage answered.

“I wish we could, but if we don’t leave now, we may never get another chance. We have to go back to Ragol while we can. If they activate the shielding around Pioneer 2 we’ll lose our telepipe.” Dark Force replied with a groan, really wanting an opportunity to clean up and change clothes.

The group left the Lab and headed back onto the ramp where Dark Force’s telepipe was still active.

“Please be careful ladies. We will do what we can up here. But once on Ragol you two are on your own.” Striker spoke.

“As long as Cranberry is with me, there is nothing I can’t do.” Dark Force replied. “We’ll be alright, I’m sure of it.”

“Thanks for everything. Good luck and be careful up here.” Cranberry answered as she turned toward the telepipe.

“Cranberry.” Sage said.

“Long goodbyes aren’t necessary, we’ll be alright.” Cranberry replied as she turned back toward Sage.

“No, it’s not that. Here, I thought you might need this. I had to go through some back doors but I got this out of your check room for you.” Sage replied as he handed Cranberry an item.

“Oh? What is this? Oh! My Double Saber! Thank you Sage! Thank you very much!” Cranberry replied happily.

Sage nodded. “Good luck you two.”

“Yes, be cautious.” Striker agreed.

“We will.” Cranberry answered as she stepped through the telepipe.

“See you later. Good luck.” Dark Force replied as she too went through the telepipe. The pipe closed, and the two were transported back to Ragol.

End of Chapter 10.

Chapter 11 teaser – Cranberry and Dark Force return to Ragol to continue the mission at hand, leaving Pioneer 2 in Sage and Striker’s hands. Back on Ragol the 2 reunite with the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw and continue their mission to find the generals. The quest continues in chapter 11.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 11 – Cranberry’s New Pet

The telepipe vanished, and Cranberry and Dark Force found themselves standing back in the desert, right where they had transported from. The Tsumikiri J-Tollaw lifted its head and got to its feet as they re-appeared. It had patiently waited for them the entire time. The two walked over and Cranberry patted the Tollaw on the head.

“Well, two generals down. Five left to go.” Dark Force stated as she watched Cranberry pat the Tollaw.

“Yeah.” Cranberry answered softly.

“Which do you think we should go after next?” Dark Force asked.

Cranberry lowered her head a bit and rested it on the J-Tollaw. “Whichever. It doesn’t matter.”

“Well, all of them are pretty far away from here. I guess no matter what we do we have a long walk ahead of us.” Dark Force replied.

“Oh.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force blinked her eyes. This wasn’t like Cranberry at all. She was usually much more talkative, more upbeat than this. “Are you alright CB?”

“Can we go outside?” Cranberry answered.

“What? Oh, OK.” Dark Force answered, looking at here friend with concern.

Cranberry walked out the door, Dark Force and the J-Tollaw quickly followed. After a short walk they reached the main door and stepped out into the sun. Cranberry sat down outside the door and stared into the desert.

Dark Force hesitated a moment as she watched Cranberry, then walked over to her side. “Cranberry, what’s wrong? You seem upset.”

“I’m not cut out for this. I’m too weak.” Cranberry answered. Her voice seemed hollow and devoid of emotion.

Dark Force sat down. She had heard Cranberry like this before; it meant that she was bottling up a powerful feeling inside her, one that she was afraid or ashamed to let out. “What are you talking about Cran?”

Cranberry turned her head and looked down at the ground, not responding to the question.

Dark Force put her hand on her friends shoulder. “You know you can tell me anything.”

Cranberry sighed. “During that last battle. You got hurt. You really got hurt. And I couldn’t do anything about it. If not for Sage and Striker, you would have died. And all I could do was helplessly watch.”

“Cran, look at me.” Dark Force demanded. “Don’t start to doubt yourself CB. What happened wasn’t your fault. There is nobody I would rather have by my side than you.”

“I feel like I let you down.” Cranberry replied.

“You’ve never let me down. Not ever, and not now. You’ve always been there with me. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you. He took us by surprise, but next time we’ll get him for sure. So don’t beat yourself up over this.” Dark Force encouraged.

“Thank you DF.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force nodded as she stood up. “We’ve got a big job to do. And I can’t do it without you.”

Dark Force extended her hand and helped Cranberry up. “All right. Lets see where our next destination is.” Cranberry replied.

“None of our destinations are nearby. In fact we are going to have to leave this landmass. I really don’t know how we are going to get there. We’ll have to cross the ocean.” Dark Force answered.

“That could be a problem. We don’t exactly have a boat.” Cranberry groaned.

“What about your ship? If we could make it back to the ship you used to come here, we could get over the ocean.” Dark Force suggested.

“I don’t think we can do that.” Cranberry answered.

“Why not?” Dark Force asked.

“I sort of broke it.” Cranberry replied.

“You did? Oh Cran.” Dark Force chuckled. “The two closest areas marked on the map I have are the Blue and Green generals. Unfortunately we have no idea where the Black Ring General is. Blue seems to be in the middle of the ocean. Green is to the north. But we’ll have to cross the ocean to get there. But if we do make it there, the White Ring General is on the same landmass.

“Green it is then. Let’s get going. We can worry about the ocean once we reach it. I know that we’ll find a way somehow! I know we will!” Cranberry replied excitedly.

“That’s the Cranberry fiery spirit I know!” Dark Force smiled. “To the north then, lets move out.”

Cranberry and Dark Force collected their packs and began walking out into the desert. The Tsumikiri J-Tollaw followed closely. The rain had stopped but the clouds remained. The desert was very muddy and difficult to walk through. But Cranberry was now in pretty high spirits and that lifted Dark Force a notch too.

“How long do you think we’ll have to walk before we reach the beach?” Cranberry asked.

“I’m really not sure. But it’s going to be a long trip. Several days at least.” Dark Force answered.

“The sooner we get out of the sand, the better.” Cranberry replied. “Hey, what’s up with him?”

The Tsumikiri J-Tollaw began to jump and kick up the sand. The two stopped and watched the creature. Seeing that it had their attention it crouched low to the ground at Cranberry’s feet.

“What is it doing?” Dark Force wondered out loud.

“I’m really not sure. Are you all right boy? What is it?” Cranberry asked.

The J-Tollaw snorted and looked down at the ground. It shuffled its feet in the sand and laid its head down.

“Is he sick?” Dark Force asked.

“I don’t think so. He was fine a second ago. Come on boy, what’s the matter?” Cranberry answered as she pat the Tollaw on the head.

The J-Tollaw glanced up at Cranberry and shuffled its feet again. It then lay its head back on the sand and nudged Cranberry’s leg.

Cranberry looked down at the Tollaw and thought for a moment. She walked around to its side and looked at the J-Tollaw’s back. Watching the Tollaw’s reaction she began to lift her leg over the creature’s back.

“CB! What are you doing?” Dark Force snapped.

“Call me crazy Dark Force,” Cranberry answered, “but I think he wants us to ride him.”

“What are you, nuts?” Dark Force countered.

“Seems so!” Cranberry replied as she climbed onto the J-Tollaw’s back.

“Cranberry! You’re crazy! Get off that thing right now!” Dark Force demanded.

With Cranberry on its back, the J-Tollaw slowly stood up and began to walk. Slowly at first, but then it began to pick up speed.

“This is great! Look at me DF!” Cranberry called.

“Cran! Stop it!” Dark Force demanded. “You’re going to get hurt!”

“Go Tsumikiri J-Tollaw go!” Cranberry shouted.

The J-Tollaw broke into a run, and bolted through the sand with Cranberry. Dark Force gasped as her friend was whisked away. “Cran!” Dark Force began to run after them, but before she could get far the J-Tollaw looped around and ran straight toward her. Dark Force thrust her hands forward in a defensive pose. But instead of running her over, the J-Tollaw skidded to a stop in front of her, Cranberry still sitting on its back.

“DF! This guy is incredible! Did you see how fast he moved? With this guy we can make it to the ocean in no time! Travel just went first class!” Cranberry squealed in delight.

“Cranberry you, you….. you’re alright?” Dark Force answered.

“I most certainly am! Come on DF! Hop on! All aboard the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw express!” Cranberry replied.

“What? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Dark Force answered.

“Come on DF! It sure beats walking! He’s a strong Tollaw. He can carry both of us.” Cranberry replied.

Dark Force stared at the J-Tollaw and looked into its eyes. “Well, he doesn’t seem like a bad Tollaw… but still…”

“Come on DF! It’ll be fun!” Cranberry insisted.

Dark Force took a deep breath. “I just know I’m going to regret this.” She answered as she moved to the Tollaw’s side. Hesitating for a long moment, she reluctantly climbed onto the J-Tollaw’s back behind Cranberry and wrapped her arms around her friend’s waist. “I hope you know what you’re doing Cran!”

“GO TOLLAW GO!” Cranberry shouted as she thrust her hand toward the sky.

The J-Tollaw immediately launched into a full run. Dark Force squinted her eyes shut and held tightly onto Cranberry’s waist.

“You all right back there DF? Wow check out this view!” Cranberry yelled. “Who knew a Tollaw could go so fast!”

Dark Force slowly opened her eyes. She could see Cranberry’s hair flowing in the wind, the flaps of her bow seemed to dance as they moved. Glancing behind them, the building of the Yellow Ring General was little more than a speck in the distance. Peering around Cranberry, Dark Force was amazed at the speed with which they were moving. She had never seen a living creature move this fast. Objects on the desert floor looked like little more than a blur as they streaked past. Cranberry seemed to love it, she was shouting constant praises to the J-Tollaw and screaming at the top of her lungs with delight. Despite the sheer speed at which they were moving, the Tollaw seemed to be a very stable ride. There were no sharp bumps or jerks that threatened to knock them off the Tollaw’s back.

“You’re squeezing me pretty tight. How you doing back there DF? Isn’t this just the greatest?” Cranberry asked.

Dark Force lightened her hold on Cranberry. “You know, it’s really not that bad.”

“You got that right! We’ll cross the desert in no time!” Cranberry exclaimed.

Dark Force kept a tight hold to her friend, but began to feel more comfortable with her current situation and tilted her head back, allowing the wind to run through her beautiful red hair. She couldn’t deny that the breeze felt good on her face. And this was also a good chance to rest a little after everything that had happened on Pioneer 2.

The J-Tollaw continued for several hours at this pace. No desert monster was even able to register their existence until they had already past and were well out of attack range. After about 4 hours, they could see hills in the distance. The desert was fading. They began to see more traces of green, which could only mean one thing. They were beginning to approach water. After another 20 minutes, they left the desert sands and ran up a long slope leading away from the desert and into much greener soft rolling hills.

Reaching the top of the hill, the J-Tollaw came to a stop and kneeled down and began to breath heavily. Dark Force let go of Cranberry and slid off the Tollaw’s back, Cranberry quickly did the same.

“He’s all tuckered out. Lets let him rest he definitely deserves it. Thank you J-Tollaw. You saved us several days of travel time.” Cranberry spoke with a warm smile.

“Cranberry. I don’t think we should stop here.” Dark Force said.

“He’s worn out. I don’t think he can carry us any farther.” Cranberry answered.

“I know lets carry him. We need to get out of here.” Dark Force insisted.

“All right. But Dark Force tell me, what is wrong?” Cranberry replied as kneeled down by the J-Tollaw.

“I just, we’ve got to go. Come on.” Dark Force answered as she too moved over to the exhausted Tsumikiri J-Tollaw. “On three we’ll lift him up, okay?”

Cranberry nodded at her friend.

“All right lets.. Cran look out!” Dark Force shouted.

“What?” Cranberry answered as reacting on instinct she rolled to the side. A bug like creature leapt and just missed Cranberry.

Dark Force backed away from the J-Tollaw. “CB are you all right?”

“What is that?” Cranberry answered as she drew her Windmill.

The creature in some ways resembled a Nidra. It looked to be about 3 feet long and stood about 1 foot tall. It had 2 large pinchers on its forearms. Its tail curled up with a large stinger. It had a large jaw with 2 large fangs bearing from its jaw.

Dark Force drew her Magical Piece. “I don’t know but that’s not the only one. Look!”

Cranberry looked to where Dark Force was pointing. 6 more of the creatures had emerged from the nearby bushes. “I guess you were right, we shouldn’t have stopped here. The J-Tollaw is exhausted. We have to protect him.”

Cranberry quickly dashed to her friend’s side. Dark Force responded by casting Shifta and Deband on themselves.

The 7 creatures did not seem too interested in the J-Tollaw and instead focused on the two Forces. The first monster dashed toward Cranberry. Dark Force immediately lifted her Magical Piece. “No you don’t!” Thrusting her arms forward Dark Force cast Barta on the charging monster.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso17.png

The ice wave knocked the monster backwards, causing it to curl into a defensive roll. It doesn’t appear to have taken any real damage, but it did cease its charge. The other monsters raised their claws and scurried toward the two.

Dark Force and Cranberry backed away as the creatures approached. Cranberry quickly cast a Jellen spell, but she could not tell if it had any effect. 4 of the monsters suddenly sprung from the ground and leapt at the two. Cranberry swung her Windmill and struck one of the monsters in mid air. A loud crack sounded as the monster was hit like a baseball and flew into the bushes. But another monster was immediately on her and latched onto her right arm with its huge claw. Cranberry screeched and pulled her hand back, trying to shake the creature off her. She quickly used her other hand and grabbed the creature’s tail, preventing its large stinger for impaling her.

Dark Force had 2 monsters of her own to contend with. Though her Magical Piece was somewhat lacking as a melee weapon, but it did significantly boost the power of her GI series techniques. Dark Force pushed her weapon toward the monsters and unleashed a Gizonde attack on the 2 leaping monsters. Lightning emerged from her weapon and roared into the monsters.

The electrocuted monsters hissed and darted in 2 different directions back into the bushes.

“DF! I can’t get it off me!” Cranberry cried as she struggled to keep the monster that had latched onto her from impaling her with its tail.

Dark Force turned to face Cranberry while still keeping 1 eye on the monsters still in view. “Hold still Cran. Don’t move.” Receiving a nod from Cranberry, Dark Force gripped her Magical Piece and held it next to the monster. Pulling back Dark Force swung her Magical Piece with all her might and struck the creature hanging from Cranberry’s arm. The monster did in fact let go, but not before a horrible ripping sound was heard. As the monster flew off Cranberry’s arm, it took a large chunk of skin with it.

“Aaaaggghhh!!” Cranberry screamed as she fell to her knees and held her arm. The chunk taken out of her arm was deep enough to reveal part of the bone underneath.

“Oh my god! Oh my god! Cran I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for that to.. Oh my god Cran!” Dark Force screamed in horror.

Cranberry didn’t speak as her breathing had become very rapid. Blood began to pour from her wound. She gasped as she tried to hold her arm.

“Cranberry! No!” Dark Force screamed as she kneeled by her friend, in shock and disbelief over what had just happened.

“Monsters!” Cranberry forced herself to say.

“What? Gah!” Taking advantage of the FOnewearl’s situation, two of the monsters rushed Dark Force. One monster leap high into the air and latched onto her chest with its claws. Dark Force was able to react just in time to throw her hands up and grab onto the monsters tail as it attempted to impale her in the neck. The 2nd monster opened its jaw and bit into Dark Force’s leg. She cried out in pain as the monsters fangs sank into her flesh, but she didn’t release the first monsters tail, she still had to protect her neck. But with the monster latched to her chest and using her hands to hold back the stinger, she could not cast a technique or attack it. And the monster at her leg was doing a fine job of ripping into her with its razor sharp fangs. Dark Force struggled to come up with a plan, if she let go of the stinger her neck would be impaled. If she didn’t, she would be ripped apart by the monster at her leg.

“No! Get off me! Ahh! Gaah!” Dark Force grunted as she struggled with the monsters. The monster latched onto her chest suddenly became engulfed in. The monster howled and released its hold on Dark Force. Dark Force quickly swung the monster by its tail and threw it into the bushes. She immediately swung her Magical Piece and clubbed the monster biting her leg on the head. The monster squealed and backed away, releasing Dark Force from its hold. Dark Force looked over and saw Cranberry, still on her knees holding her Windmill in her left hand. Despite her injury Cranberry was able to cast Foie, and had saved her friend by roasting the monster that had latched onto Dark Force’s chest.

“Cranberry! Thank you!” Dark Force called. “NO! Cran!!”

The 4 of the monsters had re-appeared and charged toward Cranberry. But instead of leaping like they had been, they stopped a few feet from Cranberry and lifted their stingers. Flicking their tails like a whip, the sharp stinger at the end of their tails flew off like a bullet into Cranberry. Dark Force screamed as Cranberry fell face down to the ground.

“No! Cranberry!” Dark Force howled. “Leave her alone!”

Dark Force charged straight toward the monsters with tears in her eyes. She screamed in rage and cast Rafoie. A gigantic fireball formed and exploded around the monsters.

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The 4 monsters shrieked and howled as their bodies began to roast. They immediately turned and bolted back into the bushes. Dark Force spun around raced back to her friend. “Cranberry! Cranberry!”

“D-DF.” Cranberry moaned. “Please, help me.”

Dark Force began casting Resta again and again as fast a she could. “I’m so sorry Cran! It’s all my fault!” Dark Force cried.

As she was casting, a stinger flew forward and impaled Dark Force in the shoulder. The surprise hit knocked Dark Force off her feet. She quickly pulled herself back up. 3 of the monsters had again come out of hiding. All 3 of them were quickly racing toward Dark Force. Dark Force clenched her weapon, techniques were stunning the monsters just fine but nothing seemed to be truly damaging them. “What does it take to destroy you things?” Dark Force shouted as they approached.

The monsters leapt forward. Dark Force deflected the first monster with her Magical Piece. The 2nd and 3rd evaded her strike. The 2nd monster latched its claw onto her Purple Ring and the 3rd latched onto her arm, just like what happened to Cranberry. Dark Force’s eyes opened wide as she anticipated the throbbing pain of the monsters stingers. But instead, a green flash caught the corner of her eye, and the monster hanging from her arm suddenly dropped off. Or rather its body dropped off leaving only the claw.

Cranberry was back on her feet, Dark Force’s Resta seemed to have worked. Cranberry had put away her Windmill and now had her Double Saber equipped, and had used it to slice the monster off her arm. Cranberry continued her attack and slashed the monster clinging to Dark Force’s ring, slicing the monster in half.

“Cranberry!” Dark Force said as she pulled the disembodied claw off her arm.

Cranberry spun around. “Here they come! DF, hit them with Rafoie!”

Dark Force nodded and raised her Magical Piece. She cast Rafoie and engulfed the approaching monsters in fire. Cranberry immediately rushed forward and attacked with her Double Saber. The monsters, stunned by Dark Force’s Rafoie could not defend against Cranberry’s attack, and one by one they were cut down by a whirlwind of Double Saber strikes. Finally the last monster was struck down.

“Cranberry!” Dark Force shouted as she ran to her friend.

Cranberry turned to Dark Force as she approached her.

“CB, your arm!” Dark Force cried.

“I’m alright DF.” Cranberry answered.

“Please, let me see it.” Dark Force insisted.

Cranberry stretched her arm forward and allowed Dark Force to look at it. Although Dark Force’s Resta had healed enough of the wound so that the bone was no longer visible, there was still some significant damage, which was very visible. Dark Force felt some tears form in her eyes. “Cranberry, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry Cranberry.”

Cranberry put her left on Dark Force’s shoulder. “I’m alright DF.”

“Your arm, I… I really hurt your arm. I’m so sorry Cran.” Dark Force continued.

“It’s ok DF. Really I’ll be all right. Your Resta helped a lot. Thank you for casting it.” Cranberry replied.

Dark Force placed her hand over Cranberry’s wound. “Lets find a place to set up camp. You need to rest.”

The J-Tollaw, which had not been harmed in the battle snorted to get the two’s attention. It had stood up and seemed to be listening to something. Dark Force strained her ears and heard what the J-Tollaw heard. It was water; there was running water nearby. Dark Force looked over to Cranberry. “I hear water. If we can find a river or something that will be a good place to camp.”

Cranberry nodded. The J-Tollaw started to walk. Dark Force and Cranberry followed the J-Tollaw. After a short walk they reached the bank of a river. The river looked to be 20 meters across.

“This will be a good spot.” Cranberry spoke.

“Yes, I agree. Cranberry, you sit down and rest. I’ll get wood and start the fire. But first, lets work on your arm.” Dark Force insisted.

Cranberry nodded and stretched her arm out to Dark Force again. “DF, you were limping as we walked here. Is your leg all right?” Cranberry asked as Dark Force took her arm.

“It’s all right. I’m more worried about you. I’m so sorry for what I did to you.” Dark Force answered.

“It wasn’t your fault DF, it was the monsters. You were just trying to help me.” Cranberry encouraged. “But your leg, you’re bleeding.”

Dark Force looked down at her leg. Blood had begun to soak through her socks, a large red spot showed where she had been bitten. “I’ll take care of it. But first, we deal with you.”

Dark Force cupped her hands over Cranberry’s wound and closed her eyes. She focused her technique power into her hands and formed it into Resta energy. She gently rubbed Cranberry’s wound as she cast a much more focused version of her Resta spell. Cranberry could feel Dark Force’s power affecting her as the skin and muscle tissue began to repair itself. After a few minutes, Dark Force removed her hand. Cranberry’s wound had been greatly healed. Although her arm still felt sore and weak and her skin was very tender, the wound was nearly healed and only a sizeable scratch remained.

“Thank you Dark Force.” Cranberry said.

“I just can’t believe I did that to you.” Dark Force sighed.

Cranberry put her arm around Dark Force and pulled her into a hug. “It’s alright. It feels a lot better now. DF, I’m glad you did what you did. You took action to help me out, you’re just not one to sit back and do nothing.”

“Thank you CB.” Dark Force replied.

“How about I help you with that leg now? We should get it cleaned.” Cranberry offered.

“No, that’s all right. I got it. You rest. Get something to eat from our packs. I’ll start a fire and clean myself up.” Dark Force answered.

“You sure?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes I’m sure. You take it easy, I can handle this.” Dark Force insisted.

Cranberry did as her friend commanded and rested her arm while Dark Force gathered wood and started the fire. She limped as she walked but always turned down Cranberry’s offers to help, insisting that her friend rest and eat. After she had gotten the fire going, she looked over at the river.

“How are you feeling Cranberry?” Dark Force asked.

“Tired.” Cranberry answered honestly.

“The river is a good chance for us to get cleaned up. We haven’t washed for several days now and we may not get another chance for a while. CB, why don’t you wash yourself up in the river? Then you can go ahead and get some sleep. I can wash your clothes for you while you are resting.” Dark Force offered.

“Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that.” Cranberry answered. Dark Force nodded and Cranberry stood up and walked over to the river.

While Cranberry bathed herself, Dark Force prepared a sleeping bag for her, and then sat down to look at her leg. Her leg was in a lot of pain now, and was starting to feel numb. It was getting very hard for her to walk.

After about 10 minutes, Cranberry returned from the river. She looked a lot better now that she had been cleaned up. Her black hair was no longer full of mud and muck, indeed it reflected softly in the moonlight of the night sky. Her pale skin was no longer sticky and dirty.

“How do you feel?” Dark Force asked as her friend returned.

“A lot better.” Cranberry answered. “I needed that.”

“You’re sleeping bag is ready. Go ahead and get some rest. I’ll only be gone a moment.” Dark Force insisted.

While Cranberry rested, Dark Force went to the river to bathe and wash both of their clothes. But more importantly, this was her chance to have a real serious look at her leg. After pulling her long socks off, she slowly lowered her leg into the rushing water and clenched her teeth together at the pain that shot through her body. But through a clenched jaw she forced herself to wash the blood and dirt off her leg. She had not told Cranberry this, but not only was her leg in great pain, but since they had reached the campsite, she had started to feel very ill. Her leg did not look good at all. The color around her wound really seemed off, and she found herself feeling dizzy. But she forced herself to finish washing herself up and then get their clothes washed as well. Once she finished, she headed back to the campsite.

Cranberry looked up at her as she returned. “Everything all right DF?”

Dark Force nodded as she returned Cranberry’s now washed clothes to her. “Yeah. Go ahead and get some sleep. I’ll just eat a bit and then I’ll get to bed too.”

Cranberries nodded and rest her head as she began to dose off. Dark Force stared at the fire as she ate some crackers she had found in her pack. She wasn’t feeling all that hungry but decided it would be best if she got something into her stomach. She looked down at her leg again. The pain had only gotten worse since she had been at the river. She looked over where Cranberry was sleeping and debated whether or not to tell her about it. Deciding against it Dark Force lay back and looked up at the sky. She still felt bad and blamed herself for what had happened to Cranberry’s arm. And even though Cranberry had now been healed greatly, she still felt horrible about it. The last thing she wanted to do was wake her friend up when she needed rest so badly.

“What is wrong with my leg? Why does it hurt so much?” Dark Force said to herself.

About an hour went by, and the pain continued to get worse and Dark Force found herself feeling really ill. She sat up and again looked over to where Cranberry still lay asleep in her sleeping bag. Dark Force pulled down her sock to look at her leg again. She gasped as she did so. Her leg was starting to turn black in color. She stared in shock at what was happening to her leg. She again looked over at Cranberry, hesitated a long moment, and then crawled over to her.

“Cran? Cran? Cranberry, wake up. Please wake up Cranberry.” Dark Force said as she gently shook her friend.

Cranberry stirred and slowly lifted her head. “Huh? What? Oh, Dark Force? What is it?”

“Cranberry, there’s, there’s something wrong with my leg.” Dark Force said, wincing horribly from the pain.

“What? Let me see.” Cranberry insisted as she sat up.

Dark Force rolled down her sock and let Cranberry see her wound. Cranberry gasped as she saw what was happening to her friend’s leg.

“Cran, what’s happening to me?” Dark Force asked.

“How long has it been like this DF?” Cranberry inquired.

“A few hours. Since I was at the river.” Dark Force answered. “What is it?”

“I, I’m not sure.” Cranberry admitted.

“She’s been poisoned.” A man’s voice answered, causing both Cranberry and Dark Force to immediately look up. “She will die soon.”

“Who’s there?” Cranberry demanded as she quickly slid out of her sleeping bag and got to her feet. “Show yourself!”

“As you wish.” The man’s voice answered.

A man wearing a navy blue wizards robe stepped out of the darkness and into the light from the fire. He had tan skin and carried a Summit Moon in his right hand. But it was his left hand that caused both Cranberry and Dark Force to gasp. On his left hand rested a large Blue Ring.

End of Chapter 11

Chapter 12 teaser: Dark Force has been poisoned and is inching closer toward death. But help comes from an unlikely source when the location of an antidote is revealed. It’s a race for the cure to save Dark Force before it’s too late. Chapter 12 coming soon.

[Kupi]

I don't do enough reading of other peoples' works, and I figure that the sticky is a good place to start. I've worked down to about Chapter 4. I'm liking the story so far; you've avoided the deadly error of trying to transcribe the game (a mistake I myself made in my first 'fic). Keeping in mind that I do like the story, I've got some hints, tips, and suggestions that perhaps you've already addressed.


They had not said 1 word about this to her.

Small numbers should generally be written out; in this case "one" would flow more easily. "They had not said one word about this to her."


“What happened?” Cranberry asked, staring at the monitor as Sage gets a very nervous look on his face.

Mind your tenses; pick one and stick with it. If it's in the past, it's in the past; if it's in the present, it's in the present. Don't flip-flop between them. You seem to be favoring the past tense, so make sure your narration maintains that tense.


“What happened here? This couldn’t have been natural. Was this part of the construction? In any case, with a little luck, one of these tunnels will go straight through. It’ll take hours to try and climb over the walls, and I don’t have that kind of time. Approaching the nearest passage, she kneeled and peered inside.

It's really jarring to miss a quotation mark. The transition from dialogue to narration can knock the reader out of their rhythm.


Her armor was a DF Field and fitted into her armor were several slot items. A God/Technique, a God/Ability, a God/Mind, and an Angle/Mind.

Is it really necessary to know what units they're wearing? Unless it gives the reader a better idea of what they look like or may be mentioned later on (such as the Area Map), you can leave the gameplay mechanics out of it.


“Now’s our chance! Rip it apart!” Cranberry cried out. Both Forces charged forward and unleashed the furry of their weapons.

An extra letter makes all the difference, eh?


The kettle began to steam as the water boiled. Cranberry poured some water into 2 bowels that Dark Force had brought, while Dark Force herself continued her story.

It's the revenge of the single letter difference!


In summary, you seem to be having small mechanical issues, but a lot of them. You've got an entertaining story going on, but I found myself stumbling over a minor writing error every few paragraphs. Good grammar can't save a bad story, of course, but it can make a good one that much easier to enjoy.

When I have more time, I'll read further. Please, continue writing.

[Cranberry]

Thank you for your input. The story is already written so I am copying and pasting it here. As time permits I will make corrections keeping your suggestions in mind.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 12 – Toxic Turmoil

Cranberry could think of only one thing, protecting her friend. She immediately charged toward the general and swung her Windmill at him. The General lifted up his Summit Moon and used it to deflect and defend against Cranberry’s attacks.

“You won’t harm her!” Cranberry shouted as she lifted her Windmill. But her strength was nearly gone, she was still worn out from the last battle with the monsters, and her arm still hurt a lot. Still her will to protect Dark Force gave her strength.

The Blue Ring General backed just beyond the range of Cranberry’s Windmill and counter attacked her with the Summit Moon. The strike hit Cranberry across the chest and knocked her off her feet.

“Cranberry!” Dark Force shouted.

“I’m all right.” Cranberry answered as she rose to her feet. The hit had knocked her back, but didn’t do any damage to her. She gripped her Windmill and took up a defensive stance.

“Relax, I’m not here to fight.” The Blue Ring General stated.

Cranberry glared at the man, clutching her Windmill tightly. “Like I’m going to fall for that old trick.”

“Neither of you is even a challenge to me right now. You are both so weak and tired that I could easily destroy both of you right now.” The Blue Ring General answered.

Cranberry glared at the General. “I won’t let you hurt her!”

“The others would not hesitate to finish you two off right now. You’ve caused a great deal of trouble for us. But I’m a little different from the others. You see I believe in a fair fight.” The Blue Ring General answered.

“Is that a fact?” Cranberry answered, keeping her Windmill in a ready position.

“You’ve defeated Purple and Yellow, and you have foiled Black’s plan on Pioneer 2. You two must be something special to accomplish all of that. But neither of you is in any condition to battle. There would be no honor in fighting you now. So lets put the hostilities on hold for now. When we fight I want you to be at your peak, at your very best.” The Blue Ring General continued.

“If you don’t want to fight. What do you want?” Dark Force asked,

“Yes, why are you here?” Cranberry demanded.

“You encountered monsters here didn’t you? Small things, look sort of like a Nidra? Your friend was bitten wasn’t she?” The Blue Ring General asked.

“Yeah.” Dark Force replied.

“You said she was going to die.” Cranberry growled as she stared at the General.

“Yes. Those monsters carry a very potent venom in their mouths.” The Blue Ring General replied as he looked at Dark Force. “She’s been poisoned.”

Cranberry moved closer to Dark Force. “Well I’ll fix that then! Curing poison is no problem at all!” Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast her Anti spell. The spell washed over Dark Force, but her condition did not seem to change.

The Blue Ring General shook his head. “I’m afraid that isn’t going to work. Once the venom enters the blood it quickly spreads throughout the body. It’ll take more than your Anti techniques to stop it.”

Dark Force lowered her head and clenched her fist. What the General was saying made sense. Her leg was throbbing in pain, and she could feel that pain slowly spreading.

Cranberry looked at her friend and gritted her teeth, before returning her stare to the Blue Ring General. She was torn, she didn’t want to believe that her best friend was dieing, but there was no denying that Dark Force was not well. Dark Force tried to hide it, but it was visibly obvious that she was in pain.

“Let me take a look at her.” The Blue Ring General said.

“Stay back!” Cranberry demanded as she raised her Windmill. “Stay away from her!”

“I may be able to slow the poison. I understand your defensiveness Cranberry. Here, will this help show I am sincere?” The Blue Ring General replied as he too his Summit Moon and tossed it to Cranberry. “How about you hold that for me?”

Cranberry caught the Summit Moon in her left hand, startled by the General’s unexpected move. “You’re giving this to me?”

“Not exactly. I trust that you’ll give it back to me when I’m done.” The Blue Ring General answered.

“Why do you want to help me?” Dark Force asked, looking up at the General.

“Though we may be enemies, I respect you. An honorable warrior does not kick a man when he’s down. Or a woman in this case.” The Blue Ring General answered. “Now, let me have a look her and I’ll see what I can do.”

“I said stay away!” Cranberry shouted.

“CB, wait.” Dark Force said.

“What?” Cranberry asked, turning to her friend.

“Let him pass.” Dark Force answered.

“But DF!” Cranberry protested.

“If he wanted to kill me, he’d already have done so. Cranberry I appreciate what you’re doing, but he’s right. If he were to attack us now, neither of us would be able to stop him. He’s telling the truth. Let him pass.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry glared at the Blue Ring General. “All right. But I’m standing right by her! If you so much as look at her funny you will regret it!”

“I understand.” The Blue Ring General answered calmly as he walked toward Dark Force and kneeled down by her. Dark Force kept her eye on him, evident that even she did not completely trust him.

Cranberry stood beside her friend and watched the Blue Ring General like a hawk, holding both her Windmill and the General’s Summit Moon.

“Let me see your leg.” The General said. Dark Force glanced up at Cranberry, and reluctantly stretched out her leg. The General looked at the wound and the surrounding tissue. The area around the bite had turned black, and it was gradually beginning to spread both up and down her leg.

“Yes, I see. It bit you right here, repeatedly it would seem. A great deal of venom has been injected into you. That is why your leg is turning black. It is a side effect of the amount of poison you’ve absorbed.” The Blue Ring General stated.

“How, how long do I have?” Dark Force asked reluctantly.

“The poison will overcome and shut down your body in about 6 hours.” The Blue Ring General answered.

“Oh.” Dark Force replied, looking down at the ground.

“What? 6 hours? No, that can’t be! Didn’t you say you could help her?” Cranberry demanded.

“Well, yes and no.” The Blue Ring General began. “I can’t cure her poisoning. But I can slow it down.” The Blue Ring General reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Cranberry watched closely, her weapons ready, as the General opened the box to reveal several medicine bottles.

“What are you doing?” Cranberry demanded.

The Blue Ring General removed a small bottle from the box. “This is a type of anti-venom you could say. It can’t cure the poisoning, but it can weaken the potency and buy her a little more time. I admit it will be a painful experience, but it should give you about a day. Give or take a few hours. Try to hold still. I need to rub this right onto the wound. It’s going to hurt. Cranberry, hold her leg still for me.”

“You’re giving her some kind of drug?” Cranberry protested.

“If you don’t want it, just say so.” The Blue Ring General replied.

Cranberry looked at Dark Force. “….it’s up to you DF.”

Dark Force closed her eyes for a moment before she reluctantly replied. “All right. Do it.”

“Very good then. Cranberry, will you assist?” The Blue Ring General again asked.

“All right.” Cranberry sighed as she knelt by her friend and placed her hands on her leg. “Like this right?”

“Yes. Dark Force, this is going to sting a lot. Please brace yourself. Are you ready?” The Blue Ring General asked.

Dark Force held her breath and nodded.

“Do not let her move Cranberry.” The Blue Ring General ordered. He opened the bottle and poured the contents over Dark Force’s wound. Dark Force’s eyes widened and she instinctively tried to jerk her leg back. It was all Cranberry could do to keep Dark Force’s leg from moving. The Blue Ring General began to rub the medicine into the wound. Cranberry could see the pain in her friends eyes, and it tore her up inside to see her friend like this. To stand by helplessly while her friend suffered. Dark Force groaned and did her best not to resist. But the pain was almost unbearable. She gasped as she tried to hold her breath.

“There, that’s all. I know that hurt, but you did well. Both of you.” The Blue Ring General replied as he stood up, watching as Cranberry moved to hug her friend. “That may buy you enough time to find the antidote.”

“Antidote?” Cranberry and Dark Force inquired together.

“Yes.” The Blue Ring General replied.

“What antidote?” Cranberry insisted.

“There is a rare type of yellow flower on Ragol. It’s called a Lunar Lilly. You can recognize by the glow of its pedals in the moonlight. The pedals contain a special nectar. This nectar can cleanse the poison of the monsters you fought. It’s the only chance you have of saving your friend.” The Blue Ring General answered.

“Tell me, where can I find this flower?” Cranberry insisted.

“There is a marsh far to the east. The flower can be found there. But it is a long trip, and powerful monsters live there. It won’t be easy. But if you find the flower, boil the pedals and have her drink the nectar before the poison consumes her body, she may be saved. But you will be hard pressed to get there in time.” The Blue Ring General answered.

“I’ve got to try.” Cranberry responded.

“Cranberry, it sounds so risky. If anything were to happen to you, I’d never forgive myself.” Dark Force spoke.

“If it can help you, no risk is too great.” Cranberry answered.

“Thank you CB.” Dark Force answered.

“I’ll put the location on your area map Cranberry. Find the flower and save your friend. Once you are both well, I expect you to reach me in my undersea lab. Then we can have our battle. I trust you won’t disappoint me.” The Blue Ring General said as he took Cranberry’s left hand and updated the area map in the gauntlet on her arm. “There, that is the location of the marsh. Good luck.”

“I understand. Thank you.” Cranberry answered.

“Do we really have to fight you?” Dark Force asked.

“Yes, eventually. I expect nothing less than a spectacular battle from you, but all in good time. But right now you have a big job to do, especially you Cranberry. I’ve done all I can do; you two are on your own now. This is where I depart.” The Blue Ring General responded. “So, will you return my item to me now Cranberry?”

Cranberry hesitated as she looked at the Summit Moon in her left hand. “As far as I can tell, you have kept your word. All right.” Cranberry reluctantly handed the Summit Moon back to the Blue Ring General. He reclaimed his item and turned around.

“Work together, and you can succeed. Good luck.” The Blue Ring General spoke as he walked into the bushes, leaving the two FOnewearls alone.

“How do you feel DF?” Cranberry asked as she knelt by her friend.

“I think his medicine is working. I feel a little better. It doesn’t hurt quite as much now, and I’ve gotten some of the feeling back in my leg.” Dark Force answered. “Do you trust him Cran?”

“Not entirely, but you’re right. If he wanted to kill us, he could have done so. Going after this flower could be an elaborate trick leading us into a trap, but if there is a chance of finding a cure for you, we have to take it. One thing is for certain, and that is that you need help, and fast.” Cranberry answered.

“Cranberry, I don’t want you to get hurt again because of me.” Dark Force answered.

“I won’t turn my back on you Dark Force. If there is any chance at all of helping you, we have to take it. Tell me DF, if our situations were reversed can you say that you would not do the same for me?” Cranberry answered.

“Of course I would.” Dark Force answered. “I’d do anything for you.”

“It goes both ways.” Cranberry responded.

“I understand. Thank you Cranberry.” Dark Force replied.

Cranberry put her hand on Dark Force’s shoulder. “Lets try and get some rest. The Tsumikiri J-Tollaw needs a little more rest. We’ll leave in a couple hours. Try to get some sleep until then. I’ll be right beside you.”

Dark Force nodded and walked back to her sleeping bag. Cranberry grabbed her own sleeping bag and carried it over to Dark Force, rolling it out beside her friend. They then lay down and did their best to get some rest.

A few hours later, the stars started to dim as the sun slowly began to rise. Dark Force stirred to the sound of a crackling fire. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking beside her at Cranberry’s empty sleeping bag.

“Cran?” Dark Force replied groggily as she rubbed her eyes.

“Right here.” Cranberry answered, standing up from her position on the other side of the fire. “Just getting some water ready for you.”

Several bottles of water were sitting on the ground, and more was boiling in the fire Cranberry had re-started.

“How long have you been up?” Dark Force asked.

“Not long. How are you feeling?” Cranberry replied.

Dark Force closed her eyes. Her leg had gotten worse since she had gone to sleep. The pain was starting to return, and though it was not as bad as before she had been given the medicine, it was gradually getting worse. “I’m okay.”

Cranberry walked to Dark Force and sat beside her with a bottle of water. “Here, you should drink.”

“Thank you.” Dark Force responded as she accepted the water bottle.

Cranberry stood up and moved over to the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw. The J-Tollaw was now fully rested and ready to go. Cranberry gave the J-Tollaw some water and then brought it over to Dark Force. “Are you ready DF? We should get going. Do you mind eating breakfast while we travel?”

Dark Force sipped the water and looked up at Cranberry. “Not at all. I’ll be ready in a moment.” Dark Force rolled up her sleeping bag and packed all her gear into her bag. Cranberry did the same with her equipment. After dousing the fire with a few waves of Barta Cranberry helped Dark Force onto the J-Tollaw’s back. This time Dark Force sat up front and Cranberry sat behind her. Cranberry checked her map data. “We’ve got a long ways to go. I hope we make it in time. All right Tsumikiri J-Tollaw lets move out.”

The J-Tollaw stood up and began to move. It quickly moved from a trot into a full run as they began their long trek to the east. After accepting some crackers that Cranberry offered her for breakfast, Dark Force leaned forward and rested her head on the J-Tollaw’s neck. The J-Tollaw moved with the speed they had come to expect. Within seconds their campsite was little more than a speck in the distance.

“Save a horse, ride a Tollaw!” Cranberry shouted.

“Oh CB, that was horrible.” Dark Force groaned.

“Sorry.” Cranberry apologized.

For 3 hours they traveled, and the landscape largely remained the same. Soft rolling hills with scattered trees and bushes. Dark Force did not move or talk much during the trip. She looked down at her leg and sighed painfully. The blackness had spread to her knee, and the pain was beginning to greatly intensify. Not only that the light-headedness and dizziness was beginning to return. It was getting harder to hold onto the J-Tollaw. Cranberry gently rubbed Dark Force’s back as she tried to comfort her friend. Shortly afterwards, the J-Tollaw suddenly slowed down and came to a stop.

“Are we there?” Dark Force asked softly as she lifted her head off the J-Tollaw’s neck.

“We can’t be already. What’s wrong Tollaw? Why did you stop?” Cranberry asked as she peeked around Dark Force and looked ahead.

The J-Tollaw stamped and shook its foot aggressively, almost knocking the 2 Forces off its back. Dark Force groaned as she was jerked around.

“Easy easy stop! Take it easy Tollaw! What’s wrong? Let me see!” Cranberry snapped as she jumped off the Tollaw’s back and moved to its front. Cranberry examined the J-Tollaw’s foot and found 3 large quills sticking out. “What in the world? Where did these come from?”

Cranberry pulled the quills out of the Tollaw’s foot, but her attention was quickly diverted by a shuffling sound. Cranberry looked around and saw similar quills sticking out of the ground all around them. But more importantly she spotted patches of the ground around them being disturbed. 3 creatures emerged from burrows in the ground and turned to face the intruders. These creatures looked to be about 8 inches tall and 6 inches long and stood in a reptilian posture. They had porcupine like quills along their backs, identical to the ones that were in the J-Tollaw’s foot. Their heads sported 2 small horns atop their head and they had long narrow beak like jaws.

“What in the world are these?” Cranberry asked, pulling her Windmill out of her pack.

The 3 monsters glared at Cranberry and crouched into a battle stance, spreading the quills on their backs.

“Great, looks like they want to attack. Isn’t there anything on Ragol that DOESN’T want to kills us?” Cranberry complained.

Dark Force weakly slid off the J-Tollaw’s back and fell to her knees before forcing herself to stand up.

“Dark Force, what are you doing?” Cranberry asked as she quickly darted to her friend.

“I-I’m going to help you.” Dark Force answered as she picked up her Magical Piece.

“I’ll handle this DF. You need to take it easy.” Cranberry insisted.

“N-no. I won’t be, I will not be useless.” Dark Force demanded.

“But… all right. But be careful DF.” Cranberry replied.

Cranberry cast Shifta and Deband on Dark Force and herself to increase their attack and defense abilities, while Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Jellen on the 3 creatures to decrease their attack strength. The creatures did not seem to be phased by the 2 FOnewearl’s fancy light show and shuffled toward them.

Cranberry took the lead and swung her Windmill as a warning at an approaching creature. The creature responded by hissing and spinning its body to lash its long tail at Cranberry. Cranberry took a step backwards moving just out of the monsters range. Dark Force held her Magical Piece forward and cast her Gizonde technique. Lightning leapt from her weapon and struck 2 of the approaching monsters. The monsters recoiled from the strike and flattened themselves against the ground.

Cranberry cast her Zalure technique on the monster closest to her and lashed out at it with her Windmill. The Windmill’s blades slashed through the monster, slicing off fragments of its quills. The monster responded by leaping straight at Cranberry, but another striker of her Windmill intercepted the monster and cut it cleanly in half.

The other 2 monsters regained their composure and moved to strike at Dark Force. But she again lifted her Magical Piece and cast Gizonde. Lightning overwhelmed the monsters and they collapsed to the ground motionless. One of them left behind a red box beside its body.

“There, that wasn’t so bad.” Cranberry replied. As she looked over at Dark Force, she saw her friend trembling. “DF, are you all right?”

“Y-yeah. I guess so.” Dark Force answered as she tried to remain standing. Feelings of dizziness were beginning to overwhelm here. Everything around her seemed to be spinning, and she was developing the biggest headache she had ever had. She stumbled and began to fall over. Cranberry raced to her friend and caught her as she began to fall.

“DF!” Cranberry screamed.

“I’m sorry.” Dark Force apologized as she rested her head on Cranberry’s shoulder.

“Its getting worse isn’t it? We better get going, we have to find that antidote.” Cranberry replied as she gently lowered Dark Force into a sitting position. “Rest a moment. We’ll leave shortly. Oh, what have we here?” Cranberry’s eyes spotted the Red Box left behind by one of the monsters they had just defeated. Letting Dark Force rest for a moment, she stepped over to the item to see what had been left behind.

“Oh, it’s a Photon Drop.” Cranberry announced, a little disappointed thinking that for a moment she may have found something far more rare. But the J-Tollaw suddenly jumped up in delight and raced over to Cranberry. It grabbed the Photon Drop off the floor and shoved it into its mouth, swallowing it in one gulp. Cranberry stared wide-eyed at the J-Tollaw. “Well what do you know, Tollaw’s eat Photon Drops. No wonder they are always dropping them in the Forest.”

And so the great mystery of why Tollaws always drop Photon Drops was at long last solved.

Cranberry helped Dark Force back onto the J-Tollaw’s back and then climbed on herself, taking a seat behind her friend. Cranberry couldn’t help but notice that her friend was starting to turn very pale and her breathing was beginning to become labored. She was able to get Dark Force to drink some water, but it didn’t seem to help her condition at all. With no real other choice the 2 continued on, carefully stepping over the quills littering the ground. Soon they were again moving at their normal speed, racing to the east.

Cranberry patted the J-Tollaw’s back as it ran, thankful for its help and the great speed it was given them. Without the J-Tollaw, they would have no chance of making it to the marsh in time. But even with the J-Tollaw’s speed, this was going to be a close call. Dark Force was getting worse every moment. The General’s medicine may be able to keep her alive a little longer, but it seemed to do little to help with her suffering.

Morning soon turned into afternoon. The J-Tollaw continued to race across the land. The elevation of the land they traveled over began to gradually lower closer to sea level. The rolling hills were gradually beginning to flatten out and more vegetation was growing. The J-Tollaw expertly navigated the terrain and took care not to cause to many bumps or jolts as they traveled. Dark Force rested her head on the J-Tollaw’s neck virtually the entire trip. Cranberry could feel her friends body trembling as she held onto her. Cranberry checked her map data. They had gone a long ways, but the marsh was still a good distance away. It would not be until well into the early morning hours of the night before they even reached the Marsh.

“Stop.” Dark Force whispered.

“What was that?” Cranberry asked.

“Please, stop. I need to stop.” Dark Force answered weakly.

“All right. J-Tollaw! Hold up! Come to a stop.” Cranberry ordered.

The Tsumikiri J-Tollaw obeyed Cranberry’s command and broke out of his sprinting, slowing down until he came to a stop. Dark Force slid off the J-Tollaw, but was not able to stand. She slumped to the ground and lay on her back as soon as she was off the J-Tollaw.

“DF!” Cranberry cried as she jumped off the J-Tollaw and helped Dark Force into a sitting position.

Dark Force’s eyes seemed to be dazed, and she looked to be having real trouble breathing. It was all she could do even to look at Cranberry sitting beside her.

Cranberry gently placed her hand on Dark Force’s forehead. “Oh DF, you’re burning up. You’ve got a bad fever. Let me get you some water.”

Dark Force closed her eyes and her arms grew limp as Cranberry held her.

“Stay with me Dark Force! Don’t do this!” Cranberry ordered as she pulled a bottle of water from her pack. “Open your eyes DF!”

Dark Force groaned and laid her head against Cranberry as she answered. “It hurts.”

“Let me see it.” Cranberry responded.

Dark Force’s leg had gotten a lot worse. Nearly her entire leg had begun to turn black in color as the poison continued overtaking her body. Cranberry had never seen her friend in so much pain. It must have felt like her own body was turning against her. Cranberry had to turn away for a moment to blink back a few tears that found their way to her eyes. “Don’t give up Dark Force.”

“C-Cranberry. I need to ask you something.” Dark Force began.

“Anything.” Cranberry answered.

“Promise me you will tell me the truth.” Dark Force continued.

“Of course I will.” Cranberry replied.

“A-a-am I h-holding you back?” Dark Force asked as she fought against the pain.

“What?” Cranberry asked, surprised by the question.

“Right now. Am I s-slowing you down Cranberry? Am I holding back t-this m-mission, this j-job we have to do d-down here? C-could you d-do this f-faster w-without me? Tell me the t-truth Cranberry. D-don’t lie to m-me.” Dark force continued.

Cranberry closed her eyes. “DF.”

“P-please C-Cran. Answer me. T-the truth.” Dark Force insisted.

Cranberry sighed. “Yes, right now I would be able to continue this mission faster without you. Right now, you are slowing me down.”

“C-Cran. G-go on. Y-you have an important job to do. L-leave me. Too m-much is at stake to have m-me crippling you. I’m f-finished Cran.” Dark Force answered.

“No way DF. I am not leaving you.” Cranberry protested.

Tears began to form in Dark Force’s eyes. “Y-you have to C-Cranberry. P-Please, d-don’t make this any h-harder t-than it already is. Go on, stop the generals, and s-save Pioneer 2. Y-you can do it Cran.” Dark Force said.

“I promised that I would always be there for you DF! And I have no intention of breaking that promise. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!” Cranberry argued.

“I-it’s okay C-Cran. I-I’m not g-going to hold you to that. I-I’m letting you off t-the hook. Please Cran, don’t let me h-hold you back.” Dark Force spoke as she looked away, trying to hide her tears from her friend.

“Dark Force, ever since I met you I have always respected your wishes. But this is one time where I refuse. I am not leaving you, and nothing you say is going to change my mind. Got it? I will not turn my back on my best friend!” Cranberry said as she turned Dark Force’s head to look into her eyes.

“But Cranberry-“ Dark Force started.

“No.” Cranberry interrupted sternly. “DF if our situations were reversed and it was me telling you this, can you honestly say that you would go on without me?”

Dark Force closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Cranberry again. “You’re right. I wouldn’t leave you behind no matter what you said.”

“Now you know how I feel. You’re my best friend Dark Force. And I’ll never abandon you no matter what. I’m taking you with me, and that’s final.” Cranberry ordered.

Dark Force slowly nodded and rested her head against Cranberry’s shoulder.

Cranberry opened a bottle of water and helped her friend drink. Dark Force did her best to take in water, but her head and leg hurt so much that it proved difficult. Cranberry then helped Dark Force to stand up and get back on the J-Tollaw. Cranberry climbed on herself and they continued on their journey.

The J-Tollaw continued to run as day turned into night. It became difficult to see what was ahead of them, but the J-Tollaw seemed to know what it was doing and their speed did not decrease. Dark Force continued to decline as they traveled, and she became less responsive to Cranberry. Time was quickly running out.

“Hang in there DF. Please, you have to.” Cranberry pleaded.

Dark Force groaned, her grip on the J-Tollaw had become weak, and Cranberry had to hold onto her tightly to make sure she didn’t fall off the J-Tollaw. Her body continued to tremble as they traveled.

After a few more hours, the J-Tollaw began to slow down. Cranberry looked up and heard a splashing sound. “Hey, the ground is wet here. Could it be?” Cranberry checked the map in her gauntlet. “DF, we’re here! This is the marsh!”

Dark Force lifted her head lightly and glanced at the landscape around her.

The J-Tollaw slowed to a stop, and Cranberry quickly slid off it and took Dark Force’s hand. “How are you holding up?”

Dark Force lightly squeezed Cranberry’s hand as she rested her head back against the J-Tollaw.

“Hang in there DF. Let’s go Tollaw, but take it easy, don’t let her fall off. We’ve got to find that flower.” Cranberry spoke as she looked around the marsh. “The moon is kind of bright tonight, that should help us find the flower. Lets get started.”

Cranberry and the J-Tollaw with Dark Force on its back began to walk through the marsh. The wet ground made walking difficult and sometimes the mud was deeper than expected. Cranberry had to be careful not to sink in the mud.

“It’s got to be around here somewhere.” Cranberry said as she waded through the mud. “Where is it?”

The J-Tollaw followed Cranberry as she led the way through the marsh. Dark Force could only weakly hold onto its back. She moaned softly as the Tollaw waded through the swamp. As the J-Tollaw walked, it reached a sudden drop off in the marsh and lots it’s footing. The J-Tollaw roared as it slipped. Cranberry spun around just in time to see Dark Force fall off its back into the deep water.

“DF!” Cranberry screamed, as she immediately ran back to the J-Tollaw. “Dark Force! Where are you?”

Cranberry dove into the water. In her condition there was no way Dark Force would be able to swim or pull herself out. Cranberry pushed with all her might as she dove until she reached the bottom of the pool. She desperately felt along the bottom for her friend. She spotted a dim reflection in the corner of her eye. Cranberry turned and swam toward the small glimmer of light. It was Dark Force’s Magical Piece, still in her friend’s hand. Cranberry grabbed Dark Force by the arm and pushed off the bottom of the pool and rose toward the surface. Cranberry reached the surface and pulled Dark Force’s head above the water. Dark Force immediately coughed and gasped for air as soon as she reached the surface.

“DF, thank goodness!” Cranberry exclaimed as she pulled her friend back to land and out of the water where the J-Tollaw still stood. “Are you all right?”

Dark Force coughed, but managed to lift her hand enough to give Cranberry a thumbs up. “T-thank you CB.”

Cranberry carefully lifted Dark Force up and placed her back on the J-Tollaw’s back. “Lets keep going, but be careful. Don’t let her fall.”

They continued to search the marsh, being extra careful of sinkholes and drop offs. Deeper and deeper into the marsh they went, searching desperately for the flower. After an hour of searching, the J-Tollaw snorted and howled. Cranberry quickly spun around again, thinking that Dark Force had fallen off again. But Dark Force was still perched safely on the Tollaw’s back.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Cranberry asked as she waded back to the Tollaw.

The J-Tollaw turned its head and snorted toward a small patch of land. Cranberry directed her gaze to where the Tollaw was directing. Atop the small hill was a dim light. Cranberry’s eyes lit up.

“Could it be?” Cranberry exclaimed as she jumped into the water and swam to the small island of land. She quickly pulled herself onto the land and darted to the source of the light. “It is! Excellent work Tsumikiri J-Tollaw! You found it!”

Before was a small field of small yellow flowers, their pedals glowing in the moon light. It was the Lunar Lilly. Cranberry knelt down to pick up a flower, but before she could do so, the J-Tollaw suddenly shrieked in warning. Cranberry responded by doing a quick back flip, just in time to avoid the slash of a large appendage.

“What in the world?” Cranberry shouted as she spun to face her attacker. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!”

Cranberry looked in disbelief at what stood before her. A large frog like had emerged from the water and sat on the island.

Dark Force weakly looked up from atop the J-Tollaw toward the island.

The creature was much like a frog, except that its webbed feet were complemented with sharp claws. Cranberry drew her Windmill and faced the creature. “I’m taking this flower whether you like it or not!”

The monster crouched and sprang forward toward Cranberry. Cranberry dove sideways, evading the crushing pounce of the creature. Quickly jumping to her feet, Cranberry counter attacked with a Zonde spell. Lightning struck the monster, but seemed to have no effect. The monster immediately turned and lashed its claw out. Cranberry raised her Windmill and intercepted the attack, but though she avoided the slash of the creature’s claws, its physical strength surpassed her and the impact knocked her off her feet. The wind knocked out of her, Cranberry gasped as she began to rise to her feet. But the monster was not too proud to take advantage Cranberry’s condition and sprang toward her, head butting her squarely in the stomach. Cranberry screeched as she was hammered and knocked halfway across the small island.

“C-Cran!” Dark Force called as she heard her friend cry out in pain.

Cranberry shakily stood up and cast Resta on herself. Her strength restored, lifted her Windmill and cast both Barta and Foie on the monster. Just as before, neither technique had an effect on the monster. Cranberry put away her Windmill and pulled her Double Saber. “It looks like techniques aren’t going to work on you. So lets go ahead and do this the old fashioned way.”

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The monster charged toward Cranberry and lashed with its claw at her. Cranberry broke into a run and evaded the strike and dashed to the creature’s side. Before it could respond, she struck the monster with her Double Saber, slashing into the monsters soft skin. The monster howled in pain and spun around to strike at Cranberry with its claw. Cranberry ducked the strike and quickly counter attacked with her Double Saber, slashing the monsters claw clean off. Thrown off balance the monster shrieked and fell down. Cranberry rolled out of the way and quickly pulled herself back to her feet. She crouched and jumped onto the monsters back. Lifting her Double Saber she tore into the back of the monsters head. The monster generated a high-pitched scream, and then slumped to the ground.

“C-Cranberry!” Dark Force called out as she heard the scream.

“It’s all right! I’m fine!” Cranberry answered. Cranberry hopped off the body of the fallen monster and walked back to the patch of flowers. She reached down and carefully picked 3 flowers from the patch. “I’ve got it DF! I’m on my way back right now!”

Cranberry put the flowers in her pack and hopped into the water and swam back toward the J-Tollaw and Dark Force. “I’ve got it DF. I’ve got the flower.”

“C-Cran. Th-“ Dark Force began.

“Save your strength DF.” Cranberry interrupted. “Lets get out of this marsh so we can boil this for you.”

Cranberry climbed onto the J-Tollaw’s back behind her friend. The J-Tollaw turned around and began to head out of the marsh. Cranberry held onto Dark Force tightly, which allowed the J-Tollaw to move more quickly without risk of her falling off. Within 15 minutes, they had left the marsh and reached the dry land of the rolling hills outside the marsh.

Cranberry quickly jumped off the J-Tollaw and helped Dark Force off its back and into a sitting position. She quickly gathered wood and soon had a fire going. Emptying a couple of their water bottles into their pot, she placed it into the fire so that the water could begin to boil. Once the water began to simmer, she opened her pack and placed the 3 flowers into the pot. As she waited for the flowers to boil, she sat beside Dark Force and put her arm around her friend.

“DF?” Cranberry asked.

Dark Force weakly lay her head on Cranberry’s shoulder. Her leg looked horrible, and the blackness had begun to spread all over her body. She no longer had the strength to even hold her Magical Piece. Her weapon lay beside her, and she was shivering as if the temperature was 20 degrees below zero.

“Hang in there Dark Force. Don’t give up.” Cranberry spoke as she held Dark Force.

After a few minutes, the water began to boil. Cranberry watched as the water in the pot slowly changed color. The nectar from the flowers pedals was gradually leaking out and creating a soup like substance. Cranberry allowed the flowers to boil for 10 minutes before deciding they had cooked long enough and removed the pot from the fire. She carefully poured the substance into a bottle and brought it to her friend.

“Here it is DF. This is it, the antidote.” Cranberry said as she sat beside Dark Force. Dark Force’s hands continued to tremble, Cranberry helped her take the bottle and drink the contents.

Cranberry looked into the fire. “I guess all we can do now is wait. Lets get some rest, its up to the flower nectar now.”

Cranberry unrolled the sleeping bags and helped Dark Force into hers. Within minutes Dark Force had fallen asleep. Cranberry sat by the fire and stared into it. She had done everything she could now. Now all she could do was wait while Dark force rested. She could only hope that the flower really could cure the poisoning. Cranberry sighed and after a few minutes, crawled into her own sleeping bag and stared up at the sky until she too fell asleep.

The night passed, and the night sky was again replaced by morning’s light. Cranberry stirred as she heard a voice calling out her.

“Awaken Cranberry.”

Cranberry opened her eyes and sat up. She looked up to see Dark Force standing before her, smiling down at her. “D-DF! You’re all right!”

“Yes, thanks to you.” Dark Force answered. The antidote had worked, the poison had been cleansed from her body, and her skin was no longer black having been restored to its normal color. Her strength had returned and she was able to stand normally under her own power. The only evidence that remained of her poisoning was the wound on her leg where she had been bit.

Cranberry stood up and hugged her friend. “Oh thank goodness you’re okay.”

Dark Force returned Cranberry’s hug. “Only because of you. Thank you Cranberry.”

“Any time DF. Any time.” Cranberry responded.

End of Chapter 12.

Chapter 13 Teaser – Dark Force has recovered from her poisoning and is back to full strength. Their side trip over, the two get back to the task at hand. They have a lot of ground to make up as they head back toward the ocean in search of their next target, the Green Ring General. The mission continues in Chapter 13.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 13 - Dark Force's Ocean Voyage


Dark Force finished tying a cloth around the bite wound on her leg and sat beside Cranberry as her friend finished preparing their breakfast in the fire. Searching through their packs they found some canned sausage that they had taken from the construction area. It wasn’t as good as fresh sausage, but it was a nice departure from the crackers they had been eating.

“How’s your leg feeling?” Cranberry asked as Dark Force sat down.

“It feels great. Thank you so much Cranberry.” Dark Force answered.

“Superb! So the pain is all gone?” Cranberry continued.

“Pretty much. Just a little soreness from the bite, but its not bad at all.” Dark Force replied.

Cranberry smiled, greatly relieved that her friend had so quickly recovered. It was indeed a joyful morning. But they still had a mission to do, so they packed up their gear, dosed the fire and boarded the J-Tollaw. It would be a long trip back to the ocean, but at least this time they did not have such a tight timeframe to travel under. Cranberry still insisted that Dark Force sit up front, so Dark Force climbed onto the J-Tollaw’s back and Cranberry climbed up behind her. Dark Force opened her pack and gave the J-Tollaw a little treat, a Photon Drop she happened to have on her. The J-Tollaw happily gobbled it up, and then began to run, heading back toward the ocean.

“You know, now that I’m feeling better, I can actually enjoy the ride. Once you get used to it, it is sort of fun.” Dark Force admitted as they traveled over the hills.

“Traveling on Ragol has gone first class.” Cranberry replied.

“Hehe. Yeah I guess so. Cranberry, I’m thankful for what you did for me. But this guy deserves credit too. If not for him, you never would have made it here in time.” Dark Force spoke.

“Yes, I’ve thought about that too. If not for him, I would have lost you.” Cranberry answered.

“Thank you Tsumikiri J-Tollaw.” Dark Force said as she patted its neck.

“Yes, thanks J-Tollaw I wouldn’t have made it without you.” Cranberry admitted.

The J-Tollaw snorted in responds and continued running. Cranberry and Dark Forced laughed wondering if this was the J-Tollaw’s way of saying you’re welcome.

They continued traveling for several hours without incident. The J-Tollaw moved so fast that no monster could reach them. The warm sun shown down upon them as they traveled the land. It was turning out to be a beautiful day. Seeing that the trip was moving smoothly, Dark Force glanced over her shoulder at Cranberry.

“Hey CB?” Dark Force started.

“Yes?” Cranberry replied.

“I’ve had something on my mind.” Dark Force continued.

“What’s up?” Cranberry answered.

“Do you remember the other day when we talked about things? Like how we met.” Dark Force replied.

“Where you asked me if I thought your parents were still alive? Yes, I remember.” Cranberry asked.

“You have family on Coral don’t you?” Dark Force asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Cranberry answered.

“Why don’t you ever talk about your family Cranberry?” Dark Force asked.

“I guess it’s never come up.” Cranberry mumbled.

“Do you think you’ll see them again?” Dark Force asked.

“Not sure.” Cranberry responded.

Dark Force hesitated a moment. Cranberry didn’t seem to have any real emotion in her answers. She didn’t even seem to be taking any time to think about her replies. Cranberry usually spoke from her heart on such personal things, so this was a little unusual.

“Do you ever miss them?” Dark Force asked.

“Not really. Cranberry said.

“I don’t really remember them in the crowd when Pioneer 2 departed.” Dark Force admitted.

“That’s because they weren’t there.” Cranberry answered.

“Are you serious? They didn’t see you off?” Dark Force asked.

“That’s right.” Cranberry answered.

“Why not?” Dark Force pressed.

“Because they didn’t care that I was leaving.” Cranberry responded.

Dark Force gasped quietly, surprised by her friends answer. “You’ve never said anything about your family before Cran. Do you want to talk about it? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I don’t need to bore you with my life history.” Cranberry replied.

“I never find you boring Cranberry. I’d like to hear it.” Dark Force said as she carefully turned around on the J-Tollaw’s back to face Cranberry.

“All right. Dark Force, you come from an upper class family. You had a mother and father that cared about you and loved you a lot. And they were well-respected members of the scientific community. I’m a bit different from you though.” Cranberry began.

Dark Force looked at her friend as Cranberry hesitated for a moment.

“My family is a lower class family. My mother and father were not respected members of anything. Lets put it bluntly, all 3 of us were a bunch of nobodies.” Cranberry continued.

“Don’t say that. I never met your parents but you are definitely not a nobody.” Dark Force protested.

“Thank you DF. But back on Coral, nobody knew who we were. Nor did they care. Nor did my parents particularly care about me. I was given food, and I was given water. That’s about it. It was no secret that I had disrupted my mother and father’s lives by putting extra financial burden on their already tight budget.” Cranberry continued.

Dark Force was speechless and could not immediately think of how to respond.

“My parents didn’t particularly care what happened to me. Once I was able to walk and talk I was pretty much left to take care of myself. I spent many nights home alone. I was never given any toys or anything. Nor was anyone ever hired to watch me. It’s a good thing no one ever tried to abduct me, it wouldn’t have been too hard. Of course I’m sure my parents were hoping that would happen. Being I so rudely inconvenienced their lives.” Cranberry said, a bit of anger finding its way into her voice.

Dark Force could not think of what to say, and instead reached forward and wrapped her arms around Cranberry, pulling her into a hug.

“I was never given a single toy, not even on Christmas. I was pretty much ignored. I was never taken anywhere, and didn’t have any friends. Once I was able to walk and feed myself my parents basically pretended that I didn’t exist. I just ate whatever food I could find around the house, nobody ever cooked for me. My parents made it very clear to me that they didn’t want me, and wished I was not around. And that’s why I never talk about them, and don’t miss them.” Cranberry continued as she returned Dark Force’s hug.

“Cranberry, I want to tell you something.” Dark Force stated.

Cranberry looked at Dark Force. “Yes?”

Dark Force put her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder. “Even if your parents don’t care about you, I do. I still think you’re the greatest.”

“Thank you Dark Force.” Cranberry replied. “You’ve always been a great comfort to me. I am grateful for that.”

“Always a pleasure to have you around Cran.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry smiled and nodded softly to Dark Force. Dark Force patted Cranberry gently on the shoulder before turning back around on the J-Tollaw to face forward. The two silently continued their journey back toward the ocean. Neither of them spoke as they traveled, each taking time to reflect silently to herself over the things that had happened the last few days.

Day gradually changed into night as they began to approach the ocean. Dark Force suggested they find a place to camp out for the night. They came to a river and after following the bank for a few miles, came to a small clearing where they found traces that a fire had burned not long ago. Cranberry laughed as she realized this was the same spot at which they had camped before, the night Dark Force had been poisoned. The J-Tollaw was now exhausted and they decided that if this spot had worked before, it would work again. They hopped off the J-Tollaw and allowed him to rest. Cranberry gathered some wood for their fire and Dark Force checked over their supplies.

“Any idea on how we are going to get across the ocean yet?” Cranberry asked as she returned with an armful of wood.

“I’ve been giving that some thought. I may have a few ideas. I want to see what we find when we reach the ocean.” Dark Force responded.

Cranberry set the wood and started the fire before walking back to Dark Force. “I don’t know about you but I could something a little different for dinner.”

“Oh? What do you have in mind?” Dark Force asked.

“Lets go to the river. You rest Tollaw, we’ll be back.” Cranberry responded.

Dark Force stood up and followed Cranberry as she walked to the river. Cranberry stopped and looked out at the water. “Yes this is perfect.” She said as she knelt by the running water.

“What are you up to CB?” Dark Force asked.

“There!” Cranberry exclaimed as she jumped forward into the water reaching out with her arms.

Dark Force jumped in surprise, but then saw what all the fuss was about. A large fish jumped in the water and Cranberry was frantically trying to grab it.

“Hold still! Stop squirming! Gaaah!” Cranberry shouted as she thrashed and splashed in the water.

Dark Force fell down laughing. “Get it Cranberry! Show that fish whose boss!”

Cranberry fell backwards as the fish leapt out of the water and smacked her in the face with it’s tail before bolting down the river. “No! It got away!"

Dark Force couldn’t answer immediately, she was quite literally rolling on the ground laughing at what she had just witnessed. “Come on Cranberry! Don’t let them top you!”

Cranberry stuck her tongue out at Dark Force as she climbed out of the river. “This will work. You just wait and see.” Cranberry sat by the river and waited. After about 10 minutes, Cranberry again jumped into the river.

Dark Force screamed in laughter as Cranberry thrashed and splashed about, trying to get a grip on another fairly big fish. “Come on CB! Teach him a lesson he’ll never forget!”

Cranberry threw her arms out and knocked the fish toward the shore. Charging toward it she quickly thrust her arms forward and knocks the fish out of the water. Without thinking she punches it in mid air and sends it flying onto the shore, right beside a Dark Force whom is laughing so hard she can barely breathe. Cranberry looked over and shouted out a war cry as she saw the fish.

Dark Force struggled to regain her composure, but quickly lost it as she saw Cranberry was trying to grab another fish. She did manage to use her Magical Piece to club the fish she had caught so that it could not flop back into the river. Cranberry managed scoop one more fish out of the water before returning soaking wet to dry land. Dark Force pounded the ground as she tried to stop laughing.

“Cranberry you looked completely ridiculous!” Dark Force giggled.

“Hey at least it worked!” Cranberry answered as she picked up the 2 fish and cleaned them. “Lets go cook them!”

Dark Force forced herself to stand up and followed Cranberry back to the campsite, still trying to hold back her laughter. Cranberry set a pan in the fire and dropped the fish into it. After 20 minutes of cooking their meal was prepared. Cranberry pulled the pan out of the fire and cut the meat up for Dark Force and herself.

“Compliments to the expert Fisherwoman!” Dark Force giggled.

Cranberry chuckled as she rolled her eyes. The two of them finished their dinner and set up their sleeping bags to rest for the night. The night passed peacefully and they both awoke early the next morning. They wasted little time packing up their equipment and setting out to the ocean. They climbed aboard the J-Tollaw and set out. It did not take them long to reach their destination. After 15 minutes of travel they found themselves leaving the soft rolling hills and stepping onto a beach. The ocean stretched out before them.. As they slid off J-Tollaw they walked out toward the water.

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“It’s beautiful.” Dark Force exclaimed as they stood before the waves

“Yes, it is. But it won’t be easy to cross. I hope you have an idea, because I don’t.” Cranberry answered.

“I do. A raft would take too long. But we can design something for him.” Dark Force replied as she pointed to the J-Tollaw.

“What do you mean?” Cranberry asked.

“We make it so he can run on water.” Dark Force continued. “Sort of like water skis you might say.”

Cranberry looked at the J-Tollaw, then back to Dark Force. “Are you joking?”

“Not at all. I am serious. I think we can make it. If not we can find an island to rest at on the map. But I think he can make it to the next landmass. This will work CB.” Dark Force insisted.

“It seems pretty risky, but I trust you. All right Dark Force lets give it a go.” Cranberry responded.

Dark Force smiled. “We need to get some wood, long thin pieces. Lets see what we can find.”

Cranberry and Dark Force looked around the shore and collected whatever type of wood they could find. Cranberry found several large pieces of driftwood, but it didn’t seem fit for what Dark Force had in mind. After 20 minutes of rummaging around, the 2 rejoined and looked over their pile of collected wood.

“I don’t know Cranberry. This all looks pretty cracked and old. I would be pretty nervous to use any of this.” Dark Force admitted.

“Yes, it does seem a little fragile. And how well it would float is questionable.” Cranberry acknowledged.

“There has to be something laying around here we can use.” Dark Force answered as she looked back over the beach.

“I disagree.” Cranberry said.

“What?” Dark Force asked looking up at her.

“Lets do this a different way. Instead of trying to find good old wood, lets go with something fresh. There are some trees around the beach. Lets cut one down and cut the wood exactly how we need it.” Cranberry suggested.

Dark Force stood up. “That’s a good idea CB. Fresh wood will be a lot safer.”

They surveyed the area and examined the nearby trees. Dark Force found one that she liked and put away her Magical Piece and retrieved her Windmill. Cranberry pulled her own Windmill and the two began to swing them at the trunk. After a number of good strikes, the tree gave away and fell over, landing onto the sand. Dark Force took her Windmill and traced a line in the wood.

“All right CB, it will be like this. A bit rounded and wide, not quite like your average ski.” Dark Force informed. “We need to carefully cut this pattern out.”

Cranberry nodded and used her Windmill to slice at the fallen trunk and cut out the shape Dark Force had traced. Dark Force moved farther down the trunk and began to work on a second piece of similar size and shape. After some careful cutting, the 2 removed the 2 cut pieces from the trunk.

“Good, that looks good. Now, we just need to make the shoe part. Like this Cranberry, we are going to cut an indentation for the foot.” Dark Force informed as she traced an outline for Cranberry.

Cranberry nodded and followed Dark Force’s example and used her Windmill to carefully chip away at the wood until she had cut out the space Dark Force requested.

“Here it is DF. How does this look?” Cranberry inquired as she brought he piece to Dark Force.

Dark Force took the wood and examined it. “Perfect. Thank you CB. I’ve finished mine too. Lets see how the J-Tollaw likes it.” Dark Force answered.

The J-Tollaw was reluctant, but they were able to coax it into allowing them to put the skis on its feet. Cranberry guided the J-Tollaw over to the water to test out the results of their work. The J-Tollaw was uneasy, but stepped onto the water and began to float.

“So far so good. But can it move?” Dark Force asked.

“Give it a shot Tollaw. Try and move around.” Cranberry encouraged.

The J-Tollaw wobbled and struggled with his balance before he began to make some progress. After a few minutes, he seemed to have gotten the hang of it and was almost walking normally on the water.

“Well, what do you think DF?” Cranberry asked.

“I think this is going to work Cran. You ready to get going?” Dark Force responded.

“It wasn’t that long ago that you called me crazy for wanting to get on that Tollaw’s back.” Cranberry laughed.

“True, but he has proven to me that he is trustworthy. I don’t feel uneasy about riding him anymore.” Dark Force replied.

“After you then.” Cranberry insisted.

Dark Force climbed aboard the J-Tollaw’s back followed quickly by Cranberry.

“All right J-Tollaw! Let us move out! Onward!” Dark Force called out. The J-Tollaw began to shuffle forward, having to compensate for the extra weight on his back. But the skis remained afloat and after a little maneuvering the J-Tollaw picked up speed and began darting over the waves.

Cranberry could not help but smile as they began. Dark Force had taken a leadership role in this crossing of the ocean project, and that was a little uncommon for her. She was usually one that felt content being more of a follower than a leader. Cranberry liked seeing her a bit more confident and a bit more expressive of her ideas. And it seemed to have paid off nicely. They had a way of crossing the ocean, even if it was a little unorthodox.

The J-Tollaw began to pick up speed as he became more comfortable on the water. For several hours they traveled silently. Dark Force glanced over her shoulder a few times, Cranberry looked to be deep in thought, and perhaps a little down. Which was a bit of a change from the more upbeat mood she was in when they had begun their journey. Dark Force looked out over the water as it reflected the sunlight. “Cranberry, you’ve been pretty quiet.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m all right.” Cranberry answered.

“I mean since earlier, when we talked about your family.” Dark Force continued.

“Oh, that.” Cranberry acknowledged.

“Did you want to talk about it some more?” Dark Force asked.

“No, not really.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force nodded. She wasn’t going to push her friend if she didn’t want to talk about it. She could sense that Cranberry was a little disturbed by something. It wasn’t that long ago that they had talked about her family, and how she was treated as a child. Maybe the old memories were starting to get to her.

“If my map is accurate here, I think we’ll reach land in about 8 hours. This is a bit of a long trip for the J-Tollaw. I’m sure he’ll be tired. But if we keep a good pace we should be able to make it.” Dark Force replied.

“Excellent. Once we reach land we can focus on finding the Green Ring General. He’s our next goal right?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes. Green is the accuracy ring. I’m a little concerned about that. Fighting an opponent with attacks that are not likely to miss? We better come up with a plan. I’m not sure if the tactics we’ve been using will work.” Dark Force expressed.

“I’m really not worried.” Cranberry answered.

“Really? Not at all?” Dark Force questioned.

“Not at all. You are with me, and that means there is nothing I can’t do. We’ll win, I’m sure of it.” Cranberry replied.

“Yes, you are right. Together, we will succeed. Thanks Cran.” Dark Force spoke.

The J-Tollaw began to make howling noises, causing both Dark Force and Cranberry to look up from their conversation and stare at what was happening in front of them. The water in front of them was beginning to violently bubble and a large black shade was forming near the surface.

“Hard to port! Hard to port!” Cranberry shouted.

“What’s port!?” Dark Force demanded as she tugged on the J-Tollaw.

“Left!” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force pulled on the J-Tollaw and sent it into a sharp turn to the left, almost causing it to trip and fall in the process. “What is that thing!”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Cranberry moaned as the water began to foam as an object began to rise to the surface.

“Cranberry! The current is getting strong! It’s starting to pull us in!” Dark Force shouted.

“Fight it J-Tollaw! Break us away! Tread the water and push!” Cranberry ordered.

“Cran! Look!” Dark Force called.

Cranberry did as she was ordered and watched as a large creature emerged from the water. Her eyes widened as she gazed at the creature. Its body was about twice as large as the Gol Dragon from Pioneer 2’s Virtual Reality fields. This creature was dark red in color and had a shape very similar to that of a dragon. But instead of wings it had long flat fin-like appendages that had a thick shell like covering. The creature had a very long neck attached to a reptilian head. The jaws had pale blue teeth and gills could be spotted just below the bulging orange eyes.

“Is that a water dragon or a dolphin horribly deformed at birth?” Cranberry asked.

“Cran, I can’t break us away from the current it’s forming! The best I can do is put us in a kind of orbit around it.” Dark Force warned.

The creature reared its head back and howled as it shot a projectile into the sky. The monsters brought down its large fins stared at the J-Tollaw and its passengers.

“We have to defend the J-Tollaw!” Cranberry pleaded as she lifted her Windmill.

“My thoughts exactly.” Dark Force answered as she also picked up her Windmill. “Gi level techs won’t be of much use here, so I’ll use my Windmill too over my Magical Piece.”

The monster lowered its head to the water and took aim at the J-Tollaw. It released a howl and fired a ball of photon energy into the water toward the J-Tollaw.

“Incoming! We have to shoot it down!” Dark Force warned.

Cranberry was one step ahead of her friend and thrust her Windmill forward as she cast Barta. The wave of ice skimmed over the waters surface and struck the attack. A small explosion formed as the 2 attacks canceled each other out.

“Good work Cranberry. Now for the source.” Dark Force challenged as she raised her own Windmill and cast Zonde. The spell hit the monster and caused it to release a roar. The monster began to thrash and flail its fins, generating large waves of water. The J-Tollaw struggled with its footing as the waves washed over them.

Dark Force rubbed the water out of her eyes and quickly refocused her attention on the water monster. “We got to keep at it. The J-Tollaw isn’t going to be able to handle too much of this.”

The monster lowered its head and released more projectiles into the water. Cranberry responded immediately with Barta and again intercepted the attacks and took them out with her spell. Dark Force sent another shot of Zonde at the monster. The creature reared back, but this time Dark Force pressed her attack and struck again. Cranberry joined in and sent a shot of Foie at the monsters. The creature thrashed in the water as the 2 Forces began pummeling it with techniques.

“Don’t stop! It’s working!” Dark Force shouted as she continued attacking with Zonde.

“The current is weakening. A little more and I think he can break free!” Cranberry answered as she continued her attack with Foie.

The monster reared back and dove beneath the surface of the water, quickly vanishing from view. The J-Tollaw immediately regained full control of its movements over the water.

“We’re free! Go Tollaw go! Run!” Dark Force shouted.

The J-Tollaw turned and bolted away from the scene before the monster could resurface. They quickly resumed their course.

“That wasn’t so bad. We handled that pretty well.” Cranberry replied.

“I’d rather not go through it again. Not while we are at sea like this.” Dark Force answered.

“How close are we now?” Cranberry asked.

Dark Force checked her map. “Only a few more hours. Hang in their Tollaw. I know you are tired.”

The J-Tollaw was starting to get worn out, but pushed itself to keep going. After a few more hours of traveling, Dark Force looked ahead. “Land! I see land! We made it!”

Cranberry looked ahead. Sure enough they had reached the next landmass. The J-Tollaw pulled up onto the shore and laid down, completely exhausted.

“We’ve come a long ways. We should get some rest. Tomorrow we go after the Green General. Lets set up camp.” Dark Force replied.

End of Chapter 13.

Chapter 14 teaser: The ocean has been crossed and they are 1 step close to their next goal. In chapter 14 Dark Force and Cranberry challenge the Green Ring General. Who are they up against and what kinds of tricks will be pulled?

[Cranberry]

Chapter 14 – The Battle of Green

Dark Force sits by the fire and rubs her palms together to warm up. The J-Tollaw was completely exhausted and had fallen asleep the moment they had picked a campsite. Both Cranberry and herself had been relying pretty heavily on the J-Tollaw for transportation, and it was beginning to take a toll on the creature. Cranberry sat a few feet away tending to their dinner they had cooking in the fire. Dark Force could not help but notice that her friend’s appearance was beginning to be affected by their travels. Her hair had become tangled and her bow was beginning to fall out. Much of her clothing was also torn as a result of the battles they had been in. She stood up and walked to Cranberry.

“How are you holding up?” Cranberry asked as Dark Force approached.

“Fine. You?” Dark Force answered.

“I’m all right Dark Force. Dinner will be ready soon.” Cranberry replied.

Dark Force sat beside Cranberry and took a brush from her pack. “You’re about to lose your bow their Cran. Let me give you a hand.”

Cranberry closed her eyes as Dark Force ran the brush through her hair. Her hair was indeed tangled, and took some effort to straighten it out so that the bow could be properly retied. “This should fix it for you.” Dark Force stated as she worked out the tangles.

“Thanks Dark Force. I guess all of this traveling is starting to take its toll on me.” Cranberry mumbled.

“I think you’ve handled it well Cran. We’ve come a long ways, and you’ve been up for every challenge.” Dark Force insisted.

“Yes, but I credit that to the company I am with.” Cranberry replied as she smiled up at Dark Force.

“You’re too kind.” Dark Force answered. “So what are you cooking there? What’s on the menu tonight?”

“Fried swill with sawdust gravy.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force blinked in surprise. “Please tell me you’re joking Cranberry.”

“Yes of course. It’s some canned vegetables, something to get some vitamins into us. Not as good as fresh vegetables I’m afraid.” Cranberry replied.

“That doesn’t sound to bad actually. I could go for some of that.” Dark Force answered with a nod.

“Dark Force I do need to tell you something.” Cranberry began.

“What is it CB?” Dark Force asked.

“We are getting low on supplies, we don’t have much food left.” Cranberry admitted.

Dark Force nodded. “I understand Cran. We’re going to have to start living off the land while we are out here.”

“Yeah. But lets worry about that after we finish with the Green general.

“Yes, lets focus on that first. Green, what ring is that again?” Dark Force asked.

“Green is the accuracy ring. I would assume that whomever this guy is, he’ll have top notch accuracy with whatever he uses.” Cranberry answered.

“I don’t like it already, but as long as you are with me we’ll pull through.” Dark Force responded.

“Thanks DF.” Cranberry responded as she pulled their dinner out of the fire. “All set, a few seasonings too. Lets save some of it for the morning too, we’ll need all the strength we can get.”

The two quietly ate their dinner, each one thinking silently to herself about their next confrontation. Tomorrow they would confront the next general. Upon finishing their meal, they prepared their sleeping bags and turned in for the night.

Cranberry opened her eyes as the morning sun rose. She packed up their remaining supplies and re-ignited the fire to warm up the food they had saved from the previous night.

“Good morning Cranberry.” Dark Force said as awoke and sat up.

Cranberry smiled. “You too. Breakfast will be right up, then we can head out.”

Dark Force nodded and rolled up her own sleeping bag. The two then ate a quick breakfast and prepared the J-Tollaw for departure. They then climbed onto his back and continued their journey.

“How far away do you think it is?” Cranberry asked.

“Not far actually. Only about 30 miles or so according to my map data.” Dark Force answered.

“That won’t take long on the J-Tollaw. We’ll be there real soon then. Gosh, I thought we were going to have more time.” Cranberry responded.

“Is something wrong? Do you want to slow down?” Dark Force asked as she turned to look at Cranberry.

“No that’s okay. I just thought it was farther away than that. I just didn’t expect to be confronting him quite so early.” Cranberry responded.

“It may be for the best though. We won’t be fatigued by travel, we’ll still be fresh.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry nodded. “Indeed. I’d say we are getting close now. Look up ahead.”

Dark Force turned and looked ahead. The landscape appeared to have been recently developed here. A set of tracks and a train like vehicle was ahead of them. The train was carrying 4 large cars that had large crates loaded into their holding areas.

“Safe to say that isn’t natural.” Dark Force joked.

“We’d best slow down the J-Tollaw. We don’t want to approach too quickly and give ourselves away.” Cranberry suggested.

“You got it CB. All right J-Tollaw, we’ll take it from here. Thank you for the ride.” Dark Force spoke as she commanded the J-Tollaw to come to a stop.

“Good idea, we’ll approach on foot. All right, you ready?” Cranberry asked as she jumped off the J-Tollaw.

“Yes. Let’s see what awaits us.” Dark Force answered as she slid off the J-Tollaw’s back.

“J-Tollaw, we’ll come back for you. It’s safest for you to remain here. Please wait for us.” Cranberry requested.

The J-Tollaw tilted its head and laid down in the grass.

“Good, we’ll be back. Let’s go CB.” Dark Force replied as she gripped her Magical Piece.

The two readied there weapons and began to move toward the train. Though they could not make out specifics, they could see movement aboard. The train looked to be preparing to move out.

“Hurry!” Cranberry explained as both dashed toward the cars.

As they approached they began to make out what was moving aboard the train. It was not human, but some type of creature. They could identify 4 such creatures on the train. They had a rounded body coated with light blue fur. They had pointed ears rising from their head and triangular chicken-like beaks on their face.

“What exactly are those supposed to be?” Dark Force asked as they closed in the train.

“I have a feeling we are about to find out. This thing is starting to move, jump!” Cranberry responded as the wheels of the cars began to turn.

The two leapt onto the nearest car, quickly attracting the attention of the creatures aboard. The 4 immediately dashed toward the 2 FOnewearls, raising horn like arms and unleashing a hissing sound.

“Well so much for an element of surprise.” Dark Force grumbled as she lifted her Magical Piece.

“I for one don’t feel like fooling around. Lets do this quickly.” Cranberry replied.

The first creature sprang up and launched itself at Dark Force. Cranberry, having anticipated such a strike stepped forward, swinging her Windmill at the attacking creature. The Windmill tore into the monsters fur, knocking it away from Dark Force and into the handrail of the train.

Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Shifta and Deband, increasing the attack and defensive capabilities of Cranberry and herself. “They seem pretty vulnerable to physical attacks. Cranberry, hit them with Zalure, I’ll go in for a strike!”

Cranberry thrust up her Windmill and obediently cast Zalure on the approaching monsters. Dark Force pulled her own Windmill and lashed out at the monsters. The monsters cried out in pain as Dark Force cut through their soft bodies, the Windmill blades tearing deep gashes into their fur.

“Not very sturdy things are they?” Cranberry commented as the monsters scrambled on the floor.

“I’m not going to give them a chance to bounce back!” Dark Force shouted as she lunged at the monsters again, striking with her Windmill a second time. The stricken monsters cried out before falling silently to the ground.

“All too easy.” Cranberry replied through grinning teeth.

“We can’t let them get an edge over us. We have to conserve ourselves for the general. I wasn’t going to let these creeps hurt us.” Dark Force answered.

“Well, you got them. They seem to have been more workers than fighters.” Cranberry began. “This train is moving. We should make for the control car. Make sure that someone is still driving this thing.”

“I’ll bet you anything this is heading right to the general. Look at all this machinery loaded up. It looks pretty important. It sure would be a shame if something happened to it, don’t you think?” Dark Force commented as she lifted up her Magical Piece toward a nearby car.

“Wait DF. I think I have an alternate idea. Come, the control car is just ahead. Lets take control of this little joy ride.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force nodded and both began to jog toward the front of the train. The train had begun to pick up some speed. Cranberry and Dark Force leapt over the barricade and stormed into the control car, finding one last blue monster left to drive the train. Dark Force wasted no time and lunged at the Monsters, slashing it with her Magical Piece. Cranberry spun her Windmill and finished off the weakened beast by launching her Windmills blade at the creature.

“That takes care of that. All right Cranberry, what is this plan of yours?” Dark Force asked.

Cranberry looked over the train’s controls and examined the monitor in the panels. “You were right about one thing, this equipment is being delivered to the Green Ring General. The notice here says something about refinery processing.”

“Are they digging for something?” Dark Force asked.

“I’m not sure, it doesn’t say. But anyways here is my plan. I say if the Green General wants this stuff so bad, we give it to him.” Cranberry answered.

“Are you joking with me CB?” Dark Force snapped. “This could be some type of weapon.”

“Exactly. By now its no secret to the Generals that we are around. I say we open up this little confrontation with a bang. A full speed bang, you follow?” Cranberry replied.

“Oh, yes I understand. This should be nice. All right, lets do it! Nice one Cranberry.” Dark Force complimented.

Cranberry smiled and after examining the controls for a few minutes activated a few levers pulled up a map on the main screen. “There it is, it’s not far. OK DF, get ready. Just got to wait for the right moment.”

Cranberry gripped a lever on the control panel and watched the trains tracking map carefully. Dark Force moved to the doorway and looked back at Cranberry. Cranberry pushed the lever forward, turned and ran toward Dark Force. “Now! Jump!”

Dark Force and Cranberry leapt from the moving train as it began to increase speed, tucking into a roll as they landed. Just ahead of them was a metallic triangular building. The building was shaped much like a pyramid. The tracks ran into a bay on the right hand side of the structure.

“There it goes!” Cranberry shouted as she pulled herself to her feet. Dark Force also rose and looked as the train began to rocket down the tracks toward the structure.

The train increased to its maximum speed and plowed into the structure. A tremendous crash echoed as a fiery explosion erupted from the bay. Black smoke began to pour out of the impact sight.

“I’m sure that got his attention!” Dark Force beamed. “Lets go!”

The two raced toward the structure, ready to face the general they were sure awaited them inside. As they approached they peered inside the impact site of the train. Sweltering heat leaked from the entrance as fire burned around the wrecked train. Chunks of twisted metal had fallen from the ceiling and the area was partially collapsed.

“Wow, talk about built to last. This place is holding together better than I expected.” Cranberry commented.

“We’ve made our own front door. Lets go find Green.” Dark Force suggested.

Dark Force carefully stepped inside the bay with Cranberry right behind her. Smoke was quickly filling the area; they immediately headed for what looked like a door to another section of the building. Using her Magical Piece, Dark Force was able to pry the door open allowing Cranberry and herself access to the next room.

“Coast is clear for the moment. Lets get moving. I want to find the General before he finds us!” Dark Force ordered as they moved into the adjacent room.

“Keep your eyes peeled, no telling what is inside here. Lets not assume that he’s alone in here.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force and Cranberry sprinted down the hallway away from the burning train bay. Sparks flew out of various pieces of machinery as they ran. Power surges from the resulting train crash had caused a chain reaction and the lights were flickering periodically and many of the various terminals appeared to be dead. At the end of the hallway the two pushed open another door and entered a larger circular room. Inside they found several people scrambling around frantically, many of them yelling orders into consoles. 7 people in all inhabited the room, which looked be serving as some sort of control center.

One of the workers looked up as the door opened and froze as he spotted Cranberry and Dark Force. “W-what? Who are you?”

“We’re looking for the Green Ring General.” Cranberry answered as she lifted her Windmill.

“You, you are responsible for that crash aren’t you? Do you have any idea what you have done!” the man shouted, his comrades gathering around him.

Dark Force stepped in front of Cranberry as she cast Shifta and Deband, again boosting the offensive and defensive abilities of Cranberry and herself. “I’m ready Cranberry.”

Cranberry clenched her fists around her weapon and took up a battle pose just behind Dark Force.. “Me too DF.”

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso75.png

The group of men drew their weapons and stared at the two women. “You won’t get away with this. Take them out!”

4 of the men were equipped with Sabers. They all seemed to be using Durandals. The other 3 were equipped with Diskas. Cranberry and Dark Force raised their weapons as each casts a technique. Cranberry cast Jellen and Dark Force cast Zalure.

“I’ve got you covered DF. Go for it!” Cranberry shouted.

Dark Force pulled her own Windmill and readied herself as they approached. Before she was reached, Cranberry cast Gibarta, sending a wave of ice into the approaching attackers. Dark Force lunged forward to press the attack while the men were distracted. Swinging her Windmill she slashed the one closest to her.

Recovering from the ice, one of the men readied his Durandal and lashed at Dark Force. But before contact could be made, Cranberry covered her friend with Foie, sending the large fireball into the attacker. Dark Force took the opportunity to cast a technique of her own. Thrusting her Windmill forward Dark Force cast Gizonde, sending a chain of electricity into her attackers.

“They are stronger than they look.” One of the men stated as they took a few steps back.

Two of the men with Diskas hurled their weapons at the two. Cranberry and Dark Force’s rings reacted as they stood close to each other. Lifting their wrists they intercepted and blocked the thrown blades. Dark Force and Cranberry both charged forward and swung their Windmills, spinning the blades in the process. Dark Force swung at one of the Durandal wielding men while Cranberry began firing the Windmill’s photon blades at the Diska wielders, one by one the men dropped to the floor.

“Good work DF.” Cranberry replied as she looked over the room.

“You too. They don’t seem particularly well trained. This doesn’t look like it is exactly a military facility. These guys are workers not fighters.” Dark Force declared.

“We’ve got to find the General. Lets keep moving.” Cranberry answered.

“Wait Cranberry.” Dark Force protested.

“What?” Cranberry asked.

“This station they were working at. I think it has a map. Look here; see this mark on the top floor? I bet you that is where he is. There is an elevator just ahead of us, but that might be risky. Look here in the west wing, a stairwell leading all the way to the top floor. Then his area is just to the east of us. What do you think?” Dark Force suggested.

“I’m game. Lets do it.” Cranberry replied. Dark Force nodded and they quickly left the room and headed toward the west wing of the structure.

The two engaged in several confrontations as they made their way through the structure, but like before any aggressors were easily taken down and they moved quickly. They soon reached the stair well and made their way toward the top floor. A couple more confrontations occurred on the stairs, but both of them pulled through without taking any significant damage. They soon reached the top floor. They quickly headed back to the east, passing through one last large room that appeared to serve as some sort of reception area.

“This is it Cranberry. This should be the Generals room. I’m sure by now it is no secret that we are here.” Dark Force said.

“I’d say the easy part is over now. The workers here may not be combat ready, but lets not assume the General is the same. Be ready for anything DF.” Cranberry warned.

“With you by my side, I’m ready for anything.” Dark Force answered, prompting a smile from Cranberry.

“Lets do it.” Cranberry replied as they pushed their way through the last door and stepped into a brightly lit room. Cranberry tightly gripped her Windmill while Dark Force took hold of her trusty Magical Piece.

“And der you ares.” A voice called out.

“What?” Dark Force answered, a bit taken back by the sound.

“I hab been waitin for yous twoo.” The voice answered.

“Hey wait a second. That is a female voice. The Green Ring General is a woman?” Cranberry asked.

A woman stepped forward into view. She wore a light green uniform and on her left arm sat a large green ring, much like that of the generals before her. “How wery obserwant.”

Dark Force and Cranberry both stared wide eyed as the general approached them.

“So here yous ares. Wark Worce and Cwanbewwy. Bwack told me all awout yous two.” The General began. “So yous made it to the puwification wefinewy.”

“Oh my gosh!” Cranberry gasped as she looked and listened to the general.

“Purification refinery?” Dark Force asked.

“Wats wight. Dis is where we pwocess the stone.” The General answered.

“Oh, oh this is too much.” Cranberry squealed.

“Stone? What are you talking about?” Dark Force asked while glancing at Cranberry.

“The puwification stone of cowse. The sole puwpose of this fawcilitwy. To weseawch and pwocess its power.” The general snapped.

“Purification stone? I don’t understand.” Dark Force answered with a confused look on her face.

“No mowe! You twoos have been a weal pain! How ware you send dat twain into my wuilding! Yous destwoyed inwaulable equipwent fow my wowk! Yous set back pwogewess by months! I can not wet you interfwear any wore with this… hey. Why are you wooking at me wike dat?” The Green Ring General spoke.

Cranberry took a step forward and pointed directly at the general. “Say rascally rabbit!”

“Cran!” Dark Force objected.

“How dare yous! Yous dare wock mee?” The Green Ring General protested. “I won’t wet you weave her awive! I will wake you pay for wis insult!”

“Don’t let your guard down Cranberry.” Dark Force reminded as she again renewed Shifta and Deband.

“Well, whall we begin?” The Green Ring General asked as she pulled equipped her weapon. She was armed with a Flight Cutter, a large throwing star like weapon.

“All right, lets do it!” Cranberry challenged as she stood beside her friend, their purple rings responding to each others presence.

The general made the first move. With a flick of her wrist, the flight cutter flew through the air and slashed Dark Force, the blade then leapt and struck Cranberry as well with pinpoint accuracy.

”Gaaaaaaaaaah!” Dark Force cried as the blade ripped through her shoulder and knocked her to her knees. Cranberry groaned painfully as well as the blade struck her squarely in the chest.

“The way it moved… I couldn’t even react, so fast.. and the aim was dead on.” Cranberry exclaimed as she helped Dark Force back to her feet.

“Ohh yous wike dat? Perwaps yous want to suwendar wow.” The general mocked.

“Not a chance! You may be fast, and you may be accurate, but I’ll never back down!” Cranberry shouted as readied her weapon and started down the General.

“Well den, bwing it on Cwanbewwy!” The General challenged as she steadied her Flight Cutter.

“You’re mine!” Cranberry hissed as she broke into a run toward the General.

“No Cran!” Dark Force cried.

Cranberry skid to a stop and looked back to Dark Force. “DF?”

“Don’t let her trick you CB! We need to stay together!” Dark Force protested.

Cranberry nodded and slowly backed away from the General and returned to Dark Force’s side.

“Yes, I have hewd all about yous twoos. Quite a team you awe to wake it all the way here.” The Green Ring General acknowledged.

“You could say that.” Cranberry admitted.

Dark Force stood with Cranberry and the two lifted their weapons, ready to continue the battle. The Green Ring General grinned and readied her Flight Cutter. Dark Force and Cranberry dashed forward to strike. The General leapt backwards and flung her Flight Cutter toward the two. Dark Force and Cranberry fell into a defensive posture. Their Purple Rings reacted to the FOnewearl’s close presence. The Flight Cutter struck the two, but with the defensive increase of their rings they were able to withstand the damage and press forward. Dark Force sprung up and cast a Zonde spell. At the same time Cranberry uses the distraction to strike with her Windmill, slashing the blades against the General’s chest. The General hit the ground from the impact, but quickly moved into a roll and jumped back to her feet.

“Aww, yous awe pwetty good.” The Green Ring General acknowledged. “Bu iwill twake mowe than defwense to swave yous.”

“What?” Dark Force asked.

“Don’t even try DF.” Cranberry groaned

“Swut up!” The Green Ring General commanded. Lifting her Flight Cutter, the general stared down the 2 FOnewearls with a sly grin. The weapon sprang forward, its special ability activated. The blade cut through Cranberry and continued into Dark Force. Not hesitating the General continued with 2 more throws. Cranberry screamed in agony as she collapsed to the ground. The Flight Cutter special had reduced her health by half, and then struck again reducing her health by half. The final attack ripped through the badly weakened FOnewearl as she collapsed to the floor. Dark Force also cried out as the as the same attacks jumped from Cranberry to strike her as well. Dark Force fell to her knees, withstanding the blow a little better than her friend.

“Cranberry, are you okay?” Dark Force cried as she forced herself back onto her feet.

Cranberry lay on the ground, gasping heavily. She attempted to pull herself into a sitting position, but could not find the strength she needed and remained laying on her back.

The General laughed as Dark Force tried to help her friend. The cutter had nailed Cranberry perfectly, greatly weakening her and then ripping a deep gash into her chest and arm.

“Cran!” Dark Force cried as she cast her Resta spell on her friend.

The General, not waiting for the two to recompose themselves charged toward Dark Force. Dark Force crouched into a defensive pose as the Flight Cutter again was thrown. Despite her best attempts to defend, the cutter ripped through Dark Force, greatly weakening her just as before. The 3rd strike hit and Dark Force collapsed to the ground, kneeling weekly beside Cranberry.

“Well, do yous suwwender yet? Yous not exactwy winning if yous know wha I wean.” The General mocked as she approached her two fallen foes.

“Not a chance.” Dark Force gasped. “This isn’t over yet.”

The general glared angrily at Dark Force. Before Dark Force could react, the Green Ring General punched her squarely in the face knocking her over backwards. The General lifted her foot and brought it down right on top of Dark Force’s belly and pressed down. Dark Force cried out in pain as she began to be crushed into the floor.

“I will no pway any games wit yous two! This willa end here today wight now.” The General demanded as she pressed her foot against Dark Force.

Cranberry, recovering some strength thanks to Dark Force’s Resta technique managed to pull herself up. Seeing her friend in danger, she immediately went to her aid. Lashing forward with her Windmill. The General, anticipating Cranberry’s move pivoted and hurled her Flight Cutter with surgical precision. The blade slashed across Cranberry’s face and down her side. Cranberry trembled as she fell to her knees, blood dripping from her wounds.

With Cranberry down again, the General turned her attention back to Dark Force. “Nows, whewe was we? Wha? Naa!”

Despite being crushed by the Generals foot, Dark Force had managed to pull her Windmill from her pack while the general was distracted by Cranberry. Despite terrible weakness in her arms, Dark Force thrust the spinning blades into the Generals leg. The Green Ring General screamed in pain and surprise as she leapt off of Dark Force and fell to the ground, a deep gash cut into her leg.

Dark Force weakly sat up, clutching her aching stomach. She looked over where Cranberry lay gasping on the ground, a look of great pain and desperation in her eyes. Dark Force waved her arm forward and again cast her Resta technique. The healing power of Resta washed over Cranberry and Dark Force, restoring strength to them both. Dark Force pulled herself back to her feet and rushed to her friend’s side. Despite the Resta spell, Cranberry was still very hurt and needed help to stand up.

“Is can no bewieve dis! Yous a messed up my weg!” The Green Ring General shouted.

As the general raise her Flight Cuter and pointed it at the two, Cranberry quickly turned to Dark Force and whispered to her. “I have an idea. Please, trust me DF. Can you hold out against her on your own just a moment longer?”

Dark Force nodded softly.

“I know you can. Let me go DF; just hold her off for a moment longer. I’ll take care of the rest.” Cranberry gasped as her breathing began to become heavy.

Dark Force closed her eyes and gently lay Cranberry back down on the floor. She turned to face the General. Returning her Windmill to her pack she again retrieved her Magical Piece.

“I guess is just yous and me nows. Das fine wit me. Of the twos of yous, I don wike yous da most.” The General hissed, placing a hand momentarily over the gash in her leg.

Finding a bit of strength in her, Dark Force dashed to her right, putting some distance between Cranberry and herself so that any more Flight Cutters thrown would not strike her friend. Realizing that with how accurate the Generals aim was she would never be able to get close or dodge her attacks, Dark Force decided to go on the offensive at a distance. Right now she had to buy Cranberry time to do whatever her plan was. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Barta, sending a piercing wave of ice toward the General. Unimpressed with the attack, the General smirked and side stepped the attack. The General raised her Flight Cutter toward Dark Force, but quickly stopped to dive to her right as Dark Force suddenly cast Foie, sending a blast of fire at her foe.

Dark Force’s eyes light up as she got an idea. Dark Force continued thrusting her Magical Piece forward, this time casting a Zonde spell. The General grunted as the lightning struck her but remained on her feet. Dark Force then cast Grants, striking the General with a barrage of light arrows. The General, now getting very frustrated with the barrage of techniques pivoted toward Dark Force and hurled her Flight Cutter, taking a solid hit from a Barta wave in the process. Both Dark Force and the general were knocked over onto the floor.

“Gwaaa, bwasted weg.” The General groaned as she sat up and looked over to Dark Force, who was also pulling herself back up.

Dark Force glanced down at her badly torn clothing. Much of her front side was cut and the sting from the blades of the Flight Cutter was flowing all over her body. She found it increasingly difficult to stand, but she one thing she did not lack was will power to keep going. She just had to hold out a little longer and keep the Generals attention focused. The Green Ring General stared at Dark Force and grinned at her. Much to Dark Force’s surprise, the General lowered her Flight Cutter. But a new weapon quickly took its place. The General equipped a large Bringers Rifle. Dark Force gasped as she took a step back. Although the Flight Cutter was accurate and sharp, A Bringers Rifle was even worse. It had greater attack power, and an even more devastating special ability, capable of sapping even more health than the Flight Cutter.

Dark Force cast Resta on herself, but the General was on her immediately. With deadly accuracy, the Bringers Rifle fired its destructive waves of energy. Dark Force felt the energy explode against her body as she screamed in pain. Unable to withstand the rifles power and accuracy, the Magical Piece fell from her hand as she collapsed face down to the floor. Her body badly burned from the rifles energy.

“Yous cewtainwy pus up a good fwight, but is ovew now.” The Green Ring General stated as she limped to the fallen Dark Force and aimed the rifle directly at her head. Before she could pull the trigger, an object suddenly hit her in the face from the side. The General glanced down at the object, and then turned to see Cranberry back on her feet standing just to the side of them.

“Did yous just twow a shoe at me?!” The General demanded as she stared at Cranberry, glancing at the FOnewearl’s shoe sitting on the floor beside them, then back to Cranberry who was indeed only wearing one shoe now.

“Well, yeah. But only to buy me enough time to do this!” Cranberry shouted as a flash of green slashed through the Generals arm and cut the Bringers Rifle in half. The Green Ring General cried out in both pain and surprise as she lurched and turned to face Cranberry again. Cranberry glared at the general, her Double Saber clutched tightly in her hand.

“Wha! Jut a minute ago yous could no even swand!” The Green Ring General protested as she clutched her arm and looked at the destroyed Bringers Rifle in her hand.

“Yeah, I sort of exaggerated that part. I’m just a little tougher than that.” Cranberry snapped as she knelt by her friends side.”

“Yous are bot becoming a weal pain.” The General stated as she threw down the broken Bringers Rifle and re-equipped her Flight Cutter.

Cranberry cast her Resta technique and carefully lifted Dark Force up. With some of her strength restored, Dark Force clutched Cranberry’s shoulder as she forced herself to stand again. Cranberry glanced at the Magical Piece lying on the ground near where Dark Force has been laying and readied her Double Saber horizontally on front of her, nudging Dark Force gently with it.. She quietly whispered one word to Dark Force. “Low.”

Dark Force glanced at Cranberry for a moment, and then nodded understanding what she meant. “Its over Green. Give up now, this is your last chance.”

“Oh yous awe quite da comediawn. Oh werry funny Wark Worce. Bus enough of da comedy woutine. I will ends dis nows!” The Green Ring General challenged.

The Green Ring General hurled her Flight Cutter. But just as she did so, Cranberry and Dark Force immediately dashed in opposite directions. Dark Force headed right and Cranberry dashed left. Pulling her Windmill, Dark Force cast a Foie technique and sent the ball of fire careening directly into the Generals already injured leg. With the General’s leg fried, she was not able to move fast enough to evade Cranberry as she rushed forward and struck with her Double Saber. The saber ripped through the General as Cranberry lashed out with her weapon. Just as Cranberry finished her strike, Dark Force lashed out with her Windmill, slashing the blades into the General from the other side. The Flight Cutter was knocked from the General’s hand and landed a few feet away. The Green Ring General gasped in shock as Cranberry and Dark Force backed away.

“I.. I’s don bewieve its. I, I canna wose to.. gaaaaah!.” The Green Ring General cried as she collapsed to the floor. The Green Ring fell from her wrist as she collapsed and landed near Cranberry’s shoeless foot.

“Is it over? Is she…?” Dark Force asked as she stared at the fallen General.

Cranberry carefully stepped over to the general and nudged her with her Double Saber. Receiving no responds she cautiously knelt down and checked the General. “Yeah, its over. She’s dead.”

Dark Force breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness it’s done. I don’t think I could have lasted much longer.”

“Yeah, me either.” Cranberry admitted as she reached down and picked up the Green Ring.

“Cranberry, can I ask you something?” Dark Force inquired, stifling a little laughter.

“Yeah. What is it DF?” Cranberry answered.

“Why exactly did you throw your shoe at her?” Dark Force replied, letting loose a few giggles.

“Well… it seemed like a good idea at the time. Hey it was the best I could think of!” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force burst out laughing, unable to contain it any longer.

“Hey it worked didn’t it?” Cranberry sighed as she knelt down and retrieved her shoe. But as she did so something else caught her eye. “Hey, what’s that?”

Dark Force regained her composure and looked back to Cranberry. “What?”

Cranberry put on her shoe and walked to the Generals body. She reached down and pulled a strange looking stone from the General’s pocket. “What is this? Is this that stone she mentioned earlier?”

“I’ve never seen anything like that. What a unique shade of blue. Didn’t she call it a purification stone or something?” Dark Force responded.

“Yeah, I think you’re right. But what does that mean? Cranberry continued.

Dark Force walked over to her friend. “Maybe she has something else on her that can help. Cran, that thing on her arm, can you give that to me?

Cranberry looked down and spotted what looked like a portable processor on the Generals right arm. She carefully plucked it off the General and handed it to Dark Force.

“This looks like a type of information module. Let me see if I can read it.” Dark Force suggested as she attached the module to the portable computer on her arm gauntlet. After a few minutes of processing, Dark Force’s eyes lit up. “Oh!”

“You found something?” Cranberry asked.

“You bet I did! Cranberry, this stone is just what we need! The reason they’ve been keeping it here and researching it is because of its unique energy output. When used on a photonic weapon, it produces an energy wave that nullifies the power of their rings!” Dark Force cried out in excitement.

“Wait a minute! You mean this thing can make their rings powerless?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes! Exactly! It looks like its only a 1 shot deal though! According to this their rings are using a power that is much like the Level –30 Megid that the Yellow general used on the Tollaw. I don’t fully understand how their rings work, but according to Green’s information, this stone can purify a ring and drain it of its power!” Dark Force answered.

“What a break! This could be just what we need against Black! Here DF, why don’t you hold onto it?” Cranberry exclaimed as she handed the stone to Dark Force.

“All right.” Dark Force answered as she accepted the stone and placed it in her pack. “Lets get out of here Cran. I am sore and aching all over. Lets get back to the J-Tollaw and get some rest.”

“Yes, we are done here. Thank you Dark Force. I never could have done this without you.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force smiled at her friend, and together they made their way back outside of the building, eager to find the J-Tollaw and get some rest.

End of Chapter 14

Chapter 15 Teaser:
Cranberry and Dark Force have overcome another General and made a great discovery. With their new purification stone they can drain the power of a Generals ring. In Chapter 15 they re-unite with the J-Tollaw and begin their next mission. High in the snowy mountains awaits the White Ring General. What new dangerous await them in this winter wonderland?

[Cranberry]

Chapter 15 – Heartfelt Tears

Weakened and injured from their battle against the Green Ring General, Cranberry and Dark Force made their way out of the building and walked along the train tracks back toward the J-Tollaw. Dark Force held their latest acquisition in her pouch, the Purification stone that the general had. This stone could make the difference in their struggle against the Generals. Both struggled a bit as they walked.

“Dark Force.” Cranberry began. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m ok.” Dark Force answered.

“Are you sure?” Cranberry asked, putting her hand on Dark Force’s shoulder.

Dark Force stopped walking and leaned her head against Cranberry. “No, not really. I’m feeling dizzy Cran. I can barely stand up. I feel like I am going to pass out.”

Cranberry put her arm around Dark Force to help support her. “I’m feeling pretty light headed too. That was a brutal battle; I sting and ache everywhere. Shall stop to rest?”

“Lets make it to the J-Tollaw first. I’ll try to make it.” Dark Force responded, holding onto Cranberry’s arm as they continued.

It was a painful and difficult walk, but after about an hour of walking, they found the J-Tollaw waiting for them right where they had left him. Exhausted and on the brink of fainting, they both sat down in the grass. Both of them locked like a wreck, their injuries were causing them both a lot of pain, and they were completely exhausted. They decided to spend the rest of the day resting before they continued on to seek out the next General. They rolled out their sleeping backs beside each other so that they could rest and get some sleep.

“I want to tell you something before we drift off.” Cranberry said.

“What’s that?” Dark Force asked as she fought to overcome her light-headedness.

“I’m very proud of you, with how hard you fought back there. You saved us both.” Cranberry replied.

“You too Cran. It was a team effort. I wouldn’t have made it without you.” Dark Force answered.

Both smiled softly at each other, and rested their heads as they drifted off to get some well-earned sleep. They slept soundly throughout the rest of the evening and into the night. The J-Tollaw silently watched over them as they slumbered.

Early the next morning as the sun just began to rise, Cranberry’s eyes slowly opened. Sitting up she looked beside her to see Dark Force still quietly asleep. Cranberry slipped out of her sleeping bag and rubbed her eyes. She still felt sore in many places, but the sleep had done her good and her injuries did seem more bearable. Checking their packs, Cranberry found that they had only one package of crackers left and one can of sliced carrots. But being in pretty desperate need of food after their last battle, she decided to go ahead and warm it up. But with only one can left they’d both be having somewhat small portions. Cranberry roamed around their small campsite and gathered up some wood for a fire and began to cook up the last of their food.

Cranberry looked up at the sky for a moment as she warmed up the carrots. It was looking to be a clear day so far. Only a few white clouds resided up in the sky. A cool breeze was running over the land. Cranberry closed her eyes as it ran through her hair. Hearing movement, she turned and looked over to see that Dark Force was beginning to stir. Deciding that the carrots were warm enough, she removed the pan from the fire and began to scoop it into a small bowel for her friend.

Dark Force sat up and stretched. “Oh, how long was I out?”

“We were both out all night. It’s just about morning now. How did you sleep?” Cranberry answered.

“Yeah, how about you?” Dark Force replied.

“It did me good. I’ve prepared you some breakfast DF. Here, this is for you.” Cranberry said timidly as she slid the bowl of sliced carrots and crackers beside Dark Force.

“Thanks Cran. Did you already eat? You don’t have anything in your bowl.” Dark Force asked.

“No, I haven’t. I’m afraid that is the last of our food DF. I want you to have it.” Cranberry admitted.

“No Cranberry. We’ll share it. Come and take some. You need to eat too. Its kind of you to offer it all to me, but you know I can’t accept that.” Dark Force responded, moving over to Cranberry.

“I’ll be ok DF.” Cranberry objected.

“I won’t take no for an answer.” Dark Force answered, pouring half of the carrots into a bowl for Cranberry and giving her half of the crackers.

Cranberry nodded. “All right.”

The two ate their small breakfast and drank some water as well. Unlike the food, they had an easier time keeping their water bottles filled since they could boil river or lake water to use for drinking. Finishing their small breakfast, they packed up their gear and approached the J-Tollaw, whom had just finished a few Photon Drops that Cranberry had given him while gathering wood. Climbing up onto his back they prepared to set off for their next mission.

“Dark Force, are you feeling better this morning? How are your injuries?” Cranberry asked while wrapping her arms around Dark Force’s waist so that the J-Tollaw could pick up speed without her falling off.

“My stomach still hurts from when she was crushing me, and I still feel the burn from her rifle, but I am doing better. I really needed those hours of sleep. What about yourself? You took quite a beating too.” Dark Force answered.

“It feels good to have some food inside me. I feel a little weak, I am glad we can stop walking for a while.” Cranberry said, resting her head on Dark Force’s shoulder.

“You going to be ok CB?” Dark Force asked.

“Yeah, I will. How far away is the next General?” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force pulled up her area map on her gauntlet computer. “A good run, but not terribly far. He is up on a mountain on this landmass. I think it’ll take us about 4 hours to reach the mountain. Getting up it though, that might take a while.”

“4 more hours to rest sounds good to me.” Cranberry said as she closed her eyes.

Dark Force glanced over as Cranberry rested on her shoulder and could see that her friend looked to be about ready to dose off. She put her hand over Cranberry’s arms to make sure that she didn’t accidentally let go and fall off the J-Tollaw as it ran.

“She must be pretty worn out.” Dark Force thought to herself. “All this fighting really has taken its toll on both of us. And we only have more of it ahead of us. I’m glad she is here with me, there is no one I’d want by my side more than her. Rest easy Cranberry.”

The J-Tollaw ran along the ground heading toward the mountain indicated on Dark Force’s area map data. Dark Force held onto Cranberry as she slept on her shoulder. The landscape was beautiful to look at as they traveled. Small creeks crept through many of the areas they passed through. Dark Force spotted an assortment of plants and flowers growing in the fields they ran through. She could not help but think that despite its many dangers, Ragol was a beautiful place. Perhaps someday they could live on Ragol instead of Pioneer 2. Dark Force patted the J-Tollaw on its head as it ran. It was nice that not every creature on Ragol was hostile, as it had seemed when they had first arrived after the explosion of Pioneer 1. Dark Force remembered all that Cranberry and herself had gone through together on Ragol. Fighting their way through the forest area around the central dome, all the way through the ancient spaceship deep below the surface of Ragol. She remembered their struggles through the Virtual Reality fields to pass a test allowing them access to Gal Da Val Island. Countless missions, countless quests, and countless memories, no matter how dangerous or challenging things became, they always stuck together and pulled through. Time and time again Cranberry had stood by her side as she went into the unknown. Dark Force smiled to herself as she reflected on the strong friendship and powerful bond she has with Cranberry.

The hours passed and Cranberry began to stir, opening her eyes and glancing around. Dark Force squeezed her hand lightly as her friend awoke. “Back with me now? How are you feeling?”

“I’m doing ok. Anything happen while I was out?” Cranberry replied, lifting her head up off of Dark Force’s shoulder.

“Nothing at all. Its only another couple of hours until we reach the mountain, you can see it ahead if you look closely.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry looked ahead and spotted the mountain in the distance. Their next confrontation was not far away. Fortunately her few extra hours of rest had done her good, and a lot of her strength had returned to her. Both sat quietly as they continued their approach, each preparing themselves mentally for the task at hand. Time passed and they soon found the J-Tollaw coming up to the foot of the mountain. The ground showed evidence that it had been disturbed recently. Tracks could be seen heading up the slope.

“This is it, the mountain where the White Ring General resides. I’m not sure what will be more difficult, fighting him, or just reaching him.” Cranberry inquired as she looked up the mountain.

“We’ve really got to climb up this? That sure is a lot of snow up there as you get higher.” Dark Force complained.

“It won’t be easy, but we can do this. Shall we get started? Hopefully we can find something to eat up there too.” Cranberry suggested.

“Yes, we might as well. OK J-Tollaw, its time to get going, lets move out.” Dark Force commanded. The J-Tollaw responded and began to make its way up the slope. The accent toward the top of the mountain had begun.

For 20 minutes, the J-Tollaw made good progress as they climbed. But as they got higher and the temperature began to drop, the J-Tollaw began to shiver and slow down. The creatures trembling got worse as they began to move toward the snow covered parts of the mountain. Cranberry finally commanded the J-Tollaw to stop. Dark Force and Cranberry slid off its back to check on him.

“Look at that shaking.” Dark Force said with concern.

“Tollaws have a weakness to ice. It looks like the J-Tollaw is no exception. It’s getting too cold for him. I think we are going to have to continue on without him.” Cranberry stated.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Dark Force agreed.

“J-Tollaw, we appreciate your help, but this is as far as you’ll go. Head back down a ways to a more comfortable temperature. Just like before, we’ll come back for you.” Cranberry requested.

The J-Tollaw looked at the two and shuffled its feet a bit. It walked directly to Cranberry and nuzzled her face, letting out a whimper.

Cranberry blinked her eyes in surprised. “What’s wrong Tollaw?”

“There there, we’ll come back for you.” Dark Force assured.

“Yes, you’ll be safe if you wait here. We don’t want you to be hurt by the cold.” Cranberry insisted.

The J-Tollaw nuzzled Cranberry one more time. After a long hesitation, the J-Tollaw did as it was asked, turning to look back at the 2 one last time, it gave them a look of great sadness in its eyes before it headed down to a lower elevation.

“It really did not want to leave you Cranberry.” Dark Force stated as she watched the J-Tollaw leave.

“Yeah, he really wants to stay with me. But he’ll be harmed by the cold if he comes with us.” Cranberry admitted.

“I guess the easy part is over now.” Dark Force said as she looked at the climb ahead of them.

“That’s never stopped us before though. Lets see what is up here.” Cranberry replied.

The two began to their careful climb up the slippery slopes. Using their Windmills for support, they made their way up the rock. The snow began to increase as they climbed higher, and the temperature rapidly dropped.

“C-Cran. L-look. I s-see something over t-there.” Dark Force called through chattering teeth.

Cranberry looked to where Dark Force was pointing. There was some sort of passage in the rock slope. Cranberry looked over to Dark Force and nodded at her. They made their way toward the passage, figuring that if nothing else they might be able to take a quick break from climbing and possibly warm up a bit. As they approached they could see that this was not a cave, but rather an indentation within the mountain that lead to a bit of a flatter section of it. An assortment of strange plants could be seen growing around this confined area. Climbing onto the ledge, they decided to explore a bit and take a short break from the climb.

“Berry!” Dark Force exclaimed in excitement.

“Yes?” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force laughed as she answered. “No not you, I mean on the plant. A berry!”

Cranberry moved over to where Dark Force was pointing and examined the berry on the plant. A closer look revealed several such berries growing on the plant. “You think its edible?”

“I’m not sure. Do we want to risk it?” Dark Force answered.

The leaves began to shake behind them. Cranberry and Dark Force both turned around. 3 eyes peered at them from the nearby brush. The 2 FOnewearls backed up a few steps, waiting to see exactly what this new creature is.

“What is it?” Cranberry asked, readying her Windmill.

“I don’t know.” Dark Force answered, hoisting her Magical Piece.

The creature lunged out from the bush and plowed directly into Cranberry. The creature had a long snakelike body, with 3 pairs of legs along its body. Three eyes were atop its head, and it had a very large jaw with 4 jagged fangs. With shocking speed, the monster latched onto Cranberry’s throat and clamped down with its jaws. Cranberry stumbled and fell over, stunned by the creature’s sudden attack.

“CRAN!” Dark Force shouted. Reacting in reflex and desperation, Dark Force thrust her Magical Piece forward and cast Foie, blasting the tan colored monster with a fireball. The monster released Cranberry from its hold and spun around toward Dark Force. The creature lashed toward Dark Force with its jagged teeth. Dark Force lifted her magical piece in a defensive pose, but the swift monster slithered under it and bit into her chest.

Cranberry groaned and stood up, feeling the blood pour from her neck. Hearing Dark Force cry out, she quickly cast Resta on herself, immediately fully healing the damage done to her. Grabbing her Windmill Cranberry rushed to Dark Force and swung at the monster, striking it in the back. The monster released Dark Force and turned to hiss at Cranberry, rearing up onto hits hind legs and rising a good 8 feet in height.

Dark Force, recovering from the strike regained her battle stance. “Cranberry, get ready!” Dark Force held her Magical Piece and started down the Monster. As the creature turned to strike at her, she jumped back and counter attacked with Rabarta, creating an aura of ice around her.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/dfrabarta.png

The monster reeled back away from Dark Force as the ice pressed against it. Cranberry lashed out with her Windmill, slicing a deep gash into the monsters scales. The creature screeched and darted toward the bushes, turning to stare at the two.

Dark Force took the opportunity to dart to Cranberry’s side and looked at her neck. “Are you OK?”

“Yeah.” Cranberry answered. “Resta took care of it.”

The two turned to as the monster again crept toward them, bearing its sharp fangs. The two stood side by side, their weapons in a ready position. The monster lashed forward toward Cranberry. Both Forces responded by casting Razonde. The monster thrashed and screeched as electricity coursed through its body. Taking advantage of the situation, the two rushed forward and struck with their weapons. The monster, unable to move with its body electrocuted collapsed under the repeated blows from the Forces weapons.

Dark Force breathed a sigh of relief. “I hope we don’t run into any more of those things.”

Cranberry picked the creature up and tossed it over the side of the ledge. “That blasted thing almost crushed my neck.”

“Let me look Cran. Please?” Dark Force insisted.

“All right.” Cranberry answered as she sat down.

Dark Force took a close look at Cranberry’s neck where the monster had latched onto her. “Does it hurt?” she asked as she gently rubbed where the monster had bitten.

“Not anymore, I think Resta got it.” Cranberry answered.

“Good, that scared the heck out of me Cran. Thank goodness you are all right.” Dark Force said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Cranberry stood up and looked over the berries on the plant. “Well, now that we have that taken care of, we are back to these.”

“You think we should?” Dark Force asked.

Cranberry picked one of the berries and looked it over. “Well, here goes nothing.” Cranberry tossed the berry into her mouth.

“How is it? Dark Force asked with some concern.

“Hey this is pretty good!” Cranberry answered. “Lets pack up as many as we can. I think they are going to be all right.”

Dark Force nodded and helped Cranberry pick berries off the bush and store them inside some of their empty cans before tucking them back in their pouches. Finding nothing else of interest in the area, they rested for a moment and returned to their climb up the mountain.

Both of them shivered as they worked they way up the snow-covered slopes. Dark Force peered down as they climbed and gasped, catching the attention of Cranberry whom was a couple feet ahead of her.

“Y-you ok DF?” Cranberry asked through chattering teeth, looking back to her friend.

“Yes, s-sorry. We are just a lot h-higher up than I r-realized.” Dark Force answered, also beginning to struggle a bit with the cold.

They continued to pull themselves up, relying heavily on their Windmills to dig enough into the rock to allow themselves to climb higher. Snow began to fall as they continued their accent. The temperature was rapidly dropping, and the thinning air was not helping them either. After 3 hours of slow and tedious climbing, they reached a small outcropping in the slope. Seeing that it was stable, they pulled themselves to it.

“I-I t-think we are m-missing s-something Cran.” Dark Force said softly as they pulled themselves onto the small ledge.

“W-what’s t-that?” Cranberry answered as she sat down beside Dark Force, shivering heavily.

“Their w-w-were t-tracks at t-the bottom. Is there s-s-some other p-path up here? Is this e-even the right w-way?” Dark Forced asked.

“I’m s-s-s-starting to ask m-myself t-that too.” Cranberry admitted.

“W-wh-what if t-this is a m-m-mistake? W-what if h-he is n-not u-u-up here at a-all?” Dark Force continued as she crossed her arms over her chest, shivering intensely. “W-what w-would h-he be d-doing up h-here a-anyways?”

“I-I d-don’t k-know Dark F-Force. M-maybe y-you’re r-right. It is s-so c-cold. I c-can’t h-handle it.” Cranberry responded, her entire body shaking as she shivered.

“No, d-don’t say that C-Cran.” Dark Force ordered as she put an arm around Cranberry and pulled her into a hug.

“I-I’m sorry. T-this is all m-my fault.” Cranberry cried as she laid her head on Dark Force’s shoulder.

“N-no, it’s alright.” Dark Force replied. “W-what do you t-think we s-should do?”

“I j-just don’t know.” Cranberry admitted.

“W-we’ve c-come this f-far. L-lets keep g-going. M-maybe t-this is the r-r-right way. Okay CB?” Dark Force said, smiling through her chattering teeth.

“Y-you s-sure?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes.” Dark Force said, putting her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder.

Cranberry nodded and the two stood up. They each ate a few of the berries they had found earlier and continued their painful climb, doing their best to ignore the cold. For several more hours, they worked their way up the slopes. Neither one ever got more than a few feet ahead of the other.

“D-Dark Force. It’s a l-light. Up there!” Cranberry cried as she looked above.

Dark Force strained her eyes and caught sight of what Cranberry was referring too. A blue light was shining from somewhere above them into the sky like a stationary searchlight. It was a great relief to her; a sign that perhaps they had not gone the wrong way after all. She nodded to Cranberry and they both continued forcing their way up the slope toward the light. As they climbed higher, they reached another flat incline. Pulling themselves onto it, they discovered what appeared to be a marked path. A passageway lead to a less steep part of the mountain, and traces of some recently made tracks were still visible despite the falling snow. Dark Force rubbed some snow off of her face. “D-do you see t-that?”

“Y-yes. It is h-heading t-toward that l-light. S-shall we f-follow?” Cranberry responded.

“Of c-course” Dark Force answered, trying to hide her shivering.

Thankful that the worst of their climb was over, at least for the moment, they walked along the pathway. Although it was slippery, the passage was far less steep than their climb earlier. Each of them wondered what awaited them as they approached what they hoped was the White Generals lair.

As they walked, Cranberry suddenly put her arm out and stopped Dark Force. “Wait.”

“What’s w-wrong?” Dark Force asked, stopping as Cranberry commanded.

Cranberry took a few steps back, bringing Dark Force with her.

The snow in front of them wrestled, and a creature rose to the surface from beneath its snow covering. This creature had a bear like body, with large claws on its front paws. Its head had a long wolf like snout and 2 greenish eyes. The creature was covered in very thick white fur, making it more difficult to spot in the snow. The creature reared up and raised its claws as it stared at the 2 FOnewearls.

Sensing the hostility of the creature, Cranberry and Dark Force took up battle positions.

“Careful, don’t let it get close.” Dark Force said as they stared down the creature.

“Lets find its weakness. Lets use techniques, I don’t want to risk melee combat.” Cranberry agreed.

The creature howled and rushed toward them, raising its large claw for a strike. Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast Razonde, sending a field of lightning into the creature, forcing it to break off its attack.

The monster jumped back up and charged toward the two. Dark Force thrust her Magical Piece forward and cast Foie. Cranberry followed her friend’s lead and cast a Foie technique of her own. The fireballs struck the monster, engulfing its fur in flames. The monster lurched backwards and burrowed into the snow to douse the fire.

“It could come up anywhere!” Dark Force warned.

“I say we don’t let it. Lets get it first!” Cranberry answered and began casting Gifoie, sending a wave of fire around her. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and began casting Gifoie as well. Their rings of flame extended outward, the monster cried out as the heat and fire forced it from its hiding spot. Enraged, the monster did a full speed charged straight toward the two. Cranberry was able to roll out of the way, but the creature clipped Dark Force and spun her around. Dark Force slipped and fell as the monster blew past her. Taking advantage of the downed target, the monster skid to a stop, pivoted and leapt toward Dark Force. The creature lashed forward with sharp claws, only to be smashed in the skull by a Windmill just before it reached Dark Force.

“Back off!” Cranberry hissed, pulling her Windmill back into a ready position.

The monster shook its head and wobbled dizzily for a few seconds before shaking it off and glaring at Cranberry. The monster howled and rushed toward her. Cranberry dashed forward and met the monster head on. A loud clang echoed as the creature’s claws struck the handle of the Windmill. Deflecting off from each other, they again lashed out at each other. The creature leapt and slashed at Cranberry with its 2 front claws, as Cranberry used her Windmill both to defend and attack. The creature, having faster reflexes, ducked past Cranberry’s defense and cut a gash into her shoulder. Cranberry cried out in pain, but did not back off and swung aggressively. The creature dodged and countered Cranberry’s strikes, tearing pieces of her clothing and making several gashes into her skin.

Dark Force pulled herself up, shaking off her momentary dizziness. Seeing her friend in a jam Dark Force grabbed her own Windmill and swung at the air to spin the blades. After three swings, her Windmill was spinning at full speed. Dark Force swung again and sent the photon blades flying toward the monster. Distracted by combat with Cranberry, the monster never saw the blades coming and was hit squarely in the side. The creature yelped as it fell over from the impact and began thrashing in the snow.

“Good work DF!” Cranberry shouted as she quickly put away her Windmill and pulled her Double Saber. Without waiting for the creature to recover, Cranberry struck with her Double Saber and repeatedly slashed the monster. Dark Force continued her long-range attack by sending multiple Windmill blades into the monster.

The monster cried out one last time, and fell silent in the snow. Cranberry put away her Double Saber and walked back to Dark Force, whom was brushing the snow off of her clothing.

“Are you all right?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes. You?” Dark Force answered.

“A few cuts, but nothing too serious. I’ll be fine. He got me pretty good on the shoulder though.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force put her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder. “You should rest it for a moment. Here, I’ll carry the rings for a while. You let your shoulder rest a bit.” Dark Force suggested.

Cranberry nodded and gave the bag of general rings they had collected so far to Dark Force, whom stored them inside her pack. They continued their way through the snow, heading toward the light ahead of them. They could begin to make out an outline of a building as they climbed their way higher up the mountain. After just over an hour of travel time, they found themselves standing in a large open area. A large antenna was the source of the light they had seen. It stretched a good 60 feet into the air and seemed to be generating a lot of power. Beyond that they found a tall rectangular building. Several tracks could be seen going into the building and bright lights were shining through the various windows.

“This is it, isn’t it?” Dark Force asked.

“The lair of the White Ring General. This is it, I’m sure of it.” Cranberry answered. “So soon after our last battle, we are going into another.”

“White ring, that’s the evasion ring. This is going to be a challenge for sure. But with you at my side I know we can do it.” Dark Force stated.

Cranberry nodded and the two walked toward the building, ready to face the challenges inside. As they reached the main door both looked to each other and took a deep breath. They pushed open the door and stepped inside.

As they entered the building, they found a large open room. Much like the other buildings they had been in this seemed to be a lobby area. As they walked farther into the room, a rumbling was felt as two large side doors opened.

“Intruders!” a man’s voice screeched.

Dark Force and Cranberry immediately fell into a ready pose, their weapons drawn. 8 robotic creatures rolled through the doors, 4 from each side. The machines pulled up and formed a circle around the two. As they rose up they had taken a serpent-like form, except they stood on two legs instead of four. Their metallic bodies were long and narrow and their heads had 2 metallic purple eyes and a long curvy head that had a horn like piece that rolled back and along their head downward like a hook.

“Looks like White’s welcoming committee is here.” Cranberry murmured as she lifted her Double Saber and cast Shifta on Dark Force and herself.

“I’m ready.” Dark Force answered as she cast Deband on Cranberry and herself.

The robots all had the same weapon. They all appeared to have some sort of photon whip. One robot made the first move and lashed its whip toward Dark Force. Dark Force raised her Purple Ring and deflected the strike. With the two standing close together, their rings had activated and their defensive capabilities had increased. Dark Force nodded to Cranberry, prompting Cranberry to rush toward the robot and strike with her Double Saber. Dark Force cast Jellen, weakening the offensive strength of the 8 machines. Cranberry’s Double Saber made a loud metallic clang as it struck the robot. Though the force of Cranberry’s strike had knocked the machine back, it had not done any damage. 2 of the robots turned their attention on Cranberry and lashed their whips at her. Dark Force, anticipating this tactic raised her Magical Piece and cast Gizonde, sending a bolt of lightning into Cranberry’s 2 attackers. The impact knocked the robots down, giving Cranberry a chance to pull back and get out of harms way, but again the robots did not seem to have taken any actual damage.

“They are pretty strong. I didn’t make a scratch.” Cranberry exclaimed as she took a few steps back toward her friend.

“They have to have a weakness. But this should help too!” Dark Force answered as she cast Zalure on the approaching enemies.

The 8 robots banded together and lashed toward the two simultaneously. Both Cranberry and Dark Force crouched into a defensive stance and held their arms over their faces. Although they felt the stinging pain of the multiple and rapid strikes of the robots whips, their Purple Rings had greatly reduced the damage.

“Do you feel that?” Dark Force asked.

“Yes, I think I can bare this. I say we go for it.” Cranberry answered.

“I got your back.” Dark Force responded.

Cranberry broke out of her defensive pose and rushed the 2 nearest machines, swinging her Double Saber into the metal. Dark Force sprang to her feet and cast Razonde, sending a wave of lightning around her to distract the other robots. Again a loud clang echoed as Cranberry struck the two robots, again they were knocked backwards but no damage appeared to have been done.

“Gah!” Cranberry cried as she brushed against one of the robots while finishing her Double Saber strike. “These things are freezing cold!”

Dark Force ran to Cranberry’s side, reactivating their Rings effect as she did so. “Go! Lets not let them surround us gain!”

Cranberry and Dark Force dashed past the 2 robots Cranberry knocked down and darted to the other side of the lobby. The 8 robots quickly reformed and began to walk toward the two, readying their whips.

“Again no effect from my attack. What now?” Cranberry asked.

“I think I have an idea. You said they are freezing cold right?” Dark Force answered.

“Yeah.” Cranberry responded.

Dark Force lifted her weapon and cast Rafoie, engulfing the approaching robots in a blast of fire. Cranberry lifted her Double Saber as she prepared to do the same, but Dark Force pushed it back down. “No, not yet. You get read with Barta.”

Cranberry wasn’t sure what Dark Force was planning, but she trusted her friend. Cranberry gripped her weapon tightly and waited for Dark Force to say the word. Dark Force again cast Rafoie, sending another explosion of fire at the robots. The robots recoiled from the strike, but continued rushing toward the two. They did not seem to be taking any damage at all.

Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast a Gifoie, creating the slower moving ring of fire. She then turned and shouted. “Now Cranberry! As many as you can!”

Cranberry lifted her Double Saber and began casting multiple Barta techniques. By now the robots had almost reached the two and they both began to back away as Cranberry unleashed wave after wave of Barta.

“Ok! My turn again!” Dark Force shouted, prompting Cranberry to stop her assault. Dark Force again cast Rafoie, sending several blasts of fire to engulf the robots. Loud cracking sounds began emanate as Dark Force cast. “Cran! Again!”

Cranberry again cast Barta waves into the crowd as their whips began to lash out and strike at the two. The cracking sounds became louder as Cranberry’s Barta waves ripped through the machines.

“Ok! Cran melee them!” Dark Force shouted as she rushed toward the robots. Cranberry charged into the pack as well. Dark Force began striking with her Magical Piece as Cranberry swung her Double Saber. The Robots began to spark and short out as the two struck them. Large chunks of metal flew off them at each hit. The robots were having great difficulty swinging their whips with any real force. 4 of the robots crashed to the ground and exploded, prompting the remaining 4 to back off and spread out.

“No you don’t! You’re not getting away!” Cranberry challenged as she ran after a pair of the robots. Cranberry swung her Double Saber and ripped one of the robots apart, sending pieces of it flying throughout the room.

Dark Force charged toward the other pair and smashed the first robots head clean off with her Magical Piece. The second robot lashed its whip toward her. Deflecting the strike with her Magical Piece, Dark Force closed in on the machine and drove her weapon directly into the chest plate. The robot shorted out and broke apart. Shaking twisted metal off her weapon Dark Force looked over to see Cranberry hacking the final robot apart with her Double Saber.

“Good work!” Dark Force exclaimed as she ran back to Cranberry.

“Thanks, but what did you do to them?” Cranberry asked.

“It wasn’t me, it was us. Metal contracts and expands as it heats and cools. We repeatedly heated and cooled the metal, until it became cracked and brittle. That’s how we got through their defense!” Dark Force explained.

“How very clever of you.” A man’s voice stated.

Dark Force and Cranberry turned to look in the direction of the voice, falling back onto a ready position. A tall thin man leapt from a high ledge and landed onto the floor 7 feet in front of them. He was dressed in long white pants and wore a light blue coat. A white hat rested on his head, presumably for warmth. On his left arm was a large White Ring.

“The White Ring General I presume.” Cranberry said.

“So, we meet at last. Cranberry and Dark Force, the FOnewearl team; I must congratulate you on getting all the way up here. That alone is a feat in and of itself, considering you two are not exactly dressed for the weather.” The White General chuckled as he gazed at the two shivering Forces. “But another feat that impresses me is how the two of you have been able to become such a problem. Purple, Yellow, and even Green, all defeated at your hands. But don’t let it go to your heads. I’ve been preparing for you.”

“We’re ready for whatever you throw at us.” Dark Force challenged.

“Hey, before we start I have a question.” Cranberry spoke.

“Oh do you know? And what pray tell is that?” The White Ring General demanded.

“Why in the world did you make your base at the top of a snow covered mountain?” Cranberry asked.

“Because all your base are belong to us.” The White Ring General replied. “Ha, what’s wrong? Was the climb a little too much for you?”

“I just don’t understand what the point of building all the way up here is.” Cranberry continued.

“Its really quite simple. This facility is used to send and receive messages to the fleet. The high altitude is ideal for communicating to and from space. You didn’t think my big antenna out there was a decoration did you?” The White Ring General answered.

“Fleet? What fleet?” Dark Force questioned.

“Our forces of course. Once preparations are finished the fleet will be given orders to approach Ragol. Once Pioneer 2 is destroyed they’ll have no trouble fishing off any remaining hunters.” The White Ring General said with a grin.

“No!” Dark Force protested.

“Are we done with the Q and A session now? Shall we get started?” The White Ring General asked.

“Yes, I think I’ve heard enough. Lets do this White.” Cranberry challenged, putting away her Double Saber and equipping her Windmill. Dark Force stood beside Cranberry with her Magical Piece.

The White Ring General drew his own weapon, a pair of daggers, specifically a Cross Scar. The General suddenly charged toward the two, moving at incredible speed. Before she could even blink, the General was behind Dark Force and slashed at her with his dagger. Cranberry turned and swung her Windmill at the General, only to have him seemingly vanish as she swung. Before she could recover from her swing, she felt the General slashing at her too with his weapon. The General bolted away and was again standing almost exactly where he had started.

“He’s so fast! I couldn’t even see him move!” Dark Force exclaimed. “But, I think I’m all right.”

Cranberry looked where Dark Force had been struck. Her clothing had been torn and she had a small cut, but nothing serious at all. Cranberry quickly checked her side where she had been struck too. It was much the same, only the most minor of injuries. Looking back at the General she saw him visually frustrated.

“Lets do this DF!” Cranberry encouraged. The two FOnewearls rushed toward the General, glancing at each other with a nod. The General moved again with great speed, seeming to vanish from sight. Cranberry and Dark Force continued running forward despite this. Suddenly they both pivoted and swung their weapons in a circle and lifted them into the air as they cast a technique. Dark Force cast Rabarta, and Cranberry hesitated just a moment, and then cast Zonde as the General suddenly became visible just on the edge of Dark Force’s Rabarta wave. The electrical blast knocked the General off his feet.

Quickly regaining himself, the General jumped to his feet and launched himself toward Cranberry. Ducking past her defenses, the General slashed at her with his daggers, circling her body as he struck at her before dashing across the room again. “Nice little move, but my ring grants me unmatched speed. There is no way you can.. what? Impossible!”

Cranberry lowered her arms from her defensive stance and looked herself over. Although she had a few scratches, again nothing but the most minor of damage. She looked down at her Purple Ring and then over to Dark Force and smiled.

“How can it be! That should have ripped you apart!” The White Ring General protested.

“I guess you could say that my best friend protected me.” Cranberry answered as she tapped her ring. “You are fast I give you that. But you lack the physical strength to overcome the increased defense from Deband and our Purple Rings.”

“When we are together, there is nothing we can’t do.” Dark Force stated as she raised her weapon toward the General.

“Well, is that so? Well I guess there is only one thing to do then.” The White Ring General answered. Suddenly the General bolted and dashed through the large side door that 4 of the robots had come through earlier.

“What? He’s running away!” Dark Force said in surprise.

“The coward! Don’t let him escape!” Cranberry commanded. The two ran through the door and gave chase.

The door led them into a long hallway with many passages. They could see doors opening ahead of them, revealing the direction the general had gone.

“What is he up to?” Dark Force wondered out loud.

“Lets not give him a chance to do it!” Cranberry answered.

They ran down the long passageway moving deeper into the building, the General keeping one step ahead of them the entire time. Still, despite his great speed Dark Force was able to detect him on her area map and the two pursued him from room to room. They finally pursued him into a large room full of computer equipment. According to Dark Force’s map, they were in the very heart of the structure.

“So, still following me huh? Did you have trouble keeping up?” The White Ring General mocked.

“It’s over! Give up now! You can’t win!” Cranberry demanded.

“Oh I disagree. You see you two really aren’t that strong, especially you Cranberry.” The White Ring General countered.

“Believe what you like.” Cranberry said calmly. “Lets get him DF.”

“I’m right with you Cran!” Dark Force answered.

The two rushed toward the General. Cranberry cast a Foie technique while Dark Force cast Grants. The General darted into a full run and evaded the attacks. He suddenly charged directly into Dark Force and rammed her into the far wall. Dark Force quickly jumped to her feet and took a swing at the General, only to find that he had again bolted out the door.

“He ran away again!” Dark Force shouted.

“After him!” Cranberry yelled as she ran back toward Dark Force.

Dark Force dashed out the door to look for the General. “There! He went that way! CRAN!”

The door to the central room suddenly slammed shut, locking Cranberry inside.

“Cran! Cran! Are you all right?” Dark Force shouted as she banged on the door.

“Yeah, I’m all right.” Cranberry answered. “It won’t open. It’s been locked.”

Before Dark Force could respond, a computerized voice called out overhead. “Warning! Self-destruct sequence has been activated. All personal evacuate the facility. Warning! Self-dstruct sequence has been activated. All personal evacuate the facility. Self destruct sequence will commence in 10 minutes!”

“What? Self-destruct!? No! NO! Cran! Cran!!” Dark Force shouted.

“I heard it.” Cranberry called back.

“Stand back Cran! I’m going to blast it down!” Dark Force shouted.

Dark Force began casting every technique she knew, over and over again at the door. Every technique hit the door, but had no effect. The door did not budge or even buckle.

“Cran it’s not working! We’ve got to get out of here before this place blows! You’ve got to get out of there!” Dark Force shouted.

“Go DF, get out of here!” Cranberry answered.

“Not without you CB! There’s got to be something! You’re in the computer room! Can you shut it down?” Dark Force shouted.

“I’ll try!” Cranberry called as she ran over to the main computer terminal. Cranberry quickly accessed several files and then used the communication system in her gauntlet to call Dark Force. “DF, the only way to shut it down is to cut the power. There are 5 generators in this base. If you can shut them all down, that’ll stop the self-destruct. I can guide you from here.”

“Right! I’m on it!” Dark Force answered as she began to run down the hallway.

“To your left. Keep going. The first one isn’t far.” Cranberry called as she watched Dark Force on the computers map. “It should be just ahead of you.”

“I see it! I’ll take it out!” Dark Force ran toward a large machine in front of her. Dark Force struck it with Grants techniques until the device shorted out and shut down. The lights flickered and dimmed as the power was re-routed through other systems.

“Cran! I got it! Where is the next one?” Dark Force shouted into her gauntlet.

“Its to the north. You’ve got a long run. Be careful DF.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force turned and bolted out the north door and sprinted down the hallway. Cranberry guided her through several rooms. Time was quickly beginning to become an issue. But Dark Force refused to give up. She dashed into the northern wing of the facility and located the next generator. Several Grants strikes later and the generator shorted and deactivated.

“Cranberry you still with me? Where too?” Dark Force pleaded.

“Head west. It’s not as far but hurry. Time is running out. We’ve only got 4 minutes.” Cranberry answered.

“Got it!” Dark Force shouted as she sprinted as fast as she could, pushing herself like never before. After sprinting through 4 rooms, she located the next generator tucked behind some machinery. She quickly destroyed it with her Grants technique.

“Only 2 more Cranberry! Where to?” Dark Force shouted feeling a bit panicked as time was rapidly running out.

“Its to the south of you. It’s a ways though.” Cranberry answered.

“I don’t care! I’m going for it! I’ll save you Cran!” Dark Force shouted as she sprinted out the south exit.

Cranberry watched nervously on the map as Dark Force sprinted toward the south generator. It was clear on the other side of the building from her current location. But Dark Force was also running faster than she had ever seen before. She was pouring her heart and soul into it, doing everything she possibly could to reach the generators in time.

At last Dark Force reached the south wing and located the generator. She cast Grants faster than she ever had before until the generator literally exploded. Dark Force shielded her eyes from the flying debris and quickly shouted into her communicator. “Only one more! Cran where to?”

“It’s outside. Go out the south door there!” Cranberry answered.

“Right!” Dark Force called as she pushed open the door, which appeared to be a type of emergency exit. She sprinted outside of the building and into the snow. “Cran I’m outside! Where is it?”

“It’s that antenna we saw on the way in. That’s the final power source.” Cranberry admitted.

“What? That’s clear on the other side of the building from here! Darn it! I’m on my way!” Dark Force answered.

“Dark Force.” Cranberry said over the communicator.

“Yes Cran?” Dark Force answered as she sprinted around the perimeter of the building toward the opposite side.

“It’s too late.” Cranberry answered.

“No CB! Don’t say that!” Dark Force shouted.

“Dark Force, you are the best friend I have ever had in my life. It has been my great privilege, and my great honor to know you. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and the most important person in my life.” Cranberry spoke.

“Cran! No! Please stop talking like that!” Dark Force shouted at the top of her lungs.

“I’ll always care about you Dark Force. Please, stay safe.” Cranberry said.

Before Dark Force could say another word, a gigantic explosion generated from the building. Dark Force screamed as the shockwave from the blast sent her flying backwards. Fire erupted from the building as it exploded. Metal debris erupted everywhere as the building self destructed, covering the area with twisted metal and construction material. All that remained of the building was collapsed metal and pouring black smoke.

Dark Force opened her eyes slowly, pushing a large piece of metal off of her. She painfully pulled herself up, blood running down her face from where fragments of metal had cut her. She coughed as she forced herself to stand.

“Ooh, ouch.” Dark Force groaned as she brushed fragments of metal off of her. She then started in horror at the remains of the facility. “Cranberry! Cran! CB! Cranberry! Are you there!? Can you hear me?!” Dark Force shouted into the communicator, but there was no responds.

Dark Force ran to the gigantic mound of metal that was once the facility. “Cranberry! No!! Cranberry! CRANBERRY!!” She screamed as she began desperately trying to move the large chunks of metal in a desperate effort to dig out her friend. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she tried to move the large fragments of metal.

“Cranberry! Cranberry! Ahhh!” Dark Force cried as a piece of metal shifted, causing the Magical Piece she was using as a lever to slip and nearly knock her down. Dark Force stared at the wreckage, her arms trembling.

“Cranberry! No! Nooo!” Dark Force cried as she fell to her knees and began sobbing. “You can’t be dead Cran. Please no! Oh Cran!” She began pounding her fist on the metal, a steady stream of tears flowing from her eyes.

A sound was heard from under a nearby piece of metal. Dark Force immediately looked up and ran over to it. “Is that you Cran?” Dark Force shouted as she wedged her Magical Piece under the metal and started to pry it up.

A blast suddenly sounded and the piece of metal flew into the air, knocking Dark Force onto her back. Quickly jumping to her feet Dark Force watched as a figure rose from beneath the metal. As the figure raised Dark Force gasped in horror as she saw a large White Ring on the left arm.

“It’s you!” Dark Force cried as she took a few steps back.

“Ha! Were you expecting your little friend? Sorry to disappoint you, but she’s gone. I made sure of that.” The White Ring General shouted as he stared down Dark Force.

“No!” Dark Force shouted, tears still in her eyes.

“You see what you said before was true. You two are far too dangerous when you are together, so I did the only feasible thing. I separated you two, permanently. Your Purple Ring has lost its power hasn’t it?” The White Ring General spoke, taking a step toward Dark Force.

Dark Force backed away as she looked down at her ring. It had indeed lost its power; it was having no reaction like it did when Cranberry was near. Dark Force gripped her Magical Piece. “You, you monster!”

“So its true. You’ve lost your increased defense. And without your little friend here to help you, you don’t stand a chance! One FOnewearl down, one to go!” The White Ring General declared as he raised his Cross Scar.

End of Chapter 15.

Chapter 16 teaser:
Cranberry is dead, but there is no time to mourn the loss. The White Ring General has survived and Dark Force must now face him all alone. Without her best friend by her side, does she even stand a chance?

[Cranberry]

Chapter 16 - Emotional Conflict

Up on Pioneer 2, Sage and Striker continue working on their task to stop the landing of Pioneer 2. Sage looks up from his work, a cold hollow feeling suddenly forming inside him.

“I just got the information from Silliar of Mugen-Kyoko, they should have a lot of influence in delaying the landing. It’s a good thing Cranberry has friends in high places.” Striker spoke as he walked into the room. “Is something wrong Sage?”

“Not sure.” Sage answered as he stood up and looked out the window. “I have this gut feeling. A feeling that something terrible has happened.”

“Sage…” Striker answered.

“I sure hope everything is ok…. Lets get back to work.” Sage responded.

Meanwhile, back on Ragol.

Dark Force stared forward at the White Ring General, tears streaming down her face. Everything had gone wrong. She was freezing, she had been injured by the self destruction of the building, but worst of all she had just lost her best friend. And now, weakened and alone she stood before the general. The last thing she wanted right now was combat, but she was not being given a choice in the matter. With trembling arms, she lifted her Magical Piece and took a deep breath. She cast Deband on herself and stood ready.

“So you’ve decided to go out fighting have you? Good, that will make it more interesting. Well then Dark Force, shall we get this started?” The White Ring General asked.

Dark Force did not answer, and instead tried to focus herself on the task at hand. The General rushed toward her, and virtually seemed to vanish from sight. Dark Force turned and swung her weapon, but connected only with thin air. To her side she felt the Generals Cross Scar strike her. But unlike before when she received little more than a scratch, this time there was a sharp stinging pain. Crying out she leapt backwards and regained her balance.

“Well, lets see how well it worked.” The General stated as he came to a stop a few feet in front of the reeling Dark Force. He grinned as he saw a look of pain on Dark Force’s face and sizeable gash beginning to bleed on her side. “Ha well now! That is much better! So much for your incredible defensive abilities.”

Dark Force clenched her fist and readied her weapon. Even with Deband, that strike still did significant damage to her. Without Cranberry, her Purple Ring could not give her the defense boost that had saved them before. She was highly vulnerable, and nowhere near as fast as the General. She reached back for her pack, only to find that it had fallen off when the building exploded. She had dropped both her Windmill and the purification stone. She had no idea how she was going to fight like this.

“Well? Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to make a move?” The White Ring General demanded, tapping his foot on the ground.

Dark Force breathed a little heavier, her Magical Piece shaking in her hand as she held it.

“Very well then. If you won’t make a move, I will!” The White Ring General declared.

Without hesitation, the General launched himself toward Dark Force. Dark Force crouched into a defensive stance, but it did little good. She felt the intense pain of multiple slashes from the Generals daggers all over her body. Despite an attempt to contain it, she screamed out in agony from the attack.

“Are you going to fight me or not? If you just want to stand there and wait to die that is fine with me.” The White Ring General challenged.

Dark Force held her hand against the deep cut on her waist and glared at the General. Ignoring her pain, she raised her weapon and cast her Grants spell. The General quickly moved and dashed behind Dark Force. The Grants spell lost its target and fizzled out in the air. Before she could react, the General punched Dark Force in the back, nearly knocking her off her feet as she was pushed forward. Dark Force stumbled forward and struggled to regain her balance. Finding her footing she spun around to face the General, only to see that he had moved again. In a near panic she quickly looked around, trying to find him. Keeping her Magical Piece in a ready position, prepared to strike or cast a technique as soon as she could get a target on him.

“Here I am!” The White Ring General shouted as he suddenly appeared in front of Dark Force and punched her in the face.

Dark Force screeched in pain as she fell onto her back and held her face. That hit really nailed her and she felt the full force of it. Her head felt dizzy and her ears were ringing loudly. Groaning, she sits up and shakily gets to her knees, using her Magical Piece for support.

The White Ring General shrugged his shoulders. “Are you even trying? Come on Dark Force, you haven’t even touched me. Surely you can do better than that. Oh wait, I got it. You are absolutely nothing without your ugly friend to hold your hand.”

Dark Force clenched her teeth as she glared up at the General, a look of anger and hate in her eyes.

“You’re so cute when you’re angry.” The White Ring General laughed.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaa!” Dark Force hissed as she sprang to her feet and ran full speed toward the General and swung her weapon.

The General rolled his eyes and casually dashed to the side. “Oh come on! Is that the best you GAA!” The Magical Piece slammed into the Generals face, Dark Force’s first swing with her weapon was a fake move forward to get the General to move, and as soon as he had stopped she pivoted and lashed out again, hitting her mark this time.

The General dashed back out of range of a second strike. He raised his hand to his cheek and felt a trickle of blood. “Well, you got some bite in you after all.”

Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Foie. The General grinned and dashed out of its range. Dark Force immediately turned around and swung her weapon, but only air was struck. Before she could react again, she felt the sharp blades of the Generals daggers cut into her back. Choking back a scream, she forced herself to turn and strike. The General lifted up one of his Cross Scars and intercepted her Magical Piece, blocking the strike with his blade. In a panic Dark Force tried to pull back her weapon, but was not able to pull it free. The General grabbed her by the arm and got right in her face, grinning slyly at her. He pulled and twisted her arm. Dark Force screamed in agony.

“The sound of you in pain, it is like a symphony of 10,000 instruments in perfect harmony to me.” The White Ring General exclaimed as he increased the force on Dark Force’s arm, forcing her to fall to her knees. The General pulled her up and kicked her into the air, delivering a solid punch to her stomach to juggle her back into the air. The General finished with a spinning kick that sent her flying into the air and crashing back into the snow.

Dark Force gasped for air as she lay in the snow. Her entire body was aching everywhere, and her arm felt like it had almost been ripped off. Blood was running from her multiple injuries, especially where the daggers had cut through her skin. For a moment she lay in the snow, not having the strength to pull herself back up.

“You know what your problem is Dark Force? You’re too predictable.” The White Ring General declared.

Dark Force forced herself into a sitting position and weakly moved her Magical Piece. It was difficult but she was able to cast Resta on herself, helping to regain some of her lost strength. It was enough to allow her to stand once more. But she still felt dazed and dizzy. She knew she could not hold out like this much longer.

“Oh are you up? You were rather slow there; I thought you might be staying down for good that time.” The White Ring General teased.

Dark Force regained her battle pose, prompting laughter from the general. She lifted her Magical Piece to cast a technique, then quickly pivoted and cast in another direction. Her Zonde spell struck the ground nearby her. She quickly tucked low into a defensive stance, peering up to see that the General hadn’t moved an inch.

“Oh come on Dark Force! Now you’re just guessing! Are you even going to put in any effort into this?” The White Ring General challenged.

Dark Force clenched her fist around her Magical Piece. She lifted her weapon and cast Rafoie. The General dashed and evaded the attack. But as he ran to counter attack Dark Force, she again cast Rafoie, this time right in front of her. The General pivoted and changed direction. Dark Force continued casting Rafoie as fast as she could. Fire exploded all over the area as Dark Force attacked.

“Gaa! Not bad, but enough is enough!” The General plowed through the fiery explosion and slammed into Dark Force at full speed, striking her in the belly. Dark Force collapsed to her knees, just as the General grabbed her by her hair, pulling her head roughly into the snow. She winced as her head was slammed into the ground.

“That was pretty clever. But you lose yet again.” The White Ring General stated as he kicked the FOnewearl, knocking her away into another bank of snow.

Dark Force groaned as she came to a stop. Her pain had become almost unbearable. Everything she tried was backfiring. She pounded the ground with her fist in frustration as she lay in the snow.

The White Ring General laughed as he watched Dark Force. “Oh what’s wrong Dark Force? Are you missing your pathetic little friend?”

Dark Force clenched her fists into the snow as she lifted her head from the snow to glare at the General.

“Oh did I touch a sour note in you? Tell me Dark Force, how badly does it hurt that you couldn’t save her?“ The White Ring General began.

“Shut up!” Dark Force snapped.

“Oh have I upset you?” The White Ring General answered as he grinned at Dark Force lying in the snow, her body dripping with blood. “Well here is something else you might like. I had the privilege of watching her die.”

“I’m warning you!” Dark Force hissed, pushing herself into a sitting position.

“I tapped into the internal camera as I waited out here. I watched as Cranberry nervously paced back and forth as she was trapped in that room. Oh the sheer look of terror on her face when she realized you were not going to be able to save her! What a special treat that was! And I watched as the final seconds ticked away. To my great pleasure the signal lasted long enough for me to see the fiery explosion engulf her. Oh you should have seen the look on her face!” The White Ring General laughed. “Isn’t it ironic Dark Force? The Fire Mage destroyed by fire!”

Dark Force rose to her feet, breathing heavily as she with clenched teeth at the General. She stared with hate-filled eyes; clenching her Magical Piece so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

“Oh do you have a problem with what I said? Well feel free to do something about it.” The White Ring General laughed.

Dark Force narrowed her eyes and gripped her Magical Piece. Breaking into a run she charged straight for the General. The General rolled his eyes and awaited Dark Force’s approach. Dark Force stopped and lifted her Magical Piece, casting a Foie technique at the General. She immediately tucked into a defensive stance as the General effortlessly evaded the fireball and dashed beside Dark Force, lashing out at her with his Cross Scar. Dark Force grinned lightly as she felt the hit, a loud tone sounding as she took the damage, she quickly pivoted and swung her weapon, just missing the General. The General dashed a few steps back and stopped in front of Dark Force.

“Another nice attempt, but as usual you are far too slow. I can evade anything you throw at me Dark Force.” The White Ring General mocked.

Dark Force grinned slyly, chuckling lightly.

“What’s so funny? Have you driven yourself mad?” The White Ring General asked.

“I know how to hit you.” Dark Force announced.

“Oh do you now? Well this should be good. Well, give it your best shot then.” The White Ring General challenged.

Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece into the air, a circular symbol appearing at her feet. Dark Force’s currently equipped Devil Wings MAG suddenly generated an enormous amount of energy. Alarmed, the White Ring General attempted to dash, but found himself paralyzed in place.

“WHAT? What’s happening? What did you do!?” The White Ring General demanded as a large creature suddenly appeared. “No way!”

“You made a mistake General! It is true that you have done great damage to me, but at the same time that damage was also absorbed as Photon Blast energy by my MAG! Now see the result! Pilla, go and strike!” Dark Force shouted, as she too was frozen in place.

The creature known as Pilla, generated by the energy of Dark Force’s MAG, thrusts its arms into the air. Beams of light energy fell from the sky and slammed into the frozen General. The creature vanished as movement was restored to both Dark Force and the General. The White Ring General cried out in pain as he collapsed to the ground, the beams of energy from Pilla having done serious damage.

“YOU!” Dark Force screamed as she ran full speed to the downed General, dropping her Magical Piece and grabbing him by the throat with both hands. “She was my best friend! And you, and you… and you… YOU MURDERED HER!”

The General gasped for air as Dark Force violently strangled him, clenching her fists tightly around his neck. “You are going to pay for what you have done!”

The General raised his arms and grabbed Dark Force’s hands, prying them off of his neck. “That was a good trick, but you don’t have the strength to strangle me Force.” The General gasped.

“Who said that was the plan?” Dark Force shouted as she suddenly cast a bare handed Gizonde technique.

Taken completely by surprise, the General released his hold on Dark Force’s arm and fell over backwards, stunned by the sudden voltage. Dark Force swiped her Magical Piece off the ground and cast Gizonde again, not giving the General a chance to recover. The General screeched as electricity again pulsed through his body. Dark Force did not let up, tears streaming down her face.

“This is for you Cranberry!” Dark Force screamed as she cast Gizonde again and again, blasting the General with wave after wave of electricity.

The Generals eyes widened as he realized he had fallen into Dark Force’s trap. Her earlier bombardment of Rafoie techniques were not meant to strike him, they had melted the snow. Now the water from the melted snow was enhancing the damage from her Gizonde techniques. His body, paralyzed by electricity could not move out of the way.

Dark Force halted her attack, gripping her Magical Piece and breathing heavily as she started at the General’s smoking body. The General slowly pulled himself to his feet, wobbling a few times as he did so.

“You… this isn’t over Dark Force! You got a lucky shot, that’s all! I’m through playing with you! Get ready to meet your friend! It ends now!” The General shouted. Recovering from the electricity, the General raised his Cross Scar. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece to cast a technique.

The General immediately broke into a full run, confident that he’d avoided Dark Force’s technique. But his eyes opened wide in shock as he realized what had just happened. Instead of casting a directly targeted technique, Dark Force had cast Gifoie.

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The White Ring General tried to halt his dash, but could not break out of the run in time. He slammed directly into Dark Force’s ring of flames, losing his footing as he crashed to the ground. Dark Force did not hesitate for a second, running to the General she delivered a crushing blow to his head with her Magical Piece. A loud crack sounded as the Magical Piece struck its mark.

The White Ring General held his head, a very large gash appearing above his ear. The General began to rise, only to be struck by Dark Force’s Foie technique, knocking him back to the ground. Reacting more quickly this time, the General rolled back to his feet and turned to strike at Dark Force, but did not see her in front of him. “What? Where did you go?” The General froze as he felt the Magical Piece pushing against his head from the side. “What!? How did you move so fast?”

“I didn’t. It’s called a bank shot, I wasn’t standing in the direction that Foie hit you from. I deflected it off some of that lovely metal over there, giving me time to get you right where I want you.” Dark Force answered, pressing her foot down on top of his to prevent him from dashing.

“W-wait Dark Force! Let me explain!” The White Ring General pleased.

”There’s nothing to talk about!” Dark Force hissed.

The General made an attempt to pull his foot out from under Dark Force to dash away, but to no avail. Dark Force cast Foie, engulfing the General’s head with fire at point blank range. The fireball incinerated the General, burning the skin right off his skull. The White Ring General fell lifelessly to the ground, the White Ring falling from his wrist and landing in the snow.

Dark Force collapsed into the snow, her injuries at last sapping the little strength she had left. As she lay in the snow, she weekly looked toward the wreckage of the destroyed building. “Cranberry… I’m so sorry.” Dark Force’s eyes closed as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Dark Force felt a nudge against her. Groaning painfully, she weakly opened her eyes. The sun was beginning to set now, but she could see a tinge of green in front of her. Again she was nudged, a bit more forcefully this time. She moaned softly as she found just enough strength to lift her head up. “J… J-Tollaw?” Dark Force whimpered as she looked at the creature before her.

It was the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw, standing before the badly inured Dark Force. They were still atop the mountain, at the very spot where Dark Force had collapsed. Her item pack containing her Windmill and the Purification Stone had been dropped beside her. All of the Generals rings they had collected thus far, including the White Ring were also inside her pack.

“Y-you came l-l-looking for m-me? Y-you c-can s-survive up h-h-here?” Dark Force asked.

The J-Tollaw knelt down beside Dark Force and lightly licked her face.

Dark Force weakly held onto the J-Tollaw’s snout. She looked sadly into its eyes; the J-Tollaw whimpered softly seeming to understand what she was trying to tell it.

“I- I’m s-sorry.” Dark Force said, more tears forming in her eyes. Dark Force began to slump back down, her strength beginning to leave her. The J-Tollaw moved its arm and gently lifted Dark Force along with her item pack onto its back. Dark Force again fell into unconsciousness as the J-Tollaw began to walk, taking her back down the mountain.

End of Chapter 16

Chapter 17 teaser:
Dark Force has narrowly defeated the White Ring General and has been rescued from atop the mountain by the J-Tollaw. When Dark Force awakens she finds that the J-Tollaw has taken her back down the mountain. Devastated by the loss of her best friend, Dark Force tries to figure out what to do now.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 17 – Cold and Alone

Dark Force felt a cold breeze running over her body as she began to stir. Her eyes gently lifted open. The sun was just beginning to rise. Dark Force slowly sat up, her head still aching from the battle against the White Ring General. As she looked around she saw that she was no longer lying in the snow, nor even on the mountain. She glanced to her left and spotted the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw curled up by a nearby tree. The J-Tollaw had carried her unconscious body all the way off the mountain to where she now sat. Had she remained in the snow during the night, she surely would have froze to death.

“Good morning Cran. Cran?” She immediately looked around her for Cranberry, expecting to see her friend tending to the fire, preparing breakfast for them as she had done so many times before. But Cranberry was nowhere in sight. There was no fire burning, and no sleeping bag rolled out beside her. Dark Force put her face in her hands; sobbing softly realizing that what had happened was not a dream. Cranberry was gone, she really was all alone.

Her hands trembled as she tried to stand up. Her entire body was in great pain from the multiple cuts all over her. She had to use her Magical Piece for support to lift her head up, nearly fainting from light-headedness as she stood. With some effort she was able to stop her trembling and lift up her head as she leaned on the Magical Piece. “Cranberry… you can’t be gone.”

Dark Force looked around, she was on a grassy field, a large body of water down below where she was standing. She closed her eyes as she thought back to what had happened. Cranberry’s final words and the explosion of the building replayed in her mind over and over again, causing more tears to form in her eyes.

“No, Cranberry.” Dark Force said as she fell back to her knees, laying her head into the grass. “We made it so far together. I wouldn’t have made it without you… Cranberry, please come back.”

Dark Force clenched her fists against the grass, pulling up a large chunk as she threw it into the air and yelled. “Cranberry! Please don’t be dead!”

The J-Tollaw lifted its head to the yell and looked over at the crying FOnewearl.

Dark Force stood up, rubbing some tears out of her eyes as she walked over to a nearby ledge and stared out at the sea before her.

The cool breeze flowed through her hair as she stared out at the gently rolling waves below. As she stared into the sea, it was then that the realization truly hit her, Cranberry was really was gone, she truly was alone.

“We came so far together.” Dark Force spoke to herself. “You had faith in us… you had faith in me. You believed with all your heart that together we could do anything. You are my best friend, and I let you down when you needed me the most. I’m so sorry Cranberry.”

Dark Force sat down and continued to stare out at the sea. She looked down at her body, for the first time having a chance to see the damage she had taken. She was badly cut in multiple places. Her skin and clothing was covered in mud, and she was in so much pain it hurt just to move. But none of that really mattered to her right now, all she could think about was the loss of her friend. They had been through so much together. It was because of Cranberry that she was even on Ragol to begin with. And only through Cranberry’s help had she made it this far against the Generals. She closed her eyes as she thought back to the conversation they had shared earlier. When Cranberry talked about her childhood, and her family. She remembered the expression on Cranberry’s face as she told the story about her parents. But the most dominant thought of the conversation was how Cranberry responded after she had told her friend that she cared about her even if her parents didn’t. When Cranberry said “Thank you Dark Force. I have always taken great comfort from you.” Although she hadn’t said anything at the time, that comment meant a lot to her.

Dark Force whipped her eyes as the memory came to her. “You’ve been by my side for so long. We’ve overcome so much. It is only because of you that I am still here. When I was poisoned you risked everything to help me. You stood by me no matter what. …the only reason you even came down here to Ragol now was to look for me.” Dark Force spoke as she remembered finding Cranberry in the cave where they had fought the wind monsters.

The J-Tollaw stood up and walked over to where Dark Force stood. The young FOnewearl weakly turned to look at the creature. “I don’t know what to do. I… I’ve failed her. I couldn’t save her. I… I just don’t know what to do.”

The J-Tollaw sat down beside Dark Force. Dark Force sat down beside the creature and leaned against it, resting her head against its body. “I feel so weak… it hurts even to look up. I look terrible.. don’t I?”

The J-Tollaw lightly nuzzled Dark Force’s cheek. Dark Force buried her face in her hands and cried. Countless memories continued to flow into her mind as she wept. Several hours later, she stood up. The pain from her injuries had diminished enough that she was able to walk a little better. As she looked around she heard the sound of running water nearby. Just beyond some bushes, she found a small river that was running through the area and down into the sea below. She put her hands in the water and splashed it onto her face, rubbing some of the dirt out. The cool water felt good on her.

“I should probably clean myself up while I can.” Dark Force said to herself. She removed her clothing and carefully lay down in a more secluded and less rapid part of the river. She winced as the cold water ran over her body, creating a stinging sensation as it passed over the cuts on her body. Despite the pain, she washed the dirt and blood from her body and hair. Despite the many stings she felt while cleaning out her injuries, the water felt good on her too, and in many ways soothing. Once she finished cleaning her body, she cleaned the dirt and blood from her clothing. Once finished, she hung her clothes over a tree branch to dry and lay in the river a bit longer, letting the water flow over her skin as she took some more time to relax and reflect over the things that had happened.

After a couple hours, Dark Force emerged from the river and retrieved her clothing from the tree branch; now dry from the sunlight. She dressed herself and walked back to the campsite where the J-Tollaw was waiting. Although she was still in great pain, she looked a lot better, and was feeling a little stronger as well. She again walked toward the cliff and stared out at the sea below.

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She looked down at the Purple Ring resting on her left wrist. She lifted her left arm and held it to her chest, holding the ring over her heart. The ring had lost its power, but not it’s meaning, not what it symbolized. “I won’t take it off. I’ll wear it forever Cran. You’re still my best friend. You always will be.”

Dark Force realized that she hadn’t eaten all day, but she still did not feel hungry. Nonetheless she felt it best to get something in her stomach. Looking through her pack, all she could find was the can she had stored some berries from the mountain in. The ones that Cranberry and she had found together. She signed softly as she ate several of them and sipped some water from one of her bottles. By now the sun was beginning to set. Not having the strength to go out and gather wood for a fire, she sat down beside the J-Tollaw, rubbing her still aching arms as she gazed up at the rising moon.

“It’s been a full day, and I still have no idea what I should do. Perhaps the answer will come to me during the night. Goodnight Cranberry, wherever you are.” Dark Force said softly as she unrolled her sleeping bag. Climbing inside, she stared up at the stars until she drifted to sleep. She felt a presence as she slept, she could almost feel her friend still standing by her side, even if only in her dreams. It gave her a sense of comfort as she slept through the night.

As morning approached, Dark Force arose to the sound of birds chirping nearby. She looked over beside her, again half expecting to see Cranberry tending to a morning fire. She sighed softly, again realizing that no one was there, and she was still alone. She sat up from her sleeping bag and slipped out, rolling it back up to store in her pack. She reached up and stretched her arms, realizing that she was feeling a lot better and a lot stronger today than yesterday. With some help from Resta, her wounds had healed a lot since the day before. She ate some more of the berries she had picked from the mountain, saving the last few for later. She walked to the J-Tollaw and fed it a Photon Drop from her pack.

“I never said this yesterday, I want to say it now. Thanks for your help J-Tollaw. So… yeah, we should probably get going. I’m not really sure where, I just feel like we should go.” Dark Force replied.

She climbed onto the J-Tollaw’s back, turning one last time to look back at the mountain in the distance behind them. “Cranberry… I’ll never forget you. I promise.” Wiping a tear from her eye as the J-Tollaw began to move.

Throughout the day, the J-Tollaw carried her over the landscape. As she looked at the area map in her gauntlet, only one location still remained. The Blue Ring General, the General that had told Cranberry how to find the Lunar Lilly, the flower that had cured her poisoning, in exchange for a promise of a fair and honorable fight later on. Dark Force closed her eyes as she reflected on that night. “I just don’t know. Should I even still try to do this?” As she looked at the computer in her gauntlet, she saw that she wasn’t able to communicate with Pioneer 2. She wasn’t going to be able to use Ryuker to return, they must have raised the shield.

“I guess we’re stuck down here. It’s just as well, I don’t know how I could face the others now.” Dark Force sighed as the J-Tollaw continued to run along the land. Dark Force looked up as she felt a deep cold feeling deep inside her form. She could not identify it, but she sensed something happening. And it felt wrong, very very wrong. “Wh-what is happening? I feel so cold inside, it.. something is happening! I can feel it!”

The J-Tollaw turned its head and glanced at Dark Force. Dark Force shook her head. “No, I’m not sure what it is. I just feel like something horrible has happened. I can’t explain it, but I can feel it deep inside me. Something… dark… very dark.”

As they continued traveling, Dark Force could not stop thinking about what she had felt. A very cold and dark feeling remained deep inside her. She knew something was up, but she wasn’t sure what. But it made her feel very uncomfortable.

A few hours later, they came to a small lake and stopped to rest. Dark Force at the last of her berries from the mountain as she sat down and let her feet rest in the water. A loud sound generated overhead. Looking up Dark Force eyes lit up wide as a large ship soared overhead at a very low altitude. The wind generated as the craft passed by knocked her over into the water.

“What the?” Dark Force coughed as she quickly sat up in the water. “That wasn’t from Pioneer2! What in the world? “ Dark Force immediately again felt that cold dark feeling inside her. “Is that what I felt? J-Tollaw! Lets go! Follow that thing! We have to see what it is!”

Dark Force leapt onto the J-Tollaw’s back and held on as it took off at full speed giving chase to the fast moving craft ahead of them.

End of Chapter 17

Chapter 18 teaser:
17 is a short but important chapter. What is this thing that Dark Force has sensed? Is it related to the aircraft that just rocketed past? Dark Force and the J-Tollaw give chance and attempt to find out exactly what is happening and what this strange ship is. So just what exactly is going on? Find out in Chapter 18 coming soon.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 18 - Dark Reunion

Dark Force kept her eyes focused ahead of them. The J-Tollaw was fast, but even he could not keep up with the fast moving ship and it quickly pulled far ahead of them. Still, they did not give up and even as the ship began to pull out of their vision, they ran after it. Dark Force could not understand why she felt so strongly about this, but she knew that something was not right and she had to catch up to the ship no matter what.

“Can you see it? I lost it. It’s too far ahead.” Dark Force complained as the ship disappeared into the landscape far ahead of them. The J-Tollaw snorted in responds as it continued to race ahead.

They found themselves running into some very hilly and rocky terrain. The J-Tollaw ran to the top of a hill and came to a stop. Dark Force slid off of its back and looked around them. She could find no trace of the ship that had passed them.

“Where could something that big go?” Dark Force asked, stamping her foot in frustration. “Where could it hide?”

The J-Tollaw perked its head, prompting Dark Force to look over at it. “What’s wrong? Do you hear something?”

A shuffling sound could be heard within the rocks. Dark Force picked up her Magical Piece and looked around, trying to identify where the sound had come from. She leapt up as she felt something clamp painfully around her leg. As she landed she turned and stared down at a large crab-like creature standing up from the ground. This creature matched the color of the rocky ground almost perfectly. It had 2 black eyes atop its rounded shell and 2 large pinchers atop some very long arms. The creature balanced itself off the ground with 4 sets of spider like legs. The creature also had a mouth that bore 4 large fangs as it moved.

“I guess we couldn’t expect it to be easy.” Dark Force mumbled as she took up a defensive pose. “Lets see how well I’ve healed.”

The monster rushed toward Dark Force and swung its pincher for her leg. Dark Force performed a quick back flip and moved herself out of the pinchers way. Lifting her weapon she counter attacked with a Foie technique. The monster tucked itself low to the ground. The fireball struck the monsters shell, leaving a scorch mark at the point of impact. The monster did not seem to be bothered by the fire, and quickly reared up to resume its attack.

Dark Force backed away and watched the monsters movements carefully as it approached. As the monster reared up to strike, she cast a Zonde technique. Lightning struck the monster, but seemed to have little effect on the crab. The monster suddenly lashed forward and charged for Dark Force. Dark Force crouched low and leapt over the monster as it rushed her, narrowly evading its sharp pinchers. The crab shuffled its legs as it turned around and made another run toward Dark Force. Dark Force readied her Magical Piece and stared down the monster. The creature lashed out with its pinches. Dark Force deflected the strike with her weapon and quickly thrust the end of her Magical Piece underneath the monster and thrust it upward. The monster flipped up and landed on its back, thrashing its legs in the process. Pulling her weapon back up, Dark Force thrust it forward and cast Gibarta on the monsters underside. The monster became encased in ice as it was struck by the wave of ice. Not wasting any time, Dark Force cast Zonde. Lightning struck the monster’s underside, where the shell could not protect it. The monsters body hissed and sizzled as the electrical voltage fried its body.

Dark Force poked the monsters remains with her Magical Piece, and then kicked the shell away, watching it roll down the hill.

“I wonder how many more of those things are around here. Lets not wait to find out.” Dark Force stated. “Come J-Tollaw, lets look around and see what we can find.

Dark Force carefully walked down the hill, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that might lash out at her. Down below Dark Force found a small cave. She took a peek inside the dark passageway. It looked like it went on for a long ways. Stepping inside, Dark Force pressed her hand against the rocky wall and cautiously walked forward. The J-Tollaw poked its head in and Dark Force nodded that it was all right for him to follow.

“This ground, it seems awfully smooth to be a natural rock formation.” Dark Force commented as she slowly inched her way forward, checking the ground with each step. As she moved deeper, it became pitch black as they moved out of range of the daylight. She could not help but feel nervous as she crept through the cavern. She was now walking blindly, and had no real senesce of direction as to where she was going. It would be easy for her to be taken by surprise if anything down here chose to attack her.

As she walked onward, a creature suddenly moved against her leg. Dark Force screamed as she jumped backwards and thrashed waved her Magical Piece at whatever had touched her. From the darkness Dark Force felt something collide into her chest with great force, knocking her back against the stone wall. Dark Force braced herself against the wall and crouched into a defensive stance as she heard the sound of running feet. She crouched low to the ground and held her Magical Piece up to protect her head. A creature ran past her, and seconds later a loud snap was heard followed by a high pitched squeal. The squeal quickly fell silent, and the creature moved back toward Dark Force. Dark Force stood up and readied her weapon to defend herself, but hesitated as she heard a familiar grunting sound.

“Is that you Tollaw?” Dark Force asked. She stepped forward and cautiously reached her hand out. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the J-Tollaw in front of her. The J-Tollaw dropped something from its mouth, which landed on the ground beside Dark Force. Poking it with her Magical Piece she realized it was the creature that had struck her, though she could not see exactly what it was. “Wow, you got it. Thanks. Don’t worry about me I’m all right, lets keep going.”

Dark Force continued cautiously walking forward through the dark cavern. She came to a stop as she felt an obstacle in front of her. The ground had quickly changed into a rather steep slope heading upward. “This could get tricky.” She mumbled as she dropped to her hands and knees and began to climb up the incline. She continued to blindly inch her way forward, continuously questioning the wisdom of crawling inside here.

Was it minutes? Was it hours? She had no idea how long she had been crawling up the slope of the cave. It seemed like it was going on forever. What still struck her as odd was how perfectly smooth the ground was inside this cave. It was not jagged or rocky, it just did not seem possible that this was natural. She thought to herself that perhaps this was the reason she continued pressing forward, because something just did not add up about this place.

“Are you still with me J-Tollaw?” Dark Force asked, unable to see anything behind her.

The J-Tollaw snorted, acknowledging its presence as it too climbed up the slope behind Dark Force.

“We’ve gotten pretty high by now. I wonder what could be at the end of this. Maybe we could… wha? Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” Dark Force cried out as she lost her concentration for a moment and suddenly reached a steep downward slope. Losing her balance she fell headfirst onto the downward incline and began sliding downward, rapidly increasing in speed.

“No no! Stop stop! Help!” Dark Force screamed as she desperately flailed her Magical Piece around, trying to wedge it into something to stop or at least slow herself down. But she found nothing to strike with it. She held her arms forward as she tried to grab onto the floor, but she was moving too quickly and could not slow herself down. She could not see anything in front of her, she was blindly sliding down the cavern floor as if she were in a dark water slide. She could feel the cavern curve as she slide down the slope. Having little control over anything, she gave up on trying to slow herself down and braced herself for a collision with whatever might be ahead of her. She breathed heavily as the slope got steeper still and she increased in speed. As she strained her eyes, she saw what appeared to be some kind of light ahead of her.

Before Dark Force could form any thoughts as to what the light might be, the slope quickly smoothed out into much more level ground. Dark Force quickly lost speed from her slide and was able to slow herself to a stop. She slowly stood up and dusted herself off. She felt a little burn on her chest where she had slid, but a quick Resta technique took care of the problem. Just ahead of her she could see light coming from just around a bend. As she took a step forward, she heard a noise behind her. She spun around just in time to see the J-Tollaw come off the slope and walk over beside her.

“Well, that was fun wasn’t it? But I don’t think I want to do that again.” Dark Force said, smiling lightly at the J-Tollaw. “Look, is that daylight? Lets go.”

Dark Force rounded the bend and ran down a long narrow hallway toward the light at the end of the passage. She smiled brightly as she did indeed see daylight coming through. She sighed in relief as she ran out of the passage and into the sunlight shining outside. She squinted her eyes as they adjusted to the bright light. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see that she was in a very large field surrounded on all sides by dense forest. It was some sort of clearing, but it was as she looked to the center of the clearing that she gasped in shock.

“Th-that’s it!” Dark Force cried as she stared at the large ship sitting in the middle of the clearing. “That’s the ship we were following!”

The J-Tollaw poked its head out from the passage and looked in the direction Dark Force was pointing.

“I’m going to take a closer look, you wait here where it’s safe.” Dark Force requested as she turned to look at the J-Tollaw, patting it on its head.

The J-Tollaw shuffled its feet and sat down just inside the passageway, just out of the direct sunlight. Dark Force nodded appreciatively and jogged toward the ship. She cast Shifta and Deband on herself as a precaution as she began to near the ship. The ship was fairly large, a large black stripe ran across the hull, but no other noticeable markings were immediately visible. Several lights could be seen from atop the ship and on the wings. Dark Force stood before the vessel and stared at it, looking to see if she could identify any sort of doorway leading inside. As she watched it, an alarm suddenly sounded and the ship shinned a bright light on the young FOnewearl.

Dark Force took up a defensive stance as 2 small thrusters activated on the ships wings. But the ship did not take off; it only rose a few inches off the ground and rotated so that the front portion faced Dark Force. A hatch opened and a large laser cannon slid out and began to charge, aiming directly at the FOnewearl.

Dark Force’s eyes widened. She broke into a sprint and dove into a rolling slide as the laser cannon fired. The ground erupted where the laser had struck.

“Whoa! They aren’t fooling around!” Dark Force shouted as she leapt to her feet. The ship’s thrusters activated and the craft spun around to face Dark Force, again aiming the laser cannon at her. Dark Force broke into another sprint, leaping and rolling just out of the laser cannons range as it devastated the ground she was standing at a moment ago. Dark Force rolled to her feet and turned to face the ship. Thrusting her Magical Piece forward, she cast a Gizonde technique at the laser cannon.

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The laser cannon sparked as the lightning struck it. It showed some signs of having taken damage, but was certainly still functional. The ship turned much more quickly this time, and fired a weaker but much faster shot at her. Dark Force had only a split second to dive out to the way. Though she avoided the direct laser shot, she could feel the heat of its beam as the ground erupted around her. Scrambling on her hands and knees she crawled out of the dust and jumped to her feet, dashing around the perimeter of the ship as it rotated and tracked her movements. Seeing that the ship was preparing to fire its laser in front of her, Dark Force quickly spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction. The ship charged and fired its laser, blasting a hole into the ground where it had anticipated her to run. Having a change to counter attack after successfully faking it out, Dark Force casts several Gizonde techniques into the laser cannon. The cannon began to smoke as the lightning struck it, causing a shower of sparks to fall to the ground.

The ship’s engines began to roar and without warning, the low flying ship suddenly charged forward straight at Dark Force. With only a split second to react, Dark Force dove headfirst to her right and rolled as fast as she could, just slipping past the hull of the ship sliding underneath its large wing, just evading being flattened by the hull. Dark Force quickly pulled herself up, just I time to see the ship looping back toward her, it’s laser cannon fixed on her. She broke into a zigzag sprint as she attempted to loop to the ships side. The ground erupted around her as the laser cannon fired a barrage of small shots. Dark Force charged straight toward the ship, pivoting and changing direction at the last moment. The cannon fired, the shockwave knocking Dark Force off her feet. She quickly got to her knees and cast Gizonde on the cannon again, causing more smoking to begin coming from the cannon. Jumping to her feet, she again broke into a sprint as the ship rotated to target her. Seeing that the ship was tracking her much more carefully this time, she came to a complete stop and reversed direction, then immediately reversed direction again. The laser cannon pivoted and fired, just missing Dark Force as she tucked her body and rolled just beyond the shockwave. Rising to her feet she cast one final Gizonde technique. The lightning struck the laser cannon, causing it to begin to short out. A small explosion formed around the laser cannon, causing it to break off and fall to the ground.

Dark Force breathed a sigh of relief as the destroyed cannon fell to the ground. She gripped her weapon tightly and prepared herself for whatever would happen next.

“Very well done Dark Force. Indeed you are very skilled.” A familiar voice stated as the ship rose about 10 feet into the air and a hatch opened on the ships underside. A platform began to lower with 2 figures standing on it. One was covered head to toe in a black cloak and could not be identified, but the other Dark Force immediately recognized.

“You, you’re the Black Ring General.” Dark Force declared, taking a step back.

“How nice of you to remember me.” The Black Ring General answered as the platform reached the ground. “I have something very special planed for you today my dear.”

Dark Force clenched her Magical Piece and stared at the general and his hooded friend. “You flew over my head on purpose didn’t you? You wanted me to follow you so that you could battle me again.”

“Well, you’re half right. I did wish for you to follow me. But fighting you is beneath me; after all I’ve already defeated you once. It is only because of those friends of yours up there that you escaped our last encounter alive.” The Black Ring General answered.

“Then what are you doing here?” Dark Force demanded.

“Oh don’t you worry, there will be a battle. It’s just not me that will be fighting. The Black Ring General motioned his hand forward and the hooded figure stepped forward. “As I said, I wanted you to come here. This will be your opponent, and I don’t think you will be disappointed.”

“Sending a henchmen to do your dirty work for you? I should have expected that.” Dark Force answered.

“Oh no Dark Force. It’s not like that at all. Here, allow me to show you what my little surprise is.” The Black Ring General chuckled as he pulled the robe off the figure standing in front of him, revealing a young black haired woman with a red bow tied into her hair.

“C-Cranberry!?” Dark Force gasped in shock, taking a step backwards.

“Surprised? I knew you would be. You see Dark Force, my friend here has a little problem with you. It seems you let her die and she’s not too happy about that. So now I think its only fair that she returns the favor.

“Wha-what have you done to her?!” Dark Force demanded.

“After I received word that the communication center atop the mountain had been destroyed, I knew that you two were responsible. When I landed on the mountain and ordered my men to begin salvage operations, we found the body of your little friend there. That is when I got my brilliant idea. Why should I go to the trouble of fighting you, when I can instead have you destroyed by your former best friend.” The Black Ring General answered. “You see there is one thing I have in common with Yellow. I too am familiar with the life and death power of the level –30 Megid technique. However, unlike Yellow I have perfected it. So I decided what better person to try it on than your little friend. And I must say, I am very pleased with the result! Unlike the Tollaw which turned into your little pet, she has become an obedient and powerful warrior for me.”

Cranberry looked up and grinned coldly at Dark Force, hoisting her Windmill into a battle position.

“You, you used Megid –30 on her!?” Dark Force shouted.

“What do you have cloth in your ears? That’s what I just said. Your little friend now works for me.” The Black Ring General answered. “And my look at that expression on her face! I’d say she is eager to get this battle started.”

“Cran! Wait it’s me!” Dark Force pleaded.

“I know exactly who you are.” Cranberry answered, staring at Dark Force with dark and cold eyes as she stepped off of the platform and onto the land.

“Cranberry, you know what to do?” The Black Ring General asked.

“I do. I am to destroy Dark Force and retrieve the stolen items.” Cranberry answered.

“Excellent. Well now, there is no reason for me to stick around any longer. I think I’ll leave you two to catch up a little. Don’t disappoint me Cranberry.” The Black Ring General ordered as the platform rose back into the ship. “Have fun!”

The ship lifted off from the field, and rose into the air, leaving the 2 FOnewearls staring at each other in the field below.

“Cranberry! Please, don’t do this!” Dark Force begged.

“I’ve been waiting for this Dark Force. Now it’s your turn to see what it’s like to die.” Cranberry answered.

End of Chapter 18

Chapter 19 teaser:
Best friends become enemies as an epic battle begins. They’ve faced many challenges together, and overcome many obstacles and trials. But now they face their most dangerous foe yet. Each other. It’s Cranberry vs. Dark Force in chapter 19. Stay tuned!

[Cranberry]

*Authors Note: The next 3 chapters are very violent and at times quiet graphic. Those that are sensative to this kind of thing may find the next 3 chapters very difficult to read.*


Chapter 19 – Cranberry vs. Dark Force

“So, here we are. It’s just you and me now Dark Force. One on one.” Cranberry stated as she raised her Windmill.

“I will not fight you Cranberry.” Dark Force answered.

“Than this is going to be the shortest battle of all time!” Cranberry snapped.

Cranberry ran full speed toward Dark Force lifting her Windmill high over her head. Dark Force dove to her left, quickly rolling back to her feet. “Cranberry stop!”

Cranberry turned and charged toward Dark Force again lashing forward with her Windmill again. Dark Force held up her Magical Piece, staggering backwards as the Windmill collided into her weapon. Her Magical Piece had caught the handle of Cranberry’s Windmill; the spinning blades stopped inches from her face.

“CB! Don’t do this!” Dark Force pleaded.

“What’s wrong Dark Force? Aren’t you happy to see me?” Cranberry shouted as she lifted her Windmill and swiped it forward again.

“Cranberry please!” Dark Force begged as she backed away and deflected the strike with her Magical Piece.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you glad to see me Dark Force?” Cranberry hissed.

“Cranberry, you’re my best friend.” Dark Force answered.

“Not anymore Dark Force.” Cranberry answered, lifting her palm and holding it forward.

“Cranberry stop!” Dark Force begged.

Cranberry cast a Foie technique, the ball of fire launched from her palm and flew toward Dark Force. Dark Force crouched into a defensive stance, holding her arms and Magical Piece over her face and chest. The fire slammed into her, knocking her onto her back from the impact but her stance did protect her from sustaining any real injury.

Dark Force quickly jumped to her feet. As she looked up Cranberry drew her Windmill and rushed toward her. Dark Force thrust her Magical Piece forward and cast Deband, increasing her defensive capabilities. Cranberry sprang toward her and swung her Windmill. Dark Force held her Magical Piece forward in defense. The Windmill crashed into Dark Force’s weapon, causing an ear-shattering clang. Cranberry did not let up and swung her Windmill again and again. Dark Force struggled to defend, her arms weakening as she intercepted each strike with here Magical Piece, falling to her knees against the force of the attacks. Cranberry thrust her Windmill down atop Dark Force’s Magical Piece and pushed it downwards. Before Dark Force could react, Cranberry jumped up and performed a spin kick, striking Dark Force in the face and knocking her aside.

Dark Force pulled herself up, rubbing her cheek lightly where she was hit as she stood up. Cranberry turned and grinned at Dark Force, readying her Windmill for another strike. Dark Force quickly backed away, holding her Magical Piece forward like a shield. Cranberry ran forward and lashed out with her Windmill. Again she intercepted Cranberry’s Windmill with her Magical Piece, thrusting it forward to deflect the strike. Cranberry leapt backwards and suddenly cast Barta, knocking Dark Force out of her rhythm and forced her to dive to the side. Cranberry immediately rushed forward and swung her Windmill, penetrating Dark Force’s defenses and slashing her in the shoulder.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso49.png

Dark Force cried out in pain and stumbled backwards shakily, holding her hand over her left shoulder. She just stared in shock and disbelief at Cranberry.

Cranberry grinned and retook her battle pose, aiming her Windmill toward Dark Force.

“Cranberry, why are you doing this?” Dark Force cried.

“Well, to make a long story short. I’m trying to kill you.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force felt her heart sink, she just stared straight ahead, stunned by what Cranberry had just said. Several tears formed in her eyes as she looked down to the ground. “No, Cran.”

“You seem very upset. Well don’t worry about it too much. You let me die, and now it is your turn to experience that!” Cranberry snapped as she ran toward Dark Force.

Dark Force made no move to defend herself as Cranberry approached. Cranberry swung her Windmill, slamming it into Dark Force’s chest. Dark Force stumbled backwards as Cranberry continued her attack, swinging her Windmill again, striking Dark Force again in the shoulder, and finishing her attack with one more strike, slashing her across the stomach.

Dark Force collapsed to her knees, crying out in agony and holding her arms over her stomach. She was clearly in great pain and gasped repeatedly for air as she knelt in the grass.

“Are you even going to make an effort? You haven’t even tried to strike back. Well no matter, it only makes it easier for me.” Cranberry stated as she put away her Windmill and pulled her Double Saber. “I think I’ll use this to finish you off. Ready?”

Dark Force painfully looked up as Cranberry approached, her Double Saber poised to strike. She looked up and gazed at Cranberry with tear filled eyes. “D-do you r-really want to hurt me Cran? T-then go ahead and do it. I can’t f-fight you Cranberry. Go ahead and f-finish me off… if that is what you r-really want.”

“Giving up? Your choice!” Cranberry shouted as she ran forward and lashed out with her Double Saber.

Dark Force closed her eyes as she heard the sound of Cranberry’s Double Saber whiz through the air. But the hum of the weapon suddenly stopped. Dark Force opened her eyes and saw the blade of the Double Saber stopped less than an inch from her face. Cranberry’s hand was shaking and she was breathing heavily, having halted her attack at the last second. Cranberry looked down at Dark Force shakily, a small tear in her eye as well. She pulled back her Double Saber and took up a defensive stance.

“You stopped, you couldn’t do it.” Dark Force said softly.

Cranberry growled in frustration. “I’m not finished with you yet!” Cranberry lifted her foot and kicked Dark Force in the chest, knocking her over backwards.

Dark Force pulled herself back into a sitting position, looking down at her Purple Ring. It was reacting and had increased her defense. “Cran, our rings. They are reacting to each other.”

Cranberry looked down at the ring on her left hand, and then glared back at Dark Force. She clenched her Double Saber tightly. “So what.”

“You kept it on. It still has m-meaning to you doesn’t it? You don’t r-really want this Cran.” Dark Force said as she rose to her feet and cast a Resta technique, healing much of the damage she’d taken.

“What at touching little speech Dark Force. But it’s not going to save you. It doesn’t matter what the rings do.” Cranberry snapped.

“Than take it off. If it truly means nothing to you, weaken my defense by taking it off.” Dark Force replied.

Cranberry hesitated, looking down at her ring, her hand shaking. She looked back to Dark Force, clenching her fists so tightly around the Double Saber that her knuckles began to turn white.

“Cran..” Dark Force said.

“Enough! That’s enough! Just stop!” Cranberry shouted..

Cranberry ran toward Dark Force and swung her Double Saber. Dark Force thrust her Magical Piece forward and intercepted the strike. Cranberry spun her Double Saber and continuously struck Dark Force’s Magical Piece. The Magical Piece provided some defense, but the Double Saber’s blades were able to stretch around it and knick Dark Force on the arms. She received several small cuts before she was able to break away and dart out of Cranberry’s range.

Dark Force put away her Magical Piece and pulled her own Windmill. She held it up in a defensive stance. “CB..”

Cranberry gave no verbal responds, and instead moved forward for another strike. She lashed forward with her Double Saber. Dark Force swung her Windmill and intercepted the Double Saber’s blades. Sparks erupted as the 2 photonic weapons clashed. Cranberry moved to strike again, but Dark Force thrust her Windmill upward, the spinning blades twisted the Double Saber and forced Cranberry to break off the strike. Dark Force quickly turned and dashed away, putting some distance between Cranberry and herself.

Cranberry put away her Double Saber and re-equipped her Windmill. “Not bad. So a Windmill duel is it? I accept!” Cranberry said.

Dark Force held her Windmill with both hands, keeping her eye on Cranberry. Cranberry closed in on Dark Force and swung her Windmill. The 2 Windmills slammed together as Dark Force lifted it in defense. Sparks flew from the blades as they scrapped against each other. Cranberry pulled back her Windmill, only to swing it again. Dark Force matched her move and again intercepted the Windmill blade with hers. Cranberry pressed against Dark Force’s Windmill as the blades became tangled together. The photon energy crackled and pulsed as the blades spun against each other. Cranberry swung her arm forward, forcing Dark Force’s arms to follow the movement. Finding an opening, Cranberry swung her Windmill hard to her left, pulling the blades apart. Cranberry quickly thrust her Windmill forward again, pushing through Dark Force’s defense and slashing her in the side, not letting up Cranberry brought the Windmill back around for 2 more strikes, hitting her in the chest and face.

“Cran!” Dark Force cried as she stumbled backwards.

Cranberry didn’t answer. Her Windmill was now spinning very quickly. Cranberry continued swinging her weapon, sending the photonic blades flying at Dark Force. Dark Force raised her own Windmill, intercepting one of the incoming blades and deflecting it. The other two blew past her weapon. Dark Force gasped and cried out in pain as the 2 remaining shots ripped through her. Dark Force fell to her knees, gasping and holding her hands over where the blades ripped her. Cranberry did not allow any time to recover however, and raised her Windmill one more time, casting a Foie technique. Before she could react, the fireball slammed into Dark Force, engulfing her momentarily in fire.

Dark Force dropped her Windmill and fell over onto her side, trembling in pain and agony. She breathed heavily as she tried to gasp for air. Cranberry glared down at her triumphantly and began to walk over to her.

“How’s it feel Dark Force? I wonder how it compares to the pain I felt when you let me die.” Cranberry sneered.

“I-I did everything I c-could. If I c-could have t-traded p-places w-w-with you I would have in a heart beat. All I c-c-could t-think about w-was s-saving y-you. I t-tried my v-very h-hardest t-to s-save you in t-time.” Dark Force stuttered.

“Well it wasn’t good enough was it?” Cranberry shouted as she cast Foie again, blasting Dark Force with another fireball. “What is wrong with you anyways? Since we started you haven’t even attacked me. You’ve just tried pretty unsuccessfully to defend. I was hoping you’d at least be a challenge.”

“I don’t….. want you to be hurt…… even if it… means… that I die..” Dark Force responded weakly as she lay on the ground. “You are… still my best… friend.”

“How very touching!” Cranberry snapped. “But if you are ready to perish, I won’t keep you waiting!”

Cranberry rushed forward and swung her Windmill. The blades struck the ground just past Dark Force as the handle was lowered and pressed against her waist. Dark Force groaned in agony as the weapons handle was pressed against her, slowly crushing her against the ground.

“C-cran.. p-please…” Dark Force cried softly.

“D..Dar..Gaaa!” Cranberry shook violently and sprang forward, pulling her Windmill off Dark Force she swung it, but instead of hitting Dark Force the Windmill struck Dark Force’s bag. Cranberry rolled forward into a defensive position, turning quickly to face Dark Force as she still lay on the ground. Cranberry glanced at the trace of blood on her Windmill’s blades and clenched her fist. She again glared at Dark Force in frustration.

Dark Force peered weakly up at Cranberry. Dark Force’s purple Sato rose up and hovered above her shoulder, looking at Cranberry. Cranberry held her Windmill and aimed it at Dark Force, preparing to spin the blades again. The Sato glowed and activated, releasing it’s stored Photon Blast energy. Both Cranberry and Dark Force froze and the Sato generated its energy. The Sato generated a Photon Blast known as Leilla, causing a creature to rise over Dark Force and unleash it’s energy over her body, greatly healing her wounds. Feeling the strength return to her body thanks to her MAG, Dark Force rose to her feet.

“Well, it looks like you got some luck on your side. I was about to finish you off if your MAG hadn’t interfered.” Cranberry growled in frustration.

“No, it wasn’t my MAG at all that stopped you was it?” Dark Force replied, quickly re-casting Deband on herself.

Cranberry bolted back toward Dark Force, holding her Windmill high over her head. “You’re finished!”

Dark Force turned and ran, much to Cranberry’s surprise.

“What? No you can’t escape!” Cranberry challenged as she pursued Dark Force.

Dark Force bolted across the field, but Cranberry was quickly gaining ground. Dark Force lowered her Windmill and pushed it into the ground as she ran. The blades cut through the ground and sent a small barrage of dust and soil flying behind her, right into the pursuing Cranberry. It also served in digging a quick trench into the ground.

Cranberry, suddenly blinded by the flying dirt held her windmill in front of her face as a type of shield against the soil. Not slowing down she rushed forward to try and reach Dark Force, only to lose her footing as she ran over the freshly dug trench. Cranberry tripped and crashed into the ground, rolling to a rough stop as the dirt rained down on her. Cranberry slowly sat up, having had the wind completely knocked out of her. She quickly looked around for Dark Force, but could not immediately see her.

“Nice trick, but you’ll need a lot more than that to stop me! Now where are you? Get out here and fight!” Cranberry demanded.

Dark Force crouched low to the ground, having put as much distance between Cranberry and herself as she could. There was little to hide behind, but if she stayed low to the ground she could get a few more moments to catch her breath before Cranberry spotted her.

“There has got to be a way to stop her without hurting her.” Dark Force thought to herself. “What do I do? I can’t keep going like this much longer, but what can I do? I can’t harm my best friend…”

“Where are you?” Cranberry shouted as she scanned the landscape trying to locate her opponent.

Dark Force braced herself and spent the time she had regaining as much of her strength as she could and trying to come up with a plan.

“There you are!” Cranberry shouted as she spotted Dark Force and immediately ran toward her, spinning her Windmill as she did so.

Dark Force rose to her feet and braced herself. Cranberry fired her Windmill, sending the blades flying toward Dark Force. This time she was ready for them, and pivoted her body at an angle and deflected the blades with her Windmill, angling each one to fly away from her body. Cranberry closed in and lashed out with her Windmill. Dark Force did a quick back flip and readied her own Windmill. Cranberry leapt forward and swung her Windmill in a leap slash motion. Dark Force held her weapon horizontally and intercepted the strike. The 2 stared into each other’s eyes. Cranberry glared with a dark angry expression. Dark Force stared back, a more sorrowful and hurt look. Cranberry screamed and hammered her Windmill against Dark Force as fast and hard as she could. Dark Force devoted all of her energy to defending against the strikes, parrying and deflecting each blow. The sound of the Windmills as they collided together caused birds to fly off from the nearby trees. Sparks flew all around the 2 as their weapons collided. Dark Force continued to stare at Cranberry, despite the cold and dark expression on Cranberry’s face, she could see something more as she stared into her eyes. She couldn’t quite describe what it was that she saw, but it left a very real impression on her when she saw it.

Cranberry pressed forward and swung her Windmill, pushing past Dark Force’s weapon. Before the Windmill could strike, Dark Force suddenly pivoted and rotated her body, slipping behind Cranberry and grabbing her arm. Cranberry gasped in surprise as Dark Force spun Cranberry by the arm a full 360 degrees before releasing her, causing her to fly forward a few feet. Cranberry quickly regained her footing and spun around to face Dark Force, a bit surprised by the move.

“Is this a game to you? You dare to toy with me?” Cranberry hissed.

“Of course not.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry glared and again moved to fire the blades of her Windmill. But Dark Force suddenly ran forward, straight for Cranberry before she could re-spin her weapons blades. Cranberry adjusted her stance and moved to meet Dark Force head on. Cranberry swung her Windmill, a loud crash again echoing as it struck Dark Force’s weapon. Growing increasingly frustrated, Cranberry tried to slip her Windmill around Dark Force’s defenses, but Dark Force seemed to anticipate every move and moved her Windmill to block each strike. Still, all Dark Force did was defend. She had not yet made a true offensive move. Seeing that her opponent was beginning to tire, she continued her assault with the Windmill. Dark Force slowly backed away, but Cranberry stayed right with her, forcing Dark Force to take heavy defensive action as she attacked again and again with her Windmill. Cranberry swung at an upward angle and knocked the blades of Dark Force’s windmill upward, swinging again, Cranberry entangled the blades of her Windmill into Dark Forces. Pushing with all her might, Cranberry wrenched the Windmill out of Dark Force’s hands, sending it flying straight into the ground at their feet. Cranberry quickly pulled back her Windmill and swung it toward Dark Force’s now exposed body with all her might, but just before the blade struck, Cranberry was suddenly hit by a blast of Ice and knocked away from Dark Force and onto her back.

Dark Force breathed heavily, her hand still held forward in its casting pose from her sudden Barta technique. She stared at Cranberry as she stood back up, they again stared into each other’s eyes for a brief moment.

“Well, that was unexpected. So you have some bite in you after all.” Cranberry stated, a sly grin forming on her face as she brushed herself off.

Dark Force knelt down and picked her Windmill up, rising back into a battle ready stance. “I’m sorry Cranberry, but I have to stop you.”

“Oh really? So you’ve finally decided to start fighting back eh? I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to throw a punch!” Cranberry laughed. “Well this fight just got a heck of a lot more interesting, don’t you think?”

Dark Force continued to stare at Cranberry. “Yeah, it did. You’re not fighting me with everything you have, you’re holding back. You’re still in their Cranberry, I just have to find out how to bring you back out.”

“Very perceptive. Very well then Dark Force. That’s it for the warm up then. It’s time to take the gloves off. How about we get the real battle started now?” Cranberry responded.

End of Chapter 19
Chapter 20 teaser:
What do you do when your best friend becomes your worst enemy? You do what you feel you must. The warm-up is over. Cranberry gives it everything she has! Dark Force gets serious! There’s not much need for words, the true duel begins in Chapter 20.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cranberry on 2006-06-11 18:02 ]</font>

[Cranberry]

Chapter 20 – Shattered Friendship

Cranberry stared at Dark Force, grinning slyly. “So, here we are. We finally get to see which one of us truly is the superior one.”

Dark Force took up a defensive stance, not responding to Cranberry’s statement.

“I guess there’s nothing left to say then. All right then Dark Force, you’re mine now!” Cranberry snapped.

Cranberry cast Shifta and Deband on herself and charged toward Dark Force. Dark Force quickly recast Shifta and Deband herself and readied herself for Cranberry’s attack. The 2 Windmills clashed as their blades struck. Cranberry pressed her attack and hammered her Windmill at Dark Force, swinging and maneuvering it to try and break through her defenses. Dark Force did not back down, and kept her Windmill ready, deflecting and intercepting the strikes. She was reading Cranberry’s movements much more effectively than she had before. Cranberry gripped her Windmill with both hands and raised it high over her head for a powerful downward strike. Dark Force jumped to her side and spun around, slashing her Windmill outward, the fast movement quickly spinning the blades as they struck Cranberry in the side.

Cranberry gasped and pulled back, staring down at her side where the Windmill had cut her. She turned and smiled at Dark Force, seeing that now she really was ready to fight back. Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast Foie, taking Dark Force by surprise and blasting her with the ball of fire. Dark Force quickly rolled back to her feet and thrust her own Windmill forward, casting a Grants technique. Cranberry became engulfed in the arrows of light and felt herself knocked to the ground as the technique impacted. Cranberry pushed herself back to her feet and glared at Dark Force.

Dark Force looked back at Cranberry, not showing even a hint of anger in her eyes, only sadness. She readied her Windmill as Cranberry glared. Cranberry screamed and jumped for Dark Force, her weapon lashing forward. Cranberry aggressively wailed her Windmill against Dark Force, pushing herself closer as she swung. Dark Force braced herself and fended off the strikes, keeping her own Windmill in the path of Cranberry’s. Cranberry shoved her Windmill against Dark Force, and suddenly lifted her kneed and slammed her foot down, right on top of Dark Force’s. Dark Force’s eyes widened as she cried out in pain from the surprise strike, involuntarily dropping her defense.

Cranberry swung and slammed her Windmill against Dark Force, the spinning blades slashed and cut into her chest at a downward angle from the left hand side. Dark Force stumbled as Cranberry aggressively continued her attack. Swinging the Windmill around again, she struck Dark Force across the face, pulling her Windmill back she swung it one more time over her head and directly downward, slashing the strike downward over her chest and stomach area.

Dark Force stumbled backwards, struggling to stay on her feet and feeling very dazed from the strike. She nearly fell over as she backed away and tried to regain her focus. Cranberry however did not give Dark Force any time to recover. Cranberry thrust her weapon forward and released the photon blades, sending them flying into Dark Force. The blade ripped through her side as she fell to her knees, cringing in pain. Cranberry swung her Windmill and released another volley of photonic blades. Dark Force looked up and quickly rolled her body to the side, despite the pain she was feeling. Without standing, she thrust her arm forward and cast Gizonde. Lightning flew from Dark Force’s palm and struck Cranberry, breaking her out of her attack motion. Cranberry quickly recovered from the strike and swung her Windmill again, releasing another projectile at Dark Force. Dark Force rolled her body, but could not fully evade the strike. The blade struck and cut into her leg as she moved, knocking her off balance and causing her arm to slip so that she could not move into a position to counter attack or defend herself. Dark Force pushed her hands against the ground and started to push herself up, only to be struck in the back of the head by Cranberry’s Windmill. Dark Force’s arms gave out and she fell back down limply.

Cranberry lifted her foot and stomped it onto Dark Force’s back, twisting it aggressively as she pressed down on Dark Force. Dark Force moaned in agony as she was crushed against the ground. Cranberry pulled back, lifting her foot off of Dark Force and stepping away. Dark Force weakly pushed herself up and lifted her head to look at Cranberry, blood running down her face where she had been cut. Cranberry looked down at the FOnewearl, a very cold expression on her face. She lifted her hand and pointed at Dark Force. A Foie fireball formed from her palm and launched forward, striking Dark Force. Dark Force collapsed back to the ground, smoke rising from her as she lay in the dirt.

“That’s right Dark Force. You are right where you belong. Face down in the dirt.” Cranberry stated.

Dark Force breathed heavily as she tried to regain herself. The entire world seemed to be spinning as she opened her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to fight back the feelings of pain flowing through her body. She paused as she heard Cranberry jogging back toward her. She closed her eyes for a moment and braced herself, holding her Windmill tightly. Cranberry lifted her Windmill as she approached. Dark Force suddenly rolled over and threw her hands upward. A blast of ice flew into Cranberry’s face as Dark Force cast Gibarta. Cranberry threw her hands up and into her face, screeching as she quickly backed away.

“My eyes! What have you done!? Arrrgh blast you!” Cranberry cried.

Dark Force weakly rose to her feet as she struggled to keep her balance. She whimpered softly seeing Cranberry holding her face.

Cranberry rubbed her eyes rapidly, shaking fragments of ice off of her. Regaining her vision, she glared at Dark Force. Holding her Windmill with both hands she rocketed back towards Dark Force and hurled her weapon at her. Dark Force, having regained some of her strength lurched forward and looped her Windmill in a clockwise circle. Her Windmill clashed against Cranberry’s and knocked it back upwards. Breaking open Cranberry’s defenses, Dark Force looped the weapon around again and swung it into Cranberry’s midsection. Cranberry cringed as the blade cut through her. Cranberry quickly resumed her attack stance and began to circle Dark Force. Dark Force turned and kept Cranberry in front of her, keeping her weapon in a ready position. Cranberry lifted her Windmill up into her casting pose. Dark Force suddenly snapped thrust her left first forward and punched Cranberry in the stomach, knocking her out of her casting stance. Cranberry spun and swung her Windmill at Dark Force to counter attack. The blade struck Dark Force in the shoulder, but she maintained her position and prepared herself. Cranberry moved to strike again, swiping her Windmill toward Dark Force’s head. Dark Force twisted her body and maneuvered herself out of the Windmill’s trajectory. Before Cranberry could pull back her swing, Dark Force jumped up and performed a spin kick, striking Cranberry in the head knocking her backwards. Dark Force pivoted and thrust her own Windmill forward, unleashing a Barta wave. The ice careened into Cranberry and knocked her over, sending her falling into a heap on the ground.

Dark Force breathed heavily, holding her hand over her chest where she had been badly slashed. She took the opportunity to cast a Resta technique as she watched Cranberry rise to her feet. Cranberry narrowed her eyes and stared at Dark Force as she began to shout. “You pest how dare you! You’re starting to make me very angry! You want to play that way? Then let’s play!”

Cranberry raised her hand and pointed toward Dark Force. “Sato! Take her down!”

Dark Force gasped and backed away as Cranberry’s Sato rose up from her shoulder. A look of terror forming on her face as memories of what happened to the Yellow Ring General came back to her. “Cran no!”

Cranberry’s red Sato bared its fangs and glared at Dark Force. Dark Force backed away wide eyed, her arms trembling. “No please don’t!”

The red Sato hovered over Cranberry’s shoulder and stared at Dark Force. Dark Force stared at the Sato as she held her Windmill up in defense. The Sato stared at Dark Force and flicked its tail sharply. But the Sato did not move forward, it simply gazed with piercing eyes at Dark Force.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Take her down!” Cranberry commanded.

The Sato returned to its normal position just above Cranberry’s shoulder. Cranberry looked at the Sato and shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well. It looks like Sato does not wish to attack you after all. I guess you caught a break. But that only means I get to destroy you myself. I guess when it comes down to it, that’s the way it was meant to be after all isn’t it Dark Force? After all that has happened between us it now comes down to this. The two of us trying to destroy each other, how ironic yet strangely appropriate.”

Dark Force sighed in relief seeing that the Sato was not going to attack her. “I know that inside you don’t believe that Cran. I know you are still in there.”

“You talk as if I’m possessed. If only it were that simple. The fact of the matter is nothing is controlling me! Now come on, lets do this!” Cranberry shouted as she raised her Windmill.

Dark Force made the first move and ran towards Cranberry. Cranberry blinked in surprise of the aggressive move but quickly resumed her ready pose and thrust her arms forward, casting Foie at the approaching Dark Force. Dark Force sprang into the air and leapt over the fireball, thrusting her own Windmill forward and casting a Zonde technique. Cranberry cringed as the lightning struck her, but quickly shook it off and bolted toward Dark Force. Dark Force immediately threw her Windmill up in a defensive position, but much to her great surprise Cranberry did not swing her Windmill as normal but instead plowed directly into Dark Force, ramming her at full speed. Before she could be knocked off her feet, Cranberry grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her back to her foot. Still clutching her shirt, Cranberry clenched her fist around the Windmill’s handle and swung it into Dark Force’s face, not having enough room for a full windup. Dark Force cried out from the strike briefly, but did not let the pain overwhelm her. She quickly thrust her own Windmill upward to deflect another shot, but fell right into a trap. Cranberry suddenly released her hold on Dark Force’s shirt and grabbed her arm, spinning hear around and wrapping her arms around Dark Force’s shoulders and neck, pinning her arms down and grabbing her neck in a strangle hold. Dark Force gasped as Cranberry grabbed her by the neck and began to squeeze.

“You’re done! Squirm as the life is squeezed out of you!” Cranberry hissed as she began to strangle Dark Force.

Dark Force was not able to lift her arms up to her neck to pry Cranberry off her. Cranberry’s grip tightened as she began to slump down and twist her body slightly.

“So much for your fairy tale ending!” Cranberry laughed as she continued strangling Dark Force. “It’s only a mater of.. Gah! Gah!! Ack!”

Though Dark Force could not lift her arms to her neck, she was still able to move them. Angling her body and arms correctly, she began to slam her elbow into Cranberry’s stomach over and over again as hard as she could. Cranberry began to reel under the repeated blows and her strangle hold on Dark Force’s neck weakened. After several more blows, Cranberry groaned and slumped down, releasing her grip on Dark Force’s neck. Dark Force immediately spun around and grabbed Cranberry by the arm and swung the FOnewearl, lifting the Force off the ground over her back and into the ground. Maintaining her grip on Cranberry’s arm, Dark Force pulled her back up and swung her in a full circle three times before releasing her grip, sending Cranberry flying a few feet and crashing to the ground.

Cranberry lay on the ground completely dazed for a moment before sitting up and reaching a half standing position, using her Windmill for support. Dark Force breathed heavily, rubbing her neck gently and regaining her lost air. Cranberry stared at Dark Force angrily and forced herself into a normal standing position. Blood was running down Cranberry’s face and left arm. Dark Force briefly closed her eyes in sorrow upon seeing this, but quickly readied herself for Cranberry’s next move. Cranberry glared at Dark Force and slowly raised her Windmill. The ground around Dark Force exploded from the effect of Cranberry’s Rafoie technique. Dark Force absorbed the hit, and counter attacked with a Razonde technique.

Cranberry recoiled from the strike and screamed in anger, growing increasingly frustrated. She raised her Windmill again and charged toward Dark Force. Dark Force attempted to defend with her own Windmill but Cranberry angled her swing and evaded Dark Force’s defense, striking her with tremendous force on the left side. The blades cut deep into Dark Force and hurled her toward the ground. Dark Force thrust her hand forward and grabbed onto Cranberry’s half skirt, pulling her down with her. The two crashed to the ground in a heap. The two looked into each other’s eyes as they lay beside each other. Simultaneously they both thrust their arms forward each of them casting a technique simultaneously. Cranberry cast Foie as Dark Force cast Barta. The respective techniques each struck their target, knocking both FOnewearls away from each other. They both quickly sprang back to their feet and turned back towards each other. Cranberry made the first move ran back to Dark Force for close range combat. Dark Force backed away defensively, twisting herself to evade Cranberry’s strikes. Cranberry continued striking, suddenly releasing her Windmill’s blades. The blades took Dark Force by surprise and struck her in chest and shoulder. Cranberry lashed forward and smashed her Windmill into Dark Force’s head, forcing her backwards from the hit and nearly knocking her off her feet. Cranberry moved forward and pulled her Windmill back, winding up for a finishing strike. Cranberry swung the Windmill toward Dark Force’s neck, but the Windmill suddenly stopped as Dark Force threw her hand up and grabbed onto the handle, redirecting the blades and stopping it from striking her again. She forcefully lifted her knee and rammed it into Cranberry’s stomach. Shoving Cranberry away, she spun her Windmill in a 360-degree motion and clubbed Cranberry in the side of the head.

Cranberry stumbled backwards, rubbing her head and gasping a few times from the blow to the stomach. Regaining her composure she looked toward Dark Force. She held both arms forward and grinned. Dark Force looked curiously at Cranberry, crouching into a more defensive stance.

“Now experience the true power of the Fire Mage!” Cranberry hissed. Thrusting her arms forward, she began rapidly casting Foie, sending fireball after fireball at Dark Force. Dark Force’s eyes widened as the fire rushed toward her. She crossed her arms over her body and crouched low to the ground to try and protect herself. The fire slammed into Dark Force, overwhelming her defenses and pinning her to the ground. It was alls he could do to hold her Windmill forward and intercept enough of the onslaught to avoid being instantly killed by the assault. But the fire was doing great damage to her and Cranberry was not letting up, sending blast after blast into her. She could not last much longer like this. She had to make a move right now or she would be reduced to ashes and never be able to help Cranberry. She closed her eyes and dashed forward, breaking out of her defensive stance and taking several direct undefended hits. Dark Force continued running despite the pain, but a fireball hit her directly in the head, knocking her down. She groaned in pain, forgetting how good of a shot Cranberry is with her fire techniques. Cranberry did not show any mercy and continued casting Foie, blasting the fallen Dark Force repeatedly. Dark Force could feel her strength leaving her, but she could not give up. Forcing her legs to respond, she sprang up and leapt high into the air, thrusting her Windmill forward and casting Grants. Cranberry was forced to halt her assault as the technique struck her. Dark Force immediately rushed toward Cranberry and swung her Windmill as Cranberry sprang back to her feet after being knocked down by the Grants technique. Dark Force slashed her Windmill into Cranberry, cutting a gash into her arm. Cranberry cried out attempted to counter attack with a left hand punch. Dark Force threw her left hand up in defense. A clang echoed as their purple rings collided. Both rings reacted to their close preference. Cranberry raised her right hand and brought her Windmill in for a strike. Dark Force lifted her own Windmill and intercepted Cranberry’s. They each gripped the others arm with their left hand as their Windmills pressed against each other.

As Cranberry pushed the spinning blade of her Windmill closer to Dark Force’s neck, Dark Force made a desperate move. She suddenly slid her legs forward and let herself fall to the ground. Cranberry stumbled forward in surprise, her Windmill pushed forward as Dark Force’s slipped below it. Dark Force pivoted and swung her legs into Cranberry’s, bringing the FOnewearl down to her knees. Dark Force sprang up and pushed Cranberry over onto her back. Dark Force quickly crawled away, pulling herself weakly to her feet and casting Resta on herself.

Cranberry stood up and glared at Dark Force, grinning at her. “You’re fighting quite well Dark Force. I have to hand it to you; you can take a beating and still come back for more. But that is just the way I want it! What fun would it be if destroying you was easy? What a fine duel!”

“I take no pleasure in fighting you Cranberry.” Dark Force answered as some tears formed in her eyes. “I hate hurting you.”

Cranberry put her Windmill away and re-equipped her Double Saber. Dark Force sighed and resumed her defensive stance. Cranberry lunged forward and swung her saber. Dark Force was thrown off by the different movement of the saber from her Windmill and almost misjudged her movements. The Double Saber slipped below Dark Force’s Windmill and grazed her in the thigh, cutting through her half skirt and cutting a small scratch into her skin. Taking only minor damage from the hit, Dark Force rotated sideways around Cranberry and struck her Windmill into Cranberry’s side. Cranberry yelped and backhanded Dark Force with her left hand. Dark Force stumbled backwards as Cranberry pivoted and swung her saber again. Dark Force thrust her left hand forward and intercepted Cranberry’s blade with her Purple Ring. Dark Force grunts as she struggles to hold back Cranberry’s blade to stop it from striking her body. Cranberry pulls back the Double Saber and swings it again. Dark Force quickly back-flips and narrowly evades the blade. As soon as she lands she counter attacks with a Gibarta technique. Detecting Dark Force’s casting movement, Cranberry suddenly rolled to the side just out of range of the wave of ice particles. Cranberry leapt forward and jump kicked Dark Force in the chest, breaking her out of her cast and knocking her backwards. Dark Force stumbled and fell down. Reacting almost on instinct alone, Dark Force quickly rolled to her right as Cranberry thrust her Double Saber downward, piercing the ground where Dark Force lay a moment ago. Dark Force sprang back to her feet and pressed her Windmill, intercepting Cranberry’s next strike. Thrusting her Windmill upward she knocked Cranberry’s Double Saber upward. Pulling back slightly Dark Force thrust her Windmill forward toward Cranberry’s midsection. Dark Force suddenly cried out in pain before she could connect with her Windmill as Cranberry grabbed Dark Force by the hair and pulled as hard as she could. Dark Force screamed as Cranberry lifted her into the air by her hair and hurled her into the ground.

Dark Force sat up, holding her aching head as she forced herself back to her feet. Cranberry rushed forward again. Dark Force was forced to refocus her attention on defense. She thrust her Windmill forward and again intercepted the Double Saber, her Windmill blades crackling and sparking against it. Cranberry pressed against her blade and slowly forced Dark Force’s Windmill higher. Dark Force stepped backwards and attempted to pull her Windmill free. Cranberry flicked her blade upward forcing Dark Force to raise her weapon as she quickly looped the blade downward and thrust it forward.

Dark Force screamed as the blade pierced deep into her belly. She gasped heavily and fell to her knees as Cranberry stepped back and pulled the Double Saber back out of her. Dark Force held her hand over her stomach and cried out in agony, lowering her head to the ground. She tried to hold it in, but again screamed in unbearable pain.

“D-Dark F-Force?” Cranberry stuttered, a look of shock on her face.

Dark Force trembled as she held her hands tightly over her wound, gasping painfully and trying unsuccessfully to contain her screams of agony. Cranberry backed away in shock as she saw Dark Force screaming in pain on the ground before her. A single tear formed in her eye as she watched Dark Force lay terrified on the ground.

“C-Cran… p-please…” Dark Force whimpered weakly, gasping heavily and beginning to turn very pale.

Cranberry fell to her knees and clenched her fists. Her hands shook and she dropped her Double Saber. She stared at Dark Force and gritted her teeth. She began to pound the ground in frustration.

“CB… please… help..” Dark Force squeaked, her hands becoming covered in blood as she tried to cover her wound, her hands shaking so much she could barely hold them over herself.

Cranberry stood up and glared at Dark Force as her Red Sato rose from her shoulder. “Looks like I win.”

Dark Force felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, her vision was blurring and her strength was all but gone. Dark Force’s purple Sato rose from her shoulder, sensing Dark Force in danger. It activated and generated its Photon Blast. Cranberry watched as Leilla appeared and cast it’s healing ability onto Dark Force. Dark Force opened her eyes, though still in sever pain; she felt a good deal of her strength return to her. She slowly and wobbly stood up, still holding her hand over her wound. “That Leilla, it wasn’t normal… it was stronger.. You contributed PB energy to it Cran…”

Cranberry snorted. “You can’t die just yet Dark Force. I’m not finished with you. I want you to suffer even more before you die!”

Dark Force looked at Cranberry and smiled lightly. “No, that’s not it. Deep down you are still the Cranberry I’ve always known, and that is what made you strengthen my Sato’s Leilla.”

“Whatever. This battle is still on Dark Force! But you are not getting any more breaks! Now, I’m going to finish you off for good!”

Dark Force continued to look into Cranberry’s eyes. “You’re still in there, and I think I know how to bring you out again.”

End of chapter 20

Chapter 21 teaser:
I’ve devoted 2 chapters to this battle already, but I can guarantee you there will not be a 4th! This battle ends in Chapter 21! Who will emerge victorious in this final clash? Cranberry or Dark Force? Stay tuned!

[Cranberry]

Chapter 21 – FOnewearl Duel

Dark Force stood shakily. Despite her MAG’s Leilla, she was still in some of the most pain she had ever been in. Cranberry had done great damage to her and definitely had the upper hand right now. Dark Force clutched her Windmill and stared over to Cranberry, whom was holding her Double Saber in a battle ready pose. The two stared each other down for a couple minutes, sizing each other up and planning their next move.

Cranberry acted first and swung her weapon toward Dark Force. Dark Force countered the strike with her Windmill, intercepting the blade and suddenly pushing it forward, the blades of her Windmill spinning it away from their bodies. Dark Force lifted her left knee to strike at Cranberry, but missed her target as Cranberry, having already been hit by that strike once anticipated it and took evasive action. Cranberry grabbed Dark Force’s knee and pulled it forward. Losing her balance, Dark Force slipped off her feet and fell to the ground. Cranberry tried to take advantage of the situation and lashed out with her Double Saber. Dark Force thrust her Windmill forward and again intercepted the blade. The blades became wedged together, generating a shower of sparks that fell down onto Dark Force’s face. She shook them out of her face lightly but maintained strict focus on Cranberry, using all of the strength she could to resist the Double Saber. Cranberry lifted her foot and attempted to slam it down onto the wound on Dark Force’s belly, but Dark Force lifted her left knee and intercepted the attack, blocking and holding Cranberry’s foot with her shin. Cranberry tried to press her Double Saber downward, but could not push through Dark Force’s defense, the blade was firmly wedged into the Windmill’s blades. Dark Force squinted in pain as she resisted Cranberry, having to use 2 hands to support her Windmill. Gathering a small bit of strength, she thrust her hands to the side and flipped over, forcing Cranberry’s Double Saber to follow her Windmill and pull Cranberry with it. Landing on her side, Dark Force thrust her arms forward and pushed herself up, quickly jumping to her feet as Cranberry stumbled to regain her footing. Losing her balance, Cranberry fell to one knee. Dark Force dashed to Cranberry and swung her Windmill, but stopped and pulled it back inches from Cranberry’s head.

“I, I just can’t do that.” Dark Force admitted, backing away from Cranberry.

Cranberry opened her eyes, having expected a sever strike to the head. She rose to her feet and grinned at Dark Force. “You’re far too soft. And that’s why you are going to lose this.” Cranberry clasped her hands together and pointed toward Dark Force. Dark Force dove to the side, grunting in pain as she landed and rolled to avoid the ground engulfing Rafoie strike. As soon as she got to her feet, Cranberry was on top of her, aggressively swinging her Double Saber. Dark Force quickly backed away, thrusting her Windmill in seemingly every direction in order to protect herself. Cranberry was quickly wearing her down. Leilla had only been able to do so much to heal her wound, it was still quite serious and greatly affecting her. Cranberry hammered at Dark Force, twisting and maneuvering her Double Saber trying to break through the Windmill. Dark Force felt herself weakening rapidly. She would not be able to last much longer at all like this. As she watched Cranberry attack, an idea suddenly formed.

“That’s it!” Dark Force thought to herself. “Her blade is strong but it needs room to maneuver. That means…”

Dark Force readied her Windmill and stood firmly. As soon as she intercepted Cranberry’s attack, she ducked her head and pushed forward, pressing herself right against Cranberry. Cranberry tried to back away, but Dark Force stayed right in her face, staying so close that she could not properly swing her Double Saber. Dark Force grabbed Cranberry by the sides and pressed inward with as much force as she could. Cranberry shrieked in pain and surprise as she felt herself being crushed. Dark Force almost immediately pulled away at the sound of Cranberry’s scream, but forced herself to finish her move. Dark Force twisted Cranberry around and shoved her forward. Dark Force quickly put away her Windmill and pulled her Magical Piece from her pack. Rushing forward, she clubbed Cranberry in the chest, following up with a weaker strike to the side of the head. Cranberry first fell to her knees, then over onto her side, cringing from the blows completely dazed.

Dark Force backed away and watched as Cranberry rolled back into a sitting position, holding her head. More tears fell from Dark Force’s eyes. She absolutely hated striking Cranberry in the head, but she was not being left much of a choice. Even so, this battle was taking much more of a toll on her emotionally than it was physically. A huge part of her wanted to just throw down her weapons and let Cranberry have her way with her. She would rather die than hurt Cranberry, but at the same she knew that if she did that, Cranberry would remain the way she is now. She could not condemn Cranberry to this fate, no matter how much it hurt to fight.

Cranberry slowly stood up, and turned her attention back to Dark Force. Cranberry raised her arms forward to cast Foie. Dark Force immediately thrust her Magical Piece forward and cast Foie as well. The 2 fireballs flew forward and collided in mid air, exploding upon impact and covering the ground with embers. Cranberry maintained her position and began to rapidly cast Foie, sending fireball after fireball toward Dark Force. Dark Force mimicked Cranberry’s move and cast a steady stream of Foie techniques as well. A massive wall of exploding fire began to form around them as their stream of techniques collided. Explosion after explosion sounded as the two continued to devote their technique energy to the barrage of flames. The ground itself began to burn away below the growing inferno.

“You dare challenge me, the Fire Mage to a contest of Foie?” Cranberry challenged.

“That’s right!” Dark Force shouted.

Cranberry leaned forward and continued her assault, sending blast after blast of fire toward her target. Dark Force did not back down and also continued her barrage of flames. The inferno of exploding fire intensified flames rising higher into the air causing embers to rain down in all directions. Cranberry continued her efforts, no longer able to see her target but she didn’t care. She continued blasting with Foie, fireball after fireball after fireball flew into the exploding fire. Sweat began to drip from her face as she released Foie after Foie. She shouted as she put everything she had into the assault. Several of her Foie shots began to break through the inferno as she cast. Cranberry dug her feet into the ground and thrust forward as hard and as fast as she could to maintain her assault. Suddenly, 3 bright orange objects ripped through the blaze and headed straight for Cranberry.

Cranberry cried out in shock. Before she could halt her casting and move out of the way, the 3 objects slammed into her, ripping deep gashes into her body as they struck her in the chest, midsection and waist. Cranberry looked at the deep gash in her chest as she realized what had happened. “Windmill blades!” 3 more blades pierced through the fire, the intense flame superheating them, turning them from their normal blue to a scalding hot orange color. Cranberry held up her Double Saber, but the narrow blade was inadequate for deflecting the spinning blades. The first projectile deflected off Cranberry’s saber and flew directly into her face. The second shot passed right by the saber’s blade and tore through her right shoulder. The final blade traveled low and slashed into Cranberry’s left leg, ripping into her shocks and making a long thin gash. Cranberry struggled but remained standing on her feet. “You’re going to pay for that Dark Force!” Cranberry cast a Rafoie technique, engulfing the general area near the diminishing wall of fire. “Where are you hiding? Come out right now!”

Cranberry scanned the area. Hearing the sound of running she turned and pivoted to her left, just in time to spot Dark Force leaping forward, her Windmill re-equipped. Dark Force had her Windmill high over her head and slammed it down with both hands. Cranberry had no chance to dodge and took the full brunt of the hit. Dark Force had stopped casting her Foie technique and moved to a different location behind the wall of flames. After sending Windmill projectiles through as a distraction, she had circled the field and snuck up on Cranberry as she focused on casting fire techniques. The strike hit Cranberry directly in the chest, ripping through her shirt and cutting into her. Dark Force brought her Windmill back up striking Cranberry again at an upward right hand angle across the chest, Dark Force then held the Windmill horizontally and did a quick spin, striking Cranberry in the midsection and knocking her completely off her feet, sending her a good 2 feet before she landed.

Dark Force breathed heavily as she watched Cranberry lying on the ground. She fell to her knees and held her hand over her stomach. That last move may have been too much for her. A sharp crippling pain quickly overcame her. She groaned as she knelt down, her hands beginning to tremble again. The pain was almost unbearable, it felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out. The wound had begun to bleed again. She had lost a lot of blood and it was very much starting to take its toll on her.

Cranberry moaned in agony herself, deep gashes were covering multiple parts of her body, all of them beginning to bleed. Her injuries burned and stung as if she were on fire. She was unable to pull herself even into a sitting position. The best she could do was rotate herself so that she could look over where Dark Force was. Seeing Dark Force kneeling to the ground clutching her stomach, she lifted her hand and held it forward to try and take advantage of the situation. Cranberry began to push her palm forward, but her arm gave out and fell to the ground. She could not gather the strength to cast another technique. She began to breath more heavily, trying to shake off her feelings of light-headedness. Her earlier blows to the head were beginning to affect her.

Dark Force slumped to the ground in a near laying position, having difficulty staying even on her knees. She weakly turned her head and looked toward Cranberry. Seeing that Cranberry too was unable to get up, she continued holding her hand over her wound, trying to fight off the growing pain.

They both stared at each other, neither of them having the strength to stand. Both were completely exhausted, and both had suffered some very serious blows. Both of their rings were reacting. They were just within the rings range. Both FOnewearls could not help but look down at their rings, watching as they registered each other’s presence and increased both Forces’ defensive abilities.

“You are quite skilled Dark Force. I’ve pushed myself harder than ever before against you, but we are still totally even.” Cranberry stated. “You too must be putting everything you’ve got into it.”

Dark Force closed her eyes. “Yes, that is true. But only for one reason.”

“And what might that be?” Cranberry inquired.

“So that I can save you.” Dark Force responded.

“I think you are a little confused Dark Force.” Cranberry snapped.

Dark Force looked at Cranberry, giving no verbal responds.

“It’s not me you should be worried about. It’s yourself!” Cranberry hissed as she tried to push herself back up. “As soon as I get up, I am going to finish you off!”

Dark Force frowned and closed her eyes as she thought to herself. “I could use it…. but it might kill her if I do. I can’t do that.. I just can’t.”

Cranberry weakly began to lift up her head, trying to pull herself into a sitting position. She fell back down as her strength gave out, but quickly began to try again. Dark Force opened her eyes and watched Cranberry trying to get up. She put her left palm onto the ground and began to work on getting up herself. Her pain was still nearly overwhelming, but she had to fight it. If Cranberry got up first, she’d be struck down by the Double Saber for sure.

Cranberry managed to pull herself into a sitting position, breathing very heavily as she held her hands to her head, trying to shake off the dizziness she was experiencing. She groaned and held her head low, bobbing it up and down a few times.

Dark Force also was able to pull herself back to her knees, also feeling the effects of light-headedness as she tried to force her legs to respond. She cringed from the sharp pain as she tried to move. Using her Windmill for support, she pushed herself back into a standing position, almost blacking out in the process. Shakily she leaned on her Windmill, forcing herself to remain standing.

Cranberry slowly slid her legs forward and pushed herself up so that she was up on one knee. She looked forward at Dark Force, glaring at her coldly. Cranberry shakily moved her hand to cast Resta, but was unable to. She could not gather the strength she needed to cast another technique. Her barrage of Foie techniques had drained her, almost completely exhausting her technique energy. She shakily readied her Double Saber, almost dropping it as she tried to hold it forward.

Dark Force took a weak step backwards, taking up the best defensive stance that she could manage. Cranberry began to step towards Dark Force, aiming her Double Saber despite her weakened state. Dark Force did not have the energy to run away, her legs simply were not responding well enough. Much of her body was starting to feel numb.

Cranberry stumbled, but closed in on Dark Force and lashed her Double Saber forward. Dark Force lifted her arms and intercepted the blade with her Windmill. Again the 2 photon weapons crackled as they pressed against each other. The 2 FOnewearls stared into each other’s eyes, each of them using their little remaining strength to press against the others weapons. They both had blood all over their bodies, and they were both on the verge of collapse. Neither had the strength to push through the others defense.

Cranberry stepped backwards, pulling her Double Saber away from Dark Force. She readied her weapon as best she could for another strike, but her moves were slow and sluggish. Dark Force crouched down, making herself a bit smaller of a target as Cranberry moved forward again. Cranberry lunged her Double Saber forward again. Dark Force raised her arm and again deflected the strike with her Windmill. Cranberry suddenly lifted her left hand up and cast a Foie technique. The fireball flew past Dark Force’s Windmill and struck her in the face, knocking her over backwards to the ground where she rolled a few feet, her bag tearing open spiking the contents onto the ground beside her. She came to a stop and lay on the ground looking toward Cranberry. She did not have the strength to get up again and could only gaze up at Cranberry.

Cranberry stared back down at Dark Force and slowly began to walk toward her. “You can’t get back up can you?”

Dark Force lightly shook her head, a few tears in her eyes.

“You’ve fought well, but now it is over. Like I said before, I’m not giving you any more breaks. You’re finished Dark Force.” Cranberry declared.

“Do you know how I can tell that you’re not the true Cranberry?” Dark Force asked.

“And how is that?” Cranberry responded, pausing her approach.

“This whole t-time you have only called me Dark Force, not once have you called me DF.. the true Cranberry uses both Dark Force and DF interchangeably.. never just Dark Force…” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry glared at her a moment. “Enough of your rubbish! It’s time to end this once and for all! You’re finished Dark Force!”

Cranberry began to run toward Dark Force, raising her Double Saber for the final strike. Dark Force prepared herself for this final strike, but then caught something in the corner of her eyes. Her Magical Piece was laying just beside her hand along with another object. Dark Force looked at it, and quickly moved her hand around it. “It’s.. it’s the stone…” Dark Force looked up and saw that Cranberry was almost upon her. “It… it could kill her… but I am out of options… its my only chance…”

Dark Force found one last ounce of strength and grabbed her Magical Piece with her left hand. With her right hand she grabbed the Purification Stone that had fallen out of her backpack, the one they found from the Green Ring General. She pushed the stone into her Magical Piece, it instantly fused to the weapon, creating a pale white aura around it. Gripping her Magical Piece with both hands, she thrust it toward Cranberry just as she lunged forward to deliver a finishing blow to Dark Force. A massive white beam shot out of Dark Force’s Magical Piece, flying directly into Cranberry and engulfing her with its energy. Cranberry screamed a horrible sound as the force of the beam lifted her off the ground and into the air. Her Double Saber fell to the ground as she shrieked, her entire body glowing as the energy ripped through her. Cranberry was sent flying a good 20 feet backwards and crashed to the ground as the beam subsided.

The aura around Dark Force’s Magical Piece faded and the Purification Stone cracked and shattered, falling off of the weapon. Finding a small portion of her strength returning to her, Dark Force was able to stand up. “Cran!” Dark Force moved as quickly as she could over to where Cranberry lay motionless on the ground.

“Cran! Cranberry!” Dark Force cried as she knelt by Cranberry, pulling her into a sitting position. Cranberry was not moving or breathing. “Cranberry! Oooh Cran! No! Please no!”

In desperation Dark Force lightly shook Cranberry and lightly pounded her chest. Cranberry suddenly responded by coughing, then taking a deep breath.

“Cran!” Dark Force exclaimed, leaning back and looking at her face as Cranberry slowly opened her eyes. “Cran are you all right?”

“D-DF?” Cranberry exclaimed weakly.

“Yeah, its me. Cran…” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry looked into Dark Force’s eyes, no longer filled with a cold stare. “D…DF.. I… I..”

Dark Force looked into her eyes as she tried to speak.

“DF…. I’m..” Cranberry broke into tears and threw her arms around Dark Force and began to sob onto her shoulder. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. DF… I’m so sorry! I’m sorry.. I’m so sorry.”

“Cran…” Dark Force answered.

“I’m so sorry DF. I hurt you so much. I’m so sorry.” Cranberry sobbed.

Dark Force put her arms around Cranberry as tears began to flow from her eyes as well. “Cranberry, please stop… you’re going to make me cry..”

Cranberry continued sobbing onto Dark Force’s shoulder, holding her in her arms as tears streamed from her eyes. “I’m so sorry DF.”

“I thought I had lost you forever.” Dark Force cried as she held Cranberry.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/Smaller.jpg
(Special thanks to Striker for drawing this picture for me.)

“Please forgive me DF. I’m so sorry. Oh DF I’m so sorry.” Cranberry cried.

“I do Cran. I do.” Dark Force answered.

End of Chapter 21
Chapter 22 teaser:
These last few chapters have been pretty brutal. The two best friends are together again and the effects of –30 Megid have been purged from Cranberry’s body. Together at last, the two take some time to do some much needed healing and talking in a long overdo cool down chapter.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 22 – Reunited at Last

Cranberry continued to sob onto Dark Force’s shoulder, holding her in her arms and apologizing profusely, burying her head into Dark Force. Dark Force gently rubbed her back, holding her softly as tears fell from her eyes as well. After a few minutes, Cranberry was able to lifted her head.

Dark Force pulled back gently as Cranberry fell into a sitting position and brushed some tears out of her eyes.

“I.. I can remember all of it. I knew exactly what my body was doing. I could see, hear and feel the entire thing, but I had almost no control. I… I felt the power of the Black Ring General inside me, but I could not control it. It was like a whole other part of me emerged and took over. The things I said to you…I didn’t mean it, any of it. I never blamed you for what happened to me on the mountain. I’m so sorry.” Cranberry cried.

Dark Force nodded. “I know Cran. I knew that wasn’t the true you.”

Cranberry looked down at the wound on Dark Force’s belly. “No! Oh no! Oh my god! Oh DF, I… oh no! I hurt you so much. I am so sorry DF. Oh DF!” Tears again began streaming from Cranberry’s face. “Does it hurt a lot?”

Dark Force hesitated before she answered. As much as she wanted to deny it, she could not lie to her friend. She closed her eyes and looked down at the ground, nodding lightly as she held her hands over the wound.

Cranberry broke down again, sobbing intensely as she leaned against Dark Force again. “How could I do this to you? It’s all my fault. Oh DF.”

Dark Force rested her head on Cranberry’s shoulder and allowed Cranberry to hold her a little longer. “I forgive you. It wasn’t your fault. Actually… it was you that saved me.”

Cranberry looked up at Dark Force, not understanding what she meant.

“Cran, we can talk more about this, but we should go first. The Black Ring General could return for you. Let’s go while we still can.”

Cranberry nodded lightly and released Dark Force from the embrace. They both painfully attempted to stand on their feet. Both of them felt light headed as they stood up, and had to hold onto each other to remain standing. Dark Force called out to the J-Tollaw, whom quickly came over to the two. Despite it’s happiness to see Cranberry again, the J-Tollaw remained calm seeing that the two were badly injured. The J-Tollaw knelt low to the ground and both FOnewearls weakly climbed onto it’s back. Once they were able to pull themselves aboard, the J-Tollaw stood up and began to slowly walk forward, carrying them off of the battlefield and into the forest surrounding it.

The J-Tollaw carried them for 20 minutes, gradually increasing its speed and putting some distance between them and the battlefield. The J-Tollaw slowed to a stop as it reached a small clearing beside a gently flowing creek. The J-Tollaw knelt down and the 2 FOnewearls weakly slipped off its back and sat down on the ground.

Cranberry looked at Dark Force and saw that she was again holding her hand over her wound. “DF, please, I have to know. Let me see it.”

“I’ll be ok Cran.” Dark Force answered softly.

“DF, please. I must know.” Cranberry pleaded.

Dark Force closed her eyes and reluctantly moved her hand away from her wound. Cranberry stared at it silently, forcing herself to hold back the tears that were again beginning to form. She gently placed her hand over the wound. “I really did that….”

“Gentle.” Dark Force said as Cranberry covered her wound.

Cranberry pulled her hand back gently. “Oh Dark Force, I’m so sorry.”

Dark Force looked back over to Cranberry. “Cran, do you want me to finish what I started to say back at the field?”

Cranberry nodded softly.

“I did not have the heart to fight you. Doing any kind of harm to you, I just could not do it. In fact I was ready to let you kill me, if that was what you really wanted. But when I was down, and you moved in to finish me off, you stopped. You couldn’t strike me. I looked into your eyes Cranberry. When I did that, it gave me a reason to keep going, to not be destroyed. Do you know what that reason was Cranberry?” Dark Force spoke.

Cranberry shook her head.

“When I looked closely, I saw a sad and hurt look. That is when I knew for sure that the person attacking me was not the true you, I could see the real you deep inside when I stared into your eyes. And I knew that I had to stay alive, so that I could save you. Fighting back against you CB that was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I hated hurting you. But I had to save you, no matter what.” Dark Force continued.

Cranberry closed her eyes as she took in what Dark Force was saying.

“I was hesitant to use the Purification Stone on you. I had thought about it before, but I was worried it might kill you. When it was knocked from my pack, and I could not stand up again, I knew I either had to act them or I would be killed and lose you forever. So I used the stone, hoping with all my heart that you would be all right.” Dark Force spoke.

“I feel so guilty DF, I put you through so much pain, so much suffering. You are.. you are hurt worse than you have ever been hurt before.. and it was done by my hands.” Cranberry said.

“I’m just glad it’s over, and that you are safe. That’s all I care about Cran.” Dark Force replied.

Cranberry looked to Dark Force nervously. “Still friends then?”

“Of course.” Dark Force answered as she reached forward and took Cranberry’s hand. “Now, and forever.”

“Thank you DF.” Cranberry responded, a tired look on her face.

“You’re completely exhausted Cran. You should get some rest, get some sleep.” Dark Force suggested.

“But DF, your wound.” Cranberry objected.

“I’ll take care of it. But Cran, you are badly wounded too. Please, get some sleep. For me.” Dark Force insisted.

“Okay Dark Force, if you insist.” Cranberry answered.

Cranberry rolled out her sleeping bag and crawled inside, resting her head on the ground. Dark Force nodded reassuringly at Cranberry. Cranberry rested her head as Dark Force began to treat and clean her wound.

Dark Force spent a little time working on her injuries, but her strength was all but gone as a result of their battle. She was weak, badly injured, and completely exhausted. It was all she could do even to sit up anymore. She simply did not have the strength to properly treat herself. Using the little energy she had left, Dark Force unrolled her sleeping bag next to Cranberry’s and weakly crawled inside. She gently reached over and took Cranberry’s hand in hers. Cranberry lightly squeezed her hand in responds. Satisfied that her friend was all right, Dark Force released her hold and settled into her sleeping bag. She rested her head on the ground and sighed softly. Despite all her pain, despite her injuries, and despite her exhaustion, she felt happy and content. As they slept the stars and moon overhead cast a dim light on the two as they slept below, as if the heavens themselves were watching over them.

Several hours later, Dark Force began to stir as the early morning sun peeked through the trees and began to shine onto her face. She slowly opened her eyes and stretched lightly. She lifted her head and immediately looked over the campsite for Cranberry tending to a fire and preparing their breakfast. She frowned and looked down toward the ground when she saw no Cranberry, nor any sign of a fire. “No. Was it, all a dream?” A flash of red caught the corner of her eye; Dark Force turned her head and spotted Cranberry in her sleeping bag, still fast asleep. Dark Force breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned over and gently hugged Cranberry. Cranberry stirred softly and opened her eyes to find Dark Force smiling at her.

“Hey there.” Cranberry said.

“Good morning. How do you feel?” Dark Force answered as she helped Cranberry into a sitting position.

“Sore, but a lot better. A night sleep helped a lot.” Cranberry responded. “How about you? How are you feeling DF?”

“I’m just glad to have you back Cranberry.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry smiled and lightly returned Dark Force’s hug. “Glad to be back.”

Cranberry rubbed her eyes and stretched carefully. She turned to Dark Force and asked. “Were you able to get any sleep?”

Dark Force nodded in responds.

Cranberry frowned lightly. Although she was trying to hide it, Dark Force was still in a great deal of pain. She could see it when she looked into Dark Force’s eyes. Cranberry slid out of her sleeping bag and sat down beside Dark Force. They both stared out to the creek for a few minutes.

“You’re in a lot of pain, aren’t you?” Cranberry stated, breaking the silence.

“I’m okay.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry placed her hand on Dark Force’s shoulder. “Dark Force, we should try and get cleaned up. Will you let me help you clean your wound?”

“I can get it.” Dark Force answered.

“It’s because of me that you are like this. It’s my fault. DF, please let me do what I can now. I’ll be careful, I promise.” Cranberry pleaded.

Dark Force put her hand over her injury and closed her eyes. She looked up at Cranberry and reluctantly nodded. “All right Cran.”

“Thank you DF.” Cranberry replied.

Taking a cloth from her pack, Cranberry rinsed it out in the creek and filled a bowel with water. Dark Force leaned back against Cranberry and gently moved her hands away from her wound. Cranberry held Dark Force lightly and carefully placed the cloth over Dark Force’s belly, lightly rubbing it over the wound. Dark Force closed her eyes, wincing lightly from the touch, but Cranberry was very gentle and the pain was not too intense.

“Are you hungry Dark Force? I’ll prepare some breakfast for you.” Cranberry said.

“Cran…” Dark Force began.

“I’m sorry. Am I hurting you?” Cranberry apologized.

“No, you’re fine. But, I need to tell you. We don’t have anything left. We are out of food.” Dark Force admitted.

“It matters not. We’ll find something.” Cranberry answered as she rinsed out the cloth and continued to work on cleaning Dark Force’s injury.

Dark Force opened her eyes and looked up at Cranberry. “Cran, I’d like to ask something, but it might be difficult to answer.”

“Go ahead.” Cranberry answered.

“Cran, what was it like? What was it like… to die?” Dark Force asked.

Cranberry wrapped her arms around Dark Force and held her closer. “It is hard to answer. But I’ll do my best. It’s not something I want you to experience anytime soon. When the base exploded around me, I don’t think I lasted long. The terrible pain I felt ended pretty quickly. It’s hard to recall exactly what happened next. I remember being very cold, and very alone. I’m not sure if I was still alive at this point or not. I could not move, I could not speak, all I could do was lay there as I just sort of faded away.”

“It sounds awful. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it Cran. I tried so hard.” Dark Force sighed.

“I don’t blame you. But after things faded, something else happened.” Cranberry continued, holding Dark Force a little tighter.

“What happened?” Dark Force asked.

“I felt like I was with you again. I am not quite sure where I was, but inside I could sense what was happening to you as you fought the White Ring General. I could see what was happening to you, and I tried to reach out to you. Even though I could not touch you or speak to you, I felt that I could still give you strength in your heart. Even though I could not stand beside you, I was still with you DF. You were not truly alone when you fought that battle.” Cranberry spoke.

Tears formed in Dark Force’s eyes as she looked up at Cranberry. She turned her head and rested her face against Cranberry as she lightly cried. “You really mean that?” Dark Force asked softly.

Cranberry nodded as she held Dark Force. “I do.”

“I missed you so much. I thought I would never see you again.” Dark Force said, continuing to rest her head against Cranberry.

“I’m not sure how much time passed after that, but I suddenly found myself back on the mountain, I could see everything clearly now. But something was different; I did not have full control over my body. I was standing in the ruins on the mountain, and the Black Ring General was standing beside me. He took me aboard his ship and we flew to the clearing we were in earlier. And, well you know the rest.” Cranberry responded as she continued to gently clean Dark Force’s wound.

“Cran, it was worth it to get this wound to get you back.” Dark Force replied.

“Thank you Dark Force. But I still feel horrible about it.” Cranberry answered.

“I forgive you.” Dark Force responded.

Cranberry rinsed out her cloth and continued to clean the wound. Dark Force rested calmly as Cranberry gently held her while working on the wound. After several minutes, Cranberry gently lifted Dark Force into a sitting position. “All done that should help it out a lot.”

“It feels better already. Thanks CB.” Dark Force answered. “What about you though? You’re pretty beat up too.”

“Yeah, I think I might go into the creek directly, that might be easiest.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force nodded. “A bath will do us both good actually. I have other wounds that should get cleaned too. I can clean them myself though.”

Cranberry nodded. “You go first DF, I’ll see if I can find some wood for a fire.”

Dark Force shook her head. “No, you first. I insist.”

“All right.” Cranberry agreed.

Dark Force walked back toward the sleeping bags while Cranberry removed her clothing and began to wash herself and her clothes. Dark Force looked around the area and began to gather up pieces of wood that they could use. Soon she had a modest pile they could use. But one thing they both still needed was food. She had not eaten in almost a day, and Cranberry had not eaten since before she died. Dark Force did a quick search of the surrounding area, but could not find anything that looked to be edible.

Soon, Cranberry walked back toward the sleeping bags, ringing some water out of her hair, and tending to some wounds that had begun to bleed again after being cleaned. “I’m all done. You’re turn DF.” Cranberry stated.

Dark Force nodded and walked to the creek so that she too could get washed up. While Dark Force bathed, Cranberry made a small pit and began to arrange the wood for the fire. Once she had arranged the wood to her satisfaction, she looked through their item packs. Just as Dark Force had stated, they had no food left. Cranberry closed her eyes and thought for a moment. In their weakened state, hunting was not a real viable option. They simply did not have the strength to do so. Although the creek worked well for bathing, it was a bit small to have any decently sized fish in it. Their best option was to try and find something growing on a bush or tree that they could pick.

Cranberry sat down by the wood, deciding to wait before staring a fire and thought about what they could do for food. A few minutes later, Dark Force walked up to her having finished her bath.

“Feel better now?” Cranberry asked as Dark Force sat down beside her.

Dark Force nodded softly. She did look better, though it was apparent she was still feeling a lot of pain.

“Are you hungry?” Dark Force asked.

“Yeah. I was just thinking we should try and find something.” Cranberry answered.

“You rest, I’ll try and find something for us.” Dark Force insisted.

“DF, I appreciate your kindness. But, I’d really like to stay with you right now. I’d rather we don’t separate.” Cranberry said softly.

“All right.” Dark Force answered. “Lets see what we can find.”

The two carefully searched the nearby area, venturing a bit farther from their campsite than before. Despite the large amounts of plant life in the area, there was little that seemed to be edible. They both signed to each other realizing that this was going to be harder than they anticipated. After about 3 hours of looking, they found a tree that was growing fruit on its branches. Though it took some effort, Cranberry was able to fire the blades from her Windmill and cut off a branch. The fruit was yellow in color and appeared to be some type of citrus fruit. They gathered what they could and carried it back to their campsite.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso73.png

“You think it is safe to eat this?” Dark Force asked.

“It looked like animals had been eating some around the tree. I think it’ll be ok.” Cranberry answered. “Hey DF.. I got a question for you.”

“Yes?” Dark Force asked as she took a bite out of the fruit.

“Do you want to stop?” Cranberry asked.

“What do you mean?” Dark Force responded.

“Do you want to just stop? Do you still want to do this? Do you still want to keep fighting the generals?” Cranberry asked.

“Do we really have a choice? You know what is going to happen to Pioneer 2 if we don’t.” Dark Force answered.

“I don’t want you to get hurt anymore. You’ve suffered so much out here.” Cranberry replied meekly.

“It hasn’t been easy for sure, but together we’ve been able to accomplish a lot. I still believe that together there is nothing we cannot accomplish.” Dark Force answered. “But I do understand what you are thinking. I lost you once already; the thought of losing you again, it is almost too much to bear. A big part of me does want to stop doing this.”

“So, is it time to call it quits?” Cranberry asked.

“Cranberry, do you still believe that we can do it?” Dark Force asked.

“With you by my side, yes I do.” Cranberry answered.

“I feel the same way Cran.” Dark Force insisted.

Cranberry closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “You’re absolutely right Dark Force! We can’t give up now. We can still do this, and we must still do this. It won’t be easy, and it will be dangerous for sure, but together we can do it.”

Dark Force nodded. “Just one thing bothers me.”

“What’s that?” Cranberry asked.

“We don’t know where the Black Ring General is. That means all that is left is Blue.” Dark Force replied.

“Blue Ring, yeah you are right. He did make us promise him an honorable battle.” Cranberry said.

“I’m not looking forward to fighting him.” Dark Force stated.

“Me either. We’ve put it off, but we both knew this was going to come eventually.” Cranberry answered.

“Yes, that time has finally come. I guess we don’t really have a choice. Our next destination is the lab of the Blue Ring General.” Dark Force sighed.

“Yes, but that can wait. For now, I just want to be with you for a while. Let’s take some more time to rest and heal before we head off to see Blue.” Cranberry suggested.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered.

For the rest of the day and into the evening, the two took time to rest and talk with each other. A dangerous journey waits ahead of them, but for now, they enjoyed their momentary peace. Dark Force stayed close to Cranberry throughout the day, grateful that her best friend was again alive and by her side. Dark Force silently vowed to herself that she would make sure to never lose her friend again. Together, they would face whatever challenge or difficulty faced them.

End of Chapter 22
Chapter 23 teaser: The FOnewearls are together again and taking some much needed rest. Something special is coming up in chapter 23. Why hello there Sato!

[Cranberry]

Chapter 23 – Sato Happenings

As day turned into night, Cranberry and Dark Force prepared their sleeping bags and turned in for the night. Their day had been spent resting in preparation for their next objective. Before long, both of the FOnewearls had drifted to sleep.

Movement came from beside Cranberry. As she slept something rose from the ground and hovered over her. It then moved from Cranberry and flew toward Dark Force. It lowered down beside her and nudged her sleeping bag. A second creature stirred and rose from the ground. The moonlight shown on the 2 creatures as they rose into the air revealing them to be Cranberry’s Red Sato and Dark Force’s Purple Sato. The Purple Sato flew over to the FOnewearl’s item packs and withdrew a small electronic device. The Red Sato turned and looked into the forest then turned back to the Purple one. The Purple Sato nodded and they both flew off away from the campsite and into the forest.

The 2 Sato’s streaked through the forest, zipping through the trees and occasionally performing a loop or two. As they flew forward, a large creature dropped from a high tree branch, prompting the Satos to halt their flight forward. The creature was a large reptile that walked on all fours and had a very long flexible tail. The monster was lime green in color and had 3 long pointy claws on each foot. Its eyes were a sea blue color with a black slit for the pupil. The creature reared up on it’s back and unleashed a loud roar at the 2 flying MAGs.

Cranberry’s Red Sato flew forward and stared the creature in the eye. The monster bared its teeth and snapped at the Sato. The Sato drifted backwards and bared its fangs, unleashing a loud roar of its own. Before the monster could even blink, the Red Sato was upon it sinking its fangs into the lizard. The lizard was lifted up and thrashed side to side by the Sato, despite a significant size difference between them. Seconds later, all that remained of the creature was several scales lying on the ground. Dark Force’s Purple Sato flew quick circles around the triumphant Red Sato in acknowledgement of her victory. The Red Sato grinned and wagged her tail. The two Satos flew forward again deep into the forest. After traveling for several miles, they rose high into the air and stared into the starlight sky.

The Red Sato wagged her tail, prompting the Purple one to fly high into the air. The Red Sato took up a position below its comrade and opened its mouth. A beam emerges and flies into the air, striking the Purple Sato. The Purple Sato glows and amplifies the beam, firing it off into the sky. The beam flies toward the stars, and soon vanishes from sight.

Back on Pioneer 2, Sage is working on a computer, pulling up various maps and information about Ragol. He looks over his shoulder as his BEE system suddenly activates and emits a pulse. Scratching his head Sage walked to the device and picked it up, examining it carefully.

“What is this? A message? It looks like some kind of data file.” Sage exclaimed as he looked over the message.

On Ragol, the Purple Sato lowered from the sky and rejoined the Red Sato. The two Sato’s nodded to each other, satisfied with their work. The two took flight and zipped forward, streaking over the landscape. After several miles of flight, the two Sato’s descended into a small field filled with shrubs and bushes. Down below a small group of men were combing through the forest. They were dressed in dark black colored uniforms with navy blue helmets.

“Keep looking. By the looks of the field that was one heck of a confrontation. Both of them must really be hurting now, they’ll be easy to take out now.” One of the men called to the others. “They’ll pay for what they have done, they’ll be ground into dust when we find them.”

“Hard to believe 2 little girls have done so much damage. We’ve suffered heavy losses because of them.” Another man replied as they moved through the forest. “Black expressed his disappointment with the other Generals.”

A 3rd man looked up from his work. “Is it true? Is it true that Black and Blue are the only Generals left? That is the rumor that has been floating around.”

The leader turned and shouted at the group. “Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no way these 2 could have beaten the other Generals! Now quite your mindless babbling and keep searching! The sooner we find them, the sooner we can be done with this task!”

The group quickly resumed their work of searching the area and pressing onward. The 2 Sato’s looked at one another and grinned slyly. The Red Sato bared its fangs and the Purple Sato nodded. As the group of 6 approached, Dark Force’s Purple Sato rose up and emerged from the bushes, gazing down at the group with its eyes. The men looked up at the MAG and stopped.

“What is that?” One of them asked.

“I, I’m not sure!” Another answered.

“Don’t just stand there! Shoot it!” The leader ordered.

Just as the men raised their weapons, a loud roar echoed throughout the forest. Cranberry’s Red Sato flew from the bush and slammed into one of the men, knocking him to the ground. Without hesitation, it flew toward the next man and latched onto his arm, dragging him across the field. The other men jumped startled by the sudden attack. Dark Force’s Purple Sato raced forward and rammed into one of the men. The men fell into a panic as the 2 Sato’s attacked, and began firing their guns wildly. The Red Sato latched onto a mans head and lifted him into the air, sinking her fangs into his skull. The Red Sato spun around and hurled the man, sending him flying into the group. Dark Force’s Purple Sato flew into the pack and generated the Pilla Photon Blast. The large creature materialized and rained rays of light to the ground.

Screams of terror and pain echoed throughout the forest as the 2 Sato’s attacked. After several minutes, the screams subsided and the 2 Sato’s emerged from the forest, each clutching a small bag in their mouths. The only remaining trace of the small squad of men was a few dented helmets and broken guns.

The 2 Sato’s flew back the way they had come, doing an occasional loop in recognition of their accomplishment. After flying several miles, they descended down toward the campsite where Cranberry and Dark Force still lay asleep in their sleeping bags. The Sato’s dropped their packs and glanced to each other one more time. Then they each returned to their respective FOnewearls, resting beside them for the rest of the night.

As dawn approached, Cranberry and Dark Force slowly opened their eyes and sat up. Catching the 2 new packs in the corner of their eyes, they turned and looked at them in surprise. They looked to one another inquisitively, neither of them having any idea where these bags had come from.

The 2 Sato’s grinned slyly at each other as the 2 FOnewearls scratched their heads in confusion.

End of Chapter 23
Chapter 24 Teaser:
It’s been a while since I last updated this. I know Chapter 23 wasn’t my best work, but things have been difficult for me. In Chapter 24 Cranberry and Dark Force continue their search for the Blue Ring General. The journey underneath the ocean begins next chapter.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 24 – Feeling Somewhat Blue

Cranberry and Dark Force looked through the bags cautiously, having no idea where either had come from. Much to their surprise, and delight, they found a modest supply of rations and even a few simple medical supplies. It was not a great deal, but it would provide them with some food for a few days if they rationed it carefully. They even found a couple bottles of water.

“Any idea where this came from Cranberry?” Dark Force asked.

“Not a clue. I never saw or heard anyone come. I wonder if Blue had something to do with this? Oh! Oh wow! I can’t believe this!” Cranberry screamed.

Dark Force jumped up. “What?! What is it?”

“Look DF! Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith DVD” Cranberry squealed as she pulled the packaged DVD from the pack.

“Sweet!” Dark Force answered with a smile. “Hold onto that!”

After spending some time sorting through the packs and repacking their own bags, the two cleaned up their camp and prepared to move out.

“How are you feeling Dark Force?” Cranberry asked.

“Quite a bit better. These last couple days of rest have restored a lot of my strength.” Dark Force answered. “How about you Cran?”

“My best friend is by my side again. I’m ready for anything.” Cranberry answered.

“Excellent! Then lets head out.” Dark Force beamed.

The 2 FOnewearls gathered their gear and climbed onto the Tsumikiri J-Tollaw. The J-Tollaw stretched its legs and began to trot. Soon, it accelerated to a full run and they were off.

“I’ve got the location on my map data. The location where Blue Ring General said we should find him. Lets head toward the ocean.” Dark Force announced.

“I’m not looking forward to this. I really don’t want to fight this guy. Not after what he did for you.” Cranberry spoke.

“I know what you mean. I’m not eager to do this either. But we both knew this was coming eventually.” Dark Force answered.

“Yes, I know. We have a promise to keep.” Cranberry sighed.

The J-Tollaw sprinted over the landscape, heading back toward the ocean. Dark Force lifted her face and allowed the wind to blow through her hair. Although she still had some pain from the injuries she had suffered from fighting Cranberry, she was feeling a lot better this morning. The rest had done both of them good, and her best friend was again standing by her side. A new sense of confidence flowed through her. She felt that she was ready to face any challenge, no matter how great now that Cranberry was with her again. And she knew that Cranberry was feeling the same way. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Cranberry for a moment. She looked forward and patted the J-Tollaw on the head.

For several hours they traveled, the J-Tollaw quickly zipping them toward the indicated entrance to the Blue Ring General’s lair, which according to the map appeared to reside underneath the ocean. Cranberry wondered aloud if they were heading to a facility similar to the Seabeds from Gal Da Val Island. But whatever was in store for them, they felt they were as prepared as they could be. The forest began to thin out, and they could soon see the ocean in the distance far ahead of them. They’re journey had been a peaceful one, but now it was time to get serious.

“It should be somewhere around here. But I admit I am not quite sure exactly what we are looking for.” Dark Force stated.

Cranberry looked over Dark Force at the ocean in front of them. “Lets explore a bit. Perhaps there is some sort of passage or marker. He wants us to find him, I’m sure he won’t make it impossibly difficult.”

Deciding they could search more carefully on foot, Cranberry and Dark Force disembarked from the J-Tollaw and stepped onto the beach. The ocean looked peaceful today, with gentle waves rolling into the sand. Dark Force stared out at the sea, almost forgetting for a moment the job they had to do. Cranberry put an arm around her shoulder and joined her in staring out at the sea for a moment.

“You ready DF?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes, I am. It’s just so beautiful. It reminds me of when we spent that time watching the Sea from that waterfall on Gal Da Val.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry hugged Dark Force softly. “Yeah, some nice memories. I hope we can do that again soon.”

“How about as soon as this is over? Once we finish, and this whole conflict is over, lets return there.” Dark Force suggested.

“You mean it? Promise?” Cranberry asked.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry nodded. After spending a few more moments looking out at the ocean, they began to walk along the beach, searching for an entrance to the Blue Ring General’s lab. They saw nothing out of the ordinary as they looked into the ocean. They decided to focus their efforts on the beach. Finding nothing in the immediate area, they began to hike along the beach. Dark Force’s map data gave only an approximate position of an entrance, but they knew they were close.

“Do you think it might be buried?” Dark Force asked.

“I don’t think so. I’m sure Blue has been using it, and it would take a lot of effort to dig it up and re-bury it. It’s probably something that is relatively easy to get to.” Cranberry answered.

“Good point.” Dark Force acknowledged.

For 20 minutes they searched through the beach, looking for anything that would provide a clue as to where they needed to go. Cranberry strained her eyes, staring along the beach, but seeing only sand for as far as the eye could see.

“Cranberry, I have an idea. Look, we just assumed the entrance was going to be in the ocean or on the beach. But now that I think about it, doesn’t it make more sense to make it off of the sand?” Dark Force suggested.

“I didn’t think of that. Lets take a look, lets head up off the beach and into the surrounding vegetation.” Cranberry agreed.

After a short jog, they stepped out of the sand and into the shade of the surrounding trees and brush growing just off the beach. Shortly after they were in the shade, Dark Force’s Purple Sato rose up and started to circle the two.

“Sato?” Cranberry asked.

“I think it senses something. Did you find something Sato?” Dark Force asked.

The Sato began to fly forward. Cranberry and Dark Force nodded at one another and quickly followed it. The Sato stopped about 500 feet away. As the FOnewearls approached they could see a dim red glow. Upon reaching the Sato, they saw what appeared to be a type of teleporter, much like the ones used on Pioneer 2.

“Good work Sato. This must be it.” Dark Force said.

“Sure looks like it. Well, shall we go in?” Cranberry responded.

“What about the J-Tollaw? Should we bring him inside?” Dark Force asked.

“It’s a tough choice, but lets leave him here. We’ll come back for him.” Cranberry answered reluctantly.

“I suppose you are right. You going to be alright J-Tollaw?” Dark Force asked, patting it on the nose.

The J-Tollaw grunted and lay down beside the teleporter, looking up at the 2 FOnewearls. Cranberry walked over and pet it gently on the head. “This time I will come back. I promise.”

The J-Tollaw nuzzled Cranberry and Dark Force, then lay its head to the ground and rested. Cranberry and Dark Force both took a deep breath, and stepped into the teleporter. The teleporter activated, and they both vanished from the J-Tollaw’s sight.

Cranberry and Dark Force materialized into a dimly lit metallic room. They immediately drew their weapons and took up a ready position, but nothing jumped out at them. They were standing on a graded floor; they could see water flowing below them beneath the floor. The walls appeared to be made of a thick reflective metal. A single window was in the room, revealing a view of an undersea view, almost like staring into an aquarium. Colorful fish scurried outside the window. They could see brightly colored crab like creatures sliding along the ocean floor. A closer look also revealed a distant view of additional sections of what they assumed was the facility they were now standing in.

“This must be the place. Is there really any doubt?” Cranberry asked.

“None at all.” Dark Force stated.

They began to walk toward a door on the other side of the room. As they approached, a screen embedded within the wall suddenly activated, revealing the image of a familiar looking man.

“Ah, there you are now. You’ve come at last. I’ve been awaiting your arrival.” The Blue Ring General said.

“It’s been a while Blue.” Dark Force answered, looking into the monitor.

“Dark Force, you are looking well. It appears Cranberry was successful in finding the antidote.” The Blue Ring General replied.

“Yeah.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry looked at the screen silently.

“Welcome to the undersea laboratory. You are standing within the walls of a living tribute to the miracle of technology. A fully functional scientific facility completely submerged on the ocean floor. Impressive isn’t it?” The Blue Ring General declared.

“What is all of this for?” Cranberry asked.

“This facility was built for development and experimentation of techniques. Techniques the likes of which you have ever dreamed of, and far more advanced and potent than what you use.” The Blue Ring General answered.

“Technique research?” Cranberry asked.

“Indeed. This facility can utilize the power of the sea. See the water flowing below you there? The entire facility was built to take in and divert the flow of water. Large converters are spun and charged as a result of this water flow, providing an endless supply of power. Truly, this facility of my own design is a marvel of technology.” The Blue Ring General gloated.

“Did you happen to develop a new version of Megid here?” Dark Force asked.

“A negative version.” Cranberry added.

“Indeed, that was one of many developments that were done here. Why do you ask?” The Blue Ring General answered.

“Nothing. Never mind.” Cranberry answered.

The Blue Ring General raised his hand. “Alright you two, lets get down to business. I have prepared for your arrival, and to make things a little more interesting I’m going to put you through a test. I want to see what you are really capable of.”

“A test? I don’t like where this is going.” Dark Force protested.

“What kind of test?” Cranberry said sternly.

“Relax, I’m not going to send 200 monsters after you. Your fighting talents are advanced, that has already been proven. But there are other traits a good warrior must posses as well. And it is those traits that you will be tested on. Think of this as a type of maze, a highly advanced maze. I am indeed awaiting you here within these walls, but you must first find your way to the room where I now stand. It sounds simple, but you’ll soon find that to be no easy task. Feel up for the challenge?” The Blue Ring General continued.

“Definitely, with Dark Force by my side, I can accomplish anything.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force nodded in agreement.

“Splendid, you two work well together as a team, but I wonder, can you work well together individually?” The Blue Ring General responded.

“What do you mean?” Dark Force asked.

“You’ll have to find that out on your own. Now, lets get started. Oh, one last thing. Take these with you.” The Blue Ring General suggested as a compartment slid open, revealing two small mouthpieces. “These will enable you to breathe underwater. Believe me, you will need those.”

The screen de-activated and the door in front of them slid open. Dark Force reluctantly picked up the 2 mouthpieces. “They look a lot like a surgical mask. Do you think these do what he says they do? Can we trust him?”

Cranberry looked thoughtfully at the mouthpieces. “Lets bring them with us, just in case.”

Dark Force handed one of the mouthpieces to Cranberry, and placed the other in her pack. Both proceeded through the door and into the next room. As they entered the adjacent room, they found themselves standing in a wide-open area. Multiple colored crystals were strewn throughout the room. They spotted a variety of ledges and platforms at various locations throughout the room. There were several ladders hanging from various points, but none within their reach. Far across the room was a dividing wall, with a small opening near the top.

“Well, this is different.” Cranberry stated as she observed their surroundings.

“I suppose we need to try and get up to that ledge above us. Hmmm, it looks like a maze of ladders and ledges, but I don’t see any way to get up to them. Look at all these crystals, multiple colors.” Dark Force stated as she examined the room.

“This must be some kind of puzzle. I’m seeing 5 colors of crystals. Red, Blue, Yellow, White and Purple. I’m sure there is significance to the colors. He said he wanted to test us, this must be a test of our minds.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force hopped down from their narrow ledge by the door onto the floor below and began walking toward a blue crystal in front of them. “It seems harmless enough.”

“Careful DF!” Cranberry warned, jumping down after her friend.

Dark Force reached her hand out and touched the crystal, prompting Cranberry to cry out in protest. Her hand gripped the crystal, but no matter how hard she pulled, it would not budge. It remained suspended in the air as if by magic. Dark Force released her hold on the crystal and stepped back as Cranberry rushed up to her.

“Are you alright?” Cranberry asked, taking Dark Force’s hand and looking at it.

“Yes, nothing happened.” Dark Force replied.

Seeing that Dark Force was all right, Cranberry released her hand and looked to the crystal. “Here we go. I’ll just smash it!”

”Cran! Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Dark Force objected.

“Nope!” Cranberry answered as she lunged toward the crystal and slammed her Windmill against it.

The crystal generated a very loud clang, and a bright light flashed and briefly light up the room. As the light faded, they looked around. Nothing appeared to have changed. Dark Force looked over at Cranberry with worry. Cranberry was standing in front of the crystal, she looked surprised, but did not appear to be hurt.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that.” Cranberry stated, rubbing her eyes a bit. “Other than that light show, nothing happened.

“At least nothing that we can see.” Dark Force stated. “Do you feel any different?”

“No, not at all.” Cranberry answered. “Whatever happened, it doesn’t seem to have helped us. Well, it’s a blue crystal. You have a Bluefull section ID. Try holding your ID to it.

Dark Force nodded and looked down at her necklace with her Bluefull symbol attached. Lifting it up, she held it toward the crystal, pressing it against the gem and holding it there for a few seconds.

“Nothing. Nothing is happening.” Cranberry complained as Dark Force pulled her necklace away from the crystal.

Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece. “Well, this is a facility devoted to techniques right? Lets give this a try.” Dark Force cast a Foie technique, sending a large fireball careening into the crystal. A loud buzz sounded and the crystal glowed a bright orange color. A beam fired from the crystal and struck Dark Force, encasing her in a large orange colored bubble.

“DF!” Cranberry screamed as she rushed toward Dark Force with her Windmill.

“Cran! Help me!” Dark Force shouted as the bubble rocketed forward, flying past Cranberry and heading toward the door they had come through.

“DF hang on!” Cranberry shouted as she quickly turned around and sprinted after the bubble carrying her friend.

The bubble rose up the ledge and landed by the doorway. As soon as it touched down, the bubble popped, depositing the spooked Dark Force in front of the doorway they had just come through.

“Dark Force! Are you alright?” Cranberry pleaded as she climbed up onto the ledge after her friend.

Dark Force quickly looked herself over. “Yes, I think so. It didn’t hurt me, it just brought me back here.”

“It must be some aspect of this puzzle.” Cranberry said. “Man, this is confusing.”

“I think that’s the idea. We are being tested, so it’s not going to be easy. Come on Cran, we can do this. We can figure this out.” Dark Force insisted.

“Alright, I’m sure the colors are significant. That one in front of us is blue. DF, I think I have an idea.” Cranberry announced.

“What might that be?” Dark Force asked.

“I’m going to try another technique. I want to see how this affects it.” Cranberry answered.

“Be careful.” Dark Force replied.

Cranberry walked forward and raised her Windmill, aiming it at the crystal. Thrusting her arm forward, she cast a Barta technique. The ice struck the crystal, causing a chime to sound. The crystal lit up and water suddenly began pouring into the room.

“It’s flooding!” Dark Force yelled as the room quickly began to fill with water.

“Uh oh, did I make a mistake?” Cranberry asked, quickly beginning to paddle as the water rose past her shoulders. The water rose very quickly, and suddenly stopped once the room was a quarter full of water.

"Cran, are you alright?” Dark Force asked as she floated in the water, paddling her way over to a nearby ledge.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Cranberry answered, swimming to the same ledge as Dark Force.

Dark Force climbed onto the ledge and helped Cranberry climb onto it. Cranberry looked up at Dark Force with a frown. “Sorry Dark Force, I guess I messed up.”

“Actually, I don’t think so. I think you figured it out.” Dark Force answered. “I don’t think this was a trap, I think it’s part of the puzzle. Look around, with the water here we can swim to other ledges and gain access to other crystals. Follow me, I have an idea.”

Dark Force hopped back into the water and began to swim toward a nearby wall where a ladder was hanging from a higher ledge, a ladder that was well beyond their reach previously. Cranberry jumped in and swam after her as Dark Force grabbed hold of the ladder and climbed to the higher ledge. Cranberry grabbed hold of the ladder and followed her up. Atop the ledge they found a yellow crystal.

“Now, if I’m right, this should be Zonde.” Dark Force stated. She raised her Magical Piece and cast Zonde on the crystal. The crystal lit up and chimed. The water level suddenly began to increase. The water level quickly rose, quickly overtaking the 2 FOnewearls and prompting them to paddle again. The water filled increased until 3/4 of the room was submerged.

Cranberry and Dark Force looked to one another as they floated atop the water, beginning to paddle their way toward the nearest ledge.

“Yes, I think I’ve figured this out. The colors correspond to techniques. Blue is Barta, Yellow is Zonde. I bet Red is Foie, Purple is Megid, and White is probably Grants.” Dark Force continued as Cranberry and herself climbed onto the ledge.

“I think we’ve got it. Well, there’s a white crystal right here. Lets give it a try.” Cranberry said.

Lifting here Windmill, Cranberry cast Grants on the crystal. The water level quickly began to recede, stopping when the room was half full. The 2 peered down at the reduced water level.

“So, it lowers the water too. That’s a long ways down; I don’t want to risk jumping. There is a ladder over there, lets climb down a bit.” Dark Force suggested.

Cranberry agreed and they both climbed down to a lower platform. As they stood on the ledge, they spotted a red crystal floating in mid air a ways away from them. They looked at each other and nodded. Dark Force stepped forward and raised her Magical Piece and cast Foie. Her fireball flew into the crystal and generated that familiar chime. The crystal lit up, and water began to pour into the room. It quickly reached their level and continued rising. They paddled to stay afloat, and looked up realizing the ceiling was quickly approaching. They raised their hands and pushed up against the ceiling as the room became entirely submerged with water. Both FOnewearls eyes widened as they found themselves entirely submerged and unable to breathe.

Cranberry hesitated for a brief moment, and quickly pulled the mouthpiece the General had given her. Having little choice, she pressed it over her mouth and closed her eyes. Much to her surprise, she found herself able to breathe again. Dark Force quickly located her own mouthpiece and pressed it over her mouth as well. She too found herself able to breath once again, despite being entirely submerged. They looked to each other, and seeing that both of them were alright, they calmed down and looked around the room. Dark Force toward the hole in the dividing wall, but a large shutter had risen with the water level that stretched across the entire room, they culd not swim past it. It appeared as if the shutter was floating with the water level. Cranberry spotted a purple crystal down below them. They swam toward it, once they were close, Cranberry pushed her Windmill forward and cast Megid. The crystal generated the chime sound, and the water level quickly began to recede. The 2 found themselves sinking with the water. The water fully drained from the room, and they found themselves standing on the floor near where they had started.

“Wow, that was interesting. Well, it looks like Blue told us the truth. These things really do let us breathe underwater.” Cranberry declared.

“I understand now. So, hitting a blue crystal with Barta sets the water level to ¼. Striking a white one with Grants sets it to ½. Zonde to a yellow sets it to ¾. Foie to red fully submerges the room. And finally Megid to purple drains the water entirely. I think I see the objective of the puzzle. There are shutters that rise with the water level blocking our path to the gate over there. We can’t just simply fill the room and swim to it. The puzzle is we have to find a way to get up there while the water level is low.” Dark Force informed.

“That makes sense. So this really is a kind of test, a puzzle for us to solve before we can advance.” Cranberry agreed. “All right DF, lets take a moment to examine this. Lets come up with a plan to reach the gate.”

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/Puzzle.PNG
(This is a visual depiction of the puzzle they are facing. Care to try and solve it before reading on? Striking a crystal with your weapon will return you to start, this is the only way to pass through a raised shutter. Remember that to pass by a shutter the water level must be lower than the point at which you wish to pass it. You can only pass a shutter if there is a ledge crossing it.)

“Alright, lets try and solve this.” Dark Force began. Moving forward she cast Barta on the blue crystal, raising the water level to 1/4. Both FOnewearls swam to the ladder and pulled themselves to the ledge above.

Cranberry nodded and cast Zonde on the yellow crystal, raising the water level to 3/4 the height of the room. They swam to the higher ledge and pulled themselves up, standing in front of the white crystal. Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast Grants on the crystal, dropping the water level back to ½ and exposing the red crystal below them.

“Cran, stay put for a second. Get your mouthpiece in.” Dark Force said as she climbed down the ladder and walked onto the lower ledge. Putting in her mouthpiece, she cast Foie on the red crystal. The water level quickly rose the full length of the room, submerging them both. Dark Force pointed at the ledge near the shutter. Cranberry swam to the ledge and turned to look back at Dark Force. Dark Force gave her a thumbs-up and began to dive, swimming toward the purple crystal. Cranberry remained on the ledge and watched as Dark Force descended. Dark Force reached the purple Crystal and thrust her Magical Piece forward, casting Megid on it. The water immediately began to reseed. Dark Force sank to the bottom of the room near the blue crystal again, however Cranberry remained on the ledge and watched as the shutter lowered, clearing her a path. Cranberry walked forward past the shutter, but could go no farther as a large drop off was in front of her.

“Cran! Did you make it?” Dark Force yelled from below.

Cranberry turned and called down to Dark Force. “I’m on the other side of the shutter, but it’s a long ways down! Can you re-activate the water and I’ll dive down and see what I can find!”

Dark Force re-traced her steps, first striking the blue crystal, then the yellow. She then hit the white crystal, and then climbed down to strike the red one again. As the room again filled with water, she swam over to the shutter that now separated Cranberry and herself. Cranberry dove into the water and swam around this chamber, taking note of the crystals she spotted at the various locations. She found a total of 4 crystals, but only one would get Dark Force access to this side of the shutter and make it possible for them to re-unite. Cranberry swam back to the top ledge and pointed to the ledge, motioning for Dark Force to stay where she was. Cranberry then swam to the top of the chamber where she saw a purple crystal. Pushing her Windmill forward, she cast Megid. The water immediately began to drain. Cranberry sank to the bottom of the chamber while Dark Force remained on the ledge. The shutter again cleared and she was able to cross the threshold into the same chamber as Cranberry.

“I made it! You alright down there?” Dark Force yelled.

“Yes! I’ll be right up! Hold tight!” Cranberry answered. As she look to each side, she saw that even with the water drained, the shutters still blocked her path here at the very bottom of the room. But resting beside one of the shutters was a yellow crystal sitting on the floor. She had considered striking a blue crystal that was higher up in the room instead of the purple one. Although that would indeed have gained Dark Force access to this side of the shutter, the yellow crystal would have remained underwater and she’d have no way of striking it. Cranberry cast Zonde on the crystal, causing the water level to raise back to 1/4 the height of the room. The water level rose and Cranberry rose with it back up to Dark Force.

“Good work Cranberry.” Dark Force complimented.

“We’re not done yet. DF, swim over to that ladder over there by that other shutter. Hold onto that latter and don’t let go.” Cranberry requested.

Dark Force nodded and did as she was told, swimming to the shutter and grabbing hold of the nearby ladder. Cranberry dove down and swam to the blue crystal she had passed earlier. Pressing her Windmill forward she cast Barta on the crystal, causing the water level to drop to ¼ the height of the room. Cranberry lowered with the water and floated, having no ledge or ladder to grab onto. But Dark force was able to climb her latter and cross the threshold as the shutter lowered. Seeing that Cranberry was alright, Dark Force quickly surveyed this new chamber. She climbed down 2 sets of ladders and cast Foie on a red crystal, causing the water to again fill the entire area. Cranberry rose with the water and took hold of the same ladder Dark Force had grabbed earlier. Dark Force did a quick survey of her chamber, and quickly came up with a plan.

Swimming to a high ledge, Dark Force cast Grants on a white crystal she found there. The water level drained to ½ the room, lowering the shutter. Cranberry climbed the ladder and crossed into the chamber, peering up at Dark Force. Dark Force pointed to the red crystal below. Cranberry nodded and climbed down the ladders, striking the crystal with Foie and again filling the entire room. Together they swam toward the gate and took positions on the ledge. Dark Force cast Barta on the nearby blue crystal. The water level dropped to ¼ the height of the room, causing the shutter covering the gate to open. They pulled the gate open and walked inside where they found a long hallway. They smiled at each other, realizing they had gotten through the first of the tests.

“That took some thinking, but we handled that pretty well.” Cranberry stated.

“I kind of like this. We aren’t getting ripped apart by enemies for once, this is a test of our minds, our creativity. He really is trying to test us, not kill us.” Dark Force added.

“Lets see what he has in store for us next.” Cranberry suggested.

The two continued down the long hallway. As they approached the end, they saw a large metal door before them. A large piece of paper was stuck to the door. Dark Force read the message out loud as they reached it.

“You’ve endured many hardships, and more are still to come. You function well as a team that cannot be denied. But can you still function as one from afar? Your second test begins now.” Dark Force read.

“What does that mean?” Cranberry asked.

“I’m not certain. Lets find out.” Dark Force answered.

They pushed the door open and stepped into the next room. Before them they found 2 floor switches on the ground, and a large metal door in front of them. Seeing nothing else in the room, they walked over to the switches. Cranberry used a Trap Vision, and found no traps in the area. Cautiously they both stepped onto a switch. The switches light up as they were pressed, and a bright light surrounded each FOnewearl. When the light cleared and they could again see, they were no longer standing beside each other. Each was standing in a narrow hallway.

“Cran? Cranberry? Where are you CB?” Dark Force shouted.

Cranberry looked at her new surroundings, unable to see or hear Dark Force. “Dark Force, are you here?”

Both of them looked up from their respective locations as they heard the voice of the Blue Ring General sound above them.

“Do not be alarmed. Your friend has not been harmed. She is in fact closer than you think. You two work very when you stand side by side. You could very well be an unstoppable force together. But can you continue to stand side by side when you are separated? You are now standing within a maze, in order to advance you must find keys to unlock the doorways. But you cannot find any keys without your friends help. Can you still work as a team when you can neither see nor hear the other?” The voice of the Blue Ring General challenged.

Cranberry walked forward and saw what appeared to be a doorway in front of her, bound by a large lock. In front of the doorway was a pedestal and on the wall was a type of lever. “I get it. This is like a type of obstacle course. Things I do here will have an affect on Dark Force’s side, and what she does will influence my side. We have to work together to overcome obstacles and reveal keys.

Cranberry watched as the pedestal began to sink a few feet into the ground. A yellow circle also briefly formed on the wall. She predicted that Dark Force must be manipulating an object on her side of the course. Cranberry grabbed the lever on the wall and pulled it down. The pedestal fully lowered into the ground, revealing a switch atop it. Cranberry stepped onto the switch, causing a light to appear on the wall. A moment later, a 2nd light appeared on the wall, and a tone sounded as a wall panel slide open, revealing a small metallic key. Cranberry grabbed the key and open the lock on the door. Once inserted, she was unable to remove the key from the door, so she left it there and continued forward.

Dark Force, whom was standing in a nearly identical room, grabbed a key from the wall as well and proceeded through the door. She came to a large clear wall, and stopped for a moment to look through it. A second later, Cranberry emerged from a doorway on the other side of the wall, her eyes widened as soon as she spotted her friend.

“Cran! Everything okay?” Dark Force asked.

She could see Cranberry’s lips moving, but could not hear any sound. It quickly became apparent to them that the walls were soundproofed and while for the moment they could see one another, they could not communicate in their voices. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Barta at the wall. A pale blue circle briefly formed at the point of impact. Cranberry took a step back and nodded. Raising her Windmill she rushed forward and struck the wall with it where Barta had struck. Cranberry began to strike the point over and over again.

Dark Force tilted her head for a moment, uncertain of what Cranberry was trying to do. Then it struck her, Cranberry thought she was trying to tell her to try and break through the wall. She began shaking her head and waving her arms until Cranberry noticed and stopped striking the wall. Dark Force pointed to her Magical Piece, and then cast Foie against the wall, causing a red circle to form briefly at the point of impact. She then pointed at Cranberry’s Windmill.

Cranberry looked at her Windmill. She lifted it and cast Zonde, striking the wall with it. A yellow circle briefly lit up at the point of impact, and Cranberry realized what Dark Force was getting at. This could be a form of communication for them, it wasn’t much but it was better than nothing at all. For good measure Dark Force cast Grants, and as expected a white mark appeared briefly. They both continued forward, passing into another passageway where the clear wall faded and again they could no longer see one another.

In the next room, Cranberry found a series of lifts and chains supporting a large number of suspended platforms. She could see a locked door far ahead of her on a high ledge. But all of the ledges except one were far above her, and she could see no way of reaching them. And the one ledge she did see was sitting on the floor and had no responds when she stood on it or pulled on the chain. She attempted to climb the chain, but it was too slippery and she could not get a firm hold. Looking over at the wall, she cast Foie on it, causing a red impact point.

Dark Force looked over at the impact point. She wish she knew what Cranberry was trying to say. Dark Force climbed up a small slop where a lift tied to a chain was hanging. As soon as she stepped onto it, it began to lower toward the floor. The sound of turning gears could be heard from far above.

Cranberry nearly fell down as the lift she was standing on suddenly began to rise. But it quickly returned to it’s previous position before it got very high. In the other room, Dark Force had quickly jumped back onto the solid ground of the nearby ledge. She looked at it cautiously, looking to see if anything had happened as a result.

Cranberry assumed that Dark Force must had done something, if her lift would rise a bit higher she could reach a higher portion of the room. She turned toward the wall and cast Barta , making a blue point appear on the wall. Dark Force saw the blue mark appear from her side, and reluctantly stepped back onto the lift, this time staying on it long enough for it to fall to the floor.

The lift rose, raising Cranberry to a higher portion of the room. Cranberry jumped from the lift and landed on a small ledge near another lift. Cranberry turned and cast Foie, striking the far wall. Seeing the impact circle, Dark Force stepped off the lift and climbed back up the ledge as the lift rose back up.

Cranberry came up with a system, she was going to try and relay it to Dark Force through actions. Foie would mean stop, Barta would mean go, Zonde would mean “I’m going to act”, and Grants would mean “I’m clear”. They hadn’t tried Megid to see if a purple mark would result, but she felt the previous 4 techniques would be adequate. Cranberry cast Zonde on the wall, and then leapt onto a nearby lift.

Much to her surprise, the seemingly solid platform that Dark Force was standing on began to rise. Dark Force looked up as she began to approach another set of lifts. As soon as she was within range, she leapt from her ledge onto another ledge between 2 lifts. A white mark lit up the wall as Cranberry cast Grants. Dark Force looked at it, unsure of what it meant. A moment later a blue mark light up the wall as Barta was cast. Dark Force tried to understand what Cranberry was trying to tell her. She lifted her Magical Piece and cast Foie in responds. A quick Barta was the reply, and the lift down below Dark Force rose and fell briefly, then another Barta point appeared. Now Dark Force understood, Barta meant that Cranberry wanted her to make a move.

“Cranberry cast Zonde just before the lifts move. That must have been a kind of warning that something was going to happen.” Dark Force said to herself. “Clever Cran, I think I understand what you are trying to do.”

Dark Force cast Zonde, and jumped onto one of the nearby lifts. The lift sank a few feet. A red point suddenly lit up the wall a few feet above her. Dark Force recognized it is a Foie blast. But she wasn’t sure what Cranberry was trying to tell her. The red point on the wall lit up again, and remained lit up. Cranberry was sending a rapid barrage of Foies at the wall. Dark Force got the hint. Cranberry wanted her to stop. Dark Force leapt up and grabbed hold of a small ladder rung hanging from the ledge she was on before. The lift she was standing on began to rise. As it got higher, Dark Force dropped back onto the lift and quickly used it for leverage to jump back to her previous platform. Dark Force stood on the ledge for a moment. She cast Zonde and jumped onto the other lift. The lift began to sink.

The lift Cranberry was standing on began to rise. She soon leapt to another ledge, which immediately began to sink as she landed on it. She quickly cast Barta on the wall. Dark Force immediately leapt onto another nearby lift that was quickly beginning to rise. She too was carried to a higher portion of the room, and soon jumped off onto a more stable ledge. Dark Force watched as one of the ledges began to sink back downward. A moment later, a white spot lit up the wall. Dark Force got the idea, Cranberry was using Grants to signal that she was on solid ground.

Dark Force cast Zonde and stepped onto another lift. Cranberry saw a lift near her rising, and quickly dashed onto it. Rising with the lift, something caught her eye. A strange button was sitting on a ledge, but still out of her reach. As the lift rose she jumped from the platform onto an adjacent one. It immediately began to sink as soon as she landed on it.

Cranberry saw a platform near her rise and jumped on it without hesitation. She did not stay long however, and quickly dashed toward another ledge and leapt to it. She turned and cast Foie at the wall, and darted over to the button she saw earlier, leaping across a few lifts on the way. As she stepped onto the button, it turned a bright blue color, but nothing appeared to happen. Cranberry cast Grants on the wall, thinking something may have happened on Dark Force’s side.

Dark Force looked down as she saw a button rise on a platform below her. Now she saw the true dept of the puzzle. It was not just a matter of going up, they would have to work their way up and down this puzzle. Normally this would be pretty simple, but with no talking they truly would have to be able to work together while separated. She couldn’t help but appreciate the general’s creative tests for them. Dark Force cast Foie on the wall, and then hopped onto a lower lift, causing it to begin to fall.

Cranberry could not figure out what Dark Force was doing, as she was still trying to work her way upward. She stepped onto a lift, but it did not move. Cranberry looked over as a blue point struck the wall. Cranberry looked around in confusion. A red point hit the wall, followed by a blue point at a lower level. Cranberry stepped onto one of the previous lifts, causing it to sink.

As another lift rose on Dark Force’s side, she jumped onto it and hopped back down to another lift below. After a few more signals to Cranberry, she was able to work her way to the button and activate it. Cranberry looked up as high above her, another switch rose. Dark Force also saw a button rise on her side high up near the top of the course. One by one, they leapt through the lifts, rising and lowering as they signaled to each other though techniques against the wall. They made a few mistakes along the way, and it took some time and backtracking, but at last they both reached the top of the room, and crawled onto the highest point. Cranberry and Dark Force both stepped onto the floor switches, causing 2 floor panels to slide open, revealing small keys to each of them. They both took the keys and unlocked the nearby door. Inside the door they each found a square shaped room with another floor switch in the center. They stood on the switches, and a bright light again surrounded them. As the light cleared, they found themselves standing side by side at the beginning of a long hallways.

“Cran!” Dark Force exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her friend. “You alright?”

“Yes, how about you?” Cranberry asked in responds.

“I am well. We did it, we cleared the test!” Dark Force answered.

“I’m a bit worn out, that was a lot of jumping and a bit confusing. But communicating with techniques worked well, that was a good idea.” Cranberry complimented.

“I wonder what’s next?” Dark Force spoke.

“Lets move on and find out. Hopefully we can do this one together.” Cranberry answered.

They walked down the hallway, taking a moment to stop and gaze out a nearby window at the ocean outside them.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso47.png

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes, there is something mystic about the ocean.” Dark Force answered.

They continued on, and soon came to another door. The door slide open and they walked into a large open circular room. In the center of the room was a large pillar with a message beacon located nearby, much like the ones Red Ring Rico used. Cranberry activated the beacon as Dark Force stood beside her.

“You’ve done well to make it this far. You’ve proven that you are strong of mind, and that you are strong of spirit. Indeed your teamwork is impeccable! One last test remains, a test of your bodies. Are you capable of pushing your limits beyond what you thought you could? A test of your endurance is presented to you now. Clear this test, and you will clear them all.” The voice of the Blue Ring General said through the message pack.

“This won’t be easy.” Cranberry groaned, already feeling a bit worn out from their previous test.

“We’ll face it together. We can do it CB.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry nodded. Just then, the floor began to move. A hatch high above in the ceiling slid open, and 14 gold colored spheres began to descend into the room.

“What are those?” Cranberry asked as they began to rain down around them.

“I don’t know! But I say we don’t touch them! Move!” Dark Force answered.

They began to take evasive action, the spheres began to bounce sporadically around the room. The two began running, with some difficult on the moving floor to avoid the bouncing spheres.

“DF! Look out!” Cranberry shouted.

“What? No!” Dark Force turned around, just in time to see a sphere bouncing straight for her. The sphere collided with her, and knocked her to the ground, inflicting a confusion condition on her. She stood up dizzily, unable to control her movements.

Seeing her condition, Cranberry quickly cast Anti, curing the status ailment. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, it knocked the wind out of me, but I’m alright.” Dark Force answered.

“DF! Look!” Cranberry exclaimed pointing to the ground.

A small mechanical robot had emerged in the room, attached to its casing was a small golden key. The small robot looked like a type of ant as it had 6 small legs and a rectangular body. But before either could get a good look at it, it took off running through the room.

“I get it. We have to catch that thing while avoiding these spheres.” Dark Force stated.

“I’m sure it’s harder than it sounds. Well, lets go!” Cranberry answered.

Cranberry located the robot dashing along the perimeter and quickly ran after it, but was immediately cut off by several of the bouncing spheres. A sudden change of course from one caught her off guard, it slammed into her, knocking her off her feet and inflicting confusion. Dark Force raced to her friend’s side and cast Anti as Cranberry pulled herself up.

“They seem to have a mind of their own.” Cranberry said, rubbing her head.

“There it is!” Dark Force shouted, spotting the robot make a dash through the center of the room.

“After it!” Cranberry answered.

They both made a dash toward the robot. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and struck one of the bouncing spheres as it approached, knocking it out of their way. Cranberry made a dash to her left and dove forward toward the robot. The robot suddenly pivoted and changed direction, sliding away from Cranberry’s grasps as she crashed to the ground. “Blast it! Missed!”

“Cran! Watch it!” Dark Force warned, leaping forward and slashing her Magical Piece, deflecting a sphere away from Cranberry before it could strike. She quickly helped Cranberry to her feet.

“They’re everywhere! How are we supposed to do this?” Cranberry complained as they began to sprint, narrowly evading a small barrage of bouncing spheres as they descended toward them.

“By working together, just like we always do. We can’t outrun it, but we can outsmart it.” Dark Force encouraged. “Trust me.”

“I do DF. I do. Alright, lets do this.” Cranberry agreed.

Dark Force pointed to the left. Cranberry immediately dashed to the left. Dark Force dashed to the right. The robot skidded along the floor heading directly toward Cranberry. Cranberry raised her Windmill and struck a sphere to deflect it and then dashed forward. The robot pivoted and changed directions.

“Now DF!” Cranberry shouted.

Dark Force cut off the robot and lunged forward. Just before she got her hand on it, the robot suddenly sprang into the air, much to the surprise of both FOnewearls.

“What? It can jump? Ack!” Dark Force cried as a sphere suddenly descended and landed on her head, pushing her to the ground. She stood up dizzily and took a few steps in confusion, only to run into another sphere and get knocked onto her back.

Cranberry ran against the moving floor, allowing it to bring Dark Force to her. She reached down and pulled her friend back to her feet, casting a quick Anti to cure the confusion. “Are you alright DF?”

“Yeah, I guess so. That thing is fast.” Dark Force answered.

“I have an idea. DF, can you keep these spheres off me for a moment?” Cranberry asked.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry began swinging her Windmill, getting the blades to spin. Dark Force swung her Magical Piece, striking approaching spheres away from Cranberry.

“Now! DF go! Get the robot! Trust me!” Cranberry shouted.

“CB? Okay! I’m going!” Dark Force answered as she ran toward the robot.

Cranberry continued swinging her Windmill, this time sending the blades flying with each swing. As the spheres began to descend on Dark Force, Cranberry hurled the photon blades of her Windmill, striking each sphere and knocking it clear of her friend. As Dark Force approached, the robot began moving, staying just out of her range. Cranberry continued swinging her Windmill, covering herself and Dark Force, beginning to knock all of the bouncing spheres into one corner of the room. The robot suddenly pivoted and changed directions as Dark Force dove for it, eluding her once again. Dark Force pounded the ground in frustration.

“Don’t give up! Keep going!” Cranberry encouraged.

Dark Force nodded and pulled herself back up, making another dash for the robot. Cranberry adjusted her aim and fired the photon blade of her Windmill, striking the robot and flipping it into the air. Dark Force lunged for it, and actually got her hand on it, but could not quite hold onto it. The robot landed and immediately bolted, dashing between Dark Force’s legs and escaping behind her. She quickly spun around and gave chance to it, ducking her head to edge past a sphere that had broken through Cranberry’s cover fire.

Cranberry continued swinging her Windmill, and Dark Force continued trying to catch the robot. They both continued to push themselves, despite their growing exhaustion.

“Dark Force! To your left! Go now! Get ready!” Cranberry ordered.

Dark Force obeyed her friends command and pivoted, dashing to her left between 2 bouncing spheres. The robot changed directions and attempted to put some distance between itself and Dark Force.

“No you don’t!” Cranberry yelled as she swung her Windmill. The blade struck the outside edge of a nearby sphere and sent it careening to the floor, striking the side of the robot. The resulting impact flung the robot into the air. “Grab it DF!”

Dark Force leapt into the air and grabbed the robot, clutching it with both hands. She landed, and struggled to maintain her hold on the struggling critter. “Cran! I can’t get a good hold on it!” Dark Force warned as it thrashed in her hands, forcing her to constantly re-adjust her hold on it.

Cranberry ran over and attempted to help Dark Force subdue the robot. The robot continued to struggle and thrash. After a few moments, they lost their hold on it, it dropped to the floor and bolted.

“No! We were so close!” Dark Force cried.

“Don’t worry DF. It may have gotten away, but I plucked this off it before it escaped.” Cranberry grinned, holding up the golden key.

“Great work Cranberry!” Dark Force complimented. “The door is over there in the center pillar! Come on!”

They quickly forced their way to the central pillar, dodging some of the bouncing spheres on the way. Cranberry quickly thrust the key in the lock, prompting the door to slide open. Without hesitation, they both leapt inside the pillar. The door quickly closed behind them. Inside it was pitch black, they could not see a thing but they could feel the floor beginning to move. They were on an elevator, and it was taking them deeper into the facility.

After a couple minutes of darkness, the elevator stopped and a door opened. It took them a moment for their eyes to re-adjust to the light. As they stepped out of the pillar, they found themselves in a large open room. Large windows surrounded them on all sides, allowing a view of the beautiful ocean landscape outside. Colorful fish seemed to be all around this part of the ocean floor.

“Well done. Well done indeed.” The voice of the Blue Ring General sounded as a pillar of light formed, which quickly materialized into the general. He was again wearing the navy blue wizards robe that they had seen him in before, and in his right hand he clutched the same Summit Moon.

“It’s been a while you two. Dark Force, you are looking quite well. I see you have overcome the poison very well. Well done Cranberry.” The Blue Ring General stated.

Cranberry nodded, giving no verbal responds. Both FOnewearls looked wearily at the general.

“Congratulations you two. You’ve passed the tests. I knew you could do it. Together, apart, mental, or physical, no matter what the challenge you two face it as a team. Never before have I seen such a strong bond between 2 people. That is something the other generals were not able to appreciate.” The Blue Ring General continued. “As I told you before, I believe in a fair fight. I now know for certain that you two are quite capable of providing just that.”

“Do we really have to do this?” Dark Force asked.

“It is how it was meant to be. I see that you are both worn out. I want you both to be at your very best, at your absolute peak for this. So, let us restore your strength shall we?” The Blue Ring General stated. He waved his Summit Moon, and a light briefly shown just to the side of the 2 FOnewearls. As the light faded, a Healing-Rig appeared beside them. “I’m sure you’ve seen these before. Step inside and your strength will be restored.”

Cranberry looked to Dark Force and nodded. They both stepped into the Healing-Rig. The ring lowered around them, and just as promised they both found their strength and endurance fully restored. They were both fully healed of all injuries they had endured. Even the horrible wound Dark Force had suffered to her stomach was fully healed.

“Superb!” The Blue Ring General declared as he again waved his Summit Moon, causing the Healing-Rig to vanish. “Now, I’m sure you are already aware that this ring grants me a significant increase in mental strength. I expect you will both come at me with everything you have, do not hold back on me hear? After all, I will not be going easy on you. Now, shall we begin?”

The Blue Ring General offered a bow. Cranberry and Dark Force looked to each other, sighing softly. Together they both looked to the General and nodded.

“We’re ready.” Dark Force said.

Cranberry began by casting Shifta. Dark Force cast Deband simultaneously. The Blue Ring General only cast Deband on himself.

The General made the first offensive move, lifting his Magical Piece and casting Barta. The technique moved at incredible speed. It slammed into both FOnewearls, hurdling them off their feet to the floor.

“Oh, I should mention. Worry not about these windows around us. They are highly fortified and will not shatter or crack no matter how much force we may apply to them. So do not hold back for any reason!” The Blue Ring General informed.

“Thanks for the info.” Cranberry muttered as she stood up and cast Resta on Dark Force and herself.

Dark Force jumped to her feet and thrust her Magical Piece forward, casting a Rafoie technique. The Blue Ring General thrust his weapon forward, and a strange barrier appeared before him. A technique neither Cranberry nor Dark Force had ever seen before. The Rafoie was nullified before it could inflict any damage. Cranberry drew her Windmill and charged forward toward the General. The General responded by thrusting his weapon forward and casting a Gizonde technique. Lighting struck Cranberry, dropping her to her knees. The lighting also continued past Cranberry and struck Dark Force as well. Dark Force also fell to her knees, cringing in pain from the powerful electrical burst.

The General dashed forward, readying another technique at Cranberry. Cranberry suddenly flung her arm forward as if she were about to cast a technique. The General quickly threw up him barrier. To his surprise, no technique came at him. Instead Cranberry dashed forward and swung her Windmill, striking the General in the chest. Dark Force, regaining her composure rushed forward to help here friend. The General bright his Summit Moon down, but Cranberry pressed her attack and continued swinging her Windmill, inflicting moderate damage to the General and preventing him from casting. Dark Force took the opportunity to cast Zalure, decreasing the General’s defensive capabilities. The General backed away, and swung his Summit Moon, smacking Cranberry in the head and knocking her onto her back. Dark Force began to cast a technique, but before she could raise her weapon the General had cast a technique of his own. A fierce wind suddenly began to blow, and pushed the 2 FOnewearls clear across the room.

Cranberry groaned as she sat up, feeling dizzy from the blow to the head she had received. Dark Force, whom had not suffered as much damage got to her feet first and cast Resta, restoring a significant portion of Cranberry’s strength.

Cranberry got back to her feet and readied herself. A large Foie fireball came flying at the 2 FOnewearls, much larger and more powerful than their own Foie. Both dove in opposite directions, narrowly evading the blast. Both rolled to their feet and counter attacked with techniques of their own. Cranberry cast her own Foie while Dark Force cast Grants.

The Blue Ring General crossed his arms and raised his shield. The Foie shot was absorbed, but the Grants attack broke through and struck the General, knocking him down and giving the FOnewearls a chance to regroup. Cranberry and Dark Force made a beeline for the General. The General stood up just as Cranberry and Dark Force lashed forward with their weapons. The General quickly thrust his weapon upward, and cast a Rabarta technique. The ice froze Dark Force solid, and knocked Cranberry to the floor. The General took a quick swing at Dark Force, inflicting significant damage to her. Cranberry quickly jumped to her feet and cast Anti, freeing Dark Force from the ice. Dark Force responded by casting Resta, and Cranberry cast Jellen, reducing the General’s surprisingly potent physical attacks.

The General lifted his weapon and cast Rafoie, causing a massive explosion of fire to engulf the two FOnewearls. To his great surprise, Dark Force suddenly emerged from the flames, having swapped her Magical Piece for her own Windmill and swung it wildly at the General. The General counter attacked with a Zonde technique, causing a massive lighting bolt to strike Dark Force. But Dark Force was not even fazed by the stroke, and swung her Windmill into the General’s head, shoving him backwards and nearly off balance. Dark Force turned and cast Resta, catching the weakened Cranberry with the technique and restoring much of her strength. Dark Force quickly turned and resumed her attack on the General. The General desperately cast Barta, but again the technique had no effect on Dark Force. Dark Force grinned as the Sato over her shoulder continued spinning. Her weakened state had triggered her Sato’s special ability, and it had granted her temporary invincibility.

As Dark Force continued hammering on the General, Cranberry stood up and suddenly bolted, running away from Dark Force and the General. The General frowned as Cranberry ran, not having expected her to abandon her friend. But for the moment, he had far more pressing mattes to attend to. He concentrated on parrying Dark Force’s attacks with his Summit Moon. Until her Sato’s special affect wore off, he could not fight back against her. Dark Force continued slamming her Windmill against the General, occasionally breaking through his defenses. After a short time, her Sato’s special ability wore off. She immediately tucked into a defensive pose. The General thrust his arms forward and unleashed a massive Gibarta technique. Dark Force braced herself and absorbed the hit, taking minimal damage from the technique.

“Your friend abandoned you. Not very noble.” The Blue Ring General complained.

“No she didn’t!” Dark Force grinned.

“Got you!” Cranberry shouted as she pressed her Windmill against the General’s back.

The General gasped in surprise. “A diversionary tactic. You were not running away, you were running to a better attack position. Well-done Cranberry. Very well then, do what you have to do.”

Cranberry looked at Dark Force and nodded at her. Cranberry then pulled back her Windmill and stepped away from the General.

“What are you doing Cranberry? Why didn’t you finish me?” The General asked, turning to look at the FOnewearl.

“I owe you one for telling me how to find the antidote that cured Dark Force’s poisoning and saved her life.” Cranberry answered.

“I see. Cranberry, Dark Force, you two are quite honorable indeed. It is my honor to duel you. Very well then Cranberry, now we are even. So, shall we continue?” The General asked.

Dark Force raised her Windmill and cast Gibarta. Cranberry raised her own Windmill and cast Gifoie. The General responded by casting Razonde. All 3 were struck by techniques and knocked off their feet. And all 3 quickly pulled themselves back up. Cranberry put away her Windmill and pulled her Double Saber. Dark Force began casting Gizonde as fast as she could. The General generated his technique barrier, blocking Dark Force’s assault, but he was unable to fully defend against Cranberry as well. Cranberry swung her Double Saber, and ripped into the General. The General barely managed to swing his Summit Moon and deflect Cranberry away, absorbing a few shots of Gizonde from Dark Force in the process.

The General backed away, blood beginning to form on his arm. But despite his obvious pain, a smile lurked on his face. He was truly enjoying this duel, and appreciated the challenge. Although it did not fully heal him, a Resta technique from the General recovered a significant portion of his strength.

Cranberry raised her Double Saber and began casting a barrage of Foie. But this time the General was ready and cast a technique of his own. Jagged rocks suddenly rose from the ground and pierced the 2 FOnewearls, completely taking them by surprise.

“A new technique I like to call Earth Dagger.” The General informed as the FOnewearls cried out in pain. “Developed it myself.”

Dark Force collapsed to the ground. Cranberry, who was in a more defensive position fell to her knees, but was able to pull herself back to her feet. She cast Resta on herself and Dark Force. This gave Cranberry the strength to continue fighting, but Dark Force remained laying on the ground. She would need more time to recover from that last attack.

Cranberry cast a Grants technique, prompting the General to raise his technique barrier again. Even before the Grants technique actually completed, Cranberry was already on the General. She swung her Double Saber, ripping through his technique shield and striking him directly before he could defend. The General staggered backwards, but Cranberry did not let up and pressed her attack, swinging the Double Saber with all here might. She finished her assault by topping off her physical damage with a Foie blast. The fireball slammed into the General’s chest and hurled him into the glass wall of the room.

The General sat on his hands and knees, panting a bit from the attack. Not giving him a chance to recover, Cranberry cast a Zonde technique. The General forced himself up despite the damage he had taken from Cranberry’s saber and technique attacks. The General pointed his Summit Moon toward Cranberry. 3 large fireballs emerged and flew into her, engulfing her in flames. Cranberry cried out in pain as the fire collided into her. She collapsed to the ground, her body smoking from the impact.

Before the General could make another action, arrows of light surrounded him. He looked up just in time to see Dark Force on her feet one more time, her Magical Piece re-equipped. Dark Force’s Grants technique struck and blasted the General off his feet. This time he was slow to get up. Dark Force ran to Cranberry and quickly cast Resta before reaching down to help her up. Both FOnewearls were weakened and injured, but they were not ready to give up.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cranberry on 2006-06-26 10:18 ]</font>

[Cranberry]

The General finally rose to his feet as well, and shakily raised his Summit Moon to the two. Cranberry and Dark Force immediately ran in opposite directions. The General caused a massive surge of lighting to fly forward, but it missed the 2 FOnewearls. Before he could react again, Cranberry and Dark Force looped around and closed in on the General from opposite sides. Both cast Gizonde, stunning him with the sudden shock of lightning. Taking advantage of the situation, they both rushed the General and lashed out with their weapons. Cranberry’s Double Saber and Dark Force’s Magical Piece both struck the General with great force. The Summit Moon was knocked out of his hand, and he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. Both FOnewearls stood weakly over the fallen General, aiming their weapons at him.

“W-well done. You t-two truly are the best of the best.” The General admitted as he closed his eyes. “You win, I lose. Make your final blow.”

“It doesn’t have to end this way.” Cranberry protested.

“She’s right. Just hand over the ring.” Dark Force agreed.

“Yes, the ring is all we need. We don’t have to take your life.” Cranberry continued.

“You may be our enemy, but you don’t seem evil. We really have no desire to kill you.” Dark Force added.

The General weakly opened his eyes. “Is this a joke?”

“Not at all. We have not been looking forward to this battle. You helped me save Dark Force. We don’t want to hurt you. All we need is the ring, we don’t need to take your life.” Cranberry answered.

“You truly have a sense of honor, both of you do. All of this time, I was told that your kind of people were despicable and corrupt; a selfish uncaring race. That was the justification that was given for bringing forth the destruction of Pioneer 2, and stealing the rings of the Hunters there. The same kinds of rings you two are wearing now. But as soon as I saw you two out there in the woods, I knew something seemed different. I could feel it, that you two were not the diabolical and evil people I was told you were.” The Blue Ring General spoke. “In a way, telling you about that antidote was a test of its own. I wanted to see if you would let her die. But you didn’t, you did everything you could to save her. And your actions here today further prove that you are not the monsters I was told you were.”

“She’s my best friend. I’d do anything for her.” Cranberry answered.

“And I would do anything for Cranberry.” Dark Force insisted.

The General slowly stood up and looked at the large Blue Ring on his wrist. “I believe you. Here, take the ring. Its yours now.” The Blue Ring General stated as he pulled the Blue Ring off of his wrist and handed it to Dark Force. “You two have opened the truth to me, there is no reason that Pioneer 2 should be destroyed. You are not the evil ones, it is us. I see that clearly now. Black Ring is preparing to take drastic measures and attack Pioneer 2 directly. He has been made commander of the fleet, and is well known for his ruthlessness.”

“What? He’s going to attack Pioneer 2?” Dark Force asked. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. With so many of the Generals defeated, he felt it was time to make a much more direct plan. It seems some friends of yours up there have convinced the officials to cancel the landing. So he plans to make Pioneer 2 land by force.” The Blue Ring General explained. “You must act quickly and stop Black Ring before Pioneer 2 is attacked! They’ve set up a small outpost in space, just beyond the sensor range of Pioneer 2. That is where Black is preparing to mobilize the fleet.”

“Oh no. I don’t know how to get there; we can’t exactly take the ship I used to get to Ragol. I sort of broke it.” Cranberry admitted.

“I’ll allow you to use my ship, it’s located in a hangar just below this deck. This access card will allow you to start it. It should allow you to slip by their defenses without being identified. The elevator you used to come down here will take you to the hangar deck.” The Blue Ring General said as he handed Cranberry the access card. “Hurry! Time is in short supply!”

“Thank you Blue. I won’t forget this.” Cranberry stated as she took the card. “Lets go DF!”

“Wait!” The Blue Ring General cried.

Both FOnewearls turned back to the General.

“Black has taken my most recent supply of technique disks that I created, many I never even got to use myself. While he lacks my mental strength, he has a formidable array of techniques at his disposal now. He can power himself up to levels far beyond that of Shifta and Deband. There are also reports of a monster specifically designed to take down the two of you.” The Blue Ring General explained.

“What? No, he was already so powerful before. How can we match up to that?” Dark Force groaned.

“I saved one, and only one technique disk. I found Black’s orders suspicious, and I created a counter measure just in case. I want to give it to you now.” The Blue Ring General confessed as he handed a technique disk to Dark Force. “That is called Dispel. It is a powerful technique that can negate magical effects. It may be your only chance of getting through Black’s new powers. I only have one however, I leave it to you to decide which of you should learn that technique.”

“Blue, what are you going to do now? You can’t go back to the Generals after this.” Dark Force asked.

“I don’t know Dark Force. But don’t worry about me; I’ll be all right. I’ll remain here for now; perhaps someday we can all live together in peace on this planet. Now go! Hurry and stop Black before it’s too late!” The Blue Ring General answered.

“Thanks Blue. Come on DF. Let’s go!” Cranberry said.

Cranberry and Dark Force ran to the elevator. Pausing for a moment, they turned and looked back at the Blue Ring General. They then entered the elevator and began to descend toward the lower hangers.

“Cranberry.” Dark Force stated as they descended.

“Yes DF?” Cranberry asked.

“Here. I want you to use this.” Dark Force stated as she handed the Dispel disk to Cranberry.

“DF, are you sure?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes. Positive. You deserve it.” Dark Force answered.

“Well, okay.” Cranberry replied. She closed her eyes and activated the technique disk. She felt a strange power flow into her as the technique disk vanished. Cranberry opened her eyes as the elevator reached the bottom floor and opened up. The two stepped into the hangar, ready to face their next mission. Cranberry, now armed with Dispel, put her arm around Dark Force’s shoulder. They had a big job ahead of them.

End of Chapter 24.
Chapter 25 teaser: It is a race against time. Cranberry and Dark Force take to the air in Blue Ring General’s ship as they attempt to stop the Black Ring General from attacking Pioneer 2. The space battle begins in Chapter 25.



Chapter 25 – Into the Horizon

“So, that’s it huh?” Dark Force asked as they gazed at a blue ship sitting in the bay before them.

The ship was a design similar to some of the ships that flew around Pioneer 2. It had wings extending from each side, 2 engine packs sitting in the rear, and a front panel that opened into the cockpit. Mounted onto the wings were 2 forward firing laser cannons. It looked to be about the size of a shuttle.

“It looks like a cross between a fighter and a transport. I wonder how fast she is?” Cranberry wondered aloud.

Dark Force looked at the mouthpiece in her hand. “Looks like this has lost its power. I guess its no longer of any use to us. We should probably leave them here, Blue might need them.”

Cranberry nodded and they both set their mouthpieces on the floor near the elevator door. They walked to the ship and began to look for a doorway to get inside. Cranberry located a small panel on the side and pulled on it. A tone sounded and the door to the ship slid open. Both stepped inside the vessel and examined the inside. Cranberry walked to the cockpit area and looked at the controls. She sat down into the pilot side.

“You think you can fly it CB?” Dark Force asked.

“Yeah, I flew a ship down here to Ragol to find you didn’t I?” Cranberry answered.

“That’s funny, I thought you crashed a ship coming down here to find me.” Dark Force smirked.

“Details details.” Cranberry answered.

“Oh boy.” Dark Force sighed, taking a seat on the passenger side. “So how do we start it?”

“He said we use the card. Lets see, there must be some kind of reader. Oh, this looks like it.” Cranberry answered, sliding the card into a small slot. Sparks began to generate and fly from the console. Cranberry quickly yanked the card back out. “That wasn’t it! That wasn’t it!”

“It’s going to be a long trip.” Dark Force groaned.

Cranberry looked closer at the control panel, finding another slot and carefully sliding the card into it. The control panel lit up, and the ships engines began to hum. Cranberry beamed with accomplishment. Dark Force could not help but chuckle at Cranberry’s anticipation.

“Just like a child on Christmas morning.” Dark Force stated.

“Just one thing, how do we get out of the bay?” Cranberry asked.

“Leave that to me” A voice said.

“Blue? Is that you?” Dark Force answered.

“Sure is. I’m talking to you over the ship radio. The controls for it are the green buttons in the center. Both the pilot and the passenger can utilize it. Now, the controls are pretty similar to the ships on Pioneer 2. You should be able to understand them pretty well. One key difference is that this ship functions both as a submarine and a flyer. The conversion between water and sky is controlled by the lever on the pilot’s left hand side. Pretty simple really. Make sure you are set for submarine mode right now, because once I open the door the bay will flood with water. Are strapped in and have the ships door closed?” The Blue Ring General informed.

“Oh, one moment.” Dark Force answered as she got up and closed the main door. Returning to her seat, both Cranberry and Dark Force strapped themselves into their seats. Cranberry took a moment more to examine the controls, making sure she recognized everything. Once Cranberry gave the OK, Dark Force turned her attention back to the radio. “We’re ready.”

“Good luck Cranberry & Dark Force. May the Lord watch over you.” The Blue Ring General said.

A platform began to rise beneath the ship, raising it to a higher level. When the platform stopped, they were in what appeared to be a runway like section of the bay. Ahead of them they could see a large metal door. A loud creaking was heard and the door slowly began to slide open, causing water to pour into the bay.

Cranberry gripped the control stick as the ship rocked a bit from the sudden flow of water. The entire bay was quickly fully submerged well before the door fully opened. Cranberry pushed the stick forward, causing the engines to roar to life and propel the ship forward. The ship exited the bay into the open sea. Cranberry moved the stick around, causing the ship to begin to veer to one side, then to the other in somewhat erratic movements.

“What are you doing CB?” Dark Force asked with concern.

“Just getting a feel for her is all.” Cranberry answered.

“Cran, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Dark Force questioned.

“Well, mostly.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force glanced nervously at her friend.

“Alright, going up!” Cranberry announced as she pulled back on the stick and caused the ship to rise toward the surface.

“Not too fast Cran!” Dark Force warned.

“I’m on it. Here we go!” Cranberry answered.

The ship rose to the surface and into the air. Cranberry pulled the lever and switched the ship into fight mode. The engines hummed and he ship began to propel into the air. Cranberry grinned contently. Dark Force gave her a thumbs-up.

“Cran, wait a minute. Aren’t we forgetting something?” Dark Force stated.

“No, I haven’t forgotten about him. I’m heading toward him right now so we can pick him up.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force nodded. “He’s done so much for us. We can’t abandon him now.”

Cranberry carefully flew the ship back toward the beach. Recognizing the landscape, she carefully landed the ship. Sliding the door open and Cranberry stepped out while Dark Force stayed with the ship. After a quick jog, she reached the teleporter they had used to go Blue’s lab, and the J-Tollaw was still right where they had left him.

“Hey boy!” Cranberry said as she approached. The J-Tollaw got up and quickly walked to Cranberry, nuzzling her lightly. “See, I told you I’d come back. And Dark Force is just fine too. Come on, we came to get you. This time, you get to be the passenger.”

Cranberry brought the J-Tollaw back to the ship and brought him inside. The J-Tollaw curiously looked around the ship, and quickly trotted over to Dark Force as she grinned from her seat. The J-Tollaw greeted Dark Force with an affectionate nuzzle. Dark Force laughed as she patted the J-Tollaw.

Dark Force secured the J-Tollaw and returned to her seat. Cranberry returned to her seat after securing the door and prepared the ship for liftoff. “Are we prepared? All right, lets go!” Cranberry announced.

The ship lifted off the ground and rose into the air. Gripping the stick, Cranberry activated the thrusters and guided the ship forward. The speed increased and Cranberry formed a big smile on her face. “This is great! She sure is fast!”

“Easy Cranberry.” Dark Force warned. “Careful there.”

“Come on Dark Force, let’s see what she can do!” Cranberry announced.

At Cranberry’s command, the ship roared forward and flew low over the ocean, just above the surface. Dark Force’s eyes widened in disbelief at what was happening. “Cran what are you doing!?”

“Wooo hooo! Now this is a ship! She can move!” Cranberry exclaimed. Cranberry pulled back on the stick and lifted the ship back into the sky. She quickly steered the ship into a new direction and left the ocean behind. After a short distance they came across a canyon below. Cranberry grinned at her friend and pushed the stick forward, diving the ship down into the canyon.

Dark Force gasped in panic, but instead of smashing into the ground the ship leveled out and began flying through the narrow corridor of the canyon. Cranberry beamed with delight as she raced through the canyon, maneuvering expertly through the twists and turns. As they approached a longer straightaway Cranberry punched the accelerator and flew forward. Dark Force was holding onto the armrest of her chair so tightly that her knuckles were turning white as snow. Several large stone were in the distance ahead of them. Cranberry cheered and gripped the stick tightly, maneuvering the ship under each of the arches without even slowing down. As they approached the end of the canyon, Cranberry pulled up and lifted the ship above the stone wall, cutting it a lot closer than Dark Force was comfortable with.

“CB, you’re going to give me a heart attack!” Dark Force complained.

“Take it easy and relax a little DF. Lets take a moment and enjoy the beauty of this planet! Who knows when we’ll get another chance? Trust me, we’ll be fine.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force looked out the window, and then at her friend. As she saw the confident look on Cranberry’s face, she felt more at ease. Her grip on her armrest eased and she found herself gazing at the scenic tour Cranberry was taking her on. The ship roared over Ragol, passing dense forests and flying through majestic mountain ranges. She could not help but smile; Ragol was indeed a beautiful planet.

Cranberry excitedly lifted the ship high into the air, performing a barrel roll as they soared along the slope of a high mountain, reaching the top and diving back down along the other slope.

“Cranberry, you sure have become a lot more daring since you died.” Dark Force stated.

“Our lives are so short, sometimes you just got to let it all go and enjoy what you have.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force smiled. “Of course.”

“So, how about we go and make sure that Pioneer 2 has a future to look forward to?” Cranberry asked.

Dark Force got a serious look on her face. “Yes, its time. We have to stop the Black Ring General.”

Cranberry gently pulled back on the stick, and lifted the ship high into the sky. “Here we go. Next stop, outer space.”

The ship jolted as it broke free of Ragol’s gravity and rocketed out of the atmosphere into space. Dark Force looked out the windshield and down at Ragol. It was a view similar to one she had seen many times before aboard Pioneer 2. But this time it felt a little different. The 2 of them had been on the planet for so long, and so much had happened there. It felt strange to be leaving it now.

“You alright DF?” Cranberry asked, seeing her friend staring down at the planet.

“Yes.” Dark Force answered. “Just so much has happened, feels strange to be leaving the planet.”

“Sure has been quite a journey down there. Well, I’ve got the outpost on the map. We’ll be there in 2 hours at this speed. Gives us some time to eat before we arrive. I’ve got our course locked in, lets take a little break and prepare some food.” Cranberry suggested.

Dark Force nodded and unfastened herself from her seat and picked up their packs from the storage bin they had placed them in. Cranberry pulled a Photon Drop from her item pack and fed it to the J-Tollaw. Dark Force pulled a few ration canisters from their packs and sat down beside Cranberry.

“What’s on the menu today?” Cranberry asked.

“Looks like some crackers and dried vegetables. Could be worse.” Dark Force answered.

“I’m not complaining. I’m just glad we have anything at all to eat.” Cranberry answered taking one of the canisters.

“Cran, something has been bothering me. Do you remember what Blue said? A new monster created specifically for us.” Dark Force said.

“Oh, now that you mention it I do remember something about that.” Cranberry answered.

“I am a bit worried. What could Black have created?” Dark Force asked.

“I couldn’t begin to guess. Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t be easy to overcome. But we’ve come this far, we can’t give up now right?” Cranberry responded.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered. “We’ve come too far to stop. We can do it, together.”

Cranberry nodded. “Dark Force, I’m proud of you. You’ve become so strong, and you’ve accomplished so much.”

“I had help. Without you I never would have made it this far. I would not be here if it were not for you.” Dark Force answered.

“And I would not be here now without you by my side. You believed in me, even when I was turned against you. Its only because of you that I was freed from Black’s curse.” Cranberry stated.

“Nothing can ever truly come between us, nothing.” Dark Force replied, putting her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder.

“And together, we’ll stop Black and end this threat to Pioneer 2 for good.” Cranberry answered, placing her hand on Dark Force’s shoulder.

Cranberry pulled Dark Force into a hug and held her for a moment. Once again, they both felt that they were in the calm before the storm. Soon they would have to face their most powerful enemy yet, the Black Ring General; a general that had already defeated them once, and had even turned them against each other. And now, according to what they had been told he had created a new monster specifically to take them down. A sense of uneasiness and fear lingered in both of their hearts, but they both knew they could not turn back now. They had to keep moving, no matter how great the danger, no matter how great the fear.

The ship silently continued its journey through space toward the outpost. Cranberry and Dark Force spent the remainder of their travel time resting and getting whatever sleep they could. Before long, a small alarm went off, signaling that they were within visual range of the outpost. The two immediately took focus and prepared themselves.

“Here goes.” Cranberry said as she reached for the communication panel.

“Good luck.” Dark Force said.

“This is Anakin. We have you on radar.” A voice stated through the communication channel.

“Requesting permission to land.” Cranberry answered, disguising her voice as best she could.

“We were not expecting you Blue. Why have you come here?” Anakin responded.

“Its urgent business, I must speak to Black Ring about an important matter.” Cranberry insisted.

“You don’t sound like Blue at all. I’m going to have to get authorization.” Anakin answered.

The J-Tollaw stood up and bumped against a panel on the wall. Suddenly the Star Wars Episode 3 DVD they had found earlier began to play at full volume. “Don’t try it Anakin! I have the high ground!”

“Oh! Yes sir! I’m sorry sir! I understand. You are cleared to land. Welcome to Sierna Outpost.” Anakin replied nervously.

Dark Force quickly jumped from her seat and de-activated the DVD. Cranberry struggled to stifle her laughter. “T-thank you sir. We’ll be aboard shortly.”

“I’m opening the docking doors now. I will inform Black of your arrival. Anakin out.” Anakin responded as the communication signal terminated.

“I can’t believe that worked.” Dark Force giggled as she returned to her seat.

Cranberry turned around and looked at the J-Tollaw. “You’re a genius.”

The J-Tollaw tilted his head as he looked curious to the two.

“I see the door opening ahead. Looks like we are ready to land.” Dark Force announced.

“I see it. Taking us in now.” Cranberry responded.

Cranberry piloted the ship and guided it into the opened docking door. Inside the bay, Dark Force pointed to a lit landing pad. Cranberry carefully guided the ship onto the pad, landing gently onto it. The docking doors closed behind them as they landed. They both looked nervously at one another, now there truly was no turning back. They had no choice but to go on.

“Lets get going. J-Tollaw, it is too dangerous for you to come with us. Find someplace to hide and stay with the ship alright?” Cranberry requested.

The J-Tollaw grunted in acknowledgement.

“Take care J-Tollaw. We’ll be back.” Dark Force spoke as she retrieved their item packs. “Are you ready Cran?”

“Yes. It won’t take long for them to realize we are here. We’ll have to fight our way through.” Cranberry warned.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered, picking up her Magical Piece. “I’m ready for it.”

Cranberry opened the hatch and stepped out onto the platform. Dark Force quickly followed her and closed the door behind them.

“Time to find Black.” Dark Force stated.

The two ran across the landing pad and toward the door ahead of them. They wanted to put as much distance between them and the ship as possible so that they would not draw unwanted attention to the ship and the J-Tollaw inside. The door opened automatically as they approached and they quickly ran through. Before them they found a series of connecting hallways. Cranberry looked to Dark Force. Dark Force looked back and shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, lets just pick one. How about this way?” Cranberry said pointing to the left.

“Sounds as good as any.” Dark Force replied.

They dashed down the corridor, having no real idea exactly where they were going. But anything was better than staying by the bay. They seen entered another room, where several service men were waiting for them.

“General Blue, so good to… huh?” The lead service man began, a look of surprise forming on his face as the 2 FOnewearls rushed into the room.’

“It’s them! It’s the Foneys! Seize them!” Another man shouted.

The group of 4 drew their weapons. They all appeared to be armed with Lockguns.

Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast Shifta and Deband on the two of them. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Jellen.

The group opened fire, sending a hail of photon bullets at the two. The two Forces’ Purple Rings reacted to their close proximity; holding their arms forward they endured the strikes, taking only minimal damage from the attacks.

Cranberry lashed forward with her Windmill, striking the nearest attacker in front of her. Dark Force cast Zalure to help Cranberry with her melee attack. She then rushed forward and lashed out herself with her Magical Peace, slamming it against the head of another man.

The group recoiled and backed away. The 2 stricken men regained their senses and re-stabilized their guns. They resumed firing on the two. Cranberry switched weapons and equipped her Double Saber. Deflecting a few shots with her ring, she swung her weapon and slashed it through one of the men. This time he did not return to his feet as he slouched to the floor. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Rafoie. Fire exploded around the group, knocking them to the floor. Cranberry quickly lunged forward to finish them off. One by one they fell for the final time. With their adversaries defeated, they exchanged quick nods to one another and continued on, darting down another hallways. An alarm began to sound as they ran through the hallway, their presence here was no longer a secret.

“I have no idea where we’re going!” Cranberry admitted.

“Thought so.” Dark Force grinned.

“Safe to say they know we’re here! But we both knew something like that was going to happen!” Cranberry continued.

“I’m ready for it.” Dark Force answered.

As they looked ahead they could see something moving in the hallway ahead of them. They readied their weapons and charged forward. As they got closer, they saw several robotic machines. They were a shiny gold color, and were built in a unique lizard like shape. They had long raptor like legs, and extended pterodactyl like wings. There were 3 of them total. Each reared up and turned to face the two as they approached. Within seconds, the machines had sprung into action and launched themselves at the FOnewearls. With their large wings, they were literally able to fly through the air, and quickly descended down at the two. They had a large spear like appendage on what would most resemble the head of the robot.

Dark Force skidded to a stop and leapt backwards, jumping out of the way one of the descending machines. Cranberry swung her Windmill and struck one of the robots, changing its course and deflecting it away before it could impale her.

The machines did not slow down and quickly sprang into the air again, charging straight toward the two. Cranberry cast Gizonde, striking all 3 machines with electricity. One of them began to short and fell to the ground, sparks emanating from the chassis. Dark Force cast Barta and created a wave of ice that ripped through the machines.

“DF, I’ll finish the one that dropped. Cover me!” Cranberry shouted as she equipped her Double Saber. Dark Force nodded and began casting Gifoie. Rings of flame generated around her and forced the airborne machines to break off their assault.

Cranberry ripped into the grounded machine with her Double Saber, tearing through the metal. The machine broke apart on the floor. The 2 remaining machines swerved and broke through Dark Force’s fiery assault. Gliding to each side, they dove toward Dark Force, aiming their razor sharp spears at her.

“Dark Force! Watch out!” Cranberry shouted as she turned and bolted toward her friend.

Dark Force had a calm expression on her face. Just as the machines were nearly upon her, she back flipped away. The 2 machines crashed into one another, piercing each other with their sharp spears. As she landed Dark Force equipped her Windmill and slashed at the damaged machines repeatedly, ripping them apart until they collapsed into a heap of smoking metal.

“Nice work.” Cranberry complimented.

Dark Force nodded and continued into the next room; Cranberry followed just behind her. They saw an elevator ahead of them, but being an alarm was sounding and by now the whole outpost likely knew they were here, they both agreed not to take it. Bypassing the elevator, they raced down an adjacent passage. They still had no clue where they were going, but they both felt the best thing to do was to try and reach the higher decks where they suspected that the Black Ring General was. They reached a stairway and decided this was a safer alternative than the elevator. Kicking the door open they leapt inside and dashed onto the stairs and raced up them as fast as they could.

“They’re down there! Stop them!” Someone yelled from above. Dark Force looked up and saw a small group above them. Within seconds, photon shots began raining down from above.

“This way!” Cranberry shouted as she pushed a door open and dashed out onto the main floor. Dark Force cast a quick Rafoie to provide them some cover and followed Cranberry.

“Looks like we went up 3 flights before they stopped us!” Cranberry said as they dashed down the corridor.

“Lets look for another way up!” Dark Force answered.

They continued to dash down various hallways and corridors, searching for another stairway or passage they could climb through. They came to a large double door, but found it locked. The door was golden in color with a large silver frame.

“This seems important. Let’s break it!” Cranberry grinned.

“Be my guest.” Dark Force giggled.

Cranberry lashed forward with her Double Saber and slammed it repeatedly into the door lock, ripping and cutting through the door. After several good strikes, the lock broke and fell to the floor. Cranberry took a few steps and then ran and jump kicked the door, forcing it open as she leapt through. Dark Force quickly darted in behind her. Inside was a large furnished room with rows of tables and various computers. It appeared to be some sort of meeting center. Inside a large number of men and women quickly scattered as the 2 FOnewearls rushed in.

“End of the line!” A man said as he and 7 others stepped forward to confront them. “Take them out and avenge the Generals!”

Cranberry took the forefront and readied her Double Saber. Dark Force took up a position behind her and held her Magical Piece tightly. The leader of the group readied his weapon; it looked to be a Crush Bullet. A spread of shots fired from his weapon, but they were weak in power and did little damage to the 2 Forces. 2 others, a man and a woman ran forward to strike with their weapons, 2 Red Sabers. The remaining 5 took up positions behind the leader, they all appeared to be equipped with red Scepters.

Cranberry intercepted the 2 Saber wielders and began deflecting their attacks with her Double Saber. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and cast Zonde, striking the Crush Bullet shooter with the lightning attack. The 5 Scepter carriers each pushed their weapons forward, and simultaneously cast Barta. The 5 Barta waves flew forward and struck the 2 FOnewearls. Cranberry endured the hit and remained focused on the 2 assaulting her with sabers. Dark Force nearly lost her footing but was able to remain on her feet. She quickly cast Resta on both Cranberry and herself, just as the Scepter wielder formation cast another technique. This time a stream of Foie fireballs flew forward. Dark Force braced herself and minimized the impact from the hit, but still felt considerable burn on her arms. Cranberry, having anticipated the strike leapt to her side just before they took aim. 2 Fireballs struck the male saber wielder, causing him to cry out in shock and pain. Cranberry did not hesitate. Lashing forward she slashed the stunned man with her Double Saber, ripping deep gashes into him. The man collapsed to the ground and dropped his saber. The female saber wielder swung her weapon toward Cranberry’s vulnerable back. A loud clang sounded as her saber was forced to a stop by Dark Force’s Magical Piece.

“I don’t think so!” Dark Force hissed. Dark Force thrust her weapon forward and cast Grants. Arrows of light surrounded and struck the woman, knocking her to the ground.

“Thanks!” Cranberry said quickly.

Before Dark Force could respond, 5 Zondes struck the 2, blasting them off their feet. Cranberry was first to stand again, quickly casting Resta on Dark Force and herself. Dark Force immediately cast Rafoie, engulfing the 5 technique users in flames. Cranberry moved closer and cast Rabarta, generating aura of ice arrows that engulfed the casters. Without giving them a chance to regroup, Dark Force cast Gizonde, which was more than they could endure. The small group collapsed to the ground. Dark Force took a quick scan of the room with her eyes and pointed to a small stairwell in the corner. They dashed across the room and rushed up the stairs reaching the next floor above them.

The stairwell did not descend any higher and they found themselves in a similar room to the one below. A small group of uniformed men confronted them in the room above. Having anticipated an ambush Dark Force began to cast Gizonde while Cranberry began casting Gifoie. Before they could approach, the men were already down overwhelmed by the force of the techniques. Sprinting toward the door, they were unable to release the lock from the inside without smashing it and dart down the hallway.

They found themselves trying to navigate a maze of passages now, there were no obvious markings or signs to direct them. So they just guessed on which passageways to dash through. Luck was with them, as they were able to avoid confrontations and reached another stairwell. Cranberry raised her Windmill and smashed the door open, slicing it off its hinges.

“Why didn’t you just open it? It wasn’t locked.” Dark Force asked.

“It’s just more fun this way.” Cranberry answered as she leapt over the wreckage and ran up the stairway.

Dark Force giggled and dashed up after her. They climbed as fast as they could, passing a number of floors as they sprinted up the long stairwell. As they advanced higher, shots were fired above them and began striking the rails. Cranberry cast Foie into the upper sections of the stairway, not seeing what it was that she was shooting at. Dark Force refreshed Shifta and Deband on Cranberry and herself as Cranberry continued casting Foie, sending a barrage of fire into the rails above. A man fell from the higher level and plummeted downward. As he fell, Dark Force reached out and grabbed him by the arm, stopping him from falling to his death. She swung her arms and flipped him over the rail and onto the stairway where he slumped to the floor, injured but alive.

“I just don’t think he deserved to die like that.” Dark Force said as Cranberry looked at her.

Cranberry nodded and the two charged their way up the stairs. 3 uniformed personnel attacked them as they climbed, but the 2 FOnewearls fought them off with their weapons, taking care not to knock them off of the stairwell however. Reaching the top of the stairwell they raced through the door; courtesy of Cranberry smashing it off the hinges with her Windmill. As they entered the adjacent room, they saw another long corridor before them. Without hesitation, they sprinted down the corridor, keeping a sharp eye out for anything that might attack them. Lights began to activate and shine as they ran. They glanced at them but decided to continue sprinting down the corridor. One by one lights above them continued to light up, each one a different color in a line: Purple, Yellow, Green, White, Blue, and Black. As the unusual black light lit up the passageway in front of them began to shake and move. The walls began to rotate, changing the shape of the passageway before them. Two small panels lifted and released 5 capsules onto the ground.

As the capsules began to move, Dark Force cast Deband and Cranberry cast Shifta. Cranberry readied her Windmill while Dark Force prepared her Magical Piece. The capsules broke open releasing 5 creatures. The creatures were pure black in color, and looked to be a combination of a saber tooth cat and a horse. They had long, horse-like legs and bodies, but instead of hooves they had large catlike paws with long 3-inch claws. Their heads were shaped like a horses, except they had large fangs hanging from their muzzles and catlike eyes.

As they expected, the monsters began to move toward the 2. Cranberry cast Jellen and Zalure immediately, reducing the monsters capabilities. Dark Force moved forward and took up a defensive position beside Cranberry. The first monster leapt high into the air and lashed toward Dark Force. A second one pawed the ground and charged straight for Cranberry. The other 3 hung back for the time being.

Dark Force held her Magical Piece in a defensive position and used it to help intercept the attacking monster. Although she deflected most of the strike, the monsters weight was more than she could withstand and she was knocked backwards. Cranberry sprang to one side, evading the monster and moving in to help protect Dark Force. Swinging her Windmill, she forced the monster to back away from Dark Force. Dark Force turned her head and saw the 2nd monster preparing to make another charge. Getting to her knees she thrust here Magical Piece toward the creature and cast Grants. Just as the monster began to charge, the arrows of light engulfed it, knocking it to the ground. Cranberry found her Windmill to be doing considerable damage to the monster she was keeping away from Dark Force. She continued to lash out, striking it again and again, prompting the other 3 to rush to its aid.

Dark Force got to here feet and spotted the other 3 approaching as well as the one she targeted with Grants beginning to recover. Closing her eyes she focused here energy and began casting Razonde. Lightning bolts leapt from her weapon and began striking the pack.

“Good work DF! Keep it up!” Cranberry encouraged as she slashed the monster one more time, causing it to collapses dead to the floor. Dark Force continued casting Razonde, creating blast after blast of lightning. Cranberry joined her friend in the technique casting, only she picked Gifoie. Waves of fire and lightning engulfed the room; the monsters were unable to reach the FOnewearls and were taking heavy damage. One of them desperately launched into a charge making no effort to block the technique damage as it plowed toward the two. Cranberry spotted the monster and shoved Dark Force aside, getting her out of the creature’s way. As it rushed past, Cranberry swung her Windmill at the creature’s legs. A loud snap sounded as the Windmill blades connected. The monster tripped and fell, slamming into the wall. Dark Force dashed over and smashed her Magical Piece over the creature’s head, finishing it off. She then turned to see Cranberry engaging the 3 remaining monsters in hand-to-hand combat. Dark Force quickly sprinted over to assist. Putting her Magical Piece away she pulled her own Windmill and leapt into the fray, slamming it into a creature’s side.

The monsters attempted to counter strike with their claws, but the FOnewearls deflected the strikes with their rings and counter attacked with their Windmills. One by one each monster collapsed to the floor.

“Well done Dark Force.” Cranberry complimented.

“You too CB.” Dark Force answered.

“Look DF, the door. It has a large symbol on it. It looks like some kind of shield surrounded by a Black Ring. Do you think that this is his lair?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes.” Dark Force answered. “Are you ready?”

“I sure am. Lets do it.” Cranberry replied.

They approached the door; Cranberry readied her Windmill read to smash it open, but much to her disappointment the door slid open automatically as they approached. Stepping inside, they found themselves in a large circular room. The door closed behind them, and the lights within the room began to dim. On the far side of the room, something dropped from the ceiling, making a loud metallic clank as it landed. 2 glowing purple eyes appeared where the object landed.

“So you have come. I have been waiting for you two. Hello.” The object spoke.

“Black Ring General I presume?” Dark Force said.

“You presume wrong.” The object answered. It rose and began walking toward them. “I am not Black Ring, but I was created by him.”

“Created by him? Than does that mean…. You’re that monster that was created specifically for us!” Cranberry concluded.

“You could say that.” The object sated as it stepped into the center of the room where the light shown on it.”

“He’s made entirely of metal?” Dark Force questioned as she looked at the strange blue tinted being before her.

“Not just any metal. 100% Tripolic armor from head to toe. You can call me the Tripolic Knight.” The creature informed as it pulled a sword from a sheath. “Even this blade is Tripolic. You do know what Tripolic is don’t you?”

“Uhh, not really.” Cranberry admitted.

“It’s a relatively new type of metal. It’s quite strong, and also quite resistant to techniques.” Dark Force explained.

“That’s right young lady. I see you’ve done your homework. It is known that both of you are quite competent technique casters, and Black decided special preparations were needed. Though I am surprised you knew he had made a special new creation just for you.” The Tripolic Knight declared. “Now then, which of you is Cranberry and which of you is Dark Force?”
(Thanks to member Tripolic Shield for suggesting this enemy)

“Figure it out.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force did not answer.

“Quite a lip you have there red bow. But it doesn’t really matter if you tell me or not. Either way you both will not escape here.” The Tripolic Knight hissed as he raised his sword. “Your interference ends here!”

“We’ll just see about that!” Cranberry challenged as Dark Force and she readied their weapons.

The knight ran forward, moving at a far greater speed than they had expected. Cranberry narrowly evaded the strike, dashing just out of the blades range. Dark Force raised her Magical Piece and cast Barta. The wave of ice plowed forward and struck the knight. His armor absorbed the strike, causing the technique to fizzle out upon impact. He immediately spun around and slashed his sword at Dark Force. Dark Force attempted to evade the blade and while she was able to get most of her body out of the way, the sword cut a small gash into her upper left arm. Dark Force cried out from the pain, prompting Cranberry to quickly come to her aid. Lifting her Windmill Cranberry cast a Foie technique. The fireball struck the knight, only to fizzle out against it. The knight held his sword horizontally and performed a quick spin, striking both Cranberry and Dark Force in the chest, knocking them away and to the ground.

“My armor is fully resistant. It protects me from all of your techniques. And provides considerable defense against physical attacks as well. You don’t stand a chance!” The Tripolic Knight boasted as the 2 FOnewearls pulled themselves back up.

“Well, that complicates things.” Cranberry answered.

“We won’t give up!” Dark Force snapped.

“Try Forces! Try and escape alive! Ha ha ha!” The Tripolic Knight mocked.

Dark Force approached and thrust her Magical Piece forward, casting a Jellen technique. The technique had no visible affect, much to Dark Force’s disappointment. Cranberry approached from another angle and cast Zalure, but it too had no affect on their foe.

The Tripolic Knight suddenly sprang forward toward Dark Force, landing in front of her he grabbed hold of her arm and kicked her squarely in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. He then spun around and rushed Cranberry, lashing his sword at her. Cranberry backed away and took a defensive position, deflecting his strikes as best she could with her Windmill. But the Knight was relentless and began breaking through Cranberry’s defenses, inflicting several strikes on her and cutting several gashes into her arms and chest.

“Dark Force, help me!” Cranberry cried desperately as the knight continued to slash her, getting more and more hits through her defense.

“Calling for help? Ha that must mean that you are Cranberry then. Well the Fire Mage will soon be the Shish Kabob Mage.” The Tripolic Knight hissed.

Dark Force pulled herself up, shaking off the pain from the strike. Putting her Magical Piece away she equipped her own Windmill and ran towards her friend. She swung her Windmill into the Knight, causing a loud clang as the blades struck the metal. But her strike made little more than a scratch in the armor. The Knight did not even react to the impact and continued slashing his sword into Cranberry, starting to force her to her knees as she desperately tried to protect herself.

“D-Dark Force!” Cranberry screamed in pain as the sword slashed a deep gash into her left side.

“Leave her alone!” Dark Force demanded as she leapt atop the Knight and held onto him, pounding on his helmet.

“Hey! Get off!” The Knight demanded, reaching up and grabbing for Dark Force.

Dark Force evaded his grab without falling off and continued pounding his helmet with her fist. The Knight reached up and grabbed Dark Force by her shirt, pulling her off of him. Dark Force flailed as she tried to break free of his hold.

“You want down? No problem Dark Force.” The Tripolic Knight grinned as he threw Dark Force straight into the air and raised his sword to striker her as she fell.

“No!” Cranberry screamed as she charged forward and dove onto the knight, knocking him off balance and disrupting his attack. The knight fell over backwards with Cranberry landing on top of him.

Despite her pain, Cranberry began wailing on him with her Windmill, striking facial part of the helmet repeatedly. Dark Force having landed from the throw without any harm cast Resta, giving Cranberry a much-needed boost of energy.

“Enough!” The Knight suddenly reached forward with both hands and grabbed Cranberry by the hair. Cranberry screamed in pain as her head was forced forward. The knight rolled over and pressed his weight on top of Cranberry, crushing her to the ground.

Cranberry groaned in pain as the knight rolled off her and stood up. Her arms and legs felt like jelly. As she began to sit herself up, the knight’s sword lashed forward and slashed her horizontally across her midsection. Gasping in shock and pain, she fell back into a laying position, intense pain coursing through her body.

Dark Force did not hesitate to try and rescue her friend. She leapt into the air and slashed her Windmill into the armor. With a little extra force, she formed a small dent in the Tripolic, but the damage was still minimal. The knight turned and rammed Dark Force, nearly knocking her off of her feet. Regaining here balance, she again lashed out with her Windmill. The knight evaded to one side and grabbed the handle of the Windmill. Dark Force thrust her left arm forward and cast Foie. The fireball fizzled out against the Tripolic armor as the knight grabbed her left arm, holding her in place. Dark Force struggled to break free and lifted her right foot, kicking repeatedly. Before she realized what was happening, the knight slammed his head forward, smashing it into hers in a head butt. Dark Force screamed in pain as the knight released his hold on her. Staggering backward she held her hands against her head, the pain forcing her to fall to her knees.

“Oh did that hurt you? Maybe you should invest in a good helmet. But don’t worry, that pain is nothing compared to what is about to happen to you.” The Knight boasted. Raising his sword, he swung at Dark Force with all of his might.

Just as the sword was about to strike, a Foie fireball suddenly flew forward and struck Dark Force. The fiery impact knocked her a good 5 feet across the room away from the knight. The knight’s sword struck the ground with an ear-shattering clang. The knight turned around and saw Cranberry standing near where she had been crushed earlier, breathing heavily and still holding her arm forward in her casting pose. Although her Foie technique had damaged Dark Force, it did considerably less damage than a full force strike from the knight’s sword.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/pso99.png

“Very clever Cranberry. Saving your friends life by attacking her. But tell me, who is going to save you now?” The Tripolic Knight demanded.

Cranberry put her Windmill into her pack and weakly pulled her Double Saber. Her arms shook as she struggled to raise it.

“You can barely stand up. You really think you can do anything now? Hey if you want to go down fighting, by all means I will be happy to grant that wish.” The Tripolic Knight said confidently as he raised his sword toward Cranberry.

The knight charged toward Cranberry with his sword ready. Cranberry used all the strength she could muster and raised her ring. The sword deflected off her ring, giving her an opening. Cranberry swung her Double Saber into the knight, pressing hard against the metallic surface. The metal made a straining sound as she struck it with her Double Saber, whirling it and raking the blades across the armor. Just as she was about to strike again, the handle of the sword was thrust downward into the back of her neck. Cranberry gasped in disbelief. Her vision blurred and she collapsed face down to the floor.

“No!” Dark Force screamed, at last pulling herself up just in time to see her friend struck down.

“Oh you back with us now Dark Force?” The knight said as he reached down and lifted Cranberry up.

“Put her down!” Dark Force screamed.

“As you wish.” The Tripolic Knight answered.

The knight tossed Cranberry lightly into the air, and then thrust his fist forward. A loud crack sounded as he punched her squarely in the face with tremendous force, sending her flying into the nearby wall. Cranberry slid unconscious down the wall to the floor below, her Double Saber falling from her hand and rolling a few feet away from her.

“Cran!” Dark Force screamed in horror.

“Oh wow. That had to hurt. Oh I don’t think she’ll be getting up again anytime soon.” Laughed the Tripolic Knight.

“How could you! Cran hang on!” Dark Force screamed as she ran for her friend.

“Going somewhere?” The Tripolic Knight asked as he swung his sword, intercepting Dark Force as she tried to run past and slicing a deep gash into her mid section. Dark Force gasped and staggered backwards. Before she could even attempt to cast Resta, the knight was on her. Grabbing her by the arm he pulled her close and pinned it behind her back. Dark Force struggled but was not able to break the hold.

“No! Stop!” Dark Force screeched in agony.

The knights reared back and slammed his foot down on top of Dark Force’s. Dark Force screamed in pain, only to have her cries silenced as the knight thrust his head forward and slammed it against hers with even more force than before. Dark Force bobbed her head dizzily, her vision beginning to blur as she started to slump to the ground.

“N-no… C-cran.. I-I’m sorry.” Dark Force cried as tears began to stream from her eyes.

“Good night.” The Tripolic Knight stated as he raised his foot and kicked Dark Force in the head, knocking her into the air. She flew several feet across the room and landed on her back.

“W-we lost… I’m sorry Cran.” Dark Force said meekly as her vision faded and she slipped out of consciousness

End of Chapter 25
Chapter 26 teaser: Am I alive? Am I dead? What is this place I am in? What happened to me? What happened to Dark Force? Where am I?




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cranberry on 2006-06-26 10:16 ]</font>

[Cranberry]

Chapter 26 – Cranberry’s Lost Soul

Cranberry slowly opened her eyes and moaned painfully. Her entire body felt terribly sore, and she could barely move her arms. She weakly sat up and blinked her eyes a few times taking in her surroundings. “What is this? Where am I?”

Gone was the metallic walls of the room where she had fought the Tripolic Knight. Instead she was surrounded by cold white sand on all sides. Everything around her was white. She no longer appeared to be inside the walls of a space outpost. She could feel a chilly breeze blowing past her. She looked up toward the sky, but could see no sun or no moon. It did not even look like a sky, above her looked exactly like everything else around her, endless white.

“Dark Force? DF! Where are you?” Cranberry cried as she weakly pushed herself to her feet, staggering as she stood. She turned around and scanned her environment, but could see no trace of Dark Force. She also quickly realized that something else was gone too.

“Sato? Sato where are you?” Cranberry called, realizing that her MAG was not with her. But her calls went unanswered, and she saw no sign of movement anywhere.

Reaching into her pouch, she realized that her Double Saber was also missing, but she did still have her Windmill. Lifting it from her pack, she held it in her hand and watched the blades spin for a moment.

“The last thing I remember is attacking the Tripolic Knight and a blow to my neck, and then everything is blank. And now I wake up here. Where am I? Am I dead again? Am I still alive? What is going on?” She said as she looked into the empty void around her. “Dark Force, what happened to Dark Force?”

She held her arms forward and looked at them. Much to her astonishment, her arms did not have a scratch on them. She could still feel a great deal of pain in them, but visually they were fine. She took a moment to examine the rest of her body. She could not see a scratch anywhere on her, but the pain was still intense as if her body had been ripped to shreds. Closing her eyes, she cast a Resta technique, but it did not seem to have any affect.

She reluctantly began to walk along the white sand, picking a direction at random to follow. The wind began to pick up as she walked; sending cold shivers down her spine. Holding her arms around herself, she continued to push forward. Sand began to blow into her face. She squinted and pressed her arm against her face, as the sand stung her eyes as if they were needles. The temperature of her body drastically lowered, and she fell to her knees shivering. The wind really began to pick up, and thick waves of sand began to blow into her, slipping through her arms and blasting her in the face. The stinging in her eyes felt like a thousand Gee stings all occurring at once.

She pressed her head low and covered it with her arms as best she could. Fear quickly began to build inside her as she began to cry. Particles of ice began to form on her back as her body began to grow numb. But she could not move or else the pounding white sand would devastate her eyes. Simply closing her eyes was not keeping them safe. Her entire body trembled from both sheer terror, as well as the freezing cold.

“Cranberry.” A voice called out, as the winds suddenly died and the temperature returned to normal.

“Who, who’s there?” Cranberry asked meekly, lifting her head up carefully. “Dark Force is that you?”

As she stood up, she saw a faint silhouette in the distance to her left. It appeared to be a person far in the distance. Cranberry quickly rose to her feet and called out the figure. “Dark Force! Is that you?”

The figure began to move, fading into the white environment.

“Dark Force, wait!” Cranberry screamed as she broke into a run toward the figure.

Cranberry dashed to where the person had been standing, but found no trace of anyone else. Not even a footprint in the sand. “What? But I am sure that I saw something. I, I just don’t understand. What is happening to me? Dark Force, where are you!?”

Taking a step forward, the ground suddenly slopped underneath her. Losing her footing she fell and rolled down a steep incline. Sliding to a stop at the bottom, white sand stuck to her clothing and skin, creating sharp stinging pains all over her entire body. Weakly pulling herself back to her knees, she hung her head and began sobbing. Tears flowed from her eyes, making small marks in the sand as they fell. The sheer terror was almost as bad as the pain she was experiencing.

“If it isn’t Cranberry.” A voice again sounded.

“Who is it?” Cranberry answered, tears still streaming down her cheek.

“Come and see.” The voice sounded.

Cranberry pressed her Windmill into the ground and propped herself back onto her feet. She again saw a figure in the distance ahead of her. She began to limp toward what she could see. But as she began to approach, it again vanished. She looked around, but could see no trace of anyone or anything. Just as she began to step forward, a sudden blast of wind erupted and hurled her into the air. Screaming and flailing her arms, Cranberry tried to resist, but was instead lifted a good 10 feet, and then dropped slamming face first into the sand. Cranberry lay still, her entire body aching from head to toe. She did not even try and get up. She just lay in the sand sobbing. After a few minutes, she felt a tug on the back of her shirt.

“Cranberry, what are you doing?” A male voice stated.

Cranberry weakly pushed her arms forward and pushed herself out of the sand and onto her knees. Turning her head gently, she gazed at the person that was standing before her, staring at her with a stern expression.

“Sage?” Cranberry asked in disbelief, returning her Windmill to her pack.

“That’s right.” Sage answered.

“Is it really you?” Cranberry asked, reaching toward him weakly. “Where did you come from? Where are we?”

“Silence Cranberry.” Sage answered, slapping her hand away.

Cranberry gasped as she pulled her hand back and stared at him, more tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“You must go quickly.” Sage answered. “Quit your sobbing and get up.”

Cranberry closed her eyes and pulled herself up, despite the agonizing pain. Once on her feet, she turned to look back to Sage.

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“Go now. You can not change that which will come.” Sage stated emotionlessly.

“Sage, where are- Sage?” As Cranberry spoke, Sage faded and vanished. “Sage!”

All remained silent, and she could no longer see any trace of Sage. She slowly began walking in the direction that had been indicated to her.

“Was that really him, or am I imagining things? What is happening? Where am I?” Cranberry said as she walked.

After what seemed like hours, the wind again began to increase. Cranberry crouched low to shield herself from the sand, covering her face with her arms.

“So, you are here.” A voice echoed.

“Sage? Dark Force?” Cranberry asked.

“Not even close. Your friends are gone, and it’s all your fault.” The voice answered.

“Who are you?” Cranberry said, standing up despite the painful sand.

“Look behind you.” The voice demanded.

Cranberry turned around and gasped. Standing behind her was what almost appeared to be a man, except that there was no face or skin tone. It was as if he were a living shadow.

“What, what are you?” Cranberry asked.

“Do not concern yourself with what I am. Concern yourself with why I am here. I am here to show you what has resulted because of you.” The creature answered.

“What do you mean?” Cranberry responded.

“Stupid girl. You really have no clue do you? Do you have any idea how many people are now dead because of you?” The creature demanded.

“W-what?” Cranberry asked meekly.

The creature suddenly lurched forward and grabbed Cranberry by the jaw, pulling her forward. “Your friends are all dead, and it’s your fault!” The creature released Cranberry and shoved her to the ground.

Cranberry lifted her head up from the sand, rubbing her jaw and looking up at the creature with sad eyes.

“Get up, I can see that you are going to have to be shown.” The creature ordered.

Cranberry again forced herself to stand, feeling weaker now than before. The creature pointed ahead and they both began to walk.

“To think they actually thought you could do it. That a pathetic woman like you could actually make a difference.” The creature hissed.

“Wait, do you mean-” Before Cranberry could finish her words, the creature reached forward and grabbed her by the left ear, pulling hard on it and forcing her head down toward the ground.

“Shut up! You are only to walk!” The creature demanded, squeezing her ear with tremendous force as he pulled it.

“Okay! Okay! I will! Just please, please stop!” Cranberry pleaded, falling to her knees.

“Good. Now move!” The creature demanded, literally pulling Cranberry to her feet by her ear, causing her to scream in pain. Releasing his hold on her, he shoved her forward almost causing her to fall back to the ground.

Cranberry staggered and put a hand to her ear, rubbing it gently. The incredible pain had almost made her pass out. She glared at the creature, tears still flowing down her face.

“All of this is a result of your own incompetence. You have no one to blame but yourself.” The creature stated. “Now keep walking or I’ll give you something to cry about.”

Cranberry grabbed her Windmill from her pack and screamed, charging toward the creature and swinging her Windmill at it. Her Windmill passed through the creature as if it were a ghost.

“You still haven’t learned have you?” The creature mocked as it rose into the air and held its arms out. 2 large boulders emerged from the sand; both white in color much like the sand and sky. A cold wind suddenly blew over them, much colder than before. Sand suddenly washed over Cranberry’s feet rising up to her knees. She struggled but was unable to move. She screamed in terror as the 2 boulders suddenly flew toward her. The boulders pressed against her, slowly crushing her body.

Cranberry screamed in agony. Suddenly, the boulders melted into piles of sand, and the sand covering her legs and feet vanished. Falling to her knees, she began gasping for breath.

“Are you quite done? Do you understand now that you are powerless here? I suggest you do exactly as I say unless you enjoy suffering. Now, get up and move.” The creature ordered.

Cranberry remained on her knees, breathing heavily and sobbing. The creature stepped over to her and grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to her feet. “I said move, now!”

Cranberry groaned at the additional pain, but complied with the demand. She began walking in the direction that was indicated. After traveling for what seemed like several miles, she glanced over her shoulder realizing the creature had not spoken to her in some time. To her shock, she saw no one behind her. Coming to a stop, she looked all around herself, but no one was present.

“H-hello?” Cranberry said meekly, not sure if she actually wanted to find the horrible creature again.

“Cranberry, you let us down…” a voice answered softly.

Cranberry closed her eyes for a moment. As she opened them, she gasped on horror at what had appeared around her. She was surrounded by flaming wreckage; she quickly identified it as the remains of Pioneer 2.

“N-no!” Cranberry cried, taking a few steps backwards. Broken weapons and armor surrounded her, and within the wreckage she saw the disappointed faces of the deceased staring directly at her. “It can’t be!”

“Now, feel the pain that you caused to befall us.” It sounded as if the wind itself were speaking these words.

The ruins surrounding her began to glow, and one by one every mound of metal exploded, causing sharp fragments of debris to rain down on her. Cranberry threw herself to the ground and covered her head and neck as sharp metal began piercing her skin. After a few moments, the bombardment stopped. She held her arm forward and gazed at it, deep gashes were now covering her arm, and thin trails of blood were beginning to form over much of her body.

She stood up and began to walk; once again everything around her was empty and white. She had never felt so weak; every step she took drained more and more energy from her. As she walked, the sand below her caved in and she fell down a long chute. She did not have the strength to try and slow her fall. The slope ended and she came to a stop laying sprawled out on the floor of some kind of cavern. But just like on the surface, everything was pure white.

“One more thing that you must see. One more consequence of your failure.” A voice echoed.

Cranberry trembled as she lifted her head, blood running down her face. Sliding down that slop over this white sand was like diving through a tunnel of forks. Her skin was torn in multiple places, the pain was so overwhelming she could barely look up let alone stand. Miraculously, she was able to pull herself up. Shakily, she stammered forward. Straining her eyes, she looked forward and saw something lying in a tunnel far ahead of her. She could not make out details, but a faint trace of red hair caught her attention.

“D-Dark F-F-Force?” Cranberry stuttered. She forced herself to walk, ignoring the pain coursing through her body. As she crept closer, she saw that the figure ahead of her did indeed have red hair and familiar purple clothing. “Dark Force, it is you!”

A burst of adrenalin flowed through Cranberry and she dashed toward the figure. As she approached, her eyes widened and she gasped in shock and disbelief.

Dark Force was lying before her motionless on the ground, a large Tripolic sword had pierced through her heart and was pinning her body to the ground.

“No! Dark Force no! Not you! No!” Cranberry screamed as she ran to her friend’s side. “Dark Force, please answer me! Please! You can’t be dead! No please! Dark Force please! Say something! Please I’m begging you! No! Dark Force no!”

Cranberry began sobbing as she held Dark Force’s head in her hands. She screamed in sorrow, anger, and despair as she held the lifeless body of her friend.

End of Chapter 26
Chapter 27 teaser: What happened? Cranberry? Where are you Cran? Are you here? What happened, where am I? Where is my friend? Wait… could it be? M-Mom, D-Dad? Is that you?!

[Cranberry]

Chapter 27 – Dark Force’s Terror

Dark Force slowly opened her eyes. As her vision returned she found herself lying on her back. She began to sit up, but the dizziness made her lay back down. She had the worst headache she had ever had in her life. Her midsection also had tremendous pain, but it paled compared to the stinging pain from her head. She groaned as she scanned her surroundings with her half open eyes.

A stunned expression formed on her face. She blinked her eyes a few times and tilted her head lightly, looking over her surroundings. It looked as if she were literally in outer space. She could see stars all around her. Taking a few deep breaths, she sat up again, cringing in agony from the pain in her head. She quickly rolled onto her knees and held her head low. After a few minutes, she forced herself to rise to her feet. She lifted her hand to her head and ran a finger along where she had been head butted. Despite the pain, she did not feel any blood. She looked over the rest of her body, and though she continued to feel tremendous pain she saw no visual indications of it. In fact, even her clothing was not torn or damaged.

“Cranberry? Cranberry where are you? Cran can you hear me?” Dark Force shouted. She listened carefully, but heard no reply. She frowned as she looked at the stars around her. “Where am I? What happened to my best friend? Is she okay? Cran, please be alright.”

Everything looked the same to Dark Force, even the surface she was standing on. She could not even tell that it was a floor. She took a step forward and found that she was indeed on some sort of solid surface. She began to walk, not knowing where it was that she was going. She looked into her pack. Her Magical Piece was there, but her Windmill was gone. Her Sato and Devil Wings MAGs were gone as well. She spent a few minutes searching for them, but could find no trace of them. Although she was frustrated at the loss, she was more worried about Cranberry than anything.

Dark Force stumbled as she walked; her head was throbbing so horribly that she felt like she might faint at any moment. But she pressed onward, looking for any sign of anything to walk toward. The stars around her began to move as if she were traveling in a ship. She looked up curiously at the commotion, coming to a stop. The stars then began to rotate in a circle; some of them began to gather high above her head.

“What is going on? Is this some sort of a sign?” Dark Force wondered. “They are sort of pretty.”

The stars suddenly turned from a pale yellow color to a bright red. They suddenly flew straight toward Dark Force, slamming into her and ripping through her as they passed. Screaming in shock and pain, she crouched low and held her Magical Piece in a defensive position, shielding her already throbbing head from further harm. More stars gathered and began pummeling the FOnewearl, tearing gashes into her arms as they ripped into her skin and clothing. Dark Force dove forward and rolled to her feet, pivoting and casting Rafoie. Much to her astonishment, nothing happened as she cast her technique. There was no explosion of fire, no effect at all. She thrust her Magical Piece forward and cast Razonde. But just like before, nothing happened. There was no electrical discharge. The stars pivoted and began to re-focus on her. Dark Force turned and ran as fast as she could. More stars turned red and began hurtling toward her. She tripped and fell to the ground as a pair of stars careened into her legs. Her body continued to be pelted as she screamed in terror, swinging her Magical Piece wildly to try and protect herself.

After several minutes of bombardment, the stars suddenly vanished. Dark Force gazed up; all of the stars, as well as all of the light was gone. She was in complete darkness; there was no light at all. Blood began running down various parts of her body. The pain was beginning to rival that of her head. She lay limply on the ground for a moment until she had enough strength to sit back up. She attempted to cast Resta, but just like before there was no effect as a result of her cast. She pulled herself back to her feet and began to walk again.

“Why is this happening? How did I get here? And how do I get out?” Dark Force moaned as she limped through the darkness. “Cranberry, I wish you were here.”

“So you’ve come.” A faint, yet familiar voice stated.

“That voice… is it possible? Hello? Is anyone there?” Dark Force asked.

“You’ve arrived, I was wondering if you would come.” The voice continued.

“W-where are you?” Dark Force replied.

A yellow beam formed at Dark Force’s feet and formed a line into the darkness. “Follow the path and you will find what you seek.” The voice answered.

Dark Force did as she was told and began walking along the path, a bit faster than before.

“Could it really be her? Is it really who I think it is?” Dark Force pondered.

As Dark Force walked, she found it becoming more difficult. Each step she took put more and more strain on her legs. Her arms began to get heavy, and she found herself straining to remain standing. After one more step, she fell to her hands and knees.

“The gravity, it’s increasing!” Dark Force cried as her body began to slowly sink toward the ground. She pressed against the ground as hard as she could, but her arms were quickly losing their strength as the gravity continued to increase. She collapsed to the ground, unable to move at all. The gravity continued to intensify, slowly crushing her body. Her breathing became raspy and labored as the air was slowly squeezed out of her. Just as she was nearing the point of blacking out, the ground suddenly shifted and changed into a slope. She began to fall down a steep incline. After tumbling 300 feet, she rolled to a stop on the floor. The gravity decreased back to its normal level. Dark Force lay on the ground trembling and gasping for breath.

“What is this place? I feel like I’m being tortured.” Dark Force complained as she pulled herself onto her feet. She continued down the light path, keeping her eyes open for any sign of danger. She held her Magical Piece in a ready position, prepared to defend herself from anything that might threaten her.

A cold wind began to blow, and the temperature began to climb. It started to become extremely hot, and she began to pant. She wiped sweat from her forehead as some feelings of lightheadedness began to form. Dark Force dropped to her knees and steadied her breathing. Closing her eyes in concentration, she focused herself.

“This won’t beat me. I won’t let it. I can withstand this.” Dark Force spoke as she knelt and concentrated. The temperature gradually began to decrease, and was soon back to normal. Dark Force wiped the sweat from her face and stood up again. “I won’t be stopped!”

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Dark Force ran down the path. As she ran, she saw an archway in the distance. Standing within the archway she could see a distant figure. Anticipation filled her. She sprinted down the path and approached the archway. As she approached, she got a better look at the figure and saw it to be an android. She gasped as she realized whom it was standing at the archway.

“Striker?!” Dark Force gasped, coming to a stop in front of him.

The red RAcast turned his head and looked down at her. “Dark Force, I have been waiting for you.”

“Striker, where are we? What is this place?” Dark Force asked, relieved to see a friendly face.

“You are here because it is what you deserve. This is a result of your actions.” Striker answered.

“I don’t understand.” Dark Force replied.

“I didn’t think you would.” Striker stated, turning his back to her.

“What about Cranberry? Where is she?” Dark Force continued.

“Don’t you ever shut up?” Striker hissed.

Dark Force blinked in surprise at the harshness. “Striker, what’s wrong?”

“That’s enough. All you are to do is continue onward. Something important awaits you, your judgment is at hand now.” Striker replied.

Dark Force did not answer, looking at the RAcast with pleading eyes.

“I despise you Dark Force. Go now and get out of my sight. You can’t be forgiven.” Striker stated.

“W-what? But Striker!” Dark Force said, a large frown forming on her face.

“Go now. I have nothing left to say.” Striker answered. Before Dark Force could respond, the RAcast faded and vanished from sight. Dark Force just stood there, baffled and hurt by what had been said. Having no other real choice, she walked through the archway. As she passed, she found herself transported into what looked to be some sort of temple.

She looked around a bit surprised by the sudden change of scenery. Ahead of her, 2 figures in robes were standing atop a small stage. They were both Newmans, one male and one female. Both turned to look at Dark Force as she entered. The woman almost looked like an older version of Dark Force. She had the same eyes, and same hair color. The man shared many traits with Dark Force as well.

Dark Force gasped and ran toward them. “M-mom! D-Dad?! Is it you? Is it really you?!”

“Dark Force, you’ve come. I was wondering if you would.” The man answered.

“It’s you! It’s really you isn’t it?” Dark Force cried in excitement, tears forming in her eyes.

“Yes, it is us. We’ve been waiting for you for so long.” The woman answered.

Dark Force spread her arms and raced to embrace her parents, but just as she approached, the man glared at her and swung a cane, knocking her backwards to the floor.

Dark Force looked at them in shock, tears beginning to run down her face. “D-dad?”

“You’ve let us down. You’re a disgrace to this family.” The woman stated coldly.

“W-what?” Dark Force answered, her eyes widening in horror.

“You’ve made a mockery of the family name. You’re a failure.” The man continued.

“The ring, what happened to your ring?” The woman asked.

Dark Force looked at her left arm and the Purple Ring that was still sitting around her wrist. She slowly stood up and faced the two. “I gave it to Cranberry.”

The woman looked at Dark Force, anger forming in her eyes. “Is that so? You’re a real disappointment. You couldn’t even be trusted with a simple task like that.”

“What? I did exactly what you told me to!” Dark Force protested. “I treasured both rings, and I always kept them with me. You told me to give it to someone that was important to me. That my heart would tell me when I had found the person and the time was right. Cranberry is my closest friend; she’s always been there for me. She always stands by my side through everything! She means more to me than anyone. It is because of that bond I have with her that I gave her the ring, and I have never regretted doing it!”

“Despicable child. Giving a family treasure to some filthy gutter trash.” The man scorned.

“Gutter trash? You don’t know what you’re saying!” Dark Force shouted, gripping her Magical Piece. “If not for her I would not be alive right now!”

“Perhaps that would have been for the best. Look what has happened to you because of her! You suffer, you feel pain, and you dance with death.” The woman stated.

“You humiliate and degrade our family name. You give your most precious family treasure to some lowlife. I am ashamed to have you as a daughter.” The man hissed.

“I’ve spent so much time searching for you. Cranberry thought you were dead, but she promised to help me search anyways because she believes in and trusts me. How can you say such things?!” Dark Force demanded, tears streaming down her face.

“You still don’t get it. I can’t say I’m surprised, you never were very sharp.” The man continued.

“Have you ever stopped to think as to why you couldn’t find us? It was because we didn’t want you to find us. Because we are ashamed of you.” The woman said coldly.

Dark Force stared at the ground. She could not believe what was happening. She had wanted so badly to find her family. She had searched all over the remains of Pioneer 1 for them and found no trace. But she never gave up hope, and now that she had found them, she was a failure in their eyes, a disgrace. She pounded the floor with her first, tears flowing like a small river from her eyes.

“You’ve been brought here because of what you have done. Here is where you will live out the rest of your pathetic existence. A poor excuse for a Force. This bleak world is just right for a failure like you.” The man informed.

“Stop it you dog!” Dark Force hissed.

“You’ve got quite a lip there. If you don’t behave yourself I just may be forced to rip it off your face.” The woman warned.

Dark Force clenched her fist. “You, how dare you! What kind of sick parents would do this to their daughter! You… you’re not my parents! This is a trick!”

“This is very real, and it is only going to get worse.” The man stated.

“No, no it’s not! I won’t be fooled by this illusion anymore!” Dark Force shouted. Gripping her Magical Piece, she charged for the two people before her.

Swinging her Magical Piece, she slammed it into the woman’s chest and knocked her into a wall. The woman groaned and faded away, vanishing without a trace.

“You horrid child! How dare you attack your own-” Before he could finish, Dark Force spun and clubbed the man in the chest. He too collapsed to the ground and vanished.

Dark Force looked into the sky and began shouting at the top of her lungs. “I’m not fooled! You won’t keep me here! I’ll escape and Cranberry is coming with me!”

Dark Force reached her arms into the air and concentrated. Holding her Magical Piece high above her head, she gathered all the energy that she could into her weapon. A yellow glow began to form over the panels of her wand. Gritting her teeth she forced herself to keep her focus. She thrust her arms forward and shouted at the top of her lungs. “This ends now!”

End of Chapter 27
Chapter 28 teaser: Are you totally confused as to what is going on? What is happening to Dark Force and Cranberry? All will be revealed in Chapter 28. Find out who survives and who doesn’t in the next chapter.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 28 – Black Omen


“Interesting, quite interesting how they respond is it not?” The Tripolic Knight said.

“They seem to be suffering a great deal. You have made me proud, you are everything I wanted you to be and more.” The Black Ring General answered.

The general and the knight looked at the 2 unconscious FOnewearls chained to the wall before them. Both were badly injured from battle and had blood running down various parts of their body. Both had a strange glowing helmet on their head that pulsed periodically as the 2 women twitched and moved. Cranberry had tears flowing from her eyes, while Dark Force had a look of determination.

“Red bow there has had her spirit completely shattered. The suffering she has endured is delightfully horrible, you can see how much pain she is in. But the other one, she is a bit stronger than I anticipated. She doesn’t seem to have been fooled. But we can still break her the same way we broke Cranberry. We’ll kill her friend.” The Tripolic Knight stated.

“Look, what is happening now? She is starting to react.” The Black Ring General asked.

“She’s concentrating her energy. Peculiar, what is she up to?” The Tripolic Knight wondered.

“I trust I can leave this in your hands?” The Black Ring General asked.

“Yes sir. You have nothing to worry about.” The Tripolic Knight replied.

“Good. Now that they have been made to suffer, soon they will die.” The Black Ring General stated as he turned and walked into the adjacent room.

Dark Force began to bob her head. Her face looked strained and her arms began to twitch.

“What is she doing in there? She shouldn’t be able to utilize any of her energy.” The Tripolic Knight stated.

Dark Force thrust her head forward. The helmet on her head began to spark. She shook her head violently causing the helmet to slip from her head and fall to the floor. She groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

“Impossible! She couldn’t have broken out of it!” The Tripolic Knight stated as he rose to his feet.

“Wh, what?” Dark Force said as she looked at the scene around her. “Where am I now?”

“Well done Dark Force. I never expected you to be able to break out on your own.” The Tripolic Knight complimented.

“It’s you!” Dark Force hissed, glancing to her side she saw Cranberry chained up beside her. “Cran! Cran are you alright?”

“I’m afraid she can’t hear you. She is still under its influence. And what an influence it has been.” The Tripolic Knight stated.

“Cranberry! Snap out of it CB!” Dark Force pleaded.

“Oh don’t worry. She’ll be joining us. I want her to see this with her own 2 eyes.” The Tripolic Knight stated as he pulled a lever. The helmet atop Cranberry’s head powered down and de-activated. Cranberry shook her head, causing the device to fall to the floor.

“Cran! Wake up, Cranberry!” Dark Force shouted.

Cranberry groaned as her eyes crept open. “D-Dark Force? Is that you? DF! Dark Force you’re alive!”

“Of course.” Dark Force answered.

“As touching as this is little re-union is, you do have other things to worry about.” The Tripolic Knight scorned.

“What happened? None of this makes any sense.” Cranberry complained.

“You really haven’t figured it out? Very well, it is really quite simple. All that you saw, all that you felt; it was all a form of torture. A very elaborate illusion forced into your minds.” The Tripolic Knight stated.

“Torture? It was all torture?” Dark Force asked.

“You mean none of it was real?” Cranberry added.

“Well, mostly. I admit we did inflict physical damage to your bodies while you were out. It just helps add to the experience doesn’t it?” The Tripolic Knight informed.

“So her dieing, it never happened?” Cranberry asked.

“That’s right, though it won’t be much longer before that does happen.” The Tripolic Knight answered.

“Why did you do this? We don’t know anything about what is happening on Pioneer 2. We can’t tell you anything even if we wanted to.” Dark Force said.

“Oh this is not about prying information from you. In fact that device you were hooked too cannot actually read what is hidden inside your minds.” The Tripolic Knight answered.

“Than what is this about?” Cranberry asked.

“It’s quite simple. To make you two suffer. That is the sole purpose. You two began as a small thorn in our sides, but somehow you weaklings defeated all the other Generals and seriously cripple the plan. Now that we have finally captured you two, we decided to put you through unimaginable pain and suffering before finishing you off for good.” The Tripolic Knight beamed.

“Look, she’s suffered enough. I don’t care what you do to me, but please let Cranberry go. She doesn’t deserve this.” Dark Force said.

“DF, don’t!” Cranberry protested. “Let them keep me, as long as you are all right!”

“Stop it Cran! I’ve already lost you once, I can’t stand to see you die again.” Dark Force responded as a tear formed in her eye.

“Does this red bowed girl really mean that much to you? That you would sacrifice yourself just to save her?” The Tripolic Knight asked.

“Yes. She does.” Dark Force responded.

The Tripolic Knight stepped away from the consol and walked to the 2 chained FOnewearls. “So, that is really what you want to do?”

“Yes, it is. Let Cranberry go, and I’ll submit to you. I don’t care what you do to me, just as long as she is safe.” Dark Force answered.

“No! Dark Force don’t!” Cranberry pleaded.

“I’ve made my decision Cranberry. You can’t change my mind.” Dark Force snapped.

“I can see that she means much to you and that you really would do anything for her.” The Tripolic Knight began. “But your little wish isn’t going to come true. I already have you both right where I want you! I don’t have any reason to negotiate! But your little speech is not entirely without merit. Now I know how to continue your torture Dark Force. Watch now as I destroy your friend in front of your very eyes!”

“What!? No you can’t do that!” Dark Force shouted.

Cranberry’s eyes widened as the Knight walked toward her, drawing his sword.

“No! Don’t do it!” Dark Force pleaded.

Cranberry struggled, but could not free herself from the chains. The knight swung his sword and slashed Cranberry across the chest. Cranberry cried out in pain, causing Dark Force to struggle heavily on her chains. Her body lurched forward only to be pulled back to the wall.

“Stop it! Leave her alone!” Dark Force screamed.

The Tripolic Knight made no acknowledgement to Dark Force, and instead again swung his sword, driving it into Cranberry’s arm. Without hesitation he swung it again, cutting a deep gash down Cranberry’s front.

Dark Force screamed in horror and began violently pulling on the chains, slamming her body repeatedly against the wall as she struggled heavily.

“What’s wrong Dark Force? Is it that there is nothing you can do to prevent your friends death once again?” The Tripolic Knight mocked as he drove his sword against Cranberry again, cutting another gash into her thigh.

Cranberry tried to contain her screams, not wanting to alarm Dark Force. But Dark Force could see it in her eyes that she was in total agony. The Tripolic Knight again slashed his sword into her, driving the blade through her skin. Cranberry began turning pale and despite looks of pure terror on her face, she still did not scream.

“Cranberry!” Dark Force screamed as she thrust herself forward, thrashing violently against the chains.

“I, I’m okay.” Cranberry murmured through clenched teeth, coughing and wincing as her legs began to give out on her.

“That’s funny. You don’t look okay to me.” The Tripolic Knight stated as he pulled Cranberry’s hair and lifted her into the air, holding the sword against her chest. Cranberry cried out in pain, unable to contain it any longer as the sword was slowly pressed into her.

“No! I won’t let you do this! Cran I won’t lose you!” Dark Force screeched as she pushed forward as hard as she could.

A loud snap sounded as the chains holding Dark Force broke and fell to the ground. Acting purely on adrenalin, Dark Force ran straight for the Tripolic Knight shaking the chains off her in the process. The Tripolic Knight looked up in surprise at the sound.

“Stop right there or she’s- GAH!” The Tripolic Knight began, but before he could finish his threat Dark Force sprang into the air and jump kicked the knight. The surprisingly powerful impact knocked the knight away from Cranberry and sent him sliding a good 4 feet.

“You won’t hurt her! I won’t let you take her from me! You’ll pay for what you’ve done to her!” Dark Force screamed in rage.

“You insolent woman! That was a mistake you are going to regret!” The Tripolic Knight hissed, rising to his feet and readying his sword.

“Then come and get me!” Dark Force screeched.

The Tripolic Knight dashed toward Dark Force and swung his sword at her. Dark Force leapt up and thrust her arm forward. A deafening clang sounded as the sword impacted with her Purple Ring. Screaming, Dark Force thrust her arm sideways forcing the sword down. Leaping into the air, she spun her leg and kicked the knight squarely in the head. Without hesitating she sprung forward and jump kicked again, knocking the knight onto his back.

“D-Dark F-F-Force, m-my Double S-Saber. It’s s-still in m-my p-p-pack.” Cranberry said weakly. “Over t-there. In the c-corner. My items, I c-c-can see them.

Dark Force raced to Cranberry, gently putting her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder for a brief moment. “I’ll get you out of this. I promise.” Dark Force dashed to the corner where Cranberry’s item packs had been set. She reached into Cranberry’s pack and withdrew the Double Saber.

The Tripolic Knight, now fully enraged ran for Cranberry, aiming his sword for her heart. Dark Force realizing what he was doing sprinted back to Cranberry and swung her double saber, slicing the chains binding her friend and deflecting the sword strike away. Cranberry collapsed face down to the ground. Dark Force dropped the pack beside Cranberry and immediately swung the Double Saber at the knight. The blade made a screeching sound as it tore through the metal, cutting a deep gash through the armor.

“Arrgh! That’s impossible, you should not be strong enough to even scratch me!” The Tripolic Knight said as he recoiled from Dark Force’s strike. Raising his sword he slashed at Dark Force with a powerful overhead swing. Dark Force twisted herself, wincing as the blade lightly grazed her arm. Dark Force acted seemingly on instinct alone. Screaming in rage, she wailed on the knight, inflicting multiple gashed and cuts over the armor.

Taking evasive maneuvers, the Tripolic Knight pulled away and regained his balance. Dark Force pivoted and swung at him again. Lifting his sword he intercepted the strike and quickly began deflecting Dark Force’s rapid strikes. With a quick parrying blow, the knight deflected the Double Saber and lifted his knee, striking Dark Force in the chest and knocking her over backwards.

“I was going to force you to watch your friend perish, but now I think I’ll just take you out first!” The Tripolic Knight stated.

A loud roar suddenly echoed. A nearby door shattered into pieces as Cranberry’s Red Sato flew into the room, followed closely by Dark Force’s Purple Sato. The 2 Sato’s flew straight toward the Tripolic Knight and immediately latched onto him, sinking their sharp teeth into him and savagely thrashing around. The Tripolic Knight gasped in shock as the Red Sato literally lifted him into the air and hurled him into the wall.

Dark Force winded her eyes almost forgetting just how vicious Cranberry’s Sato could be. The Tripolic Knight stood up, holding his arm and panting as he hissed. “You vicious creatures!”

The knight swung his sword at the Red Sato. The Red Sato clamped her teeth down on the blade, holding it in mid air. The Tripolic Knight pulled on the blade in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me! What in the world is this things teeth made of?”

The Purple Sato rammed the knight in the back as Dark Force took the opportunity to cast Shifta and Deband on herself. She quickly turned and cast Resta, extending the spell onto Cranberry too. Dark Force then turned and charged the knight, thrusting the Double Saber forward and driving it deep into the knight. The Red Sato flew straight up, hoisting the sword into the air. The Tripolic Knight held onto the sword, but the movement forced his arm up leaving him open. The Purple Sato bit into the knights chest, stripping a chunk of the armor off.

Gripping the sword with both arms, the knight pulled it from the Sato’s teeth and swung it at the attackers. Grabbing Dark Force by the shirt, the Purple Sato forcefully pulled her outside of the swords range. The Red Sato rose high into the air, evading the swords tip.

The Tripolic Knight shouted in frustration and lunged for Dark Force, grabbing her by the arm and using his sword to keep the Satos at bay. Dark Force struggled to break free, but could not pull away from the knight’s grip.

“No more of this!” The Tripolic Knight ordered as he tightened his grip on her arm.

A whirling sounded in the air. Photonic bladed struck the knight in the arm, forcing him to release Dark Force as he reeled from the strike. “What!?”

“Cranberry!” Dark Force exclaimed as she saw her friend standing a few feet away, holding her Windmill in her hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, thanks to you.” Cranberry answered. “I found your item pack DF, I nabbed it while the Satos were keeping him distracted. Catch!”

Cranberry threw Dark Force’s item pack to her. Dark Force grabbed the pack and strapped it on. A quick glance revealed that all of her equipment was still there. Dark Force moved to throw the Double Saber back to Cranberry, but Cranberry shook her head.

“I’d say you’re doing pretty good with it right now!” Cranberry exclaimed.

The Tripolic Knight stomped the ground in rage, shaking the entire room. The knight ran toward the two with his sword ready. The 2 Satos both flew toward the knight and struck him in a full speed ram. In rage the knight swung his sword at the MAGs. Once again the Red Sato grabbed the sword with her teeth. This time she tightly clamped her jaws and shook the sword. The blade snapped and the sword broke in half. The knight looked at his broken sword handle in shock. “No! There’s no way!”

“After what I’ve seen Sato do to Sage it doesn’t surprise me!” Cranberry snapped.

“And that’s not all they can do! Cranberry, are you thinking what I am?” Dark Force asked.

“You read my mind Dark Force.” Cranberry answered as the Satos returned to the two.

Cranberry and Dark Force lifted their weapons and activated their Satos Photon Blasts simultaneously. Cranberry activated Leilla and Dark Force activated Mylla & Youlla. The room darkened as the Satos summoned the 2 creatures one after the other. Cranberry and Dark Force both felt the power of the Photon Blasts flow into them. Leilla healed their wounds, and Mylla & Youlla gathered power from Leilla and infused the 2 Forces with a stronger version of Shifta and Deband than normal.

The Tripolic Knight charged toward the two, throwing his now useless sword away. Cranberry and Dark Force swung their weapons and intercepted the knight. No longer having to worry about his powerful sword, they lay into him with everything they had. With the stronger Shifta from the Satos, they were able to cut through the armor. Dark Force ripped chunk after chunk off with Cranberry’s Double Saber, while Cranberry herself tore into him with her Windmill. The knight tried to withdraw, but the two were all over him. The knight collapsed to the ground.

“I was designed specifically to destroy you, I can’t lose. Its not possible!” The Tripolic Knight screeched.

“It is, and you did!” Dark Force shouted as she drove the Double Saber into the knight’s head causing the helmet to shatter as the blade pierced. A bright light shone from the Tripolic Knight. Large cracks formed all over the body accompanied by a chorus of the sound of twisted metal. The Tripolic Knights entire body shattered, causing scraps of Tripolic to scatter over the floor.

“You did it. You got him.” Cranberry stated.

Dark Force threw her arms around Cranberry and hugged her tightly. “You’re alright! Oh Cran you’re alright!”

Cranberry wrapped her arms around Dark Force and returned the hug. “And so are you! In that illusion they had me in, I saw you dead. I am so glad you’re alive. Dark Force I am so proud of you, you did great!”

“I couldn’t lose you again Cran. I couldn’t bare to lose you again!” Dark Force answered. “Are you hurt bad? He really tore you up.”

“I’m doing pretty well now, especially after that super-charged Leilla.” Cranberry responded.

“We’re not done yet. One more thing still remains.” Dark Force reminded.

“Right, the Black Ring General.” Cranberry replied.

They both looked toward the large door on the far side of the room with a large black ring painted on it. They both had a feeling they were not going to have to go far to find him.

“Are you ready?” Cranberry asked.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered, releasing Cranberry from her embrace.

Reluctantly they walked to the door. They nodded to one another and pushed it open. Inside they found a wide-open room with a large desk at the far end. Seated at that desk was exactly who they expected to find. The Black Ring General, smiling a mischievous grin as they entered.

“That was quite a commotion outside. I heard a lot of screaming. If you are here I take it you managed to defeat the Tripolic Knight.” The Black Ring General stated, rising to his feet as he began to walk around from behind his desk.

“That’s correct.” Dark Force answered. “The torture, that was your idea wasn’t it?”

“Oh yes, about that. I trust you found it most enjoyable? The expressions on your faces, the terror in your hearts, a truer form of entertainment I have not yet found. I must commend you on breaking free of it Dark Force. No one has ever done that on their own before.

“You are nothing but a cruel heartless beast.” Dark Force scorned.

“Harsh words, that is something I would expect from Cranberry. Speaking of which, how do you feel Cranberry? You’ve not been a very good servant to me have you?” The Black Ring General mocked.

Dark Force handed the Double Saber back to Cranberry as her friend stepped forward to address the General.

“I suppose I should be grateful toward you for reviving me. But there’s just one small problem. You forced me to hurt my best friend!” Cranberry said angrily as she gripped her Double Saber. “I would rather be dead than hurt her! I’ve been waiting for a chance to pay you back for that!”

“Don’t get your panties in a knot Cranberry.” The Black Ring General answered. “Actually, the real reason I turned you against her was because of the Purification Stone. Because she still had it, I could not confront you myself. The risk was too great that I myself would fall victim to it. But you, finding your body atop that mountain, it was the perfect opportunity to solve that little problem.”

“I’ll never forgive you for this! The pain that she suffered because of you! You’re going to pay!” Cranberry shouted.

“I’ve already defeated you once, and my Tripolic Knight defeated you a second time. I’ve already beaten you twice, do you really think you stand a chance now?” The Black Ring General questioned with an evil grin. “Not only that, I picked up a little bonus recently so I’m a lot more powerful than I was before. You have no idea what you’re getting into.”

“You must be talking about all those new techniques you picked up. We know all about that.” Dark Force stated. “And to add on to what she said. Because of you, she also suffered too during that battle! I also have a bone to pick with you!”

“I am surprised you know about that. Well, it is of no matter. So, you both wish to extract revenge do you? Very well then, come and get me you two!” The Black Ring General challenged.

Cranberry raised her Double Saber and stepped forward. She turned and nodded at Dark Force. Dark Force stepped back and leaned against the wall as Cranberry walked toward the General.

“Isn’t your little friend going to join you?” The Black Ring General asked as he glanced at Dark Force.

“She’s content right where she is.” Cranberry answered as Dark Force sat down on the floor.

“This is going to be even easier than I thought. This time when you die, you won’t be coming back Cranberry!” The Black Ring General declared as he readied his Claw type weapon.

Cranberry rushed forward and swung her Double Saber. The General calmly raised his claw and intercepted the blade, effortlessly deflecting it to the side. Before Cranberry could strike again, he swung his claw and generated the same shockwave he had used before on Pioneer 2. Cranberry crossed her arms and braced herself. The strike impacted and threw her to the ground.

The General clasped his hands together and cast a technique. Sparkling green lights surrounded the general and his arms began to glow a bright red color. He grinned at Cranberry as she rose to her feet. Cranberry, returning to her feet cast a Foie technique. The Black Ring General lurched sideways and evaded the fireball. He quickly rushed toward Cranberry and lashed out with his claw, raking it across Cranberry’s back. Cranberry cringed as the impact hurled her to the floor and sent her sliding several feet. She quickly rolled back to her feet and cast Resta on herself.

“One of my new tricks. Shifta and Deband.” The Black Ring General stated.

“Some new trick. I can cast that too.” Cranberry snapped.

“Yes, separately up to level 30. But me, I’ve cast both at once at a level equivalent to 70! More than double your capabilities! And it gets better! Behold!” The Black Ring General announced as he clasped his hands and cast another technique. His legs began pulsing a green color. “My speed has just increased 3 fold. Still think you stand a chance?”

Cranberry grinned. “I know I do!”

The Black Ring General glared at Cranberry and raced toward her, raising his Claw for a strike. Cranberry lifted her Double Saber and cast a technique of her own. Small orbs of pulsing light surrounded the General and engulfed him in a dim glow. The pulsing colors of his arms and legs faded and his speed suddenly drastically dropped.

“Wh-what?” The Black Ring General shouted as Cranberry twisted away from the strike of his weapon and counter attacked with her Double Saber.

The Double Saber cut into the General, causing him to roll off his feet. He quickly sprang to his feet and glared at the FOnewearl. “What did you do!?”

“You’re not the only one who has a new technique! It’s called Dispel, and it can nullify the effects of yours!” Cranberry answered.

The General glared at Cranberry with enraged eyes. Cranberry lifted her Double Saber and cast Barta. The General sprang, sliding beyond the Barta wave and swinging his Claw. A pair of shockwaves traveled the ground and impacted with Cranberry, hurling her across the room.

“So, you have a counter to my techniques. A lot of good it will do you when you’re dead!” The Black Ring General said.

Cranberry shakily returned to her feet. She glanced over at Dark Force. Her friend was still right where she was before, sitting silently on the floor watching them fight. Lifting her Double Saber, she rushed toward the General. Cranberry swung her Double Saber repeatedly, intercepting the General’s claw with each strike. Catching the claw with the end of her saber, she flipped it up and struck, grazing the Generals chest with her saber.

The General spun away and unleashed another shockwave from his claw. Cranberry was caught off guard and screamed as the blast collided, knocking her back toward the door. Smoke rose from her body as she gasped for air.

“I, I can’t take any more.” Cranberry groaned.

Dark Force stood up. “I’ll take over, you rest for a while.”

“What’s this?” The Black Ring General said as Dark Force began walking forward and Cranberry sat down where Dark Force had been.

Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece stood in a ready position, looking the General in the eye.

“Ha, your friend is already defeated eh? That didn’t take long. Well, one down one to go.” The Black Ring General said.

Dark Force suddenly cast Zonde, striking the General with an electrical shock. The General immediately swung his claw, sending a shockwave toward Dark Force. Dark Force dashed and leapt to the side, rolling just out of the attacks range. Spring to her feet, she cast Gizonde, striking the General with another electrical blast.

The General, withstanding the attack, thrust his arms forward and cast a technique. Vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around Dark Force’s arms, pulling her to the ground. She began struggling as the vines tightened and held her in place.

“Vine Wrap. Another special technique.” The Black Ring General stated as he walked toward Dark Force.

The General raised his claw toward Dark Force. Dark Force suddenly threw her legs up and flipped her body, striking the general in the face with her foot. The General staggered backwards taken by surprise. Unable to maintain the technique, the vines around Dark Force vanished. Standing up she thrust her Magical Piece forward and cast Gibarta. Freezing ice particles flew from her wand and struck the General, encasing him in a block of ice. Dark Force rushed forward and slammed her Magical Piece against him, clubbing him in the head.

The ice shattered and the General fell to one knee. “Clever. But I’m far from done!”

The General swung his claw. Dark Force bolted expecting a shockwave attack. But instead the General sprang to his feet and bolted after her. The General cut Dark Force off and slashed the claw at her, striking her in the chest. The General did not let up and lashed again, slashing the claw across her arm and striking one more time, ripping it down her front.

Dark Force fell onto her back, reeling from the strikes. The Black Ring General leapt straight up and dove for Dark Force, aiming the claw for her. Dark Force quickly gathered herself and rolled away, narrowly evading a deadly piercing from the claw. Dark Force rolled to her feet and began to cast Resta. Before she could cast the technique, the Black Ring General leapt forward and struck her with his foot, kicking her a good 5 feet into the air. Clasping his arms together, he thrust them together. Electricity began to form around the General and focus into his claw. The General raised his claw and aimed it at Dark Force as she fell to the ground. Before the technique could be launched, the effects of Cranberry’s Dispel technique engulfed the General and caused the electricity to fizzle out. The General growled in frustration and ran toward Dark Force. Dark Force pulled herself up and intercepted the General’s claw with her Magical Piece. Pulling back, she thrust her arm forward and cast Foie, blasting the General in the head with the fireball. The General screeched and thrust his arm forward, casting a Foie technique of his own and knocking Dark Force backwards with the flames.

Dark Force slid on the ground, coming to a stop near Cranberry. “I’m sorry Cran. I can’t go on.”

“You did great Dark Force! I’ll take over for now!” Cranberry answered as she stood up and equipped her Windmill.

Cranberry ran straight for the Black Ring General, swinging her Windmill and sending a barrage of photon blades at him.

“What is this? A revolving door of FOnewearls?” The Black Ring General questioned as he raised his claw to block the incoming blades.

“Something like that!” Cranberry snapped as she swung her Windmill, crashing it onto the claw. Cranberry began hammering at the General with her Windmill, slashing the blades as fast as she could. The General slowly backed away, exerting all of his efforts to parrying Cranberry’s aggressive assault.

Flipping his claw, the General grabbed Cranberry’s Windmill by the handle. He twisted the Claw and thrust it upward then lashed the claw back downward to slash into Cranberry’s exposed chest. Cranberry suddenly backed away as the claw struck for her. She threw her arm forward and cast Foie, blasting the General with the fireball. The General flew backwards from the close range impact, landing squarely on his back.

Cranberry rushed forward and plucked her Windmill from the grip of the claw and slammed her foot down on top of the weapon. “I’ve learned a few things while being out here! I knew you were going to try and lift my Windmill up, so I let go of it so I could jump back and counter attack! I’ve fallen for that trick before, but not this time!”

The General thrust his left fist toward Cranberry’s foot. Cranberry leapt straight up and swung her Windmill, slashing it into the General’s torso as she landed. She then quickly leapt backwards away from the General and took up a defensive pose.

The Black Ring General pulled himself up, glaring at Cranberry. “You know, you really would have made a great servant. Why don’t you re-join me? Think of it, you could have everything you ever wanted.”

Cranberry lifted her Windmill. “Not a chance! I already have everything I’ve ever wanted! I have Dark Force, I don’t need anything else!”

Cranberry rushed forward and swung her weapon. The Black Ring General rolled away from the blades and counter attacked with a Barta type technique. The blast of ice struck Cranberry and encased her in ice. Wiping some sweat from his brow, the Black Ring General ran toward Cranberry and ripped into her with the claw, slashing it over her body, cutting deep tears into her clothes and skin. Breaking free from the ice, Cranberry cried out and backed away, holding her hand over the gashes.

“If that’s your answer, than I look forward to seeing you die once again Cranberry!” The Black Ring General declared.

Cranberry gritted her teeth and readied her Windmill. The Black Ring General clasped his hands together and cast a technique. A reflective barrier formed around the General. Thrusting his arms forward again, he cast a Grants technique. The arrows of light focused on the barrier and intensified. A ray of light shot from the barrier and blasted into Cranberry, crushing her to the ground and sliding her across the room. Cranberry shrieked in pain from the attack and lay on the ground for a moment. Sitting up, she weakly looked toward the General and saw him prepare a Foie type technique to amplify with the barrier. She waved her Windmill and cast Dispel, dissolving the barrier surrounding the Black Ring General.

“I.. ack!” Cranberry cried as she fell back down onto her back.

“My turn! You get some rest, I’ll take over.” Dark Force said as she stood up and walked to Cranberry’s side.

Cranberry nodded weakly. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece and ran towards the Black Ring General. Thrusting her weapon forward, she cast a Grants technique of her own. The General crossed his arms as the technique struck him.

“You again? Didn’t I beat you already?” The Black Ring General snapped.

“Does it look like I’m defeated?” Dark Force answered.

“What are you two up to anyways? Do you just like crushed one by one?” The Black Ring General asked.

Dark Force suddenly lunged forward and swung her Magical Piece, smashing it into the General and knocking him to the ground. She quickly followed up her attack by casting Zonde. The General cried out in pain as the lightning struck him.

“This is for Cranberry! For what you did to her!” Dark Force shouted as she ran forward and pulled her Windmill to replace her Magical Piece. Swinging with all her might, she smashed her Windmill into the General knocking him into the nearby wall.

The General groaned as he slid back to the floor and shakily regained his footing. “You, what is with you? You should not be able to stand let alone fight.”

Dark Force readied her weapon and glared at the General. She could tell that he was slowing down, but he was far from finished. The General swung his claw, and unleashed another shockwave. Unable to evade it, Dark Force crouched low and braced herself for the strike. The impact knocked her to the ground, but she was able to minimize the damage to her body. Springing to her feet, she counter attacked by casting Rafoie. The explosion of fire engulfed the General, forcing him to his knees. Looking up with hate-filled eyes, the Black Ring General swung his claw three times, sending three shockwaves toward Dark Force. Dark Force broke into a run heading straight for the wall. Dark Force leapt toward the wall and rotated her body. As soon as she hit the wall, she kicked off it and sailed over the shockwaves, flying straight toward the Black Ring General with her Windmill raised.

The General readied his claw to intercept Dark Force’s attack. But instead of lashing forward as he expected, Dark Force swung her Windmill and cast Barta. The wave of ice ripped through the air and struck the General. The General cringed in sever pain from the hit, but was able to counter attack with his claw. With a sudden burst of strength, he lashed out at Dark Force, forcing her to take defensive action. Seeing that she could not maintain this for long, Dark Force broke away and sprinted across the room. Turning and pivoting she looked back to the Black Ring General, panting heavily from exhaustion.

“Well done Dark Force. That’s all, I’ll take over from here.” Cranberry stated, rising to her feet.

Dark Force weakly walked to the corner and sat down, leaning her head against the wall. Cranberry pulled her Double Saber and charged the General.

“You switched again? Give me a break.” The Black Ring General complained.

Cranberry lashed forward with her Double Saber. The General raised his claw and attempted to intercept the blades, but he was weakening and his reactions were slowing down. Cranberry seemed almost as fast as when the battle had started. The blade broke through his defense and cut deep gashes into his chest and shoulders.

“N-no! Stay away!” The Black Ring General demanded as he backed away, trying to regain his balance.

Cranberry cast Foie, knocking the General off of his feet, smoke rising from his body. Running forward, she swung her Double Saber and knocked the claw from his hand, sending it flying into the wall. “This was our plan all along. We knew how strong you are, and we knew that neither one of us would be able to beat you alone. But if we fought as a team, your shockwave would decimate both of us. So we came up with a new plan! While one of us fights, the other rests and heals herself as much as she can! Then comes in so the other can rest, while we gradually wear you out!”

The Black Ring General glared at Cranberry in realization. “You!” The General clasped his arms together to cast a technique, but before he could finish his cast, Cranberry swung her Double Saber and ripped it into him, striking him repeatedly before finishing by driving the Double Saber into his chest. The Black Ring General collapsed to the ground. Dark Force stood up from her resting spot and slowly walked toward them.

“It’s over Black. Your plan ends here and now.” Cranberry stated, looking down at the fallen General.

“I, I must compliment you. You are very c-capable, competent, and resourceful fighters. But, it is not over. As we speak, the f-fleet is launching to attack Pioneer 2.. and… I am n-not the last one. There, is one more. T-the leader, C-Commander R-Red Ring. You may have defeated me, but P-Pioneer 2 will still fall. Y-you foolish girls, you’ve not saved anyone. Commander Red Ring, he is.. far more powerful… than even I am..” The Black Ring General said between gasps.

“Commander Red? Where is he?” Cranberry demanded as Dark Force walked up and stopped beside her.

“Ha ha ha, he is on Ragol as we speak. But you won’t find him until it’s already too late.” The Black Ring General answered, his breathing becoming more labored. “You are all as good as dead. All of you are going to be-” The Black Ring General began, but before he could finish his statement, Cranberry slashed him one more time with her Double Saber, causing him to collapse dead to the ground, the Black Ring falling from his wrist..

Cranberry stared down at the General’s body, clenching her fist as she stared at him with hate-filled eyes. She breathed heavily and her arms shook as she stared at him.

Dark Force knelt down and took the Black Ring from the floor and then rose up and placed her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder. “Are you okay? He’s gone, you did great Cran.”

“After everything he did, death just doesn’t seem like enough.” Cranberry replied. “Dark Force, thank you. I would not have survived this without you.”

“You too Cranberry. I’m just glad it is over, and that he can’t harm us ever again.” Dark Force said.

“We don’t have any time to waste. Pioneer 2 is in trouble. Lets go back to the ship, we have to try and help them.” Cranberry responded.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered.

End of Chapter 28
Chapter 29 teaser: The Black Ring General has been destroyed by Cranberry and Dark Force’s clever plan but there is little time to rest. Pioneer 2 is under attack, but the attack is not as big a surprise as the general had hoped. Striker and Sage return as an epic space battle begins with the fate of Pioneer 2 resting in the balance.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 29 – Pioneer Space Battle

Cranberry and Dark Force made their way back through the outpost. Their wounds were pretty severe, and both of them were moving somewhat slowly. They used Resta to heal some of the damage, but they were still in pretty bad shape. The battles with the Tripolic Knight and the Black Ring General had really taken a toll on them. Cranberry especially was struggling as she tried to walk. Dark Force put her arm around her shoulder and helped support her friend.

“I’m sorry DF. I’m really slowing us down.” Cranberry apologized.

“If not for you we wouldn’t be moving at all. Don’t worry about it one bit. And don’t tell me to go on ahead and leave you behind because I won’t do it!” Dark Force said.

“I’ll do my best.” Cranberry answered.

“I know.” Dark Force replied.

They limped down the hallway and retraced their steps, heading back towards the bay where they had left their ship.

“I hope the J-Tollaw is still alright.” Cranberry said weakly.

“I’m sure he’s fine.” Dark Force answered.

As they walked, Cranberry pointed to a passageway. “DF, look down there. That looks like an elevator. Lets risk it. It is going to take too long to walk like this.” Cranberry insisted.

Dark Force looked down the passageway and nodded. “Alright, lets hope we get lucky.”

They walked as fast as they could to the elevator and pressed a button on the door. After a 30 second wait, a light lit and the door slid open. Much to their relief, no one was inside the elevator when the door opened. They quickly entered the elevator and closed the door behind them.

“Lets see. Oh, this floor says Docking Area. That might be it.” Dark Force stated as she pressed the button.

The elevator car began to move, quickly taking them to the lower areas of the outpost.

“Welcome to Pioneer Mart. 3rd floor Monomates and Antidotes.” Cranberry joked.

Dark Force giggled. “You’re still the same old silly Cranberry.”

“It’s a curse. But a curse on me, or a curse on you I’m just not sure.” Cranberry answered.

Dark Force laughed as the elevator car stopped and the door slid open. They quickly exited the car and looked around at their surroundings. They saw a large hangar through a window ahead of them, but did not see any sign of their ship. They quickly ducked low as they saw several people were working inside the hangar.

“I don’t see the ship, but this doesn’t look familiar to me. I think there is more than one hangar here.” Cranberry stated.

“Yes, I think I remember seeing more than one on our way in. We must be close though. Lets hurry and find it before someone sees us.” Dark Force answered.

Dark Force supported Cranberry and helped her walk down the hallway. They listened closely for any sign of another person coming down the hallway. As quickly as they could, they moved to the next bay. Dark Force poked her head up and looked through the window, but this bay also did not contain their ship so they moved on. After passing several more bays, Dark Force spotted their ship.

“There it is! I see it!” Dark Force exclaimed.

“Is it guarded?” Cranberry asked.

“I see 4 people in there. They don’t look like soldiers but we will have to get past them.” Dark Force answered.

“Leave that to me.” Cranberry said.

“Cran, you’re not really in condition to fight.” Dark Force objected.

“I’m not going to. I got an alternate plan.” Cranberry answered. “Sato, you ready for some action?”

Cranberry’s Red Sato rose up and offered a toothy grin.

“Sato, plow the road!” Cranberry said.

The Red Sato flew through the door and slammed into the nearest person clamping onto his arm and dragging him across the bay. The other 3 people jumped at the commotion and ran toward the Sato. The Red Sato released the man and flew toward the others bearing her teeth as she descended upon them. The small group panicked and began running in different directions.

“Sato has them on the run. They don’t look to be armed. This is our chance. Lets get to the ship.” Dark Force suggested.

Cranberry nodded. Dark Force held Cranberry’s arm and helped her move. As quickly as they can they moved into the bay and dashed toward the ship. Although they were spotted, Sato prevented the group of 4 from doing anything, constantly ramming and clamping her teeth into them. Reaching the ship, Dark Force opened the door and pulled Cranberry inside. The J-Tollaw looked up at them as they entered. Dark Force signed in relief seeing that he was safe.

“It looks like no one came in here while we were gone. I guess word didn’t get out that we came using this ship.” Dark Force stated.

Cranberry whistled for Sato, prompting her to flew toward the ship and enter the door. Cranberry quickly closed the door and moved into the pilots seat. They both quickly strapped themselves in.

“Can you still fly with your injuries?” Dark Force asked.

“Yes, it feels good to sit down actually. I can fly just fine.” Cranberry answered. “I think.”

Cranberry fired up the engine and quickly lifted the ship off the ground and turned toward the entrance of the bay.

“CB! The bay door is closed!” Dark Force warned with a worried tone.

“I see it! We’ll blast our way through! Hang on DF this could get a little rough!” Cranberry answered.

Cranberry activated the weapons system of the ship and steered the craft toward the main bay.

“There’s not much room but you can do it Cran.” Dark Force encouraged.

Cranberry fired the ships laser beams into the door and quickly veered the ship to the left, looping around the bay to come in for another pass. There was little room to maneuver inside the bay and it took deep concentration to avoid slamming into the walls or other parked craft. Aiming back toward the main door, Cranberry fired the ships weapons as fast as she could, blasting a small hole into the door.

“That’s not so big! Can you fit through it?” Dark Force asked as Cranberry pushed the ship toward the narrow opening.

“I hope so. We’re going for it!” Cranberry answered as she accelerated the ship.

Dark Force gripped the armrest of her seat nervously as they approached the small opening. “C-Cran!”

Cranberry continued firing the lasers, making the opening slightly larger. “Here we go!” The ship pushed forward and slipped through the opening, emerging into space outside. As soon as she was clear, Cranberry accelerated and set a course for Pioneer 2. “I knew we’d be alright.”

“Of course.” Dark Force answered, still gripping her armrest tightly.

“Pioneer 2 is in trouble. I’m taking us there right away.” Cranberry exclaimed as she finished plotting the course and accelerated to full speed.

“I hope we’re not too late.” Dark Force stated.

After several minutes of travel, the ships radar system activated as it detected activity. Dark Force looked at the radar and determined it was the enemy fleet. “I see them, but they aren’t at Pioneer 2. They are still a ways away. The way they are flying, they seem to be in a combat formation.”

“You mean they are preparing to strike?” Cranberry asked.

“No, I mean they are engaged in battle right now.” Dark Force answered.

“You mean like with other ships?” Cranberry continued.

“Exactly. I don’t quite know what to make of it, who are they fighting?” Dark Force answered.

“I don’t know but I intend to find out.” Cranberry answered.

“Uh, Cranberry. I was meaning to ask you something.” Dark Force admitted.

“What’s that?” Cranberry responded.

“How exactly do you plan on taking on a whole fleet of enemy ships?” Dark Force asked, twiddling her thumbs a bit.

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.” Cranberry admitted. “I’m making this up as I go.”

Dark Force turned and looked back toward the J-Tollaw. “You’d best secure yourself too. It could get rough.”

After a few more minutes of speedy travel, they reached the scene and saw a large number of ships engaged in combat.

“Those, those are Pioneer 2 ships!” Dark Force stated.

“They’re fighters! Pioneer 2’s defensive ships. But how did they know?” Cranberry asked out loud.

“I don’t know, but lets help them out!” Dark Force insisted.

“Oh, right!” Cranberry answered, quickly grabbing the control stick.

“I’m raising the shield.” Dark Force stated as she activated the defense functions.

“You know how to do that?” Cranberry asked.

“I took a tip from you and just started pushing random buttons until I figured it out.” Dark Force answered.

“I’ve never been so proud of you before DF.” Cranberry joked.

Dark Force stuck her tongue out at Cranberry. “Okay CB, all systems go. Lets do this!”

Cranberry steered the ship into the battlefield and began firing her lasers at the nearest craft. Almost immediately, their ship was contacted through a communication channel.

“General Blue, what are you doing?” A voice said over the radio channel.

“I’m sorry. The number you have reached has been disconnected. Please check the number and try again.” Cranberry answered.

“What in the world? Who is this?” The voice demanded.

Cranberry activated the visual image and waved at the man that appeared on the screen. “Hi!”

“How’s it going?” Dark Force asked as she leaned over and grinned at the screen.

“It’s you two!” The man shouted.

“Oh my gosh it’s us! Did you figure that out all by yourself?” Cranberry exclaimed.

The communication channel was immediately closed and several ships began flying toward them in attack formation.

“You get the feeling he isn’t happy to see us?” Cranberry asked as she began evasive maneuvers with the ship to avoid the incoming laser fire.

“Cran! They’re right behind us!” Dark Force warned.

“I see them. I’m trying to shake them!” Cranberry answered as she flew toward the Pioneer 2 ships. Several Pioneer 2 ships began flying toward them as well in attack formation.

“Cran! They think we’re an enemy ship!” Dark Force shouted as the Pioneer 2 ships began firing their own laser blasts.

“They’re right!” Cranberry answered as she performed a quick dive. The enemy ships quickly gave chase, swooping down after them. “We are in an enemy ship!”

Several explosions sounded behind them, and Dark Force saw the 3 enemy fighters vanish from the radar. A new voice sounded over the communication channel.

“Is that who I think it is?” The voice asked.

“Striker is that you?” Cranberry asked.

The screen activated and Striker’s face appeared. “Cranberry it is you! I had a feeling it was when those ships began attacking you. Are you all right? Is Dark Force with you?” Striker asked.

“Yes, I am here. We are pretty banged up, but we’re still in one piece.” Dark Force answered as she leaned into the screens view.

“See, I told you they could take care of themselves.” A female voice said.

“Black Raiden? Is that you?” Cranberry asked.

“I couldn’t let Striker have all the fun now could I?” Black Raiden answered as she briefly leaned into view. Black Raiden was a black colored android, specifically a HUcaseal. She had long flowing black hair stretching down her back and a cheerful smile.

Another voice sounded over the communicator. The screen split and the image of Sage appeared on the left half. “There you girls are! We were so worried!”

“Sage, you’re here too?” Cranberry asked. “How on earth did you know about the attack?”

“Didn’t you send me a signal?” Sage asked.

“Signal? What signal?” Dark Force replied.

“A few days ago a signal was sent to my computer. It had a lot of data about these Ring Generals; a full database of information. I took it to the lab and had it analyzed and we discovered this planned attack. The chief not only cancelled Pioneer 2’s landing, but began forming a defense force too. Striker and I are leading the defense of Pioneer 2.” Sage answered. “You mean this information wasn’t sent by you?”

The two looked to one another briefly, then both shook their heads. “No we didn’t send it.” Cranberry asked.

“That’s odd, I wonder where it came from?” Sage said. “In any case I am glad you two are safe.”

“I hate to cut the reunion short, but we are still in a battle here guys. Lets form up and defend our home!” Striker ordered.

“Oh right!” Cranberry said, snapping her attention back to the battle on hand.

“Dum dee dum.” Black Raiden said.

Cranberry steered her ship back toward the enemy fighters and joined a formation with Sage and Striker whom were each piloting a different ship. They moved into attack formation and fired upon the nearest enemy formation. As she passed she got a look at the ships flown by Striker and Sage. They were both squadron leader ships. Striker was in a model of ship that contained a flat frame with 2 wings that curved down into wing mounted laser cannons as well as a pair of smaller laser cannons on the ships noses and a more powerful photon blasting cannon on the top. A ship of this type was most effectively used with both a pilot and a gunner. Striker could fire the nose laser cannons, but Black Raiden had control of the more powerful wing and top mounted guns.

Sage’s ship was smaller and narrower than Strikers. It sported narrow thin wings that arched toward the back of the craft. 2 small laser cannons sat at the nose of his ship. Although his ship did not have the same kind of firepower as Strikers, it was much faster and more accurate, a very maneuverable ship ideal against speedy hard to hit targets, or for striking a specific spot on a larger target.

“He’s going to say it isn’t he?” Dark Force said.

“Yes he is. Any second now.” Cranberry answered.

“Do a barrel roll!” Sage shouted over the communicator as the enemy formation began a counter attack

“I knew it.” Cranberry sighed.

“Of course.” Dark Force replied.

Cranberry pulled the ship into a roll and changed course, veering out of the line of fire and angling above the oncoming ships. Pulling the stick to the left, she swooped around and opened fire, striking the engine of the enemy ship in front of her. Striker looped around and opened fire on the same ship as well, causing it to explode after spinning downward out of control.

Sage flew his fighter away from the formation and went into evasive action as a pair of enemy ships gave chase.

“Sage could use a hand CB.” Dark Force announced.

“I think he’s just fine. Watch.” Cranberry answered.

Sage did a sudden U-turn and flew straight toward the chasing ships, pouring laser fire over them as he passed causing both to spin out and explode.

“Ladies watch out. You’ve picked one up.” Striker warned.

Cranberry thrust the ship into full speed and tore forward, weaving and zigzagging as the enemy ship fired at them. The ship jostled as a laser struck them on the port side. “This one’s pretty tricky. He’s quite maneuverable. Fast too this won’t be easy. Hold on DF.”

Cranberry pulled the ship into a steep climb, and quickly thrust the stuck forward again plummeting the ship lower again. The enemy ship stayed right on them, matching them move for move and continuing to pour laser fire at them.

“Man he’s good.” Dark Force complained, holding onto her seat as the ship jostled again as the shield took another pair of hits.

“Blast it! I can’t shake him!” Cranberry shouted.

“Hang on you two!” Sage called over the radio. “Head toward Striker and me!”

Cranberry obeyed and steered her ship toward Sage’s. Striker abandoned the enemy ship he was chasing and looped back toward Sage quickly getting into formation with him. They both moved forward and opened fire as Cranberry approached. The ship behind her was caught in the crossfire of Sage and Striker. The ship took several hits and began to try to retreat.

Sage followed the ship as it rose up and continued firing. “You spoony bard! Leave them alone!” The lasers pounded the ship and pierced its shielding, causing it to break apart and explode.

“Thanks guys.” Cranberry spoke into the radio.

“Anytime, of course Raiden does make a great gunner.” Striker responded.

“Nothing to it.” Black Raiden stated.

“More coming. Keep your guard up.” Sage ordered.

Cranberry looped the ship and headed back toward the approaching enemy vessels while keeping an eye on Striker and Sage on her radar. Many other Pioneer 2 ships were engaged in battle, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of where everyone was because the 2 forces has become so scattered. Cranberry had to take care to avoid pieces of debris as she navigated the battlefield and engaged enemy craft.

“Guys, give us a hand here.” Striker called over the radio. “We’re getting overwhelmed.”

Cranberry turned and veered back toward Striker. “DF what have we got?”

“He’s picked up four, his shields are taking a beating. He needs help right away.” Dark Force answered.

“On it!” Cranberry answered as she rocketed toward Striker’s location.

Striker had taken evasive action but his ship was still taking significant damage as the 4 enemy craft fired at him. Cranberry waited for Striker to pass and then pulled forward behind the pursuing enemy ships. Holding the laser trigger in, she sent a steady stream of laser fire toward the craft. The farthest ship took nearly the full brunt of the assault and was quickly ripped apart. One of the remaining 3 ships broke away and looped into the air to get behind Cranberry.

“Don’t worry about that one Cranberry. I’ve got it!” Sage called as he flew in and engaged the ship that looped behind Cranberry. “You stay on the other 2.”

“Be fast Sage. You’ve got 2 coming up on your tail.” Dark Force warned as she watched the radar screen.

Cranberry opened fire on the remaining ships and struck one of them with a pair of laser blasts. With their pursuit pattern disturbed, Striker broke free and broke away from them, quickly looping back around to engage the craft that were coming up to attack Sage. Sage targeted and blasted the ship behind Cranberry as Striker swooped in while Black Raiden targeted and destroyed the pair that was coming up on him. Cranberry pursued and destroyed the two that had been attacking Striker. The 3 quickly regrouped and resumed formation.

“Cranberry, one more thing. There is a new weapon on Ragol. From the limited information we have on it, it appears to be some kind of firing weapon.” Sage said. “We don’t know where it is, but we haven’t had time to look. We had to prepare our defenses.”

“More coming everyone!” Dark Force announced.

“For great justice!” Cranberry shouted as she moved the ship to engage the approaching ships.

“They are trying to break through to Pioneer 2! Don’t let them through!” Striker ordered.

Cranberry and Sage moved into attack position and opened fire on the approaching enemy line. Although their assault destroyed a good number of the formation, 4 ships evaded their strikes and passed them.

“Raiden! Don’t let them escape!” Sage shouted over the communicator.

“Dum dee dum!” Black Raiden answered as Striker moved to intercept the ship. Black Raiden fired the top mounted photon cannon sending a large photon projectile toward the approaching ships. The photon detonated and created an energy fluctuation field. The field interfered with the enemy ships forward movement and greatly slowed them down. Using the wing mounted cannons, Black Raiden blasted each of the ships one by one.

“Good shot Raiden!” Dark Force complimented.

“They took me by surprise! I need some support!” Sage called over the radio as 5 craft swarmed onto him and began opening fire.

Cranberry and Striker as well as a pair if other Pioneer 2 defense ships quickly rushed to his aid. As they were doing so, another pair of enemy vessels swooped down behind Cranberry and began firing into her ship. Dark Force cringed as the ship was struck.

“Aren’t there supposed to be like sparks or something that fly up when we get hit?” Cranberry asked.

“That’s only in the movies CB.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry pulled the ship into a complex series of spins and maneuvers as she pursued Sage’s attackers while evading her own. An explosion sounded behind her as one of the ships exploded. Dark Force identified that one of the Pioneer 2 fighters had destroyed it. The other enemy vessel broke away from Cranberry and pulled back. Cranberry waved a thank you to the Pioneer 2 fighter as it pulled into formation beside her. Sage was continuing to try and shake his attackers, and his shields were beginning to weaken. Cranberry and the Pioneer 2 fighter fired a laser stream into the enemy squadron, breaking them off Sage’s back and destroying one of them in the process. Sage flew forward and looped back around, turning the tables on 2 of the enemy ships and quickly gunning them down. Striker and Black Raiden swooped in and destroyed the remaining ones.

“Thanks guys! Great work! We are starting to drive them back!” Sage announced.

“Cranberry, it’s working. We’re winning, I think we are going to pull this off!” Dark Force said.

“We’re starting to get the upper hand, they were counting on a surprise attack and did not anticipate a defense force to be waiting for them. All our hard work has not been in vain after all. Do you think Blue warned them about this?” Cranberry replied.

“I don’t think so Cranberry. Their communication systems were destroyed with Yellow and White, and we are using Blues ship. I don’t think he could have warned them even if he wanted to.” Dark Force answered.

“You’re right, I just wonder who it was that sent them that information?” Cranberry continued.

“Lets worry about it later. Right now we still have a job to do.” Dark Force reminded.

Cranberry nodded and flew into formation with Sage and Striker’s ships. The 3 ships joined with 6 more Pioneer 2 fighters and began attacking the larger enemy battleships. Explosions were forming all over the sky as both enemy and ally ships alike were struck and destroyed. But under the leadership of Striker and Sage, the Pioneer 2 loses were minimal compared to the enemy. The Pioneer 2 forces were clearly gaining a definite advantage.

As the battle continued, something on the surface of Ragol began to light up. Though it did not appear on radar, Dark Force pointed it out to Cranberry. “Cran, do you see that?”

“What in the name of fruit is that?” Cranberry answered.

“I’m going to alert the others.” Dark Force stated as she activated the radio. “Striker, Sage, Something on Ragol is- Whoa!” Before she could finish, a bright yellow beam fired from the surface and struck Pioneer 2 in the distance. Unlike a laser blast, this was a constant beam that did not dissipate but remained engulfed around Pioneer 2.

“What the heck is that?” Sage shouted.

“My god.” Black Raiden said.

“Look! Pioneer 2 is moving!” Dark Force cried.

Pioneer 2 began descending toward Ragol, the strange constant beam still engulfed around the large ship.

“A tractor beam! That must be what that weapon we received data on is.” Striker informed. “They are trying to force Pioneer 2 down to Ragol!”

“Pioneer 2, activate your thrusters! Try to fight it!” Sage ordered through the radio.

Pioneer 2 activated its elevation thrusters immediately, and though their descent toward Ragol greatly slowed, it was still slowly being pulled toward the planets surface. Taking advantage of the situation, the enemy fleet immediately made a run for Pioneer 2 using the distraction to their advantage. The enemy ships course was taking them on route to attack Pioneer 2’s thruster systems.

“So that’s their plan!” Striker hissed. “Since the official landing was cancelled, they are trying to force one! If they take out those thrusters Pioneer 2 is done for!”

“I’m detecting a strong energy shield down there on Ragol, surely it must be protecting the tractor beam cannon. Even if we attack it from the air, we’d never break through without taking down that shield.” Black Raiden said.

“Ugh, we have no choice. Right now we must protect Pioneer 2, even if we are only buying them some time. Engage the enemy now! Don’t let them destroy Pioneer 2’s thrusters!” Striker ordered.

“Cranberry, do you remember what the Black Ring General said?” Dark Force asked.

“You read my mind DF. Commander Red Ring. And I’ll bet anything he is the one behind this.” Cranberry answered.

“This whole space battle, they are using it to keep Pioneer 2 busy. The fleet doesn’t even have to defeat our forces, they just have to keep the battle going long enough for Pioneer 2 to crash.” Dark Force continued.

“The bomb, they’re going to pull it down right onto the bomb!” Cranberry said in realization.

“Exactly what I was thinking. Cranberry, we have to find Red Ring, de-activate the bomb, and stop the tractor beam.” Dark Force stated.

“Hurry you two! We need all the help we can get!” Sage said over the radio.

Cranberry closed her eyes. “I hate to leave them in a battle DF. They could really use the help.”

Dark Force put her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder. “We are helping them. This is a giant team effort; it’s not just us fighting anymore. They have their job of keeping Pioneer 2 in the air as long as possible. It is our job to make sure their struggle is not in vain. Their going to buy us the time we need to end this once and for all Cran. We’re not running away from a fight, we’re making sure they have something to fight for.”

“You’re right Dark Force. We have to do this. This is everyone’s battle now. We are counting on them, and they are counting on us.” Cranberry replied.

“Cranberry, Dark Force, are you two alright?” Sage asked.

“Sage, we’re not going to join the fleet. I think we can shut down that tractor beam if you can buy us enough time. I know you need every ship you can get, but we both know unless the tractor beam is shut down, Pioneer 2 isn’t going to make it.” Cranberry answered.

There was 5-second pause on the radio. “I had a feeling you were going to say something like that. Are you two sure you are going to be alright?” Sage asked.

“Cran…” Striker said over the radio.

“There’s no time to lose. We have to move right away, time is of the essence.” Dark Force reminded.

“Alright, we’ll do our best up here. Please, make sure you come back alive, both of you.” Sage stated.

“May the Lord watch over you both.” Striker spoke.

“Be careful girls.” Black Raiden said.

“Thanks guys, I know we can count on you to handle things up here. Thank you for everything.” Cranberry answered. “Alright Dark Force, setting course for the construction zone.”

Dark Force kept her hand on Cranberry’s shoulder. She knew it was difficult for Cranberry to leave while her friends were in battle. “They’ll be alright Cranberry. Trust them.”

Cranberry nodded and dove the ship, descending into Ragol’s atmosphere and heading toward the construction zone. The very place they had faced the Purple Ring General near the start of all this, it seemed like long ago now.

As they flew through the Ragol sky and approached the construction zone, they saw that the landing pad now appeared to be virtually complete. Apparently construction had continued even after the Purple Ring General had been defeated. Atop the landing pad, they saw the source of the tractor beam. A large cannon-like structure that was not present the first time they had been here. Just as Black Raiden had predicted, a large energy shield was protecting the cannon. Cranberry took a shot at it anyways, but as expected their laser attack had no effect.

“We’ll have to deactivate it manually. Lets land.” Dark Force stated.

Cranberry set the ship down beside the landing pad making sure to remember not to land on the pad directly. As they landed and powered down their ship, they both closed their eyes for a moment recalling some of the bad memories they have of this place.

“I was hoping I’d never have to come back here again.” Cranberry said meekly.

“Me too. But with you at my side I know we can do this.” Dark Force encouraged as she stood up from her seat. “Here’s a little boost.”

Dark Force lifted her hand and cast Resta on Cranberry, restoring a portion of her energy. Cranberry smiled and stood up from her seat and hugged Dark Force. Dark Force returned her friends hug, and then they both gathered their packs and exited the ship.

http://www.kotuku.net/PSO/atthecliffs.png

“J-Tollaw, we’ll leave the ship door open for you, but don’t wander too far from the ship. Stay close to it alright?” Cranberry requested.

The J-Tollaw snorted in responds and stepped out of the ship, stretching his legs a bit and taking a quick walk around the perimeter of the ship. Cranberry and Dark Force made their way to the landing pad and toward a ladder that they could use to reach the top. Cranberry was still the most injured of the two as the injuries she suffered against the Black Ring General were still affecting her, but she was able to walk without Dark Force’s help now. Although not quite as bad, Dark Force too was feeling the affects of the damage she took during the last battle. They both climbed the ladder to the top of the landing pad and looked over at the tractor beam cannon sitting on the pad. As they approached it, they saw that everything except one control panel was fully encased by the shield. As they looked at the controls, they saw a variety of buttons as well as a type of revolving door with slots that appeared to accept some sort of large circular object.

“How do we shut it off? The deactivation controls aren’t responding.” Dark Force stated as she worked the console.

“You can’t shut it off.” A voice said from behind them.

Cranberry and Dark Force both spun around and looked at the man standing before them. The man looked to be about 40 years old and he wore a thick crimson armor that covered most of his body. He wore a crest on his chest that caught Dark Force’s eye, as if she had seen it before. But what caught both Cranberry and Dark Force’s eye the most was a large Red Ring that sat on his left wrist.

End of Chapter 29
Chapter 30 teaser: It’s been a long difficult and emotional road for two FOnewearls, and it’s all come down to this. The fate of Pioneer 2 hangs in the balance as Cranberry and Dark Force begin this one last mission. The final battle begins in Chapter 30.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 30 – Red-Stained Blood


“You are… the leader. Commander Red Ring.” Cranberry stated.

The man ignored Cranberry’s comment and looked directly at Dark Force. “You’ve grown up a lot Dark Force, you’ve matured into quite a nice young woman.”

“What? You know me?” Dark Force asked, blinking in surprise.

“If you say that you’re her father, I’m going to scream.” Cranberry mumbled. “You better not start calling her Luke.”

“You probably don’t remember, but I knew you when you were little. I was a close friend of your parents.” The man answered.

Dark Force did not speak as she looked at the man before her, not sure what to make of what she was being told.

“What? That’s absurd! Don’t listen to him Dark Force, this is just some sort of trick!” Cranberry protested. “There’s no way you could know her!”

Dark Force remained silent, looking to Cranberry and then looking back to the man in front of her.

“I lived with you and your family for a brief time, you must have been no more than 1 year old. I worked with your father quite often on a wide variety of projects; he truly made an impact on the entire community with his work. Never have I seen a more well-respected family.” The man responded.

“Shut up! Enough of your ridiculous stories!” Cranberry hissed, raising her Windmill.

“CB, stop! Wait a second.” Dark Force interjected.

“But why? You can’t possibly buy this rubbish!” Cranberry objected.

“You remember, don’t you Dark Force?” The man spoke.

“It’s not very clear to me, but I have a faint memory. A memory from when I was very little. I remember being held as a baby, and looking up into the eyes of someone. I looked up into his eyes as he held me, and he looked down at me and smiled as he rubbed my cheek. That’s all I can remember.” Dark Force answered. “That was you, wasn’t it? Your eyes, they are the same as in my memory. You did know my family and I.”

“So, you do remember me. You have always been very sharp, even at that age.” The man said.

“DF, you never said anything about this guy before. I never saw him whenever I was at your home.” Cranberry said.

“Other than that one memory, I don’t remember anything about him.” Dark Force answered.

“I did not live with your family for long, only about a year. After that my career took me elsewhere, though I still maintained some communication with your father, until I left Coral all together.” The man replied.

Dark Force stared at the man, not sure what to say. Cranberry kept her weapon ready and stood beside Dark Force, glaring at the man.

“After I left Coral, I traveled for a long time in space. I eventually met an alien race; they were not that different from us. Almost identical in appearance and very similar body mechanics as well. I learned a lot from these people, they changed my perspective on the entire world. I learned what survival of the fittest truly means in this universe.” The man continued. “I learned what survival truly means.”

“I don’t like where this is going.” Cranberry snapped.

“I was surprised when I found Ragol and Pioneer 1. My new friends and I were seeking a new power source. Our search led us to Ragol because we detected great power readings coming from below the ground. Your Pioneer 1 apparently detected this as well and had begun seeking to reach it. Your parents included, I was shocked when I found them on the surface.” The man stated.

“You were on Ragol with Pioneer 1? You met my parents!?” Dark Force cried.

“Yes, they recognized me right away. I must say I was pleased to see them again. They were quite interested in my stories, especially about the new friends I had made from another world. I convinced your parents to help me with my latest project, a project that would further strengthen the power of my new world. I had to fabricate a few stories, but they soon proved most helpful to the cause. Until that unfortunate explosion just. Just as I was on the verge of harnessing that incredible power, those idiots from Pioneer 1 ruined everything. Actually, the arrival of Pioneer 2 is what saved me. I had to leave the Central Dome area because of their arrival. That is what saved me from the explosion.” The man continued.

“My parents! What about my parents? Were they…killed in the explosion too?” Dark Force asked, taking a step forward.

“DF…” Cranberry stated, putting a hand on her friends shoulder.

“Actually, they did survive the explosion. They may have been the only ones that did.” The man answered.

“Are you serious? They’re still alive?! Where are they? Where!?” Dark Force pleaded.

“I found them, and kept them around a little longer. I needed them to do a little more work for me, and once I was finished with them, I discarded of them. You see with their help, I rose to become the leader of this alien race. Back on Coral their work is what created the colored rings, including the ones that you two are wearing right now. Rings that increase in power when near other like rings. I wanted to take that one step farther. With their help, much more powerful versions of the rings were created, rings that gave incredible power even before interacting with other rings. A true masterpiece of work!” Commander Red declared.

“No! My parents would never have created something like that for that purpose!” Dark Force protested.

“You’re right. I lied to them, I told them that it was Pioneer 2 that was destroyed, and that the survivors of Pioneer 1 were mounting a counter attack against the force that had attacked. I told them we needed the rings to fight back this evil monster. They may be brilliant, but they are both quite foolish. They believed every word I said, and even agreed to be taken to a remote location to keep their work secret from the enemy.” Commander Red continued. “Once they finished the rings, I no longer had any use for them and discarded of them.”

“You did what!?” Dark Force screamed. “They trusted you!”

“That is low, really low.” Cranberry added.

“They may be brilliant, but they don’t know what it means to survive! Once they were no longer useful, I no longer needed them. Their special rings are powerful, but still retain the trait of becoming even more powerful around other rings. And then it occurred to me, what better place to acquire more rings than Pioneer 2? And so a great plan was set into motion. But who would have ever thought that the daughter of the ones who created the rings would later play such a huge role in disrupting my plan to acquire more! Ironic isn’t it? I never imagined you 2 would defeat all of my generals. I must say I am impressed.” Commander Red admitted.

“You, you betrayed my family! They trusted you, and you betrayed them!” Dark Force hissed. “No more! You aren’t going to do any more harm to anyone again! Right Cran?”

“Right! This ends here and now!” Cranberry declared. “Shut off that contraption right now!”

“There is only one way to de-activate it. All 7 rings must be inserted into the control panel. Only then can it be de-activated. I know that you now hold 6 rings, and I have the last one right here on my arm. Either you or I will get them all. And I don’t plan on handing it over to you.” Commander Red stated.

“I didn’t think so. I guess there is no point in trying to negotiate.” Cranberry stated as she raised her Windmill. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece, a look of sheer determination in her eyes.

“My ring is an extra special variety. It contains the attributes of all the other rings combined, as well as a special addition all its own, a very significant increase in resistance to technique damage. The truth is I am glad you two showed up, after all the trouble you have caused me I was hoping for a chance to ring your necks with my own hands.” Commander Red Ring stated.

“All of the other rings abilities combined? You, you can’t be serious!” Cranberry challenged.

“Oh you’ll see that I am quite serious. Well now are you two ready? After all, the clock is ticking. Just look above you, Pioneer 2 is already beginning to be pulled into the atmosphere. It will not be long before they are forced here and detonate the bomb resting below us. So you don’t exactly have time on your side now do you?” Commander Red Ring mocked.

“There’s nothing left to talk about then. Ready Dark Force?” Cranberry asked.

“Of course.” Dark Force answered.

“Than lets begin.” Commander Red Ring challenged.

Dark Force cast Deband while Cranberry cast Shifta, boosting both their defensive and offensive capabilities. Cranberry rushed toward the Commander and swung her Windmill. Her Windmill struck only air as the Commander vanished.

“What? Where’d he go?” Cranberry demanded.

“Cran! Behind you!” Dark Force screamed in warning.

“How in the world- Ack!” Cranberry screeched as she spun around just as the Commander punched her squarely in the chest, sending her flying across the ramp and slamming into the rails.”

“Cran!” Dark Force screamed.

The Commander turned toward Dark Force and lifted his hand. Dark Force immediately recognized the weapon strapped to his hand to be an Angry Fist. But before she could react, arrows of light surround her body and exploded, knocking her onto her back with tremendous force.

“G-gah!” Dark Force groaned as she rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up. The Commander was no longer standing in front of her, she looked over and saw Cranberry also pulling herself up after slamming into the rail.

“T-that was, I never even saw it.” Cranberry groaned.

“Of course you didn’t.” Commander Red stated calmly as he appeared before Cranberry.

Cranberry lunged forward and swung here Windmill. The Commander lifted his arm and intercepted the Windmill with his ring. Cranberry raised her left arm and cast Foie, but the Commander suddenly shifted to the right causing the fireball to fly harmlessly past. He grabbed Cranberry’s arm with his left arm and pulled it behind her back. With his right hand, armed with the Angry Fist, be repeatedly punched Cranberry in the head and chest. His hand moved so quickly that Dark Force could not even see it.

“Gah! Gah! Ack! Oh! Eek! H-help!” Cranberry screamed as she was pummeled.

Dark Force ran toward her friend and swung her Magical Piece. Before she even finished her attack, she felt her left arm get grabbed. Both her and Cranberry began to get spun around in a circle very quickly, everything looked like a blur as they were lifted off the ground. The Commander spun like a top as he swung the 2 FOnewearls around him. He came to a sudden stop and clasped his arms together, slamming Cranberry and Dark Force into each other before releasing them.

“Argh.” Dark Force groaned as she lay on the ground.

“T-that power… t-the black rings effect… T-that s-speed. T-that’s the e-effect of t-the w-w-white ring isn’t it?” Cranberry stuttered as she lay beside Dark Force.

“Y-yeah… it is. Y-yeah, its n-n-not f-fun. B-believe me, I k-know.” Dark Force answered.

Dark Force pulled herself into a sitting position and helped Cranberry into a sitting position as well. Cranberry lay her head against Dark Force still very dizzy and disoriented, blood beginning to run down her face.

“Cran, hang in there.” Dark Force said as she held Cranberry for a moment.

“Aw, you two are so cute when you cuddle.” Commander Red mocked.

“Shut up!” Dark Force snapped.

“You’re friend there doesn’t look so good. She was already pretty beat up when you arrived. She out of it already?” Commander Red said, grinning slyly at Dark Force.

Dark Force stood up, gently laying Cranberry down beside her. “Don’t give up Cran. I believe in you.”

Cranberry groaned, unable to find the strength to stand. She looked up at Dark Force with dizzy and vacant eyes. Dark Force raised her Magical Piece and glared at the Commander. “She’s the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

“I feel sorry for you if that is the case, because from where I stand she seems pretty weak.” Commander Red answered.

“It must really get on your nerves that someone so weak beat all your generals.” Dark Force countered.

Commander Red glared at Dark Force and launched straight toward her. Dark Force readied herself. As the Commander reached her, she suddenly spun around and cast Foie, then immediately leapt into the air and cast Rabarta as she descended. An aura of ice formed around her as she landed. Without hesitation she immediately followed up with Gifoie, generating a ring of flames to extend outward from her. A hand grabbed her arm from behind as soon as she finished her Gifoie cast.

“Acrobatic indeed, but did you really think you’d do any significant damage that way?” Commander Red challenged as he forced Dark Force down to her knees.

Dark Force suddenly sprang up and rotated her body, breaking free of the Commander’s grip and swinging her foot. The Commander dashed away from her kick, but suddenly slipped and fell. Dark Force immediately pivoted and cast Barta, striking the Commander on the ground. She darted forward and swung her Magical Piece, creating a loud clang as it struck his armor.

The Commander rolled to the side and sprang to his feet. “Clever, combining ice and fire to wet the floor. But even when you strike me, you lack the power to do any damage.”

Dark Force did not answer and maintained a defensive position. The Commander raced toward her and swung his hand weapon at her. Dark Force raised her Magical Piece to intercept the blow. The impact was too great and Dark Force was knocked clear into the air despite having intercepted the strike with her own weapon. The Commander pointed both palms toward Dark Force and unleashed a rapid series of electrical blasts into her. Dark Force screamed in pain as the electricity began coursing through her. She tried to defend herself, but her legs gave out on her and she fell to her knees screaming in agony.

The Commander showed no mercy, striking Dark Force again and again, ignoring her cries of pain. Small orbs of light suddenly surrounded the Commander and engulfed him in a dim glow. The Commanders electrical strikes ceased as the technique energy faded from his arms. The Commander looked over and saw Cranberry back on her feet, holding her Windmill forward having just finished casting her Dispel technique.

“How did you do that?” Commander Red snapped.

“Figure it out.” Cranberry answered.

Commander Red lunged toward Cranberry. Cranberry sprang up into the air, but the Commander grabbed her leg and slammed her back to the ground. Cranberry gasped as she collided with the floor, laying on her back. Before she could react, the Commander slammed his Angry Fist weapon into her stomach; the entire landing platform shook as his strike collided. Cranberry’s eyes widened as she gasped in pain, unable to breathe after the strike. Her arms twitched as she placed her hands over her stomach, gasping heavily.

“No! Cran!” Dark Force screamed as she managed to pull herself up, smoke rising from her electrified body.

Commander Red kicked Cranberry, sending her body rolling into the rail. “I don’t think she’ll be getting up again from that.”

“Cranberry!” Dark Force cried as she ran toward her friend.

Commander Red cut Dark Force off, warping in front of her and shoving her backwards. “Going somewhere?”

Dark Force stumbled but remained standing and raised her Magical Piece. The Commander rolled his eyes as Dark Force swung her weapon. As Dark Force swung, she suddenly turned and bolted to the side not finishing her attack. After running 4 feet, she turned and cast Gibarta toward the Commander. Before she could react, the Commander dashed forward, plowing through her Gibarta technique and struck her in the head with his weapon. Dark Force flew backwards and slammed into the rail, dropping her Magical Piece in the process. She fell face down onto the ramp, coughing and gasping as a result of the hit.

“G-gaaa… S-so much… power…” Dark Force gasped as the Commander lifted her into the air by her arm.

“More than you can imagine. I’ll show you.” Commander Red declared.

Swinging her like a rag doll, the Commander slammed Dark Force into the rail, then pulled her back and did it again, 3 times in all. Dark Force’s body went limp from the force of the impacts and her vision became blurry. She could feel herself blacking out. She then felt herself fall to the ground as he dropped her. She looked up weakly and saw the Commander heading toward Cranberry, whom had managed to rise to her hands and knees and was trying to support herself with the rails of the landing platform.

“Dark F-Force…” Cranberry groaned as she tried to look up.

The Commander reached down and grabbed Cranberry by the neck, lifting her off the ground. “You’re still awake? Maybe you are a little stronger than I realized. Oh you want your friend back? Allow me.”

The Commander swung Cranberry around and hurled her toward Dark Force. The 2 collided and collapsed into a heap. The Commander walked over to them and stared down at them as they lay on the ground. “I guess you are just as helpless as your parents aren’t you Dark Force?”

Dark Force did not answer; she only lay on the ground trembling, blood running down her body. She tried to move, but her body just would not respond. She could feel Cranberry on top of her her, half covered by her body. Cranberry too was lying very still, breathing heavily. She could tell her friend was in just as much pain as she was. Tears began forming in Cranberry’s eyes.

“I’m… sorry Dark Force… I… I tried.” Cranberry sobbed.

“I still… believe… Cran.” Dark Force said weakly.

“W-what?” Cranberry responded.

“T-together w-we can d-do anything… t-that is w-what y-y-you always t-tell me. I… still b-believe that. I b-believe in y-you. C-Cranberry y-you are my… you are my strength. Y-you are what keep me g-g-going.” Dark Force said, gasping heavily as she forced herself to speak.

“D-Dark Force, y-you too. I f-feel t-the s-same about y-you.” Cranberry answered.

“I n-need you C-CB. I c-can’t d-do this w-without you.” Dark Force spoke softly.

Cranberry gathered all of the strength she could and forced herself to sit up, gently pulling Dark Force into a sitting position as well. “I…I won’t let you down!”

“I know y-you won’t.” Dark Force answered, smiling softly.

“You two are making me sick.” Commander Red declared.

“Red… you think you know what power is, and how to get it. But… you don’t know anything at all.” Cranberry stated, rising to her feet. “You may be strong on the outside, but on the inside where true strength comes from, you have none.”

“Is your little speech supposed to scare me Cranberry? If that is your plan, I hope you have a backup one.” Commander Red snapped.

Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast Resta, boosting the strength of Dark Force and herself. “We may be hurt, we may be battered, but we are not out!”

Commander Red laughed. “You just don’t know when to quit. Though I did not expect anything less from you. Well then, shall we dance?”

Cranberry swung her Windmill, spinning the blades. Commander Red raised his arms in a defensive position, readying his weapon. Behind Cranberry, Dark Force also rose to her feet feeling the effects of Cranberry’s Resta technique. Snatching her Magical Piece from the floor, she crouched beside Cranberry, whispering something into her ear. Cranberry nodded and continued swinging her Windmill, generating enough force to spin the blades very quickly. Dark Force stared at the Commander, and thrust her Magical Piece forward, activating it’s special ability and sending a small Zonde strike toward the Commander. The Commander dashed to the side almost effortlessly to avoid the Zonde strike. At the same time Cranberry swung her Windmill, causing the photon blades to fly toward him. The Commander again dashed to evade the strike. Cranberry paused a brief moment and swung 3 more times, sending a small barrage of the blades toward the Commander. He began weaving between the blades working his way toward the two. Suddenly, Dark Force sprang up and cast Foie. The Foie blast flew past the Commander missing him by 2 inches.

Commander Red grinned at Dark Force on her lousy shot. Dark Force grinned in responds. Her Foie shot clipped one of the projectiles Cranberry and fired and ricocheted it backwards, sending it flying into the back of the Commander’s head. The Commander lurched forward, losing his balance. Immediately the 2 FOnewearls raised their weapons and began casting techniques as fast as they could. Cranberry sent a barrage of Foie fireballs while Dark Force cast Barta as fast as she could. The blasts of Fire and Ice collided with Commander Red and struck his armor. Rolling to his knees he thrust his arms up to protect his face from the barrage of techniques allowing his armor to withstand most of the assault.

Cranberry ceased her attacks and readied her Windmill, adjusting her stance. Dark Force continued casting Barta waves. The Commander rolled away and seemed to vanish from view. Cranberry swung her Windmill in a circle. The Windmill struck an object creating a loud crack as it slammed its target against the rail.

Commander Red, having his counter attack foiled, staggered and fell down against the rail not expecting Cranberry to have anticipated his move. Cranberry rushed forward and swung her Windmill, smashing it into the Commander’s armor. Dark Force pivoted and cast Foie to add to Cranberry’s attack.

Commander Red sprang up and off the rail, Cranberry’s Windmill ripping into his armor as he leapt away. Upon landing, he swung his leg at Cranberry and knocked her backwards with a powerful kick. Dark Force swung her Magical Piece forward and caught Cranberry with it, stopping her from falling onto her back. Commander Red raised his palm toward the two. Cranberry immediately twirled around, grabbed Dark Force and threw her into the air. A wave of sharp stone flew from the Commander’s palm and struck Cranberry, throwing her to the ground. Dark Force now airborne thanks to Cranberry’s sudden throw, angled her Magical Piece downward and cast a Zonde technique, striking the Commander and breaking him out of a follow up attack. Dark Force landed and threw herself forward, swinging her Magical Piece at the Commander. Her Magical Piece slammed into his armor, creating a loud metallic clang as it connected.

The Commander was not fazed, his impressive defense easily deflecting the blow. Dark Force spun back and crouched into a defensive pose. The Commander lunged toward Dark Force with his Angry Fist. Dark Force sprang to the side, but could not match the Commanders speed. The fist slammed into her side and sent her rolling along the landing pad. The Commander sprang high into the air and dove toward Dark Force aiming his weapon again for her head. As he approached, he was suddenly knocked away as Cranberry leapt forward and jump kicked him away from her friend. The Commander adjusted his position and landed on his feet, quickly aiming his palm toward the sky.

The Commander cast Shifta and Deband on himself, further increasing his capabilities. “That’s a level 50 Shifta and Deband. If you thought I was strong before, how do you plan to handle things now? A single hit will drop you now. So, what is your big plan now?” Commander Red demanded, his arms pulsing with power.

Cranberry lifted her Windmill and cast Dispel, causing the orbs of light to return around the Commander and briefly engulf him and dissolved the effects of his techniques. The power pulsing through his arms immediately faded.

“What, again? Seriously, how did you do that?” The frustrated Commander Red demanded.

“Tap Z or R twice!” Cranberry answered.

“That doesn’t even make any sense!” Commander Red snapped.

“Oh, I guess you’re right.” Cranberry responded.

“You are so dead.” Commander Red hissed.

Dark Force suddenly leapt forward and grabbed the Commander from behind, suddenly pulling his arms behind his back. “Cran, now! Do it!” She screamed.

“What? Where did you come from!?” Commander Red demanded as he attempted to pull out of Dark Force’s hold.

“Hurry!” Dark Force shouted as the Commander quickly began prying his arms loose.

“Sato go!” Cranberry ordered.

Cranberry’s Red Sato flew forward and latched onto the Commander, beginning to rip into his armor. Dark Force jumped away, falling onto her back in the process, finding it very difficult to stand properly with the injuries she had sustained. She tried to pull herself up, but fell back to the ground.

“Despicable beast!” Commander Red shouted as he wrestled with Sato.

Cranberry ran to Dark Force, nearly stumbling into a fall in the process. Dark Force looked up at the blood soaked face of her friend. Cranberry extended her hand to Dark Force. Dark Force gripped it tightly and Cranberry pulled her to her feet. Dark Force wobbled and leaned on her friend for support. Cranberry cast Resta, giving a little boost to both of them.

“Sato, enough!” Cranberry shouted.

The Red Sato, which was no longer mauling but flying about and evading strikes from the Commander flew back to her position behind Cranberry’s shoulder.

“I have to hand it to you, you’re pretty resourceful. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you Dark Force. But even your friend there is rather bright, despite having a rather stupid name.” Commander Red stated.

“Enough talk. Are we going to fight or what?” Cranberry demanded.

Commander Red crouched down and readied his Angry Fist. Dark Force, regaining some of her strength released Cranberry and stood on her own, holding her Magical Piece in a ready position. The Commander thrust his arm forward and cast an ice technique. Cranberry and Dark Force split up and darted to the side to avoid the technique. Before Cranberry could even look back toward the Commander, he made a move for her. Dashing forward and slamming into her with pinpoint accuracy. Cranberry was knocked backwards, but suddenly pulled back forward as the Commander grabbed her by the shirt and jerked her toward him. Dark Force ran toward her friend, swinging her Magical Piece at the Commander. Commander Red dashed across the landing pad, bringing Cranberry with him. Cranberry squirmed and attempted to swing her Windmill, but could not connect as the Commander swayed his body and dodged the strike. Tightening his grip on her shirt, he squeezed the cloth around here neck and began to choke her.

Dark Force quickly located where the Commander had disappeared too and gave chase, sprinting as fast as she could toward them. Cranberry lifted her arm and managed to cast Foie, forcing the General to loosen his grip on her shirt. The Commander responded by lifting Cranberry up and slamming her into the rail. Cranberry groaned and grabbed onto the rail, using it to hold herself up as the Commander backed away from her. The Commander pulled his weapon back and began charging technique energy into it.

“This is a new little trick I learned. Lets see how well you can withstand this attack.” Commander Red challenged.

“Cran! Watch out!” Dark Force shouted as she sprinted toward her friend. The Commander’s Angry Fist glowed with technique energy, and Cranberry could barely hold herself up let alone move out of the way. Dark Force leapt forward and moved between Cranberry and the Commander just as he thrust his fist forward. The impact struck Dark Force directly in the chest, a horrible sound of crackling energy echoed as the impact struck. Dark Force flew backward, slamming into the rail beside Cranberry and greatly bending it. Dark Force immediately collapsed and lay motionless on the floor.

“D-Dark Force!” Cranberry screamed. “No Dark Force no!”

“Wow, she sacrificed herself to save you. She wasn’t my target, that hit was meant for you.” Commander Red laughed, looking down at Dark Force and admiring his work.

“DF, say something. Please, DF say something, anything!” Cranberry cried as she knelt down beside her fallen friend. “Dark Force please!”

Dark Force did not respond at all, she was completely limp as Cranberry lightly shook her. “DF wake up! Dark Force don’t leave me!” Cranberry cried.

“She’s gone. It was a foolish sacrifice though; all she did is buy you a few more minutes. Don’t worry Cranberry, you’ll be re-united with her soon enough!” Commander Red stated.

“Save your victory speech, it’s not over yet Red.” Cranberry said as she looked down at Dark Force, gripping her Windmill tightly. “We may be down, but we aren’t out of it, not by a long shot.”

End of Chapter 30
Chapter 31 teaser: Overpowered, outmatched, and outclassed, Cranberry and Dark Force have struggled greatly in this battle. Now Dark Force has thrown herself in front of a deadly strike to save her best friend. Is Dark Force really dead? Find out as the battle concludes in Chapter 31.

[Cranberry]

Chapter 31 – Desperate Last Chance

Cranberry looked at Commander Red weakly. She could not fully stand up straight, and she had blood running all over her body. Her complexion was pale and she had a dazed look in her eyes. She shakily held her Windmill as she looked toward her opponent. Dark Force lay on the ground beside her. Cranberry looked down at her friend, and saw her chest rise slightly. Dark Force was still alive, but just barely. She did not look well at all. That last hit had done a great deal of damage to her; even Resta was not going to be enough to heal it. Much like Cranberry, she had blood running over various parts of her body. Her breathing was very weak.

“I’m rather impressed. For her to even have a speck of life left in her after that, she really is a tough one isn’t she?” Commander Red mocked.

Cranberry fell to her knees, a bit to the surprise of Commander Red. She groaned in pain as she shakily used her Windmill to help keep her from falling completely down.

Commander Red walked over to Cranberry and grabbed her by the bow in her hair, lifting her off the ground. “What’s wrong? Has your 2nd wind died? What about that little lecture you just gave me of not being out of it yet?” He demanded.

“That’s r-right.” Cranberry answered.

Commander Red pressed his Angry Fist against Cranberry’s cheek. “It’s time you accepted reality, you’ve lost. And Pioneer 2 is creeping ever closer, they can’t resist much longer.”

Cranberry closed her eyes and began to fall limp as she was held in the air.

“Slipping into unconsciousness already? Disappointing really, I was hoping you might have had another little spark in you after such a bold declaration.” Commander Red sighed. “But I guess you’re all talk.”

Cranberry suddenly threw here arm forward and cast Gibarta, suddenly encasing Commander Red in ice. Falling to the ground, she crawled backward and forced herself back to her feet by pulling herself up the rail. She cast Resta, desperate to try and boost her strength. Though the Resta did little for her injuries, it did give her the strength to stand again. Making her way to Dark Force, she lifted her Windmill and cast Reverser on Dark Force. The moment she finished her cast, she was struck as Commander Red broke free of the ice and charged her, punching her in the chest. Cranberry tucked her body and rolled backwards, greatly decreasing the damage from the blow. Still, she fell onto her back and struggled as she rolled onto her belly. Her arms could barely push her head off the ground.

Commander Red moved to follow up his strike, but was suddenly struck in the side by a fireball and knocked away from Cranberry. Dark Force, having benefited from Cranberry’s Reverser spell to wake her up was back on her feet, though she still looked very weak.

“What? You again? Just how many times do I have to squish you?” Commander Red demanded.

Dark Force nodded at Cranberry and lifted her Magical Piece over her head, activating her Devil Wings MAG special photon blast. Cranberry simultaneously lifted her Windmill weakly and activated the Photon Blast of her Red Sato. Mylla & Youlla formed over Dark Force and Leilla emerged over Cranberry, freezing everyone in place as the summoned creatures activated their effects. Both Cranberry and Dark Force felt the powerful effects of Leilla very significantly healed their damage and restored a good portion of their endurance. Mylla & Youlla infused offensive and defensive power into their bodies, providing a slightly more powerful version of Shifta and Deband on themselves than they could cast themselves.

Cranberry found the strength to rise to her feet, and took up a position beside Dark Force. “I’m so glade you aren’t dead.”

“Of course.” Dark Force answered. Despite the powerful healing ability, both of them were still very injured and weakened. But at least they were able to stand again.

“Impressive little comeback. No more games, I’m growing tired of this. Time to finish this now.” Commander Red declared.

“I agree.” Cranberry stated.

Commander Red raised his palm toward the two of them. Cranberry immediately lifted her Windmill and cast Dispel, again engulfing the Commander with orbs of light and causing his magic to fizzle out. Dark Force rushed forward and faked a strike with her Magical Piece, prompting the Commander to fall into a defensive stance to deflect her strike. She quickly pulled back and cast Barta. Finishing her Dispel cast, Cranberry followed up by casting Foie. One after another the 2 techniques struck the Commander and impacted with his armor.

Cranberry and Dark Force immediately leapt to the side in different directions. Commander Red sprang forward and swung his weapon, smashing it into the ground where they had just been standing. Dark Force pivoted and cast a Zonde strike. Commander Red rolled his body to the side to evade the electrical strike. Turning toward Cranberry he saw her lift her Windmill. He sprang into the air expecting her to cast Foie, but instead she cast Gifoie, creating a wave of flames that began spreading outward. Dark Force on his other side also lifted her Magical Piece and cast Gifoie, causing another ring of fire to began expanding. Having nowhere to run, Commander Red landed and crouched into a defensive position to endure the hits. Dark Force lifted her Magical Piece again and cast Foie toward the Commander. The Commander rolled to the side causing the fireball to fly past him. Cranberry swung her Windmill as the fireball raced toward her. Her Windmill struck the fireball and knocked it back towards the Commander. Having endured the Gifoie strikes, Commander Red again rolled to the side, avoiding the fireball a second time. Dark Force readied her Magical Piece to strike the fireball a 2nd time. Commander Red raced toward Dark Force to counter attack, but as he approached the fireball suddenly exploded into flames. Cranberry had cast Rafoie, a technique she rarely used, on the fireball itself and caused an area explosion. The impact took Commander Red by surprise and caused him to lose control of his speed. Dark Force swung her Magical Piece, striking Commander Red in the head and knocking him onto his back.

Cranberry followed up the attack with Barta, sending the ice wave into the Commander as he fell to the ground. Dark Force squeezed in one more Foie attack before the Commander was able to recover.

Beginning to get frustrated, Commander Red rolled back onto his feet and glared at the two. Despite having heavy resistance to their techniques and physical strikes, they multiple strikes were beginning to wear on him a little. He raised his arm and began charging energy into it. Cranberry began to cast Dispel, but suddenly Commander Red raced toward her and slammed his fist into her. Cranberry stumbled backwards, struggling to avoid falling. Commander Red moved in for a 2nd strike, but was deterred by a sudden Zonde blast from Dark Force. Commander Red grumbled forgetting how much range Zonde has. He turned his attention back to Cranberry, just in time to see her swing her Windmill into his face. Enduring the hit, he grabbed Cranberry by the arm and flung her into the air. Crouching low, he reared his fist and swung it up at her, striking her in the thigh and knocking her toward Dark Force. Before she could land, Commander Red made a rising motion and cast another technique, causing an electrical field to generate around Cranberry and Dark Force. Both found themselves engulfed in electricity and fell to the ground. The field persisted and continued shocking their bodies.

“Cran, D-Dispel it!” Dark Force pleaded, cringing from the voltage.

Cranberry forced herself to swing her arm and cast the technique. Orbs of light formed around the field and diffused it. Dark Force quickly rose to her feet and cast Rabarta. Just as she expected, the ice knocked back a charging Commander Red, buying Cranberry the extra moment she needed to get up. Dark Force ran toward Commander Red and lifted her weapon for a strike. Commander Red recovered from the Rabarta impact and raised his Angry Fist, intercepting Dark Force’s attack. He punched the Magical Piece upward, and moved his fist to strike Dark Force directly, only to be struck by a Foie technique from Cranberry. Commander Red rolled backwards from the blow. A strange creaking sound was heard as the Foie fireball dissipated. Commander Red pulled himself back to his feet, a little slower this time. Cranberry was swinging her Windmill wildly at the air, not aiming for anything in particular. Dark Force was running towards Commander Red, casting a Gibarta technique. Commander Red sprang to the side, pivoted and leapt back towards Dark Force, jump kicking her back towards Cranberry. Cranberry jumped to the side, avoiding a collision with Dark Force. Dark Force landed and quickly rolled back to her feet and again dashed towards the Commander. Cranberry swung her Windmill a few times, sending a small barrage of photon blades toward him. Commander Red swung his body to evade the blades, and then leapt to the side again to avoid the Foie strike cast by Dark Force. Remembering their earlier trick, Commander Red turned expecting Dark Force’s Foie to knock one of the blades back toward him. Instead, he suddenly felt the cold impact of a Barta technique strike him from behind. Cranberry lowered her Windmill from her Barta cast, and Dark Force swung her Magical Piece striking the surprised Commander in the chest.

The armor made a horrible sound and large cracks began to spread all over his armor. The Commander looked own in shock as the cracks quickly grew. Within seconds, the armor shattered and fell to pieces around him.

“That’s impossible! How?” Commander Red exclaimed in disbelief.

“You are resistant to technique damage directly, but not to physics.” Dark Force stated.

“Perhaps you noticed we’ve cast a lot of Foie and Barta techniques. Damage isn’t the only effect, heat and cold are a little side effect as well.” Cranberry added.

“The metal constantly expanded and contracted, until it finally broke.” Dark Force concluded. “We’ve been working toward that all along.”

Commander Red swung his fist in rage, causing Dark Force to quickly back away and narrowly evade it. Cranberry put away her Windmill and pulled her Double Saber and darted rushed to assist her friend.

Commander Red swung wildly at Dark Force, forcing her to constantly back away. Cranberry swung her Double Saber and struck the Commanders weapon. Commander Red turned his attention to Cranberry and engaged her in hand-to-hand combat. Cranberry swung her Double Saber, deflecting and repelling the Commander’s Angry Fist strikes. Dark Force put away her Magical Piece and pulled her Windmill. She quickly rushed forward and joined Cranberry in striking at the Commander. Despite his speed and defense, he began suffering multiple strikes from their blades. Without his armor, the strikes began to do significant damage. He could feel his reflexes beginning to slow down. The Commander pulled his fist back and readied himself, allowing himself to take a full strike from Cranberry’s Double Saber. As soon as she finished her attack, he lurched forward and slammed his Angry Fist into her face. Running forward he stayed on Cranberry, punching her repeatedly in the head and chest. Cranberry collapsed to the ground, but the Commander did not let up and dove down at her, continuing to strike her with the Angry Fist in an aggressive combination of strikes to various parts of her body. Dark Force rushed to her friends aid and swung her Windmill at the Commander. But it took 6 full strikes from her Windmill before she was able to cause enough damage to force him to jump off Cranberry.

“Cran!” Dark Force cried.

Cranberry lay on the ground only semi-conscious. She groaned in pain. Dark Force cast a Resta technique, but this time it had no noticeable affect on her friend.

Commander Red held a hand over his side. Dark Force had cut some pretty deep gashes into him, and his reflexes were getting slower. Though still faster than Dark Force, he could no longer move so fast that it seemed like he was warping. Ignoring defense and launching himself into an attack had been a double-sided sword. He had successfully taken Cranberry out of the fight, but Dark Force inflicted heavy damage to him in the process.

Dark Force crouched into a defensive position, not sure how to proceed from here.

Cranberry, fighting to remain conscious looked weakly up at Dark Force. “Y-you need to t-take it f-from h-here. I c-can’t g-get up t-this t-t-time.”

“Cran… hang in there.” Dark Force readied her Windmill and glared at the Commander. She glanced up for a moment and saw that Pioneer 2 was drawing a bit too close for comfort. She could now see the entire ship just below the clouds, as well as the aerial battle around it still going on.

Commander Red raised his arm toward Dark Force. Dark Force threw herself to one side, narrowly evading a shower of sharp ice crystals that flew toward her, another one of the Commander’s special techniques. She had to make a move fast. Without Cranberry, there was no way to Dispel the techniques anymore. She pivoted and cast Grants. The Commander endured the strike and rushed toward Dark Force. Dark Force swung herself sideways, but was still grazed by the Angry Fist and knocked backwards. With a quick shuffling of her feet she avoided falling over, but was left open to a follow up attack. The Angry Fist slammed into her and sent her sliding across the floor over toward Cranberry.

Dark Force pulled herself back to her feet one more time, but only just barely. She wobbled back and forth dizzily, having great difficulty focusing her somewhat blurry vision on the Commander in front of her.

“D-DF… my D-Double S-Saber.” Cranberry gasped, nudging it with her and causing it to roll over toward Dark Force.

Dark Force reached down and picked it up, nearly falling over in the process. She hoisted it up, and looked over at Commander Red whom was also finding it difficult to stand up perfectly straight.

“This has g-gone on long enough. It ends r-right now!” Commander Red ordered, pulling back his Angry Fist.

Dark Force readied the Double Saber and angled it forward. Commander Red rushed toward Dark Force. Dark Force summoned every ounce of strength she had left and darted toward Commander Red. The two reached each other and each swung their weapon simultaneously. The Angry Fist slammed into Dark Force’s belly, and Dark Force impaled Commander Red with the Double Saber in the chest.

They both fell to the ground, involuntarily leaning on one another in pain. Dark Force cringed in agony from the strike as she fell to her knees. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Commander Red began pushing her down while slowly beginning to push himself up at the same time, the Double Saber still embedded in his chest.

“A g-good t-t-try Dark F-Force. But it l-looks like I w-win… GAH!” Commander Red began, only to be interrupted as a Foie fireball suddenly flew forward and struck the Double Saber. The impact caused pushed the Double Saber completely through his body, causing it to fully pierce him and fall to the floor on the other side.

Commander Red gasped in disbelief as he looked up just in time to see Cranberry, half sitting up with her hand still raised from her Foie cast, fall back down on her back.

“I d-don’t… believe it.” Commander Red exclaimed as he slumped to the ground.

Dark Force weakly grabbed Commander Red’s arm as she spoke. “W-where are my p-parents. W-where are t-they?” She demanded. “What d-did y-you d-do t-to them.”

“Y-you… will…” Was all Commander Red could get out before he fell over backwards and collapsed to the ground, his Red Ring fell from his wrist and landed on the ground.

“T-tell me!” Dark Force demanded, but it was too late. Commander Red was no longer breathing. He had passed on.

“The.. ring. D-DF… s-shut…it… off…” Cranberry said weakly as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Dark Force weakly crawled to the Red Ring and picked it up, turning to look over at Cranberry and the control panel for the tractor beam. She could feel herself blacking out, but she tried to fight it, forcing herself to crawl over to the panel. She looked at Cranberry as she crawled past her friend. Cranberry lay unconscious, her entire body seemed to be full of blood, she could not help but admire how strong Cranberry was to last as long as she did, and to find the strength to come to her rescue one last time by casting Foie to finish off the Commander. Dark Force reached the control panel and pulled herself to her knees. One by one she pulled the rings they had collected from her pack and slid them into the panel: Purple, Yellow, Green, White, Blue, Black, and finally Red. The consol lit up as it processed the rings. A small panel slid open with a glowing button. Dark Force weakly reached forward and pressed the button.

The tractor beam cannon brightly glowed and then deactivated, ceasing the pull on Pioneer 2. Pioneer 2 quickly rose back into the atmosphere toward space. Dark Force, her last ounce of energy gone collapsed onto her back. She looked over at Cranberry one more time. “T-thank y-y-you C-Cran….” she said as she blacked out and fell unconscious.

How much time had passed, she could not tell. But even though she was unconscious, Cranberry felt her body being lifted up. She could not respond or move in any way, nor could she tell if she was in a dream. But a strange sensation came over her, as if a caring hand had been placed over her. Dark Force also felt a similar sensation in her mind. One small phrase came into both of their minds. “We’re here now, you’re going to be all right.” They both felt a strange sense of comfort.

Cranberry began to stir, and slowly opened her eyes. The low hum of artificial lighting filled her ears. As her vision adjusted, she felt the soft feel of sheets around her body, which was now dressed in a lightweight gown. She looked up and saw the faces of Sage and Striker above her.

“She’s awake, oh thank goodness.” Sage exclaimed.

“You gave us quite a scare young lady, it’s a miracle that you’re still alive.” Striker replied.

“S-Sage? Striker?” Cranberry asked groggily.

“That is correct. You’re in the Medical Center.” Striker informed.

“You were hurt pretty bad. You’ve been unconscious for 12 hours.” Sage said, patting her lightly on the arm. “They were working on you for a long time, we weren’t sure if you were going to make it.”

“D-Dark Force! Where is Dark Force?” Cranberry asked.

“Right beside you.” Striker indicated.

Cranberry looked over and saw Dark Force lying in another hospital bed right beside her. She too was wearing the same type of hospital gown as Cranberry.

“She’s alive Cran. Both of you were in petty bad shape, but we found you just in time. If you had lost much more blood it would have been too late.” Sage said.

“It’s a miracle you’re alive, I don’t know how you did it. But you did.” Striker complimented.

“Hey, she’s stirring.” Sage said as he looked over at Dark Force.

Dark Force groaned and weakly opened her eyes. She looked up at Sage and Striker, gasping softly.

“Dark Force, can you hear me?” Cranberry asked softly.

“Y-yeah. Striker? Sage? C-Cran?” Dark Force asked.

“Yes, we’re all here.” Striker said. “Welcome back.”

“Wh-where are we?” Dark Force asked.

“The Medical Center.” Sage answered.

“But… how?” Dark Force asked.

Striker and Sage sat back down in their chairs. Striker looked over at Sage. “Go ahead Sage, tell them.”

Sage nodded his head. “Shortly after the tractor beam was de-activated, we destroyed what was left of their fleet. As soon as Pioneer 2 was safe, we flew toward the cannon to find you. When we arrived, we found both of you lying unconscious on the pad, along with a deceased man. You were both badly injured. Even your Red Sato knew that you needed help, she didn’t even try to maul me as we lifted you up.”

“It, it was you too. That voice, that everything was going to be all right. That… that was you wasn’t it?” Cranberry asked.

“Yes, I heard that too.” Dark Force stated.

Both Sage and Striker smiled brightly.

“Yes, that was us. You heard us then?” Striker said.

“Yes, it was… a small piece of comfort in the dark.” Dark Force responded.

Cranberry nodded in agreement.

“We rushed you back to Pioneer 2 and took you straight here, to the Medical Center.” Sage said.

“And have been waiting here ever since.” Striker added.

“Thank you, both of you. You, you saved our lives.” Cranberry said gratefully.

“Yes, thank you.” Dark Force agreed.

“No thanks is necessary. It is my function.” Striker said.

“Oh, the J-Tollaw!” Cranberry said, remembering they had left him at their ship.

“Don’t worry Cran. He’s safe. When we climbed onto the landing pad, we saw a Tollaw standing by you, as if it were guarding you. Striker almost shot it, but the Sato’s stopped him.” Sage began. “We saw that it was friendly as we approached, and that it seemed to care about you two a lot. We brought it back to Pioneer 2 with us. It should still be inside our ship in the landing bay we came in. It’s perfectly safe.”

“Speaking of Sato’s…” Striker said as Cranberry’s Red Sato and Dark Force’s Purple Sato flew into the room and came up to their owners, nuzzling them affectionately.

Cranberry and Dark Force both giggled and pet their Sato’s, grateful to see them safe and sound.

“It’s over Cran, it’s finally over isn’t it?” Dark Force asked.

“Yes, it is. We did it Dark Force, we did it.” Cranberry answered.

“You certainly did, Pioneer 2 is safe thanks to you two. I must say I am impressed, who ever would have thought that two little FOnewearls has it in them?” Striker stated.

“I did.” Dark Force said as she looked over at Cranberry. “I knew we had it in us, as long as we were together.”

“Because together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.” Cranberry said as she smiled back at Dark Force.

Sage chuckled at them. “It sounds like you two have had quite an adventure down there. You’ll have to be sure to tell me every detail. I want to hear it all.”

“Hehe, maybe.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry smiled and stretched a bit, it felt good to be in a soft bed again. It seemed like ages since she had last slept in a real bed.

“You two should get some rest. You still have a lot of healing to do, so don’t push yourselves too hard. Take it easy and rest up so you can heal.” Striker said in a fatherly tone.

Cranberry and Dark Force both nodded at him.

“Come Striker. Lets give them some time to rest. We’ll see you in the morning.” Sage said as he stood up.

“Goodnight ladies. Remember, take it easy and rest.” Striker said.

Sage and Striker departed from the room so that their friends could rest. After the door closed, Cranberry looked over to Dark Force. “I’m proud of you Dark Force.”

“And I of you. Cran, you showed me what true courage is all about down there. You never gave up, even when you couldn’t stand up. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Dark Force answered.

“You’re the best friend I ever had Dark Force. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have by my side than you. Thank you, for everything. You’re not the only one who learned a few things about courage DF. I did too.” Cranberry replied.

“And thank you Cranberry, for everything as well. We sure do make a great team.” Dark Force said.

“We worked so hard, we suffered so much. But together, we succeeded.” Cranberry said, lying back against her pillow.

“Yes. Oh, and Cranberry. I’m proud of you too. You’re also the best friend I have ever had too. Now, how about we get some rest?” Dark Force suggested.

Cranberry reached over and took Dark Force’s hand in hers for a moment. Their Purple Rings glowed softly in reaction to each other.

“Yes, a well earned rest too. DF, I’m just glad to have you by my side.” Cranberry answered, releasing Dark Force’s hand.

“Me too Cran. Me too.” Dark Force answered.

The lights dimmed, and both FOnewearls snuggled against their pillows and drifted to sleep. Their mission complete, and back in the safety of Pioneer 2 they could at last rest and focus on healing. They had undergone the most incredible, yet most dangerous mission of their lives. Yet by working together, they overcame all of the odds and succeeded, saving Pioneer 2 from a fiery fate.

End of Chapter 31
Chapter 32 teaser: The Ring Generals, and their Commander have been defeated. Cranberry and Dark Force have been rescued by Sage and Striker and will spend the next few days resting from their injuries. Find out what happens to everyone in the aftermath as Sage leads the Pioneer 1 Memorial Service by the Central Dome in Chapter 32, the final chapter of “The Ringed Land”

[Cranberry]

Chapter 32 – Warm Remembrance

For several days, Cranberry and Dark Force remained in the Medical Center as they recovered from their wounds. Every day Striker and Sage came to visit them for a few hours and kept them updated on the latest news. Pioneer 2 had dispatched a team to Ragol to secure the landing pad area and disarm the bomb. Striker had personally returned to Ragol to assist with dismantling the tractor beam cannon that almost pulled Pioneer 2 to its doom. In the process he retrieved the rings and brought them back to Pioneer 2 and gave them back to Cranberry and Dark Force.

“What are you going to do with them?” Sage asked.

“I think Dark Force should decide.” Cranberry answered as she looked to her friend.

“The ones that made these rings… I’m sure they never intended them to be used like this.” Dark Force began. “I’m sure they regret ever creating them at all, I think they’d want them to be destroyed.”

Cranberry nodded approvingly at her friend.

“They could have some benefit, it might be worth studying the power behind them.” Sage suggested.

“It’s possible, but I don’t think it is what they would want. I just… I can feel it inside that it is what they would want.” Dark Force answered.

“I understand.” Sage replied.

“Than it’s settled. They’ll be destroyed.” Striker acknowledged.

Cranberry nodded her head in agreement, understanding Dark Force’s decision better than anyone else.

Dark Force opened the bag and looked at each of the rings, running her finger over them. “Mom… dad…”

“Pardon?” Striker asked.

“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Dark Force replied.

“Oh, Sage don’t you have something you want to tell them?” Striker reminded.

“Oh, that’s right yes.” Sage answered.

Cranberry and Dark Force both looked up at Sage as he stood up to speak to them.

“The Pioneer 1 Memorial Service is still on. In fact, it’s going to be held tomorrow. And I’ve been asked to lead it.” Sage informed.

“Congratulations Sage. That is quite an honor.” Cranberry said, clapping her hands lightly.

“Cool.” Dark Force answered.

“We’d like both of you to come. We’ve asked the doctors about it. You’ve both been recovering very well. You’ll have to take it easy, but you’ll both been cleared to attend.” Striker said, handing some release forms to each of them.

“Does this mean, we’re being released from the hospital?” Cranberry asked anxiously.

“Yes, it does. But you will not be able to return to duty for at least 2 weeks. But you won’t be confined to a hospital room after today.” Sage announced.

Cranberry and Dark Force leaned over and gave each other a high five. They both appreciated the care they had received, but they were excited about being discharged too.

“I knew you’d be excited. Tell you what, tomorrow night after the ceremony, I’ll treat all of us to dinner.” Sage offered.

“You don’t have to do that.” Dark Force answered.

“I insist. That includes Black Raiden and yourself Striker. I won’t take no for an answer.” Sage insisted. “I expect you all to be there.”

“Thank you Sage. That is very kind of you. We’ll be there.” Cranberry answered.

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to go Sage. We’ll be there, but I might insist on helping with the bill you know.” Striker replied.

“I didn’t expect anything else from you Striker.” Sage answered.

“It sounds wonderful Sage. Thank you.” Dark Force replied.

“Rest easy you two. The ceremony is tomorrow. We’ll see you there!” Sage stated as he and Striker stood up to leave.

“We’ll be there.” Cranberry answered.

Sage and Striker said their goodbyes and exited the room.

“I’m glad they kept the ceremony going. The people have been wanting a chance to say goodbye to the loved ones they lost on Pioneer 1. The people need this.” Cranberry spoke.

“Yes.” Dark Force answered, looking at the rings again.

“You’ve made the right choice DF. Your parents would be proud of you.” Cranberry encouraged.

“I know.” Dark Force answered. “Cran, I want to tell you something.”

“Yes DF?” Cranberry replied.

“Even though you are not their daughter, I know they would be proud of you too.” Dark Force said softly. “They’d be glad I gave our family treasure to you, the Purple Ring.”

Cranberry lay back against her pillow and looked at the ring on her left arm. “Thank you Dark Force. That… that means a lot to me.”

“It’s true.” Dark Force answered.

The next evening, Cranberry and Dark Force were officially discharged from the hospital. New clothing identical in design to their old clothes had been provided to them as a gift from the Medical Center. The nurses and doctors had formed a line along the hallways and applauded them as they walked through the Medical Center towards the main doors. Dark Force blushed a little embarrassed from the attention. Cranberry smiled and offered a little wave as she walked. After exiting the Medical Center, they saw a lighted path leading to the teleporter down to Ragol. All of the lights on Pioneer 2 were dimmed in respect for all those who lost their lives in the Pioneer 1 explosion. Together they entered the teleporter and transported to the Central Dome in the forest area of Ragol.

As they arrived, they saw a small stage had been set up before the main entrance to the Central Dome which Sage was standing on preparing to start the ceremony. One of Pioneer 2’s soldiers welcomed Cranberry and Dark Force to the ceremony and handed each of them an unlit torch. As they looked around, they saw that a torch had been given to each person that was attending the ceremony.

Flower bouquets surrounded the perimeter of the Central Dome; left by people paying respects to lost loved ones. Cranberry pointed to a sign that had been hung above the stage that read, “We miss you Pioneer 1.” Dark Force sighed softly, remembering some of the people she had known that went onto Pioneer 1.

As they looked around, they recognized a lot of the people attending the ceremony. Many of which were people they had gone down to Ragol with before. Several people came up to them and greeted them, offering them kind words. They thanked each one as many of their friends and even acquaintances took a moment to visit with them.

Eventually, they made their way toward the stage where they found Striker. Sage hopped off the stage and walked up to them.

“Welcome, I’m glad you made it.” Striker said to the 2 FOnewearls.

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Cranberry answered.

“Striker, what is that you have on your hand? Is that what I think it is?” Sage asked.

“Oh this? Yeah, it is.” Striker said as he lifted up his left hand to reveal a small golden ring.

“Oh!” Dark Force exclaimed

“An engagement ring! It’s Black Raiden isn’t it? Congratulations!” Cranberry said excitedly.

“Yeah, it’s her. We’re going to be married.” Striker acknowledged.

“I knew you were going to ask her! Congratulations Striker!” Sage complimented.

“Heh heh. Thanks, well Sage. Don’t you have a ceremony to run?” Striker asked.

“He sure does.” Said a female voice as Black Raiden walked toward them.

“Yep. Lets pay our respects to those whom are lost.” Sage said as he climbed back onto the stage.

Black Raiden quickly greeted Cranberry and Dark Force before going to stand by Striker.

The lights around the Central Dome dimmed as a spotlight shown on Sage as he began reading his remembrance speech. All eyes focused on Sage as he led the ceremony. Many people came forward during the course of the ceremony to read statements and say goodbye to those they had lost. Tears flowed freely from many at the ceremony as they remembered.

Touching tributes, and beautiful poetry was read as people shared memories and their tributes with all those in attendance. Tissues began to be passed out as many people broke down in tears.

Dark Force closed her eyes and wiped a tear from her eye. Both thought that Sage was doing a great job and giving everyone aboard Pioneer 1 a proper service. A hand was placed on both Cranberry and Dark Force’s shoulder as Sage read his final speech. They both looked back and saw Striker looking down at them, a look of comfort and support in his eyes. They both smiled and nodded to him that they were all right.

As Sage finished his final speech, he took his torch and cast a small Foie technique, lighting it on fire. He then reached down and held the torch toward Black Raiden. Black Raiden lifted her torch and lit it, then in turn lit Strikers. Striker held his torch toward Cranberry’s and lit hers, whom in turn lit Dark Force’s torch. Dark Force lit the person nearest her and one by one the flame was passed on until all torches were lit. All turned to look toward the Central Dome. Sage lifted his torch toward the sky, and everyone else did the same. Cranberry and Dark Force lifted their torches with everyone else in respect for all those aboard Pioneer 1. A small box opened and a swarm of fireflies were released, creating a beautiful scene of light as they flew into the sky. The 2 Sato’s over Cranberry and Dark Force’s shoulder looked up into the sky at the lights.

“We’ll never forget you…ever.” Sage said as he lowered his torch, concluding the ceremony.

Slowly the torches were extinguished, and people began to return to Pioneer 2. Sage left the stage and re-joined his friends where he was complimented on the beautiful ceremony.

“You did well Sage. I’m sure everyone from Pioneer 1 appreciates it.” Dark Force complimented.

“I’m sure they are all looking down at you and smiling.” Cranberry added.

Striker and Black Raiden agreed.

“We have a lot to remember today, but we also have a lot to celebrate. I’m sure they are all looking down and smiling at you two as well. You two have really made a difference. So, how about we all go and get that dinner?” Sage answered.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Dark Force answered.

Sage, Striker, Black Raiden, Cranberry, and Dark Force together walked to the teleporter, turning around to take one more look at the Central Dome. Then, they activated the teleporter and returned to Pioneer 2.

In recognition of his work, Sage’s restrictions from using the Ragol teleporter were lifted and all penalties against him were dropped. Sage received special recognition from the Lab and received a special medal of honor. Sage was promoted and became a leader in the new project to begin at last colonizing Pioneer 2.

Striker also received a medal of honor for his leadership and skill during the space battle. Striker and Black Raiden together, like Sage, were given unrestricted access to Ragol where they planned to build a home of their own. Striker soon became one of the most respected RAcast on Pioneer 2.

A few days after the ceremony, Cranberry gathered her equipment and left her room. Accessing the teleporter, she transported down to Ragol’s Central Control Area and accessed the secondary transporter on the surface and sent herself to the Jungle Area. After a short hike, she reached the top of a small waterfall overlooking a cliff with a beautiful view of the ocean surround the island. She sat down on the rocky surface and gazed out at the clear star-filled night sky. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps coming up behind her.

“Hello Cran.” Dark Force said softly.

“DF, you came. You remembered the promise.” Cranberry said as she turned her head toward her friend.

Dark Force stepped forward and sat down beside Cranberry. “Of course.”

“So much has happened. The more I think of it, the more overwhelmed I feel.” Cranberry said.

“We faced some real challenges, but together we overcame them.” Dark Force responded.

“What do you think the future has in store for us?” Cranberry asked.

“I’m not sure, but as long as you are in it with me, I don’t really care.” Dark Force answered.

Cranberry smiled at Dark Force. “I agree. As long as you stand by my side, that’s all I need. You want to stay here for a while and enjoy the view?”

“Of course.” Dark Force answered, smiling at her friend.

The two FOnewearls looked out at the sea and watched as the moonlight reflected off the gentle rolling waves. A comet flew through the star filled night, adding a nice touch of beauty to the scene. A gentle breeze blew through their hair. Both felt at ease and the most relaxed they had felt for a long time. Their long and dangerous journey behind them, they spent the evening enjoying the natural beauty of the waterfall, Cranberry’s favorite location on Ragol. They didn’t know what the future held. But they knew that whatever happened, they would face it together.


The End

Dedicated to Dark Force, the best friend I’ve ever had.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cranberry on 2006-06-11 22:27 ]</font>

[Cranberry]

Well, that's it. Thank you for taking the time to read my work. I hope you have enjoyed my work.

[R2D6battlebot]

(thunderous applause)

[Cranberry]

On 2006-06-12 07:05, R2D6battlebot wrote:
(thunderous applause)



Wow, thanks. You are making me blush.

[Marter]

Wow, this is a really great Fanfic. If you copy and paste it into Mircosoft World, it is about 241+ pages. One question though, one the fight between the Blue Ring General, parts of it is missing.
It just trails off. It says "The General finally rose to his feet as well, and shakily raised his Summit Moon to the two. Cranberry and Dark Force immediately ran in opposite directions. The General cau" it just fades away.
But any way (thunderous applause) http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Cranberry]

It looks like the chapter was too big for PSO-World and it got truncated. I edited the next post and put the rest of chapter 25 before chaptere 26. The full chapter is up now.

I'm glad you enjoyed the story. =)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cranberry on 2006-06-26 10:20 ]</font>