"...up! Wake up, Ty!"

The brown-haired boy groaned and tried to open his eyes. At last they did not withstand his silent commands and he could just make out a blurry form before him. He managed a forced smile when he recognized the young blonde.

"Marc, you came back!"

The boy nodded remorsefully as he looked at his fallen friend. "Yeah, just hang in there, okay?"

From aloof, Lady Devi's confident attitude had turned saturnine. The Destined Eight were reunited. She hoped things would not go amiss.

"But they will not be singing paeans just yet," she hissed, "Apocaly is coming."

As if on cue, a titanic shadow covered the entire area.

"Perhaps I can show you how to be more procrustean," came a low voice from behind her. Lady Devi turned and smiled. "I've been waiting for you."

Ty looked up at his friend and said, "I never doubted you'd come back to help us. Even though you and I were always eristic, you never let us down."

Marc hung his head in ignominy. "Thank you, for believing in me. I'm sorry I tore our group asunder. I didn't mean to be so cumbersome. But I promise that nothing will get in the way of our friendship again."

At that, an auroral glow began to scintillate from where the invisible barrier was standing. The eightsome felt a strange sensation as their strength returned. Soon, nowise were they affected by the spell.

"What just happened?" asked Missy, confused.

As soon as he was freed from the spell, JC ran to his brother with a big childish smile. Marc didn't have a chance to withdraw before he was tackled by his sibling.

"Where'd you go? I'm so relieved that you're okay!" he said.

Notwithstanding his shame due to the last time he saw JC, Marc was glad that his brother missed him. He did not withhold a return hug and a quiet, "Don't worry. I won't be aloof again. I promise."

Meanwhile, Lady Devi watched the group, knowing full well what the glowing light meant.

"Well, I am merely a hireling and I do not wish my lifespan to wane," she muttered. She attempted to back away, but was stopped betimes.

"You are not going anywhere," said the warlock, "Anon, you will witness the bloody destruction of the Destined Eight! Now, I behest you to attack."

"No!" she said in defiance, "The battle would be Pyrrhic to me."

With a devilish smile, he said, "So be it." Flames instantly beset the black clad woman. With a last desperate cry, Lady Devi disintegrated into the magical flames.

"Now, those who oppose me shall succumb to my superior power!" Apocaly cried as he stared ahead at the Destined Eight.

to be continued...

A/N: Well, the next one is the last one. And it's over twice as long as most of the chapters so far. My teacher must have thought I was totally nuts... Also, I just HAD to get my favorite part in there. ^_^