When Guy woke up the next day, his head was still filled with mixed feelings.
On one hand, he felt extremely happy. After years of being apart, he and Kyla were finally together again. That fact was still hard to believe; the reunion had been so sudden, last night. But sudden or not, now that they were together again, Guy truly understood how much he had missed her.
But on the other hand, he felt concerned for Karen. Like the others, he too had been surprised by her abrupt departure. Jeff Andonuts had said that Karen had gone to Onett in Eagleland... And if that were true, then she was in a completely different country now. Over the time they had been together, Guy had become an especially close friend to Karen, and now that she was no longer with them, he was worried for her. I hope she finds what she's looking for in Onett, he thought. And I hope she comes back to us...

When he exited his hotel room, he found Kyla waiting for him. "Good morning, Guy!" she said, her green eyes lighting up.
Guy smiled. "Good morning to you as well, Kyla," he said happily. "But why are you standing outside of my room? Has something happened?"
Kyla shook her head. "No, it's not that," she answered. "It's just that now that we're together again, I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible."
Guy blinked. "But Kyla, you sound as if we are going to be apart again."
She looked at the floor. "Well, last night I started feeling... afraid," she admitted. "I mean, your father deliberately had our mail intercepted so that we couldn't communicate with each other... If he did that just to keep us apart, then what will he do when he finds out we're together again? He's the most powerful man in the world; if he wants to, he can separate us again."
"Kyla, I told you last night," Guy replied. "No matter what my father does, we will never be apart again. I am not going to let that man control me any longer."
Although she still looked somewhat unconvinced, Kyla let the matter drop. "Well... Have you been working on any new weapons?"
"Several," Guy answered proudly. "And I have recently completed two. Would you like to see them?"
Kyla smiled. "I'd love to."

After waking up, Deckard quietly exited his room and went down to the lobby.
Seeing Guy and Kyla's reunion had made him lonely, and it had been a very painful reminder of what he had both gained and lost in a single day last week.
From now on, I'll always notice you...
Deckard had always believed that he would never need anyone else, that he already had everything he needed within himself. But a serving girl at the Anti-Stoic Club named Alexis Ciroa had made him realize that he was wrong.
He missed Lexa terribly. Deckard wondered what kind of place she was in right now, and if she was okay. He wondered if he would ever find her, and if she would still be alive and unharmed when he did.
He still recalled the Abductor Mook's vengeful words. By taking this particular one, you accursed Earthling, you will be forced to live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you could do nothing to save her! You will feel this pain as long as you live!
The Abductor Mook had been right. Deckard certainly felt that pain. Because he had completely expended all of his energy in the PSI Eternal Wind Sword attack, he had been unable to do anything to help her.
I wonder if I'll ever meet that Abductor Mook again? Deckard pondered. He knew one thing for sure; if he ever did encounter it again, he would make it pay for what it had done to Lexa.
At least he seemed to be on the right track to fulfilling his goal. Since he appeared to be one of these "Chosen Eight," their mission was to defeat the aliens who were invading the planet. Hopefully, this quest would eventually lead him to Lexa, and certainly Deckard wanted to prevent any more abductions from happening.

When he reached the lobby, he found Kato already there, meditating. "Good morning, Kato," he said. "Or should I call you Prince Kato now?" He was still surprised about that particular fact.
"Just Kato will be fine," Kato answered. "I have simply been called Kato all my life, and my true identity is no reason to change that. Besides, I am not a prince here; I follow Zain's orders, as should you."
"I intend to," Deckard agreed. "Though I still don't understand why someone like him, with little fighting experience, is the leader."
Kato shrugged. "It is destiny," he answered, "and it is not our place to question destiny. Besides, you haven't seen Zain in battle; in his own way, he is far stronger than any of us." Then he frowned. "However, I have seen his future at the Tranquil Zone, and... it is not a happy one."
Deckard blinked. "What do you mean?"
Kato sighed. "Well... He is going to--"
Just then, he was interrupted. "Good morning," said Zain, coming into the lobby. "You guys are up early."
Kato swallowed uncomfortably, and stood up. "I was meditating," he explained. "In this crowded city, this hour of the day is the quietest time. In any case, you are up early yourself." Deckard looked at Kato strangely, wondering why he had suddenly left the previous subject.
"I figured that I should get an early start today," Zain answered. "Guy may have found Lode Spire yesterday, and we're going to go check it out."
Deckard turned to him. "We are?" he said. "But what about that Karen girl?"
Zain shrugged. "I don't know why she left," he said. "I'm worried about her, but we have to find the Sanctuaries. Don't worry, Deckard; she'll be back."
Kato raised an eyebrow. "But Zain," he pointed out, "what if Lode Spire is Karen's Sanctuary? It won't respond without her."
"There's a chance of that," Zain admitted. "There's also a chance that it could be for the last member of the Chosen Eight that we still haven't met. But like Karen herself said once, we can't afford to hesitate."
"Which is why we're going right now," added Sasha, who had suddenly come up behind them. "I already told Guy and Kyla; they should be down any minute now."
Zain nodded approvingly. "That's great. I also told Jeff and Apple Man what I had planned, and they agreed with me."
"Yes, we did," said Jeff, entering the lobby, "but actually, we'd like to come with you."
Apple Man strode in behind him. "That's right," he agreed.
Just then, Guy and Kyla entered the lobby as well. "You mean you're going to the Sanctuary with us, Dad?" Kyla asked incredulously.
Apple Man nodded. "We may be able to help you," he replied. "And Jeff wanted to see what one of the Sanctuaries looks like, and if it looks anything like the one's he's seen."
"But the paths to the Sanctuaries are dangerous, and well guarded," Kato pointed out. "If the two of you come with us..."
Jeff laughed. "I don't think you need to be concerned for our safety, Kato," he said, brandishing the numerous guns slung over his back. Apple Man drew some very wicked-looking weapons from holsters at his sides, showing them off.
Zain turned away, trying to hide a knowing smile. He still recalled the night he met Jeff, when all of the scientist's weapons had proved to be no good against the Starman Junior X. But he didn't say anything, preferring not to hurt Jeff's feelings.
"In any case," Zain finally said, "we're getting ahead of ourselves. We can't just automatically assume that the place that Guy and Karen found yesterday is Lode Spire. It's possible, but it could also be something else, or nothing at all. I certainly hope that it's Lode Spire, because then we can collect its part of the melody, but it's important for us not to jump to conclusions."
Jeff gave an approving nod. "You're absolutely correct, Zain," he said, starting to grin. "You know, you seem to have taken on your role as leader of the Chosen Eight very well."
Sasha smiled at Zain. "That's what I've been telling him," she remarked. "He makes really smart decisions, and he always has our best interests at heart. We couldn't ask for a better leader. I don't know if I speak for anyone else, but I'm really proud of him."
"I must agree," added Guy, who had arrived with Kyla in the lobby a short time ago and had heard Sasha's praise. "In the short time that I have known Zain, he has proven himself to be an effective and capable leader. I also feel a great degree of pride toward him."
Kato folded his arms and gave a small smile. "It is true, what Sasha has said," he stated. "Were Zain emperor of Dalaam, the people would follow his word without question."
Surrounded by praise that he wasn't sure he deserved, Zain looked at the floor in embarrassment. "I... I'm not really that great," he said. "I just try to think about what's best for everyone. We're the Chosen Eight, not the Chosen ONE; every one of us is essential to this group, and no one person is more important than any other."
As he said this, Sasha's smile widened. "That's exactly why I'm proud of you," she declared.
Deckard nodded in agreement. "I haven't known you for very long, Zain," he said, "but hearing what you just said, I see why the others believe in you. I will have the same faith in you, Zain."
Even Kyla gave her input. "Guy spoke very highly of you, Zain," she said, "and I can see why."
Zain sighed, feeling even more embarrassed. "Now... Now that everyone's here, let's just go and investigate that place," he said.
The group left the hotel, with Guy leading the way to where he had been yesterday.

"This is the place that Karen and I discovered yesterday," said Guy, pointing at the alley. "Both Karen and I felt drawn towards it, as if it were calling to us."
Kyla blinked. "I can feel it too, Guy," she told him. "It's almost like... something's tugging at my mind, telling me to go in there."
When he heard this, Guy scratched his chin, thinking. "What is odd about this," he mused, "is that both Kyla and myself are able to feel this, despite our complete lack of any psychic abilities."
Deckard stepped back in surprise. "I can feel this too," he said. "It's drawing me towards it." Kato nodded in agreement, not speaking.
"I can feel it too," Sasha announced.
Zain nodded. "So do I," he said, turning to Sasha. "But since Guy and Kyla feel this too, I don't think it has anything to do with our PSI." He turned to Jeff and Apple Man. "Do either of you feel anything?"
Apple Man shook his head. "Not me," he replied. "It just looks like a normal alley to me."
Jeff stared at the alley. "I do feel some kind of attraction," he said. "As if there's something important over there."
Kyla's eyes lit up. "That's it, then!" she exclaimed. "This place is drawing the Chosen Eight!"
Everyone turned to her for an explanation. With everyone staring at her expectantly, Kyla felt less sure of herself. "W... Well, everyone of the Chosen Eight is attracted to this place..." she said. "But Dad can't feel it because he's not part of the Chosen Eight..."
Apple Man blinked. "Then why does Jeff feel it, Kyla?" he asked. "He's not one of the Chosen Eight."
"No," Jeff agreed, shaking his head, "but I'm one of the Chosen Four. Because of that, I must be able to sense whatever they sense." He shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain it, because I don't know how to."
Zain shrugged also. "It doesn't really matter anyway," he said. "What does matter is finding out whether or not this thing that's drawing us is Lode Spire... And I'm starting to think that it is."
"But how can you know?" asked Sasha. "Lumina Pillar and the Tranquil Zone didn't attract us like this."
"That is true," agreed Kato, "but we have now visited both Lumina Pillar and the Tranquil Zone. Now that we have visited two Sanctuaries, perhaps we are able to feel the presence of other ones."
Deckard sighed. "All this speculation is getting us nowhere," he said. "Let's just go and check this place out already!"
Zain nodded at him. "You're right," he said. "Let's go in."

Despite the strange attraction that nearly all of them felt, the alley was as dark and uninviting as Guy remembered it.
When they came to the scene of Guy and Karen's fight with the Madness rats, Guy pointed at the buckled and melted walls. "Here is where Karen and I were attacked by rats," he explained. "They had been affected by the Madness. We effectively retaliated and defeated them."
"'Effectively retaliated,' huh..." said Zain, gaping at the destruction that Guy's new weapon had caused.
Kyla reached out and touched one of the melted walls, which had cooled since yesterday. She looked at Guy and smiled. "Let me guess... Righteous Cannon?"
Guy returned her smile. "You are correct, Kyla," he replied proudly. He had shown it to her earlier that day.
Kato stared at the melted area. "Guy may not be a trained fighter, and he may not possess PSI," he said, "but I would not want to cross him."
"I'll say," Deckard agreed. He briefly wondered what a weapon like that would do to a human.
Apple Man grinned, taking off his apple-shaped hat and bowing to Guy. "Guy, I'm really impressed," he said. "Even Jeff couldn't make a weapon like this at your age."
"That's not true," Jeff spat back. "I was younger than Guy when I made the first Gaia Beam."
Apple Man turned to him and laughed. "Is someone getting jealous?" he asked.
"No," Jeff replied with a sigh. "I'm really impressed with Guy's weapon skills too."
Guy looked down, unused to so much praise.

Shortly after that, the group reached the end of the alley.
Guy stared down the open manhole cover. "As you can see, everyone," he said, "this hole runs very deep. It is impossible to see the bottom from here."
Deckard reached into the hole and grasped the rusted ladder inside. "This ladder seems sturdy enough," he appraised. "I don't think it'll break."
Zain looked inside, and quickly looked away again, feeling dizzy. "That's... That's an awfully long drop..." he said softly, starting to feel afraid. He sat down on the ground, still feeling dizzy.
Noticing that something was wrong, Jeff turned to Zain. "Zain, are you okay?" he asked.
Sasha remembered what had happened to him on the airplane. She knelt down next to him and put her arm around his shoulders. "He's acrophobic," she explained to Jeff.
"I... I'll be okay in a moment," said Zain, shivering a little. "I'm really sorry, everyone... I thought I was only afraid of flying, but when I looked into that hole, I started thinking about how long of a drop it was, and what would happen if something went wrong..."
"It's okay, Zain," said Sasha. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, remember?"
Zain nodded weakly, and looked at the others. "All of you go on ahead down," he said. "I'll take up the rear with Sasha."
Kato nodded back to him. "If that is your wish, Zain. I will see you at the bottom." He climbed into the hole and began his descent.
The others also acknowledged his request and started downward. "Be careful going down, Zain," Jeff warned before he went down.
A moment later, Sasha asked, "Are you okay now, Zain? Do you think you can stand?"
"I... I think so," Zain answered.
With Sasha's help, he managed to get back on his feet. "I can't believe I'm scared of a hole in the ground," he said, embarrassed. "This hole didn't even have anything to do with Dad's death! Why am I afraid of ALL heights?"
Sasha hugged him close. "Zain, I told you there's nothing to be ashamed of," she said.
He sighed. "I know..."
"Do you think you can climb down?" asked Sasha.
"I... I don't know..." said Zain. "If I get paralyzed with fear like that again, I'd probably end up falling off the ladder."
"You'll be okay," Sasha assured him. "I'll be with you, Zain. As long as we're together, we can overcome anything, and that includes your acrophobia."
At that, Zain smiled warmly, and nodded. "Together we'll make it, Sasha."

With a tremendous force of will, and a lot of help from Sasha, Zain managed to reach the bottom of the shaft. It was pitch black inside; Zain reached into his backpack and brought out his flashlight.
Everyone was waiting for him. "Zain, are you okay?" asked Jeff.
"I'm fine," Zain replied with a forced grin, scratching his head. "I don't know if I would have been able to do it without Sasha, though." He turned and smiled at her, and then looked around with the flashlight. "Where are we, anyway?"
"It appears to be a mine of some sort," replied Guy, who had been using his own flashlight to scan the area. With the light, he showed that they were in a tunnel; wooden beams were set at fixed intervals to maintain the tunnel's integrity, and an old minecart track ran along the ground. "It is strange, though..." he continued. "Why would an abandoned mine exist underneath Quattro City?"
His words jogged something in Kyla's memory; several years ago in her history class, the professor had taught a segment on Hawkland history... "I... I know!" she exclaimed.
Everyone turned to her. "What is it, Kyla?" asked Apple Man.
Kyla smiled. "About 150 years ago, a miner named J.D. Quattros struck silver in this area," she explained. "Because of that, many other miners swarmed to the area in hopes of getting rich, and they dug a silver mine. A town quickly grew up around the mine, and because the mine was located so close to the ocean, it came to be called Quattro Coast." She paused to take a breath. "But then, the silver mine ran out. Without the silver, the people of the town turned to the ocean for their living, and the town eventually grew into the present-day Quattro City."
She gestured at their surroundings. "We're in the original silver mine that gave birth to Quattro City," she stated triumphantly.
Deckard gaped at her. "...That would explain it..." he said, astonished.
Guy smiled. "Now that you mention that, Kyla, I recall that class as well," he said. "I am amazed that you remembered that fact; if I properly recall, everybody found that class to be dull."
"I didn't think it was dull," replied Kyla. "I loved learning about the history of other countries. You were too busy trying to figure out how to build a weapon with the professor's eraser to properly pay attention."
Guy scratched his head sheepishly and nodded. "I do recall THAT, perfectly."
Zain folded his arms, impressed. "Still, it's amazing that you knew that fact," he said sincerely. "I'm a citizen of Hawkland, and I didn't even know that."
Sasha stopped paying attention as she was suddenly assaulted by the remnant of her sealed Premonition ability again. She stared down the tunnel, her eyes glazed over. "Zain..." she said softly, "this place is dangerous. If we go... Something bad could happen..."
Zain looked at her. Although he knew that they had to go on anyway, he knew full well by now that when Sasha sensed danger in the future, it was a good idea to listen to her. "How far away is the danger, Sasha?" he asked. "If we go on, when will it show up?"
"It's not far..." Sasha replied, not all there. "If we continue, we'll be..." She suddenly saw the identity of the danger that would assault them. "Rats... There are rats everywhere..."
She suddenly turned to Zain and ran into him, throwing her arms around him. "Zain, they have the Madness!" she cried. "They're... They're everywhere! We can't... We can't possibly get past so many of them..."
Zain grabbed Sasha by the shoulders and shook her. "Snap out of it, Sasha!" he ordered. By now, Deckard and Kyla were looking at Sasha strangely, wondering what was wrong with her.
Sasha blinked, and then everything was back to normal. Noticing that she was holding tightly onto Zain, she reluctantly let go of him. "I... I'm sorry," she said. "Other than the dreams, that was the most intense vision I've ever had. I'm sorry for panicking."
Zain smiled at her. "There's nothing to be sorry for," he replied. "Just like you told me: you have nothing to be ashamed of."
Deckard stared, confused. "Um, what's going on with her?" he asked. "Is there something wrong with her?"
Zain and Sasha turned to explain, but Jeff beat them to it; they had explained Sasha's Premonition to him last night. "Sasha has a limited ability to see the future," he stated. "Although it was supposed to have been sealed, this power still functions in certain ways. What you just saw, Deckard, was one of them." He adjusted his glasses.
"Oh," said Deckard, pretending to understand.
"Sasha," said Zain, "I know that you saw danger ahead, but we have to keep going. If Lode Spire is in this mine somewhere, we have to find it, no matter what."
Sasha nodded slowly. "I know. But please, we have to be careful..."

As in the cave to the Tranquil Zone, Kato led the way through the mine tunnel, because he didn't need a light to sense his surroundings, and because he could react to danger more quickly. This time, however, Deckard joined him; having received the same training in Dalaam, Deckard was almost as capable in the dark as Kato was.
Behind them, Zain and Guy led everyone else with their flashlights. Sasha and Kyla walked in the middle, where it was safest. Jeff and Apple Man took up the rear, checking behind them to make sure that the group was not attacked from the rear; Jeff had a flashlight attached to the barrel of his Gaia Beam 3.0, and Apple Man used a portable lamp that illuminated the entire area.
Even though Sasha had said that there was danger ahead, nothing appeared to menace them. As they continued to walk without being attacked, Guy allowed his mind to wander a bit. He wondered where Karen was, and what she was doing. Things just didn't seem to be the same without her; he felt as if the group was missing something vital. I hope that wherever she is, she's okay, Guy thought.
His mind drifted back to thoughts of Kyla, as it often did now. Before she had come, Guy had been the only one in the group without any psychic abilities. Even though the others would never even dream of excluding him in any way, Guy had felt like an outsider when the others had talked about their PSI. But now that Kyla was here, Guy had someone to relate to, someone perfectly ordinary, just like him.
That's not true, Guy suddenly thought to himself. Kyla is anything but ordinary...
Without stopping, Guy turned just enough so that he could see her out of the corner of his eye. Kyla noticed his movement, and as their eyes met, she smiled at him. Guy returned the smile, feeling his spirits lift even in the dark old mine. She's even more beautiful than I remember...
Suddenly, Kato interrupted Guy's daydreaming. "Stop, everyone."
"What is it, Kato?" asked Zain. "What do you see?"
Deckard pointed forward. "Somebody shine their light ahead," he directed.
Guy aimed his flashlight far forward... And the light reflected off of hundreds of pairs of glowing red eyes.
Sasha gasped in terror. "It's the rats!" she cried. "They... They're everywhere!"
"There must be hundreds of them!" exclaimed Kyla.
The giant mass of rats covered the floor of the mine tunnel before them. As the group stood there, the mass began seething and writhing, almost as if it were a single entity.
"It's almost like they were expecting us," said Deckard. "There's no other reason why they would be massed like this, in this place."
Sasha drew close to Zain, terrified. "How can we fight off that many?" she asked, certain that the situation was hopeless. "Even with our PSI, they'll overpower us!"
"No, they won't," Zain replied, already feeling his power rising.
Looking at the rats, Kato suddenly had an idea. "I will take care of this," he told the others. Turning to Deckard, he said, "Deckard, I am going to try something. Surround me with a power shield." He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
"Coming right up," said Deckard. He pressed two fingers to his forehead and concentrated. "Shield Beta!"
Kato smiled as his body was enveloped by Deckard's power shield. "Now we will see how you rats fare against your natural enemy," he stated. "PSI Form Change!"
Everyone stared at Kato in surprise as he transformed into a tiger. When his transformation was complete, he let out a loud roar and charged forward into the rats, slashing violently with his razor-sharp claws.
Taken aback by Kato's ferocious attack, the others could only watch the fur fly. Kato was a veritable storm of teeth and claws, tearing through the rats like a knife through paper. And the rats were unable to touch him, thanks to Deckard's power shield; whenever a rat tried to attack him, the force of its attack was reflected back upon it, causing even further damage.
After about a minute, it was all over. Of the colossal sea of rats that had menaced them, none remained. Kato let out a roar of triumph and transformed back into his original form.
Turning to face the others, Kato grinned. "Problem solved," he stated.
"That was very impressive," said Guy, awed.
Jeff nodded in agreement. "I concur," he said. "In fact, what you just did sort of resembled something Poo was able to do..."
"What do you mean?" asked Zain.
"Poo had a strange ability to assume the forms of his enemies," Jeff explained. "He could become an exact mirror image of the enemy he faced, assuming that enemy's shape and abilities."
Kato shook his head. "I cannot do that," he said. "PSI Form Change is the ability that was granted to me by the Tranquil Zone. It allows me to assume other shapes, but not other abilities like PSI."
Apple Man shrugged. "Still, it's an amazing ability, to be able to transform into any shape." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Kato shrugged. "In any case, now that the threat is gone, we should continue onward."

Shortly after Kato's fight with the rats, Deckard came upon something shiny on the ground, about the size of a baseball. He picked it up and brushed it off on his sleeve.
"Hey Zain," he called. "Look what I found." He turned around and brought the object over to the main group.
Zain's eyes widened in surprise. "It's... It's a piece of silver!" he exclaimed.
"It's beautiful..." said Sasha, staring at it. She had always particularly liked the luster of silver, even more than gold.
Guy folded his arms. "But Kyla said that all of the silver in this mine was depleted," he argued. Kyla nodded in agreement.
Deckard shrugged. "Well, this piece was just lying on the ground," he said. "It was already mined out. Someone must have dropped it here, and it's been forgotten until now."
Jeff stepped over to them. "Well, in any case, one doesn't usually just find silver lying on the ground," he said, looking at it. "We should hold onto it; we might have a use for it later."
Deckard nodded. "I can't carry it, though," he said. "I don't have anything to put it in."
"You could put it in Zain's backpack," suggested Kyla, looking at it.
Zain shook his head. "Use Guy's," he said. "Mine's a bit full right now."
With a shrug, Deckard handed the silver piece to Guy, who put it in his backpack.
Sasha stared at Zain. "Full of what?" she asked.
Zain reached inside it and brought out a wrapped hamburger. "Supplies," he answered, unwrapping the burger and taking a bite.
Sasha laughed and pushed him playfully. "Oh, you..."
"Well, I knew I was going to get hungry, so I stocked up yesterday," said Zain. "Want one?"
"Sure," replied Sasha. "I'm kind of hungry too."
Zain handed her one. "Anyone else?" he asked. "There's enough for everyone."
Everybody ended up taking one (except for Kato, that is). "You must get really hungry if you carry so many," Kyla commented.
"Zain's appetite is almost legendary," said Sasha jokingly. "I've never actually seen him get full."
Jeff looked at Zain. "It's little wonder," he said. "The use of something as powerful as Zain's empathic PSI would be very draining on the body's energy resources. Because of that, Zain would have to ingest and metabolize a very large amount of food to compensate."
Zain blinked. "I never even thought about that," he said.

A fair distance after that, they saw light ahead. "Light?" said Kyla. "Why would there be light down here?"
Zain, Sasha, Guy, and Kato shared a look of understanding. Jeff stared ahead at the light as one of the memories from his past resurfaced.
"This doesn't make any sense," said Deckard.
Zain shook his head. "Believe me, it makes perfect sense," he replied. "When we get to the source of that light, you'll understand." He looked around at everyone. "Get ready, everybody... We're in for a fight."
Jeff nodded. "That's what I thought..." he said.
Guy brought out the Righteous Cannon and loaded one of his ammunition capsules into it. "We are going to miss Karen's presence in the coming battle," he said.
"We probably are," agreed Zain. "But we have to keep going anyway."
Finally they reached the source of the light; the tunnel widened considerably as they approached. As with the previous two times, it was a brilliantly shining orb, hovering above the ground.
"What... What is this?" asked Deckard.
Jeff sighed. "I've seen one of these before," he stated. "About six times."
As they stared at it, the orb suddenly pulled all of the light back into itself. It changed shape and assumed a form, and the light died out.
Almost fittingly, a giant rat stood before them, blocking their path. It was about half the height of the Mighty Bear Seventy. Jeff gasped in astonishment. "It... It looks almost like something I've seen before..."
Surprising Kyla and Deckard, the rat spoke. "Welcome, intruders," it said in a nasally, evil voice filled with dark intent. "I am the Deadly Pestilence Rat, loyal follower of the master. Beyond here is Lode Spire." It laughed, sounding almost like a hyena instead of a rat.
Jeff stared at it. "Are you by any chance related to the Plague Rat of Doom?" he asked.
The Deadly Pestilence Rat smiled. "Ah, so you know of him," he said. "I was based upon his design from Giygas-12162*203*616*-630 when I was created in the master's laboratories."
"Wait a minute," said Apple Man. "You mean you were created by Giaguo... And the guardian of Magnet Hill 30 years ago was created by Giygas?"
"Nearly all of us guardians are created," the rat replied. "I was once a normal rat like any other... But the master's race is well-known for its affinity for... experimentation."
Sasha looked down. "That's... That's terrible..." she said. "That means... Turbo Cat used to be a regular cat, and the Mighty Bear Seventy was just a normal bear... And the dark one turned them into monsters..."
Zain raised his bat at the rat. "If you were once a normal rat, then why are you helping Giaguo?" he asked. "Giaguo is trying to conquer our planet... YOUR planet!"
"What do I care if the master takes over such an insignificant planet?" retorted the Deadly Pestilence Rat. "I am a servant of the master; it's not MY world anymore at all. Once this world is conquered, we will move on to the next, and the next after that, and the next after that! This world is just one tiny drop in a sea of conquest that has been going on for thousands of years!"
Kato drew his sword, and Deckard followed suit. "If that is how you believe, then we will go through you!" Kato declared.
The Deadly Pestilence Rat grinned evilly. "Lode Spire is mine," he stated. "If you want it, you will have to take it from me."
With that, the guardian sprang forward, attempting to bite them.
Zain met the attack with a heavy swing of his bat. The rat was smitten in the face, and a few teeth were knocked loose.
"Beware, everyone!" Jeff cried. "Its bite is poisonous!"
"How nice of you to notice," said the Deadly Pestilence Rat. To everyone's surprise, he suddenly closed his eyes and concentrated. "PSI Thunder Beta!"
Two bolts of lightning struck out and hit both Jeff and Apple Man, knocking them backward. Jeff managed to get back to his feet, but Apple Man collapsed to the ground and did not rise. "Dad!" cried Kyla.
"You'll be joining him soon enough, girl," stated the rat. It began to concentrate again.
Seeing what the guardian was about to do, Sasha concentrated her powers as well, finally using the power she had gained from Lumina Pillar. "PSI Shield Gamma!"
Kyla looked around in surprise as she was surrounded by the advanced psychic shield. Just then, the Deadly Pestilence Rat attacked. "PSI Beam Gamma!"
The beam struck Kyla's shield and dissipated as if it were nothing more than a beam from a laser pointer. The advanced psychic shield showed no signs of weakening.
The rat stared at Sasha. "So, you have the power of Lumina Pillar," he said.
"And the power of the Tranquil Zone!" added Kato. "PSI Form Change!"
Everyone stared at Kato as he tranformed into a duplicate of the Mighty Bear Seventy. Without pause, he lunged forward and attacked, closing his powerful jaws on the rat's neck.
"That won't work!" cried the rat. He writhed out of Kato's grip and bit the warrior's arm instead.
"Kato!" cried Deckard.
Kato suddenly felt the strength leave his body. Unable to hold his form, he returned to his original form and collapsed to the ground, poisoned.
Sasha turned to Zain. "Zain, you have to help him!" she cried. "You're the best healer!"
"I will," Zain replied. "Somebody create a diversion while I help him!"
Guy raised the Righteous Cannon to his shoulder. "I will do so for you," he said. He fired the cannon at the guardian.
The Deadly Pestilence Rat was suddenly blasted in the face by an extremely hot explosion. He fell back, stunned, and the wall of the tunnel next to him partially melted.
Zain saw his chance. He dashed over to Kato, already feeling his power rising to his call. Crouching down on one knee, he placed a hand on Kato's body. "Healing Omega!"
All of the poison was suddenly cleansed from Kato's body, and he got up, feeling completely fine. "My thanks, Zain," he said.
"No problem," Zain replied.
Just then, the Deadly Pestilence Rat got back to his feet; his face was badly disfigured from the blast of the Righteous Cannon. "You will pay for that!" he yelled. Furious, he charged at Zain and Kato.
Zain raised a hand, his eyes suddenly becoming red. "PSI Hyperion B--"
He wasn't fast enough. The guardian charged into them, and Zain and Kato were sent flying into the far wall of the tunnel. "Zain!" cried Sasha.
The Deadly Pestilence Rat turned to the others. "Now it's your turn!" he shouted. He began to concentrate.
Sasha saw what he was about to do. In a panic, she tried to prepare for it as best as she could. "PSI Shield Sigma!"
A psychic shield began to form around her and the others just as the rat attacked. "PSI Fire Omega!"
Sasha's hastily-manifested shield wasn't strong enough; she wasn't used to making wide-area shields. Some of the fire dissipated against it, but the rest broke through and blasted everyone, knocking them all to the ground.
The Deadly Pestilence Rat calmly strode over to finish them off. "Thus ends the Chosen Eight," he said evilly, raising his claws.
"Not yet, it doesn't," said Deckard, slowly rising to his feet. He raised the Shining Wind Sword. "I swore I'd find Lexa, and I'm not about to let some mutated rat get in my way."
The guardian laughed. "What do you think you can do?" he asked. "All you've done this whole time is stand there."
"Until now," retorted Deckard. He brought up his sword in two hands, forming a stance.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked the Deadly Pestilence Rat.
Deckard didn't answer. He began to concentrate as hard as he could, gathering his mental energy. He focused every bit of energy he could muster into what he was about to do next.
The Deadly Pestilence Rat's eyes widened in surprise as the air around Deckard began to crackle with energy. "What... What are you doing?" he asked, beginning to feel afraid for the first time.
"This ends now!" Deckard shouted. "PSI Eternal Wind Sword Alpha!"
He suddenly blasted forward at a blinding speed, slashing over and over again almost instantaneously. Over and over again he attacked, until he could do so no longer.
Breathing heavily, Deckard leaned on his sword and looked at what he had done.
Over by the wall, Zain recovered and jumped to his feet, ready to attack.
There was no need; the Deadly Pestilence Rat had been totally obliterated.
Slowly, everyone got up, and saw what Deckard had done. "Deckard, you... You defeated it!" said Jeff.
Deckard nodded, feeling extremely tired.
"I saw what you did, Deckard," said Kato. "That is a very interesting attack you performed."
Deckard smiled. "I developed it from something the old master taught me," he said, his speech slightly slurred. "I learned how to use my mind to enhance my body's strength and speed exponentially. The only problem is, this attack is an all-or-nothing attack; using it consumes all of my energy. I can barely stand right now."
"Well, you did really good, Deckard," said Zain. "You saved all of us with that attack."
Kyla went over to her father and helped him up. "Dad, are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine," said Apple Man, feeling sore. "I'm just not much of a warrior; a single attack KO'd me."
Sasha looked ahead. "Let's go forward to the Sanctuary," she said. "I bet it will make Deckard and Kyla's dad feel better."
Jeff nodded in agreement. "If it's anything like the Sanctuaries I remember, then it certainly will."

Beyond the scene of the fight, they found the third Sanctuary.
The tunnel opened up to a cavern. In the center of the cavern, there was a large, otherworldly-seeming stone, in the shape of a spire.
"This is it," said Zain. "Lode Spire..." He dug around in his backpack and brought out the Sound Stone.
Guy stepped forward, feeling strange. "I... It feels as if I know this place," he said.
He walked over to the stone; it was somewhat reflective, and he saw his image in it as he approached. Suddenly, the image shifted, and instead of himself reflected in the stone, Guy saw a young black-haired woman. When he stepped closer, he saw that she had dark blue eyes... The same color as Guy's left eye.
Guy knew exactly who she was. "...Mother...?" he said softly.
You have become such a wonderful young man, said the image of his mother. And no matter what you choose in life, know that I am with you, and I am proud of you.
Guy took off his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I... I love you, Mother..."
His mother smiled. Her image faded away, and Guy saw himself reflected in the stone once more. There is no power that I can give to you that you can use, said his mother's voice. But you have a special power all of your own... And with that power, you will be able to make use of this knowledge.
Guy stared at the stone spire in surprise as the idea of a new weapon burned itself into his memory. I have to build this, he thought to himself. And unlike with most of his weapons, he already knew what he was going to call it. The Mother Weapon...
Next, everyone was filled with the warmth of the Sanctuary, and all of their wounds and fatigue faded away. Deckard looked around in amazement as all of his energy was restored by Lode Spire.
And then, a clear melody rang out.
It was the next part of the melody begun by Lumina Pillar and continued by the Tranquil Zone. All of them were tranfixed by it; it took away their worries and left them at peace, even if only for a time.
As suddenly as before, this melody cut off as well. And then the Sound Stone began to glow once more with its blue light.
As everyone watched, the Sound Stone played the melody from Lumina Pillar. When it reached the end of that part, it continued on with the part from the Tranquil Zone. And after that, instead of stopping, it continued again, playing the part from Lode Spire. When it finished playing the melody from Lode Spire, it cut off, and the blue glow faded.
"We did it," said Sasha. "We have the third part of the melody."
"Yes," said Kato. "And now, there are five left."
Zain nodded. "And we'll find them too."
Standing next to the stone, Guy heard the voice of his mother one last time. Trust in him, said the voice. Destiny may favor him, but it will also turn on him at the end. If he is to survive, he will need you, along with everyone else.
Guy turned around and stared at Zain. "I... I do trust him..." he said.

To be continued...