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Chapter 1: First Feeling of Freedom

(Zen-Phoenix Fox)

The young fox lay silent. Hovering over an altar where darkness surrounded him. His three tails barely touching the ground. His eyes opened slowly, focusing his blurry vision on an empty room.

_What's going on? he thought. What am I doing here? I thought I was...somewhere else? I can't remember._He felt numb. After seeing nothing he closed his eyes again, contemplating his thoughts that seemed to slowly drift away. Nothing came to mind but his name. A presence appeared in the empty space but the fox did not sense it.

"I was afraid I couldn't get us to safety," spoke the disembodied voice. "We made it somehow. I wish it didn't have to come to this but I feel this is the only option to keep you safe?" The fox opened his eyes to find the source of the voice. It was hidden. Slowly the outline of figure became visible and easier to make out.

I know that voice,_thought the fox. _Where have I heard it from? It sounds nostalgic, warm, and...distant."

"I'm afraid we can no longer spend as much time with each other as we use too. He is getting closer to us and I cannot put you in harm's way. For years I've trained to protect you and now it seems I can only leave you behind while I confront him myself." His voice became hesitant as he continued. "My Zen," he said looking at the young fox. "I want you to be happy, I want you to forget about all this fighting, this suffering we both went through, and the pain we both shared. I want you to always smile, make new friends, and see this world as your home. I know this is not fair to you but forgive me."

Zen? That's...my name right? But... that doesn't feel right. I thought, I thought our name was...

Zen's expression didn't change. He recognized the young figure, the boy speaking to his thoughts. He didn't remember nor understand what he meant by all this, but his voice could not make a sound.

Where are you going? Zen thought. His surrounding began to brighten but his eyes remained half open. 12 lights flickered around the altar, each appearing as a different color. Those lights suddenly became round forming into orbs. In unison those orbs circled the young Zen, sill bright and each one colored. The boy lifted his hands and the orbs followed respectively. The boy pressed his hands together and the orbs hovered above Zen.

"A wise man once told me," the boy began. "Sometimes it is better to be ignorant and oblivious in order to remain in bliss. For the time I will erase your thoughts of your previous life. You shall have little memory of the world you once lived in, and you shall not remember me. However, there will come a day when you'd wish to seek that which you have lost. Though I fear and wish that day will never come, I cannot stop you should you choose to pursue that path." The orbs above Zen began to glow and darken in a pattern. "My Zen," the boy said, his voice calm and warm. "You are incredible powerful; we grew up together even if you don't know it. The power lay dormant in you is enough to rival any God you may encounter, and your heart as bright as the sun within the solar system. " The orbs began to glow in the strange pattern more rapidly and began circling the young fox. "Be happy, be benevolent, and be safe. Those are my wishes for you." The boy placed one hand over Zen's head and it began to glow. Zen's eyes grew dark and empty and he closed them again, drifting into a deep sleep.

"It is done." The boy said. The 12 orbs rose into the sky following the movement of the boy's hands. Higher and higher they went until they were far above the temple. In the midst of the sky, they circled each other. After several seconds, the orbs scattered, traveling to the farthest corners of the globe. Only one orb remained above the temple. The orange sphere descended back into the altar and lay on a pedestal to the front of Zen. "My Zen, if you truly wish to seek out the truth of your past then one day you must find those orbs. However, that will be so easy. For now, live life the way you want and do not be chained to what once was."

A small bird appeared on the shoulder of the boy. They gave each other a glance and nodded. The blue bird flew majestically above Zen and emitted blue magic onto him. Zen's face became warm and he smiled. The bird returned to the boy's shoulder and slowly they both turned to ashes.

"Farewell Zen," said the boy, a red tear falling down his cheeks. "Farewell." They were gone. Zen now lay on the ground where the altar remained inactive.

Several hours passed and Zen awoken. His body no longer felt numb. He leaned up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around and saw no one. After stretching he stood up and pondered.

Hmmm. Where am I? He thought. He tried to shout out but his voice remained silent. He tried again, nothing happened. He scratched his head, confused by what he should do next. He noticed his hands and was taken aback. He looked at his palms, studying them as if they were not his own. He studied his legs, his paws, and his clothes as well as the markings on his arm.

I don't remember these,_he thought. After spending some time patting his fur, he shifted his attention back to his first thought. _What should I do now? It's a bit dark here, wherever here is. Maybe I'll go look around._He circled around, observing his surroundings. He noticed something at the head of where he rested. Something was in a bowl on a pedestal. _What's this? Does this belong to anyone? Or was this here already? It looks...different. What is it? He was compelled to pick it up but felt wrong to otherwise. He left it alone and continued to look around, though his mind remained curious on the item.

Zen could not make out the structure of the temple. Nor did he know what a temple was. He walked around oblivious to everything but liked what he saw in a strange way. After proceeding down the stairs from his altar he noticed 8 entry ways that led under the altar. Nothing was there. He also counted eight sets of stairs he could have taken to step off the altar. As he looked in the distance he couldn't see much. Everywhere around him was dark and hardly visible.

I wish it was brighter. Suddenly several torches began to light. In seconds the temple was lit. Zen was bewildered by this but did not seem to abuse what he could do.Oh, this is nice. How did that happen? Did I do that? He thought to himself for a moment but found no answer to come up with it. With nothing more to think about, the fox began exploring. He walked towards the outer walls where on the inside the altar stayed. He walked in what he felt like was a giant circle. To his left were with several passages that led to the same altar he left and to his right was a door and a hallway that lead to a dead end in that order. There were four door and four dead ends at each hallway. This place is different. Well I looked around; maybe I should go somewhere else.

He walked to the door and began to push. The stone door wouldn't budge. He went to the next door, the same thing. The last two didn't move either. Maybe I should have pulled instead of pushed. He tried again but realized there was nothing for him to grab onto. The doors were like walls with only a crack through them which Zen felt. Wind blew through the cracks but Zen didn't know what it was. What is that? It feels nice. I'd like to feel more but I can't open it. Zen thought to himself and tried that method again. Please open. Nothing happened. I wish this door would open, again no response. Feeling flat, Zen returned to the altar and sat in the middle.

Alright,_he thought. _From here there are eight sets of stairs around me. There are eight ways to go under this thing. There are eight ways to go outside this first wall, there are four doors that won't open and four rooms that are empty. There are 64 lights in this place and...that one thing I don't know what it is. He turned his head to the pedestal where the orb remained untouched. He got up and walked towards it; his curiosity staggering.

Will this help. He reached to grab the thing and it reacted. Zen took back his hand and waited. Nothing happened. He reached for it again and, although he couldn't explain it, it felt warm. Zen felt happy when he touched it, it felt right. Zen lifted the orb and observed it. He studied it in all directions and concluded it was a sphere. What should I do now? He walked off the altar, the item in hand, and proceeded to the door where the wind coming from the other side traveled through the cracks. He looked at the orb. Can you open this somehow? Please?

The orb glowed. The temple shook but Zen remained perfectly balanced. He looked around wondering what happened. He looked at the orb than at the door. He touched the door and the door moved. I think I'm going to look around some more. Do you want to come? He asked the object. He received no response. Thank you for opening it. He opened the door and began to wonder what else he might see.

Zen opened the first set of door and entered a small hallway leading to another set of doors. These were different; the wind Zen felt was strong despite the pressure blowing in from the small air way between where the two doors closed.

This must be another way out, Zen thought. I really wonder where I am. I was asleep I know but nothing before that. He slowly walked to the next set of doors, hoping more doors didn't await him. He placed one paw on the door, but immediately stopped applying pressure to open it. Maybe, maybe I shouldn't. I was here for a reason after all, or so I think. This place, it feels peaceful to me but why? Zen turned around and stared for a moment at this big empty place. Even the torches and lights that shined everywhere were dead silent, but somehow Zen felt there was someone there, someone watching him. I'll have to go at some point. He turned around and applied pressure to the door. After all, he though as the orb glowed in reaction to the door moving. There must be something greater for me out there.

The orb's light nearly blinded Zen. The doors burst open and the wind flowed from the outside in, pushing Zen back into the temple. The first set of doors could not handle the pressure and closed before Zen was sucked back inside. Zen's back slammed against the door and the orb stopped glowing.

Well that was unexpected. May I have a warning next time sphere? He thought attempting to ask the orb as it slowly diminished its light.I'll call you that from now on, if you don't mind of course. The orb didn't respond. Zen took that as a yes for now. He got up and wiped the dirt from his clothes. His eyes adjusted to the light from the outside and he proceeded forward. The closer he moved the more light shinned. He rose on hand over his eyes and stepped out into the world.

The sky was grey, the wind was strong and steady, and in the horizon, no more than 60 feet away, was filled with clouds. Everything past 60 feet was blocked by fog, thicker than the darkness of the temple. The path in front of Zen led down some stairs to the stone grounds. Destroyed rocks were placed everywhere and the atmosphere was dull but grim, similar to a cemetery.

Wow!_Zen thought admiring the unrecognizable beauty of everything he looked at. He noticed in the distance there was an opening passage way between the walls that generally surrounded the area. Zen took a few steps down and reached the common grounds. He looked behind him and witnesses the building he laid dormant. Massive and huge Zen marveled at it for some time, trying to figure out how the inside looked bigger than the outside. _This is all amazing. Thunder roared and spooked the young fox. What was that? He looked up as the clouds made noise. Very quick and sudden could Zen make out small lengths of light shining through the clouds. The light appeared randomly and in different locations, and at one point brightened the sky before dimming back down to grey.

Oh wow!_He thought bewildered. After gazing at the clouds for several minutes he faced forward wondering if that was the direction he was suppose to go. _Alright, I guess I should be moving on now. He began walking. Although his mind was filled with amazement of the grey colors, the glowing clouds above and around him, his body felt uneasy. Zen did not understand but something in him told him that something bad was about to happen. How do I stop feeling like this? He wondered.

He reached the exit at the end of the passageway and stood before crossing. He body felt the uneasiness while his mind was drenched with curiosity as to what would happen. He took a deep breath which seemed to calm everything down, not just that but everything around him felt silent. He turned and looked at the sky again, there was nothing. The wind he felt died and Zen couldn't understand nor describe this feeling he had. His body shacked, his hands involuntarily clutched the sphere tighter and he paws didn't seem to move when he wanted them. Am I...What is this? I feel numb. Why am I so still? Why can't I hear anything? He pondered to himself and realized it. _I'm...alone?_He closed his eyes, forcing his body to move.

I don't want to be alone anymore! He shouted though the sound never left his mouth. He thrust his body and took his first step off the stone floor that connected to the temple. The second step however led him to fall.

He started falling and the sounds that disappeared came back in a sudden blast. Zen opened his eyes and saw what was happening. He no longer felt frightened like he was before and the wind blew in his face as he traveled in the opposite direction of the sky. He felt a sensation this time. It was different than before, it was joy. Zen was not afraid of falling. He loosened up from being in a curled ball after taking his second step off the stone floor. He continued to fall for what seemed like hours but Zen didn't care, he enjoyed every second of it. The lights from the clouds got brighter but Zen saw only the beauty of it, unaware of how dangerous lightening really was.

Zen felt himself slowing down. The fast falling he did slowly decrease and he touched the clouds with his paws, landing softly on the white bed. Zen looked around and saw only clouds. It's funny, more and more words are starting to come back to me. These are clouds, now I remember. I didn't know they were soft and strong enough to hold me though. Just then the orb started to glow. It rose out of Zen's hands and Zen watched as it floated, levitating into the sky above him.

"Zen" the orange orb spoke. Zen looked bewildered but the amazement suddenly diminished. He was talking to it, somehow, and it was talking to him, so he felt no worries. The voice sounded familiar but firm. It sounded old and in a sense, godly "What do you wish out of life?"

Zen tilted his head slightly, his ears twitched at the thought of the question. I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet. I don't think I want anything; I just would like to see something new I guess.

"You lack a purpose." It stopped for a moment; Zen could feel that presence from before when he was still in the temple, that feeling that someone was watching him.

_I never got the chance to ask who you are. No, what I really want to know is your name?_Zen thought, believing this to be a conversation since the orb could read his thoughts.

"This world" it continued, "will be new to you. You will see the beauties of this world and all those who dwell in it. But be warned, there are many dangers in it as well." Zen began to think again but waited until the orb stopped. "You've already learned to listen before speaking or thinking, already you are more gifted than other. You may not know this but you are among one of the most powerful creatures alive in this world. Though what you choose to do with those powers is your choice. I see you grow curious, what is it you want to ask?"

I still never received a name from you.

The orb was silent for a moment. Though it couldn't show, the orb was surprised how calm Zen was. "I am but a voice in your head, nothing more." Zen was disappointed at his answer but chose not to go further for fear of annoying the orb. "Zen, it is impossible for me to teach you all you need to know before you set out in the world. However, I shall prepare you for it nonetheless." The clouds around Zen grew dark; suddenly the colors grew dark and purple. The lightning grew more visible as it raged through the clouds. Zen looked around and felt the sense of fear that took him when he was still at the gate. He took a deep breath and only his body remained calm, not the clouds, the sound, or the wind.

"You still do not understand what you are capable of. Though knowledge is beginning to return to you, your curiosity grows faster. I will use that and have you witness your own strength." The light of the orb began to darken and its orange shine grew black. With the sound of glass breaking, the light separated itself from the orb and the orb flew directly into Zen. The orb infused itself into Zen, taking on his image and disappearing. Zen fell to his back wondering if he deserved that and what to make of his next remark.

Before Zen could think, the light from the orb manifested itself and took the same appearance of Zen. There was no fur or detailing, just a black image of Zen with orange glowing eyes. What's happening? The wind grew more violent and the texture of the clouds grew solid and hard. The comfort Zen felt was gone but he was not afraid. He saw the image in front of him and although his mind showed curiosity, his face was calm but his eyes were firm. I don't know what you want me to do sphere?

"That is for you to decide. If the knowledge of the world is slowing filling you, then there is nothing more to say." The figure took a battle stance. "You know what must be done. Trust in your own judgment and prepare-" it rushed forward. Surprising Zen with its speed, he barely jumped out of the way in time. "To be a God, now fight me."

Dark Zen attacked furiously. Zen flew in several directions taking beatings, cuts, and bruises. Several times Zen smashed against what felt like glass walls. The impacts he made created cracks in space that looked like a window after being smacked by a stone. Out of breath, Zen stood his ground but felt confused and defenseless. He did not know how to fight nor did the knowledge of how to fight came to him. Zen remained still, trying to consider his options. Looking around he saw no way to escape. The moving colors of black and purple everywhere confused him. The clouds he once stood on were hard like stone, and whenever he ran from this dark Zen he ended up crashing into an invisible wall which felt like glass. He could not go up, for something was keeping him leveled to the floor. Dark Zen approached and appeared to have grown in size as the fight continued.

"Why do you not attack me?" Dark Zen started. "Reach into your mind and heart; draw out the hidden power you possess. Only then can you escape here."

You make no sense to me. Zen thought. Dark Zen stood for a moment appearing to be reading his mind again. You fight me without reason yet expect me to fight back with this power that I'm not aware of. You've beaten, bruised, and thrown me everywhere but I can feel you don't want to kill me. You won't answer my questions about this world or about you yet you say this world is dangerous and I must fight you in order to see it. To what purpose does fighting serve without a reason? Until I have it, I will not fight back. You came from this orb; you were near me when I woke up in that place. You opened the doors so I could leave but to get any further I must fight you? Why? Zen twitched for a moment as he waited for a response from this shadowy creature.

Dark Zen closed his eyes for a moment. "All shall be revealed to you once you fight. I will not indulge you in vague riddles or lengthy discussions. Your gifts alone will provide you strength."

Again Zen did not understand. He felt more lost and confuse than he was before. The wind picked up more furiously before and the lightening became more active when the thunder's tone went from loud and bombing, to strong and explosive like pounding on drums.

"You said I didn't possess any intention of killing you. You must also sense that I am holding back." Zen looked at Dark Zen more sternly now. "Very well, let me show you more." Dark Zen grew in size and around him aroused an aura of lightening and dark energy. His appearance began to change. The fox it once looked like became more vicious, blood thirsty, and evil. His ears shot up more straight like spears, horns grew around his head and circled to where it looked like a crown. He claws grew, and the three tails merged into one. Claws grew from his body, his shoulders, elbows, knees, and sides were covered with spikes. He bent over and from his back emerged wings that seemed bigger than him. He let out a mighty roar which forced Zen up against the wall unable to move. When his roar subsided, Zen fell to the ground.

So this...this is what you were holding back? Zen thought. I don't want to fight, but now I sense your intension to kill. Slowly Zen tried to regain his balance as he stood. He held one arm feeling the pain inflicted on him take a stronger hold. His knees began to shake but he did not falter. It's clear that you will not speak to me no matter what I say; your only intension is to fight and see if I remember how to fight back in return.

The beast began to walk forward. His claws ready to attack and his eyes focused solely on Zen and nothing more. The wind and thunder continued its noise.

I no longer have a choice; this is after all your place. Remember this though. I will not fight you just to see the world you vaguely tell me about. I will fight because after any hardship I may face, for good or for worse there is always something good that will happen once it is over. That's what I remember.

Zen smiled slightly at that thought but immediately he face turned serious. His eyes showed a calm demeanor even though his body was shaking out of pain and fear. The beast lifted his arms up after emitting another roar. The wind changed. Dark energy and lightening circled around his hands and in between them, formed a massive ball growing bigger every second. The wind encircled this energy. Zen stared at the energy not knowing what to feel. Even in this dire situation he was amazed at everything before him. Surrounding him were dark purple clouds with lighting shooting out in all directions; in front of him was this massive creature with wings overstepping his size, claws as sharp as razors growing from his body, a giant ball of energy encircled by wind and glowing a crimson red as it began to change shape again. The beast led this ball of energy into one hand and the round energy morphed into a spear. He took hold of it and formed a launching position. Zen stood where he was. He knew he was too slow to avoid it and to inexperienced to block it, but his eyes didn't waver. He had a spark of creativity and chose to go by his instincts. As the beast lifted the spear, a final bolt of lightning emerged to it and the wind surrounded it, giving it more power once it made contact. The spear was launched and it flew with god like speed. The moment it left the beast's hand it nearly vanished, to the untrained eye it was moving too fast to see.

Zen felt the rush of energy coming towards him. He body flinched and wanted to move. He body felt scared enough to almost jump 100 feet in the air only by adrenalin itself. Zen forced his body to stay. He forced his eyes to stay open and fixated on the spear. The internal pain of wanting to jump and the external pain of standing still caused Zen's body to grow numb and in a burst of sudden fear, his body trembled. It was at that moment, knowledge from out of nowhere began to fill Zen's mind. Knowledge flowed into him, dark energy rushed at him, terror, fear, and a slight excitement burst from within him, so much happened at once it was enough to cause a man to explode into nothingness. The spear was now centimeters away from Zen's chest. Zen at the last moment summoned the orb that had infused with him out. Tightly he held the orb and in a flash the spear pieced the orb clean without shattering it and pierced Zen's heart straight through. Zen did not immediately act to this newfound pain as his body was already experiencing so much for him to handle. Before his eyes went dark and the orbs light diminished, he thought to himself.

I remember...something...now. His head dropped and he stood motionless as the spear prevented him from falling.

The beast let out another roar. This time the colors diminished. Everything went from purple to black. The texture of the clouds began to return and the glass wall and stone floor began to grow soft and weak. The spear was stuck into what appeared to be a ripple in space, as if it broke the boundary of one world to another. The beast looked at the dead fox and began to approach it. It stood above Zen and slowly began to reach for the spear handle. A snap went through his head and immediately he flew backwards into the air, the sound of his heart pounding could almost be heard in the silence of the clouds. Zen's body began to crumble and decay; his form began to diminish and turned to what appeared to be sand. The spear also began to diminish; the energy contained in it was slowly leaking, losing its form and becoming more translucent. Finally Zen's body turned to ashes and fell to the floor atop a cloud. The spear vanished and the energy it contained scattered everywhere. The sphere dropped atop of Zen's ashes and all was silent except for the wind from the beast's wing.

The beast did not dare to move again. He knew something was wrong. The closer he moved to Zen the more fear emerged from his being. To the shock of the beast, something happened. The energy from the spear he threw began to return and swirled around Zen's ashes. The sphere floated in the air and repaired itself. The orange glow returned and it shined. The intensity of the light grew stronger and blinded the beast. The beast tried to stare into the light but only saw a figure emerge. When the light faded, Zen stood with the orb hovering above his head. The ashes around his body began to vanish and with his wounds healed and his orb restored, phoenix wings emerged from his back. His three tails pointed in separate directions, matching the blue designs encircling the fur on his face.

The beast looked dumbstruck and remained distant. Zen's eyes did not open.

I remembered something from then. A person's life flashes before his eyes when he is closest to death. Although it was a risky gamble I remember a lot more on how to fight. His wings began to flap and he slowly lifted into the sky. The orb circled around him in a continuous pattern, dancing almost, and waited for Zen's orders. It's a bit unfortunate, I was hoping that in those thoughts I would discover more about myself instead of how to cause harm onto others. However- he stopped thinking. His eyes remained closed and he extended his hands in front of him. He envisioned his weapon and the orb transformed into a bo-staff, on one end of it had the designs of a phoenix, the other end was a fox embedded in blue flames. In order to see what lies beyond you, I will defeat you. Zen took a readied stance and waited for the beast to respond.

The beast shook off his fear and let out yet another roar. Zen's eyes were focused and his body did not react. The beast charged forward, wings emitting an extreme amount of air pressure against the clouds. Zen did not move and as the best struck with an uppercut; Zen flew downward avoiding the dodge and was exposed to the beast's weak point. Zen imagined his staff growing in size and the orb reacted. The staff he wielded began to extend and the beast was sent flying higher into the clouds. The clouds in the way of the beast spiraled as the beast was sent through. Zen retracted his staff and soared into the sky at high speed following the path to the beast.

This is incredible, Zen thought. I still have little idea what I'm doing but it feels right. My body performs these actions so calmly, like I've done this before. How, I don't remember being this strong. Zen reached the end of the cloud tunnel and looked around for the beast. There was no sound. Zen was tackled by dark Zen who had changed his appearance one again to look exactly like Zen. The two of them grappled each other while flying though the air, making several loops, turns, and flips. Dark Zen delivered a furry of attacks that sent Zen spiraling downward. Zen recovered but was met with another hit by dark Zen.

Even with this power I still don't know what to do. I don't know any Arial fighting yet, Zen thought.

"It seems you still hesitate to finish me off." Dark Zen said. "Doesn't matter I make sure you don't recover this time. If you do not defeat me you will never see the world and you may end up losing your life yet again in the process."

Zen's staff returned to being an orb. So you finally speak to me? Zen questioned.

"It no longer matters; I can see you've already lost." The wings on Zen's back began to slowly turn to ash; he couldn't remain airborne for long. "I assume you've reached your limit with this new found power of yours. Such as shame, it is clear that you are not yet ready to take on the world. I will return you to your sleep and let the memories of your power grow until then. Now give up. A man with no power or knowledge cannot hope to survive."

Zen closed his eyes and he appeared to be meditating. Dark Zen began to gather more energy attempting to make a final blow. Spontaneously, Zen knew one attack he wanted to do and envisioned the actions in his head. At that moment, Dark Zen rushed with godlike speed through the air and in a second his claws stabbed through Zen's heart.

"What?" Dark Zen said, as the person he hit was a mere image.

Zen floated behind him and kicked dark Zen upside the head causing him to fly a good distance away before recovering. Zen began to imagine his plan and the orb followed respectively. The one orb multiplied into 7. Then those seven orbs molded and took the shape of Zen as well. Dark Zen witnessed eight creatures in front of him. He was lost for a moment which was just enough time for one of the images to deliver an uppercut to his face. As dark Zen recovered, four Zen's circled around him delivering massive energy blasts as their flying speed increased, dark Zen was trapped in all directions. He tried to fly upwards but another Zen sent a blast of energy downward while the sixth Zen send a blast of energy upward. Again, dark Zen was trapped in the center of blasts in all directions, above, and below. The real Zen floated in front of dark Zen but out of range from the blasts. The seventh Zen floated behind dark Zen and began channeling energy into his hand until it formed a giant ball. The real Zen began to summon energy as well.

From 8 sides you are surrounded; from 8 sides you cannot escape, and from 8 sides you shall experience the power you've helped me unlock.

Dark Zen was screaming in agony. He could not move his body but managed to open one eye to witness the real Zen in front of him. Everything was in place and the last two finished storing their energy.

Witness what you claim to be godlike power. 8 Trigrams, Zen aimed his energy before firing. The seventh Zen did the same.Dimension Breaker! Zen unleashed his energy and it flew in Dark Zen's direction in the form of a concentrated blast from the front. The seventh Zen released his energy at the same time; his was a sphere bomb from behind. The duplicates that encircled dark Zen increased their powers and when all the energies from these directions made contact on the central point, dark Zen, nothing but a massive orange light emerged. Brighter than the Sun it was. The clouds dissipated. After several minutes of nothing but pure light shining, both Zen and dark Zen began to fall. Dark Zen regained consciousness but was unable to move. Slowly his body was returning to ash.

"I knew this power was within you," he said. Zen did not reply. "Tell me, why did you not kill me, surely you could have."

You said I was to defeat you not kill you. I am not the man which you spoke of. I will survive in this world somehow; I'm looking forward to it. The wings on Zen's back vanished.Besides, why should I want to kill you? I'd rather ask that you come experience this world with me. Or at least do as you please. After all, you did keep me company when I first woke up and although it was painful, I enjoyed it. Though I wish you would have told me first. He paused, trying to remain awake before drifting to sleep from exhaustion. Either way it doesn't matter, I'll find out in time. For now I want to enjoy this breeze, it's wonderful. Zen was sleep, falling from the clouds to earth.

Dark Zen watched as the journey down was long. He looked up and saw the orb falling with them. As he slowly lost his form, his energy returned to the orb. "I have done as you asked," he said, looking into the sky. "Zen, may this power serve you well." He was gone, returned to the orb as it glow bright and pure orange once again. The orb flew into Zen again and merged into a small blue dot on Zen's forehead, and he fell.