Alasea blinked as the young girl asked her question. Her smile stayed the same, however, and Alasea easily answered the question after straightening out the belt that held her bathrobe together.

"I'm Alasea," she said as she sat down, "I'm a Daughter of Dawn. I'm someone who protects others from the evils in the world. Why do you ask?"

"Because you seem like my sister." Maya answered Alasea, almost matter-of-factly, as the child she was. "Except she doesn't wear bathrobes much like you do."

Alasea looked down at her attire and blushed slightly, and laughed lightly. "Sorry," she said, "It's pretty late in the morning. I haven't had the chance to get dressed."

Leaning back on the bed, Alasea decided to press further. "So, I'm like your sister, huh?" she said, "What's her name?"

Maya tilted her head a little as she looked at Alasea as the other blushed. She looked at her own clothes for a moment and noticed that she wasn't wearing any night clothing, despite having just woken up inside a bed. Her clothes were a bit dirty, too, and she sniffed for a moment. Something smelled weird.

Maya looked at the cieling as she thought about Alasea's question. "My sister kinda has multiple names. She usually takes on a different one when she gets into a new world." She said. "That's what daddy told me when she wouldn't explain that."

"Hmm," Alasea mused, pursing her lips while looking up at the ceiling. "Well," she finally said, "What name do you know her best by? I think with a name, I might be able to contact her to let her know you're okay."

Maya put up a doubtful expression, as if she thought that the chances of Alasea contacting her sister were small. "Well, unless you're a worldhopper, you'd probably get to know her by 'Areni'." Maya replied, moving back and forth a little.

"Areni, hmm?" she said, thinking. Perhaps one of the other girls will know. I'll talk to them later today about it.

"Alright then, Maya, I'll see if I can get a hold of Areni," she said, "And just so you know, I was a worldhopper for a bit before I became a Daughter of Dawn."

"Really?" Maya said in clear childish disbelief as she looked with wide eyes at Alasea, except that now the eyes weren't filled with fear, but moreso curiosity and willingness to believe. "Like, what worlds have you been to?"

"I haven't been to many, but I've been to five different worlds," she said, moving over closer to Maya. She seemed to be winning her trust, which would certainly help things here. "Did you want me to tell you about them?"

Edited by RisingDragon on November 1, 2007 at 22:24:40.

Maya smiled a little at Alasea. "Very much." She said, nodding her head several times.

"Okay," Alasea replied, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm, "But, after you get something to eat and get washed up, okay? You must be starving."

"Not really!" Maya said, jumping up and onto the bed. "Look, I'm as fit as a puppy!" She said, turning around and around as if to show she wasn't hungry at all. However, her efforts became in vain when an enormous rumbling noise came from her stomach that made the girl tremble as if an earthquake rocked her body from the inside. The girl smiled a little embarrassedly. "Okay, maybe a little bit starving."

"Well...I'm not sure exactly..." Veronica said in thought, "The dragons gave me it when they saved me from one of the seven." Veronica then explained. Brandon and Bryant were currently talking about the child in the next room, and about weather this would be a curse...or a blessing.

"Wait... you never did tell me which one of the Seven that held you captive," R.D. said, "Which one was holding you prisoner?"

Veronica crossed her legs, placing an elbow on her knee and her head into her hand. She closed her eyes tightly.

"What was is?" Veronica said under her breath, thinking, "Sheena...?" She finally said, looking back, hoping that would ring some bells in the teen's mind.

Automatically R.D.'s face pulled back in a snarl. It was not directed at anyone; the name, for whatever reason, set him off to no end. His fist clenched. "Sheena," he said bitterly, "Well, if Sheena had one of the pieces and the Dragon Tribe liberated it, there could be a chance we could find out where she got it. Or if she has other pieces."

"You're not thinking of just running up there and confronting her are you?" Bryant then interjected. He planted his hands on the table and stood up quickly.

"That's suicide!" Bryant then said sternly. Even if this kid was good, Bryant had no thinking that this kid was good enough to fight one of the seven, besides, what if reinforcements were to show up?...Like Gouki?

"I don't plan on going there alone," R.D. replied, crossing his arms in front of him, "If I go, we can get help from the Dragon Tribe. Apparently the Tribe and Sheena are mortal enemies. I don't know why, I'll have to ask one next time we see a dragon."

Bryant sat down again, not liking the plan, even with the dragons. Then a thought came to him. It was crazy, but possible. He looked at the wooden table to for a minute then looked up.

"What about the Knightriders?" Bryant asked, he had explained them to RD, so he assumed they would acceptable. Though...they were in Japan, that would be dangerous for them to leave their lands as they defended themselves against Gouki. Still maybe, some forces could be spared for the Hartnett's and the dragon's cause.

"And now do you propose we move an army from Japan to Antarctica?" R.D. countered, raising an eyebrow at the older man. "I can't use Chaos Control that well. Large distance jumps are hard, I can barely manage it by bringing just our little group. Sending an entire army would be suicide for me and the army."

Bryant grinned. It was crazy...but damned possible.

"You think they're called Knightriders for nothing then?" Bryant countered the teen's counter. All that needed to be was ensured peace between the two powers.

"Yeah. Knightriders," R.D. returned, "Not Knightswimmers."

Bryant rolled his eyes.

"Must I replace Knight with Dragon?" Bryant said, annoyed, "Listen, if the two will cooperate, then maybe the riders can ride the dragons there. Get it now, kid?" Bryant finally, said being sure he was clear.

"That'd be a great idea," R.D. said, "Except we have no way to contact the Dragon Tribe to propose the idea to them. Besides, I know of another army that's headed for Sheena, and the rest of the Seven Beasts."

Meanwhile, back in the guest bedroom, Alasea giggled softly at Maya's reaction. "C'mon," she said, standing up and holding a hand out to the girl, "Let's go get you something to eat."

Edited by RisingDragon on October 31, 2007 at 21:06:22.

"Okies then." Maya said, hopping off the bed, landing a bit ungracefully on the floor, stumbling over nearly, but she did not fall. She flashed an innocent grin for a moment and then took hold of Alasea's hand, ready to follow her and her hungry stomach.

"Hugh." The latest being in the line of Keepers of the Dark of the Nightmare Realm let out, her legs dangling over the throne's arm in boredom. She did not know what to do. As much as considering going back to Earth for now didn't seem an option to her. But then a thought came to her and she remembered her conversation with the shadow being, Malvettix. He had told something of one named Ziatoch, that he could make the two of them allies, and as such grant her more aid in getting rid of the Seven. A slight grin came upon her face as a plan started to form within her mind.

Alasea smiled and slowly led the girl out of the room. "I have a couple friends over right now," she said to Maya, "But they're good people. I trust them, so I'm sure you can trust them too."

===At Shayol Ghul===

Explosions tore through the air around the floating structure of Shayol Ghul, blanketing the air around it with deadly fire. As each blast cleared, ripples of energy could be seen, the attacks having been deflected off of an invisible energy barrier.

Monsters going about daily tasks on the surface of the strange fortress looked up in surprise, but not in fear. Many of them rushed towards battle positions, ready to battle when the order was given. Re-Tuul flew outside from the black tower in the center, held aloft on massive black wings. Looking up into the sky, the Khaglessi Patriarch growled. "Another attack, eh?" he muttered.

Within Xobelisk, on the Throne of Souls, Ziatoch sighed. The hand of the shadow golem He was occupying lifted into the air and gestured, creating a scrying portal before Him. Red eyes gazed at the circling fire demons, and had He a mouth in His current form, it would be curled down in irritated frown.

Gouki, the Destroyer thought exasperatedly, Your efforts are in vain. Do not make Me unleash GENESIS so soon. You would not like the results.

As the sounds of battle reached her ears, Meta's eyes opened up. She sat up, her legs still swung over the arm of the throne, and listened intently. "Hey." She uttered, finding what she heard quite odd. She had not expected to hear such sounds in a place like this. Gracefully, she leapt out of the throne and started to walk towards the sounds. She discovered that they came from a building near the Temple, and she entered it. She found herself looking down upon an arena of some sorts, and as she looked around the large room, she saw all sorts of nightmarish creatures shouting out loud, as if they were cheering. Sure enough, in the middle of the room, within something that appeared to be a battling ring, she saw some of the creatures fight against one another over something. Keeping her eyes on the combatants, Meta started to walk around, until she came upon an empty seat and sat down next to one of the cheering beings. "What's that going on down there?" She asked the creature without looking at the being.