The weapon was farther that they had anticipated or would have hoped. It took them three weeks to reach where they assumed the next weapon would be. There was a shrine beside a town, one that the townspeople never entered. When they tried to walk by the structure, the arrow in the stone shifted to point only at the temple. After some more interrogating (and Filia pulling out her mace for emphasis) they learned that a strange light had flown at the temple not too long ago. While the people weren't too thrilled with the idea of them going in the temple, they told them there was an entrance along the north wall (well, Zelgadiss had casually mentioned when he blasted his way into temples once).

The door was long unused, but a good push from Goury and Zelgadiss got it open. The place was filled with cobwebs and dust. Light streaked in from various windows, showing that the interior had once been truly magnificent. There were old murals along all the walls, as well as moth eaten tapestries. The silver candlesticks were tarnished almost beyond recognition. The altar in the main room was the only thing not ruined. It shone as if newly cleaned, the wooden surface reflecting the light, and the weapon, like a mirror. The weapon sitting on it was Boldidor.

"Yes! We found it Miss Lina!" Amelia ran forward to claim the weapon. Most of the group held their breathe, expecting an attack by some sort of guardian, but Amelia reached the weapon and picked it up without problem (well, it was a little heavy, but she was too full up with their accomplishment to care).

"Wow, that was easy." Zelgadiss took the weapon from Amelia before she hurt someone or herself.

"Doesn't it seem a little too easy?" Lina was still looking around.

Kardray's eye twitched. "What do you want Lina? A six armed giant with a different weapon in each hand?"

"That's right." Goury put in. "I mean, no one knew the weapon was coming, right? So, why would there be anything to protect it?" For once, everyone was able to agree with Goury (boy did that scare them).

"Well then, only one weapon left to go." Filia was happy they had found this. It meant there was one less weapon for Valgaav to get and use against them.

Kardray suddenly turned and began walking out of the room. Xelloss, who had been looking at one of the hole filled tapestries, turned toward her in alarm. He could suddenly pick up nothing from her, and she didn't respond when he tried to speak with her telepathically. He followed after her faster than the others did. Kardray was still outside before him, and in her hand was the Dark Star bow, Galvera. She stood there, shaking her head violently.

"Kardray? What's wrong?" Xelloss had stopped just outside the temple door.

Xelloss! I can hear him in my head! He wants the bow! Kardray thought to him, her mental voice tinged with pain and fear. Right before Xelloss could move, however, a dark form streaked by and ran strait into Kardray, knocking her to the ground and Galvera from her hand. Valgaav (the dark streak) was up fast and had the bow immediately. In his other hand was Ragunezegas.

"Now I have what I need. I'm glad you found it for me." He laughed; it was a cold, empty sound. Kardray got up from where she'd been knocked down, Xelloss beside her.

"What about the other weapons?" Lina had a fireball in her hands, but she always likes to know what the bad guy is planning.

"We only need the power from these two weapons. Nothing else is required." As Valgaav began laughing again, he vanished.

"Dammit! Now what are we going to do? Why did you come out here with Galvera Kardray?" Lina was really pissed.

"It was someone else." Kardray stood thinking, talking more to herself. "They were controlling me, but I was able to break out of it. Too late, but I know it's the same person who is controlling Valgaav." Kardray looked over at Xelloss. "I know where he's going."

"I can take us, if you tell me where it is." Filia walked forward and altered her shape into that of a golden dragon.

Kardray nodded. "We need to go where Dark Star was being summoned before. The place has symbolic significance." Kardray's wings came out and she was in the air before anyone else. Lina, Zelgadiss, Amelia, and Goury all got on Filia's back. Sirius and Xelloss took to the air after Kardray, and then Filia took off as well. Kardray led the way, being faster than the Golden Dragon. Xelloss flew beside her, worried over her anger, which was clearly directed at the person controlling her brother.

They were flying as fast as they could, Filia getting tired quickly. Amelia and Lina cast Recovery on Filia as they had done once before. Hearing them, Kardray fell back to fly beside Filia, placing her palm on the dragon's side. There was a flash, and Filia felt more than better, she felt over-energized. Kardray took the lead again, the wind whistling past her wings, a few feathers flying off. They could see the area soon, or what they supposed was the area. There hadn't been much left after their final fight with Dark Star, only a couple of side platforms. Now there were those and a much larger platform with a giant magic circle along its surface. Valgaav stood in the middle of it, the two weapons hovering over marks on either side of the outermost circle. Above Valgaav was something that looked like a giant leech with arms and spindly legs. The thing had a large mouth filled with razor teeth, though a distinctly brown hue. It turned toward them as they entered the area.

"That's him!" Kardray had drawn her blade and went streaking toward the ugly thing.

"Kardray, wait for us!" Lina called after, casting Levitation on herself while the others did likewise (Goury jumped down) and Filia changed back into her human form.

Kardray, of course, hadn't listened. She missed it when Valgaav shot a spell at her, but Xelloss moved in the way to shield her, and she sliced through the slug with her sword. An awful sound filled the area as half of the creature went one way and the other the other way. Kardray was blasted back by the creature, and caught by Xelloss (what else is a mate to do but catch his love before she bashes her brains on the ground?). The creature had it's full attention on Xelloss and Kardray, and didn't hear Lina behind it, casting the Ragna Blade (her talismans had become unsealed when she defeated Valgaav before).

"Lord of the terrifying dreams, Sword of cold and darkness, Free yourself from the bonds of heaven, Become one with my power, one with my body, And let us walk the path of destruction together, Power that can smash even the souls of the gods, Ragna Blade!" When it had the sense to turn around, the sword of darkness was racing down at what was left of its body, neatly severing it again. This time, the creature fell to the ground, its wounds smoking and a foul odor rising from it.

"It's over." Kardray landed near the thing. It had managed to land on one of the side platforms. Valgaav still stood in the center of the magic circle. The others came to stand around the creature as well. "Release Valgaav now."

"No!" The thing had a voice like the squishing of mud. "It isn't over, even as I die, I will win!" It's mouth moved into the parody of a smile. Kardray looked over to Valgaav, and watched as he raised, then lowered his arms. Both weapons impaled themselves into the platform, activating whatever spell lay there. When Sirius tried to go toward them, a bolt of energy shot out and slammed him into another platform.

Kardray didn't think, just moved. Before anyone could stop her, she'd used her inhuman speed, and flown across to the large platform. The bolts of energy missed her, and she grabbed Valgaav just before a major blast hit him. She pulled him back, unresisting, to where the others were. She laid him down carefully by Filia.

"It won't matter." The creature was still alive (Lina powered up a Fireball to finish it, but Kardray stopped her). "Even without the catalyst, the spell will work, only now it will destroy everything without driving thought! You are doomed!"

"Why did you do this?" Filia looked up from Valgaav, who lay starring into space. Unfortunately, the creature coughed, and then slowly dissipated into smoke.

The wind was quickly picking up as the energy increased. Kardray stood watching the vortex of light that was forming. Sirius had come up to where they were, one arm severely burned. Lina was thinking of what sort of spell would work in this scenario, and Filia was trying to get a response out of Valgaav.

"The spell of control is still in effect. I can still hear the words." Kardray could be heard through the roar of the wind, even though she didn't raise her voice. "He used Valgaav because he is an Ancient Dragon. That was the only reason, that and that he was the only Ancient Dragon he could find. The spell is fed by the two weapons, which are being drained completely of their power. The resultant explosion, with nothing to guide it, could easily destroy half the planet. The bolts missed me because the spell was designed to have an Ancient Dragon act as the catalyst, and I am half Ancient Dragon." Her voce was getting a bit softer as she continued. "Yet I am also half human, meaning I can fight the spell that is controlling Valgaav. Perhaps that is why I was able to be conceived."

"What are you talking about?" Lina thought she might know, but dreaded that she was right.

Xelloss knew exactly what she was talking about, and he came up to grab her arm. "No." His voice was full of venom, with an underlying note of concern most would have missed.

Kardray turned toward her mate. "I can't let it be destroyed Xelloss. My nature won't allow it. I know I can stop this."

"You don't know if you can survive." The hand holding Kardray's arm was shaking, his eyes pleading with her not to do what she intended.

Kardray moved close and kissed him, lightly on the lips. "My mate, my love, you cannot stop me." She fired a Fireball at his chest before he realized it, knocking him away from her, allowing her to fly to the platform and the center of the circle. Immediately, as she stood there, the energy seemed to move in a more orderly pattern, but much of it was still wild. Kardray's voice reached them through the chaos. "Please, my friends, take out the other weapons. If you can, aim a spell through them at the platform. Those who do not have weapons, fire the strongest spell you can. The energy must be much higher if it is to stabilize." She turned toward them. "Please."

"Come on, let's do this." Lina went over to Goury, to cast the Dragon Slave through the Sword of Light. Amelia and Zelgadiss took Boldidor, preparing to cast the Ra Tilt through it. Sirius had Nezar in hand, Filia moving to cast a spell through it. Xelloss was no where to be seen. Inside the magic circle, they heard Kardray cry out, as a bolt of lightning hit her.

The pain was immense and should have driven her to her knees, except that an arm had gone around her waist. She looked up into the amethyst eyes of her mate. "What are you doing here?"

He pulled her up close to him. "I can't stop you, but I can help you." He wrapped his arms around her waist, determined not to leave no matter what. "Come one, you can blend magic, so my power can surely help you." Kardray smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. The energy was beginning to destroy the platform, the magic circle burning bright in the air. Kardray flapped her wings, bringing her and Xelloss into the air as the ground they stood on crumbled. The spells from everyone were ready, just holding as Kardray mentally told them to wait a moment longer.

Valgaav blinked, then sat up. He looked around in confusion before his eyes rested on Xelloss and Kardray through the light. He saw the wings of an Ancient Dragon, and stood, wondering what in the world was going on. As he watched the two of them, he heard a voice in his head. "I'm glad you are alive, brother. I am glad one of my blood survived."

"What? Brother? That's my sister?" He watched as the light grew brighter, no one able to look at it directly. Xelloss and Kardray were still rising in the air, her wings flapping now and again, neither looking anywhere but at each other.

One word to all of them. Now.

All the spells were let loose at once, in a devastating blast. The magic turned before impact, being absorbed by the massive spell before them. All the light began moving impossibly faster, so that only slight glimpses could be seen of Kardray and Xelloss. When they could be seen on the glimpses, it seemed as though Kardray's wings had turned white.

Inside, the power conjured was becoming unbearable to control, but Kardray kept a tight hold on it, and Xelloss. You are such a fool. Why did I choose you?

Good taste? No sense? Does it matter now? Xelloss leaned into her, kissing her as the power reached its peak. All of it coalesced into a brilliant ball around them, dark and light energy running together so that it became impossible to tell where one left off and the other began. And still it spun faster. With a massive shock wave that knocked everyone down, the light shot outward. The wave was seen across more than half the globe. Some people took it as a sign the world was ending, and others, that something unique had happened, and they were fortunate to be alive. There was nothing left where the large platform had stood. The two Dark Star weapons had been destroyed, and the energy was gone, bled into the atmosphere.

"Kardray? Xelloss?" Amelia picked herself up and looked around. They were no where to be seen. "They aren't dead, are they?" Tears welled up in the young princess's eyes.

"I don't know." Lina looked at her friends, not certain about what had happened, or what might happen next. For once though, it didn't bother her.

The whole group was at Filia's house. It had been a month since…well…since it had happened. Everyone was in good spirits, even though there had been no word from Xelloss or Kardray. Kalli was there as well, to talk to Val, who was acting like he'd been before. He had remembered all that had occurred when under the things control (the name was unpronounceable). He was fascinated to learn about the other Ancient Dragons, and a little sad to learn about Kardray. They were all having a picnic in celebration. Goury was going to keep his sword, since there was no point for Sirius to take it with him (two of them were gone anyway, so the five could never be used in concert again).

A few miles from where they were, two shadows fell over the ground. Both had a human shape, though one appeared to have wings. People who saw the shadows looked up and were dazzled by the reflection of sunlight on brilliant white. The two shadows were speeding toward where the group was just getting ready to play a game. Valgaav was opting not to play, since he wanted to think quietly to himself. Kalli was enthusiastic to learn something new to teach the others at home.

Before the game began, Kalli looked up and saw something coming toward them, or more toward Valgaav. She pointed a little too late. "Look out!"

Valgaav turned and was plowed into. He went into a roll with whatever it was, landing on top of them. He was about to punch them, when he looked down into the smiling face of Kardray. Under her were slightly crumpled white wings. Xelloss appeared next to them.

"You know, if you weren't related, I might just become jealous." He winked at Valgaav, who quickly got up. Xelloss helped Kardray to her feet, brushing off little bits of grass. Everyone ran over, Amelia running into Kardray and hugging the breath out of her. She tolerated it.

"Hi everyone! Hope we didn't worry you too much." She smiled at Lina, who looked ready to slug her.

"Why didn't you come tell us you were alive sooner?" Lina really was ready to slug her, and Xelloss.

"Sorry, I was asleep. Xelloss was out cold most of the time too." She continued to smile.

"What happened to your wings?" Valgaav was looking at them closely.

"Well," she looked a little sheepish, "the power from Galvera and Ragunezegas didn't just go into the atmosphere, but into me. I don't think I'm exactly what I was, but I don't really know what I am." She shrugged happily.

"I know what you are." Xelloss sounded rather full of himself.

"Yes, and what is that?" Kalli was wiping at her eyes, happy to see her friend alive.

"Well, she's mine!" Everyone rolled their eyes. "And…she's pregnant!" Eight pairs of mouths dropped open. "Congratulate us!"

"Isn't it good that we were having a party anyway!" Good old Amelia, never quite gets the gist of things, just enjoys life.

"Wonderful Amelia. Couldn't be better." Kardray retracted her wings and took Xelloss' arm. They followed the princess as she went about telling them what had happened since they left. Kardray made a mental note to talk to her brother later, but for now she was content to listen to her friend and be with her mate.

The End
Right?