"Not another Sentry Robot!" Harsemhin moaned. "Scorpius Blade," he added, cutting the robot in half.
"This is getting tedious," Dan observed.
"You don't know the half of it," Luna amended.

As the others moved through the top floor of the Enrich Flavour building, Cyan followed along and was getting mildly bored.
"This inactivity is driving me nuts," commented Cyan to the air around - no one could really hear him anyway. Or so he thought.
Harsemhin looked around suddenly as if he'd heard something.
"Harsemhin?" asked Cirra. "Are you all right?"
"I just thought I heard something."
"I'm feeling something too ... but I don't know what it is," added Siris.
"I haven't felt or heard anything," said Dan.
"Interesting, maybe they can hear me," commented Cyan. "Let's try it ... Harsemhin, Siris, can you hear me? It's Cyan, I'm not quite dead ..."
"There it is again," Harsemhin pointed out. "I don't know what it could be, though."
"I still feel it ..." agreed Siris.
"You two are nuts," concluded Dan.
"Drat. Guess they can sort of hear me ..."

The group continued until they came to a pair of doors.
"Which do we go through?" asked Luna.
"I don't know, I guess we just choose one," suggested Dan.
Not paying attention, Cyan had moved on past the group and through the door on the right. On the other side he saw a Sentry Robot patrolling the room. He went back through the door, noted the group discussing which door they should go through and decided to check the left door. There was nothing on the other side of that one.
"Take the left door," instructed Cyan.
Harsemhin looked around gain, puzzled.
"Harsemhin?" asked Siris.
"I just heard that noise again, and I have this bizarre feeling we should go through the left door."
"If you say so," said Dan.

Harsemhin cautiously grasped the door handle. A small turn, then a click followed, indicating that the door had released from its locking mechanism. The door creaked slowly open…the moan of the door broke the stifling silence. Then it was open. Not a soul could be found.
Harsemhin sighed with relief. "Whew! I guess this was the right door! Let’s go." He ran in, only to stop short. Lying in the corner under a table was a small item of curiosity that Cyan had neglected to notice. It was a Sentry Robot. However, this one was de-activated. Cirra knelt down to examine it.
"Weird..." she said. "This one looks like it took quite a beating...look, there’s a large crack in its head!" She cried, indicating a rather large gash which split the robot's head in two. Dan frowned. What could have happened? He looked towards the adjacent door, the only door leading out of the room.
"I guess this is the only way to go..." he muttered. The five adventurers proceeded with caution to the next room. Again, this time in the center of the floor, lie a dismantled Sentry Robot. Things were becoming very confusing. Into the next room, and yet another Sentry Robot was to be found, again with a large crack in its head. "Apparently, someone's been through here..." Dan whispered. Siris nodded in agreement.
"I don't know who did this, but whoever it was did this pretty cleanly." He commented. "Strange...each room that has a broken robot in it seems to lead us closer to where that signal is...I can feel with each room that the cries are getting stronger. Whoever has been through here knows where they're going..." Siris paced the room, as if trying to figure out this puzzle.
Luna let out a sharp exclamation. "Guys, do you hear that!? There's someone in the next room! Listen!" Silence slowly fell on the small room as the group gravitated towards the door, attempting to listen. There was surely a voice. No, more than one...there were two voices, at least. Cirra could vaguely make out a conversation.
Well? What do we do now? a muffled voice asked. The other voice responded sharply. We wait. That is all. Things will come together soon...yes, yes...all the players are soon to arrive. Magnificent plan, indeed.
Harsemhin gasped. Was that who he thought it was? He jerked the door handle violently, nearly pulling the door off its hinges in the process. Into the second room the five stared. They found two crimson eyes staring back at them. A yellow grin.
"Well, it appears I was correct. There you go, Tsurami. I told you to have patience. Yes, yes...welcome, all!" A familiar voice greeted them. It was Cirra who first managed to speak.
"Raltise!? How did you get here!? What's going on?"
Raltise simply closed his eyes, and responded coolly. "Why, Princess Cirra, as if you did not know?" Cirra gasped at her own name. Raltise chuckled mildly. "Oh, come now, I have known who you are for some time. Do not think a false name could fool one such as I. Now, as for an explanation...here it comes, so listen closely!" He cried. "Mmm hmm, yes...well, it appears that you are not familiar at all with this building. No, no, not at all. I see...well, if you had been, you would know that there is an alternate service elevator which goes directly to this floor from the ground. It is well hidden, of course. That is how we were able to manage this." He motioned to TsuramiSea, Matt, and Kyle, indicating that it was by the elevator that they were all able to arrive sooner than the rest. Siris stepped forward.
"And what about the sentry robots?" he demanded.
Raltise shrugged. "Merely a matter of knowing where to strike. The Sentry Robot model has a surprising weakness in its head. A single blow to the critical point is all it would take to put one out of commission. These three and I performed this feat with the greatest of stealth, of course…the poor robots didn’t know what hit them." He grinned and chuckled somewhat malevolently. He clapped his hands together. "Well! It is fortunate that you finally arrived. We are on the threshold now. Through this door is the one you seek..." he murmured, indicating the large oak double-doors. A gold-plated plaque next to it read 'Mr. Enrich Flavor, President of the Enrich Flavor Company'. Raltise's gaze slowly fell on Siris, as if waiting for some affirmation.
Siris frowned. "Yeah..." he whispered. "I can definitely sense that the cries I felt are behind this door. What now?" He looked to Harsemhin for an answer.

Mike looked around. "Say, why are we idiots? Where's the person you were with?"
RG blanched and look around slowly. "Oh no. I don't know where my partner is!" Before he could continue, a flash of light burst through the area. After the light disappeared, something appeared to be falling from the sky.
Mike look at Skulryk, then took a few steps away from RG. Skulryk did the same while looking up.
RG, not knowing what was going on, became very cautious. He looked around slowly once more, then looked up. He saw something fall from the sky as well. "Hey guys, is that... a per-"
The object that was falling from the sky was Joe. Joe was falling at a tremendous speed, heading right for RG. Within seconds, Joe collided with him.
"-son?" RG blacked out momentarily. Joe picked himself up from off of the ground and stared at RG.
"Did I do that?" Joe sneezed. "Hey, where am I?"
Mike began to speak slowly. "Well, we're... we're in Moonside. At least, that's what that sign over there said." He stopped suddenly. "You know, maybe we should move away from this spot. I have a feeling that this isn't very safe."
Joe walked off in a random direction. Shrugging, Mike followed Joe, then overtook him. Skulryk walked after the two, leaving RG on the ground.
Shortly after, RG recovered. He opened his eyes and leapt up. "Hey! Wait!" He ran after the trio as well, not knowing that he was being watched.

Harsemhin was taken by surprise, but on recovery, calmly stated, "I don't see what else there is to do but finally meet the one that has caused all of this trouble."
Luna shuddered. "But... wait.... don't you remember everything that he caused? We still may not be ready for this."
"No hesitation," hissed Raltise. "This is the time to do what we've come here to do."
Siris sniffed in Raltise's direction, but laid a hand on the handle of the great door in front of him and pulled. Everyone poured into the room solemnly.
There, a figure cowered on the floor. Mani Mani in his guise of Enrich Flavor was kneeling on the ground, shaking, although nearly everyone could see that the body was transparent and hiding a golden, shining figure with horns. Raltise smiled.
Mani Mani looked up abruptly. "You! You've all come to protect me! Thank you! Thank you all!" Mani Mani seemed giddy, delirious.
Kyle gave a start. "Protect you? Why would we protect you?"
"They're after me!" wailed Mani Mani. "You can protect me from them! Please help!"
Raltise chuckled darkly. "Talking to ourself again, are we, dear Mani?" he intoned. Everyone, hearing him speak to Mani Mani in such a familiar way, shrank back in disgusted anger.
Mani Mani shook his head. "I can't rid myself of them! I killed or tortured them, and now my memories of them are actualizing them, making them threaten me! I can't control it any more!"
"What are you talking about?" said Cirra angrily. This creature was the one who had given her so much grief, and now he was breaking down in front of them, babbling nonsense!
"Please, I know you'll protect me!"
Raltise broke out into a booming laugh. "Don't worry. We'll just find a replacement for you, and you won't have to suffer any more."
"NO!" screeched the demon. "I don't want to be replaced! Don't want to! DON'T WANT TO! DON'T!!" The entire group except for Raltise backed away in pain from the horrible wail.
"What's going on here?" complained Matt. "I came here to stop him, only to find that he's a mental case?"
Mani Mani shivered on the floor. Raltise walked towards him, which only provoked Mani Mani into curling further into a ball. "He can not reach Zenith. The power he already has is making him paranoid and giving too much power to his illusions. How ridiculous."
Dan, having decided that Mani Mani was not a threat for the moment, spoke out to Raltise. "Okay, hold on a minute. How much about this do you know, and what are you trying to do?"
Raltise grinned. "Helping you."
"Why?"
"Because I'm just that kind of person."
Mani Mani continued to cower on the floor. "Just stay here with me...." he whined. "All of you, please, stay with me. Just your presence keeps them away!"
With footsteps falling heavily to the floor, Raltise towered over Mani Mani. "It is time to do something about you, dear Mani. Now is the time for your final fate."

Skulryk, Mike, RG, and Joe walked through Moonside. It was a very odd place, as Mike had said, and they stumbled through it.
"Where are we going, anyways?" RG said. The state of Moonside had really unnerved him, especially after he had found that his gun was nearly obsolete. Moonside had warped his guns, and when he fired, bullets went out like they were water.
"Hey Skul," Joe said. "If that camera is still displaying... do you think it's sending what we see here into the networks in fourside?"
Skulryk pondered this momentarily, then shook his head. "I don't know..."
Mike stared down the dark streets. Neon buildings flashed multiple colors, decorating the sides of the street. "I really don't know..." Nonetheless, he made another attempt to speak with the patrons of Moonside. "Excuse me, sir..."
"Hello..." the man said. His sunglasses glittered and glowed white. "and... goodbye!"
The group found themselves hurtling through darkness, but they were quite familiar with this experience. Seconds later, they landed in another strange location in Moonside. This time, however, they were in front of the tallest building in Moonside.
"This..." Skulryk said. "It looks like the Enrich Flavor building... but it's Moonside!"
"Maybe we should check it out." Mike said.
People surrounded the door, and the group of four pushed their way past, into the halls. It was a very unusual building, as strange as the rest of Moonside.
Joe's wand glowed momentarily. "Wha..." Joe said. "There's something here. I don't know what, but there's something..."
Skulryk continued filming through the eyepiece as they went up the building.

Raltise stepped back.
"My purposes won't be well served if I'm killed," he whispered. Then he added in a louder voice, "You go ahead."
"Why, thank you," Cirra acknowledged.
Harsemhin and Siris blocked the way out by moving a conveniently located stuffed bear. They were soon met by weird seismic tremours.

"What in the world?" Skulryk gasped. "The building's shaking!"
A sharp hiss escaped his mouth as the focus on his camcorder quickly became horrible. So horrible that a bat's vision would be a cat's compared to the focus on the camcorder.
Joe tapped his wand a few times on the shaking wall.
"What are you doin' that for?" RG inquired.
"I'm hoping I could fix the shaking," Joe explained.
Suddenly the shaking stopped.
"Was that..." Mike trailed off.
"My wand?" Joe mused.

"What was that?" Cyan asked.
Harsemhin and Siris reached to their heads.
"We're feeling it again," they announced.
Luna groaned.
"T... take me outside," Mani Mani pleaded. "Outside. Please. PLEASE!"
"Why outside?" Dan asked kindly.
"Protect me! I can escape them easier outside; no closedness outside! Outside!" Mani Mani cried in an insane paranoia.
The heliport door had opened. Did the group dare to take it?
Kyle looked at his sword. Would it be best to destroy the demon now? Or should he wait? Or should he destroy him with his friends.
Mani Mani slowly gained control over his illusionary shell and bolted for the heliport.
"Mani Mani!" Matt cried. "Wait! You wanted us to protect you!"
"Then come with me!" The voice faded.
Raltise, sensing he would have an interest in all this, soon followed.
TsuramiSea, Harsemhin, Siris and Cirra then succeeded Raltise. Cyan, of course, had no choice but to follow; he was being held by Cirra.
Luna and Dan looked at each other, sighed, shrugged their shoulders, and followed those five.
A slight muttering could be heard from Luna: "I keep imagining Mani Mani as a squirrel. Why?"
Kyle and Matt followed the remaining group into the hallway to the heliport.

Monotoli walked around Fourside aimlessly for a time. As he passed by the Topolla, a familiar feeling came to him.
"Mani Mani... the demon of Mani Mani," he gasped. "I can feel him. Like back in Jackie's Café... 199X. The golden statue. But why am I feeling him here? ...he was Flavour not long ago. Is he still Flavour?"

Venus slipped on her coat, ready to return home to Twoson for a short vacation from the Topolla.
Lucretia had promised her the Topolla would survive without her. She herself had wanted a vacation herself; Miss Fake wished to go to Summers. Although her original choice would have been Winters -- there was a fabulous tour deal for a trip to Winters -- something compelled her not to visit Winters.
"That poor girl," she reminisced, calling to mind Cirra. She, Venus, felt she had been drawn to the streets at that time. She sensed that something had compelled her to find that girl. Something had compelled her to give the girl that free entrance pass.
But she didn't know what it was...

On her way home, on the Grey Hand bus to Twoson, Venus realised that an old friend of hers had lost many friends. Ness Lee. He had lost Paula Polestar, and if the news reports were correct, Jeff Andonuts, Doctor Andonuts, and Crown Prince Poo of Dalaam.
She made a decision; the day after she returned home, she would visit Onett. She would get her mother to come along, too!

The heliport was quickly becoming constrictive. In addition to the group that had already appeared there, Skulryk, RG, Mike and Joe were now struggling with the others to fit onto the heliport.
"Get away!" Mani Mani cried hysterically. "Not helping anymore!"
He curled into the fetal position.
Raltise reached out a hand in consolation.
"No! Get away!" Mani Mani slapped Raltise's hand away. "You're all lying to me! You're the visions, aren't you! You're my own illusions..." he whined.
"That's not true," Harsemhin began, nearing Mani Mani. "We're as alive as you are."
"Lies, Andonuts! All lies!" Mani Mani pushed Harsemhin back. The inertia created by that was enough to send Mani Mani toppling over the edge.

"All lies!"
Monotoli shuddered. He had heard Mani Mani. Yet he could not see Mani Mani.
He gasped. He saw the Enrich Flavour Building slowly fading back into view.
And one solitary figure. Falling. Glimmering gold.
"Mani Mani..." Monotoli gasped. He stiffened.
Mani Mani hit the ground and exploded. Monotoli closed his eyes, preparing for the end of the world. But that wasn't due. Yet...

"Mani Mani..." Harsemhin mouthed solemnly. "It's my fault he died."
The last throes of the explosion of the demon-statue were now fading.
"It's no one's fault," TsuramiSea explained. "He was done in by his own power-lust. It's happened before, I'm sure."
"He's right. It's not your fault, Harsemhin." Cirra smiled to show her honesty.
"I could have helped him."
"There's nothing you could have done," Skulryk replied. "Just let it go."
Harsemhin slumped. "But I can't."

"Aphrodite!" Venus' mother exclaimed. "It's such a pleasure to see you home."
Venus hugged her mother warmly.
"It may be a pleasure for you, but it's not for me. Could we go to Onett tomorrow?"

Raltise strolled forwards, precariously close to the edge of the precipice. Gazing placidly downwards, he focussed on the shattered remains of the demon statue on the ground below. He allowed his tongue to pass slowly over his gums, and he sniffed loudly. His red gaze narrowed towards the remnants, taking in the whole scene. "Mmm hmm..." he whispered.
Geldegarde Monotoli cautiously approached the golden shards. "I don't understand..." he murmured. "The Demon Statue's power is gone? What is this...?" He wrapped his arms about his chest, bracing himself against a sudden gust of wind which had kicked up. The golden remains were seemingly fading away; Mani Mani's power was dispersing. Or so it seemed...
Cirra frowned. "Is it just me, or does it seem a lot darker than it did a moment ago? It's not time for the sun to set..." She gazed up into the sky. It seemed as if clouds obscured the sun, blocking out any rays of light. The helipad was now only lit by the glow of its guiding lights. Harsemhin stepped towards Raltise, scanning the sky.
"I don't understand...what's going on? The sky is fading away to nothing!" Surely enough, the whole skyline was slowly and unmistakably being enveloped in a thick, murky blackness. The ground, too, was becoming blanketed with shadow; all around was succumbing to the darkness. "Wh-what is this!?" Harsemhin gasped, a tinge of surprise and fear in his voice.
Monotoli backed away in fright. How could this be? A nightmarish image confronted him, assaulting his senses. No, this shouldn't happen! his mind yelled. This shouldn't be possible, what's going on!? Mani Mani is dead! The Enrich Flavor Building before him was covered in the inky darkness, and now the edifice was aglow with an unearthly red neon. The red outline traced the sides of the buildings, into the windows, the very sign advertising Enrich Flavor on the front. Then it reached the ground. A green neon slowly traced across the sidewalk, and the blackness continued. Monotoli screamed in horror as the shadows engulfed him. Then, he became a roving flame.
Harsemhin looked on in shock and horror as one building after another exploded into greens, yellows, oranges, or reds. The very helipad which they were standing on had been outlined in a neon red. The crowd on the helipad was in a state of panic; they were watching their world change before their very eyes. Yet, only Raltise remained calm and collected. "Raltise! What's going on!? If Mani Mani is dead, then why does his power still live on!?" Harsemhin cried.
Raltise met him with a sordid and sickening strain of laughter. The haunting laughter echoed through the black landscape, meeting the pained and frightened cries of the people below who were becoming the first victims to be turned to roving flames. "What, can't you see it!? It's truly beautiful! Yes, yes! Such a magnificent plan! The stage has been set, and now the final act begins!" he bellowed. Another streak of laughter followed this, obscured by a heavy gust of wind.
Cirra stepped forward, fighting the fierce winds. "Raltise, you know something! Out with it!" She screamed into the landscape.
Raltise slowly pivoted on his heel to face the group, a twisted grin on his face. "Why, isn't it obvious? This is it! This is the Zenith! See? The statue wasn't needed after all!" He laughed. "The power released by the death of the golden demon was enough to force the change! Now your world and the one of illusion are becoming one!" He giggled insanely.
Harsemhin could not find it to be true. "That's impossible!" He shouted into the wind. "Without Mani Mani, there is no illusion! It simply doesn't exist!"
Raltise closed his eyes, and chuckled. "Now, now...isn't this simply fitting? Tell me, who do you think was the puppet, and who do you think is the master?" His eyes shot open, crimson glistening in the darkness. "Mani Mani was not your final obstacle, after all. Fitting, isn't it?" He again burst into laughter. "Well! It appears that your world is doomed. I bid you adieu." With that, Raltise mock-saluted the throng, turned, and with a blinding red flash, disappeared into the winds, while the worlds merged...