(Author's Note: Well, I'd like to apologize for how long it took me to publish this chapter. Things keep me busy, along with starting a bunch of other projects. I hope to update this again, in a much shorter time frame than it took to get this chapter out. But remember this: even if it takes a long time, I'm not giving up on this story!

I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please review it when you finish.

My best regards to all.)

Chapter Seven

Buildings crumbled as people ran screaming into the streets; the sky was pure black, only lit by the flames on the earth below. A beam of purple sliced across buildings and crowds, many people falling, dead, from its blow. Men and women clutched their children in their arms, and tried to crawl under debris for cover, sometimes, to no avail.

Geo was stunned; such ruthless bloodlust….Who could be doing this? He ran forward, trying to block the sounds of crying children, and whimpering, pleading adults from his mind. He ducked, barely dodging falling debris.

As he closed in on the strange, gigantic figure, which he at first thought to be a misshapen pile of ruble in the distance, which now became a gigantic, ominous silhouette, he saw many smaller forms...fighting it?

As he neared, he still was not able to identify, or even look at the giant figure – it being cloaked in a black cloud. What he could make out though, was the people fighting it.

One was a bulky man; he resembled Acid Ace to Geo, with scarred armor, covered in burn marks. He was slashing relentlessly at the monster, but to no avail.

There was another man; he couldn't see him clearly, but after seeing the glowing silver symbol on his chest, he knew who he was, and who the previous man was. Rouge and Acid Ace; they where fighting whatever monster that was.

The silhouette fired two thin beams of energy, sideswiping both Rogue and Acid Ace, sending them hurling through the air. They crashed into buildings, making them collapse upon them. It looked like they where going to try and retreat; it was obviously to strong for either of them.

But there was still one person fighting it. He ran, dodging stay rays of energy, and ever falling concrete.

He was close enough to see to see the fighter, although he still couldn't make out the monster.

It was Sonia, as Harp Note. And around her neck, was Geo's pendant, burned and scratched; but not from this battle, that much he could tell.

Her size and speed was definitely an asset that was adding her; she was avoiding –even if just barely- the attacks that the monster threw at her. She moved as fast as she could, and attacked whenever she had an opening, but nothing had any affect. The Shock Notes streaked through the air, but once they collided, where just that to the monster: air.

The monster swung his fist, missing Sonia, and passing through Geo. He hadn't noticed it until just now; he couldn't touch anything.

Harp Note continued to attack the beast, but to no avail. A large sword seemed to form from mid-air, and slashed, leaving a stretch of the actual blade. Geo would have remembered that it had something to do with moving just under the speed of light, extending time, where it not for the fact that Sonia took the full force of the attack.

"Sonia!" he yelled, running towards her. He collapsed to his knee's the flames all around not effecting him. What kind of monster was strong enough to do this kind of damage, and to take out Sonia with a single strike?

He tried to hold her in his arms, but he couldn't touch her. "I-I'm sorry Geo….I…I couldn't stop him. A cold feeling enveloped him.

He turned towards the beast, rage boiling. "EM Wave Change!" he yelled. But nothing happened. There was no way he could fight; nothing he could do.

A thin red beam was resting on his chest. There was a roar and a flash of light, and a power far greater than Geo had ever imagined. He screamed.

And fell out of his chair, onto the floor. He had broken out into a cold sweat. He was panting, as he checked the clock: 3: 15 a.m. He stumbled down the stairs. His breath was heavy, his vision blurred. More than that, sensation in all his limbs was low, and he was cold. So very cold.

He stumbled through the hall-it had never seemed this long before- and crawled into the bathroom. After a few moments, he stood in the shower, the water beating against his skin. "Full heat….," he managed to say to the system. The water was scalding hot; his skin was visibly red from the water; yet he was still hold. His skin was hot, but he was cold.

Geo stepped out of the shower, put on his pajama's, and opened the door. He turned on the light so he could see, and Sonia was standing there, a concerned look on her face.

He stood there, and she embraced him tightly. "I…I dreamed…I saw something kill you. You were trying to protect me, but it…," she started, voice breaking.

"Its okay….I'm okay." he said to reassure her. Somehow, she had had a part of the dream he had had. Somehow, being close to her made him warm. He held her tight, as much to warm himself, as to reassure her. In that moment, he realized just how much they needed each other. He would get stronger. And he would protect her.

*At the Edge of a Noise Wave*

Spider walked slowly, trying to find the exact location he needed to resurrect the next pawn of the game. A strange feeling over took him, and he smiled; he had arrived.

He drew an Ace Noise card -the only one they had at that- and placed it on the ground. He stepped back, and activated the Card. A storm of the Black and White Noise swarmed around that card. Spider smiled. What would be the penultimate step in King's performance was set.

"Go, and wreak havoc…Black Ace Sirius."

Sirius smiled, and disappeared.

*Back at Geo's House*

Geo and Sonia hadn't slept since they had woken from the nightmares. They had sat and reflected to each other everything that had happened, each of the nightmares etched into their minds. Geo managed to look at the clock, and noticed that they where supposed to meet Luna, Bud, and Zack at the park in an hour. They where both already dressed, so he suggested they start that way; she agreed.

"So, what do you think caused those dreams?" asked Sonia, staring at her feet. She had a feeling of what did, but she had been made to promise not to tell Geo.

"I think…It's the Star program that Orion gave me….Orion is strange, and I know next to nothing about him…As far as I know, that's the program's way of showing me what will happen if we - I - fail to stop Null. I guess…it just broadcasted, and carried over to you." Geo tried to explain.

They stopped at the park; everyone was already there.

"Oh, good, you're here. Now, listen. We're all going to a pretty impressive event….We're going to an Orchestrate Festival in Netopia!" declared Luna.

"Orchestrate...as in Orchestra?" asked Geo. If Sonia had been a dog, her ears would have perked.

"Yeah, it's a gathering of some of the best, classical, and other genres," she added, as not to offend Sonia, "of music in the world, and my parents managed to get tickets for all of us. It's going to have some where upward of five hundred musicians, lots of ancient instruments, and the priceless, Crystal Piano."

"I've heard of that. It's a Piano where the body is composed of glass, and it was made over five hundred years ago, by hand. Apparently, if any of the processes in making it had differentiated, it would shatter under the strings tension, and well, here it is, or will be, five hundred years later." explained Zack.

"We've all ready cleared it, and I'm sure its no problem for you, Sonia, but we need you to get the A-okay from your parents, Geo," said Luna.

"Come on, kid. I'm getting restless; even this sounds good to me," grumbled Omega-Xis.

"Alright, alright, I'll go. When are we supposed to leave?" asked Geo.

"In about seven hours," stated Zack.

"Seven hours!?" said Geo, surprised.

"Yeah, so hurry up and pack!" commanded Luna.

"I'll be right back!" yelled Geo as he took off for his house, noticing Sonia pulsing in, probably to go pack herself.

"….Yeah….I understand…..Five hundred?...Okay….Just gone? No evidence?...I see…..Yeah, I'll tell him…..Alright, bye."

This was the conversation Geo heard as he walked in, seeing his dad cut off communication with someone.

"Who was that?" asked Geo.

"It was Ace. There was been reports of massive pieces of equipment just disappearing randomly. No thief. And for some reason, there is a massive amount of Noise and an old fashion EM Pulse before the thefts, so we don't know what, or who, is causing it. Ace wants to send you to Netopia. The WAZA there, and the one here in Electopia, which he will be guarding, are the only one's that haven't been stricken," explained Kelvin.

"Well, that's bad, and good. I was going to ask you to let me go to Netopia anyways. Everyone is planning on going to Orchestrate Festival."

"Piano Parade? Actually, that's where he needs you," started Kelvin, "you may not know it, but the Glass Piano there, is of great importance to EM scientist. Despite that it's just a glass instrument, it has a unique property, that is both good and bad; it destroys Noise, but creates Crimson in its place although it is still in a 2:1 ratio. Most of the equipment that has been stolen could be used as a Noise generator, and there is also a Reverse Engine, which turns stray EM Waves into electricity…if it's used on the Piano, it could become a massive Crimson generator, making Crimson, simply by the Noise it makes from being on."

*Beep. Beep.*

"Hello, Kelvin?"

"Yeah, what is it Ace? Geo is here too," said Kelvin.

"Well, we just got a report….An old Nuclear Fission Reactor, from 19XX, not a Fusion one like we use now….It's just…gone," said Ace, the shock notable in his voice.

"Gone? Has does something that big-and dangerous-simply vanish?" said Kelvin, weary of the whole thing.

"….I saw it happen. It was a Black Hole."

"(Kid, you don't think….)" commented Omega-Xis.

"(Yeah, Mega, I do….Sirius,)" responded Geo.

"(I thought we deleted him!)" complained Omega-Xis.

"(Looks like we didn't. He had the power of a Black Hole to begin with. There is no telling what he could do,)" answered Geo.

"Geo, I'm sorry to ask this of my son…."

"No, Dad, its fine. It's my job as a Commando," Geo said, reassuring his father.

"Thanks Geo. Promise me you won't let anything happen to you," commanded Kelvin.

"I promise," said Geo. It was almost like all those years that Kelvin was lost in space, only know, the roles where reversed.

"Haha! That's my boy. Good luck, Geo," he paused, and then grinned, one of his big, teasing grins, "with more than just the mission."

Geo rolled his eyes, but couldn't help from blushing; he knew that Kelvin was talking about Sonia.

Geo ran up to his room, ready to pack his things, when on his bed, he spotted an old-fashion envelope. Low Tech. High Security. It was a bright white, sealed with gold wax. There was a star constellation etched into it. The Hunter: Orion.

Geo,

Something big is brewing. I've done some digging, and all the control of your friend Luna, and Sonia, was all caused by Dealer. King has something big planned; no doubt you heard from Ace that he was busted out. He's discovered a strange type of Black and White Crimson; I don't know what name your scientist will give them, but I have something simple: Yin and Yang.

I don't know what he's doing with it, but I can only guess, and if I'm right, he could prove to be a great threat. Maybe enough to deter even Null. You must stop Sirius. I'm sure your friends at WAZA will be able to pinpoint King's base by then. I'm going to do some more research. Good luck; I fear you may need it.

I really would rather do this myself, but I can't. Forgive me for putting you in this position. I'd hate to lose my best friend.

Stay safe and happy hunting.

Orion

Geo noticed a few things about the letter. First, the handwriting was sketchy, almost like Orion had been trembling when he had written it. On top of that, there where blood stains on the letter; Orion's he guessed.

Another few things struck him as odd; how did Orion know so much about, not only King, but the 'Yin and Yang'? And why was King a threat, and how did Orion know?

He said he would want to do this himself….Did he have powers? An EM Wave Change? He must at least be capable of that; otherwise, how would he stand up against Null.

But most importantly….'"I'd hate to lose my best friend."' What did Orion mean? Geo? Or someone else?

Another piece of paper fell out.

(.sredips fo luferaC .S.P)

It looked hastily scribbled. He could not read the writing, so he placed it on the desk; he would figure it out later.

He began packing the things he would need for the trip: pajamas, clothes, toothbrush, socks, and all the other basics.

He stood up, and slammed his head into the bottom of his desk, sending a whole slew of things sliding onto the floor.

"Ow….!" he said, gathering the things up. Then he noticed something. The note had fluttered down to the ground, and he could make out the letters "P.S" He moved the book that was covering up, and read what it had to say.

(P.S Careful of Spiders.)

"Spiders?" asked Geo, suddenly itchy, swatting invisible spiders off himself.

Somehow, he knew Orion was right; Spider…the name seemed to mean something, but he couldn't but the name to anything that had happened.

Orion was strange; but he was informed. And for now, that's all Geo had to go on, and he had to trust him. Even if his mind, and Omega-Xis, warned against it.

Geo packed a few more things, and closed his bag. He ran down stairs, and after saying good-bye to Kelvin and Hope, left for the Wave Liner, ready to get to the airport.

Geo sat on the airplane, after a long two hour ordeal of actually trying to get on the plane. They were flying first class, not only for comfort, but for Sonia's sake, so that she didn't have to travel in disguise.

He watched the sea stream below; albatrosses looked like blurs, as Geo made the same journey, only much faster than the frigate bird could ever fathom.

His music was blaring through his ear buds. He was comfortable; and not just because of the first class seats. Sonia was sleeping next to him, her head on his shoulder, and they were hand in hand, underneath a soft fleece blanket.

He paused his music, and just listened to her breathe, while he watched her sleep. She was so beautiful, even in the strange lighting of the plane. Her breath was warm against his arm, her hair was soft. He stroked his thumb against the palm of her hand.

Sonia pulled her legs up into the love-seat-type chair; having traded her jeans for knee length khaki-colored shorts, with a yellow stripe that streaked down the side. She cuddled up onto Geo, resting against him. He laid his head against hers, and fell into the strange sky-high sleep.

Sonia stood in a black place. No walls. No ceilings. No floors. Up and down, left and right, forward and back; they all faded together, undistinguishable, but somehow, she was illuminated, and she could see the darkness around her.

She began walking, and noticed two floating orbs; one a bluish-white, the other, a golden-black that managed to stand out from the darkness. And then a flash of light.

Orion stood across from her.

"You?….Orion?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied simply.

"What do you want?" she asked, not knowing to be afraid, or glad that the teenage boy stood there.

Orion extended his hands, and the orbs floated towards them. He looked towards the bluish one. "Valor. Courage. Hope. Trust. Bonds. These are the things represented by him. Infinite power, through infinite bonds, and limitless love."

He turned his head, and addressed the black and gold orb. "Loneliness. Power. Strength. Determination. These are represented by this man. Boundless strength, derived from within, relying on no one; defending no one, but your own existence."

"Together, these powers can break the spell that he holds over reality, and only together, through the power of bonds and loneliness, can they break his spell," he started to explain.

Then, a strange orb appeared in the air. It was black on one side, gray in the middle, and white on the other side.

"Null…" she stated. She knew he had three sides; she may not have been herself, but she retained her memories of when she had been Black Queen of Harps.

"Yes. Null. Nothingness. Hope. Fear. Knowledge. These are what the three sides of Null represent. The Ivory Null. He wants to bring the two together," as he said this a resonance came from the blue and black orbs as the distance between them shrunk, " The Onyx Null, wants to tear them apart," this, he said, as the orbs distanced themselves, turning from orbs into wild balls of energy, and a horrible screeching noise filled the air.

"The Platinum Null. He wants nothing. He seeks knowledge, and acts practically, not by right and wrong. If ever he was to act to a moral code, Null would become complete. His Platinum color would either take on an Ivory, or Onyx tint. Null would become one entity, instead of three." As he said this, the two orbs floated to there beginning positions, and their forms.

"But…why do need you me?" asked Sonia. It was all a very brilliant display, but she didn't understand how she fit into all of this.

"Terrible things can happen with Null's plan. The balance of good and evil is delicate in this universe. If Light, becomes corrupted by Darkness, and if Darkness, becomes corrupted by Light," Orion started; the two orbs where closer than ever, a strange noise coming from them, and wild flares of energy shot from them, mixing into the other orb, "the balance shifts. You are the Restorer.

"If the worst happens, the one of Light will become Dusk, and the one of Darkness: Dawn. They are not meant for this."

"Wait, I don't understand….." Sonia murmured.

"The one of Bonds is not coded for Loneliness. The one of Loneliness is not coded for Bonds. If they switch sides of the spectrum, their codes are altered. They…become like Null."

"Geo," gasped Sonia.

"You are the Restorer. Through Respect – the one of Loneliness- and Love – the one of Bonds- can you restore them to their original selves. Infinity. Cataclysm. Sym…ies."

Orion continued talking, but she couldn't understand certain words.

Orion said one last thing. "Often, music is the gateway into are hearts and minds."

And then he disappeared.

Sonia stood there for a moment, and then opened her eyes.

She was cuddled up against Geo, who was sleeping himself. She looked at the clock, and there was still around four hours before touch down.

She raised her head and looked around; everyone was asleep. Omega-Xis' snoring could be heard from inside Geo's Variable.

She looked around again, and discovered that Luna was awake; she had just been reading. Sonia got up carefully, and moved towards her; maybe some conversation would make the flight more fun.

"Hey, Luna," Sonia said, a smile on her face.

Luna looked up from the magazine, and noticed Sonia, also turning off her music. "Oh, your up, Sonia?"

"Yeah, I just woke up, and didn't want to wake Geo….So…What's up? It seems like we haven't really talked in a long time," said Sonia, not really sure what to say. She knew from that Luna had liked Geo, so the situation was kind of awkward.

"Oh, not much. Just brushing up on my history before we get to the festival," she explained.

"Ah….Uh, Luna? Thank you for inviting me," smiled Sonia.

"You have nothing to thank me for yet; the fun hasn't even started," replied Luna. She knew what Sonia was really saying. "Thanks for not being jealous of Geo and I."

Geo awoke, to the soft noises of conversation between Sonia and Luna. But then, Sonia said something that made Geo's eyes bolt wide open: "Have you ever met a kid named Orion? And if so, did he have any connection with Red Queen Ophicua?"

It wasn't what Sonia said that grabbed his attention, but what Luna replied. "No…It wasn't someone named Orion…It was someone named Spider. He was in what was sorta like a bluish-black tuxedo, and had a white hat."

Spider. So, it was a person. Geo closed his eyes to think; maybe he was being too wary of Orion. After all, it was his Star Rain card that allowed him to save Sonia. And his best friend?…Did Geo know Orion from sometime in the past? Before Kelvin went into space? He couldn't remember; everything before then seemed to be a blur. Before he knew it, he was asleep, but his mind never stopped milling these things over.

Sonia, having finished talking to Luna, now knowing that, just maybe, Orion was really on their side, she walked over to her seat next to Geo and made it extend to a reclined position. She pulled the blanket over Geo and herself, and fell into a deep, content sleep for the remainder of the flight, as was everyone else.

It had been a few hours after they had managed to get off of their flight (after the process of tracking down their luggage; it seemed that even though flight had existed for several centuries, that this was a never ending problem) and now Geo was able to actually grasp the scale and grandeur surrounding this parade.

Men and women directed cars and floats, as they decorated the old-timely cobble stoned streets. Street lamps where glowing faintly in the evening, musical instrument decorations reflecting light in every direction, adding a festive feeling to the air, only increasing its grandeur. Performers marched in the street, practicing for the festival that was to take place tomorrow.

Bystanders cheered from behind barracks, as police officers held them back. The reason that Geo and his friends were in, was because of the special passes that Luna had managed to get her hands on. Sonia wasn't in disguise either; being as this was a musical festival, and considering that she still recorded, no one was surprised that she was there.

And that's when he saw it. The Glass Piano. It was on a majestic float that shone many different colored lights, of different intensity, making it sheen and shine, casting rainbows into the air around it.

Even if it weren't for the fact of its strange Noise properties, he could see where someone might attempt to steal the piano, just for its value. And what he had been told, and what he had heard was right; the simple fact that it stood together was amazing, almost deifying the laws of physics. And its song was beautiful as well, the man sitting on the chair of the piano, his hands gliding seamlessly and flawlessly over the keys.

Strangely enough, it was not Sonia who seemed to be the most captivated by the Piano, but Zack. He was frozen with awe.

Geo smiled, like everyone else, he was impressed…and then the jet-lag hit. Regardless of the fact that he had slept the majority of the trip, the trip across the time zones had thrown his internal clock out of sync, and he felt like he hadn't slept in weeks. He checked his Variable, and found that it was only 6 p.m., or 18:00, but the darkness had already affected him.

"*Yawn* Hey, guys….I think I'm going to head back to the hotel….," managed Geo.

No sooner than he had yawned, that the jet-lag hit the others. They all agreed to go back to the hotel, and get some sleep before the festival tomorrow.

As they started to head back, Geo noticed that Zack hadn't moved.

"Hey, Zack….," started Geo.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, I'll be back later. I'm gonna stay for a bit longer….," he said, his voice trailing off.

"I say if he wants to stay, let 'em. I need some shut eye," said Omega-Xis.

They all agreed, and made their way back to the hotel. Yet Zack stayed, captivated by the piano.

"You can marvel at me, no? But you understand so much more. Endless possibilities await it. You have the knowledge. Let me have what I need."

If someone was to look into Zack's eyes, they would see his pupils were quite large, even for the low lighting. He turned, and worked through the crowd unnoticed, going to fulfill Sirius' bidding.

Geo lay on the couch (having been but in the same room-the larger one- with Sonia and Luna, he let them each have a bed room, while he decided to sleep in the living room), sleep escaping him. He was exhausted, but his mind wouldn't surrender to blissful rest just yet. So much had happened, between his suspicions of Sirius and the Piano, and, of course, Orion's letter.

He sighed. On top of all the blatant crap that came when the world was endangered, he had to deal with someone who may have been his friend when he was really little, Ace's wedding was supposed to be coming up in a few months, and then there was Sonia's birthday. He had no idea what to do.

In the past few years, Sonia had always done really extravagant things for Geo, weather it be bringing him artifacts from corners of the world, or a signed baseball from his favorite player. And what had he managed? Not much, that was for sure. To him, even the best things he got her seemed like childish toys compared to the things she got him. Just last year, he bought her an expensive ribbon. She wore it whenever she wore her hair in a ponytail, but that was rarely.

He twirled his pendant in his fingers, running over the smooth edges of the metal. And then he remembered the dream. She had been wearing his pendant. Had he given it to her? Or…No, he decided not to think about it. Her birthday wasn't for a few weeks anyways. He could figure it out then.

He rolled over, and finally fell to sleep, the next day awaiting.

Orion sat on the edge of a building in Electopia. Geo was in Netopita, probably ready to face another danger. Orion's wounds were healed; they always healed. His own body was foreign to him; he had become accustomed to bloodstained clothes and hair. A pendant of a strange shape hung from his neck. He ran his hand to it, and it was that reason that he kept on fighting.

Moments later, Orion was walking through the streets of a city he didn't know the name to, when the wind picked up and it started to rain. People scurried around, trying not to get wet, while Orion walked on, welcoming it. The beat of the rain allowed his mind to wander, allowed him to be lost in nothingness for a while.

Oddly enough, it was a feeling of serenity. In all the uncertainty and chaos of the world, the rain, and what it brought with it, was a constant, and in that simple fact-the fact that the rain could wash away sorrow, and even though it was bleak, that it would reveal the sun eventually- he found peace. It was his own symbol for the fact that things would get better, as long as you could weather the storm.

*Splash!*

Orion snapped back to reality, to see a boy, no more than five, crying, laying in a puddle. There was no one around, other than Orion, and it was obvious that the boy was hurt. He walked over, and but his jacket over the little boy, so he would stay dry.

"Where is your guardian?" asked Orion, trying to keep the little boy calm.

"I-I-I-I don't know. It was raining, and I fell, and Mom ran off somewhere…," the little boy said, trying not to cry.

Orion smiled, and helped the boy up, walking him in to a small restaurant. The smell of cinnamon rose to his nose, as the cinnamon rolls sat glistening on the counter, while a man in a suit sat sipping coffee, doing a crossword.

"You remain here," commanded Orion, setting the boy at the counter, paying for a hot chocolate for him. "I will search for your mother."

Orion told the clerk what had happened, and she said that she would watch over the boy.

He stepped outside, and the rain pelted him again, The door opened behind him.

"Mister? Your jacket," said the little boy, a smile on his face, " thank you for the chocolate, and for looking for my mom."

Orion took the jacket, smiled, and looked around for the child's mother as he went back inside. No sooner than had he taken a few steps, had a women rushed past him, into the store.

"Mom!" exclaimed from within.

The child burst through the doors, wanting to show his mother the teenager who had helped him, but Orion had already cut into a back alley, and was walking away, out of sight.

But, he was smiling. "At least…," thought Orion, "I can still do some good." He walked away, hands in pockets, happier than he had been in a long time.

*The Next Day: Netopia*

Geo awoke slowly. It was early, he could tell by the light of the rising sun streaming through the windows. He pulled his shirt on, separating his semi-cool pendant from his chest. He shuffled into the kitchen, fixing himself a bowl of cereal. He heard another set of shuffling, and saw Sonia come in to the kitchen of the apartment.

He allowed himself a small chuckle-laughing even louder at the fact that he managed to laugh this early-Sonia's hair was wild, in a massive case of bed-head.

"Geo….? It's only five in the morning...," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, I know, I was up anyways, so, I figured I'd at least get ready for the day," said Geo, his mind now on edge, realizing that things today would probably not go as planned.

Sonia walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around him. "You know, even if you know that you have a fight-and I'll be right beside you for it- you should at least try and enjoy yourself before it."

Geo nodded, running his hand down his arm. She leaned her forehead against the back of his, and then returned to her room to get ready for the day.

The man wiped sweat from his brow; he was under much pressure. He was programming all the sequences for the parade, and people were already starting to gather. He had noticed a popular teen singer, Sonia Strumm, with a group of teenagers whom he presumed to be her friends. He twisted a few more dials, and touched a few more buttons, making adjustments of nanometers and milliseconds. One wrong move, and the parade would fail, and all the blame would fall upon him. He double, triple, and then quadruple checked all the settings, and once he was satisfied that everything was perfect, that the Real Waves would activate at the right time, that the lights would cast in the right place, did he lave.

Once he turned his back, he failed to see the spark come from the machine. Even if he had, it would have only made him start a test run. Without the ability to see EM Waves, he couldn't see Black Ace Sirius enter the mainframe.

Sonia was slurping a cold soda, while Geo was trying to enjoy the start of the parade, although, he learned that the term "parade" was just that; a term. It was actually more of a massive orchestrate concert, only the instruments were being glamorously introduced.

Men and women dressed in ordain tuxedos and gowns marched into the room, holding instruments such as trumpets, trombones, flutes, violins, and a mass of others. As he watched, a panel opened in the floor, as the piano rose slowly out of the floor, the pianist on an intricately decorated seat, ready to start the performance.

Then, the conductor walked out on stage. He was wearing a very expensive tuxedo, and had sleeked back black hair. He bowed to the audience-as much a symbol for them to shush up as it was that the performance was about to begin- and then turned to the orchestra, and pulled out a brilliant conductor's baton, made of ivory.

He started moving his hands, keeping the beat, and counting off counts as the orchestra began. Geo had read some where that when the performance ended, it would signify the opening of a certain hall, where many of the worlds composer met and discussed their music to themselves and the public. He had read it somewhere, but right now, he was so captivated by the music of the orchestra, that he had forgotten almost everything else.

The stage was lit with many colored lights that dimmed and brightened with the flow and feel of the music. As the song went into its piano, the lights dimmed, as it went into its fortes, they brightened. Then, a panel in the ceiling opened up, and a massive swatch of light came pouring out, almost every color of the rainbow. It struck the piano, and made it glow majestically. From here it was almost blinding, and that's when he realized that the pianist was blind. He would have to be, or he would have gone blind by sitting so close to it. That's what also made Geo realize why all the orchestra members were wearing thick sunglasses.

Geo thought he noticed something strange. As the symphony went into a piano, he saw it: a ball of light in the middle of the piano. At first, he didn't think anything around it. But then there was a rest in the song, and his eyes widened with panic. That was not a beam of multi-colored light used for effects. It was Sirius' Satellite Blazer attack.

"(Kid,)" whispered Omega-Xis, having noticed something was wrong.

"(I know,)" responded Geo, putting on his Visualizers. His gaze narrowed as he but together what was happening. Sirius had made the first move. The ball of light in the piano was actually a highly condensed ball of Noise-that much he got by the Noise Waves forming around it- and no body noticed the Noise because of the light.

And the piano was using Sirius' Satellite Blazer to generate Crimson. And the worst of all, the Conductor was forming it all into a single source with his Baton; the Conductor was Spider. He now knew that.

"Sonia…It's starting," he whispered to her. She nodded. She knew it wouldn't be long before they had to fight.

Geo stood up, and that's when all chaos erupted. All the exits to the halls where blocked with black holes. A massive explosion took place, knocking several people unconscious, and the worst part was, through a hole in the ceiling, Geo could see a Black Hole approaching the building. Not only was it going to take the piano, it was going to take everything, and everyone.

Then, small black holes started flying around the room, sucking up what ever came to close. People scrambled in a panic, moving to the back of the room, away from the destructive disks.

Geo locked eyes with Sonia, and they knew what they had to do.

"Transcode: 003! Mega Man!"

"Transcode: 004! Harp Note!"

The two stood there, examining the Wave Road. Unlike what Geo had expected, the miniature black holes didn't seem to be destroying it, but simply distorting it. It made sense; if they wanted to generate Noise, why would you destroy the EM Waves, when you could convert them.

"You ready?" asked Mega Man. He was not looking forward to fighting Sirius, last time he had, it was for the fate of Planet FM.

"Yea," replied Harp Note.

Mega Man nodded, and took off running. He jumped over the distortions in the Wave Road, narrowly dodging black holes; Harp Note had a much easier time than he did. At one point, he was nearly stricken with a black hole, but she blasted him with a Shock Note that pushed him ahead.

"Sorr-"

"Thanks, that was close," he cut in, using a Small Energy to undo the damage that the Shock Note had done.

It was not hard to find where they were heading to. The Real Wave Projector that controlled the entire performance was in a massive chandelier near where Sirius' Satellite Blazer was protruding from the ceiling. This is where the black holes were originating from, and the fact that a massive amount of crimson was forming around it was a good sign as well.

"Pulse in!" the two said simultaneously.

Although he had never been in it before, he knew that the Real Wave Central Core was seriously messed up. It didn't resemble its outside appearance at all-like Central Cores often did- but, rather, the Black Hole Server.

"Geo…I don't like the vibe this place is giving me…And the air feels….thick," said Harp Note with a shiver.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. We are in what's basically a miniature Meteor G: a Noise Server. This place feels almost as ominous as the original….," said Mega Man, examining his surroundings. It was laid out exactly like the original Black Hole Server.

Mega Man took a few steps. Everything was laid out the exact same. The only exception was that there were no "R"'s and no doors. It was a straight shot to Area 2, where Mega Man suspected Sirius waited for them. Of course, why would someone as powerful as Sirius need tricks? He could have only gotten stronger since their last encounter.

The team of two walked into the second area, and noticed Sirius in the distance; he was black instead of white, and a red "A" was on his forehead. Black Ace Sirius.

He suddenly went into full alert, and, grabbing Harp Note, jumped into the air, as the planets collided. Grabities.

"Fire Sword!" yelled Mega Man, using his right hand for the sword, and using his left hand to fire his Mega Buster, launching him forward. He slashed through one Grabity, and jumped forward, striking another. There was a blaring guitar riff as a Shock Note slammed into the flying planets, protecting him from the blasts.

He nodded at Harp Note; he couldn't take his focus off of the Grabities; if they decided to use their vortex attack, the combined strength could delete him.

"Great Axe!" As he rushed forward, he combined the Great Axe with Omega-Xis' Mega-Attack ability, along with a Tornado Dance, slinging the large blade in a wide circle, destroying all of the Grabities.

"*huff, huff, huff* Thanks for taking care of those planets, Sonia," said Mega Man, some what tired from the battle, trying to catch his breath before moving on to Sirius.

"Don't worry about it. Here, use this Small Energy; you need to be at full strength if Sirius is stronger than you said he was the first time you fought him," she said, fully intending on helping in the fight herself.

Mega Man and Harp Note pressed forward, moving closer to Sirius….

*In Electopia, on a Metroline*

Orion flipped a coin in his hand. Heads. Tails. Heads. Tails. Heads. Heads…. The cycle was broken, a different outcome. He sighed. He had a bad feeling; he knew Geo was about to begin fighting.

He watched as men and women fluttered between consciousness and sleep, awareness, and a blatant gaze as the landscape streaked by. He didn't even care where the train took him; he could easily find his way back if he was to get lost.

He felt more exhausted than he had in a long, long time. Of course the lazy setting of the train didn't help, but just, some many things were going on, many more things that even Geo couldn't see, and things that Orion himself barley grasped.

Then again, trying to stop an event told in a prophesy made thousands of years ago wasn't easy, and it was only by chance that it was Orion who was trying to stop it. Had he not been so tired, he would have laughed. It was so cliché. An ancient prophecy, the end of the world, it was like every video game that ever existed. But this wasn't a video game; there were no second chances.

Orion pulled out a Variable, and plugged in some headphones, and started listening to music. He was going to use this time to relax. As much as he hated to admit it, even though he was trying to save the world, he still had personal problems. There was always- "No." He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

He didn't have time to think about himself. He realized what being Mega Man must have been like for Geo those years ago. You have to put other people before yourself. But that was easier said than done.

A man walked up to Orion and tapped him on the shoulder. Orion didn't need to take out his headphones, but motioned for the man to go ahead and take the seat across from him. Orion himself, got up, and walked outside, trying to get some fresh air.

He never did get back to his seat; he was to busy the next five minutes, getting lost in the streets of another city, five hundred miles away.

*Before Sirius' Door*

Mega Man took a deep breath, preparing to move on to what he knew would be a tough battle. He wouldn't wait any longer.. He took a large breath, and charged through, Harp Note trailing him.

"Sirius…," said Mega Man.

"Ah, how nice to see you again, Mega Man. I was very disappointed that I couldn't add you to my collection last time we met," said Sirius, that same, mocking, almost childish tone in his voice.

"I'm going to defeat you, Sirius. I don't know what you're trying to do, but I will stop you," declared Mega Man.

"See, then you've already failed, Mega Man. My whole purpose at the moment is to generate Noise. As soon as I came to be, you failed. I've already harvested enough of the Black and White noise, along with regular Crimson to further Mr. King's plan. Now, I simply have to add you to my collection, and even the two-or three if the Miss joins- fighting will make more Noise. Like I've said, you've already failed."

As if confirming what Sirius had said, some of the Black and White Crimson in the air was sucked away, no doubt going to King.

"……," was Mega Man's response. What reason did he have to fight Sirius then, other than to cease the creation of the Noise that was coming from the Piano? Of course the chaos in the Real World would die down, but there was no point. And then, a card flew by Mega Man's head.

He turned, to see a man in a suit holding a deck of cards. Spider.

"Hello there. Geo and Sonia, right? It's a pleasure," he said, suavely, like a gentleman.

"So, you're Spider? You don't look so tough. In fact, you remind me of Dark Phantom," mocked Omega-Xis.

"Hm, I supposed I do resemble him, but rest assured that there is no conncection. But, that's not why I'm here. I came to thank you."

This caught Mega Man by surprise, and he asked, "What do you mean thank us? We are about to stop Sirius. He's part of your leader's force."

"Well, defeating Sirius-or not- will give King all the Noise he needs for his plan. There is more to this picture than you know. But regardless, I've expressed my thanks, and must be on my way. Tah-tah," said Spider, waving, before disappearing. He seemed like a strange man.

There was a wailing guitar note, and Mega Man turned around. Sonia was fighting Sirius. He looked almost demonic, and he saw that the card that Spider had thrown was a Noise card, and it had combined with the already-Noise-enhanced Sirius.

He couldn't waste any time, and fired a volley of blasts from his Mega Buster. The smashed through the glass-like barriers that Sirius generated, and Sonia managed to strike one of the golden ships that Sirius formed from his wings, stopping a large beam that was going to fire from it.

"Plus Cannon!" yelled Mega Man, firing the bullet at Sirius. There was a flash of light as it slammed into Sirius, but there was no damage to Sirius himself.

Mega Man started scanning Sirius using his Visualizer's abilities, and noticed something about the card that was stuck to Sirius' head: on it was Apollo Flame. That was how he was so much stronger; not just the Noise, but he was infused with Apollo Flame's powers.

Almost as to confirm this, a trail of fire leapt from the ground, forcing Mega Man to move, or risk taking a hit from not only it, but a stray laser from Sirius' satellites. He jumped out of the way, dodging the trail of flames.

Mega Man released a volley of shots, destroying a fleet of Sirius' satellites that were charging towards them. He immediately threw up his shield, as the flaming tornado move of Apollo rushed towards him.

"Geh," he let out as the tornado slammed into his shield. Fighting them apart was hard enough, but fighting them with their combined abilities was insane. He managed a stray look, and saw that Harp Note was having just as much trouble as he was. It was annoying to think that he could hold the two of them off like it was nothing at all.

"Kid, I don't think we can beat him like this," said Omega-Xis, struggling to help Mega Man fight.

"I know…I think we may have to use the Star program….," said Mega Man, activating a MadVulcan card to blast through the glass-like shields, and strike Sirius, momentarily stunning him with a Counter.

"Sonia!" he yelled.

"I'm on it!" she responded, unleashing a flurry of Shock Notes. Once she had broken threw more glass barriers and the flame shield that was akin to Apollo, about four Shock Notes managed to strike Sirius.

But that strike was when things intensified.

As soon as he could, Sirius lifted his arms. With a Golden Satellite in each hand, two things happened: first, a Satellite Blazer started charging, and the other-unbelievable- started forming a Solar Flare.

Mega Man fired a Charged Shot, to attempt to stop them, but to no avail. The Satellite Blazer fired….As did four others from Satellites that Mega Man thought he had destroyed earlier.

The beams slammed full force into Mega Man, and then, started to crystallize. Mega Man had been entrapped, mid shot, in a case of clear crystal. Sirius then threw the Solar Flare.

"No!" yelled Harp Note, using her extreme speed to move in front of it. There was a bright light….

Harp Note found herself standing in a white room. Pink ribbons seemed to float through the air, intertwining with a blue ribbon at some points-the blue ribbon intertwining with a black one itself. There was a flash, and as the light dispersed, Orion stood in front of her.

"Sonia-no, Harp Note- I guess its time for you to play your part," he said. His voice carried in such a way that he sounded like he was standing directly in front of her, instead of being at the great distance that was between them.

"Orion… I have to know. Who are you?" she asked.

"Someone who's on your side…" said Orion, his voice trailing off, as his mind wandered to Geo and Sonia. He hated that he had to make them do this. Why couldn't he be strong enough himself!?!

"Orion…I…will trust you, if you can help Geo," she said, shaking her head.

"I…I can't. But I can help you. And you can help him," started Orion, with a sigh, "Sonia, as a performer, I'd be correct in guessing that you love music? I, personally, love most different kinds of music, but I love symphonies. They have so much emotion, the highs and lows, the tempo of it all. They are used for many things, and are the perfect backdrops to Love and War. Symphonies can show both kindness….and strength. And that is your power. Let the language of the soul flow through you! BECOME….! SYMPHONY HARP!"

The ribbons streaked towards Harp Note, weaving their way around her. Her helmet disappeared, leaving Harp Note's blond hair out, which was pulled out beautifully, and bound with a ribbon. Her clothes wound around her into a beautiful amaranth color dress, outfitted with a sapphire stone at the base of her neck. Her guitar changed as well, becoming much more elegant, with an intricate, beautiful design etched into it, the guitar itself a majestic sky blue.

Harp Note was stunned at her transformation. "Is…Is this from the ability you gave me?" she asked.

"Yes. Now, go. This is your fight now, Sonia," and with that, Orion turned and walked away, fading into the light.

The light faded away, and Symphony Note stood between Mega Man and Sirius, a large crystalline structure holding off the Solar Flare. Sirius was surprised, but he didn't show it; he simply strengthened his onslaught of attacks.

Symphony Harp dodged the attacks so quickly, that they couldn't even be considered movement-it was teleportation. Her movements were flawless, precise, and well calculated.

"Forte Shock!" yelled Symphony Harp as a blazing golden note streaked through the air, shattering effortlessly through Sirius' barriers, and phasing threw his Flame Shield. There was a dazzling explosion as the attack collided with Sirius' body.

Sirius let out a pained yell, as another fleet of Satellites streamed towards her. Using her speed, she maneuvered herself into a strategic position…and jumped, causing the Satellites to slam into the crystals, freeing Mega Man.

There was another flash of light, as Mega Man's Charged Shot fired, and he turned into Mega Man Infinity.

"Geo!" exclaimed Sonia, as she maneuvered towards Mega Man Infinity, all the while dodging Sirius' attacks, and continuing her own onslaught. She rested beside him, as he raised his shield, and a barrier also surrounded him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, charging another blast. He was determined to take Sirius down now. There was no clue as to the damage Sirius had wreaked in the Real World.

"Yeah, but are you?" she asked, concern in her voice. He nodded.

"Let's finish this. We need to take Sirius down. NOW."

His barrier and shield fell. As he released his Laser Shot, Symphony Note strummed her guitar furiously, sending a torrent of Symphony Notes, which radiated beautiful music.

The explosion was blinding as Sirius reeled back in pain. His guard was down, and Sonia and Geo's minds linked. There was a third person there, but the connection was so brief, that they couldn't distinguish who it was. A brilliant light flowed majestically between Symphony Note and Mega Man Infinity. A strange star symbol appeared on his hand; the same symbol appeared on her guitar.

"Infinity Shock!" they roared simultaneously. Both of Mega Man Infinity's hands turned into Infinity Busters, and he released two massive Laser Shots, that formed the Star Force Symbol. Symphony Note also released a beam from her guitar, in the form of a music note, the head of which was a heart.

"NOOOO!" wreathed Sirius as the attacks combined their full power to much for his being to take. The blinding light and deafening music was too much, and Sirius was deleted from existence once more, the only trace of him left, the damage he had caused.

The two heroes were Pulsed Out in the middle of the Arena. Reports would be for weeks on end, about two glowing figures that had appeared, halted and eradicated all of the Black Holes.

People ran out of the hall, shouting thanks and releasing screams of joy, even though they wouldn't approach Geo and Sonia, simply thinking that they were the teenagers who were able to get the best view of the glowing figures.

Geo and Sonia soon realized that through all the havoc, the blind man never stopped playing. His music was even more beautiful than before, and simply the sound of it was enough to well up the emotions inside of them, and bring tears to their eyes. It was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

The man finished his performance, and bowed to the two remaining audience members, and-using his Wizard for guidance- approached the two of them.

His accent was strong as he spoke, "You two…I cannot see you, no. But…your presence…tis the same as the two who were described as, eh, glowing figures, yes."

Geo started to nod, but quietly muttered yes, remembering that the man was blind.

"You…you have inspired me more anything has in many, many years. You don't want people knowing, no?"

"We would really appreciate if you would keep who we are a secret…" said Sonia, a pang of remorse for the identities being known in her voice.

"Yes, I see, yes…Here! Listen! I will not reveal you, no. But on one term. Come home, to my hall. And let me play you my newest symphony. I can think of no better revealing for 'Endless Struggles', than for the two Lovers that fought a War for us, no?"

The two agreed, and a pleasing smile adorned the man's face. "Good, good! Be at the address at eight sharp. Please dress well." And with that, his Wizard guided him off.

Eight o'clock approached fast than any other hour in the day, as Geo stood in the hall of the man's house, waiting on Sonia. She stepped in, dressed in a brilliant dress.

Geo drew a short breath, "Your wearing the ribbon?"

"Mm-hm. I only ever wear it for important occasions. I don't want it getting messed up," she said, a smile on her face, "you always get really meaningful things for me."

They were soon greeted by a Wizard that brought them into a large ball room. There, the man sat, playing a few simple scales on the piano.

"Ah, you came. Please, listen to the music. You may go after this song, when ever you please." And the man started playing.

The song was more beautiful than anything else that had been played, or even heard by the ears of all three people listening. A string of measures that seemed to sound the way that Geo imagined the sparkling of stars played, and he blushed as he asked Sonia to dance.

She nodded, equally as red, but neither noticing-swept up in the moment. They moved fluidly and leisurely around the room, letting the music guide them, enjoying it along with the other person's presence more than anything else in the world. Nothing else mattered at that moment.

The two found themselves in each other's embrace, underneath a beam of golden moonlight that steamed through the skylight.

The music grew quiet with the piano in the song. Geo could hear his heart beating in his chest. Their eyes locked, and their heads slowly inched forward, until their lips where locked together, in a romantic kiss that would have put any other scene to shame.

In that moment, they were complete, and their life's were perfect.

Reluctantly, they pulled away.

"Geo...," whispered Sonia, her face red.

"Sonia... I love you," he said, as he kissed her on the cheek this time.

"I love you too," she replied returning the kiss, but this time, on the lips.

And for the rest of the song, the two sat together in the other's embrace, while the man's hands commanded the piano to continue to produce the most beautiful music in the world….

*At King's Base*

"Well, although it seems Sirius failed in destroying them, he supplied me with more than enough Noise to go through with my plan," cackled King - he being the only one who saw the hilarity in the situation.

"Good…He will be pleased," said Spider, turning his back on King.

"What do you mean, he?"

Spider replied with a smirk, "You think it was coincidence that you had me working for you? No, Null said that you would never see him again. But he never said that he wouldn't see you. I was sent her to make sure your plan succeeded. And now that its preparations are complete, the only thing left is for you to start your plans in the one week it will take you to set the final stages in motion. This will be the last you see of me and Null, or anything to do with him, other than this fortress."

And with that, Spider entered a black portal, and disappeared.

King smirked. What ever Null's own plan was, it had inadvertently sped King's plan of Revival along. He would have the power he craved, and soon. Very, very soon.

And not even Mega Man could stop him this time.

*At the Hotel*

Sonia was asleep in Geo's arms. The two had passed out talking and watching the stars after the long events that had happened that day. They had stayed for several more songs after they had kissed, simply to listen to the man's music. They had left reluctantly at midnight, only because there bodies could not stand the fatigue any longer.

Their fingers were intertwined with the others, and both were sleeping peacefully, a small smile on each of their faces.

*In the Old Man's Ball Room*

"Did you enjoy the music?"

"Actually, yes. How did you know that I was here?" asked Orion, jumping down from the beams crossing the ceiling.

"I always know when you're here, Orion."

"Yeah, you always had that effect, Mr. EleZan," laughed Orion.

"So, what brings you here, especially in these times?" asked Mr. EleZan.

"I wanted to make sure Geo and Sonia were safe."

Mr. EleZan sighed, and replied, "Orion, its good that you are concerned about them…but when was the last time you worried about yourself? Your eyes are dull, and you look like you could stand to have an extra meal or two."

It was true. Lately, Orion had not taken the best care of himself.

"You know…I would give up all my other years, if it meant I could live through my eighth one again," sighed Orion.

"Haha! I'm surprised you remember that. That was the year you learned to play piano. And I must say, at that time, you learned quickly and probably rivaled even me."

"Yeah…Things were simpler then….," said Orion, his voice trailing off as he started for the exit, "Well, I should probably go. I doubt that there is much time. I want to get as much done as possible, that way Geo and Sonia don't have to do much….

"Orion…If you ever need anything…."

"Yeah. I know. Thank you Mr. EleZan," said Orion, as he turned and walked out the door, on his way back to Electopia.

*Vista Point*

Geo and Sonia were lying on a blanket, looking at the stars. They had decided to take the Wave Road back, which would allow them to spend the next day together as Luna, Zack, and Bud came back to Electopia on the plane. There was a soft crunching, and they both looked up. There, hands in pockets, stood Orion.

"Orion…?" asked Geo, surprised.

'Geo…Sonia…," he said, nodding at each one.

"…Why don't you sit down? We've never actually talked to you…" suggested Sonia, unaware of the letter that Orion had sent Geo.

Orion shook his head, "No, I'll leave you two alone….But…maybe another day….It would be nice to just relax." He laughed. In that moment, Geo realized, even though he knew little about Orion, he was still human, and was probably having more trouble dealing with everything, than Geo was. But that pang of sadness never left his eyes. Something had happened to Orion in his past. It reminded Geo of the way he must have been when Kelvin was gone, and before he met Sonia.

Geo had an idea, and after telling Omega-Xis, said, "Orion…Smile."

There was a flash as Omega-Xis took a picture of Geo, Sonia, and Orion all together.

"Orion…you have your reasons why you can't tell us things…But, I trust you. As far as I'm concerned, we're your friends. We all are," reassured Geo.

"Thanks…I'll see you two when the situation demands it," said Orion, wondering why he had come to see them in the first place.

Orion was gone as quickly as he had come.

Geo took a look at the picture that Omega-Xis had taken, but Orion was nowhere in the picture. Somehow, that didn't surprise Geo.

He sat back down, and, putting his arm around Sonia, pulled her close, and continued to watch the stars….

Orion sat at the foot of the bed in the hotel room he had rented. He pulled out an old photo. It was faded, and water streaked, but one could clearly make out three teenagers. There was a brown haired boy with a pink haired girl on the left, and another brown haired teenager. Orion, and Sonia and Geo.

Orion was smiling in the picture. And Sonia and Geo looked deeply in love.

Just like they were, underneath the stars that night, happily in each other's embrace.