Disclaimer: Please Don't Sue Me!

All game/anime characters and skits are owned by their respective companies, such as Monty Python, Square/EA and whoever owns Dragon Ball Z this week, except for some exceptions. Gatoris Tonberry is my idea, so do not rip him off without permission. The character of Jupiter/Almathea/Princess Chastity is copyright of CHibi Jupiter. The character of Sailor Comet/Jessica Bradford is copyright Jessica. The characters of Sailor Stardust/Akane Bradford and Sailor Celestia/Celece Himeno are copyright Akane-san. The character of Angelise Tonberry is copyright Hollie Shuglo. All characters used with permission (or poetic license, whichever I can pull off better without being sued, killed, or worse... -_-;;;).

Introduction: Incessant Rambling

Many of us have seen the ending to Final Fantasy 7. The big flash of light, then the image of Aeris. After that, it cuts to 500 years later. The first thing on people's minds (mine, at least) was what happened to the rest of the gang? (Forget Red XIII, it's to far ahead!) And what was up with the meaning of Aeris's image? This little work shall show what could have happened. Beware, however, this may become a strange trip.

Prolog: "Genesis"

During the Planet's battle with Jenova, the Weapons were unleashed, as it is known by legend. One part of the legend that was forgotten was that if the Planet does decide that the evil is cleansed, it creates an "Anti-Weapon" of sorts. It is created form the life energy of beings unnecessarily destroyed. Sometimes, the Planet draws from other planets, sometimes other dimensions. It was deemed that an outside life force was needed to control the being. The only problem was that he was still alive in his dimension. Thus set the stage for a fun journey for this man.

The setting is rural Indiana, late in the evening. A 20 year old college student, Garret Wallace "Gator" Mackenzie, was fighting off insomnia at by playing his Playstation. He had been playing for about ten hours. It wasn't unusual for him to go on long video game binges, especially when he got a new RPG, what he considered his specialty, next to racing games. While playing Final Fantasy 5 (while praising the heavens it finally came stateside), a voice came unto him. It proclaimed, "Thou shalt play Final Fantasy Tactics!" This confused Gator. He occasionally thought he heard voices, but shrugged it off to stress at school. After a bit of debating, Final Fantasy Tactics was thrown into the system. After boot-up and loading his favorite file (right before Wiegraf), a cut scene started that he had never seen. It involved Ramza (which he had, in a moment of vanity, renamed Gatoris) and a very irate Elmdor. Now this was confusing. Why was Elmdor appearing earlier than usual? After the characters entered, the dialogue started. Elmdor raised his Masamune and uttered "Gatoris, you fool! I suggest you turn back now!" Gatoris retorted by talking about what had happened to him and why he will continue. This seemed to infuriate Elmdor. He pointed his Masamune at Gatoris and proclaimed "You interfere with my plans, therefore you must be disposed of. Prepare to be hurdled into another dimension!" Some cool effects swirled around the sword and shot at Gatoris. He disappeared in a flash of light. Elmdor swiftly turned toward the screen, pointed the Masamune, and fired the beam without saying a word. For Gator, all went black.

Then it all went green. He had landed in a strange, yet familiar, place. Only one word that he could think of would describe where he was. "...Lifestream? What the hell? I thought I was playing Tactics!" All of a sudden, a woman came from the Lifestream. "Perhaps I could explain. My name is Ifalna Gast. Perhaps you heard of me?" "Yes," replied Gator, "but what in blazes am I doing here?" "It's a long story," began Ifalna, "but it's one you need to know." The story she related was the same as the legend at the beginning of the Prolog. Of course, this brought up the obvious question of "Why me?" Ifalna explained that they lacked a spirit to make a suitable mind and intellectual center. Gator quipped "Couldn't have you used Einstein? He's already dead!" Ifalna clarified that they needed someone skilled in RPG games. "What the heck. I got nothing better to do as a disembodied soul." And with this Gator laid down on an operating table that materialized from the Lifestream. After 30 or so hours of staying awake (Mostly due to caffeine,) He finally was able to sleep.

The next time Gator awoke, he was in what seemed to be an operating room with a mirror above him. Gazing into this mirror, he noticed a difference in his body. First off, he was taller than before, about as tall as Sephiroth. Next, His hair was a dull blonde, rather than his normal dark brown. And he couldn't help but noticed the color of his eyes. They had been a dull green, but now they were a piercing mako green. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ifalna walking into the room. Gator took this chance to interrogate her. "I thought that I was going to be part of an ‘Anti-Weapon’!" Ifalna sighed and explained the situation. "We noticed that Cloud and his friends are making short work of the Weapons, so the Anti-Weapon isn't necessary" "The hell ya mean ‘we’?" inquired Gator. With this, Aeris walked in behind her mother. "Why, the Cetra, of course!" she announced. "Damn, this is one odd dream. I gotta lay off the caffeine," Gator muttered under his breath. Seemingly offended by this remark, Aeris retorted by politely telling him, "Sorry, but this isn't a dream, Gatoris!" The end of that sentence perplexed Gator. After an uncomfortable silence, Ifalna butted in. "Erm, we came up with another plan for you. You, along with the other spirits, shall be fashioned into a human that shall rise to life in order to protect Aerith. We decided that you would be the best choice to control the being. Your name was actually chosen by your own hand, in a way. Looking at your life, it was noticed that on the Internet, you preferred to call yourself ‘Gatoris Tonberry’, so we decided on that." This explanation did nothing to help Gatoris (as he will now be known as). These events left more questions that needed to be answered. "First off, I thought it was Aeris. Can someone explain that? On top of that, no one explained how I got here through Final Fantasy Tactics! Finally, how'd you know about me?" Ifalna and Aerith looked at each other, as if deciding who would explain. Aerith took the first question. "Aeris was just a mistranslation." Ifalna decided on explaining the latter of the three. "All forms of entertainment, such as video games, comics, books, fanfiction, etc. are actually windows into other dimensions. The makers of these are given ideas through telepathic messages sent to them by people in our dimension. We knew you had plans to write fanfiction for the ‘net, so that's how we heard about you." "But that does not explain how I got here through Tactics!" cried Gatoris. At that outburst, Professor Gast walked in, charts and graphs at the ready. "Who’s next," muttered Gatoris, "Isaac Hayes?" Suddenly, Gatoris recognized the music playing in the background. "Sorry, he was busy doing ‘South Park’," claimed Aerith. Professor Gast was getting agitated. "May I begin?" The Prof. went into a long discussion on how all these events happened, but you need not be bored by this. The simplified theory of cross-dimensional travel is that at the right place and time, one can transport someone or something, including themselves, to other dimensions. The result in this case was that Gator was sucked into the Tactics dimension, then sent into Seven's dimension. "That's all fine and well, but explain the cut scene that zapped me here!" As if on cue, Ramza Beoulve and Elmdor step into the room. And as quickly as they entered, they ripped off their masks to reveal themselves as... Rafa and Malak! "At least you two aren't totally worthless," quipped Gatoris. This remark infuriated Malak. He yelled back, "Don't oppress my abilities, you son of a ...," at this point Rafa smacked her brother with her Gokuu rod. As suddenly as they entered, Ifalna sent them back to Tactics. "Don't worry, you'll learn that soon, as well as some other skills that will be helpful for protecting the last living Cetra." This baffled Gatoris. "Who? Wasn't it Aeris, er, Aerith? And ain't she... well... dead?" Aerith butted in. "Only temporarily, silly! I get to go back as soon as Holy destroys Meteor!" "Thanks for clarifying the game's ending! I wondered what the hell your image at the end meant," proclaimed Gatoris. "When do I go?" "As soon as you finish training down here," said a voice. "Who now, Piccolo?" inquired Gatoris. "Close, but not quite," proclaimed another voice, which seemed familiar to him. Out of the shadows stepped two figures with spiky hair, one taller than the other. Gatoris recognized them right away. "Goku and Vegeta! Damn! This is cool! Look out, world!" and other similar phrases spewed form our hero's mouth. Aerith stood next to Gatoris and whispered, "See ya in a couple of weeks, honey," then vanished without a trace. "Honey?!?!? What did she mean by that, Ifalna?" asked a puzzled Gatoris. "Well... she kind of grown to... like you. She seems to feel that one of the spirits you are made out of was a former crush of hers." explained Ifalna. "Let me guess who it is," was the only reply he could think of. [Note: for dramatic effect, the identity will not be revealed until later. Take a guess who it is, anyway! ;) ] "Now to start training. If I am to meet up with her in a fortnight, I need to start work right away! Point me to the gym, or whatever." commented the new hero. with that, Goku, Vegeta, and Gatoris headed to the portal. At the other side was Goku's house.

The gym was well furnished. It had all the strength-building equipment, such as weights, that one could dream of. It even had a gravity centrifuge similar (actually, the same) as the one Goku trained with on his way to Namek. "You know, I can sense some strong fighting power from you, and we haven't even started training." remarked Goku. Gatoris had felt this power, as well. It was enormous. He felt like he can destroy a wall with a single breath. "Uh, Kakkaroto, we're not here to build his strength, remember? We were hired to teach him how to fight. I doubt this weakling can even perform a simple chi blast, let alone any complicated moves," uttered Vegeta. As if on cue, Gatoris opened his hand and fired a large barrage of blasts. "Watch it, you snobby little saijiyan assmonkey. I probably could have sent you to an early grave. Just be glad I was in a good mood," retorted Gatoris. Goku was astonished. He didn't think it was possible for someone to be able to control such awesome power that easily. He looked at the singed Vegeta, whose hair was on fire, and thought to himself, ‘isn't is about time for my mid-morning, pre-lunch snack?’ "Now that you think of it, Goku, I haven't had anything to eat for a while. Where's the fridge?" "Damn, he's good!" said Goku and Vegeta simultaneously. "Ah, I can smell that the kitchen is this way. Who's joining me?" questioned Gatoris. Another face greeted them in the kitchen. And she seemed a little upset. "Goku, why are you always off training when Gohan is getting bad grades in school and you leave your wife to worry herself into insanity?" Instantly, Gatoris realized this was the infamous Chi-Chi. "I'm not getting your ass out of the fire here, Goku. You better apologize to her." Goku replied, "speaking of fire, does anyone smell burning hair?" Everyone turned to Vegeta. Chi-Chi grabbed a mirror and showed Vegeta what everyone was staring at. The sound that followed could only be described as ear-shattering. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah! How'd that happen? Why you little...." Vegeta rushed at Gatoris, only to be met by a glass of water to the hair. Vegeta stopped in his tracks. He mumbled to himself, ‘Why did I talk myself into this job? This is going to be a long two weeks.’ "Careful what you think around me, vegetable breath. It could be worse. Some other hairy region could have been on fire." Vegeta and Goku cringed at Gatoris' remark. "Well, you guys gonna eat or what? You think I slaved over that hot stove for my health? You got another thing coming!" Chi-Chi was her usual upset self. "Heh, heh. Sorry, Chi-Chi. Let's eat, guys!" Goku tried to make things better. In actuality, he just wanted to eat. When all sat down for the daily feast, Chi-Chi was curious about our hero.

* Author's Note: This part will be done in dialogue format for easier reading *

Chi-Chi: So, where do you come from?

Gatoris: Depends on which part of me you're talking about. I am made up of many different spirits from many dimensions. I believe even some from your dimension.

Goku: * Mouth stuffed with food * Really? Anyone I may have known?

Gatoris: Yeah, any non-living saijiyan you can think of. Radditz, Nappa, many unnamed ones...

Vegeta: Wow! No wonder you have a high power level! You need to learn how to hide it.

Gatoris: I thought that's why I'm here.

Goku: That, and you need to learn to harness your power.

* Bulma suddenly walks into the room. Gatoris goes face-down in his plate. *

Bulma: You also are here to test how you react to certain situations.

* Gatoris lifts his face up *

Gatoris: And you fit in where?

Bulma: I made a virtual reality system for such an occasion.

Gatoris: Good. I hope I can keep my timetable and get back to my dimension in two weeks.

* Bulma gets smitten by Gatoris' looks. He notices *

Gatoris: I'm already taken. Sorry!

* Bulma starts to cry. *

Gatoris: Sorry if I hurt your feelings. I can't help it.

Chi-Chi: Would you quit talking about love at my table??? It's hard to mix gossip and eating!

Goku: * Mouth still stuffed * True.

Gatoris: How would you know?

* Goku clams up *

Gatoris: I'm stuffed. Let's get back to training.

Bulma: Good. I got to talk to Chi-Chi for a bit.

Goku: Let's get going!

Vegeta: Try not to burn my hair this time, O.K.?

Gatoris: The first time was an accident! You shouldn't have doubted me.

Vegeta: You want a piece of me?

Gatoris: * looking smug * Sure. I hope you are ready to be beaten by someone who you consider a weakling.

* This remark infuriates the saijiyan prince *

Vegeta: That's it! We're taking this outside!

* Everyone steps outside. *

Goku: Vegeta! Stop!! He's too much for you, or even me!!!

Vegeta: Shut up, Kakkaroto! I know what I'm doing!

* At this time, Gohan shows up *

Gohan: Hey dad, is there going to be a fight here?

Goku: Yes. You remember I was telling you about Gatoris?

Gohan: You mean that man in black clothes is him? * points to Gatoris *

Goku: Yeah. He is strong! I can just sense the power from him!

Gohan: This will be fun! * grabs tub of popcorn *

* End Dialogue Section *

Vegeta began to charge up. Gatoris felt the ground shake beneath him. "Is that all you got?" barked Gatoris. Vegeta was thoroughly incensed by this point. "You're asking for it!!!" Vegeta began to charge up for his Gallick Gun attack. Gatoris shouted one thing that surprised all that were present: "Kamehameha!!!" The sound resonated in the valleys while the ball of energy began to fly. With his hands in front of him, he pulled them apart. The energy ball split in two. He then opened up half his fingers, and the ball split again. He then spread all his fingers. The ball had split into ten projectiles, each as big as the original. They all slammed into Vegeta with the force of 107 freight trains. When the smoke cleared, Vegeta was laying on the ground. "You all right, man?" inquired Gatoris. Vegeta replied with a question: "You ever been fried by a barrage of fireballs?" "Can't say I have," Gatoris answered. "It feels like THIS!!!" Vegeta blasted Gatoris with his Gallick Gun attack. Needless to say, it hurt. When the smoke cleared, Gatoris was still standing, albeit with a gash on his left arm. "You're aim's off, Vegeta!" shouted an observing Gohan. This caused Vegeta and Gohan to get in a verbal sparring match. While this happened, nobody noticed that Gatoris had warped behind them. When Bulma looked over at him, she noticed that his demeanor had changed somehow. Just looking at him scared her. "Uhh... I think you upset Gatoris, Vegeta." Then, Gatoris interjected into the verbal abuse, and it confused everyone. "My son, you are pathetic." His voice had changed. "You couldn't even beat a low-ranked saijiyan! I ought to kill you here and now." Vegeta didn't even turn around, but he would have been extremely puzzled. "Father? I thought you were killed by Frieza! How did you get here?" asked Vegeta. He had recognized Gatoris' new voice as his late father's, King Vegeta. "It matters not. My time is brief, but you will die for embarrassing your heritage!" At this point, Vegeta turned around and saw none other than Gatoris as the source of the voice. The saijiyan prince froze. Gatoris began to charge for an attack, but he suddenly clutched his head and fell to the ground unconscious.

Ifalna rushed to the scene, holding a suitcase of some kind. She was muttering under her breath, ‘I wish they noticed earlier that he didn't have full control yet!’ She arrived where the gang was and noticed the passed out Gatoris. She asked everyone if he had a schizophrenic attack. Everyone, still puzzled at the scene that happened, nodded their heads. At this point, Ifalna pulled a syringe and a vial from the case. She proceeded to extract the serum from the vial and inject it into the passed out hero's arm. A few minutes later, Gatoris came to. "What the hell happened? One minute, I was fighting Vegeta, the next I was out. And what are you doing here, Ifalna?" "Well, to be honest, they made a mistake when they put you together" she explained. "They didn't give you enough control over the other souls in you. That shot should take care of any possible resurgence of any other personality." "Good," Vegeta butted in, "I didn't particularly want to fight my father in his body." "Can we get on with my training?" inquired Gatoris. "Well, it looks like we got one half done already," included Goku, "so we can move on to Bulma's part." Gatoris began to mumble something incoherent under his breath.

Bulma put a headset on Gatoris' head. "You will see an adversary that you might run into during your travels, and you need to react a certain way to move on to the next one. Got it?" Gatoris nodded. Bulma put the first foe into the system. This was a mistake. Upon seeing the electric rat, Gatoris began to fire a Kamehameha. Everyone in the room ran for cover. Even with the headgear on, he was able to steer the blast out an open window. "Erm, Gatoris, try not to let out your aggression like that. Use the options on the screen!" Bulma was yelling at him, and at the same time thinking to herself that is was a good idea having the equipment behind him. "Sorry, but that demon must die!" Gatoris screamed. "I just remembered something!" Ifalna blurted out. "I forgot to give you the list of ‘necessary evils’ in the world. These are the enemies that need to exist to balance things out." "Kinda like a yin-yang thing, right?" pondered Gatoris. Without replying, Ifalna gave him a short list with two names: Yuffie and Pikachu. "Dammit! those were going to be the first ones I killed! I guess I'll have to show restraint." Bulma chirped in. "You ready to try again?" Gatoris put the headset back on, and looked at his foe. He noticed a table with three items: an empty Pokéball, some sort of restraint, and a Lickitung. He ordered the Lickitung to attack the little electric menace. While the poké-bastard was stalled, Gatoris threw the collar at him. With the rodent subdued, he captured him in the Pokéball. Bulma looked at the results of that exercise. "Wow! Got it on your first try! Now for something harder." The screen changed. Now it was in a pagoda, with a lone female ninja facing Gatoris. He had a large sword, similar to Sephiroth's Masamune, in his hands. The ninja had a large shiruken in her hand, and her fly was unbuttoned. Gatoris had to fight Yuffie without killing her. The battle began by Gatoris stealing her weapon and destroying it with a chi blast. Yuffie countered by kicking him between the legs. ‘It's a good thing I wore my cup today, it saved my ass,’ thought Gatoris. With Yuffie holding her foot, Gatoris cast a Stop spell. Then to be cautious, he cast a Stone spell. "Well, that was innovative. Not to mention surprising. You could have cleaved her in half!" Bulma apparently had forgotten about the words Ifalna told Gatoris. "Now, for the final test! This one I threw in myself. Let's see if you can even survive this one!" All of a sudden, Gatoris was transported to a landscape similar to the planet Namek. On the other end of the battlefield was Freiza's final form. For the first time since waking up, Gatoris was quivering. He remembered how powerful Frieza was in this form. He began by lashing his tail out. This was met by a fireball and a kick form Gatoris. Frieza looked none too happy. He charged at our hero, only to be stopped in his tracks by a fist. Gatoris had stuck it out in an effort to slow his foe, but the fist had impaled him. Everyone in the room, except for Ifalna, was shocked. None of them had seen so much raw power in their lives. Bulma had fainted, so Vegeta turned off the machine. "Man, you ARE strong!" said a wowed saijiyan prince. "I guess you didn't need us to train you after all. You showed so much control there, it stupefied me.’ Ifalna looked at her watch. "Good, you'll have just enough time to get to my world. That is, unless Cloud and his crew get done with Sephiroth faster." "I can't wait to go. What's the game plan?" asked Gatoris. "Well, we have to walk a mile to the base of a mountain to get in the portal to get back home. You up to that?" Ifalna mentioned. After saying goodbye to the Dragon Ball gang, Gatoris set off with Ifalna to another dimension.

On the way to the portal, Gatoris asked of Ifalna why they had really chose the name Gatoris Tonberry. She divulged that tonberries were the guardians of the earth, and the Cetra though it would be fitting to name their hero after them. Quoting Ifalna, "I practically didn't care what they named you. You could have been named 'Gatoris Gambolputty de vonAusfernschplenden-schlitter-
crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-smuggle-bugger-burstien-von-knacker-
thrasher-kicker-apple-basher-orowitzer-tickleme-gardner-knotted-spellingbee-grandeur-
grumbelmeiyer-gutenabend-bitte-ein-bayerner-bratwurst-hundsfut-mittler-aucher von Tonberry III of Nibelheim, which it really is. We just drop the middle names when you are referred to." Gatoris had almost nodded off, but he saw the inter-dimensional portal up ahead. "Enough of that. Is this the spot?" Ifalna motioned for Gatoris (Thank goodness that rest of the name isn't used. It would have eaten up so much room!) to enter the portal. He landed on the other side, and fell face-down in a puddle. The force of the fall had knocked off his glasses, so he really couldn't see the young girl who asked if he was all right. He had recognized the high-pitched voice, and was not pleased. "Serena? What am I doing here?" Gatoris had obviously miscalculated the portal, and had landed in Sailor Moon's dimension. "I thought that cat Luna always followed you. Where is she?" Just then, he felt something bite his stomach. "Sorry. I couldn't move myself when I was falling. You O.K.?" Luna did not take being squished very well. "I want you out of this dimension right now! And don't come back!" screamed the cat. "Hell, I didn't want to stay here long anyway." Gatoris jumped back in the portal. He wound up back at the mountain, with Ifalna waiting. "Why’d you send me in there? You know Sailor Moon gets on my nerves!" Ifalna apologized for the mix-up. "Sorry, I had the wrong side of the mountain!" Gatoris was steaming. Ifalna didn't want to stay here long if he was upset. "Get over here and jump in this one. It'll take us home." Still sore from the last attempt, Gatoris proclaimed ‘ladies first,’ and Ifalna went in the portal. Gatoris followed. On the other side, they were finally home.

They had landed at Icicle Inn, just as Professor Gast had calculated. Ifalna led Gatoris into the professor's former abode. She went downstairs, opened a drawer, and handed Gatoris a sword wrapped in cloth. He noticed the white dragon emblazoned on the blade. "It is the Holy Masamune. It's the ultimate weapon for the Cetra. Legend has it that only the savior of the Cetra race, the Gatoris as it is called in our native tongue, can wield it and the massive power it contains." Gatoris grabbed the massive blade, and felt a surge of power go through his body. "This’ll do" was his only reply. "Now, to take you to your castle. The tonberry construction crew should have built it by now. Let's head for the Mideel area." Gatoris was puzzled. Why did they have to build him a castle? He had always been a simple man. He was also not one to argue with a lady. They hopped in a car and Gatoris tried to drive to Mideel. He then looked up into the sky. "Dammit! As usual, I'm a tad early!" Gatoris grumbled, then pointed up to the sky. Ifalna noticed there was something falling... slowly. Meteor. "Oops... I forgot to calculate the descent of Meteor in the plan." Ifalna was embarrassed. Gatoris told her that he would have done the same thing. Ifalna looked at her watch. "Wonderful! It's time for me to go back. See you later!" She then promptly dissolved into the air. Gatoris stood there, just looking at the sight.

At that time, there was a flash of light. The Highwind was floating aimlessly. Cid had lost control of his ship, but only for a moment. He checked if everyone was still there. Good, he thought, we're all still here. He then heard a noise from the cargo hold. Cloud spoke up. "I'll check it, Cid. It's probably Yuffie again." He left the bridge and was startled by the sight. It wasn't Yuffie in the hold, it was Aerith. Cloud stood there, jaw to the floor, puzzled by this sight. Aerith spoke up. "Relax! We defeated Sephiroth, right?" He shook his head in amazement. "My death was only temporary. the planet decided it wasn't my time." Tifa walked into the area, wondering where Cloud went. "Cloud, what is... Aerith... doing... here..." She fainted on the spot from excitement. Cloud decided to call the others in there and explain it all. Aerith related the tale of how in order for Holy to work, she AND Sephiroth had to be dead. After that, the planet had promised to revive her. During her story, the ship nearly crashed into the Gold Saucer. The crew took evasive action... right into Ruby Weapon.

Though miles away, Gatoris could sense the Weapon attacking. Luckily for him, he knew how to teleport. He used this skill to warp directly in front of Ruby Weapon.

"Damn!!!" Cid cursed. Yuffie nearly soiled herself. Vincent readied his Death Penalty. Cloud grabbed the Ultima Weapon. They all checked their Materia, and the three guys went to attack. Yuffie found the ladies' room. When they got to the ground, they saw a man had beat them there. "Leave this to me... this is something I must do." he proclaimed. He got the Weapon's attention, then a red light emerged from the man's eyes. The light enveloped the Weapon, and it disappeared. Then, the man disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. The fighters, not ones to argue when someone defeats a Weapon for them, returned to the Highwind. Tifa, who had woke up, inquired what was going on. The three explained, and all present were puzzled. "Who on earth could hold that power?" wondered Vincent. "Gatoris..." stated Aerith. "Who?" everyone asked, in unison. "Gatoris Tonberry, the anti-Weapon and savior of the Cetra." she explained. "He was created in order to protect the world, and me. But, according to my plans, he shouldn't be here yet..." "Who the hell cares if he's early? He just saved us the trouble of killing a Weapon!" Cid yelled. "Let's just get home. Anyone need to crash at my Villa?" Cloud generously offered. Everyone accepted the offer.

Gatoris felt the surge of power as he flew from the site of his victory over the Weapon. When he landed at Mideel, he headed east. He was not too surprised to see his castle wasn't finished yet. The crew of tonberries sensed their master's presence, and stopped working to greet him. Gatoris realized he would need a place to stay for a week. He and the tonberries devised a plan/joke to get to Cloud's villa.

Cloud, Tifa and Aerith were the first to get settled in the Villa. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Aerith decided to answer it. When she opened the door, there were a dozen tonberries carrying a wooden coffin. One spoke to her: "Our master thought that you would need this." Aerith pointed a space for them to place their load. Cloud walked into the room, and promptly tripped on the box. "What the hell is it?" "I don't know. A bunch of tonberries brought it here and said Gatoris thought we needed it." Aerith said of the situation. "Well, let's see what's in it!" Cloud opened the coffin, and looked in horror. There was a body in the coffin. It looked like... Sephiroth! It had the hair, the height, and the sword. It laid motionless. Yuffie walked in, wondering what the commotion was. The first thing she noticed was the sword's jewel-encrusted hilt. She thought to herself: "I could make a few bucks from that!" She went to grab it, but she was met by the body back-handing her in the face. It was alive! He sat up, and took of his silver wig. Then he grabbed his glasses. It was Gatoris. "Nice try, you kleptomaniac," he greeted Yuffie. "Hello, all. Did I freak you out?" Everyone but Vincent shook their head. "Was that you in the desert?" Cloud asked. "Yes, one of my jobs is to destroy the Weapons. Another is to protect Aerith here. That is one time the jobs intersected each other." Cloud asked a stupid question. "Let me guess, you need a place to stay for a while." "A week, to be exact. Those tonberries that brought me need to finish my abode." Gatoris quipped. "I've got eight other people here! I don't think I have the room!" Cloud was yelling at Gatoris. Aerith began to pout. Cloud caved in. "All right, you talked me into it. But only a week!" Gatoris thanked him. "I only wanted a dry place to sleep 'till my place is done." All of a sudden, Gatoris caught a whiff of something burning in the kitchen, followed by the screams of a man. "Damn! Why the hell do I have to cook again, Cloud?" Barret was rather upset. "Ah, Mr. Wallace. No need for you to worry 'bout it, I'll cook." Gatoris thought about what he just said. It sounded odd coming from him. Well, he thought, I talked myself into this, I'll cook myself out of it.

About two hours later, Gatoris emerged from the kitchen with a three-course meal. Tifa asked him where it came from. "Ancient Tonberry secret," claimed Gatoris. He then held up a red-and-white checkered piece of Materia. "Materia for around the house. A few dozen more battles, and I'll be able to decorate with this." An uneventful week passed, and Castle Tonberry was ready for occupation. As he was ready to leave, Gatoris said to Cloud, "you are welcome to stay at my castle any time. But, do try to call ahead first." Aerith began to plead with Gatoris. "Can I go with you? Please?" Gatoris had planned for this. "I figured you wanted to come with me, so I had my attendants pack your bags. You ready to go?" Cloud was puzzled. "What about..." Before the words came out of his mouth, Gatoris responded. "You two were not meant to be. Your future stands right there." Gatoris pointed his sword at Tifa, but Yuffie stepped in front of her. "You mean... I'm stuck with... Yuffie???" Gatoris was incensed by the little ninja's action. He cast a float spell on her, and she flew into the air. "I meant her, idiot!" Cloud's and Tifa's eyes met. They both pondered what he said. "Call me when you plan to marry!" Gatoris shouted as his Chocobo drawn carriage sped away. Tifa and Cloud took time to absorb what just happened. Everyone went back into the villa. A half hour later, Yuffie landed with a thud on the roof.

Gatoris and Aerith made it to Castle Tonberry. Before they went in, Gatoris turned and looked into the ocean. "Wait a minute, I'll be back," he told Aerith, and dove in the water. A minute later, a green beam was seen flashing in the water. Gatoris leaped back onto the land, holding two checkered Materia. "I calculated that better than I thought!" Gatoris exclaimed. Aerith asked what he just did. "I just absorbed another Weapon. It gave me enough power to master this. Now, we can decorate the castle!" Gatoris said. A fish jumped from his pants pocket. Gatoris then looked at his new home. A dripping wet Gatoris entered, followed by a dry as a bone Aerith.

As soon as Aerith entered the castle, the barren walls suddenly were covered with art and such. "There, that's better!" She heard Gatoris exclaim from his bedroom. When she glimpsed into his room, she noticed it was rather plain. An entertainment center in one corner, a bed across from that, and a computer against the back wall. He also had materialized a large CD collection for his stereo. He decided to see how it worked. He looked through the music selection, grabbed an Isaac Hayes CD, and it was time to get down. He went to sit on the bed, and Aerith rummaged through the collection.. "You got a good selection here!" Aerith had startled him. "Isaac Hayes, The Beatles, Metallica, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd... looks like you're all set!" Yeah, he thought, this will be a good place to live. "You want to do your room?" Gatoris tossed her his Materia. "Which one is it?" she inquired. He pointed to the room next door. "I'll be in here if you need me. If you want, I'll let you have your own garden in the courtyard. It'll be a change from Midgar, won't it?" Aerith thought to herself. This is the nicest I've ever been treated! Elmyra is his closest competition! "You care if she moves in too?" Gatoris surprised her with that question. "I already arranged it." Aerith knew one thing about this setup: the Cetra gave her a good bodyguard. One thing puzzled her though. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Gatoris had no simple answer: "There's a few reasons. One, I was raised to respect women. Two, there is something deep, deep inside of me that wants to see you happy. Third, there is a part of me that would try to kill me if you weren’t happy. (Harping back to that part in the beginning.) I say we forget that and go to bed. It's late, and we got to get up early to greet Elmyra." With that, our hero had set in motion the greatest epic the universe had seen, or will see to this day: his life with Aerith.

Saga I: The Omen

Chapter One: On-the-Job Breakdowns

Part I: One of My Turns

Gatoris was awakened with a start. Actually, he was woke up by a phone. He glanced at his clock. Who, he thought, would be calling me at 7:00 am? He let his answering machine get it. "Gatoris, this is Serena..." He grabbed the phone. "What now?"

* Note: Dialog time! *

Serena: Remember when we met last week?

Gatoris: Yeah, I can still feel where Luna bit me!

Serena: Well, that’s kind of why I’m calling.

Gatoris: What now? Did Luna get a restraining order on me?

Serena: No, no, no. Far from it! She wants to...

* Luna butts in *

Luna: I want to apologize. I was not in the best of moods that day.

* Serena jerks the phone away *

Serena: She and Artemis had an argument before you showed up. I had to calm her down, otherwise she would have tried to kick ME out!

* Luna jumps in again *

Luna: True, Serena. But I want to apologize for my actions. I really didn’t want to banish you...

Gatoris: All right, apology accepted. Just do me a favor next time you call.

Serena: What would that be?

Gatoris: * Yelling * Don’t call until about noon!

Luna: Why?

Gatoris: * Groggily * I am NOT a morning person. Good-bye.

Serena: Later, Gatoris.

Luna: See you later.

* Gatoris hangs up the phone *

* End Dialog *

Gatoris was trying to roll back into bed. He then heard Aerith talking to him. "Who was that?" She asked. "You know Sailor Moon’s dimension? That was one of them." Gatoris told her. "Why on earth would they be calling you?" She was more curious about why some young girl would be calling him, not at the fact that the call came from another dimension. Gatoris explained himself. "Before I got here, I accidentally landed in their dimension, and on that cat, Luna. She banished me from there. She was just calling to apologize to me." If this was any other person, Aerith would be suspicious. But she somehow understood. "Nice try, Gatoris." He was startled by Aerith. "You are not going back to bed! It’s a beautiful morning, and I feel like taking a walk." Gatoris slowly made his way to the kitchen. "Let me get breakfast first, OK? I do better on a full stomach." Aerith agreed to that fact. They walked to the kitchen, where Gatoris’ tonberry servants were waiting.

"Where’s the coffee?" Gatoris was infuriated. He needed some caffeine to get going, but the tonberries couldn’t figure out where the coffee was. "Guess I gotta resort to this..." He pulled out his Materia, and a bag of coffee was on the counter. Aerith talked the servants into letting her cook. Apparently, Gatoris did not realize she couldn’t cook anything. The flames went three feet high, and the smell of burned bacon and pancakes filled the air. Why me, he thought to himself. I’m too young for this! At this rate, I’ll look like Krillin in year and a half! Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. Thank god, he was thinking to himself, that must be Elmyra. He rushed to the door. He was right, Elmyra was there and needed help with some suitcases. She greeted him in an odd fashion. "I see Aerith tried to cook again." Gatoris was confused. How could she know? "You got a bit of sausage behind your ear." He felt behind his ear, and sure enough there was sausage there. Being hungry, he ate it at the risk of breaking his teeth. "Yeah Elmyra, she did. Someone should have warned me. I don’t have that much sanity left." "By the way, where is she? I want to say hello to her. I haven’t seen her in weeks." At this point, Gatoris trailed off. "I... left her... in ... the kitchen... oh, crap!" He rushed to the kitchen in time to have hot Spam fly into his face. One of the tonberries remarked in his native tongue "Not your day, master?" Gatoris just stood there, Spam burning his face, and said in a hateful tone (and a bad British accent, to boot), "Oh, shut up!" He then proceeded to peel the meat product from his face and eat it, slice by slice. "At least it still tastes good." Elmyra then bust into the room. "Aerith! How have you been, darling?" Gatoris, still standing there, offered the girls some Spam. After a long talk, Gatoris butted in. "Anyone up for a walk?" Elmyra declined. "I just had a long trip from Kalm. I’m worn out!" Aerith added, "I got a few things I want to catch up on." "All right," Gatoris exclaimed "I’m off to get some fresh air." He added to the tonberries, in their language, "If she gets near the kitchen, stop her!" He then proceeded out the door, with a piece of Spam still stuck on his chin.

Gatoris promptly teleported to Cloud’s villa, and he rang the doorbell. Yuffie decided to see who it was. When she opened the door, Gatoris gave her a cold stare. "Y... you have some Spam on your chin..." Yuffie was trying to be helpful. Instead, Gatoris grabbed the searing hot Spam and slapped it on the Materia thief’s forehead, and closed the door in her face. That is when he felt something hit his head. When Gatoris turned around, a man wearing a suit of armor and holding a chicken was behind him. Gatoris asked him sarcastically, "was that needed?" The man nodded his head, and hit Gatoris atop the head one more time.. He then promptly left.

"Well, here I am..." Gohan exclaimed as he landed near Icicle Inn. He then looked around. "Wait a minute. This doesn’t look right!" He started to wander to the nearest house asking where he was. After determining where he was, he flew to the southeast. After a short flight, Gohan saw Castle Tonberry on the horizon. When he landed, he knocked on the huge front door. A tonberry greeted him, and let Gohan in. Gohan told Aerith why he was there. She then picked up the phone and dialed Gatoris’ cell phone number.

Gatoris landed on an island and answered his phone.

* Another Dialog! *

Gatoris: Yes?

Aerith: Gatoris, you have a visitor.

Gatoris: Who is it?

Aerith: It’s Gohan.

Gatoris: I can talk to him over the phone. Put him on.

Aerith: He... he wants you to come here.

Gatoris: OK, OK! I’ll be there in a flash.

* Gatoris hangs up *

* End Dialog #2 *

Suddenly, Gatoris appeared in his living room, scaring the crap out of Gohan. "What is it, man?" Gatoris was still groggy. Gohan was too embarrassed to say it in front the girls again. So, they went into Gatoris’ room. "What is it, boy?" He was wondering why Gohan would come all this way just to talk to him. "Well... I... um..." Gohan was nervous. Gatoris was losing patience. "Spit it out, man! What do you want??" Gohan muttered something inaudible. "What? Speak up, Gohan!" He finally began to speak up. "You know Serena...." "Sailor Moon, right?" Gatoris couldn’t figure out where this was going. "Well... I think... I think..." Gohan wasn’t able to muster the strength. Gatoris was about at his boiling point. "Don’t think it, say it!" Gohan finally blurted out his secret. "I... I think I have a crush on her." Gatoris fell from his bed. "What do you want me to do about it?" Gohan replied sheepishly, "Would you put a good word in for me?" "Gohan, I hate to tell you this, but I have three problems: first is I am not really on speaking terms with that dimension. Two, I hate to break it to you, but she’s taken. Finally, and remember this one: Inter-dimensional relationships won’t work!" Gohan was unfazed. "Can I at least meet her?" Gatoris’ caffeine buzz wore off. "Ah, why the hell not. I got time to spare. Let’s go." Gohan was overjoyed. Gatoris told Aerith what was going on, and the two men left.

A short time later, the two were in front of Serena’s door. She answered the door before Gatoris could knock. "Oh, hello Darie.... Gatoris! what are you doing here?" She looked slightly upset. Gatoris asked her a question. "You know Goku’s dimension?" Serena nodded. "Well, I got someone with me from there who wants to meet you." Serena’s eyes lit up. "Is it Trunks?" Gohan was visibly upset, and blurted out, "no, it’s not Trunks! It’s Gohan!" Serena looked puzzled. "You mean this little runt?" Gohan was dejected. "Let’s go home, Gatoris" So they did. After they left Luna woke up. "Who was that?" Serena was apathetic about the whole thing. "Ah, just Gatoris and some weakling from Goku’s dimension"

"I told you it wouldn’t work!" Gatoris was yelling at Gohan on the way to his house. Gohan looked depressed, and refused to talk. "You’ll get over it. There’s other girls in your dimension who’ll like you, I’m sure." Gohan was angry. "No, there is not! They all want Trunks! I don’t see what’s so great about him." Seeing where this conversation could lead, Gatoris teleported back home, leaving Gohan to gripe about Trunks by himself. When he got home, it was about ten o’clock. Aerith was already in bed, but Elmyra was still up waiting for Gatoris. "How’d Gohan’s problem go?" "Not too well," Gatoris explained. "We got there, and when I tried to introduce them, it all went sour. I think I last left him to deal with the anger." "Well, I think your love life will do just fine. You and Aerith are lucky to have each other." Elmyra’s comment seemed out of context to Gatoris. He just said good night to Elmyra and rolled into bed. After a long, taxing day, Gatoris thought it was time for eight hours of peaceful sleep.

He was wrong. After a while, the words he told Gohan echoed in his mind: "There’s other girls who’ll like you, I’m sure." Gatoris then thought back to his former dimension, and about his love. He was in love with a girl who was already taken. Gator had accepted the fact she chose the other guy, but had told him that if anything happened to her, he’d have Gator to answer to. Suddenly, he saw three gravestones. One, he could tell was his, for it had the date he left his mortal coil: September 18, 1999. He saw another stone with the same date. He could sense it was someone he knew, some guy to be exact. The final headstone puzzled Gatoris. It had no date of death as of yet, but he could sense that it would soon hold his beloved. Sorrow filled Gatoris’ heart. Ifalna , coming from nowhere, told him a story about what had happened the night he was ‘drafted’ (for lack of a better term). It seemed that the girl’s boyfriend had admitted to cheating on her. She, not surprisingly, was heartbroken. He had remembered what Gator had told him. He had shamed himself, as well as hurt her. He feared what Gator would do to him if he ever found out, so he decided to play chicken with a train instead of facing him. That had happened an hour after Gator’s departure. "Jason Steele..." Gatoris muttered, calling him by name, "Why? I wouldn’t have killed you. It’s not like I was going to shoot you, just beat the crap out of you." Ifalna stood solemnly and kept commenting. "He must have feared you a lot." "... Or loved her enough to die as punishment for a misdeed. I do not know why you’re showing me this." Gatoris was visibly upset. Ifalna patted him on the back. "In case you are wondering, Angelina’s still alive. If you want to see her..." Gatoris just nodded. Suddenly, he was teleported to her window.

Gatoris could not get up enough guts to look through the window. Ifalna coaxed him to do so. From his vantage point, all he could see was a framed picture. There were three people in the picture: him, Jason, and Angelina. It was taken shortly after their university’s homecoming game about a year ago. Those were good days, thought Gatoris. Why did they have to end? Why did I have to leave this world, and leave her with nobody? He began to cry. He then heard someone else crying. It was Angelina, the one he lamented over. Her baby blue eyes, which always seemed to reflect the warmth of the sun, were cold and wet. Instead of her happy little smile, she was frowning. "I cannot see anymore!" Gatoris was losing all happiness. "I want to go back!" He turned to ask Ifalna to take him home, but he was alone. All he heard was Ifalna’s voice trailing off. "You didn’t have a chance in your previous life, but you have another one in this dimension. Show Aerith how you feel..."

With the last echo of the phrase, Gatoris awoke with a start. He looked at the clock. It was 2 AM. He thought long and hard about what he just dreamed. After the thought of it ran through his head, he got up out of bed and walked into Aerith’s room. Gatoris kneeled beside her bed, and, for the first time since he came into this dimension, kissed her on the forehead. He then whispered in her ear "I love you." This woke her up. She whispered back "I love you too, Gatoris." They then proceeded to hug until dawn.

Part II: The Limberry Incident

... Or so they were hoping. About 5:00, the phone rang. Gatoris had no clue who it was. They left a message saying that a vampire resembling Sephiroth was attacking Junon. Gatoris knew that could be only one person: "Elmdor. I’ll be right back, Aerith." Gatoris went to his room, put on some jeans and a T-shirt, and teleported away.

When he got to Junon, Gatoris was face-to-face with one of his nemeses: Mesdoram Elmdor of Limberry. "Why, Elmdor, I was just going to call you!" mocked Gatoris. Elmdor had the same cold stare he reserved for everyone. "I like what you done with your hair, Sephiroth." Gatoris was puzzled, then he caught his reflection in a window. He was still wearing his contacts from his coffin bit. Dammit, he thought. How did I leave my contacts in for a week? He promptly took them out and placed his glasses firmly on his face. "So, Gatoris, we meet at last." Elmdor seemed confident for some odd reason. "You are dumber than I thought, leaving Aerith by herself. Now, she’s easy prey for the likes of me." Gatoris was unwavering. "You don’t have the balls, dead boy!" Elmdor gave Gatoris a sly look. "That what you think? Vormav! Come over here!" Sure enough, Vormav came to Elmdor’s side, with a woman on his shoulder, and commented "I think this is yours, Gatoris." He looked closely at the woman: he had been duped! The call was a clever ruse to lure him away long enough for Elmdor to kidnap Aerith. Gatoris was about to go off the edge. "You mangy cur! What did she ever do to you?" Elmdor just smiled. "I’m just going to show her a good time, that’s all." Gatoris had all he could stand. He rushed at Elmdor, but he was met by Elmdor’s Masamune to the right side of his face. It cut him from the top of his eyebrow down to his jawbone in one, clean cut. However, his eye was fully intact, and his glasses were in one piece. Gatoris showed no pain from the deep gash in his face. Elmdor was slightly rattled. "He must love you a lot to die for you," he remarked to his unconscious captive. "You bet your sweet ass I do!" Gatoris’ voice sounded duo-toned. Elmdor realized that this was the cue to leave, before Gatoris could go berserk and try to kill him. After they left, Gatoris weeped uncontrollably for ten minutes. He was not doing a good job of protecting the last Cetra. At this rate, she’d be dead in a year. He then came up with an idea. He would gather allies from his dimension and others, and assault Castle Limberry, the probable location where Elmdor would have taken her.

Gatoris teleported immediately to Cloud’s villa. Oddly, Red XII was the only one there. It appears the crew had gone to investigate reports of people being found in the ruins of Midgar. There was no time to lose, thought Gatoris, and he headed for the ruins of a once bustling city. Upon arrival, the gang was rummaging through the rubble. Yuffie was the first to notice him. The gash on Gatoris’ face made her nauseous, and she promptly puked on Cait Sith, shorting him out. The resulting explosion got everyone’s attention.

"What the hell happened to you?" Cloud asked "Did you run into Sephiroth?" "Close, but wrong dimension. It was Elmdor. He’s taken Aerith." Gatoris began to break down. "I hate to sound insensitive," Tifa butted in, "...but doesn’t that gash on your face hurt?" Gatoris felt his face. He had been so filled with rage that he hadn’t felt the pain of the sword slicing up his face... or the chunk of it that was imbedded just above his eye. He popped it out and examined it. It was the tip from Elmdor’s Masamune. Apparently, it broke off when it hit the frame of his glasses. Gatoris then tossed the bloody bit of metal behind him. "Let me guess..." Vincent spoke (probably for the first time since he first met Gatoris) "You want us to help you." Cloud jumped in. "Sure, why not? She is our friend, so we have an obligation to save her, right?" It was then Yuffie showed signs of cowardice. "You can go, but Elmdor’s outta my league. I don’t fight the undead." Vincent promptly slapped her in the back of the head. "Thank you all." Gatoris’ expression became serious. "Now, to get some of my other allies to help."

Gatoris grabbed his cell phone and called Goku’s house

* You know what’s coming, right? *

Goku: Son house.

Gatoris: Goku, I need your help. Aerith’s been kidnapped, and I need some more muscle.

Goku: Sure, why not? Me and Gohan are ready for a fight!

Gatoris: Good. Get to my dimension A.S.A.P.

Goku: We’re on our way!

* Goku hangs up. Gatoris calls Vegeta *

Vegeta: You better not be another telemarketer....

Gatoris: Vegeta, I need your help. Someone’s taken Aerith, and I need more firepower to get her back. Think you’d help?

Vegeta: I don’t know....

* Gatoris uses King Vegeta’s Voice *

Gatoris: You going to help, Vegeta, or do I have to kill you?

* Vegeta panics *

Vegeta: I’ll be right over!

* Vegeta hastily hangs up. Gatoris tries Piccolo’s number.

Piccolo: Who is it?

Gatoris: Is this Piccolo?

Piccolo: Yeah. Why do you care?

Gatoris: It’s me, Gatoris. I need you to help me out with something.

Piccolo: Fire away.

Gatoris: Aerith’s been kidnapped, but I do not have enough manpower to get her back. You game?

Piccolo: Like I have anything better to do. * Sound of checkers hitting a board *

Dendae * In Background * : You need to practice, Piccolo.

Gatoris: Get here as soon as you can! Please!

* Piccolo hangs up before Gatoris can finish *

* It’s over. Happy? *

About two minutes later, Goku and Gohan show up. Followed by Piccolo, and bringing up the rear was a shaky Vegeta. "All right," Gatoris stated, "We’re all here. Let’s go over the plan. The portal will take us to the entrance of Elmdor’s castle. You guys," pointing to the saijiyans and Namek, "shall secure the perimeter. You," gesturing to Cloud and the bunch, "shall help me storm the castle. Once we are in, I’ll get Elmdor myself." Vegeta laughed. "That plan’s suicidal! You’ll be lucky to run into just Warmech!" Gatoris gave him a stern look, and opened up his hand. Vegeta immediately ducked under the table. "Are we agreed on the plan?" There were no objections. The party jumped through the portal, one at a time. Gatoris entered last. No one saw the figure behind them that grabbed the bloody hunk of sword.

After a short battle, Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Piccolo had easily thwarted Elmdor’s outlying defenses. When the rest of the party entered the castle, they were greeted by Elmdor himself. "My, my, Gatoris! Don’t you know how to knock?" Gatoris retorted mockingly "Don’t you know it is not polite to kidnap a woman?" Elmdor looked calm and collected. "I guess you are here so your left side of your face to match the right. Too bad. It seems I broke the sword on something." Gatoris held up his glasses. "You mean these?" He was growing impatient. "Dammit Elmdor, let’s fight it out here to see who takes Aerith home!" Elmdor drew his sword. "You came unprepared, I see." "Not quite," Gatoris quipped. He opened his hand, and the Holy Masamune materialized in his fist. "To the death, Elmdor!"

Meanwhile, Vormav was guarding Aerith. Seeing how he wasn’t undead, he was hungry. Aerith sensed this and came up with a plan. "Hey! You hungry?" Vormav looked up. "Well, untie me and I’ll cook you a feast!" Vormav, being the idiot he is, thought this was a good idea. He then conjured up a stove, and asked Aerith to make a soufflé. What a dolt, she thought. He deserves what’s going to happen. She whipped up the ingredients, and began to bake them. When it came time to pull it out, that’s where it all went bad for Vormav.

Gatoris heard an explosion from the basement. A faint smile came to his face. Elmdor was growing impatient. "What? Are you happy that you’re about to die?" Gatoris was coy. "No. You’ll see what’s going on." All of a sudden, Vormav bursts into the room, food all over his face. "Master! Master! She’s escaped!" Gatoris’ smile broadened. Vormav tried to explain himself. "I was hungry, so I figured she could fix me something to eat..." Elmdor whapped him in the face with his hand. "Fool! I told you she CAN’T COOK!" Gatoris used this distraction to his advantage. He charged Elmdor while he was occupied, and cleaved him in half. The problem with this attack was it didn’t kill Elmdor. He had seen better days, though. "I’ll get you for this, Tonberry!" were his last words before vanishing. Vormav followed. Aerith then ran into the room. Gatoris got on his knee, and waited for her to get there. She then kissed him on the forehead and thanked him for coming to save her. "I... I’m sorry." Gatoris said, holding back tears. "I failed you. I left you vulnerable. I failed my job." He laid his sword on the ground and walked away solemnly. "Wait!" Aerith yelled at the top of her lungs. "You did not fail! You didn’t give up when they took me. You came to rescue me, so you did your job. You can’t always watch me. In those cases, you only fail if you do nothing." Gatoris pondered these words for a while. Suddenly, he heard a voice echo in his head: "Show Aerith how you feel ... Show her you care for her!" It was then Gatoris realized his dream. He was given a chance to do what was right, and what was right was to keep Aerith alive and happy. He turned to face her, and his tears dried up. "You are right," Gatoris began. "I came to save you. I did not fail you. You are still alive, and I did my job." Aerith ran to hug him. "Let’s go home." she whispered in his ear. "It’s been a long morning. Why don’t we go home, and I’ll cook breakfast..." Gatoris stopped her there. "Uhh... let’s leave the cooking to the tonberries. I want to keep you alive, thank you." Oddly, Aerith wasn’t insulted by his remark. Without another word being spoken, all the heroes went home.

Later in the day, Gatoris and Aerith were eating lunch on a hill overlooking the ocean. She had finally noticed the wound on her bodyguard’s face. "How did that happen?" she wondered, pointing on the now-scarring gash. "Oh, it’s nothing. Elmdor did it to me before he took you." That must of hurt, she thought. "No, I didn’t feel it, believe it or not. I was more focused on getting you back." "You did not have to put yourself through that pain for me..." Aerith said. "I realize that," Gatoris stated, "but no one is hurting you on my watch!" Aerith was awestruck. Only one other person would have gone to those lengths to protect her. She unexpectedly hugged Gatoris, then she went to kiss him. He began to squirm away, though. Aerith was puzzled. "I... I can’t do it, Aerith. I just can’t..." What she said next surprised Gatoris: "It’s Angelina, isn’t it? You got to let go. You said it yourself: Inter-dimensional relationships can’t work." "How did you know... Ifalna, right?" Gatoris asked. "I should have known! She’s trying to play matchmaker. I have one thing to say about that..." He paused for a moment, and looked into Aerith’s blue-green eyes. They seemed to be glowing with the light of the sun itself. "... she can take a break. We got enough of a head-start." He then looked at his sandwich. "Wait a minute... I distinctly remember telling the tonberries to make CHICKEN sandwiches!" Aerith blushed. "You did, but I had another idea. I decided to cook hamburgers." Gatoris trembled. "Is the kitchen intact?" Anyone else would have been offended by a similar remark, but not Aerith. "Of course it is, silly! Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here!" Gatoris then kissed her. They kept hugging until sunset.

When they got home, it was rather late. They both rolled into the sack and nodded off. Gatoris had another odd dream. It was similar to the last dream, but he was alone. He also had an armful of flowers. He put some on Jason’s grave, and then looked at his own grave. He pondered it for a moment, but decided not to put them on his grave. He instead put them on Angelina’s, although she was alive. Ifalna appeared. "That was unexpected. I figured you’d put at least one on yours." "I didn’t want to seem vain," Gatoris decreed. "Besides, a beautiful lady always deserves flowers. It’s also my parting gift to her." Ifalna began to understand. "Not to worry, you will see her soon." Gatoris got such a puzzled look on his face, it’s impossible to describe. "All will be revealed soon. In the meantime, watch out for Hojo." Gatoris’ face got worse. "You mean that nut’s still alive?" "Yes," she replied, "and he’s up to old tricks. You will have new enemies soon..." With that Gatoris woke up. He wasn’t worried though. He was happy for the first time in years. He had a new love, and a new purpose. (Not to mention a new facial feature. That gash scarred up rather fast.) He’d take what the day gave him, good or bad. Unluckily for him, it was going to be rather bad.

Chapter Two: New Beginnings?

Part I: Farewell?

The day started out as any other, except for the fact that Aerith was cooking breakfast and NOT destroying anything. Good, Gatoris thought. The day can only go up from here. He had finally made amends with his past, the day was beautiful, and he had finally gotten over his seven-year bout of depression. After breakfast, (which was delicious, and not burnt) Gatoris decided to go for a walk. Aerith couldn’t figure out what was going on. Gatoris was happy for the first time in her memory. What dream did he have? What had her mother shown him?

Gatoris was on a cliff overlooking the sea. It was a breathtaking sight, the waves crashing, the seagulls flying about. A perfect setting, he thought, to say good-bye. He dug into his pockets and produced his wallet, which had somehow followed him into this world. He looked through the photos of girls from his high school senior class. They were all lovely people, but they were not who he was looking for. After digging through twenty pictures, he found it: Angelina’s picture. He remembered what she had written on the back by heart, "To Gator, Hope you still stay the same in twenty years, Angie." She had preferred to be called that by her friends. This made Gatoris’ thoughts race back to his past. He began to cry, remembering he was never able to personally tell her that he was hopelessly in love with her. He then took the photo from his wallet, holding it between his hands. He then muttered between the tears, "Farewell, my sweet. Until we meat again in another lifetime." He then closed his eyes. The photo began to change shape. It turned first into a butterfly, then a white rose. Gatoris then took this rose, placed it near the cliff, and proceeded to walk away. About three steps later he turned around, the tears gone, and spoke. "I know this is not the best way to say good-bye to you, but it is the best I can do under these circumstances." As he turned around, he saw Aerith walking to him. She then began to cry, as well. "I never got to properly say farewell to my first love, either. I know how you feel. But why did you choose here?" Gatoris, beginning to well up again, softly spoke. "This is the kind of place she would have liked to go." Gatoris began to cheer up. "Come on now, Aerith. We can’t live in the past forever, can we? We have to move on! Learn to live again!" He then began to think to himself, This makes the second time I’ve had to move on. Is my life doomed to tragedy? Aerith looked up at him and smiled. He then had another thought: If I was cursed, I wouldn’t have ended up here with a woman that is strikingly similar to her in personality. Aerith looked at him with her glistening eyes and whispered something into Gatoris’ ears. "Let’s go home." Gatoris lead the way back to the castle, unaware of what became of the rose. This closed a painful chapter in Gator(is)’s life, making him feel as if he had lifted the world off of his shoulders. He could now live happily, knowing he had said good-bye. Another uneventful, dreamless week passed. Then Gatoris got a phone call from Gohan that marred everything.

Part II: Goku Tonberry: In the Flesh?

* I feel a dialog coming on! *

Gatoris: What is it this time, Gohan? You in love with Tifa this week?

Gohan: No, no, no! It’s worse news than that!

Gatoris: * Shudders * You’re in love with Bulma?

* Gohan gets furious *

Gohan: No, it’s not about love this time, it’s about evil!

Gatoris: Well then, shoot!

Gohan: I’ve seen Hojo!

* Gatoris drops the phone *

Gatoris: What???

Gohan: Yes! He was here last week!

Gatoris: Last week?!? What took you?

Gohan: It took me a week to realize who it was.

* Gatoris slaps his head *

Gohan: For some odd reason, he wanted my dad’s blood.

Gatoris: I thought he HATED needles!

Gohan: He’ll take one for a good cause. He thought Hojo was from the blood bank.

* Gatoris hits his head with the phone *

Gatoris: Gohan, your dad’s about as much as of a ditz as Bulma, if not more.

* Gatoris’ second phone line rings and the answering machine picks it up *

Bulma * Furious *: I am NOT a DITZ!

* Bulma hangs up, the other conversation continues *

Gatoris: Hojo’s probably planning to make some type of creature out of his DNA. Let’s see...
* Pondering * It would take him about a week to make said creature, so
* Serious sarcasm * thanks for telling me as soon as you knew, Gohan!

Gohan: Well, I did tell you!

* Gatoris hangs up *

* Told ya! *

Gatoris began to ponder where Hojo’s lab would be. Midgar was decimated, so that was out. The only other place that seemed to fit Hojo’s style was the Shinra mansion. Gatoris began to prepare for an excursion to Nibelheim when Aerith busted into the room. "Gatoris," she started, "my mother informed me that I needed training. I’ll have to leave for a week." Gatoris nodded. "If it is needed .... Take some servants for protection on your way there." Aerith looked at him. "That won’t be required. I’ll see you in a week!" Those were the last words out of her mouth before she vanished. Gatoris then heard a knock on the door. He had given the tonberries the day off, so he answered it. The man who stood before him looked exactly like Goku, with two exceptions: he was about six inches smaller and he was wearing silver glasses similar to Gatoris’. "Hello," the figure said in a voice a bit lower than Goku’s, "You Gatoris Tonberry?" Gatoris had a bad feeling about this guy, so he attempted a trick on him. "No, I am Gatoris Gambolputty de von Ausfernschplenden-schlitter-
crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-smuggle-bugger-burstien-von-knacker-
thrasher-kicker-apple-basher-horowitzer-tickleme-gardner-knotted-spellingbee-grandeur-
grumbelmeiyer-gutenabend-bitte-ein-bayerner-bratwurst-hundsfut-mittler-aucher von Tonberry III of Nibelheim. And you are?" The trick didn’t work. "I am Goku Tonberry. Master Hojo sent me to kill you." Gatoris silently panicked. "Hojo? I thought he was dead." "You thought wrong, bub. He’s alive and kickin’! He’s got many a project lined up... but Master Hojo needs you!" "Listen, Goku..." Gatoris was getting impatient. "I will help him over my dead body!" Goku smirked. "Thought you’d say that..." He then fired a beam at Gatoris. "Hold it!" Gatoris screamed. "I need to go to the john. Would you wait?" Goku, being one of Hojo’s creations, fell for this. Gatoris grabbed his sword and slipped out the back door. After five minutes, Goku grew impatient. He yelled at Gatoris. "What gives? Do you have diarrhea or what?" He did not see Gatoris behind him, brandishing his sword. "Yo, stupid! I’m here! I can’t believe that trick worked!" Goku became thoroughly enraged at this point. He then proceeded to become super-saijiyan. "You should not have done that, Gatoris. You just signed your death warrant!" Gatoris was unaffected. he began to cast a Tornado spell. It was a bit stronger than he liked, however... It began to destroy the castle. Then it sucked Gatoris and Goku into the center of it. Goku was confused. Gatoris saw an opportunity to end this, so he ran his sword through Goku Tonberry. Goku began to cough up blood. "Man, I suck!" Goku exclaimed. "I deserve this fate..." After hearing this, Gatoris began to heal Goku. "Go, tell Hojo he’ll have to do better than this to get me." He then sent Goku back to Nibelheim. With this, the tornado dissipated, and the castle reappeared in one piece. What an idiot!, Gatoris thought of Goku Tonberry. Definitely one of Hojo’s. Now it was time for Gatoris to rest easy for a day or two. His next challenge would be much harder: he would have to deal with a certain villain.

Part III: Sephiroth: The Return Engagement, and Other Unrelated Crap...

About a day later, there was a knock at the front door. Gatoris began to mumble under his breath about Goku Tonberry. He was in for an utter shock when he opened the door. There was a man, kneeling on one knee and his head bowed. "You must help me, Gatoris..." stated the man. Gatoris could not help but notice two things about this man. First his hair was platinum silver, a color you rarely see. Second was the sword strapped to his back. It was about as long as the person was tall. At once, Gatoris knew who it was. "Sephiroth? Why do you need MY help?" Apparently, Gatoris did not care about the fact that Cloud had supposedly killed the man he was talking to. "You are the only one who can put an end to me and mother..." There he goes again, Gatoris thought, calling Jenova his mother. "First, Jenova is not your mother!" Sephiroth wasn’t paying attention. "Second, why am I the only one who can end you?" Sephiroth began to relate a story about Jenova and the Cetra.

It seems when Jenova first appeared on the planet, there was a Gatoris. He had defended the Cetra from Jenova’s evil as long as he could. He died in the battle, but he was able to cast a spell of imprisonment on the evil being with his last breath. "Now, you have two options for ridding the world of moth... Jenova. You could decapitate me, or You can cast a new spell to imprison her." Gatoris pondered the choices for a moment, then raised his sword. "I have decided..." he muttered. Sephiroth closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow. He was growing impatient with Gatoris, but he heard him saying what sounded like an ancient Cetra prayer. Sephiroth then opened his eyes and watch as Gatoris spared his life. A white beam was emitted from the tip of the sword, and it streaked into the sky.

"There, I have trapped Jenova on the surface of the sun. She will no longer bother anyone..." Gatoris proclaimed. Sephiroth was puzzled. "You let me live? After what I did? Especially to Aerith?" "You were not in control of yourself... Jenova had total control. The true you would not do those acts..." Gatoris had to explain. Sephiroth stood up. He then started to walk away. "Where are you going?" Gatoris yelled at him. "I must find the true me. I have been living as a puppet for Jenova too long. I do not know my real self. I must roam the planet until I find myself..." With that statement, Sephiroth flew away.

{Note: I know you may think that sucked, but I have a plan formulated... 8~)}

Gatoris sat down on his couch and sighed. Damn, this week can’t get any worse, he thought to himself. He then looked up at the clock. That bit with Sephiroth had taken all day. It was 11:00 p.m., much later than Gatoris could usually stand to be up. He crashed on the couch.

He was waked up the next day at about noon, when the servants started to mess around with his stereo. It seems that one of the tonberries had found one of Gatoris’ Metallica CD’s. It’s never pleasant to be waked up to "Fuel". Needless to say, Gatoris was thoroughly upset. There was nothing he could do but get up and gripe at the servants. Gatoris figured this would be a good time to check his e-mail... that is, if he was even hooked up to the Internet in this realm. Luckily, he was. And he had a message. He opened it and was surprised. It seemed that the dead had e-mail.

To: GTonberry @ midbell.com

From: HolyMother @ theplanet.org

Subj: The Basics

Gatoris;

Yes, we do have e-mail here. I had a few things that I didn’t tell you. First off, there was a ... clerical error on that list I told you. Pikachu is open season now. And another thing, if you are wondering about Aerith, she’s fine. We needed to instruct her on a few things. She should be home by tomorrow. Finally, I sent you a program to put on your computer to help out. It contains your guidelines, and a dictionary in the Cetra language. Hope you get along fine!

Ifalna

PS I warned you about Hojo! Watch out for his next creation!

Next creation? Gatoris was about to faint. He decided to look something up in his new dictionary first. The first thing that came to his mind was Aerith’s name. He typed it in, and found the meaning of the name: hope. He was not surprised by that one. He then looked up Ifalna. This one puzzled him a little. In the Cetra language, Ifalna meant ‘Holy Mother’. On a whim, he inputted one last name: Sephiroth. This one came out of the blue: it meant two things. It could mean ‘angel of darkness,’ or it could mean ‘child of the planet.’ Gatoris’ head was still hurting from the servants’ little escapade, so he was incapacitated for the rest of the day. (You would be too, if you had a loud radio blasting inches away from your head.) Gatoris said a short prayer before going to sleep. He prayed that tomorrow would be better than the last few days. Apparently, no one was paying attention...

Part IV: Whither Vegita?

...For when he woke up the next day, there was a knock on the door. Gatoris hoped it was Aerith and that she had forgot the key... or something to that point. But when he opened the door, Gatoris realized that this would be one of those days he should have never got up. There was an android at the door. It looked somewhat like Vegeta, except for it was 5’ 2" tall (shorter than Vegeta!) and it was wearing glasses for some reason. Gatoris got the first word in before the metal saijiyan could speak. "Let me guess: You are Vegeta Tonberry, and your master Hojo wants me..." The reply was a strange one, at least to Gatoris. "Watashi wa Vegita Tonberry desu. (My name is Vegita Tonberry.)" It seemed that Vegita was stuck in his Japanese speech mode. Gatoris tried something to switch the languages. "Wakarimasen. Eigo o hanashimasu ka? (I don’t understand you. You speak English?)" "Yes, I do. I was testing you..." Vegita said in a metallic voice.

"Kuso yaro... (little shit) I’m going to tell you what I told Goku: Over my dead body! So all I got to say to you now is zakkenayo!(Roughly: piss off!)" Gatoris was getting sick of Hojo’s creations.... "Thought so..." Vegita grabbed Gatoris by the neck. "Now, you going to apologize, or do I have to beat it out of you?" Gatoris was unfazed. "Iie, baka yaro! (No, asshole!)" Vegita was not happy. "You shall die for your stubbornness..." At this time, Gatoris saw someone running to the castle. He hoped they’d see this and help him out, so he stalled... "Sumimasen, testudatte kudasai masuka? Dansu ni ikimasen ka? (Excuse me, can you help me? Care to dance?) ...He was reciting the basic phrase he had learned in case he ever went to Japan. This was confusing Vegita. "Make sense, you fool! You are just saying random things that do not go together!" Gatoris’ plan worked. The person he saw had made it in range... He still could not figure out who she was, though. She shouted a phrase that Vegita understood: "Kamehameha!" The blast pierced the android saijiyan in the chest and luckily missed Gatoris altogether. Vegita slumped over, still holding Gatoris in its fists. After the smoke cleared, Gatoris saw who had saved him: It had been Aerith. After this realization, Gatoris’ face turned a bright red. (He had just been saved by the person he was protecting! Wouldn’t you be a little embarrassed?) "You all right? I was worried..." Gatoris did not even acknowledge the question. He put down his sword and walked away. He felt he was no longer needed. Aerith would have tried to cheer him up, but she felt that he would be back in a day or so.

Gatoris walked around for a while, pondering what just happened. If she can do that, why do they need me? After a long day of walking, Gatoris settled down in a cave south of Rocket Town and went to sleep.

Part V: Trials of Love

Gatoris began to have the oddest dream... he was back in the cemetery, but something was different about him... He looked into a conveniently placed mirror and saw what was strange. He was Garrett Mackenzie again. But why? Was this a sign? He immediately rushed where Angelina’s headstone was... there was a faint date on it: October 3, 1999. No, Garrett thought.... not her too... He fell to his knees and cried. Why? Why is my life cursed? Garrett was about to lose all sanity. He then heard a familiar voice behind him. "It’s all right...." The voice made him cry harder. "Great, now you are dead too, Angie?" "Partially..." she tried to explain. "There’s no partially to it! Either you are alive or you are dead..." Gatoris could not bear to turn and face her. "Yes there is! A part of me died that day..." Angelina began to relate her story. She had become so depressed from the loss of Jason and Garrett, she had tried to kill herself. She had it all planned: she would go to Garrett’s grave and slice her wrists... Luckily for her, some of her friends were waiting to stop her. She still did it anyway. She nearly bled to death on the ride to the hospital. "While I was in the hospital, I heard a voice... I thought it was it was yours. it told me to keep living... Part of me stayed with you... and consequently ended up here." Garrett was still crying. "Why? I was telling you to live! Why did part of you not listen?" "The part that stayed was the part of me that loved... you, Garrett." Garrett was floored by the comment. "I was ashamed to tell you this... I was afraid that Jason would find out and do what he eventually did anyway..." "If you loved me, you should have kept living..." Gatoris was now sounding angry. "If you loved me, you would have honored me by letting go..." "No, that part of me had to be with you..." Angelina was now crying. "I would not have been able to go on in any way if I hadn’t. I saw you today..." Garrett was puzzled. he had not seen her, to his knowledge. "Of course you didn’t recognize me... You thought I was just Aerith." Garrett thought back: he had noticed a change in Aerith. When she saved him, her eyes were baby blue... not her normal aquamarine color. "Now you got it! Aerith let me join into her body... just so I could be with you..." Garrett was now more distraught than ever. ".. and I just left you there... I am worthless. What did you ever see in me?" Angelina stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself in Aerith’s body. She held Garrett’s cheek, and touched his scar. (It somehow was there...) "The fact you’d go through this for me..." Garrett was unable to speak, so he just hugged Angelina. Suddenly, Ifalna came from nowhere. "You have been given a second chance at love, wakarimasu ka? (Understand?)... Take it! This may be your last chance..." was all she said before disappearing as fast as she had entered. Garrett finally found the courage to talk. "I... I... love you, Angelina Bradford..." Angelina was crying with Garrett. "I love you too, Garrett Mackenzie... or should I call you Gatoris Tonberry?" "No, call me what you want..." Garrett wished this dream would last forever.

Alas, He had to wake up. But when he did, he was surprised by Aerith. She had found him before he went to sleep, and had been there with him all night. "I figured you would have had that dream before I came back..." "You mean it’s true? That Angelina..." Before Gatoris could finish, she blinked, and her aquamarine eyes turned blue. Gatoris was a loss for words, so he sat down next to her, and began to kiss her. "I do not deserve a friend like you..." Aerith surprised the hell out of him with her next comment: "Do you think that you deserve a wife like me?" Gatoris was taken aback. "Wha? You mean... you want to... spend the rest of your life with loser like me?" (Apparently, he was thinking as Garrett.) Suddenly, Angelina’s voice came out of Aerith. "I wouldn’t have it any other way..." Gatoris would have cried, but he had run out of tears. "All I care about is if you are happy, Angie..." "... That’s how I want it." "All right, I need to do something before we marry, though." Gatoris explained. "I have to invite the person who set this up, which means..." Aerith came back through. "You would do that for me?" "Yeah, and I owe her one for choosing me to look after her daughter..." "It was not her choice alone... She had help from someone you knew..." Gatoris drew a blank. Who could Aerith be referring to? "You’ll need to see her anyway. She will help you raise my mother." Gatoris was getting extremely confused. Who the hell did he know that had that type of power when he was Garrett? "No need to rack your brain, honey. Here’s her address." Aerith handed him a slip of paper that said one thing: Junon Inn, Room 17. Gatoris looked at his watch. It was exactly high noon. He could make Junon by nightfall. "You want that I walk you home, Aerith?" Gatoris said, being considerate of her. "No need. I learned to teleport like you do. I still prefer walking..." Aerith was pondering. "You sure? We may not have a moment like this for a long time..." Love had taken over Gatoris. He wanted to be with Aerith, no matter what happened. Unfortunately for him, there was internal turmoil. Garrett, it seemed, did not WANT to be with Angelina..., at least not like this. Gatoris took note, in case this caused an inner conflict later on. As Aerith exited the cave, Gatoris picked her up and began to carry her. Aerith was a bit confused. "I am just making sure you don’t twist an ankle or anything..." Gatoris had a semi-vacant look in his eyes. He walked the whole distance back to his castle, carrying her in his arms. When they got there, it was almost midnight, too late to head to Junon.

The next day, Gatoris got up early. He had a promise to keep. Aerith was not up yet, so he left a note and kissed her on the forehead. Gatoris wanted to get this over with, so he teleported to Junon, right in front of the inn. He went up to room 17, and knocked on the door. A woman spoke up. "Gatoris... I know what you want..." Gatoris was speechless. How did she know? "But, I need you to do one thing to prove that you are worthy. You must bring me Sephiroth!" Gatoris was confused. Why Sephiroth? "I have an ability to give him, but he is difficult to find..." Gatoris, desperate to get this done, went to find Sephiroth. The woman pondered if he would succeed in his quest.

Gatoris had an idea where Sephiroth might go to cleanse his soul: back to the crater. On the walk down, he saw a lot of discarded knives left by the tonberries that had guarded Sephiroth as their master. Other than that, the journey to the center of the planet was uneventful, to say the least. When he got there, Gatoris realized he had been correct. Sephiroth was sitting in the middle of a pool of the Lifestream. He seemed to not be aware of anything... perhaps he was exploring his inner self? Gatoris waited for a few hours, then suddenly Sephiroth stood up. "Gatoris. I thank you... you let me find my human side." Gatoris stated something. "You realize that statement can REALLY be taken out of context..." Sephiroth ignored the correction. "What brings you to me?" "A woman told me that she had an ability to give you.." Gatoris spoke. "Oh, you mean Jupiter. Yeah, she told me before I saw you the other day. So, she ready for me?" Any other time, Gatoris would have known who Sephiroth was talking about, but Garrett’s mind was thinking only of Angelina at that point. "I guess. I have a favor I need to ask her to do, but she said that she would only do it if I brought you to her..." "So, you two going to go through with it then?" This remark made Gatoris think. Why must Ifalna tell EVERYONE what he thinks? "Yeah. Did Ifalna tell you what else happened?" Sephiroth was toweling off the Lifestream. "Yes. I thought Garrett would be happy, but I sense he is displeased..." Garrett chose this time to make his presence known. "You damn right I am not happy! I love Angie and all, but I am not thrilled with the idea she tried to kill herself to be with me! She had a boyfriend, for God’s sake!" Sephiroth blinked. His usually green eyes had become a dull brown... just like Jason’s. "Chill out, Garrett! You were the better man, so she was trying to show you..." Garrett was about to explode. "How, Jason? By killing herself? By shutting the rest of the world off from her beauty forever? That is the LAST thing I wanted for her! And by the way, nice going, baka..." "She loved you so much... she wanted to be with you, even when she was with me..." Jason was trying to comfort him. Garrett was crying. "No, you idiot! She TOLD me that she loved you more than me... that she would rather be with you!" Jason was in just a foul of a mood as Garrett. "No, she was afraid to admit it, but she loved you as much as me... if not more. She stayed with me, because she did not want to break both our hearts. She knew what would have happened if she tried to leave me for you..." "Baka yaro! She loved you, then you killed yourself! She would have forgiven you, no matter what you had done!" Garrett was crying a puddle into the Lifestream. Jason ignored him. "She loved you more than I can even tell you... Ara, how she loved you. I just went with her to make her happy..." Garrett was still unhappy. "..nice job, onore..." Jason made one more plea to Garrett to believe him. "Do you see her ring anywhere in my possession? Anything dear to us followed us in this dimension, so I should have it if she truly loved me more..." Garrett remembered how he found his wallet with her picture, then looked at Jason. He looked in his pockets, and he had no ring. "Dame! You have told me enough..." Garrett had stopped being hostile toward Jason. "...still I am not happy that she tried something like that." Sephiroth returned to prominence. "Listen, we could argue this all day, and we’ll never get anywhere... Let’s just go to Jupiter’s Apartment..." Gatoris returned as well, and he was crying. "Daijoubu, we need to get going and get it over with..." Both men left the crater and returned to the Junon Inn. Jupiter opened the door, and it finally dawned on Gatoris who it was...

Chapter Three: Life’s Roller Coaster

Part I: Final Takeoff

Gatoris’ jaw hit the floor. "Jupiter-san? You? What are you doing here?" The girl he was referring to was an online acquaintance he had in his former life. This was the first time he ever saw her in person since he died. She was an average-sized woman, long lavender hair, green eyes that sparkled, and wearing a green dress. "I was taking a vacation from my Senshi of Life duties, until Ifalna told me what was happening..." Ifalna, Gatoris thought, she has got to tell everyone... "I heard that!" A voice came from the air. She was watching them... "Sorry..." Gatoris was embarrassed. "I know what you want, Gatoris. You want to revive Ifalna so she can be at your wedding. I have one problem..." Gatoris knew what it was: "We don’t know where the body is..." Sephiroth butted in. "Wait! I remember hearing of a cold-storage area in the Shinra building here..." Upon hearing this, Gatoris got a mental image. He saw a cylindrical case, holding a body. He peered closer... It was what he didn’t want to see, but he needed to. "I think I can find her body!" Gatoris blurted out. Jupiter was puzzled. "I just had a vision of where it is. Follow me!"

Two Shinra soldiers were guarding the entrance to a restricted area in Junon. They had no clue what they were guarding. They were playing chess, not making a sound. All of a sudden, one saw Sephiroth out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, SHIT! We’re screwed, Wedge. Here comes Sephiroth!" One screamed. "Listen, Biggs, we always die like this. So don’t make a big deal of it." Proclaimed the one called "Wedge". Sephiroth stopped at the gate. "Let me in!" he yelled. Biggs and Wedge got in defensive stances, awaiting their next deaths... "He won’t kill you..." a voice said. The two men looked behind Sephiroth and saw Gatoris. "President Tonberry!" they both proclaimed. Gatoris became puzzled. "The company chose you as their next president. They wanted a fresh, clean image..." Sephiroth had to explain. Gatoris ignored this. "Just let us in, or I’ll dock your pay!" The guards promptly opened the doors. Sephiroth, Jupiter and Gatoris were stepping into the most horrid secret of the Shinra empire. What they did with their enemies after they died was appalling: they put them in a cryogenic freeze.

Gatoris remembered seeing a number on the capsule in his image. He looked at the rows and rows of bodies. The place was creeping out everyone. Gatoris kept going, knowing he owed this to Ifalna. After a long search, Gatoris found the right one. he booted up the computer, and had it ‘defrost’ her. When it was complete, they saw how thorough the preservation techniques were. It looked like Ifalna’s death was only yesterday... "Get on with it, Jupiter. This place freaks me out." Gatoris said. Jupiter just nodded and said a few words. A light began to envelop her. The light then grew to cover her body and Ifalna’s. After a few minutes, the Ifalna began to move. It had worked. Ifalna was alive and walking. "Thank you, Gatoris. I know the reason you did this, but you owed me nothing. it was not my idea to use you..." Gatoris’ brain started to work again. "...Let me guess, Jupiter here suggested me and you went with that." Ifalna nodded. Garrett’s rage could not be contained. He turned to the Senshi of life and gave her a stern look. "Well, thanks a lot, Jupiter... I bet bringing Angie here was your idea too..." Jupiter seemed scared, too scared to speak. She just nodded. Garrett had heard enough. He stormed off, leaving the others in that scary place.

Ifalna was puzzled. "I thought he loved Angelina... Why does he act like he does not want to be with her?" Jason spoke up. "It’s got to be the circumstances involving their meeting... The fact that she tried to kill herself to join him has to be eating him alive. He’s blaming himself..." Jupiter was her cherry, optimistic self, as usual. "He’ll get over it after they get married." "Hate to break it to you like this," Jason butted in, "but I’ve seen him like this before. He’s had so much tragedy in his life, he has learned to shut out the world when it happens. I am worried that this time, it may push him over the edge, literally..." All three were worried. Had this incident pushed him too far?

Gatoris was at the cliff where he had said good-bye to Angelina earlier. He looked to the bottom, where it met the sea. Perfect, he thought, to end this curse called life. Before he could do anything, Aerith began to run to him. "NO! Why are you doing this, Gatoris?" "I... I can’t live with this blood on my hands..." He was trembling. "What blood?" Aerith was confused. "It is my fault that Angelina died..." "I told you, I am still alive!" Angelina made herself known. "Yes, but you are no longer the Angelina Bradford I knew... An incomplete person... And it is all because of me... I wish I had never seen you in my life..." Angelina was crying. "No... I came this far, just to have you taken from me again?" "I thought you loved Jason!" Garrett was becoming annoyed. "I did... but secretly, I loved you more. I just never had enough courage to say so." Angelina was pleading with him. Garrett became stone-faced all of a sudden. "I have learned one thing in my life. Love is an emotion for weak fools." Angelina was still crying. "If that is so, I am proud to be a weak fool than a strong fighter." Garrett seemed not to care anymore. "I tire of this life anyway. I wonder what the next one will bring." With that, he jumped off the cliff. He also unexpectedly jumped into a portal. Angelina just kept crying.

Part II: Turbulence

When Gatoris landed, he was on a beach. He had survived the fall, but had broken his legs. He tried to crawl into the ocean, but a man stopped him. Without saying a word, he hit Gatoris with a diving helmet, and he was out.

After Gatoris came to, he tried to figure out where the hell he was. He knew he was alive, and he was not happy about it. It was racking his brain when he suddenly heard the most beautiful music coming from another room. The tune sounded familiar, but he could not place it. Gatoris remembered he broke his legs, but tried to get up. Somehow, they had healed. He still had a limp, however. He walked in the direction of the music. He came into the main room, from where the music came from. There was a moogle playing piano, and a woman singing. The moogle abruptly stopped when he saw Gatoris at the doorway. "You seem to have recovered, kupo." Gatoris had just about figured out where he was. The woman turned around. She looked like a former soldier or mercenary. Gatoris finally figured out where he landed. "I didn’t know Mog could play the piano..." Gatoris kept staring at the woman. Then a man stepped in front of her. "I know what you’re thinking, Tonberry..." Gatoris was taken by surprise. "I wasn’t thinking of anything, Locke. I have no reason love..." Locke seemed puzzled. "I was going to say I was a treasure hunter, but I am worried about you. Why do you say you have no reason to love?" Gatoris showed no emotion. "Those I love are cursed to suffer horrible fates." The woman then butted in. "It’s not your fault that she tried to commit suicide." "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Celes, but that won’t help. If I hadn’t come to this dimension in the first place..." Gatoris was crying again. He rushed to the exit. "Nice going, honey..." Locke said mockingly to Celes. "Now he’s going to try again for sure! Remember what Aerith said..." "Yeah, he needs to live..." replied Celes.

Gatoris decided to try again, when a figure appeared. "Shadow... there’s nothing you can do to save me." Shadow stepped into the light. "I don’t go by that name anymore. And I am not here to save you." Gatoris was puzzled. "There’s an easier way... Remember the Phantom Train?" Gatoris had forgot about it, the train that takes the dead to the other side. "Thank you, Clyde. I can now rest in peace...." Gatoris sped off in the direction of the Phantom Forest. Relm looked up at her father. "Why’d you tell him that?" "There is a surprise there if he tries it..." Clyde explained.

Gatoris boarded the train and took a seat. Finally, he thought, all of my pain will be over. Not three seconds after he thought that, he became unconscious. He was in his own mind... he had to overcome his demons before the train made its trip. He appeared in a field near his hometown of Deadwood, Indiana. He was viewing his house. Why must I see this shit, Gatoris thought to himself. Suddenly, another figure popped out of the field. "It’s to show you why you must live." "How? In this realm, I’m already dead!" Gatoris was confused. "You needed a starting point. Follow me," the figure motioned. They stepped into a field north of Castle Tonberry. Gatoris was unfazed. Then the figure pointed to something that made him think. There was an odd flag flying over the castle. It was Elmdor’s flag. "So, that is for Gatoris... They can get another soul to control him. I am dying for Garrett Mackenzie. This has nothing to do with him..." Seeing that Garrett wasn’t understanding, the figure showed him to a hospital. The two stepped into a room. There was a beautiful young girl in the bed. The sight of her made him cry. It was Angelina in the bed. "She’s been in a coma since she tried to do herself in. She and Aerith are now intertwined. If Aerith is upset, she feels it. You get the idea." The figure stated. Garrett was kneeled by her bed, crying. "I’d give anything to make her well... I’d give my soul...anything..." "That much is not needed. She will snap out of it when you marry Aerith." Garrett’s face became flushed of all color. "Great. I’m stuck on this train going to god knows where..." "Not really... The train was an illusion. You are on the tracks." Gatoris looked down. The figure was right. "Why did you help me?" Gatoris asked the figure. "You know that part of you that does not want anything bad to happen to Aerith? Well, that’s me..." he stepped out of the shadows to briefly reveal himself. All Gatoris saw was the black, spiked hair.

"I knew it was you, Zack..." Garrett had figured out who it was. "I know you loved Aerith. But, no matter how much I love Angie, it just does not feel right to marry her. It seems like I am rewarding her for trying to kill herself." Zack walked up to Garrett and slapped him. "Snap out of it! What’s done cannot be undone. Just be happy that she is with you in this dimension." "I would..." Garrett began to reply, "..but what I just did cannot be forgiven. I pushed her away from me when I needed her the most. Damn, now I feel like Vincent..." Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. "Who says she won’t forgive you?" Ifalna had followed him to this place. "Remember what you told Jason? ‘She’d forgive you, no matter what you had done,’ I think were your words." "That was one thing..." Garrett was still upset. "This is a whole different matter. I hurt her, much worse than Jason ever did. I deserve to die..." Ifalna and Zack glared for a moment. "...but I do not want to hurt her further. Let’s get this crap over with." Gatoris feigned a smile. Zack disappeared, while Ifalna and Gatoris walked off to find an indirect portal to his realm. (The direct route would just continue his fall.)

"If my calculations are right, this is the portal to Goku’s realm from here." Ifalna stated, pointing at the portal. "You can find the portal back to your dimension from there." Gatoris, apparently forgetting the last portal debacle that she got him in, jumped in blindly. Ifalna quickly double-checked her calculations. Oops, she thought. That was actually Final Fantasy 5, non-stop to Sailor Moon’s dimension.

Part III: Rough Landing

Butz, Lenna and Faris were around a campfire. All of a sudden, they saw something falling form the sky. Oh great, Butz thought, another meteor. Lenna saw what the object was. "It’s a person falling!" All present grimaced when they thought what would happen to that person when they landed. "Looks like it’s... Gatoris?!?" Butz interjected. They saw him fly into a cloud, and disappear. Cara jumped out the tent, wearing a Sailor Moon costume. "What just happened?" "Uh... Isn’t Halloween in a few weeks?" Butz asked. "So? I just wanted to see how you liked my costume." Cara seemed moody. "Yeah, it looks great, Sailor Cara!" Lenna laughed. Everybody forgot about the person falling from the sky.

Gatoris saw what was about to happen. He was about to fall about five more stories before he hit the pavement. he crossed his arms and cleared his mind of all thoughts, save one. He figured if he thought about seeing Angelina again, he’ll survive the pain he was about to receive. He smashed into the top of a bus, and blacked out.

Meanwhile, Serena just so happened by at the time. She saw was happening, but couldn’t do anything until he landed. Unfortunately for her, he was heading straight at her. The two bodies collided, and both were sent to the hospital.

Gatoris woke up in a local hospital. His vision was blurry for a second, but he could see some woman was standing over him. The first thing he thought was it better not be Serena. His vision finally came back. He had never been happier to see anyone... ever. "Gatoris, you all right?" she said. He noticed his left leg was in a cast, as well as his left hand. "I’ve been better, Aerith, but at least the both of us are alive." "Good. I knew you would live..." Gatoris was puzzled. "... I knew about that portal, so I told Locke and Celes ahead of time. You see, I knew you loved me too much to do it..." Angelina was speaking again. "And by the way, I forgive you for what you did. I know the tragedy in your life. I probably would have done the same thing if I had that much grief in my life..." "Actually, you did... but that was your choice. I do not fully approve, but if you are happy with it..." Garrett said this with a heavy heart and a bit lip. "No, not really... but I felt since the first day I met you, we were meant to be with each other..." Garrett was more puzzled than usual. She then said something that confused him to great extent: "Think Xenogears." "Never mind that. I just want out of here so we can get this crap over with." Garrett screamed. "Good, then I got here at the right time." Jupiter entered the room. "I didn’t realize I was going to be a baby-sitter," she said with her usual smile. "I didn’t realize that I would be doing crap like this..." Gatoris said solemnly. "Just heal my leg. I can wait on the hand." "...which is good, seeing how reviving Ifalna took a lot of energy. I have enough to heal your leg, and that’s about it." Jupiter explained. She bent over him and put her hands over his leg. Gatoris felt a warm feeling surround his body. he felt that he could move his leg now, so he broke the cast off with his sword. (It’s always handy...) "Let’s go, Aerith... I think we have an event to plan..." Gatoris said with a smile. The three left the Hospital, not even realizing that Serena was in it with two broken legs.

Part IV: Unexpected Events...

Gatoris (and Garrett for that matter) had never been happier in his entire life. He was set to marry a beautiful woman he loved with all his heart. He had to plan who he would invite, though. He thought of who he could invite that Aerith would not have already invited. In the process of this, Aerith came into the room. "Gatoris, I think I’ll stay at my mother’s for a week while I plan things out. You all right with that?" Gatoris nodded. "If you feel that it would help, go ahead." She left for Icicle Inn with Ifalna, leaving Gatoris virtually alone for a while.

At about the same time, Yuffie had received a strange present. It looked like a Pokéball, but it was made of pure gold. She opened it to see what was inside, and she saw a brilliant white flash. If she had only known what she had unleashed. A little yellow mouse proceeded to pop out of the orb and chant something. Yuffie was mesmerized by the yellow furball. It then suddenly let out with a loud sound... something that sounded like ‘chu’... and shot a blue thunderbolt at her. Yuffie blacked out, and the mouse disappeared.

Gatoris began to think of his list of people. He would pretty much have to invite those not in his dimension. Let’s see, he thought. There’s Locke, Celes, Terra, Edgar, and the others form that dimension. Also, there is Goku and his clan... This thought was interrupted by the door. Gatoris, seemingly the only one around, opened it. It was Yuffie, but she looked... odd (kind of like Gozer from Ghostbusters). Her hair was blonde with black stripes. Her eyes were almost totally black. And her ears seemed a bit pointy. Her voice also sounded odd. Kind of stereo in sound. "The master wants you..." Gatoris was unaware what was going on. "Who, Hojo again?" "No, you fool. Not that stupid underling. The TRUE master wants your body. With the strength of it, he could rule dimensions!" Gatoris was stumped. "Who’s the master? Sounds like another loser to me." "You dare insult the great Pikachu? You shall die, you insolent pest!" Pikachu??? Gatoris was about to faint. All of Hojo’s plans were to appease Pikachu? Now he was about see Pikachu’s true power? Not shortly after this thought, a blue beam was shot at Gatoris, and he blacked out.

Chapter Four: The Memory Remains...

Part I: Days of the Maijn

When Gatoris awakened, he noticed he could not move his body. He was about to scream, but he was unable to do even this. He could see and hear what was going on. Suddenly, he was moving... but how? He walked to a mirror and saw a horrid sight. His hair was black with blonde streaks, his eyes were a blood red, and he had fangs. "Heh. This is cool..." a demonic voice emanated form his mouth. Gatoris finally realized what happened: Pikachu had possessed Yuffie, and she had fused with him. Gatoris was becoming enraged. He finally regained speech. "What to you want from me, Pikachu?" Pikachu just laughed. "You were always right. I AM evil... I was taking you out of circulation. That, and I hungered for your power..." proclaimed the monster. Gatoris tried to escape from this new body, but was unsuccessful. "You cannot win, Gatoris. I am in control now..." Pikachu stated. With this, he started chanting. Gatoris was then sealed within him, unable to do anything but observe the carnage that would unfold.

The new being flew into Serena’s dimension, determined to find a victim. He found one at the hospital. He walked in the hospital, and turned lights off. "Gatoris, I can sense that’s you..." said Luna. He did not acknowledge the cat. He walked to the bed and looked grimly at the woman in it. "Gatoris, you cane to visit me. How ni..." Serena could not finish the sentence before the lights came on, revealing ‘Gatoris’. She screamed at the top of her lungs. ‘Gatoris’ held her up by her shirt and began to speak. "Gatoris is no more. There is only Maijn Tonberry." Serena trembled with fear. Maijn turned the lights off again, and closed the door. No one should have to bear witness to the pummeling that Serena had to endure. When the doctors finally heard her screams, they rushed into the room. All that was left of the room was Serena, laying in a pool of her own blood. Maijn had beaten her to a messy pulp.

Gatoris was disgusted by this sight, and tried to vomit. He had forgot he could do nothing... "Come on, admit it. You wanted to do it the first time you saw her." Maijn was trying to anger Gatoris, unlocking his true power. "No, I did not. Though I do not like her, I don’t hurt people when it is not needed." "Great. I get stuck with a Gatoris who found inner peace..." Maijn was getting furious himself. "Perhaps there is someone that I can kill that will make you angry... I got it!" Maijn Tonberry then flew into a portal to Goku’s dimension.

Behind the Son house, Goku, Gohan and Vegeta were sparring. Gohan had decided to try a new chi blast he had discovered. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the sky that looked familiar to the heroes. "Gatoris, glad you could join us!" Gohan blurted out. Maijn was smug. "You insolent runt. You do not understand who I am... I am Maijn Tonberry, the most powerful and evil being there is." Maijn introduced himself. "Nice try, but you ain’t no Frieza..." Goku had to comment. Maijn retorted with a Kamehameha directly at Goku. Goku managed to dodge. Vegeta began to charge up for his Gallick Gun attack. Maijn caught this from the corner of his eye. He gestured, and a boulder began to rise. He levitated the rock over Vegeta’s head. "You want it the easy way, or you want to die like a warrior?" Gohan snuck up behind Maijn and blasted him with his new attack. He was unfazed. "Imputent fool... You will die for that." Maijn grabbed Gohan and started to sink his teeth into his neck. Gatoris intervened. He somehow regained enough control to stop from biting Gohan. "Let go, Maijn..." Gatoris spoke. Gohan was confused. Maijn tried again, but was stopped before his fangs were sunk into Gohan’s neck. "Dammit, you are still not angry enough." Maijn proclaimed. "There is only one death that will cause you to unlock all your power... Yes, she’ll do fine as a victim..." Maijn grinned evilly. Gatoris’ heart sank. Damn, not her, he thought. Before he knew it, he was speeding off to Ifalna’s house.

Gatoris began to search his mind for a way to exit this body and save Aerith... It then dawned on him. If he became Garrett again, he would be able to escape, then the rest of Gatoris could follow suit. He began slowly and silently chanting a spell. Maijn didn’t seem to notice.

Meanwhile, at Ifalna’s house, Aerith was going through wedding plans. What kind of dress did she want? Who would cater the wedding? ...things like that. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Ifalna tried to get it first because she sensed evil nearby. Aerith beat her to it. "Gatoris! What brings you here?" Maijn was hiding his face in the shadows, and his eyes were covered by his long hair. "Just one thing..." he began to speak in Gatoris’ voice. "The wedding’s off." Aerith knew something was up. "Why? I’ve been waiting so ..." Aerith cut herself off. She could feel the nearby evil now: she was staring at it. "...Wait a minute. You’ve changed, Gatoris. There is an evil power within you." Maijn flashed his eyes. "You bet there is!" Maijn proclaimed, licking his lips. "Your weak Gatoris can’t save you now. You want to join him?" Maijn grabbed her by her dress and raised his fist. He tried to bash her skull in, but he was unable to. Someone was holding his arm back. This person was familiar to Aerith. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, an Indiana State University basketball shirt, and an unmistakable pair of glasses. "Leave Angelina alone..." he spoke. Aerith looked at the young man, and knew who he was. What is Garrett doing outside of Gatoris, she wondered... "Who are you, thinking you can stop me, punk?" Maijn was angered. "Name’s Garrett. I got sick of viewing what you were doing. You wanted to know what happens when Gatoris is pushed over the edge. This is it. Prepare to feel my wrath." Unexpectedly, another man appeared. He was taller and thinner, and brandishing a katana. "I thought the same thing, Garrett." Only Garrett knew who this man was. He was a online friend he once had. He knew his name was Emmanuel. But what was he doing here? "Two things. One, call me Broly. I like that name better. Second, I’ll tell you later why I’m here..." Broly spoke. Maijn grew furious. "What’s next, people popping out of someone’s stomach?" Not soon after he asked that, a body was appearing to go out of Maijn. After the exit, Maijn was no more. There was the possessed Yuffie, and Gatoris being headed by Zack. "Fools! I still can kill you all!" the ‘Yuffie-chu’ remarked. Out of nowhere, Gohan entered the fray. He blasted the beast with a strong Kamehameha, and it collapsed. Then, the two grew apart in a flash of blue. A weakened Yuffie lay next to a dead Pikachu.

"Thank god... The world is now safer..." Ifalna exclaimed. "Emmanuel... I mean Broly, Why ARE you here?" Garrett was curious. "Well you know that I liked to get into fights. Well, I got into one, and I got clubbed in the head. It put me into a coma..." "And part of you winded up in this dimension. I know the story. Why did I have to DIE to become Gatoris?" Garrett was crying. "Fate, I guess..." Broly was attempting to cheer his comrade. "I never believed in fate. It was my philosophy to take what the day gave you." Garrett run off. "I got a bad feeling about this..." Broly stated. "...he’ll live..." was all Ifalna muttered. "Come on, Aerith. I have something I need to show you." Mother and daughter promptly walked into the house.

Part II: Turn the Page

Gatoris walked back toward the cliff he jumped off of earlier. He was determined to do it right this time. He was, until he saw someone at the top. "I can’t believe that you are trying this again..." Jupiter’s usually cherry mood was gone, replaced with one of concern. "You have to realize that this has been your destiny since the beginning." "Well, I want it over real fast, then." Garrett was not in a happy mood. "You were going to die, Gatoris or not. That was your fate. I though you deserved another chance to live." Jupiter was stating the facts that Garrett didn’t care about. "That’s not the thing that gets me... It’s the fact that Angie was dragged into this. I don’t think I properly thanked you." Garrett was on the verge of breaking down in tears. "I suggested it, but I figured she’d stay. I never saw a person more devoted to another." "LIES!" Garrett screamed, as he rushed to Jupiter. "She didn’t love me! She was in love with Jason!" "In that life, yes... But not in previous lives." These words puzzled Garrett. "Apparently, you hadn’t been able to figure out what she meant by Xenogears. It was a reference to the fact that you were together in past lives. A recent one, in fact..." Garrett still had no clue what Jupiter was talking about. "Follow me..." she said, as she jumped into a red portal. Garrett followed suit.

Garrett knew where they had landed. They had landed on the campus of Indiana State University. He had no clue why. "Why are we at Indiana State University, Jupiter?" "It’s not a university yet..." replied Jupiter. This was rather cryptic. "You mean we went back in time?" Garrett had his usual puzzled look. "Kind of. I’m just showing you the past. The year is 1952. It’s still Indiana State Teacher’s College." "What does that have to do with me?" "Watch that man," Jupiter said, pointing to a man running to a building. He was trying to get in from the rain. Garrett knew the building well: It was Tirey Hall, on the south side of campus. The man ran into the stone entryway of the hall. He seemed to be waiting for something or someone. Suddenly, a woman wearing an elegant dress ran into the same area. Jupiter then took Garrett closer to hear them.

"Hello there, madam..." the male greeted the woman. "Are you all right?" Garrett sensed something in the voice. It seemed like... HIS. Upon closer look, the man looked a lot like him too. "Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for asking though, mister..." Garrett was stunned by the woman. She looked and sounded exactly like Angelina... "Smith. Gary Smith. And you are?" he replied. "I’m Amy Clark. Nice to meet you." Garrett was stunned yet again. That was the name of Angelina’s great aunt. "What, may I ask, is a beautiful woman like yourself doing here?" Gary asked. "A few friends of mine set me up with a mystery man, and I am supposed to meet him here. While we are on the subject... What brings you here?" Amy spoke. "About the same thing.... You don’t suppose..." Gary stuttered. Amy looked Gary over. "I believe so. Shall we go?" The two left. "I do not see what the hell that had to do with me..." Garrett proclaimed. "That was one of your past lives. You have been pretty much the same for centuries." Garrett started to understand. "And that woman... Is it who I think it is?" "Yes it is," said a voice behind Garrett. Angelina hugged Garrett. "Ifalna filled me in. We’ve been in love with each other since the beginning of time. It just has never worked out. Such as them," she said, referring to Amy and Gary. "They died in a car wreck in the rain... the night they met." Garrett froze. "You mean it was my fault they died?" "No. He lost control of his car, and it flipped over..." Angie tried to explain. "...meaning it was my fault. I bet all of our past lives were like that." Garrett had no color in his face. "I think it’s best that we never see each other, ever again. Not in this life, not in any life." Jupiter was just about fed up with Garrett’s self-blame. She went up to him and punched him in the face. "I’m getting sick of this. I’m trying to show you the love you two have had through the years, and all you can do is blame yourself for everything that went wrong!" This was the first time anyone had seen Jupiter even remotely upset. "Do whatever the hell you want, Garrett Mackenzie, because I wash may hands of you..." After saying this, she disappeared back into the portal. Angelina was speechless. She just walked back into the portal, as well. This left Garrett alone, save his inner demons.

"You’re right..." a voice said behind Garrett, "...you are worthless and a hazard to her. You did right." Garrett looked behind him, and saw no one. Was he losing his sanity? "Garrett, you fool! Quit being so stubborn!" Another voice came from nowhere. "She loves you, and you push her away like that? Just because your past encounters were bad?" Garrett could not take much more. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. "It wasn’t your fault that Angie died in your past lives..." Great, Garrett thought. Ifalna is going to make an attempt to make me happy... "In fact, you tried your best to save her. I’ve seen some of the things you did to save her, and I am surprised at your courage." "But still, it was in a roundabout way that I caused her death..." Garrett was sitting on the floor, squirming. Ifalna was getting agitated with Garrett as well. She went up to him and slapped him around. "It was not your fault! It was never your fault! Get off your sorry-ass ‘blame me for it all’ attitude, and listen to me! I have something to show you." Ifalna grabbed Garrett by the arm and went through another portal.

The two landed on a country road in Vigo County, Indiana. Circa 1952. There had just been an accident involving a car . Garrett could see a man crawling from the wreckage. He was holding an unconscious woman. Both were bleeding badly. The man proceeded to carry the woman down the road, to the nearest house. "You paying attention?" Ifalna seemed to have calmed down. Garrett was unable to answer. He could not take his eyes away form what was going on. After about a half mile, the man knocked on the house’s door. A man opened the door. "Help her... She’s badly hurt." was all the bleeding man could say before he collapsed. The person at the door rushed to the phone and called for an ambulance. The couple was rushed to the hospital. The man was dead before he got there, but the woman somehow survived. She was hospitalized for a month. Her wounds would not heal, for she had lost the will to live. She died in the hospital on Christmas Day. "You realize who those two were?" Ifalna asked. Garrett was white as a ghost. He knew, all right... That was Gary and Amy. Garrett could not believe he would sacrifice himself like that... "I take it you know." Ifalna began to explain. "You have always put her before anything else, even your own life. Understand now why you were meant to be together?" Garrett just nodded. He was still in semi-catatonic state from what he just saw. "She’ll never take me back, though..." "Says who?" Angelina had been watching as well. The two met each other an hugged. "You ready to go?" Ifalna inquired. "No. If it’s not too much to ask, may I go somewhere?" "Sure, go ahead. Where you want to go?" "I want to go where they were buried, circa 1999." Ifalna was puzzled, but she granted the request. Garrett disappeared into another portal.

He was in the middle of Highland Cemetery in Terre Haute. He looked at the gravestones in front of him. He read the names carefully. There they were: Gary Smith and Amy Clark. They had been buried side-by-side. Garrett conjured up some energy and produced some white roses. He laid some on each grave. Garrett then jumped back to wherever he had been.

Ifalna and Angelina were waiting for him. "Let’s go." he said. "I’ve been a stubborn ass for too long. It’s time to become more flexible, starting with getting married to the one I have loved forever..." Garrett’s voice trailed off as they returned to their time and dimension.

Chapter Five: Lightning Crashes

Upon their arrival back to their own dimension, Garrett immediately went back to Gatoris, and Angie to Aerith. Gatoris felt something was missing. He racked his brain for a moment, and had a faint idea what he should do. He drew a breath, and realized what he needed to do. "I must go apologize to someone..." he began. Aerith looked up. "Jupiter, right?" She seemed to know in a heartbeat. "Yeah, her." "Well, she’s probably at that cliff. There’s a portal to her home there." Aerith pointed the way for him. Gatoris disappeared.

Sure enough, Jupiter was at the cliff, bags packed. She was about ready to step into a portal when Gatoris appeared in front of her. "Leaving so soon?" he greeted her. She was still in a foul mood. "Yes... I have had enough of this. You are too thick-headed to realize what is meant to be!" She was yelling at Gatoris. "...then I guess you don’t want an invite to the wedding..." he said with a smile. "Of course not! You... wedding!?! You mean you finally got it?" She was on the verge of tears. "Now, now, Almathea.... No need to cry. You blowing your top helped me out." Gatoris complimented. Jupiter looked up, confused. "You... you just called me Almathea. I have not gone by that name in at least 2000 years. How did you know it?" Gatoris was now puzzled, as well. "I don’t honestly know. It just seemed to be natural. Sorry if I brought something up." I remember when I was Princess Chastity, Jupiter began to think, there was a Garret who took care of me and called me that... He acted the same way, too. Could HE be the same one? Nah, that’s impossible. She looked at him. "No, you didn’t. Come on, let’s get back. Angie’s probably worried sick." "Impossible," he stated. "I teleported here, so I haven’t been gone that long." "Whatever. I just need to get someplace and sit down. I think she may need help with the wedding plans, right?" Jupiter said, smiling again. "Let’s just go." Gatoris and Jupiter walked back to the castle, even though they knew that they had left Aerith back at Ifalna’s house. However, she was back at the castle, waiting. "I was afraid that he’d miss you." "Nah", Jupiter replied, "he had time to spare. My bags are heavy, so it slowed me down." "Speaking of which..." Gatoris was bringing up the rear, carrying the bags. "You want to stay here? It’s cheaper than the hotel, and that way if either of us need you..." He wasn’t even able to finish before she accepted his hospitality. "That enthusiasm reminds me of something I need to do. I don not know when I’ll be back. This may take a while..." With that, Gatoris flew off without an explanation. Aerith looked confused. Jupiter knew what was going on, though. "Serena," she spoke. "He is going to apologize for Maijn’s attacking her. The way he was acting, he also seemed like he wanted to heal her wounds... I didn’t know he HAD that power..."

Gatoris landed in front of Serena’s door. Darien opened it... reluctantly. "I don’t think this is wise..." Was all he could say before they heard a scream from behind him. Gatoris peeked in, and saw Serena lying on a couch, in traction, and panicking at the sight of him. He figured that would happen. "Calm down! I came to apologize, even though that won’t help anything..." She gazed into his eyes. This was not the same man who had tried to kill her the previous day. He seemed changed. "... but I know something that will. Perhaps if I tried to heal you..." Serena just looked at him. She was speechless. Gatoris kneeled beside her, and put his hands over her. He began to chant something that seemed to make no sense, but it was soothing at the same time. A warm glow filled the room. Serena could feel her body healing at an intense rate. She knew with the extent of her injuries, this may be too much for Gatoris to deal with. She said something about it, but he just ignored it. Approximately six minutes later, Serena was healthy and healed. The same could not be said for Gatoris. He had drained himself to the point of extreme exhaustion. He collapsed on the floor, narrowly missing Luna.

"Surprising," Aerith seemed to say without provocation, "I didn’t realize he would go that far to make up for something he did wrong..." Jupiter looked at her like something was wrong. "You sensing something from him? How?" "Oh, it seems ever since I discovered my past lives, I am able to sense what he does." This is unusual, Jupiter thought to herself again. Do these two have THAT strong of a bond? "He’ll be fine. He just needs rest." Aerith added. "Yeah, that is just like I am." Jupiter had too many thoughts running through her mind, so she stepped outside to get fresh air.

"You think he’ll be okay?" Darien asked. "Don’t be silly. Of course he will! He just needs time to rest and regain his strength." replied a newly-rejuvenated Serena. Without warning, he stirred. He put his hand into his jeans pockets, and produced two rubber balls. "So THAT’S where they went!" Serena had lost the balls out of her hair when Maijn attacked her. She grabbed them and rushed into the bathroom to fix her hair. Gatoris opened his eyes. "Any better?" Darien asked. "Better..." He said weakly. "There is a faster way for me to recover. Take me back to my castle, please..." Darien helped Gatoris out the door, and into the gateway. He did not need to go to his castle: Aerith was waiting for him. She thanked Darien for helping him out, and he left. "You need someone to watch you when you are in the Lifestream." She told him. Gatoris was puzzled. Since when has she been able to read minds? "Not just any mind, yours..." She added to that thought. "Just get me there, and we’ll talk later." Gatoris was not doing any good standing there. The two walked to the remains of Mideel to begin his healing.

Both people sat in the pool of Lifestream, as if it was a spa. Gatoris could feel his power coming back again. He was comfortable in this pool. Suddenly, Angie surprised Garrett with a question. "You think we will finally get it right?" "Of course! I have a little faith left..." Garrett sounded confident, which was unusual. "Why? You worried about something?" "Yes I am." Angie explained. "Ever since I started planning, I keep getting visions. Visions of your death at the wedding. I... I can remember it in detail. Hojo shows up, and goes nuts. I hear a gun blasts, and see you fall over..." Angie’s face turned pale. "Not to worry. Hojo was Pikachu’s toady. He cannot act alone." Garrett was slightly worried, but he was hiding it well. "Let’s get back before someone thinks we’re up to something..." With that, Gatoris hopped out the pool, and carried Aerith back to the castle.

They ran into Sephiroth on the way back. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind. "I have somewhere I have to go, Gatoris. I thought like I should tell you before I wandered off." Gatoris nodded, and he left. "What was that about?" Aerith asked. Gatoris gave an odd response: "His mother is calling him."

Back at the castle, Jupiter was still deep in thought. How did he know my nickname? Why was he so familiar? Suddenly, it came to her. All 2000 years of lost memories returned in a flash. It WAS him. No wonder he was familiar...

"Jupiter, we’re back!" Gatoris yelled out in the hallway. She came rushing in. "I remember now!" she proclaimed. "I didn’t realize you had forgot anything..." Aerith said. "I guess you forgot the accident I had the last time. When I made it to your previous dimension, I was hit by a car, and I lost most of my memories." Gatoris faintly remembered. "I think I got it now. You remember that you have been following me throughout time and space." "Yeah," Jupiter said, playing with her lavender hair. "I could never remember why, though. I remember why now. I also know how you knew my name... The three of us had a past life together." A vision suddenly hit Gatoris. It was a vision of him, Angelina, and Almathea. It looked like... a wedding. This was at least 2000 years ago. The same vision hit Aerith at the same time. "That’s it! You were our close friend in that life. You’ve been watching us since then..." Gatoris and Aerith said, almost in unison. "Yes." Jupiter replied. "I have been following you ever since. The event that spawned what I am today, killed you two. But Garrett was a quick thinker. He cast a spell on the two of you, keeping you together through the ages." "..and you two are finally going to get it right..." Ifalna surprised everyone. "See what I mean by the sacrifices you made for her? Most people would just accept death as the end of their love. But you could not see it that way. You two have a love that will continue even after this lifetime." "Deep, but I like it." Gatoris locked eyes with Aerith. "Now, what role did Jason play in all this?" "He didn’t exist until 500 years ago." Jupiter explained. "You and him used to be the same soul. He was the part of you that was pained with losing Angelina time after time. He emerged from you, and left. He did not reappear until the last time." "Odd..." was all Gatoris could say. "Well shall we plan or what?" Aerith was growing impatient. "Wait." Gatoris said. "I think we should plan a wedding for our friends..."

At that time, Cloud and Tifa were alone in his house. The others had finally gone home, except for Red XIII. They were having a candle-lit dinner. Cloud seemed unusually nervous. He was almost at a loss for words. "Tifa..." he started slowly. "I have something I want to ask..." Tifa seemed just as nervous. "Me too." Both reached for their laps and produced boxes. They saw what was about to happen, so they said nothing else. They were in love with each other. Gatoris had been right. They hugged each other for the next hour or so. It then dawned on Cloud he ought to call Gatoris.

* Long time, No Dialogue! *

Gatoris: Yeah, Cloud.

Cloud: Gatoris, you were right...

Gatoris: I knew you’d get the nerves to ask her. You’ve been waiting a long time for that moment.

* Tifa jumps in *

Tifa: You bet we have... Thanks again for everything you have done for us.

Gatoris: I had a feeling that you’d ask tonight. That’s why I told Aerith to plan for two weddings.

Tifa: You too?

Gatoris: Yes, us too. I felt I owed it to you to help out on this one.

Cloud: You don’t have to plan it for us...

Gatoris: Come on, It’ll be fun! A double ceremony! You two first, then us!

Cloud: Cool. Oh, by the way...

Gatoris: What?

Cloud: Vincent is missing his Death Penalty. You seen it?

* Gatoris begins to fret *

Gatoris: Uh... No...

Cloud: Just curious. Well, we have to go. We got plans to make for ourselves. Later!

Gatoris: Yeah, later.

* They hang up *

* That didn’t hurt, now did it? *

Gatoris started to panic. "Vincent’s gun is missing..." Aerith began to panic as well. "Oh dear. I hope that vision was a false one..." Gatoris began to think about the plans that had to be made. "Well, if it happens, it happens. At least Cloud and Tifa are happy together." At that time, it started to rain. A cold, yet refreshing rain. It seemed to make all things doused in it feel more alive. "Let’s get in before we end up with pneumonia!" Ifalna yelled. Everyone rushed in, and that was pretty much the day. About three weeks passed before plans were finalized: the weddings would be held at the castle. It was about the only place that would be able to hold all the people who would come. They would have the ceremony in the courtyard, out in the open. It was agreed that the tonberry servants would play the music. (Some of them had formed a band named ‘The Bowling Tonberries’... They were pretty good.) Now all that was needed was for the whole thing to go down.

Chapter Six: Wonderful Tonight

Part One: Lightning Crashes: The Reverb

The night before the wedding was a restless one, for both Gatoris and Aerith. Gatoris could not sleep. It’s been two thousand years, he thought to himself, since we tried this. He unexpectedly received a reply to this thought. He heard Angie’s voice within his mind: "Yes, it’s been a long time, Garrett." Wow, he thought, she knows telepathy... but since when? Again, she replied: "Since I discovered my past. You have discovered one of yours..." Garrett thought deeply. Yes, it seemed he had unlocked a power he did not realize he once had: the ability to heal like Jupiter does. But where did he get this power? Angie seemed to have all the answers. "2000 years ago, you were originally gifted with the powers. You were supposed to help the Senshi..." Garrett became puzzled. "...It was decided that you were not suited to do so. The spell you cast on us disqualified you." The spell... of course. Garrett had cast a spell to keep them united forever. If he helped the Senshi, he could not be reunited with Angie. So Almathea was picked instead. Suddenly, Aerith was in the room. "You got it now..." Gatoris looked up and smiled. "Yeah... One thing gets me, though." "What?" "I was told that if I married you, Angie would return to her former life... I’m not sure I want that now..." Angie’s eyes stared through Garrett’s soul. "Not to worry... You can have both. I will still be here, as well as alive again." Garrett was still confused. "Watch..." With that Angie emerged from Aerith, but Aerith’s eyes were still blue... just like Angie’s. This did not help Garrett at all. Then Aerith spoke in Angie’s voice. "Remember what Zack said. We are now the same person, only in different dimensions. If I live, she lives. If she is happy, I feel it." Garrett started to smile, but he cried instead. "I can’t believe it... You had this planned?" Both spoke. "Yes, we did." Aerith continued. "I am still the Angelina Bradford you loved, as she is. I will keep on here, while she returns to her other friends and family." Garrett ‘s tears began to let up. "The same old Angie... Thinking of everyone else..." "Thank you, Garrett. You probably would have done the same thing." Angie complimented. He hanged his head. "No, I would have opted to stay with you..." "Well, that would have been your choice. This is mine." "And I think you made the right one." Angie looked Garrett in the eyes. "It is time for me to return. I will always be here though." With that, the second Angie disappeared.

Meantime, in a hospital room in Terre Haute, Angelina’s mother was beginning to fall asleep from staying at her daughter’s side for countless hours. Just as she was falling asleep, she believed she saw something move. She looked at Angie, and noticed nothing but a motionless body. She tried to go back to sleep, but she began to hear a voice. It was Angie’s, and it was coming from her. She kept listening to her, hoping this meant she was coming around. Suddenly, she shouted out a name: Garrett. Her mother called for the nurses. She had finally awakened. Angie sat up in her bed. She looked at the corner of the room: there were two empty chairs. She immediately thought of them. And she cried.

"It’s all right, honey." Angelina’s mother tried to console her. "At least you are alive." "Yeah," Angie spoke. "I still miss those two..." "Those... two? Angie, you want to tell me something?" Mrs. Bradford was caught off-guard by that remark. "I was in love with both of them. Jason and Garrett. I just never had the courage to tell Garrett, though. I admired the fact he told me he loved me, even though he knew I loved Jason." "I’m just glad we didn’t lose you. Your great aunt Amy died in a similar manner. She was in love with a man, but they were in a car accident..." Mrs. Bradford was speaking of an event that Angie should not have know about. But Angie continued. "Yes. He tried to get her medical help, but he died before he got to the hospital. She was depressed, and died of her wounds." Mrs. Bradford was stunned. "How did you know that?" Angie smiled. "She’s been watching me all this time. In fact, I saw her. Grandma was right. I look exactly like her." After an hour of talk, Angelina was ready to go home.

Her car was waiting for her in the parking lot. She felt she was able to drive home, so she did. When she entered her car, there was a cassette in her stereo. It was labeled simply: To Angie, From your friends. She started to play it. It started out with Jared Stone, a classmate of hers that had a band, dedicating a song to her. "This one is for Angie. Get better soon, for all of us." It then went into the song "Lightning Crashes". When the first words came out, Angie seemed like she had just heard a voice from beyond the grave. The singer sounded like it was... Garrett! She immediately pulled over, and called Jared with her car phone. "Angie! You are OK!" was his first response. "On that tape you gave me, who did you get to sing?" Angie asked. "What do you mean? We did it as an instrumental, as a tribute to the three of you." Jared was confused. Angie played the tape. The voice was faint, but unmistakable: it was Garrett singing. Jared dropped the phone. Angie sped back to Deadwood.

When she arrived back in town, she stopped by the florist and picked up some flowers. She then stopped by her house and picked up a box that was left by Jason before he jumped in front of the train. Then it was off to the cemetery. She took some of the flowers and placed them on Jason’s grave. She then spoke. "I still love you, Jason. Wait for me." She then walked slowly to Garrett’s grave. She could not believe that she was at this place again. She was slightly better, but she was still miserable. She laid the white roses on the ground, then opened the box. Jason had given back her class ring. She looked at it, then she laid it on top of Garrett’s headstone. She again spoke. "I know you’re watching me, Gator." Indeed, Garret was watching. "I know you loved me, but I have something to confess..." Angie was holding back tears. "I... I loved you, as well. I just wish I could have told you when I had the chance..." The tears could not be held back anymore. She began to cry uncontrollably. Her friends had been watching, as well. They all came to comfort her. Garrett sighed. She was all right in this dimension: she still had her friends. Though it hurt a little, he would have to leave part of her here. He took one last look at the scene, and then left for his dimension.

She’s going to be just fine, Gatoris thought.

Part Two: The BIG Day Arrives...

When Gatoris finally got to sleep, he had visions again. It was of that wedding... 2000 years or so ago. He could see the thing in it’s entirety. From him walking down the aisle to where they kissed. They had made it through the wedding. The event that killed them had happened the next day... Gatoris thought about Aerith’s vision. Could it be possible that Hojo would try to kill him on his wedding day? Before he could answer himself, it was time to get up. Mog had came and roused him from his slumber. "Wake up! It’s time for ya to get hitched, kupo!" Gatoris literally leapt from his bed and landed next to his closet. He opened the door, and his tuxedo was on a hanger waiting. It was just a basic black tux. No tie, for Gatoris had a thing about wearing them. He was about to take off his clothes to change, but Mog suggested he showered. Gatoris normally did not shower in the morning, but he felt it was for the best. He did not want to stink at his wedding. Mog got the rings ready. Gatoris toweled off and slipped into his tux. He was ready for the biggest day of his life. Now, was Aerith ready?

Pretty much. She had her dress laid out, waiting for her to put it on. Her bridesmaid helped her into the white gown. "I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me, Jupiter." Aerith complimented. "Come on, Aerith. You know I’m always willing to help out my friends. I just wonder who the best man is? Gatoris never told anyone..." Jupiter was cut off mid-sentence. "I know who it is, but I am not saying." Aerith hinted. Jupiter just stared in amazement. With the dress on, everything was ready. Now for the beginning.

Cloud and Tifa went first, as was the arrangement. Not much exciting happened. Then came Gatoris and Aerith. The bridesmaid was Jupiter, but everyone was surprised by the best man. Even Aerith was shocked. She expected Sephiroth to come out, but it wasn’t him. Gatoris had picked Cloud. (That, and Sephy wasn’t back from his journey...)Aerith and Gatoris got to the altar, and their ceremony began. Ifalna, being the only Cetra not being married, performed the ceremony. Ifalna got to the crucial part: "If anyone here sees reason that these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace." Of course, there was some baka there to wreck it.

Part Three: Hojo, the Party Wrecker

(Or, The Valentine Family Tree)

Like clockwork, Hojo showed up. "It’s hard to marry a corpse, so I object." Aerith froze. She hated being right... Then Hojo said something she didn’t predict. "In all honesty, I think you two would make lovely samples for my next experiment. The only thing is, you have to die first. Now, let’s see... Who do I plug first?" Hojo pulled out Vincent’s Death Penalty from his lab coat, and aimed for Aerith. "Yes... She’ll make a good wife for me..." Gatoris stepped in front of her. "You have to kill me first, Hojo." Having no objections to the idea, Hojo squeezed the trigger. The bullet came flying toward Gatoris.

Meanwhile, back in Deadwood, Angelina was visiting her friends’ gravesides again. She went to check on Garrett’s to see if the ring was still there. She could see it glistening in the new-fallen snow. She clutched it to her body and thought of him. She took his class ring, which Garrett’s mother had given to her, and placed it on the chain. She then placed it back on the stone. The rings seemed to glow in the sun. They glowed with a silvery flash...

...a silvery flash surrounded the area where the bullet hit Gatoris’ body. He fell down, but it was just from the impact. Gatoris was in the process of getting up to attack Hojo when the door opened again. "Just the man I was looking for.." The man said. "Ah, I’m glad my son could make it..." Hojo said without looking. The man stepped into the light. "I am not your son..." Sephiroth said. "What do you mean? I was there when your mother gave birth to you!" Hojo was getting agitated. "I know, she told me. You are the one who also tried to poison her with Jenova and kill my father!" Everyone but Hojo, Gatoris, Aerith, Jupiter, and Ifalna gasped. "Smart boy. Then who, pray tell, is your father?" Sephiroth pointed to the back rows of guests, where Vincent was sitting. "Him. Vincent is my true father!" Vincent did not show any emotion, but Gatoris could tell that deep inside he was a jumble of feelings. "You catch on quick, Sephiroth. Did your mother tell you anything else?" Hojo was trying to see if Lucretia had divulged any more secrets. "Yes. I also discovered that I am a father myself..." Everyone in the room gasped. Sephiroth... a father? Now THIS was heavy. "It’s Yuffie..." he proclaimed. Upon hearing these words, she immediately passed out. "I’ll explain it later. By the way... what do you think you’re doing, busting up my friend’s wedding?" Sephiroth grabbed him by the neck and gave him a stern look. Hojo, for once in his life, could not back-talk his way out of something... Sephiroth gave him one last look and told him "Say hello to Jenova for me..." He then tossed him skyward. "Now, I think there’s a wedding to finish." He sat next to his daughter and watched contentedly. Ifalna finally raised her head from the altar and continued the ceremony. Since Hojo was the only one who spoke up, she continued past there. "Aerith, do you take Gatoris to be your husband, to love and to honor, till death do you part?" Aerith replied, locked in a gaze with Gatoris, "I do." The ceremony continued. "Gatoris, do you take Aerith to be your wife, to love ant to honor, to death do you part?" Gatoris gave more than just a simple reply. "Why stop at death?" Ifalna’s eyes rolled. "I’ll take that as an ‘I do.’ Now, the rings." Mog was ready. The two ancient rings were placed on a pillow. Gatoris grabbed the one with the red diamond in the center, and placed it on Aerith’s hand. It caught the light to where it let of it’s brightest hue. Aerith took the other ring. It was more than a simple wedding band. It was two dragons, entangled within each other, with one having a diamond for an eye, the other an emerald. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride, Gatoris." Gatoris did not hesitate. The two were in a long, warm embrace, trading kisses within an instant. Sephiroth smiled.

Back at the cemetery in Deadwood, Angie had a feeling go down her body. A kind of a cold chill, yet surprisingly warm. She looked at the rings again. The sun now caught the stones in the perfect light. The emerald and topaz let off a mesmerizing color combination. She knew that wherever Garrett and Jason were, they were both happy now. Angelina smiled in-between the thoughts of her two lost friends. She kept smiling, wanting Garrett to be happy. As long as she was still happy, she knew he would be happy.

Chapter Seven: The Memory Returns...

Part I: A Collective Sigh...

The wedding was over, and both bride and groom were alive. As an added bonus, Hojo was tossed to the sun, and Sephiroth found his real father. He also found his daughter. She hadn’t awakened from the initial shock. Gatoris hoped that Yuffie was going to be fine. Meanwhile, he had some explaining to do. "How did you survive getting shot in the chest?" his new wife asked. Gatoris had no clue, but he felt as if something was around his neck. He took off a necklace with two rings on it. And caught between the rings was a bullet. "A one-in-a-million shot... but how did this get on me?" Gatoris looked closer at the rings. One seemed familiar. He looked on the side and saw a name on it: Garrett. It was his class ring. Gatoris hastily looked at the other ring. It was a woman’s ring, with a name on it’s side: Angie. He put two and two together, and he began to cry. Jupiter came over as soon as he started to weep. "What’s wrong, Gatoris?" she asked him. "She saved my life. And I have no way to thank her..." Gatoris hanged his head, dropped the rings, and walked to the balcony. Aerith asked in a jokingly matter "Who wants to cheer him up this time?" Seeing how there was no one willing to do it, she went over to him.

Gatoris leaned on the railing and looked to the sky. Night had fallen, and the stars were out. It was a majestic sight. Only one thing was missing to Garrett... "I know what you are thinking, Garrett." Angie had emerged again. Gatoris kept looking at the stars. She stood next to him. "Remember the one thing that you told me would make you happy?" Garrett looked down. "Yes. As long as you were happy, I’d be happy. But that was back in Deadwood. There’s no way you could be happy." Angie was confused by those words. "You can’t tell my you are happy with the way your life is now. You live a dual existence. You live in two dimensions, and in one you are not the main part." Angelina finally understood what he was thinking. "I am happy. I am able to be with my family and friends. I also get to be with you. That is what makes me the happiest." She began to cry. Garrett’s tears let up. He held her and tried to comfort her. "It’s all right, Angie. The only other thing that ever made me happy was being near you." He began to cry again. They hugged for a time, and then Jupiter came at them with a sketch she had just did. While they had their conversation, she had documented it. "Thank you Jupiter..." he began to compliment her. "...Please, start calling me Almathea. It’ll be less confusing in case you have to talk about the Sailor Senshi." she said. "Doubt I’ll ever have to deal with them, but OK." Almathea started gazing at the stars. "I remember one of our past lives. It was one of those planets. In fact, I have something else to give you." She grabbed an old scroll from her bag, and handed it to Gatoris. "Interesting. What is it?" "It’s a collection of love poems, written by the best writer I have ever seen." she replied. Gatoris began reading some, and almost cried again. "Touching. You have any idea who wrote these?" If Gatoris knew what the answer was going to be, he would have never asked. "You did. 2000 years ago." Gatoris was shocked, for lack of a better phrase. Almathea still gazed at the sky. Gatoris had an urge to kneel before her now. He did. "Your highness..." Angie and Almathea were taken aback. "What did you just say?" Almathea replied. "I’m remembering that life, 2000 years ago. On Planet Amalthea." She looked a little less surprised. "I thought I remembered you from that life. You were the Garret who was my guard/servant/whatnot." "Yes," Garrett said, still kneeled. "I am the one, Princess Chastity." Almathea was puzzled by that one. "You NEVER called me that! You always called me Almathea. In fact, you were the only one who did." Garrett smiled. "Just testing you." Almathea giggled a little. "I also remember why I named you that. It was a play on Amalthea. She was a nymph who took care of Zeus as a child, according to Greek mythology. I felt that you would end up doing so." Garrett dictated. "Wait a minute... Do you think I am some kind of almighty being?" Almathea was again taken aback. "No, but I guess you do. I took the name from the meaning you gave it: one who comes to the aid of their friends." Garrett laughed. "I forgot that part. And I am not vain enough to think that."

Part II: More Questions Than Answers

Then, Sephiroth came in. "Finally, after millennia of searching, all four of us are together again." Garrett proclaimed. "And, Jason... I think we had a bet going on for the past 500 years." Angelina wanted to hear this. "I believe the bet was you would join back with me if I could reunite with Angie." Angie smiled. "Yeah, but there was also the part where you have to survive the first 24 hours." Jason said sternly. He remembered the bet, but he didn’t care. Jason didn’t think that Garrett could last long enough. Garrett blew off this lack of support. "We started as two souls, and we ended up with four." Angelina became confused. Two? That meant that either him or her had not existed forever, and that their love was not eternal. Garrett didn’t miss a beat. "Yes our love is eternal. Before you existed, I loved the woman you were a part of." This didn’t help matters. "Almathea. Until 6000 years ago, you two were the same being. She loved me, as you do now. Somehow, for some reason, you decided to manifest yourself in a form of your own. I have been in love with that form ever since." Angelina began to cry. "You mean that Almathea cast me off, like you did Jason?" Garrett was quick with a reply. "No. She wanted you to stay. You knew about the life we would have together four thousand years later, and now. You left in order to make your love pure." Angelina was less upset, but still confused. "In that life, Almathea was your mother. I met you by chance, and that started our love going through the ages." Almathea butted in. "Actually, it kept going the love we had. All the love for you, all the emotions I had for you left with her."

Everyone was confused, but they decided it would be best to change the subject. "Back in Deadwood, I pictured this day most of my life." Garrett started. "But, with one major difference. I pictured that it would be my friends marrying, not me." "Who would have thought this would happen?" Jason added. "It could have been worse," Garrett began, setting himself up for trouble... "I could have married a ditz like Bulma..." As soon as that phrase came out of his mouth, Garrett felt a vase break over his head. However, it did not faze him. In fact, he kept going. "I’m only kidding, Bulma. Sheesh! I’m sorry, I won’t make that remark again." Bulma stormed off. "Gatoris, you have to watch what you say..." Aerith pleaded. "I had that coming..." he replied. "Let’s get back in and enjoy the party." Almathea suggested. All four went back inside, and enjoyed themselves.

At Jared’s house, he and Angelina were trying to figure out how Garrett’s voice got on that tape. They gave up and declared it a miracle. "I didn’t realize he could sing so well..." Angie thought aloud. "You haven’t seen the tape of when he and Jason sang with the band." Jared said unexpectedly. Angie looked at him. "Where is it? I want to see it!" Jared had a feeling she would say that, so he popped it onto the VCR. It started with the band joking around. They started to play a song. Angie could tell by the opening chords what the song was. Garrett got on the stage, mic in hand, and began to sing. It was "Lightning Crashes", but there was something different about it. "Garrett wrote alternate lyrics to it that he wanted to sing." Jared added. The first verse reverberated in Angie’s mind:

Lightning crashes, a young woman cries.

Her heart falls to the floor.

The angel opens her eyes...

The confusion sets in,

before she could even close the door.

She felt a chill. That is exactly how she was when she had heard about their deaths. The second verse was more haunting:

Lightning crashes, the young woman tries.

Her memories fall to the ground.

The angel closes her eyes...

The confusion that was hers

belongs now to her loved ones down the hall.

Angelina froze up. He was singing about her suicide attempt. How could he have known that far back? She was unsure if she could listen to the last verse. She felt there was no better time to hear it:

Lightning crashes, the young woman cries

This moment she's been living for, and it fits right in...

The angel opens her eyes

Pale blue colored iris

Presents the circle

And puts her love out to show, show...

Good god, she thought. He knew all along. He knew she loved him, he knew of his own death, he knew of her attempt to join him. She began to cry. "But wait..." Jared added, "It got weirder. Jason also sang a song for us, using some of Garrett’s lyrics." He played that selection. The first few verses of Garrett’s "Shooting Star" seemed not to have any emotional pull, they just talked about his video game obsession. But the last verse was chilling:

Garrett died one night, died in his bed

Bottle of pop, his love's picture by his head

Garrett's life passed him by like a cold winter day

If you look to the sky, you can still see him play

Angelina was even more shocked: he had predicted how he would be found. He had died in his bed with a bottle of pop next to him. Also, there was a framed picture of her near his head, with the glass broken. He had knocked it over during his heart attack. She then thought of something: "Jared, when was this tape made?" Jared replied without looking at her "the day before they died. In fact, I thought that Garrett had done himself in, until I was told it was a heart attack." Angie snapped back "I knew he would never do that. In fact, he was slightly upset with me..." Jared had thought she had lost it. "I saw them when I was out. He pleaded with me to live again. That’s all he wanted of me." "Unselfish even in death..." Jason muttered. "I can see why you loved him." Angie started to cry again.

"Garrett, how did your voice get on the tape?" Almathea asked. The four had been watching the events unfold. "Simple. I was there when they recorded it. They had left an open mic, in memory of me. I sang, but they could not hear me. The machine had no problem picking it up. Jason did the same thing on the other song." Jason nodded. Gatoris looked at the time. It was now midnight. Everyone was in the process of adjourning to their rooms. (Gatoris had insisted that everyone stay the night, seeing how most of them had some form of alcohol.) "Shall we do the same, my love?" Gatoris asked. Aerith giggled. "Sure! I’m kind of tired." "Good night, sweet princess" Gatoris said, directing it to Almathea. "Would you lay off that?" she retorted, half-laughing. Everyone was in their rooms. Now, the clock was ticking on if this marriage would last.

Chapter Eight: November Rain

Part I: Obligatory Returning Evil

Goku Tonberry was meditating on top of Mt. Nibel when he sensed something behind him. "What is it you want, master?" he said without turning around. It said nothing, but communicated through telepathy. "He did? And you want me to ‘join’ you? How?" Goku finally turned around and saw his ‘master’ staring at him. A blue flash was expelled from the yellow rodent, and Maijn Tonberry was reborn in a new body.

Gatoris sat upright in his bed, waking up his wife. "Oh, no... He’s back..." was all he said. Aerith looked at him. "Who? Who is back?" Gatoris looked her in the eyes and said in a trembling voice. "Maijn’s back. He’s found a new host." Aerith was puzzled. "How? I thought Pikachu died." Gatoris tried to explain it. "Pikachu’s spirit still exists. while that is around, Maijn can be spawned. And it just happened to Goku Tonberry." Aerith panicked as well. Gatoris looked at the clock. It was six in the morning: too late to try to go back to sleep. "I’ve got to find him, and end this crap. He will not cause havoc like he did the last time." he stated. Aerith’s eyes welled up with tears. She was afraid that she was going to lose him again. Gatoris kissed her on the forehead, and walked to the door. "Don’t worry. Hojo didn’t kill me, so I am not worried. You must understand that I must finish him myself. I shall return." With that, he teleported away. Aerith began to sob quietly. Sephiroth had heard the whole conversation, so he followed Gatoris. Ifalna started to pray.

"Ah, the baka’s coming..." Maijn said to himself. "Excellent. I shall have revenge for the last time." Suddenly, he heard another voice. "Talk to yourself much, Pikachu?" Gatoris had teleported behind him. "Heh. It’s a shame that you have to die so soon after being married..." Maijn seemed confident. "Who said anything about him dying?" shouted a third voice. Sephiroth joined the fray. "It must be the day they let out all the nuts..." the beast muttered. "Sephiroth! This is not your fight! I must finish him!" Gatoris screamed at his comrade. Maijn took advantage of this, and attacked. Gatoris never saw it coming. He was hit by a barrage of punches and kicks. It stung a little, but Gatoris was overall unfazed. He gripped his sword tightly and went to slice Maijn in half. He was shocked when Maijn grabbed the blade and threw him the other way. Gatoris landed on his feet, shook up. Gatoris gave the sword to Sephy to see if he could do better. Same result. Gatoris decided to put away the sword and fight hand-to-hand. Barrages of punches and kicks were exchanged. Gatoris was taking a beating, while Maijn seemed to dodge everything. Then Maijn connected with a kick to the mouth that stunned Gatoris. He was unable to recover from it. If he had recovered, he would have been able to dodge the Kamehameha from Maijn. Gatoris fell to the ground, unconscious.

Aerith stopped crying for a second. Angie then emerged suddenly. "No... not again. He’s... he’s..." she began to cry uncontrollably.

Part II: Trials and Hardships

Jason looked at his fallen comrade. He became filled with rage. Enough to exit Sephiroth and enter Gatoris in an attempt to retrieve Garrett’s soul. Sephiroth stood up, and began to attack Maijn in a rage. Both fighters exchanged equal blows. While that was going on...

...Jason was within Gatoris. He had to find Garrett. For without him, Gatoris was nothing. He found him on his way to the a portal that led to the Snake Way. "Wait!!!" Jason ran to Garrett. He did not look up. "Snap out of it! You got to get back there and fight him!" Jason pleaded with him. He finally looked up. "Tell her goodbye for me..." Jason did not want to do that, so he punched Garrett in the face. "You giving up? Running away from your problems again?" Jason yelled. "No, this is just the way it was meant to be. We will never be together for more than a day..." Jason said something that spooked him: "You fool! Quit being so stubborn! She loves you, and you’re pushing her away again? Just because you think it’ll never work?" Garrett froze. Jason was the one trying to keep him with her. He was the other voice in the Tirey Hall breakdown. Garrett had returned to his former ways. "I have a feeling that in our last life the love for her shifted to you. If we were meant to be, I wouldn’t have died so soon after the wedding..." Jason was fed up. "Dammit, Garrett! It’s not over yet! If you love her, you’ll live!" Garrett began to walk away from the portal, but not back to Gatoris. He began to walk to what seemed to be the place where there was no return. He had given up on himself.

Almathea arrived on the scene of the fight, and tried to heal Gatoris. "No use." She proclaimed. "Why?" Sephy asked. "He has lost the will to live... he’s got it in his mind that this is the end." Sephiroth and Maijn kept fighting. Almathea then proceeded to enter Gatoris’ already full mind.

She wound up in front of him, barring the path to the end. "You are doing it again..." Almathea said, holding back tears. "You are giving up on her. He’s right. If you even remotely cared for her, you will get back there and fight with all your heart..." She broke down in tears. Her pleas were falling on deaf ears. Until Garrett had a vision. He saw Aerith on the balcony, with Ifalna trying to restrain her. He could see that Angie was coming through. She muttered a sentence: "I’m coming with you, Garrett." She then jumped off the balcony. He began to cry. Halfway through the fall, the vision switched to Angie back in Deadwood. She took the two rings off the chain and put them on her finger. She then proceeded to place the chain around her neck. Garrett was about to break down. But it got worse. Angie fastened the chain to a pipe situated above her head. She looked at the stool under her feet, and said a few words to herself. "I can’t take it anymore. I’m sorry Garrett, but I feel that I have to join you..." She then began to kick the stool. Garrett closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw Angie’s lifeless body hanging from the pipe. He screamed out in agony. "NO! Angie... Why?" He then looked around him again. Angie was not there, only Jason and Almathea. "Now, do you understand? If you give up now, It’s all over with no chance to be with each other... EVER." Almathea said, between the tears. Garrett was still speechless and crying. Instead of falling in a heap and crying though, he ran back to Gatoris. "We did it." Jason decreed. Almathea sighed. "That was close..." Both returned to their respective bodies, while Gatoris returned full-strength.

Angie stopped crying. She realized that Garrett had not given up. He was alive again. She smiled and prayed for him.

Part III: Judgment Day

Maijn glanced at Gatoris’ once-lifeless body, and saw it move. Damn, he thought. He just won’t go away! Gatoris hopped up, full of rage. "So that’s your plan..." he said in a duo-toned voice. "You want all that oppose you dead. If I am dead, you know that Angelina will lose it and kill herself. Then Jason, and perhaps Almathea." Gatoris’ hair was also duo-toned: Black spikes were interwoven with his blonde hair. As for his eyes, they now lacked pupils. Garrett and Zack had fully fused. And Garrett’s anger fueled their fire. "You catch on, fool. Now it’s time to die again." Maijn was incensed. He blasted Gatoris with the same shot, but this one caused no damage. Instead of retaliating, Gatoris began to chant a spell. Sephy kept whooping up on Maijn. Then from nowhere, a Kamehameha pierced Maijn’s stomach. Aerith landed on the mountaintop. Pikachu began to split from Goku Tonberry. Gatoris finished his spell, and the spirit of Pikachu vanished in a flash of white. He had sent him to the sun, as well. "You came back..." Angie spoke through tears. Garrett began to cry too. "I just couldn’t bear to leave you again. I saw what would happen if I did, and I did not want that." They hugged each other again. "You know, Garrett," Almathea said while drying her eyes, "I could never get paid enough to do this against my will. Just be glad you have friends that care." "I am. Thank you again for taking time away from your life to save mine." Gatoris said. Almathea smiled. "Let’s get home." Sephiroth proclaimed. "Wait..." Gatoris said unexpectedly. "I want to give Aerith something I wish I could have. I’ll be back in an hour or so." With that, he left again for Junon. The three knew what he wanted to do: give Aerith back her father.

Part IV: Acts of Charity

Being through this before, Gatoris went to where he had found Ifalna in Shinra’s storage locker. His logic was that the two would have been put next to each other. He was right. Prof. Gast was next to where Ifalna had been. He thawed out the body, and proceeded to revive him. A few minutes later, he started to stir. A family reunited, Gatoris thought. "Thank you Gatoris..." he said. "Don’t mention it, Professor Gast." Gatoris was modest. "Please, call me by my first name: Albert." he requested. "I know the decision you had to make. You could have tried to bring your father back in this realm. But you chose the path that was more feasible: you revived me for Aerith." "Yeah." Gatoris replied, "I wanted your daughter to be happy at all costs." Prof. Gast looked at his son-in-law. "She married a good man." Gatoris looked at him. "Let’s get out of here. This place creeps me out." The two men left, and returned to Castle Tonberry.

With the family reunited, dinner was a happy time. Then the phone rang. Darien was actually calling for Almathea, but Gatoris picked it up. Seemed that Serena had come down with the flu. He was wondering if she could come heal her. Gatoris said he’d do it. After dinner, he wound up at Serena’s door again. He went in and saw her in bed, sniffling and sneezing. She looked miserable. "Gatoris, why are you here?" she asked. "I heard that you were sick, and I felt that I should take it upon myself to heal you." Serena smiled. "I thought you didn’t like me..." "I just don’t want anyone to be miserable." He healed her without saying another word. When he was done, he staggered out the door.

When he went to bed that night, Garrett reflected on his past. He couldn’t give up on Angie... ever. He did not want her to give up on life, like he nearly had. The picture of Angelina hanging herself was too disturbing. It still sent chills down his spine. He had no idea what he would do if it had happened. With these thoughts in his head, he could not sleep. He knew the only thing that could make him feel better.

Angie was in her room, watching television. She had asked Jared if she could keep the tape. He saw no reason why he needed to keep it. That, and Garrett said if anything happened to him to give it to her. She kept watching him sing "Lightning Crashes" over and over. She felt as if Garrett was singing directly to her. She then watched Jason singing his song. It touched her deeply. Then came the final song. It was Garrett singing. He had no alternate lyrics for this one. He sang "November Rain", straight up. It again seemed like he was singing to her. The end of the tape made her cry. Garrett added a few words to her. After the song was over, he abruptly said "Love you, Angie..." and that was the end of the tape. It was as if he knew he was going to die, and this was his final farewell to her. She clutched the picture of her, Jason and Garrett and cried. "Garrett..." she rarely called him by his real name. No one did, for he preferred to be called Gator. "Garrett, I miss you. I hope Jason isn’t causing you problems." She could just see the two sitting at a table, discussing her. She envisioned them both missing her, but neither argued about who loved her more. This thought comforted her. She suddenly heard a knock on her door. Who would come visit me at this time of night, she thought. She opened the door, and no one was there. There was only a handful of white roses with a note attached. The note was in Garrett’s writing:

Angelina;

We know you are thinking of us. And no, Jason isn’t causing problems. We both miss you, and we will always be watching you...

G + J

Instead of being creeped out, she felt comforted. They were watching her, she could feel it. She felt blessed to have friends that cared so much for her.

Gatoris could finally sleep. His conscious was clear, and the one he loved still knew he cared. At that time, Aerith rolled over. "That was nice of you. I think she’ll like them." She then kissed him. Good, he thought, Angelina is happy in both of her existences. Gatoris finally went to sleep.

Chapter Nine: The Resurgence & Fall of Shin-Ra

Part I: New Day, New Baka

Gatoris was woke up early in the morning by a phone call. Apparently, he still was Shinra President. Gatoris hung up without saying a word. He put on some clothes and teleported directly to Junon. He was met by the Turks, who were waiting for a briefing. "Goddammit! I’m here to resign!" Gatoris screamed. "I don’t want to be Shinra president! Find some other twit!" With that, Gatoris left, officially resigned.

About thirteen seconds after returning, he got a phone call from the new Shinra President. Turns out, it was the same as the one before him. Rufus was alive, and he was hell-bent on ruining everything. "Hello, Tonberry. I have heard that you are in possession of stolen property... Shinra property, to be exact." What a lovely way to start a conversation. "What you mean? I have never stolen anything, especially from you!" Gatoris knew that Rufus was going to be a pain. "What about the bodies of Ifalna and Albert Gast? Do those items ring a bell?" Gatoris was disgusted. "Rufus, that’s sick. Considering two humans as ‘items’... and yes, I do have them. They’re in use now, though..." "Don’t give me that crap. I saw their bodies before I left Junon the last time! They were stone dead!" Rufus was now getting angry and confused. Ifalna had heard Gatoris on the phone, and she picked up another receiver. "Hello, Rufus... ever talk to a dead woman before?" she spoke in a hateful tone. Rufus was on the verge of a breakdown. My father’s enemies are coming back to haunt me, he thought. He hung up.

"Great, he’s still alive too. I didn’t think about him." Ifalna was slightly worried about the turn of events. "Yeah. Did you hear how he referred to you?" Gatoris added. "Yes, I did. You left it on speakerphone." Gatoris shivered. "That’s just downright disgusting. I guess I’ll go through with my next charitable act now." "And that would be..." Ifalna had no clue what was up her son-in-law’s sleeve. "I’m going to rebuild Mideel, and make it a haven for Shinra defectors." Ifalna’s eyes lit up. "That’ll piss off Rufus, now won’t it?" Gatoris had never seen Ifalna like this before. Must be because of what Shin-Ra put her through before, he thought. "Well, I’m off. With the tonberries helping, I’ll be done by nightfall." Gatoris started out to an area near the original Mideel, where the Lifestream didn’t run as violently. The tonberries worked on the buildings, and were done about 5 in the afternoon. All during that time, Gatoris saw a helicopter flying overhead. He took note of this when he returned. The second he stepped in the door, he got another phone call from Rufus.

* Dialog in Chapter Nine... *

Rufus: Nice city, Tonberry. I hope you don’t try anything else stupid.

Gatoris: What do you mean try? I built that city, and It’s going to stay up!

Rufus: We’ll see about that.

* On Rufus’ end, The Turks bust in. *

Reno: No go, boss. Those tonberries are fierce!

Rude: ...

Elena: They knifed me in the leg!

Gatoris: See? New Mideel says built!

Rufus: We’ll see about that. how does a little undeclared war sound?

Gatoris: I refuse to fight. I believe that peace, when done right, can last forever. Besides, didn’t your lackeys see the monument in the town?

Reno: Yeah, he built a wall for those dead or missing from the Wutai War.

Rude: He dedicated it to the peaceful end of Shin-Ra’s reign.

Elena: Does no one care that I am bleeding?

Gatoris: Like I said, no war. You want to come to a compromise?

* Rufus mumbles something under his breath. *

Rufus: Why not? It would be senseless to destroy such an insignificant town.

Gatoris: Good. I want you at my castle next week to sign a non-aggression pact.

Rufus: Sure. I’ll be there. * Hangs up *

* End Dialog *

"You flipped, Rufus? He’ll take us out whenever he gets the chance!" Reno shouted. "You baka! I’m not going to sign! You are going to destroy the town tonight! And I want bits of that wall in my office!" Rufus was angered by his lackey’s idiocy. "now that’s the Rufus we know!" Reno exclaimed. The Turks were off to do some sabotage.

Gatoris called Cloud and the rest of the gang after he hung up with Rufus. Gatoris turned to Aerith and told her of his plan. "I know Rufus isn’t going to leave that town alone. He’s probably going to send the Turks to screw things up. Me, Cloud and the rest are going to guard it." Aerith handed him the rings. "You will need these, and me. I can sense it." Gatoris had no objections, so they packed up and headed to New Mideel.

Part II: Battle of New Mideel

In the middle of the night, the Turks began to creep through the dense jungle surrounding their target. Rufus wanted the town destroyed, but they sensed that they would need to kill some of the tonberries. They came equipped with machetes, rifles, and some dynamite. When they got to the town, they realized they were in for more trouble than they planned for.

"Hello, bakas." Gatoris greeted them. "Trying to take the town at night? I don’t think so." Reno began to yell at Gatoris. "You will never defeat Shin-Ra!" He then proceeded to unload his rifle into the town, causing only minor damage. Rude, on the other hand, had another idea. He signaled for Elena to do something, and she disappeared. Rude then turned his gun onto Gatoris, and squeezed the trigger. Great, he thought, the wedding all over again. Luckily for him, Rude had a few drinks before he started the mission, and his aim was off. He had shot Vincent in the leg, however. He began to morph into Chaos, until they heard a woman screaming.

"Stop, or I’ll plug her!" Elena screamed, holding Aerith at gunpoint. "Let her go..." Gatoris replied. "I’m the one you want, so take me." He walked over to Elena’s position with his arms stretched in the air. Rude smiled as he affixed a laser scope to the rifle. Vincent saw the red dot aimed at his friend’s back, and stepped in the way when Rude fired. Vincent took the shot for his friend. The bullet passed through him, then Gatoris’ arm, and finally struck Elena in the hand.

Elena dropped the gun. Aerith bludgeoned her with the Princess Guard. Gatoris charged at Rude, tackling him to the ground before he could shoot again. Cloud grabbed Reno as he tried to escape. After securing the three, all went over to where Vincent was sprawled out on the ground. He had landed face-down, so no one could tell if he was alive, save Gatoris. "Turn him over. I have enough energy to heal him" He was about to begin an attempt to heal his friend when Almathea ran to his position. "It’s going to take both of us on this one. You are weak from being shot. I don’t want you to try in vain..." Gatoris sighed, clutching his left arm. "If you insist... Let’s go." The two placed their hands onto Vincent, and the jungle was filled with a white aura. Midway through the healing, the metal that was Vincent’s claw broke off, revealing a normal hand. After seven minutes, Vincent was back in good health. "Thank you Gatoris, Almathea..." Vincent was grateful. He then looked at where his claw was, and was overjoyed. "My curse has been lifted. I am in your debt." "Forget about it..." Gatoris declared. No one saw that Reno had got loose, and had his gun again. "Nice try, Tonberry. You will die for that..." He preached before opening fire on him. Oddly, Gatoris seemed to not feel the bullets zinging through his flesh, making his chest look like Swiss cheese. Reno passed out when he saw a bullet-riddled Gatoris approach him. Gatoris was losing blood fast, however. Being a quick thinker, Cloud tossed him an X-Potion. Gatoris downed this, and the bullet holes began to slowly heal. He left them to where they would still be highly visible, though. Suddenly, Reno’s radio went off. Rufus’ voice crackled through. "Carrot Head to Nevada. Do you read?" Gatoris picked up, faked Reno’s voice, and replied. "Nevada here. What you want?" Rufus seemed to fall for it. "What’s the status of the Blonde Fish?" Gatoris knew who he was referring to: him. He laughed inside of himself as he gave Rufus the news he wanted to hear: "The Blonde Fish is fried. Repeat, the Blonde Fish is fried." Rufus laughed insidiously. "Come back to base, then." Gatoris thought of an excuse for the boys not to come home. "No go. Snowfall is coming, and we need to ice them in order to get out of here." Rufus seemed unfazed. "Well ice them and get back here. Carrot Head out." Gatoris took the radio and destroyed it. "Why did you just say you were dead?" Vincent asked. "I want to spook him tomorrow when he comes to sign the ‘treaty’ to take over New Mideel." No one had a clue what he was thinking. "Aerith pleads to him that they sign a ‘treaty’, and before that my band will have a concert. He’ll get front row tickets. Nothing like verbal assault, is there?" Everyone was getting the basic idea. "I’ll pop on-stage during the performance of the song ‘Civil War’. Anyone hear that song before?" Apparently, Guns n Roses was popular here. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Well, I got alternate lyrics to put Rufus in his place. I call my version ‘Shin-Ra War’. Damn, this’ll be fun." Everyone went back to the castle.

Part III: Shin-Ra War

Aerith got on the phone, acting like she was in grief. Rufus seemed to be extremely gullible. "I beg of you, on my husband’s grave, I want to have peace. He would understand if I give up New Mideel." she said between fake tears. "Ah, you came to your senses. I’ll be there in three hours. Be ready to sign it over." Aerith agreed and hung up. Gatoris laughed hard. "What a baka! He fell for it! I’m going to scare him out of power!" The bullet wounds were still present, as were his plan.

"What the hell is this?" Rufus exclaimed when he saw the stage set up in the front lawn. "Gatoris’ former band wanted to perform a tribute to you, if you don’t mind." Aerith said, again faking tears. "Excellent. When do they start?" "Any time now... take a seat on-stage, please..." Aerith showed him up to his special chair. Instead of the Bowling Tonberries showing up, all of the members of AVALANCHE were in the band. Sephiroth was on drums, Cloud and Tifa on guitars, Vincent playing bass. Rufus looked like he was seeing ghosts. That expression got worse when he heard the singer’s voice off-stage:

"What we've got here is failure to communicate

Some men you just can't reach

So, you get what we had here last week

Which is the way he wants it!

Well, he gets it!

I don't like it any more than you men."

Good god, Gatoris was alive! Where were the Turks when he needed them? Sephiroth began to sing the first few lines:

Look at our proud men fighting

Look at the women crying

Look at your lackeys dying

The way they've always done before

While singing those lines, Rufus saw a cage above him, holding the Turks. Great, he thought, I’m screwed. Sephiroth kept singing:

Look at the hate you're breeding

Look at the fear you're feeding

Look at the lives we're leading

he way we've always done before

Then Gatoris stepped onstage, and looked Rufus in the eye while singing. Rufus tried to run, but he had become fastened to the chair, thanks to Yuffie.

I fight the tide

The masses shift from side to side

And their wars go on with mindless pride

For the love of God and our human rights

And all these things are swept aside

By bloody hands we can't deny

And are thrown away with your genocide

And history hides the lies of the Shin-Ra's wars

During the guitar solo, Rufus tried to squirm free. He was out of luck. Then Gatoris sang in a duo-toned voice.

D'you wear a black armband when they shot the lad

Who said "Peace could last forever"? (Gatoris steps into the light shirtless, showing the wounds.)

And in my first memories they shot Zachary (Garrett splits, revealing Zack)

Zack: I went numb before I couldn't see (Gatoris returns)

So I never fell for the Wutai War

We got the wall of Mideel to remind us all

That you can't trust peace when it's not in your hands

When everybody's fightin' for the Promised Land

Rufus was almost a total white. His fathers misdeeds are haunting him now. Gatoris kept singing.

I don't need your Shin-Ra war

You feed the rich while we bury the poor

Your power hungry sellin' SOLDIERs

In a human grocery store, ain't that fresh

And I don't need your Shin-Ra war.

Look at the shoes you're filling

Look at the blood we're spilling

Look at the worlds we're killing

The way we've always done before

Look at the pain we've wallowed

Look at the leaders we've followed (Points to Rufus)

Look at the lies we've swallowed

And I'm not gonna take no more!

At this line, Gatoris took a swing at Rufus, knocking his jaw loose. Even though his audience was in pain, Gatoris kept going.

I fight your line

For all I've seen can't change my mind

But still their wars go on as the years go by

With no love of God or human rights

'Cause all our dreams are swept aside

By bloody hands of the hypnotized

Who carry your cross of homicide

And history shows the pains of the Shin-Ra's wars

Spoken by Gatoris, imitating Rufus:

"We practice selective annihilation of mayors and government officials.

For example: we create a vacuum. Then we fill that vacuum.

As popular war advances, peace is closer."

I don't need your Shin-Ra war

You feed the rich while we bury the poor

Your power hungry sellin' SOLDIERs

In a human grocery store, ain't that fresh

And I don't need your Shin-Ra war, no, no, no

I don't need your Shin-Ra war

I don't need your Shin-Ra war

Your power hungry sellin' soldiers

In a human grocery store, ain't that fresh

I don't need your Shin-Ra war

I don't need one more war

I don't need one more war

What's so big 'bout war anyway?

Gatoris then spat on Rufus as he walked off. Aerith then jumped onto the stage. "Now for the treaty. You hand over Shin-Ra to Gatoris, or we could just leave you here. Your call." Yuffie freed a hand, and Rufus signed over the company. Gatoris walked back on to the stage, with masses now in front of it, waiting to see what his first action was going to be. Three words summed it up: "Shin-Ra is dissolved." he then ordered Rufus and the Turks to jail. "See? I can resolve a conflict without firing a shot." The completion of New Mideel went on without another incident. Rufus had to be put in the new prison’s rubber room, for he had snapped after seeing the ones he thought were dead. The Turks eventually were released, and became mercenaries. But Gatoris still had a nemesis to deal with.

Chapter Ten: Interlude With a Vampire

Part I: Strange Goings On

About three weeks after the incident with Rufus, Gatoris and Aerith were less worried about something happening. Yuffie finally snapped out of it. She remembered every detail of what her father had said. "Gawd, I still can’t believe it. Sephiroth is actually my old man! Who would have thunk it?" Now, the only problem was getting Yuffie to shut up about her family. He did not want to strangle his guest’s daughter, so he did nothing about it. One night, Gatoris got a call from Cosmo Canyon. It seemed that the Cave of the Gi was possessed with something. The only person who had access to it since Bugenhagen’s death was Gatoris. This phenomenon peaked his interest, so he thought it would be good to explore it. Vincent went along with him, in case it was a trap of some kind. (Remembering the Elmdor/ Junon incident.) Cloud and the others stayed behind to make sure nothing happened to Aerith.

As soon as they entered the cave, both men felt an alternating rush of hot and cold air. "Kind of like your granddaughter playing with the heater in my car." Gatoris exclaimed. Vincent paid no heed. Suddenly, a bag caught Gatoris’ eye. He knelt down to get it, when suddenly he felt strange. The cave was spinning, Vincent began fading in and out of sight, and the wind gusts became more intense. Finally, it stopped. The cave was calm, but Vincent had gone. What the hell had just happened? Gatoris thought. He smelled something close to rotting flesh, so he had a faint idea of the root of this: Elmdor. Gatoris made a mad dash to Cloud’s Villa.

Jesus no, Gatoris thought when he reached Costa Del Sol. It was under Shin-Ra rule. But how? Then Cloud and Barret happened by. They seemed to be dressed in Shin-Ra uniforms. Gatoris was as confused as humanly possible. "Cloud, Barret, What the hell’s going on?" he yelled. Bad idea. "Get him!" Cloud yelled. "He’s got a million gil price on his head! President Limberry will be happy." President Limberry?!? Now that settled it. Gatoris drew his sword and... surrendered. But only temporary, mind you. He felt this was the best way to get to Elmdor. Another bad idea. It appeared that Cloud and Barret were now vampires themselves. Gatoris ran out of Costa Del Sol, straight to the castle...

...or what was left of it. It was nothing but rubble. No, that means... Gatoris fell to his knees. He suddenly heard a voice, telling him to go to New Mideel. Seeing how he had forgotten about that town, he made his way there. There was only one thing left in the town: a cemetery. Even the wall was gone. Gatoris had an idea who the voice was that called him here. He went to the only above-ground crypt, and opened the coffin. Vincent was waiting. "Gatoris! I thought you disappeared ten years ago..." Vincent started. Gatoris was confused. "...whatever. I’m here now. Is Aerith..." Gatoris began to say before the tears enveloped him. "She’s alive," Vincent responded in a dry tone. "...but barely. Elmdor turned everyone to vampires. He attempted to turn Ifalna and Professor Gast, but they died first. Then it was Aerith’s turn. Elmdor bit her, and she had a strange reaction. She slipped into a coma, and has not recovered since. No one knows why." "I do." Gatoris said unexpectedly. "The purity of her heart prevented her from becoming one with Elmdor." Vincent looked shocked. "Let’s find that blood-sucker. Something tells me we need to go to Midgar." Vincent looked puzzled now. "The church is still standing. I’ll find her there, along with Elmdor."

The Marquis of Limberry and new president of Shin-Ra was in the ruins of Midgar, standing in a church. He stood over the glass coffin of the only woman who refused him. She was also the one he wanted as his wife. She was a vegetable now, but she was lovely as ever. Soon, the other one in his way would be done for, and perhaps he would have a chance to marry her...

Part II: Attack of the Villains

The road from New Mideel to Midgar was a treacherous one. It was filled with blood-thirsty minions of Elmdor who were programmed to kill him. Gatoris refused to fight any single one of them. Then he got near Kalm. He had to fight here, for Pikachu had somehow returned. He had possessed the insane Rufus Shinra, but still was formidable. Gatoris looked to Vincent. "Bloody persistent..." They grabbed their weapons and thought of a strategy to take this beast down. While Gatoris was contemplating, Rufus attacked. He pulled out his trusty shotgun, and fired at his chest. The bullet did not even touch him. It pierced his shirt, but it was stopped by the rings. This infuriated Gatoris. He did not like being shot. While he marched up on Rufus, Gatoris was pounced on from behind. Another villain had entered the fight. He looked like a demonic clown. "Great, I always wanted to fight Kefka..." Gatoris said with some sarcasm. "Whee he he! I haven’t had this much fun in ages! At least since I burned Figaro." Kefka was embellishing on the moment. "Didn’t Edgar and the others escape anyway?" Gatoris pointed out. "Who cares? I torched the place! Muah ha ha ha ha!" Kefka kept laughing. "You know," Gatoris mumbled to Vincent, "This would be easier if everyone wasn’t under Elmdor’s control." At that instant, Vegeta appeared. Gatoris seemed overjoyed, until he was hit whit a fist to the gut by the saijiyan prince. Gatoris took it hard. "Et tu, Vegeta?" he exclaimed with an expression of pain. "Cut the crap," Vegeta told him. "You are going to die for the hell I went through." Vegeta pulled back his arm to punch him, but he met up with a chi blast from nowhere. Yes, Gatoris thought, Goku is still sane...

It was Goku, all right, but not the one he was thinking of. Goku Tonberry appeared before Vegeta, with a metallic looking figure not too far behind. "Why you doing this?" Gatoris was puzzled again. "I owe you for not killing me..." Goku said without looking at Gatoris. Goku made swift work of Vegeta, evening the odds. "I’ll take Rufus, the rest of you take Kefka." Gatoris barked. Goku and Vincent thought that Gatoris was suicidal, but they saw a gleam in his eye that made him think otherwise.

"Have at you!" Gatoris shouted at the possessed Rufus. He somehow produced a sword from thin air. Gatoris retrieved his Masamune, and the two locked up. "You know, your breath smells like shit." Gatoris was trying to make Pika-Rufus cross, so he would screw up and give him an opening. Rufus broke free and charged Gatoris. He retorted by sidestepping and hacking of Rufus’ left arm. This seemed not to register with him. "Dammit, I just lopped of your arm! Didn’t you feel that?" Gatoris was angered. Rufus replied, "`Tis but a scratch." Gatoris was getting steamed. "You’re not the damn Black Knight, so don’t give me that shit!" Suddenly, the man in armor appeared. (The same one that hit Gatoris with a chicken.) Instead of a chicken, he was holding a brick. He proceeded to smash it over Rufus’ head, rendering him unconscious. The figure thin tossed Gatoris a Pokéball, and promptly left. Gatoris saw Pikachu trying to get away, but he used the device to seal him where he could not get out. One down, Gatoris thought to himself. Now for Kefka.

Part III: Psycho Angel Gatoris?

Everyone seemed to be having a hard time with Kefka. He had morphed into his ultimate form. In his demonic angel form, he had caused all of Gatoris’ allies to be weakened to the point of exhaustion. Upon seeing this sight, both Garrett and Zack snapped. They re-fused, but went further this time. They began to morph. Gatoris first gained fangs, then he went through a height gain. Upon reaching twelve feet, he began to sprout wings. He had morphed into an angel form, he thought. How typical. "Goddammit, Kefka," Gatoris’ voice was now more of a demonic, duo-toned one. "You have angered me to an extent that is beyond your measly comprehension. You have harmed my friends, and you will pay." After that sentence, Gatoris’ pupils vanished completely. Kefka, still high from the power surge that his transformation caused, just laughed.

Gatoris’ morphing continued. His arms became sharp claws, and he began to grow new appendages. He was ready to thrash Kefka back to hell. "Any last words, clown boy?" Gatoris was ready to finish him off. Kefka’s brain was officially fried, so he didn’t reply. Gatoris then grabbed Kefka, stuck his head in his mouth, and bit it off. He then ripped the body to shreds, drenching the hillsides with blood. When he felt that clown boy was dead enough, he returned to normal fused state. He did not remember what he had just did. Vegita, the android, had been watching. "Remind me never to get on your bad side." he remarked. "...whatever." Gatoris was beginning to sound like Squall. "Everyone alive?" "Yes, they are healing now." the android chirped. "By the way, who rebuilt you?" Gatoris had never thought of that. "Almathea. She knew that Elmdor would be after you, so she sent me to help. Goku came on his own accord." Almathea? She’s alive? And not a vampire? "Right on all three counts!" a cherry voice came from behind Gatoris.

Good, Gatoris thought, I still got two friends that are in one piece. "How did you know I’d be here?" He asked his friend. "Simple. I knew you would want to see Angie. You need to thank me." She said, with the last bit confusing Gatoris. "It’s because of me she’s still even alive. I cast a spell on her to where she would not turn into a vampire if you still live." Gatoris was still puzzled. "The only side-effect is if you die, she’ll become one. If I hadn’t cast that spell, she’d been dead anyway. Her pure heart would have tried to drive the vampire out of her, and it would have killed her." Almathea explained. Damn, Gatoris thought. Elmdor will stop at nothing, then. "If you kill Elmdor, however, everyone will return to normal, even Aerith." Gatoris thought about a way to get at Elmdor with least risk of screwing up. But first, he felt that he had to visit Aerith.

Part IV: Driven to the Edge

When he got to the church, he saw the glass sarcophagus that held his loved one. He was on the verge of tears. He then went closer to her. Almathea had put her wedding dress on her, to reflect ... something. He leaned on the casket and cried. Gatoris then opened it, and opened Aerith’s hands. He placed his sword in her hands, and arranged it to where the sword was held against her heart. There, he thought, she has security now. Almathea was puzzled. Why would Gatoris give up his weapon? "I have to settle this with Elmdor, hand-to-hand." He then replaced her wedding ring with her class ring. Gatoris slipped the band on the chain, and took off his class ring. He placed it on his hand, next to his wedding band. "I want his blood on my hands. He will pay for all of this."

"Here’s your chance." Gatoris looked up to the altar. Elmdor was watching. "So you do care enough for her to die protecting her to the end." he added. "Too bad this won’t have a happy ending for you." Gatoris looked at the vampire, his pupils absent again. "You dare drag my wife into this?" he growled in a stereo voice. He then walked toward him. A ghostly image of Garrett seemed to lead the rest of Gatoris. When he was in front of the altar, Elmdor slashed Gatoris in the chest. Like with his face, Gatoris was so full of rage he did not feel it. "You inhuman scum. You shall pay for all the injustices you caused." Gatoris kept going. "You are calling ME inhuman? Do you not feel any pain?" Elmdor was beginning to get scared. "Yes, I feel pain. I feel loss. I feel anger. You will feel death." Gatoris grabbed Elmdor by his throat. He grabbed into his coat pocket, and pulled out a shiny stone. Elmdor began to morph into Zalera, Angel of Death. " Big freaking deal. I can morph too." Gatoris said of the new being. He morphed back into Psycho Angel Gatoris. "You Lucavi have always been weak. It is time to show you TRUE power." Gatoris had snapped. Nothing would stop him from killing Elmdor/Zalera. He decided not to eat his victim this time: vampires taste like boiled shoes. He just clawed Elmdor to death. No blood splattered on the walls, because Elmdor had none. Gatoris quickly reverted to his normal form. He headed over to Aerith. She was beginning to wake up. "What happened? Am I a vampire?" "No, honey, you are still human." Gatoris told her softly. She looked down at herself, and noticed she was holding his sword. "I thought you needed protection while I took care of Elmdor." He smiled. He had not realized he was covered in blood from killing Kefka and Rufus. She didn’t seem to mind. The two went to kiss, and Gatoris blacked out.

Part V: Bummed, But Happy

Gatoris came to back in the cave. What the hell is going on, he initially thought. Was that a dream? What caused it? He then thought something that scared him: ...whatever. Vincent was still there. Gatoris was spooked. His phone then rang. Cloud had just caught Elmdor trying to kidnap Aerith. With one blow, He had decapitated him, thwarting his plot. Thank god, Gatoris sighed. "Let’s get home, Vincent. It’s been an odd day."

Later that night, Gatoris was still puzzled by the dream he had. He just shook it off, hugged Aerith, and went to sleep.

Chapter Eleven: Rat Bastard and Other Misdeeds

Part I: Just When Things Were Getting Simple...

When Garrett woke up, he was confused as hell. He had gone to sleep in Castle Tonberry, but now he was in Angie’s room... back in Deadwood. How? Was he alive in this dimension again? His questions were answered when he tried to hug Angelina: he could feel her shirt. How had this happened? How was he alive again? While pondering these things, Angie woke up. Garrett felt that he should hide, but he didn’t. "Morning, honey. Have a good sleep?" she started. What the hell? Garrett’s head began to hurt. "You must have had too much to drink last night. I’ve never seen anyone drain a keg by himself." That could explain the headache, but what about Gatoris? He didn’t even bother to ask. If this was a dream of some kind, he didn’t want it to end. Suddenly, Jason busted into the room, holding a camera. "Damn, thought I could get a good photo. Guess he was too drunk." Jason? He knew this was a dream now. "You go back to sleep Garrett. You don’t look so healthy." Angie told him. He was going to argue, but he fell asleep almost the instant she spoke.

"Damn!" Gatoris woke with a start, also waking Aerith. "That was one strange-ass dream." Upon saying this, he looked where Aerith was sitting... It wasn’t Aerith. "Garrett, you all right?" Angie asked of him. Garrett began to tremble. Not this type of dream again... "I’m fine." "Then go back to sleep. It’s two in the morning." Again, Gatoris fell asleep as she spoke. He again woke with a start. He looked over this time and saw neither Angelina or Aerith. "What are you doing here, Alma?" Gatoris was getting confused. "Don’t you remember? We got married last night, Charon." Oh boy, it’s one of those dreams, Gatoris thought. "I’m going back to sleep." His head hit the pillow, and he was out.

Gatoris woke and looked at who was in bed with him. He didn’t get up, he just turned the other way. He didn’t like the view there, either. When Bulma and Serena are in the same dream, I have problems. Gatoris laid his head down again, praying that Yuffie wasn’t next.

Professor Gast stood over Gatoris’ bed. "This is interesting... He seems to be having a turbulent dream from which he can’t escape." He proclaimed to Aerith, who was out of bed. "Must be that bag of stuff he found. Did you analyze it?" "Yes I did." He replied. "It contained a substance I have seen in only one other place. My best guess is that this is Elmdor’s last laugh. This is the strangest reaction I have ever seen to Mosfungus." So that’s why Elmdor seemed to be defeated easily, Aerith contemplated. He wasn’t after her this time, he was trying to kill Gatoris! She knew that Elmdor had enough time to regenerate by now, so she headed off for Limberry castle.

Part II: Inner Demons Return

Aerith stormed into Castle Limberry, and confronted Mesdoram Elmdor. "What the hell did you do to my husband, you blood-sucking baka yaro?" She went on a tirade. "I merely poisoned him. My plan was to slowly and surely kill him. But from what I heard, He’s gone mentally absent. Strange dreams and whatnot." Elmdor was well informed. "Well, do something to fix it, or I swear to god I’ll slice you into fish bait!" she yelled as she was holding Gatoris’ Masamune over Elmdor’s head. "I can’t. He has to snap out of it on his own. Trust me. I only want to cause physical pain. The last time I tried mental pain, he almost killed me." He was going in to his long-winded speech mode.

Not satisfied with that reply, Aerith brought the sword down with all her rage, and shortly thereafter, there were bits of Elmdor all over the castle walls. "Don’t try smart talking with me..." she said throughout clenched teeth, "it pisses me off." She then felt as if this whole situation with Gatoris was her fault. She promptly returned to her castle.

Garrett, meanwhile, was still battling through his dreams. He woke up again, and saw no one this time. Jason was at the door, however. Garrett knew by the look in his eye it was both bad and about Angie. "She’s dead..." Jason was crying. Garrett seized up at the words. He remembered the last time he had that feeling. He hoped he’d never feel like this again. "In almost the same spot as your dad..." Jason said, although it was hard to make it out through the tears. Garrett rushed to the door, but as soon as he got out of bed, he was already at the crash site. No, Garrett thought, this can’t be. Even if this is a dream, this would just be impossible. He fell to his knees and screamed. Then all went black.

Professor Gast was monitoring Gatoris, and saw the sudden decline happening. "He’s getting worse..." he muttered to his daughter. She then kneeled down next to Gatoris. "I know you think you caused me great pain by dying..." Angelina was beginning to emerge. "I wished I could have saved you back then. Although that was impossible, I can do it now. I hope I can pull this off..." Angelina then tried to enter Gatoris’ mind. When she got there, the rest of it was all pointing the way for her. Garrett was in pain, and it was visible.

Garrett looked around. There was nothing but empty black space all around him. No... he thought, this is the end... He then began to hear voices. "You were right. You should have given up on her a long time ago." Jason’s voice rang out in the stillness. He then heard another voice. It sounded like Angie’s, but he knew it couldn’t be. "You worthless asshole! You let me die! You never loved me. I was a fool to think you ever did." Garrett, even thought he knew this was a false voice, broke down in tears. He then heard his own voice rip into him. "You fool. Your life was wasted. You never truly loved anyone, you never cared about anyone but yourself. You always hid behind others. Now, your time has come and there is no one left to hide behind. Come and face your just reward." Garrett was about to receive it when he heard Angie’s voice again. "Garrett, no! I would never blame you for anything! You know that’s the truth!" It was. This was the real Angelina Bradford coming to aid him. Garrett stood up. "NO! I will not hide behind anyone or anything. You say my life is a waste. You say I never loved. I say prove it! I have always loved Angie, and you know it!" The other voice seemed to change the subject. "You blame yourself for everything! Your friend’s failures, your family problems... even your father’s death."

This got to Garrett, but only for a second. "I may have once.." he began, keeping collected, "but I realize that I had nothing to do with his death. And leave my friends out of this! If you want to attack me, attack me only!" The voice finally produced a body to match itself. The figure looked like Garrett’s twin. "You fool... You still think your friends are innocent in this? Remember that most of them gave you the hardest years in your life! And you still call them friends. You are weak..." The figure’s eyes flashed a fiery red before they turned black as coal. "Didn’t you once say that Love was an emotion for weak fools? Well, you are the weakest fool that I have ever seen! I can’t believe it was this easy to take over again!" With that last sentence, Garrett knew who was the cause.

Meanwhile, Gatoris opened his eyes. Professor Gast noticed their change: They were now blood red. Just like the last time he showed up...

Part III: Guess Who’s Back...

"Who said I’ve given up, Pikachu?" Garrett was enraged. "I may not have been much of a fighter before I became Gatoris, but I will still beat you." The figured morphed into a strange beast similar to what had happened to Yuffie. "Yeah right. You couldn’t beat a girl." Angelina was infuriated by this comment. She made her presence felt to Pikachu by kicking him in the head a few times. He then grabbed her, hoping to stop Garrett. "Don’t move, or she becomes one with me..." Garrett’s confidence flew away. But his anger was still there. "I told you to leave my friends out of this, you rat bastard!" He looked like he could explode at any second. "Fine then. We raise the stakes then. You kill me, and you can keep her. Lose, and she’s my slave." Garrett agreed, feeling that he couldn’t lose. The battle for the two souls began.

Almathea was watching her friend writhe around in obvious pain. Pikachu had taken over his mind, but Garrett was fighting with all he had. She sensed he was not fighting for just himself. She saw Aertih passed out beside him and made the connection. She decided to join in, as well.

Pikachu began with a large fireball that Garrett somehow managed to dodge. Garrett then rushed up to the monster and punched it in the chest. His fist went through, as he tried to grab his heart. He came up empty. "You really are a heartless bastard..." he noticed. Pikachu then grabbed Garrett’s left arm. The evil one managed to snap Garrett’s forearm in half. For once, Garrett felt the pain that was inflicted on him. With one good arm, Garrett kept punching the hell out of his evil, Pikachu controlled doppelgänger. Pikachu then grabbed the other arm, and snapped it in half at the elbow. In immense pain, Garrett began to kick at the bastard. Eventually, his left leg was grabbed, and pulled out of his hip joint. Angelina began to cry. "It’s over. You lose. She is mine now." Pikachu said at a hobbling Garrett. Instead of letting this get him down, he seemed more fired up than ever. "It’s not over. It’s only going to be over if one of us is dead. You man enough to finish me off?" Garrett seemed suicidal. "Now really, there’s no way you can win. Killing you would be a waste of energy. That and I wanted to be polite to the lady here. She does not want to see me brutally kill you."

Garrett had about reached his limit. "Polite? To a lady? This from a being that almost killed a defenseless woman? I still get chills thinking about what you did to Serena." "I thought you hated her guts!" Pikachu was getting angry as well. "She’s not my most favorite person, but no one needed to go through what you did to her." Garrett was at a boiling point. "Wait," Angie said abruptly. "If you leave Garrett alone, I’ll go with you." Garrett began to cry. "Just let me say good-bye to him." Pikachu saw no harm in this, so he agreed. She went over to Garrett and hugged him tightly. She then whispered into his ear. "I am going to give you my power. Let me save you for once." Before Garrett could protest, the energy was transferred between their bodies. She fell to the ground. "Stupid bitch. Giving up her life to a lost cause." Garrett healed with the transfer. He then went up to Pikachu. "You never call her a bitch. You hear me?" Pikachu blew this off. Until Garrett grabbed him by the throat. "NEVER. Just for that one, I will make this hurt like your home." Garrett tightened his grip around the evil one’s neck. he could hear the vertebrae break. he then took his other fully healed arm and held the body. Garrett then inexplicably morphed to Psycho Angel on his own. He then devoured his opponent. Almathea appeared behind him. "Good job, Garrett..." she applauded as he reverted back to human form. "It’s not over yet..." Garrett retorted, looking at Angie. "Thank you, Angelina. Without you, we would have both been gone." He kissed her and began to cry. The tears contained the energy she had given him. They slowly seeped back into her, as Garrett’s own energy intermingled with it. Eventually, she woke up. Garrett then promptly passed out.

Angie awoke and saw Garrett on the ground again. "He did it again..." she said. She then took some of the energy that he had given her, and gave it back. Garrett opened his eyes. Both were alive, but visibly weakened. "I think the first thing I’m doing when I get back is sleeping." he said. Angie laughed. Almathea, seeing all was well, again left. And not a moment too soon, for a figure appeared..

Part IV: From Bad to Washed-up

"I see you survived my servant’s attack..." The real Pikachu showed up. Garrett began to laugh in an insane manner. "Servant? You mean I have to kill you again?" The yellow rat let out a chuckle. "What makes you think that you will ever be able to get at me?" "Simple," Garrett replied. "You’re here, meaning you are not controlling Maijn again." Again, the rat chuckled. "Maijn? That weak excuse for a possession? I have a better one this time!" Garrett was getting annoyed. "What can be worse than Maijn?" The rat looked calm. "You know that Garth Brooks asked a similar question when I did this to him..." Garth Brooks... Garrett thought. Oh no... not... "Yes, Chris Gaines was my plan. I had Meowth possess him, and he started acting like that." Garret lost it. "You sick sadistic rat bastard! All these mind games, and for what? To make me act like a rock star that does not exist?" There was a gleam in the evil one’s eye. "It gets worse than that. People will lose all respect for Gatoris, making him unable to prevent my plans. I will have all humanity on their knees!" Garrett sighed. Fritz Frandourf had been right. "You know, I can enter and exit Gatoris at will..." he began. Again, the rat began to laugh. "I know. That’s why I sealed the both of you in here!" The both of us? He knew that Angie was going to attempt to save him? "Damn, you catch on quick for a baka." The yellow furball grinned. "Some Jewish friends I once had taught me a word: schmuck. I’d say you are one, but that would be close to a compliment. So, I’ll just call you a baka yaro." Garrett was about to snap again. "Some temper you got, Mackenzie. You realize that only two people can get you out. That’s why I sealed one of them up." So that’s why he tricked Angie into this. He knew she could break him free. "You want to bet?"

Meanwhile, the others had to deal with this new hellspawn: Chris Gainsbourough. He was a washed-up former country singer trying to make a comeback. The only problem was he couldn’t sing a note. "This is the most evil thing I’ve seen..." Almathea muttered. "Perhaps I shouldn’t have left." She tried to reenter Gatoris, but in vain. Pikachu had sealed the way. Great, she thought, Angie and Garrett are trapped. I have to help them. Almathea began to chant a spell.

Garrett tried in vain to break free of his imprisonment. In his weakened condition, he was useless. Then, things began to turn in his favor. "Let them free," yelled a voice. Garrett was happy again. Pikachu turned to the voice. "Why should I listen to you, ya spikey-haired freak?" This was a blunder on the rat’s part. "I am as much of a freak as you, " he replied, brandishing a familiar sword. "Where did he get that?" Angie asked Garrett. "I thought Cloud had it!" Garrett replied, "Zack works in mysterious ways." Zack then held his Buster Sword over Pikachu’s head. "Let them go." Pikachu refused, and began to battle Zack. Halfway through the battle, Pikachu morphed into his true form: Satan himself.

Almathea finished her spell. Everyone looked at Chris Gainsborough. He fell to the ground with a thud. The horrendous singing ceased.

Garrett tried one last time to break free to help Zack. It worked, he was out of that imprisonment. "It’s over, Satan!" Garrett yelled. "You kidding? It’s only begun! Prepare to feel the wrath of the almighty evil!" he bellowed. Let’s just see about that, Garrett thought. He looked at Zack, to signal him what should be done. The two fused, and Psycho Angel Gatoris was reborn. "Now. Time to die, evil one." Gatoris began to cast Supernova, which was no small feat. He had to draw the energy from his friends outside of his body to be able to survive. Then the energy wave came rippling form behind him. it caused serious damage to the being, but not enough to kill him. Gatoris then summoned Meteor. Knowing this might take a while, he grabbed it and slammed the huge rock into Satan’s forehead. This killed the beast instantly. Gatoris then destroyed Meteor and reverted back to Zack and Garrett. Zack told his comrade that they should get back before anything else happened.

Gatoris awoke on the floor. "Ugh. Thank god that’s over with." After saying this, he double-checked to see if everyone was there. Yes they were. Aerith, Ifalna, Professor Gast, Almathea, Sephiroth, the scarecrow from Zelda 64, Red XII, and Vegita Tonberry. Upon seeing the last three, Gatoris freaked out. "All right, who was planning to do ‘The Wizard of Oz?’" Everyone laughed. Gatoris then looked back at Vegita. "How’d you get here? The last time I saw you, you were a scrap heap!" Almathea looked at Gatoris. "Like my work? I’ve been fixing him in my spare time." Gatoris smiled. "You have spare time? As much as I get my ass in trouble?" Everyone laughed again. "Enough of this crap. I’m hungry." Gatoris was just glad that Pikachu was finally defeated. Everyone left the room except for Gatoris and Aerith. "Thank you again..." he said. Angelina came out once more. "Don’t mention it. I’ve owed you for all the times you saved me and I didn’t appreciate it." Both began to think back to that life in 1952. Almathea poked her head in the door. "You two are finally even. I’m just glad I didn’t lose my friends." Gatoris turned around. "Thanks for helping me out. I know it was you who freed me." Almathea blushed. "This may sound mean, but I wasn’t trying to do that..." Gatoris knew why she did it. "... You just wanted Chris Gainsborough to shut up, right?" Almathea was still embarrassed. "Hey, I would have done the same thing. And with Vegita, I know you had some help." Almathea looked up. "You had Bulma helping you. I know because I didn’t invite her to the wedding!" "Yes, she helped me. I almost couldn’t put up with her though." Gatoris looked at the clock. It was only noon. "I have got to eat. Fighting the evil one made me hungry." Everyone proceeded to the kitchen.

Chapter Twelve: Fringe

Part I: Memories

(Quick Author’s note: I suggest you read The Deadwood Days before continuing...)

Upon reaching the kitchen, Gatoris stuffed his face. Eventually, only Aerith, him, and Almathea were in the room. "I can’t believe that we ended up like this..." Gatoris pondered. Aerith held her glass of water tightly. "None of us can. You want me to make a pizza?" Gatoris could see where this was going. "Sure, Angie. Why not? I gotta have the strength to sing later..." both of them looked at Almathea. "I’m not saying a word. Garrett chewed me out the last time." Gatoris began to laugh. "I seem to reminisce a lot. There are times I wish I was still back in Deadwood." He began to think about how he got to where he was. "What still gets me is how Final Fantasy Tactics was still in the case, even though I had locked it away separately..." he turned to Almathea. "...thanks yet again." She seemed stunned. "Hey, that one wasn’t me. That was fate." Suddenly, Sephiroth walked into the kitchen. "Talking about the old days, eh?" "Yeah, Jason. We are. Want to join us?" Suddenly, Sephiroth ran off. "Oh, shit... He’s probably upset about those days." Garrett commented. He then chased after his friend.

Gatoris cornered Sephiroth in his room. He was sitting at the edge of his bed, facing the window. "Thinking about back then makes me hurt inside..." Jason began to mumble. Gatoris sat down next to him. "Listen, snap out of it. What’s done is done. You heard me say that I wished I hadn’t gone, either..." Jason cut Garrett off there. "You didn’t have a choice. I chose my fate. I wish I had thought it through. I was only thinking it was best for Angie if she never saw scum like me again..." Now it was Garrett’s turn to cut him off. "Wait up! You... scum? Just because you screwed up once or twice? We all mess up. You were, and still are, a better man than I ever was. You had the courage to admit your love..." Garrett began to cry. "I never fully did. To me, that e-mail message did not count." Jason seemed to be snapping out of his self-induced depression. "Listen, I have something I gotta admit. You had more courage than me. You admitted to her how you felt. She asked me out. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so I agreed. Then I fell in love." ... maybe he wasn’t. "Look at it this way. I could have killed Sephiroth the first time I saw him, which was even before I knew you’d come here. I had a feeling that he would become important. I watch out for my friends, and you are one of the best ones I have." Now that sounded sappy, Garrett thought. "You’re right," Jason replied. "I have been looking at this from my view. I never thought of anyone else, even when I said I was thinking of Angie. Thanks." Sephiroth stood up, and went to his daughter. Gatoris felt like his proverbial rhinoceroses had come back. So this is what Almathea goes through with me, he thought.

"So, you got it worked out." Almathea stated when Gatoris returned. "Yeah. Any penguins explode while I was gone?" was his reply. They laughed. Angelina felt left out. "I went bowling one day, actually the day you called me..." Garrett bean to elaborate. "I got my finger stuck in the ball. After getting it out, I turned to Almathea and made a comment about leaving before a penguin explodes. When I got home, I found out one did." Now aware of the joke, Angelina laughed.

Meanwhile, ‘Chris Gaines’ found out about Pikachu’s demise. Meowth promptly left, leaving Garth Brooks to wonder what the hell he had been doing.

Part II: More Pokémon Arrive

Three odd figures stood at the gate of Castle Tonberry. Two appeared humanoid, the third looked like a pink balloon with eyes and a mouth. "You sure this is where we have to be, Mew?" one spoke. "Yes, it is," replied the creature called Mew. "I sensed Pikachu’s presence here. There was also a major struggle. If this isn’t the place, he does not exist." The three saw the tonberry guard. "Hey, we need to see Gatoris. Can you let us in?" asked Mew. The guard looked up, saw the creatures, and ran for a phone.

"WHAT? Pokémon at the door? Hold on, I’ll take care of this." Gatoris hung up the phone. He seemed agitated. I shoulda known... Take out the leader, and all the toadies will target you..., he muttered to himself. He then teleported outside.

"Gatoris! We need to talk..." one of the figures said. It looked like some type of genetic mistake. It had two tails, and was completely gray. Gatoris paid no heed to its message. "Damn Pokémon... I figured I would be rid of you if I killed Pikachu." he growled. "We weren’t with him!" Mew spoke up. it looked similar to the first one, except it was smaller and had only one tail. Gatoris again ignored the creature. "Like I can buy that. Well, I could buy Jigglypuff being against him..." he said looking to the third Pokémon. It replied with a happy sounding ‘puff’. "Congratulations on killing Pikachu..." Mew said. Gatoris became his usual puzzled self. "Guess you weren’t lying..." Jigglypuff smiled. "...just don’t let him sing," he added pointing to the pink puff. "But he has to..." butted in the larger creature. "Why, Mewtwo? So I can go to sleep and you rob me?" Gatoris was edgy. "No, it is the test." Mewtwo replied. "We must make sure that you are the true protector of good, as legend says. He is the only being who can withstand the hypnotic song of a Jigglypuff."

Gatoris, having nothing better to do that day, agreed. "Get it over with..." he said, positioning himself in a seat. The Jigglypuff began to sing its song. It seemed beautiful, and it made peaceful thoughts run through one’s mind. After about five minutes, the creature stopped singing. Gatoris was wide awake. The Jigglypuff danced in joy. Mew and Mewtwo were fast asleep. Jigglypuff woke them up, and reported the good news. "You mean you are not tired?" Mew asked, after yawning. "Nope, not a bit. I kind of trained for this day." Mewtwo jumped in. "You may have defeated Pikachu now, but he will be back. As long as his spirit roams the universe, he can regenerate." The creature then tossed a ball at Gatoris. "This is the only Pokéball that is capable of holding him. We cannot use it, for only the hero of legend can fully harness the power within." Gatoris examined the silver Pokéball. "You guys have the same clichés in your dimension as does every RPG. Hero of legend, stuff like that..." Gatoris added, then laughed. Suddenly Gatoris made some kind of connection in his mind. "Mewtwo, you haven’t been helping me before, have you?" Mewtwo replied, "You mean suit of armor and a chicken? Yes that was me." "Thought so. You have the same size, so I had a feeling." Gatoris had been right. The three Pokémon began to walk off, then Mew turned around. "There is one more of us. It will visit soon." Gatoris went into the castle.

Vegita Tonberry was in a small, neglected room in the castle. He was studying books on many subjects, ranging form astrophysics to psychology. Needless to say, he was distracted. Vegita never saw the cat-like creature messing around with his circuitry.

Gatoris rounded a corner, and noticed Vegita. What also caught his eye was the object around the android’s neck. It looked like a golden Pokéball. "If you shoot me, Vegita..." Gatoris knew this wasn’t good. "What makes think I’d shoot my master?" Vegita said with a smug look. Gatoris began sneezing. "You been ar... around... ACHOO! ...any cats?" He couldn’t stop sneezing. "I’m allergic... ACHOO! ... to them..." At that point, Gatoris made the connection. "Meowth, show your... ACHOO! ... your.... ACHOO! ...yourself!" From the Pokéball, the cat Pokémon, Meowth, appeared. "Master Pikachu never told me of this weakness..." Gatoris sneezed on the minion of Satan, covering him in a thick layer of mucus. "Jesus! Use a tissue, or at least turn your damn head!" the cat yelled. While Meowth was on a health and politeness tangent, Gatoris booted him. Expecting to hear a thud further down the hall, Gatoris was surprised to see the cat-like creature stuck to the ceiling. Looking at his foe, Gatoris decided to try tactic number 22: taunting and other verbal abuse. "How did some kuso yaro become second-in-command in the world of evil?" "I was the only other one that could talk. He thought I was one of the smartest ones, except the four who were against him." Meowth began to explain. Gatoris decided to get all the information he could. "If Chris Gaines is so evil, why didn’t Pikachu do it?" Meowth, seeing no escape, did what every cornered villain does: he spilled the beans on the operation. "Chris was a front. The music was meant to hypnotize all the bakas in the world, making them bow before the master. Unfortunately, he had me do it. I can’t even hypnotize a rock." Gotta e-mail Fritz Frandourf and tell him he was on the right track, Gatoris thought. "That, and many people were sick of Garth Brooks to begin with." the cat continued. In between the sneezes, Gatoris commented. "So that’s... ACHOO! ...that’s why he took me... KACHOO!! ...me over. I’d have more pull..." Suddenly, Gatoris felt as if something had gone through his back. He looked down, and saw a familiar blade. He then turned around: Vegita was behind him. He had run Gatoris through with his own sword. Just as Vegita was attempting to pull it out, Gatoris grabbed his neck. He turned him around, opened his back panel, and found the emergency shut-down button. Before Vegita fully turned off, he managed to pull the sword out. Gatoris collapsed on the ground. Meowth also fell to the ground. But from that height, he was killed instantly when he hit the floor.

Aerith stood up. She had a look of dread on her face. As if someone was dying, and she couldn’t help. Almathea felt the same way. Both women ran through the corridors of the castle, looking for Gatoris.

Sephiroth was ambling carelessly in the castle halls, when he found Gatoris. He was unconscious and losing excessive amounts of blood. Jason saw this and felt he had to do something. The healing ability Almathea had given him would not be strong enough. About the only way both Gatoris and Sephiroth could survive was way out there, but it might work. Jason made his decision: He would rejoin with Garrett on the spiritual level, so he could survive long enough for Almathea to heal him. Jason left Sephiroth’s body, never to return...

Part III: Steele Embargo

...Or so he thought. Within Gatoris’ mind, this plan was not well accepted. "Jason..." Garrett said, watching Gatoris’ power drain away, "Thanks for the gesture, but this isn’t over yet! I will not let you join with me until we both are dead!" Jason didn’t seem thrilled, either. "I don’t want to do this, but it’s the only way you can live. I... I..." Garrett knew what was coming: He was going to explain it by saying that he had hurt Angelina in his last life, and he wanted to make it up to her. "... I hurt Angie before. I am not doing this for you. I want to see her happy as much as you do." Yeah, Garrett was right. "If you want to make her happy, tell them where I am. She wants you alive as much as me." "But... you’ll probably be dead by the time we got back..." Jason was set on doing this. "No. I have plenty of energy to spare." Garrett tried to explain. "All these extra souls in here are for power. The only two needed for Gatoris to live are me and Zack. I’ll live." Jason, seeing Garrett was set in his ways, decided to let him have it his way. He began to return to Sephiroth. "Wow. You never think of yourself, do you?" Zack had been watching. "I’ve never considered myself more than some baka from a shit hole that is called Deadwood. I’ve never mattered..." Garrett went on.

Aerith and Almathea found Gatoris. He was bleeding less now, but he still didn’t move. Almathea began to kneel down by her friend, but Aerith spoke up. "No, this is mine..." She pushed Almathea aside, and began to heal him. "OK. Just don’t over-do it..." Almathea saw the other three bodies. Vegita was in one piece, but he was turned off. He had the bloody Masamune in his hand. She pondered why he’d turn on Gatoris. She got her answer from the second body: Meowth. Seeing the cat was covered in copious amounts of mucus and blood, she went to the third body. Sephiroth was not hurt, but he was unconscious. Jason didn’t seem to respond, either. Gatoris began to open his eyes. Aerith hugged him, promptly ruining her shirt. "I thought we were even..." Gatoris said in a weak voice. He was alive again, but not fully healed. "We are now." Angelina replied. Both looked at Sephiroth. He still wasn’t moving. Had Jason not made it back? Or had Sephiroth rejected him? He then moved. "Got ya!" Jason yelled. Gatoris shook his head. "You were always one for sick humor." Gatoris got up, and walked to his room. "Someone wake me up tomorrow, so I know I won’t be a grave man." Almathea, getting the Shakespeare reference, laughed. "You, grave? If so, a plague on Pikachu’s house!"

Gatoris laid down on his bed, and began to rest. As one would expect, his mind began to act up... again.

Part IV: From Vulpix’s Mouth to Gatoris’ Mind

Gatoris began to have an odd dream. He was in his castle, but something was amiss. The walls were soaked in blood. Intermingled in the blood were decorations for a New Year’s party. Gatoris wandered through the halls, and saw dead tonberries scattered throughout. He then got to the courtyard. The sight there made him physically ill.

All of his friends were there... all dead. In the center were Sephiroth, Aerith and Almathea. He then looked at a neighboring wall. There was a message scrawled in the blood of his friends:

Gatoris:

You weak kuso yaro. You will never stop me. This is just a sample of what I am going to do. Look at your friends now!

Veni, Vidi, Vici...

P.

Pikachu... he had done this. Suddenly, Gatoris felt something at his feet. he looked down and saw a Vulpix standing next to his friends. Gatoris picked up the many-tailed fox and looked him over. Why is it here, he pondered. Then it spoke. "Beware, the dawn of evil’s reign is upon us. On the eve of the new century, the reign of humans will end. Pikachu will slaughter everyone. No survivors. He will rule all." Garrett began to shiver. "Can this be prevented?" He felt strange saying that. (After all, he was talking to a Vulpix!) "Yes," the creature replied. "If his means of destruction are cut off, he cannot carry out his genocide." The Vulpix jumped down and scurried to a television. The set was showing a replay of the New Year’s festivities in Junon. Every year, like New York, they dropped a ball. This year, however, it looked like... a Pokéball. "Many will see him. The seizures will paralyze all mankind. His stormtroopers will finish off all opposition." The Vulpix preached. Gatoris though about what the date was when he fell asleep. It was December 1st. He had thirty... actually twenty-nine days to stop him. "Not if I have something to say!" Gatoris screamed into the air. "PIKACHU, YOUR ASS IS MINE, YOU HEAR ME?" The Vulpix went back to the center of the courtyard. "You have been warned..." it said. It then sat next to Almathea. Gatoris was at his boiling point. Now, how would he get back to reality to stop this? A laugh signaled the obstruction. "Even if you do get back, you cannot stop me!" Pikachu was back already. He faced off with the rat...

...then he woke up startled. A Vulpix was on his chest. Gatoris did not wonder about his dream, for a message was on his night table. It was written in blood.

Dearest baka,

I have Almathea, and your beloved Aerith. You try anything, and they get a one-way ticket with me to hell! Happy Holidays!

P.

"That kuso yaro!" Gatoris screamed. "He thinks I am the key to the world? Well, I’ll find some way to stop him." At that instant, Yuffie busted in the room. "Gatoris, Aerith and that other girl’s gone..." she said, out of breath. "You mean Almathea. I know. Pikachu’s got them. I gotta think of some way to get them back that doesn’t look like I’m trying..." Gatoris looked at the ninja with an odd gleam in his eye. "You want me to do it?" she asked. "Why not? He knows I really don’t like or trust you. He’ll never expect it!" Gatoris was scheming. "Thanks for the vote of confidence..." she said, before she began to think. (gasp!) "... you are right! He would never expect me!" With that, Gatoris told Yuffie her objective: save Aerith and Almathea while he kills Pikachu once and for all.

Chapter Thirteen: Hero of the Day

Part I: Miscalculations

Gatoris tried to get up to make sure Yuffie got to Junon, but was too weak. He sent some tonberries with her, and hoped this worked. He just needed another day to heal. Gatoris fell back down in his bed. And of course, his sleep would not be easy. He began to have a vision. No blood this time, but he was still nervous. Gatoris was in a large hallway. He walked to the end, and opened the door. There was a beautiful garden, filled with flowers. The thing that caught Gatoris’ eye was the rose bush. They were white roses, just like he had been giving Aerith and Angelina. There was also a woman watering them. It looked like Aerith, but Gatoris had a feeling it wasn’t. "Beautiful, aren’t they?" she asked. The voice confirmed Gatoris’ gut feeling. It was Angelina. Without turning around, she kept talking. "You know, I haven’t really absorbed the serenity and calm here before, but now that I have, I feel at peace. And please Garrett, don’t start crying again..." Too late. "I can’t help it. It just breaks my heart that Pikachu captured you. I just hope Yuffie gets the job done..." Angie turned around. "You realize you made a slight error in that..." Garrett began to think. He couldn’t come up with it. "You sent evil to fight evil. I fear that she may join against you," Angie added. It clicked. Yuffie was Sephiroth’s daughter, meaning that ... "Jenova. Damn, how could I forget that?" Angie hugged Garrett tightly. "It’s okay. You were just trying to get me back. You still can. Pikachu will not kill me. I’m too valuable of a bargaining chip to lose." With that, she faded from sight.

Gatoris woke up. Shit, he thought. Yuffie was a big mistake. I gotta go after Pikachu myself. he looked over to his table. The Vulpix was still there, holding the Pokéball. Gatoris thanked the creature, and was surprised when it replied. "Forget about it..." it said in a Jersey accent. "Lemme guess... you’re Almathea’s right?" The Vulpix nodded. Gatoris prepared for battle, both physical and mental. He knew what Pikachu would stoop to. After removing his blood from the Masamune, he sheathed it and headed out.

Yuffie was nearly at Junon when it hit her. She began to hear a voice. it claimed to be that of her mother’s. It began to tell her what to do. "Go to Junon. Our ally needs us now..." Yuffie obeyed the voice, just as her father once had. This had sealed the fate of the ninja.

Gatoris could feel the revival of Jenova was complete. He was cursing himself for this oversight. When he got to Junon, he tried to find a way up to the top. Unluckily for him, the elevator was out of service. He would have to climb up the electrified support. But that would be half the fun.

Kefka was on Junon beach. He could have cared less about what was going on. He, in his demented little mind, still ruled all he saw. Even if Pikachu had put him on guard duty. He was laid back in an beach towel, soaking what sunlight that poked through the upper part of the city.

Gatoris got to the beach, and saw the demented clown on the beach. Only one thing went through his mind: "You have got to be kidding me! This freak, guarding the ultimate evil? I feel sorry for him!" Gatoris accidentally said this rather than thinking it, getting Kefka’s attention. He got up, prepared to fight. "Huh? Silence! You’re history, bub..." Gatoris laughed as the half-baked clown tried to walk his way. This made Kefka angry. "Take this, you son of a submariner!" the nut said, trying to cast magic at Gatoris. Apparently, no one told Kefka he needed materia. Gatoris grabbed him and punted him into the ocean. Gatoris prepared to scale the tower, but was stopped. He began to have, for lack of a better phrase, a Cloud moment.

Part II: Complications Set In...

Garrett was once again within his mind. For once, Zack was not the one staring him down. This person looked like... him. "Damn, you’re fast, Pikachu. I never got up to you!" Garrett yelled. The other person seemed offended. "Hold up, Garrett! I am not with Pikachu! I am you, just from a parallel dimension." he said. Garrett looked his other self over. He looked exactly like him, except for his manner of dress. He was in an uncomfortable looking tuxedo with a cape. "Let me guess. Your dimension is one where Angie ends up as Serena, and I’m stuck as Darien, right?" The other Garret was getting angered. "No, dammit! Think back to your life on Amalthea! You were a servant to the princess." Garrett began to get it. "...but in your existence, I was a prince and she was a servant." The other Garret was a bit happier. "Close. You were the King. Angelina was the Queen, and there was still a Princess Chastity. She was your daughter." The real Garrett was taken aback by this alternate reality. "Pikachu tried to take over the planet. I managed to stop him, but the three of us were severely wounded. When it came time to heal us, there was enough energy for only two. I let them go..." King Garret remembered. "...but you died, and have regretted it since. Join the club." Garrett had heard this before about him. "No. It is what Pikachu’s parting gifts were which I regret. He cursed them with immortality, and me to be a spirit forever." the King said in a somber tone. A flashback then followed.

The setting was the castle on Amalthea. It was a serene picture. King Garret and Queen Angelina were sitting on their thrones. All was peaceful, until the door opened. Princess Chastity, who her father inexplicably preferred to call Almathea, ran into the throne room screaming. "There’s a rat in my room!" she proclaimed. "Almathea, honey..." King Garret began, "why tell me? Couldn’t have you have one of the servants remove it?" Princess Chastity hesitated before replying. "He said he wanted to see you..." Garret’s jaw dropped as soon as those words left his daughter’s mouth. He grabbed his sword and proceeded to the room.

"So... you’re Pikachu. I’ve heard a lot about you." the King spoke of the little yellow rat now in front of him. "News travels fast... I was told that if I take this planet, the rest of the universe would fall into place." the rat talked of his plans. "Another nut, are you? Well, prepare to die!" Garret began to raise his sword. "I’d look behind you..." Pikachu blurted out. Garret turned around and saw a Machamp laying down two bodies. They were unconscious, but badly wounded. "You son of a bitch..." Garrett was now full of rage. "You will pay for that one." Garret began to hack at the rodent, but he had produced a sword of his own. "Swordplay, eh? Fine by me." The two exchanged blows for a while. They then attempted to score critical hits at the same time. Somehow, both connected. Garret and Pikachu fell to the floor.

The servants that hadn’t been killed by Pikachu came into the room. They had brought the last of the healing supplies. "Sir, we only have enough to heal two people. Who do we heal first?" one servant asked Garret. Weakly, he gestured to the Queen and Princess. "Th... them... heal... them first..." He than began to cough up blood. A servant questioned the King’s words. "No time to... argue... Just heal them..." With these words, Garret collapsed. He was conscious long enough to hear Pikachu’s last words: "I present thee, Princess Chastity and Queen Angelina, with the gift of eternal life. As for you, King Garret... I curse thee to spend eternity as a wandering spirit!" Garrett then blacked out.

Christ, Garrett thought. Pikachu is a true bastard. Not just for killing his doppelganger, but also separating him from his love. "Let me guess again. You want to join me in finishing him off." Garrett said. King Garrett applauded. "Took ya long enough..." The two joined, and Gatoris continued.

He looked up at the pillar, and got a bright idea. Why the hell didn’t he teleport up there? He did so, and looked around at the top. He didn’t see the person behind him with a club.

While knocked out, the two Garrets had time to talk. "Ever since that day, I have been following Pikachu, waiting for the day to end his reign. I have especially been watching parallel dimensions. Now the time has come. With all your strength..." King Garrett began. "Hold up..." Garrett stated. "I lost most of that power when I was ambushed by his cronies." The king cursed under his breath. "...but I have a plan." Garrett continued. "Ever hear the expression ‘fight fire with fire’? Well, we can fight mind games with mind games!" King Garrett thought his counterpart had finally lost all sanity. "You flipped? That’s crazy! That’s..." "...about the best plan I’ve heard!" Zack decided to chime in. "He would never expect it! King Garret, he thinks you are dead and in another dimension, correct?" King Garret nodded. He also seemed to get it now. "My presence would make him vulnerable to a final blow! Good going, Garrett!" The three laughed a little, then Gatoris came to.

He surveyed his surroundings. He seemed to be inside some gigantic, metal ball. Gatoris felt the lump on the back of his head. "Miss me, Gatoris? I’m back!" said a raspy voice behind him. He turned around to see Yuffie. "Actually, Jenova..." Gatoris began to joke. "things had been getting dull." "Funny man, eh?" She quipped back. "In that case, do you see the humor in this?" Yuffie pointed upward to a chain. There were two people tied to it. Gatoris had nothing to say about it. ‘Thought not. Soon, your wife and friend will be the first sacrifice for Pikachu!" Jenova cackled. "Enough, you brain-dead moron!" piped a voice. Gatoris saw his chance. "Pikachu... remember me?" he said, trying to add a touch of regality to his voice. "Ah, Gatoris. Welcome to the beginning of the end!" the rat said. Gatoris drew his sword. "Yeah, it is the end..." With this, Gatoris disappeared, and was replaced by King Garret. "...the end of you!" Pikachu was partially taken aback. "How’d you get here? You were lucky I only reduced you to a spirit two thousand years ago. I guess you want to be fully destroyed...." Pikachu did not seem to notice Gatoris was preparing to take out his ally Jenova. "Shall we try this again?" Pikachu muttered, and produced a sword. "Been waiting millennia for this..." Garret said in a deadpan manner. Both began to exchange blows, similar to the manner they had two thousand years ago. With that going on, Gatoris finally finished his spell.

A white light enveloped Yuffie, which distracted Pikachu. King Garret took this advantage to strike a serious blow to the rat. Gatoris, not wanting to screw this up, grabbed the Pokéball from his back pocket. He hurled it at the beast, and it enveloped him. After eons of being on the loose, Pikachu was finally contained.

Part III: Is It Over Yet?!?

Even with Pikachu and Jenova gone, one disciple remained: Goku Tonberry. He arrived on schedule. "You may have got the master, but you will never get me!" he said, confident he would win. "Yuffie, you and Garret get the girls down. This kuso yaro is mine..." Gatoris was ready to go. "Remember the last time I did this?" Gatoris yelled. "I almost killed you! I should have let you die." Goku ignored this. He went straight for the big attacks. He fired a Kamehameha at Gatoris, who seemed unfazed. "Oh, and by the way... did you like my handiwork? It was hard, but your wife had a lot of fight..." Goku was referring to something Gatoris had no idea about. Then, Garret screamed something at him: "They’re both hurt badly. I think Aerith may be dead..." This was the push Gatoris needed to regain all his power, and then some. Goku was second-guessing his earlier comment after he saw Gatoris’ eyes. His pupils were gone. He was also gathering energy from around him. "You son of a bitch... you would actually stoop to killing innocent women..." Goku Tonberry was witnessing history: Gatoris was the first non-saijiyan being to go super-saijiyan. (Note: Can it actually be called super-saijiyan if he is not a blood saijiyan?) The entire ball shook. "She.. she’s just pining..." Goku tried to back out of it. "This time... there is no second chance. Prepare to meet your maker." Goku hoped that meant he was going to be hurled to the sun. He was wrong. Gatoris punched him in the chest. His fist went straight through, and he pulled out Goku’s heart. About twenty seconds later, Goku Tonberry was dead. Gatoris threw the heart at a wall and returned to normal. He rushed over to Aerith.

Gatoris held Aerith in his arms. He could sense that she was still alive. But one thing disturbed him: he could not sense Angelina there. Had she given up her life in order for Aerith to live? He began to cry. Then he felt someone grab his shoulder.

(Author’s note: This is where I have decided to have an alternate chapter {and subsequent end} to the Chronicles. To read it, look for the ‘Alternate End’ Chapter. To read what truly happens, continue to Chapter Fourteen.)
 

Chapter Fourteen: The Reunion

The person said only one thing: "Garrett, it’s all right..." Gatoris turned around. He was shocked to see Angelina. "Aerith and I decided to split for a while. That way, Pikachu could not get to you." Gatoris’ tears kept flowing. "Thanks for warning me about Jenova..." he said through the crying. "Huh? I don’t remember being in any vision to you..." Angie had obviously not been the one who warned him. "If not you, then..." Gatoris stopped. "The other Angelina..." "Huh? Other me?" Angie had no clue what was going on. Gatoris filled her in. "That’s horrible... But do me one favor..." she asked as she was hopping back into Aerith. "I want to go too. Maybe if we both are there, then the princess will feel better..." "No, she’d know the difference. That and her mother’s still alive somewhere." King Garret spoke. "My dearest Almathea, it’s almost over..." At this, Almathea looked up. "Huh? Do I know you?" Gatoris had to fill his friend in as well. "Sad, but kind of cool..." she said of the story. She decided to join the quest, even if it may confuse her counterpart. The four jumped into a portal and landed on Planet Almathea, in an alternate universe.

"Just like I remember it in my past..." Gatoris, Aerith and Almathea said in unison. King Garret pointed the way to the castle. "Remember now, you three are the only ones who can see me at the moment." he spoke. "I’m off to find my wife. Gatoris, please find my daughter." "Sure thing. Aerith, want to come with me?" he asked his wife. "Actually, I want to meet my other self. If you don’t mind..." she said solemnly. "Fine by me. Almathea, you coming with me?" he understood. "Sure! It’ll be kind of interesting." they split into two groups.

Gatoris walked into the local inn. He inquired about the royal family. One patron, who seemed a bit loaded, spoke up. "Where ya from boy, Mercury?" "Actually, yes." Gatoris thought up of a quick cover story. "Well, there ain’t been no royals since they were all killed 2000 years ago!" the drunkard spouted. "Not what I was told..." piped in a delicate, feminine voice. "Oh, It’s you again. You and your fairy tales of ‘the immortal queen’..." the drunken man spewed out. "Hold on." Gatoris stopped him. "I think I may be interested in these ‘fairy tales’, Miss..." "Chase. Almathea Chase." Gatoris thought as he looked the woman over. She was an near duplicate of his friend, except for her height and blonde hair. "Interesting name. I happen to have a friend by that name, but she’s a bit younger. Now about these stories..." "I’d tell you here, but these bakas would just laugh again. Follow me." ‘Miss Chase’ led them outside to her house. There was a plaque beside the door that read ‘Almathea Chase: Expert Archeologist’. This got Gatoris thinking. ‘Miss Chase’ opened the door, and the three entered. When she turned around from locking the door, she noticed Gatoris kneeling before her. "What’s this? You think I’m some kind of royalty?" She was showing signs of confusion to mask her fear of being discovered. "Kind of..." Gatoris replied. "Now, tell me your story, madam." ‘Miss Chase’ was nervous. "OK. The story goes that Pikachu did not kill the queen and princess. He supposedly put a curse of immortality on them. With the king dead, the queen was distraught. She locked herself in the garden and never left. As for the princess, no one knows for sure. Some say she left the planet, others say she locked herself in with her mother..." "While even others think she just blended in with the common people, changed her name, and became an archeologist." Gatoris had busted her. "Who sent you? Was it Pikachu?" the Princess was quivering. "Relax. I killed Pikachu. In another dimension..." Gatoris was explaining. "How did you know my story?" She was now genuinely confused. Gatoris took his ring off and handed it to Princess Chastity. "Since you have become an ‘expert archeologist’, tell me where that ring came from." She examined it and gaped in awe. "This is my father’s ring, but it can’t be! I have it in that display case over there!" She pointed to a ring exactly like the one she had in her hand. "It’s an alternate dimension thing. I was never the king of this planet, but I lived on it and worked with the royal family. In fact, there is a representative of that family with me." The princess looked at Almathea. She was again in awe. "And, please take the wig off, Chastity. I’ve learned from experience that women named Almathea aren’t blonde." Princess Chastity took off the wig, and showed off her lavender locks. She then looked at Gatoris’ sword. "That’s... that’s the sword of the house of Chase! It’s been missing for about 2000 years!" "Huh. Maybe someone visited my dimension before and gave this to the Cetra..." Gatoris pondered aloud. The princess cut him off there. "Father was a Cetra..." Now it was Gatoris’ turn to drop his jaw. "Well, I’ll be... He must of known about my creation and watched me from afar. Making sure I was ready to avenge him." Gatoris began to think of something. "I thought you were twelve when the king died..." "I was," the princess explained. "But Pikachu put a time-delay on when my aging stopped. For some reason, I aged normally until I was twenty." Gatoris absorbed this knowledge. "Now, let’s hope my wife finds your mother..." Gatoris stated. "She may have a problem." Chastity butted in. "The door was locked with the rings. Both the king’s and the queen’s are needed to open the lock. I have the kings, and the queen is still wearing hers. Mine is a close facsimile, but it won’t work. I’ve tried." Gatoris looked at Princess Chastity’s ring. It looked like Aerith’s. "Like I said, I hope she finds her. Aerith has a similar ring. It makes sense that it’s the queen’s ring." Princess Chastity was overjoyed. "After two thousand years, it’s almost over..." During this joyous moment, the princess asked Gatoris a question. "You’re knowledgeable about the Cetra, right?" Gatoris nodded. "Then, I want to know one thing. My father had the habit of calling me ‘Almathea’. He told me it was an ancient Cetra word, but he never told me the meaning. Do you know what it means?" Gatoris looked at her. "Your father must have had high hopes for you. The word ‘almathea’ means protector of the innocent." Chastity smiled. "Interesting..." Almathea whispered into Gatoris’ ear. "I thought you made it up!" Gatoris whispered back. "No. I looked it up last week. It was there. In fact, there was a picture of you next to it..." Gatoris laughed.

Angelina was wandering through the abandoned castle. After the king’s demise and the disappearance of the rest of the family, the planet decided to go to a democracy. The castle was abandoned, but left as a tourist attraction. Angie was in a long corridor. Long enough you couldn’t see it end to end. By the time she reached the other side, she saw a wooden door with a strange lock on it. "She’s behind this door. I just wish my Almathea hadn’t taken my ring, or we’d be in. Your ring..." King Garret began. "... matches the queen’s. And both rings are needed to open the lock." Angie muttered. "How’d you know?" The king asked, startled. "Telepathic message from Gatoris. He found Chastity. They’re on their way here."

Gatoris made it to the castle and found the corridor. He then promptly collapsed to the ground. It felt as if someone was calling him out of his body.

He looked around. He was in the garden again. He saw no one in front of him, but sensed someone behind him. "Garrett..." the person spoke. "You forgot one thing again. The king is still dead. You must revive him before you come to me..." Gatoris didn’t even turn around to reply. "Why do you call me Garrett, your highness? My name is Gatoris." Queen Angelina didn’t seem to mind this fact. "Please, call me Angelina or Angie. I am no different than your Angie..." Gatoris turned around to see what she meant, and was stunned. He was face-to-face with an actual angel. "Surprised? I guess you forgot your beginning..." Queen Angelina spoke. Gatoris could not stop blinking in disbelief. "You were once an angel, too. As was your Angelina." Gatoris just stood there. "Let me show you. It will be easier." The queen brought her wings to wrap around Gatoris, and she teleported them to the past.

Look around, Garret. This is where it all started for you..." the queen spoke. Gatoris looked around. Was he in heaven? "Not quite. It is paradise, though..." Gatoris kept looking. There were many angels around. He then saw one that looked like him. "Let me guess. That’s me." Gatoris knew the drill by now. Another angel came by and spoke to him.

He looked up, and saw that Queen Angelina’s face was replaced with Aerith’s. "Luckily for you, it isn’t." Gatoris was awake and back in the corridor. "We have got to find the king’s body..." She continued. "You had a similar vision?’ Gatoris asked his wife. She nodded. "Well, I saw his body in mine." Everyone looked at him. "Though she didn’t tell me it was him, I saw a perfectly preserved body in the garden. It has to be him." "He’s right, you know." King Garret spoke. They continued back to the garden door.

"Now how does this lock work?" Gatoris asked. He saw a place for two hands, one part larger than another. And in the diagram, the two hands had rings on. "The rings are the key..." Gatoris muttered to himself, then looked at his right hand. This ring was the same as the king’s, so it should work. But what about Aerith’s? "I’m not sure this is going to work..." Gatoris said. "I don’t know if Aerith’s ring is the same as the queen’s or the princess’s!" King Garret looked at Aerith’s ring closely. "Good news, boy. It is the queen’s ring, all right..." Aerith cheered. Now, Gatoris thought, to figure out how to do this. Then he got an idea. Aerith had her ring on her left hand, Gatoris wore his on the right. They held hands and placed them in the device. A light whirring sound was heard. The door slowly opened. They were in.

There the queen stood. She looked exactly like the Angelina from his vision, wings and all. Princess Chastity rushed to her and they hugged. "It’s not over yet..." Gatoris reminded them. "I have to get the king back into his body." Gatoris walked over to the body, and was followed by the spirit. King Garret’s spirit disappeared, and Gatoris was ready to send him home. He slowly began chanting a spell of revival, hoping it would overpower Pikachu’s curse. He kept chanting for twenty minutes. The king finally stirred. but Gatoris did not stop chanting. He changed the words, though, since it was to be a different spell. About five minutes later, he stopped and spoke. "I present thee, King Garret of Amalthea, with the gift of eternal life, just like the rest of your family. You will never be apart again." After saying this, Gatoris collapsed.

When he woke up, he was in a room in Castle Chase. "Thank you, Garrett." the queen spoke to him. "Without you, we would have never been together again..." Gatoris, still weak from giving up so much energy, sat up. "Forget about it. I just did it because I don’t want any of my incarnations miserable. Or any of Angelina’s..." As if on cue, she walked in. Something was different about her, however. She was dressed better than the queen, and there was also those impossible to ignore... wings. "Garrett... I just want you to know that there has never been a day that I have regretted my decision..." Garrett’s heart was filled with love for her. "And I have never regretted it either. In fact, I’d do it again if I had to." Angelina smiled. "And thank you, your highness, for showing me my beginnings..." The queen smiled at her counterpart. "Garrett. I have a gift for you. Please take it." Angelina handed Gatoris a ball of white energy. As soon as his hand touched it, he could feel the energy surging through him. He was fully healed in seconds. "Thank you, my love..." Gatoris said. Then Aerith walked into the room. Nothing was different about her. She was wearing her usual pink dress and red denim jacket. "So this is what the Queen of the Angels looks like..." she commented. Both Angelinas smiled. "I figured she’d look more like me..." she joked. Everyone laughed. "Well, it’s time for me to return..." Angelina spoke. "I will reappear when you need me. Until then, Garrett..." With these words, Angelina reentered Aerith’s body. A brilliant white flash accompanied the reentry. For a moment, Aerith had wings and was dressed like the Queen of the Angels herself. She then returned to normal. "Ready to go?" Almathea said from another room. "Yes, let’s get home..." Gatoris said.

Saga II: Dream Warrior

Chapter Fifteen: Strange Family Tree Continued

Part I: History Lesson

Upon returning to the castle, Gatoris and Aerith saw that everyone was still there. This was a relief. "Welcome back, Gatoris," Vincent mumbled. "Gatoris, I have a bit of news for you..." Ifalna started. Gatoris hoped this was good. "You know how you are to protect the Cetra? Well, I thought me and Aerith were the only ones left. Not so. I found my sister." Sister..., Gatoris thought. This is new. "And what, dare I ask, is your sister’s name?" It was an answer that would almost kill him in time. "Lucretia..." she said. Gatoris made a quick run-through in his head: Lucretia is Sephiroth’s mother, so he’s my cousin. But Yuffie is Sephiroth’s child so... Gatoris collapsed at the thought. So did Yuffie.

About an hour later, Gatoris and Yuffie finally awakened. Ifalna was standing over her son-in-law. "You were kidding, right?" Gatoris asked with a slight hint of hysterics. "I know how much you distrust her, but it is the truth. Yuffie is your cousin." Gatoris was only comforted by the fact she wasn’t his cousin by blood. THAT would surely kill him. "I finally find my origins..." Gatoris muttered, "and I find out that I am related to someone who I hate! Oh well, it was the same way in Deadwood..." Ifalna paid attention to the first of that. "Oh, you did? Would you tell me?" Gatoris decided to tell her. "I thought you and Angie seemed familiar... It was almost like the story of them..." Ifalna said, referring to Cetra mythology. "You got a book on that?" Gatoris asked. "I want to read about it." Ifalna pointed at his desk. There was an open book on it. "I think you should read the page it’s on." she said. Gatoris picked it up and looked at it. It was a glossary of gods and goddesses. She had highlighted a few.

Aerith: Goddess of Hope. Born after Pandora opened the box.

Angelina: Queen of the Angels. Gave up her immortality to be with her love.

Garrett: Muse of writing. Fell in love and married Angelina.

Ifalna: Mother of the planet and Queen of the Gods. Created the earth from the ocean.

Lucretia: Goddess of Love. Similar to Cupid.

Gatoris read them. ‘You mean to tell me..." "Not quite. I was not Ifalna in a past life. For some odd reason, me and my daughter are kind of switched." Gatoris pondered. I’m married to both the Queen of the Angels and the Queen of the Gods. "And I am just a lowly muse..." Gatoris wondered aloud. "...but a good one at that..." Aerith chimed in. Gatoris jokingly bowed to his wife. "Come on," she said, trying not to laugh, "that was eons ago..." Gatoris smiled, and his voice accidentally changed to Zack’s. "I always thought you were like a goddess, but I never realized that you WERE a goddess..." Aerith began to cry. "I thought that was you in there..." Garrett and Angelina, seeing the emotional impact this was having, stepped away from their respective bodies. "Yes, it is me..." Zack said, letting his body morph to a form Aerith would know him as. Garrett was still holding the book, and he scanned down to the bottom of the page. He noticed a god that Ifalna had missed:

Zachary: God of Peace and husband of Ifalna. Turned to stone by Jenova.

Two things ran through Garrett’s mind. First was that Jenova was from Cetra myth, as well. Second, These two have been looking for each other longer than him and Angelina had been looking for each other. Aerith and Zack hugged for about an hour. Garrett and Angelina did the same. "I could sense you the whole time, but I didn’t know where..." Aerith spoke. Her tears finally let up. "I knew you wanted me to be with you, so I pleaded with your mother to let me join Gatoris. You know how stubborn she can get..." Aerith looked at her mother and smiled. "There had been a plan to revive him separately, but he protested when he heard about Gatoris." Ifalna spoke. "I believe his word were ‘If anyone’s protecting my Aerith, it has to be me,’ weren’t they?" Zack smiled. "Yes, those were my exact words. If anyone’s protecting my beloved Aerith, it’s going to be me. Until the end."

Garrett began to search deep back into his past. Those words sounded familiar to him. He then remembered why. He had a brief vision from when he was the muse of writing. Angelina, upon entering the mortal realm, asked him who was going to protect them. He had told her "If anyone is going to protect us, it will be me. Even thought I’m not much of a fighter, I will fight for you until the end. Ar lange ar E hab ur bruet en mei erd, E woll niehen len du gu... (As long as I have a breath in my body, I will never let you go...)" She then hugged him tightly

And that was the vision. Garrett came back just in time for Zack to say the last line of it to Aerith, but he said it in English. "As long as I have a breath in my body, I will never let you go..." It still produced the same result as when he had said it eons ago. Garrett leaned and whispered into Zack’s ear. "You realize you owe me five bucks for copyright infringement..." The two had a good laugh. After a few moments, Zack sighed. "I guess it would be best if we got back together?" Garrett nodded in disagreement. "Do we have to? I still haven’t professed my love to Angelina..." Angelina cut in, "...for the millionth time as in many lives..." Garrett ignored her attempt to be funny and pulled a bouquet of red and white roses from behind him, and handed them to Angie. "I thought you only did white roses..." she said in partial confusion. "White roses symbolize ‘secrecy’. But red and white together symbolizes unity." Angelina smiled. "OK, now we can go." Garrett said triumphantly. Garrett and Zack reformed Gatoris, while Angelina rejoined Aerith. "Not a bad day," Gatoris said. "Aside from finding a kleptomaniac ninja annoyance in my family tree, everything went well." He looked at the time: it was about ten in the evening.

Part II: Reconciliation

He normally would have go to bed by now, but he had other plans. "Almathea, would you do me a favor?" She asked what he wanted. "Could you sketch a pic of Angelina? I have something I want to do with it..." Aerith looked at him. "...I want to tell the Angelina from my home my feelings for her..." Aerith looked at him funny. "How? You have no means of communication..." Gatoris cut her off. "The Internet..." he started, "..is an omnidimensional thing. Not everything on it is from this dimension. I’ll show you." he went to his computer, typed in the address for his friend Almathea’s site, and it popped up. Aerith and Almathea were stunned. Gatoris looked a tad surprised, too. "That was a guess. I figured since the dead have e-mail, I could find any website in any dimension." He tested again to make sure. He pulled up his own site: The Tonberry Clan’s DBZ/RPG Dimension. (You know, the site you’re in now...) It was there. "Excellent..." he muttered, accidentally imitating Mr. Burns from the Simpsons. He then looked at what he had put up of the Chronicles before he got here. Next, he took all of his journal entries (Which he typed in third person...), saved them to HTML, and posted them. "No one would believe that I am here..." he chuckled. Gatoris then went to a few files he had done before hand: profiles of characters. It was as if this was planned ahead of time... He closed them, deciding that was for later. He quickly opened up an HTML editor, and typed some things quickly. When he finished, there was a small dictionary of Cetra Mythology. "Now, for a picture of Angelina..." he sighed. Almathea had already finished the sketch. It was perfect. It looked exactly like Angie. Gatoris scanned it, and placed it next to the Queen of the Angels entry. He hid a pop-up message in the picture, then updated the links on his main page. "Now, to make an appearance to a friend. Good night, all..." he said. Everyone went to sleep.

Meanwhile, a man named Wallen was in his dorm room at Indiana State, in a chatroom. It was about midnight, and he had an exam in the morning. Wallen decided to get to sleep. He began to have the strangest dream...

It wasn’t his usual perverted dreams he had, but his buddy Garrett was in it. "Sorry, bud. Hate to ruin a wet dream..." he chuckled. Wallen was both scared and confused. "Aren’t you dead, Garrett?" "What kind of question is that?" Garrett snapped back. "Of course I’m dead! Why else am I in a dream as a ghost?" Wallen chuckled. "Same old Garrett. What do you want?" Garrett looked at him. "Remember I told you my biggest fear?" Wallen nodded. "Yeah. Angelina and Jason finding out about your fic. So?" Garrett looked down for a second. "I want you to tell her now. Before I died, I put a message on there to her. I want her to see it..." Garrett said as he faded out. Wallen could not get back to sleep. He called up Angelina.

* Been a while... *

Angelina: Who is it?

Wallen: You don’t know me, but I was a friend of Garrett’s... My name’s Wallen.

Angie: What do you want?

Wallen: I just remembered something he told me to do if something would happen to him...

Angie: You too? It was like he knew he was going to die...

Wallen: I know. But anyway, he wants you to go to his website.

Angie: He had a site? Why did he never tell me?

Wallen: He was afraid. He wrote fanfiction, and he used you as a character...

* Angie begins to tear up *

Angie: In what context?

Wallen: His love interest...

* The waterworks go... *

Wallen: He told me to direct you to a section of it...

Angie: What... what is it?

Wallen: I’ll tell you the main site, and guide you from there.

* Wallen gives the address *

Wallen: Go to the Cetra Mythology part...

Angie: I... don’t know if I can...

* Wallen looks at the same page *

Angie: Oh my...

* She gets to the entry he wanted her to see, and cries. *

Wallen: He must of REALLY loved you...

* Angie scrolls over the pic, and sees a link. Both go to it. A new page pops up with these words: *

"My dearest Angelina... It you are reading this, then something has happened to me. I just want you to know I will always watch out for you, my Queen of the Angels...

Garrett"

* Angie can’t even speak. *

Wallen: Oh my...

* Both hang up *

Angelina was crying so hard, she couldn’t even talk. Her roommate ran to the computer to see what the problem was. When she saw the page, she shed a tear too. "He must have really loved you to do that..." she said. Seeing her friend crying was making her feel bad. She picked her up and placed Angie’s head on her shoulder. "There, there now... It’ll be all right..." she kept repeating. Angie’s tears stained her green nightgown...

Garrett looked at what went down. He didn’t realize the impact it would have. He decided to attempt to make her feel better.

When Angie finally cried herself to sleep, she had a troubled dream. Garrett was in it. He kept calling for her, but she could not see him. He suddenly appeared in front of her. "I’m sorry if I made you cry..." he said in a sad tone. She looked at him. "It’s OK. I just didn’t expect it..." Garrett smiled at her. "Good... I didn’t want to upset you..." Angie hugged him. "I’ve missed you and Jason both. I’ve been wondering why he hasn’t been in my dreams yet..." She began to well up again. "It’s because he feels guilty for what he did." Garrett replied. "He feels that him showing up would bring more pain to you..."

Garrett was cut off by a surprise voice. "True, I did." Jason had followed him. "But seeing your courage, Garrett, made me feel worse. You said goodbye to her in a romantic and enigmatic manner. I just said it plainly. And I do feel remorse for my actions. I remember the first words you told me when we met up..." Jason paused. "You told me she would forgive me for almost any stupid thing I did. I’m not going to ask for it, for I feel I do not deserve it..." Great, Garrett thought. The second you think he’s better, he reverts... "...you deserve it, Jason..." Angie said unexpectedly. "I know you were thinking of a way to make sure you’d never harm me again. I just wish you hadn’t overdid it..." Garrett began to walk away. "Hold on!" Angie yelled. "Where do you think you’re going?" Garrett replied in a saddened tone "My job is done. You two have reconciled. I’m no longer needed..." Jason grabbed his arm and jerked him back. "You just don’t get it. I told you she loved you more than me and I went out with her because she was lonely. And I don’t care if you think we were made for each other, I know it should be you and her..." Garrett began to cry. "I know that too. I just can’t stand the fact that we will never be together again..." Angie hugged him. "You wrote you would always watch over me. As long as you do that, you’ll always be with me..."

Angie woke up with a tear in her eye. "You all right now, Angie?" her roommate asked, brushing her lavender hair. "Yes, Alma, it is now. I realize he would want me to live..."

Gatoris woke up with a tear in his eye. "Did it work, Gatoris?" Almathea asked him. "Yes, it did..." he said, drying his eyes. "And by the way, the Princess from the parallel dimension?" Almathea looked like she didn’t know what was going on. "She’s her roommate..." Almathea looked at him. "Cool. She going by Almathea?" Gatoris looked back. "Nope, just Alma." Both smiled.

Chapter Sixteen: Holy Blade

Gatoris went to the kitchen. He was hungry for breakfast, and ‘hungry’ was being kind. He had an appetite like you wouldn’t believe. He was trying to remember the last time he ordered the pantry stocked. He then remembered he had NEVER ordered the tonberries to get food. He hoped he hadn’t run out. He opened the pantry door and was shocked to see it full to the ceiling. He found a note on the inside of the door.

"Prince Charming"

I noticed you forgot to go shopping in a while. Before we left for the other Amalthea, I asked your servants to stock up. So now our roles have reversed....

Your beautiful lady,

C.

Gatoris scratched his stomach and laughed. Suddenly he heard a voice behind him. "Getting forgetful in your old age, eh Charon?" Gatoris turned around. "God, I haven’t used that name in..." "Two thousand years. Isn’t it a kick?" Almathea giggled. "Yeah. A real blast..." Gatoris was remembering that life. "You realize if it wasn’t you or Angelette, I wouldn’t have gone after you that night..." He mumbled. "Hey, it’s good to know friends care." Aerith walked into the pantry. "Reminiscing again? Which life now?" she asked. "Take a guess, Lady Angelette..." Gatoris said in a partially sarcastic, partially humorous tone. "I had a feeling that was it,... Garret..." Angelina was talking now. "At least we have a friend who’s good enough to get us food. What will you have, m’lady?" She smirked and pointed at random. Gatoris looked at her choice. "Spam..." he grunted. He then looked closer. Aside from the pizzas and ice cream in the freezer, there was nothing but... "Spam! Alma, did you tell them what to get, or did you let them get what they wanted?" She blushed. "I kind of let them get what they felt we needed." Gatoris could still smell burning flesh from his last experience with the canned meat. "We have to make the best of it..." he muttered.

The rest of the day was uneventful, except Yuffie refused to eat in the same room as Gatoris, for fear of being hit with flying meat. When everyone bedded down for the night is when the real fun began.

Gatoris woke up. He felt something was wrong. He looked to his side, and he began to cry. Aerith was gone. There was a note in blood where she had been.

Gatoris,

Don’t worry, this isn’t her blood. I’m not going to bite her yet. I want you to watch me. The only catch is, I’m going to have fun. I’m not at my castle. You must find me in two days, or I’ll bite her without you.

Your friendly neighborhood vampire Elmdor.

Gatoris was incensed. "That son of a bitch..." he muttered. "...sneaking into my castle in the middle of the night, taking my wife, and just pissing me off in general!" He got the attention of Almathea. "What happ..." she started before staring at the bed. "Not this again..." she moaned. Gatoris sighed. "This time it ends..."

He got up, got dressed, and prepared for Armageddon. "This stupid vampire is going to regret when he was human..." Gatoris was full of rage as he walked out the door. Almathea began to walk out with him. "No, Alma.... This is my battle. I don’t want you to get hurt." he growled without looking back. She didn’t argue. He kept going.

Gatoris searched high and low for Elmdor in his realm. Elmdor wasn’t home, like he promised. he searched from Limberry to Ivalace with no luck. He gave up and returned to his own dimension to look. He began to have a vision... It was the church in the slums of Midgar. Was this the place? The vision continued. He saw Aerith kneeling in prayer. He shuddered, remembering the last time Aerith kneeled for anything. He was running to get to her in time, but he didn’t make it. Elmdor swooped into the way, but didn’t bite her. He instead bit Gatoris. Was he walking into a trap? As the vision continued, he was on the ground staring up. He saw his wife’s angelic face, but something seemed different. He spoke to her, and he saw the change. She softly said "Farewell, my sweet," as she bared her fangs.

Meanwhile, in another dimension, Serena was having troubles studying for class. Something seemed to be on her mind. She closed her eyes, and begin to have a vision of Gatoris. It was similar to the one Gatoris had, but from her perspective. She saw the whole thing: Aerith praying, Elmdor stopping Gatoris, and his final sight as a human. But she saw more. Elmdor snuck up on her, and laughed. She then felt a sharp prick on her neck and passed out.

When she came to, she was still in her room. That was one spooky vision, she though. I need to help him...

At the same time, other people were having similar visions. Rydia from Final Fantasy 4, Butz from Final Fantasy 5, Locke, Celes, Mog, and Terra. They all scurried for their respective portals to Gatoris’ world.

Gatoris walked with an angered purpose to the ruins of Midgar. They had been cleaned up some since he had been there last. He found the area of Section 5 that was accessible. His vision came back in full force. This time he could feel it. The feel of the bite was enough to provoke Gatoris’ transformation into his super-saijiyanish form. He was ready to kill this vampire scum. No one kidnaps his wife without paying, Gatoris thought.

He found the church and entered. He felt a chill go up his spine as he did. He hoped his vision was a false one. He then turned around to see he had companions. "Thank you all, but I will get Elmdor for myself..." he said as her turned back around. When he did, he saw the flowers. He remembered them being more varied the last time. This time, they were all roses... white roses. He picked one and smelled it. "My Aerith..." he muttered, holding back a tear. "I will get you back if it kills me..."

"And I hope it does!" a voice boomed behind him. He refused even to acknowledge Elmdor’s presence. He then heard a muffled voice. He knew instantly to face Elmdor. "Let Aerith go..." he said in a drab tone. Elmdor did as he asked, and threw her at Gatoris. He let her aside gently, and unsheathed his improved sword. "It ends here, dead boy..." Gatoris was enraged, but his voice betrayed this emotion. "Good. I was hoping you would die soon. I’ve had my eye on that lovely woman." Elmdor smirked. "It’s a duel then..." Gatoris spoke. Elmdor readied his blade. "Like my blacksmith’s work?" Elmdor jested. "Yeah. You are going to love mine when you are picking it out of your stomach..." Gatoris said calmly. The two clashed swords for a bit, with no one getting the upper hand. Gatoris had managed to wear a small crack into Elmdor’s sword. His Masamune got lodged into it, and both swords went flying. Gatoris pulled a dagger from his boot. "It isn’t over yet..." he said. Elmdor was out of weapons. "I have nothing but my hands..." he protested. Gatoris being a man who believed in the code of chivalry (and being a total baka in the heat of battle...), put his dagger down. "Then hand-to-hand..." he dictated. They began to punch and kick each other. Gatoris was about to punch him in the stomach when he was kicked in the leg, taking him down. Elmdor let him get up. "My bad knee..." Gatoris muttered under his breath. Elmdor bared his fangs. "Prepare to join me!" he yelled as he lunged at Gatoris. He was unable to move out of the way. Aerith saw what was happening, and pushed Gatoris out of the way. She was subsequently bitten by Elmdor. Gatoris watched in horror as this happened. He grabbed his sword from the ground and hobbled over to Elmdor.

The Marquis of Limberry was holding Aerith in his arms. "Stupid girl..." he muttered. "You weren’t supposed to interfere!" Gatoris grabbed his shoulder, and cut off his head. He then promptly threw down his sword and held his wife. "I’m sorry..." she said weakly. Gatoris was crying. He began an attempt to cleanse her from this curse that was now upon her. "It’s too late... it has begun..." she stuttered. "There’s only one hope left. For your sake and mine, you must kill me." Gatoris acted like he did not just hear that. She grabbed her husband and looked at him. "If you don’t do it now, I may end up killing you anyway..." Gatoris looked at his wife. He could never kill her. Even if she insisted. She gave him his sword. "Hurry up. It’s getting cold..." He looked at his sword, and threw it to the corner. "NO! I will not do it, Aerith! I went through two thousand years of hell to be with you, and you want me to take it away like that?" Sephiroth grabbed his shoulder. "Listen. If you don’t do it now, she’ll kill us all!" Gatoris got up and punched his cousin in the mouth. He then grabbed his wife in his arms again. Aerith’s normally warm skin now was clod and clammy. :"Gatoris, you should have killed me..." she muttered. "I just can’t do it..." he cried. "...I’d be better off dead myself. You should have let me taken the bite..." He grabbed Elmdor’s head and yelled at it. "You should have bitten me, baka!!!" He then chucked it out of the church door. "There’s only one solution now..." he cried. He grabbed his wife’s head and thrust it toward his neck. "...bite me... Make me one with you..." he said through the deluge of tears. She restrained from making contact with his neck. "I can’t do it... I don’t want you to go through the hell I’m going to go through now..." She was crying too. He looked at the dagger on the floor. He grabbed it and slit his forearm open some. "Then just let me nourish you..." Although her instinct was to lick the cut, Aerith refused. Seeing this would not help matters, Gatoris looked at the dagger again. He could not believe what he was thinking: he was thinking of ending his own personal hell, even after what he had gone through the past two thousand years to get this far...

Apparently Jason was reading Garrett’s mind. "Don’t do it. I’d never forgive you." He looked at his friend and sighed. "I can’t live with her blood on my hands..." he cried. He walked over to Sailor Moon, who was standing at the door. "You do it..." he sighed as he handed her the dagger. She looked at him for a moment, and handed the dagger back. "I won’t do it. Even if you treated me badly in the beginning, I have forgiven you." He then looked at the others gathered at the door: Rydia, Butz, Locke, Celes, Mog and Terra. He knew they wouldn’t do it, either. He walked over to where his now vampric wife lay, and looked at her. He grabbed a rose, handed it to her and spoke. "I will miss you..." he said, trying to avoid crying. Gatoris then looked at the dagger one last time. He took it at arm’s length, pointed it to his heart, and paused. "It’s been a great trip guys." he said in an almost happy manner. He then began to plunge the dagger into his heart...

...and then he woke up with a start. "What the hell am I doing?" he blurted out, waking his wife. He looked at her, and cried. "Please tell me you’re not a vampire..." he said. "I wasn’t the last time I checked. Why?" she was scared now. "Nothing." he replied, finally calming down. "... I’ll be right back..." he suddenly muttered, and walked out of the castle.

Gatoris waked into Castle Limberry again. Elmdor, remembering the last time a member of the Tonberry family came to his house, almost wet himself (if that’s possible). Gatoris looked him in the eye, raised his blade, and sliced Elmdor’s head off.

Chapter Seventeen: Dark Shadows

Part I: The Wish

When Gatoris returned, he passed by Junon. The incident with Pikachu was fresh in his mind. He had time to think every detail over, and had regretted one: killing Goku Tonberry. Even thought Gatoris thought he had killed Aerith, there was no need to end Goku’s life. Gatoris returned to the giant Pokéball where he had left the fallen person. He looked at Goku’s body. "Man, I wish I had the Dragonballs right now..." he mumbled. "You have them..." a voice replied. "They are within you..." Gatoris was confused. "Alma? How’d you know I’d be here?" his friend smiled. "I knew you didn’t want to kill him. You are the most peaceful man I know, Charon..." Gatoris looked at her. "Enough with that. Please call me Gatoris or Garrett..." Almathea bowed her head. "I guess you don’t understand why I call you that..." "...later, Amlathea. Now tell me about my Dragonballs..." She surprisingly removed his shirt and grabbed a few mirrors. "See that dragon?" she said, pointing to the reflection from his back. It looked like he had a tattoo of the Shen-Long on his back. "That is there because you have the Dragonballs within you. You can make a wish if needed." Gatoris began to understand. He lugged Goku outside.

Gatoris placed Goku’s body on the ground outside. "Now arise, dragon and grant my wish!" he yelled into the air. He felt a surge of power as it grew dark. Shortly thereafter, the great Shen-Long appeared. "What is your wish, Gatoris?" the dragon asked in a booming voice. "Shen-Long, I wish for Goku Tonberry to live again!" The dragon gave Gatoris an odd look. "You sure? This baka? The one who almost killed you and your wife?" Gatoris was getting impatient. "Don’t question my judgment! I want you to revive Goku Tonberry!" "All right! Don’t get pushy..." The dragon was slightly offended. He granted the wish, and Goku began to move. "Unngh... Am I dead yet?" were his first words. He looked at his abdominal area. There was no hole where Gatoris had grabbed his heart. "No, you’re alive again..." Gatoris said. "Your wish is granted, Gatoris..." the Shen-Long said before he disappeared. Goku looked at Gatoris. "YOU wished me back? After what I did to Aer..." Gatoris hushed him. "Yes, I did. I felt even a misguided baka such as you deserved a chance to live. Don’t forget that." Goku looked at him, and then scurried off to Nibelheim. "That was a nice thank you" Almathea said sarcastically. "That’s fine..." Gatoris said in rebuttal. "He’ll thank me later. But first, I’m going to make him feel better.

Goku got back to the Shinra Mansion, which he called home. Since Vincent moved out, it would be all his. He got a phone call not five minutes of getting home. It was Gatoris. He told him he was sending a maid to help him out. Goku didn’t argue at his generosity. He waited for the maid to arrive.

When she got there, Goku was confused. "You have got to be kidding me..." he said after giving her one look. There was a fourteen-year-old girl at his doorstep dressed as a maid. "You sure Gatoris sent you here, miss..." "Call me Rebecca." she said in a sweet and innocent voice. She then handed a note to Goku proving Gatoris sent her.

Goku,

This girl isn’t lying. I sent her. She may be young, but she can cook and clean like no one’s business. Take her in.

Gatoris.

"Oh well..." Goku began. "Gatoris wants me to be happy, so come in, Rebecca." Rebecca smiled and hopped into the house. "I’m going to the bar. Watch the house for me, please..." Goku told her as he left. Rebecca looked at the house and saw she would have her work cut out for her.

Part II: Feast

Goku walked into a building in Nibelheim. It stood out from the older houses. He noticed something odd about a lot of the patrons: they had fangs. "So, you’re the one who moved into Vinny’s house..." one said. Goku feigned a smile. Great, he thought. Vampires... He sat down and ordered a beer. (In case you’re wondering, the legal drinking age in this dimension is 18.) He looked around the patrons of this bar, and began to think. Perhaps being a vampire has it advantages... "Hello there..." One of the female customers had caught a glimpse of Goku. "Hi..." he said hesitantly. He felt comfortable here for some reason. Was it something Hojo had done? "Haven’t seen you here before..." the vamipress said. "I just moved in." Goku replied. He felt strangely at home with these vampires. Had Hojo intended him to be a vampire? "I could tell. I’ve been in the area for ages, and haven’t seen you before." "So, tell me. What’s it like?" Goku asked suddenly. "Being a vampire? It’s just fine. The only thing is watching out for the sun. Good thing for sunblock..." she answered. "...I want to be one..." Goku said, again unexpectedly. The woman looked at him. "You sure about this?" "Just bite me, for God’s sake!" he yelled. "Now Darla," the barkeep said. "Don’t do something he’ll regret later..." "I want to be a vampire, dammit!" Goku screamed again. "Your funeral..." were the last words he heard Darla say before she bit him.

Goku woke up a few hours later in a back room. He finally felt whole. Hojo had intended this for him. "You okay, Goku?" Darla said as she walked in. Must have lifted my wallet, he thought. "I feel whole. This was my destiny. Thank you, madam." Darla laughed. "You remind me of Gatoris Tonberry..." she giggled. "We were cut from the same cloth, kind of..." Goku explained about Hojo and all that. "Oh..." she gaped. Goku kissed her, and ran home.

Gatoris was sitting on his couch watching the video of his wedding day. It was the first day in his life as Gatoris he was happy. He was interrupted by the phone. The person said their peace, and hung up. "So that’s settled," he uttered. "What was it?" Aerith said as she was hugging her husband. "Well, Goku’s now a vampire. That was the bartender from the vampire hangout in Nibelheim." Aerith sighed. "It was his choice to do it..."

Rebecca was slightly frightened when Goku got back. "Mister Tonberry.... you’re a..." Goku looked at her. "I’m a vampire, and call me by my first name: Goku. I promise not to bite you." he said. He had a headache. Was this a side effect of becoming a vampire, or was he drunk? He only remembered having one beer. But that one beer was a blur in his mind. A few days passed. He sat down, put on his music collection, and listened as Rebecca cleaned the house. Then, suddenly, the Eric Clapton song "Wonderful Tonight" began to play. He gazed at Rebecca, and began to have thoughts... somewhat nasty thoughts. She’d make a good meal... ran through his mind. "Rebecca...." he called. She came in front of him. "Yes, Mister... Goku?" she was confused, but she remembered Gatoris’ orders: make Goku happy. "Care to dance?" he asked with a drunken stutter and stare. Rebecca was still confused, but she danced with him. He placed his head on her shoulder. "This is the first time I’ve ever felt happy or loved..." he said sadly. "Well, you can always consider me a friend..." Rebecca replied. The track switched to "Tears in Heaven" and the two kept dancing. Goku was still making his mind up on whether to bite her or not. Upon the lyrics "Time will bring you down", he made his mind up. He clutched Rebecca tightly and bit her hard. The last words she heard were the last refrains of the song. Both Goku and Rebecca passed out.

Part III: Remorse and Family

When Goku woke up two hours later, he had a horrible headache. He had remembered becoming a vampire, but not much after that. How had he got home? Where was Rebecca? And why the hell was Eric Clapton playing in his house? Goku walked into the living room and gasped. Rebecca was laying there, and she wasn’t moving. She looked as if she was dead. "Gatoris is going to kill me..." he whispered to himself. He picked her up and placed her on the couch. Goku turned to a vase that Aerith had sent, filled with yellow roses (For friendship). He took one out, and made her grasp it. Goku then began to sneak away, until he heard a sweet innocent voice. "Goku, you are going to leave me like this?" Oh, god... Goku thought. I’ve turned her into a vampire... He grabbed a dagger from his boot. "No. I’m not going to run from my mistakes..." he said with a tear in his eye. He handed Rebecca the dagger and spoke to him. "I know you hate me now, so I’ll let you get this over with..." Goku could not take the guilt. He did not want this to happen... Rebecca threw the dagger away. "I don’t hate you. I know you didn’t want to do this to me. Gatoris warned me before I took this job..." Gatoris had known he’d do this? "... but I took it anyway." Goku looked at her and cried. "...but I cursed you to this for eternity..." "We all make mistakes." she replied. "I’ll manage." Goku looked at this girl. She had spunk. "You know, since you got here, I loved you like a daughter..." he began. "Then why not make her your daughter?" Gatoris had come. "Gatoris, I’m sorry... I got hungry... I didn’t want to..." he began to apologize. "It’s okay. We all screw up once or twice." Gatoris said. "But her parents..." Goku began again. "She was an orphan. I checked her records." Gatoris explained. Goku looked at the girl. "What do you think, Rebecca?" She replied simply "I love you, dad."

Goku had noticed Gatoris had brought a keg with him. "What’s in there? Beer?" Gatoris looked at him. "The rest of your family decided to donate some blood..." Gatoris started. "My... family?" Goku was puzzled. "Especially your brother," Gatoris smirked. "You would relate yourself to a baka like me, especially after I almost killed your wife?" "If you had seen some of my past lives, you would think I was the baka..." Gatoris replied. "That, and I knew you didn’t want to do it. You were following orders. Anyway, you want to stay here, or live in the castle with the rest of the family, Goku?" "...I want to stay here. I have my roots here, and I have some friends to make." Goku looked at him. Rebecca jumped up and gave her Uncle Gatoris a hug. "I’ll catch you later..." Goku said. Gatoris left the keg and went back home. Goku was the happiest he had ever been. He now had a true family. A family which did not consider him an outcast, just because he was a creation of Hojo or a vampire. He looked at his daughter and smiled. Perhaps he should find a wife...

Chapter Eighteen: Peaceful Quiet

Part I: The Clan

Gatoris finally returned to his castle, slightly exhausted. He had donated the majority of the blood he had given to his brother Goku, so he felt fatigued. Almathea greeted him at the door. "Feeling all right, Charon?" she giggled. "You never told me your meaning to that..." Gatoris replied. "The only meaning I derive from it is the one who carries the dead to Hades in mythology..." "You need to brush up on your Cetra, Garrett..." she said in a cheerful tone. "Though I jokingly used that meaning at times, the meaning I used is from the Cetra language. It means ‘close friend’." Gatoris had not known this. "Fitting you called me that...." he said. "You were always like a brother to me, Gatoris..." she said. Gatoris cracked a smile. "And you have always been like a daughter from the future who is more hyper than rabid emus..." he joked. "... I meant like a sister!" he caught himself before Almathea could get angry. "in fact, I was thinking of making you an honorary member of my family..." he droned on. She looked at him half puzzled and half brimming with joy. Gatoris looked at Almathea. "How about it,... sis?" She unexpectedly hugged him. "You’ve always been like a little sister to me..." he reiterated. "Yeah," she replied. "...one that is always taking care of my big brother..."

Goku called Gatoris about an hour later. He was still apologizing about Aerith. "Forget about it!" Gatoris yelled at him. "We make mistakes. Learn to live with it." The conversation ended with Goku thanking his brother Gatoris for accepting him. "Hey, having a vampire creation of Hojo for a brother isn’t that bad. At least you’re not a lawyer or telemarketer. THOSE are the blood-suckers..." Both parties got a good laugh. After he hung up, Gatoris felt as if someone was behind him. It was Aerith. "I’m glad you have accepted Goku as a brother..." she began. "He’s got my blood. At least Hojo gave him good stock." Gatoris replied. "Speaking of stock..." Aerith had an odd gleam in her eye. "You ever thought of your legacy?" Gatoris got the idea: Aerith wanted to have a child. "It’s too early, honey." he said in a hesitant voice. "I’m afraid our child would end up like Yuffie..." upon saying this, Gatoris ducked. Yuffie missed slapping his head and went flying above him. "...see?" "...but you’ll think about it, right?" Gatoris looked at Aerith again: her eyes had turned blue again. Angelina wanted to have his child, as well. Et tu, Angie? Gatoris thought to himself. "I will. I just hope we don’t end up with a nut like my friend Broly..." A thought had crossed his mind. Where was Broly? he hadn’t seen him since the first Maijn episode. He could be only one place...

Gatoris went to the Gold Saucer’s Battle Arena. he was shocked not to see his friend there. But he did see Sabin. "Sabin, what are you doing in my dimension?" "I needed a challenge" the fighter replied. "You seen a man named Broly in these parts?" Gatoris asked. "Yeah. He cleaned house here, and was heading to the Coliseum in my dimension..." That made sense, Gatoris thought. "Thanks man." "Hey, no problem. And if you see him, tell him I want my Poison Claw back!"

Gatoris went portal hopping to Sabin’s dimension. He landed in front of the Dragon’s Neck Coliseum. He saw a sign in front boasting new ownership. This thought intrigued him. Who bought this place? As soon as he entered, he knew. "Didn’t expect you here, Gatoris..." said the new owner, Broly. "Must have cleaned house." Gatoris laughed. "Damn right I did! I had calamari for my first lunch!" he boasted, referring to the fact Ultros was gone. "I like it here. You had any more problems with Pikachu?" "Yes, but they’re over for good." Gatoris replied. "I wish I could have found you sooner..." Broly looked at his friend’s hand. "Wow. You finally went through with it? You are a stronger man than I..." "No, sad man..." Gatoris said, invoking his friend’s other (self-applied) nickname, "We are both equally strong. You have muscles and a resolve to never quit. I have the same features within my heart." After a short conversation, Broly and Gatoris decided to keep in contact... and Gatoris returned home. He forgot about Sabin’s request.

Part II: Soothing Past

Gatoris was still exhausted when he returned home. He promptly went to bed, next to his already sleeping wife. He expected the usual odd dream/vision.

He saw himself as Garret on Amlathea. He seemed to be waiting for someone. After a few hours of patience, it paid off. Lady Angelette rounded the corner. Garret bowed and began to speak. "Lady Angelette... I have something I want to tell you." She smiled at him. "And what, pray tell, is that, sir Garret?" she replied in her usual sweet tone. "I... um... uh... I..." Garret was searching for the words to say. He was stammering and tripping over himself. After a few minutes, his face turned red from embarrassment. "I apologize, dear lady. I will never waste your time again..." he said before he rushed out the castle gates.

"He WHAT???" Princess Chastity was shocked. Her good friend Garret stormed out of the castle, unprotected from the winter storm brewing. "Shall we tell your father?" Lady Angelette was worried. What had provoked Garret to act that way? "No. I feel this is my fault. I’ll go after him." The princess felt awful about the events. She explained to Angelette that she had ordered him to tell her how he felt. "I always had a feeling he liked me..." she said. "I guess he was nervous. I’ll go with you." Chastity refused. "If you freeze to death, he will feel worse. He will blame himself." "What about you, your highness? You are the heir to the throne! If you die, your father will blame both me and Garret. I’m dead either way..." The two mounted a horse and sped off toward where they felt Garret may had gone.

Garret got in sight of the cabin where the princess usually went to feel at ease. He entered and didn’t bother to bar the door or start a fire. He grabbed his pen and paper and began to write. This usually helped him feel better. After writing a while, he realized it would be useless this time. All he could write about was Lady Angelette.

Blue spheres that glow in the dimmest light,

the purest golden locks that shine,

and a smile that is a welcome sight,

especially after the longest time.

Is she human or goddess? I cannot tell.

For she is both in my eyes,

With A blend of heart and soul stronger than the flames of Hell,

She always melts the hearts of noble guys.

A fragile, yet beautiful being,

living on this small orb.

A sight that is worth seeing,

A sight one must absorb.

A beauty that I am too scared to ruin with a kiss,

A beauty I am afraid to speak to,

A goddess who would never understand my thoughts for her,

A goddess who I worship through and through.

This goddess is called Angelette,

Though Aphrodite would also describe her.

The one I live for, the one I love,

The one to whom I would my soul deliver.

"Great, this won’t work..." Garret said as he wrote. "I’m trying to forget I ever met her, and I can’t stop writing about her." He laid the paper on a table and sat in a corner. He began to remember the vow he made to the royal court. He vowed he would protect the princess with all his life. He began to whisper to himself. "I am sorry, Queen Zeal..." he began. "I am sorry I cannot be good enough to protect your only daughter. I regret having to take back my oath. I just hope she finds a prince who will protect her to the end..."

Lady Angelette and the princess reached the cabin. Angelette decided to wait outside while Princess Chastity talked to him. "Charon, what are you doing here?" "It matters not." he answered back in an uncaring tone. "In a matter of hours I will freeze to death, and this planet will be rid of me." The princess was not happy by his response. "I just want to know why you rushed off like you did." Garret gave her the story. "I did as you ordered, princess. I went to talk to Angelette, but I could not find the words to speak. She must make me for a fool now..." Angelette sneaked into the cabin unnoticed. "Why must you go to such drastic measures, Charon? I’m sure you would be able to tell her. Why let yourself die over a petty thing?" the princess asked of her friend. "If I cannot tell her how I feel, why should I deserve to live?" Garret was obviously distraught. "What did you want to tell her? Pretend I’m her. Now tell me, Garret." Garret drew a breath. "Lady Angelette, I have been hiding a secret for years. I got nervous around you for so many years, I felt I could never be able to speak to you. I only had three words to say to you back in the castle. I cannot believe how hard it is to say ‘I love you’..." Angelette was right behind Garret. "Well, I love you too, Garret." He turned around and felt the fool. "I... I’m sorry about earlier in the castle. I just seized up. The pressure got to me, I guess." Angelette did not give a reply. She just hugged him. She noticed his writings on the table. "You wrote this about me?" she said in her sweet voice. "Yes, m’lady. I wrote my feelings down." The two then kissed.

Gatoris was confused. Why was he having this vision of his past? Then, a figure familiar to him appeared. "I thought you may want to see that touching moment again." Gatoris bowed at the figure. "Charon, you don’t have to do that..." "Sorry, princess. I felt that I had to." he said, smiling at Princess Chastity. "Anyway, I thought you only visited Almathea." She looked at him. "Normally I do. I felt like seeing how my surrogate brother was doing." "Fine, as always." he reported with a grin. "I want you to also see your resolve to protect your Angelina." Princess Chastity showed Gatoris the end of his first life he had.

A now human Angelina was walking in a small village when she was attacked by a stranger. He seemed to have one thing on his mind. "You’re a pretty one. Come back to my hut..." Garret heard this and was infuriated. "You’ll get her over my dead body, sir." The man decided to arrange that. He pulled a sword out of the ground and attacked the unarmed Garret. Needless to say, Garret was severely wounded. Angelina was infuriated by the sight. She looked at the man, and her pupils disappeared. She chanted a spell, and he vanished. But the damage was done. Garret’s injuries were fatal. He died in her arms. She mourned him like he would have wanted. She wrote poems and haikus for him, like these:

Brave unto the end,

To die in battle, honored,

Angels weep for thee.

To Garret, bravest man I know,

Who sacrificed himself for love,

Though I feel much sorrow,

We must remember our lives are borrowed.

Spirit and heart of a dove,

Soar high above the others,

Even higher than angels, like the one you loved.

"Alma, that backfired." Gatoris said with a tear in his eye. "That made me depressed as hell." "It was touching, though..." Princess Chastity was on the verge of crying as well. "Just remember, Charon, that Angelina is always there for you. No matter what, she will love you."

Chapter Nineteen: The Little Angel

When Gatoris woke up, he looked at Aerith. He had remembered what she had asked him. He began to think about it. Did he want to have a child? Could he handle it? Aerith woke up next to him and hugged him. "You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?" Gatoris nodded. "Good. I want you to be sure if you want a child..." Aerith said. Her eyes flashed blue for a second. Gatoris gazed into her eyes. "My mind is my made up. I can do this." The two hugged. "We still haven’t had a honeymoon..." Gatoris added. Aerith stopped his talking with a kiss. "I know. Why don’t we go to Icicle Inn this weekend?" Gatoris smiled a little. "Yes, let’s."

Friday rolled around, and the two lovebirds were ready to leave. Gatoris left the castle in Sephiroth’s hands. He would have left it in Cloud’s, but he and Tifa had planned their honeymoon at the same time. On the way to their cabin, Gatoris pondered why Aerith had picked Icicle Inn... "I thought it would bring you memories of home this time of year." Angie was speaking to him. Gatoris thought about it: Indiana was notorious for blustery winters. He could remember some of the cold, snowy winters of his childhood. Icicle Inn was perfect. He began to shed a tear thinking of his past. This was a perfect time to perpetuate life. The two made it to their cabin, locked the door, and had a romantic weekend.

A month later, Gatoris paced outside a doctor’s office in New Mideel. Aerith had been feeling ill for a week, and he could not figure out why. He hoped that she was all right, and that their plan had worked. Five minutes later, the doctor came out. She smiled and motioned for him to sit inside. "This is odd..." she started. "You mean to say she’s not pregnant?" Gatoris said. They had told the doctor about their honeymoon, and the fact that it was their only time together in bed. "She is..." the doctor began, "...but are you sure the only time that you two had a relation was a month ago?" Gatoris and Aerith were overjoyed. "Yes, it is," Aerith told her. "Well... These tests say you’re already in your second trimester..." the doctor spoke. Aerith looked at her stomach. It was showing on her. Her usually thin figure was heavy with child. "Maybe it’s a Cetra thing..." Gatoris mumbled. "Maybe the Cetra gestation period is accelerated during the first trimester..." "Interesting thought." The doctor acted like it made sense. "I don’t care about that. It’s just the fact that I’m having a child..." Aerith couldn’t be happier. "You want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?" the doctor asked. Gatoris looked at Aerith. "You want to know now?" Aerith nodded. "I can tell you without looking..." Gatoris said, shocking the doctor. "...it’s a girl." The doctor dropped her chart. "How did you know?" "I had a vision last night." was all that Gatoris said. "...and the due date is mid-July." "The seventh, to be exact..." the doctor finally came to her senses again. "Cool." The happy couple left the office.

Gatoris had shocked even his wife. "I never knew of your vision..." "I didn’t want to frighten you. My vision was more than our daughter. It was of my death." Aerith could not get her mouth to close. Gatoris explained his vision to his wife. He was in an open field, fighting someone or something. He could not tell, for the figure was blurry. All he knew was he defeated the creature, but not before it struck him a mortal wound. Gatoris remembered seeing Aerith holding him. He looked at a young girl, who looked to be only ten or eleven years old. Knowing he was dying, he handed her his sword. He then spoke to her. "Take care of your mother. I did my best, but now I cannot do it. I regret having to leave you at such a young age..." was all he said before dying. Gatoris had died in Aerith’s arms. She took the sword from the girl and held it out from her. That was the end of the vision.

Aerith was stunned. Her husband saw his own demise. She decided to get that out of her mind. "How did you know the due date?" "Simple," Gatoris replied. "This is February the second, and July is six months off." Aerith did the math in her head. He was right. "...but she’ll be born earlier." Aerith was having one shock after another. "I had a vision before that other one. I saw her birth." Aerith decided to listen. "I noticed a calendar on the doctor’s desk after the delivery. It was on June 23... my birthday." Aerith looked at him. "This is deep..." was all she said. "There’s more. I remember that in the delivery room there was an angel in there, besides you." Aerith turned up the radio in the car. She had enough thinking for a week.

When they got back to the castle, Almathea was waiting. Gatoris and Aerith had told no one about their plans, so they were pleasantly surprised when Alma asked when she was going to be an aunt. Gatoris knew that Alma probably read his mind before he left. "The doctor said July 7, but I say June 23." Almathea looked at Gatoris. "Then it’ll be a nice birthday present for you!" she exclaimed. "You thought of a name for her yet?" "Not..." Gatoris began to say, but Aerith said something else: "Angelise." Gatoris thought about that name for about two seconds before yelling "That’s perfect!" The family hugged each other.

Ifalna was delighted by the news of becoming a grandmother. When she was told the child’s name, she was not surprised. "The only child of Angelina..." Gatoris picked the mythology book back up. She was right.

Angelise: The only child of Angelina and Garret. Protected her mother after her father died.

Gatoris was now the one feeling light-headed from thinking. "Damn. Just like in my vision. I’m reliving my first life..." Ifalna just smiled. "Things have come full circle. You know your fate, and know it cannot be changed." Gatoris hung his head. "Yes. It’s how I want to go out anyway." The family began to make plans.

By March, the castle had been remodeled some in order to make a room just for Angelise. Gatoris kept having the same vision over and over, every night. He kept seeing his death. He kept wondering why he had to see it. He could not change it, and it was ten or eleven years off. It kept disturbing him. One night, though, he did not have that vision. He had a new one that tried to ease his pain about the previous one.

Gatoris was sitting down on a bench within his courtyard, surrounded by flowers and murals. He smiled as he remembered how his wife planted all the flora before him. Also he reminisced on how his sister Almathea had hand-drawn and painted the art on the walls. All said, this was probably the most peaceful and serene part of the castle. Gatoris then began to wonder why he was having a vision of this place. He bowed his head in thought as the answer walked towards him. A slender, feminine figure approached the spot where Gatoris sat. "Beautiful place, is it not?" The woman’s voice was sweet, innocent and angelic voice Gatoris had ever heard. "Yes, madam, it is..." Gatoris replied, not looking up. He was starting to have a headache trying to find a reason for the vision being here. "I remember when I was younger, my parents used to play with me here." Her... parents? "Yes, Gatoris, my parents." Apparently she could read minds. "You must of picked that up from your aunt Almathea... she used to bug the hell out of your father with it..." Gatoris paused, feeling odd by referring to himself in the third person. Although his first instinct was to not look up, he felt he had to see his daughter He feared she would have ended up with his looks and not her mother’s...

Gatoris’ fears were unneeded. She looked to be as old as her mother currently was. She was thin, but not exceedingly so. Gatoris looked carefully at her face. Angelise had Aerith’s facial features, his hair color, and baby blue eyes... like Angelina. He cried. "What is it, dad? Are you upset that I look more like my mother?" Angelise did not wish to see her father upset. "No... It’s just that I won’t be there to see my little angel grow up..." "You don’t know how right you are about the ‘angel’ part..." Angelise replied. She removed her high school jacket to reveal the reason behind her words.

Gatoris gazed in awe at Angelise’s wings. His daughter was a literal angel. "Fitting for the child of the guardian/savior of the Cetra and the last hope of the race..." Apparently, Angelise had his knowledge of history and mythology. "Why have you come?" Gatoris asked in a weak voice. "I know you have had visions of your death..." she began. "I know you must wonder what happens to your family. We all survive, albeit we mourned your loss for an unusually long time." Gatoris then thought of one family member in particular. "Mom is still alive. She knew you would disapprove if she killed herself again." Not only could she read minds, she knew her family’s past. Gatoris then thought of another family member. "Aunt Almathea disappeared shortly after your death." Angelise again beat her father to it. "She was following my soul again..."Gatoris mumbled. He got up and stood tall in front of his daughter. He hugged her and began to speak. "Angelise Rose Tonberry..." he began, holding back tears, "I swear to you as the guardian of the Cetra... no, as your loving father... that no one shall harm you as long as there is a breath in my body..." He looked one last time at her face. She was crying, as he was. "I know, dad..." were the last words Gatoris heard from his daughter...

...and then he woke up. It was two in the morning, and he realized he had no chance in hell to get back to sleep. He snuck down to the kitchen and poured himself some coffee. All Gatoris could think of was his daughter, and he couldn’t get over how well she had grown up in his vision. "You had a dream about Angelise, didn’t you?" Apparently, Almathea couldn’t sleep either. "Yes, sis, I did... She was an angel..." "Call me crazy, but I had a vision of a young girl claiming to be my daughter..." Almathea began. Gatoris did the most accurate human impression of a classic anime facefault. "Your daughter? I was right then. You will find your prince..." Gatoris commented. "The odd thing was she had fangs, and she claimed that she wasn’t a vampire..." Almathea continued. Gatoris sighed. "It doesn’t matter. You will find your prince, and that’s all that matters." Almathea sighed as well. "True, Charon. You always prayed for the day when my prince came and relieved you of your job..." she chuckled a little after saying that. "I was right all those years ago. You are mad to think that I would give up protecting you to some prince. By what I swore to your mother, my ‘job’, as you so elegantly put it, ended when we both died on Amalthea. I am doing it now because I care for you. You are the closest thing I have to my actual blood family in this life, and I look out for my family." Gatoris sighed again after completing his rambling. "... I look out for them to the bitter end..." There was an uncomfortable silence for a second. Almathea broke it by asking a question. "Did you paint the newest mural in the courtyard? I know I didn’t..." Gatoris looked at her. "You know I can’t draw, just write... what mural?" he thought back to the vision. There was a mural there that looked out of place. Both rushed to the courtyard.

The courtyard was dimly lit by torches in the twilight hours. All of the murals, save one, were not lit up enough to be seen well. It looked not like his sister’s work, that much he could tell. Although it was foreign, the brush strokes looked familiar. The mural was of the entire family. Everyone was there: Goku, his daughter Rebecca, Sephiroth, Yuffie, Vincent, Lucretia, Ifalna and Professor Gast, Almathea, Aerith, him, and a little baby in his arms. While everyone else was looking forward, Gatoris was looking at the baby. His sword was also planted firmly in front of him. Instead of a dragon on the blade, it was a red rose. He also noticed the backdrop: it was the Shinra Mansion. He noticed a lit candle in a window... Gatoris thought of the song ‘Hero of the Day’. He still could not figure out who did it. He finally saw a small signature mark: a small ‘A’ with wings. "She got the best of both worlds..." he mumbled as he looked at the family portrait again as he held back tears.
 
 

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Chapter Twenty: Forgotten Pasts

Part I: The Way We Were

Gatoris couldn’t help but notice there were two women in the picture he had yet to see. One looked to be twenty, the other a few years younger. He looked at the younger person... she seemed familiar to him... "Akane..." he whispered. Gatoris fell to his knees in tears. Almathea had not recognized her. "Who is Akane?" she asked. "2100 years ago, on Earth... one of the few lives without you... Akane was my sister..." He closed his eyes, trying to avoid remembering a painful moment. "...something happened to her, and you wish you could have saved her, right Charon?" Gatoris cried harder. "I know I could have... It’s my fault she died..." Gatoris suddenly got the sense that danger was about. He stopped his self-pity session for a moment and left unexpectedly.

"I can’t believe this! Us, the Turks, reduced to highway robbery!" Reno was griping. Ever since Gatoris let them out of prison, the Turks had resumed their dirty dealing. Rude gave him a cold stare. "Listen." Elena explained. "We need money some way or another." The three continued to argue as two women approached their location. Both were dressed in fukus similar to those worn by the Sailor Senshi. "You sure this is the way to Gatoris’ castle, Stardust?" one said. "Yes, Comet! It’s what Sailor Moon told me." ‘Stardust’ replied. The Turks saw their opportunity. Reno jumped in front of the two, holding a rifle. "Give us your money." he said, in a plain tone. Elena slapped him. "You fool! These two aren’t going to have any money! They’re Senshi, for crying out loud! You have sealed our deaths!" Before Rude could reply or the two Senshi could attack, Gatoris appeared. "You guys again?" He was disgusted at the Turks. Without raising his sword, the Turks went packing. Gatoris turned to the ladies who he just saved, and kneeled. (He had decided to do that to all the Senshi, save Almathea. She thought he did it enough in one lifetime.) "You have no need to worry about them..." he said as he looked up. He recognized one of the two as "...Akane..." The Senshi looked confused. "My name is Sailor Stardust, good sir..." she replied. "...but your name was once Akane. You were my sister in a past life. You have come back as a Senshi to extract revenge..." He handed her his sword. It was if Gatoris was accepting what he thought was an imminent death. Instead of beheading him, Stardust knocked him out with the hilt of the sword. The two Senshi lugged Gatoris back to the castle.

"Gatoris!" Aerith yelled when the Senshi brought him in. "What happened to him?" Stardust looked at Aerith. "...so he’s Gatoris. I apologize, Aerith. He was acting odd, saying that I had come back to kill him." Gatoris came to. When he saw Stardust, he ran. Almathea walked into the room. "So you are Akane..." Again, Stardust was confused. "Madam, I am Sailor Stardust! I have no clue who this ‘Akane’ is, but it isn’t me!" Almathea looked at her. "What is your other name?" Stardust could sense Almathea was a Senshi, so she told her. "My name is Himeno Hikari, Princess of Celestia." Almathea then told Stardust her true identity. "I think I know why Gatoris thinks you are ‘Akane’... You may have well been..." Stardust looked at Almathea again. "Akane was from a life of his long before you were princess of Celestia." Stardust began to think. Was Gatoris right? She could not remember any life before Celestia... "Let me help." Almathea began to chant a spell. Suddenly, Stardust’s mind became clear. She remembered all her past...

Gatoris was in the courtyard crying. All he could think about was Akane’s death 2100 years ago. "I could have saved you... I was a fool to not defend..." he was going through the event in his mind. As usual, his name was Garret. He and his younger sister Akane lived off the streets for years. Their parents died when they were young, leaving them homeless. One day, when Garret was eighteen, a man tried to attack Akane. Garret went to punch the man, but he was shoved out of the way, and the man stabbed Akane. The man left the two. Garret held Akane in his arms. She said her farewell, and died. The rest of that life was a blur. "I let my guard down, Akane... It’s my fault you died..." Gatoris then thought of Aerith. The same thing had almost happened to her. "I am a living curse..." he muttered. he placed his sword in the ground, and began to walk out of the castle again.

Sailor Stardust walked into the courtyard a split second too late. "Garret... It wasn’t your fault!" she shouted, hoping he was still in earshot. He was already gone, however. He went searching for a cave to crawl into and die...

Aerith ran into the courtyard as well. She saw the sword without its owner and wept. "He’s abandoning me..." Her tears turned into rage. "He thinks he is the reason for all the hardships around him? He thinks running will solve it? I’ll show him hardships! I show him not to run!" Aerith slipped away to their room.

When Gatoris found his cave, his sleep was turbulent yet again. Angelise appeared to him again. She was full of tears. "Dad... you’re literally killing me..." Gatoris did not know what she meant. "You abandoned mother. And unless you do something quick, I will never be born..." Gatoris looked down. "You want to be born into my family? You want my curse?" Angelise grabbed him by the neck. "Dad, you are a fool to think everything that goes wrong is your fault! I thought my mom and Aunt Almathea taught you better..." As she said this, her body began to fade slightly. Gatoris looked in shock. "Hurry dad..." was all she said. Gatoris woke up and teleported to his castle.

Aerith was in a hot tub, relaxing as much as she could. She saw Gatoris enter. "You come to watch your precious Angelise die?" She said in anger. Gatoris began to cry. Why was she doing this? "You abandoned me, Gatoris. Just call it revenge." He tried to pull her out, but she threw him across the room. "You care more about this precious child than you do me!" she said before she passed out. Gatoris pulled her out, and he cried. he could see Angelise fading away. He also felt himself begin to fade away. No... this meant that Aerith was dying. He began to see the blood. She was trying to force a miscarriage, but she was dying in the process. He failed again...

Stardust walked into the room. She saw Aerith lying on the floor. "She didn’t..." she gasped. Gatoris nodded his head. "I failed again..." Stardust slapped him upside the head. "It’s never been your fault, Garret!" she yelled at him. She grabbed her Crystal Light Wand and held it over Aerith. "Please, Aerith... live..." Stardust began to cry. Aerith slowly opened her eyes. "At lease someone still cares for me..." she mumbled as

she awoke. Gatoris kneeled in front of his wife had handed her a dagger. "You did not have to kill yourself, Aerith... It’s my fault, and don’t tell me otherwise." He pointed the dagger at his heart. "I am willing to die for this mistake..." Aerith looked at him, and placed the dagger on the ground. "No, Gatoris... I overreacted. I should never have done this... I now must bear this dark spot on my soul..." Gatoris cried. He had indirectly killed Angelise before she was ever born... Stardust shot a glare at him. "She’s not dead yet..." she said, wand still over Aerith. Gatoris began to get a mental image. He could see Angelise coming back into view. Stardust was saving her. When she was done, Stardust collapsed, drained of all her energy. Gatoris held her in his arms. "No, Akane... don’t leave me again..." he said as his tears began to flow. One of them reached her body, and it energized her. When she came to, Stardust hugged him. "Thank you, brother..." she said. Gatoris had been correct: this was his sister Akane. He looked down and spoke to Aerith. "I know you will never trust me again. Hell, you probably hate my guts! But I will still protect you." Aerith kissed Gatoris. "I still trust you. And I still love you. I just was full of anger."

Sailor Comet walked in. "You okay, dad?" she asked. Gatoris looked at her. "What do you mean by that?" "You don’t remember, do you? I was your daughter 2100 years ago." Gatoris began to focus on his memories of that life. He remembered the death of Akane in more detail. It wasn’t just her that died... Angelina died, too. The man had killed his wife, and mortally wounded him. The only one unhurt was a baby girl. Garret wandered around, trying to find someone to take care of his daughter. He finally found someone willing to take her in. It was the Queen of the Comet Kingdom. Garret’s last words were to her: "Please... take care of my little Jessica..." and he collapsed, dead. Gatoris looked at Comet. "I’m okay now, Jessica." He hugged her, as did Aerith. Angelina remembered, as well. "At least now Angelise will have all her family here when she is born." Gatoris said.

Part II: Requiem for a Queen

After everything settled down, Almathea came to speak with her brother. "You almost blew it, Charon..." Gatoris nodded in agreement. "I made a mistake, and I admit it. I also know not to dwell on it." "You have put up with a lot of grief and depression in your time. I personally could not survive it..." Almathea began. "...you could. I remember your most painful moment." Gatoris conjured up an illusion (using residue powers from Pikachu’s possessions) to show her what he meant.

A despondent mood was over Dryad Castle. Queen Zeal was on her deathbed, slowly slipping away. She had been ill for the past few months, and weakened every day. She summoned King Cronus, Princess Chastity, and Garret into her chamber. Garret was dumbfounded as for why the queen wanted to speak with him. He kneeled beside her. "Garret..." she began. "Your family has served me for may years. I remember your mother and father so well..." Garret bowed his head in sorrow at the mention of his parents. His mother died in childbirth, while his father died when Garret was no more than five, saving the king and queen from an assassination attempt. "I raised you like you were my own son... and you have become like a brother to Kiyorakasa... I ask of you now, Garret... please watch over her..." Garret looked at the queen. "I swear to you, on my eternal soul..." Garret started. "I will let no harm come to Almathea as long as there is a breath in my body and a pulse in my veins..." he began to tear up, and he stepped aside so the princess could speak to her.

"My Kiyorakasa... I love you with all my heart..." Queen Zeal spoke. Princess Chastity could not stop crying. "I will always watch over you... Please do not remember me like this, but think of happier times..." The princess was crying harder, feeling sorrow. With these last words to her daughter, Queen Zeal closed her eyes for the final time. "Farewell, your majesty... may the angels of Heaven be as beautiful and kind as you and your daughter..." Garret said through his tears. He felt as if he had just lost his father again. Princess Chastity was obviously distraught over losing her mother. She ran out the door and out of the castle. "She will get over it in time." King Cronus said with a tear in his eye. "She’ll come back..." Garret stood up. "I’m going after her." The king looked at his loyal retainer. "You will do no such thing! I said she will be fine." "But I must." King Cronus gave Garret a stern look. "Are you disobeying an order, Garret?" Garret gave him a calm look in return. "No. I am just keeping a promise. And my word is my allegiance..." Garret walked out the door without another word.

Chastity was still crying by the time she reached a small cabin. Her mother’s last words were running over in her mind... ‘Think of happier times...’ She walked into the cabin. This was the place her mother took her when she wanted to be alone with her daughter, away from servants, to personally be with her only child. Chastity immediately sat in a corner and cried.

Garret’s horse raced to the cabin. He had a hunch the princess would go there to ease her mind. From what he heard, her mother did the same thing at her age. As the tears dried out, he could see the vine-covered wall of the cabin in the horizon. When he arrived at his destination, he noticed the door ajar. He also heard wailing from within. Garret entered quietly, as not to startle his friend.

Princess Chastity’s tears were beginning to form a small puddle on the floor around her. With her vision blurred, she did not see Garret come in until he hugged her. "I understand how you feel, Alma..." Garret attempted to comfort her. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I remember when I lost my father... I cried for weeks. In fact, I did not get over it until last year. I learned the only thing you can do for comfort is to have good friends to begin with." She looked up at him, and paused the tears for a moment. "Th... thank you, Charon..." she said before she continued to cry. "It’s all right, Almathea... let it all out." Garret began to hug her tighter. "She was right. You are like a sister to me. I will always be there for you..." the princess began to crack a faint smile. She hugged Garret back with the grip of a wrench. "No problem." Garret replied. "Just remember I will always be there for you..."

Almathea cried. "You’re right. You will always be there for me. And I will always be there for you." "That is because you are my soul sister... my eternal sister." Gatoris added. "Our relationship goes deeper than blood. It goes down to our souls, bonding us forever..."

Chapter Twenty-One: Issues

Part I: The Cycle

Gatoris offered lodging for his family. Both accepted happily. He took this time to catch up with his daughter and sister. Jessica told of he life on the Comet Kingdom. "Queen Comet was a nice person. She took me in and raised me as her own daughter." she began. "I also had good friends like Edge to take care of me." Before Gatoris could ask who Edge was, a slender female knight was in their presence. "Princess Jessica..." she began. Gatoris bowed to the woman. "What is it, Edge?" Jessica replied. "...it’s private, princess..." Edge tried to explain. "You can say it in front of my father..." she smiled. Edge, seeing that she was insistent, gave her the bad news: "The Queen is dead." Gatoris bowed his head as Jessica cried. "She was a good woman..." Gatoris said of her. Edge took Gatoris aside. "Good sir, my journey here was long and tedious. Would it be possible..." "Yes, you can stay. Stay as long as you need, Edge." Gatoris knew the drill. The knight thanked her gracious host.

At dinner time, Aerith was in the kitchen. She was preparing dinner, until Hikari stepped in. "Aerith, you don’t need to cook. You need to rest!" she said to her sister-in-law. Aerith reluctantly let her cook.

When dinner was served, there was much talking between the family members. "Welcome to the family, Jessica and ... Hikari was it?" Gatoris began a toast. "You can call me Akane if you want..." his sister replied. He nodded. "Anyways, welcome Jessica and Akane. And welcome to our guest, Edge." Edge stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Sir Gatoris..." Gatoris gave her a puzzled look. "Since when have I been knighted?" "Queen Comet did it before I left, dad." Jessica piped in. Gatoris shrugged his shoulders. He really didn’t want any type of title, but he’d take it.

During dinner, Gatoris complimented Aerith’s cooking, as he usually did. "I didn’t cook it this time, honey..." Gatoris was puzzled when his wife said that. "...your sister did." Gatoris looked at Aerith, then to Akane. "I couldn’t tell the difference!" he said.

When it came time for everyone to retire, Jessica sat in her bed. She had found her real family on the same day that the only family she had known had died. She began to sob lightly. She did not notice her father enter in the darkness. "I know how you feel, Jessica. I have lost my parents in many of my lives..." he muttered. She looked up at her father. "It’s always tough to lose a loved one. Only time can heal the pain..." Gatoris said as he hugged his daughter. She took comfort in her father’s words. "I’m always here for my family," he said as he walked out. She looked at the rose her father left on her bed. She hoped he was right...

Part II: Life is NOT Peachy

The next day, no one could locate Gatoris. He had disappeared somewhere in the castle. Aerith glanced at the calendar: it was March 18. She suddenly got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. March 18... Angelina’s birthday... And given Gatoris’ recent episode of depression, this could be a bad day.

Almathea finally located her brother in the courtyard. He had half a bottle of wine next to him, and he was crying. She knew what day it was, and she had a bad feeling too. "You okay, Gatoris?" she asked. He turned to her, slightly upset. "The hell you think?" Alma was not taken aback, for she expected it. "I know you miss Angie..." she tried to cheer him up. "You bet your Senshi ass I do! More than anyone would know!" Alma was offended by the Senshi remark. "Calm down, bro! I was just trying to help!" "You can help by leaving me with my thoughts..." Almathea gave up. He wanted to be alone, so be it. Gatoris continued crying.

He decided to see how Angelina was spending the day. He was depressed enough as it was, so he couldn’t see it getting worse.

Angelina was getting ready to go to a party her friends were having for her. They had the bright idea to make it a costume party. It had taken her a week to finally decide on the perfect one. People will think I stole this from ‘Romeo & Juliet’... she thought. ...But it is what Garrett thought of me... she began to cry. Alma looked in on her friend and roommate. She had let the lavender dye fade from her hair, revealing her natural brunette locks. She was dressed as a Japanese schoolgirl. Alma hugged her friend. "It’s okay, Angie..." was all she said.

Gatoris poured another glass of wine and continued watching.

When Angelina got tot the party, all her friends were waiting for her. Although everyone else was dancing, Angie just sat and watched her friends have a good time. She refused to dance with anyone. Even Jared offered to dance with her. Even though it had been six months, she could not let go of either man.

Part III: Falling Away From Me

This sight depressed the half-drunk Gatoris. He wished he could be there to dance with her. He took another drink and continued viewing.

It then came time to eat. At her request, the seats next to Angelina were left empty. Instead of being happy, dinner was somber. At the beginning, Angelina raised a toast. "I know it is my birthday and all, but I don’t want this toast to be about me. Instead, I propose a toast to Jason and Garrett..." she began to tear up. "May you be happy... wherever you are..." Angelina finally broke down in tears. "I’m sorry I ruined the party..." she muttered as she walked out and back to her house.

"No, Angie.. I’m sorry for ruining your life..." Gatoris muttered. He had polished off the bottle of wine by now. "Gatoris, it’s not your fault! How many times do I have to tell you?" Aerith had found him, and she was channeling Angie. "Not my fault? It is my fault that you live a fragmented life, Angie! It’s my fault that I cursed you to follow me into hell!" Gatoris went off on her. "Garret... that spell wore off after the first rebirth!" Angelina had about enough of this. "Still, I cursed the Queen of the Angles into a miserable life!" Garret was on a full-blown self-guilt trip. "You should have gone to Jason..." "No... I made Jason to purify your heart..." Angelina began. Garret glared at her. "You mean you cursed me to be a failure five hundred years ago? That means that Jason is the true muse of writing..." Garret now felt like a shell of a man. He slowly began to chant a spell. "You should be with him..." he muttered as he began. Angelina could not stop him from casting a spell uniting her and Jason, like she and Garret had been. "...and now farewell, Angelina." he said in a grim tone. He pulled out his sword, and placed it at arm’s length. He closed his eyes for a moment. He did not see Edge step in front of him as he thrust the sword toward himself.

Gatoris opened his eyes and saw what had happened. His heart almost stopped. This knight whom he barely knew had just sacrificed herself so he could live. Gatoris bent down and picked her up. She was alive, but fading away. He began to heal her, but she spoke up. "No, Sir Garret... that isn’t needed." Gatoris ignored her and kept trying. "Don’t strain yourself. You need the energy... You have to protect your family... and the ...world..." Gatoris refused to let her die like this... Then Jessica came into the courtyard. She rushed to her friend’s side. Edge looked at Jessica for a moment. "Farewell, Princess Jessica..." was all she said. She then died in Gatoris’ arms.

"Great..." Gatoris muttered as he laid the fallen knight on the ground. "...yet another sin to die for." He then picked his sword up and wiped the blood off of it. He looked down at the blade. The dragon that had adorned it had been replaced with a red rose. He then held the sword at arm’s length again. This time, Jessica stepped in front of him. "You’re not getting off that easy, dad." she said, beginning to cry. Almathea then jerked her niece out of the way. She then stepped in her place. "If you want to die Charon, you will have to take me with you..." she said, tearless as well as fearless. Then Angelina took her turn in front of him. "You know what you are doing to me, Garret?" she yelled at him. "You are slowly killing me! If you want to kill me, make it fast." She then turned around and placed the point of Gatoris’ sword near her heart. "I’d rather die than be forced to live with someone I don’t love..." she screamed. Garret froze. His mind had become clear again. What the hell was he doing? he thought. He tried to drop the sword, but Angelina had a hold of the blade. He wondered why she wasn’t letting go. "You have cursed me to live with Jason... I have no reason to exist..." She said, finally crying. Garret slowly chanted a new spell. This one broke the bonds of his last, and returned the original bonds. "Remind me never to drink that much again..." Garret muttered. Angelina then hugged him. "How can you still love me after what I said?" Garret said. "That wasn’t the real you talking..." Angie explained. She was right. Garret hugged back.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Wonders Never Cease

The next day, Gatoris held a funeral for Edge. The guilt was immense for him. It was his fault she died. The least he could do now would be send her off properly. After a short service, Gatoris carried the coffin (by himself) to a spot in the courtyard where he had dug the grave. He lay the coffin down for a moment, and then opened it. Gatoris unsheathed his sword, and placed it with Edge. "This sword is as cursed as it’s counterpart now..." he mumbled. "At least you will have protection in your next life, m’lady..." Gatoris then closed the lid, and gently placed the coffin in the ground. He let Jessica help place the dirt over her friend. After everyone left the courtyard, Gatoris remained on a bench overlooking Edge’s final resting place. Slowly, the guilt was eating him. "Thank you..." he began to speak after hours of being motionless. "You saved my family. I am beyond saving..." He broke down. He then looked up at the mural in front of him: the family portrait. There was a detail about it Gatoris never noticed before. He looked above the roof of the house and saw an angel in flight. He looked at the face closely, and cried harder.

Suddenly, Gatoris felt as if someone was behind him. He turned around and saw a brilliant light, and in this light was an angel. "Garret..." she spoke. Immediately, he knew who it was. "Edge.. I’m sorry. It’s my fault you died. Your death will be another cross for me to bear..." Edge grabbed his face. "It’s not your fault. It was just my time." Gatoris diverted his eyes. "I know that’s not why you came back. What do you really want?" Gatoris asked. She grabbed a sword from behind her back. He looked at it. "...I cannot wield that cursed blade anymore..." Gatoris exclaimed of the Masamune. Edge gave him a cold look. "It is not cursed. Though you think my blood cursed the blade, it purified it. That is why the rose appeared on it." Gatoris reluctantly held the sword. He felt a force surge through him, similar to when he first took it from Ifalna. "Take care of your family, Garret... especially your daughters..." Edge said as she faded back into the light. Gatoris felt at ease, and let his guilt recede.

"You are blessed, father..." a voice came from behind. "Yes, Angelise, I am." Gatoris replied. He turned around and hugged his young angel. "I just wish all of Angelina knew how I loved her..." he began to cry. "Soon, she will have a reminder of your love..." Gatoris looked at his daughter. What did she mean? Angelise showed her father.

"Angie, you okay?" Alma called from outside the bathroom. Angelina had been vomiting for a long time. She had not been sick earlier, so it came as a surprise. "Well, the results of your bloodwork came back..." Alma continued. Angie had donated blood, but something was odd about it. She was about to get a huge shock: "...it says you’re six months... pregnant..." Alma read out. Angie passed out from confusion.

"How can this be? I haven’t missed my period!" Angie yelled at the doctor. He shook his head. "I just don’t know. All the tests say you are beginning your third trimester..." Angie calmed down. She became pregnant somehow, and she didn’t know why. She probably would not ever know. But... "...I have a feeling I know who the father is, but he is dead." she said solemnly. "You wish for us to find out?" the doctor offered. Angie nodded. "I have two ideas who it may be. I have locks of their hair if you need it." Angie reached into her purse and opened a small tin. It had two bunches of hair: one from Jason, the other from Garrett. "We will know who the father is in about a week, ma’am." the doctor thanked her. "By the way, do you want to know if it’s a boy or girl?" Both Angie and Alma nodded. The doctor looked Angie in the eyes and said "...it’s a girl." Angelina smiled. She had the perfect name picked out, but she wanted her daughter to have her father’s last name. She had a vague idea which one it may be.

Gatoris looked at Angelise. "I’m not going to ask who’s it is." Angelise smiled back. "I wasn’t going to say it anyway." Gatoris hugged his daughter. "Three more months, and you will be born... I can’t wait..."

When Gatoris returned to his room, he placed the Masamune on his mantle. He would keep it only for emergencies. Though he still did not know why Edge was so willing to die like that, Gatoris let it slide. He reached into his closet and found Zack’s sword. It was exactly the same as Cloud’s sword, so it needed some type of identification mark. Gatoris grabbed a brush and some paint. With some patience and a splash of talent, he painted a rose on it. He then grabbed the hair dye.

When Aerith saw him, she asked why he had dyed his hair black. "I’m just mourning in my own way." he answered. "I wear black all the time, anyway." His wife sighed. At least his mental health was better. He then kissed his wife, and they retired for the evening.

A stagnant week passed in Gatoris’ life. About the only thing happened was he learned more of his past. He read up on his Cetra mythology. There had been many Angelinas. The name was just the title for the Queen of the Angels. His Angelina had something special about her, though. The muse of art, Kabya, died with her present. Angelina let Kabya become one with her. Essentially, they fused into one soul. This meant that Angelina and Almathea began separately, then joined, and finally separated again. Gatoris also noted that Kabya was the sister of Garret. He had been right to call Almathea his eternal sister. He then remembered the vision with Angelina. It was time for the moment of truth.

Angie arrived at the doctor’s office. She was anxious to find out which of her loves was the father of her daughter. Alma figured it was Jason, for she had never really been with Garrett. The doctor walked in, looking confused. "You said that you had been with Mister Steele for many years?" Angie nodded. "And your other friend, Mister Mackenzie... You never had any sexual contact with him?" she again nodded. The doctor looked at Angie. "You have to be lying." Alma passed out. The doctor ignored the fainting spell. "The tests show that there is no probability that your boyfriend is the father, but all results point to Garrett Mackenzie." The doctor looked confused still. "It’s a miracle..." Angie muttered. "Yeah whatever. It’s his daughter." The doctor said before dismissing Angie and Alma.

Gatoris smiled. "It is a miracle, Angie..." he whispered to the wind. "Love has the power to do the most implausible things..." "...and you two have the strongest love of all.." A voice said behind him. Gatoris turned to face a unknown, yet familiar-looking woman. She was wearing a Deadwood High School letter jacket... Garrett’s to be precise. The woman looked strikingly similar to Angelina, but with brown hair and blue-green eyes. Gatoris began to cry. "I never heard her mention what she will name you, but I think I know." he smiled. The woman gave him a chance. "Angelise, right?" She hugged her father. "I’m blessed to have two beautiful daughters in two different dimensions with the same name..." he said as he sobbed. He then felt someone else hug him. He smiled as his he saw the other Angelise. He hugged them both tightly as his vision ended.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Tennotsukai no Mideel

The next morning, Gatoris awoke with a smile. This shocked everyone. No one, not even Almathea, remembered the last time he was this happy. Aerith began to worry, actually. Eventually, she asked why he was so happy. "Why shouldn’t I be? I’m going to be the father of a sweet little angel in three months time, and all is right in the world!" he chimed. Aerith smiled. He was right. She just wished he would be this happy every day.

Jessica woke up to her father dancing in the hallway. She thought she was dreaming. Jessica had never seen her father happy. This was a rare sight, indeed. She smiled, not caring what made her father so happy. Jessica then smiled, thinking maybe Edge came to him in a dream again, and cheered him up. Gatoris noticed his daughter, and began dancing with her. Jessica made a crack about someone changing her father’s Prozac dosage. He just smiled. "Nope. I just upped my dosage on life. Now clean your room..." he smirked. Jessica just smiled back. Whatever Edge showed him to cheer him up really did the trick, she thought to herself.

Akane was on the balcony, looking outside. Gatoris stood silently behind his younger sister. She turned around and saw him. "What you thinking about, Akane?" he asked. She shook her head. "Nothing..." she replied. Gatoris gazed into her eyes. "You’re thinking about our parents, aren’t you?" Akane nodded affirmatively. "I barely remember them..." she spoke softly. "...they were loving parents..." Gatoris added. "Our mother died in childbirth, while dad..." Gatoris cut his sentence short. It was still painful. "What about him?" Akane pried. "...he died in a fire when I was eight and you were not even one." Gatoris sighed. "I remember his last words to me... He told me to protect my sister..." Akane was beginning to wish she didn’t ask. She was afraid he would blame himself again. "...I did the best I could." he said. Akane sighed in relief. Akane walked back to the main part of the castle while Gatoris stood on the balcony. "Catherine... Noah..." he whispered the name of his and Akane’s parents, "I still swear I will protect her..."

The next to be touched by Gatoris’ happiness was Almathea. She was in the ballroom, of all places. Gatoris walked in and was surprised to see her in a formal dress. Almathea was surprised he was in there at all. The last time Garret ever danced was "...two thousand years... Has it been that long since that life?" Gatoris asked. Almathea began to think back. She then started to cry when she thought of all that she lost. Gatoris hugged his sister. "I lost a lot, too. My family, the one I loved..." he said before he stopped. He remembered he had been reunited with his love, but Almathea had yet to have that happen... "I wish Prince Shade would hurry up and join us again. He better have a good excuse for upsetting my sister like this..." Gatoris muttered. Almathea cracked a smile. "You always were protective of me, Garret." she said as her tears slowly ended. Gatoris looked into her eyes. They had a tendency to change color with her moods. He looked at her hazel eyes and smiled. "Come on, Alma. I hate to see you unhappy. Care to dance?" he asked his sister. She again smiled, and her eyes brightened a little. "Why not? It should cheer me up a bit." Almathea replied. Without him doing anything, the music began to play. Gatoris looked to the stereo and saw Aerith next to it. She nodded at him, as if to say she approved. Gatoris then recognized the song: ‘One Headlight’ by the Wallflowers. This was either irony, or Aerith had been there listening to them. After the two finished dancing, Almathea smiled. She thanked her brother, then kissed him on his scar, and skipped off happily. Aerith then hugged Gatoris from behind. "Now that was a change... you cheering someone up." she smiled. He hugged back and noticed the time. Time does fly when you’re having fun...

The dream for Gatoris was of normal fare: a vision of his past. He saw his father handing him Akane shortly before his death. He remembered living off the streets with her because no one would take them in. He could not figure out if it was because they feared him, or if it was the rumored ‘curse’ on the Bradford family. Garret remembered the hardships of living on the streets for eight years. It almost was his undoing, in fact. He had come down with an illness, but he refused to seek help because he did not want to leave Akane’s side. Garret was afraid of losing his only family. One day, as he lay on the street near death, a person came up to him. With the combination of the sun shining directly behind this person and delirium caused by a high fever, he could have sworn this person was an angel that had come for him. "Please... I don’t want to die yet.... I can’t leave Akane alone..." he weakly uttered to the stranger. The stranger was confused. Garret responded to the confusion. "You are an angel, aren’t you?" The young girl shook her head. "No, but thanks for thinking that of me. My name is Angelina Wallace. Can I help you, sir?" Garret looked at her again. "No you can’t. I swore to my father I would protect Akane. I cannot leave her side..." he said as he began to cough up a lung. Angelina began to think. Akane? Wasn’t that the name of one of the Bradford family’s children? If that young girl he is holding is Akane, then that makes him... "Garret?" she asked. He looked up at her again. "How... did you know who I was?" "Our parents were friends. They’ve been looking for you two for years." Angelina began to explain. She realized he would not seek help on his own: Bradford males were known for being stubborn and true to their word. "...If you go with me, I will swear to you nothing will happen to Akane." Garret then handed Akane over to her. "Tell Adam and Cara goodbye... for me..." Garret thought this was it. This was the end for him. Akane should not have to bear witness to another death... "Garret, no! I can’t tell my parents that! That’s why I brought a doctor with me..." she said, crying. The doctor then immediately injected Garret with medicine. Angelina then placed him on the cart, and placed Akane back in his hands. "We’re going to take care of both of you." a man in front said. He turned around to examine Garret. He recognized him immediately: it was Angelina’s father Adam. He was short, had brown hair and blue-green eyes, and was kind of portly. He then looked at the woman driving the cart. Cara looked as beautiful as her daughter with her hazel eyes and mousey brown hair. Garret then blacked out.

When he came to, Garret was in a large bedroom. It felt odd to be on a bed after not having one for eight years. The aching that had been in his chest had dulled, if not disappeared. He could breathe without pain, and he felt well-rested. Garret immediately began to look for Akane. He didn’t need to look further than the bed next to him. He calmed down, and laid back in bed. Not long after, Angelina came in with food. Garret insisted that Akane ate first. He always insisted Akane went first, no matter what. Angelina woke Akane up and gave her breakfast. She then gave Garret his, and she sat down next to him. Garret decided to speak to her. "How’s my sutori-toenzeru doing?" he asked her. Angelina blushed. "I’ll take that as good." Garret replied. He then bowed his head. "I like to thank you for saving Akane from being alone..." Angelina looked at him odd. He cared more about his sister being alone than his own life? "...our father wanted the world for her, rest his soul..." Garret added. Angelina again looked at him odd. He didn’t even care about his life? He only cared for his sister? "I know what you’re thinking. You think I don’t care about my own personal self. I do care, Angelina, I do. I just put Akane in front of everything. She is the only family I have left. I have no friends..." Angelina grabbed his jaw. "Garret, you do have a friend... me." Garret hugged her. "I remember when I first met you... I had a feeling when I was around you that I never felt around anyone else. It’s taken me about ten years to figure it out..." Angelina spoke. Garret looked in her eyes. He felt something, too. He felt that he needed to be with her... "...I love you, Garret..." she whispered. Garret kissed her on the lips and replied "I love you too, Angelina..." As the two kissed romantically, Akane spoke up. "See Garret, even you need someone..." Garret stopped kissing for a moment to reply to his sister. "Yes, angel, I do. And I’m glad I found her."

Garret, Akane and Angelina were inseparable from that moment on. With both of them being seventeen, Garret and Angelina needed consent to marry from her parents. While Adam had no opposition, Cara suggested they wait a year. They took her advice and waited. By some form of miracle, Angelina became pregnant three months after the decision. (They knew it was a miracle since Garret and Angelina both claimed to never have slept together. That, added to the fact that Adam and Cara knew it was part of the Bradford family ‘gift’...) Their resolve to be married became greater. They decided to marry the day of their eighteenth birthday. (They were both born on the same day.) The ceremony went off without a problem. There was a surprise at the reception, however. While the newlyweds were dancing, Angelina suddenly delivered her baby without warning. After a doctor tended to the child, Garret and Angelina looked at their daughter. Angelina had a name picked out for her already. "Jessica... that’s not how to surprise your parents..." Angelina joked.

The happy moment was ruined when an intruder entered the room brandishing a sword. "So, the foul beast has spawned..." he uttered. Garret looked at the man, and remembered him: it was the same man who set his house on fire ten years ago. The man then grabbed Akane from her chair. "...I will eliminate them all..." he muttered, holding the sword to her throat. Garret walked up to the man. "If you are going to kill any of my family again, you will have to kill me first." Adam, Cara, and Angelina gasped in shock. The all knew who this man was: he was one of their own servants, Edwin. Why was he doing this? Why did he kill the Bradfords before? Edwin then threw Akane to Garret. "Fine then. It matters not to me. All your kind must be destroyed anyway." Angelina walked over to get Akane out of the way, but Edwin stabbed her in the chest. Garret watched in horror as the woman he loved was wounded mortally. "One down, now for the next!" Edwin yelled. He lunged for Akane, but Garret tried to stop him with a punch. Garret missed Edwin completely, and Akane was stabbed in the chest, as well. Garret grabbed his sister as she fell. He held her as she began to cough up blood. "Don’t... blame yourself... brother..." she uttered before dying. Nearly everyone cleared the room, leaving the four and baby Jessica alone. Garret became enraged. He began to feel the anger build. He also felt something rip from his back: a pair of wings. He turned to Edwin and growled. "So I am a beast to you? If so, you created me. I will seek my vengeance on you..." he bellowed. Edwin stabbed him in the chest, as he did with the others. Though he was in immense pain, Garret punched at Edwin’s chest, grabbing his heart. He then yanked it out and crushed it in his hand. Garret looked over to Angelina. She was hanging on for dear life.

"You have found the secret of your family..." Angelina began in pain. "...your family is descended from angels... as is mine..." Garret began to cry. He held her and Jessica close, despite his pain. "It’s okay... I won’t let you... die..." Garret uttered. Angelina leaned to her husband and whispered. "I love you, Garret...", and then lost consciousness. He cried, and held Jessica. He knew his time was short, but he was determined to care for Jessica as he had Akane. He had noticed the room was empty, save one woman in a corner. Garret knew who it was: the Queen of the Comet Kingdom. She was a family friend of both the Bradfords and Wallaces. If he couldn’t care for Jessica, she would. Garret mustered up his last bit of energy and crawled to her, holding his baby daughter in his arms. "Please... Take care of my Jessica..." he muttered with his last ounce of energy. The queen looked at the child. Both cried. The queen then looked at Garret. "I will, Garret. I’ll take care of her for you…" she said softly. "I shall return her to you when the time is right." If he had still been alive, Garret would have been puzzled. The queen put Jessica down for a second, and tended to Garret’s body. She placed him next to Angelina, and placed his hand in hers. The queen then turned to Akane. She remembered how much the two cared for each other. She placed her under Garret’s other arm and cried. "You three loved each other so much. You should be together forever…" she said. She then picked Jessica up and headed back to her kingdom.

Gatoris woke up with a tear in his eye. That was the most moving dream he had ever witnessed. He walked out to the balcony where Akane had been earlier in the day. He looked out at the stars. He felt his wings spread out. For once, his angelic form felt at peace. Gatoris felt the wind blow through his wings. Akane then joined him. "You had the same dream, didn’t you?" she asked. Gatoris can see in her eyes that they had. He hugged her. "You think I can do that, too?" Akane asked him. "Sure, I don’t see why you can’t. Just concentrate." Gatoris replied. Akane did just that. She closed her eyes, thought of Garret, and shortly thereafter her wings emerged. She smiled. "I feel whole now…" Gatoris looked at his darling sister and hugged her until the sun rose.

Part II: Blessed Child of the Planet

Three months slowly passed. Gatoris looked at the calendar: was it really June 22 already? He then took out his to-do list of things that needed to be done before Angelise was born. Gatoris saw one box unchecked. He had yet to speak to Serena about something. He called her up, and she was at the castle within an hour. The two adjourned to the study.

"I know you didn’t just want to chat, Gatoris. What do you want of me?" Serena asked business-like. Gatoris smirked. "Now, Serena... Perhaps I did want to chat. But, you are right. I do want to talk business... sort of. As you know by now, Aerith is pregnant. The child is due in early July, but I feel it may be sooner... but that part is besides the point." Gatoris rambled. Serena listened, trying to figure out where she fit in. "I looked at my to-do list, and realized I haven’t picked godparents." Serena didn’t make the connection. "I could have picked Ami for her intelligence. Or any of the other Sailor Senshi, for that matter. But I chose you." Serena finally got it after it was spelled out for her. "Me? But why? I thought you didn’t like me!" She began to hyperventilate. "Calm down, Serena. I don’t hate you. Admittedly, I did dislike you when we first met. But that is because of the experience I had with the anime series in my dimension." Serena nodded. "I’ve seen it. It’s pretty pathetic what they got in the United States." Gatoris continued. "...Which reminds me. Which is it, Serena or Usagi?" Serena looked at him. "My given name is Usagi, but I go by Serena most of the time anyway." Gatoris continued with his reasons for picking her. "I still feel like I have to apologize for the Maijn incident..." Serena stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "There’s no need to. I know the only reason he didn’t kill me is because somewhere deep inside, you cared." she spoke. Gatoris nodded. "The main reason I picked you as Angelise’s godmother is because you are good with children." Serena smiled as she thought of Rini. "Second, I feel it is reconciliation for the way I treated you before." Serena would have argued it wasn’t needed, but she realized she would be wasting words. She just accepted the honor. Gatoris thanked her, and she went on her way.

Aerith was in the garden tending to a plant when Gatoris found her. Although he had pleaded for her to rest, she still took care of the courtyard garden. "It’s a beautiful rose, isn’t it?" she asked of the plant. Gatoris looked at it. It was an aquamarine-colored rose, about ready to bloom. "Yeah, it is." was all he replied. "This is the closest it has been to blooming since I planted it in Midgar. I wonder if there’s any connection..." Aerith was cut off with a minor pain. Gatoris immediately comforted her. Then, the pain went away. "I think it’s about time, hun." Gatoris said. Aerith nodded. "I think she’s almost ready to appear." Gatoris rushed her off to bed, then called the doctor at home.

"Dr. Authur?" Gatoris asked. "Please, Gatoris..." she replied. "Call me Cara. What is it?" "Sorry, Cara. I figured you went through years of school to get your title, and you wanted to use it." Gatoris spoke. "I know you didn’t just want to have a friendly conversation all night, so what do you need?" Cara asked again. "...it’s almost time..." Gatoris uttered. Cara paused for a moment. "I need to call my sister, Beth. She’s better at deliveries than I am." Gatoris really didn’t care who delivered Angelise. "Go ahead. You want me to take Aerith to the hospital now?" "Yes, that would be nice. I already have the room ready. Just head out there, and they’ll take care of everything." Cara then hung up the phone. Gatoris turned to his wife. "Let’s go..." he uttered. Aerith smiled. He went down and shouted out to the rest of the family "It’s show time!" as the two headed out the door into the night.

When they got to the New Mideel Hospital, everything was ready. Gatoris noticed the clock on the wall read 11:50 in the evening. This was going to be a long night. They allowed only one family member in the delivery room, so the rest of the family waited in the lobby as Gatoris put on some scrubs. When he entered the room, both doctors were waiting. "Her water hasn’t broke yet..." Cara commented. "It’ll break soon, Cara." ‘Beth’ replied. Gatoris gazed at the other doctor. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. Her face was obscured by her surgical mask, but the details looked oddly familiar. He also noticed she was wearing a jacket. Before he could make a connection, there was the sound of something splashing to the ground. "It’s time..." ‘Beth’ muttered.

Akane and Almathea became restless in the waiting room. Both made their way to the small chapel in the hospital. Upon entering, Akane unfurled her wings again. Almathea looked around and noticed a statue. It was of an angel. She looked at it closer. Upon further inspection, Almathea noticed the statue looked like Angelina. She then began to pray in her native Amalthean tongue. She started to pray for the safety for both Aerith in this dimension and Angelina Bradford. Akane prayed silently in the center of the chapel.

Angelina was in the process of giving birth in the Sullivan County Community Hospital. Her water broke no less than five hours ago, at about midnight. She had been in labor since then, and Angelise was being stubborn. "Acting like her father already..." Alma joked. She was in the delivery room along with Angelina’s mother. Jason’s mother Maria and Garrett’s mother Roberta waited outside. Roberta had no clue why she was there. She had been asked by Angelina to be there, so she came. Back in the delivery room, Angelina was still pushing, squeezing her mother’s hand. She wondered if Garrett was watching over her...

Gatoris watched as Aerith kept pushing. She squeezed his hand in an attempt to alleviate the pain. All Aerith succeeded in doing was breaking her husband’s left hand. Gatoris couldn’t help but get a feeling... one he only gets around Senshi... He knew it wasn’t his sisters or Jessica, so it was either the nurses, Cara, or Beth. He shrugged it off and kept coaching Aerith. "Keep pushing..." he repeated over and over. She had been pushing for nearly six hours now, and everyone in the room was tired. At approximately 7:16, ‘Beth’ screamed "I see her head!"

The doctor yelled "I can see her head!" as Angelina kept pushing. "Just a few more..." her mother, Mina, kept coaching. Alma closed her eyes and hoped for the best...

Almathea stopped her prayer for a second and smiled. She had been chanting non-stop for countless hours. She could sense that both mothers would be all right. She then began to pray for the babies. Akane still prayed for her brother, hoping he would keep his composure.

Shortly after the head emerged, the child’s shoulders were visible. The doctor grabbed the clamps and pulled the child out.

Aerith began to cry at the sight of her newborn daughter. After ‘Beth’ cut the umbilical cord, Aerith held her. "She’s a little angel..." she said through the tears of joy. Angelise flapped her wings in response to her mother’s voice. Cara then tapped Gatoris on the shoulder. "Can I speak with you in my office?" she asked. Gatoris, even though he did not want to leave his daughter, nodded. Gatoris, Cara, ‘Beth’, and one of the nurses entered the office.

Angelina held her baby for the first time. "My darling Angelise..." she muttered. Roberta and Maria had been allowed in to visit after the child was born. "Why am I here?" Mrs. Mackenzie asked. "Simple." Angelina began. "I want you to meet Angelise Wallace Mackenzie." Roberta fainted. Maria had a puzzled look. "You mean that she isn’t my Jason’s child?" Angelina replied no. "Then why am I here?" Angelina smiled at her. "I decided you should be the godmother." Maria fainted next to Roberta. Alma and Angelina looked at each other. "I guess it caught them both off-guard." Angelina shrugged.

Gatoris was sitting in the office, when ‘Beth’ walked in. She removed her surgical mask, and Gatoris recognized her. "Take the jacket off, too." Gatoris muttered. She did, and revealed her wings. "I knew it. I envisioned a second angel in there." Gatoris spoke as he hugged the grown-up version of Angelise. She hugged back and smiled. "I didn’t want to miss my own birth, now did I?" she joked. Gatoris then turned to Cara. "I didn’t realize you were a Senshi..." he uttered. Cara looked confused. "I can sense a Senshi when I am in the same room as them. I sensed one in there." Before Gatoris could explain further, a nurse came in. Gatoris sensed a Senshi again, and realized it was her. She looked very similar to Akane... "You probably figured it out by now, uncle." she spoke. Gatoris smiled and hugged his niece. "Akane’s never mentioned you..." he spoke. "Akane? Oh, you mean my mom. She doesn’t know I’m in Mideel. And before you ask, my name is Celece." Gatoris smiled again. "Beautiful name. You get all your beauty from your mother..." he grinned. Gatoris looked at Cara again. "Thanks for the reunion of sorts..." he spoke. The three walked back to Aerith’s hospital room.

Aerith looked up from Angelise at the moment Gatoris walked back in. "I would like you to meet some of our family..." Gatoris spoke. He then introduced Celece and Angelise. "Wow... Angelise delivered herself..." was all Aerith could say. She then handed their daughter to Gatoris. He looked at his newborn daughter. Her blue eyes sparkled and her wings flapped. She then fell asleep in his arms. Gatoris was left speechless. Akane and Almathea then came in. "Celece? What are you doing here?" Akane asked her daughter. "I’ll be getting back home after today. I just wanted to see my cousin being born." she explained. Almathea walked up to Gatoris. "I see we have ourselves another little tennotsukai..." she began. "Not just any angel, Alma. My daughter is Tennotsukai no Mideel..."

Angelina held her daughter as she lay in bed. She then realized what the day was. "You share more than your heart with your father..." she whispered to Angelise. Angelise was fast asleep in her arms. Angelina grabbed her glass of water and raised it to the sky. "Here’s to you, Garrett... I wish you could see your daughter..." she began, holding back tears. "...she is a little darling..."

Gatoris heard Angelina say those words. He cried for both joy and sadness: the joy of watching Aerith give birth to his daughter, but sad he could not watch Angelina do the same. Angelise flapped her wings in her sleep, much like a puppy kicking out its leg. The whole room smiled. Gatoris then handed her to her aunt Almathea. She became overwhelmed with tears of joy. After a few minutes, Alma handed her to Akane. She began to cry, as did her brother. Gatoris pictured her and Jessica, 2100 years ago. Akane then handed her back to Aerith. "Angelise... Princess of the Angels..." Almathea began to speak. "I pray you stay safe throughout eternity..."

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Clockwork Rat

Part I: Out of the Woodwork

Gatoris looked at his assembled family. He felt blessed to have this many angels in his family. He then watched as Jessica came in the room, her wings revealed. Gatoris figured that Queen Comet told her when she was younger, so he didn’t bother to ask how she knew. Even with all of his angels gathered, he felt that someone was missing, besides Goku. As he raked his mind to figure out who it was, Akane felt something come over her. "We’re missing one…" she muttered. Gatoris nodded. He then thought harder. It finally came to him. "Cory…" he muttered. Everyone looked at him. "My older sister from that life. We’re missing her." He sighed. To Garret, the puzzle was nearly complete. His family was almost fully reunited.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, no one noticed as a woman slipped away form a building. No one paid attention to the trail of blood leaving the building, either. There was a monster running loose in the city, killing defenseless people. No one cared about one woman roaming the streets. She was not a threat to them…

Gatoris sat in a chair next to Aerith and Angelise. After many hours of debating with the hospital staff, he was allowed to stay with them through the night. He refused to leave his angels’ side. At about midnight, he finally nodded off. And of course, he had a vision.

Garret was sitting under a tree in a peaceful rural setting. Judging by the way his back felt, he knew who would be in his vision. Garret stood up and walked to a nearby house. Before he went to knock on the door, he noticed it was already ajar. Garret entered the house, and felt a chill go up his spine. For the first time in over 2100 years, Garret Bradford was home. He then immediately ran to the living room. "Welcome home, Garret!" Catherine said in jubilation. Garret did not share his mother’s enthusiasm. "...I shouldn’t be the first one back home..." he sighed. "It’s okay son. We know Akane is okay." Noah replied. "I know, but what about Cory?" Garret moaned. "She had been with us until twenty or so years ago..." Catherine began. Garret began to smile. "She’s alive again? I need to find her!" Noah looked down. "It’s not that easy. Edwin took her soul away from us..." Garret began to fill with rage. "Cory Kathleen Bradford... I swear on my soul that I will reunite you with your family, one way or another..." he vowed. His father looked at him. "Garret, please don’t... this time it’s hopeless. Edwin controls her soul. She wouldn’t remember you. Plus, you have your own angel to take care of, remember?" "...all the more reason for me to dispose of Edwin." Garret replied to his father. "I’ll show him not to mess with the Bradford family. I will show him that love overcomes all obstacles, including time and space." Garret’s eyes begin to glimmer in a different light. If he didn’t either calm down soon or kill Edwin, he would go Psycho Angel again. Garret then hugged his mother. "I bet that all the other angels are jealous of your beauty, mother." he remarked. Catherine blushed. "I’m nothing compared to your daughters, Garret..." The two kept hugging. "Please, Garret. Don’t go after Edwin. I’m afraid that he may sacrifice Cory so he can haunt us again." she sighed. Garret looked into his mother’s eyes. "I will get Cory back. I promise her blood will not be shed. I protected Akane to my fullest, and I will save Cory." he said with purpose. Catherine’s brown eyes sparkled as she smiled. She knew she could not talk her son out of this. He was stubborn, like his father. She then kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck, son." she whispered to him. He then looked at his father, who was holding a sword. "This is the family’s sword. I want you to use it to defeat Edwin." Noah said. Garret looked it over: it was his Masamune! "We will always be watching you, Garret..." Catherine echoed as they disappeared.

Gatoris woke up and looked at his angels. Angelise was still asleep in her mother’s arms. Aerith smiled at Gatoris. "I see they let you stay..." she pointed out. "I prefer to protect my family." Gatoris smiled. Aerith kept smiling, then looked at Angelise. "I hope she has the same devotion to her family." she said. Gatoris then thought back to his dream. Aerith knew by the look on his face what was going to happen next. "You’re going to find Cory, aren’t you?" she asked worriedly. Gatoris sighed. "My spirit will be with you, though." he muttered. He then held his fist near his heart and recited a spell. When he opened it, there was a green crystal in Gatoris’ hand. "This will protect you, even when I am not around..." he said as he handed it to Aerith. She looked at it, then looked at her husband. "I shall return, with my sister." he uttered as he left.

As he left the room, Akane and Jessica were waiting. "I just received a call from Minako, brother." Akane spoke. "Apparently, there is someone or something on a killing spree in Tokyo. Me and Jessica need to check on it." Gatoris closed his eyes for a moment. He could picture what was happening. Then, one face popped in his mind. "Edwin’s part of this..." he muttered. "He has Cory’s soul. I must get it back." "...maybe that’s why one of the Negaverse’s generals demanded to speak with you..." Jessica muttered. So, he’s a general... Gatoris thought. "...I’ll meet you two there. I have to get my sword." Gatoris spoke. The two Senshi left for Usagi’s dimension while Gatoris returned to his castle.

Gatoris grabbed the Masamune from his mantle and sheathed it. He also changed his clothes. When he was done, he was wearing another pair of pants and his Deadwood High School jacket. He then made a quick stop in the garden. Aerith’s hunch had been right. The rose had bloomed. But instead of being aquamarine colored, it was now blue. There was a connection. Gatoris had little time to ponder this, however. He knew he had to save his sister from this sadistic bastard.

Part II: Welcome to the Machine

Gatoris arrived in Usagi’s dimension, ready to kill Edwin. The Senshi were waiting for Gatoris to show up. Except for Usagi, Akane and Jessica, this was the first time for them to meet Gatoris. "So this is your brother, Hikari..." Minako said. Ami and Rei said nothing. (They were drooling over his looks. Gatoris let that slide.) Then, Makoto began to speak. "He looks a lot like..." Gatoris gave her a death glare. "You say it, and I’ll give you a haircut, Mako-chan." he grumbled. She sweatdropped and shut up. After a moment of nail-biting silence, Gatoris spoke. "Where’s this general that wanted to kill me?"

As if on cue, the man Gatoris was referring to showed up. "That’s a nice greeting, Gatoris. Do you use it for all your friends?" the general said sarcastically. Gatoris looked him over. "Only to those who have killed me before, Edwin." Gatoris had been right. "I have no clue what you mean, Gatoris. I, the great General Edwinite, wanted you to meet my wife." Gatoris’ face became full of rage. "First, you enslaved my sister’s spirit. Second, You know damn good and well that you killed me. I still bear the scars!" Gatoris yelled as he took off his jacket. He showed the scar over his heart where he had been stabbed. His wings were also present. Edwin showed no fear. "The master did tell me that you were around, Garret... I just didn’t realize you had grown so much weaker." Gatoris was furious. "Let me guess... the great Negaforce is none other than..." he began before a certain yellow cretin showed his ugly head. "...of course it’s you. It HAD to be you, Pikachu." Gatoris mumbled. "How’d you get out?" he suddenly became puzzled. "Simple. My love saved me." Pikachu uttered. She then came into view.

Of course Jigglypuff had to be a two-timing whorehound, Gatoris thought. As Pikachu and Jigglypuff kissed, and morphed into humanoid forms. Pikachu again looked like Gatoris’ evil twin, and Jigglypuff turned into a woman resembling Angelise. She was dressed similar to Rini during her Wicked Lady days. "Like what you see, father?" she said, chuckling. "This is a lie! My angel would never even go near you!" Gatoris screamed. He then cried. He could not begin to believe his daughter would marry Pikachu... "Stop! He’s lying, uncle!" Celece came from nowhere. "That is not your angel! It’s just another of his illusions. He wants you to give up, so he is fooling you with this crap!" she screamed. "Search in your heart for the truth, father." Jessica said. Gatoris had already done that. "Give me back Cory!" Gatoris yelled again.

Again, as if on cue, Cory showed up. With black hair and blood red eyes, Cory was almost unrecognizable to Gatoris. He then looked at her hands. Cory had been the person doing the killing. "I’m a sporting devil, Gatoris..." Pikachu spoke. "If you can defeat Edwin, I’ll give her back. If you lose, I take your soul as well. Do we have a deal?" Akane and Jessica fainted when Gatoris agreed to the consequences. "No one will own my soul, or those of my family..." Gatoris said before the fight began. "...and one more thing. No one can interfere." Pikachu added. Gatoris and Edwin squared off with their swords. They matched each other evenly for about five hours. Then Edwin got a lucky shot and aimed for Gatoris’ heart once again...

Aerith could sense her husband was in trouble. She closed her eyes and saw what was about to happen. Only a miracle could save him now...

...and a what a miracle it was. The sword broke as soon as it punctured Gatoris’ flesh. "Cheap piece of crap..." Edwin muttered. Instead of taking advantage, Gatoris let Edwin get another sword. Everyone present sweatdropped and slapped their forehead at that stupid mistake. Edwin and Gatoris kept going for another eight hours.

Aerith slapped her head when she sensed what her husband did. She then began to ponder if, like Garret, she retained her supernatural powers. She then closed her eyes and prayed...

Cory’s eyes began to lose their redness. She began to remember things. She then suddenly screamed out Garret’s name. This distracted Edwin for a moment. This time, Gatoris took advantage and ran Edwin through. Instead of dying like a normal person, he faded away, claiming he would return. "Too bad... you lose, Gatoris." Pikachu muttered. "I get to keep both of your souls now." "Not so fast. Cory’s soul is no longer yours anyway. The deal is voided, baka." Gatoris argued. "You want a piece of me?" Pikachu shot back. "Do you even have to ask?" Gatoris retorted mockingly. As he lunged at Pikachu, the evil one vanished. "Not this day, Garret... but when the day comes, no one can save you..." he echoed. The fake Angelise then turned into dust, in the tradition of Negaverse monsters. Gatoris then rushed over to Cory, who was clutching her head.

"Garret…" she moaned. Gatoris looked at his sister and hugged her. "It’s okay, Cory. It’s all gonna be fine." She looked up with her now-hazel eyes. "No it isn’t… I have done things I regret… I deserve to die…" Gatoris looked at her. His eyes began to have a warm glow. "I promised our mother I would save you. I would never go back on my word." he spoke gently. Cory smiled a little. "I cannot be forgiven for those I have killed…" "That wasn’t the real you, sis. You wouldn’t have done that if you had control." Cory’s smile grew. "Thank you, Garret. You’re just as I remembered you." Gatoris smiled. "And you still look like mom…" he sighed.

Gatoris returned to the hospital and walked into Aerith’s room. She was smiling. "Thank you, Aerith." Gatoris said. She smiled wider. "You could tell, couldn’t you?" she asked. Cory then walked into the room. "Thanks for saving my soul, Aerith." She said, with her head down. "You should have saved those I killed…" Gatoris looked at his sister again. "Cory… It wasn’t your fault! Pikachu had control of you. You couldn’t help it!" He then hugged her again. "Cheer up. Your niece needs her happy aunt." Cory smiled. "Thank you, Garret. You always had a big heart." Gatoris smirked. "I got it from mom."

Chapter Twenty-Five: Mother...

Part I: Nobody Home

Akane smiled as she looked at the older sister she never knew. Cory had left home when she was only a baby, so she had very foggy memories of her. Garret, however, had clearer memories of his sister Cory. He remembered once a visitor asked if Cory was Catherine’s sister. He also remembered how much she cared for Akane and him. Aerith then handed her Angelise. Cory refused to hold her. "I... I cannot. A monster like me cannot hold an angel..." she began to cry. All of a sudden, the door opened. "You want to bet?" a voice spoke. "Took ya long enough to make it to your niece, Goku." Gatoris boomed back. Goku smiled, letting his fangs show. Akane panicked. "Why is there a vampire here?" she said, scared. "Relax, sis. He’s my adopted brother." Gatoris smiled. Akane calmed down slightly. "You should have warned me!" she said, tapping her brother on the shoulder. "I didn’t see any need, Akane. I didn’t expect him to show up. If I had, I would have told you." he smiled. Aerith then let Goku hold Angelise. It was a rather odd sight to see a vampire and an angel together like this. It felt like a magical moment. Cory then stood up. Goku then handed his niece to Cory. Angelise looked up at her aunt and attempted to smile, but her facial muscles were not fully developed as of yet. So she just flapped her wings. This made Cory smile, exposing her teeth, and her two small fangs. Hojo got a hold of her too, Gatoris thought.

Goku looked at him as he thought this. He then led his brother outside. "You don’t know how true that is..." he whispered. He then handed Gatoris a folder containing secret documents. "Found these while Rebecca was cleaning the basement. Tells of Shin-Ra’s original plans to stop Pikachu twenty years ago. She was it, but Hojo was on the project. It is because of him she is this way." He groaned. "I just wish Sephiroth hadn’t thrown him to the sun..." Gatoris sighed. "She’s with us now. She’ll be okay..." Gatoris pointed out.

The doctors cleared Aerith and Angelise to return home the next day. Gatoris made sure that the castle and everything was prepared before they left. When the family returned, all was nice and quiet. The peace would not last for long, however.

Pikachu began to think of another way to get at Gatoris. Ever since the beginning, Garret had stopped Pikachu’s plans of casting the world into chaos. The main key of most of Pikachu’s plots was Angelina. He knew it was impossible to have Angelina in this lifetime, but Pikachu needed to devise a way to assure his future. It then dawned on him. He suddenly remembered when he had Wiseman turned Rini into Wicked Lady. If he could have that happen to Garret, he could bring his plan into fruition. He already knew a way to make Gatoris vulnerable enough to do this...

When Gatoris woke up in the morning, he heard an explosion from his kitchen. He walked down to check on what happened... and saw Usagi, along with all of his kitchen, covered in ash. He just passed her by and poured his morning coffee. After five minutes, Gatoris finally acknowledged her existence. "Angelise is with her mother. They’re both still asleep." he muttered. Usagi wiped her face and went to see her goddaughter. As she left, Akane and Jessica walked into the kitchen. Both asked Gatoris why it looked like a nuclear disaster. "Usagi tried to cook breakfast" was all he said.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. Gatoris opened it. The other Sailor Senshi had decided to visit, too. This time, Rei and Ami looked a bit dejected when they looked at him. "I had to tell them you were married..." Minako whispered in his ear. He shook his head. Rini snuck in, unnoticed. Then, Makoto came in. "I’m not even thinking it, Gatoris!" she yelled. Gatoris bowed his head. "I’m sorry for snapping at you the first time, Makoto... I’m sorry." he moaned. She just smiled. "It’s okay. I dwell on my past too much, any..." she began before she was cut off by Jessica hugging her. Gatoris gave both of them a look. "Student-mentor thing, ne?" he said. Makoto glanced at him. "You are observant." she smiled.

The day slowly passed. All the Senshi were able to see Angelise, and they all seemed happier just from being near her. This made Gatoris think. Maybe his daughter was an angel of love? That would be appropriate, but he wasn’t sure about it.

Jessica sat on a bench in the courtyard. She smiled as she thought of her sister, and began to remember when she found out her past.

Almathea was ready to wash her hair, when she noticed she was out of shampoo. She sighed, realizing this meant she would have to go to the store and get some more. The only problem was it was almost 10 in the evening. This meant she would be hard-pressed to find an open store. She trekked out anyway, seeing how she liked to keep her hair extra clean. She told Akane where she was going, and she left.

Gatoris held Angelise, and smiled. His angel was home, with the rest of the family. However, he could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen... Something involving the rat...

The real Jigglypuff lay in wait in the garden. Her singing voice was ready to put all in the castle asleep. She was sure Pikachu’s plan would succeed. She let loose with her song at the given time. Slowly, the entire castle grew drowsy...

Part II: Paint It Black

Gatoris looked at Angelise... she seemed to be falling asleep very easily. It seemed she was falling asleep too easily for a newborn. He then heard the faint melody coming from the courtyard. He also noticed Aerith was out cold. It then dawned on him something was going on. He placed Angelise in her crib, and ran to the courtyard. He saw Makoto, Rini and Jessica asleep. He then saw a bright flash before he could make it over to them. When he regained his sight, Gatoris saw that both Rini and his daughter were gone. He saw Edwinite holding two Pokéballs. "Back off, or they will be destroyed!" he bellowed. Gatoris knew Edwinite would do it, too. "Wait... Pikachu, I know you’re watching, so come out!" he bellowed unexpectedly. In a puff of smoke, Pikachu appeared in his human form. "Let’s make a deal, rat. Give me my daughter back, and I’ll... give you my soul for twenty-four hours." He sighed. Pikachu held back a smile. He motioned for Edwinite to release the prisoner. Jessica now stood, awake, next to her father. "Watch over the family, Jessica. I will return, but I may not respond..." he said as Pikachu took him by the throat. "Now, Garret... for that ransom..." Pikachu chanted a few words, and a crystal formed in his hands. Gatoris fell over and passed out. Jessica picked up her father’s sword and lunged at Pikachu. "I don’t care if he said you can have it, I want you to give it back!" she screamed. Not wanting to fight, Pikachu disappeared, but he accidentally dropped Garret’s soul. Jessica grabbed it quickly, as her father’s body vanished. She began to cry, thinking of what her father just did. She held the crystal close and ran to her mother.

Aerith woke up slowly, wondering where Gatoris was. She then had a feeling go down her... a feeling that someone just gave up their life for someone. She then got out of bed and held her daughter close to her. Then Jessica came into the room holding a green crystal. Aerith then looked at her pendant, which was the crystal Gatoris had given her for protection if something happened to him. Both crystals began to glow. Jessica knew she didn’t have to tell her mother what had happened. She just handed the crystal to her. "I feel horrible... he did that for me, and now he’s gone..." she began to cry. Aerith could hear his voice in her head, warning her of Pikachu’s next plan...

...and Angelina Bradford heard the same voice. She began to cry thinking of Garrett doing such a thing for his family. She tried to devise a way to save him...

Meanwhile, Garret was waking up in a foreign place. "Where’s Angelina?" was the first words out of his lips. A teenaged girl then walked up to him. "Dad? You’re awake..." she said. For some reason, Garret knew who she was. "Rini? What...happened? All I remember was being attacked by the Senshi and..." he began. Rini started crying. "They got mom..." she sobbed. Garret’s rage grew. "What about your sister?" he asked. "They kidnapped Angelise..." she kept crying. Garret stood up. "Well, I’m going to get her back, and get my revenge..." he yelled. "Mr. Woodridge..." a man began, "you haven’t healed enough. The Senshi would finish you off this time." "I don’t care, Lord Pikachu. I must avenge Angelina..." he said. "Then I’ll go with you, father." Rini spoke up. "Serenity... no. I must do this alone." Rini protested. "But you need someone to watch your back!" Garret finally caved in. He grabbed his sword, and they charged out to Castle Tonberry.

Angelina Bradford had a look of horror on her face. Pikachu had successfully made Garret into his mindless patsy. All the Senshi trusted him, so they would be easy prey. She had to warn them. She called Alma into her room. "Take care of my angel while I’m gone. I have to save Garrett." she spoke. Alma was confused, but she did as she was told. Angelina then began to chant something in Cetra. She glowed white, and her pupils vanished.

Aerith had the same feeling as Angelina had, so she warned the Senshi. They all gathered to protect her and Angelise. Sailor Moon kept looking for Rini, but couldn’t find her. Jessica sighed and told her the bad news. Usagi cried as she heard that Pikachu had her daughter again. Garret then busted the door down. "All of you will pay for what you did to my Angelina..." he muttered. Garret then created a ball of black energy in his and threw it in the middle of the Senshi. It exploded and sent them flying. Only Sailor Stardust and Sailor Comet were still conscious after that blast. "Father! Why are you doing this?" Sailor Comet called out. Garret looked at her puzzled. "YOU are the one who killed her. I remember now... You stabbed her in the back!" He then readied his sword to kill her. "No... don’t you want to know who I am?" Garret let her tell him. Jessica decided there was only way to save herself. "I am Angelise... from the future..."

Garret dropped his sword. "You mean you killed your own mother?" Jessica looked at him, then to Sailor Stardust. It was like they had a plan... "No, I did..." Sailor Stardust spoke up. "I didn’t know who it was, brother..." Garret had a sudden memory flash. "Akane? You’re a Senshi?" She hung her head down. "...they forced me into it... I didn’t want to kill her. I didn’t even realize it was you." She sighed and picked up her brother’s sword. "I don’t deserve to live..." she cried out as she handed the sword to Garret. He dropped it again. "...I cannot kill my sister. You were not in control of yourself..." Garret spoke. Aerith then walked over to him, holding Angelise. "I apologize for everything, sir. Here is your daughter..." she sighed as she reluctantly handed Angelise over to him. "She is just fine. I made sure nothing happened to her." Aerith added. Garret looked at her. "Thank you, madam." was all he said as he and Rini began to walk out. "Wait... she is going to need a mother..." Aerith spoke up. Garret turned back around, and noticed her finger. "...but you are already married. I cannot let you..." he began. Aerith put her head down. "My husband died long ago. He died trying to save his family..." she sighed.

Angelina’s spirit finally made it to the site of the carnage. She felt heavy-hearted as she looked at the unconscious Senshi. She looked closely at Ami. Angelina remembered that Garrett once told her he saw a resemblance between her and Ami. Angelina decided to take a chance, and entered Ami’s body.

Ami was confused by the spirit in front of her. "Am I dead?" she asked it. "No. You were just knocked out. My name is Angelina…" the spirit began. "...you have come to make Garret come to, haven’t you?" Ami said. Angelina nodded. "I will let you do as is needed." Ami sighed. Ami then closed her eyes...

...and woke up. "Garret?" Ami spoke. He looked at her. She looked like Angelina… "Where am I?" she asked. Garret rushed to her. "Angelina? You were one of them?" he sighed. "...but not by choice... The last thing I remember was being stabbed..." Angelina was trying to play with Pikachu’s demented plot. Sailor Comet crawled over to Ami and handed her the crystal. Garret hugged Ami, thinking she was Angelina. "Thank god you are all right..." he cried. Angelina then sighed. "...forgive me, Garret..." She then took the crystal and proceeded to dig into his face where Gatoris’ scar had once been. She brought it down his face, recreating his original scar. He fell to his knees, and the black crescent moon on his forehead (as well as the crystal) disappeared. "What the hell am I doing?" Gatoris asked. Ami looked at him. "Angelina just saved you..." she whispered. He then looked at Rini. "Father?" she asked. Gatoris had a faint idea what had happened. "Come here, child. I am okay." He softly said. As Rini went to hug him, Gatoris placed his hand on her forehead. A wind began to pick up as he tried to reverse Pikachu’s doing. In a flash of white, Rini reverted to her normal self.

Gatoris then looked at the remaining Senshi. He knew he had done this, so he had to fix it. He kneeled in the center of the room and began to chant. Slowly, green streams of energy left his body, and entered the Senshi. As they arose, he fell to the ground.

Angelina’s spirit was hovering over the room, and saw her love’s sacrifice. She slowly began to give up some of her own energy so he would not die. After seeing Garret would live, she faded back to her dimension. Alma was smiling. "You did it..." she assured her. Angelise smiled for the first time when she saw her mother was all right...

Angelise did the same to Gatoris. Her weakened father smiled back. The Senshi did not seem that upset at Gatoris. "I’m sorry. I couldn’t..." Usagi just hugged Gatoris. You’re okay now, and you saved Rini. That is all I care about." Gatoris then looked up at her. "...and you are gonna have to pay for my kitchen..." he laughed. Then Almathea entered through the broken doors. "You don’t know the hell I went through just to get some shampoo..." she complained, then looked at the war zone. "What happened here?" she inquired. "Nothing..." Gatoris replied with a smile.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Apokélypse Now

*This Chapter co-written by Jessica.*

Part I: Forgettin’ Something?

The next day, Gatoris woke up and went to his kitchen. He was surprised when it was not the burned-out disaster area it had previously been. The tonberry crew must have worked through the night to fix it up. He also saw Usagi at the table, waiting for him. She asked him how much she owed for the kitchen. "...your first-born child..." he joked. Even though it was a joke, both Usagi and Rini slapped him for saying that. "Actually, you don’t owe me anything. I was only joking about you having to pay! I’m gonna pay for it, and pay for something else..." he stated. Usagi knew what he was going to pay for: "...cooking classes." "Thanks, but no thanks." she replied. Gatoris just smiled. "If you insist, Usagi..." She then went back upstairs with Rini.

While Gatoris was drinking his morning coffee, Cory unexpectedly came in. She had finally come out of her unneeded guilt phase, it seemed. "Thank you for everything, Garret..." she began. Gatoris smiled back at his sister. "You would have done the same thing for me, Cory. Although you are my sister, you have always been more like a mother to me." Cory smiled back. "Thanks. I know it was hard being the child of a muse..." Gatoris’ eyes grew to the size of large frying pans. Without saying a word, he grabbed his book of Cetra Mythology.

Catherine: Muse of the Arts and sister of Lucretia. Mother of Garret, Kabya and Akane.

"...Akane?!?" Gatoris blurted out. His jaw dropped through the table and almost through the floor. Akane had been his sister since the beginning, as had Alma. Gatoris looked up another name.

Akane: Muse of Music. Sometimes influenced writing and the art.

Gatoris passed out at the sight and thought. How could he and Alma have forgotten Akane? Cory splashed some water on her brother, and he woke up. "Oiy... that was a trip. How could I forget Akane? How... wait a minute... How did you know our mother was a muse?" Gatoris was utterly confused. "She told me." Cory replied with a smile.

Suddenly, Minako ran past, screaming joyfully at the top of her lungs. She was saying something about finding her mother. Before Gatoris could stop her to ask what she was going on about, Lucretia walked into the room. "Hello, nephew..." she greeted him. He could see her long blonde hair blowing in the wind, so he closed the window. "...can I take a wild guess and say that Minako is your daughter?" Gatoris said in a deadpan tone. Lucretia shook her head. Gatoris did not faint. Surprisingly, all he did was stop Minako on her next lap around the castle and hug his cousin. Then it dawned on Gatoris: his aunt was the Queen of Venus. He added her to the list of royalty in his family. "We don’t have a family tree, Lucretia..." Gatoris began, "we have a family web!" Everyone in the room laughed.

Not much happened for the rest of the day. As Gatoris went to say goodnight to Jessica, he noticed she wasn’t in her room. The window was open, and she had left behind a note:

He was surprised when he didn’t dream about Jessica. Gatoris had instead a vision of an ancient church. By the architecture, it seemed to him to be somewhere in England or Scotland. He looked at his surroundings: no one was there, but the it seemed to be decorated for a wedding. An idea then ran through his head. Was this the church that he and Angelina were married in, and the same church that Jessica was born in? Gatoris then glanced up at the altar. A figure suddenly appeared there. He had his head bowed down, as if to cry. Gatoris went to approach this figure, and it turned to him. It said a name, and disappeared. The name echoed throughout the church: Cory. The ghost’s face was slightly familiar to Gatoris. He remembered that Cory had left home about a week before the tragedy that clamed their father. She planned to be married to a man in Scotland. Gatoris remembered his first name was Brad, but the last name momentarily eluded him. The ghost had been dressed up as if he was ready to be married, but there was no bride in sight.

After a second or two if it mulling it in his head, Gatoris came up with the solution: this was to be Cory’s wedding, but she must have died during it. Brad must have pledged to wait for her throughout eternity, and he was stuck in this church until Cory returned for him. Then, out of the blue, Brad’s last name hit Gatoris: Mackenzie. "Brad Mackenzie... I am Garret Bradford. I wish to speak with you..." Gatoris called out. At that, Brad reappeared. "I think I can help you, Brad." Gatoris spoke. Brad’s spirit began to smile. "I promise to bring Cory back. I want to know how all this happened, though." Brad shook his head, and wiped a tear. "It was Edwin..." he began. Gatoris mumbled under his breath. "He poisoned Cory. It was a slow-acting poison, so she did not feel sick until our wedding day. It was all sudden... The day before she was perfectly healthy, but the next day she needed help walking down the aisle. Halfway through the ceremony, she fell into my arms. I was then told of Edwin’s dirty deeds. As she was dying in my arms, I vowed to wait for her spirit to return to this place, so we could be together forever..." Brad concluded. Gatoris wiped a tear from his eye. "Maybe the Bradford family did have a curse, and it was named Edwin..." Gatoris muttered. He then turned to Brad. "I swear... no matter how I have to do it, no matter what tries to stop me, I will reunite you with my sister..." "You are a true angel, Garret." Brad said as Gatoris woke up.

Gatoris walked into Cory’s room. Her sleep seemed troubled. Was she reliving her ill-fated wedding over and over again?

Part II: The Fears and Worries of a Father

Gatoris crawled back into bed and cried. He still feared for Jessica. Although she was old enough to care for herself, he felt as if he had done something wrong to provoke this. Gatoris then took off his glasses and sat up. He slowly went through what could happen to her in his mind. The visions of the possibilities broke his heart. He vowed if Pikachu even breathed on his daughter, he would rip him into shreds. The anger caused Gatoris’ wings to rip out of his back again. This sound woke up Aerith. She could sense her husband was extremely distraught by something. She then saw Jessica’s note on the table. Aerith sighed and hugged Gatoris. "Gatoris... she’ll be okay..." She pleaded for her husband to calm down. Gatoris turned to his wife. His pupils were beginning to fade... that was not a good sign... "She can care for herself. I’m sure she will be okay." Gatoris sighed. "I know, but just the possibility of that rat harming my daughter..." he said before he cried again. Aerith sighed. "I’m going with you to Glasgow tomorrow." Gatoris again sighed. "No. I can’t let you leave Angelise alone..." he began. "...I’ll take her with me. She’ll be fine." Before Gatoris could sigh again or protest, Akane and Almathea entered. "Charon, we heard you carrying on down at the other end of the castle. We’re going with you, too." Gatoris finally let that other sigh out. "You two are going to insist, so I can’t stop you..." Everyone then hugged Gatoris. He then looked at the time. Since he wasn’t obviously getting back to sleep, it was time to get ready.

It was a good thing that there was a direct portal to Scotland close to the castle. It would have taken the group weeks to make it to Glasgow otherwise. Although Brad had never mentioned what church he was at, Gatoris had remembered watching a show on haunted buildings in Scotland. One happened to be a church in Glasgow with a ‘ghost groom’, waiting for his bride. "And I thought the Discovery Channel was useless…" he quipped. As Gatoris walked to the church, he could have sworn he saw Jessica and a young girl at some corner café. He let that slide, thinking he was becoming paranoid. The group then found the church later on in the day. Gatoris, Aerith, Angelise, Cory, Akane, and Alma walked into the church. Gatoris was still unhappy with Jessica’s decision, and it was grating at him. "I wish Jessica didn't go off on her own to kill Pikachu..." he mumbled. Aerith comforted Gatoris by saying, "She'll be ok, honey. She's very resourceful." Gatoris smiled and looked at his sisters. Cory already had her wedding dress on. A girl that was sleeping in one of the pews woke up suddenly. She sat up and inquired where her mother was. Aerith had noticed the little girl and sat down net to her. She smiled at Aerith and Angelise. Gatoris then noticed the girl. He walked over to where she and Aerith were, and spoke to her. "Why hello there. Are you lost? Can you tell me your name? Where's your parents?" The girl smiled and replied "No, Alisa Mae, my daddy's dead, and my mommy's going to kill Pikachu." Aerith looked at Alisa and asked, "What's your mommy's name?" Alisa giggled and said, "Your funny, grandma. I look just like my mommy!" Gatoris smiled and asked "Alisa, can you tell us your mommy's name?" Alisa looked at Gatoris and replied, "My mommy is Jessica. She's your daughter from… 2100 years ago, I think." Gatoris facefaulted. Aerith fainted. Akane, Cory, and Alma looked at each other. After regaining his composure, Gatoris began to chant a spell. At the beginning, Brad’s spirit appeared at the altar. As Gatoris continued chanting, Brad’s form began to solidify. Cory began to smile. When Gatoris finished, Brad was alive yet again. Cory started down the aisle for him, but Gatoris stopped her. "This church isn’t safe…" he suddenly muttered. "…Edwin is here…" Cory’s expression of happiness turned to fear.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Cross to Bear

*This Chapter co-written by Jessica.*

All present in the church froze at Gatoris’ words. Alisa turned to her grandfather. "Edwin is a bad man, isn’t he?" she asked. "…Bad would be an understatement." Akane replied. Gatoris’ pupils disappeared once again. "Everyone get out of here. I’m going to finish this." he ordered. No one headed for the door. "Not today, Gatoris. This is not the place to finish it…" Aerith spoke. He sighed. "Right. I’m going to teleport us all out of here…" Everyone then held hands as Gatoris began to chant once again. Before he finished, he quickly broke off, and had Aerith hold Akane’s hand. ‘Forgive me, but this is the time’ he told his family telepathically. With that, everyone returned to Castle Tonberry, except Gatoris and a certain someone else.

Yuffie looked from her spot in the back corner of the church. She had tagged along, despite her cousin’s refusal. She figured since they were going to Scotland, she could steal some good scotch and sell it. Now Yuffie’s profiteering ideas had got her in a church that was not a real smart place to be. She knew that any time Gatoris and Edwinite were in the same country, let alone the same building, the sparks flew. Yuffie tried to show as little fear as possible when hiding for both her cousin and Edwinite.

Gatoris’ transformation into Psycho Angel was fast and abrupt. This time, however, he looked more human than monster. "Come out, Edwin! I know you’re here!" he bellowed as he clutched his sword. It was then when Edwin jumped down from the rafters. "I wouldn’t do anything rash now, Garret… not if you care for your daughter…" he said, holding a Pokéball over his head. Gatoris suddenly returned to normal and fell to his knees. As he began to tremble in tears, Edwin laughed. "Now… you’re going to do as I say, or your precious Jessica is history!"

Yuffie saw and heard the whole thing from her corner. As long as Edwinite had Jessica in that Pokéball, Gatoris was helpless. For some reason, she showed no fear about confronting Edwinite. She remembered when she was possessed by Jenova, Gatoris spared her life instead of just killing her. Yuffie felt it was finally time to pay her cousin back.

Gatoris cried while Edwinite laughed. All of a sudden, something sped past both of them. When it stopped, Gatoris was holding the Pokéball and Yuffie was standing next to him. Without a word of thanks, he sent her back to the castle. Gatoris then opened the ball. He then looked in horror when it was empty. The spark was back in Gatoris’ fire, and he was about to take out his anger. Again, the transformation was swift, and more humanoid. He also had green hair. Had he gone back to his beginning? "Edwin, son of Pikachu… you have angered me for the last time! You have killed my family many times over, and I have had enough! You shall make this church your grave!" Edwinite gasped at the beginning of the speech. How did he know Pikachu was his father? Before Garret could bring his sword down upon Edwin’s head, he produced a detonation device. "I have Jessica in the back. If I blow this church, you two go with it!" he laughed. This time, Garret did not back down. "You’re bluffing. She is not here. I would have sensed her now, seeing how she would be out in the open." He roared. Edwin gave a coy grin. "You’re saying that you would risk your daughter’s life to get rid of me?" "No, because that isn’t the scenario." Garret replied. He was now in Edwin’s face. "You going to go through this suicide bombing run for your father?" Without another word, Edwin pushed the plunger. The entire church became engulfed with a fireball, and it was reduced to a pile of rubble. Somehow, both Garret and Edwin were alive, in the center of what was left.

Garret looked at the empty Pokéball in his hand, then Edwin. Without another word, he captured the rat’s son in the ball. "Now it is time for Pikachu to know my own hell…" Garret muttered. He dusted his wings off, and flew back to the portal before any locals blamed him for the destruction of the ancient church.

Gatoris touched down in the center of the courtyard. Everyone was waiting. "That was not needed, Gatoris. It was not the time to kill Edwin…" Cory sighed. Her brother then held the Pokéball containing said asshole. "I know. I am just playing a waiting game with his father." No one asked who Edwin’s father was. "We going to get on with the wedding or not?" Gatoris asked, returning to his normal self. Cory and Brad smiled. Gatoris decided he should do the ceremony. He dusted his clothes off and walked over to the altar. He cleared his throat and began to the ceremony. "I doubt anyone here objects, so I’ll skip that part." Gatoris joked. "Now do you, Cory Kathllen Bradford, take Bradley Garrett Mackenzie… hold up!" he stopped himself. "So you’re the one I was named after in my last life. Oh well. Let’s start that over." Brad and Cory shrugged it off. "Do you Cory, take Brad to be your husband? To love and to honor, to cherish, until death... Eh, forget death! Until the end of time?" Cory nodded. "I have, I will, and I do." she replied, being as wordy as her brother. Gatoris then turned to Brad. "Do you, Bradley Garrett Mackenzie, take Cory Kathleen Bradford to be wedded wife? To love and honor? To cherish? Until the end of time, or until you hurt her and I have to kill you?" Everyone held back a chuckle. "I don’t know why I would do the last part of that, but I do." Brad spoke back. Gatoris then produced a box with rings. "Almost forgot the most important part..." he muttered as he opened it to reveal rings similar to his and Aerith’s. Brad took one ring and prepared to place it on Cory’s hand. "Repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed." Gatoris spoke. Brad slipped the ring on Cory’s finger, and repeated the words. Cory then grabbed the other ring, and noticed a problem. "I doubt that this ring is going to fit on his thumb!" she pointed out. Gatoris took it in his hands, and shrunk the ring. He then gave it back to Cory. "Now repeat after me, Cory: With this ring, I thee wed." Cory did as such. "I now pronoucne you man and wife." Gatoris exclaimed. "Now if you excuse me, I’m going to lock myself in my study and try to figure out where I went wrong as a father..." he continued as he left the courtyard, carrying the Pokéball holding Edwin.

Somewhere, Gatoris was sure Pikachu was laughing at him. He was suffering, and he could do nothing. He had never been more angry or distraught over anything in his life... no, his entire existence! Pikachu had finally done it to him. He had found Garret's weak spot: his family. The tears flowed freely in Gatoris' study. Aerith kept knocking on his door, trying to comfort him. Nothing could comfort Gatoris now. The rat had his daughter, and he was helpless. He cried himself to sleep at his desk.

Gatoris then woke up to the sound of Aerith screaming in the hallway. He unlocked the study door and saw the unthinkable: someone had just killed her. When her assailant turned around, Gatoris fell to his knees. There was a woman standing there, wearing a black leather dress that slightly exaggerated her figure. She was carrying a broadsword, and had a black crescent moon on her forehead. Gatoris looked into her eyes... Pikachu had taken his daughter away from him. As he cried, another figure appeared next to Jessica. She kissed him on the cheek. "My work's done, dad," she spoke. Gatoris cried harder upon hearing this. "Good, Jess. Now would you mind getting rid of this fool in front of us?" Pikachu asked. In his anger, Gatoris grabbed his sword and plunged it into Pikachu's stomach. Or so he thought. When Gatoris opened his eyes again, he saw that his aim had been true, but he had hit Jessica. Gatoris was unable to utter a word. "You just killed your own daughter, Garret. Thanks for saving me the trouble" Pikachu smiled. Jessica returned to normal and looked at her father. "Don't cry, dad. This was all my fault. I should have never gone after him..." she said as she coughed up blood. Gatoris still could not speak. "Thank you, dad... thank you for everyth..." Jessica began to speak before expiring. Gatoris looked at his daughter's body. He had just killed one of his angels. He pulled his sword out of her and looked at it. Without even cleaning it, he pointed it at his chest. As he began to plunge it into his heart...

...Gatoris woke up. It had all been a cruel dream. Pikachu must have wanted him to suffer even more anguish and torture. He was getting fed up with the rat annoying him like this. This time, however, he had a barganing chip. If he could reach Pikachu, Gatoris could get Jessica back by exchanging her for Edwin. He unlocked the safe he had put the Pokéball in. After checking his sword, Gatoris began to head out to the main entrance. Then, there was a knock on the door.

Gatoris answered the door, and Jessica held up the rat. Gatoris hugged her, and cried very hard. She said, "Father, I'm sorry for making you worry, but I did this for you. You showed me that you'd do anything for me, and I did this so that you would have peace." Jessica hugged her father back. Akane walked to the door wondering who it was. She hugged Jessica upon spotting her. Aerith, Minako, Alma, and Alisa came to the door and hugged Jessica as well.

Gatoris took the dead rat away, and then came back. Jessica was kneeling on the floor, and everyone was standing behind her. Jessica asked, "What is my punishment, father?" Gatoris looked at Jessica, then to Aerith, and back to Jessica. He answered, "Go clean your comet." Jessica stood up and Gatoris said, "I was kidding! I'm just glad that you came back to me the way you always have been. There is one thing I want you to do, though." Jessica looked at him, knowing what he was going to say, and said, "I promise I will not take off to kill Pikachu by myself again." Alisa hugged Jessica.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Desiderata

Part I: Happiness

Jessica smiled. Gatoris looked at his daughter and grandchild. "How long were you going to keep Alisa from me?" he asked with a smile on his face. Jessica smiled back. "I didn’t mean to," she replied. "She had somehow disappeared, and just now came back."

Gatoris smiled, and begin to play with the Pokéball in his hands. "I guess having Edwin is useless now..." he quipped as he took a shot at the nearby trash can. Everyone watched as the button was accidentally depressed when the ball hit the rim of the can and Edwin was released into the trash. Akane was quick on her feet and closed the can. Meanwhile, Edwin was muttering that things couldn’t get any worse. Apparently, Gatoris was listening. He took the can to the top of the tallest tower, and chucked it in the direction of the ocean. When Gatoris got back, he quipped "I should have made you take out the trash, Jessica."

In New Mideel, Setsuna was waiting on a young girl to appear. In a flash of white, she appeared. The young girl asked where she was. Setsuna replied "We’re in New Mideel, about ten years ago. I chose this time because your father needed to see you about now." The young girl gave her an odd look. "This is shortly after Jessica came back." Setsuna began to explain. "And your father..." "...is feeling he has failed as a parent. You want me here to show him that he isn’t a failure." the girl added. Setsuna nodded. "The only problem is I cannot let you tell him who you are until the time is right. Got that?" Setsuna stated. The girl begrudgingly agreed to this. They walked off to the gates of Castle Tonberry.

Gatoris wandered off to the garden on his own. He sat down on the bench and closed his eyes. "Edge... I know you had a helping hand in saving Jessica, so thank you. Please, keep watching over her for me. I have enough angels here to help me." he muttered. As if he had called her, Edge appeared in front of him. "I had nothing to do with her escape, Sir Garret. You saved her." she spoke. Gatoris gave her a puzzled look. "She remembered her birth instead of Pikachu’s false memories. Your love for family saved her." she explained. Gatoris looked less puzzled. "Please.. stop calling me Sir! I don’t like titles!" he complained. Edge bowed her head. "...I guess you don’t like your title of Angelus then..." Gatoris again became confused. "Me? King of the Angels? That’s impossible! Although I married Angelina Cara, it was AFTER she gave up her crown!" he tried to explain. Edge smiled. "All will be revealed soon, Sir Garret..." she said as she faded out. Gatoris shrugged his shoulders. If he was Angelus, then Rufus Shinra was still sane. Suddenly, he heard Aerith calling for him at the door. He walked to the entryway once again.

Setsuna had brought a visitor with her. It appeared to be a ten-year-old girl. She had brown hair, blue-green eyes, a familiar face, and she was wearing a black dress. According to Setsuna, she wanted to see him. "Her name is Angelina Arthur..." Setsuna began, but the girl looked unhappy at the mention of her name. She looked at Gatoris, then to Setsuna. "I can’t lie to him, Setsuna..." she cried as she ran through the castle. Gatoris sighed and looked directly in Setsuna’s eyes. "Nice try, but I know my own daughter when I see her..." he muttered. "Why must you be so protective of time?" he now yelled. Setsuna bowed her head. "I didn’t want to affect the future..." she muttered. Gatoris was visibly angered. He made a fist, looked Setsuna in the eye...

...and punched the wall next to him. When he pulled his fist back, it was bloody. "Garret, you know that type of anger leads to…" Setsuna began. "Don’t remind me! How the hell do you think I died in my last life?" he yelled back as he held his hand. "And, by the way… I wasn’t doubting by abilities as a father. I know that’s why you brought Angelise here," he added. Setsuna sighed. "You got me there. That was one reason. The other reason was she wanted to see you. In her time, her mother just died…" she pointed out. Gatoris seemed to calm down a little. "Let me get my hand taken care of, and I’ll go find her," he spoke as he walked to the bathroom. When he left the room, Setsuna smiled a little. "He’s always been like that…" she reminisced. "…ever since his beginning. He’s always put Angelise first, no matter what." Aerith sighed. "I know. He’d rather die than have anything happen to her…"

Edwin had his ear to the door as these words were spoken. An evil smile came across his face. His father now had a way to get at Garret. After making sure he remembered it right, Edwin the left for his home. The only other bonus he came up with was the trout swimming in his pants. That better be a trout in my pants and not a shark, he thought to himself. The fish in question then bit his leg.

Gatoris later found Angelise in the garden. He came in with a bandaged hand. "You okay, Angelise?" he called to her. Angelise looked up. He knew who she was. She now felt bad for letting Setsuna lie to him. "No. I just came to see you, and look at the trouble it caused," she sighed. Gatoris came over and hugged her. "You didn’t cause any trouble. Setsuna’s just overprotective of keeping time and history in order. I would have understood if you had gone along with it." he affirmed. Angelise looked at his hand. It looked as if he had punched something and injured himself. She asked what happened. "Well… I got upset with Setsuna, and I had two options: punch her or punch the wall. And you know how I am when it comes to striking a lady…" he covered his mouth quickly. Gatoris thought his words insinuated he punched Setsuna. Angelise just smiled and asked if the wall was okay. He let out a small laugh and said that the wall was wishing it was someplace else right now. "You’re a goof, dad…" She said through the laughter. He shook his head. "Both your aunts call me that on a daily basis. Could you come up with something else, angel?" he grinned. Angelise looked up at him. "Mom called me that…" she spoke. "What, a goof?" he asked back jokingly. "I know what you meant. It just makes sense she would call you that. You know what your name means, right?" She looked at him. She had no clue that Angelise meant anything in particular. "It means ‘the perfect angel’. I believe she was right in naming you that." he explained. Angelise hugged her father tightly. "But I disagree with you. I’m not a perfect angel, mom is…" she said, starting to cry again.

Gatoris hugged her tighter and tried to comfort Angelise. "Your grandma probably already gave you the spiel about me shutting the world out and all that. She’s right. You have to let it all out," he began. "Let people console you, let them know how much you hurt. I was miserable most my life after I lost my father because I didn’t think anyone cared. Then I admitted to your mother that I loved her. At the time, she said she didn’t feel the same way, but I know now she did. I was initially happy when part of her joined me in this life, but then you were born. I wanted so much to be there for you. Your mother and I both grew up without our fathers, and I really didn’t want you to end up the same way…" he continued before breaking down in tears. Angelise realized this was a good time to comfort him. "It’s okay, dad. I have always felt that you have been with me and mom. And in case you’re wondering, I don’t feel like you abandoned me. You had things beyond your control that stopped you from being with me," she spoke. Gatoris sighed. "You’re right, angel. I wanted, and still want so much to be with you…" he began. "…but you have Angelise, as well as Jessica, in this realm. I want you to take care of my sisters, dad. I can take care of myself," she pointed out. Gatoris sighed and smiled. "Why did you have to get my stubbornness?" he asked.

Pikachu had an evil grin on his face. Even though he had lost his last body, he had made a new one for such an emergency. He smiled more when Edwin returned. After he threw a dead shark aside, he reported in. "Father, I have a plan to get Garret once and for all!" he exclaimed. Pikachu laughed. "You… have a plan… that could actually work? Humor me, son." Edwin explained that a future version of Angelise had come visit Gatoris. He also reminded his father of his Wicked Lady plan that almost worked. "Gatoris would be so distraught from losing his daughter that he would surrender to you!" Edwin laid the beauty of the plan down. Pikachu thought the plan over. He liked the idea. And unlike the similar plan involving Rini, he felt this would work. Then something crossed Pikachu’s mind. "…which Angelise was it?" he asked of his son. "…the one from Garrett Mackenzie’s life. Angelise Mackenzie," he replied. Pikachu the looked over at his lovely wife, Jigglypuff. She was currently in her human form, and she could easily be mistaken for Wicked Lady. He then thought of an idea. "Rini dear, would you mind helping out with this plan?" She looked at Pikachu, knowing what role she would play. She closed her eyes, and was surrounded by a light. When the light faded, Jigglypuff looked exactly like the Angelina Bradford that Angelise would remember. All the grinned evilly. "Don’t worry, angel… mommy’s coming…" Jigglypuff smirked.

Later in the evening, Gatoris watched as both Angelises went to sleep. He kissed Angelise Mackenzie on the forehead and sighed. "If there was some way I could change the future… some way to make sure you still had your mother…" he began, "I would do it in a heartbeat, no matter the cost. Your happiness is more valuable than my very soul…" he spoke. Aerith then placed her hand on his shoulder. "Garret… I would give anything to assure that I was there for her… but this I cannot change," Apparently, Angelina had been listening. "But you giving up your soul would only bring her more pain. Some things were meant to be. Maybe it was my time…" she began. Gatoris sighed. "Yes, maybe it was," he began as he stroked his daughter’s hair, "but this angel does not deserve to lose one so dear to her…" "Let’s just get to bed, honey…" Aerith requested. Gatoris obliged. The day had been long for him. He needed a good rest.

Part II: Family

* Dream sequence conceived by Jessica. *

Of course, that was too much to ask.

Aerith woke up to Angelise crying. She got up and went to her room. When Aerith entered, she picked up her baby and looked around the room. Something didn’t seem right. She then checked the bed Angelise Mackenzie had been sleeping in... it was empty. There was nothing odd about that. She could have gone to the bathroom or something. Aerith then felt a breeze, so she shut the window... a window that she had kept closed at all times. It was then when Aerith began to suspect something. When she saw the accidentally discarded shawl near the bed, she began to scream.

Gatoris ran to the room, with a sinking feeling in his heart. When he arrived in Angelise’s room, his heart hit bottom. Of all the horrid acts Pikachu had committed against him, this was the lowest one possible. Gatoris’ face was blank of all emotion. Suddenly, Garret stepped away from the rest of Gatoris. "This time, the rat has done it," Garret growled. "He has taken my reason for living. He thinks he has won, but I am getting Angelise back no matter the cost..." he continued. Garret picked the shawl up and smelled it. The smell of Wicked Lady’s perfume was unmistakable. Before Aerith (or anyone, for that matter) could stop him, Garret walked out the window, following the scent.

Jessica entered the room just in time to see Garret leave. She followed him without saying a word. Zack sighed. "Garret’s gone on a suicide mission..." he moaned. "...I’ve got to follow him to make sure he survives." Aerith was still crying. Actually, it was more of Angelina crying. "Pikachu has my angel... the bastard is going to pay dearly for this..." she cried as she followed the rest, still holding her child.

Pikachu was a little surprised to see only Garret and not Gatoris in his presence. Not only that, but he came unarmed. "Give me my daughter back, bastard!" Garret yelled. He then noticed the girl sitting in Wicked Lady’s lap, her back turned. "Your daughter is no more, Garret." was all Pikachu replied. "Don’t give me that shit! Your wife kidnapped Angelise, and I want her back!" he yelled back. The rat made a gesture. Garret tried to lunge at him, but felt he could no longer move. "That’s low, Pikachu. Even for you." he barked. He then heard a whip crack behind him. "I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, Garret..." Edwin scowled.

Part III: Hope

Jessica saw Edwin about to strike her father. As she went to shield his back, he spoke. "Jessica, I know you want to protect me... but I deserve this. Let him do it." he sighed. Jessica reluctantly backed away from her father. As Edwin readied to crack the whip, the girl in Wicked Lady’s lap turned around and spoke up. "You get to have all the fun, brother. I want to take care of this one." Garret immediately wanted to cry, but held back his tears. Edwin gave the whip to his ‘sister’. After a test-swing, Angelise began whipping Garret. Every lash broke his skin on the outside and chipped away at his heart on the inside. His eyes began to water up as the pain showed in them. Jessica fell to her knees and cried. She hid her face in her hands, not wanting to see her father hurt like this. halfway through the beating, Pikachu gave Garret his movement back. When the whipping stopped, Garret was still standing. One could not see his back for all the blood. "I admire your strength, Garret. You caught me off-guard. Nonetheless, this place will be your end!" Pikachu boasted. Angelise then came in front of Garret, holding a dagger.

So this was his plan the whole time, he thought. Pikachu wanted his own child to kill him. As Angelise approached him, Garret stopped her. "So, you really are going to kill me..." he spoke. "Yes. Your heart is going to make a nice trophy." she replied back. Of course, there is no heart left within me to make a trophy out of, he thought to himself. Garret then grabbed the hand that Angelise held the dagger with. "That’s not how you hold a dagger. I’m surprised your father didn’t teach you better..." he said, emotionless. Garret then pointed the dagger to his heart. Angelise suddenly let go of the dagger. "I can’t kill you. You’re no fun. You’re supposed to beg for your life! Why do you want to die so easily?" she spoke. "...someone took my daughter away from me..." Garret sighed. "She was the only reason I lived. This is the only way I can escape the pain of my loss..." Angelise then walked back to Pikachu and Wicked Lady. The rat then walked over to Garret. "I was so hoping the would kill you, but you will die nonetheless." he told. Garret did not care. He had lost Angelise, probably forever. His heart had disintegrated into nothing. The pain was unbearable, and he wanted it to end. Just as Pikachu sliced into Garret’s stomach, Angelise grabbed her head in pain. Pikachu knew this was bad news. She ran away from Pikachu, and collapsed next to Jessica.

The Sailor Senshi walked into the room, and Sailor Moon was holding part of the Dark Crystal. She tossed it to the ground. "Your plan is toast, Pika-brainless." she scoffed. Pikachu smiled and pointed at Garret. "Oh, but on the contrary. I have won yet again!" he boasted as he, Wicked Lady and Edwin disappeared. Setsuna rushed over to Garret.

"Is... is Angelise... okay?" Garret asked through the pain. Angelise than hugged her father after she regained consciousness. "Thank you, dad..." she softly spoke through her tears. He looked up at his daughter. The black crescent was gone, and she had returned to normal. "You’re welcome, angel..." he replied. "It’s just... a shame I... have to leave you now..." "I’m not going to let you die, Garret..." Setsuna spoke up. "This is all my fault. I knew how much you wanted to see your daughter. I also knew how much she wanted to see you. I... I never should of brought her here. All I wanted to do was reward you for all you have done..." Aerith and Zack looked on in shock. "It’s okay, Setsuna. I appreciate the reward. My angel is okay now, and that is all that matters." Garret replied as he began to cough up blood. He no longer seemed to care about his own life. Usagi then walked over to him. "Garret, I wish to thank you for everything you have done for me. I will honestly miss you." she said, holding back the tears. Garret hugged her and smiled. "Thanks, Mariah. Be sure to take care of your daughter..." Garret said before collapsing and passing out.
 
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Leader of Men?

Usagi looked puzzled. Setsuna checked Garret for a pulse. "He’s still alive..." she muttered. She then checked the wound. Pikachu had missed all of Garret’s internal organs, and he appeared to be perfectly fine otherwise. Setsuna slapped Garret in the face. "Pikachu’s gone. You can quit scaring us all..." At these words, he sat up. Garret looked at Setsuna and spoke. "I hope I at least fooled your brother. Otherwise, my plan backfired." Setsuna looked back at Garret. How did he know of her shame? Without another word, everyone returned to the castle.

Setsuna placed Garret in a bed. She then returned to the dining room, where everyone was gathered. "Why did Garret call me Mariah? Has he finally snapped?" Usagi asked. Setsuna bowed her head. "Quite the opposite. He’s remembering the beginning." Everyone suddenly became puzzled. "He is remembering Cetra Mythology. It seems that Garret can now sense those from his past. I have been able to forever, but I just kept quiet." Usagi then looked at Setsuna. "Then, who was Mariah?" she asked. "Mariah was the Queen of the Angels," Setsuna answered. "But I thought Angelina..." "Angelina was just the title. There were a few queens. Mariah just happened to be the mother of Angelina Cara, the one Garret fell in love with." Setsuna explained as much as she could. She looked at the occupants of the room: Aerith, Zack, Ifalna, the Sailor Senshi, Jessica, Akane, Almathea, Cory, and both Angelises. "You all had a part in the beginning." Setsuna announced. She then began to list off who was what. Zack, Aerith, Ifalna, and Angelise Mackenzie knew of their past. The rest were slightly surprised. When they were told, however, they began to remember everything. Makoto suddenly got up and ran into the room where Garret was. She got to his bed and slapped him around, knocking off his glasses. "I knew there was a reason you looked like my ex-boyfriend, Garret... You are my ex-boyfriend!" she grumbled. After repositioning his jaw, Garret responded, "I had two choices. I could have either stayed with you, or have Ami and Rei damn near rip the world a new one because they were jealous." Makoto sighed and sat down. "...you’re right. I guess I was just selfish. I..." she began before she felt what she was about sit on. "...better not sit on your glasses." She stood up and gave Garret his glasses. As he reached for them, the damage to his back made itself present to his mind.

Everyone in the castle heard the scream. Setsuna returned to Garret’s room and looked at Makoto. "I didn’t realize the grudge was that deep..." she sighed. "She was just trying to give me my glasses," Garret spoke through the ever-present pain, "...and the pain finally registered." Setsuna blushed, slightly embarrassed. Makoto helped Garret put his glasses on. "Besides, if I wanted to kill him, he wouldn’t have the chance to scream..." she joked. Angelise then walked into the room. She had her head down as she walked over to her father. She looked as if she wanted to speak, bunt instead she cried. Garret put his shredded back out of his mind and spoke to Angelise. "I know you blame yourself for this. It wasn’t your fault, angel. And I most certainly do not blame you. Pikachu likes to play with minds. He’s played with mine before. We just have to fight him..." he preached. "I know that, dad..." Angelise said, letting the tears dry up, "...but I almost killed you! And you didn’t resist it. If I had done it and returned to normal..." she then began to cry again. "I wouldn’t let you. Did your mom ever tell you of the time shortly after I died?" Garret shot back. "No, but I saw it through your eyes." she replied. "You had to convince her to live again. You wouldn’t give up on her..." she sighed, "and you probably would be the same way with me." Garret nodded. "You bet I would. I would never give up on an angel."

Setsuna looked at Garret’s back the whole time. It seemed that the longer he held his daughter, the faster his back began to recover. She then began to think. Could this Angelise be the one? The one who would replace her as ruler of the universe? She knew it was one of Garret’s daughters that would succeed her, but she was unsure which Angelise it would be. After twenty minutes of hugging, Garret’s back was healed. The only remnants of the brutal beating was a scar in the shape of a heart on his left shoulder blade region. Garret then put Angelise down and smiled. "Feeling better, angel?" he asked. "Yes I am, dad. Thanks for believing in me," she smiled back.

Pikachu smirked as he cleaned his sword off. Edwin was cheering and running about like the fool he was. Just my luck, Pikachu thought to himself. His mother HAD to be both the village slut and the village idiot. He kept smiling, nonetheless. "Garret wanted me to think I finally killed him. Does he make me for a fool?" he bellowed. "He must, if he thought that would work..." Wicked Lady said as she took a drag from her cigarette. "Even I could tell he was still alive." Pikachu looked at his wife and gave her a slightly angered look. "What did I tell you about smoking? I don’t like you supporting something more sinister than me!" he lectured. She just smiled back. "Relax. I didn’t buy them! Our son stole them when he went to Scotland. They didn’t get anything from us!" Pikachu grinned again. "At least Edwin can do something right..." he noted as he glanced over at his son, who was playing Bobbing for Fish. A piranha then bit Edwin’s nose. The rat turned away and dictated his next plan. "What I need to do is get into Garret’s family structure. If I can plant the seed into one of his sisters..." he began before his wife cut him off. "You’re actually thinking of ... ahem... with one of Garret’s sisters?" she asked, puzzled. "No, Rini darling. I didn’t mean that type of seed. I meant the seed of evil... hatred... distrust... You following me?" Pikachu clarified. Wicked Lady nodded. "If I can somehow make one of his sisters begin to hate him, she would do my work for me!" he laughed. Edwin looked up and finally said something intelligent. "Dad. If it didn’t work with his child, what makes you think it would work with one of the muses?" Pikachu looked as if he was going to cry tears of joy. "Simple, my boy. The change won’t be so drastic, and it would be almost invisible. Gradually, the distrust would grow, and no one would know why." Edwin looked awed, then returned to prying the piranha off his nose. "Good plan, uncle," a slightly familiar voice spoke. "Thank you, Makoto." Pikachu replied. The woman in question looked similar to Sailor Jupiter, except for the coal-black eyes and matching dress. (And, of course, the hard-to-miss fangs that come with being a demon.) "...and I think I have a good way to lure one into our trap." she spoke, then delivered the plan.

By now it was night. Garret began to wonder around in his wife’s courtyard garden. Suddenly, he heard someone speaking. Not only speaking, but speaking in the ancient Cetra tounge... but to whom was the voice talking to? "Mijhan, kajahn... shihan er du? E es kahan. (Mother, father... how are you? I am fine.)" the voice said. Garret caught a glimpse of who it was, and figured it out. He snuck up behind her and spoke in Cetra to her. "Woh es des bradford, specken te ga setsun? (Who is this angel, speaking to the stars?)" She turned around and paniced momentarialy. "Garret! You startled me. I was just talking ot my parents..." Setsuna replied. He smiled. "To think, the child of the stars is such a beautiful and innocent angel..." Setsuna smiled and sighed at the same time. "Then you have my brother..." she moaned. "Let’s just forget about him for the moment, can we?" Garret quickly asked. "What did you want to talk about, Garret?" she replied. Garret smiled at her and gave her the reason: "You have such a pure heart. You alone cannot protect it."

Akane suddenly felt as if she forgot something. She couldn’t place what she forgot in Tokyo, but she knew she had to retrieve something. She then went looking for her brother to tell him what she was doing.

Garret and Setsuna were now in the dining room, conversing. As he returned with a bottle of wine, she seemed lost in thought. Garret was curious of what was on her mind. "What I saw today proves what I have believed for a long time..." she sighed. He had no clue what she was talking about. "I know I will die without an heir to my throne, Garret. I will die alone..." she stated. Garret shook his head. "Setsuna... you think your future is that certian?" he queryed. She picked her eyes up and made contact with his. "I have seen it with my own eyes." she spoke. "I did not get to see who succeded me, but I could sense a power from her. The power only an angel of love possesses. ...I believe it is one of your daughters..." Garret’s jaw dropped. "I sense the same power from both of them. The exact same power. It was as if she split her soul to accomidate being with both her parents..." she pondered. That seemed to make sense. Both of his daughters were the same, except for eye and hair color. He could sense the similarities in them...

Before he could think further, Akane was in front of Garret. "I seem to have forgotten something back home, Garret. I need to go get it." she stated. "I’ll go with you, angel..." he began to say before she cut him off. "I’ll be fine, guardian. It’s not like I’m going to run into Pikachu..."she said as she walked out the door. Unbeknownst to either of them, Setsuna clutched her head in pain. Garret walked after his sister. "You positive you’ll be okay?" he asked again. She nooded as she took flight. "I’ll be back in a couple of days..." she shouted as she dissapeared inthe horizion. When Garret returned to the dining room, he saw Setsuna with her head on the table, looking pained. "Don’t stand there, go after her... Akane’s life may depend on it..." she said through obvious pain. Garret knew one thing: when Setsuna was in this conditon, she had just seen a vision of someone’s demise. He rushed out the door and flew after his sister.

Akane landed near Kalm and looked for the portal back to Tokyo. She then heard someone moaning. She went to investigate further and saw who she thought was Maokto sitting on the ground, holding her ankle in pain. "Thank goodness you’re here, Hikari. I think I twisted my ankle..." she said. Not wondering how she got from the castle to there before her, Akane helped her up. ‘Makoto’ then tripped and fell into her arms. "I think I messed it up big time..." she pondered. Akane did not see her fangs as she talked. As she was helping the demon Makoto back to her feet, she was bitten by her. She looked shocked. "Not to worry, Akane. My uncle has plans for you..." were the last words she heard before blacking out. Makoto then placed her weight firmly on both feet as three other figures emerged. "Good show, cousin!" one spoke as she clapped. "Thanks, Rei." she replied. "Why couldn’t I bite her?" another whined. "Shut up, Haruka." the third snapped. "You would have bit her to death out of enjoyment." "Ami, do you always have to be so spiteful?" Rei asked. All four looked similar to their Senshi counterparts, except for the sable eyes and the fangs. "It kind of happens when your mother whips you for the hell of it..." she muttered back. As they began to bicker and argue, they didn’t notice Garret land.

Garret did a total of about 78 double-takes. Who were these women? Why did they look like the elemental spirits? ...and why did they have fangs? Garret’s mind slipped and yelled something he wanted to think. "What in the hell is going on here?" he shrieked. The four turned around, and Makoto held Akane close. "Simple, Garret. We’re abducting your sister so she can serve our uncle." Rei stated. Ami slapped her upside the head. "He wasn’t supposed to know that!" she screeched. Haruka just shook her head and suddenly vanished. Makoto tried to break the other two up. Garret walked over to the three remaining Demon Senshi, determined to get his sister back. If he only hadn’t lost track of Haruka...

Haruka clubbed Garret over the head with the hilt of her sword. He fell to the ground, unconscious. "I thought his daughter was better-looking, anyway..." she muttered as she rejoined her cousins. The four and Akane then vanished into a black portal, back to Pikachu’s domain.

Akane woke up in a prision cell in Pikachu’s castle, with Edwin standing guard. She felt where the demon Makoto bit her... it was still sore. She again looked at Edwin. Why was he wearing a tuxedo? He then came to her cell and spoke to her. "My father has decided to give you a choice on how to hurt your brother..." he said, trying not to giggle. "Either he transforms you, and you physically harm him... or you mentally harm him by marrying me." Akane then took a good look at herself: she was in a wedding dress... She grabbed Edwin through the bars. "Tell your father this, brainless..." she yelled, "I will do niether. I would as soon die!" After saying this, she saw the dagger in Edwin’s vest pocket and grabbed it. She pointed it at her heart and gave him an angered look. "Tell your father that his master plan failed again..." she scowled. Then, Edwin did something unexpected: he opened the cell door. "I told him you wouldn’t do either of them willingly..." he muttered. Akane dropped the dagger in shock. Edwin was letting her go? Without wondering if this was some kind of set-up, she ran out of the cell and out of the castle unnoticed. When she was out of sight, Edwin gave a menacing smile. "Oh, but you will harm your brother, Akane... all in due time..." Before he could laugh, Pikachu entered the dungeon. "What the hell did you just do, baka?" he screamed in fury. "the seed was implanted... and she would have been no good dead..." he tried to explain. "Shmuck! She hadn’t been before the crystal yet! She hadn’t been altered! You just let her go!" Pikachu was about to ‘go nuclear’ (for lack of a better phrase). "But I thought the bite..." Edwin tried to say. "The bite was only to sedate her! Your cousins aren’t vampires, kuso yaro!" Pikachu was at wit’s end with his son. He had enough of his stupidity. "Prepare to join your mother, Edwin..." Pikachu smiled as he sliced his own son into oblivion. Wicked Lady walked in, wondering what all the screaming was about. "Oh, I just had to terminate our son..." Pikachu replied. Niether of them seemed disturbed by this.

Akane returned to Castle Tonberry, looking for her brother again. Setsuna still had her head on the table, as it had been when Garret left. She had fallen asleep there. Akane woke her up and asked of her brother. Seeing that she was still normal, Setsuna smiled. "He went after you." she spoke, still waking up. "I saw what might happen, and told him. I haven’t seen him since." Akane then became worried. She changed out of the wedding dress and went after her brother.

Garret dusted himself off, and looked at the person in front of him. "You okay, Garret?" she asked. The person before him looked almost exactly like Jessica, except for the green-blue eyes, elfish ears, and… fangs… Great, he thought. They sent her to finish me off. "Did you happen to see that demon bitch Makoto?" she asked. Garret was still groggy from being knocked out. Without delay, he asked "Jessica? Is that you?" "No," she replied. "Call me Nova." Garret thought he was dreaming something. "Where the hell am I?" he asked. "Outside of Kalm, in your dimension," Nova replied. MY dimension? Garret thought. You mean… "Yes, those four are from a dimension that parallels this one. Everything is chaos where I come from. The Senshi, except for me, are evil. Your sisters died saving you, and you are part of the last resistance group against Pikachu…" Nova began to describe her homeworld. Garret sighed, not liking the sound this world too well. "Makoto tried to kill you in our dimension, and I went after her. I followed her and the other elementals here," Nova explained. He rubbed the back of his head where Haruka had hit him.

Akane landed near her brother, and smiled while she cried. Garret saw his sister, and fell to his knees. He was slightly surprised when she hugged him. "Don’t worry. Pikachu didn’t get a chance to hurt me," she spoke. Garret became puzzled. How was that possible? "Edwin was dumb enough to let me go before anything happened to me…" she exhaled. Garret tightly hugged back. "For the rest of my life, I swear that I will not let anyone harm my family," he preached. Thought it will only be ten or so years, he thought, I will protect them to the end…

Saga III: Angelheart

Chapter Thirty: Sunday Tranquillity

This chapter is dedicated to my late niece, who was too soon taken from this world. Though she was born premature, I know the true reason she didn’t make it: her heart and soul were too pure. Rest in peace, Kathleen... How I wish I had more time with you...

Upon returning to the castle, Garret was greeted by Angelise Mackenzie. For one of the few times during her stay, she was genuinely happy. She jumped up and hugged her father. Garret returned the embrace. "How’s my beautiful little angel?" he asked. "My sister’s asleep..." she joked. Garret shook his head. "I see you got my self-esteem..." he grunted. "I meant you..." "I know, dad..." Angelise smiled. She then kissed her father on the cheek. Garret grinned. "Finally, someone kissed me on my good cheek!" Angelise hugged her father tighter and giggled. "...and I thought you were depressed all the time when you were alive..." "I was," Garret replied. "I didn’t have an angel like you around to keep me happy." He then saw Setsuna enter the room and knew what was coming. "I hate to do this to you two..." she sighed, "but it’s time for her to go home." Garret sighed and kissed his daughter on the cheek. "I love you, Angelise," he began. He then placed his hands in his pockets, and retrieved his spare pair of glasses. "A souvenir..." He then took the lenses out of the glasses. "...something that you can remember me with. I had something of my father’s when he died..." Angelise then hugged her father again. "Go on home now, angel..." he smiled. "Your grandparents are probably going to rip Setsuna a new one when you get back..." "If they do, they do," Setsuna replied. "All that matters is that Angelise got to see you." Garret smiled. "That’s true. Now remember, Angelise..." he began, "don’t tell your grandparents you were talking with daddy. That will get you sent to therapy for sure." Angelise smiled back. "They’re probably going to send me anyway," she replied. "I started acting like you..." Garret shook his head. "I honestly don’t know how to come back from that one..." Setsuna and Angelise Mackenzie walked out of the castle, and back to New Mideel. Garret sneaked up to his child’s room.

When he got there, he saw the door ajar. He also heard someone speaking. "Angelise..." the voice began, "...how truly blessed you are. You get to know your father while you are young. I can see it in his eyes that he never wanted to give me up..." Garret remained quiet as Jessica continued. "I also see it in his eyes that he thinks I feel he abandoned me. It was his heart breaking and not the wound itself that killed him in that life, I’m sure of it. Having to give up his newborn child was too much for him..." Jess turned around quickly and looked at the door. Seeing nothing, she continued. "Until I found out the truth, Queen Comet always told me that my father died saving his family. She also told me stories of the ancient hero Gatoris. Every night, I dreamt that my father was such a hero. All this time, I had been right..." Jess began to sob slightly. "...our father would be a hero, even if he wasn’t Gatoris. He cares for and protects us. And I believe that is all that matters..." Jess placed her sister back in her crib, and began to walk out of the room.

Garret tried to hide, but Jessica saw him. "I meant everything I said to her..." she sighed. Her father stood silent for a moment, then hugged his daughter. "I have never been a hero..." Garret spoke, "I have been but a father. The love of one’s family makes people do heroic things. That does not make them heroes." Jess hugged her father tighter. "In my eyes, you are a hero. All you have done since I have been here proves it to me." Garret let out a sigh, not particularly in the mood to argue. "If you insist..." he said with a partially cheery tone. "Heroes are what you make them to be. I am just glad you didn’t get my excessive humility."

Later in the day, Garret finally rejoined with Zack. "You know, I kind of liked the green hair better..." he heard a voice say behind him. Gatoris turned around and smiled. "I kind of figured you would say that, Michiru. But... forget it. You probably came in with the rest of the Senshi, and I didn’t even notice. By the way, how’s Haruka doing?" "Not too good..." she sighed. "Someone scratched the paint on her motorcycle..." "How much do I owe you for bailing her out?" Gatoris interjected. "That’s perfectly fine, Gatoris..." she replied. "I can afford it. Thanks anyway." "...could the other guy be identified?" Gatoris asked jokingly. Michiru smirked. "They needed his dental records..." she began. "...Just kidding! She only got one punch in." Gatoris shook his head and smiled. "I was headed to the kitchen. Want anything, Michiru?" Gatoris spoke. She held up a sandwich and said no. "I don’t know about you... but christ, I’m hungry!" he said, then looked behind him. "You called?" Setsuna said, trying not to laugh. "I bet you saw that coming..." Michiru said, unable to suppress her laughter. Gatoris ignored this and walked to the kitchen.

She took a deep breath and looked downward. "...I had a falling out with Hotaru... about Angelus..." Gatoris returned to his seat and asked what the argument was about. "It all started before Angelus or I were born..." she began. "...late one night, Ami’s husband died in his sleep. It ripped her heart to shreds... She tried to do herself in by poison..." Rini began to cry. "She didn’t know she was expecting..." Gatoris bowed his head in silence as he listened. "When Angelus was born, he was blind..." Rini continued. "I remember my mother telling me that Ami locked herself in her chabmers and refused to speak to anyone." "She blamed herself for what happened to Angelus..." Gatoris chimed in. Rini nodded and continued. "When Angeuls wa about three months old, Hotaru came to visit Ami in an attempt to get her out of her room. She heard Agelus crying in his room, and went to him..." Gatoris thought he knew what happened next, but he let Rini say it. "She looked down at him, and that is the last thing she has seen since..." Gatoris was in awe. She gave up her sight for this child... he thought. "Instead fo being happy, Ami was furious. She said, in her own words, ‘He was better off not seeing his monster of a mother’... Horatu didn’t know at the time that Ami had gouged her own eyes out..." Gatoris began to squirm a little. "...where do you fit in with this?" he asked. Rini sighed yet again. "Before I came here, I went to see Hotaru..." she spoke, on the verge of crying. "...you were going to offer her what she gave to Angelus, right?" Gatoris butted in. Rini nodded slowly. "She refused..." she growled. "She said that she did not wish to see again... She said that Angelus would not want me to... to..." Gatoris grabbed Rini and hugged her tightly. "Hotaru has seen many horrors in her lives. I would understand if she wished not to see..." Rini sighed and hugged Gatoris back. "I never thought of it that way..." They hugged for a few minuted before Rini spoke again. "You have always been like an uncle to me, Gatoris..." "...and you’ve felt like then niece I never had..." Gatoris replied, holding back his tears. "Kathleen, wasn’t it?" Rini said unexpectedly. Gatoris could not contain the tears after that. "She’s right there..." she said, pointing up to the sky. She pointed to one of the brightest stars in the sky...

Cory looked at herself in the mirror. She began to think of all that her brother had done for her. He accepted her back into the family, even with all the carnage she had unwillingly caused. Garret had also reunited her with Brad, her lost love. He even married the two. In the middle of these thoughts, Cory heard a sound coming from Angelise’s room. She had a feeling go down her body, as if something was about to happen. She got up and walked to the room.

A voice came from Angelise’s doorway. "I didn’t realize that Pikachu’s nieces were so... what is the word I’m thinking of... inept." it spoke. "Good timing," Raye spoke up. "Could ya help us out, Cory?" She gave them a look of pure hatred. "You insane?" she yelled. "First, I’m not kidnapping my niece. Second, I’m not under your dear uncle’s control anymore. Finally, you’re a couple of dumb succubi anyway." She smirked and walked over to Angelise. As Cory bent down to pick her up, Gatoris and Rini entered through the window. Using this distraction, Amy threw something at Cory. It connected with her arm, and she nearly dropped Angelise. "Stupid succubi, huh?" Amy bellowed. "That mind control serum ought to kick in rather fast..." Cory then went limp. As she fell over, Gatoris caught her and Rini caught Angelise. When Cory didn’t spring back to her feet immediately, Amy began to sweat and check to see what she had thrown. "Whoops..." she began, "that...was the... sedative..." Gatoris placed his sister on the ground and grabbed Amy by the throat. "I guess Nova never found you two..." he muttered. At Gatoris’ mentioning of that name, the demon Senshi’s eyes grew large. "...so I’ll do her a favor." As he began to choke Amy, Raye got his attention. "I suggest you let Amy go if you want to see these two alive again..." She held Rini’s neck with an iron grasp, making her wince. She slowly began to pass out from the pain. "Don’t... worry... about me, Gatoris... save... Angelise..." she muttered before falling to her knees.

At the instant Rini’s knees hit the floor, Angelise let out a deafening cry. The force knocked both Rini and Raye into the portal from which the demons had entered. With Gatoris distracted, Amy injected him with a sedative. Instead of falling backwards as she had hoped, Gatoris fell forward, nearly crushing her. After rolling him off, Amy surveyed what was left. She decided to take Cory and Gatoris back with her, seeing how Angelise was being uncooperative.

Gatoris awoke groggily in a dungeon cell. Immediately, he looked about for Cory and Rini. "Forget about them..." a voice whispered from the bars. "I want to talk about us..." Gatoris turned around and saw none other than Lita... in a wedding dress... and there was a huge bulge about her stomach... "I still love you, Garret..." she began. "Even though you haven’t been there for me and our children, I want you to be with us..." Gatoris turned away suddenly. Their... children? he began to think. How long has she been starving herself? There is no way they had children! Lita then patted her stomach. "She will be our thirty-ninth. Come home with us, Garret..." As soon as she said that, Gatoris noticed something under her feet. "I’d get to the hospital if I were you..." he snickered. "Your sand just broke." Lita began to pout. "Dammit!" she yelled. "Lillith told me that this was sure-fire..."

"What the bloody hell does me mum know, anyways?" a voice spoke from behind Lita. "She was stupid enough to try and feast on the master’s soul. We all know that he doesn’t have one..." The man speaking was just slightly taller than Lita, with sandy brown hair. There was a patch over his left eye, and the pupil of his right was a bloody red. "The hell do you want, Heretus?" Lita boomed. "One, your uncle wants ye to return that sandbag to the mines when you’re done with it..." he chuckled. "Two, I am here to escort the condemned to our master." Lita sighed. "I wanted to have some more fun..." she began to whimper. "That’s why Cory is still around," the one called Heretus replied. "Our master is almost done repairing her mind..." Lita smirked evilly. "My older sister is back..." she cackled as she skipped off. As soon as she got out of hearing distance, Heretus laughed. "What a bleeding idiot!" he scoffed. "Cory’s still in her cell. I’ll take you to her and Tyranna..." he spoke to Gatoris. The last name caused some confusion. "Who the hell is Tyranna, and why do I want to see her? And why are you even talking to me?" Gatoris blurted out. "You’re one of Pikachu’s damn generals! If I had my sword right now..." "Calm down, lad!" Heretus yelled in his gruff Scottish accent. "A wee lass came to me in a dream... she told me that I was to help ye get out of here..." Gatoris stared into Heretus’ good eye.... he could sense a kindred soul within... one fighting within itself... "Who is this Tyranna, and what happened to Rini?" Gatoris said, finally calming down. "They are one and the same now..." Heretus sighed. "Tyranna is Pikachu’s daughter, more commonly called Wicked Lady..." Gatoris’ jaw dropped to the floor. "Her aunt has entrusted her into my care. I guess I can be considered a double-agent..." Gatoris sighed. "I’m going to get all of us out of here, Heretus..." "Please, do me a favor, Gatoris..." Heretus grunted. "Call me Michael. Pikachu is the one who gave me the cursed moniker of Heretus."

Pikachu looked at the young woman laying in his bed as she awoke. He grinned, realizing that his plan was working perfectly. The girl stirred and looked around. "Wh...why am I in your chambers, father?" she asked with a light Irish brogue. When she saw her reflection in a mirror, she added "...and why am I in little Usagi’s body again?" Pikachu smiled more. "She had an accident, and she wasn’t using her body anymore, so I gave it to you, Tyranna," he replied. If she had not been under her father’s powers, Tyranna would have sensed Rini’s spirit within her. "That, and I have decided to give you the birthday present you always wanted: Your freedom." Tyranna smiled and cried, surprised by what she had just heard. Her father was going to set her soul free...

Tyranna paused for a moment. "Father..." she began. As she closed her eyes to reflect on her supposed new-found gift, she heard a scream within her mind. Had Pikachu been able to see Tyranna’s eyes, he would have know that she had broken free of his power. "...thank you, but I no longer wish to be free. I wish to serve you, dear father..." she continued. Pikachu looked at his daughter puzzled. He could remember her always wanting to be free of her demon blood, what she considered her sinned half. Pikachu silently grunted, for this had just ruined his plan to get rid of Rini. Then he silently sighed. He figured if she was finally going to obey, he should take advantage of it. "Very well..." the demon smiled. "I want you to help out your cousins and sister in kidnapping Angelise." Tyranna looked up at her father. "I have a sister?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. This was the first she had heard of a sibling other than Edwin. Pikachu nodded. "Yes. I hid her away with her mother like I did with you," he explained. "If the angels were to find either of you, they would likely kill you. You more than her, for they would see you as a traitor." "Does... does she know that she is your child?" Tyranna asked, still partially confused by this sudden turn of events. "Yes she does, my child." Pikachu replied. "...may I see mother?" she asked suddenly. He looked at her for a moment. "I don’t see why not." Pikachu spoke. "Follow me, and I’ll show you where she is." Pikachu then led Tyranna to the dungeon.

"That’s Tyranna’s mother!?" Gatoris gasped in both awe and disgust. He looked at the angel in the cell. By the way her skin fit loosely upon her body, she looked like she hadn’t been fed in the last month or so. "I know what you are thinking, Gatoris..." Heretus butted in. "It’s been much longer than that since she’s had a good meal. Ever since Pikachu took me off of guarding her, and that’s been years now..." If Pikachu could treat this angel in such a manner, Gatoris pondered to himself, imagine what he does to his own child... The neglected angel hissed at the three, her pupils absent from her eyes. Heretus placed his hand through the bars, and the angel crawled to it. As she crawled closer, Gatoris could see more clearly the scars and welts that consumed her body. "Michael..." the angel spoke in a faint, raspy voice. "It’s okay, Katryin..." Heretus whispered to her. "...I’m taking good care of your child..." Gatoris clenched his fist in rage. He could not stand the thought of anyone being put through what this angel has. "She’s going to come with us, Michael," he said in a stoic manner. Heretus looked at him, half confused, half worried. "How we going to pull that off?" he asked. "Pikachu’s gonna notice if ‘is toy disappears." Gatoris’ face begin to show signs of displeasure. "I cannot let Pikachu do this to one of my kind..." he muttered through clenched teeth. Heretus then looked Gatoris in the face. "Listen. I know the story of your father, Garret..." he said in a low tone. "I’m the only reason she’s alive today. I am the only one who has fed her!" At that, he pulled out a handful of some type of grain and placed his hand back to Katryin. She hurriedly ate it, for it had been at least a week since someone had fed her. She then turned to Gatoris. "Get... Tyranna out... Forget me...." she weakly uttered. "...too late... for me..." Before Gatoris had a chance to take a swing at the cell door, the group heard footsteps coming their way...

To be continued...