We were in the park, Aeris and I. it had been exactly 2 years since we had first gone out. Everything was going perfect. It was April 1st, and a tragedy was soon to take place, that would change the lives of everyone everywhere.

We'd been in the park for a while, and everything was quiet. It had that feeling of danger all around. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but what's done is done.

A man jumped from the trees in front of us. He grabbed Aeris by the shoulder. I don't think he saw me, so I slipped out my foot and tryed to trip him, but he was swift and blocked me just in time.

"Let go of her!" I yelled. My heart was pounding, I had no idea who this guy was or how how strong he may be. The man just stood there, smiling, "I said......let go of her now!"

The man finally spoke up, "And what if I don't? What're ya gonna do? Ha, beat me up?" He pulled out a small object. I didn't reconize what it was, but I soon found out, "This.......will make you scream in pain. Be terrorized in agony. It is your worst nightmare. Oh, and it kills you after 60 seconds of suffering. You're the first person to try it out! Be proud to be the first person killed by my greatest creation, The Legend X!" He threw the thing at me. It attached itself to my hand, then little small wires pinched themselves onto my skin.

I don't feel nothin." I said.

The man grabbed on to Aeris and started walking away, "You will, heh, you will."

I then felt something. I had never felt it before, but it wasn't pleasant. It was a pain beyond pain. Agony beyond agony. There was no word to describe it. I fell to the ground, trying, hoping it would come off, "AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"

Aeris just stared at me, "Cloud!!!!!"

When I finally awoke, I felt strange. My arms felt strange, heavier, and so did my legs. I didn't open my eyes, I was afraid to open my eyes. I heard some footsteps, I decided to ask the most obvious question I could think of, "Am I dead?"

The footsteps stopped. I could hear a man's voice saying, "So you've finally awaken, for a second I thought I had messed up again. To answer your question, yes, you're dead. Well, in a sense." He stopped talking for a moment, and I guess he saw my eyes were closed, "open your eyes, see what I mean."

I slowly opened my eyes, almost expecting to see a red guy with a pitchfork, but instead I saw what looked like one of those labs you see on TV(with the mad scientists.) I looked down at my arms, they were larger than usual...and red. My hand looked strange also....it was blue. Looking down at my legs, I noticed they got bigger until I had a foot about the size of my head. Confused, I looked up. What I saw surprised me. In what looked like a large tube I saw.........myself. It looked totally lifeless, "What the.....what the heck did you do to me!!!!!!!!!!! Why I am there..and here!!??" I looked at the man. he didn't look like teh scientist type. He had a beard, long a black. Plus, he had on a lab coat. However, he looked he was ready to beat the heck out of someone rather than create a cure for some disease.

The man looked at me closely, "Haven't you figured it out? Than thing he had on you causes more damage to the brain than it does to the body. Because I sent your actual mind, or soul as you would call it to a robotic body seconds before "The Legend X" entered your brain, your body will slowly heal itself and you will remain a robot, andriod if you will until further notice. OH and you'll find you have a built-in gun. Since you probably wanna save your girlfriend, I've given you other devices as well. Just watch your energy. You have an unlimited supply of "lasers." If you get in trouble, I can bring you back here. You can just go to an open spot and I can teleport you back here. Of course, it has to be outside. The place you're going, to save your girlfriend, it is a power plant.

"What makes you think I'm going?" I asked.

"Well, I can give you three reasons. If you don't I won't return you to your former body. Also, you can't save your girlfriend...whatever he wanted her for. Oh, and he's intent on ruling the world or destroying it...so if you don't go he'll be in control or in space watching us all blow up. So, you can go, or not. But just keep in mind the three consequinces." He replyed, smiling.

I knew that I'd have to go along. Even though I didn't even know who this guy was. I didn't even know who my "enemy" was. I didn't even know where I was. And who knows, Aeris might be dead. No, Cloud, don't think that. She might be alive. You're being given a chance to save her too. Don't pass it up, you love her and don't forget that. I jumped down from where I was, "Okay, I'll go along with your plan. First thing's first though. My name's Cloud, last name not known to YOU. and you are....?"

The man smiled, "Hello Cloud. The names Dumb, Dr. Dumb."

I soon learned that "Dr. Dumb" was his nickname(why, I have no idea.) His real name was Edward G. Aries. I also found something else out. He didn't make me a robotic body in a day. He had been working on my robotic body for three years....and that's how long I'd been "gone." I found that this evil man....his name was the strangest I'd ever heard. His name was Sypher. Then agian some say my name's strange... This man, Sypher, he wishes to rule the world and on that day he attacked me, he used his most evil invention, The Legend X. Since then, he's used it world wide. He's developing a new invention, that can do teh same damage as The Legend X, only at a much more distance. It hits anyone within a 300 mile radius. It'd be completed in two months. I had a month to train. Sypher had control of some of the major countries on earth. He possesed all of Asia. All of Europ except Spain, and Austrailia. All other countries were desperately fighting back, but Sypher had created an army of robots similiar to my design. My only advantage over those robots was my ability to upgrade and my human "smart" brain. Dr. Aries had showed me my special abilities. I had a "laser" and I could teleport in open areas. After my energy level hits zero and my backup energy comes on line. A shield comes over me that can protect me until I can get to safty(only about ten minutes in ful length.) After talking with Dr. Aries a while, I learned of my chances that I would succeed. If I had 4,783 trys to save Aeris, I only succeed once. Even though the odds were against me, I still had to try.

"Ahhh!!" I yelled dodging the laser, "that thing looked real! You sure this is only a simulation?!" I was in a training room.

"I made the lasers realistic, as if you're in a real battle. I set your energy gauge so it'll appear as if it goes down when you're hit. OH yeah, and watch out behind you," said Dr. Aries.

I turned my head, he was right. It me directly, and I felt pain, "AHH!! I though you said it wouldn't cause pain.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"If you call that pain then don't go out on the battle field. I set a slight shock to it. About 1/8 of an actual shot. Now keep practicing!"

Another laser shot for me. I jumped in teh air, dodging the attack. I kept doing this and finally he went to homing lasers, making it harder. I dodged teh laser. But it followed. I kep[t running from it, but yet I couyldn't get rid of it. I decided to try and use my brain. Since it seeked the hottest object around, I fired my lasers into a wall. My lasers are hotter than my body temperature, so teh laser exploded on my own laser.

"Good!" Said Dr. Aries, "Now, let's try target practice." He pressed a button and a shooting range appeared. My target was at teh other side of teh room, 75 feet. For a robot, this shoulda been easy.

I aimed, and fired my gun. It hit the wall about 8 feet beside the 4 foot wide target. I though to myself, MAYBE my aim's a little off.........

"Oh no, we have a LOT of work to do with you. Geeze, can't even come close to hittin teh target. And strangely, teh target's as big as you! Okay, let's keep working at it. WE'll get it sooner or later...I hope," he said.

He was right. After about a week, I had fianlly been 3 inches off of hitting the bulls eye. I learned other things, and got better at fighting every day. I learned that I had superior jumping ability, despite my size. I was only four and a half feet tall. I learned of teh plans to break into Sypher's "fortress." Really, he has a secret operation somewhere, and there's where I was going first. I hoped Aeris was there, and she was a alive, but I wasn't gonna give my hopes up. It'd been three years, if she wasn't dead or brainwashed, she might not even remember me. Still, Though, I said ot myself, I've got to try for her.

I teleported as close as I could to the lab. I walked on foot until I saw it. It looked like andy regular building. It was actually pretty small. "The big part must be under ground," I said to myself. I looked up at teh building. I wasn't even sure if this was it. I didn't see any guards. I examined teh area some more. I noticed more this time. There were two bushes that had moving leaves. I could tell they were guard bots. I noticed teh windows had small barely noticable guns. So the place had security after all. I wasn't much of an experience fighter, so I charged down to teh building, firing my gun full blast. The security all of a sudden activated and fired at me. I charged through teh security, taking teh hits as I ran. I hoped there wasn;t much insaide, I couldn';t take much more of that. I blasted the door down and rushed inside. It was a totally bare room. With a door on teh opposite side.

The door slid open, and stepped out a robot. It was basically the same design as me, but I could tell it was more dangerous. The thing lifted its head, and I then saw a nightmare I had had many times, but hoped I'd never see. I saw the face of Aeris....who I had hoped hadn't been turned into a mechanical monster.

She smiled, "Hello, Cloud. It's been a long time. I waited and waited but my hero never saved me. Why weren't you there? I proabably thought pf you every second of every day.... Hehe, and then I got turned into this! I got turned into this beautiful mechanical body. I have power like no other! Sypher has given me great joy. I can now cause great destruction in a manner of minutes. Cloud, won't you join me, help me and Sypher take over the world?"

NO! Aeris, you can't be....you can't be one of these things....... "No!, I'll never join up with evil," I paused, and turned away as I said the next words, "I'll kill you if I have to. I'm not afriad to. I know who you once were. So prepare......" I couldn't finish.

However she finished for me, "Prepare to die? Hehe, fun! Come on!"

I looked at her one more second, then I whispered something that helped in the long run, "Aeris, even if oyu die now, you know how I feel. And if you;'re still there, somehow, I'll find a way to get you back."

I looked up, readsy to start fighting, but Aeris was there, howeve there were two of them, as if one trying to escape the other. It was as if readsing their minds.... I coudl hear them. Aeris was there, and she was fighting wiht all teh willpower she had, but the robotic mind was too much. She did get control of her voice though, "Cloud.......kill........me.......please....if.....don't.....she'll....destroy................."

I understood I had to kill her. No matter how hard it would be, "Okay, let's go."

I lifted my arm. Firing a few shots at it. She jumped in teh air, dodging my attacks, "I though boyfriends shoudl be stronger than the girlfriend. You're pitiful. Come on Cloud, I need more of a challenge!"

"You! You're not my girlfriend! She is kind, thoughful, and has a sense of right and wrong. Yeah, she's there, but your infuence is too strong. That's why I must kill you!" In my mind, I knew that I should have added to that sentence, And her.

I flipped forqard striking her with my strongest blow. She merely flicked me away, as if I was nothing. What, no effect?! But........this isn't possible! I screamed silently. How could my strongest attack do nothing?

"By look of your face," Aer-, the thing said, "you seem to be scared. Hmm. Guess it's my turn to fight. Hehehehe." She lifted her arm and two small boomerang-like things flew frow her hand. They slammed into me and hit my chest. I blew bacjk and literally blew open the wall.

"Ugh...." I said, "I'm gonna....kill you............" I lifted my arm again, ready to fire. But as I stared at her face, memories flashed through my mind. Memories of the past. I remembered how I had met her.

It had been at school, but it was a special day. I was at lunch, wiht my two friends. It had been report card day and I had recieved all A's. It was the first time . I had also recived awards....that would never had happenned before. I got up and was walking to throw away my trash, and I bumped into someone. I looked at the person and realized she was new, "Hello."

The girl smiled, "Hi, I'm Aeris. And you are....?"

I was caught in a trance, it was the only time in my life where I had no sense of where I was. I had some feeling, that I'd never had before about anyone. Then, I could't put my finger on it.

She snapped me out of my trance, "hello? What's your name?"

"Oh, h-h-hello. My names C-c-c-c-c-----"

"C-c-c-c-c, that's a funny name. Well anyways, talk to ya later, "She walked away, and I realized then what "love" was.

Now I was facing thsat same girl...again...but this time I had to kill her. I was too weak to do anything except to fire one more shot. A single shot. Before I fired, I heard a strange crackling sound coming from my arm.

"Cloud?! It's Dr. Aries. Are you alright?"

I smiled, "Hi...Dr. I-I found Aeris. She seemed to blow the roof up. I think you can teleport me out. I'm damaged, and I'm on my backup energy supply. You think you can teleport Aeris too? She's basically the same design as me, just stronger and pink."

"You'd have to disable her first, but yes, I can teleport her here."

When I awoke, I expected to see Dr. Aries, but I saw Aeris instead. My hopes raised, He must have restored her to normal!!!! She looked down at me, wiht a grin and a sad look all in one. I had a feeling.......it wasn't Aeris.

"So, ya finally woke up. Ya shouldn't try to teleport me, ya know. My master Sypher intercepted it and brought me and you here. Now HE can kill you! If I did, this stupid girl in my mind would probably never shut up. Wanna meet Sypher? Hehe, he's on teh screen over there!" she stepped aside to show a screen.

I looked around me. I was caged in what looked like lasers. I had I feeling I didn't want to touch them. This placed had tables everywhere, and there were halves of robots on them. It looked as if they were studying them and then making them. Parts on teh tables were spread out. I reconzied some of the parts because they were similiar to my own system. I turned my head to face the moniter in front of me. It was large, and took up the whole wall. In it was a man....the man that took Aeris three years ago. A look of hatred spread across my face.

The man, SYpher, spoke up, "well, aren't we mean today. Why, I haven't seen your face in oh.........about three years! Yes, you tested out my new creation. It's worked quite well. I've taken out several countries with it. I've perfected it to 30 seconds now. Edward knew how to reverse my process, the only reason you lived. See what I've made of your girlfriend? Why, she's perfect. A destruction-causing, me-loving, sarcastic machine! What could be better."

I tried to cover my ears, so I couldn't hear him, but I could, still. "You're a sick man," I mumbled under my breath.

His eyebrow raised, "What was that? I was going to let you live and work for me, but now I've changed my mind. I'm going to come there personally and kill you. You here me?! I'll kill you with my bare hands!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Whoa, doesn't take much to put you in a bad mood, I said silently.

An hour later I was left alone in the room. I searched around for a control panel that may operate the cage. I saw a piece of paper which looked like it had a password on it of some kind, "XXH5943HPS." What could that stand for? I asked myself. I stored in in my memory for later, just in case.

I went back to searching for a panel of some kind, then I saw it. It was a small passcode panel. I could tell it was voice activated. It even had the password on it, "Hopscotch." What is wrong wiht Sypher? Even his secrets are screwed up. Since it was voice activated, I had to use the voice of Aeris I had stored in my memory.

I tried the password in her voice, "Hopscotch." The laser bars slowly dimmed and faded away. I stepped out, and walked up to one of teh tables I had seen earlier. There was a time bomb of some sort being set in every single robot, "What could these be used for," I asked myself, lookign at others. I picked up a few of teh bombs and inserted them into a compartment in my arm. I walked over to teh door and overheard guards talking. Can't get out that way. I had to find another way out. I searched the room, and found that one of the floor tiles was a slightly different coilor.

"Well, let's see if the off color means anything." I leaned down and felt teh tile. It was loose. I lifted the tile off the floor, and found a long tunnel below, "Wonder where this leads?" I started down the long and dark passageway. Ever so often on my way down I'd come across a bat. As to instinct, I'd shoot it. I continued down the path, stopping to rest. "Good grief, where does this thing lead to?, china?"

About an hour later I saw light. I ran to it and realized it was a room exactly like the lab. At first I though I had gone around in a circle, but then I realized the entrance was at the other end of the room. Before I went to it, I heard some voices and crouched back into teh tunnel.

"Hey, you think the USA will be much of a proablem to take down? They're the hardest one we'll face."

"It shouldn't be too hard, not wiht teh robot army and The Legend X devices. I only wish the Project X was completed, then we could wipe em' all out in one shot."

"That'll be done in another month, but the US has our location, so we have to take em' out now before they completely mobilize. Otherwise, we'll recieve more casualties."

"We're gettin' ready to fight too. Only one day till' we attack. I think we better see if we can get that promotion."

"Yeah let's go." The two robots walked away.

I told Dr. Aries everything I had learned in teh fortress. I told him about Aeris, the intercepted teleportation, Sypher, and about their plans to go after the USA.

"Oh, and I also found some kind of code or something. "XXH5943HPS." Do you know what it's for?"

Dr. Aries thought for a moment, "sounds like an upgrade. HPS means it's a Head Part Upgrade for sight. If I put the code into a computer I might be able to come up with blueprints to the upgrade." He walked over to a computer console at the opposite side of the room and typed in the code. I sat down and watched him decode it. After a while, a blueprint-type thing appeared and Dr. Aries began building something.

After about three hours, Dr. Aries got up and help out a small computer chip of some kind, "I can insert this chip into your upgrade compartment. This will allow you to see through walls and see things you normally can't see, like invisible lasers that they use for security. It's the perfect device for spying. Keep in mind there are probably some other chips like this lying around. Find them so I can upgrade your system. Also, you can only hold three upgrade chips at a time, so you'll have to use just the right ones for each mission. Here, I'll insert this one for you." He opened a small compartment in my left arm, then looked puzzled, "There's something else already in here..."

The time bombs! I forgot about them! "Oh, yeah, I found these at the fortress. There was one of these in every robot. I took two lying around and brought it back here. I think they're bombs, but I'm not sure."

Dr. Aries examined the objects, "Yes, these indeed are bombs. You say they were in the robots? Why would they put bombs IN the robots?" He paced around the room for a minute thinking. His head shot up,"I got it! He's going to send these robots into cities and have them explode! He's got an army of Trogan Horses! You've got to find where Sypher's going ot strike first, we've got to stop him!"

Just then a screen flashed on, "This is your five o' clock evening news. Catastrophe has taken place in teh city of Chicago. Moments ago bombs exploded, causing chaos throughout the city. Police are investigating, but they can not find the cause for the explosions."

"SYpher!" I yelled, "we're too late, he's already attacked Chicago!"

"No," said Dr. Aries, "I can teleport you ther.e Most likely, he hasn't left yet. He'll destroy the whole city and then inform them that he did it, so they might surrender."

"Okay, I'm going."

Once I got to Chicago, another section of the city had exploded. I realized they were executing a partern that blew up all area's on the outside of teh city. The only section left was City Hall. I got there and saw men walking around toitally calm. However, there was no expresson on their faces, "So, this must be Sypher's little army."

I started firing at the robots, exploding them one by one. I expected them to explode, but they must have their bombs activated only when ordered. The robots responded and started firing at me. I swiftly dodged their attacks and returned fire. The robots were going, one by one, I just hoped the command for explosion wasn't given before they were all gone. The last few robots lit up, and started to engange their countdown sequence.

"NO!" said a voice, "You're not destroying my home city!" I saw a figure land behind the robots. It held out a gun, and fired it. I huge beam of light came from it and totally destroyed the ramaining robots, "Who-who is doing this?!" I saw that the figure was a man. The man had a Bandanna around his head, and was fairly slim. Also, the man had a brown jacket on, which was probably the most distinguishing feature about him. He came ot me and held out his gun, "I saw you fighting them, was it a trick, or are oyu against them. Cause' you look a whole lot like em'."

"No, I'm against them," I replied.

"okay, then could ya tell me where they came from?" The man asked, putting his gun into the inside of his coat pocket. I saw that he had many other guns there, all of which I had never seen anything like before.

"Do you know of the man Sypher who's taken over Europe, Asia, and Austrailia? It's him."

"Oh, man. Well, if you're oiut to stop him, I'm helpin' ya. I can't forgive anyone who destroys half my city. Hello red boy, my name's Locke, Locke Highwind. So, what's yer name. Or do ya have one, since yer a robot and all."

I replied, slightly angered, "I'm an human.....only in a robot body. Long story. When we get bakc to the lab I'll tell you. Hi, my name's Cloud." I shook his hand, noticing he had a wristband that had the letters "GTIU3462APP", "Hey! That thing on your wrist, what do the letters mean?"

"I don't know, found it engrave don one of the robots, just felt like writtin' it down. Why, do you know?"

"It's an upgrade code I think. Wonder what it does......"

While we were talking, someone had started hovering over us, I didn't notice until it started talking, "Well, we meet again, Cloud. It always seems your destined to meet your girlfriend more than once."

I looked up with anger, "Aeris!"

"Yes yes yes. We didn't expect you to escape like that. You were smart. Aeris keeps thinking that you always did use your brain. Ya know I do wish there was some way to get rid of her constant nagging about what's righ tand what's wrong. Cloud, you know her, how do you get her to shut up?" said Aeris.

I smiled, let her go, mad her free, and she'll stopp annoying you."

"What, and get rid of this powerful body? I don't think so. For even thinking that, you deserve to die. So prepare for our rematch!"

Locke looked confused, "Who is this strange woman?"

"I'll tell ya late,r just help me kick her butt," I said.

"Okay, that sounds good, let's kick her butt."

I used my upgrade ot see if I could see a weak point. Suprisingly, I did, "Aim for her left knee!"

"What? Why? That's stupid!"

"It's the only break in her armor, just do it!" I fired a couple shots at her leg, hitting her directly. She stubled back, unable to move.

"What? How-How did you know my weak point?! Impossible! You little snot-nosed robotic brat! NowI know you're gonna die!" She fired a small bomb at me. I flipped backwards, trying to get out of its way. It violently exploded, I fell back, hitting a building.

"Hey, don't hurt the little guy," said Locke. He reached into his coat and pulled the gun he had earlier, "Mess wiht this!" A bright beam exploded from the gun, hitting Aeris. Smoke was everywhere, and I could hardly see. I got up and ran over to where she had been.

"Aeris! Is she alright?"

Locke frowned, "why do you care whether she lives or dies? You told me to hit her."

"I, know that she's not the same Aeris I once knew but, I know the real one is there, the one we just talked to is annoyed by the true Aeris. I know I should kill her, but........I can't bear the though of her death. She's got to be alive!!!!!"

"Y-yeah," said a voicew from some fallen rocks, "I'm alive. You've gotten better wiht the help of yer friend over there. I-I'll be goin' now. Gotta get stronger to beat ya next time. Gotta......t-telport." She got up from the rocks and started walking away, "rematch, just you and me, tomorrow, here. I want to finish you alone. G-good bye." She teleported away.

Locked ran up to me, "why'd you let her live?! She deserves to die. Look what she did!"

DR. Aries slammed down one of his inventions on the table, "You're not going to battle Aeris as you are! You can't win!"

"I may not be able to win, but I'm going anyways, alone. No telling what she'll do if I don't show," I looked at Locke, "and DON'T follow me."

"I've seen you fight her. I don't know why, but you always seem to stop when you have then chance to kill her. Something's holding you back, and whatever it is, it'll be fatal in battle."

I hadn't told him that she was my girlfriend, and I was scared to kill her. Yet he was right, I couldn't win, not as I was. I don't know what made me want to fight her so badly, I must have hoped for something, something impossible. I sat down and started wondering what might happen if I could restore her to normal. She'd be able to help me destroy Sypher. We'd live in peace again, and be happy. There'd be no more fights. I'd been human again, and so would she. The world would belong ot the world again, and not SYpher. His threat would be eliminated. I thought of all these things, but somehow my mind always flashed back to the look of one person struggling to become another. That time when I saw Aeris, looking as if she was two different people....Aeris was still there, and I had hope.

"I've finished that passcode you gave me. It was a Plasma Arm Part."

I lifted my head, confused, "Huh? I just gave it to you. You got it done that fast?"

"You've been sittign there for three hours Cloud. Here, this'll increase the strength of your laser gun."

"Wow, I though about that one thing that long? Wait, three hours? I've got to go. I've got to fight Aeris!" I grabbed the chip, inserted it inot my arm, and left.

I ended up being there before Aeris. I was actually surprise,d since she was probably eager to fight. I was standing in a run-down part of the city. There was writing on the wall that seemed to catch my attention. It seemed as though some smart poet had come through here and written it, it said: Loving her, day by day, my heartache would never go away. Her love for me is out of sight, but I'm blinded by her beautiful light. I am simply a meer tramp wanting her love, but she's so perfect, and floats hevenly high above. "So true," I said, "So true."

"Hey, I got caught up ordering those stupid robots to attack your lab. But hey, I'm here now, so we can fight now." It was Aeris, she had finally arrived.

"What od you mean?! You're attacking the lab! You forced me to leave, You monster!"

"No, it was Sypher's last minute idea. Besides, you still have that gun guy ot protect your sorry base, so let's fight," she stopped talking, and started hitting her head, "Shut up you stupid girl! I'm gonna kill him, so let it be. You know he can't survive! Ahh!" she grabbed her head, struggling wiht something. A minute later, her head rose agian, evne though if looked she was shaking. Her voice was in a different tone now, "Cloud, it's me, the real Aeris. The one you know, you girlfriend. I have to tell you this before SHE gets control of me again. The secret fortress where Sypher actually is, it's in space. It's kept deep into the moon's surface. Sypher, he's planning to fire the Project X, a huge beam that will have the same effect as the LEgend X on ever human being on the planet. You've got to stop him. And............Cloud, do me a personal favor. You may hate to do this, but........kill me. Kill me now. I can't hold off this monster much longer. Just remember.....that," she paused, then stared at me, I could tell she was thinking of things that once happenned. She smiled, "that I love you."

If it was possible for a robot to shed a tear, I did then, "No, I can't kill you. I won't I'd rather die."

"Cloud, listen to me! Kill me now!!!!!!! Or I'll self-detonate and kill us both!"

"Go ahead, I'd rather die than live to see you dead!" I was filled wiht rage. She was asking the impossible. I couldn't kill her. Not in a million years. Not in a million years. Not in a........"Alright, I'll do it."

"Good......I think."

I held up my gun, ready to fire, "Good bye......Aeris."

Before I could fire my shot, my arm started rumbling, "What the heck?" I opened my arm compartment, the tiem bombs were about ot explode! "Oh no, I've got ot get rid of these!" Grabbing the bombs I threw them at the nearest building.

The bomb exploded, causing hude scraps of the building to fly everywhere. One of the scraps slammed Aeris to the ground. I was just about to go help her when another one hit me, "ahhhh!" I was trapped in the scrap metal, bu tI was trying to get t off. I realized that ,my plasma gun might be abkle to detroy it. It did. I fired my gun, destorying flying scrap metal coming at me or Aeris. When teh explosion stopped, Aeris got up, brushed herself off, and smiled that devilish smile.....the evil was back, "Hehe, I seem to always be lucky. Well, about that rematch. I think it's about time to start that. Too many detours. Oh well, I've gotten stronger, so let's play!" She jumped in the air, firinf a coupel shots at me.

I dodged, jumping left to right, "I've gotten stronger too, It's called plasma!" I fired a plasma shot at her. It hit her head, creating a array of rainbow colors spark throughout her body.

"What the heck?! W-whatr was that?! PLASMA>?! You stole out release code to our hyper cannon!!!!! W-well, I-I've got to go now. S-s-s-see ya later!" She stepped bakc, scared, and teleported away.

I got back to the lab, only to find a battle taking place. Locke was using his beam gun to take out as many robots as he could. The only thing about the gun was it took a long time to charge.

"Hey, Cloud, glad you could make it back," he jumped to the side, dodging a shot, "normally I'd ask if you killed her or not, but I think I could use some help here first!"

I shook my head, "okay!" Shooting a few robots down, I turned my head ot look at Locke, "Where's Dr. Aries?"

"I don't know! He ran into the basement, but a couple robots and some strange looking blue robot went after him. I think.....," he said firing his gun again,"I think you'd better go check on him."

"Okay!" I ran down to the basement, firing at a few robots on the way. When I got down there, I saw Dr. Aries tied to a chair, with a large blue robot standing beside him. Dr Aries noticed I was there, but said nothing, because the blue robot didn't.

"Now tell me, Edward, where is it?" yelled the blue robot.

"I'm telling you," said Dr. Aries, "I hid it in a place where no one, not evne I can get to it. It wouldn't do you any good to know where it is."

"Haha, there's no where you cna hide it and not get to it." The blue robot kicked Dr. Aries, "Now tell me! Where'd you hide it!?"

"I'm telling you, I can't get to it! And if you tried, you might be able to. But even so, I'm not telling you."

The blue robot raised his fist, "I'm givin ya one mere chance pal, and then it's your funeral!"

Dr. Aries continued with what he said before, "I'm not telling you!"

"Okay, you asked for it!"

"NO!" I yelled, "Stop it now. I-I I know where it is!" Of course I had no idea of what IT even was.

The robot raised his head, turning around, "and you, you're that new kid who Sypher keeps warning us against. I don't see how he thinks you have any potential. I have so much power potential is pointless! Hmmmm.....you said you know where it is. Tell me."

I thought for a moment, thinking, "It's.....uh.......it's..um.........give me a sec, let me remember. It's," I looked around for ideas, "It's in me!"

The robot laughed, "That's a good joke little boy! If it wasin you, you'd be so strong, not even I could take you!"

Dr. Aries looked shocked, "How'd you know the "X" upgrade was in you?! I never told you that. And if you know, how come you're not using it?!"

"W-what do you mean? You mean there's something really in me?! I was just trying to lure this guy away from you...."

Dr. Aries laughed, "You GUESSED? How'd you get it right on your first try, I may never know, anyway, there's an access code that enables great power within you. Once accessed it, you'll gain the power every time you're in danger or if someone you care for is in danger.......which really won't help much if YOU'RE fighting Aeris...... Oh well, the first time I use the access code, you gain it immediatly. You ready?"

"Power...." I said to myself, "Whatever that means."

"Are you ready?" Dr. Aries repeated.

"Uh........yeah, I think."

"Okay. Access code, Edward Aries. Send power supply to core, Enter-X."

The first thing that haoppened was a strange feeling. I looked at my arms to see them gaining some kind of beam weapon on each. New armor latched around my old. On my helmet gems of rainbow colors appeared. A sword appeared across my back, and my legs had a strange new look. I could feel myself getting stronger, and the blue robot was now wlking backwards, while trembling.

"What the----what are you?!" he yelled.

I smiled, seeming to suddenly know the answer, "I, am the blazing X knight. You, are about to feel just how powerful I am." I raised my gun, and fired. I rainbow colored beam shot from my hand, destroying the blue robot instantly, "Cool, now I can take on those robots up at the lab!" I found that I could fly now, so I used it to my advantage and got upstairs a lot faster. As I appeared from teh basement door Locke looked at me, amazed.

"You've certainly gotten a new look. And if you're as powerful as oyu look, come on and help me!"

"Let's see what I can do!" I pulled out teh sword, and it immediatly lit up. Slahsing it a few time, getting confortable wiht it, the energy coming from it alone destroyed the enemies around me, "cool." I leaped into the air, swinging at a single enemy. Instead of wiping out one, I wiped out the whole dozen in front of me. Single handedly, I was destroying Sypher's whole army. Every robot that dared challenge me was destroyed the second it walked near me. I could've stood there all day doing nothing, and would've beaten them all. Nothing could beat me. What ever power Dr. Aries had given me, it was powerful, and no enemy could stop me. I continued to destroy the army of robots attacking the lab, but finally they decided ot retreat, considering the odds were totally against them.

After we had cleaned up a little, Dr Aries, Locke and I sat down to rest. By now my "X" power had died down, and I was plain ol' me again.

"So," said Locke, "WHAT was that?"

"Oh, the Blazing X Knight," said Dr. Aries, "is something my father made and he gave it to me. When Sypher wanted it so badly, I had ot hid it somewhere, so I put it in Cloud. I never thought we'd have to use it. I set it so if someone atempted to take out the "X" part, it would explode so no one could ever have it. Yes, and while you were fighting, I snuck aboard their ship and put a homing device on it. We now know where Sypher's fortress is."

"So do I," I said,"It's on the moon. Aeris told me."

"Yes, but my homing devices have a link so you can teleport where I set it. So now we know where it is AND we can get there."

"Okay," said Dr. Aries, "it's time for you two to go to the moon, and destroy Sypher at last...we don't know how strong he is, however, and we don't exactly know what will be waiting for us once we get to where the transmitter's been placed."

I paced around the room, thinking, "Even so, we can probably handle it. Besides, if we get in real trouble, my emotions will kick in and I'll be the blazing x knight, kickin' all their butts."

Locke walked into the room, with a new gun in hand, "I've decided to use this one as my primary for this mission."

"What's it do?"

"It's a gun, you figure it out."

"Okay," interupted Dr. Aries, "stand over there." He pointed at a small area in the corner of the room. We walked over and waited. Dr. Aries began tracing the transmitter, and activated the teleportation device, "Good luck!" No sooner had he wished us luck that we were in the base of Sypher.

We looked around us, the place looked like a torure chambe.r There were guns and weapons of every sort on the walls. I lloked at teh floors just ot make sure it was safe.

"Well, someobdy sure has a sick mind," mumbled Locke, grabbing one of the guns that hung on the wall, "Hey, this one is identical to my C-^-(00."

"What?"

"Nevermind."

I saw a door at the end of the room, noticing a small panel at the side, "It's password activated....maybe that same stupid password that I had to use at that lab will work here. Let's give it a try." I walked up to the door, sayign the idiotic word, "Hopscotch." To my surprise, the door slid open. Unlucky us, there were two robots walking by. They attempted to sound the alarm, but Locke held out his gun and fired it at both. The robots totally dissapeared.

"It's a gun, a very strong gun you now know," Locke said, smiling.

We started exploring the place, hopign we'd make it without being caught. One or two times we had ot fight a few robots, but mostly, where we were there was hardly anyone there. We finally came to a door that had a different color than the others, and had lettering marked on it, "Section B."

"We must be in Section C," I said, "Section B'll probably have a little more activity, get ready to fight." We opened the door, finding about 10 guards on us. Locke and I held em' off, but one of them managed to sound the alarm, "Uh oh, we better get outta here!!"

Guard robotds were coming at us from where we just were, and there were more ahead of us. We ducked to left and started running. The guards were firing at us wildly, and we had to block dodge, run, and return fire all at once.

Locke sighed, "Forget this!" He grabbed out his beam gun, turned around, and blasted them all away.

"Well, that's one way." A loud sound came from above, and we realized the beam had knocked a whole in teh ceiling, where the atmosphere of mars could suck us up! "Okay make a little note Locke, DON'T use the beam gun in this place."

"Gotcha, lets get into another room, the doors are all air tight."

We ran as fast as we could trying ot find teh nearest door. Finally we came to one, and immediatly we ran in.

A figure dropped to the ground in front of us, "I thought you'd never get here. I was so eager in seeing my boyfriend again, but he was late for our date! OH, how can I ever forgive him?!" the voice mocked.

"I lifted my head, "Hello again, Aeris."

"Well, I should be happy you at least remembered my name. Oh well, I'm still not happy with ya, so I'll kill ya, no biggie."

Locke shook his head, "Poor girl, she's a total phsyco idiot. Thinks Cloud here is her girlfriend, acts like an idiot, sounds like an idiot, even talks about killing like -------"

"Shut up!" I yelled, not knowing what I was saying. My instinct were still to protect her, no matter how right Locke was.

"Geeze man, what is wrong with you?! Why do you always have trouble fightin' this girl?! YOUR stupidity is gonna get us killed!"

I dropped to teh ground, "I know..........but......"

Aeris seemed ot have an idea. She walked over ot me and lifte dmy head, "Cloud, I've got control of myself again, it's me, the REAL Aeris. Your true girlfriend. I have a favor ot ask of you. It's so important. Locke, your friend, he's really on Sypher's side, you're gonna have to kill him, since you love me and'll do whatever I say."

"Yes, I'll kill Locke!" I got up and aimed my gun at him, ready to fire.

Locke looked confused, and angry, "What, does this girl have some kinda special power over you or somin'?! I am you friend. If I was evikl, would I insult someone who's probably supperior to me, and destroy half of my own army of robots?"

"Well, I....um....." I spun around, "You tricked me! Aeris doesn't have control, you idiot. Stop using her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" As I yelled at that evil thing my arms got bigger, gaining more advanced guns, my head gained rainbow colored stones. I wads gaining better armor, and a sword. I was becoming the blazing X knight.

Aeris could feel my energy, "What the.........what are you now? You're that---that thing that destroyed half our army bakc at that Doctor's lab aren't you?! S-s-s-s-s-sypher!!! I think I could use your help this time!"

Smoke appeared, and a dark and black figure appeared. He was a robot, Sypher, he had turned himself into a robot...."Well, as you can see, I've got a robotic body now, and it appears you're stronger than before. Strong enough for Aeris to back out. I'll just.......have to kill you. Let me show you true power!" Sypher simply lifted his hand, and a strong beam of energy knocked me back. I tryed to grab my sword, bu tI realized that it was gone, "Wondering what happenned to your Blazing X armor? MY powers can cancel it out. Uh oh, time for you to be scared, I know I'd be!"

Locke grabbed one of his guns, and was about to fire it when Sypher knocked him down, "No....." he said, "one guy..........can't be..............this strong."

Sypher laughed a horrifying laugh, "Too easy!" He did teh same to me as he did Locke.

We were both down, it was hopeless, we had failed, we were about to die. I couldn't move, or talk, I could only hear what was going on around me. I noticed the voice of Aeris, and I could tell she was near.

"No Sypher, don't kill him!"

"Oh no, Aeris has gotten control of you again, hasn't she L? No matter, I'll just knock you out too."

"Go ahead, kncok me out, you can kill me if you want, but I'm saving them. I have their transmitter right her,e teleporting that back now,"

"NO, you STUPID, STUPID girl!!!!!!"

I opened my eyes, they seemed lighter than before. I got up, and out of the bed I was in. I seemed to be walking on air. I had a new feeling. It was familiar, but I couldn't tell what it was. I looked at my hands, they were no longer the awkward color, my hand was the color of a human hand! I went to a mirror, to make sure what I thought might be true. My hands, my feet, my head, my arms, my legs, they were all human! I was human again! I had accepted the change to a robot, but it was all over, somehow, I was human.....Or was it all a bad dream? I thought. Walked around the room, trying to see if I was still in teh lab. I noticed the symbol on the door, it was the symbol that Dr. Aries had made. It wasn't a dream. I had really been a robot, I had been through horrifying battles............and I had seen Aeris suffer just to say hi or bye to me. Everything.......it was real. Somehow, I had been turned bakc to human, but everything else was real. Walking over to the door, I opened it, and walked out. I walked down teh hall with my now unfamiliar legs, tumbling now and then. I was trying ot make it ot the main part of teh lab. However, I had forgotten how to walk as a human, and had to literally crawl. As I made it down the hall, I realized I could smell again. I could smell food.......something I hadn't had in a long time. MY mouth watered for the taste of food again. I could smell..........pancakes, bacon, eggs......I was starving! I started using all teh strength I had ot get down he hall, I had to get the food before anyone else! As I made it to teh room where I smelled the food, Locke stepped outside.

"Well, you finally woke up, and why, may I ask, are you on the floor?" He said.

Only one word seemed ot come to my mind, "Food!"

Locke laughed, "Well, I guess after not eating for so long, you WOULD be hungry." He helped me up and brought me into the kitchen. Dr. Aries was there, eating already.

"He must've woken up."

"Yeah," replied Locke, "but you better get him some food. He's kinda goin crazy over here."

Dr. Aries put some pancakes, bacon, and eggs, plus some milk on the table. I sat down, looked at teh silverware, then flicked it away. I started grabbing the food with my hands and stuffing it into my mouth.

Dr. Aries and Locke stared at me, mouths wide open. Dr. Aries spoke to me, "Slow down. I know it's beemn a while,b ut oyu can at least use a fork."

I finished the food, then looked up, "MORE!"

Locke tried to take my plate, "I think that's enough food."

I grabbed the plate and yelled it louder, "MORE!!!"

Dr. Aries put more on the plate, and turned away. I think he was a little disgusted. Locke just looked at me strangly as I stuffed more food into my mouth. I had about 3 more servings of food, and still, I said, "MORE!!!!"

Dr. Aries fianlly walked over ot me, "Don't you feel liek you've had enough, or did oyu always eat like this before I met you?"

Just then something hit me, something else I also hadn't felt in a while, I think it was called a stomach ache, "UH........maybe you're right. I-I do feel a little bad. Ow."

Locke still had the strange look on his face, "You just ate MY breakfast. And Dr. Aries's. Oh, and the breakfast that I was gonna give to that girl I invited over thois morning!!!! I think it was a bad idea ot make oyu human agian. We'll run out of food in a day."

"OH, you can be sure, I ain't eatin' no more food in a while...Now that I'm past teh craving, could I please know why I'm even human?"

"Your robotic body got damaged in your quick battle with Sypher. Soemhow Aeris got you both bakc here, but I had ot put you back in your human body, whihc uckily is now healed. I'm repairing your robotic body so you fight again. I'm even making a small device that'll let you switch between human and robot. " said Dr. Aries, walking ot teh door, "I'm going ot finish repairing it. Go do something, get used ot your body again." Dr. Aries then looked at Locke, "don't let him near the food supply."

"Okay," said Locke. Dr. Aries left, then Locke looked at me, "Can you walk?"

I steadily got up walked alittle across the room, then stumbled, "Probably not."