Eclipse whimpered as Auria's fangs dug into his neck. He knew he was dead; all she had to do was bite and he'd never breathe again. But she didn't. She stayed that way for a moment, and Eclipse wondered what was happening. She finally let go of him, and turned away.
“A...Auria...?”
He rubbed his neck, and felt the indentions where her fangs had almost pierced his skin. But they hadn't; she hadn't hurt him one bit.
“...I...can't...”
Her voice was back to normal again, and Eclipse wondered what was going on.
“I won't. Not him.”
”Kill him!”
“...no.”
She turned back to Eclipse and said softly,
“I'm sorry...some...thing is trying...to make me hurt you...but I won't. I can't hurt you, Eclipse...I can't...”
She clenched her teeth as she felt the force inside her attempt to take over her body again.
“...Auria...”
Eclipse could only stare in shock. He didn't understand what was going on, what was wrong with Auria? Auria suddenly threw her head back and emitted an ear-splitting scream. It was a scream born of anger and pain, as the twisted darkness inside Auria vented its fury that it could not accomplish its goal.
”Fine...if you won't hurt him...I'll do it myself...”
A darkness flowed out of Auria, seeming to come from her entire body at once. It was a darkness that was not like ordinary darkness; it seemed to have form and substance, not merely a shadow in the absence of light. It seemed to grow larger, intent upon the victim frozen in front of it: Eclipse. Eclipse couldn't move; he was transfixed by the darkness looming above him. It began to flow down over him, to smother him in its evil embrace, and Eclipse heard Auria's voice, colder than he had ever heard it before.
“You won't touch him.”
As it covered him completely, Eclipse felt himself losing consciousness. His eyes registered a blinding flash of white light, and then nothing.

Auria panted, exhausted. Eclipse lay on the floor in front of her, unconscious but otherwise unharmed, and she wondered what exactly had just happened. All she knew was that there had been a blinding flash of light, and then the darkness was gone, as if it had never existed. She spent a moment trying to wrap her mind around what had happened, but eventually she just gave up and hoped she'd either figure it out or get an explanation later. She heard a noise in the hallway and spun around to face the door. Suddenly, the entire room shook from floor to ceiling, and the sound of a massive explosion echoed down the hallway. Terrified, Auria opened the door slowly and looked out into the hallway. She caught sight of Lumina's tail whipping around the corner of the section of hallway they were in, but she didn't see any sign of the explosion or what had caused it. She pulled a pillow off of Eclipse's bed and used it to prop the door open, then she ran down the hallway after Lumina.
“Lumina, wait!!”
She rounded the corner to find that Lumina had disappeared from sight, most likely around another corner, but Auria had no idea where Lumina might have gone. Her ears drooped slightly, and she started to turn back the way she came when she heard a voice behind her.
“Auria...”
She spun back around to see Kitsune standing in the hallway. His fur was matted with blood, and he was panting hard.
“Kitsune!!”
She ran up to him, concerned.
“Are you okay!?”
An evil grin flashed across his face, and he pointed his paw down at Auria.
“Kitsune...what...?”
Her eyes widened in terror and she tried to run away, but Kitsune caught her in the back with an energy blast. Auria was propelled down the hallway, and she slammed hard into the wall. She could faintly hear her bones snapping before she blacked out, her mind and nerves overloaded with pain.

Narissa strolled down the hallway, a grin on her face. Lumina approached her, and she stopped.
“How's everything going...Lumina?”
”You just stay out of the way. He hasn't forgotten you, you know.”
Narissa scowled.
“You'd better be glad I'm nothing compared to what I used to be...I'd take those words and slit your throat with them.”
Lumina just walked away silently, leaving a frustrated Narissa behind.
“He thinks I'm useless now, does he? Well I'll show him... I'm just waiting for the right moment...”

Eclipse's ears faintly registered a scream, and his eyes snapped open.
“Auria!!”
He flung open the door and found Auria partially embedded in the wall. Blood pooled on the floor under her, and it was splattered all over the jagged pieces of the wall protruding around where she had hit. Eclipse froze in shock. She couldn't be...
“Auria...are you...okay!?”
He ran over to her. She didn't move.
“Auria...please...”
He tugged on her paw gently, but she didn't budge an inch. He didn't pull harder for fear of hurting her; she appeared to have several broken bones and probably internal injuries. A tear formed in his eye and rolled down his cheek.
“No...please...don't be...dead...”
He climbed up and gently laid his paw over her heart, holding his breath. After a moment, he finally felt a very faint stirring: a pulse. It was very weak, but Eclipse knew she was alive. He closed his eyes and whispered,
“Cure Water...”
A large drop of clear water fell on Auria, getting into her wounds and cleaning the blood off of her. She sparkled for a moment, but didn't move or wake up. She still looked to be in bad shape; healing critical injuries was beyond him. He knew he had to find someone who could help, and fast.
“Kitsune!!” he called, running down the hallway as fast as he could.
He almost ran right into Kitsune as he rounded a corner, and he stopped.
“Oh, Kitsune! You have to come help, Auria is...Kitsune?”
Kitsune just looked down at Eclipse, and he finally realized that perhaps... Then he hit the wall next to Auria and almost lost consciousness again. He peeled off the wall and collapsed on the floor, as Kitsune slowly made his way over to where he lay. Eclipse gasped and struggled to stand up, but his legs wouldn't work right. He closed his eyes and concentrated.
“Mega Recover...” he whispered.
He glowed brightly for a moment, and his muscles spasmed as his injuries mended themselves; his bones knit back together and his wounds sealed up. He leaped to his paws and faced Kitsune.
“Kitsune, please...”
Kitsune didn't respond. He stopped in front of Auria, and slowly raised his paw. Eclipse tackled Kitsune as hard as he could, sending them both toppling backwards away from Auria.
“What's going on!? First Auria, now you...”
Kitsune laughed, his voice twisted in the way the others' voices had been.
”I'd explain it to you, but you won't live long enough to think about it anyway.”
Kitsune stood up, and Eclipse tensed up. He waited for Kitsune to make a move, but he never did. Kitsune blinked once, then twice, and promptly collapsed on the floor. Eclipse jumped backwards in surprise; a sword protruded from Kitsune's back. Eclipse looked up to see who could possibly have been responsible.
“I guess I shouldn't have left him by himself after all...”
“Star!”
Star smiled at Eclipse, and then he noticed Auria. He quickly ran past Eclipse and examined her. He placed his paw on her chest and felt the same pulse Eclipse had felt earlier.
“She's in bad shape...maybe I can fix her...”
He closed his eyes, and his paw began to glow with a brilliant golden light.
“Heal...” he breathed.
Auria began to glow as well, and Eclipse had to look away for a moment. When he looked back, the glow was gone. Star carefully lifted Auria out of the wall and laid her on the floor. Eclipse held his breath in anticipation. Auria didn't move. Eclipse's ears fell along with his hopes. Then he heard a light cough. His ears shot straight up and he ran over to Auria's side. Auria coughed again, and opened her eyes slowly.
“What...what happened?”
Eclipse felt his eyes tear up, and he had to look away, embarrassed.
”Well, well...look what we have here. Such a touching reunion!”
Star spun around to find Lumina behind him.
“You work for him, don't you?”
”Oh, how could you possibly have guessed?” Lumina replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Eclipse blinked, confused at the conversation he was witnessing.
“It's over, you know. You're the last one left. I've seen to the others, they're all either dead or hiding.”
Eclipse froze, and cold horror dripped down his spine. Dead!? No...
”The penalty for failure is destruction. I have nothing to lose by taking as many of you with me as I can.”
Lumina closed her eyes and began glowing. Star vanished instantly and reappeared behind her.
“I'm afraid I can't let you do that.”
He grabbed her and disappeared again, taking her with him. Eclipse blinked, unsure of what had just happened.
“...Eclipse?”
He looked down at Auria, who was staring up at him; he could see the fear in her eyes.
“He didn't...say...that...right?”
“Auria...”
“It can't...be true...”
Eclipse didn't know what to say.
“They're...not...dead...”
The tears in her eyes hurt him like physical wounds.
“Please don't cry...everything will be okay...somehow...”
He hugged her as hard as he could, and she sobbed into his fur. He couldn't help crying along with her, her tears hurt him too much not to. His mind hadn't accepted that anyone could really be gone..not yet.

A chill wind blew through Star's fur as he stood facing Lumina. They were on a circular platform, with nothing but darkness surrounding it; the fall seemed to go on forever, and perhaps it did, for this did not seem to be a place that obeyed natural laws.
“You won't get out of here alive. If I have to kill Lumina, too, then so be it.”
Star drew his sword and stood, ready.
”That will make just one less to resist him when he comes.”
“I'm not afraid of him.”
”Either you are very brave, or very stupid.”
“Shut up and fight.”
Star lunged at Lumina, who disappeared instantly. Star disappeared as well, right as Lumina reappeared to attack him. This pattern continued for several minutes, with both of them avoiding the other's attacks, until Star finally stopped. Lumina panted slightly as she hung suspended in midair, waiting for him to make a move.
“Heh...your body can't take this, it was never built for it. You know you'd be better off without it.”
”And lose the only thing keeping you from using that sword of yours? I think not. This battle would be over before it started; I may be darkness, but I'm not a fool.”
“I told you...I'll use it regardless. And you'll have no hope of avoiding it if you don't drop some dead weight.”
Star lifted his sword and leaped at Lumina, who promptly fell out of the sky and down into the darkness below. Star stopped, his wings materializing to keep him suspended in the air.
“I know you're here.”
He vanished as a black sphere materialized where he had been only a moment before. It faded away, and Star reappeared.
“I don't have time for this...”
Star stopped, and closed his eyes. He held his paws up a few inches apart in front of him. An energy sphere began to form in between them. The darkness hissed and tried to attack him, but was repelled by a golden barrier. Star held up his paw, the energy sphere glowing brightly, and yelled,
“Nova!”
A brilliant light erupted from the sphere, and the darkness emitted a horrible scream. Star smirked.
“That wasn't much of a fight...”
The area around him faded away into darkness.

Star reappeared where he had been standing moments before. Eclipse looked up, surprised. Lumina lay on the ground next to Star, apparently unconscious.
“Star? What happened!?”
Auria groaned and stood up shakily.
“Is Lumina...okay?” she asked.
“She'll be fine, she's just knocked out. And as for what happened...well, I think it would be best if I explained later. Suffice it to say that it's over now; the darkness possessing your friends is gone.”
“Possessing?” Eclipse repeated.
“That's right. They would never have done things like that otherwise...”
“What about...the others...?”Auria asked.
Star was silent for a moment.
“Well...Kitsune will be fine, he's had worse...Wavelength is still missing, I don't know where he is, but he's not in the base anywhere...”
“...and...?”
“...”
“Star...?”
“...I'd better show you.”
Auria gulped and followed him, with Eclipse trailing behind her. She tried to prepare herself for the worst. It wasn't enough. She stared in shock and horror at the room Star had opened. Blood covered the walls and floor, and it dripped off of every uneven surface. Five bodies were scattered around the room, barely recognizable thanks to the horrible injuries they had each sustained. Auria just walked into the center of the room, unable to speak; her mind had frozen. She closed her eyes, and tears began to stream down her face.
“...no...”
She sobbed openly, and Eclipse started to move, but then he stopped. Auria had begun to glow slightly. It was faint at first, but then it grew into a radiant blue light that illuminated the whole room. The light above flickered out, and the entire room was bathed in turquoise light. Auria opened her eyes, which were filled with the same light, giving them an eerie glow.
“A...Auria?” Eclipse asked, transfixed.
Star just watched in silence.
Suddenly the entire room lit up, and Eclipse was blinded. When he could see again, Auria had collapsed on the floor, and the entire room seemed to have undergone a transformation. The blood that covered everything was gone. Alpha, Leana, Veo, Xero, and Zeal lay in the same places, but now they appeared to merely be sleeping; their injuries had been completely healed. Eclipse ran over to Auria as Star walked up to Zeal, who happened to be closest to him.
“Auria! Are you okay? What the heck just happened!?”
“...E...Eclipse...”
“Auria?”
Auria looked up at him and smiled weakly.
“I'm fine...just...tired...”
Eclipse sighed in relief.
“...wow...” Eclipse heard Star whisper.
He spun around to see what Star was doing, and he saw that Star had his paw on Zeal's chest. He looked up at Eclipse, and then at Auria.
“...what...are you?” he asked.
Auria just blinked.
“He was dead just a minute ago, and now he isn't. I assume the same is true of the others...”
Eclipse's ears shot straight up, as did Auria's.
“What!?” they both exclaimed.
“...to bring back the dead...you're stronger than I am...than I'll ever be...”
“But I didn't...” Auria started. “Did I...really...do that?”
“You did.” Star affirmed.
Auria was stunned.
“But...how...?” was all she could say.
“Come on...” Star said, finally wrapping his mind around what had happened. “I'll make sure they make a full recovery, don't worry. You should rest, something like that would take more energy than I thought you had in you...”
“Come on, I'll go with you.” Eclipse added.
“...okay...” Auria replied.
She stood up weakly and padded along, with Eclipse beside her in case she fell over. He led her back to her room.
“Eclipse...”
“You must be exhausted...”
“Not really...” she replied.
She smiled a little.
“I just acted like it so I could get you away from the others...I've been trying to talk to you for a while now...”
Eclipse remembered that she still had something very important she wanted to tell him.
“First...I don't have any idea what happened in there...it couldn't have been me... I know I glowed and stuff, but that's all I remember...but there's no way I did it, it had to have been something else...”
Eclipse wasn't so sure about that, but he didn't say anything.
“And...about what happened between us...last time...I tried to talk to you...”
“Is that still bothering you? Auria...”
“Eclipse...I'm sorry... I know it wasn't my fault, but...I almost hurt you...”
“Auria, I...I don't know what to say...I mean, I forgive you...of course I do...I don't ever want you to think that I don't...of course I forgive you, I love you...even if you don't love me back, I still love you...I love you so much, Auria, I just...I don't know-”
She placed her paw on his mouth.
“Shh...”
He stopped speaking, and she took her paw away. And then she kissed him. His ears shot straight up as he realized what she was doing. She took her mouth away after a moment.
“I love you, too.”
Eclipse just stared at her.
“...you...do...?”
Auria giggled a little, smiling despite herself. Eclipse blushed madly, realizing how awkward he felt. He felt Auria wrap her tail around him, and she grabbed him and pulled him close. Eclipse looked into her eyes, and he realized that what he wanted most, more than anything else in the world right then, was to kiss her again.
And he did.