jacket like suit and a mask on his face. “Honestly I thought of you and Nero as nothing more than a nuisance, by I see I was wrong the both of you can not run around unchained.” Yami said small dark clouds hovering around him. Luna jumped toward him and tried to slash at him with her claws but Yami faded into darkness. She landed on the ground but then darkness started to cover her. "Here, let me show you true darkness." Yami said his voice echoing. Luna found herself floating in a dark area; it was so dark she couldn't see her paw in her face. "No, let me out!" Luna said in the darkness. Luna started breathing heavy panicking. "LET ME OUT!" Luna shouted. "Please, I just want to see Nero again." Luna said softly. "Ahh so your attachment to him extends beyond friendship I see." Yami said. "No I just don't want to lose him." Luna said activating her seal. "This is why I won’t lose to you!" Luna shouted. A large wave of light burst through the dark dome Yami created and the forest returned. Luna with four tails echoed toward Yami and struck him in the chest with an energy sword. Yami staggered from the blow but struck Luna with a dark curved blade wounding her as well. Luna then put most of her energy in a ball and launched at Yami and he did the same. The power created a huge explosion making a huge hole in the ground trees were scattered like sticks everywhere. Luna looked where Yami was but he was gone. Luna sighed her tails going back to one, got down on all fours and continued walking. After a little while she felt darkness again and turned around about to blast whatever it was but stopped. "Why did you come out here all alone Luna?" Nero asked sitting. Luna lowered her head. "You came this far to kill Delacroix, to avenge your family?" Nero said walking toward her. "Your all I have left Nero, if I lose you I might die." Luna said raising her head back up. "I can tell you it’s dangerous to try and fight Delacroix alone." Nero said stopping. "But if I don't then-" Luna started but lower her head back down. Nero raised Luna's head back up with his paw looking deep into her violet eyes. "Do you trust me?" Nero asked. "Yes, I do." Luna said quietly. Luna closed her eyes as they kissed until she gasped pulling back. Luna felt as if her heart skipped a beat "Wha-what's happening to me." Luna said noticing her seal active looking at Nero who was smiling at her. "Look behind you." Nero said looking at something behind her. She looked back to see five tails swaying back a forth. She looked back at Nero and nuzzled him before pulling back. "But what about that sword you had." Luna asked. "You mean this one." Nero said without using his seal to summon his black sword in his right paw. Luna looked at it in awe the blade was medium sized and double edged but the handle looked like a fox's tail. "I think I have a good picture." Luna said closing her eyes as she summoned a sword identical to Nero's but white. “It seems once we get up to five tails we can use the sword in our other tailed stated or with just one tail. Nero said making his sword fade into a dark mist disappearing. “But when you got your fifth tail there was a large surge of energy and power why didn’t that happen to me?” Luna asked. “I guess because you didn’t want to see me die caused more feeling in you allowing love to blossom.” Nero said walking past her into the forest. "Nero!" Luna said as she caught up with him. "Will you...be my mate?" Luna asked blushing deeply looking into his gold eyes. "Did you not hear me when I got the fifth, I’ll do anything to protect my mate?" Nero answered. As they walked together Nero came across a crystal which he picked up. “What’s this?” Nero said staring at it. “Who knows keep it though it could bring a bit of luck.” Luna said. They continued walking until they reached a large room in the heart of the forest. “Let’s go inside, never know what you could find in there. Luna said lightly pushing on the door to the room. The two foxes walked inside but only after a few steps knights with sword popped out of nowhere. “Let me handle this Nero, I want to test out my new power.” Luna said summoning her sword and echoing toward the knights. Nero just blinked and the knights stopped moving and broke into little pieces. “Ouch still so mean.” Nero said walking toward her. “Will you stop saying that?” Luna said. When they went in one room there where two doors one far in the back and another going down. Luna growled as see saw a familiar face. “What took you lovebirds so long?” Marcus said getting up. “You, what are you doing here wolf boy?” Luna said. Marcus was about to answer but Luna just walked past him. “Forget we don’t have time to mess around.” Luna said pushing him roughly as she walked past him. “And neither do I.” Marcus said putting his hand on her shoulder. Luna annoyed rose on her hind legs and punched Marcus but he dodged. She tried to slash at him but he held both her paw at her chest. “So I’ll cut to the chase.” Marcus said eyes gold with slits in them. Nero echoed toward them but Marcus saw this coming and moved. Nero ran into Luna and they both crashed into a wall leaving a dent in it. “I’m here for that crystal you got.” Marcus said his nails turning into claws and taking his sword off his back. “Oh is that so.” Nero said in a raspy voice as he and Luna unleashed all five of their tails. “I really am going to need it, just give to me and I’ll stop bothering you foxes okay.” Marcus said. “Foxes huh, if that’s the only way you see us, we’ll teach you how to respect a Kyubi!” Luna said summoning her sword and sending a wave of energy at Marcus. He dodged it by jumping onto a ledge. “Well now at least I won’t have to hold back.” Marcus said his voice deeper as his eyes turned black as night and taking off the hoodie transforming into a werewolf. The wolf design on the sword opened its mouth. “All right you two let’s rock!” Marcus said jumping down sword on his shoulder. Luna was the first to strike echoing behind him and slashed with her sword but Marcus blocked it with his. Nero tried to stab Marcus with his sword but he pulled his pistol out and shot at Nero who dodged. Marcus pushed Luna off his blade and swung at her spun around and kicked Nero as he came at him once again. Luna landed and grabbed Marcus by the throat lifting him in the air but he broke out of it. They both staggered a bit but unleashed a flurry sword attacks on each other until Marcus pushed her sword down and struck from the left but she blocked with her paw. “That all ya got wolf boy?” Luna said before grabbing his sword and tossing his aside. Nero echoed in his face as his slid from the toss and punched him sending him into the wall. “You guys got a bit faster and stronger I see.” Marcus said wiping blood off his mouth and disappearing. The two foxes didn’t have to react as Marcus sliced at them from all sides finishing by sending an energy wave which struck the both of them. They both got up enraged as they echoed toward him. Marcus started spraying bullets everywhere a few were deflected back and hit him in the side and the shoulder but he shook them off. The speed the three were fighting at was to fast for the human eye to keep up with. Now tired using so much energy fighting at that high speed their moves were slowing down. Nero pushed Marcus back with his sword which allowed Luna to slash him with her sword but he blocked it. The two sent a barrage of sword slashes at Marcus which he barely blocked. Luna then pushed Marcus's sword down and Nero stuck up with great force causing Marcus to lose his sword. Seeing him defenseless time slowed down as they both charged straight at him but Marcus flipped over the both of them and pushed their heads forward making them stumble and fall to the ground. Marcus landed and his sword fell right back in his hand and he drove it in the ground. Nero and Luna tried to get back up and strike but Marcus grabbed their paws and pushed them toward each other so the swords were at each others hearts. They growled at him and he growled back. "You two cooled off yet?" Marcus asked breathing heavy and taking his paws off theirs. Luna and Nero just stared at him. “Come on, what’s with the stares.” Marcus said changing back into his human form. “Why should we give you this to you anyway?” Luna asked getting up her sword disappearing in a white mist. “That thing is the other half off this plague crystal, which I am going to use to stop this thing and save my friend.” Marcus said putting his hoodie back on. “I guess we all have are reasons for coming to this tower.” Nero said tossing the crystal to Marcus. The crystal in his hand came out and bonded with the other. “I can tell you two are strong enough to stop Delacroix, but keep calm and don’t lose your cool alright you two.” Marcus said taking his sword out the ground putting it on his shoulder and walking toward the door going down. Time slowed as Nero and Luna walked past Marcus toward the door in the far back. “Hey, I can remember faces but what are you guys names? Marcus asked without looking at them. “Nero and this is Luna.” Nero said stopping not looking back either. “You said your name was Marcus right?” Luna asked. “Not a bad name.” Luna said as she followed Nero who opened the door. “Neither is yours vixen.” Marcus said as he watched them go through the door and into the snowy tundra beyond it. “Good luck.” Nero said. “Same to you two.” Marcus said. And with that Nero closed the door.

Chapter VII: Otherworld and The Plague Tower

Wind and snow blew softly as the foxes walked on all fours though the tundra. Luna shook some snow off her coat and continued. "Which are you more tired or hungry?" Nero asked as they walked. "I could use break, and I am a little hungry." Luna said. Nero looked around and saw a cave far off and two rabbits sniffing about. "Hmm, two birds with one stone." Luna said crouching stealthy toward them. "Two rabbits is more like it." Nero