Hunter & Rose: The Epic Journey Part 3

**"Hunter‌ ‌&‌ ‌Rose:‌ ‌The‌ ‌Epic‌ ‌Journey‌ Part 3"** is an episode of the MMC HTF Crossover.

## Plot

### Intro Segment

The Episode Starts With A 70s Style Up Next Card With An Announcer Saying The Following: "Next On GBS 7,  Join Hunter Dolbear And Rose Carlson In, Hunter‌ ‌&‌ ‌Rose:‌ ‌The‌ ‌Epic‌ ‌Journey‌ Part 3, The 16th Episode Of Megaman Chronicles X Happy Tree Friends, Next On GBS 7, Celebrating 75 Years In Entertainment For Syracuse And The Central New York Area" (WBDG Started Airing In 1946 As WBWN). The Episode Starts And In The MMC Art Style (Which Is Basically Bfdi Assets). We See Ross McFarland In A Meeting With Several Of The Elite Hunters And Relatives Of Lost Ones (By That I Mean Those Who Parents/Brothers/Nephews/Whatever Were Lost When The Transfer Over To The HTF Dimension), Those Being Ryan Tuttle (Brandon’s Former Devil's Advocate), Irisia Dolbear (Hunter’s Sister), Jason Carlson (Rose’s Brother), Bradley Culvert (Brandon’s Cousin), Winston Smith (Brandon’s Comrad In The Army), Ayna Smith (Winston’s Wife), Jaxson Smith (Winston & Ayna’s Son), Donnie Rivera (Guardian Angels Leader), Jordan McGrath (Lead Hunter Since Episode 9) Irin Davidson (Jordan’s Love Interest), Jarrett McGrath (Jordan’s Fraternal Twin), Bradley Rivera (Donnie’s Son), & Bradley Culvert (Lead MHS Army Colonel [Replacing Justin Cole]). They Were Talking About Plans To Rescue Maverick Hunters From The HTF Dimension And How They Are Going To Do It. Donnie Recommends That They Should Build A Machine That Goes To & From The HTF Dimension And Everyone Agrees, But Bradley Notices That Brandon’s Vital Signs In The HTF Dimension Are Non-Existent And Goes On To Say That He Might Even Be Dead. Everyone Is Shocked And Ross Immediately Puts Donnie’s Plan On Hold Until Brandon Finds A Way To Revive Himself. Ross Dismisses The Meeting As It Fades To Black

### In HTF Land

We Then Fade Into The Famous Vortex Like Backdrop With The Series Title With My Last Breath By Evanescence (Ment For The TV Release, Youtube Release Will Have Mvci’s X Vs Zero Track [25% Faster And 3 Pitches Higher] Replacing Ethan Maxwell's Demise As Of 2/12/2021). We Then Transfer Into The HTF Dimension, And Brandon's HTF Home, As Jared Got Home From Wherever He Was Last Episode With A Black Box In His Hand And Goes To Put That Box In His Desk Drawer. Brandon Scares Him By Saying “Hey, What You Doing?” As Jared Says “Oh Nothing, Just Putting Something Away For Use At A Later Time” And Then Goes To Tell Him That They Never Even Got A Chance To Finish The Book They Started, And Brandon Notice It So The Sit Down And Start Reading As We Zoom Into The Book That Was Glowing And It All Fades The Black.

### Chapter 26: Dare Of The Century

Ninety Days Had Passed Since Xeba Succumbed To The Might Of The Two Heroes. Htf City, Being Truly Honored, Had Not Forgotten Their Bravery, And Did Their Best To Acknowledge Them When They Could. Everything Was Great. And For Them Though, It Was Just Another Day For The Two Hunters...

"Come On, Come On!" Hunter Beckoned Her Along Into The Car, Laughing.

"Okay, I'm Coming!" Rose Shuffled In The Passenger Seat, And The Two Drove Away. They Had Been Invited To The Local Pool.

"Do You Have Your Swimsuit?"

"Oh, Why Wouldn't I?" She Held Up Her Backpack. "Don't Be So Worried. We're Here To Have Fun."

"Right." They Pulled Up To The Walkway, And Got Out. The Pool Was Very Large For An Indoor Pool, As It Covered Almost The Entire Room. There Was Also A Hot Tub Positioned In The Center, Its Waters Almost Overflowing Into The Colder Pool Below. Rose Just Looked At It, As If She Was Ready To Dive In. "Not So Fast. We Have To Change First."

"Oh, Right." They Went Into Their Respective Locker Rooms, With Rose Almost Following Hunter Into His. After A Few Minutes, They Got Out, And Sat Down At One Of The Lounge Chairs. Hunter Took Off His Jacket & Shirt And Put On His Swim Trunks, Which Were Green. It Was Couples Night, So Some Lovebirds Were There, Including Jared And Molly. They Were Already In The Water. Huntee Turned Away, And Rolled Up Her Rose Patterned Swimsuit Top.

"Hunter, Can You Spray Some Sunscreen Right Here?" She Pointed To A Spot On The Small Of Her Back. She Had A Worried Look On Her Face.

"What's Wrong? You Look... You Look Uncomfortable."

"I Don't Invite Many People To Look At Me Like This." Her Swimsuit Was Another Vest, But Thinner. It Also Had One End Draped Over The Other And Was Shorter, Revealing More Of Her. Hunter Was Applying The Bottle Of Sunscreen, Spraying It On Her Back. "Any People, Actually." Hunter Continued, Rubbing It In Some More. It Felt Nice To Him, Soft And Warm, As Though He'd Broken A Barrier To Her.

"I Can't Imagine Why." He Stood Up, And Walked Around Her, Admiring The Way She Looked. "I Mean, Look At You. Dare I Say, You're As Beautiful As Any Of Those People." He Motioned Toward The Pool And The People Inside.

"There You Go Again." She Giggled, And Pat His Back. "Always Complimenting Me."

"Hey, It's What I Do. Now, Watch This." He Ran Towards The Pool, Jumped, Did A Back Flip, And Landed In The Water Feet First.

"Oh, Wow! I Never Knew You Were That Good!"

"I Watched The Diving In The Olympics." He Shrugged. "I Know A Few Tricks." He Then Splashed Her With Water.

"Hey!" She Giggled Again, And Ran Towards Him.

"Wait, Wait, Wait!" Rose Didn't Listen, And Tackled Him In The Water, Submerging Them Both. When They Resurfaced, She Splashed Him Back. Then Water Enveloped Them Both As They Splashed Each Other, Faster.

"Hey, Hunter." He Turned To Where The Voice Came From, And Pierce Walked Up To The Edge Of The Pool. His Personality Was Changed Thanks To Divide Intervention, And Becoming A Born Again Christian; He Now Was Hunter's Friend, But The Rivalry Was Still There.

"Hey, Pierce. What Brings You Here?"

"Oh, You Know. Just Chilling. Anyway, I Challenge You To A Dare. I Bet You A Hundred Dollars That You Can't Do A Double Front Flip Corkscrew Off The High Dive..." As Soon As The Word 'dollars' Was Mentioned, Everyone Stared. "With Everyone Watching."

"How About Two Hundred?"

"That Can Work."

"All Right, Then." He Got Up Out Of The Pool. "You're On." The New Audience Let Out A 'ooh' Of Sorts, Signifying That Someone Was About To Get Busted. Hunter Climbed Up To The High Dive, About Twenty Feet Up. He Readied Himself, Pretending To Jump Off.

"Oh, Come On!" Proclaimed A Heckler, Tired Of Waiting. "Get On With It!"

He Leapt Up, Executing A Double Front Flip Corkscrew, Exactly As Planned. But His Momentum Led Him To Keep Going, Doing Another Front Flip. Midway In Doing So, He Was Hurtling Towards The Rocky Edge Of The Hot Tub. Everyone Gasped. However, He Did Manage To Straighten Himself In Time, As He Pushed Off The Edge, Did A Back Flip, And Ended Up Being Caught By None Other Than Rose. Cheers Filled The Room Instantly.

"I Guess You're Not That Mediocre After All." Pierce Said To Him. He Gave Him Not Two Hundred Coins, As Planned, But Much More Than That. He Gave Him A Single Silver Dollar.

"How Much Is This?"

"A Grand."

"A Thousand Dollars?" Hunter Exclaimed, His Eyes Wide.

"Yep. For That Epic Show I Just Saw."

"Gee, Pierce, Thanks!"

"Don't Mention It." He Whispered. "No, Really. My Friends Would Kill Me If They Found Out About This." They Chuckled. "I Better Leave." He Motioned Towards The Locker Rooms. "Better Get Ready For The Competition."

"What Competition?" Hunter Asked, But He Was Already Walking Away. Then A Beep Filled The Room, From The Loudspeaker.

"The Sing-Off Competition Is In Thirty Minutes! If You Want To Prove Your Ability For That Special Someone, Get In There And Sing!" The Announcement Ended, And Hunter Hastily Got Out Of The Water.

"Oh, Shoot! I Completely Forgot! The Competition!"

"You're Going To Enter?" Rose Replied, Astonished.

"Why Wouldn't I?" He Rushed Towards The Locker Rooms, But Ended Up Slipping On The Wet Tile, And Grabbed The Wall For Balance. Rose Chuckled, Following Him.

"Very Funny." Hunter Called Back, As They Dissapeared Past Their Blue Metal Doors.

### Chapter 27: The Voices Of The Stars

The Hallway To The Stage Was Covered In Carpet, Very Lavished, As Was The Pool. Hunter Didn't Think That It Would Be This Extravagant, As He Wore His New Black Chain Pants Along With His Coat. Rose Followed. Pierce Was Somewhere In The Front, Wearing A Green Suit And Tie. They Entered The Competition Room, And Stared. The Floor Was Covered In Red Carpet, As Were The Walls. The Ceiling Was Lit Up With Lights. The Stage Was Dark Velvet, With The Podium In The Back Of It All. Donovan Dygert, The Host, Was Positioned In The Middle.

"Welcome, Welcome! As You Know, This Is The Sing-Off Competition. Let's Tell You The Rules. Very Simple. Two People Will Sing To The Same Track Accordingly. All You Have To Do Is Prove To The Audience That You're The Better Singer. Whoever The Audience Picks Will Move On. The Eight Contestants Will Partake In These Battles Until Only One Remains. That Person Will Win $1,500 And Will Be Crowned The Sing-Off Champion!" The People Applauded. The Host Leapt Up Onto The Stage. "You Guys Ready?" The Audience Applauded Some More. "I Can't Hear You! I Said, Are You Guys Ready?" The Audience's Cheering Grew To Fill The Room. "Then Let's Start This! I Need It Dramatic Up In Here." The Lights Dimmed.

"Now, The First Pairing. Flaky, Come On Up Here." We All Knew Flaky, But We Didn't Know About Her Great Singing Talent Until Performing My Last Breath By Evanescence In Front Of A Live Audience. She Had The Voice Like Amy Lee. She Smiled Out To The Audience As She Walked Up To The Stage. "You'll Be Paired With... Rose!" She Stepped Up As Well, Smiling.

"Let The Battle Begin." How To Save A Life's Opening Bars Played, And Flaky Stepped Up.

Step One, You Say, "We Need To Talk."
He Walks, You Say, "Sit Down. It's Just A Talk."
He Smiles Politely Back At You
You Stare Politely Right On Through

She Had A Good Voice, But It Broke In Some Places.

Some Sort Of Window To Your Right
As He Goes Left And You Stay Right
Between The Lines Of Fear And Blame
You Begin To Wonder Why You Came

Where Did I Go Wrong? I Lost A Friend
Somewhere Along In The Bitterness
And I Would Have Stayed Up With You All Night,
Had I Known How To Save A Life

Flaky Stepped Down, The Audience Applauding A Little. During The Interim Between Verses, Rose Took Her Place.

Let Him Know That You Know Best
'cause After All You Do Know Best
Try To Slip Past His Defense
Without Granting Innocence

Her Lines Were Pretty Much The Same Quality, But Her Voice Never Broke. She Began To Become More Confident.

Lay Down A List Of What Is Wrong
The Things You've Told Him All Along
Pray To God, He Hears You
And I Pray To God, He Hears You

The Music Grew Louder, And Her Voice Went With It.

And Where Did I Go Wrong? I Lost A Friend
Somewhere Along In The Bitterness
And I Would Have Stayed Up With You All Night
Had I Known How To Save A Life

The Music Ended, And The Audience Applauded, Definitely Louder Than Flaky's Applause. The Host Came In Between Them.

"I Believe We've Reached A Decision. The Winner Of This Battle..." He Thrust His Right Hand Up Into The Air. "Rose!" The People Applauded Once More, As Flaky Shook Hands With The Host, Then With Rose.

"Well Played." She Then Went Off, Still Smiling.

"All Right. The Next Battle..." Hunter Got Lost In The Battles. All He Could Really Hear Were The Winners.

"The Winner Of The Second Match... Josh!"

"The Third Battle Goes To... Pierce!" Hunter Applauded That One, But Weakly, Knowing He Was Next. He Climbed Up To The Stage.

"I See You Know You're Next. Would The Remaining Contestant Step Up, Please?" Hunter Didn't Know, Stood Up And Walked. Once Again, He Got Lost In What He Was Doing. All He Could Remember Was The Music Starting, Train's "Hey, Soul Sister", And The Audience Cheering Loudly After His Part Was Finished.

"Woah! This Audience Is Going Nuts! I Think It's Obvious. The Person Going On To The Next Round... Hunter!" The Audience Cheered Louder, And Clapping Could Be Heard. "We're Going To Take A Short Break. Stick Around For Round Two!"

### Chapter 28: Hunter Face-Off

The Final Round Had Came. Hunter Couldn't Believe How Fast The Other Ones Went. And How He Was In It. Donovan Spoke Again.

"Ladies And Gentlemen, Prepare Yourselves For The Final Round! If You Thought The First Two Were Intense, You Haven't Seen Anything Yet! Would The Finalists Please Come Up?" The Room Erupted In Cheers And Applause As Hunter And Rose Came On Stage From Opposite Sides. They Shook Hands, And Gripped Their Own Microphones.

"Because It's The Last Round, We're Playing The Whole Song. Without Further Ado... Let The Final Battle Begin." The Intro Of Last One Standing By Simple Plan", Played. Rose Spoke First.

How Many Times Are You Gonna Try To Shut Me Out?
I Told You Once, Told You Twice, I Ain't Turning Back Around
You Can Say Whatever, Try To Mess With Me
I Don't Care, I'm Not Scared
You Don't Have To Say You're Sorry, Save Your Sympathy
With A Friend Like You I Don't Need An Enemy
I Would Give You Time If You Were Worth It
But Guess What?
You're Not Worth It

Whoa, Whoa
I'm Always Gonna Be The Last One Standing
Whoa, Whoa
Because I'm Never Gonna Give Up Trying
And Now I'm Ready To Go
I'm Here, I'm Waiting For You
And I'm Gonna Be
The Last One Standing
The Last One Standing

A Little Applause Came, But Was Quickly Drowned Out By The Music And Hunter's Words.

Did You Think That I Would Surrender Easily?
That Just Like That, You Would Get Rid Of Me?
Is That The Way You Saw It All Go Down?
I Don't Think, I Don't Think So
There's Not A Word You Can Say I Haven't Heard Before
So Give It Up, Give It Up Unless You Want A Little More
You Think You're Pretty Tough So Let's Throw Down
It's Alright, I'm Alright

Whoa, Whoa
I'm Always Gonna Be The Last One Standing
Whoa, Whoa
Because I'm Never Gonna Give Up Trying
And Now I'm Ready To Go
I'm Here, I'm Waiting For You
And I'm Gonna Be
The Last One Standing

The Applause Became Much Louder, As The Chorus Came Again.

I Won't Give Up, I Keep Trying
(I'm Always Gonna Be The Last One Standing)
It's Not Over, I Keep Fighting
(I'm Always Gonna Be The Last One Standing)
I Won't Give Up, I Keep Trying
(I'm Always Gonna Be The Last One Standing)
It's Not Over, I Keep Fighting
I Keep Fighting!

As Soon As The Chorus Ended, The Room Filled With Applause And Cheers Again, And The Audience Started Clapping To The Beat.

Whoa, Whoa
I'm Always Gonna Be The Last One Standing
Whoa, Whoa
Because I'm Never Gonna Give Up Trying
And Now I'm Ready To Go
I'm Here, I'm Waiting For You
And I'm Gonna Be
The Last One Standing
And I'm Gonna Be
The Last One Standing
Whoa, Whoa
The Last One Standing
Whoa, Whoa
The Last One Standing

When It Finally Ended, The Applause Was Tremendous, And Some Were Even Asking For An Encore. Donovan Turned To The Camera.

"That, My Friends, Was The Sing-Off Battle Of A Lifetime! I-" He Shrugged. "I Don't Even Know Who Won!" He Stepped Out, The Applause Growing. "Okay, Okay, Settle Down." The Applause Took A While To Silence, But He Eventually Got It Under Control. "Now, You Two. I Really Don't Know Who Did Better On That One. Audience, What Do You Think?" The Audience Stayed Quiet, Signifying That They Didn't Know, Either. "Seems Like You Guys Don't Know Either. Hmm." He Took Both Of The Hunter's Hands. "Then I'll Do This. This Battle..." The Audience Held Their Breath, Not Knowing That They Had Ceased To Breathe.

"This Battle Is A Draw!" Both Their Hands Came Up, And The Applause Flared Up, This Time Louder Than Ever, Almost Raucous. "Well, That Ends The Song-Off Competition. Give Them A Big Hand For Winning!" The Applause Maintained Its Level Of Intensity. "We're Going To Take A Break, So Get Ready For The Dance!" What? Hunter Thought. A Dance? Oh, No. His Face Turned As Red As He Was Blushing Hard, As He Feebishly Turned Away

### Chapter 29: Dancing In The Dark

"All Right, Here We Go. The Moment All You People Have Waited For! It's Time For The Couples Dance!" Everyone Clapped, Except Hunter, Hanging His Head. How Am I Going To Dance With Her In Front Of All These People? "Everyone Find A Partner! Dj, Spin It!" The Music Started Up, But Hunter Was Still In The Corner, With Rose In The Middle Of The Room, Looking For Him. She Saw Him For A Moment, As He Disappeared Into The Hallway, Behind The Door. She Walked Out After Him. He Picked Up The Speed, Which She Matched. Eventually, He Stopped.

"Rose, I'm Scared."

"Why?"

"You Know Why. How Am I Going To Dance At All With You In Front Of All Those People? As Soon As They See Me Out There, I'll Be Ruined!"

"No, You Won't!" She Chuckled. "Here, I'll Help You." She Took His Hand, And Together They Walked Out Again, Hunter Remaining Stagnant At First. When They Came Back In, Everyone Applauded At The Sight. "See?" Hunter Smiled, And Held On Tighter, As They Walked To The Middle Of The Room. He Nodded To The Dj, Signifying That He Wanted A New Song. It Turned Out To Be A Fast One. The Dj Shook His Head.

"Whoops. Not That One." Another Fast One Came On. "Or That One. What Is Wrong With The Turntables Today?" He Mumbled To Himself. Yet Another Track Came On, But This One Was Decreased In Tempo. "There We Go." Hunter Immediately Recognized The Tune.

"It's 'perfect By Ed Sheeran'."

"Really?"

"Yes, Really. Listen." The First Lyrics Were Spoken.

I Found A Love For Me

Oh Darling, Just Dive Right In And Follow My Lead

Well, I Found A Girl, Beautiful And Sweet

Oh, I Never Knew You Were The Someone Waiting For Me

They Didn't Need To Say Anything After That. Rose Just Wrapped Her Hand In His, And They Danced, Twirling Around Each Other, Like In Shroom City. Nothing Could Bring Them Down. More Lovebird Couples Were Dancing Around Them, But They Had Center Stage. Eventually, The Song Ended, And It Felt Like It Was All Over Too Soon.

Hunter Took A Gracious Bow, First To The Audience, Then To Rose, Kissing Her On The Forehead As He Did.

"You Missed." Her Playful Tone Was Still There, And She Felt Butterflies Coming. Her Complexion, To Hunter, Was Prettier Than Ever, And He Couldn't Stop Staring. Her Eyes Gleamed, And She Took His Other Hand. It Felt Like It Was On Fire. He Thought, In The Back Of His Mind, What He Wanted Her To Do. Come On...

"Your Point Is?"

"You Missed..." Rose Cooed, And, Before Hunter Knew It, His Lips Were Sealed In The Warmest Kiss He'd Ever Experienced. He Stepped Back From All The Pressure She Put Into It, But Seconds Later, He Was Returning It. To Them, The Scenery Wasn't Really There Anymore; It Was Just Them. Them And Their Burning Passion For Each Other. Hunter Leaned In Some More, And Delicately Slipped A Hand Beneath Her Shirt. They Pulled Away From Their Kiss, Just A Little. Their Faces Were Still Just An Inch Apart, If Not Less.

"Hunter, What Are You Doing?" Despite The Somewhat Alarming Question, She Didn't Say It That Way. In Fact, She Only Smiled Even Brighter.

"You'll See." They Got Up, Hunter's Hand Still Beneath Her Clothing, And Walked Out Of The Room, The Audience Shouting And Applauding All The While As The Music Started Back Up Again. They Walked Across The Pool Room, And Went In The Locker Rooms, But In The Same One This Time, And Shut The Door. This Had Just Became Personal. They Sat Near Her Locker And Embraced Each Other Once Again. His Hand Hadn't Moved From The Spot On Her Back, As He Slipped It Behind Her, The Warmth Overwhelming The Smooth Feel Of The Fabric.

"This, Rose, Is Something I've Been Wanting To Do Since The Moment I Laid Eyes On You." He Then Thrust Off Her Shirt In One Swift Motion, Revealing Her Chest, A Region All New To Him. She Was Wearing Her Swimsuit Top, And Nothing Else. His Heart Fluttered. My Goodness... Is She Really That Beautiful? How Can I Adore One Person This Much? I Better Stop.

"How Demanding You Are." She Smiled. "You Dirty Little Rascal, Asking Me To Undress."

"Only Partially, Silly! Who Do You Think I Am, Jared? You Should See The Things He Does With Molly."

"Well, I'm Not Going To Do That. At Least, For Now." She Did The Same, Sweeping His Vest Over His Head. She's Not Troubled By Even This.

"Yeah. This Is All I Really Want. You Really Are The Girl Of My Dreams." And With That, Their Lips Touched Once Again. Hunter, You've Really Scored This Time.

### Chapter 30: Death Returns Again

The Two Hunters Had Just Put Their Clothes Back On. Rose Took His Hand, And They Started To Walk Out. Just As Hunter Put His Hand On The Door, Though...

Bang!

The Shot Was So Loud, Hunter Staggered Backwards, Even Though The Bullet Didn't Hit Him. Rose Tried To Look Out To See Who Was Firing, But Just Then Another Round Was Shot. It Whizzed Past Her, And Almost Hit Hunter Right In The Face.

"All Right, Who's Out There?" Hunter Stormed Out The Door, Gun Up. No One Was There. He Slammed The Door That Rose Wasn't Leaning Out Of In Anger.

"Show Yourself!" He Hadn't Raised His Voice At This Level In A Long Time. Rose Almost Shuddered At The Tone. A Shadow Flew Through The Shattered Ceiling, But Instead Of Cackling, Like Any Normal Villain Would Do, He Just Said Something.

"Hello Hunters!, I'm Baaaaaaaaack!" They Recognized The Statement.

"Neozor! What Are You Trying To Plan This Time? Oh, Wait, You Aren't. Since You're Too Busy With Your Powers." Neozor Just Laughed.

"Every Time You Say That Statement I Cringe In Disgust, But That's Not The Important Message I'm Trying To Get To, You And Your Unremarkable Guardian Angel Powers Are No Match Against Me Or The Corrupted Soul Levy " Hunter Stepped Back, Expecting The Dark Deity Itself To Come Out And Attack. Instead, A Hologram Of It Popped Up, From Neozor's Wristwatch.

"I Think You Know What I'm 'trying To Plan', Here." Now It Was Neozor Who Was Mimicking. "I Have Chosen To Wake This Dark Being Like My Alarm Clock. Although, Alas, He Just Doesn't Want To Cooperate." He Shook His Head. "He Takes A Long, Long Time To Wake Up."

"You Wouldn't Dare!"

"Oh, Really? Now You're The One Who's Not Trying To Cooperate. Always Trying To Get In My Way!" He Was Riding In A Pod Of Sorts, And Extended A Robotic Arm From The Middle Of It, Grabbing Hunter And Pulling Him Into The Air. "It's Time To Die!" The Scene Before Rose Made Adrenaline Course Through Her. She Burst Through The Door.

"What? Your Orange, Little Girlfriend Is Here, Too?" Neozor Cackled Again. "Well, You're Certainly Invited To The Party!" He Wasn't Paying Attention, As Rose Took Hunter's Hand, And Tried To Hold On To Something. She Ended Up Grabbing A Metal Post Near The Entrance.

"What Are You Doing?" Hunter Cried Out, Over The Machine's Whirring. "You'll Get Kidnapped, Too!"

"You're... Not... Taking... Him!" Rose Screamed At Neozer, As She Tried To Pull Hunter Away From His Robotic Grasp. Hunter Just Stared, In Shock At What He Was Seeing Before Him. He Kicked The Metal Pod, Weakening The Robot's Grip. He Did It Again. Then He Picked His Foot Up, And Kicked At The Cockpit's Glass, Shattering It. The Shrapnel Got In Neozor's Face, As He Screamed And Let Go Of The Controls. The Pod Thrashed About Wildly, Then Collapsed. Hunter Fell To The Floor, Rolling To Avoid Being Hurt. Neozor Stared In Silence At The Wreckage.

"Very Well. I Guess I Should Go!" He Flew Away On His Jetpack. "Catch You All Later Suckers!"

"Hey! Get Back Here!" Hunter Jumped For Him, But He Was Already Gone. When They Were Sure That He Was Nowhere In Sight, They Turned To Each Other And Hugged, Grateful That They Didn't Lose Each Other This Time.

"You Ready?" Hunter Asked Her, As She Was Going With Him.

"As I'll Ever Be." They Got In Their Car In Silence, And Went To Maverick Hunter Society, Now The Extravagant Building It Once Was. They Suited Up, Bringing The Same Weapons As They Brought To Xeba's Fight, And Also Some Food And Sleeping Bags.

"Let's Do This." Hunter Said, To Himself. "We've Got A City To Save." They Rode Off On Their Ride Chaser Bikes, Knowing The Way To His Fortress, As It Loomed In The Distance.

### Chapter 31: Note Of Courage

Molly Walked Up To The Maverick Hunter Society, Everything Seeming Normal. She Wanted To Meet And Greet Everybody Again, Since She Had Just Returned From Her Vacation. She Opened The Door.

"Molly!" Everybody Exclaimed In Unison.

"Geez Louise!" Molly Stepped Back In Shock. "What The Hell Happened? Is Something The Matter?"

"He's Gone!" Alisia Germain Piped Up.

"Who's Gone?" Molly Asked The Crowd, A Growing Expression Of Worry On Her Face.

"Hunter Is Missing, Molly."

"What?"

"Yeah. We Had Nothing To Do, So We Tried To Knock On The Door Of His Room, Asking Him To Play, And No One Was There. We Searched Every Room Of This Building."

"Go And Look For Him Again! I Can't Lose My Assistant! Not Now!" The Servants Went To Work, Searching Every Room, Calling His Name. After A Half Hour, Molly Found A Piece Of Paper, Sealed With A Sticker Of His Emblem. "Everybody Stop!" They Did. "Come Here." They Huddled Around Her. She Held Up The Paper.

"A Letter From Hunter, Most Likely." Alisia Germain Inquired. "Let's Read It." Molly Did, Saying The Words Aloud.

"Molly,

Another Deity Has Come To Enslave The City In Darkness. In His Planning, He Is Reawakening Levy, The Corrupted Soul To Control The World." Everyone Gasped. Molly Kept Reading.

"I Want You Back At The Society, To Prepare For Whatever May Lie Ahead, While Me And Rose Try To Stop This Madness. For The Last Time, I Bid You Adieu, And Good Luck." She Sniffled As She Put The Paper Down. All Was Silent, Except For Molly's Almost Inaudible Sniffling. She Finally Broke Down, And Started Crying, Her Tears Staining The Carpet Below. The Servants Rushed To Calm Her.

"There's No Reason To Cry, Molly." Peach Wasn't Listening, As She Pushed Them Away In Desolation, And Ran Up To Her Room, Locking The Door Behind Her. Then She Sat Down On The Settee, Trying To Control Her Emotions.

"That Hunter... He's Only... Putting Himself... In More Danger..." She Buried Her Head In Her White Hands, From Clutching The Bed Sheets So Tightly. "I Can't Lose Him. Not With Everything He's Done For Us." But She Couldn't Just Go Out There And Help Him. She Could Only Sit. She Could Only Sit And Wait For The Inevitable.

It Now Was Dark Out. The Gravel Road Seemed To Continue Indefinitely, Meandering Across The Landscape. The Tires Of His Bike Screeched As Hunter Skidded To A Stop.

"Should We Stop Here?" He Pointed To A Precipice Just Ahead, With The Road Curving To Its Left, Following The Cliff Down At A Shallower Angle. Overlooking The Rock Was Some Water. The Hunters Looked To Their Right, But All They Could See Was More Water. They Had Reached The Coastline.

"This Seems Like A Lovely Place." They Unpacked Their Things, Staking Their Sleeping Bags In The Near Blackness.

"Now, Where Did I Put That...?" Hunter Searched His Bag For Something.

"What Are You Doing?"

"Looking For The Stupid Flint. Where Is It?" Hunter Grumbled As He Searched, While Rose Covered Her Mouth To Stop Her From Giggling At His Actions. "I Swear I Have It In Here Somewhere..." Rose Threw A Rock Over The Edge Of The Cliff. It Bounced Off The Precipice And Landed In The Water. "Oh, Here It Is!" Hunter's Hand Grasped A Small Silver Flint, As He Pulled It Out Of His Backpack. "Okay, I Seriously Need To Keep This Thing More Organized. This Is Ridiculous."

"You Are Keeping It Organized. The Flint Just Hates You. It's So Small."

"That Is True." The Flint Was Only Two Inches Long, An Inch Wide, And No More Than A Millimeter Thick. "Well, It's Getting Dark. We'd Better Go To Sleep."

"Out Here? In The Cold?"

"Relax, Rose." He Smiled. "It Isn't Cold. Even If It Is, We Can Handle It." He Was Grinding The Flint Over A Pile Of Sticks, Trying To Make A Fire, To No Avail.

"Here, Let Me." Rose Got Some Pine Needles, And Threw Them On Top. "Now Try." He Produced A Spark Again, And The Needles Ignited. Pretty Soon, Flames Were Crackling.

"You're Good At This!" Hunter Complimented Her. She Giggled. "Now, Watch." He Took Out His Phone, Even Though It Had No Service. He Then Took A Stick And Ignited It. "Dial C, For Chupacabra." Rose Was Now Laughing. He Pressed 1 Three Times, Then Brought The Stick Up Behind The Machine, Making It Look Like It Was On Fire.

"Ha Ha!" He Waved The Phone And The Stick Around, Rose Barely Able To Contain Her Laughter. "This Is Him!" He Moved The Phone Closer To Her, Teasingly. "Hey, Want To Talk To Him?" He Then Pulled It Away, Laughing Himself. It Took A Few Minutes Before The Laughter Faded To Giggles Again, As They Settled In To Their Sleeping Bags.

"Hunter, Are You Sure You Got The Right Size For Me?" Rose Mentioned. "This Feels A Bit... Small."

"Here, Let Me Check." He Turned Over And Read The Tag Himself. "You're Right... I Must Have Ordered You A Small, When You Needed A Medium. And, Come To Think Of It..." He Checked His Own. "I Think Mine's Too Big. I Mean, Look At This." He Showed Her The Sleeping Bag, Its Excess Size Causing It To Flop On The Ground Messily. Rose Snickered.

"Well, This Is A Predicament." Actually, She Did Have An Idea, But Felt It Was Too Personal, Too Intimate To Bring Up. She Bit Her Lip.

"Wait A Second. Are You Hiding Something?" Hunter Asked, With A Hint Of Playfulness.

"How Did You Know?" Ros Shot Back, Sitting Up Instantaneously.

"You Always Bite Your Lip Like That When You're Hiding Something. It's Your Tell." She Stopped. "Pierce's Is Patting His Head, If It Makes You Feel Better." He Smirked. "Now, What Is It? Don't Be Afraid. You Can Tell Me Anything."

"Well... Hunter, I..." She Broke Out In A Cold Sweat. Don't Worry About It. Just Tell Him.

"Can I Sleep In Yours?" She Immediately Blushed, Moving Away Slowly.

"Rose, Don't Ask Me Those Questions Anymore." She Was Crushed, Taking That As A Negative Comment. "No, No, No. I Don't Mean It That Way."

"Yes, You Do!"

"I Really Don't, Rose." He Unzipped Her Sleeping Bag, As If Trying To Let Her Out Of It. "You Know The Answer's Yes." Her Eyes Widened. She Rushed Out And Embraced Him.

"Thanks, Hunter."

"You're Very Welcome." He Zipped His Up, The Material Constricting Them Together, And Closed His Eyes. Just When Sleep Was About To Take Him Away, Rose Ran A Hand Over His Back, Gently Caressing Him. He Felt Something Start To Build Up Inside Him, But He Didn't Know What. Butterflies, Most Likely. I've Never Experienced That Before. He Smiled At Her And Did The Same. He Felt It Starting To Build Faster, Coursing Through His Blood Like Adrenaline. Maybe A Different Kind Of It? An Affectionate Kind Of Adrenaline, Maybe. Then, Just As Soon As It Had Come, It Had Stopped. Rose Leaned Against Him, Closed Her Eyes, And The Warmth Of Their Love Lulled Them To Sleep.

### Chapter 32: Dear Diary

It Was The Early Morning, And Hunter Couldn't Sleep. The Good Thing Was, Since He Was Now Awake, He Could Hear Rose's Faint Breathing, And The Occasional Coo Of Pleasure, From Having Hunter Right On Top Of Her. He Spotted Something In Her Backpack, And Reached Out To Grab It. It Was Her Diary. Hunter Almost Gasped, But Resisted, For He Might Wake Rose Up. And We All Know What Happens If You're Caught Reading A Girl's Diary. He Opened It Up, And Began Reading.

Day 1

So, This One Little Hunter Came Up To Me At The Carnival Today.

Hunter Almost Dropped The Book Right On Rose's Face. This Was The Day They Met.

He Saw Me Before I Saw Him. I Looked At Him, And He Was Walking Towards Me. No Joke. The Little Guy Was Actually Walking To Me. He Was Wearing A Green Shirt. Pretty Unusual, But I Liked The Pairing, For He Was Ravishing In It. I Stood Up, Smiled, And Walked Towards Him. He Was Carrying Some Popcorn. I Thought He Was Going To Pick Up A Kernel And Hand It To Me. But No, He Actually Gave Me The Entire Box. Or, He Tried, Before My Hand Got In His Way, And The Popcorn Spilled All Over The Floor.

"Oh, My Goodness! Are You Okay?" I Tried To Tell Him That I Was The One That Did It, But He Just Hung His Head.

"I'm Sorry, Ma'am! I'll Clean This Up."

"I'll Help You." I Immediately Stooped Down To Help.

"No, Ma'am, It's Okay. I'll Do This Myself."

"Don't Be So Ashamed Of Yourself!" I Giggled. "By The Way, I Didn't Catch Your Name."

"Oh, The Name's Hunter." He Reached Out A Hand. "Pleased To Meet You... Oh, I Didn't Catch Yours, Either."

"Rose." I Took His Hand. "Pleasure To Meet You, Hunter." We Both Felt Our Faces Getting A Little Pink. Then He Walked Away. It Was An Unexpected Encounter, But I'm Pretty Sure That He Takes A Gander To Me. I Sure Hope I Meet Him Again Sometime.

~Rose

Hunter's Face Was Red. This Time, He Really Did Drop The Diary, Making A Loud Thunk On The Ground. Rose's Eyes Fluttered Open. Oh, No. If She Finds Out About This, I'm Done!

"Oh, Hi, Hunter. Is Something Up?"

"No, No, It's Nothing. I'm Just..." Hunter Decided To Just Tell Her. "Just Reading This." He Held Up The Book, Which Rose Snatched From Him.

"You've Been Reading My Diary?" Rose Accused. "Hunter, How Could You?"

"I Know." He Hung His Head In Shame. "It Was Just Hanging Out Of Your Bag, And I Couldn't Resist. I'm Sorry.". Rose Just Lay There.

"No, I Am. I Shouldn't Accuse You Of Reading My Diary. It's Only Natural. I Mean, We've Been Together For A While. Of Course You Want To Know My Secrets. And Plus, I Really Like The Fact That You're Being Honest About This. Most People Would Just Act Like It, I Don't Know, Fell Out Of My Backpack Or Something."

"You're..." Hunter Was Amazed; Her Demeanor Was The Complete Opposite Of What He Thought It Was Going To Be. "You're Not Mad At Me?"

"Of Course Not! I Saw Your Diary In Your Bag, As Well. And It's Safe To Say That I Snuck A Few Peeks At It. So I'm Not One To Talk." She Flipped Over, Putting Herself On Top Of Him. "You Know, I'm Surprised That You're Not Running Away In Shame Right Now. At Least, That's What You Would Do In Third Grade."

"Rose, Don't Be Silly. I Would Never Run Away From Someone Like You." Rose Blushed, And Stood Up, Trying Not To Take It Too Far. They Were Very Close To Doing So Just The Day Before.

"Thanks, Hunter. Now, We'd Better Get Ready. We Have A Lot Of Distance To Travel." So They Did, Packing Their Stuff And Riding Away On The Craggy Coast.

Neozor Was In His Castle, Pacing The Room. The Castle Was Gilded With Silver At The Top, And He Spied Two Little People Riding Along The Road, Just A Few Miles Away.

"Itzel! Can I See You For A Second!" His Henchman Did.

"What Is It, Neo?"

"Those Two Hunters Are Hunting Us Down Like Brandon Hunts Sigma. I Want You To Go And Stop Them. Whatever You Do, Don't Hold Back!"

"Yes, Sir. Those Hunters Won't Stand A Chance Against You Once I'm Through With Them. I Will Proceed In Eliminating Them Immediately." Itzel Exits As Neozor Slams His On His Chair.

"Damn It, I'm Going To Need The Speed It Up With The Levy Shit"

### Chapter 33: Itzel’s Masterpiece

It Was The End Of The Second Day. The Hunters Were Considerably Close To Neozor's Castle; The Door Was Visible, Although Small. As They Were Riding, A Trash Can Flew Into The Air.

"Did You See That?" Rose Asked.

"Yeah. A Trash Can, Flying Into The Air? Weird. Probably Just An Angry Person Throwing It." They Continued. More Trash Cans Flew, The Hunters Getting More Suspicious. Finally, Hunter Stopped, And Got Off His Right Chaser Bike.

"Okay, I'm Going To Go See What Is Causing All This." He Disappeared Into The Foliage. It Wasn't Long Before He Tore Out Of It, Though, With A Panicked Expression.

"What Is It? What Happened?"

"It's A Robot Fungus."

"Okay, Then. We've Got To Take It Down." Sure Enough, The Robotic, Remote Controlled Trash Can Burst Through The Bushes And Punched The Air With Its Metallic Fists, Signifying That It Wasn't Messing Around. They Brandished Their Swords, And The Battle Began.

The Robot's First Move Was To Try To Throw Trash Cans At Them, Which They Dodged. One Of Them Was Thrown On Target, But Rose Blocked It, Sending It Hurtling Back And Hitting Robot Fungus Instead. It Whirred Loudly In Anger. Hunter Tried To Slice It, But The Sword Just Ricocheted Off The Robot's Metal Exterior. He Whipped Out His Buster And Tried Shooting It, But The Bullet Was Met With The Same Fate.

"Okay. We Have To Kill It With His Own Weapons." The Robot Lunged At Them, Punching The Pistol Right Out Of Hunter's Hands. Then It Started To Throw More Trash Cans. Hunter Whipped Out His Sword And Tried To Hit Them Back As Best He Could, But He Had Little Control Over Where They Went. One Of Them Was On Course, But Robo Fungus Saw It And Blocked It As Well, Sending It Back. Rose Parried It Again, And This Time, The Robot Wasn't Ready, And The Can Hit It In The Face. Robo Fungus Whirred Louder, And Tried To Punch Hunter, But He Leapt Up, Nullifying It. It Still Hit Him In The Foot, Though, And He Flew Back. More Trash Cans Were Thrown.

"Alright, Then." Rose Said To The Machine. "Time For A Little Game I Like To Call Chain Reaction." Hunter Recognized The Name, As He'd Seen The Show On Television Quite A Few Times. The Trash Can Was Thrown, With A Little More Velocity. Actually, A Lot More Velocity. So Much So, That Hunter Couldn't Block It In Time. He Got Thrown Back Into The Foliage, And Let Out A Cry Of Anger. Another Trash Can Flew At Them, With The Same Speed. This Time, He Was Ready, And Blocked It. Robo Fungus Did The Same, Like A Game Of Table Tennis. Rose Parried It Again, And Robo Fungus Blocked It Again. The Can Was Hurtling Right Between The Two. They Crossed Their Blades, And Threw Them Forward, Sending The Debris Flying With Blinding Speed. Robo Fungus Tried To Block It Once More, But It Was Too Late. The Can Slammed Right Into Its Core, And The Machine Broke Apart.

"That Was Fun." Rose Said To Him, After The Robot Was Defeated. Hunter Just Smiled At Her.

Back At Neozor's Castle, The Villain Was Furious.

"They Defeated It? Bullshit!" He Roared. "Itzel, I'm Afraid This Requires A More Brutal Approach. I Request You To Go After Them Yourself."

"Yes, Master." Itzel Turned And Walked Out, "Seriously. Why In The Name Of A Mega Buster Does This Keep Happening?" Neozor Grumbles.

### Chapter 34: Reawaken Fury

The Ground Behind Neozor's Castle Rumbled And Shook Menacingly. Neozor Was Laughing Evilly.

"Now, I Have Changed My Plans. Levy! Become One With Me, Then, I Will Be Recreated, Enhanced, Modified Into The Greatest God The World Has Ever Seen!" He Pumped His Fist, Hooking Himself To A Machine. "The Dark Energy Will Consume Me, And I Will Rule All!" He Then Shot Bolts Of Lightning From His Hands. They Crackled And Shot Towards Maverick Hunter Society, Hitting It And The Stuff Around It. Any Unfortunate People Who Happened To Be In Their Way Were Vaporized. The Energy From Them Created A Thunderstorm, Swirling Clouds Of Purple Hovering Over The City. It Was An Evil Sight To Behold. The Townsfolk Were Running Out Of Their Houses, Grabbing What They Could, And Rushed To The Safety Of Maverick Hunter Society, Practically The Only Building That Wasn't Damaged, Despite All The Stuff Hitting It. Winds Whipped Around, Throwing Debris Like A Storm Tornado (Storm Eagle's Weapon In Mega Man X). The Sky Was Black, Rain Pouring Down In Sheets Over The City, Overflowing The Storm Drains.

"Nothing Can Stop Me Now! I Am God!" Neozor Cackled.

"Something Huge Is Happening." Molly Warned Her Servants. "Something Evil... Levy Has Been Reawakened, And Neozor Is Manipulating His Energy To Destroy Us." The Servants Gasped. "We Have To Stay Safe. Whatever You Do, Don't Leave The Premises Of The Maverick Hunter Society. Understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am." The Servants Said Quietly, But In Unison.

"Good. You May Go." The Servants Filed Out To Their Rooms, While Molly Just Sat In Her Room, Waiting For The End. Those Hunters Have No Idea What They're Getting Into. It'll Kill Them. It'll Kill Us All...

### Chapter 35: Rage Against The Machine

Prospective Change: Rose

Lightning Was Flashing Down On Us And The Kingdom As We Made Our Way To Neozor's's Doorstep. It Was Frightening, To Say The Least. Out Of All The Things I've Been Through With Him, This Had Definitely Had The Least Favorable Circumstances. I Felt Like I Couldn't Do It. There Was A Hint Of A Smile On Hunter's Face, But A Sign Of A Frown On Mine.

"Cheer Up, Rose." His Words Were Light, Cheerful. Not The Most Probable Way To Say A Sentence, With The Situation And All, But I Liked It Nonetheless. I Felt Myself Smiling Back, And I Whipped Out My Blade And Sliced The Door To Pieces. Just As I Did So, An Alarm Rattled My Very Insides. Guards Rolled In, And I Sliced One, Then Another And Another. Hunter Was Staring At Me For A Bit, As If He Was Astonished At My Heroism. Then He Started Slicing With Me, And We Destroyed The Armada. Then Fawful Rolled In, Applauding Slowly.

"I Have To Say, I'm Impressed By Your Very Neozor-Like Style Of Combat. But That Will Be The Last Time You Will Ever Win In A Fight!"

"And Where's Levy? I See You Still Reawakened It. Oh, How Pathetic You Are." Hunter Spit At Him.

"Pathetic? Pathetic?" He Turned Around, And A Dark Glow Emitted Him. He Had Turned Into Dark Neozor, His Abilities Stronger. "I Am Far From Pathetic!" We Both Gasped At The Same Time. He Had Gone Mad.

"Bring It On!" We Both Said, In Unison.

"Oh, It's Brought!" He Shot Some Energy Balls At Us. We Expected To Dodge Them Easily, Since Me And Him Both Have Experienced This Before. But The Balls Were Much Faster Than We Thought, And Just As They Locked On To Me, I Parried Them, Sending Them Back.

"Gah!" He Stepped Back. "Man, You People Are Annoying!" He Shot More Balls. He Was Practically Going Bullet Time With All Those Spheres. This Time, They Were All Coming For Hunter, Not Me, But I Went In And Deflected Them Anyway. They All Went Back To Their Maker, And Slammed Him Into The Wall. He Groaned And Flew Through The Ceiling.

"He Must Be Going To The Spire." Hunter Reasoned. He Turned To Me. "I'll Go It Alone From Here." He Turned To Leave, But I Stopped Him.

"No." I Said It With Every Ounce Of Finality I Could Muster. I Thought He Was Going To Resist The Argument And Prove His Point About It Being Too Dangerous, But Instead, He Just Took My Hand. The Point Where Our Fingers Laced Together Was The Warmest Point Between Us That I Had Felt In Quite A While.

"I Knew You Would Say That." He Squeezed My Hand Tighter. "Let's Finish This." We Walked Up To The Spire, Not Saying A Word.

### Chapter 36: The Last Push

This Was It. The Final Battle Was At Hand. The Hunters Burst Through The Door Leading To The Spire, Lightning Flashing. The World Was Literally Crumbling Beneath Them. Neozor Was Now A Deadly Black, Chuckling.

"You Guys Still Here?"

"Why Wouldn't We Be?" Hunter Shot Back.

"I Thought My Powers Would Scare You Away. By The Way, I Absorbed Itzel, Too. He Was Useless. But I Guess You Guys Are More Persistent Than I Thought. Very Persistent, Indeed." He Flew Up. "But, I'm Afraid I Have To End You. Right Here, Right Now." He Teleported Behind Them Both And Kicked Them, Sending Them Staggering Forward.

"Oh, You're Going To Get It!" Rose Tried To Slice Him, But He Just Teleported Out Of The Way, And Made A Dark Blade Of His Own. They Then Got Into A Sword Fight, And It Looked Like It Was An Equal Matchup, Each Combatant Deflecting The Other's Attacks. They Were Deadlocked. Neozor Tried A Stab, But Rose Dodged It And Stabbed Him. Neozor Cringed, But, In Mere Seconds, He Was Fighting Again. The Clashes Could Be Heard In The Surrounding Plains.

What They Didn't Know Was That Everyone In The City Was Looking Out The Glass Windows Of Maverick Hunter Society, Watching The Momentous Occasion. Some Servants Had Closed Their Eyes, Looking The Other Way. The More Major Characters, Like Jared, Only Stared. The Sky Was Black, Rain Was Pouring, Lightning Was Flashing, And The Winds Were Blowing The Metal Statues Out Of The Ground.

But, Alas, The Hunters Were Only Delaying The Inevitable. Eventually, They Were Forced To Miss, And Neozor Seized His Chance, Hitting Hunter With The Bladeless End Of His Sword. The Pain Ripped Through Him Like A Knife Through Butter. He Fell On His Arm, Almost Breaking It. Neozor Stood Over Him, Ready To Deal The Finishing Blow.

"See? I Told You. Neozor's Powers Is Too Much For You To Handle! It's Been Nice Knowing You!" He Swiped The Sword Down. Hunter Had No Time. He Braced For Impact, But The Sharpness Of The Blade Never Came. Instead, He Heard A Sickening Thud.

"What In The-" Neozor Stepped Back In Disbelief. There, Standing Before His Planned Victim, Doubled Over, Was A Hunter With Rose Hair, A Becky Lynch-Like Get Up, And The Familiar Face, Rose.

"Noooooooooooo!" Hunter Screamed

### Chapter 37: A Heroine’s Sacrifice

The Hit Could Be Heard Through The Awful Storm, Resounding Like A Bell's Peal. Pure Anger Coursed Through Hunter, As He Almost Staggered Back At The Sight Of Rose Collapsing On The Spire's Floor. He Flew At Him, First Hitting Him With The Hilt Of His Sword. Neozor Groaned. He Then Stabbed His Dark Blade, Took It From Him, And Threw It Into The Sky And Off The Building. Finally, He Grabbed His Leg, And Held Him Over The Edge, So That He Was The Only Thing That Was Stopping Him From Falling. Neozor Whimpered In Fear.

"Please Forgive Me! I Was Meaning To Hit You! Dropping Me Isn’t Something You Can Live With!" Neozor Pleaded.

"Well," Hunter Spit Back, "I’m Learning To Live With A Lot Of Things, And You Only Managed To Do Something Even Worse." He Threw Him Over, Watching His Body Until It Hit The Ground With A Sickening Thud. His Dark Hues Faded, Returning To His Stately Green. Despite The Win, The People Back At The Castle Were Feeling No Better. Jared Went To Get Some Handkerchiefs. The Thunderstorm Faded, Now That Levy's Energy Was Dispersed. The Skies Were Sunny Again, But They Still Retained The Feeling Of Regret. The Hero Stepped Towards Rose's Fallen Body, And Stooped Next To Her, Blood Covering His Shoes. He Saw A Mass Of The Liquid By Her Face, As The Blade Left A Gash An Inch Deep. It Seemed That, For Hunter, He Had Not Won The Battle. He Touched Her Cheek, The One Without The Wound. It Was Already Cold. His Heart Beat Faster, Not In Affection, But In Fear. She Managed To Smile, And Say Her Last Words.

"Thank You, Hunter. For Everything You've Done." And, With That, Still A Smile On Her Face, Rose Closed Her Eyes For The Last Time.

Hunter Couldn't Find It In Himself To Cry. Instead, A Scream Of Despair Came From Him, Flying Across The Land. The Citizens Of The Maverick Hunter City Bowed In The Direction Of The Castle, As A Sign Of Respect. Hunter Didn't See, As He Was Too Busy Cradling Her Body, Trying To Locate A Sign Of Life From Her. Nothing. But, Amazingly, Her Colors Hadn't Changed, Nor Had Her Skin Tone. Every Other Citizen He Had Seen Die Had Shriveled Up, Lifeless. He Put A Hand On His Forehead, Looking Down At His Shoes. He Stayed Like That, In A Position Of Despair, For A Long Time. After A Full Fifteen Minutes Like That, He Took Her Hand, Not Feeling The Warmth That She Always Had, And Pulled Her Up With Him. His Other Hand Grabbed Her Legs, And He Carried Her Down The Stairs Of The Castle. A Single Tear Came From His Eyes. When He Walked Out Of The Castle, There Was No Applause, No Cheers. Instead, The Citizens Slowly Walked To Meet Him, In A Procession. After Two Hours Of Walking, With Hunter Driving With Only One Hand, The Other Holding His Fallen Girlfriend, They Met, Halfway Between The Two Castles. Some Of The Citizens Murmured In Fear, But Hunter Put A Hand Up To Silence Them. They Didn't Say Any More, Walking Back To The City. When They Got Back, Hunter Thrust Open The Society Door, And Molly Ran Towards Him, Not Knowing What Had Happened.

"Hunter, What-" She Stopped When She Saw Rose Cradled. "Is... Is She Okay?" Hunter Almost Charged At Her With Anger.

"Does It Look Like She's Okay To You?" He Was Furious At Her Not Realizing His Predicament. His Heart Pounded. He Wanted To Cry, He Really Did, But Something Wouldn't Let Him. He Just Let Out His Feelings For Her, In Anger. Molly Had Never Seen Him Like This. She Stammered.

"I'm Just-"

"Does It? Look At Her! She's Dead!" Hunter Clutched His Coat, And He Felt Its Fabric Starting To Rip.

"Hunter, What's Gotten Into You?" He Didn't Answer, As He Thrust His Sword Out Of Its Sheath, And Slammed It Into The Floor With So Much Force That It Stuck In There, Handle Toward The Ceiling. "Hunter!" He Stormed Up To His Room, Carrying Rose's Body, His Quick And Light Footfalls Heard By Everyone.

### Chapter 38: Broken Hearted

It Was Two Days After Rose's Death. The Funeral Was In Order, Candles Burning Near The Fallen Victim, Lying On The Ground, Her Head Propped Up By A Pillow. The Coroner Sat In Silence. Hunter Was Trying To Hold His Disparagement In, For He Couldn't Let Go Of His Emotions. Not Here, Not Now. A Song's Opening Bars Began To Play. Jared Stepped Up, And Sang The First Verse, In A High Falsetto.

When You Try Your Best, But You Don't Succeed
When You Get What You Want, But Not What You Need
When You Feel So Tired, But You Can't Sleep
Stuck In Reverse

Hunter Stared, Practically Rolling His Eyes. Perfect. Another Buildup Of Emotions.

And The Tears Come Streaming Down Your Face
When You Lose Something You Can't Replace
When You Love Someone, But It Goes To Waste
Could It Be Worse?

Lights Will Guide You Home
And Ignite Your Bones
And I Will Try To Fix You

Jared Stepped Down The Stairs, The Audience Applauding. This Seems To Be The Sing-Off All Over Again. To Sing In His Normal Voice, He Had To Forget That His Emotions Were There; He Had To Forget Himself. He Climbed Up, Slowly, And Took A Breath Before He Started.

And High Up Above Or Down Below
When You're Too In Love To Let It Go
But If You Never Try You'll Never Know
Just What You're Worth

Lights Will Guide You Home
And Ignite Your Bones
And I Will Try To Fix You

It Was Harder, Much Harder Than He'd Thought. His Knees Were Shaking As He Stepped Aside, The Choir Singing The Bridge For Him. Wait, A Choir? These People Really Do Care...

Tears Stream, Down Your Face
When You Lose Something You Cannot Replace

Tears Stream, Down On Your Face
And I...

This Had Never Happened To Him Before. No One Had Ever Cared About Him This Much.

Tears Stream, Down Your Face
I Promise You I Will Learn From My Mistakes

Tears Stream, Down On Your Face
And I...

The Music Suddenly Diminished, And Hunter Stood Back Up Again. It Was Getting Even More Difficult. He Couldn't Bear To Face The Audience. He Kneeled Down Next To Rose, And Woefully Sang The Last Words, An Octave Lower Than When He Had First Said Them.

Lights Will Guide You Home

The Audience Went Silent.

And Ignite Your Bones

Hunter Was Straining. One More...

And I Will Try... To Fix You.

The Last Chord Played, And He Couldn't Hold It In Anymore. He Dropped The Microphone, And It Clattered To The Floor, The Feedback Echoing. Tears Really Did Stream Down His Face, As He Buried It In Her Vest. Everyone Was Silent. All That Was Heard Was The Faint Sounds Of Hunter Crying. The Coroner Tried To Step In.

"Kid..." He Tried To Step On The Stage, But A Servant Didn't Let Him.

"Leave Him Be." He Whispered. The Coroner's Purple Eyes Widened, As He Stepped Back, A Blank Expression On His Face. He Was Wearing A Top Hat. Then, The Unthinkable Happened. He Kneeled Down And Tipped His Hat In Hunter's Direction. All The Other Hunters Bowed To Him, Tears On Their Faces As Well. All Of This Was In Respect, But Hunter Knew The Truth, That She Could Never Come Back.

### Chapter 39: Return To Life

The Tears Rained Down On Rose's Body, Soaking Into Her Skin, Each One Charged With The Emotions Of A Hero That Had Been Stockpiled For Days. Hunter Couldn't Bear To Pull Away From Her. He Couldn't Stop. The Sadness Coming From Him, Her, And The Situation Was Just Too Much. It Was So Silent, He Could Hear His Own Heart Beating In His Chest, Not Willing To Slow Down. It Was As If He Believed In Her, That She Could Come Back Somehow, Some Way. It Was At This Time That He Had Noticed Her Wounds Again. They Were A Lot Smaller Than Before. His Sword, Which He Still Had In The Sheath On His Back, Started Glowing Again. The Audience Noticed And Murmured. It Stopped Glowing, And They Became Silent Again. Then It Started Once More, Its Light Peircing. He Noticed Some Words Etched In The Blade, That He Hadn't Seen Before. He Had To Squint To Read The Three Thin Lines Of Type, With Four, Five, And Six Words Respectively.

Put The Sacred Blade

Where The Emotions Are Strongest,

And The Truth Will Be Revealed.

The Words Immediately Faded Out, So He Couldn't See Them. Put The Blade Where The Emotions Are- Wait A Minute! He Took The Sword Out Of Its Sheath, And, Without A Word, Tears Making The Steel Slippery, Laid It On Her Chest. The Glow Intensified, Getting Brighter By The Second, Until It Exploded In A Blasting Circle Of Light. Hunter Cringed. In The Sword's Place Was... Nothing. Are You Serious? I Lost My Sword, Too? He Laid His Hand On The Spot Where The Weapon Was, And It Wasn't Cold, As He Expected It To Be. His Heart Soared. Is She... He Turned To The Audience.

"Guys, I Think She's-" He Couldn't Finish His Sentence, As He Was Too Transfixed By This Soon-To-Be-Known Fact. Everyone Looked On, Still Silent. It Was Very, Very Faint, But He Could Feel Her Heart Beating. It Was Slow, About One Beat Every Two Seconds, But It Was There. Faster And Faster It Went. "I Think She's... Alive." He Whispered. He Stayed Like That For About A Minute, The Audience Looking On In Awe. Silence. Her Pulse Went Even Faster, About One Per Second Now. She Started Breathing. Hunter Could Feel Her Chest Rising And Falling, Very Slowly, But Ever So Surely. "I Know You're In There." He Said, Quietly, Whispering In Her Ear. "Come On Out." Her Breathing Became Faster By The Second. She Slowly Started To Stir, Move Her Hands. Hunter Guided Her Hands Around His Back, And Held Her Close. She Opened Her Eyes, And As Soon As The Audience Saw, The Cheers Could Be Heard For Miles Around. Closer And Closer They Came To Each Other, Mere Inches Now, Less Than That.

However, Instead Of Hunter Being Happy About Rose's Revival, He Just Started Crying Some More, Desperately Trying To Stem The Flow Of Tears, But To No Avail. Instead Of Pulling Away At The Thought Of The Clear Liquid Hitting Her, Rose Just Went In And Kissed Him In Between The Eyes.

"Shh." She Hushed Him, And The Tears Almost Stopped At That Comment Alone. "It's Okay. I'm Back." She Patted His Back, And Hunter Let Himself Step Forward At The Hit, Collapsing Into Her Arms. "I'm Right Here." She Started Crying As Well, The Drops Of Salt Water Splashing Down On The Floor.

"You're Back." Hunter Said, In Between Sniffles. "You Came..."

"Hey." Rose Pat His Back Again. "We Got Through It."

"No, Rose." The Tears Slowed To A Trickle. "You Got Me Through It." Their Grip On Each Other Became Tighter, And The Audience Roared In Applause.

"I Don't Get It." Alisia Said To His Brother. "How Did They Do It?"

"It Was Love, Little Sis." Jared Replied, As He Looked On. "It Was Love."

### Chapter 40: Happy Tree Hill, Revisited

Hand In Hand, They Rose, The Audience Still Clapping As Cheerfully As Before, And Walked Off The Stage And Towards The Castle, The People Following Him. When They Got There, Hunter Put A Hand In The Air.

"It Would Be Best If You Guys Don't Follow Us." The Citizens Obeyed And Went In The Castle, While The Hunters Went Around.

"Where Are We Going?" Rose Asked Him.

"You'll See." Hunter Replied, As They Went Around To The Back. Overlooking The Beach Was One Dune Of Grass. A Dune Of Grass Which They Both Knew About. There, Its Grass Swaying In The Breeze, Was Happy Hill Hill.

"Hunter, Why Are You..." She Broke Off, As She Already Knew The Answer To That Question. They Sat On The Side Of The Hill That Wasn't Facing The Society Building, And Concealed Themselves Over The Rise. The Faint Splashing Of Water On The Sand Could Be Heard.

"Remember This Place?"

"Of Course I Remember This. It's Where We... Really Got To Know Each Other."

"Yeah. I Remember You Making The First Move." She Chuckled.

"That's Because You Weren't Making A Move At All. In Fact, I Saw You Taking A Few Shuffles Back Every Now And Then."

"Well, That's Water Under The Bridge, As They Say." Hunter Lay Down, Hands Behind His Head. The Grass Whipped Around His Face, Tickling It. He Giggled.

"What's So Funny?"

"Lay Down And See For Yourself.". She Did, And Pretty Soon She Was In The Same Predicament. She Put A Hand On Her Face To Stop It, But It Wasn't Working, As The Grass Tickled Her Hand Instead. Finally, She Put A Hand On His Shoulder, And The Giggles Stopped.

"Okay, I Don't Know How That Worked In The Slightest, But It Did." Then They Just Lay There, The Stars Shining Once Again, Taking In Each Other's Presence. Neither One Of Them Was Moving. For The Longest Time, They Stayed Like That, Looking At Each Other, The Stars Slowly Making Their Affection Emerge From Their Faces. Hunter Could Feel Another Burst Of The Adrenaline Rise Up Again, Like It Did In The Sleeping Bags. He Could Feel His Face Getting Warm, And Started To Move Closer, Even Though He Was Perfectly Content Where He Was. As Soon As He Moved, Rose Could Actually Feel The Same Thing Build In Her, As Well. The Closer They Came, The More Of It They Had. It Was Like The Space Between Them Was Charged With Electricity, That They Wanted To Nullify It By Eliminating It.

Rose Moved Forward, Pushed Him Back, And Caught Him With Her Hand, So That They Were Parallel To Each Other, So That Only The Tiniest Line Of Space Was Between Them. She Wanted To Go Farther Than They Ever Had. She Really Did. The Affection Inside Of Her Pertained To That Wish. In Return, What She Got From Hunter Was A Warm Smile, That Made Her Heart Race. She Didn't Think Twice Before She Put Her Hands Behind His Head, And Brushed Her Lips With His. Her Hands Moved Down His Neck, Onto His Shoulders, Her Favorite Place To Put Them.

"Rose?" Hunter Said Her Name As They Stopped For A Little.

"Yeah?"

"Despite Everything That's Happened... You Still Look As Beautiful As Ever." Rose Blushed For A Little Bit, But Then Her Gaze Returned, And Her Eyes Twinkled.

"You Know What? You Know All The People Who Want To Get Up Close Like This With Me?"

"Yeah. I Know That There's A Lot Of Them."

"Well, You're The One. You've Done What No One Else Could Ever Do For Me. With Every Other Person, It's Just That They Want To... You Know, Do It With Me. They Never Did Anything To Prove Themselves. But You, Hunter, Have Taken Them And Blown Them Out Of The Water." She Made An Exploding Gesture With Her Hands. Hunter Giggled.

"Well, Then." He Moved Away A Little Bit, And Reached For Something In His Pocket. "I Don't Think I Need To Say Anything More." He Took Out A Leather Box, The Kind For Watches, And Opened It. There, Right In Front Of Her Eyes, Was A Silver Plated Diamond Ring.

### Chapter 41: Shimmering Waters

This Was The Moment. Rose Stammered, Her Eyes Wide. She Couldn't Stop Staring At The Shimmering Diamond Ring That Hunter Had Just Given Her.

"Oh, Hunter, You Shouldn't Have! It's... Beautiful."

"You Like It?"

"Like It?" She Wrapped Her Arms Around Him. "I Love It, Hunter." He Took The Ring In His Hands, And Came Down On One Knee. Instead Of Saying The Four Cliched Words, Though, He Said Something Entirely Different.

"Let's Take It To The Top." He Slipped The Ring On Her Finger.

"Oh, No, We Aren't." Hunter Had A Shocked Look On His Face.

"We're Not?"

"Nope!" She Said, Giggling. "We're Taking It Much Farther Than That!" She Leaned In And Kissed Him Again, And The Romantic Tension Between Them Was Finally Released. The Adrenaline Inside Them Flowed And Spilled Over, Compelling Them To Hold On Tighter. The Places Where They Were Touching Became Warmer By The Second. Hunter Noticed This, But He Didn't Mind. It Only Persuaded Him To Put Some Intensity Into Their Moment, Putting His Hands Behind Her Head And Kissing Her Again. They Dropped To The Soft Grass. Rose Pinned Him Against The Ground And Threw His Coat To His Feet. Then She Took Off His Shoes And Started Tickling His Feet With His Socks On.

"Oh, Hunter! Stop It!" He Patted Himself Playfully. "Please! Not Here, Not Now!" It Was As If He Could Sense Where This Was Going Towards. After A Few Minutes, With Hunter Laughing All The While, Rose Finally Stopped.

"Now It's My Turn!" Hunter Said To Her, In A Playful Voice. And, Sure Enough, He Picked Himself Up, Tackled Her, And Started Tickling Her Feet As Well. Rose Was Giggling In Just A Couple Seconds. She Flailed Her Feet, In An Attempt To Stop Him, And Accidentally Kicked Him In The Face. "Gah!" He Fell Down. "What The..."

"Oh, My Goodness!" She Ran To Him. "I'm So Sorry! Are You Okay?" She Touched His Cheek, And A Smear Of Red Stained Her Hand. "Better Get You Cleaned Up." She Carried Him To The Beach, And Ever So Gently Placed Him In The Water. The Blood Flowed Away, And After A Few Minutes, Hunter Stood Up.

"I'm Alright, My Darling. Thanks." He Smiled At Her. "See, This Is Why We Look So Perfect Together. We Always Look Out For Each Other." Rose Blushed.

"You Know, There's Never A Day When I Can't Think About You, Hunter."

"Same Here. I Mean, Look At You. How Can Someone See You And Not Think About You?" Rose's Face Was Pink.

"You're So Sweet, Hunter. I Really Don't Know How Your Past Girlfriends Could Ever End Things Like That With You! They Must Have Been Out Of Their Minds!" Hunter Chuckled.

"I've Never Told This To Anyone, But In All Honesty, I Was The One To End My Relationships."

"Every Time?"

"Yes, Every Single One." He Shook His Head. "Girls These Days Really Don't Know When I'm Ready For Something. They Just Want To, You Know. Get Right Down To It, If You Know What I'm Talking About." Rose Was Laughing As He Shook His Head Some More.

"What? These People Are Out Of Their Minds! Why Would You Want To Do That? You Haven't Even Done That With Me Yet!"

"I Know, It's Stupid! They Can Go Find Themselves A Different Guy, For All I Care. Right Now, I'm As Occupied As A Maverick Hunter City Parking Lot. And, Judging By The Way Things Are Going, It's Going To Be Hard To Leave."

"Exactly." She Put A Hand Behind His Head, Walking Back To The Hill, And Lay Down In The Grass. They Both Sighed In Contentment. Then Hunter Rolled Over, So That He Was Facing Her, And They Came Closer And Closer Until Their Lips Touched Once More. This One Was The Warmest Out Of Them All. Rose Cooed, And Deepened The Kiss. Each Second They Stayed There Lit More And More Sparks. The Love Sparks Turned Into Fireworks, And Finally Into A Real Fire. The Fire Roared And Crackled In Their Hearts, And It Was Going To Stay Burning For A While. Their Eyes Were Filled With Many Things, But, Pretty Soon, The Force Of Love Overtook Them All. They Held Each Other Even Tighter, Putting That Much More Pressure In. Hunter's Hands Found Their Way Onto Her Waist, And He Started To Roll Up Her Vest As Well. He Closed His Eyes, Enjoying Every Last Moment Of This.

Rose Giggled At This, And Guided His Hands To Her Shoulders Instead. Then She Pulled Away From The Kiss, And Laid Her Hand On His Heart. It Was Beating Much Faster, Much Harder Than She'd Anticipated. And His Heart Rate Was Still Rising. How Much Affection Can One Person Have? And It's All For Me... She Giggled Some More At His Speedy Heart, And Hunter Started Giggling As Well. He Liked The Sound. Really, He Liked Every Single Thing About Her. His Fingers Stroked Her Hair. His Other Hand Came Up To Her Chest As Well, And Her Heartbeat Was Just As Fast.

"Why Is Your Heart Racing, Hunter?"

"Isn't It Obvious? I Love You With All My Heart, Rose. I Think That's A Good Enough Reason, Don't You?" Her Hand Came Up To Her Face, And She Blushed Profusely. He Leaned Forward, And Rested His Head On Her Chest. Rose Resisted The Urge To Pull Away At This, Because He Had Never Done This Before.

"The Stars Are As Beautiful As Ever, Hunter. Don't You Think So?"

"Yes, Indeed They Are.". He Smiled. "But, If You Were A Star Out There, You'd Be The Brightest."

"The Only Constellation Worth Mentioning Out There Is Yours. No, Seriously, I Saw Your Constellation. Look!" She Pointed Up, And Sure Enough, The Constellation Of His Emblem Was Easily Visible. Hunter's Smile Became More Radiant, And He Just Pointed Beside His Constellation. There Was Rose's Constellation Beside It.

"See? This Is What It All Means. Me Saving You, You Saving Me... This Is What It All Comes Down To. Even The Stars Say That There Is A Bond Between Us." Rose Smiled Back, And Put A Hand On His Cheek.

"Well, The Stars Don't Lie.". She Kissed Him Again. "And Neither Do I, When I Say That I'll Stay With You."

"Let's Do It Together." He Reached Out To Hug Her.

"Together, Forever." She Replied, And Took Her Chance. "No One's Going To Take You Away From Me. I Promise You That."

"So..." He Stood Up. "When's The Ceremony?"

"For What?"

"For Our Wedding, Silly!"

"Let's See..." She Contemplated This. "I Can Do It In Two Weeks."

"That Soon?"

"Hey, We're The Hunters, Here. We Can Certainly Plan A Wedding In Two Weeks."

"Okay." He Put A Hand On Her Shoulder. "Two Weeks It Is, Then." They Snuck Into The Mavic Hunter Society, While Hunter Wrote A Letter About The Arrangements, And Slipped It Under Molly's Door. They Then Returned Home To The Dolbear Residence, Changed, Climbed Into Their Bed, And Snuggled Up Next To Each Other.

"In All Honesty, That Was The Best Night Of My Life." Rose Confessed.

"I'm Glad, Rose." Hunter Cooed, And Draped An Arm Over Her Head. Then He Came Closer, And Placed His Lips On Her Forehead. It Wasn't Long Before They Drifted Off To Sleep Like That, Love Still In Their Eyes.

### Chapter 42: One Last Attack

Shifty Sat In His Room In The Middle Of The Night, Chuckling As He Talked On The Phone With Waluigi. The Two Weren't Really That Noticeable, But They Were About To.

"They Haven't Had Their Wedding Yet! We Still Have A Chance To Take Her From Him, And Make Her Change Her Mind." Said Lifty, On The Other End.

"So, We Go To The Dolbear Residence, Take Rose, And Just... What Do I Even Do To Her?" Shifty Asked.

"Just... I Know! Since She Likes Her Guardian Angel Boyfriend So Much, Rough Her Up. In More Ways Than One." Shifty Snickered.

"The Plan Commences Right Now." He Hung Up, And Darted Out Of His House Gleefully.

Rose Was Soundly Sleeping, With Hunter Curled Up Beside Her. Shifty Peered Through The Window.

"Drat!" He Whispered In The Walkie-Talkie. "Hunter's Right There Sleeping With Her! How Am I Going To Get Her Now?"

"Shut Your Face! And To Answer Your Question, We Just Wait Until She Parts From Him." It Took A While, But She Eventually Did, Rolling In The Other Direction.

"Now!" Shifty Pulled The Window Open, Came Towards The Bed, And Very Slowly Picked Rose Up, And Carried Her To A Closet. Then, On Lifty's Cue, He Slapped Her Across The Face, Leaving Red Marks Where He Hit, And She Instantly Snapped Awake. It Took A Few Seconds Before She Realized Where She Was.

"Hey! What Are You Doing Here?" She Slapped Him Back, With A Lot More Force Than Shifty Thought. "Where's Hunter?" She Demanded.

"That's Nothing Of Your Concern. You Won't Be Thinking About Him When I'm Through With You, My Sweet.". He Said The Last Three Words In A Seductive Voice, Or He At Least Tried. Rose Shivered. He Started Taking Off His Yellow Trademark Shirt, And She Screamed, Before He Thrust A Towel In Her Mouth, Muffling It.

"You Will Do As I Ask. Got That?" Rose Tried To Scream Again, But Since The Towel Was In The Way, It Came Out As More Of A Groan. She Flailed Her Feet, But Then Wario Tied Her Feet Together, Making The Effort Useless.

Somebody, Please...

Hunter Lay In The Bed That Rose Had Been Taken From. He Opened His Eyes Inexplicably.

"I Can't Sleep." He Meant To Say It To Rose, But When He Looked Around, She Wasn't There. "Maybe It's Because She Was Out. Probably Went To Go Get A Drink." He Reassured Himself. He Turned, Walked Out The Door And Started To Walk Downstairs, Calling Her Name Softly. Suddenly, He Heard A Thump Against A Nearby Wall. "Rose?" He Called Out. The Thump Was Heard Again, Followed By Another, Then A Muffled Cry.

"Rose?" He Said Again, His Worry For Her Growing. He Walked Towards The Closet And Opened The Door. "Rose, Are You-" He Stopped. The Scene Before Him Made His Blood Almost Boil Over. "What In The Name Of Fucking Prostitutes Is This?" He Said, Quietly, Trying To Control Himself.

Rosee's Shirt Was Ripped In Multiple Places, As Were Her Pants. Her Vest Was Hanging On Her Right Shoulder, Almost Falling Off. Shifty Was Just Beginning To Reach For Her, And Hunter Knew Exactly What He Was Trying To Do. Two Different Looks Bore Into Him; One Of Anger, The Other Of Relief.

"What? What Are You Doing Here, You Filthy Bastard?" Shifty Spit At Him.

"I Think It's Obvious." Hunter Said, As He Grabbed His Shirt Beside Him, And Whipped Him With It.

"Is That All You Got?" Shifty Grabbed His Shirt From Him. "What Exactly Are You Going To Do To Me, You Son Of A Bitch?" In Response, Hunter Swiftly Kicked Him In The Face, Slammed Him Into The Wall, And Elbowed Him Below His Waist. He Groaned.

"Oh, You Little Swine! You're Going To- Ow!" He Clutched His Kneecap, Which Hunter Had Just Kicked. Hard. He Screamed Shrilly In Pain.

"Well Now." Hunter Pushed Him Into The Wall. "I Guess We Learned A Little Lesson Today. From Now On..." He Slapped Him. "You Keep Your Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Hands To Yourself. Do You Understand?" Shifty Said Nothing. He Slapped Him With The Back Of His Hand Again.

"Do I Make Myself Clear?" His Voice Remained Steady, Calm. It Just Raised A Little Bit, But He Wasn't Really Yelling At Him.

"Yes, Yes!" He Was Shivering In Terror. Hunter Didn't Budge.

"Yes, What?" Shifty Hung His Head.

"Yes, Sir."

"Good." He Let Him Go, And Pointed To The Door. "Now Get Out Of Here." He Did, Running, His Footfalls Disappearing, Almost Waking The Servants Up. Hunter Turned To The Victim.

"You Okay?" No Answer, Just A Simple Nod Did The Trick. "Let's Get You Cleaned Up." He Carried Her Back To Her Room, And Went Into Her Closet, Where He Got A New Vest And Slipped It On Her.

"See? You Look Better Already." Rose Now Responded With A Smile, But She Didn't Have The Courage To Say Anything, Not When She Was Almost Assaulted In The Middle Of The Night. He Got Another Pair Of Pants Out Of The Closet, And Gave Them To Her. "I'll Look Away, Okay? So You Can Change." He Turned His Back To Her, And Waited About Fifteen Seconds, While She Changed Into Her New Garments. Then She Tapped Him On The Back, To Signify That She Was Done. Hunter Turned Around, And Smiled.

"Is It Me, Or Are Those A Bit Shorter?"

"Yes, They Are. Why? Is That A Bad Thing?"

"No, No. In Fact, I Think It Looks Better." She Smiled Brighter. "That Shifty. Always Trying To Ruin Things." His Voice Lowered. "What Did He Try To Do To You?"

"Well, He Was About To Take My Pants Off, When You Stormed In."

"Then We Got Lucky. Who Knows What Shifty Would've Done After That?" They Both Shivered At The Thought. He Put A Hand On Her Lap, The First Warm Thing She Had Felt Since She Was Shoved Into That Closet. They Stayed Like That For A While.

"What Time Is It?" Hunter Looked At The Clock.

"It's Close To Six In The Morning, Why?" Rose Almost Hesitated To Ask, But Then She Knew That He Would Do Anything And Everything For Her.

"You Want To Go Watch The Sunrise With Me?"

"Rose, I'd Love To." And, With That, They Walked Out, Hand In Hand. They Went Around The Back, Sat On The Hill, And Watched The Sun Break Over The Horizon, Its Glow Marking The Event Of Things To Come.

### Chapter 43: Vows Of Valor

Two Weeks Later, Just As They Planned, The Wedding Was In Order. They Were In The Dressing Room Now, Changing, Seperately Of Course.

This Will Be Perfect. Just Perfect. Nothing's Going To Go Wrong. Hunter Thought. Every Other Wedding He'd Been To Had Something Go Wrong In It, Be It The Flower Petals Spilling All Over The Floor, Or The Photographer Walking Backwards And Falling Into The Fountain. That One Was Priceless. He Thought, As A Smile Crept Up On His Face. His White Biker Jacket, The Same One He Wore To The Sing-Off, Was His Attire Of Choice, But It Was Tough To Put On Correctly.

"Stupid." He Mumbled To Himself, As He Fumbled With The Outfit. He Groaned. "Stupid Buttons! Why Do You Have To Be So Small?" The Little Things Kept Slipping Through His Fingers. He Looked At The Person To His Right, The Photographer. "Seriously, These Buttons Hate Me."

"Tell Me About It." He Said Back. Austin Carlson Was The Photographer There. After Five Long Minutes, Hunter Managed To Get The Last One.

"Finally!" Then The Rest Of It Was A Breeze, First The Collar, Then The Tie. Once That Was Done, He Washed Himself And Straightened His Outfit, Prim And Proper. Okay. Let's Do This.

Meanwhile, In The Other Room, Rose Was Wearing The Her White Attire From Gx03 Prolog Part 1, But It Was A Bit Frilly At The Bottom. She Also Had A Rose Cape Of Sorts Flowing Behind Her. She Checked The Outfit, Once, Twice, To Make Sure That It Was Clear Of Mistakes.

"I Feel Like A Knight In This Outfit." She Said To Herself. She Imagined Brandishing A Sword, And Mimicked It. Then She Twirled Around, And Her Dress Appeared To Sparkle.

"Huh?" She Twirled Again, And Sure Enough, The Dress Sparkled Again, The Twinkling Lights Flying Around Her. "Wow, That's Awesome! Wait Until He Sees This!" She Smiled Into The Mirror, And Started For The Door.

In The Other Room, Hunter Was Just Finishing Up His Picture That He Took, Of Himself, And Posting It On Treebook. The Post Read:

About To Have The Time Of My Life With The Girl Of My Dreams, Rose Carlson. Wish Me Luck!

The Post Had Already Gotten Five Likes, And He Had Just Posted It A Minute Ago. Hunter Strolled Out Of The Dressing Room, Leaving His Phone Behind. Then He Saw Rose, And Almost Stepped Back, In Shock At How Beautiful She Was To Him. He Just Stood There, As She Took A Step, Then Another And Another.

"What Are You Doing, Frozen Like That?"

"What Do You Think? You Look Enchanting In That Outfit Of Yours. I'm Telling You, Everyone's Going To Freeze Like Someone's Holding A Gun At Them When They See You."

Now It Was Rose's Turn To Freeze. After A Moment Of Gazing Into Each Other's Eyes, They Held Hands And Walked Down The Stairs To The Main Room.

"After You." Hunter Beckoned Her To Go First.

"Why, Thank You." She Came Out, And A Roar Of Applause Followed Her, As She Performed A Curtsy In Front Of Everyone. Then She Walked Down The Runway, Posing For A While, And Taking Her Place In Front Of The Altar. The Applause Died Down, Then Was Replaced With Murmurs, Of Not Seeing The Groom Come Out With Her. Suddenly, Hunter Peeked His Head Out At The Audience, Then Ran Up And Rolled Behind The Fountain. Everyone Laughed, Rose Included.

After That, He Slowly Made His Way To The Altar, Crawling Under Tables And Rolling Over Them, Like An Assassin. He Was Holding His Hands Up, As If They Were His Pistol, And Mimicked Firing It. The Laughter Grew Louder. Halfway Through, He Stopped, And Spoke Into His Wrist, As If It Were His Watch. He Did Everything, Static And All.

"Ksst. Is The Coast Clear? Over. Ksst." The 'ksst' He Made Was His Version Of The Static.

"Ksst. Alpha, The Coast Is Clear. Ksst."

"Ksst. Roger That. I'm Coming In For The Kill. Ksst."

He Then Resumed His Antics, The Audience Laughing Some More. Rose Was Still Chuckling, As She Winked At Him To Continue His Act. When He Finally Got To Her, He Spoke Again.

"Ksst. Beta, I've Been Confronted. Ksst."

"Ksst. Confronted With What? Ksst."

"Ksst. Beta, It Is Not Preferable Of You To Speak To Me In That Tone. Ksst." Everyone Laughed.

"Ksst. And Why In Blazes Is That? Ksst."

"Ksst. Because I've Been Confronted, Beta. With Her. Ksst."

"Ksst. Oh, I See. Wait, This Isn't Rose Carlson You're Talking About, Is It? Ksst."

"Ksst. That's The One. Ksst."

"Ksst. Okay, Then. I'll Leave You Two Lovebirds Alone. Beta, Over And Out. Ksst." The Audience Applauded At His Act. Then The Wedding Vows Began. After The Normal Proceedings Were Done, The Ring Bearer Handed Them Their Respective Rings.

"These Rings Are A Symbol Of Your Affection For Each Other." The Ring Bearer Decreed, Before Stepping Away. Rose Came Up To Hunter, And Slipped The Ring On His Finger.

"No One Has Ever Touched My Heart Like This Before But You, Hunter. It Is With Great Honor That I Do This. I Love You. I Really Do." Hunter Smiled, And Gave His Own Thoughts.

"Well, What More Is There To Say? You've Always Been There For Me, Doing What No One In Their Right Mind Would Ever Do For Me. Without You, My Life Would Never Have Been The Same." He Took His Own Diamond Ring, The Same One From The Hill, And Put It On Her. Then They Parted, Waiting For The Minister To Speak. Finally, He Did.

"Do You, Hunter Dolbear, Take This Woman, Rose Carlson, As Your Lawfully Wedded Wife, For Better Or Worse, In Sickness And Health, Through Richness And Poverty, And To Not Part Until Death?"

"Yes, Sir, I Do." He Said This With Formality. The Minister Turned To Rose, Whose Smile Was Growing By The Second.

"And Do You, Rose Carlson, Take This Man, Hunter Dolbear, As Your Lawfully Wedded Husband, For Better Or Worse, In Sickness And Health, Through Richness And Poverty, And To Not Part Until Death?"

"Yes, I Do." The Minister Cleared His Throat.

"If There Is Anyone Out There, Anyone At All, That Knows Why This Marriage Should Not Be Done, Speak Now." All Was Silent For A Few Seconds. The Minister Smiled And Turned Back To The Two Lovers, Ready To Say His Last Two Sentences.

"Then, With That, I Now Pronounce You Two Husband And Wife. You May Kiss Your Beautiful Bride!" He Exclaimed.

Cheers Filled The Room Instantly, As Hunter Stepped Up And Removed The Pink Veil From Her Head, Revealing More Of Her Beauty. They Came In At The Same Time, As Their Lips Met Once Again, First Tender And Light, Then With Growing Fierceness. Hunter Lifted Her Up Off The Ground. Rose's Feet Were Flailing At First, But Then She Wrapped Them Around Him, Further Reinforcing The Pressure They Put On Each Other. Finally, They Pulled Away, Feeling Lighter Than Ever. They Smiled And Waved To The Audience, Which Was Cheering Almost Raucously.

"I Now Present To You, Mr. And Mrs. Dolbear-Carlson!" The Applause Grew Even More, As The Two Hunters Walked Down The Runway, Hand In Hand, Their Lives Officially United. Rose Stopped At The End Of It, And Spun Around. Her Dress Sparkled, And The Audience Had Their Eyes Riveted On The Act. She Spun Again, And Again. The Dress Shimmered And Formed A Ring Of Light Around Her, As The Audience Applauded. Finally, She Stopped, And Turned To Hunter, Feeling Satisfied Now That She Had Done What She Did. His Hand Reached Downward And Touched The Frilly Part Of Her Dress.

"Is This Some Sort Of Trickery, Or What?"

"It's Not A Trick. It's Real As Ever. And It Was All For You." The Audience Responded With A Coo Of Affection, As They Applauded Some More. The Hunters Looked At Each Other, Their Eyes Shining With The Love That Only They Had, And Walked Out Of The Room, While The Crowd Celebrated. They Were Alone Once Again. They Walked Up The Stairs To The Balcony, Ready For A Round Of Stargazing.

### Chapter 44: Star-Strucked

They Opened The Door To The Balcony, And The Soft Breeze Tickled Their Faces. Hunter Sat On The Railing, While Rose Sat On The Bench Next To Him.

"That Was The Most Fun I Ever Had, Hunter." She Said To Him, Smiling.

"I Feel The Same Way." He Grabbed Her Veil, Feeling How Silky And Smooth It Was.

"Do You Like My Outfit?" Rose Asked Him.

"I Love It. Sometimes, Being Simple And Sweet Like This Is The Best Attire. Like Mine." He Replied, Pointing To His White Biker Jacket. It Actually Was Quite Simple Compared To The Suits And Ties He'd Seen Other Grooms Wear.

"Thanks, Huntee." She Moved In Closer. Hunter Came Off The Railing, Moved Down, And Ended Up Sitting On Her Lap. Then She Reached Out, Put A Hand Behind His Head, And Beckoned Him To Lay Down. He Did, Resting His Head On Her Hand, Giving Him Some Leverage. Fireworks Were Lighting Up The Sky, In Response To Their Marriage. After A Few Minutes, Hunter Sat Up, Put An Arm Behind Her Head, And Watched The Stars With Her. Rose Decided To Have A Little Fun With Him, As She Beckoned Him Again.

"Come On, Hunter." She Motioned Towards Herself, Signifying That She Wanted Him To Come Closer. Hunter Flinched A Little Bit, But Did So, Shaking. "What's Wrong?"

"Nothing, It's Nothing."

"Don't Be Afraid, Now. You Can Tell Me."

"Okay." He Sighed. "I'm Afraid This Is Going To Go Too Far."

"Am I Really Hearing This?" She Did The Same Thing That Hunter Was Doing To Her. "Those Words Aren't In Our Dictionary. There Are No Limits, Hunter." He Smiled At Her. They Stayed Like This For A While, Enjoying Each Other's Company. Then She Said It Again.

"Come On, Closer." This Time, He Didn't Hesitate, As He Went In And Kissed Her On The Cheek. She Didn't Pull Back Like Usual, As She Was Too Busy Gazing Into His Eyes. He Locked His Eyes Onto Hers, Which Were Filled With The Love That They Always Shared, And A Bit Of... Lust? Hunter Couldn't Figure It Out. As He Was Puzzled By This Conundrum, He Decided To Just Roll With It, As He Kissed Her Again, This Time On The Lips. It Was So Innocent, Yet So Intimate. Hunter Loved It. So Much, In Fact, That He Didn't Notice Rose's Hands On His Chest, Fumbling With The Buttons Of His Coat, Trying To Get It Off Him. Eventually, She Did, Throwing The Article Off Him, And Setting It Down On The Floor Beside Him.

Suddenly, There Was A Loud Banging At The Door. They Abruptly Stood Up, Hunter Putting His Coat Back On.

"Hunter Dolbear, You'd Better Have An Explanation For This!" Hunter Recognized The Voice. He Thought He'd Never Hear It Again.

"Mother?" He Opened The Door. There Was His Mother, In Person. Her Name Was Cheyenne Wilson. A Rabbit With A Chipmunks Marking And A Bow On Her Head, But The Expression Had Been Turned On Its Head, As Her Face Was Now Contorted In Anger. She Pointed At Him Accusingly.

"You! I Leave You Alone For Two Months, Two Months, And This Is What You Plan To Do? This Is What Is Waiting For Me? I Thought You Were Just Inviting Her Over, But This Is Ridiculous!"

"Mother, I Can Explain-"

"Don't Give Me That! You, Marrying A Commoner Barely Your Own Age, Is Unacceptable!"

"She Is Not A Commoner, Mother." Hunter Was Struggling To Remain Calm, But His Grip On Himself, His Self-Control, Was Weakening.

"Oh, Yes, She Is! You Barely Even Know Her!" Oh, That's The Last Straw!

"You Never Seem To Get It Through To You, You Know That?" All His Personality, His Control, His Calmness, Was Gone. He Lashed Out At His Own Mother, In A Frenzy Of Indignation.

"I Save The City From Destruction, Three Times, And This Is How You Thank Me? By Insulting Me Without Reason?"

"Hunter, I'm Not-". Cheyenne Tried To Reason With Him, But He Wouldn't Listen.

"Yes, You Are! Listen To Me For Once! She Means More To Me Than You'll Ever Know! And You Never Will Know! So Shut Up! Just Shut Up!" She Was Stunned, And Slowly Backed Away, Like A Leaf Floating In The Wind. Everyone In The Castle Was Now Out In The Courtyard, Watching The Tirade Unfold. All Of A Sudden, Pain Began To Develop In His Chest. He Tried To Fight It, But It Just Kept Coming. He Clutched His Heart, The Pain Gripping His Entire Body. His Vision Turned Black At The Edges. He Was Desperately Trying To Stay Conscious, But The Attempts Were In Vain. He Could Feel Himself Being Pulled Away From The World.

"Hunter, What's Wrong?" Rose Asked, Worried. The Pain Eased Up A Little, But Then It Started Coming Again. She Moved Towards Him, Just Before It Felt Like A Thousand Pounds Of Dynamite Exploded In His Chest, As A Final Surge Of Pain Took Him Away. His Vision Went Black, His Mind Said Goodbye, And He Collapsed On The Balcony Floor.

Everybody Screamed.

### Chapter 45: A New Beginning

The Hospital. A Familiar Place For The Two Heroes. Hunter Was In The Infirmary, Still Unconsious, While Rose Was In The Waiting Room, Grieving. She Buried Her Head In Her Hands. Suddenly, A Doctor Came Out Of The Hallway, And Walked Towards Her.

"Is He All Right?" Was The First Thing She Said.

"Well..." Please Tell Me He's Okay...

"He's Been Diagnosed With A Mild, Stress-Induced Heart Attack." Rose Gasped. A Heart Attack? Those Were Usually Fatal In The End.

"What's His Condition?"

"Don't Worry!" He Laughed. "He'll Make A Full Recovery. Just Give Him A Few Days Of Rest, And He'll Be Fine."

"Thank You!" She Jumped Up And Down In Glee. "Thank You So Much!" She Wrapped Her Arms Around The Doctor. Then She Pulled Away In Embarrassment. The Doctor, Cloaked In White, Knew Exactly What She Was Thinking.

"Don't Mention It. I Get Stuff Like That All The Time."

"Can I See Him?"

"Yes, Of Course. Follow Me." He Then Led Her Down The Hallway To His Room, And Opened The Door. Rose Didn't See Him At First, As The Room Was Split In Two By A Privacy Curtain, Even Though He Wasn't Changing In Any Way. She Pulled The Curtain Back, And There He Was, Lying In The White Hospital Bed, Just Starting To Come Around.

"What Happened?" He Said, Still Woozy From The Medication The Doctors Gave Him. After All, It Was The Only Way He Could Sleep Without The Pain Invading Him.

"You Came Up On The Balcony And Raised Holy Hell, That's What Happened." The Doctor Replied.

"Where's My Mother?"

"She's In Jail For The Night, For What She Did To You." Rose Reassured. "After She's Released, She'll Have A Restraining Order On Us For The Next 10 Months." As Soon As She Said This, Hunter Face Showed A Hint Of A Smile, Then It Just Came Naturally. He Had A Predatory Glint In His Eyes.

"Good. She Deserved That For Being Such A Bitch." She Smiled And Reached Out To Touch Him, But The Doctor Stopped Him.

"It Would Be Wise Not To Touch Him." The Doctor Warned. "Stress Induced Patients Normally Experience Mood Swings, Especially In Physical Contact. Who Knows What He'll Do To You?" He Shivered. "I Have To Go Run Some More Tests. Stay Safe." He Walked Out Of The Room, Pulling Back The Privacy Curtain Behind Him. Hunter Sat Up. Then, Against The Doctor's Orders, She Touched His Forehead Anyways, Sending Warmth Coursing Through Him.

"You're Not The Rose I Knew, Breaking Rules Like That." She Smiled Brighter, And Climbed Under The Sheets. Soon, She Was Fast Asleep. Hunter Knew That The Personnel Of The Hospital Wouldn't Appreciate Her In The Hospital Bed With Him, But He Didn't Care. He Snuggled Up Next To Her And Closed His Eyes. They Slept Like That For Almost An Hour, The Time Ticking By Ever So Slowly.

Jared Got Back To His House In That Time, Along With Molly.

"Well, That Was Fun."

"Yeah. I'm Happy For Them." She Took Off Her Military Gear, And Set It On The Dining Room Table, As They Sat On The Couch, With Some Hot Chocolate In Their Hands. It Was Wintertime, After All. The Citizens Of Htf City Were Mostly Retreating To Their Humble Abodes, As Well. Jared Looked At The Clock, Which Read Seven In The Evening. Then He Looked At The Molly, A Glint In His Eyes.

"To The Hunters?" He Asked, Lifting His Glass. Peach Did The Same.

"To The Hunters." She Replied, Clinking Hers Against His, And They Both Sipped The Piping Hot Liquid At The Same Time, Smiles On Their Faces.

The Hospital Was Now Not Quite So Lively. Hunter Rubbed His Face, Rolling Over And Wrapping His Arms Around The First Thing He Could Find, Which Just Happened To Be Rose's Shoulders. She Tried To Shrug Him Off, Out Of Tiredness, But He Instinctively Held Her Closer, Not Knowing What He Was Touching, As His Eyes Were Closed. Then She Opened Her Eyes And Saw Who Was Holding Her. She Smiled, Reached Behind Him, And Started Touching The Back Of His Neck, Beginning A Series Of Light Caresses As She Moved Her Hand Back And Forth. Hunter Followed Suit, Opening His Eyes, Slipping A Hand Under Her Vest, And Gently Touching Her Back In The Same Way. Then They Stood Up, And Rose Looked Out The Window, The Orange Glow Of The Sunset Illuminating The Room.

"You Know, When You Walked Towards Me, Just Before I Blacked Out, I Think The Pain Of The Heart Attack Went Away For A Bit." Hunter Mentioned. "In Fact, I Feel Perfectly Fine Right Now."

"Well, That's One Of The Crazy Things Love Can Do, Huh?" Rose Replied. He Looked Down From The Window, And He Saw A Balcony.

"Want To Try That Stargazing Round Again?"

"Hunter..." She Put A Hand On His Shoulder. "You Should Know The Answer." They Opened The Window And Sat On The Newly Discovered Balcony. The Sun Was Just Beginning To Set. They Put Their Arms Over Each Other's Shoulders. Then Hunter Turned To Her, And Without Warning, Threw Her Coat Off Of Her. It Flew Back Through The Window And Landed On The Floor. Then He Felt Her Heartbeat, Which Was Fast, But Not As Fast As It Could Be. He Decided To Take Things A Little Further, As He Reached For Her Braid, For Her Hair. He Untied The Ponytail, Causing Her Hair To Cascade Downwards. In Doing So, It Enveloped Both Their Faces In It, They Were That Close To Each Other.

"I Never Had A Hairstyle Like This Before." Rose Commented. "I Like It!" She Reached For His Shirt, But Hunter Stopped Her.

"I'll Do It." He Swooped His Coat Over His Head. His White Undershirt Was The Only Thing That Remained On His Upper Body. He Felt His Face Getting A Bit Warm Again, As He Touched Her Face. She Giggled, And Gestured To Her Chest, Which Did Have Her Lingerie Still On It, Thankfully. Still, Though, She Wanted To Take It Even Farther.

"You... You Can..." She Felt The Words Choke Up In Her Throat As She Said Them. "You Can Take It Down If You Want..."

"No." He Said It With Finality. "I Like You Better With It On."

"Really?" Her Eyes Widened. No One Had Ever Said That About Her Before. If He Said That, That Meant He Really Liked Her, Unlike The Dozens Of People That Wanted To Take It Down Themselves. All Of Her Suspicions Were Confirmed. He Wasn't Doing It For Just The Foreplay, As All The Others Who Were Chasing Her Did. He Was Doing It For Her Personality. He Was Doing It For Her Heart; He Was Doing It For Her Love.

"Yeah. Trust Me. No Matter Where You Are Or What You Do, I'll Always Be Right Here." She Smiled, And Leaned In, Her Face Just Inches From His. "So, What Do We Do Now?"

"We Wait." She Kissed Him, On The Cheek, And Then The Lips. "We Wait For A New Adventure." Hunter Did The Only Thing He Could; Hold Her Closer, As The Last Of The Sun's Rays Faded Below The Horizon. For The First Time, He Knew What It Truly Felt Like.

Hindered By No One.

Followed By No One.

Concealed By Nothing.

### Ending Of The Episode

Jared Closes The Book And Tells Brandon That His Date With Molly Starts In 10 Minutes And Rushes Off As Brandon Says “What, No Goodbye,? Man, He’s Sure Weird…” As He Winks At The Audience As The Episode Irises Out.

## Deaths

1. Hunter And Rose Defeat A Robot Fungus
2. Levy And Itzel Are Absorbed Into Dark Neozor
3. Rose Is Killed When Dark Neozor Stabs Her (Was Later Revived By Hunter’s Sword Of Seven Angels)
4. Neozor Falls To His Death Of The Roof Of His Fortress

## Injuries

1. Hunter Suffers A Mild Heart Attack When Arguing With Cheyenne Wilson

## Survival rate

* Amount of total main characters: **43**
* Amount of surviving main characters: **20**
* Amount of dead main characters: **5**
* Total rate: **12%**

## Trivia

1. This Is Exactly Based Off Of The Original True Love Never Dies True Statements Episode 3 And Matt1251's Fanfiction.net Story Toad And Toadette Epic Adventures: The Statement, In Fact The List Of Characters And The People They Sub For In The Matt1251 Story Is As Follows

* Hunter Replaces Toad/Brandon Germain
* Rose Replaces Toadette/Cheyenne Miller
* Molly Thorn Replaces Princess Peach/Zoe Hainley
* Jared Germain Replaces Mario/Xavier Barrington
* Alisia Germain Replaces Luigi/Dylan Germain
* Neozor Replaces Fawful/Sigma
* Pierce Replaces Ferb/Adam Pierce
* Itzel (New Nemao OC) Replaces Midbus/Vile
* Donovan Dygert Replaces Toad Host/Donovan Dygert
* Flaky Replaces Veronica/Emily McDonald
* Josh Grayson Gelling Replaces Artis/Josh Grayson Gelling
* Lifty Replaces Wario/Parker Franklin Carlson
* Shifty Replaces Waluigi/Liam Dolbear
* Cheyenne Wilson Replaces Toad's Mom/Alexis Dillingham
* Levy Replaces Dark Star/Dark Hunter Z (Later Renamed And Redesigned To Be Megaman Ark-Zero In 2020)

1. This Entire Story Is Completely Based Off Of A Fanfiction, And In The End, It Might Tie Up The Relationship Between Hunter And Rose Before GX03 Has A Chance To Do That
2. Like The 2018 Remastered Version Of True Statements Part 3, Hunter And Rose Dance To Perfect By Ed Sharron
3. Hunter Screaming No When Rose Dies Is A Reused Sound Clip From Ewan McGregor As Obi Wan Kenobi In Star Wars Episode 1, When His Master & Mentor Qui-Gon Jinn Was Killed By Darth Maul.
4. Neozor's Line Of HELLO HUNTERS! I'M BAAAAAAAAACK! Is A Reference To Independence Day
5. Neozor's Design Was Updated For This Episode To Now Have Sideburns.