A/N: Here's the next installment in Awake! I will, however, dedicate Chapter Nine (The only chapter with Fang and Vanille in it in Act II) to the friendly folks at /u/. Hopefully I can be exempt from the rules this one time, okay? :D
More Blaze action in this chapter. You get to see how...special...Blaze really is. Based on the three responses, :(, it seems that people want Blaze to encounter the Maker. So I'll be sure to have that it when Act III comes around, or I might put it in the finale of Act II.
Like the other chapters so far, this is another disturbing one. I never said my story would be all sugars and rainbows, did I?
Awake
Chapter Ten: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Blaze sat down in a comfortably padded wooden chair. He was sitting at a long, wooden conference desk, with other wooden chairs surrounding the it. The red haired man was clothed in a white T-shirt and and baggy pants; looking a little out of place with those around him.
Joining Blaze in the conference room, were about five other figures. The other five were dressed in formal attire: black business suits and ties. Their cuffed hands were all behind their respective backs, and they chose to stand, instead of using the seats designated for them. Each person had no head, and no other body part was visible, giving the illusion that they were invisible beneath the clothing. There were question marks on their ties.
Lucifer, or as Blaze called his Eidolon, Lucy, glided past Blaze. The floating skull fit itself nicely atop one of the standing businessmen, and stared at Blaze, the Eidolon's soulless eyes sparked with green eldritch flame. Everyone remained silent, which bored Blaze half to death.
Looking around, it seemed as if he was in an office building. There was a door connecting the room he was to whatever lay outside, but it was closed at the moment. The ceiling, floor, and walls were pained a drab palish. The walls were bare, but it seemed as if artwork or something else had once hung upon them. The opposite wall was a window, giving Blaze and the others a splendid view of the city outside. The city was silent. There were no cars traveling upon the roads, and Blaze couldn't see anyone in the office building across the street. Blaze was at the head of the conference table, where a large flatscreen television was set up behind him.
For the moment, Blaze didn't receive the feeling that everything around him was...a little odd. He couldn't seem to remember how he had gotten here.
"So...what's going on, Lucy?" Blaze asked, tapping his fingers against the polished wooden desk.
"You're dreaming at the moment, Edgar. My Lady has blessed you with another gift. Things are being sorted out right now." The skull responded. The mouth didn't move, but Blaze could hear the Eidolon's words ringing in his ears, loud and clear. The accent-less, genderless, voice always sounded same.
"Oh? What happened?" he asked, interlocking his fingers with both hands. He adjusted himself into a more focused position.
Lucy's eyes flared for a second, the green fire flittering in the air inside the Eidolon's eye sockets. Lucy began to regale Blaze with the tale of what had happened over the past sixteen days or so.
"First, you were on the Narthex, remember?" Blaze nodded, and Lucy continued. "The Narthex was where you encountered Barthandelus, a nasty fal'Cie that you had a run in with nearly nineteen years back. He gave you a taste of your past, providing you with the vision of you and those other losers who had attempted to kill him. After watching Penelope, Poe, Otto, Kaya, and Journey get their asses kicked, the vision ended."
"Back in the present, you yourself charged Barthandelus head on. You got in a few good attacks, but ultimately died. In the Void, My Lady explained your Focus to you, but more on that later. There's a few other things I need to tell you."
Blaze nodded again, and raised his legs onto the conference table in a relaxing position. Lucy sighed.
"The Goddess Etro brought you back to life, and we entered Gestalt. We destroyed Barthandelus' physical form, but since we're not Ragnarok, he'll be back soon. He can't leave the Orphan shard or he'll die, so we will be fine for now. After the explosion sent you soaring out of the Nascent Throne and the Narthex, the Goddess Etro helped you out once more."
"Since you so desperately desire to see the Maker, she presented you with a riddle. More on that later, I'll tell you the more important things now." Lucy said, the skull seeming to be scanning the room instead of directly looking at Blaze.
"Since then, it has been sixteen days. My Lady blessed you for a third time, and provided you with a place to go to. She has brought you to Pulse."
Blaze nearly fell out of the chair he was in. Regaining his sense of balance, Blaze stared at Lucy with widened and astonished eyes. "What? I'm on Pulse?"
"Yes." Lucy answered. "Unfortunately, Her trajectory was a little off. You landed in some city, instead of Taejins' Tower. I've put you in a temporary coma over the past sixteen days. You landed somewhere fairly unsuspecting. I'm sure most people will think you're homeless or something. No one has yet to disturb you, but the Goddess Etro told me that you will be meeting a few people—"
Blaze eyed the four other suited, headless figured standing around the conference tables. "What's with these guys?" Blaze questioned, interrupting Lucy.
"Uh...This is your dream world, Edgar. We're in the material form of your will. These guys, this whole room, the entire city outside, it's all figments of your imagination. Will them away if you wish to do so."
Blaze closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He remained perfectly still, until the need to exhale overcame him. Letting the air escape, Blaze opened his eyes. He was no longer in the conference room, but on top of the office building itself. Wind whipped through his hair, the powerful gusts of air still powerless to disturb Lucy's flight. The Eidolon was now levitating before Blaze, the suit had disappeared, along with the others.
"Now, do you remember your plan?" Lucy inquired. "Yeah, we lay low for awhile. We avoid the military, and I train my powers. Finally, I destroy Ark, and kill Lucas. After that, I'll sort out this Focus crap."
Blaze turned to gaze out at the sprawling city around him. The buildings near the city limits looked the worst. The concrete structures were crumbling, half-destroyed shells of their brethren. Some chunks of the buildings were ripped right out and remained floating in air. Blaze grew tense at the sight, familiar feelings rippling through him. Without the medicine, old impulses would creep their way into Blaze's head. He didn't press the matter, and remained staring at the horizon. The deterioration of each building spread like a plague, and Blaze realized that the only building in perfect condition was the one he and Lucy were on.
"There were other things too, Edgar. You wanted to figure out where you had came from, and what happened to you before becoming a l'Cie. Before you became a Project. You're twenty-eight now, so I'm sure you're old enough to look for the answers without crying to me."
Blaze yawned. It was always the same. At this point, it had seemed that he was honing his entire life into a sword that will be driven through Lucas' heart. He could only remember the one year he had spent in the holding cell, a brief moment when he was ten and fighting Barthandelus in the Narthex. He hated that this 'Maker' that everyone was talking about was supposed to provide salvation for the fal'Cie. Well where was his salvation? Blaze hated that the reason for his existence was to kill the Maker. His life felt...empty, and unfulfilled. He desired a different purpose. Blaze desired the ability to make his own choices. When he finds the Maker, Blaze would have questions.
If I could find him, Blaze thought to himself. The Goddess Etro had provided him with some sort of riddle, but he had yet to decipher the cryptic message. He honestly had no idea what the hell it meant.
"Hey, Lucy. What's the deal with the riddle Etro gave me?" he asked, letting his legs dangle over the edge of the building.
"I have no idea. My Lady kept it as much of a secret to you as to me. Just because I'm one of the Goddess Etro's Messengers, doesn't mean I'm in My Lady's inner circle. But She said it would better help you understand what the Maker truly is, so it's vital we discover the answer."
"I am what you cannot be, but you once were what I will become.
I am what only blind can see, and of infinity and one, I am the sum.
I am the cure, and I am the cancer..."
"If you can answer this riddle, you will understand."
Blaze was stumped. He entertained the idea that the answer was death. But he argued that if he once were dead, that would mean there would be a cycle of reincarnation. He figured that was wrong, as all souls of the deceased travel into the Void, and subsequently pass through the Door. He reasoned that the Goddess Etro couldn't die, as she was a divine creature, and was the Goddess of the Dead anyway. Lucy had told him that people near death can see the Goddess Etro, but Blaze couldn't tell how he could be blind, or what he'd be to blind to see, when near death.
Above all, Blaze had no idea what death had to do with better understanding the Maker. Unless, of course, the Maker was dead, having past through the Door as well.
"Edgar." Lucy asked, the Eidolon's voice trailing on. Blaze exited his trance of deep thought and turned to look at Lucy.
"You're Focus is to prevent the humans from getting killed by Omega, Shinryu, and Gilgamesh. You, and the other five Projects, need to save the human race. But, killing those three will just make it easier for PSICOM to wipe out the Pulsians, and ride the waves of souls on Ark. I have no idea what they plan on doing with the Maker once they pass through the Door."
Blaze shook his head and agreed. He sighed, knowing that the days ahead were going to be rough. He had less then a decade left to live, unless he used his powers, then it would be even shorter. He looked out on the horizon again, gazing at the crumbling, dying buildings.
"I know. So I'll kill 'em. What's the big deal about them anyway?"
Lucy's hallow voice echoed inside Blaze's head. The Eidolon sounded like it was laughing. Being a creature from the Void, Blaze thought Lucy ought to know something about them.
"Omega: A beast without a soul. Omega is a spider-like robot. It is a super weapon. Omega has the ability to travel through the Void, just like Shinryu and Gilgamesh. The Void is an empty dimension, occupied only by the Goddess Etro and her Messengers. Those who are powerful enough to enter the Void only do so to travel to a different world, or a different time. Omega was created by an ancient civilization, tasked with the destruction of a similar powerful entity: Shinryu. It is a learning, growing entity, nearly alive. I have only seen it once, and the sheer power emanating from Omega was enough to cause violent tremors in the Void."
"So I'll kill the big hunk of scrap metal. Case closed." Blaze replied. The beast sounded frightening, terrifying even. Regardless, Blaze didn't really seem to care. It was just another enemy he needed to destroy that stood between him, and Lucas. The green sparks of fire from Lucy's eye sockets flickered.
"Shinryu is an ancient dragon that dwells within the Void. He and Omega are locked in eternal combat. Neither able to defeat the other. Shinryu will typically follow Omega wherever the beast goes, and vice versa. Last time I saw the dragon, he was having an argument with Bahamut."
Blaze snickered and flashed Lucy a half-smile. "I'll let Fang take care of that one. Lucas once told me that Fang was able to summon Bahamut, so I'm sure he will be itching to fight Shinryu."
"The last is Gilgamesh. I don't know of any relation between him and Omega or Shinryu, but the Goddess Etro did say the three arrive on Pulse by mistake. He is on a constant quest for the legendary sword, Excalibur. He can supposedly morph, and he tends to feign defeat."
Blaze nodded and stood up. He shook his tired legs and cracked his knuckles. "So I'll kill him too. No biggie."
"You need to put more thought into these things, Edgar. I can give you the power, but you are the one to use it. My Lady did more than just heal your left arm and cure your left eye's blindness. She stabilized your powers. Now you'll be able to function around in society without burning everything to the ground."
Blaze chuckled softly to himself. The Goddess Etro really did help him out. He would be sure to repay the favor, any way he could.
"Now, you do know what's going to happen before Omega, Shinryu, and Gilgamesh are summoned, right?" Lucy asked, the Eidolon sounding a little fed up with all the explanations.
Blaze shrugged. "Hell if I know. All I want to do is get to Lucas, so my efforts will be focused on that."
"No, you idiot." Lucy retaliated. "The other Projects will be hunting you down, you know. Once PSICOM catches a whiff of your disappearance, the other five Projects will be all over you."
Laughing, Blaze turned to Lucy. "I could care less about the other Projects at this point. I was built to be the strongest, and I am. I'm nearing the completion of mastering my powers, while everyone else is still learning. The only one who has a chance against me is Myst, and that's if she survives long enough to master her powers. Once I kill Omega, Shinryu, and Gilgamesh, all six of us turn to crystal, anyway."
"Besides, Fang is handling Myst. I'm sure she and Vanille won't be attacking me anyway. The other three Projects, however, might be a nuisance. Terra is a whore, a slut. The bitch was trying to screw everyone in sight the minute she got out of her cage. She has complete control of earth, though. If she's down on Pulse with me, she'll be fucking the brains out of some unlucky guy. I'll probably kill her while she's doing too." Blaze said, laughing at the end.
"Geist is powerful, but he has hardly reached any milestone in his powers since I last met him. He absorbs the energy of living organisms, which in turn increase his own power. With a single touch, he can kill a giant beast. I've got the perfect plan on how to beat him: Burn everything, and everyone to the ground until everything and everyone is dead. Simple."
The tiny plumes of eldritch green fire in Lucy's eye sockets flickered. The Eidolon seemed to acknowledge that Blaze could easily defeat his fellow experiments.
"Genesis is the least developed of us all. He has healing magic, and mastery over nature. I'm sure he has the whole animal communication and shapeshifting package too. I'll just kill him in a fight, or incinerate the fighting area." Blaze finished his speech.
Lucy glided over to Blaze, nearing his shoulder. Blaze stared at the human-sized skull, floating effortlessly in the air. Looking around, he could see that the world around him, his dream, was beginning to shake. Everything grew dimmer. Another building collapsed among its dozens of fallen companions.
"It's been a few hours." Lucy stated. "The people My Lady told me you would meet have arrived a little while ago. I'll wake you up now so you can meet them."
"Remember, our conscious' are becoming farther apart at the moment. You will have to force us into Gestalt if you get into trouble."
With a lazy, and noisy yawn, Blaze woke up. He felt fully and completely relaxed. Resting for over sixteen days really gave him some energy. His bones were aching from remaining in the same position for so long, but once his blood started pumping, the sleep inertia faded away. Heart rate slowed down to normal, rapid-eye-movement had finished, and breathing was returning to a constant rate. Once his vision cleared, Blaze could see what was around.
He had no idea where the hell he was.
He was lying on his side, his body digging trenches in a couch. The soft, plush upholstery was a deep, wine red. The color looked so alike his hair, that Blaze nearly forgot where the mane of spiky red hair ended and when the couch began. He was in a sitting room, probably used for people to talk or eat dessert, or whatever humans do, Blaze thought to himself.
The walls were a pale pink, and the opposite wall from Blaze had a painting of an abundance of fruit. There was a decently sized glass coffee table in the center of the room, with a few magazines strewn across the clear surface. There was wine red loveseat opposite of Blaze, with a small nightstand next to it. Scented candles were everywhere, filling his nostrils with a mix of exotic and unfamiliar scents.
At the far end of the room, was a widescreen television. A man in a suit, with outrageous hair, was talking about something, but no sound escaped from the speakers. A series of pictures appeared on screen depicting a ruined city, thick columns of black smoke rising from the disaster the wrecked debris. On the corner of the screen, Blaze read the only bit of text:
After sixteen days, PSICOM has finally left the city of Paddra. While the Old Pulsian city was not aligned with the Republic of Cocoon, the fall of the great city will hurt everyone. Military officials say that there was nothing they could do. PSICOM had attacked the cult-city by surprise. An investigation team has yet to be deployed to find out the cause for this great catastrophe. Rick Hurricane, signing out. Back to you, Ted.
"What a load of bull. These humans don't even fight back? Sheesh I could probably take them down with both hands tied."
Umm...Lucy, you don't have any hands. You're a floating skull.
Lucy had shut up, leaving Blaze alone again. Moving into a sitting position, Blaze was able to see more of the place in which he had arrived in. A hallway stretched out of his view, assuming leading to other rooms. A small kitchen was at a far corner of the area, unoccupied. There was a door near the kitchen, but it remained unclosed. Rubbing his eyes for a moment, Blaze realized that he was completely naked. A blanket had previously been covering his body, but he must've shook it off while sleeping.
Blaze heard some muffled noises coming from outside, and the door swung wide open.
"Alright! Let's get dinner cooking!" a man shouted. His loud, booming voice immediately bringing Blaze to full attention.
A very, very tall man charged into the house. A girl, caught in a fit of giggling, was on the man's shoulders. The tall man put the substantially smaller girl onto her legs, a gloved hand ruffling up the girl's pink hair.
"Oh, no, no, no. Don't you remember last time you made something, Snow?" the pink-haired girl asked, giving Snow a weak shove. Snow played along, exaggerated it even, and took the shove. He stumbled backwards, and fell right onto his back.
"W-woah. Hey, don't hurt me anymore, please. You're too tough for me, Serah." Snow chuckled, waving his hands to fend off the smaller girl. Serah pouted, and flashed Snow big blue puppy eyes. Lowering his guard, Snow motioned to get up. Serah's lips quickly turned into a mischievous smirk, and she jumped onto Snow's body, sending the taller man back to the floor once again.
Snow playfully winced in pain, and wrapped his arms around Serah. Brushing away some of the hair covering Serah's eyes, Snow leaned forward to kiss her. Slowly leaning in, Serah smiled and—
"Umm...Can either of you tell me what the hell am I doing here!" Blaze yelled, clearing his voice so the other two could clearly notice him.
Serah and Snow looked at Blaze like a deer caught in the gaze of a headlight. Everything was dead silent, until Serah broke down in another fit of laughter. Nudging Serah off of him, Snow got back onto his own two feet, picking up the pink-haired girl as he stood up.
"Well, well, well. It looks like Sleeping Beauty finally woke up, huh?" Snow asked, flashing Blaze a grin. Snow sat down on the loveseat, while Serah whispered to him about getting the groceries. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and walked back out the door.
Blaze rested has hands on his knees, and looked at Snow. "I'll repeat myself: What the hell am I doing here!"
Snow laughed again, shaking his head from side to side. He had his typical large gray boots on, and baggy black pants covering his legs. A striped blue scarf hung from a belt under a long beige trench coat. Beneath the trench coat was a light blue vest. Snow had black gloves on his hands, and a black bandanna covering up most of his light blonde hair. The large mass of candles casted shadows over Snow's face, but Blaze could still see his glinting blue eyes.
"I'll answer," Snow began, pointing a finger at Blaze and glancing at the blanket. "If you cover yourself up."
Blaze looked down at himself. He was naked, but he never thought of it as much of a problem. He shrugged. He didn't really like the cheery, outgoing personality that this 'Snow' guy had. Blaze actually put some thought into the matter. He would've outright attacked the man, but Lucy, and the Goddess Etro, said that he was going to be meeting a few important people. He would spare them, for now. Wrapping the blanket around his waist, Blaze wondered why human beings were so uptight about something like that.
"Great!" Snow exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Now, I'll tell you how you ended up here, but first, tell me your name. If you didn't hear already from my girl, I'm Snow. She's Serah, by the way."
Blaze groaned. He just wanted to get this thing over with...Whatever he was doing, really. Without any idea of what was happening, he might as well play along and join the ride. But what should he tell them? Certainly they wouldn't know about the Projects, Blaze thought, implying that using his Project name would satisfy the brash interrogator across the room.
"Call me Blaze. Now tell me what I'm-"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll tell you." Snow said, interrupting Blaze. "Serah and I were out grocery shopping. While coming back to my motorcycle, Fenrir, we noticed you lying down on a bench. You looked raggedy, and disheveled...Basically like a pile of crap. We assumed you were homeless. After taking a closer inspection of you, we brought you back to our place. I noticed you were a l'Cie."
Blaze nodded slowly, cursing the Goddess Etro for placing him near a food store of all places. He didn't feel all that surprised about Snow knowing that he was a l'Cie. It's not like he could hide it, Blaze thought. Even if he could cover up the brands on his arm and chest, he couldn't hide the brand on his eye.
"We're just being kind here. The past three years has been tough on all of us, and many are stricken with poverty. I don't feel good about it, but the government gave the four of us really nice homes. You can stay here for awhile, I know it must be hard to be a l'Cie."
Letting a complete stranger into their home? Are these people idiots? Still...he seems to know a lot about what happened to Cocoon. Ol' Barthandelus said something about six other l'Cie after me had successfully killed Orphan.
"Four of us?" Blaze questioned, repeating Snow. "Yeah. Light, Hope, Sazh, and I. The government gave us really nice homes since we, you know, saved the world and all." Snow answered, a chuckle escaping his mouth. His hand rubbed the back of his neck.
Oh. So those four were the ones Vanille was talking about.
"So..." Snow began, leaning closer to Blaze. A gloved hand brushed stray locks of blonde hair from his eyes. "Do you know what your Focus is? It's alright at the moment if you don't, but it's vital that you figure that part out. I'll be able to help you if you—"
"Oh stop it, Snow!" Serah cried, bringing in a few bags of of the assumed groceries. "This man is a guest at our house. He doesn't have to tell us anything if he doesn't wish to. A man's past is his own...Sorry, I didn't quite catch your name."
Snow made his way over to Serah, and helped her carry the remaining packages into the kitchen. "The name's Blaze." the red haired man responded, not bothering to help.
Placing the last few bags onto the counter, Serah let loose an accomplished sigh. She flashed Blaze a bright smile, showing him her bright, and very white, teeth.
"You look like you could use a shower. Why don't you go cleanup?" Serah asked, wiping her hands with a towel. Snow began to unpack the bags from behind her. "Bathroom is down the hall, first door on your left."
Nodding, Blaze got up. Following Snow's advice, he kept the blanket on. He kept the dark blue cotton sheet wrapped around his waist. All three of his l'Cie brands were in full view. By now, small Cie'th eyes had opened at the twelve, eleven, ten, one, and two spikes. Full blank circles had appeared over the ninth and third spike. They would be opening soon. The flower on his palm was about to 'bloom'. The vine shaped brand encircling his right arm was nearing full Cie'th-ification. His left eye, now cured of its blindness, had gone Cie'th a long time ago.
You were right, Lucy. I only have about nine years left to live.
"Yeah, so? Time never meant anything to you, before. From day one your life was made and directed to become a sword. A sword wielded by Lucas to cast down his enemies. Once finished, he would cast you aside. I've given you the power to destroy him, to destroy the world. Hell, with enough power, and perfect battle strategy and intelligence, you could kill the Maker. Time means nothing at this point. Kill Lucas, then we'll worry about Time."
Blaze agreed. Time was pointless when he had a purpose in life. But at the moment, he had to build up to that single point where he would finally end Lucas' putrid, pathetic life. He had to start small, and to Blaze, that meant getting rid of the other Projects. By now, he knew they were on Pulse.
Following Serah's instructions, Blaze strode down the hallway. The other rooms down the hallway led to a master bedroom, and what looked like a guest room. Turning the knob, Blaze opened the bathroom door.
Closing the door behind him, Blaze could heard Serah speak. "Set the table, Snow! Claire and Hope will be joining us soon!"
The bathroom was small, but practical. A sink, a toilet, and a shower. There was a medicine cabinet that doubled as a mirror above the sink. The walls were painted a pale pink. The marble counter sink was spotless. A towel rack, with two or three plain white towels, was attached to the wall opposite the medicine cabinet. The toilet seat had some...pink frilly thing on it.
Blaze decided to use the shower first. Pulling the pink shower curtains aside, he stepped in. Near the bottom of the tub were two knobs. Between the knobs, was a nozzle used if anyone desired to have a bath, instead of a shower. He stared intently at the knobs, and scratched his chin. Blaze looked like he was in deep thought.
How the hell does this thing work?
"Ugh...You're an idiot." Well...How do you think it works, oh master of cleanliness? "How should I know? I'm a fiery skull, remember? Just take a shot in the dark."
Blaze turned one of the knobs, and water was released from the shower head. The water was mind numbingly cold, and sent Blaze reeling back towards the edge of the tub. Goosebumps began to form on his body. Shivering, Blaze watched the downpour of icy cold water descend to the tub, and flow to the drain. He scolded himself for being so stupid, assuming that normal humans knew how to use a shower.
With a snap of his finger, Blaze released waves of heat energy building up inside him. Steam began to rise from the floor, and cloud his vision. He sighed, actually enjoying his shower. Back in the holding cell, Dr. Kacey would scrub him down before and after surgeries. Never in his life, or well, what Blaze remembered, had he ever experienced a shower before. He was thoroughly satisfied. He threw off the sheet covering his waist and began to wash himself.
Minutes later, when he was nearly done, an idea popped into Blaze's mind. He laughed at the thought, and a smirk formed on his lips.
Do you think they'll care if I pee all over their shower curtain?
"What? Haha, I don't care, but the toilet is only three feet away." Lucy answered, the Eidolon's laugh ringing in Blaze's ear.
Eh. I'm feeling really lazy at this point.
With a smile plastered on his face, Blaze peed all over the pink shower curtains.
"Wow, our conscious' aren't even close and you're acting like a raunchy, perverse, beast. You make me so proud. However, that was really lame. You're not that good at being funny."
Twisting the knob back, the water ceased its constant flowing. With droplets of water falling off his body, and his mane of spiky red hair sticking to him, Blaze stepped out of the shower. Apparently, there was a note placed on the counter.
Take a towel to dry yourself off. There's a razor and other things you might need in the medicine cabinet. Snow was glad enough to lend you some clothes, so step into the master bedroom when you're finished.
Blaze's eyes lingered on the word 'razor'. He gulped, and felt his hands tense for a moment. Another building collapsed in his dream world. Shaking his head, Blaze crumpled up the note and threw it in a trash bin. He didn't need a towel to dry off. Releasing another wave of heat energy from deep inside him, the heat dried him off. Water droplets quickly evaporated. The pink frilly thing covering the toilet seat caught on fire, but Blaze quickly stamped it out. He didn't have complete control over his powers.
Striding over to the mirror above the sink, Blaze took a look at the visage before him. Thanks to the Goddess Etro, his body was in much better shape. Despite the magic of the divine, Blaze didn't feel much better. To him, he looked more like a corpse. A closer inspection revealed that he was growing stubble around his chin and upper lip.
Opening the medicine cabinet, Blaze found a various assortment of items placed on shelved. He grabbed a a white-looking tube and a toothbrush, remembering what Maria had taught him about brushing his teeth and oral hygiene. Squeezing a small portion of the contents from the tube on to the toothbrush, Blaze raised it to eye level. A yellowish, oily substance was coating the toothbrush. He brushed his teeth, but only for a few seconds before the taste became so overwhelming he nearly gagged.
He spat the goo out of his mouth, and turned on the sink. Blaze read the label on the 'toothpaste' he had used.
KY Jelly: Personal Lubricant for Her...? What is this stuff? It's absolutely disgusting, and my mouth is all sticky and oily. Gross.
He gargled with some water, and spat out the remaining sludge from his mouth. His eyes closed in on the razor blade. Eyes dilated, shoulders tense, and hands shaking. In a wobbly grasp, Blaze took the razor blade out of the medicine cabinet, and inspected his face. Swallowing nervously, Blaze cautiously shaved the stubble forming on his chin. He watched the little strands of red hair fall into the sink.
He breathed two light plumes of fire from his nostrils. Blaze burnt the hair forming on his upper lip. Again, he nervously began to shave himself. His hand wasn't steady enough, and on the last swipe, Blaze cut himself. A tiny red ink blotch of a wound formed on his upper lip. A small trickle of blood flowed down his skin. His eyes widened even more, and his breathing ceased. Blaze's eyes locked onto the diminutive stream of blood. His hand shook, and he had a hard time trying to stifle a laugh.
Blood...My blood...
Another building collapsed in his dream world. Shaking his head furiously, Blaze snapped back to reality. He threw the shaver back into the medicine cabinet and shut it quick. He couldn't stand looking at the small cut for long. He burnt the tiny cut, causing it to close. Turning away from the mirror, Blaze finally calmed himself down.
Blaze wrapped a towel around his waist. He heard commotion outside, reasoning that the people Serah and Snow were talking about had arrived. He still needed clothes, so he made his way unseen to the master bedroom.
The master bedroom was large, and seemed fitting for type of house. Nothing spectacular. A television set, a nightstand, a few drawers, and the bed of course. Matching with the entirety of the house, everything in the master bedroom was pink. Blaze found a closet to the right, and made his way there, without much of a care if he bumped into something or knocked an object over. There was a mirror attached to the closet, and Blaze quickly looked at his reflection before opening the door.
He sighed relief, glad that the tiny cut left by the razor had relinquished its final drops of blood. Opening the closet door, Blaze was astounded. Snow's walk-in closet was filled with basically one outfit. The majority of the closet was occupied by various trench coats attached to hangars. Nearly all of them were the same color; a pale, drab, beige.
Shit...how many trench coats does this guy even need...?
Blaze inspected a few, and tossed them to the side. He grabbed a black T-shirt. He took a particular liking to this T-shirt, noting the fire symbols emblazoned on the back. Looking at himself in the mirror, Blaze smirked, a little happy that what muscle he had was showing through the shirt. He grabbed a pair of black baggy pants, and a pair of Snow's boots. Trying them on proved unsuccessful, so Blaze discarded Snow's boots, and decided to go barefoot instead. He reasoned that these clothes would get ruined the minute he used some of his magic anyway. Grabbing a black bandanna with a skull imprint on it, Blaze's outfit was complete. Only his central, Orphan brand was hidden.
Fully clothed, Blaze exited Snow and Serah's room. The master bedroom led into the main hallway, and the guest room was closest. Only a sliver of the interior of the room could be seen. The door was only open a crack. A lamp dimly lit the smaller room. Looking in through the gap, Blaze could see the faint silhouette of a woman. She leaned over the edge of the bed, and was looking through a few duffel bags that lay near her feet.
The woman was hunched over the side of the bed, the lamp casting eerie shadows over her form. She had long, pink hair that flowed over her left shoulder. One of her cold, azure eyes lay hidden beneath the cloak of a shadow, but Blaze could clearly see its twin glinting in the light. Similar to the other girl Blaze met, Serah, the woman he was observing had a similar heart-shaped face. She was wearing what looked like a white soldiers uniform, with a light brown turtleneck shirt beneath it. A green metal pauldron was attached to her shoulder, with two glowing yellow stripes. A long, red cape descended from her back and onto the bed. She was wearing two knee-high, steel-toed leather boots. The woman had a brown miniskirt on, and a red storage pack wrapped around her left leg. Finally, she was wearing a pair of dark blue, fingerless gloves with gold plates over the knuckles, and a long black sleeve on her left arm that began from her bicep.
There was a case in her hand she was holding, but Blaze couldn't discern what it was. He was staring a bit too long when the woman finally took notice of him. Her head snapped to attention, and the two locked eyes for a mere second before Blaze quickly went along his way. He swallowed nervously, the vibes he was feeling from this woman a bit too ominous for comfort.
Blaze cleared his throat, making his presence known to the people talking in the sitting room. Serah was in the kitchen, doing something. Snow and another man were placing plates and utensils around the table. The two men looked up from their task and looked at Blaze. The one other than Snow had a confused look on his face.
"Hey...I'm Blaze." the red-haired man said, giving a nod to the silver-haired boy.
"Hope. Hope Estheim." he responded, returning Blaze's nod.
Hope was tall, shorter than Snow, but a little bigger than Serah. He had a short-sleeve, orange and yellow coat, and a light green scarf around his neck. Blaze noticed that Hope's scarf had black symbols written on it, but he couldn't decipher the text. He never did learn how to read. Beneath the coat, Hope wore a low-cut black shirt. He had black gloves with with palms, and deep green pants with long threads hanging from the back. On his feet, were light green shoes with black laces. His blue-green eyes seemed to shudder when Hope and Blaze caught each other inspecting the other.
Soon enough, the entire house was filled with the smells of food. The kitchen door swung open, revealing an apron-clad Serah, holding a big plate of meat.
"Dinner time! Get it while it's hot!" she shouted, rather enthusiastically. She placed the plate filled with meat at the center of the table, retreating back to the kitchen to fetch tubs and bowls of other dishes that were being served tonight. Blaze found the entire situation odd, still in disbelief that total strangers would bring another total stranger home, and then feed and clothe him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Blaze saw the soldier girl step out of the guest room. Since the silver-haired man was called Hope, Blaze concluded that the taller pink-haired woman was the one they called Claire.
They all surrounded the table, and took their seats. Blaze was flanked by Hope and Snow, and sat across from Claire. Snow was already busy, the man piling his plate high with the sizzling strips of cooked meat. Hope and Claire exchanged awkward glances, and Blaze assumed that he was the cause for them. Blaze looked down at the utensils around his plate, finding them all unknown to him. The tiny shaft of metal with serrated edges on one side, and a flat edge on the opposite made him tense up though.
Time passed, and soon everyone but Blaze had food on their plate. Hope, Snow, and Serah were busy in a conversation. Claire casted suspicious glances at Blaze, in between bites of food. Blaze just sat there, his eyes locked on the object he heard being called a 'knife'. His hand grasped the knife hard, his knuckles going white. The point of the knife prodding against the soft flesh of his wrist.
"So, Blaze...Why are you even here?" Claire asked, her question stopping the conversation held by the other three.
He locked eyes with Claire, and hesitated to respond. "Hey, Lightning, leave him be. We already told you that we brought him in because he's a l'Cie." Snow said, standing up for Blaze.
"Right..." Lightning muttered, not satisfied. "Hey," Snow began, his mouth full of food. "Why aren't you eating, Blaze?"
He looked down at his empty plate and up at Snow again. Bits and scraps of food clung to his face, obviously a messy eater. Blaze sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I...don't eat meat, I guess."
Snow's mouth hung agape, the chewed up blob of meat nearly falling out. Serah merely laughed politely and wiped up Snow's face with a napkin. She placed a big bowl of something green and leafy in front of Blaze, insisting that he eat it. Cautiously, Blaze picked up the four-pronged utensil he saw the others using. Spearing the leafy vegetable thing, Blaze bit off a piece. He chewed slowly, a little creeped out that the others were eyeing him as he ate. He gave an awkward nod of approval, and everyone but Lightning exhaled a sigh of relief.
Blaze chuckled quietly to himself, and the dinner resumed. Hope, Snow, and Serah brought up their old conversation again, talking about how Hope had changed since the last time he had visited. They said his voice got deeper, and was a little bit taller than Serah now, but Blaze didn't really get interested in their banter. He eyed the knife sitting innocently next to the strip of cloth the others were using to clean themselves with. Another building inside his dream world collapsed.
Lightning and Blaze shared skeptical looks between bites of food. He knew the pink-haired soldier girl would be trouble.
"Why do you keep staring at her? What, is she attractive or something?" Lucy asked, the Eidolon's voice turning into a shallow laugh inside Blaze's head.
Ugh, gross. No way. Human's are such a boring species, how could you think I'd be attracted to one?
"So, Blaze...Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, if that's okay with you." Serah asked, her lips turning into a bright and cheery smile. Blaze found that a little distasteful. The knife's sharp point made contact with his wrist again, caught by Lightning's unnerving gaze.
"Well...I...was originally a garbageman. You know...working in this city." he lied, his words coming out slow. One could easily tell he was nervous.
"The pay was terrible...and I just couldn't afford to pay for my house anymore." Blaze began to sniffle, trying to make it convincing that it was a touchy subject.
"My wife left me. She took my kid, and half of my stuff." he paused, letting the series of gasps subside. "Drunk, depressed, and down on my luck...I was contemplating suicide." Blaze poked his wrist with the knife again. "I went to the fal'Cie, and prayed for a miracle. They turned me into a l'Cie...and now I sit before you."
"Very believable, Edgar. Just so you know, I'd be rolling my eyes if I had any."
"Oh my God..!" Serah exclaimed, reaching over to try and comfort Blaze with a friendly touch. Her much smaller hand rested on top of Blaze's before his hand pulled away. "That's terrible! What fal'Cie did you go to? Maybe your Focus can help get your life together."
Shit...What fal'Cie live on Pulse? "How the hell should I know? The Goddess Etro has only told me about the important Cocoon fal'Cie."
"Well...you see..." Blaze began, his eyes wandering around before locking with Lightning's again. Her gaze grew more and more suspicious, appearing to Blaze as if she was slowly picking his story apart.
"I was branded by three different fal'Cie...I don't really know who branded me first. All I do know is that I got a freaky vision afterwards."
Blaze left it as it is. He bit into another leafy, green vegetable that filled the bowl before him. He stuck the knife into his wrist this time, letting a tiny pin-sized cut form. A tiny trickle of blood streamed down his flesh. Hope, who had remained quiet for quite some time, finally spoke up.
"What is your Focus, then? The four of us have been l'Cie before, so we know what you're going through. We know that it's hard, and either way, it's a lose-lose situation. But you can change your fate. We would know, we've done it before. That's how Snow, Light, Sazh, Fang, Vanille, and I all saved Cocoon." the silver-haired teenager said, his speech trying to make Blaze feel better.
Lightning's eyes widened for a moment after hearing 'Fang' and 'Vanille'. She quickly resumed the blank face she put on throughout the whole time Blaze had seen her. He didn't catch it, but Lucy did.
"She knows something. She is the one you need to talk to."
Blaze nodded and chuckled softly at Hope's heartfelt speech. "Well...the vision was really blurry. I couldn't make out a lot of it. But I saw a vast, wide open plain in my Focus. There were two great armies waging a desperate war against each other."
Lightning nearly dropped her fork and knife. She stared at Blaze, and the red-haired man knew that look confirmed Lucy's thoughts. The others were still in surprise, except for Snow, who was shouting something unintelligible. The man had food in his mouth, making his words all slurred, while pieces of the chewed meat flung everywhere.
"Wow! That sounds exciting! You can count me in, because Pulse needs its hero to return!" Snow whooped cheerfully after swallowing his food. He pounded a closed fist against an open palm, determination showing in his icy blue eyes.
"We need to bring you to my dad! I'm sure he would define—"
"Blaze! You're bleeding!" Serah shouted, interrupting Hope. Blaze quickly looked down at his arm, and grimaced at the tiny cut.
Pupils dilated. Heart rate hastened. Breathing stopped. Muscles tensed. Eyes locked on the tiny stream of blood. Blaze found it difficult to stifle a laugh. Another building inside his dream world collapsed.
"Uh...Uhm...I'm going to use the bathroom." Blaze stuttered, quickly rising. He rushed over to the bathroom, a hand clutching his wrist as if it was seriously wounded. Quiet laughs were escaping from Blaze's lips. He quickly slammed the bathroom door shut.
Blood...My blood...
Blaze stared at himself through the mirror. His reflection was hazy. He heard the others mumble something outside, but everything was muffled. Blaze felt vulnerable, hypersensitive even. His paranoia started acting up, and out of the corner of his eye, Blaze thought he could see things. Through his eye, he saw his shadow twist and contort into a series of different shapes. His hands were trembling, and his legs were shaky.
I need an injection...NOW.
Looking again at the mirror, Blaze grew angry. He tore his shirt off, and observed the wheel brand on his torso. His body seemed to phase slightly every few seconds or so, as if his physical form wasn't stable. Small cracks appeared from the center of the Orphan brand. His Ark brand, the circle with opposite arcing lines over his left eye, turned bloodshot. He looked as if he was about to cry blood.
He swung open the medicine cabinet. Any feelings of caring for Serah and Snow's property had abandoned him. The door slammed against the wall, a small crack forming in the glass. Grabbing the razor blade, Blaze freed the sharpened mass of metal from its plastic binding. Blaze couldn't help but laugh now. The crazed giggles and cackles flooded beyond his control.
He raised the razor to eye level, inspecting it. It was sharp, and would easily draw blood. He looked at his wrist again, the tiny cut by now had began to heal. The flow of blood ceased. Blaze's eyes wavered over the small wound.
It's...my blood...Hehe..
Blaze shoved the razor blade into his body. He didn't wince, or groan in pain. He merely smiled, welcoming the hurt. He kept the razor in his upper chest, beneath his left nipple. With some effort, he brought the razor blade up, and carved a rotated crescent moon onto his upper chest. The entire cut wasn't deep, but the blood rained freely. His torso was coated in crimson, some of the blood seeping into the cracks of his Orphan brand.
He felt Lucy form around his head. The hallow skull becoming a mask. The eye sockets lit ablaze with red flame. He felt the Gestalt metamorphosis begin...
Lightning kicked open the bathroom door. Her gunblade was raised high, her eyes scanning the room for Blaze.
Once she knew his name, Lightning grew suspicious. She flash backed to Paddra, over sixteen days ago. Lucas had said something about Projects. She remembered how Lucas said there were three in Paddra: Naga, Myst, and Blaze. Lightning discovered Myst's identity to be Vanille once Rook knocked her helmet off. She knew Naga must have been Fang while the two fought. Lightning hadn't seen Blaze in Paddra, but the red haired man was still a threat.
He was supposed to lead Operation: Spearhead, as Lucas called it. Blaze, Fang, and Vanille were supposed to lead the PSICOM army in an invasion. The three would wipe out all Pulsian life, just to encounter the Maker, or fulfill their Master's Focus. Lightning scolded Serah and Snow for letting one of Pulse's most dangerous enemies into their own home. She argued that the news had never released anything about the Projects, and she told no one what she heard from Lucas.
Lightning had to kill him. It would risk Serah's safety, the information throwing her into the direction of PSICOM's wrath. It had to be done. If Blaze was spared, or escaped, he would wreck havoc on the civilians of New Bodhum.
As the door swung upon, she saw for a split second, a skull fade away from Blaze's face. Sparks of flame scattered, and Blaze looked normal...sort of.
Blood was everywhere. The man held a sanguine stained razor blade in his hand, and a large crescent moon shaped cut was carved into his skin. Blaze was smiling and laughing, seemingly happy. His content grin faded when Hope, Serah, and Snow appeared in the doorway.
Blaze shook his head, thinking that it would snap him back to reality. Lightning had a better idea, and launched herself at the distraught man.
She swung her blade in a downward slice, intending to cut the man up more than he already was. He was quicker than expected, and sidestepped the attack. Blaze looked at Lightning as if she was crazy, and then realized he was being attacked. He was hesitant, and looked distracted, so Lightning took the initiative.
With a quick roundhouse kick to the face, Blaze was sent to the ground. The two locked eyes; cold azure versus fiery crimson. Lightning held her gunblade out, the point mere centimeters from Blaze's neck.
He moves, he dies.
"Are you insane?" Lightning cried, applying pressure to his neck. Blaze smirked, and stifled a laugh.
"I wouldn't call me insane. I would say...creative. Imaginative. Imagination is the best way to say fuck you to reality."
"Look. I know who you are, and what you're doing here. Why did you come to my house?"
Blaze was really laughing now. He didn't even seem phased by the gunblade at his throat.
"Hey, I will live my life as I please. Judge me if you want, but we are all going to die. I intend to deserve it."
Suddenly...the room began to feel really hot. Lightning did not have a hard time noticing the drastic change in temperature so quickly. The heat was wall focused on her gunblade. Her hands felt like they were burning, and soon the slick metal was beginning to have a faint, red glow to it.
Instinct commanded her to drop the scalding hot blade. Lightning clutched her hurting palms, momentarily forgetting about Blaze. The red haired man flashed a grin at the confused Lightning, and spun to her side to grab his discarded T-shirt. Blaze gave Lightning a quick touch to her neck with his fingers, leaving a small burn mark on her otherwise flawless skin.
Blaze tucked the shirt under his arm, and charged out of the bathroom. He passed by the bewildered looks of Hope, Snow, and Serah. This entire scheme at the moment was him acting without thinking, so Blaze charged through the exit door to the house.
"Thanks for the food! Say bye to Claire for me!" Blaze shouted. He had heard Serah say Claire first, so he decided to call her that, instead of the nickname Snow and Hope were calling her.
He found himself in the dark, deserted streets of New Bodhum, and ran.
"What was with the burn mark you left on that girl, Edgar?"
Eh, I don't know. Think of it as a goodbye present. Blaze mentally shrugged.
"Oh. So you do like her. What happened to human's being such a boring species?"
It's not like it matters. I doubt I will be seeing her again anytime soon. She thinks I'm an enemy too. But to answer your question:
No, I don't like her, I just hate her less than everyone else.