Ruben The Hedgehog 4.Ø Inner Spirit

***Ruben The Hedgehog 4.Ø Inner Spirit***, is a crossover movie between Enervar and Lunari64. The fourth crossover between this two.

## Synopsis

A familiar spirit gets trapped in her slow death! Will the Peace Protectors be able to save her?

## Plot

### Chapter I - Just Another Day

Ruben woke up, the sun shone in his face. "Are you girls awake?" Deena woke up and stretched out. "I am. Good morning."

Alaine was on top of Ruben's head. She woke up and stretched too. "Mooorniiiing!" She cheered.

Lunari was already awake, watching this with a smile on her face.

"Yo, Lun!" Ruben said with a smile on his face. "Let's get going?" Deena said.

"Yep!" Lunari floated over to them, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Ruben started to run with Alaine in his quills and Deena was flying after them. "So where now?" Deena asked. "Wherever there is darkness, we must be there. Let's just check Io, while we're at it." "Fine!" Deena answered with a smile. They all went to the forest, Deena kept Lunari company while Ruben and Alaine where looking for Io or some spirits.

The forest was much quieter than usual that day... But eventually Ruben and Alaine found some visionary spirits hard at work. Around them were these thin lines that formed a web, lines that kept extending until they eventually faded. The strands were glowing near the visionaries' hands.

"Hum... Is Io here?" The hedgehog asked.

"I believe so..." The man went back to his work for a moment. "Aha! That way!" He pointed to his left.

Ruben smiled and bowed. "Thanks!" Ruben went in that direction. "Io? Are you there?"

"Why, hello..." A familiar voice answered, as she poked out from the trees. Indeed, it was Io.

"HI!" Ruben smiled, waving at her. "Came to check on you."

Io waved back, meekly. "Thank you." She curtsied. She looked a little beaten up... Had she been in a fight?

"Io? Something happened?" Ruben was serious.

Io sighed, nodding. "A dark spirit attacked during the night... We had to fend it off from the little ones. It escaped once the sun came up, nobody knows where it went..."

"What?! If only I knew..." Ruben looked down.

"It's quite alright, no need to look so glum. Would you like to help? We're sure you saw the visionaries' on the way here, they're using their abilities to search as we speak." Io offered, and explained.

"We'll help then. OK, Alaine?" Ruben smiled again.

"Sure!" Alaine cheered. She had just the cutest smile.

"So where can we look, Io?"

"That phantom wouldn't have gone far. I would suggest going around the edges of the forest. Take the spirit girl with you too, she could be of assistance." Io responded.

"OK!" Ruben ran back to Deena and Lunari and explained the situation. "Let's go?"

"Gotcha!" Lunari joined with Ruben, just to be safe. She was actually worried, but she was trying not to show it.

They started to look around the edges of the forest. "Hum... I don't see anything..." Deena said.

"I wonder why it came in the first place..." Alaine said, curious.

"Me too actually..." Ruben looked around.

Suddenly, something latched onto Ruben's ankle, holding him in place. It looked like a vine, but it was pitch black...

"Hum?" Ruben stopped. "What's this?!"

*"My my... So you're the brave soul that they sent to find me? Oh, that's precious."* A deep voice spoke, where from was almost impossible to tell.

"Tch! Show yourself!" Ruben looked around. Deena was trying to find the voice's source too.

The dark spirit manifested in front of Ruben, staring him down. *"Well well well, what have we here? Another spirit? This is truly no place for an amalgam like yourselves."* The spirit mused, before lunging at Ruben without warning.

Ruben tried to dodge it, but he was too late. "Ugh...!"

The phantom latched on, and Lunari screeched. It seemed this hurt her pretty badly.

"Lun, are you alright?" Ruben asked, while Deena landed near him. "I'll help you, Ruben."

*"Oww...."* Was Lunari's only answer.

The phantom growled, refusing to let go of Ruben. He was using more dark energy, abd the dark vine wrapped around Ruben's ankle started to grow and wrap all around him.

"Hey! LEAVE US ALONE!" Alaine shouted. In a rage, she summoned multiple magic blades, firing them at the phantom. Most of them connected, and the spirit hissed.

"Good job, Alaine! You're getting better in magic!" Ruben smiled. Deena was in a battle stance. "You'll fight me, stupid spirit."

The dark vines were starting to wrap tighter, it would probably start to hurt. Alaine was breathing hard, exhausted. The spirit ignored Deena completely, focusing on Ruben.

Ruben grabbed the vines and his hands started glowing green. "Take some ether, bastard!"

The phantom yelped in pain, and the vines dissolved. The phantom tried to get away.

Then, Ruben would have felt something... Very, very strange. He could usually feel where Lunari was, either in the back of his mind or spread out throughout him. But now, it was very different. Lunari screamed, but the sound quickly became muffled. He could feel her slipping down from the back of his mind, down his spine, down to his chest...

"Lun? Lunari? Hey, Lunari?!" Deena knew something was up, so she started to go towards the spirit. "You'll fight me now!"

The phantom groaned, pained. It ignored her again. It was crawling off as if it was hurt...

Lunari didn't answer. *What was going on?*

Deena tried to launch a fireball at him, from her mouth. Ruben sat down and started meditating. *"Where are you Lunari?"*

The fireball connected, and the spirit dissolved on the spot.

Ruben still couldn't hear an answer, but he could at least feel where she was now. Right in the back of his chest, close to his heart.

*"Can't you hear me? Maybe I can't hear you... Maybe we can't hear each other..."*

Suddenly, Alaine caused a bit of a distraction. *"Y-you okay?"* Alaine asked, worried and a bit weak.

"Hum? Yeah! I'm just trying to check if Lunari is." He smiles, petting the girl.

Alaine purred, feeling better already.

### Chapter II - Lunari's Perspective

*"Oww.... W-where am I..."*

Lunari awoke slowly, to find herself in an odd predicament. At the very least, she knew where she was. It was where she went to heal wounds, the "core" per say. She was trapped, her arms bound, so all she could do was kick and flail. She could feel something draining her energy... It hurt...

*"R-ruben? Ruben!"* Lunari called out, but she was weak and her voice cracked. She waited for an answer, but none came. She wasn't strong or loud enough to get his attention.

*"Wh-Who's there?"* A voice could be heard, but no one to be seen.

*"H-Hello...?"* Lunari was relieved to hear someone at least. *"P-please help..."*

*"Who are you? I've never seen you here..."* Still no one there...

*"B-but..."* Lunari sighed, and then let out a pained yelp from the draining energy. *"Lunari..."*

*"Lunari..."* A black spirit with yellow eyes approached her. He looked a lot like Ruben.

Lunari yelped, scared. *"Get away!!"*

*"Don't be scared... I'm here to help you."*

Lunari was still shaking, weak and scared. Her arms were outstretched, elongating, sloooowly starting to form structures like blood vessels.

*"What do you have?"* The spirit asked.

*"I-I don't know, all I know is I can't move... Who are you?"* Lunari asked, still worried.

*"I'm just me. I'm one of the two spirits who live in here."*

*"If there were t-two spirits here, I would have-- OW!-- known by now..."* Lunari flinched, in pain, and in disbelief.

*"You're looking at one right now and you still don't believe me... I'm made of an energy that's floating in this body."*

*"Of course... That makes sense, but..."* Lunari calmed down, but she still seemed *extremely confused. "Why didn't you know about me before? I was floating in this body too...."*

*"Hum... True that, but I can't actually feel other spirits, you know... To be completely honest with you, I'm just a bit of energy floating around. I'm fading as a soul, soon I'll be taken away because of the one hurting you."*

*"The one hurting me? I-It's just Ether...."* Lunari tried to explain, just trying to function.

Before it could say anything else, that... Thing, was engulfed by ether and disappeared.

Lunari watched in shock and disbelief, too stunned to even flinch from the ether.

*"R-ruben? Ruben! **RUBEN!!!!!"***

### Chapter III - Heart and Soul

Ruben flinched. *"LUNARI!!!"*

*"Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay!?!"* Lunari continued to shout, but not quite as loud, juuust loud enough for Ruben to hear.

*"I am. What about you?"*

*"I-I'm trapped! But I'm alright!"* Lunari reassured him, though her voice cracked again. She didn't sound so good...

*"I don't know how I can help you..."*

*"I don't know either- OW!"* Lunari yelped, her energy getting g drained again. Ruben could feel it, a pulse of energy.

*"Lunari!"*

*"H-Help..."* Lunari pleaded, sounding weak.

*"I... Don't know what to do..."* Ruben was in despair.

"Is she okay? Is she?" Alaine asks, concerned, probably breaking Ruben's focus.

"I... Don't know..."

Alaine rubs up against Ruben's head. "Please be okay..." She begs, as if trying to talk to Lunari herself.

*"Everyone's cheering for you... C'mon, Lunari..."*

*"I'll hang in there..."* Lunari reassured Ruben.

*"If you find anything say..."*

*"Okay..."* Lunari answered, before going quiet. He could still feel her presence, at least...

Ruben was worried. Deena sat down alongside him.

Alaine was still worried too. "What's wrooong? Tell us!" She insisted, poking Ruben.

"I'm trying to know, Alaine..." Ruben focused.

Alaine whined, and flopped over. She sounded impatient and nervous.

Suddenly, another familiar figure showed their face. "Ruben? Ruben, are you alright?"

"Io?" He looked at her.

"What's going on here?" Io asks, seemingly knowing something's wrong.

"Lunari's trapped somewhere inside of me..." He averted his eyes.

Io's eyes widened, shocked, but she quickly calmed down."I see. Probably from using, ether, correct?" She guessed.

"Maybe... I don't know..." He punched the ground leaving a mark of his fist in it.

"Relax, relax...." Io told Ruben, in a soothing tone. "I might know someone who can help you two."

"Hum... Who?"

"Arraura, the goddess of spirits and ghosts. She's a reclusive one, but she would be able to help if you got her attention." Io explained.

"Let's go then!" Ruben stood up. Deena nodded.

"Woohoo!" Alaine cheered.

"We could try to get her attention from the Ether Forest, but the ether there would hurt Lunari and Ruben even further..." Io hesitated, and thought.

"I'll go then, with Alaine if she wants." Deena said, smiling at Alaine.

Alaine smiled back. "Sure!"

"Alright then. Let's give it our all." Io nodded, starting to head off.

Deena put Alaine on her head and gave a sign to Io saying she was ready.

Io nodded, and motioned to them to follow her as she kept walking.

Deena started following her.

Io started to talk as they wandered along. "So, the phantom has been dealt with, I presume?"

"Yeah, I took care of him." Deena said.

"Thank you." Io smiled, grateful.

"No need to thank me, Io." Deena smiled.

Io chuckled heartily. "I should have known. And how are the two of you?" She asked.

"Just worried about Lunari and Ruben..." Deena said, looking around.

"Of course." Io understood.

"So... Where to now?"

"To the center of the forest. From there, we should be able to plead to Arraura." Io answered.

### Chapter IV - Trying to Call for a Goddess

When they arrived at the center of the forest, Io bowed to the royal spirits. "Good afternoon, miladies."

Deena bowed.

Alaine tried to bow as well, but ended up falling over.

The ladies chuckled. "Hello, darlings. What brings you here?" Lady Tempest greeted them.

"We're here to seek an audience."

"Oh? You are?" Selene asked, curiously.

"Yes. With Lady Arraura. We require her assistance." Io explained.

"Maybe the Goddess will help our friends." Deena said.

"I see. Well, we'll help with the necessary runes..." Selene offered.

"Thank you, milady." Io answered, respectfully.

Deena thanked the spirits as well.

Lady Tempest, Selene, and Io all set straight to work, making a large rune. They all had staffs they were using, leaving a soft glow in their wake.

Alaine crawled down from Deena's head, to look at the glowing lines up close.

Deena was focused.

Alaine, quite curious, poked the glowing line. "What's this thing?" She asked innocently, watching closely as it reacted strangely to her touch.

"Hm?" Io looked over and gasped. "Don't touch that!!" She shouted, but it was already too late. The glowing lines started to glow brighter and brighter, out of control...

"Hm?" Deena mouthed.

The light was getting blinding, the heat started rising, and then...

***BOOM!!!!***

### Chapter V - Dreamer's Depths

Meanwhile, with Ruben and Lunari, the sun was starting to set. It had been quite a long, exhausting day...

Ruben was lying down. *"Are you still there, Lun?"*

*"Y-yes...."* Lunari already sounded weaker, and more... Irritated?

*"Are you sure?"*

*"Of course..."* Lunari insisted.

*"Hum... I hope you're telling the truth... The girls... Do you think they are talking to the goddess now?"*

*"I think so..."* Lunari answered, optimistically.

*"I trust in them, but... I feel like something's off... I don't know why..."*

*"Hmm...."* Lunari thought for a moment, before yawning. She needed rest, whether she wanted to admit it or not...

*"You are tired..."*

Lunari hesitated, and sighed. *"Alright, I'll get some rest. You should too."* Lunari suggested.

*"You're right... OK, let's wait patiently by them."*

*"Ok..."* Lunari yawned again, and started to doze off. Eventually,once Lunari started to sleep, a soft pulse started coming from Ruben's chest. Almost like a second heartbeat. It might make him feel drowsy too....

"Hum..." Ruben's eyes started to get heavier and heavier, until he slept.

In Ruben's dreams, he would find himself in a strange place. It was a dark, peaceful, surreal space, large but not too large. At the front, there was a place to look out at something, but nothing could be seen at the moment. In the back, there was a cozy little nook, looking like a nice place to sleep. Noises were echoing through the space, somewhat sparsely. Some were just quick little bumps and rattles, others were like humming tones that reverberated through the walls.

*"Hum?"*

Even though Ruben had never been there, the place would feel very familiar... And then, he heard a very faint voice, coming from far, far below him and the place he was in.

*"It's nice... Isn't it?"*

He tried to look around to see where the voice was coming.

It was coming from underneath him... And it turned out looking down answered many things. Ruben could see himself, transparent; his ghostly chest was so faint it was almost invisible, but also had a small blue glimmer within it. The floor beneath him was a hazy black, not completely solid except towards the walls; underneath the haze, Ruben could ever so faintly see another blue glow.

*"Who are you?"*

*"Aww, don't you remember me?"* It was Lunari!

Ruben looked closely. *"Lun!"* Ruben approached her.

But, the problem was, she was way underneath him. He couldn't get down to her. But, fortunately, the haze cleared a little bit, letting Ruben take a closer look. She was pinned up against the walls of this strange place, almost like a figurehead. Her arms were outstretched, elongated, making structures like blood vessels... And Ruben could see similar features on himself if he looked closely. Much more faint, but definitely there. Which begs the question... *Where is he?*

"Where the hell is this?"

*"It's your mindscape, don't you see? This is where I've always been... Well, up there at least. Where I was safe, **or so I thought...."*** Lunari's voice quickly turned sinister, unforgiving. This was so unlike her...

"What... What happened?" Ruben asked her.

*"You used that ether attack, it dragged me down here and trapped me."* Lunari answered, bitterly.

"S-Sorry..." He felt horrible.

Lunari didn't answer. It seemed she had no sympathy left.

"Do you know any way of getting you out of here?" Ruben said, looking around.

*"Not for me, no... But you, you can just wake up."*

"But what about you? Won't you get killed in here?"

Lunari just nodded.

Ruben looked around. "There must be a way... Think, Ruben... Think!"

Lunari looked to be in pain. Unable to take it any longer, she let out a blood-chilling scream, which likely startled Ruben awake and out of this dream. He would find himself surrounded by two magic spirits. "S-sir, wake up sir!"

### Chapter VI - Danger Outside

"Wh-Where am I?!"

"Your friends, they're in trouble!" The ether spirit replied, not answering the question.

"Wha... Where?!"

"I-In the forest, j-just stay there!" The spirit stammered, unconvincingly. He darted off, back into the forest.

"How can I stay here after knowing my only friends are in danger?!" Ruben prepared himself and with an amazing speed, ran into the forest, searching for his friends.

Ruben could feel a stinging pain in his chest, but it also came with pulses of energy that helped him keep going. He would find everyone gathered in the center of the forest, all facing Deena, Alaine, and Io. They were both unconscious, badly bruised and burned, Alaine looking like she was on death's door. Io seemed to fare the best out of them, as if she was already healing a bit on her own.

"Wha-What happened...?" Ruben said falling to his knees and with an hand in his chest.

"The rune they were making... It exploded...." One of the spirits in the crowd answered. Healers gathered around the three and started working on their runes, feeding the girls potions, and other methods. Io was the first one to wake up, and she slowly and painfully sat up straight as she drank her potion.

Ruben quickly approached her. "Io! Io! Are you OK?!" He was trying hard to contain his tears.

"I-I'll be fine... B-but what about you?" Io stammered, strained. "And the others too..."

"I'm just worried about you girls..." Ruben petted Alaine, with caution.

Alaine was too weak to do anything but cough. Io tried to draw a healing rune, but immediately pulled her hand away as if it had burned her. She hissed. "Nonono...."

The stinging pain was starting to get stronger, to make things even worse.

"Don't draw runes until you recover, Io." Ruben said, grabbing her arm. "Please..."

"Of course." Io answered, with a defeated sigh. One of the other spirits gave her a potion, which she fed to Alaine one drop at a time.

Thanks to the multiple healing runes, Deena and Alaine were both healing quickly. Deena actually might wake up soon, but Alaine was going to be out for a long time. So much magic and Ether isn't good for such a small girl...

Deena opened her eyes and saw Ruben and Io. "Yo... Guys..."

"Deena!" Ruben said, looking at her, he then stood up. "I'm so sorry, if I was here maybe I could do something!"

"There was nothing that could be done. The little one... She touched the rune before it was ready, that's why it exploded." Io explained.

"She didn't have the right to do that! Look at us! Ugh...!" Deena clenched her chest.

"Ca-Calm down, Deena..." Ruben said.

Alaine woke up, miraculously, but she was whining, holding her head in pain.

"Alaine?" Ruben looked at her.

Alaine looked like she was about to cry. "I-I'm sorry..." She squeaked, pathetically.

Ruben petted her. "The most important thing now is that you're all safe, don't worry about details."

The stinging pain in Ruben's chest flared up. *"Let! Me! Go!"* Lunari was shouting. Whoa whoa whoa, had she lost it?

Alaine flinched, starting to tear up. A wave of despair was starting to sweep over the area, messing with people's emotions.

"What was..." Ruben grabbed his head. "This isn't right...!"

Deena just fell asleep, she was tired.

Suddenly, an older woman's voice was heard. *"Now now, what is all this ruckus? Is something the matter?"*

### Chapter VII - Arraura

"Hum?" The hedgehog looked around.

All the spirits took a knee, even Lady Tempest, Selene and Io. There didn't seem to be anyone around, just a resounding voice. *"What have we here? Friends of yours, darlings?"*

Io nodded. "They require your assistance, Lady Arraura." She explained, keeping her head low.

"Another goddess?" Ruben asked.

A projection of an elegant hedgehog lady appeared. She was tall, brilliant white, with cream colored robes. There were glowing, blue vine-like marks going from her face down her shoulders and arms. She looked at Ruben for a moment, then Alaine, then back to Ruben. "Oh, oh dear, this is quite the predicament isn't it?" She asked, approaching Ruben.

"Wha-What do you mean?" Ruben asked, a bit baffled by her beauty.

Ruben might also notice that the pain in his chest was starting to lessen.

"I mean, I can see what happened to the two of you. And this little one too." Arraura knelt for a moment to tend to Alaine. "Relax, little empath, your tears are doing nothing for you." She said, calming Alaine down with a few pats on the head. The wave of despair faded, as if it had came from Alaine all along.

Arraura stood back up, looking Ruben in the eyes.

"Who are you?" Ruben was surprised by her actions.

"Arraura. Goddess of ghosts and spirits. And the two of you?" Arraura asked in return. She said 'two' as if she knew about Lunari's presence.

"Ruben and... Who are you referring to?" He asked.

"The girl." Arraura pointed to Ruben's chest.

"Lunari. Oh! I see, you can sense spirits and ghosts, right?"

Arraura nodded, with a slight chuckle. "Far more than that, dear. I am their goddess, after all. Anyways, on to more serious matters. I'll help you, just meet me at my hall, okay darling?" A portal opened up beside Arraura.

"OK, let's go! Be right back, girls." He gives them his typical shining smile and hops to the portal.

"Bye!" Alaine waved to him. Io led Deena and Alaine back to the cabins, leaning heavily on her staff like it was a crutch.

Ruben found himself in a rather heavenly realm. There were angels bustling about, and spirits too. Ruben was facing the biggest building there, the grand hall. Beside it were a handful of smaller buildings.

"Wow, this is a God Realm? It's beautiful."

Some of the angels were giving Ruben strange looks, most of them looking at his cybernetic arm. They seemed suspicious of him.

He grabbed onto his robotic arm. "Is it OK for me to be here?"

Nobody answered him, they were all caught up in their work. Arraura told him to meet her at the hall...

Ruben walked around trying to find his way to the hall.

It was right in front of him, not too far off.

He entered the hall.

The hall was absolutely beautiful; it was mostly white, with cyan and silver decorations. The walls were lined with story after story of little rooms like cubbies, of all different kinds. Bedrooms, libraries, infirmaries, even a kitchen or two. Spirits and angels were bustling all about, fluttering from room to room and even phasing through each other at times. But, at the back of the hall, at the end of it all, was Arraura. She was giant here, sitting in a giant throne. She was talking to a few angels when Ruben came in, but then she turned her attention to him.

"Oh, hello, come on in!" She cheered, happy to see Ruben's face, and the whole hall went silent and still. All eyes on Ruben.

"Hum... Hello again. This place is gorgeous!"

"Why thank you! Come here, darling." Arraura beckoned him closer. Most of the angels began to fly off to do other things.

Ruben approached her. "So..."

"So, I see your friend here needs help. Just a moment, this won't hurt a bit." Arraura said. She picked Ruben up in her left hand, and her right hand phased through him. She started to pull with her right hand, and Ruben could feel himself getting pulled, even though he didn't move an inch...

"Ugh...!"

Soon, Ruben would find himself feeling cold and numb and weightless. Like after a bad dive into the water. Looking down at himself, he would see that he was ghostly and transparent, his chest so faint it seemed to have a hole in it. Blue structures like blood vessels appeared suspended within his spirit, starting from a strange growth in the center of his back where Lunari was connected to him.

"What's happening...?"

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry!" Arraura apologized. "She was more stuck than I thought, you got pulled out with her. Don't worry, it's only temporary. Though this might take a while to fix...." Arraura wondered aloud, holding Ruben and Lunari in her hands.

"Lun!" The hedgehog looked at her.

Lunari was passed out, flickering somewhat, as if she were weakened or sick. However, she seemed to be recovering, the flickering slowing to a stop. Arraura summoned a small blade made of spiritual energy, and started cutting off the strange growth, going slowly and working carefully. "There we go. You two will be fine. I'll leave these vessel structures here, as they could be helpful for Lunari once she recovers..." Arraura explained while she worked.

"Th-Thank you!" Ruben bowed.

"Eek! Stay still! I don't want to hurt you with this, okay?" Arraura warned Ruben. She laid him down on her knee, back facing up, and got back to work cutting off the strange growth.

Ruben just waited.

"You know how Lunari's powers work, correct?" Arraura asked, as if offering to explain. Something to fill the silence while she kept working. She was about halfway done.

"Not that much."

"Well. Lunari, as a spirit, can possess others. Connected to you by your chakras, energy centers to put it simply. She can channel energy from her chakras to yours, giving you energy to use for combat or other things. She can also go dormant in a sense, staying within one chakra. Usually the sixth chakra, the third eye if you will. For a while now, she's been trapped in the fourth chakra, the heart, where in your case you store your ether. A dangerous, deadly place for her... But she saved your life." Arraura explained.

"She... Saved me?"

Arraura was almost done her work. "Indeed. Without her, you likely would have died from how much Ether you've been exposed to. If you had left her there, her spirit would have become a part of yours." Arraura explained. "And... There." She said, finishing the delicate cutting. Lunari fell away from Ruben, passed out still.

"Then... I don't have ether in me anymore? Or do I still have the energy inside of me?"

"Just a moment." Arraura answered, placing a finger on his chest. The faint parts of his spirit seemed to slowly restore back to normal. "There we go. It's gone now. I replaced it with spiritual energy for you, so you should be all better. Now then..." Arraura was about to set Ruben's spirit down next to his body, but before she could get far Lunari woke up.

"Wait, now I have OTHER energy?" He looked at Lunari. "Lun!"

Arraura smiled. "Yes. Spiritual energy like Lunari's. Spirits are energy constructs to begin with-- Arraura is interrupted by Lunari jolting awake, looking almost murderous. She glared at Ruben, distancing herself.

"Lu-Lunari? What's up with you? Something's wrong?" Ruben said looking at her with a nervous smile.

### Chapter VIII - Spirit vs. Spirit

She didn't answer. She launched a blast of spiritual energy at him. She must have gone insane...

He dodged the blast. "Please stop, Lunari!"

Lunari hissed. She wasn't going to listen.

Arraura seemed shocked. "She's been corrupted by Ether! It seems you'll have to fend her off. Once she exhausts herself, I can restore her back to normal." She tries to explain.

"OK! *If I can reach her, maybe...* Let's go!" With enormous speed, Ruben started running towards Lunari.

Lunari stayed put, letting him phase through her. If and when he did, it would be painful. He could feel the ether around him... Was Lunari in that kind of pain too?