The Legend of the Diamondus Blaster: Book 2


As Elias and the others raced through the temple, they came upon some very hairy obstacles... obstacles such as laser beams that could sear a hole right through you, Super-Spark-filled areas, and even an electric box that threatened to squash our heroes as flat as a pancake!...
After making it through the electric box, Elias, now panting, stopped. "OK, everyone... take five," he ordered.
"About time!" Baeauman mumbled.
Wizard, Spaz, and Lori reached into their backpacks and each pulled out a bottle of water. Guzzling it down, they threw the empty bottles back into their backpacks.
Jazz, Baeauman, Night Fire, and Falco each massaged their now-tired muscles as they moaned in bitter pain. After all... all this hiking CAN make a person (or a rabbit, for that matter) hurt like **** !!!

(I'm forgetting some people, ain't I? If you remember being in Book One, let me know!)

Soon, Elias stood up. "All right, everybody... let's go!"
"Oh, geez! We just started to rest about five minutes ago!" Falco complained.
"Listen, Falco... Tiff is in trouble, and five minutes is all we can afford right now!" Elias replied.
"Oh...."
Suddenly, as if by coincidence, a giant vacuum literally sucked our heroes off of the ground, taking them totally by surprise!
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF TUBELECTRIC--?!! Night Fire! Do you know what's happening?!! " Elias yelled over the deafening noise of the vacuum.
"Not a clue, Elias!!!" Night Fire yelled back.
Those were the last words yelled out as all of our heroes were sucked into a giant hose, none of them knowing where they would end up....


"WWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" yelled our heroes as they were swept through the hose. Nobody knew what in the world was happening, so it was anybody's guess as to where they would end up!
"I hope this doesn't lead to a dust-filled bag, like most vacuum cleaners!" Elias yelled out, his voice almost being drowned by the noise.
"HAH!! I hope we don't end up in something that chops us up into bits!" Falco replied.
"You never know... we could be being sucked up the snout of a giant anteater... but who 'nose?'" Lori answered.
"Not funny, Lori!" Elias shouted.
"Drat! My magic doesn't work in these small areas! How could I have forgotten?!!" Baeauman yelled out, trying his best to help.
Elias, at this point, was growing very frustrated about this adventure. He was yelling out things that I don't DARE repeat!!!

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It felt like an eternity as Elias and the others were sucked deeper and deeper into the hose. The darkness consumed them, almost making it impossible to see.
"If I ever get my hands on my dark self," Elias started, "I'll make him regret the day he was ever CREATED!!!"
"Hey! LOOK!!! I see light!" Wizard announced.
"About time!" Elias replied.
Something was wrong, however... the light just seemed to keep getting further and further from them... and then... BAM!!! It rushed toward them so fast that they didn't have time to react.
Blinded by the light as they hit the hard, stone floor, Elias and the others were amazed that they could still walk, let alone stand on their feet!
As their eyes continued to adjust to the sudden brightness, a voice called out to them.
"ELIAS!!! HELP!!!"
Elias turned toward the voice, still having a bit of trouble seeing. "Tiff? Is that you?"
"Yes! It's me!!!"
"Where's Dark Elias?" Jazz asked.
"Why, Jazz... I'm surprised at you!"
Everyone turned in the direction of Dark Elias' sinister voice. It had been a few minutes since they had been exposed to the light, so they could see... somewhat.
That's when Elias noticed (and realized) that they were in trouble... BIG TROUBLE!!!


"Oh, shoot!" Elias said to himself when he was able to see again. "I have this odd feeling that we're in trouble. We're gonna be caught between a block and a hard place!"
"Yo, Elias! Don't you mean a ROCK and a hard place?" Spaz questioned.
"No... I meant what I said!"
"What are you talking about, Elias?" Lori asked, confusion dominating her face.
"I know you're not gonna believe me, but we're about to engage in a game of..."
"Of?" everyone replied in unison.
"Would you believe TETRIS?!!"
"Hoo boy... that's bad!" Jazz said, growing concerned.
"I'll agree with you on that, Jazz! Considering that I'm the best out of this group when it comes to playing Tetris, I'm SURE that my dark self will be just as, if not BETTER, than me!"
"ELIAS! LOOK OUT!!!" Tiff suddenly yelled out.
"Huh?... GEEZ!!!" Elias looked up and saw that a straight line of blocks was about to be placed on top of him. He managed to roll out of the way just in time before the line crashed to the floor.
"Quick! Everybody up onto the block!" Falco shouted.
Upon climbing the block, another straight line dropped down right beside them.
"OK... we need a plan!" Lori said as they continued to dodge and climb.
"Hey, Elias! You sound like you've been in this situation before! How did you get out?!!" Jazz questioned.
"It wasn't easy, Jazz... the only way we'll be able to get out is when the blocks reach the top.... We need to get my dark self to put a block in the wrong place!"
"Right-- easier said than done, considering that I'm your equal when it comes to Tetris!" Dark Elias shouted.
"Don't be so sure about that!" Elias shouted, taking out a small capsule.
"What is THAT?!!" Wizard asked.
Suddenly, with no warning, Elias threw the capsule onto one of the blocks. The impact caused a thick smokescreen to fill the area, leaving Dark Elias unable to see where he was putting his pieces.
"Good... now he can't see what he's doing, but we can still see where the pieces are falling! Pretty sneaky of you, Elias!" Night Fire commented.
"Nothing sneaky about it, Night Fire! C'mon! Dark Elias is really screwing up now!"

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Dark Elias, still unable to see, was allowing our heroes to climb straight to the top! When the smoke finally died down, he was shocked to see that they were nowhere to be seen.
"This CAN'T be happening! If I ever find them, Tiff, your friends are gonna regret that they ever crossed my path!"
No response... Dark Elias then turned around and realized that Tiff was gone! "I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET, ELIAS!!!"
"WHO SAID WE WERE FINISHED WITH YOU?!!" Elias shouted from the top of the playing area.
"What th--?!!"
"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!!!" Night Fire shouted, coming out of nowhere. He landed on his feet with his Dark Grenades aimed at Dark Elias.
"Hey, Night Fire! Find a different line, OK?!!" Elias yelled out.
"Yeah... whatever!"
Suddenly, Dark Elias snickered. "You think those grenades of yours can actually affect ME?!!" he yelled to Night Fire.
"How'd you like a free sample?!!" Night Fire replied.
"Go right ahead!" Dark Elias answered.
"Finally! The moment in this story that I've been waiting for!!!"
Night Fire shot his Dark Grenades at Dark Elias. They connected, but didn't seem to phase him.
Elias, however, started shouting for no absolute reason... he was yelling about--

(You know... I'm not gonna say what he was shouting about. It would cause this story to end up going past the 'PG' rating!)

"Foolish Guardian!" Dark Elias shouted. "You forgot that I am but a mere shadow of Elias! If you fire anything in an attempt to hurt me, your friend will end up feeling the pain, instead!"
"Grr... remind me to get a refund on these Dark Grenades!" Night Fire told Jazz.
"Ta-ta!" Dark Elias yelled, disappearing into thin air.
Meanwhile, Elias had just come out of his screaming fit. "Remind me to get myself a new life when this is over!" he said, moaning.
Tiff, who was now back with the group, chuckled to herself. "I see you managed to retain that sense of humor even though I was kidnapped," she said.
"Yeah... whatever. It's great to have you back with us, Tiff...."
"Same here, Elias...."
Elias shook his head, erasing the last bit of fog that was still stuck in his head. "Well? Shall we continue?" he asked after getting back to his feet.
"Sure!" everyone replied....


"So now what?" Falco questioned, scratching his head.
"We get to the Tubelectric Gem before Elias' dark self does," Night Fire replied.
"Wait a sec..." Elias whispered.
Everyone watched as Elias walked over behind the playing field. He came out with a blood red rabbit with a blue headband and black wristbands. The stranger was holding a glowing white gun in his left hand.
"Who are you?" Elias questioned.
No response....
"I asked you a question, mister! I want an answer from you!" Elias ordered.
Still no response....
Elias, unable to control his anger, jabbed at a spot on the rabbit's neck... kinda like the way Xena does it. (I LOVE THAT SHOW!!!) The stranger started to twitch violently.
"I just cut off the flow of blood to your brain," Elias said, a sinister tone dominating his voice. "You'll be dead in less than a minute unless you tell me who you are and why you're here!"
"Name's-- DDay.... I was hoping to-- help you on your quest... for the Diamondus Blaster...." the stranger replied.
Elias then jabbed the same spot on DDay's neck. DDay gasped and passed out before the group, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
"Did you just kill him?!!" Lori shrieked.
"Nah... they always pass out after I return the flow of blood. It gives them a good incentive to answer my question without a moment's hesitation." Elias replied.

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After a few minutes, DDay regained consciousness. "Ugh... what happened to me?"
"Sorry about that, DDay... it's just that you weren't answering my questions, and that was the only way I could get anything from you..." Elias explained.
"I see... so, you're after the Diamondus Blaster, eh?"
"How did you--" Tiff started.
"It's rather simple, actually... I can read people's minds!" DDay replied.
"Coolness!" Elias shouted.
"Right now, you're wondering where Dark Elias is at, aren't you?"
"That's right!" Jazz answered.
"Follow me... I know a shortcut to the Tubelectric Gem."
With that, DDay stepped on a hidden switch. A trapdoor flew open, and he jumped down into a secret passage.
"What are you guys waiting for? You want that Gem or not?!!"
"Hold your horses! We're coming!" Elias replied, jumping down the hole.
Everybody followed Elias and DDay down into the hole.
"I sure hope DDay knows what he's doing or where he's going!" Lori told Elias....


As DDay led the group through the passageway, Elias began to grow somewhat concerned about their new ally. For some odd reason, he just didn't feel... calm around him. "Maybe it's just me," he thought to himself.
"Don't worry about it, Elias... I know what you're thinking, and you're right." DDay said, startling Elias.
"How did you--"
"I used to use my mind control to force people to do horrid things. I kept this up until one day, Night Fire appeared before me. He told me that he would teach me a lesson for all that I had done."
Elias turned toward Night Fire. "Wait a sec... you KNOW this guy?" he questioned.
"Yes... I do. He speaks the truth, for I indeed taught him a valuable lesson." Night Fire replied.
"Boy-- ain't that the truth! When I tried to use my mind control powers on him, I couldn't phase him whatsoever. I then ran toward him, trying to force him to bend to my will. Just when I thought I could grab his throat, he used HIS psychic powers and threw me back at least fifty feet!"
"Fifty-seven, to be exact."
"Hardy-har-har.... Anyway, I then went after him again, only to end up even farther back than before. I kept this up for who knows how long...."
"Two hours--"
"Do you have to remember EVERYTHING?!!"
"Yes, I have to, for I'm the Guardian of the Spirit World...."
"Whatever-- I was exhausted at this point, and so I asked Night Fire, 'How come I could bend others to my will, but I can't do it on you?!!'"
"...What did Night Fire tell you?" Elias asked.
"He just shook his head and said, 'You can fool some of the people some of the time, and you can fool some of the people all of the time.... But you can't fool ALL of the people ALL of the time.'"
"That quote sounds awfully familiar to me...." Elias replied.
"Are we there yet?" Spaz interrupted.
"I HATE it when someone asks that question!" Elias mumbled to himself.
"Are we there yet?!" Spaz repeated.
"Almost..." DDay replied, sensing Elias' anger growing.
A few seconds passed.
"Are we there NOW?!!" Spaz questioned.
Elias, now unable to keep his anger under control, took out his Gold Chakram and hurled it against the wall. It bounced around like a pinball, just barely missing the rest of the group, before it finally came to Spaz and sliced just a small part of his left ear off. (When I say small, I mean it!)
"OW!!! ELIAS! WHY'D YOU DO THAT?!!" Spaz yelled out.
"Simple... I didn't want to hear you asking if we were there yet!" Elias answered, catching his Gold Chakram in mid-flight.
"Oh... well, are we there yet?"
Elias moaned to himself.
Suddenly, DDay stopped. "This is it!" he said, pushing up on a stone block.

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As our heroes climbed out of the passageway, they noticed that they were indeed inside of the room where the Tubelectric Gem rested.
"See? I told you we would make it before Dark Elias!" DDay announced.
Suddenly, the door burst open. "Oh-- you may have beaten me to the Gem... but it's still too late!" Dark Elias replied, walking into the room.
"YOU AGAIN! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO DEFEAT YOU TO GET MY POINT ACROSS?!!" Elias shouted in his loudest voice.
"Only one thing will TRULY destroy me... and none of you have that power yet!" Dark Elias chuckled.
"Well, whatever it is... you're gonna regret ever coming to life once we figure it out!"
Night Fire sniffed the air. "I smell a fight coming!" he shouted, pulling out his twin LFG 1.1s.
"Put those away... remember, none of the weapons you have can work against Dark Elias...."
"Oh... right. Well, then-- I guess we'll have to use our FISTS!!!" Night Fire shouted.
"Wait a sec... maybe we won't have to... look at what my dark self has at his waist!"
"They look like... red and white balls with a funny looking button on them. They look just like what you've got, Elias!
"That's right!" Elias said, stepping in front of Night Fire....

(Now I KNOW I'm letting this PokeMon thing get to me....)


Elias and his dark self stared at each other for a few minutes, while at the same time preparing themselves for a PokeMon battle. Elias was having trouble deciding which one to use first....
"Humph... it doesn't matter what PokeMon I use first. It all depends on what my dark self has-- and knowing him, he has different ones than I do!" Elias thought to himself, sweat now pouring down his face.
Suddenly without warning, Dark Elias snatched a Poke Ball from his waist. "GO, PIDGEOT!" he yelled, throwing it toward Elias.
The ball opened up. A Pidgeot materialized out of thin air. A shrill cry was heard throughout the room as it called out its name.
"So... you brought out a Pidgeot, eh?" Elias snickered. "In that case..."
Elias ripped out a Poke Ball from his own belt and hurled it toward the arena. "PIKACHU! I CHOOSE YOU!!!"

(AGH!!! This is one of the top 10 signs of PokeMon Fever, IMHO!!!)

"Pika-chu!"
"THAT'S the PokeMon you've been talking so much about, Elias?!! I thought it would be much bigger than that!" Jazz yelled out.
"Never mind the size! It's the bond between the PokeMon and it's trainer that counts!" Elias shouted.
"AGH!!! Enough of this! Pidgeot! Gust attack, now!" Dark Elias bellowed out.
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Elias barked.
A giant gust of wind filled the air as Pidgeot flapped it's wings at high speed. Elias and the others were almost swept off of their feet as the forceful winds pushed them back into the wall.
"PIKA-CHUUUUUUU!!!"
The torrent of wind was immediately followed by a HUGE bolt of lightning as Pikachu struck down upon Pidegot, defeating it in one shot!
"NO!! Pidgeot, return!" Dark Elias ordered....
"C'mon! I've got a lot more where that came from!" Elias shouted.
"Grr... SANDSLASH! I CHOOSE YOU!" Dark Elias replied.
Elias gasped, for he knew that an Electric-type PokeMon had no chance against a Ground-type. The worst part about it was... he didn't have a single Grass or Water-type with him!

(In case you PokeMon fans didn't notice... I'm actually giving you hints on the game!)

"Oh, SHOOT! Now what am I gonna do?!!" Elias said, a worried expression dominating his face.
"You're gonna give us that Pikachu this minute, or else we're gonna have to STEAL it from you!" a mysterious voice declared....


"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!" a female voice shouted from nowhere.
"MAKE IT DOUBLE!" a male voice replied.
"Oh, no... don't tell me it is who I think it is!" Elias mumbled to himself....
"To protect the world from devastation..."
"To unite all peoples within our nation..."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love..."
"To extend our reach to the stars above!..."
Elias smacked his forehead. "Great.... Now I KNOW I'm in trouble!"
Suddenly, a woman with CRAZY-looking red hair appeared from the shadows, accompanied by a man with an even CRAZIER-looking color of hair. (Is it purple or blue? I can't remember!)
"Jessie!"
"James!"

(AGH! It takes me THIS LONG to get the joke behind those names?!! Jessie James?!! (Author slams his head against the desk repeatedly....)

"TEAM ROCKET, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to FIGHT!"
At that moment, a Meowth jumped down right in front of the duo.
"MEOWTH! Dat's right!"
"Um... DE? I think it would be best if we ceased our little battle for now and concentrated our efforts on Team Rocket.... What do you say?" Elias whispered to his shadow.
"For once, Elias... I completely agree with you!" Dark Elias replied.

(HELLO!!! Betcha you weren't expecting THIS to happen!)

"All right, Elias... you traitor! Hand over that Pikachu this INSTANT!" Jessie ordered.

*BTW... I actually CHEER for these guys in real life. It's probably because I feel so sorry for them... NOT!!! Actually, it's because of Jessie! You gotta admit... she's awfully beautiful! I wonder if she'd want to go out on a date with me.... *

"Never, Jessie! I STOLE this Pikachu from the Boss fair and square! If you want it, you'll have to steal it back!" Elias shouted.
It was at that moment that Lori looked at Elias with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
"Oops...."


"You STOLE that Pikachu?!!" Lori questioned, concern dominating her face.
"So sue me! I used to belong to Team Rocket! (As a matter of fact, the author of this story just so happens to be a member, as well!) Can I help it?!!" Elias shouted.
"Well, if you stole it, how can it POSSIBLY obey you?!!" Jazz asked.
"Simple... he's the current PokeMon League champion, and he's got the badges to prove it!" Dark Elias replied.
"Who cares?!! Let's just get that Pikachu!" Jessie ordered. "GO, LICKITUNG!"
"Lickitung?!! What kind of name is THAT for a PokeMon?!!" Dark Elias shouted.
"Remember? She caught that in the 'Princess VS Princess' episode, and I STILL think that she should have won the title!" Elias replied.
"Oh-- that's right... I forgot!"
"Anyway... MACHAMP! GO!"

(Hint: Fighting-type moves can kick the crap out of Normal-type PokeMon! Just don't pit a Fighting-type against a Psychic-type!)

"You have a Machamp?!! How on Carrotus did you do that? I've been trying for three weeks to get my Machoke to evolve!"
"Trade it to another trainer...."
"Can we PLEASE quit with the PokeMon help?! We have a battle to finish! Lickitung! Wrap attack!"
"Machamp! Low kick... NOW!!!" Elias ordered.
Before Lickitung knew what hit it, Machamp delivered a solid low kick to it's stomach, sending it flying into the Team Rocket Trio.
"OOF!!!" Jessie shouted.
"What th-- you're supposed to be flying off right about now... literally!"
"Magnetic boots...." Meowth declared. "Don't ya just love them?!"
"Grr... KADABRA! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" Dark Elias barked out.
"WEEZING! GO!" James ordered.

(THAT was a big mistake! Psychic-type PokeMon can destroy Poison-types just as easily as Fighting-types!)

Jazz and the others were growing impatient at this point. "C'mon, you two! Just finish them off so this story can continue!!!" Night Fire shouted. "If you don't, then I'm sending my Flame Missiles after you!"
Elias and his dark self gulped. "KADABRA! PSYBEAM ATTACK!!!"

(Um... I'm not going to get into the details here-- if you watch the PokeMon TV show (Provided it's still on the air where you live....) then you should know what happens!)

"About time they left!" Falco mumbled as Elias came over to the group.
"Hey, DE! Turns out that we make a pretty good team!... DE?... DE?!!"
"The Tubelectric Gem! He's stolen it!" Baeauman announced.
"I shoulda KNOWN it was too good to be true!..."
"Where do you think he is now?" Lori questioned.
"Where else? DIAMONDUS!!! Let's go!" Elias ordered....


As our heroes stepped out of the portal and into the jungles of Diamondus, they were greeted by a faint rustling in the leaves.
"Don't move..." Elias quietly ordered.
"Why?" Tiff asked.
"Didn't you just read what Jazzy wrote?!!"
"He's WRITING about all that happens?!! Coolness!" Wizard replied.
Elias rolled his eyes....
"So... what's with this rustling that he's written about?" Lori questioned.
"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out!" Elias answered, heading over toward the source of the noise.
A few seconds passed as Elias quietly slithered like a snake toward the bushes. Then, in a flash, he reached in and pulled out a dark grey rabbit with a neon green outline-- kinda like a more muscular version of Jazz.... He had a flaming-blue scymar at his side, along with various other weapons.
Elias glared at the stranger, then spoke. "All right, bub... you have ONE chance to tell me who you are before you suffer the same fate as DDay did in Part 28!"
No response....
"*SIGH!* I wonder if Xena has days like this?" Elias wondered to himself.
BAM!!! Elias hit the same spot on the stranger's neck as he did DDay's. "All right, bub. If you've read Part 28, then you know the drill... otherwise, you die in less than a minute due to lack of blood to the brain!"
"My name-- is Aaraggon. I've been... searching-- for the Diamondus... Blaster...."
"Is EVERYBODY searching for the Diamondus Blaster?!!" Elias said to himself, jabbing Aaraggon in the neck again.

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"Agh... what hit me?!!" Aaraggon moaned as he regained consciousness.
"I did..." Elias replied.
Aaraggon looked up and nearly fainted again. "Beaten by a KID?!!"
"Excuse me? For your information, I happen to be 18 years old! I wouldn't be calling that exactly a childish age!"
"You're right... sorry...."
"So, why are YOU after the Diamondus Blaster?..."


"Well, Aaraggon? Are you gonna tell me why YOU'RE after the Diamondus Blaster?" Elias repeated.
"I've been after that blaster for approximately twenty-five years now. Each year I seem to get closer to getting it, only to end up falling victim to some sort of curse. The worst part about it is, I don't even want to USE the Blaster for anything!" Aaraggon replied.
"I'm afraid I don't understand..." Tiff said with a puzzled look on her face.
"I run a museum in the heart of Diamond City, which is clear on the other side of the planet. Most of Diamondus' major treasures are displayed there, including the Diamond Totem Pole as well as the super-rare Gold Diamond! (But they're kept under EXTREMELY tight security, mind you!) I've always wanted to add the Diamondus Blaster to the collection, but this stupid jungle thwarts me every time! This is the closest I've gotten to it yet. Maybe this year, I'll be able to obtain it...."
"Hmmmm... so what you're saying is that you want to DISPLAY the Diamondus Blaster with all of your other treasures, right?" Wizard questioned.
"Right... I know about the power of the Blaster, but I don't want to use it for anything! All I wish for is that I'll be able to see the Diamondus Blaster on display in my famous museum before I depart from this world...."
Silence dominated the air... until Aaraggon broke it.
"SO... why are YOU after the Diamondus Blaster? I know that you're after it...."
"Well," Tiff started, "we're after it because we'd like to use it for the good of the world. You see, I've what you could call the Chosen One, because... because... um, Elias? What was the legend about?"
"Don't tell me you forgot!"
"Unfortunately, yes!"
Elias slapped his forehead in frustration. "The legend says that the Diamondus Blaster was forged from magical diamonds that were found in one of the planet's many caves. Whoever obtains the blaster becomes invulnerable, as well as immortal!"

(OK... so I had to go back to Book 1 to refresh my memory. SUE ME!!!)

"Oh... yeah! DUH!"
"So THAT'S the reason we're still stuck in this story!" Charge said.

(Sorry, Charge... but even I'M having trouble remembering all the characters in my story! Pathetic, isn't it?)

"Yeah... I just wish we were at the Diamondus Temple already... my feet are killing me!" Lori complained.
"Well, why didn't you SAY SO?!!" Night Fire shouted.
With that, Night Fire incanted a mystical spell... and immediately caused all of our heroes to vanish in a cloud of smoke....


As our heroes stepped out of the portal, they were amazed at just how awesome the Diamondus Temple looked.
"WOW!!! What a magnificent sight!" Tiff exclaimed.
"You can say that again...." Elias replied, awestruck.
"WOW!!! What a magnificent sight!" Tiff repeated.
Elias glared at Tiff. "When I said 'You can say that again,' I didn't mean it literally!"
"Sorry, Elias... couldn't resist!"
"Whoever built this temple must have been RICH!!! Look at it!" Charge shouted.
The Diamondus Temple was a magnificent sight indeed. It towered over everyone, as if it could reach the heavens. The bright shine of solid gold could be seen on every inch of the temple walls, while diamonds and other precious gems gave the temple a sparkling personality.
"Geez... this kid sure knows how to describe things...." Night Fire mumbled to himself.
"Huh? You say something, Night Fire?" Jazz questioned, scratching his head.
"No... just talking to myself." Night Fire replied.
Suddenly, the remaining silence that had existed in the air was shattered by Elias. "WHAT IN TH-- WHAT IS THIS?!!" he shouted.
"What's wrong, Elias?" Lori asked.
"THAT!!!" Elias replied, pointing to a huge golden door.
"So? Can't you use your Silver Gauntlets to open it?"
"That's just it! I've already tried!"
"You mean to tell us that you can push huge blocks with those, yet you can't even open a door with all you might?!!" Falco asked.
"Look at the size of it, Falco... THEN ask me that!!!"
Falco looked at the huge door, which had diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other gems embedded in it. After staring at it for a few minutes, he turned toward Elias. "I guess you have a point there...." he said.
"So... how on Diamondus are we gonna open that?" Tiff questioned, leaning on the door.
It was at that moment that everybody heard a loud *CLICK!* Tiff, startled, jumped away from the door. Everybody looked in awe as the door slowly opened, revealing the dark, forbidden atmosphere of the temple's interior.
"Well... now what?" Wizard asked, sounding nervous.
"What else? We go inside!" Tiff replied, heading toward the temple entrance.
"Wait... are you CRAZY?!!" Elias yelled out, grabbing Tiff's arm. "We have absolutely NO IDEA of what we may encounter in there! We could easily get killed... and you know what happens if you end up dead!"
"That's a risk I'll have to take...." Tiff answered.
"We don't even have the Tubelectric Gem! How are we even gonna get the Diamondus Blaster?!!"
"Simple... we'll have to steal it from your dark self like we did before."
Elias gave out an exasperated sigh. "All right... it's your funeral...."
With that, everyone cautiously entered the temple, with Tiff leading the way.
"WOW!!!" Tiff shouted as she entered the Diamondus Temple. "This place is even BIGGER on the inside!"
"I'll say!" Charge answered. "How many floors is this place?!!"
"Not very many... around fifteen, to be exact!" a mysterious voice replied.
"Hey... I know that voice!" Elias stated.
"You do?" Lori questioned.
"Yeah!..."
Silence filled the air for a few seconds before Elias suddenly broke it. "ALL RIGHT, STU!!! YOU CAN COME OUT, NOW!!!" he shouted in a loud voice.
A fiery-red rabbit came out of the shadows. "How did you know my name?!!" Stu wondered, scratching his head.
"Stu... don't you remember me?!!" Elias replied.
"Nope-- sorry!"
"Maybe THIS will jog your memory!..."
With that, Elias pulled out his medallion and showed it to Stu. He recognized it instantly.
"ELIAS!!! I didn't recognize you with that fancy get-up!!!" Stu shouted.
Elias looked at himself. "Well, other than this leather jacket that used to belong to my father... not much has changed..."
"Except for the fact that he doesn't have a shadow!" Spaz interrupted.
Annoyed by the fact that Spaz had interrupted him, Elias grabbed his chakram. Spaz shut up almost immediately.

(Trust me, interrupting Elias during a reunion with his friends is NOT a smart thing to do!)

"No shadow?!!" Stu queried.

(Hmm... that sounds so funny....)

"No shadow...." Elias answered. "Turns out that when I saved Lori from death, my shadow somehow managed to escape from me. Now he's running around in this temple, trying to claim the Diamondus Blaster for himself so that he can conquer the universe!"
"Ah, yes... the Diamondus Blaster! Everybody is after that thing!"
"So I noticed...!" Elias replied, looking back at his rather LARGE group.
"So... think I could join?"
"Hmm-- I guess, provided you know the Diamondus Temple inside and out...."
"Of course I do! Don't you trust me, Elias?"
"Yeah... but I just wanted to make sure!"
With that, Elias, Stu, and everybody else headed deeper inside the temple. They stopped when they hit the entrance to a maze....
"Oh, no... MAZES!!!" Elias groaned....


"You don't like mazes?" Aaraggon asked.
"I hate them with a PASSION!!!" Elias shouted.
"Why?!!"
"They're too hard to get through, in my honest opinion! Just when you think you've made it out... BAM!!! You hit a dead end!"
"Come on, Elias... we've made it this far, haven't we?" Tiff questioned.
"Yeah...."
"So-- we're not gonna let a little thing like a maze stop us, right?"
"You guys and gals can go ahead... there's no way I'm going into that maze-- not even if you PAY me to do so!!!"
"Suit yourself!" Aaraggon mumbled.
With that, everybody, except for Elias and Lori, went inside.
"Why are YOU still here?!!" Elias asked Lori.
"I'm here to help you overcome your fear of mazes...."
"My FEAR?!!"
"Remember when you first came here after Devan and his minions... did what they did?" Lori asked. She tried not to bring the death of Elias' parents up, for she knew that would upset him.
"Yeah... I guess."
"Part of your training was learning to overcome your fears. That's the sign of a true hero."
"What is?"
"Being able to overcome all that frightens you, no matter how scared you are. It takes a REAL hero to do that."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'm positive." Lori said reassuringly.
Silence filled the air for a few seconds before Elias finally broke it. "You know... you sure display wisdom beyond your years."
"Yeah... I guess that's true to an extent. Now, c'mon... I'll be with you all the way."
Elias could hardly speak. Just hearing Lori say what she did almost made him melt... almost literally, mind you!
Lori rolled her eyes at the sight before her. "C'mon, Elias... we'd better move before they miss me."
"Y--yeah... s-s-sure!" Elias gasped.
With that, the duo headed into the maze....
"So... which way do we go?" Elias questioned as he and Lori entered the maze.
"Hmmm... based on my instincts, I'd say we go to the right." Lori replied.
"How do you know your instincts are correct?"
"Trust me, Elias... don't forget-- us rabbits have a natural sense of direction."
"Oh-- right! I forgot about that!"
As the duo made their way through the maze, Elias began noticing that the walls were getting to be quite warm. "Say, Lori-- is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?!!"
"It's just you... Aaraggon must have gone through here." Lori replied, feeling the walls.
"WHAT?!!"
"Can't you tell? Some of these walls have been turned to ash!"
Elias looked down at the floor. His eyes widened. "Well, I'll be... so they have!"
Just then, the duo heard a bunch of screaming.
"TIFF!!! She's in trouble!!!" Elias shouted.
"From the way it sounded... EVERYBODY'S in trouble! C'mon!"
"Wait... I got a better idea," Elias replied, grabbing a Poke Ball from his belt.
"What are you doing?!!"
"ALAKAZAM! I CHOOSE YOU!!!"
An Alakazam materialized out of thin air.
"Alakazam... teleport us to where Tiff and the others are!"
Alakazam nodded, and within seconds, both Lori and Elias were with the others.
What stood before them was enough to turn their fur white... and then some!...
"What the **** is THAT?!!" Elias shouted, stunned at the creature before him.
"It... it looks like a dragon!!!" Lori replied.
"A FIRE-BREATHING dragon, to be exact!!!" Jazz yelled out.
Sure enough... the huge dragon took a deep breath and expelled some very hot flames. It was so hot that it melted part of the stone floor!
"Wait a sec... why does this look like something I've seen before?!!" Elias thought to himself.
That's when he noticed the flaming tail... a flaming tail that he had seen before. "What the **** is a CHARIZARD doing here?!!"
"A Charizard?!!" Aaraggon replied. "So THAT'S what they look like!"
"Jazz! Spaz! Lori! Elias... SOMEBODY... DO SOMETHING!!!" Tiff bellowed out, dodging Charizard's Flamethrower attack for the umpteenth time.
"FINALLY! My chance to show off my stuff!" DDay shouted.
With that, DDay leaped up into the air. Crossing his arms into an X, he began glowing a fiery red... that is, provided anybody could see it!
"What th--?!!" Elias yelled out.
Just then, DDay sent out a powerful Fire Blast attack... one that knocked Charizard off of his feet!
"WOW!!! I didn't know you could do that!!!" Tiff shouted.
"You could say that Fire-based attacks are my specialty!" DDay replied, proud of himself.
"DDAY!!! LOOK OUT!!!" Elias suddenly bellowed out.
DDay looked forward just in time to see a huge, flaming tail whip him right in the face! The impact sent him crashing into the wall... um-- make that THROUGH the wall!
"DDay! Are you OK?!!" Elias questioned, rushing over to where DDay sat.
"Yeah-- I think so!" DDay moaned, getting back to his feet. "Dang... that Charizard is POWERFUL!!!"
"I noticed... maybe if we work together...?"
"...Let's try it! What have we got to lose besides our lives?!!"
"All right!"
With that, DDay and Elias faced the gigantic dragon that loomed above our heroes.
"HEY, CHARIZARD!!! BETCHA YOU COULDN'T FRY US!!!" Elias taunted.
"CHAR?!!"
"YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!!! WE'RE TALKIN' TO YOU, BIG FELLA!!!" DDay replied.
"ZARD!!!"
"I think we have it's attention... everybody, RUN FOR COVER!!!" Elias warned.
"No way! I'm gonna get in on the action, too!" Aaraggon replied....
"So... how are we gonna defeat this massive Charizard?!!" DDay questioned.
"Well... according to Dexter, that dragon is at Level 96! If I could capture it--" Elias started, grinning.
"How do you know it's wild?!!" Aaraggon asked.
"Upgrades-- ever heard of them?!!"
"Yeah...."
"All right-- FULL POWER ATTACK!!! HIT THAT CHARIZARD WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!!!" Elias bellowed, his voice getting hoarse by all the screaming he had been doing throughout this adventure.
Almost immediately, the massive dragon let loose with a Flamethrower attack that nearly knocked Aaraggon off his feet. He retaliated by jumping high up into the air and delivering a blow to it's snout.
Elias, on the other hand, was in his jaguar form, using his speed to confust the huge Charizard looming before them. As he continued running in circles around it, DDay let loose with a powerful Flamethrower.
Charizard was prepared, though, despite it's preoccupation with Elias, and ducked underneath. The blast rushed past it and was now headed right toward Aaraggon, who was behind the creature's giant flaming tail.
"Aaraggon!!! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!" Tiff screamed, trying her best not to look, but failing.
"Huh?!!" Aaraggon questioned, turning around. He had no time to react, and the Flamethrower hit him, right on target! He wasn't dead... but extremely charred black.
"Ouch..." Aaraggon weakly said, dropping to the floor.
"Aaraggon! Are you all right?!!" Elias said, rushing to his fallen comrade's aid.
"Yeah-- unless you count the fact that I'm practially burnt to a crisp!"
"Just be glad you weren't literally burnt to a crisp!" Elias mused, trying to allow some humor to interrupt this somewhat grim situation.
"Verrrrrrrrrry funny... so funny I forgot to laugh." Aaraggon sarcastically replied.
"AARAGGON! ELIAS!!! BEHIND YOU!!!!!" Lori suddenly bellowed out.
Elias looked up just in time to see the massive Charizard inhale deeply.
"Oh, no... it's gonna Fire Blast us!"
"Fire Blast?!!" Aaraggon said, worried.
"That's a fire PokeMon's most powerful attack! If we don't move... we're gonna be roast rabbit!" Elias quickly explained.
"Terrific! As if I wasn't already roasted enough."
"I DON'T THINK SO..." Baeauman shouted, taking a PokeBall from his belt.
"What the--" DDay shouted, still trying to confuse the gigantic dragon with his crazy acrobatics and fire moves.
"BLASTOISE!!! GO!!!"
"Are you CRAZY?!! Blastoise is only at Level 75! There's no way you can possibly win against it!!!" Elias shouted.
"Let ME handle this...." Night Fire said, taking out yet ANOTHER new weapon.
"What's that?!!" Spaz asked.
"A Water Bolt... one of my most powerful weapons yet!"
"Oh... neat!" Wizard replied. "SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!! FIRE ALREADY!!!"
Night Fire did so... in a few seconds, the flaming Charizard was on the ground, moaning in extreme pain.
"Good-- I should be able to capture this, now.... PokeBall... GO!!!"
The PokeBall hit it's target, and Charizard was sucked inside. The team watched as the ball jumped around a bit.
After a few minutes, the red light turned white with an affirming "PING!!!"
Elias walked over and picked up his new prize. "I can't believe it... I caught a Charizard!!!"
"Good! Now can we get going? I've got to get that Diamondus Blaster before Dark Elias!"
"All right! Let's go!"

---------------------------------------------

Several hours passed before Tiff and the others finally reached a huge metal door.
"Well, we've made it through a maze, battled a Charizard, solved numerous puzzles, pushed giant rocks aside, defeated numerous enemies, blah, blah, blah... and all for this!" Tiff declared.
"Well... let's get this door pushed aside!" Elias said, grabbing the handle with his Silver Gauntlets.
The door didn't move at first, but than began creaking slowly as Elias pushed at it with all his might. He had it opened just enough to see what was in the next room... and immediately slammed it back shut!
"What? What is it?!!" Tiff questioned, seeing Elias' pale expression.
"You-- don't want-- to know!!!"
"Oh, come on, Elias!!!" Lori said.
"All right, but don't say I didn't warn you!"
Elias opened the door again. What everyone saw shocked them...
A TWO-HEADED GARGOYLE WAS STARING RIGHT AT THEM!!!



As our heroes gazed into the eyes of the two-headed monstrosity that towered above them, they began wondering if they had bitten off more of this legend than they could chew.
"OK, everyone-- let's just stay calm. I don't think this... thing... wants to harm us...." Tiff ordered, trying to mask the fear in her quavering voice.
"Easier said than done, Tiff, considering the fact that it's staring at us like we're it's next meal!" Falco replied.
"Then how come it hasn't budged an inch since we got here?!!" Jazz questioned.
"M-may-maybe it's j-just a st-sta-statue!" stuttered Baeauman.
"Explain how it could be flapping it's wings if it's only a STATUE!!!" Lori yelled out.
Spaz opened his mouth, but immediately clamped it shut upon seeing everyone stare at him.
"...Well, Spaz? What were you gonna say?!!" Elias questioned, crossing his arms.
"Something stupid...." Spaz replied.
"Why am I not--"

"SILENCE!!!!!"

The deafening roar came straight from the gargoyle's left head. Everyone covered their ears, grimacing.
"WHAT IS THAT THING?!!" Elias shouted, yelling loud enough to make sure that everybody could hear him, despite the fact that the gargoyle's orders were still echoing off the walls.
When the echoing ceased, Night Fire answered Elias' question.
"That thing is a mythical Two-Headed Gargoyle of Truth and Deception. It's a walking contridiction...."
"...Meaning?" Tiff questioned.
"Meaning that one head always tells the truth, while the other head always lies. Nobody can be sure of which head is which."
"HEY!!! I see a couple of doors behind this creature!" Spaz exclaimed.
"One of those doors leads to the Chamber of the Diamondus Blaster-- but if you choose the wrong door..."
"I think I get the hint...." Tiff interrupted.
"So... how are we supposed to know?!!" Charge queried.
"Choose your words with care, Tiff," Night Fire answered.
"Choose my words... you mean I have to ask this thing a simple QUESTION??!!!"
"One question..." the left head began.
"...And one only!" the right head finished. "Pick a head... and take your best shot!"

Tiff thought for a few moments, then walked up to the creature. "OK... you! On the left! Which door would the OTHER head claim leads to the Diamondus Blaster?"
The two heads looked at each other, then roared out in laughter!

"Truely... you are wise beyond your years, young rabbit!" the left head began. "He would advise you to take the door to your left...."

"It's your call, Tiff." Elias said.
"Fine-- then we're taking the door to the RIGHT!!!"
Tiff walked up to the right-hand door. Everyone watched in anticipation as she began turning the knob....
A blinding flash of blue light enveloped the room for a split second as Tiff opened the door. After blinking her eyes a few times, she motioned for the others to follow her.
"Well, since we aren't pushing up daisies, I would assume that you've made the right choice!" Elias commented.
"Yeah-- but how did she know?!!" Jazz queried, scratching his head.
"It's quite simple, actually! If it was the head that told the TRUTH, it would have told us truthfully that the other head would have lied.... On the other hand, if it was the head that LIED, then it would obviously still be the door on the right!" Spaz explained.
Everyone did a double-take at Spaz. "How did you--" Charge began before letting his jaw drop to the ground.
"I saw a similar situation in one of my comic books!" Spaz replied, grinning cheerfully.
Stu rolled his eyes. "...And they say comic books are bad for your mind!" he thought to himself.
That's when Spaz began scratching his head. "But that doesn't tell us which head was which!" he said.
"No, it doesn't-- but it doesn't matter any more!" Tiff began, closing the door behind her. "Finally, after all this traveling, we've finally entered the chamber of...
The Diamondus Blaster!!!!!"
Just as Tiff finished her sentence, a figure plowed into her, knocking her off of her feet. She landed face-down on the floor with a loud THUD!!!
"OUCH!!! What hit me?!!" Tiff shouted.
"What's it to ya?!!" a dark figure replied, getting back to his feet.
"It's my dark self! He's getting his butt kicked!!!" Elias shouted, laughing.
"Grrrrrrr... very funny!" Dark Elias grumbled, getting back to his feet.
"Give it up stranger! You have no chance of defeating what you can't see!"
"Who said that?!!" Falco questioned.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before them. However, one could just barely see her, simple because she was able to blend in with her surroundings....
"...Kazooie?!!" Tiff said, confused.
"Calie?!!" Kazooie replied.
Another figure came into view.... He was a green rabbit that almost looked like Jazz's twin, with a mystic sword strapped behind his back and a large shield behind it. He stepped beside Kazooie.
"I assume you know these people...." the stranger proclaimed.
"Yes, Cire... this is Tiff, Elias, Jazz, Spaz, Lori, Baeauman, DDay, Aaraggon, Charge, Falco, and Night Fire!" she said, pointing to each one as she called off their name.

(AM I FORGETTING ANYONE??!!!)

"Ah yes... Tiff... the Chosen One!" Cire replied, grinning.
"How did you--" Tiff began.
"I am the Guardian of the Diamondus Blaster, meant to give it only to the Chosen One... provided you have the three gems from Medivo, Tubelectric, and the Spirit Temple.
"We don't have the Tubelectric Gem... Dark Elias does!" Night Fire said.
"Speaking of Elias... where is he?!!" Tiff questioned.
That's when Kazooie gasped. "I don't believe it... he's trying to get the Tubelectric Gem from his dark self!!!" she meekly answered, pointing to where the duo was.
"Is he CRAZY?!! He could get KILLED!!!" Charge said.
"If he wants to get it, I say that he should try. Good luck, Elias...." Lori calmly said....


Elias, now in his jaguar form, slowly crept toward his dark self. He was determined to snatch the Tubelectric Gem from Dark Elias at any cost... even if it meant getting himself killed in the process!
"OK, Elias-- you've only got one chance to do this... so DON'T SCREW IT UP!!!" Elias thought to himself as he slithered ever so closer to his darker form.
Just as Elias had gotten within pouncing distance, he spotted the Tubelectric Gem dangling from a thin rope necklace, just begging to be plucked away from it's current owner. "All right, kiddo-- it's now or never!" he said to himself.
A sinisterly low growl escaped from deep within Elias' throat. This was followed by a deafening roar as he pounced onto his dark incarnation, leaving him no time to react. Dark Elias fell to the floor... HARD!!!
"AGH!!! What the H*** HIT me?!!" Dark Elias shouted as he began to struggle beneath his captor.
Elias put a paw on Dark Elias' neck, holding him in place. "I did... now give me that Tubelectric Gem!" he shouted, unsheathing his claws. "If you don't... well, you don't wanna know what'll happen to you!"
"I'd rather DIE than give this to you!" Dark Elias replied.
"If that's what you want, then--"
Elias was completely caught off guard as his dark self suddenly disappeared from underneath him. "Dang... I forgot about that!" he said to himself.
"If you want the Tubelectric Gem, you'll have to FIGHT me to get it!" Dark Elias taunted, reappearing near the center of the room.
Elias sprang to his feet and glared menacingly into the eyes of his living, breathing shadow. He proceeded to reach down and pull out his sword-- only to discover that it wasn't in it's holder! "What th--?!!"
Dark Elias suddenly began snickering. "Lose something, my friend?!!" he shouted, holding up all of his lighter self's weaponry.
"That was a BIG mistake, DE!" Lori shouted from the other side of the room.
"Ahh, go to H***... ALL of you!!!"
With that, DE cast a Dark Bolt and threw it at Elias' group. The bolt flew toward them at lightning speed, allowing no time for anyone to react. It struck each rabbit, one after the other, instantly vaporizing them.
"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Elias shouted, watching helplessly as the entire group vanished before his eyes.
Dark Elias laughed maniacally as he watch Lori disappear. He was laughing so hard that he didn't notice his lighter form rushing toward him-- that is, until Elias once again pounced on top of him, knocking him back down to the floor.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM, YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING *******??!!!" Elias shouted at the top of his lungs, enraged by the unexpected twist of events. He had Dark Elias by the neck and was slowly choking him to death.
"Relax... they're-- fine! Now... let me go-- before-- you kill... both of us!!!" Dark Elias gasped.
Elias picked his dark form off of the ground... then, with a mighty swipe of his paws, sent him flying toward the other side of the room.
"OUCH!!!!! So, you wanna play rough, eh?!! Well, then... so be it!"
With that, DE raised his arms up, and a ring of fire encircled the room.
Elias grabbed his weapons... for the FINAL SHOWDOWN HAD BEGUN!!!!!
Elias, now consumed in vengeful fury, leaped toward his dark form, determined to vanquish him once and for all! Pulling his sword from it's holder, he swung it at Dark Elias, barely nicking him.
"Give it up, Elias! You can never win against me!" DE yelled out, casting a thunderbolt at his lighter self.
"Even if you manage to defeat me, I do know this: At least I had the courage to fight you with my dying breath!" Elias replied as he dodged DE's electric attack. "...And speaking of courage-- I don't think you have any!!!"
"WHAT?!!"
"You heard me! You don't have the guts to fight me in combat without having to resort to magic!"
"I only need my raw, natural strength to finish you off, you insolent pup!" DE shouted, rushing toward Elias.
"PROVE IT!!!" Elias taunted, dashing forward.
The duo met in the middle of the room, their swords clashing loudly as metal banged against metal. Elias fought with courage unlike any other rabbit, but like their last battle, Dark Elias was able to match his lighter self's moves with amazing speed and agility. He even managed, much to Elias' surprise, to score a few hits on his lighter incarnation.
"So... you've gotten better. I must say that I am impressed!" Elias said, jabbing his sword at DE.
"That's nothing compared to what I have planned for you!" Dark Elias answered, countering Elias' attack with an overhead slash.
Elias performed a backflip, just barely avoiding his shadow's attempt to slice him in half. Upon landing, he took out his chakram and flung it toward the center of the room.
Dark Elias didn't move an inch as the chakram flew right toward him... which really confused Elias. "What is that fool up to?" he thought to himself. "Does he-- WHAT THE HECK?!!"
Elias' jaw dropped wide open as he saw his dark self catch his chakram, which was just inches from his face.
"You forget, Elias-- I have all of your skills and abilities. Anything you can do, I can do just as well, if not BETTER!!!"
At that moment, DE hurled the chakram back at Elias. Elias didn't move a muscle until the last possible second, then shocked his darker incarnation with a move that would make anybody cringe.... He caught the razor-edged frisbee-- with his TEETH!!!
"Nice try, my shadowy form, but it'll take a lot more than that to defeat me!" Elias shouted, taking his blaster out.
DE quickly dodged out of the way as Elias took a shot at his dark shadow. He then grabbed his sword and flung it across the room at Elias.

(Warning! There's gonna be blood here!)

The sword rushed toward Elias at such speed that he didn't have any time to react. Before he could even move a muscle, the razor-edged point of the sword struck Elias' chest, followed closely by the rest of his sword.
Elias fell to the ground... HARD!!! A pool of blood began covering the floor around him.
Dark Elias walked over to his lighter self. "Well, my lighter form, it looks like you didn't have the skill to defeat me! Now that you're down for the count, I guess it's time for me to claim what's rightfully mine!!! MWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" he shouted.
"I DON'T THINK SO, DARK ELIAS!!!" a voice suddenly bellowed from the shadows.
"Huh?!!"
DE watched in surprise as Tiff dropped down from the skies. "How on Diamondus did you escape?!!"
"Simple... you never captured me to begin with! That was just a hologram of me!" Tiff replied.
Tiff rushed over to Elias' side. "Oh my God... what has that creep done to you?!!" Tiff thought to herself.
DE was met with flaming red eyes as Tiff looked up at him. "You killed him! YOU KILLED HIM!!!" she shouted.
"He was merely an obstacle in my way... as are YOU!!!"
"An obstacle, eh?!! Well, let's see what happens when you get a taste of your own medicine!!!"
With that, Tiff pulled the sword out of Elias and threw it at his darker form. DE avoided it with ease. He then cast his own chakram at Tiff, who grabbed it as it flew towards her.
"...THAT was a big mistake, DE!!!" Tiff said in an evil voice.
Without warning, Tiff grabbed Elias' chakram and immediately brought them together. An orange light filled the room as the chakram transformed into one that looked like it was a Yin-Yang symbol.
"Let's see you avoid THIS!!!" Tiff shouted, throwing the new chakram at DE.
DE managed to avoid the chakram, only to discover that one half of it was right on his tail! "Oh, NO!!! That thing must split apart!" he yelled out.
"That's right... and nothing's gonna stop it until it DESTROYS you!!! Face it, DE... you're done for!"
DE watched in horror as the two halves of the chakram met, forming one complete razor-edged frisbee. With that, it rushed toward him at lightning speed. It pierced into his chest, causing him to suddenly glow a blood red.
"No... NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--!!!"
With that, the chakram flew back to Tiff, who caught it. She looked around the room... Dark Elias was nowhere to be found. He had been destroyed, just like he had destroyed his lighter self....
Tiff walked over to where DE had last stood and scooped the Tubelectric Gem from the floor. She then turned toward Elias. "Oh, Elias..." she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm sorry that had to happen to you.... I wish I could do something to help."
"Maybe there is a way...."
"Huh?!!"
Tiff turned to see Night Fire and the rest of the gang standing right behind Elias.
"Wow... to think that it was his own shadow that killed him." Charge began.
"I never thought I would see this day come...." Lori replied. "He was so loyal to the Kingdom. To lose such a good friend is almost too much to bear."
"I agree... but at least one thing is for sure...." Jazz stated.
"What is it?" Spaz questioned.
"He's finally been reunited with his parents...."
Tiff looked at Elias, then at the Diamondus Blaster. "You know... I knew that this trek would be dangerous, and that it would all be worth it... but now I'm not so sure. I didn't want anyone to get killed because I wanted to fulfill my destiny. Maybe I shouldn't even claim the Blaster now."
"But Tiff... the Blaster is the only way we can help Elias!" Night Fire said.
"How...? He's dead-- pure, plain, and simple! Nothing we do is gonna bring him back!"
"Maybe not, but the least we could do is try." Falco stated.
Tiff looked at the Diamondus Blaster again. "All right... if you really think this is gonna help him, then let's try it."
With that, Tiff walked over to where the Diamondus Blaster was resting. After placing the three gems in their proper holders, she waited as the diamond casing began to vaporize. After a few minutes, Tiff grabbed the Diamondus Blaster, turned, and walked over to Elias.
"Well... let's get this over with."
"We'll have to return to the Spirit World if this is to work...." Night Fire began.
"Let's move it, then!" Wizard shouted.
With that... Night Fire opened a portal to the Spirit World. After scooping Elias' lifeless body up into his arms, he walked through it. Everybody followed close behind....


Time: 6:33
Place: Spirit World Hosiptal (Emergency Room)

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Jazz asked Night Fire.
"I sure hope so... if not, then Elias is down for the count!" Night Fire replied.
"No... he HAS to survive! He sacrificed his life so that we could finally obtain the Diamondus Blaster! He deserves to live after what he did!" Tiff sobbed, tears streaking down her face.
"I can't guarantee anything, Tiff... the doctors will try their best to bring Elias' body and soul back together."
"But why do they need the Diamondus Blaster?" Spaz questioned.
"It's simple, actually... we've never done this type of operation before. Remember the Legend of the Diamondus Blaster?"
"Yeah! It's supposed to grant both invincibility and immortality to the one who possesses it!" Falco replied.
"Well," Night Fire began, "it's also supposed to bring lost ones back from the dead. However, it's never been confirmed...."
"You mean that this will determine whether the Diamondus Blaster is as legendary as the book says it is?!!" Wizard queried.
"In a word... yes. So-- if you would, Tiff..."
Tiff slowly handed the Diamondus Blaster to Night Fire, who took it from her.
"Thanks, Tiff...."
"No problem... anything for a friend."
With that, Night Fire rushed off to the operating room with the rest of the doctors, leaving the group behind to wait.

*Four hours pass....*

"What could be taking so LONG?!!" Lori asked, pacing around the room.
"I don't know, sis...." Jazz replied.
"I sure hope Elias is OK." Charge said.
"I hope so too. He's been with us throughout this entire adventure... he shouldn't have to die like this!" Tiff sobbed.
"How could his shadow even DO such a thing?!!" Lori questioned, tears now forming in her eyes.
"Well... you could look at Elias and Dark Elias as if they were Yin and Yang. Elias was Yin, or the light side, and Dark Elias was the Yang... the dark side. Elias was on the side of good, while DE was on the side of evil.... Elias was the day, and DE was the night. You'd be surprised at the similarities, as well as the differenced, between us and our shadows!" Spaz explained.
"There he goes again...." Charge mumbled to himself.
Suddenly, the doors opened. Night Fire walked out. He was greeted by everybody rushing toward him.
"Well? Is he all right?!! Is Elias alive?!!" Tiff questioned, hope dominating her voice.
"Elias..."
Everybody looked at Night Fire.
"Elias is doing just fine. He made it through the reincarnation without any complications! To be honest, I'm quite impressed!" Night Fire said, smiling.
"I always knew Elias was a fighter... this only proves just how much of a fighter he is!" Jazz answered.
"Can we go see him?" Lori questioned.
"Of course... he's in the Recovery Ward."
With that, everybody rushed to the Recovery Ward.
--------------------------------------------

"Hi, everybody!" Elias said rather weakly.
"Oh, Elias... I'm so glad you're all right!" Tiff stated, rushing up to his bedside and giving him a hug.
"So am I, Tiff... so am I."
"I just wish Dark Elias hadn't... um... killed you the way he did."
"Heh... don't worry about it. Don't forget... I trained under Jazz Jackrabbit himself-- as well as Spaz and... Lori."
The Jackrabbit Clan smiled proudly.
"So... what's it like having a sword thrust through your chest?" Falco questioned.
"Well, Falco... let me put it this way. You feel intense pain for only a moment, and then it's all over!"
Everybody laughed at Elias' reply.
"So... did you get the Diamondus Blaster?" Elias queried.
"I've got it right here!" Tiff answered, holding it up.
"Great job! I knew you could do it!"
"So did I... but right now, you're more important. How long did the doctors say you would be stuck inside this hospital?"
"Well," Elias started, "it all depends. It could be anywhere from two to four weeks."
"Well then... I guess we'll stay here until it's time for you to leave." Lori replied.
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Elias stated.
With that, Tiff gave Elias another hug.
"OOF!!! Hey, watch it, Tiff! I've still got a good-sized wound on my chest!" Elias warned.
"Whoops... sorry!" Tiff replied, blushing slightly.
"Welcome back, Elias...." Lori said in a soft voice.


EPILOGUE

Elias got up out of his bed and yawned as the first rays of the sun shined brightly through his window.
"Well... looks like I go home today. Thank goodness! These hospital beds get to be SO uncomfortable after a few weeks!"
Elias' comment was answered by a slight giggling. He turned his head toward the noise and found Lori waiting inside the door.
"Um... hi!" Elias said, blushing a little.
"Hi, Elias... how are you feeling?"
"Just fine, now that I can go home. Where is everybody?"
"They're all in the Waiting Room."
"Well, then... maybe I shouldn't keep them waiting any longer than necessary," Elias answered as he grabbed his backpack, sword, and chakram.

--------------------------------------------

"Well... I thought you'd never show up!" Baeauman said as Elias entered the Waiting Room.
"To tell you the truth, Baeauman... neither did I!" Elias replied, laughing. "I feel so stiff that it isn't funny!"
"Don't worry about it, Elias. You'll recover from it soon enough!"
"Thanks... I think."
At that moment, Night Fire appeared, holding Elias' medallion. "Hey, Elias! Did you forget something?!!"
"Oh, GEEZ!!! Thanks, Night Fire!" Elias answered, taking the medallion from the Guardian.
"No problem! I'm just glad I managed to give it to you before you left!"
Elias smiled as he put the medallion back around his neck. "Well, then-- I guess this is good-bye."
"Yeah. But first... I want you to have this, Elias."
That's when Night Fire gave his bracelet to Elias. "Take it as a token of our friendship," he said, bowing.
"Thanks, Night Fire," Elias replied, putting the bracelet on.
"Don't mention it. Now... I think you'd better get going. You don't want to miss the portal to the Mortal World, do you?"
"I guess you're right." Tiff answered.

--------------------------------------------

Soon, at the Portal Station, Elias and the gang were waiting for the next portal to the Mortal World.
"Well... it looks like we've managed to complete another adventure," Tiff began.
"Yes... it was certainly one of the best adventures I've ever taken part in!" Baeauman replied.
"The best part is... Tiff managed to fulfill her destiny! How does it feel?" Elias questioned, turning to Tiff.
"It feels wonderful, but it's nothing compared to the fact that you're still here. I would have gladly given my life to protect yours, Elias...."
"Thanks, Tiff, but you don't have to go to extremes."
"I'm serious! If I had to choose between saving you and fulfilling my destiny, I would have gladly chosen to protect you. After all, I owed you big time after you rescued me from your Dark Self!"
"It was nothing, Tiff... really!"
"But--"
"No buts... but I would've done the same for you."
"Thanks, Elias... I--"
"Hey! Here's our ride home!" Jazz exclaimed.
"Let's go... home." Lori said, stepping inside.
Everybody followed Lori. Elias was the last to enter, completely oblivious to the fact that his medallion was glowing a blood red....

THE END



Thanks, everybody! I'm really proud of this story! It couldn't have happened without you! Once again... thank you very, very much!

Elias FF


LORI AND ADMAEL ARE PURE 100% BABES!!! (Wolf Whistle!)


Last update: 17 January 2000