R.D. rolled his eyes. "Last time I checked, we are walking. So zip it, robot."

===The next day===

R.D. sighed as he looked out over the city. He was sitting on the railing of the rooftop that they decided to stay in for the night, and he had his back turned against the morning sun. He was thinking about everything that'd happen so far. Waking up with amnesia, fighting Rugal, fighting the minions of the Seven... all of it confused him about what to think of the world.

With a sigh, R.D. got up and went back downstairs, chuckling as he saw them running around frantically to get things ready to leave. "So, have we figured out where we're going after this?" he asked them.

"I'd like to turn our priorities on finding the gate to lead Hsien-Ko and Mei-ling back where they need to go," Matt remarked.

"Yes..." Mei-ling looked to her sister. "There are affairs we still need to settle."

"Would you happen to know where this gate is?" R.D. asked, slightly skeptical, "If it weren't for the monsters, we could've used the one back on the island."

"That wasn't the gate," Matt replied. "The right ones tend to open up after the problems I need to solve in a world are solved."

"Just like some kind of stupid video game," Hugo added.

"At least I'm not collecting, like, super world-saving jelly beans to stop the final boss," Matt remarked, placing some free hotel goods in his jacket.

R.D. raised an eyebrow at Matt. "Careful, Matt," he warned, "Considering our run of luck of the past week or so, we just might have to."

"So, where should we go first to look for the gate?" Alasea asked.

"Good question." Matt was looking in his pack, and he ran a hand over the dragon statue atop of his other things. "I never really know where to go, per se. I honestly just let it go and it'll show up by itself. But sometimes I get an idea of it and then I follow it."

"How long does it usually take you to find a gate?" Hsien-Ko asked.

Matt glanced at the two sisters. "Quick enough. I'll get you home as fast as I can."

The jiganshi smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now..." Matt closed his pack. "Before we go, has everyone used the bathroom?"

R.D. rolled his eyes and walked out of the building, then went and hotwired the truck that he'd found earlier in the morning. Alasea quickly followed him out and got in the passenger seat. "Waiting on you guys," he called out to his companions.

===Somewhere in Europe===

"Damn, what's up with this girl!?" Crow shouted as he dodged another swing of a sword that would've taken off his head.

Atha, Shael, and Crow had located another Pillar, but this time, it's guardian was there to defend it. Despite the fact that she couldn't fly and couldn't be no older than 15, she was easily giving the three of them a challenge.

Her outfit consisted of a black, white, and red dress, with red armor over her torso and black-stockinged legs, with a large red bracer fitted over her left hand and a long-sleeved black glove on her right. A black headband holding a red metal ornamental wing was framed by long red hair that flowed in the wind. She held a very large red and black sword over her head, its blade shining a bright white. She looked up at Crow and grinned.

He couldn't believe it. This brat was enjoying herself.

"C'mon!" she shouted excitedly, "That can't be everything you've got!"

"Maybe if you slowed the hell down the next time," Matt called back in sing-song as he, Hugo, Hsien-Ko, and Mei-ling exited the hotel, piled into the truck.

"Oh, I'm sorry," R.D. returned, looking back at Matt as he pulled off of the curb, "Did you WANT to see if Akuma felt you're ready to fight?"

===Somewhere in Europe===

"ARGH!!" Crow roared, spinning around and firing his rocket flail, causing the spiked ball to blast forward at the girl, "TERMINATE!"

She giggled. Actually giggled as she swung her large sword in an arc, catching the weapon with the flat of the blade and sending it flying back at the airborne warrior.

Shael rocketed forward with his own flight pack, swinging his large scythe at the girl. She rolled and slashed at his brown-haired man's flight back, but one of two hovering shields positioned itself to catch the blow. She spun around and readied herself for the next volley, as Atha readied his shoulder cannons on his flight pack and his own bazooka.

She was laughing outright now. "This is fun!" she shouted to them with a devilish smile.

Edited by RisingDragon on October 24, 2006 at 22:50:52.

(OOC: Dung on you, Zane! *shakes fist* I wanted to stab him! Stab! STAAAAAAAAB!)

Morph shot past Ryan, further upwards. "Oh, poo." He uttered, when he realised the demon had escaped him, and he started falling back down.

"Well, he said when I was ready I could find him," Matt said, folding his arms.

"I'd rather not stick around to see if he was telling the truth, though," Hugo added, riding up front this time, perched on the compartment near the truck's clutch.

He slowly walked around the forest looking for any sign of life besides he plants"damn how did I get lost this fast...?"He sighed and continued on looking.

As they exited the city, R.D. slowed the truck until it finally stopped. Before the others could question him, he spoke up. "One, we need to figure out where exactly we're going and two... you might want to get a hold of your long-range abilities," he said, "This place is crawling with demonic freaks."

===In a mountain valley in Europe===

With a frustrated roar, Atha fired his dual cannons and bazooka rapidly. However, in his rage, none of the shots managed to hit the girl. She looked around at the small fires popping up and her face brightened.

"Fire!" she giggled excitedly, "I can play with fire!"

She stabbed her sword into the ground and held her hands out, palms outstretches, and started littering the ground around Atha with fireballs.

Cursing, the blond man jumped out of the way. Bullets struck the ground around the girl; she looked up to see Crow charging down at her, firing the machine cannon on his arm. She danced out of the way and started peppering the air with her fireballs, giggling all the way. Idly she knew that using her powers could attract some unwanted attention, but she was too busy having fun to really care.

"What the hell's going on now?" Matt complained, looking out the window.

R.D. looked out the window and swore. "Oh hell, here they come now."

R.D. punched the gas, causing everyone else to have to grab onto something, as a number of demons started converging on the truck.

"Someone PLEASE pick a direction!" he shouted to his companions.

===In a mountain valley in Europe===

Crow swore as he maneuvered through the volley of fireballs, trying not to let one hit the wings on his flight pack. Shael swooped in and attacked with his scythe, but the girl caught the weapon with her own sword and forced him back. For a teenage girl, she was pretty strong. She caught him again between his weapon and one of his shields, and, grinning, she used her blade to fling Shael into Atha, toppling them both over. Without missing a beat, she turned around and flung her sword, end over end, at Crow.

The redheaded man freaked and blocked it with his rocket flail and machine cannon, and as a result, cost himself both weapons, and he retreated while swearing at the girl. She laughed. "That's not nice!" she shouted back.

She turned to see that the other two were also retreating. She had done her job for the day. Tapping her head, she screwed her face up in concentration.

Aisha? she said in her mind.

She waited a few moments, and then suddenly a voice not her own sounded in her head.

Yes, Ellie? came a decidedly asian-accented english voice, Is something the matter?

I'm not sure! Ellie 'said' in her mind, How hard is it for people to find a Pillar of Dawn?

Rather difficult, Aisha replied calmly, Very very few know about the Pillars of Dawn. They've only appeared recently, as you know.

Yep yep! But three people found mine today! They were big, had these cool weapons! We had a battle! Ellie returned excitedly.

What? How is that possible? Aisha replied frantically, They couldn't possibly have found out about them yet! Is the Pillar okay?

Ellie started laughing out loud. Duh! They couldn't even touch me, despite how strong they looked! It was still fun, though!

I will notify the other two, Ellie. Thanks for letting me know.

Other two? Ellie said curiously, Aren't there five Daughters of Dawn?

Yes, Aisha answered, But the fifth hasn't awoken to her powers yet. She's travelling with some others. We'll be fine without her for now. When the time comes, we'll contact her and guide her to the Fifth Pillar.

'kay! Ellie said happily. Bye-bye, Aisha!

Farewell, Ellie.

Edited by RisingDragon on October 25, 2006 at 16:51:51.

"Forward, toward DESTINY!" Matt shouted. He had pointed his finger out of the window and was firing electrical shots at the demons they sped past.

"A USEFUL direction, Matt!" Hugo snapped, standing on his tiptoes on Matt's lap, trying to get a bearing on an enemy to shoot.

R.D. rolled his eyes at Matt's corny line. He drove the truck forward, slamming into a weaker monster and killing it, as he did his best to avoid the larger ones. Alasea was looking every which way for enemies, as she couldn't attack anything far off since R.D.'s sniper rifle was destroyed. She looked behind herself, and paled.

"R.D., behind us!" she shouted into the open window.

R.D. looked at one of the side mirrors and swore. A very large and very fast demon with horns on his forehead and snout was chasing them, and getting closer.

"I got it!" Hsien-Ko shouted, taking her stance in the back of the truck as the demon charged, and raised her arms. "Rain of Pain!"

From the heavens, large spiked balls tumbled down toward the road, seeking to impede the demon.

R.D. punched the gas when he saw Hsien-Ko's attack rain down, and the beast stumbled as he ran into the spiked balls, roaring.

"Any ideas about where to go popping up in your head, Matt?" he asked his companion.

"Wait for it..."

Matt lifted a finger, felt the wind brushing past it...and then pointed in a seemingly random direction. "That way!"

R.D. turned the truck in the direction Matt pointed it, running over a demon in the process.

"I hope you're right about this," R.D. muttered as they barreled off the road.

"At least I hope it's this way..." Matt muttered to himself.

R.D. looked behind himself and swore. The horned beast was back, and it looked pissed.

However, in its claws it held two of the spiked battles that Hsien-Ko had rained down on it with... and it promptly threw them at them, causing R.D. to swerve out of the way.

"Will someone kill that bastard!?" R.D. shouted over the din of combat and the truck.

Hsien-Ko began tossing shruikens from her sleeves at the demon. Meanwhile, Matt picked up Hugo, and held part of the Mettaur outside, giving Hugo enough time to fire a bust of energy at the demon.

The beast shrugged off the attacks, despite the bad burn Hugo left in its shoulder, and closed the distance. It made a powerful horizontal swipe at Hsien-Ko, claws opened wide and gleaming.

Seeing the attack fly in, Hsien-Ko leapt backwards, landing hear the back window of the truck, her claws at the ready.

"Damn it!" Matt slid his hand through the open window and slapped the top of the truck. At once, circuitry flowed over the roof, and built into a new shape of technological wonder-a guided cannon.

"Keep him back, Hsien-Ko!" Matt shouted, his mind's eye trying to aim the cannon.

"You got it!" The jiganshi lashed her razor steel claws at the monster, her excellent reach keeping her free from almost any possible physical retaliation.

Alasea also ducked under the beast's blow, and drew her shortswords and readied for combat.

The beast growled and its eyes flashed with light. The space between its horns began to gather energy for an attack.

"Matt!" Alasea shouted, "Any time now would be nice!"

In response, R.D. coordinated the vehicle to line it up with its pursuer. "Better?" R.D. asked.