*thud*

"Ow!"

"Are you okay?" Jane asked.

"Yeah...but now I've got a headache..." Noble Knight replied, rubbing her forehead. She, Jane, Rudy, and Seph were still on the Sweet Candy, but the land was now in sight. They had been sailing for what seemed like forever, and Noble Knight was about to fall asleep. In fact, she did fall asleep about five minutes ago, but she had hit her head on the railing of the boat in which she was leaning on.

Noble Knight looked down at the waves crashing against the side of the ship. Something strange had happened the night before, as if time had stopped. She could not quite figure out what had happened, but she knew that someone, or something, had managed to stop time for a while.

Seph yawned and sat beside her. He looked up at the warrior and asked, "Are you still thinking about that?"

"What? The time freeze?" Noble Knight asked.

"No. Him," Seph responded, seeming to grin.

"OH, SHUT UP!!" Noble Knight shrieked. Seph burst out laughing and ran inside the cabin to avoid Noble Knight's retaliation. Jane walked over to her and grinned.

"What was he talking about?" Jane asked, poking Noble Knight in the ribs and grinning.

Noble Knight tried to keep herself from laughing, but Jane's poking was tickling her. "Stop it, that tickles!" she said, bursting into laughter.

"Tell me what he was talking about, and I will!" Jane laughed, tickling Noble Knight even more.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!!" Noble Knight gasped. Jane's grin just grew wider as Noble Knight whispered into her ear, "I've kinda got a crush on that demon, Boomerang. Seph won't stop teasing me about it."

"Oooooo!" Jane teased.

"SHUT UP!" Noble Knight growled, playfully pushing the girl.

Noble Knight's cat-like fangs were chattering as she, Seph, Jane, and Rudy walked through the snow-covered landscape. Each of them, excluding Seph, were wearing boots with fur trimming, coats which also had fur trimming, and thick gloves to try and keep out the cold. However, it did not seem to be helping Noble Knight much.

Rudy prepared his Hand Cannon ARM while Jane reloaded her new Rifle ARM. Already they had been attacked by several monsters, but they were nothing that the four could not handle.

Seph abruptly stopped in his tracks, his ears perked up and his nose high in the air. He sniffed the air carefully, a low growl errupting from his throat. Jane looked at him and asked, "What's up?" Noble Knight unsheathed her sword and looked around them.

Rudy, too, looked at their surroundings and spoke, "We're not far from the crater where the Photosphere was. It wouldn't be too bad of an idea to be a little more careful from here on in." The girls nodded and the four started walking again.

However, Seph extended his claws and growled, his back arching and his tail becoming even fluffier than it was before. He then bolted forward and leaped over a large rock just as a silvery blur did the same.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!!!" came a surprised voice as Seph pinned the owner to the ground.

Rudy, Noble Knight, and Jane raced over to Seph and pointed their weapons at the creature that he had caught.

Chakrum. Boomerang's clone.

Chakrum suddenly kicked Seph off of him and threw three of his razor-sharp disks at the Dream Chasers. Jane ducked under one, Rudy just barely leapt out of the way of a second, and Noble Knight took a glancing blow to the arm by the third.

The disks struck the rocks and occasional trees, each time changing direction until all three ended up rocketing back toward Chakrum who caught them with expert reflexes.

Seph leapt at him again, claws still extended, but the demon was ready for him this time. Chakrum whirled around and delivered a strong kick to Seph's side. The wolf-sized fox flew across the battlefield, landing head first in a snowbank. "MMMF!!" he shrieked, trying to pull his head free of the snow.

Noble Knight charged toward Chakrum and swung her sword at him. The clone screamed in pain as Noble Knight's sword created a long, diagonal gash across his silver, gold, and red armored chest. He fell back and landed on his rear, clutching his chest.

"Wait a minute..." Rudy thought aloud, "Dazer and Dark Knight said that they only felt a little of the pain whenever they were hurt and the others took most of the pain."

Noble Knight responded, "There must be some sort of distance thing that keeps the connection from staying active when they're this far away from the others."

Jane grinned and aimed her Rifle ARM at Chakrum. She said, "Well, that's a good thing! That means we can be rid of one of the demons right now!!"

However, just as she pulled the trigger, an ash-grey streak shot from a group of shrubs and tackled the girl, sending her ARM sliding across the snow-covered ground. The bullet, which had been aimed for Chakrum's head, hit the demon in the left leg. He cried out in pain and struggled to get to his feet before the crazy human got a lucky shot and killed him.

Jane scrambled back to her feet and looked around. Rudy yelled, locking and loading his Prism Ray ARM, "Ah, SHIT!"

Noble Knight shouted, her eyes narrowing and her ears flattening, "Dark Knight!" Dark Knight laughed and fired her Hand Cannon ARM at Jane and Rudy. Chakrum was slowly climbing to his feet, crimson blood flowing from his chest and leg by now.

Suddenly, Dark Knight took a strange looking ARM from her back and aimed at the three Dream Chasers. When she pulled the trigger, instead of shooting out a bullet or a beam of light, a large net rocketed forth, snaring them. After trapping them, the net abruptly constricted and sent a low-voltage flow of electricity through the three Dream Chasers, knocking them out cold.

Dark Knight laughed, taking hold of one end of the net, "Alright, let's take 'em back. Shocks, you get their weapons." Chakrum nodded, gathered up Rudy and Jane's ARMs and Noble Knight's sword, and limped after Dark Knight.

Rudy awoke to the sounds of arguing. "NO WAY!! I'M gonna kill 'em!!" came Dark Knight's voice.

"Absolutely NOT!" Zeikfried protested, "You captured them. You already had your fun!"

Dark Knight yelled, "Well Chakrum DEFINATELY won't get to kill them. He had his fun in Adlehyde two days ago." Chakrum groaned. He did not want to remember that...

Rudy opened his eyes and gasped. He, Noble Knight, and Jane were inside a cage-like structure that was hanging from the roof of the building that they were in, at least fifteen feet from the metal floor. "The demons brought us back to their hideout..." he whispered, the truth dawning on him.

The room looked a lot like a room of the Photosphere or the Demon Lab. That much he could tell. The floor and walls were all made of the same metal and there were security generators sitting on large pillars that rose at least ten feet off of the floor in each corner of the room.

By one of the pillars sat the Dream Chasers' weapons. Jane's Rifle ARM and Rudy's Hand Cannon were leaning against the pillar as was Noble Knight's sword. The ARMs had obviously been unloaded, for the bullet clips were lying on the floor. Below the cage stood Zeikfried, Chakrum, Dazer, and Dark Knight. They were not wearing their armor for once. Well, at least Dark Knight and Dazer were not. Dark Knight was wearing some black, cloth pants, white socks, and a white tank top, her ash-grey hair pulled back into a ponytail. Dazer was wearing some white socks and blue, cloth pants. Bandages were still wrapped around his torso from where Elmina had sliced him the other night, a wet, scarlet spot staining the front of the bandages.

Chakrum, too, wore bandages over his silvery armor, covering the wounds on his leg and his chest. He balanced himself on a crutch-like walking staff so that he would not put too much pressure on his wounded leg.

While Dark Knight and Zeikfried were arguing, Rudy gently shook Jane and Noble Knight to wake them up. Noble Knight groaned and asked Rudy as she sat up, "Where's Seph?"

Rudy shrugged and replied, waking up Jane, "I haven't seen him since he got his head stuck in that snowbank."

Seph gave one final push at the densly packed snow. It finally gave way and gave the giant fox his head back. However, Seph was sent rolling backwards into a tree from the force of his push. "Ugh..." he groaned, standing up, "FINALLY!" He shook the snow from himself and looked at his surroundings. Blood stained several patches of snow, leaving a trail leading southeast.

Seph sniffed the patches and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Noble Knight was not hurt. Hmm..." He looked to where the trail of blood lead and then back to the direction of the ship. "Speed, do not fail me now..." he muttered. With that, he spun around and bolted through the snow, following the trail.

"So...yer finally awake, eh?" Dazer laughed, looking up at the three Dream Chasers.

Jane demanded, "What are you going to do to us?!"

Dazer answered with a sinister grin, "Kill you, of course. But these two won't stop arguing long enough for anyone to figure out who's gonna do it." He motioned behind himself toward Zeikfried and Dark Knight who were in each other's faces by now, practically screaming at each other.

Just then, Mother entered the room through a large, metal door. She was in the half woman, half slug-creature form that she had been in the second time that the Dream Chasers fought her three years ago. Mother announced, "Neither of you are going to kill them, because I am!" Dazer slapped his forehead and groaned as Zeikfried and Dark Knight started arguing with her. Chakrum grabbed his head with one hand, signaling that all of the demons' yelling and screaming was giving him a headache.

"Hey! HEY!!" Dazer tried but the three demons continued arguing.

Chakrum finally got fed up and screamed, "ZHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mother, Zeikfried, and Dark Knight yelped and looked at him.

"Oh, my EARS!" Jane yelled.

Rudy shouted, "I'm DEAF!!"

Dazer shook his head to try and get rid of the ringing. "Thanks, Shocks..." he said. Chakrum nodded, limped over to one of the pillars, and leaned against it. "I've got an idea, if you three would just stop arguing long enough to listen!" Dazer continued. Dark Knight, Mother, and Zeikfried turned to him. "Thank you! Now, I say we put them up as the stakes in a game of chance. Whoever wins gets to kill them."

Zeikfried turned it down, but Dark Knight and Mother agreed. Dark Knight had a fair idea of what Dazer was planning which caused an evil grin to creep up onto her face. She spoke, her grin widening, "It should be an...interesting...game. C'mon, Shocks! You're playing, too."

Chakrum almost freaked out. He stuttered, "I-I-I am?! I don't WONT to play!"

Rudy's jaw dropped. Rudy whispered, almost unable to keep himself from laughing, "Chakrum...has a French accent?!"

Chakrum, having heard him, retorted, "Yeez, I 'ave. Now zhut up and zit down!"

About ten minutes later, Dazer, Dark Knight, Mother, and Chakrum were sitting on the floor not too far from the caged Dream Chasers who were busy trying to figure out how to escape.

The four demons were each holding a small, glass cup which held three dice each. Chakrum growled, shifting his weight so that his leg did not hurt quite so much, "I caan't believe you talked me eento zis..." Dark Knight grinned.

Mother snarled, "This is stupid. Betting on these worthless humans. Why don't we throw something of value into the bet?"

Dazer grinned sinisterly and spoke, "Okay...how about the winner gets the humans...and...a body part from each of the loosers!" Chakrum's eyes widened.

"What?!" Mother demanded.

"A body part," Dazer repeated, his grin widening, "Minimum bet is hand."

Dark Knight said, laughing, "I'm in."

Dazer turned to Chakrum and asked, "What about you, Shocks?"

"I don't vant anyone's body part!" he stated.

Dark Knight said, "Then I'm sure we all pray that you win!" Mother growled, "Alright. All in one throw!"

Jane looked at Noble Knight and Rudy and merely said, "Eeeeew..." The four demons began shaking their cups, shaking the dice inside. They all exchanged glances, Dazer's grin never leaving his face.

Suddenly, Dazer slammed his cup down and lifted it back up, leaving the dice on the floor. The dice read all sixes. He laughed, "I win." He looked at Mother. "Pay up."

Chakrum snapped, "Zis iz rediculous!"

Mother yelled, fear actually in her voice, "You're crazy!!"

Dark Knight asked, "So you're not gonna pay up?"

"Are you?"

"Yes." Dark Knight looked at Dazer. "I give you my heart." Noble Knight gagged.

Dazer responded, "I accept." He looked back at Mother. "I'll settle for the same from you, Mom: yer heart!!"

Mother yelled, "You're INSANE! I'm getting out of here! I'll destroy this planet myself!!" She hurried toward the door as Dazer picked up his sword.

Meanwhile, Chakrum had been looking all around the room, as if measuring distances between objects. Satisfied, he finally threw one of his disks at the wall. It rebounded and ricocheted off of the walls and pillars, first hitting the Dream Chasers' weapons and making them slide across the floor near the area where the cage was, then striking the lock on the cage. The disk struck the chain that held the cage to the ceiling. "Not until I collect my winnings!!" With that, before Mother could react, Dazer lopped off her head.

Dark Knight looked at Dazer and laughed, "I thought you wanted her heart not her head." Dazer playfully pushed her.

Zeikfried re-entered the room and spoke, "Good job. I couldn't have done better myself!"

Dazer retorted, balancing his sword on his shoulder, "I know. That's why I did it."

Dark Knight picked up the dice that Dazer had used and burst into laughter. She turned to him and laughed, throwing the dice across the room, "Not bad. Dice that have all sixes on 'em."

Seph had easily found a way into the structure that the blood trail had lead to and was also having an easy time finding his way through it. The structure basicly looked like a large sphere with sort of a crack in the top of it where several cannons had been placed.

Suddenly, the blue fox stopped in his tracks as he came face-to-face with the demon Chakrum. The demon was leaning on a crutch-like walking staff and he had blood-soaked bandages covering his chest and left leg.

Seph extended his claws and let out a menacing growl, refusing to go down without a fight. Chakrum snapped, growing impatient, "Vat are you ztanding zere for?! Go and zave you friends befoure Dazare and Dark Knight find zem!!" Seph was taken aback by this.

The giant fox stuttered, "Y-Y-You're helping them?!"

"In a vay..." Chakrum replied, "Zay are one floor up, fighting off a group of Zoa Ziens. 'elp zem and make zure zat zey get back to Adlehyde."

"W-Why are you doing this?" Seph wanted to know.

"...I go my own vay. Unvortunatly zat's usually ze same vay zat Dazare's going. I know 'is plans, and I intend to not be a part of zem." With that, Chakrum limped past Seph without another word.

Still confused, Seph ran up a group of stairs just to run face first into Rudy. After picking himself up off of the metal floor, Seph showed the three Dream Chasers back to the entrance of the structure.

As they ran away from the structure and back in the direction of the Sweet Candy, Jane could not help but laugh, "Well...now we know where to come!!"

Noble Knight nodded and spoke, "Yeah. Let's go get the others and tell them what happened. Then..." She grinned. "IT'S PARTY TIME!!!!"