Jedah entered the open area. Dusk was just beginning to fall, and there was a chill in the air, but Jedah paid it no attention. He had bigger things on his mind. There was a gazebo off to the side, some picnic tables, and a grove of trees off to the side. A park.

Jedah surveyed the area. "Hmm-hmm, now where are you?"

It was at that precise moment that Donovan and Anita entered the clearing.

Anita kept close to Donovan, as the Darkstalker Hunter approached this strange man in purple and tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me sir, can I help you?" He asked.

"Eh?" Jedah turned around. "Oh. I see." He surveyed the two. "A man with a big sword, and a little girl. Hmm...a very powerful little girl.

Very powerful indeed, from what her aura tells me."

Donovan was immediately on guard, slipping into a defensive position, wary of this stranger. "Powerful? What does it matter to you how powerful she is? I've never seen you before, myself..."

Jedah laughed. "Oh please. I just happen to be able to read auras, and I can see she's very powerful. Right now, all I want to do...is talk."

Anita had closed her eyes and had started to glow, softly. Donovan gave no indication he saw this and kept his eyes straight on the stranger. "Then speak. I'm very curious to see how you can see her aura, or why you even have to."

Jedah's eyes were not visible behind his shades, but his eyes were locked on the girl. He held up his hand. "A moment, sir. I notice you have a sword. Tell me, is it magical in nature? A mystic blade, as it were."

Donovan pulled Dhylec from his back and held it in front of the stranger. "This blade was given to me by a friend. It has done some impressive feats in the past, some of its own accord, but as long as it can kill the beings I hate, that's all that matters." He said simply.

A slow smile began to creep over Jedah's face. "I see. And tell me, do you protect this girl?" He gestured to Anita.

Donovan did not glance at her. Rather, his eyes narrowed as he regarded the man. "As long as I live."

Jedah clapped his hands together excitedly and turned away. "Excellent, most excellent!" He paused. "Now, how does it go...ah yes." He closed his eyes and began to speak, slowly for effect.

"And there shall come a time of Trials for the Three Worlds. There shall come Two, Two opposed, Two different, Two destined to be enemies. And She shall not know Him, but He will have knowledge of Her coming. And around His dark star he shall gather Three and create a Living Darkness. And She shall have the Steadfast Protector and the Red Hunter, drawn together by circumstance. The Protector shall wield the Mystic Blade and cut through the Dark, the Hunter shall destroy His minions with a gleeful heart. And He will have minions wielding Hellfire, Shadows, and Steel. And so it shall be that the Saviour of the Light and the Saviour of the Dark shall meet and there will be blood spilled upon the ground. And He shall find an ally in She who courts Death. It will end with a Joining that will save Creation from the Devil's Own. I see now." He turned back, and opened his eyes. "You wouldn't happen, by any chance, to know someone in red, would you?"

Donovan smirked lightly. "Only those creatures I've slain."

Jedah nodded slowly and grinned. "Well, that's good. Head them off at the proverbial pass." He paused for a moment and regarded the two people in front of him. "I have to kill you now." He said suddenly. "Both of you."

Donovan showed no emotion at this. He simply regarded the 'man'. "More creatures of the night than I can count have tried. What makes you think you stand a chance?"

Anita's glow, meanwhile, had increased in brightness. She pulled herself closer behind the hunter.

Jedah grinned toothily, pulled off his glasses and tucked them into the pocket of his coat, revealing his blood-red eyes. "Because, my dear Steadfast Protector, I am a god!" Suddenly, he leapt backwards, but his feet never touched the ground. He floated there, above the ground and looked down at them. His form began to shimmer and waver, and suddenly disappeared, leaving Jedah's true form standing there. "I am the Dark God, the Chaos-Bringer, the Saviour of the Dark! I am JEDAH mortal! Bow down on your knees to me before I kill you!" A beat. "Was that over the top? I get so wrapped up in the moment, I can never tell." He laughed.

Donovan quickly pushed Anita back. "A god? Gods are holy and live in the heavens!" He snarled. "You are more a devil than a god, and I make it my duty to kill devils!" He held Dhylec in front of him. "My avenging blade will stop all dark ones from bringing harm to innocent people, no matter how powerful they think they are!" So saying, he leapt up and slashed at Jedah with the sword. Jedah instantly summoned Ba'al and knocked the blade away with his rune scythe. "My scythe can cut through dimensional barriers, imagine what it will do to you."

Donovan raised his hand to call Dhylec back, but the blade did not move from its spot on the ground. "My blade..." He wondered. However, he felt he could still call upon the spirits of the sword, so he sent the command. A spectral, white woman appeared behind Donovan. "Even if my blade cannot harm you, the holy forces of the earth still can!" The white spectre threw a huge snowflake at Jedah, a snowflake that was razor-edged.

Jedah nonchalantly dodged the snowflake as it passed. "My, my, how impressive." He said sarcastically. "It seems your sword and my Ba'al are connected. At least, the weapon's energies are similar. It seems I can manipulate your sword's energies enough to stop it from attacking, using Ba'al." He stifled a yawn. "Anything else or can I kill you now?"

Donovan continued to press his attack. "Spirit of fire, lend me your blade!" A warrior composed entirely of flames appeared over Donovan's head. It swung it's sword, and a blast of fire shot out towards Jedah. But the Dark Saviour was not so fast this time, and the sword grazed his side.

"Nrargh!" Jedah snarled as he clutched his side, where black blood was seeping out, falling to and burning the ground. "First blood is yours, but now it is my turn!" He hissed. Without warning, Jedah sent a Dio Cega blade flying at Donovan.

The blade caught Donovan in the stomach before it vanished. He bent over in pain. "N-no. If only I had Dhylec...but I don't." He straightened up. "I must rely on myself." He launched a kick at Jedah.

Jedah sighed as he lashed out with his hand, grabbed Donovan's leg with his hand, and then pushed him back, immediately followed up with a Spregio fireball. "Wow, this is easy. I guess the old adage is true-prophets really don't know everything!"

Donovan was hit hard by the blast and fell to the ground. Shakily, he rose to his feet, positioning himself between Jedah and Anita, coughing up blood as he assumed a defensive stance. "I won't let you harm her." He said through gritted teeth.

Jedah laughed. "But I will. You see, I am the Saviour of the Dark. Long have the people of my world, Mikai, believed that there must be a polar opposite to me; a Saviour of the Light. And now, thanks to that wonderful little Prophecy of Trials, I have enough information. Enough to see that this girl is the Saviour of the Light, and you are the Steadfast Protector. Now, I don't see the 'Red Hunter' that the Prophecy speaks of, so I assume he hasn't entered the picture yet. So I'll kill the both of you before you can hook up with him, and the Red Hunter will be of no consequence to me. I will become God of the Three Worlds and all will be eternally happy under me! Oh, it will be a glorious new age!" He then regarded Donovan disdainfully. "But you won't live to see it!"

Without warning, he dove forward and used his Dark energies to create a grotesque ball of flesh around Donovan. Before the Darkstalker hunter could react, Jedah plunged the blade of Ba'al into the ball, popping it, and driving the scythe into Donovan's gut. He gasped and fell to the ground and did not rise.

Anita gasped at the atrocity Jedah had performed using his Nero Fautica. (Why do you do this? Why do you think I'm the Saviour of Light? You could be wrong had have done this for nothing.) She said, speaking directly into Jedah's twisted mind.

Jedah removed his scythe from Donovan and planted it on the ground, leaning on it, quite unpreturebed at Anita's manner of speech. "I could be, I could very well be." The Dark God mused. "But I can't afford to take any chances. Not now. Not when I'm so close. The Child of Darkness will rise up and blanket this world in shadows. My role as God of the Three Worlds will be secure. No one in Makai or here will be safe." At this, Jedah turned his head to the side and chuckled darkly to himself. "Ha, Demitri's ass is finally mine!" He clenched his hand into a fist, before turning back. "Now, be a good little girl and stand still. Feel free to scream, as I intend to make your death as painful as possible. Oh, your soul will be the most delicious I have ever tasted, a veritible feast!"

Anita stood her ground. (Donovan always told me that Darkstalkers were nothing but pure evil. I never believed him until now. You tried to kill Donovan and you'll try to kill me. If you find out you're wrong, you...you'll just do it to someone else, killing until you're satisfied. Donovan hated creatures like that. He wouldn't tolerate senseless killing...and neither will I. Please leave at once and return to your world.)

Jedah snarled and took a step forward. "Was that a threat, little one? You are either very brave...or very stupid to try that on me."

Anita stood perfectly still and stared straight into Jedah's eyes. (It wasn't a threat. I asked you to leave, and I still want you to. You don't belong here anymore than I do...)

Jedah laughed. "I feel I should see a little of this world. It will soon be mine, so I feel I should be acquainted with it. Now...die!" He cried, throwing another Spregio at Anita.

The fireball dissipated into nothingness as it neared Anita. (I don't want to fight.) She said. (Donovan is hurt, and this isn't going to help anybody.) She raised her hand and pointed a stiffened finger at Jedah. (Now, please leave...before I hurt you.)

Jedah quirked an eyebrow. "You...hurt me? The very idea is laughable." He thought for a moment. "If my Spregio can't hurt you, then maybe this will!" So saying, the Dark Saviour leapt into the air, waving Ba'al as he fell down towards Anita.

Anita closed her eyes as the purple glow around her strengthened. Jedah was suddenly caught, midair with her mind, and slammed into the ground. (Even though you're a Darkstalker, you still think like a typical human. You want power and that...blinds your spirit. You can't be a 'ruler' with such one-sided view. That's what Donovan told me...Darkstalkers are blind. I'm not sure if they all are, but you fit his idea perfectly.)

Jedah rose. "I am not blind!" He raged. I have a vision of the Three Worlds free from war, conflict, and violence! All will be happy and peaceful under the Church of Jedah! Don't you see? I'm offering a better world! A world where Darkstalker and human live side-by-side in peace and harmony! But for that to happen, you must die! Why can't you see what I'm offering is best?"

Anita was unfazed. (Because killing solves nothing. If I'm so important, why don't you try to work with me instead of against me? Your plan for the world seems right, but it's not. My father said that a perfect world does not exist, so I always knew that. Do you want to kill me because I can see through your lies, or because you don't want me to spread the truth?)

Jedah quivered with barely-suppressed rage. "No!" He snarled at Anita. "I want to kill you because...I want to save Creation. Everything. Perhaps you remember the 'Joining' that I spoke of? I know what that means now. I will eat your soul and then gain the power to stop that which threatens everything that exists. That is why I want to kill you. Now, to end this!" Without warning, a pool of purple liquid formed from the ground and raced toward Anita. Before the girl could move, the puddle reached her, and she fell in, the puddle having become suddenly deeper. Anita struggled to get back to the top, to the air, but suddenly hands materialized from he ooze and held her. Anita feared they would hold her until she drowned, but that was not to be the case.

More hands materialized and began to pound the small girl. Pummeling her, hard and fast, before she was finally spit out of the pool, coughing purple gunk from her lungs while also trying for air. Anita tried to rise. (You can't...) She gasped before falling to the ground. She did not rise, yet her energy still glowed strong.

Jedah grinned triumphantly and took a step in Anita's direction, but suddenly, a voice called out from the darkness. "You said you were destined to be defeated. Destiny is destiny. Unchangeable and steadfast. It has been decreed that you shall fall, and fall you shall." A man appeared from behind a tree. He was old, balding, yet still retained an air of strength.

"Eh?" Jedah turned to face the man. "Are you talking to me, old man?" Alan, for that was who the man was, nodded. "Of course. I've been aware of your actions for some time now. It has been written that the Dark Lord shall fall, and I believe that this girl plays an important role. You cannot stop the inevitable, no matter how hard you try. Your fate is written in stone."

Anita's glow was radiating wildly. A wind picked up and began to howl. Jedah tried to keep Alan and Anita in view. "You think so? I am a Dark God, and I can change destiny! This girl's soul will be mine!" As Jedah spoke, his fingernails extended and became wicked claws. He stood over Anita and raised his clawed hand to tear across the girl's body. "Let's see what Destiny has to say about this, old man! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Laughing insanely, Jedah prepared to strike.

"You'll find Destiny very vocal when her children are threatened." Alan said, looking to the right, and towards a growing rumbling from the darkness. Jedah glanced as well, to see a horde of...heads flying towards him. But they were not human heads, no, they were doll heads. The heads of Anita's doll.

Before Jedah could move, the heads slammed into him pummeling him from every direction. Alan moved quickly, picking up Anita and moving backwards as one gigantic head, encased in flame roared towards the Dark Saviour, slamming into him and sending him flying.

"GRUNARGH! ARRRRRRRRRGH!" Jedah screamed as he hit the ground. "I...will not...will not...be beaten..." He tried to rise, but he could not muster the strength. Forgoing that, he began to crawl towards Alan and Anita clawing the ground. "I will not be stopped...will not! I am...the Dark...God....ungh..." Jedah's head fell forward onto the ground and he lay still.

Alan looked down at Anita in his arms, then down to the prone form of Donovan, and finally to Jedah in front of him. "To think this was only a small example of the carnage to come..." He said sadly. Alan shook his head as snow began to fall. "Destiny can be a cruel master, but it is all needed for a better world." The snow picked up into a blizzard as Alan walked away from Jedah and towards Donovan. All was white for a few moments, but when it cleared, only Jedah remained, lying unconscious, half-buried in the snow. Alan and his companions were nowhere to be seen.