(OOC: Um... no, I don't think so. Let's just get them moving on to the Main Gate as if nothing was wrong... they'll know about it soon enough anyways.)

The crimson eyes directed their focus on the Ancient that challenged it. The slitted eyes narrowed further as it studied Juno, analyzing his level of power and searching for his strengths and weaknesses. The eyes stared at Juno long and hard, and then a powerful psychic burst echoed throughout the continent.

Who are you and why do you come to Me?

The clouds rolled with thunder, as if the being was chuckling. Indeed, this Ancient amused it. It sent out another psychic burst.

I am eternal. I am the Destroyer of Worlds.

A bolt of lightning crackled down between the two beings. Suddenly, the being's power began to swell, and Australia began to vibrate even more violently. Gigantic fissures appeared on the continent's surface, spreading outward from the impact crater. The power of the Destroyer of Worlds began to envelop them, lighting up Australia to the other evil creatures that walked the Earth as if a thousand burning arrows pointed to it.

The being's next pyschic burst was defeaning not in sound, but in sincerity.

You have no power.

The being's power grew further, then started drawing back towards the nexus of darkness. Bright light began to flare as massive particles of energy were drawn into it.

Here is the power.

The charge of particles began to increase, drawing more and more into it. Soon, the power easily dwarfed Juno's own. Trees were being uprooted, wind was scouring Australia's surface.

Feel the power, fool, and then speak again of how you come to kill the Eternal.

Red eyes stared emotionlessly down at Juno. The energy focused and condensed, and the intake of energy topped off with a final vacuum of the particles. The entire continent was shaking apart now.

You think you see Me? You see only what your mind will allow. Would you see Me? Come then! Come, fool! COME!

The light shrunk down, then exploded outward as a massive beam of pure energy streaked down towards the surface of Australia. If Juno did not escape now, then he too would be destroyed along with everything else.

(OOC: You're kinda messing things up for me, Juno... that attack wasn't aimed at you at all. Just straight at the ground. You know, to blow everything up.)

The Destroyer of Worlds' next burst whispered into Juno's mind.

You claim you have this power, yet you hesitate to strike Me with it. Had you such power; had you such will to use it, then perhaps I would have reason to confront you. You are nothing, MegaMan Juno. Nothing more than a speck of dust in vastness of the Multiverse. You believe My power pathetic? Then you truly know nothing. Feel it, Juno. Feel it, as I know you can, and you will see I only use a mere fraction of my true Power. This continent is merely in My way; it shall be removed. Had I deemed it so, I would have eradicated everything within this corner of the universe.

Power to destroy everything in this galaxy? Power that you try to hide from me? Do you truly believe that makes your power great? Fool. My power is beyond that of Angels, beyond that of Artisans, beyond that of Principalities. There is nothing you can hide from Me. I have traveled to countless worlds, through countless Ages. I have seen the birth of the Multiverse; I will see its End. Entire universes have been consumed by My power. Your world is just one on a long list.

Begone, MegaMan Juno. Begone, and know that in your arrogance you have failed your duty and allowed the countless lives that were in hiding from the minions of the children of Kuro are forfeit. There were hundreds here, all waiting for the moment to strike back and reclaim their land... reclaim their world. They would have allied themselves with anyone willing to lead them against Maya and the Seven Beasts. And yet you failed them, and their blood shall feed My sacrament. All thanks to your failure.

You are a proud, arrogant fool, blinded by your own granduer. Your only commendation is your absence of fear. But bravery alone is not enough to stand against Me. You are not worthy to die by My hand. Begone, and return when you have proven yourself worthy to stand against the might of the Eternal.

The entity bent reality around Juno, and with a thought, Ziatoch sent the Ancient back to Kattelox. And back at Australia, the beam struck down upon the Earth, and the world was rocked by the explosion. A dome of fire burst from the ground, ascending up into the atmosphere. Not even dust survived, the world would not be blanketed in darkness.

The explosion could be seen from space. It was a red circle of fire that burned brightly over Australia, mingling with Ziatoch's darkness. When the fire finally cleared, the sea rushed in to fill the gap. Everything had been destroyed... Australia had been reduced to rubble that floated in the sea; chunks of rock and cooling lava that were suspended in the irradiated air. Lightning crackled all around, and above it all, the red eyes of Ziatoch surveyed the destruction with satisfaction.

This will be a day of reckoning for everyone. Whispered the Destroyer of Worlds, And now, the ensuing cries of the victims will spark battle anew. Will you be ready, MegaMan Juno?

===At Kattelox===

Back on the island, R.D. and Alasea, along with everyone else, were thrown to the ground when the explosion hit and the world was shaken.

"What the hell is going on!?" R.D. screamed over the din of the quake, but his cry was unheard by his friends.

Edited by RisingDragon on November 6, 2006 at 15:21:18.

"Did you do that?!" Hugo snapped at Matt, now on his back as the ground shook.

"No!" Matt also fell, but Hsien-Ko was thankfully there to catch him, though she also stumbled.

Holding her hat, Mei-ling glanced up to the sky. "What in the name of creation is that?"

*****

He kept a ice blue eye to the sky.

"Matt had better survive this," he said to himself, in his smooth, polite tone. "Otherwise..."

Bah.

He stood straight off of the ruined building's wall, and sank into the ground, via a pool of blackness.

Dark Wolf followed his master's orders and walked up to her, "Yes my lord".

Edited by doc.mad on November 7, 2006 at 1:16:21.

Kalmar sensed a massive power forming from what seemed the South West. When the ground began to buck violently, he took a knee but did not fall over.

"Wonder what that was..." he muttered to the quaking ground. Whether it heard him or not, he did not know. He glanced around, hearing the sounds of the enviroment surrounding him come unglued.

R.D. looked up as he picked himself up and froze. "Holy shit..." he whispered, looking up at the darkness in the sky.

I just had to open my mouth, didn't I?

"God in Heaven," Alasea whispered fearfully as she looked up in the sky.

===At Australia's grave===

The darkness began to recede into itself, allowing the sun to shine through in the surrounding areas. The darkness condense on itself as Ziatoch's crimson eyes closed, and soon a giant sphere of darkness made solid floated in the air. All the remaining rubble began to pull itself out of the air and sea, pulled towards the dark sphere. Lightning crackled all around it as the stone and metal were fused together around it, rock growing and warping as the darkness permeated it and closed around it.

In several minutes, where a proud continent once rested, a gigantic floating island, known as Shayol Ghul and built like a fortress, hovered in the sky. It no longer seemed to be made of rock; indeed, the structure seemed alien and almost alive. Four great spires curved out from the island, jutting upwards and shaped like skeletal serpentine demons screaming at the sky. In the very center of the floating island, a gigantic black tower, made of a mixture of gothic and modern architecture, stood imposing. In this tower, known as Xobelisk, Ziatoch would now reside and take watch over the world he saw as his latest victim.

"What the F*** is THAT?!" Matt shouted, pointing at the island.

"It's some giant f***ing island!" Hugo snapped.

"I KNOW THAT! I mean what the f*** is it doing here!"

Mei-ling looked to her sister. "I sense...a vast, powerful evil coming from it."

Mei-ling yelped, and turned around, but no one was there. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," Matt said, glancing back up at the island. "I dub it a 'random bitch alert'."

R.D. spun when he heard the woman's voice, his hands reaching for the Phase Blades at his hips.

Before any of them could confront the woman, she was gone, leaving them bewildered.

"Who the hell was that?" Alasea asked.

"Trouble," R.D. growled in response.

===In Xobelisk===

Ziatoch watched the from the shadows of his throneroom. A large black throne stood at the very back of the room, yet it stood empty. He could easily tell that the woman who stood in the center of the room was

Welcome to Xobelisk, Child of the Dark, he greeted Maya, What brings you to the Throne of Souls?

Simple, Child, Ziatoch answered just as plainly, Earth will serve My purpose in becoming one of the seeds of destruction. It will serve My purpose, just as we must serve ours.

Shadows condensed around the Throne of Souls, and a dark shape formed. The only visible feature it had were the reddish-gold eyes that watched Maya.

Your kingdom, Child of the Dark, will serve its purpose in creating the seed, Ziatoch continued, But now I must inquire a question of My own. We are at the end of an Age. Will you stand aside when the time comes, or will you resist?

"You're damn right," Matt said. He looked to the group. "Let's go. NOW."

You stand before one such god now, Maya, Ziatoch stated, And if your kingdom still exists when that time comes, then I shall sweep it away along with My enemies. Until then, enjoy your reign.

The shadows bled from the Throne of Souls, and the throneroom stood devoid of Ziatoch's presence. But suddenly His voice echoed in the room.

Should the Rising Dragon come to your hand, know this. The Dragon belongs to Me and only Me. Should he come under your eye, bring him to Me.

Afterwards, his voice was gone.

===At Kattelox===

For the second time that day, R.D. got a chill. He stared out at Shayol Ghul, and his face paled when his body seemed to recognize the evil that emanated from it.

"Alright," R.D. said quietly, "Let's get the hell out of here."

===Atop Xobelisk===

Standing on the edge of the His tower, Ziatoch, in one of His many forms, looked out over the expanse of sea, straight at the Rising Dragon.

Soon, Dragon, we shall meet again. And this time, you shall fall before Me.

Edited by RisingDragon on November 6, 2006 at 22:28:14.

Perhaps, Ziatoch replied, Perhaps not. He is a crafty one. He will not be easy to retrieve. We'll make a contest of it. Should you bring Me the boy, then I will leave this world to you.

Ziatoch turned and walked away.

And should I find him, then your lands, your Beasts, and your world are forfeit to Me.

===At Kattelox===

R.D. groaned and shook his head. "You mean you don't know?" he asked Vagabond, irritated. "You're the one who claimed to be a human map."

True to Maya's instinct, R.D. felt her presense the moment she appeared behind him. He leapt forward, turning around as he did and drawing both Phase Blades and activating them. He completely ignored Vagabond's statement, focusing intently on Maya. He let the First Cipher energy fill him.

"Okay, why are we stopping again?" Matt turned around, saw the girl. "Who the f*** are you?" he snapped. "What do you want?"

Mei-ling's eyes narrowed. This girl was familiar...

"That's her!" Mei-ling exclaimed. "The voice who-"

"Look," Matt interrupted, talking to Maya. "If you're here to kill us, don't bother, 'cause I'll kill you first. Go away."

(OOC: Juno, you god-modding wannabe God! :P)

Morph eyes shot open, he was back in front of the Temple. His breathing was rapid, furious. His heart was beating fast, his eyes stood angered. "I... will... get... BACK!" He spoke aloud every word, then ran for the large black gate.

"Careful, Matt," R.D. said, "Something's very, very wrong about all this."

He slammed both swords together at the pommel, forming the Phase Lance, and readied himself.

"But I agree," he said as Alasea drew her shortswords, "I vote we kill her and leave."

===Somewhere in town===

Tomoko was sleeping peacefully at her desk, completely ignoring her homework. But sadly, R.D. wasn't the only one who felt Maya's presence.

The school girl shot up awake, nearly screaming. Frantically she contacted Aisha.

Aisha! She's here! she shouted over the mental link, Maya is on Kattelox AND SHE'S NEAR THE HEIR!

What!? No! came the horrified reply. Aisha quickly tapped into the energy of her Pillar of Dawn, then reached out with her mind to the one who could help their future leader.

Juno, Master Key of Kattelox! came her desperate plea in Juno's mind, The Dark Lady has confronted the Rising Dragon and the Fifth Daughter! Maya has invaded your sanctum! Please, Ancient, I beg of you to save them!

"You don't even know who that is!" Hsien-Ko protested.

"True," Matt said. "But I bet you money it wants to kill us. And I'm pretty tired of the delays, so if you want to throw down, kid, let's do it now."