Mamoru couldn't believe his eyes as he saw the tangle of five people fall to the ground and disappear entirely. He ran to the area and dropped to the ground. "Imouto-chan!" he called out. "Imouto-chan! Remy-chan! Minna! Doko wa?!?" His search proving fruitless, Mamoru shut his eyes tightly. Impossible, he told himself. I couldn't have lost my sister again! I can't have failed her again!

"CELESTE!!!" his scream echoed through the lonely park.

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

"YEAH!!!" Orion yelled in happiness. "Pay up, guys! Suckers!"

Dionysus and P-kun both threw down their cards in disgust and shoved their chips over to Orion's ever-growing pile.

"How the hell did Orion manage to pull off three Full Houses in a row?!" Dionysus asked in annoyance.

"He's probably cheating," P-kun muttered.

"Hey now!" Orion countered. "Don't whine just because I'm playing better than you. Be good losers already."

"I'll show you a good loser..." Dionysus growled as he rolled up his sleeve. P-kun did the same. Orion yelped and jumped out of his chair.

Suddenly, like a flash, all three of the Guardians crumpled in pain. The pain in their minds was terrible, like something had been taken away.

"Ce-ko!" Dionysus exclaimed. "Something's happened to Ce-ko...!"

"Remy, too..." P-kun moaned, shaking his head. The little mental presence that had always been in a corner of his mind had been ripped away.

Orion clenched his head in his hands as he squeezed his eyes closed. He had felt a tremendous flash of pain, then a wave of happiness, then nothing. "Mercy... what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" he muttered.

Dionysus cast out his mind, searching out and trying to find his love. The Guardian/Otaku bond between them had suddenly disappeared. It was like a shock to his system. He was glad that he and his Ce-ko had resolved their differences and reformed that bond. Though their Soulbond would take longer to repair, Dionysus was glad he didn't have it at the moment. He might have passed out because of the abrupt disappearance. She had been ripped away from him. Then, a sudden thought pushed to the forefront of his mind... he started laughing hysterically.

Orion and P-kun turned and looked at him like he was crazy.

"What, you're happy that Celly was taken away?!?" Orion shouted.

Dionysus stopped laughing and looked up. "We have to wait for Mamoru-kun to get here," he said confidently. "Then I'll tell you guys what I think is so funny."

TBC...