RE-WRITE 1.0. Again, just little things. Chapter 2 and 3 will be officially updated when the author's note says they have been.
Unity between the realms has always been an illusion, one the kings and queens have been determined to maintain over the many years, despite their own obvious distrust. The hard-working up unfaithful humans of Tellus, the pure but aloof seraphs of Aurae, and the clever but cruel demons on Infernum, we're all completely separate in this undivided room beyond any realm's influence, everyone clustered as close around their queen's throne as they can be.
Lucky me, my place is right beside mine.
I'm not sure how long we've been here, but she's getting impatient, too, loudly tapping her fingernails on the arm of her chair. I've never understood why the seraphs and humans have to sit around and talk with themselves before every meeting, but, hey, all the better for me. "Axel!" There we go. "Get their attention already. We have better things to do."
With a smirk and a nod, I take half a step away. For a moment, I close my eyes, then I summon a semi-circle of flame around Larxene's throne, ending it as soon as I feel the wash of heat.
Startled screams echo belatedly from the mass of humans, and every eye turns towards us. As Larxene stands, I can't help but grin. Ah, yes, my job is pretty fun.
Larxene is silent for a second or two, lightly shifting her black-feathered wings to fold them neatly against her back, a cruel smirk slowly spreading across her features. "If you don't mind, there are issues I really need to deal with," she begins unceremoniously. "The sooner I finish with all of you, the better."
There's another moment of silence before the queen of Tellus stands as well. "Tell us what it is, then," Queen Aqua replies, eyebrows tilted suspiciously.
Letting out a brief, enchantingly dangerous laugh, Larxene puts on her expression of obviously false hurt. "Well, I'm afraid we have a problem. It seems our dear queen of the skies doesn't trust me." Without instruction, Marluxia steps forward on the other side of her chair, and a slight tremor ripples through the stone floor. Out of the corner of my eye, the pale body of the seraph rises above the small crowd of demons, suspended by branching, thorny vines entwined around his torso and limbs, long silvery hair covering his face, blood slowly dripping.
"Riku!" a voice screams from the other side of the room and the brunet boy perpetually by the queen of Aurae's side jump forward as the queen's face goes white. He looks ready to run over, but Queen Kairi throws her arm in front of him. So, our captive actually has a name. "What's this about?" the queen demands, voice high.
Larxene's lips twist up into a mocking smirk. "Why don't you tell us, Queen of Seraphs? He was found in my realm. When question, he became mute, apparently, and, even though he's no angel, his mind is immune to my spell-casters. Which means you or your spell-casters have to be protecting him. Would you care to clear this up, Your Highness?" Though sweet at first, Larxene's voice quickly regains its usual scorn.
"Let him go," Queen Kairi begs, voice so soft we probably wouldn't be able to hear her if it wasn't deathly silent.
Larxene laughs again. "Not until you tell us all, dear queen!" Larxene taunts. There's a sudden prickle in the air, and I resist the urge to snicker. Playing rough already. She really is impatient today.
Eyes wide and horrified, Queen Kairi turns her face to the floor. "Is it such a crime to monitor my enemies' actions?" she murmurs, even quieter.
Larxene's grin twitches wider. "Oh, I'm sure." In an instant, she releases a single, straight bolt of lightening from the arched filing to the silver-haired seraph, and a scream rings through the room as his entire body lashes out in protest.
As if the invisible barrier between the races has broken, the brunet angel yells out wordlessly and breaks ranks, a plain silver and yellow keyblade appearing in his hands, despite his queen's warning yell of, "Sora! Don't!"
That's my cue. I still give Larxene a quick glance, and she, sitting back down, snorts and nods. "Have fun."
Since the boy, Sora, is already dangerously close, I don't waste a second in running forward, summoning my chakrams in time to block a blow. "Let Riku go!" he yells, eyes welling with tears as he jumps back to swing at me again.
Though I didn't know his name before, I've heard of his prowess as a wielder of one of the legendary keyblades but none of his alleged skills show themselves, hacking and slashing and yelling. It's mindlessly easy to dance around him; block that hit, turn him around, knock him off balance, never hit him directly to piss him off with how easy this is for me. Actually, really, it's laughable; the worse he does, the more frustrated he gets, the clumsier he gets.
Despite his crystalline armour and my lack of anything more protective than pants, this fight has one outcome.
Finally, staggering and face dripping sweat, he stumbles over his own feet and falls over. Instantly, I kick him over onto his back and keep my bare foot firmly on the centre of his chest plate, stepping over him. Before he gets a chance to recover, I narrow in on the unprotected joint of his arm, splayed out beside him and drive the point of one chakram until it meets the floor and a scream explodes from the keyblade wielder. Ever after his scream's echoed into heavy, pained pants and moans, the rest of the room's completely silent. After all, he attacked first and it was a fair one-on-one fight; no one can interfere.
Sora, laying there with tears seeping out of closed eyelids, has apparently finally realized that he doesn't stand a chance. We're not allowed to kill each other during these dumb meetings, but what's stopping us from killing his friend later if he provokes us? Or, at any rate, that's what him and all the others are probably thinking. Really, no demon would give a shit if he had somehow hurt me. Heck, I'd hardly care, unless it interfered with doing whatever Larxene wants me to do, because she'd be unbearable.
Still, demons have a reputation to maintain.
My tail lazily twitches back and forth as I feel his breathing gradually slow and that tiny, wordless nagging rouses in my head. It's constant, but more noticeable now that there's a helpless lump fuel-friendly clothing and hair and flesh below me. I smirk a bit. Yeah, teach a lesson, feed the fire, and maybe even, with any luck, melt away his armour so I can see where angel their wings. I've always been curious.
Unlike before, I keep tight control on the fire. I'm sure he can feel the heat, but it takes a few full seconds for his eyes to fly wide. Immediately once I know he knows, I smirk and let fire burst from his arm where the chakram is piercing it immediately once I know he knows, and let it spread along his arm under his armour. His initial yelp of surprise quickly morphs into another scream, and I have to fight to not roll my eyes. I'm really not being that hard on him, keeping the fire calm and cool for now, conserving oxygen in favour of gnawing slowly but consistently through clothes then skin, crawling up his arm. His screaming intensifies randomly and his free hand grasps at my foot as he thrashes under me and I allow myself a short laugh. This is actually kind of sad. Angels really are pitiful.
"Stop it!" I look up at the strange voice in time for something to graze my cheek, slicing my cheek open and making me stumble back, then a flurry of blindingly white feathers buffets me back further, and I have to thrust my wings out to keep my balance. What the hell? I clasp my hand over my cheek as it seeps blood and watch at the white wings pull back to reveal a blond figure crouched over Sora, throwing my chakram and Sora's armour away from his arm, but the fire's already dead. The new angel pulls Sora up then steps in front of him with a vicious glare at me. A moment later, there's a short flash of light behind me and an elegantly sharp white keyblade appears in the blond's hand. But I really don't care about keyblades. Matching his furious expression, his wings are spread broadly, trembling slightly as if ready to drive him into the air to attack at any second. Well, this is unexpected. My first angel wings. I feel a grin spread over my face. "So, they are as beautiful as they claim," I remark, breaking the tense silence. Despite my tone, they really are. They really complete the image of the slender, blond-haired, blue-eyed angel.
His scowl twitches into a tooth-bearing snarl. "Be quiet!" he snaps, grabbing Sora's uninjured arm and dragging him back to the seraphs. Though he hangs back enough to cast a long, hopeless glance back at Riku, Sora follows him away. I keep grinning as I walk backwards the short distance to Larxene's side so I can keep looking at the blond angel's lovely wings. Well, damn, I'm suddenly very happy I woke up today. I think I'm in love.
Larxene, standing again, dramatically touches her fingertips to her temple. "Well, would you look at the mess we have now." Moving her hand away from her face, her eyes and teeth flash at Queen Kairi. "If I'm not going to be told what's going on, I guess I have no choice but to leave." Simultaneously, a bunch of different portals are opened.
"No! Riku!" Queen Kairi cries as turn to our portals, me to the one Larxene opened as she goes in then Marluxia makes the vines throw Riku in then goes through himself. I hesitate to look back at the seraphs. They're all wide-eyed, slack-jawed or even crying. Except for that spiky-haired blond. He's still glowering at me, wings gone now, fists clenched at his sides. There's a fire glowing in that one different from the other seraphs. I can't wait until whatever opportunity to see him again. I'd like to see if that un-angel attitude is really him or just a fluke.
A second of cold darkness then the warm orange of the palace and I step beside Riku, splayed on the floor and shaking as he tries to get his bleeding limbs beneath him. Larxene's already leaving with Marluxia at her side. "Get him locked up before he gets his strength back," she orders over her shoulder.
Ah, I hate my job. Sighing, I stoop to pick Riku up and throw him over my shoulder, seeing as I don't feel like waiting for him to get to his feet on his own, using a wing to pin him down. He groans softly as I carry him down the corridors but doesn't struggle.
Larxene's keeping me away from her "secret" conversations with Marluxia and whoever else, but I've long since stopped caring. She's only ever pretended to trust me to keep me and the attention-grabbing fire I control firmly under her thumb, and I've only pretended to care about the politics royalty is inevitably tangled up in so I don't have to deal with the bored non-existence I used to live. I have no personal interest in keeping Infernum intact, really.
At the bottom of a set of stairs, I reach the row of barred cells along the one wall. Turning to the first one, I take a step inside and drop Riku onto the floor and quickly close and lock the door with one of the keys tucked in my pocket. Riku groans loudly again, and I pause to look at him as he slowly pushes upright. It's dark, so I find a plain candleholder on the wall and let a spark light the wick. Washed suddenly in the faint light, Riku looks up at the candle with surprise before glaring suspiciously at me and edging back.
I snort in amusement. "Settle down. I'm not going to hurt you, seraph." Oh, wait, he has a name now. "Riku, I mean."
Eyes still locked on me, he grabs the edge of the hard bed beside him and shakily pulls himself onto it. "You hurt Sora," he growls quietly, eyes narrowing.
Wow. So he can talk. His name must've been the magic word or something. Or maybe it's just because I hurt his little friend. I chuckle and lean back against the wall behind me. Getting the captive to speak his first words? I'm awesome. "Yes, but I can't be blamed for that. Firstly, he attacked us and you can't honestly say you'd expect us to just sit there, and, second, there are some things you just have to do, as a demon."
He only grows tenser and scowls deeper. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
With a smirk, I just shake my head. "I don't expect you to understand."
"Try me."
One of my eyebrows twitches up. "Well, okay then." I still doubt a seraph could understand but he asked for it. "Try thinking about it this way: it's either my enemies or me."
He frowns still, but he does look to be actually listening to me. "Meaning?"
"Well, humans and you seraphs don't bother to mask the fact that we're the bad guys. The only thing keeping Infernum intact is us keeping up a show of strength to keep both of your armies from attacking us here. A war between all three armies would destroy wherever it took place, no matter who wins or loses." I raise an eyebrow expectantly as he looks away.
"I guess that makes sense," he grudgingly relents after a second or two, eyebrows still knit.
My grin grows. I think I actually got a seraph to understand. I am awesome. "We're also at an advantage like that, though; while we can be prepared for you to act against us at any time, both of you pretend to be allies, so how can you tell when you'll be betrayed?" It's happened before, and it'll happen again, no one with any logic has any doubt. Humans should have stayed ignorant of the power struggle of the world.
Riku's eyes flick back to me, though his expression has softened to be ever so slightly less angry. "Why are you talking to me about this?" he demands quietly.
I laugh. "Why not? You asked, and it's not like you're a bad person, you just happen to be on the wrong side." He suddenly glares again, so I quickly raise a hand to stop him. "Meaning the wrong side of me. It's all relative."
Very slowly, he nods. "I hate to admit it, but you're making sense." One of his silver eyebrows lifts. "You're not as bad as you let on, are you?"
"Yeah, but don't tell anyone." I chuckle at the cold tone behind the compliment. "I'd warn against warming up to me, though."
"I wasn't planning on it," he grumbles, turning away from me. "I'll never betray my friends."
"Never said you would." I wait a moment, but the conversation is clearly over with his lack of so much of a glance, so i turn back to the stairs without another word. With any luck, Larxene'll be ready to share whatever plan she's concocting for our seraph friend.