194 Phase 146: The End Dungeon

"Colin? Are you okay?"

Alicia was there beside him. They were once again beside the waterfall at Sanctuary. This was Alicia's Home Base. {She must have died. And once again, I respawned with her.}

Colin tapped his badge, momentarily worried that it hadn't respawned with him. But it was there, back on his shirt.

"Say something! I just died for you back there!" Alicia nudged him, but it was a gentle nudge.

"Thank you." Colin managed. Dying for him meant she killed herself so that they would respawn here, and it didn't mean all that much compared to real life dying, but it definitely sounded very dramatic. Even so.. all he could manage was... "Thank you."

"Consider it payback for all the times I've been killing you for my own profit." Alicia smirked, but it was a half-hearted smirk. "Come on. I have the keys. Yours as well as mine."

He glanced at what she held up. Contrary to what she said, those things did not look like keys at all. In fact, they looked like... "Silver Visors?"

"It turns out you can't even see the Arch, much less use it, without one of these." Alicia said. "That's why nobody ever saw the Arch on Turtle Island while we were there. Also, it doesn't just stay on Turtle Island all the time. It hops around from land to land."

"Philip..." Colin struggled to speak. "Philip... {Hiranor}..."

"Yeah, I'm kinda stunned too." Alicia admitted. "But I guess he's a kid our age, right? Why shouldn't he be able to Dream like we do?"

"Because Gaians are trying to capture him in his dreams? Because he can't wake up?" Colin remembered. "What are they trying to do to him? I mean, if they can wipe people's {memories}..."

"They might be able to create false memories too? Change someone entirely?" Alicia asked softly. "I don't know but I understand now why Philip is so set on getting through that Arch. It's the last night, isn't it? He wakes up tomorrow... and then he never needs to be stuck in Dreamworlds again. Losing everything here means nothing. Absolutely nothing at all."

{Philip is leaving Dreamworlds. That's why none of this matters to him. He's been fighting for his very mind this entire time, and tomorrow, he leaves Dreamworlds, probably forever...}

{This is the last night and he's not taking any chances. Why would he? Alicia is right. Everything he has in here is just a Dream. If he never comes back here, none of them are going to be worth anything anyway. Except maybe his money. But that's transferable without needing to Dream here.}

{But why use the Arch? Why not hide away someplace just one more night...? Why not just set up camp in the middle of a Forest someplace...?}

"User tracking." Alicia snapped her fingers. "That's why he can't hide. He has to run, because the Gaians own this world and they can track him no matter where he is."

Alicia, Colin realized, was thinking exactly the same thing he was. Except maybe she was thinking a bit faster. His own thoughts were still sluggish after Gracie's betrayal.

{And what am I going to do with her? She betrayed a Prince of Hiranor to people who wanted to brainwash him or something...}

{Or did she?} Colin froze. {High treason might have been stretching it. She didn't betray Philip after all. She betrayed {me}.}

{High treason wasn't what she did. High treason was what Karodius wanted ME to do. But I was under duress. She... she did it out of greed.}

{Well, at least we won't have to worry about Imperial Guardians bursting through our door tomorrow morning to arrest her. Speaking of which, where are they? Shouldn't they be protecting Philip even in his dreams?}

"Come on, Colin. Let's go." Alicia stood up.

"Go where?" Colin grumbled, incredibly grouchy all of a sudden.

"To Turtle Island. To the Silver Arch. To the End of the Journey." Alicia said. "You {are} still going to see this through, aren't you? Or was it all just talk?"

Colin stared for a bit, and then he stood up.

"I'm seeing it through."

***

Wearing the 'Keys' given by the Keeper, they found the Silver Arch in a very hard-to-access place on Turtle Island.

Or more to the point, in Turtle Island.

"Inside its shell?!" Alicia grimaced as they hovered directly over it on Kirin. "How are we getting there?"

But there was no mistake. The Silver Arch was glowing faintly inside the center of the Turtle's shell. Both their visors agreed on that point.

Colin reached out psionically for his friends. [Philip? You seeing this?]

[Yeah.] Philip's answer was short. [We're going in through the neck.]

They met up on the neck of the Turtle, relieving a very, very tired Kirin. Alicia went ahead to greet the others yet once more tonight while Colin took a moment to stroke Kirin's neck softly.

"Hey. We've been through a lot together, haven't we?" Colin murmured.

Kirin let out a short "Krrr."

"It's time to let you go, Kirin. You're free. You can return to your Clan, to your mom, or to Sanctuary, free to bond anyone you choose. You're free." Colin whispered.

"Krr." Kirin said softly.

Colin added, "I recommend Sanctuary. You'll never be abused there. You can help take care of it, keep it free."

She didn't need to. The place had the most powerful Frenzieds in all of Nakama World. Or at least it did. Maybe Fenria and company had been Exiled for being too powerful by now.

If so, where would they go? Colin wondered about that. Maybe he'd meet them again someday, somewhere.

[Colin.] Kyubia came up to him, tails waving. She must have met up with the others and come all this way looking for him. [You're okay.]

[Still a bit sick from respawning, but yes. I escaped.] Colin replied. [Thanks to Alicia.]

Kyubia paused. She nosed him gently. [I'm sorry. You're not okay. You're hurt. You're hurt inside.]

Colin sighed and stroked her between the ears. [Yes. I am.]

"Everyone ready?" Katrin called.

'Everyone' was just the four of them, really. Five, if you counted Kyubia. Colin, Alicia, Philip and Katrin were the only ones there. {Four of the eight. Wonder if that means anything any more? Probably not. The others were never in any danger. I was never the one they were looking for. The only one they wanted was Philip. The rest of us were targeted so they could find him.}

Colin should have felt relieved. He should have felt like a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders. But he didn't. Instead, he felt heavy. {I've been betrayed by my own family. And even now, I'm going to do this. I've already given up so much... and I'm going to give up even more to see this through. Because I said so? Maybe. Maybe it's just being stubborn and prideful.}

{But whether we intended it or not, the eight of us hiding and running and fighting all this time was what kept Philip safe until now. In a way, we were the ones protecting him. And now that it's come to this, as arrogant as it may sound... it seems we're the only ones who are going to see him safe to the end.}

{Or more to the point, I am. I am the only one going through that Silver Arch with him. Nobody else is coming with us. Whatever lies on the other side, the only one who can help him or do anything about it... will be me.}

"I'm surprised." Philip said quietly.

Colin jumped, unaware that Philip himself had snuck up right next to him and Colin hadn't even noticed. "Wha-?"

"I thought you would hate me for all that you've suffered. I thought you'd blame me for everything." Philip said. "But you... you're still trying to protect me. Even now..."

Colin tried to think of something funny to say to lighten the mood, but he was clean out of 'funny' at the moment.

Philip drew himself up. "Colin Rivers, I hereby appoint you honorary Imperial Guardian. The Empire thanks you for your services."

"Great. Thanks." Colin grunted. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Yes. Let's." Philip said thoughtfully, and down the neck of the Turtle they went.

***

It's amazing what you could find down the neck of a giant turtle.

For example, the first thing they met was a dinosaur. A really, really big Ultra Tyrannosaurus Rex. And that T-Rex also happened to be the Lord of a Clan or something, because upon seeing them with their silver visors on, it immediately warped in a dozen other dinosaurs.

"Great. Big teeth, big horns, spiky tails... this just makes my day." Alicia grunted. She tapped her badge. "Dirge Squad! Wing Fury Formation!"

Colin stopped Philip before he could warp in his Comrades. "Leave it to her. She knows what she's doing."

"What?" Katrin frowned. "She just has seven birds."

"Seven birds that dinosaurs can't bite." Colin pointed out as Alicia unleashed a Wing Fury attack from all seven on an oversized Stegosaur. "The most they can do is roar at them, and they seem very, very good at dodging."

Katrin hesitated, glancing at the winged horse she sat on.

"It's up to you if you want to join in, but I suspect there are other bosses down here we need to fight." Colin pointed out.

Katrin held back for a bit, but after a minute of watching Alicia blast another Stegosaur back to its respawn site, she growled, "This is taking too long. We can't wait."

"Why not?" Colin asked. Then he gulped. "Don't tell me..."

"Gracie saw our map. She might have told them." Katrin said. "They might be on their way here right now. We destroyed the Anti-Warp Field generator they had at Boom City, but they seem to have quite a few of those."

{That} was why Alicia made him wait so long, Colin realized. They had to destroy that generator first. How they managed to do that and get the keys was a testament to just how powerful they were.

"Go on without me!" Alicia shouted. "I'll catch up!"

"Alicia..." Colin stared.

"Don't be an idiot! I won't lose. But you're running out of time."

"We have to go." Katrin said decisively. "Come on."

Kyubia nosed Colin's knee. She agreed too.

The next thing they met was a gigantic goat-headed lion. At first Colin thought it was a house-sized stone statue, but then it blinked at him. It was sitting pretty in the center of a hall filled with hieroglyphics.

"What is that?" Colin asked, scratching his head.

"Criosphinx." Philip supplied, studying it.

[Careful.] Kyubia nudged Colin. [This hall increases its power. The room itself offers it passive buffs.]

"Great. It's in its home territory." Colin sighed. "Wanna race?"

"What do you mean?" Katrin asked.

"Well, you said we didn't have much time. I figured if we could draw it out of the room, we could weaken it a lot." Colin glanced about. "Looking at the size of this place, and judging by the dinosaur earlier, I suspect this fellow is also going to warp in his friends."

"Isn't it a 'her'?" Katrin asked.

"Hieroglyphics. I figure it's Egyptian. That means a 'he'." Philip shrugged.

"Whatever. Let's just dash past it." Colin grunted. "Kyubia?"

Kyubia reverted to her original size, just puffing up on the spot until she was as big as a truck. [Ready.]

Philip got on his winged horse. Katrin got on hers. Colin got on Kyubia. Without any signal or warning, they split up. Philip went right. Colin went left. Katrin went straight over the...

"WHOA!" Katrin spluttered as a deluge of water dropped clear out of the ceiling and drenched her and her horse. Both of them went tumbling down.

"Kat!" Colin gasped.

Philip acted at once. He tapped his badge. "Kyria!"

The white lioness appeared even as the Criosphinx warped in about ten smaller sphinxes, each one the size of a car. With a roar, Kyria blazed into battle, firing off sonic waves powerful enough to make the air shake. The stone sphinxes shattered as she passed, except for the boss Sphinx, which began to crumble, but sent back a sonic stream in return. Kyria answered with her own sonic power and the two of them were deadlocked for a moment before Katrin and Grace hammered down on the Criosphinx from behind. The boss sphinx turned around for a bare moment, but that moment was enough for Kyria to charge in. Claws raked with sonic energy bursting out from the impact. Kyria literally tore her way into the Criosphinx, which didn't last more than a few seconds afterward.

"Move!" Katrin panted before the boss sphinx even completed disappearing. "Don't stop!"

But they had to because the next room they entered had a huge bee hive.

"Queen Superbee." Philip identified it before the entire swarm poured out of the hive.

"Kyubia!" Colin gasped.

Kyubia acted, using her powers of illusion. Suddenly, the walls were coated with honey. The bees stopped, puzzled, then chaos ensued as they tried to collect that honey.

"That's our cue." Philip said, and on they ran while the 'walls of honey' grew feet and started running from the bees.

"Those aren't Streak Foxes in disguise, are they?" Colin asked Kyubia.

Kyubia whuffed. [Those aren't anything. They're just images.]

Philip tapped his badge. "Rue!"

The blue bunny appeared and the hall was filled with lightning.

The next hall in that corridor was filled with towering statues. The one sitting on an immense throne at the far end was particularly big.

"Oh no. Don't tell me..." Colin half-groaned.

"Titan Golem." Philip said. "Run, or fight?"

"Run." Katrin and Colin said at the same time.

The golems gave chase. Every 'statue' in that room came to life and swiped at the trio with whatever weapons they had in hand. Some of them shot laser beams out of their eyes.

But they were no match in speed for Kyubia, Grace and Hope. The three of them were through that hall in no time with just a little bit of dodging on the way. The golems weren't going to let them go so easily, though, and they gave chase.

Colin took one glance at the tangle of furious golems scrambling after them and said, "Alicia's gonna kill me."

"Not tonight, she won't." Katrin snapped. "Not when we're this close..."

They broke out of the corridor into a huge flooded chamber. It was raining in here, and there before them were...

"Kraken? Inside the Turtle?!" Colin protested. "That's not even funny!"

"Acid Kraken." Philip clarified. "This seems to be the Turtle's tummy."

"Quit rhyming and get to work." Katrin said. "If this is the stomach, then..."

"We're almost there." Colin realized. "This is the last boss."

"So do your Prince thing and call in the hordes already!" Katrin yelled as the Kraken and its spawn started showering them with acid bolts.

Colin tapped his badge. "Shiro! Raiki!"

His two oldest and dearest Comrades appeared, the white wolfcat, once a cub now a Lord and the blue Stormcat, once a kitten, now a noble.

The two of them didn't even need to consult each other. Shiro dashed back toward the oncoming golems gathering a tornado of sonic energy behind him. Raiki turned lightning on to the Kraken before them.

And then they started warping in their Clans. White wolfcats filled the corridor behind. Blue stormcats charged out into the rain that was quickly becoming a thunderstorm. {Since when did Raiki become the Lord of her Clan?}

In a minute, it was all over. White wolfcats and blue stormcats greeted each other like old friends and Colin was left grinning at Shiro and Raiki. "You guys are brilliant."

"And so they are." A high-pitched voice said.

{Uhoh. I know that voice.} Colin turned slowly, dreading the sight he knew he must see.

There was Karodius Somar with a line of Green Men. Ian was there, and other Gaian Travelers and all their Comrades. Alicia and Gracie were there too, but they were tied up and stuffed in cages. {Alicia too, now?!}

Philip tapped Colin's arm and said quietly. "We can't afford to die here."

"We can't just leave them like that." Colin said just as quietly. "We don't know what they'll do to Alicia and Gracie once we're gone."

And this time, Colin felt sure, Gracie really was in trouble.

"We've come this far." Katrin hissed. "It's Philip they want. We're almost there. I'll even come with you! We just need to get through the Silver Arch..."

"I don't think it's that easy. There are choices to make, remember? It could take a while." Colin had to say.

"Then we fight. Inside the Turtle." Philip grimaced. "This is not good."

It was about to get worse.

"I must thank you." Karodius said broadly. "For bringing the Prince to such a wonderfully advantageous place for us."

"What are you talking about?" Katrin demanded.

"Why, didn't you know?" Karodius asked, eyes wide. "I own Nakama World. This means I have ownership rights and abilities. Including... Zone Reset."

{Zone Reset...?? Oh no... no, no, no...}

"Confirm!" Karodius announced. "Respawn here! Full dungeon reset!"

With that, the Ultra T-Rex, the Criosphinx, the Queen Superbee, the Titan Golem and the Acid Kraken all appeared, all of them at full strength.

"Buff zone transfer to here! Full buffs for all bosses!" Karodius announced.

The stomach of the Turtle was suddenly filled with hieroglyphics.

Faced with all six End Dungeon bosses, the Green Men and their guns, and the host of super-equipped Gaian Travelers, Katrin backed away slowly. "Guys... I know you don't want to do it, but if ever there was a time to use your powers to the fullest, it's now."

Philip sighed. "Sorry, Turtle."

This was going to be one heck of a tummy upset.

The Forest Prince and the Ocean Prince tapped their badges and warped in the Lords of the Wilds.