Rudra’s Treasure (Rudra no Hihou) is a trademark of Squaresoft and Graphical Corporations CROWD inc. ---

“What was sundered and undone shall be whole -- the two made one.”
-from “The Dark Crystal”

---

I, Riza have a secret story to tell. A story that no one of this world has heard of before.

It started out on one fateful day, the day before the world’s end would come. After me and my friends fought the doom cannon, Sodom, on the moon fort, I had to safely send my friends to the planet, so I and the other chosen ones with the jade decided to stop the cycle of Life and Death. Since the moon fort has been destroyed, I just could not help my emotions. I felt saddened to see the beautiful goddess die on the moon after I inherited her powers. I think I had a feeling for this goddess. It was like something I have never felt before. I have not even felt this way for Garlyle.

I think I love Meifa!

I decided to get out of the airship and stretch out, then I felt a hand gently rubbing up against my shoulder.

“Riza, are you going to be okay?” the mage Surlent asked. Surlent was one of the heroes that have accompanied me on my journey to help save life on our planet. He inherited the powers of the king god, Houzhen, the magical one.

“Don’t worry, I will be...” I sighed. “...Surlent...”

“Yes Riza.” Surlent asked. “You can go on and let out your feelings if you want.” My voice was shaky, but I had to let out my true emotions sometime. “...did you ever lost anyone you truly loved, like a love interest perhaps?” I asked.

“Mmmmmm... well, I did feel close to my childhood friend, Legin, and I do miss him. I never knew who my parents really were....my mentor and Myun Hi both died horrible deaths...”

“So, you do have missing loved ones that are now in the Netherworld?” I said calmly.

“Yes, I do.” Surlent said. “Do you wish to see them in the underworld or something?” I nodded my head.

“Yes, I do.” I responded. Dune, the treasure hunter came out and looked rather surprised.

“WHAT???” Dune shouted. “ Going to the Netherworld already?” I nodded my head. “Yes, what is wrong Dune?” I asked. Dune ran over to me and held me by the hips.

“It’s dangerous, don’t you know that?” cried Dune. “Living creatures could be killed by undead monsters! Don’t go all ready!” I rolled my eyes, but I stayed rather calm.

“Dune, you are starting to remind me of Garlyle now, I’ll be okay! Plus, I felt some presence that something summoned me there to begin with!” Dune looked even more worried, but instead, he nodded his head yes and closed his eyes.

“Yes, I understand. I just worry about you Riza. You are a special young woman, everyone knows that.” Dune responded calmly.

“Thanks Dune.” I said softly. As I got ready to leave, Dune and Surlent caught up to me as I left. “Riza!”

“Yes?”

“Don’t forget this map to the Netherworld and Toula Temple. It is a life saver!” Surlent said as he handed me a map. “The Toula Temple/Delphi Mountain area is nearby. Gook Luck!”

“Thanks guys!” I said as I hugged them and left to the Temple. The temple was very immense, yet since I have defeated the goddess Mitora, seems like nothing was too difficult. The creatures were a big pushover, plus it looks like someone completed some of the riddles of the temple before I could, making things even easier yet.

<“Heh, this is so pathetic!”> I thought to myself, laughing. Suddenly, down the tunnel through the Netherworld, I heard a feminine, ethereal voice calling out.

“Riza... Riza...!” the voice called. It sounded vaguely familiar, like something I had met before. “RIZA! PLEASE COME!!!”

“Okay.” I yelled as I started running frantically to the Netherworld. I ran frantically, I did not stop. Even though the undead were coming after me, I kept running and since they were of the Yin/Darkness element, they could easily be harmed by the element of Yang/Light, which was my Holy Jade’s element. I looked at my map, I saw a building that looked like a mass of giant pile of bones. This is my destination, the palace GAFF!

“Riza, please come!” the voice yelled out. The voice started to get louder and louder, meaning that I was coming near the palace Gaff, the palace where the death god Gomora once resided in peace. But why did it sound so different? I still kept running until I found the skeletal palace. It took me two hours to reach the palace, but it was worth it, plus, I learned more counter charms that could destroy the undead monsters. I touched the doorway, it opened up so fast as I fell inwards into the twisted palace. Suddenly, as I passed many bizarre corridors, I met up with a strangely familiar face!

“Hello Riza.” the woman said as she softly smiled. She had a creamy white complexion, long blue-green hair, haunting crystalline blue-violet eyes, a red, sleeveless gown, wore a lot of intricate jewelry and carried a magical walking stick/staff with her. The staff was encrusted with gems, diamonds and rubies. I was glad to see this beautiful woman again.

“MEIFA, is that you?” The last time I saw Meifa, she looked like a saddened silver and gold human-bird hybrid with olive green hair. This looked like Meifa in her humanoid forms many years ago.

“Yes Riza, come closer to me, please.” Meifa said softly. We softly embraced each other. Meifa felt very warm as she had a soft, radiant glow emitted from her flesh. I have never felt anything so warm, soft and loving. I have been told by my Grandfather once that Meifa was seen by every living thing as a Goddess of love and life. She provided love for many creatures before most of their lives were claimed by Sodom in the arranged Life and Death cycle. It was like nothing I have experienced before.

“Yes, my child. You are a good girl!” Meifa said calmly. Meifa seemed so loving, so maternal and was also like a lover as well. These were the many faces of Meifa that many told me about. I thought of her as many things, she was like a mother, a mentor and possibly even a lover, since it seems like that I have male friends, but never felt THAT close to them. Was it possible that...

... I possibly LOVED Meifa?

“I... I...” I stuttered as I released myself from Meifa’s embrace.

Meifa looked down at me in curiosity.

Then, another person came into Gaff out of curiosity. I could not believe who it was, it was a short, middle-aged looking woman with red-orange hair, brown eyes and wore a blue robe and cloak.

“Daughter... Riza...” the woman softly said to me and Meifa. I was so happy to see who it was.

“MOTHER!!!” I yelled out in happiness.

“Why hello Aqua.” Meifa said to my mother. “What to you need?”

“Isn’t it your destiny and my daughter’s destiny that one day, you two will become one?” Aqua asked Meifa. “That is what was said in the prophecies of the great Danan seers.”

“Yes, it shall happen soon!” Meifa said in her ethereal voice. “Get ready!” We all held hands together, closing our eyes calmly. I felt an extremely powerful aura surround us all. I have never felt such a force in my entire life span! I felt more and more energy surge throughout my body. What was happening? What was this energy?

Later on, as the energy gently left the room, I slowly opened my eyes and my mother and Meifa were no longer in Gaff.

“Meifa... Mother...where are you?” I whispered sadly. Suddenly, I heard a loud, booming voice in my head.

“Riza, this is Meifa. The energy was to be passed down specially to you, my dear Riza. The world is in need of a guardian goddess that protects the living!” I nodded my head. So, my mother and Meifa have became apart of me. “Riza, this is your mother. I am really proud of you. I knew you are a goddess, just like every child of the four heroes, but I never knew you would one day become an ultimate goddess. The prophets don’t know everything!” I never felt so good in my life.

“Riza, concentrate!” Meifa said to me. I closed my eyes and felt my body transforming. Holy feathers sprouted out of my arms, my skin started to feel warmer, since I could feel it glowing, my feet became strong talons and I had more feathers coming out. I opened my eyes, and I saw myself become something totally different. I was like Meifa when she was younger. I was glowing brightly and my feathers were gold, just like Meifa’s. I decided to fly away from Gaff and get out of the Netherworld. I felt like the light that lit the ways for the misguided souls of the Netherworld. I kept flying and I reached the vortex that led to the planet. I flew through the sky, lighting the starry night sky.

Everyone of every race stared up into the sky in pure awe and finally, I met up with Kidd (Dune‘s partner), Dune and Surlent on the great Ark.

“Riza, is that you?” Kidd asked.

“Yes, I am! I am reborn now! I shall carry on Meifa’s destiny!”

“Wow Riza. I never seen anything so amazing!” Surlent shouted in awe. “I’m proud of you!”

“I thought the gods handed down the powers to you already Riza.” Dune said. “But I never knew that you met their deceased bodies in the Netherworld and became assimilated to one of them.” I nodded my head. “I decided to. That is what I wanted. I was summoned to become assimilated to Meifa, so I could be a new guardian goddess...” I said. The guys on the ark were amazed, but looked saddened as well.

“Will you ever see us again?” Dune asked.

“Don’t worry, I will!” I said. I decided to fly alongside the great ark for a while. Me and the guys even raced each other to the place where Meifa’s sanctuary used to be. I could not believe how fast I have became. I still thought the guys did a great job with the speed of their ark.

“Well, Riza, you are amazing!” exclaimed Dune.

“I never knew you would do a race of flight!” Surlent said.

“You were great!” Kidd said in surprise. I nodded my head and giggled.

“Thanks guys, you aren’t so bad yourselves!” I laughed.

“Well, Riza, what do you think about doing here?” asked Dune. I had to explain the whole ordeal with the guys.

“I have to carry out the orders of the late Meifa! She explained this to me on my visit to the underworld. We are now one!” I explained. “But don’t worry, I will see you guys again!”

“Okay!” The guys said. “We are proud of you Riza!” As the guys and the ark left, I saw a mountain rise from the island, which was going to be my sanctuary. I flew up higher into the air and released the souls of my mother and Meifa from my body, so they could help me out.

“This shall be your sanctuary, Riza!” Meifa said to me.

“You are now going to be residing here Riza, until the fateful day or any other catastrophe will come.” Mother Aqua said. Me and the souls started to sculpt the outside and inside of the mountain into a sanctuary in the image of myself in my humanoid form. After that was done, the souls of loved ones returned to my body as I were to reside into the top of this sanctuary. The sanctuary eventually attracted Millions and Millions of creatures on a holy pilgrimage to come to me for help and other needs. I have never felt this good in my life.

As I rested up to get my energy back, Meifa briefly came out of my body and came close to me.

“Riza, I am proud of you. No human could be this powerful!” Meifa whispered to me. As she came close to me, our lips touched each other and we formed a soft embrace.

This is a day I will never forget. My friends were right, I was indeed a special creature, looked upon every living thing.

Next Chapter:Surlent

Maintained by:

d Galloway (Insert Image Here)