"Everyone, be calm!" Relayia shouted over the din, using lungs far more powerful than the human frame her body was in belied.

The magic circle beneath Seril expanded suddenly, sweeping out under everyone. The air became charged with dragon magic, and everyone could feel the natural magic course through them.

And with a flash, they all disappeared from the Gray Mountains' borderlands; humans, dragons, Ancients, and all.

===Bahamut's Weyr===

Magic flared deep within an expansive cavern chamber, its rock walls illuminated by bioluminescent lichens growing off the walls. The strength of the light, bolstered by countless years' of exposure to dragon magic, kept the chamber bright and welcoming, despite it being underground.

As the magic died out, the room had been filled by the people of the Gray Mountains and those that had brought them there. "We've arrived," Seril said, lowering her arms and turning to Relayia.

"Good work, Seril. Please, take the Ancients to a chamber suitable for them to wait in. I will take Electra, Sheena, and Kujo to meet with the Tetrarchs, and then join you shortly."

"Yes, your Majesty," Seril replied, bowing. She turned to the Ancients and motioned for them to follow her. Jagan and Asocura were already departing through the massive entryway, heading deeper into the Weyr.

Relayia finally turned to Lord Dargor. "I apologize for how things have turned out, Lord Dargor. When this is all over, I promise you we will help rebuild your kingdom. In the meantime, I'm sure you need to tend to your people. There are other humans living here, in my father's weyr, so please let them know that they are welcome here."

Edited by RisingDragon on October 8, 2009 at 23:39:57.

Matt watched the Flux raises its blade and cut a sweeping arc to its side.

Right through an apartment building.

"SHIIIIIIIIIT!" Matt shouted as the top of the apartment, perfectly sliced off at an angle, billowed down on them. He threw his hands out with a yell, summoning twin cyclones that expelled with the force of hurricane winds. It was enough to push the car away, up and up into the air as the building narrowly missed them, smashing into the pavement with a titanic impact.

Matt wasn't the only one who was shouting as the building came crashing down on top of them: Alasea could hear both Matt and Helena's screams over her own, but even those were lost as the building smashed into the ground and their own car was thrown by Matt's cyclones.

Alasea was bounced about in her seat the impact shook the car, and she struggled to stabilize the vehicle as it swerved all over the road. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she snapped her gaze backwards, looking at the destruction. "What the hell did that thing do!?" she demanded, looking slightly crazed.

Matt shot a quick glance at Helena - another mark gone! "Dropped a building on us!" Matt said.

"Keep it going!" Helena shouted at him, gesturing at the cyclones.

"It's no good!" he said. "That thing's gonna murder us before we get to Ileyna!" Killing the cyclones, Matt unbuckled. "Keep driving and don't stop!" He slithered up and past the remaining glass in the rear view window, positioning himself carefully on the trunk of the Firebird.

Alasea risked another look back and nearly swerved into traffic again. "Matt, are you trying to get yourself killed!?"

"But for the best, I suspect..." Dargor responded to Relayia, mumbling. He wasn't happy with how things were going and while he appreciated the apology and knew it was sincere, it didn't fix things. His realm was probably demolished by that unnatural earthquake, his people now had no where to go but here. He didn't like having to depend on others, and probably, for his pride's sake, would have preferred to fight this war alone...but then what of his people he had to remind himself again and again.

"Thank you, Reyalia, if not for you...my people would probably be dead right now." Dargor then swallowed his pride and took a knee and bent to the dragon queen, "For now..." he mustered his strength, "we are in your debt and will be honored to fight with you." He stood, "I will go to my people now." Dargor turned and walked off to the crowds of shadows that climbed out of the carriages. They grouped together, mumbling amongst themselves as the Riders stood around them. Dargor disappeared in the crowd. After some time of calming the shadow people down, Dargor came back out and to his allies. The shadows moved to get comfortable.

Only one thing to do now to stop this rampage. Could he do it again? Especially when this damn mark on his head?

Matt glared up at the charging, slathering creature. Let's hope so.

Gathering power, he crossed his arms, then threw out his hands. First the right, then the left. "Hell and Heaven!"

"Oh, shit, if he's doing what I think he is..."

Alasea grit her teeth as she tried to hold the car in a steady, straight line. Swerving now would throw Matt off and, with his abnormal bad luck, it'd probably kill him. He'd need the car to be perfectly steady if he was going to attempt using that attack.

"They are the sages of the Tribes," Relayia said. "The wisest among us. It was their plans that lead to our most successful sorties against the Ice Dragons."

She led them through a massive network of gigantic cavern chambers, passing by a number of humans wearing modern day clothing, and large dragons moving about their daily activities. What Seril had told the Ancients, back in Innerpeace, was right: humans were inhabiting the weyrs to escape the devastation in the outside world.

Eventually, Relayia took them down a longer tunnel, which ended in a dark chamber. A massive stone device had been erected in the chamber; a circular-looking monument that looked like the top and bottom of the circle had been cut away and removed. Glowing runes were set into the remaining portions of the device, and between the halves, a waving blue portal floated within. A pedestal was set into the ground before the gateway, a circular set of runes set around it like an interface, and a stone emblem was set into its center.

"This portal is the entrance to the Tetrarch's weyr," Relayia said. "When we enter, I shall ask the Tetrarchs to examine you, to make sure Kuro did not leave any ill surprises within you in case your defeat ever came about. Then, they will require your help in discussing the remaining Beasts."

X spent a few moments trying to feel out any presence. People didn't use spiritual energy on this world like they did in his, but he felt fairly confident that he could adjust his calculations. He failed to find anything that stood out against the background level of energy.

"Doesn't seem like there's anyone living here, Aram. 'Course I could be wrong, or they could be masking it. I'd stay careful."

Relayia turned to the others, her child-like face stern in its expression. "What other choice do we have?" she asked, almost as if challenging them. "We are at war. This planet is suffering at the hands of your former brethren, and we cannot rest until the destruction stops. We cannot hide within our weyrs and let this calamity continue."

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at each of Kuro's former minions in turn. "As I said to Lord Dargor before, we cannot stand against them divided. I have no intention of remaining divided--I have recruited the people of the Gray Mountains to our cause; I have sent others to speak to the leaders of the Genesis Armada Resistance, which I have learned has opened the way back into space. We have spoken to the Daughters of Dawn, and have formed an alliance with them. Awai and Riul still stand against the growing darkness."

She turned, looking back into the portal for a moment, before returning her gaze to the others, over her shoulder. "We are far from defeated. We will continue to stand against them. We have no other choice."

She looked back at the portal, this time keeping her gaze there. "As for the possible surprises, we are prepared for them. We learned much from the crystal shard that granted us the power to create Tamaran and the Ao-Gems. Knowledge far beyond that contained in this dimension. Do not think our Tetrarchs will study you ill-prepared. Now, come. We have little time to waste, and even the Tetrarchs' patience has its limits."

And with that, the Queen of Dragons approached the portal.

===England===

"You're right," Aram agreed, placing his helmet over his head. He drew his sword and held it low at his side, ready to bring it up at a moment's notice. "Let's find a ship as soon as possible."

X started climbing one of the buildings, both because a bird's-eye view would help them find water, and out of a misplaced passion for parkour.

Matt concentrated on the giant silvery monster as the gauntlets of Dragon Drive FINAL formed over his hands. "Gemu giru gan go gufo..."

The Flux reared back, protruding a horde of spiked and bladed tentacles, then swung.

It was then that Matt brought his hands together, and a massive, spiralling green force exploded from his grip. The energy swirled about, and as the Firebird pulled away, Matt was trapped inside the field, along with the Flux.

As the field was created behind them, Alasea spared a glance back before jamming on the brakes, stopping the car and spinning it about.

"Let's hope this ends it," Alasea said, looking worried. Last time she had seen the use of Hell and Heaven, it was against the gigantic Cackletta.

===England===

"Do you see anything?" Aram called out, patrolling through the streets, his blade held ready. "I can't sense anything from here. Its like this place is dead."

That was for sure. There were parked cars set about everywhere, sitting about in skewed positions. Doors lay open and shattered glass littered the streets around broken windows. Occasionally a breeze flowed through, flinging about a scattered piece of paper or two. But other than that, the place was utterly silent.

===The Tetrarchs' Weyr===

Relayia and the others exited the portal and appeared in a short, brightly lit room, with an entryway on the opposite end. Relayia led them through it, taking them down a short hallway. At the end, it opened up into an expansive cavern, its top opened up and revealing a noon sky.

The center of the stone chamber was raised up, holding a wide pedestal. Above it floated a large sphere, painted in blues and greens and browns and whites. Another sphere of gray stone floated nearby, as did a second, even smaller tear-dropped stone of blue, patterns carved into it. The third stone was a dark black color, with ends painted green, residing close to the gray one. A fourth, utterly tiny stone hung even closer to the sphere. Anyone who looked closer would suddenly realize what it was: a globe of the world, looking both crude and utterly sophisticated at the same time.

Lining the sides of the chamber were large, flat platforms extending out from cavernous spaces. And lounging about on those five platforms were five large, ancient-looking dragons.

Red, black, green, blue, and white were the colors of their scales, their hides clinging to their bodies, and white and graying manes hung loosely from their heads. Their wings were furled up against their bodies, and long, almost segmented-looking tails curled around their bodies. Each one was staring down at them with vibrant glowing eyes.

"I have returned, wise Tetrarchs," Relayia greeted, bowing to them. "As you know, Electra and Sheena have both been defeated, and the Final Rise has begun. I have brought Sheena, Kujo, and Electra with me, as you requested."

"Excellent, young queen," the blue Tetrarch, Malygos, rumbled in a deep voice. "We shall take over from here."

"Approach the Altar of World, Sheena, Electra, and Kujo," Ysera, the green Tetrarch, commanded with a soft, feminine voice, motioning with a large, withered looking claw towards the pedestal holding the globe.

If the Tetrarchs noticed Sheena's displeasure, they showed no sign of perturb by it. Relayia took no mind of it: she could understand their irritation at the Tetrarchs. They were not the easiest of creatures to deal with, and their agitation had only increase as their bonds with nature suffered at the hands of the Final Rise and the rage of the Nature Elemental. At times, their patience could be thin. And now, time was of the essence. At Kujo's question, the other four Tetrarchs turned their gaze to the red one, Alexstrasza.

She nodded to them once. "Show them," she commanded, gesturing with her claw.

The black Tetrarch, Neltharion, nodded in agreement, and turned his gaze back to the Altar of World. The revolutions of the stone slowed until they halted completely. And it shined with magical power, flashing once with light that blazed through the room. As the light cleared once more, had they opened themselves up to their magical senses, they could see the flows of power coming from the Tetrarchs, flowing into the Altar and back, an ever-flowing circuit.

Almost as soon as the light had cleared, the Altar flashed again, this time spiraling with prismatic color, filling the room and their vision. The light cleared once more, then blazed white once more. This time, the light lasted longer, sight of the Tetrarchs' chambers lost to them.

When it finally cleared, they were all existing within a starry void that slowly spun about, settling occasionally before spiraling about. Soon, it slowed and settled, bringing them an unparalleled view of the world as it was.

"This is where we view our guardianship over the world," Alexstrasza stated, her voice almost disembodied and ethereal in tone. "We view the world and decide what we must do to protect it."

The world was growing closer; and now they could see what the various stones had represented: Nestled between the moon and the planet was an almost black asteroid, metal grafted across its top and bottom, a gigantic green dome hidden in its top: the Polaris Outpost of the Genesis Armada Resistance. Further off, light from the sun glinted off the silvery-blue surface of the ancient station of Elysium, home of the Master and the Ancients. The final stone, closest to the world, was the vile construct known as Shayol Ghul.

"The knowledge of our people guide the creation of this viewing," said Nozdormu, the white Tetarch as they made their slow approach towards the planet, where they were beginning to see the signs of the devastation on the planet; the gaping wound in Africa, wrought by Ziatoch's vile touch; the slowly-healing damage in Antarctica from KishouDoragon and Sheena's climactic final battle, the beginnings of the Final Rise. The slow death of the forests in South America, the fires spreading out across North America and Asia. Storms brewing over Europe and spreading outwards.

"As we increase our knowledge of the world, we increase our view of it," Nozdormu continued, shifting into a more comfortable position even though he looked to be resting on a void. "It is what gives us our superior edge in mobilizing against the Beasts of the Dark Apocalypse."

"This is why I was ordered to bring you here," Relayia said softly, standing a short distance behind the others. "As you add your knowledge of NightShade's workings, we are able to peer into it, and find the best way to strike back against them."

"Indeed. You wondered earlier about how we could still continue to fight against your former comrades and master," Malygos said, likely surprising the former minions of Kuro, knowing the incident before the gateway despite not having been there. "Now you see one of the reasons why we have the confidence to fight back."

Light blazed out from the world and from the stars, and when it cleared, they found themselves back where they were in the Tetrarchs' weyr, the Altar of World once again revolving slowly over the pedestal.

"Now, step forward to the Altar of World, so that we may begin the examination," Ysera said, motioning once again to the artifact in the center of the cavern.

Relayia turned and made her way back down the cavern, back towards the gateway. Her duty here was done; she had other matters to attend to, starting with the Ancients. She entered the portal and returned to her father's weyr. Once there, she expanded her senses, and quickly located Seril, and made her way to her.

(OOC: Oh, like I'm one to talk about short posts.)

Complex magic circles expanded from beneath each of the five Tetrarchs, and magic charged the room. "This examination may take some time," Malygos rumbled. "Please remain patient, and do not move."

Triangular magic circles appeared beneath each of the former minions of Kuro, and each felt magic infuse themselves into their bodies.

===Bahamut's Weyr===

Seril looked up from where she leaned against the wall as she felt another dragon approached, then stood up straight as she saw that it was Relayia.

"Is everything well?" she asked the blue dragon as she entered the chamber, briefly glancing at the two Ancients in the room.

"We're fine, your Majesty. Are the Tetrarchs examining them now?"

Relayia nodded. "I fear that the Tetrarchs may have gotten Electra and Sheena's backs up a bit, but they agreed to the procedure," she said with a hint of a sigh, then turned to the Ancients and sat down on a large cushion set up on a stone bench. "So, what is it that you need to discuss with me?"

"What was that?" Helena shouted. Her eyes were still wide, and she pointed at the green energy. "When could he do THAT?"

The energy burst apart with a great noise, and along with it, silvery mass exploded in all directions. It rained down around Matt, his back facing towards them, hunched over in a finished pose.

Matt released the gauntlets, opening his hands to sneak a peek at the Omega Essence he removed with his attack. It was pretty small, and yet it caused this much trouble. Before the Essence could get any funny ideas, Matt placed it within the thrall of the amulet, and his arms felt tingly as the gauntlets flaked away into dust.

"Yeah," X replied, "I can see the ocean. I think I see a few boats, but it's hard to tell from this distance... Still, I'm a little concerned about what did this."

Alasea threw up her hands as the silvery matter flew about, but luckily, none of it managed to hit her or Helena.

"Beats me," Alasea muttered, answering Helena's question. "Matt? Its dead now, right?"

===Bahamut's Weyr===

"Yes, I can see your point," Relayia said. "Luckily, with the addition of Lord Dargor and his men to our forces, we will be able to retrieve him from the castle, as long as luck is on our side. Seril?"

The older dragon nodded. "Gouki's forces will likely be in disarray due to what is happening in Japan," Seril speculated aloud. "That only leaves NightShade, ZetsumeiRyu, Kagai Nemesis, and NightShade's personal guard to deal with."

"So a small strike force should be enough to distract them, correct? Leaving an opening for the Knightriders to take advantage of."

"Correct."

Relayia turned to the Ancients. "Is there anything you can include in the skirmish to help even the odds?" she asked.

===England===

"The Dark Beasts did this," Aram called back. "I was told that many humans were killed when they were awakened... those that survived fled from their towns and cities. Can you jump across these buildings? If you can, let's make our way towards the docks."

Edited by RisingDragon on October 12, 2009 at 18:32:10.

"Yeah," he called back, standing back up.

Edited by The Helldragon on October 12, 2009 at 21:49:04.

"Then let's get out of here," Alasea said. "We can get your car fixed later."