(Paula: LV 153, HP: 132/7123, PP: 8789/9415, BM: 1715/1715, GM: 1823/1823, MP: 1997/1997, Angel Goddess Sword equipped!)
(Slogra: LV 153, HP: 241/45000, PP: 0/41311, BM: 250/250, GM: 250/250, MP: 2500/2500)

Paula and Slogra continued falling, until the ground of a meadow was in sight. Paula landed and hit her head on a big rock, knocking her unconscious. Slogra landed, but took too much damage and collapsed...

Slogra awoke, with pain surging through his body. He had no idea had had just happened to him, but all he knew, was that his staff has gone, and that he had a major headache. He looked around, until he saw Paula's body. Memories of their battle began to fill his mind, and then Slogra realized what had happened.

"Dracula, that slime ball! He had a curse on the Pink Millenium Orb, and it made me go berserk and do all of this!" Slogra felt like the worst creature in the world.

He checked Paula, and he sighed when he found out that she was still alive, however, he knew the wounds he inflicted on her would be fatal if not treated as soon as possible. He picked her up and carried her.

Slogra ran through a set of trees, until he found a small country house. He only hoped that someone was inside...

Inside, a young boy, about 14, was behind a counter. Slogra figured that he was at an inn of some sort.

The boy saw Slogra carrying Paula and gasped.

"Uh, do you have a room for the night.... for... her...?" Slogra asked.

"Who are you?!" the boy asked frightened.

"If you must know, I feel like a misunderstood monster..."

"Please don't hurt me!" the boy pleaded.

"I'M NOT GOING TO HURT YOU!" Slogra screamed, trying to get his point. "I'm NOT a bad monster! Just give the girl a room, so she can recover! She's hurt badly, and she'll die if not she isn't treated soon!"

"Alright..." said the boy. "Uh, if you don't mind, Mr. Monster, you'll have to take her to her room, I'm not strong enough to carry her upstairs."

"Anything... to help make up for the suffering I caused..." Slogra said. It actually looked like he was crying.

He carried Paula upstairs, with the boy following behind. He opened a door into a bedroom and laid Paula on the bed.

"Uh, boy, err... um, what's you name?" Slogra asked.

"Ray, or Raymond. I don't care want you call me of those two names, I'm used to both."

"Ray, do you have any first-aid kits, lying around?" Slogra asked.

"Of course! There's some in this very room! Where is she hurt in which she might die?"

"The left shoulder, it's bleeding badly... the lack of blood will kill her if too much blood escapes!" Slogra answered.

Ray rushed to the shelf and pulled down a first aid kit. He opened it, taking out band-aids, and anti-toxins.

"I'll need to inject her with at least one anti-toxin, so the wound doesn't get infected." he said.

"Just do it quick... please..." said Slogra, unable to hold back tears.

Ray quickly injected Paula's shoulder with an anti-toxin. He then realized that was all the anti-toxin she'd need.

He then started to place band-aids on many places on the wound, but there weren't enough.

"Wait..." Slogra said, searching Paula's pocket, pulling out her last hand-aid. Slogra realized that this might be the only way to save her. With the thought, he put the hand-aid over her shoulder. Miraculously, the wound closed a little, like magic. Slogra then realized that he had done enough to save Paula's life. And he then left the room...

"Where' you headed?" asked Ray.

"Downstairs... to think. The girl will survive, but I still feel terrible..."

He sat down on the inn's couch. He began to talk to himself...

"Gaibon, wherever you are, please don't fall victim to what I have fell to...."

"Dracula! I'll kill you if it's the very last thing I ever do! You'll pay for your evil, and your pain... and your tyranny!" Slogra was now sobbing.

Slogra then heard a twinkle from the sky. He looked up, but saw nothing... until he looked towards a doll on the floor. He saw a star slowly descend into it. A beam came down, and a flash occurred. When it cleared. The doll was the size of a normal person. It was also alive... It had a blue hat, and a blue cape... It noticed Slogra...

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to invade your privacy..." The doll said, backing up.

"It's okay, I'm used to things like that... who're you?" Slogra then asked.

"My name is '#&$@', but it's hard to pronounce, so call me 'Geno', after the doll." it said.

"I'm Slogra, I have a shattered past, so to speak...."

Geno seemed to feel sympathetic towards Slogra, when Geno had met Belome. Belome was a misunderstood monster too.

"I know how you feel. One of my friends where just like you..." Geno said, trying to calm down Slogra.

"You don't understand, I severely wounded a girl, and she nearly died. She would have, had it not been for your owner..."

"Yes, but you helped too, I saw you and Ray tending to her as I was on my way down here..." Geno said, "You're the one who saved her. You knew how that band-aid of hers worked."

"You're... you're right..." said Slogra.

*************

Upstairs, Ray was still tending to Paula, by keeping her company, even though she was still unconscious.

Ray then heard her moan...

"Ohh..."

"She is alive!" said Ray, sighing with relief.

"Ohh... Slogra... I... *gasp*" she still attempted to speak.

"Oh, no! She might be in a coma!" said Ray.

"...forgive... you... I...ACK!... know about... the cu... curse... voo.."

"Slogra!!!" Ray screamed.

*************

"Slogra!!!" Ray's scream echoed downstairs.

"Better get to Ray!" said Slogra.

"Want me to follow?" Geno asked.

"It's up to you, not me..." Slogra said.

They rushed upstairs....

*************

"What's she doing?!" Ray was dumbfounded.

"Ness... Artemis... guys... if you can hear.. me.... I... I'm... okay...." Paula still spoke out.

Just then Slogra and Geno rushed into the room.

"What's wrong?!" asked Slogra.

"She's talking, but I have no idea to who she is speaking..." Ray said, "She mentioned your name, and something about a curse.."

"Guys... don't worry.... about.. me, I'll be.. fine...*gasp*..." Paula continued.

"She knows about the curse?!?!" Slogra was baffled himself.

"I might know what she's doing..." Geno said.

"Who're you?" asked Ray.

"He's a friend, Ray..." said Slogra.

Geno put his hand on Paula's and he began to pick up on her PSI abilities.

"She's telepathic! She knows PK and must be contacting her friends.. or something...." Geno answered.

"She knows Telepathy?" Slogra seemed to know a bit about it, "I can use it too. Please leave us..."

"Uh, okay..." said Ray.

Ray left the room and Geno followed...

Slogra began to concentrate deeply and thoughts formed in his mind:

"Are you alright?" Slogra asked telepathically.

"Wha..." Paula tried to answer...

"Are you okay?!" Slogra answered...

"Ye... Yes I... think so... Slogra, is that you?" Paula then said.

"Thank you...." Slogra said, "Are you in a coma by any chance?"

Slogra literally blushed, "Uh, heh heh... ho boy."

"See ya on the mortal plane!" Paula finished her telepathy.

"Bye!" Slogra finished.

***************

"Wow! Interesting, Geno!" said Ray, after Geno told him of his fight against Smithy to save the Star Road.

Slogra then came downstairs, and he was actually grinning.

"Slogra! You seem to be feeling better..." Ray said.

"The girl, or I should say, Paula, is not in a coma, she just needs something called a 'Pick Me Up' to revive her consciousness..." Slogra answered.

"I happen to a have a Pick Me Up." said Geno.

"Paula said that you probably would..."

They all went upstairs. Geno pulled out a Pick Me Up and used it on Paula. Her eyes opened.

"I told you to let me rest a bit!" Paula said, giggling.

"Nice to finally speak with you." said Ray.

"Sorry about spooking you out when I was talking out earlier, but I had to try and make psychic contact with my friends, I was separated from them, and that's when I first met Slogra. Of course he was under a curse, so we fought. The next thing I know visually, I'm right here..." Paula explained.

"Did you want to get out of bed?" asked Slogra.

"I guess..." said Paula.

Slogra took Paula's hand and helped her out of bed...

"Hey, that feels much better!!" Paula said.

She then walked around the room a little, everyone noticing how fast she moved.

"Wow! You look..." Ray started.

"I know, I know; I look real cute, right?" Paula finished for him.

"Took the words right out of my mouth..." said Ray.

"Guys, it's dark.. why don't we all get some rest..." Paula suggested...

"*sigh* Nice idea, good night. I'll be outside if anyone needs me..." said Slogra as he left the room...

"I'll be in my room, right at the end of the hall... good night..." said Ray as he went to bed.

Paula got back in her bed. Geno just stood there.

"Something bothering you, Geno?" she asked.

"Wha... oh, oh no... not at all!" said Geno. "I'll be asleep on the couch downstairs."

"Good Night!" said Paula.

After a while.. she managed to fall asleep...........

*****************

Paula began to dream about the future of her battle with Korax. Her view was somewhere about 2 miles away from where she really was. She could see the Rune of Mars, on top of an obelisk, in the middle of nowhere. Something in Paula's heart knew that this was the true location of the Rune....

*****************

Paula awoke and began to wonder, "Am I the only person capable of getting the Mars Rune?"

She got up and went downstairs. She was apparently the first to awaken, since she saw Geno sleeping on the couch.

She went outside and noticed that Slogra was up. He was looking in the direction of where Paula's dream had told her to look for the Mars Rune.

She was about to speak to him when he said, "So, these 'Runes' are needed to reach this 'Korax' being, which is in charge of my problems."

"Your after the runes, too!" said Paula.

"Yes, I now your after them, too. I figure that if I can beat Korax, I can start a whole new life..."

Paula felt very close to Slogra right now. He had no family, friends, and the like.

"Slogra, would like to join me in fighting Korax?" she then asked.

"Yes!" Slogra said.

"And Geno and Raymond?" asked Paula

"I don't care. I personally have gotten used to Ray, and Geno and I are kind of soul mates..." Slogra answered.

"Come on, then... we'll wake them and see wah they want to do...."

They went back in and woke everyone else up, and asked them if they wanted to come along.

"I'll definitely come along!" said Geno.

"I'll go too... there's nothing to do here anyway...."

Everyone decided to prepare to get the Mars Rune, and the next they, they all set out.....

   On to Chapter 26

Complete Story by Tengu Man, corrections by Eric Roman.