"HEY! I WANNA GO, TOO!" I hear Kagura shouting over the speakers.

"No. You're way too aggressive. We'll switch someone out with you if we have to. For now, stay here," Commander Donar says.

"BUT-"

"No 'but's!" Donar reinforces sternly.

Kagura grunts and mutters under his breath, "Assholes."

"I heard that!"

Ms. Suomi's voice comes onto my screen. "We have MIX, Shrade, Malloy, and Sazanka also on standby in case things get ugly."

The Chairwoman, who is sitting on my lap, nods. "I believe we're ready for takeoff. Mikono Suzushiro, are you all set?"

"Yeah. I'm ready. Vector Y, taking off!"

I push the joystick controls and my Vector shoot up the ramp at full speed before flying out into the open sky. The other five Vectors follow behind.

"Alright. We need to merge and make two Aquarions. Mikono is the head of one of them," Crea instructs.

"Okay. You guys ready to merge?" I call.

Amata and Cayenne come up on my screen. "We're ready to merge with you, Mikono," Amata says, a sense of determination in his voice and smile.

Andy, Yunoha, and Zessica appear as well. "The three of us are also ready," Andy says.

In unison, we begin:

"Merge one!"

"Merge two!"

"Go AQUARION!" I shout along with Andy.

The tunnel of light surrounds me once more, showering me in a feeling of sheer pleasure. Crea seems overjoyed. "It's been a while since I've done this!" she says excitedly. "How I've missed merging!"

"Aquarion Spada!" I announce.

"Aquarion EVOL!" Andy says after me.

Our two Aquarions fly over the ocean and up further into the sky, EVOL following my Spada.

"Okay. Mikono and Andy, I need you to have your Aquarions hold hands," Crea informs.

"Got it!" EVOL's hand extends out to my mech. "Take it, Mikono!"

"No problem!" I make Spada reach out and take EVOL's hand. "Is this gonna work?"

"It should," Crea nods.

I think for a moment. "Hang on." I allow my astral projection to project itself to everyone's Vectors. "Everyone, grab hands. This might work best if we all connect with each other."

Amata's projection grabs my left hand, while Cayenne grabs my right. Andy grabs Cayenne's right, and Zessica grabs his, followed by Yunoha. Almost all of our hands are linked.

Crea grabs my real hand, and Andy's mech has my mech's. "Alright," I say. "Let's do this. Ms. Dolosera, take us to Altair!"

The teleport is almost instantaneous. The scene of Vega's oceans disappers and is replaced with the dreary sight of Altair's dying planet.

"It worked!" I exclaim in delight.

Amata laughs. "I told you you could do it!"

"Alright. I'm going to teleport back now. You kids are on your own. Got it?" Crea looks to me.

"Yeah. We've got this. We'll say if we need a teleport switch or not," Cayenne says.

Right before my very eyes, Crea disappears.

"Okay. We should stay low," Cayenne speaks again. "We don't wanna draw attention to ourselves. Yunoha! Can you give us some cover?"

The young girl stutters, clutching her doll. "I-I can try!" She squeezes her eyes shut and concentrates. "Okay. This should last for a little while. But I'll need to take a break once it wears off before I can turn Aquarion invisible again."

We fly down towards the planet. The active energy Donar talked about is blatantly obvious. It runs in strands and moves up towards the sky, collecting in one spot meters above us.

"What is that?" Zessica cries.

"I don't know and I don't wanna find out," Andy says. "Let's take this Mykage guy out before that thing starts doing something."

We come to the graveyard covered by panels, where we hid last time, and land our invisible Vectors, now broken from their merges. Everyone leaps out and Cayenne presses a button the communication device on his wrist.

"Alright. We've landed in the same place as last time. What exactly are we doing next?" he says into the device, putting it on speaker for everyone to hear.

"Take a look around and see if you can figure out where that energy is coming from. If you can, stop it. We don't know what Mykage is using it for, so if you can put an end to it, by all means do so. And if you see Mykage, open fire. Aim to kill," Donar tells us.

"Got it." Cayenne lowers his arm. "Let's get moving. Remember, the curse will start taking affect if we stay too long, so we need to hurry."

Curse. Energy.

"Mikono! Let's move!"

"Wait!" I think a little harder.

"What is it?" Amata comes up on my side. "Is something wrong?"

"Ssh. I'm thinking." Curse. Energy. Ianthe. Grandmother.

"She was willing to fix everything my grandmother didn't! Ever since Ianthe was built, this planet has turned into a womanless disaster!"

"Cayenne! Get me Kagura on the phone!" I call.

My brother raises an eyebrow. "Hey, dog boy. You're wanted." He holds out his wrist for me to talk into.

"Kagura!" I say. "Who exactly built Ianthe and tell me what you know about it!"

Kagura's voice comes through the device. "It was built by Izumo's grandmother. It was supposed to help save the planet and keep it healthy, but once it was built, the curse began and women started dying off or transforming into men. Why do you wanna know?"

"Does it use some sort of intense energy or power? Anything like that?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess?"

I look up at everyone. "I got it. Mykage's using the energy from Ianthe. I don't know why, but that's where all that energy is coming from."

"Okay, but how do we stop it?" Andy crosses his arms.

"Easy." I narrow my eyes. "We destroy Ianthe."

"W-what?!" Kagura yells from the device. "But, won't that kill the planet?! There's still millions of men living on Altair. They could possibly be killed!"

"I'm surprised that mongrel cares so much about others," Amata mutters.

"I heard that, Hologram boy!"

"Ah! S-sorry! I'm just not used to you like this."

"Okay. Anyway. I think destroying it is our best bet. There's a better chance it'll work than it not working. It'll cut off Mykage's energy supply and perhaps it'll end the curse! It's worth a shot! And if we end the curse by destroying it, we won't be on as much of a time limit, and this planet can be an open battleground for the rest of our female pilots! Any objections?"

Everyone looks at me, then they look around at each other. Cayenne finally speaks up. "Sounds like a plan to me. How do we find this Ianthe?"

"It should be past the city in an open area away from urbanization," Kagura explains.

"Follow the energy strands," I say. "They should lead us to their source."

"Then let's get moving." Cayenne starts to head in the same direction that we took last time to the city. We follow behind him.

"We're going on foot?" Zessica complains.

I search around for the scooter vehicles we used last time, but they are nowhere to be seen. Damn it.

"We're going to have to run," Amata says. "We'll move as fast as we can." He runs next to me and says, "Man, how did I get such a smart girlfriend?"

I blush. "I-I'm not that smart."

"Sure you are! That's one hell of a plan you just came up with! I never would have thought of it myself." The next thing I know, he scoops me up and takes off into the air, wings unfolded. I laugh.

"No fair! She gets to be picked up! And Amata can fly faster than we can run!" Zessica whines.

"Quit complaining and get running!" Cayenne shouts behind him.

We finally reach the city and start making our way through the alleyways.

"Izumo's gonna be pissed when he finds out about this plan," Amata says as he puts me down and breaks out into a run beside everyone else. "We have to stay hidden."

We turn corners and work our way through. There's points where we have to step out into the open, and we definitely get noticed.

"Ooooh! What do we have here?" a guy appears, surrounded by a few of his cronies.

"Whoa! Look at those honkers!" another says, pointing at Zessica. "Those almost look real! This guy makes a really good Igura!"

Another one reaches out and his hand fondles one of Zessica's breasts. "Squishy, too!"

Zessica screams. "PERVERTS!" She grabs the guy by his wrist and flips him hard onto his back. Her hands glow green and she uses her telekinesis to send him flying into a wall.

The others seem terrified and they all start taking a step back.

"Anybody else want a piece of me?!" Zessica shouts.

"We stand out like a sore thumb," Andy says. "We need disguises or something..."

Zessica looks at Andy and smirks. She must have an idea, because the next thing I know she's kicking and ducking, knocking out the other guys until they're all unconscious on the ground. "Let's steal their clothes!"

After several moments, all of us are wearing the baggy Altean clothes over our Element suits.

"It's so big," Yunoha says, holding up an arm. The sleeve is so long that it hangs way past her hand and the pants drag on the ground.

"You're gonna have to deal with it," Zessica says. "We don't have much of a choice."

"Alright. Let's get moving. Any of you girls have sore throats yet?" Cayenne asks.

Me, Zessica, and Yunoha shake our heads. My throat is okay as of right now. That's a good sign.

We head out and continue through the city. People don't take notice of us as much. We blend in better with everyone else.

"We should stay away from their headquarters," Amata says. "The guards are bound to recognize us from last time. Especially me and Mikono..." He hangs his head.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," I say. "That's actually a good idea, Amata!"

"R-really? Thanks."

I'm starting to grow tired from running so much. It's a race against time, but my feet begin to ache.

"How much farther?" Zessica asks.

"I don't know. We have to make it past the city," Cayenne replies.

Suddenly, the ground begins to shake and rumbling fills my ears. We all stop running and look up towards the sky. The energy is intensifying, and it's all leading towards a giant mass above us.

"What is that thing?" Yunoha murmurs, terrified.

"Is that, armor?!" Andy's eyes widen as he speaks. "Is that a mech of some sort?!"

"What the hell is Mykage doing?" Amata squeezes my hand. "We need to find a way to get to Ianthe fast."

I look around while everyone else is mesmerized by whatever is in the sky. There, where a few guards have left it, is a tank.

"Look!" I run off.

"Mikono! Where are you going?!" Cayenne calls.

Without being noticed by the guards nearby, who are also staring at Mykage's creation above, I duck into the vehicle. "Get in! Quickly!"

Everyone rushes over and leaps into the tank. Cayenne sits in the driver's seat.

"Do you know how to drive this thing?" Zessica pokes her head between us from the back seat.

"I can try," Cayenne says and he starts the engine.

The guards take notice and turn towards the running tank. "Hey!" one shouts. "Get out of there!"

"Drive!" Amata shouts.

The tank starts moving backwards away from the guards before making a u-turn and speeding away. Well, as fast as a heavy tank can speed away.

"Get back here!" "Thieves!"

We leave the guards in the dust.

"What were you thinking?!" Cayenne smacks me in the back of the head. "That was dangerous!"

"Yeah, but I got us this, didn't I?! We can use the tank weapons to destroy Ianthe! And we'll get there faster!"

"Okay, but you can't go running off in enemy territory like that! What would have happened if you were killed?! As your brother, it's my responsibility to protect you!" He glances at Amata. "And it's your boyfriend's job to protect you, too!"

"Look there!" Andy points towards something in the distance beyond the city. "Is that Ianth...whatever it's called?"

Off in the horizon, is a giant structure. The energy seems to be emanating from it.

"That has to be it," I say. "It's huge!"

"Alright. Hang on. We're heading straight for it." Cayenne presses his foot to the pedal and the tank moves faster. The tank swerves recklessly around corners and buildings and people. Men jump out of the way as we make our way towards Ianthe at full speed. The giant vehicle breaks out of the city and finally reaches the edges of the facility.

We all get out. "What now?" Zessica asks. "This place is huge! It's guarded by a million soldiers and a wall on top of it! Not to mention, it's in a ditch and they'll see us coming from up above!"

"Just stay calm," Cayenne tries to reassure us. "We have on disguises."

"Yeah, but, these disguises are for average city-folk who should be nowhere near here!" Andy says.

"Well, shit's really hitting the fan now."

We all turn to Yunoha as she covers her mouth. "Whoa! I didn't mean to say that!"

"Awesome. The curse is starting to affect them," Andy crosses his arms.

Amata thinks for a moment. "If we use the tank to destroy Ianthe, there's a chance of us getting noticed and then not being able to complete the task." He puts a hand to his chin, lost in thought. "If we fire from here, I don't think it will be enough to reach and destroy it completely." His eyes scan the ground, clearly thinking and using his head to form a plan. "Or maybe, we don't have to use the tank at all..." He mumbles the rest, and it's hard to make out what he's saying.

"Amata? Hey. Don't overwork yourself," I say as I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I got it!" he exclaims. "Andy, what do you do best?"

Andy scratches his head. "Uh, look at boobs?"

"NO! That's not what I mean! Your power!"

"Oh! I dig!" Andy raises his eyebrow. "Wait, do you want me to dig a tunnel to get in?"

Amata nods. "That's right. We dig a tunnel from here to Ianthe. We get inside, destroy it, and run back through the tunnel to safety."

"It's not a bad idea," Cayenne says. "Shall we dig?"

Andy smirks, his mouth pointing from ear-to-ear. "Hell yeah, baby!" He immediately starts digging at the ground below him. His power kicks in and before we know it, he's completely sunken into the hole. "Get in!" he calls.

We jump in one after another and follow him down into the abyss of his tunnel. It's extremely steep, but it's just enough to be able to slide down on our butts.

"How's your throat?" Amata says, sliding beside me. "Scratchy yet?"

"Only a little. We're getting close, so hopefully we won't have to worry about this much longer."

"Yeah." His hand grabs mine and I feel the blood rush to my cheeks.

Andy continues to dig until he finally breaks through into a room above. "Alright! We made it!" He leaps out of the tunnel and we all clamber our way out.

I look around. "Where are we? Is this part of Ianthe or just a separate area?"

"Looks to me like a surveillance and storage room." Cayenne walks over to a set of screens and a chair. "Why is no one here, though?"

"They're all outside preparing for something," Zessica observes on a screen. "Looks like Ianthe is right here and we can destroy it."

"Let's get it over with, then," Andy says, wrapping his hand around a doorknob before peering outside. He motions for us to come closer, and we watch with anticipation.

"Okay. Here goes." Andy holds out a hand, aiming for the enormous structure, and soon enough, multiple holes appear in the ground, making a trail, before finally hitting Ianthe.

Guards immediately take notice and start shooting towards the surveillance building.

"Hurry up!" Cayenne shouts. "They're coming!"

"I'm trying!" Andy leaves some more holes, but not enough to cause major damage. "I need more time! And I need to get closer!"

Without seemingly thinking, Amata grabs Andy and Zessica by the wrists, wings unfolded, and takes off into the air outside.

"Amata! What are you doing?!" I scream.

"Andy! Zessica! Now!" he shouts.

Andy aims some holes towards the upper half of Ianthe, while Zessica strains to warp the structure as much as she can.

Suddenly, BOOM. An explosion erupts from the outside wall. As both Andy and Zessica continue to use their powers, Ianthe begins to combust and giant explosions decorate all sides of it.

Amata lands with Zessica and Andy. "LET'S MOVE! NOW!"

We all race out of the room and out into the open. I can hear creaking behind me. Turning my head, I can see the form of Ianthe collapsing and shaking the ground around us.

CRACK. CRACK. KRRRR.

The ground beneath our feet begins to crack and sink.

"IT'S A SINKHOLE! RUN!" Cayenne screams at the top of his lungs.

I run faster, the guards now also running for their lives in front of us. The ground is opening up, and rift forms between us and the land above the ditch. We all stop.

"JUMP!" Cayenne leaps across, followed by Zessica.

Andy is just about to leap, when the rift cracks open even more. "The gap is too big! I can't get across!"

Amata flies ahead onto the other side, carrying me in his arms. He puts me down and turns back towards Andy. "Jump! I'll catch you!"

Taking a few steps back for momentum, Andy runs at full speed and leaps across. He grabs Amata's hands and is hoisted up to safe ground. Yunoha stands at the edge, looking frightened with wide eyes.

"Yunoha! You have to jump!" Amata shouts.

The small girl shakes her head. "No! I can't! I can't do it!"

"Yes you can!" Amata leans forward, almost losing his footing. "Come on!"

Just as Yunoha prepares herself to jump, the ground sinks down abruptly and I hear Yunoha's screaming as she falls below.