[Dark FFnut]

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Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, The Dark Spire

"...Titania?"

With Malice's wings of wind, Titania had flown back to the tower. The wings evaporated and she dove, sticking Malice's two daggers into Kani's skull, directly above his eyes. Another unearthly howl issued from Kani. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN!"

Titania slipped to the floor in front of Kani. "You've lost, Kani. Just like you did before. Now you'll die the same way!"

Kani glared at her. "You have no idea how I die, do you, girl? The one thing Llideah has kept from her host... the nature of my death... you see, girl... I..."

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Palis, The Last Year Of The Great War, The Dark Spire

"...cannot die... by any means... you have..."

Llideah glared. "You killed me when you killed Gadriel, in spirit, if not in body. That's only because..." She took Gadriel's sword from Kani's head. "...the death of my body..." She turned the sword towards herself. "...is reserved for..."

She stabbed herself through, the blade protruding from her back.

"...the death of yours."

The binding of fate worked. As Llideah faded from life, as did Kani. As her vision faded, she could have sworn she heard Variel's voice.

"After our seven hundred year intermission, we'll act out this exquisite play once more, but this time the ending will change to the way it's meant to be."

Noah glanced at their respective bodies, flinching slightly. He noticed Ishia pull herself back up the ledge and rush over to Llideah's corpse. "Dead...?"

Noah's eyes were wide as Ishia blew a whistle. Almost instantly a demon appeared before her. "Yes, mistress...?"

"Spades, hide this corpse. I don't want anyone getting any ideas of bringing him back."

Spades nodded. "And where shall I hide it?"

"I don't care. Just somewhere it won't be found. I have some other business to take care of as well."

Spades grabbed Kani's body and vanished, but not before uttering a vulgar swearword. Ishia flinched and turned towards Noah.

"Yes?"

"My offer still stands, and now would be the greatest time for you to take it."

"Oh? I see no benefits from this offer, Ishia."

"Are you kidding me? Imagine the two warriors who defeated the demon lord Kani side by side announcing their undying love for one another and getting married. We'd be heroes! Royalty, even!"

"So you're using the death of one of my best friends as a springboard for your political career?" Noah grimaced.

"Try not to forget, Noah, my amies are on their way to this spire anyway. I can tell them that you killed the priestess under Kani's orders and have you executed for treason."

"But then you wouldn't be able to be royalty... not without being wedded to a king first. And you think I would become king?"

"For destroying Kani? Yes."

Noah heaved a sigh and looked Ishia in the eye. "Very well. I've spent the last few years being a mere tool for others to achieve their own gains... I suppose I will die the same way."

A week later Noah was crowned king of Palis and married Ishia, who became the queen of Palis. Not long after the palace of Gracia was constructed at the center of Palis decades later, Noah died of old age. Ishia, in her fear of mortality, had an enchantment placed such that as long as she was loved by her subjects, she would not perish from disease or natural causes. She lived for seven hundred years before being slain by Dacono at the battle of Gracia.

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Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, The Dark Spire

Malice's dagger wasn't long enough to reach through Titania, so it left only a deep wound. Glenn quickly removed the dagger and pushed every last ounce of magic he had into the young woman to heal her.

Several moments passed.

Titania's eyes fluttered open.

Belial and Osirus finally returned with Kirby and Sacryan.

"It's over?"

A faint sobbing caught their attention. Glenn and Titania saw a man hunched over, crying, right where Kani's corpse was... only the demon's corpse had vanished.

"Thank you... thank you... thank you... I'm so sorry... I-I didn't mean..."

Glenn looked at the man. He seemed somewhat familiar, although Glenn couldn't place him.

Belial grabbed him and straightened him. "Nichi?"

The man shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "I... I may look like your friend Nichi, but I... I..."

"He's my twin brother," said Syne.

Titania whirled around. "Syne?"

Syne shook her head. "Nope, same problem though. I'm not Syne, and that guy isn't Nichi."

"Then who...?"

"My name is Isea. That is my brother Kani."

Glenn looked between the two. "Indeed... when Kani was evil, he had absorbed thee, correct?"

"Spot on, Glenn. See, remember how the demon Kani split into three souls? One was me, and I became Syne. One was him, and he became Nichi. And one was..."

"Me."

Everyone turned to the new voice. Brian hovered in the air, madness in his eyes. "Well well well! So you all cheated to beat me this time! You summoned the past to help you beat me in the present! I can see in your heads. I know your fears. Now watch those nightmares become real!"

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The Netherrealms, The Year Inifinity Minus One, The Darkness

"Did you feel that?" asked one of the women.

The man who looked the most like her nodded. "Let's go."

"But..." started one of the other men.

"Too bad. I don't care if you want to go or not. We have to help them."

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Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, The Dark Spire

Brian laughed as various past foes appeared about the area. Zera-Shaal, Phantasm, Dacono, Boiz, and Nidogg appeared, surrounding the group. Other demons began appearing as well. Brian floated above them all.

"Now the eight of you have lost. It's only a matter of time before-"

Things happened quickly. Light blasted away a group of demons. A scythe and pair of daggers carved a path through the demons to the group in the center. Lightning, light, sword, and shadow made the clearing a bit wider.

Brian gasped. "IMPOSSIBLE!"

Titania looked up. "M... Malice?"

Malice stood at the front of this new group, a huge smile on his face. Behind him stood Magus and a woman who looked very much like him. His sister? she wondered. And behind them stood...

"Guys?" whispered Kani.

Variel, Gadriel, Llideah, and Noah.

The five sealed souls were reunited.

"Seven, you mean," hissed Brian, reading Titania's mind. "Variel, Gadriel, Llideah, Noah, yes, but all three of the souls of Kani - Kani, Isea, and..." His face became gaunt and pale. His body stretched out and a dark cape covered his body, making him look like a half-dead demon. Two large black-feathered wings extended from his back, a mockery of an angel's. He bowed, grinning evilly. "I am Azrael."

The new seven members of the group all gasped, as if they knew the name.

"Azrael," he whispered, horrible glee on his face. "The Angel Of Death."

((Okay, this is how it is. Malice, Magus, Schala, Variel, Gadriel, Llideah, and Noah are all actually dead, as are all the old villains that Azrael brought back. Azrael brought down the barrier between life and death for this battle, so the good guys took advantage of it and came over with the old villains. After this battle all of the dead heroes have to go back to the deathside. None of these guys are bound anymore, so the past no longer applies to our present characters.

Have fun.))