Chasing Despair: Will you Grant my Wish?

Shadow's of you

"Surrender your souls unto me!" Norma hissed at two women who were hanging clothes out to dry in Werites Beacon. She held out her right hand and glared at them. The two women attempted to stand up, but fear pinned them to the ground, like they were caught in a web and Norma was the vicious spider out to get them. Their eyes trembled helplessly in fear and defeat, as they awaited the fate that had befallen so many. At the sight of the two, Norma laughed malevolently. Her eyes began to glow purple and she clenched her right hand, extracting the souls of the two women, who fell lifelessly to the ground. Norma turned around to return to the Man Eating ruins, "That makes 53 today," she chuckled venomously.

"Everyone," Will Raynard started as the group gathered around his table in their usual spots, "I have received some…disturbing reports…"

Everyone looked at Will fearfully, "What is it Will?" Shirley asked, slight quavering in her immature voice, "Did something happen?"

Will sighed and took out another batch of files. He set the manila folder on the table and took a few steps back, causing the group to lean forward in anticipation, "It appears Norma has gotten out of control…"

Moses stepped forward and opened the files. He gasped in horror after reading the contents of the papers, "53 SOULS IN ONE DAY?"

Jay, looking up trying to keep calm, snatched the folder from Moses, "Norma…" he muttered the name and traced the words on the scripts with his finger, "Is she collecting souls…because she is mad at us?" he threw the files to the ground and stomped his foot on them, "And how do you know these are true stories?" He exclaimed, searching for answers in Will's eyes. But Will merely shook his head.

"Jay calm down and think this through." He started, "Who else do we know who has this description?"

Jay looked down shamefully.

Senel, wanting to move on from the erupting argument, gathered the papers from beneath Jay's foot, "And even if it is?" He looked into the eyes of the group members and could read what they were all thinking. It was just like when Shirley became the Merines. When that was the case, Jay had been fully willing to kill Shirley. Would this mean he would be willing to perform the same task with Norma? Senel didn't want to think about that now. Something told him a certain other member of the group was more worried about the fate of Beatty than he.

Will paused fro a second, trying to regain the undivided attention of the group. Once everyone's eyes had returned to him he stated his view, "If Norma is causing this much trouble for the world…" He paused; taking in the shocked looks of his comrades and began again, "We cannot sacrifice thousands of lives for the sake of one. Even if Norma is our friend-"

"NOW HOLD UP!" Moses yelled, slamming his fist onto the table, causing the contents of it to shake violently and fall to the ground, "Why are we givin' up on Norma so fast?"

Will held up his hand in an attempt to calm down the raging beast tamer. But after Moses calmed down, none other than Jay the Unseen himself spoke up in protest, "Why are we giving up so easily? As much of a pest as Norma has been, and probably always be…" he stopped, feeling a slight blush rise into his cheeks as the rest of the group starred at him in awe. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth again, only to be interrupted by Grune.

"I am sure Jay could come up with some plan to attempt to bring Norma to her senses. We shall not call this over, until there is no hope left."

Will nodded, "I see. I must say, killing a friend like Norma is not what I want to do, so I will give Jay one night to come up with a plan to turn things around…But just one night. Understand?"

"Understood." Jay said briskly. He couldn't tell, but everyone else sensed a flicker of a smile cross the ex-ninja's face as he exited the room to return to the Oresoren village. There was still hope…

Norma kneeled before a large crystal tree in a secret room of the Man-Eating ruins, holding out her hand to release the souls she had collected that day. With a devious smirk plastered on her face, she muttered, "Desari shall be pleased with my work today. This makes us one step closer to our goal of 500 souls."

Excellent, you have collected 53 souls in one day.

Desari materialized in front of Norma with her arms folded across her chest. She took a step closer to the crystal tree and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, "Once our goal is reached, we shall purge the world of these wretched beings."

Norma traced a finger down the glassy bark of the tree and pressed her other hand to her heart, "All we do is hurt each other. We have no consideration for anyone but ourselves. People will hurt people forever…and cry only when it comes back on them."

Desari smirked sourly and placed her hand on her hip. Norma was everything she had wanted in a puppet. She was her only option…since the true Sovereign of Calamity had been killed…

"Mommy?" A little girl in a white nightshirt called as she walked down the large corridors of her mansion. She clutched a small stuffed rabbit in her hand and continued to look through the doors for her mother and father. The yellow pompom in her hair swayed back and forth as she became frantic, looking for her mother. Finally she reached the foyer.

The small girl gasped and took a step back, tears brimmed her eyes. There in the foyer in a thick haze of fog from the opened doors, lay her mother, father and sister.

It was a day Norma Beatty would never forget…

Desari let out a small chuckle at the remembrance of that day. It was the day Desari had been able to set up the current state of the Sovereign of Calamity.

Norma winced, as if remembering that day too, only with a different reaction. That was the worst day of Norma's life. She removed her finger from the tree, "I'll never forgive them…" she whispered through tears she was trying to hold back.

A presence filled the room and Desari shot a deathly glare towards the entrance to the room they were in, "They are here." She hissed and disappeared in a light mist. Norma glanced over at the entrance, knowing who Desari was talking about. Jay was there, and so were the others. And sure as night is dark, Jay stepped into the room, followed by Senel, Chloe, Shirley, Moses, Will, and…Grune.

Norma drew her straw and scowled, "I didn't think you would just leave forever, perhaps I can arrange conditions forcing you to be gone!" Her fingernails began to glow black and she hissed, "Maelstrom!"

The vicious attack hurled the group into a nearby wall and the groaned in immediate pain. Norma was unlike any enemy they have faced yet. She was dark, she was evil, she was spiteful, and she was…their friend. Jay pulled himself from the wall and struggled to stand up. The others clutched the wall and followed the purple clad ninja. Upon reaching a few feet from Norma, Jay noticed the tree behind her.

"Norma, what is that?" He said, sounding uncertain about the strange trees ability.

Norma smirked evilly and walked over to the tree, placing her palm on the bark. She leaned her ear against it and smiled, "Do you hear it?" she muttered.

Jay raised an eyebrow and shook his head, "Hear what?"

Shirley, who was making her way closer to the tree, closed her eyes, trying to figure out the sound.

Norma, looking at their strain to hear whatever she was hearing, laughed, "Their cries…The cries of 253 souls, locked away in this tree, waiting to be released as the power to destroy the world they have tainted."

"You're sick." Jay growled venomously.

Chloe breathed in deeply, hand over her heart, "So many lives, ripped from their bodies, all for the sake of destruction."

"Why?" Shirley cried, falling to the floor, "Why…"

Norma clenched her teeth, "Shut up you stupid Merines. Was it not you who was going to purge the world of humanity, so that you and your mermaid friends could live in the water?"

"Well…"

"The do not speak as though you are justified. I plan to destroy all, Orerines and Ferines alike, because we are all insincere liars who are bent on the suffering of others. I am going to see to it that these souls are used only for what they are good at…destruction."
"Now that just aint right!" Moses yelled, making Norma burst out into an angry laughter.

"This is what you wanted." Norma's expression turned serious, "You wanted me to do this. That is why you sold me to Desari!" Rocks flew up from the ground as Norma's eyes glow ominously, "You and my parents wanted this! That's why you kicked me to the ground and laughed all the time!"

"Norma, you are being ridiculous," Jay snapped, "This is just a selfish illusion you have built for yourself! When were ever so bad that you would cause global destruction?"

"You were all just like my parents. People who wanted my aid, then stabbed me in the back at their convenience. I tried…it tried to help all of you in your times of need, but when I was clearly suffering, you gave me five seconds of consoling before pretending all was well." She clenched her fists, "When Shirley was the Merines…I tried so hard not be angry at her. We all tried so hard to protect her even though she was our ENEMY!" She looked at everyone's expressions.

"I'm sor-" Shirley began to whisper, but the furious Norma would not hear it.

"SHUT UP!" Norma yelled, continuing her story, "Moses, we all thought Giet was a killer, but we stuck by you until you could prove his innocence." She looked at Chloe, "And you, you worthless wannabe knight, who cheered you on all the time no matter what the problem, whether it be with Senel or with Alcott?" Lastly she looked at the ninja boy and felt her heart sink and her voice lower. Suddenly her stomach tugged with pain, "And Jay," she started.

Jay looked at Norma directly in the eyes, waiting to hear her. Waiting to listen to her.

"I always tried for you. You are a selfish anti-social brat. You hate and think you are better than all of us. Well you're not. I always praised you and the things you did, I was your silent cheerleader…I cared for you like I had cared for no one before. When we fought Solon, I was ready to die to save you. When you betrayed us, I kept telling myself you were going to come back. I believed in you. That's why I never doubted you." She knelt on the ground in embarrassment, "You guys were my world…and I wasn't even a person in that world as far as you were concerned…Then Desari said you had sold me to her with your words like gald. I had no choice but to join her, I hate you all for it." A single tear fell to the ground and Norma quickly wiped her eyes, hiding her face.

Jay stepped forward and hovered above Norma, speechless. For the first time, he could not find the right words. He just looked at her without emotion. His heart thumped against his chest and his stomach felt as though a boulder was weighing it down.

Norma felt his presence and chuckled like a maniac, "Heh, if you long for the safety of you precious world then kill me. If you don't, then I will fulfill my mission."

The group looked at each other and Jay looked at Norma, "No," he replied simply, "If I kill you, I will have failed my mission, so I'll leave you in your state of hysteria."

Will sighed of both disappointment and relief. What was there to do now? Was there any hope for Norma? Had they lost a friend?

Grune smiled gently, glad that Jay wasn't giving up. She knew more than the others about that ninjas feelings. She knew he could never kill someone all close to his heart as Norma.

"Norma please," Senel started, "We never meant the thing we said to be like that-"

"THEN WHY DID YOU KEEP SAYING THEM!" She stood up, anger flared in her eyes.

"We didn't think-" Moses added in.

"Wow, you always seem to be thinking, EXCEPT when you speak to me. What am I? A dog? Don't even try to give me those excuses."

"If you felt this way, you should have told us," Jay glared over his shoulder at Norma, "You were just like any one of us. In flaws, and in importance. We would have listened, but you never acted like you were hurt."

"Yeah, If it aint broke, don't fix it!" Moses laughed slightly, trying to spark a smile from Norma.

Norma returned the attempt with an empty stare, "No…" She muttered. Her eyes returned to their usual bright brown and she looked at the people in front of her, "Just say something?" she muttered. Jay took a step towards her, with his hands firmly planted in his pockets.

"That's what most people do." He sighed.

"Does this mean, that I am to blame for my suffering JJ?" she sniffled and looked at her friend who shook his head slowly and held out his hand to her. Norma smiled slightly and reached out her hand to his. For that brief second, their hands had met. A sudden spark rushed to Jay's heart which beat against his chest rapidly.

The rest of the group smiled, "Is it over?" Shirley smiled, looking hopefully at Senel.

"I hope so," he replied, "It seems both of them are happy."

Grune though, frowned, "It's not over. Desari is near, she won't allow things to end this quickly."

Everyone turned to face Grune who pointed to where Desari entered the room.

"Noma, you can't really plan on going back to them? They're just apologizing to save their world."

"Desari…" Norma muttered, not knowing which the truth was. Slowly she slipped her hand out of Jay's and turned back to Desari, "What do you mean?"

"If they had just been kidding, would their words have registered as powerfully as they had? If I were you, I would say it's too late. They're "kidding around" has given you this cruel fate."

Norma looked at Jay and back at Desari.

"Don't forget, you will die if you don't choose me!" Desari pulled a dagger from her thin air, slicing Norma's arm.

"AHHH!" Norma shrieked, clutching her arm. Her eyes returned to the glassy black they had become and she glared daggers at Jay and the others, "Why didn't anyone try to stop her!" Norma hissed as both her and Desari turned into back mist and disappeared from the room.

Jay clenched his fists, cursing under his breath. The room was suddenly barren in his eyes. Norma's reaction was clearly the answer had in mind. She was going to stay with Desari. But why had she left so quickly? Was it to prevent herself from turning back, "Why couldn't we have stopped her this time?"

A few hours passed and the group returned to Werites Beacon and silently went their separate ways. Jay the Unseen walked over to the duct and returned to the Oresoren Village to think, something he does very well.

Upon reaching his home, Jay was greeted by the three little Oresoren, Pippo, Quoppo, and Poppo who anxiously attempted to follow him to his room. But without a word, the ninja slammed the door shut before they could enter.

"What am I going to do now?" Jay muttered as he slumped to the ground. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the mysterious information request. He traced his finger along the sides of the envelope, as if something about it may bring help him in his current time. For some reason every time he looked at the envelope, he thought of the yellow clad treasure hunter, always known as Norma, "Norma…" he sighed, smiling inwardly at the sound of her name.

(I always tried for you!)

She had struggled to say the words. The words that proved his life had meaning, or she tried to give it one.

(I cared for you like I've never cared for no one in my entire life!)

He remembered the kiss he had received from Norma a while back. There was more to it then just Norma being…Norma. It was as if she was trying to tell him all along, that she cared about him. No matter what she said. No matter how hard she tried or how supporting she was…he never noticed. He never took time from his life to notice hers. Apparently no one else did either…

(I was willing to die)

(I always believed in you…)