Beach

"Of course you all wouldn't let your own suffer... But... Though we can't rewrite the past... we can change the future. I believe in that. I want to change mine... even if it's at the cost of yours."

Admiral Maelstrom calmed itself in hearing his vanguard's cries sound far more relaxed over distressed. Still, alarmed, it remained standing menacingly in the seas. Cyan's gaze was more resolute on her goal. Even if it was against the nature of peace between two timelines, it still meant her future wouldn't be black and cold. Nor would the future of those still alive back at home be dark and empty.

Satoshi looked down and shook his head again, this time chuckling a bit. "I admittedly wouldn't know Jellal to the level you would, but let me make something perfectly clear, Cyan." He looked up at her, smiling. "He wouldn't approve of what you're doing, at all." Placing his hands on his hips, he leaned to the side as he explained. "He and Yugure found another way to free Aqua Force in our timeline, one that didn't require one of them to destroy the other. Those two have proven it's possible to end fighting to save something dear to themselves."

Satoshi closed his eyes. "None of you, as far as I can tell, have even considered the possibility that you don't need to suck the life out of an existence to replace your own. It'll never be the same, no matter what you think. If you think that everyone in your timeline would approve of mass genocide of innocent people...if you think your master would be satisfied with your choice, without you looking for another way..."

The voice echoed again in his mind. "Even when you speak for peace, you must fight with your resolve to keep that peace intact."

Satoshi opened his eyes and hardened his gaze. "Then I'm sorry, Cyan, but you're as delusional as the rest of them. And for the sake of this world, even if I can at least attempt to understand that you're in such great pain, this is not the way to do it, and I won't stand here and let you."

The mark flashed, and an aura began to build around him. An intense aura, one that represented awakening into a new purpose. Now glowing a bright orange instead of the black and red of prior Reverse, the rings produced a field before the farmboy and ghostly girl. This would be their field of combat.

It was time for the Peacekeeper to awaken.

"Don't preach like you know everything and how we feel... I don't want people to die for my timeline to have a future, you think I didn't try to find another way?! There isn't one for my world! I don't care if they approve or not, I just care if we have lives to live in our timeline again! I'm not delusional, I've seen it for myself!"

Admiral Maelstrom roared again, clearly prepared to assist his wrath-induced vanguard in silencing the morally self-righteous preacher. Cyan was already in tears, as she wanted to fight people less than any other time traveler. But she simply had to, to have a future. It was ultimately decided this man would just never understand, because he's never been through the same circumstances. With the way the prime dimension is right now, they probably never would.

Because they were lucky. Because their foundation wasn't only one person. Because they had a future.

Blue Storm would ensure the other world had a future too.

Satoshi was definitely in for a lot more than he had bargained for. Cyan was using Jellal's deck from her timeline, a deck that utilized the full power of Jellal's avatar, Maelstrom, in multiple forms, including the power gifted to it by the invaders, as well as its..."G-unit," was it? Admiral Maelstrom packed quite a punch, destroying Satoshi's forces, even through multiple heals.

With his back against the wall, he had to take a stand in some way. Through his mark, incredible power coursed through, and for the first time in ages, the farmboy heard Sephirot, his former partner, speak to him through his head that he believed in him, and to keep fighting for the sake of Earth and Cray together. Backed by this confidence...

Satoshi released his own Generation Zone, and with it, the Divine Flame Ultimate Regalia, Demeter.

It turned out to be relatively anticlimactic, but the fact that his determination was so strongly supplemented to the point where he could unleash the power of Stride for himself was something perhaps unexpected. It was as though the rings he had been marked with had become more than just the curse originally intended, but a blessing. The Reverse energy had been converted into something more...a pure energy, backed by his own soul.

Unfortunately, like Yugure, it was clear Satoshi wasn't used to the intense passion and energy demanded of him for utilizing the Generation Zone. As the fight came to a close with a fierce finishing blow from Maelstrom Reverse, he faded fast, falling to his knees, and then to the sand of the beach itself, bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth.

He could still hear Cyan apologizing for what she did. She didn't necessarily have to apologize, even if he didn't agree with her. It was like his past exchanges with others had gone; agreeing to disagree still left people on good terms. Even if this was a disagreement over whether or not his own timeline should be eliminated for the sake of another.

Cyan showed Satoshi the level of power the time travelers stood at. They were armed not only with cards that didn't exist, not only G Units, but forms of cards altered by time. Maelstrom was in the form of a Break Ride, which was more than shocking. Even more shocking was the phrase "the wind is unstoppable". Maelstrom cut off guarding with big shields, and Maelstrom Reverse demanded for shields as he gained a Critical. Even worse, if it was stopped, it'd still make profit.

This is the might of the Blue Storm Dragon. Yet, it isn't even his final form. Not the one Jellal used. Admiral Maelstorm had to suffice as the best Cyan could do, as Glory Maelstrom was locked away forever.

No... not locked away.

It was simply unattainable.

What caught Cyan off guard was, with Satoshi's back to the wall, having no units and a small hand, he performed Stride. The tenacity of this timeline would make itself known, but she didn't expect it to be in the form of people here learning Stride. The edge the time travelers had was slowly fading as the children of this world summoned G Units in times of need. ... Just like she and Jellal did.

These people still weren't able to fully sustain it and themselves, however, as massive strain knocked Satoshi down when she was the one who finished the fight.

Cyan's big creepy eyes just stared at him. She quietly acknowledged not only his skill, but the strength of his resolve to keep his own world alive. She wished it didn't have to be this way... She kept apologizing. Even if she was the one upset with his notions, he wasn't wrong, and he didn't deserve this. Nobody did. So she simply kept apologizing.

"I'm sorry..."

She did it again.

"Heeeeey!! Somebody heeeeelp!" She cried seconds later. She would need his life force at some point... but...

He didn't have to stay here like this for the time being. Maybe because she was just reluctant. Maybe because she never really had the stomach for it.

Crowds of people gathered when medics arrived to tend to the peacekeeper in training's state. The Blue Storm girl silently slipped away, apologizing once more.

Dalis sat watching the gentle waves lap at her feet. The light of the sun was slowly setting, but still high in the sky. She was barefoot, looking out at the horizon bleakly. A million thoughts ran through her head, but the most prominent was the realization that finally her suffering was closing. The Reverse was finally ending, and she could feel it go from a prominent fester in her mind to a distant memory. Not fully gone yet. She had to do that herself.

She was hearing whispers again. Luquier. Not as strong as she used to. She couldn't talk back. But whispers from her cards again, and finally her eyes snapped open before she had even realized they were closed. It was much darker now; the sun was beginning to touch the end of the calm sea, but she could not see the moon. There was the familiar smell of the sea, hurtling memories of her time as a kid, making sand castles and jumping over waves. It drew out a coarse laugh, and she cleared her throat.

Now, Dalis hurried to her feet. She had been idle too long. She had no idea what was going on. She had been too scared to help fight the Reverse, the fear tainting her mind. What would happen if she was Reversed again? What would happen when she even got near the Clown? Or whatever abomination she had heard important talk about? But her fears were stupid and she threw them aside like they were a toy she had grown tired of. With a new found resolve and as the last remnants of the Reverse slowly simmered away, she dusted the sand off her tank top, off her jeans. She run a hand through her lush hair, and with one last look at the setting sun, walked towards nothing in particular. She was reaping what she sowed, having no idea where to go or what to do. Her cell phone was in her hand and she was about to text Yukino when she saw a figure in the distance.

Trying to locate the source of power was proving to be more difficult than Heero anticipated. At first he had been heading towards the park, then another fluctuation got his attention in another direction. The direction he was currently heading had experienced fluctuation after fluctuation. The most recent one had a lingering end to it, as though it was a fire going out.

Pursuing it had taken him all around town, searching for answers. A few shots fired here and there on those who were attempting to defy his purpose. Not to worry, the Invasion wouldn't take their corpses to use as puppets. They prefered living corpses, after all.

He noticed a girl on the beach walking toward him with a cell phone out. Her perceived threat level, from what he could observe, was minimal at best. Not especially worth his time. He kept walking, but in an attempt to walk past her, he bumped shoulders with her.

"'Scuse me..." he muttered.

Dalis stumbled slightly as she walked past, uneasy. Something wrong with him; she just couldn't tell what. She glanced at him as their shoulders collided, causing her to stumble. She whirled around, her eyes narrowed like daggers. This man. The contact. Stirring memories in her, the jolt of pain that brought tears to her eyes. The Reverse that was fading away, suddenly brought back in a surge of pain and emotion. She took two steps forwards, and placed a firm yet gentle hand on the man.

"You." She said simply, blinking away the tears and forcing her voice to remain firm and calm. "Just who are you? Hitting your shoulder just now. You caused something I thought was finally gone. What did you do? Who are you?"

Heero sighed. Of course another person would try to keep him from going forward. They keep acting like it's going to make some kind of difference. Seeing as she was innocent, he couldn't exactly turn on a heel and silence her with---

He felt a slight twinge of something with her touch. A hint of the power he was looking to quell. Why hadn't he felt it prior? He stopped moving, mulling over how to proceed. He considered going out of his way to be more precise as to who he was and what he was doing, but...

"Heero Yayoi. I'm taking care of unfinished business."

A standard response would suffice.

"Just what is your standard business?" Dalis shot back, turning around to fully face him. "And why did I feel the Reverse when I touched you?" Her eyes were wild, filled with an undeniable will. Trouble always did seem to find her - that was what her parents had said, didn't they?

But that didn't really matter to her now. What mattered to her was the bubbling determination and emotions that she felt, manifested by her glare, her body language and even the way there seemed to be an aura of conviction and resolve. She stepped closer, tightening her grip. She didn't want a fist fight; not by a long shot. She understood basics; she wasn't a world renowned fighter, she was an acrobat, a performer. But damn the world to hell if she was going to let this man simply walk away.

Heero still had no clue who this girl was. He probably didn't need to care, either, especially if she did have that twinge of Reverse in her.

She had come around to face him directly, though. Looking at her reminded him of a description of a girl that his brother had given him a long time ago. Lush hair, fit body, comfortably dressed...this was the kind of girl Satoshi had dreamed about on the farm what felt like ages ago.

In a way, part of him wanted to maybe impart that. But all the same, this wasn't necessarily the time to think of the past.

"Eliminating Reverse and those with the potential to be such." He crossed his arms. Interference was annoying, but now that he knew there was something within her, he could just let her go on her way, either. She could be the next vassal, considering she already had been in the past, if what she said made any sense.

"You felt your blight because I have the talent to find it."

Dalis stared, eyes widened slightly as a slight breeze picked up. Her eyes snapped back into focus, finding the male's eyes and letting her emotions take over. She stepped back just a few times, enough for some distance between them. She dully noted that the scent of the sea was still moving towards them, and that the sun had finally began to be cut off by the horizon. Her fists tightened, and then tightened even harder as her knuckles grew white.

"Eliminating the Reverse?" She stuttered, and finally one thought penetrated the fog that was her mind. Perhaps... he could help her? No. There was... there was something wrong about him. Someone with the power to eliminate Reverse would... surely they would just have a much brighter aura? This man just seemed eerie and foreboding. She gripped her deck. Wasn't this what she always did to find answers?

"Fight me." She said, monotone and strong; a direct contrast to the emotions hid behind the window of her eyes.

Heero shook his head. "If I must."

In one quick motion, he withdrew his pistol from its leg holster, popped a switch on the side, and shot at the ground. Instead of a bullet, a Vanguard field presented itself before them. From his other secluded holster, he pulled out his own deck.

A shocked Dalis Strophia laid her deck on the table, and unknowingly her life on the line. A grueling battle, neither side daring to hold back for a moment. Dalis worked herself to her limit, striding twice and using Venus Luquier's limit break. She guarded Minerva Limit Breaks and Doombrace attacks, coming far too close to losing too many times. With both fighters at critically low cards in their deck, the game was finally ending.

Dalis guarded, panicking furiously as she believed she had lost. She had failed. But the price the stranger had to pay to use Minerva's Limit Break for the last time, the soul blast... at only 16000 Power, Minerva had to draw two triggers to break through the defense, while Dalis still had a Perfect Guard for the Rearguard Angelica. The turn ended, and the outcome was decided. Dalis drew her card, and motioned for her Avatar, Venus Luquier to attack once more. To finally stop the madness of this serial killer, of this mad man from another dimension. And finally crush the Reverse inside her brain. And as Venus strode forwards to lash out with her whip, finally, Dalis heard the voice in her head. The gentle, calm voice that Luquier only used with her was shaky and scared. Finally re-united, Dalis let tears stream freely down her face as she pointed at Heero.

And it was a simple task Heero had asked of her. She didn't forgive this man, but strangely, as she saw him slowly flicker out of existence, with a heavy heart she accepted his request. With a heavy heart, she turned around, leaving Heero - and the Reverse - far behind her.

As he faded away, Heero left his words on the wind:

"Dalis Strophia...to atone, and as a gift to you for promising to tell my brother...be freed from your blight. Your Reverse is no more..."

Gone was the ace shot, the boy who was fighting to protect those who didn't really need protection. His pistol disappeared, storing itself on a manor shelf in Hawaii.

Since her appearance in this time, Flonne had been a busy idol. It wasn't hard for her voice to become as loved as it had been in her own time and practically having her new manager entranced. Using his influence, she began to have a stage setup at the beach, promoting her debut show. It took several weeks for everything to be set up but it was finally done. Today was the day Flonne would become this world's greatest idol and forever loved. And this time, Flonne will not abandon the world. Her fans will forever hear her voice, and hers only. She will accept the worship these people will shower her. And she would not let any country start another war. By ANY means necessary. The only battles she'll allow is those that will be privileged to hear her in person.

And now here Flonne was, ready to begin her debut show. She had made sure her manager knew how upset she'd be if he didn't provide the audience and the global medias for her. And he didn't disappoint. There was indeed a crowd of people as audience and she could see the countless media cameras. Everything was set. Once she started her singing, this world would be hers and she'll be the World Diva once again. Flonne looked at the clock, realizing it was time to begin the show.

Lights began to turn on and shine, revealing the aquatic theme stage that Flonne had picked out, colorful smoke covering the stage floor as Flonne began to rise up onto the stage. "Hello everyone!!! Thank you all for coming to see me!! I promise you this will be a night you'll never forget!!!" And so began the music as Flonne began to sing in her wonderful voice, an enchanting pull emanating from it as it began to drive the people listening screaming in joy...or insanity, falling in love with this beautiful diva's lovely voice.

The show was probably amazing, and in a different life... The brunette that was moving to the front of the lunatic crowd maybe would of enjoyed it. But right now, there was something that had to be done. It was regrettable to do so. Such wasted talent, and while the ideals were probably corrupt, he didn't believe he felt any true ill intentions from the woman on stage. He hated being a party crasher as well but again, this was necessary for this world's true salvation. Stepping up onto the stage after smashing one of the guards in the side of the head to knock him out, he gave an audible sigh as he interrupted a wonderful performance. "My apologies, sincerely." it would probably be hard to talk over the inevitable booing that was sure to follow his intrusion but... "You can't be allowed to exist here anymore. It would only cause more problems than solutions." if she had seem him at their appearance in this timeline, she might of recognized Seyer as one of the other seeds.

Flonne raised a hand, signalling for the rest of the guards to back down, giggling as she continue to speak in her microphone as if this was part of the show. "You're hardly one to talk about who is allowed to exist here or not. Beside, my right to be here has already been decided. Isn't that right my wonderful fans?! Do you all want little old me here?!!" As she spoke to the crowd, they all screamed in unusually timed joy and approval!! Flonne giggled again as she stared directly at her fellow Seed. "As you can see, my fans want me. The world want me. I cannot deny their happiness no matter how much problem it can cause. Can you say the same about your own existence though? Are you loved here by anyone? You're better off just letting go and allow my voice to soothe your pained soul."

Seyer stared at the woman with a rather empty expression as she spoke. It was true that the fans did indeed seem to enjoy her presence and yet... "All I see are a bunch of mindless zombies, entranced by an enchanted voice from another world. I'm pretty sure this doesn't constitute as the whole world either. Let alone any number of fans you possess." he gave a sigh shaking his head. "And you may be right, I'm not one to talk. My existence isn't the greatest. I'm a monster, a murderer. But even I know that we can't stay here. Conquering this timeline to fix our own. Why sacrifice something that deserves a chance..." he paused, his deep blue eyes glaring into Flonne's. "The people of this world, the ones that defend it. They are the ones who decide. They've already defeated Glendios. And they've already said we're not welcome here. So why don't we all just..." a wild grin appeared upon his lips as his head tilted forward, shadows covering his eyes. "Drop dead?"

Flonne had been listening intently on Seyer's words, her bright smile slowly disappearing with each word she listened to. The crowds themselves had gone silent as Flonne was no longer smiling at all, her hand gripping tightly on her microphone. "I won't let you get in my way. I cannot die! I am the World Diva Flonne!! All worlds love me!!! They need me to guide them!!! To protect them!!!! Sing for them!!!" There was a dark, practically mad look in Flonne's eyes as she stared directly at Seyer. "I won't let anyone get in my way of bringing them eternal happiness. If you want to drop dead, I will more than happy to oblige you!!! I will give you your final wish of happiness!!!!"

While the offer was tempting, for him to die here... For everything to just stop, he couldn't. He made a deal with this world's Yukino. His life was her's to take at the end of this as long as she didn't interfere with his mission. For a moment, the brunette didn't reply. He just stood there, staring out from under the shadows of his bangs. The air was heavy, the silence deafening. Then he sighed, Vanguard boards appearing between them as he shook his head. "Then try and kill me. And this way, it'll be just me, and you." his eyes flashed, and both he and the idol were now trapped in a prison arena, made just for them.

Flonne had stayed calm throughout the fight despite reaching 5 damage quickly. Yet as soon as she had Pacifica, her eternal partner, she felt she had this won. Their songs tore away through Seyer's defense, especially after she strided Pacifica to her highest power. Yet, it was not enough. Her calm demeanor broke apart as soon as she watched Pacifica impaled. Her grip on her microphone dropped. She couldn't believe it. She had actually lost. Their singing had not been enough. She could feel despair creeping into her soul as she cried out to Pacifica, reaching towards her soul partner.

The fight was pretty biased towards both players. While the idol was sent to five damage fast, Seyer's grade twos were taking a nap. The brunette seed remained calm however, not flinching even as she counterattacked with Pacifica's strode form. His determination was overwhelming, to the point that he felt nothing could stop him. Upon surviving the turn Seyer, who had rode Platina Ezel, returned the feeling with an Ultimate Break. As his rear guard units powers soared to new heights, the Lion attacked, only to be stopped by a perfect guard. A twin drive revealed a critical trigger, which after being given to a rear guard was also defended against. However, the last attack proved to strong, managing to slice through the idol's defenses. As the sixth damage was dealt, not a heal trigger, the units other than Ezel and Pacifica faded away. The prison itself stayed up, only long enough for Ezel to impale his blade into Pacifica's heart. The thing about the prison was, the units, and their vanguards were connected physically. As Ezel's blade pierced Pacifica's heart, it would also pierce Flonne's. As the prison, and the two units faded away, Seyer reached out grabbing a hold of Flonne's wrist as she would fall back dying, and let her down slowly. Placing the mic in her hands, and crossing them across her chest, the brunette stood offering a silent apology. "I hope you get reborn as someone who has a better life. One where we didn't experience the horrors of our worlds. ...I'm sorry." This makes the second seed Seyer has slain, and it also had a heavy weight to it. He felt his sins crawling on his back as he walked away, ignoring the crowd and guards. Flonne's body would disappear soon after he left.

Flonne could feel her life and her body fading away as she was laid on the floor, her mic returned to her. Instead of being terrified at the thought of death, she felt..relieved. She was finally allowed to rest. No longer did Flonne have to shoulder the burden of an idol. A tear fell out of her eyes as she softly smiled to Seyer. Her killer. No....her savior. And as she began fully fade away, she said the final words her lovely voice will ever speak. "Thank you...." And with that, the World Diva Flonne was no more as she faded away completely.

Sera was sent back to the Espoir Mansion to rest. Hopefully nobody minds him staying his Haruka's guest bedroom. Just judging by the hair and body shape they look nearly identical, save for Sera's stitching on his body and Haruka's scar across his eye and forehead. The star-shaped one.

Haruka Nakahara sits alone on the beach this afternoon, staring out and over the waves. The cool wind sends chills up his back; the nerves on his arms and legs stand on edge. He breathes in the salty sea air, enjoying the refreshing culture of the waves. The ebb and flow of the waves as the water covers over his feet.

Standing next to the young man was his incarnate of the waves himself, Last Card, Revonn. The final entity to exist. Yet here he stands... Why? Should he be the finale of everything, why does he exist in this day and age? Was it a metaphor of things to come? These are things Haruka would not care to discuss nor care to discover in the first place.

However, Revonn had a message. A forewarning.

"Haruka. My Vanguard. At first, admittedly... I was scared to be under your Command. As a, to what I believed to be, drunken bastard with no idea how to command a formation... I was proven mercilessly wrong with your display of prowess against the Queen. You showed your adaptability with the skills of this clan and our wave-force tactics. I commend you, and am grateful to have fought under your stable and capable mind. However..."

"What is it, Revonn?"

Haruka's eyes did not change focus from the seas. Revonn materialized next to Haruka, taking a seat next to him after placing his sword firmly in the sand. Revonn was actually ridiculously tall so it was sort of strange to see a huge blue dragon on two legs sitting next to Haruka.

"Soon, I will be gone as fast as I came. I am not yet your true avatar. Soon you will visited by two heroes. Marine Generals of another world. They will guide you on your path. They shall be the ones to cut forth a path for the last resort, and allow you to use the full extent of your power, as well as Aqua Force's wave-force tactics."

"What about you... Where are you going? With the Rift, like you came?"

"No, no. I will always be around. But I am not what you need yet to force down the incoming threat. What Yugure spoke of... Whether or not they rear their ugly heads, remember.

I, we, will always have the last laugh."

"Last laugh?"

"I'll return to you soon my good liege. See you in years to come."

...

Revonn was gone without another word. What could he have meant in years to come? Haruka breathed the sea air shakily, never moving his gaze from the ocean waves. Crash. Wake. Ebb. Flow. Breathe in. And out. And in. And out.

It was a cold afternoon, but refreshing after so long...