Hugo whipped out his pickaxe, brought it front and center. "Get ready. Alasea, you're up front. If you've really got all your power back, you can help Matt."

Energy seemed to gather between the clouds and the center of the city, charging and warping and expanding. A pulse of energy ripped out from it, like an eldritch wall. It was crossing the distance to the cliffside in a matter of seconds--there was no hope to try and escape it. It swept through the valley and crashed through the cliffside, washing over them all instantly.

The air seemed to warp and twist in their vision as it arrived, like the world was screaming silently in pain. Their skin tingled at the contact as it passed, and the ground shook. Behind them, the bridge began to collapse, dropping the hanging train down to the ground where they had been moments before. And then, it was over. The land quickly fell silent as the sound of the crashing train quieted, and the dust kicked into the air settled.

"...what the FUCK was that?" Matt asked, a post shudder coursing over him.

Alasea shivered, backing away once it was all over. "A... I'm not sure..."

Rather, she had an idea. She just hoped it wasn't that. "It might've been a portal storm," she said. "I hope not. If those are happening, then things are getting worse here."

That was new. "A PORTAL storm?" Matt asked. "What the hell is a portal storm?"

"A fracture in the dimensional boundaries," Alasea explained quickly. "Its a sign that the boundary is ready to tear open. If that happens, anything can come through it. It doesn't help that the boundaries in this dimension are naturally weak, either, Matt. This world has always had a habit of letting extradimensional entities inside. So I hope to God that was something else and not a portal storm."

Hugo growled, lowered his pickaxe. "Fantastic," Matt remarked.

"So, what should we do now?" Helena asked. "Find one of the Daughters of Dawn?"

"Yes," said Hugo. "We're not walking around here without protection."

"Don't worry about being without protection," Alasea said, knowing here, her powers could protect them. "I'll get a hold of one of the Daughters and find out what's going on."

"Do you think we're here for the Essence again?" Ileyna asked, wringing her hands a bit. "I haven't felt any since we arrived."

"I'm not sure," Alasea said as she readied to make a viewing screen. "I'm sure we are, but it's just as likely we got dumped here because of what's going on here. Either's likely. At any rate, I think it'd be best if we camped here for the night. It's not safe to be wandering about."

"And THIS is safe?" Matt said. "We're two steps away from the perfect storm, here."

Hugo pointed at the ruined train. "We'll camp out in there. Matt, you and Helena can drag it towards a safer spot. I don't want anything dropping on us while we're inside."

"I don't think there's anything else of the bridge to fall," Ileyna said, looking at where it had been before the energy wave had destroyed it.

"That last traincar we were in is fine where it's at," Alasea said as she wove a few wards into existence. "It's still upright. I'll see if I can contact the nearest Daughter from here."

Alasea finished creating the viewing window, and the misty apparition spread open, and the mists themselves cleared to reveal a familiar redheaded woman with long hair, clad in a black and white chinese dress, kneeling on a bamboo floor in meditation.

"Aisha?" Alasea spoke through the window, causing the woman on the other side to open up an eye to see who it was.

"Ah, Alasea," she replied, smiling warmly at the younger girl. "You've returned. And I see you're still with your friends. Has the danger Malvettix presented finally passed?"

Helena looked at Matt. "...we hope it has."

"Probably not, Aisha," Alasea said slowly. "There's been... some complications along the way."

"What kind of complications?" the older woman asked, frowning. Alasea bit her lip before shifting and bringing out R.D.'s broken helmet. Aisha examined the helmet quickly, and noted the signs of past crying that showed on Alasea's face, and understood.

"So... R.D. has fallen," she said softly. "That's a shame. I hope he had a quick and clean death, then. And I hope the random translocation worked--we don't need Lumiya falling into enemy hands."

Alasea lowered the helmet and nodded, not trusting her voice on the matter. After a second, she nodded again. "We only arrived just a moment ago, Aisha. I'm not sure where we're at, only that you're the closest Daughter around," she explained. "What's going on here, Aisha? There's some massive storm brewing and it looks unnatural as all hell, and... something happened shortly after we arrived. I'm not sure what it is, but I hope to God it wasn't what I thought it was."

The Daughter quirked an eyebrow. "What happened?" she asked.

"We just experienced a massive energy surge," Helena said, walking up next to Alasea and peering at the viewscreen. "Alasea called it a 'portal storm'."

"Hold the explain train for a moment," Matt said, pointing at the view screen. "What do you mean, 'translocation'?"

"As far as I can tell from the information I have on the Seven Perfect Weapons, Matt," Aisha explained. "Lumiya, being the most powerful of them all, had the greatest risk of falling into the wrong hands. To prevent that, it has a function where, if its wielder dies, the weapon will be randomly relocated to another suitable host chosen by the Isle, if not to returned to the Isle itself. If your friend has died in combat, I can only hope the information I have is correct and that Lumiya is now safely tucked away in some place that NightShade or Ziatoch does not know about."

"How come that doesn't make me feel better?" Matt wondered aloud. "Anyway, I'm with Helena. That 'portal storm' is bad news."

"Send me what you saw," Aisha told Alasea, making the younger girl nod and close her eyes. Using her connection to the daughters, Alasea donated the memory of the iridescent wave of energy that had washed over them from the city and the storm. After a few moments, Aisha nodded slowly.

"Yes, that was a portal storm, Alasea," she replied, causing the younger woman's heart to sink. "They've been happening all over the world as of late."

"What's happened, Aisha?" Alasea asked, sounding upset. "How long have we been gone?"

Aisha hesitated, looking off to the side. "It's been about seven months since Aube fell to Ziatoch's forces, Alasea," she finally replied. "There's been dimensional anomalies happening here ever since, starting with the portal storms. Another object of power has surfaced as well; its causing a time dilation to happen in Japan, and its currently cutting that region off from the rest of the world."

"I bet it's Omega Essence," Hugo said. "Why else would we be sent here?"

"I'm afraid it isn't," Aisha said, shaking her head slowly. "Alasea's already shared the signature given off by Omega Essence--whatever came through the dimensional anomalies some time back was so powerful it had everything spooked--Ziatoch, NightShade, the surviving Apocalyptic Beasts, everyone. We were all in an uproar. Whatever it was, it was unlike the Essence you're searching for."

Alasea slowly shook her head. This world was quickly becoming lost. With the dimensional boundaries weakening thanks to the portal storms, pretty soon the planet would be torn apart with everyone fighting over it. "Is there any good news you can give us?" Alasea asked.

"I'm afraid not, Alasea. About the only good thing I know of is that all of the Pillars still stand, and the G.A.R. forces still haven't been defeated. There is one other thing, but I don't know if I'd call it good news."

"Spill it," Hugo said.

"Something has been assaulting NightShade's forces throughout much of the eastern world," Aisha explained. "Whatever it is, it attacks when the forces of the Seven Beasts least expects it, and leaves no survivors; only blasted ruins. Several of Gouki's bases have fallen in northern Asia, particularly in Russia and the former Iron Curtain, and from what I understand, attacks on Chishio's bases in South America have occurred as well."

"That's good news, isn't it?" Ileyna asked, looking confused.

"We don't know what it is that's attacking them," Aisha corrected. "Not even G.A.R. wields that power currently. If Ziatoch's developed a new weapon... well, naturally, NightShade is the bigger threat to Him, but it won't be long before it gets turned against humanity."

Matt threw up his hands. "More fantastic news."

Hugo swept out his pickaxe to indicate the surrounding carnage. "If that weapon destroyed this place, then it probably won't come back here. Still, I want us to be able to run at a moment's notice, so we're setting up watch."

"That'd be wise. Alasea, do you know how to do a mass teleport?" Aisha asked. The girl shook her head. "Very well then, I'll teach you in the meantime."

"What about Chaos Control?" Ileyna asked, looking at Matt. "Did R.D. teach you how to do that?"

"I don't think my bit of Omega Essence would give me the ability to do that," Matt replied. "Don't have any clue how to use Chaos Emeralds anyway."

"Well, we can just use the Firebird if need be," said Helena.

"Let's hope it can outrun anything we encounter then," Alasea said.

"Have you figured out where you're at yet, Alasea?" Aisha interrupted.

She shook her head after turning her attention back to her mentor. "Not yet. There's a sign nearby, though, so its language can give me a hint."

She got up and walked over to the fenced tunnel nearby, and glanced at one of the nearby signs. After a bit, Alasea nodded and returned. "Somewhere in Russia, it looks like," she said halfheartedly. "The sign's all in Russian."

"In the heart of the known attacks," Aisha replied, frowning. "Be careful, Alasea. We can't afford to lose you in this war."

"Oh, GREAT. Enemy-fucking-territory."

"Shut up, Matt," Hugo said. "You and Helena go move that train car. I'm NOT taking chances."

"Fine." Matt beckoned for Helena with a lazy curve of his arm. "Come on, let's go haul this thing somewhere safe."

"Okay," Helena said.

"Like I said, the train doesn't need to be moved," Alasea called to them. "Besides, move that thing and you'll alert everyone to where we're at!"

"I'll let you set up camp, Alasea," Aisha said. "Contact me again when you're ready to learn how to perform a mass teleport."

Alasea nodded. "Thanks, Aisha."

"We're not camping inside it," Hugo said. "It's going to be a projectile. Whatever comes at us will stop for a minute if a train car hits it in the face. It'll give us a diversion."

Matt just glanced at Helena and rolled his eyes. Hugo the strategizer.

"I suppose that'd work," Alasea said, considering it. She could fashion a kind of railgun with her powers, if she really needed to. She said her farewells to Aisha and dismissed the viewing screen.

With reserved, careful movements, Matt and Helena moved the train car to a more open spot in the dusty city wreckage. They made camp with the car at their backs, shielding them from the depressing wind. With some wood from Matt and a spark from Helena, they made a fire, and the light sank into the divots filling the train's roof.

As the earlier winds had promised, the night was a cold one, which was only natural in Russia. They made sure to keep warm near the fire by wearing their winter gear, but the night promised only to get colder as it went on.

"I've done some searching," Alasea said as they gathered near the fire. "And I can't detect any trace of the Essence other than what we've got. Either it's not on this planet, or it's well hidden."