Ileyna yelped at the sudden appearance of the pillars, ducking away as R.D. and Alasea scattered.

"What the heck?" R.D. muttered, pushing himself up off the ground.

"I'll see if I can get a reading," Alasea said, standing up and taking hold of the power again.

===The Gray Mountains===

"Perhaps," Relayia agreed, nodding. "But any human capable of invading the inner sanctum of one of the Seven Beasts by phasing through their defenses is a serious threat to them, and a valuable capability that we would benefit from."

Edited by RisingDragon on September 17, 2009 at 11:47:29.

The pillars retracted back to their proper positions. Amid the surprise screams of the people around the, one of the signals remained consistent. The other, though, started to sweep towards the party.

Another pillar erupted from the sidewalk, this time at a diagonal angle. Helena was on it-she swung her fist down to meet the pillar at its top speed, shattering it into concrete and dirt. "It's way too dangerous around here!"

"There's someone coming this way!" Alasea said, getting her power ready for offensive purposes. "We need to lure him to someplace empty!"

"Got any ideas?" R.D. asked, looking over at Jotaro.

"Split up and take them into the alleyways," Jotaro said. "Me and my group will go after the one that isn't moving."

"Got it!" Matt said. "Then we'll chase down the other guy!"

Blue light shone as Ileyna took hold of her power, using it to lift herself into the air. Alasea began to weave her power, setting up new wards, one that would keep track of their opponent, the others to compel their opponent into their path.

"Get going!" she shouted over her shoulder at Matt and Helena, drawing her sword in the process.

Aram nodded. "You were the one who opened the portal to this world," he said. "I'm assuming you can open up a portal back to mine."

(OOC: I'd forgotten that X had done that)

"Er, yeah." X focused and tossed an amber marble which exploded into a circle of brilliant white.

"You're gonna have to touch it and picture in your head where we're trying to go."

Aram nodded and turned towards the gateway X had opened, and walked up to it. When he stood directly in front of it, he lifted up his shield arm and pressed his hand against the shining light. Even with the mail and plate covering his hand, it almost felt as if the light was solid, pressing back against his hand.

He closed his eyes and summoned up his destination in his mind, an image of the place that stood out the most in his memory. A town at the foothills of a mountain, nestled between a pair of running creeks. Buildings built up around a square of dirt: an inn, a blacksmith's forge, a healer's hut, various homes, surrounding the town square with the small in its center. The decrepit, but occupied, shack across the far creek. An imposing cathedral at the edge of the town, surrounded by graves on either side and a entrance to dark crypts and catacombs beside it. The foothill tunnels leading into the dank caverns beneath the town's surface. The deep, deep fissure thought to lead to Hell itself. All of it beneath the failing light of evening.

Involuntarily, he could see the people as well. The almost ancient-looking storyteller in the dark robes, standing by the well. The Scottish blacksmith pounding away at his forge, creating weapons for him to use against the dark creatures dwelling beneath the skin of the world. The aging healer that was always there to tend to the wounds he gained within the cathedral and beyond. The helpful inn-master and his wife, who gave him a place to stay as he protected their homes. The mysterious, cryptic witch residing at the edge of town, who opened his mind to the power of magic. The sweet, beautiful barmaid whom he spent many nights with, as she tried to undo the damage the malevolent beast had wrought on his mind as he delved further beneath the earth. Even the local drunk, the crippled and crafty boy, the pretty little girl, and the cowardly farmer could be seen in their respective haunts in the town.

With the town settled in his mind, Aram let the magic X had wrought take hold.

The entrance to the portal lay in NationStates General and the exist in Aram's world. Between the two was a starry void. A world between linking the gates. Beneath their feet however, there was an invisible path leading the way. They jumped out the portal at the other end, landing in Aram's world.

Aram felt as if something was off about the location they were in. For a moment, everything felt familiar and alien and safe and dangerous all at once. Aram blinked once, slowly, and began to examine his surroundings.

It was close to midday, and at the base of a mountain. Nothing else but grass and dirt and stone can be seen as Aram slowly turned around in a circle. Dirt crunched against the armor plating of his boots as he did so. Why did this place look so familiar? And yet he recognized none of it.

He turned again, his view higher. Suddenly, he realized it, and he looked up, towards the mountain they were at the base of. The blue-gray stone foothills suddenly made sense, and he recognized it instantly. Turning back, he understood. The portal hadn't just taken them to his world--it had taken them straight to the place he had envisioned in his mind.

There was nothing here anymore, of course. The town had been annihilated shortly after he, still fighting the vile influence of Diablo, had left after vanquishing the demon beneath the cathedral. Time had done the rest. None of the buildings were there anymore, though he figured that if he looked, he would find the traces of where they once stood. The paths had been overtaken by nature once more, so it was no surprise now that he recognized it and yet did not. The land was the same. The landmarks were gone.

At least he knew now where they were at, and where they should go.

"We'll need to go north from here," Aram said. "And we should go as quickly as possible. All of the energy here... its like honey for demons. Too much blood has been spilled here already."

Jotaro piled back into the car, Hugo boosting himself into the seat with his grapple. Meanwhile, Matt practically leapt for the Firebird. The window was down, so as he ran towards the driver's side, he grabbed the roof and slid in through the gap, landing firmly in the seat.

"...OWWWWWW," he said, cradling his ribs. "That was not smart."

"Come ON, Matt!" Helena shouted, as she scrambled into the seat. "You too, Alasea!"

Alasea quickly tied off the last of the wards she set and activated them, then ran. Ileyna beat her to the car, easily flying past her, but the older girl was in practically right behind her. "Get going, they're almost on top of us!"

Heh, not enough if you ask me, eX quipped inside X's head.

X furrowed his brow for a moment, trying to feel out the contours of the spiritual energy surrounding him. It was familiar--it was the same type of energy after all, but it was apparent simply by the scars it left that the denizens of this world used it very differently. That was probably going to pose a problem in the future.

"Yeah," X replied. "So we head north."

"Be on the lookout for shadow creatures," Aram said as he began moving, beginning the trek northward. "Those are what prey upon this land now."

===The Gray Mountains===

"We will leave for Dargor's city once we have secured the area," Relayia said. "It would not do well to be set upon by Gouki or Ziatoch's forces at this point."

When Electra arrived, Relayia bowed in welcome to Awai's daughter. "You have returned before Seril and Gatz," she mentioned. "Hopefully they too shall return soon."

===Throne of Souls, Xobelisk===

Ziatoch nodded, acknowledging Donovan's words, but said nothing. Nothing more needed to be said. Using the shadows, Donovan had left the throne room, leaving Him alone to His thoughts. The former Core host and the Rising Dragon had managed to secure the Omega Essence hidden within Aube--He wondered, how would Malvettix react to this news? Would he be irritated, or merely amused with the resourcefulness of his opponent?

With a wave of His hand, Ziatoch reopened the misty screen, replaying the vicious final battle between the two Super Mechanoids and His attacking forces. It was the crimson machine that He examined, watching as it repeatedly engaged and routed the attacking Vjayjas using superior speed and maneuverability, whereas KishouDoragon used overwhelming force and elemental power--which lead Ziatoch to believe the Rising Dragon was not the one fused to KishouDoragon, but Willard--to dominate them.

And the gigantic red and silver vessel that took the robots and the humans out of space, effectively ending the blockade the Seven Beasts of the Dark Apocalypse had caused. Now the humans' greatest resistance group had access to all of their resources in space, including at least two more bases He had found. But that technology... crafting a machine that large and having the capability to send it into space... the humans should not have that capability for the level of technology displayed by them on the planet.

The Destroyer of Worlds mused. Surely, the developments they had shown--the increasingly varied weapons, the robotics, the highly-advanced aircraft, and their space-going warship--had to have been brought about by the Omega Essence. He realized now that perhaps He should have prioritized the capture of Matt Willard as well. But then, would it have mattered? Both he and the Rising Dragon had shown to be too strong, too clever, too resourceful, and just too damn lucky to be captured, even by some of Xastra's best lieutenants. Ziatoch relaxed slightly at that.

No, prioritizing the capture of the Core host wouldn't have really mattered. Some things just could not be altered.

===Luxuria's Quarters, Xobelisk===

The chamber was currently being overseen by Daemonus, who blended it almost perfectly with the darkness, save for the crimson V of his helmet's visor. The mysterious man's arms were crossed over his chest, waiting for something or someone.

Footsteps soon came, echoing through the chamber as someone approached. The figure that appeared was easily bigger and more imposing than Daemonus, but Ratayu supplanted himself before Daemonus, holding up a suppression gem in one gauntleted fist.

Daemonus picked up the gem without even looking down at Keran. Examining it briefly, he issued a command. "Stay here."

With that, Daemonus strode to the entrance of Luxuria's prison and unsealed the door, entering it and letting it close behind him. He passed by the magnets, which seemed to do nothing all to his armor, and pressed the gem up against the tank of plasma. "Awaken."

X readied his hand for his sword but didn't draw it.

"Ready when you are."

"Let's roll!" Matt slammed his foot down on the gas and spun the wheel. They swerved out of their parking space in a near U-turn, someone honking behind them as they sped towards the signal. Jotaro practically did the same as he headed in the opposite direction.

The Firebird sped down the street as they raced to meet the signal. It grew stronger and stronger as a leather-clad biker shot towards them on a sleek, black motorcycle.

As he approached, Matt saw an image rise from his body-the image of a humanoid wrapped in leather, with a massive padlock dangling over its flat face. A Stand!

"Brace for impact!" Matt shouted, as the illusion lifted a fist, and smashed it into the Firebird as the biker drove by. The force was powerful enough to send them spiralling around and around.

Ileyna yelped in shock as the Firebird was sent spinning through the street, and the motion flung her against the door of the car, dislodging her hat from her head. Alasea managed to brace herself between the door and a seat, gritting her teeth while looking out the window. "What the hell hit us!?" she demanded. "Was that a Stand!?"

===The Gray Mountains===

"Your Majesty!" one of the dragons called out to Relayia. "The area is secure!"

"Good," she said, stretching out her wings briefly. "Let's proceed. I shall need two of the Bronze Dragons to follow me. Electra, Sheena, Kujo, you also shall come with me. I do not want to take too large a force with me. The people here are, and have always been, very wary of strangers in their land."

===Elysium===

"I'm here," Seril called, walking over in her human form. "Is something the matter?"

===Europe===

"Then let's go," Aram said. And with that, they departed the one-time town and headed north.

===Luxuria's Quarters, Xobelisk===

"I am Daemonus," he indentified himself coldly. "And as of now, you will obey my orders. Obeying me means obeying Ziatoch. Insubordination on your part will not be tolerated."

Daemonus turned around, walking away. "Come," he commanded. "You now have a purpose to fulfill."

"The dead are not ones who should speak, Kuro," Relayia said calmly, having expected something like this. After all, her father had encountered the spirit of Kuro before. "So it is only natural for the people of the world to be surprised at the sound of your voice."

The Queen of Dragons turned around and sat on her haunches calmly. "So, what is it that we owe the pleasure of your visit, Kuro?"

===Elysium===

"I see. Hope for rescuing him would be nearly impossible then," Seril said, looking thoughtful. "Hopefully the Queen's alliance works. We may stand a chance at saving him then."

The Firebird grinded to a halt, narrowly avoiding an impact with a car. It honked, Helena yelped. (Again.) The only thing that could make this work now was a stupid plan.

"Helena," Matt said, shifting the clutch and unbuckling his seatbelt. "Can you drive yet?"

"Well, yeah," she said. "Why?"

Matt opened the door and kicked it aside. It smacked into another honking car. "Turn around and follow the signal. And whatever you do, keep driving no matter what happens!" With a burst of wind energy, he shot down the street, towards the biker.

"Wait!" Helena shouted. "Maaaatt! Come back!" She clenched her fists and smacked the roof of the car. "Ahhhh, COME ON!" With a huff she slid in, buckled up, and gunned it towards the biker as well.

"He left us!?" Ileyna exclaimed, looking at the older girls. "Why'd he leave us!?"

"Don't worry," Alasea said, climbing over the console and into the front passenger, where she strapped in. "Matt's stupid plans seem weird but they usually work. Just hang on, I'll protect us."

"O-okay," Ileyna said, pushing herself back into her seat.

Alasea opened herself to the power and began to weave, forming a nearly invisible barrier around the front of the car. "This'll soften the impact of whatever hits our front," she told Helena. "So don't worry about that. Just make sure nothing comes up at us from behind."

Relayia nodded slowly at Kuro's words. While Kuro had been, for quite some time, the enemy of this dimension, it would be foolish to dismiss his warnings. Now, what in Japan would pose a danger to them?

There was Shayol Ghul, of course. It lingered in the skies, in a perfect position to assault most of the world, but it lay dormant for now, waiting for the perfect time to strike. And, of course, Japan was currently occupied by Gouki, acting as a last stand against those seeking to challenge NightShade. Yet his forces were engaged in battle against the forces of Shayol Ghul.

"Its the siege, isn't it?" she asked softly, looking up at the ghost of the former Balance. "Something has changed at Shayol Ghul, or in Gouki's lair, hasn't it?"

===Elysium===

"That's the idea," Seril said. "By now, they should've made their way around Shayol Ghul and reached the Gray Mountains. And Elysium's systems should make transport there fairly easy."

X found it easier to keep up with Aram this time. The armor had kept him down, slowed his speed and dulled his reactions. Not so with his new attire. As he ran, he turned to Aram.

"So what are we looking for anyway?"

"We need a ship," Aram said. "Some vessel we can cross the ocean with. Once we have one, we can find the Isle of Holy Darkness... Xuoquoxitill seems to have left the knowledge of how to reach the island inside of my memory."