Chapter 54: The Petals Scatter
And no matter what I do
Nothing ever takes the place of you
Marluxia made the first move by sending a wave of razor sharp rose petals.
In response, Ruby fired a shot from the end of Crescent Rose, sending her to the right. The speeding petals passed by harmlessly.
The cafeteria was completely empty now, the sounds of heavy battle could be heard on the outside. The clashing of metal, the cries of human attacks or injury, the demolition of property, High grade explosions.
Like a warzone.
Which unfortunately reminded Ruby too much of the siege.
'We just finished fighting what felt like a war. But our enemies are attacking is already?' The fifteen year old couldn't help but think. It brought a deep level of concern, hoping to Monty above that they wouldn't lose anyone this time around.
Her eyes shifted over to her scythe wielding enemy, whom merely stood there, analyzing her. Their battle had only just begun, but Ruby was already feeling rigidity. His fighting style seemed relatively clear, a scythe wielder just like her. He even had rose petals like her!
The difference here being that his roses could assumingly injure someone, while Ruby's only appeared when she utilized her semblance. Those two factors set in stone, all she had to do was match his scythe-play and avoid his rose petal attacks. Easy enough.
Then why did she get the feeling there's is more to this guy than that?
"It is your turn, young lady."
Ruby's silver eyes snapped up at her enemy's face. His dull voice carrying no visible emotion, yet there was a slight drip of taunt in them. It was an odd combination, and for some reason that was unnerving.
Marluxia continued even without her response. "I have made the first move. After all, men are expected to be the bold ones. But now it's your turn, impress me with your talents."
Ruby's eyebrow rose. "Umm...okay?"
Ruby did as asked to, switching Crescent Rose to sniping mode and firing her steel piercing bullets at the pink-haired nobody. Safer to fight at a distance for now, hopefully in doing so she'd be able to reveal any other techniques he may have in store.
Marluxia needn't even see the bullets to know they were coming. His scythe in one hand, he slashed each individual out of the air. At the same time, each bullet was completely severed in half. He'd torn them apart so fast it was like they were moving in slow motion to him.
A tiny bemused smirk made way on his gorgeous face.
"Was that the best you had? Pathetic."
Ruby's eye twitched.
In the next instant she was dodging another wave of petals, this time Marluxia was guiding them like they were being carried by a powerful wind. The girl immediately broke into a run, leaping over tables with finesse to escape the razor-like roses. She slid over one table, allowing her weight to carry it down and lift it up.
She placed her back against it firmly, feeling the roses dent into the thick structure and hoping it held strong.
"Smart." He heard Marluxia speak. "But not smart enough."
Ruby barely evaded the rose petals as they came raining down on her from above. For the mere ends of a flower, they could deal some serious damage. They tore up the area of the floor she'd previously stood on to bits. And it was made of concrete!
But the attack was not over yet, Ruby ran away again to avoid the hectic trail of roses. She internally groaned. This attack was never going to end if she didn't do something! The petal storm was now even kicking up the cafeteria tables, sending the flying and crashing into whatever direction the wind directed them.
Ruby slid to under a table that dropped down toward her, then hitting the brakes to keep from running into another. Speeding backward she leapt to the side, again avoiding the petal storm from turning her into little Ruby ribbons.
"That's it, dance." Marluxia taunted, his smirk growing wider. "Dance in this blooming storm in your feeble attempt to keep yourself alive."
Ruby gripped her weapon tightly, watching closely as the trailing petal storm shattered apart. Leaving the red leaves to precariously float in the air.
It would've been a very beautiful sight; if those very same roses hadn't been trying to vicious tear her limb from limb just a few second ago. With that said, this whole fight so far had been nothing more than Ruby having to dodge and run. This Marluxia guy was clearly not putting his all into besting her, and that singular thought itself was enough to annoy the huntress-in-training.
She cast her sights back on the feminine man, who still stood in the same spot. She glared at him, and his smirk only grew and grew.
"Keep your wits about you." He warned her.
Ruby had not noticed in time. The scattered petals had reformed to create was what seemed to be swirling bowl-like creations. There were three in total, and the spun as quickly as a spinning top as the bulleted for their target.
And one had caught her.
She was surprised that they weren't inflicting any cutting damage on her. Instead they had hoisted her off the floor and kept her suspended in its ring like structure. What was Marluxia trying to do? Juggle her to death?
Before she could react, another petal storm came for her. With Ruby now held in place, this attack would surely hit. As if for insurance, the spinning petal trap Ruby was caught in caught in zoomed straight toward the attack too. Moving so fast it barely gave Ruby much chance to maneuver.
Luckily for her she was able to move just enough.
She kicked off the trap, using her semblance to carry her farther. The two petal attacks collided in a ear-ringing violent sounding crash for such frail looking flower tips. As if they'd only lost their senses for a few seconds, the scarlet leaves were pursuing Ruby again. This time as a multitude of thick rose tendrils. They shot at her like drills, or slapped at her like whips. But Ruby was fast and agile even in midair, ducking and diving to steer clear of the pain they'd inflict.
Ruby gritted her teeth as she evaded another. She'd had enough of running. It was time to attack again.
BANG!
A single powerful shot from Crescent Rose send her barreling for her attacker. She held her scythe close to her side, it's blade sticking out so she could unleashed her planned horizontal slash. Marluxia merely stood there, watching Ruby as she descended.
Once the girl was close enough she swung her blade hard.
No resistance felt, she bisected Marluxia by the waist. The man's now separated parts flying apart before fading into the darkness.
At last, the fight was over.
She gave herself a small smile, she did it! Now to go help out the other students with the Heartless.
...if only it were that easy.
Ruby shrieked as a bushel of razor sharp roses rose from the very floor she was standing on. The had burst in existence straight through the floor, their bladed edges leaving thin cuts on her. The attack hadn't been strong enough to carry her away, but she definitely felt enough pain to grow weak in the knees. Those same knees then greeted the ground, Ruby having to prop herself up by her hands to keep from falling completely.
To her anger and surprise, Marluxia suddenly reappeared in front of her in a burst of rose petals.
"You young lady, do not have very good manners." Taunted the flowery nobody, scythe slung over his shoulder. He looked completely unharmed! Not even a tear in his coat! What had happened? Ruby was sure she'd cut through pure flesh in her last attack…
"But...how did you…?" Ruby said lowly, reaching to grasp her scythe.
"If you truly believed that was the real me, you are are as sightless as a blinded person." The man uncaringly brushed off his shoulder, even the dust that collected there was not worthy enough to stand up to him. "That was nothing more than a copy."
'A copy? The whole time?' Ruby actually could hide her astonishment this time around. So she was right, he was just playing with her right now.
"Unfortunately for you, I've already grown tired of this pointless scuffle. So kindly perish." The evil man swung his scythe down at her, his intent to pierce her right through her back.
Ruby pushed off the ground at a moment's notice, allowing Marluxia's scythe to embed itself in the ground. Her body still hurt, but thankfull her aura was starting to heal her. She was secretly thankful the attacks hadn't been deep.
She launched after Marluxia again, now bashing her scythe blade against Marluxia's. The heavy gardening tools were clashed back and forth repeatedly, the heavy ring of metal was much deeper and louder than that of a simple sword clash. Ruby swung her scythe over her head, whipping the blade toward Marluxia's neck.
But before it could hit, Marluxia was gone.
Right...teleportation…
Ruby trusted her instincts and turned on her heel with Crescent Rose held up defensively. Her trust paid off, as she was able to fully block Marluxia's scythe. Marluxia then pressed the attack, his one handed swings far more powerful than Ruby initially perceived. It was strange that he could hold such an obviously heavy weapon with one hand. Clearly despite his somewhat girly appearance, he had to have an enormous amount of strength.
And this was shown quite well when he temporarily disarmed Ruby with an upward swing. He then kneed Ruby in her gut to stun her before leaping into the air.
He dropped back down again with amazing speed, slamming the butt of the scythe's handle on the ground.
The impact started a great tremor, shaking up the cafeteria floor and even sending a great portion of the tables into the air. Ruby had dodged the strike of his scythe sure enough, but it was the tremor that tripped her up.
She had a hard time standing, losing her balance a few times as she tried to locate her weapon. Her eyes lit up when the saw her beloved Crescent Rose spiraling through the air in conjunction with the lunch tables.
Here was her chance!
The girl jumped toward the closest table she could, kicking off it right away to leap to another. She repeated this process with the most acrobatic of movements, swinging off the leg of one so she could land on it's base. Pushing off again she darted for her aerial scythe with her hand outstretched.
"Become scattered!"
Ruby leaned to her left, upon hearing the rapid whirl of a thrown weapon. Her senses saved her again as Marluxia's scythe whipped past her. Why if she hadn't moved quickly enough…
In any case, unfortunately the scythe had rammed into Ruby's. Their clash sent Ruby's scythe higher into the air…
Before becoming lodged in the opposite wall.
Top that off with Marluxia's scythe changing its course and coming straight for her and you'll get…
"AW MAN!" Ruby whined angrily.
She caught the end of another table, twirling off of it to hurtle after he weapon again. Marluxia appeared in front of her, quickly sending his outstretched hand at her. Thinking fast, Ruby changed her trajectory slightly…
In what should've been an incredibly impossible feat, Ruby had utilized her slender frame to its absolute best. She was able to narrowly miss Marluxia's hand, instead sliding her body across his thick arm while bringing her left knee forward. Marluxia's eyes had widened in surprise, but by then her knee was only centimeters away...
KRAK!
The nobody certainly did not expect such a tiny girl's physical strength to be so high. It was likely due to the speed she'd built up from her jumps and ascension through the air. No matter how you analyzed it, the attack had still hit its mark rather painfully.
Ruby's knee connected to Marluxia's jaw so powerfully that it she actually heard the cracking of bone. Ruby had made sure to enhance the blow with her aura, only making the attack that much stronger. Marluxia had been knocked off balance and without his usual focus, he plummeted to the floor.
Ruby continued to ride the speed she'd built up, right for her Crescent Rose.
She grabbed her beloved partner with both hands, wedging it free with a single pull. She back-flipped through the air as she continued down. Landing properly on her feet, she looked at the floored Marluxia readily.
Marluxia in turn was now getting up. His face twisted in an expression of rage. He looked like he was trying to maintain composure, to withdraw his usual lucidness in battle that allowed him to fight gracefully.
No such result was achieved.
"You...have grown to be quite a thorn in my side." The man stated.
"I could say the same about you." Ruby remarked, she wouldn't dare be baited.
"Very well, I guess it's time we fought seriously this time then." Then the man pointing his palm at her. "Your efforts will be no good!"
As if the rose petal storm wasn't already bad enough…
A gargantuan blizzard of petals came scouring for her, Ruby clenched her teeth as she tried to the think of a way to counter. The whirlwind of blades was strong enough to up-kick the tables as well, only now they were caught up in the blizzard's trail and barreling for Ruby as well.
So rose petals sharper than swords and thick hardwood furniture.
In a billowing wind storm that only went in one direction.
And no where to hide or dodge.
Was it too late to surrender?
But Ruby, much like Sora, was not the type to give in. Not even to the most impossible looking of odds. The girl closed Crescent Rose and placed it behind her. She then leaned into a running stance, melding as much aura as she possibly could. This energy augmented her entire body, giving off a bit of a glow at the same time. Never before had Ruby done such an technique, but she'd been training hard since the siege. Working to gain the strength necessary to fight the Organization.
Now it was time to see if all that hard work was truly worth it.
Better now than never.
Using her hands and feet to push her forward, Ruby blasted off the ground so powerful that it actually wrecked the floor she stood on, breaking and turning up the concrete without much effort. Once she was in the air, she curled into a ball and allowed herself to gyrate and what should've been ludicrous velocity. Ruby was not much more than a speed red streak right now, so fast that Marluxia wasn't even sure it was a human that was approaching him.
Ruby made contact with the blizzard, punching through it like a runaway train. She bounced off the scattered tables, any rosy blades that approached them were unable to penetrate the body shield of aura that she had coating herself.
"What the hell? How is she completely avoiding damage…?" Marluxia readied his scythe to cleave her in half. The nobody man's Graceful Dahlia glowed with blazing pink energy. "Deathscythe."
With multiple swings, he send powerful blade shapes of pure energy at the beacon student closing in on him. Ruby, despite being such a blur, saw this attack coming. She unsheathed Crescent Rose and held it out in front of her, letting it lean to the side as well.
He fast rotating did the rest.
Now looking a lot like a bladed tire, the girl dispelled each energy blade that came her way. The blade of Crescent Rose knocking them aside like they were nothing more than flies.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Marluxia exclaimed.
Ruby did not bother to grace him with a response. Instead she leaned backward and pressed both her legs forward into a dropkick stance. Marluxia was unable to move in time.
THOOM!
Even Yang would cringe at the superbly powerful sounded of the blow. Ruby's boots met Marluxia''s face like a wrecking ball meets a building. The strike was so powerful that Marluxia thought his head would pop right off. To his luck and dismay, he was instead sent flying back just as fast as Ruby had been flying toward him. His back met the wall without disruption, eliciting a deep crater in it that rattled the entire cafeteria.
His eyes were wide and pupil-less.
His body slumped down to the ground in messy heap.
He wouldn't be getting up now.
"Gghhh..." Ruby tried to resist yelling out of pain. That attack had used a great deal of aura, while also pushing her muscles to the absolute limit. A tight, cramping pain was in her arms and legs, forcing her to have to plop onto her bottom.
"Oww...I'm never doing that again." She promised herself, rubbing her arms with both hands to help soothe her pain. She looked over at Marluxia laying on the ground, crumbling concrete bits even falling down on him. Well he certainly wasn't a clone, he'd have vanished by now. And it didn't seem like he was getting up anytime soon.
Good, then the fight was over.
She staggered to her feet, still gripping one arm with the other. She then turned and began walking away, using a small portion of her aura to help calm her burning muscles. Then a thought came to her.
'He said this was my test...did he mean the test that Xigbar said would happen back in Briel? If this flower guy was my test…"
Then Yang and Weiss were probably fighting too!
She was in pain, and it hurt to even walk, but if it was to go and save her teammate and sister, she would fight for days on end. The girl broke into a run despite her aching legs, she had to find her team as soon as possible.
But then a sharp pain in her brain stopped her. In fact it was so sudden that she had slipped and hit the floor.
She bit down on her lip unconsciously hard, gripping her aching head as the pain surged through it.
'What...what's happening…?' She could barely hear herself think. The pain was far too great. It felt like someone was trying to reach into her brain and pull something out. Like so invisible force was trying to manipulate her.
Or kill her.
And she was powerless to stop it.
Seconds felt like hours to the girl, the abundant agony was enough to make tears slip out of her eyes.
And just like that, she blacked out.
Her mind flowed with imagery, things familiar and unfamiliar…
Her friends and team standing there, smiling at her.
The Professors as well, some with kind looks, some with more stern, disciplinarian type glares.
Grimm...running through the forest on the hunt for new prey, only as the image flourished it was more like they were in battle. Heartless appeared, and the destruction between the two creatures of darkness ran rampant. They tore each other apart, warring over who deserved the right eliminate life and steal hearts.
She saw two unfamiliar people, a duck and a dog? They had positive grins on their faces, looking back at her as if expected her to follow them.
Only it wasn't her that followed.
Sora appeared on the scene, walking up to them and giving them a shared smile. He then turned to look back at Ruby, giving her the widest smile he could.
He held out his hand for her. Mouthing her name to beckon her.
Ruby instinctively reached out, feeling warmth in her heart the moment her fingertips touched his…
Then he vanished.
The entire scene was gone and Ruby was left standing in a pitch black room. She looked about wildly, wondering where in the world she could possibly be. Was this a dream? It felt a lot like the dreams she was having about Sora so long ago.
"Glad to see you are well."
Her head turned to spot a familiar face…
"It's you…"
The old man she'd met at the docks smiled at her kindly, arms behind his back. Ruby was immediately in question. "But, what are you doing here? How are you even…?"
Suddenly Ruby felt the most terrifying of energy coming from this smiling man. His closed eyes and clam grin turned into an image most horrible with that sinister aura coming from him.
"You have grown in strength Ms. Rose, and I daresay you are almost ready…" He said to her, walking up to her until she was looking right up at him. Ruby didn't know why she hadn't moved away...in fact, she couldn't. She was far too afraid to move a muscle.
"Your heart quivers…" Xehanort pointed out knowingly. "And why shouldn't it? Why, without me doing much my but talking to you. You know you cannot resist or defeat me."
Ruby visibly tightened up, as if waiting for injury to come to her.
"But rest assured I will not harm you. I am simply here to question you." The elderly man spoke, patting her shoulder before turning and walking back to his previous spot. "Do this and I shall end your horrific nightmare."
"Wh-what do you even want to ask me?" Ruby remained on edge, hastily reaching for Crescent Rose. She gasped when she realized it wasn't there...right, so this is a dream. Then why did it feel so real?"
"Tell me Ruby...what is it that is precious to you?"
Despite herself, Ruby wondered why he even wanted to know such a thing. She would have asked him, but it was better not to drag this out. She needed to go help Weiss and Yang.
"M-my friends, and my family...everyone who has ever helped and supported me. I couldn't imagine living without them."
"I see...then tell me, Xehanort grinned madly. "Would your heart shattered to pieces if these people were taken away? To never see them again? Surely that would be quite a harrowing thing for a simple soul like yourself."
If Ruby wasn't on edge already she certainly was now. She was scared; but determined anger temporarily replaced her terrified expression. "I won't let that happen! You stay away from them!"
"And how will you stop me if I don't?"
Ruby wanted to argue back, to give him the appropriate response to his cruel question.
But she couldn't.
Her arms fell to her side in lost hope. What could she do? Would she be able to protect them from this incredibly powerful man before her? She didn't think she could…
"Ah Ms. Rose, you are a fickle one indeed. And your bark certainly does not pair well with your bite. But because you have entertained me so well, I shall offer you a proposition…"
"A...proposition?" Ruby asked.
"Indeed. My name is Xehanort, and I am the superior of Organization XIII."
Ruby nearly fainted. So that whole time at the docks...she was playfully conversing with the leader of the inhumanly powerful Organization XIII!? Are you kidding me!? She wanted to punch herself for being so dense, why hadn't she notice his corrupted aura sooner?
Xehanort reigned her attention back in. "I am perfectly willing to gather my followers and leave your world. Provided one condition…"
He turned back to her. "The keyblade wielder Sora."
Ruby's heart plummeted, she knew her immediate response. "No! NEVER!" she yelled so hard it made her throat hurt.
Xehanort never stopped smirking. "You'd sacrifice the lives of your teammates, friends, sister...just for one person you barely know?"
Ruby shook her head in denial. "I'd never give up a friend! Not only would I never be able to live with myself, but my friends would never forgive me either…"
"I'm not the only one who cares about Sora! We all do! I would never think of giving him up, or any of my other friends for that matter!"
Ruby had never yelled so much in her entire life. But Sora's and everyone else's life being thrown in the line of fire like that just riled up a boiling rage in her. For someone to so casually play with the concept of people's loyalty…
Ruby never thought she'd encounter such evil.
"Why then? Why do you defend Sora so potently? Is it because you value his friendship above others?"
Ruby was at a loss for words. "N-no…"
"Then perhaps he is more important to you than anyone else you've ever met?"
"No...that's not…" Ruby was growing increasingly frustrated. Her head was hurting again and her heart felt like it was going to spring out of her chest. What did it matter what Sora was to her? Why did he care? Ruby knew better than anyone how she felt for the keyblade wielder. He was strong, brave, funny and cared about people he didn't even know. He was a hero and above all, an amazing person. Ruby would never place him above anyone else in her spectrum of friends.
But she couldn't deny that she bonded with Sora in a way she never bonded with anyone before. It was a very different kind of connection, like she could feel him breathing even without knowing where he was. Her heart warmed up whenever she saw him. And it was all these emotions that culminated into a morbidly confused stupor…
Like she had no idea what they meant.
Xehanort's last question was her breaking point. "Then tell me Ruby...what is this powerful connection? This adamant drive that pushes you so value Sora's life so greatly?"
"I LOVE HIM!"
Silence.
As fast as those three words slipped out, Ruby covered her mouth with both hands. Her own eyes were widening as she replayed her own words in her head.
Xehanort grinned evenly more darkly. "That's right Ruby...love. That is it."
He snapped his fingers, the darkness of the room they stood in beginning to warp violently. The tendrils of darkness wrapped around Ruby's wrists and ankles, holding her suspended in the air as Xehanort walked toward her.
He stopped right in front of her.
"And that love is exactly what makes you warriors of light so weak...I shall make it crumble before you, and watch as the glorious darkness consumes you in oblivion."
He reached out his hand.
"You played your role well Ruby, and you did splendidly to defeat that data replica of Marluxia." Xehanort crowed. "But your time is up, and it is time to send the keyblade wielder into everlasting despair. You said you did not want to lose him…"
The dream world vanished in an instant, Ruby now feeling cold concrete on her back. She was still lying on her back, just as when she'd started hurting. Only now she was looking up…
At Xehanort.
She had no words, there was nothing at all that she could say.
Xehanort had no such qualms. "So let's see what it'd be like if he loses you."
Ruby's mouth opened in a wordless gasp, no words were able to escape.
For Xehanort had dug his hand into her chest…
And ripped out her heart.
Then...with a mighty squeeze, the man crushed the heart into billions of pieces. The floating shards ascending into the sky until they were gone.
Content, the murderous Organization member placed his hands behind his back again…
And vanished.
So...that ending though…
Yeah I'm gonna get stabbed for this but hey! I don't care!
I know this feels like a repeat from what happened with Nora, but I assure you this was the plan all along. After all, I'm quite sure no one saw this coming.
In any case, just to clear up some things about the Ruby vs. Marluxia fight. Yeah Ruby won! Most people would say that Marluxia should've won but Ruby is SIGNIFICANTLY stronger in this fic than in the show. She has gotten progressively stronger as it's gone on so yeah. Deal with it.
The fight basically went how the fight against the first Marluxia in Re: Chain of Memories goes. If you've played it then you know that the first Marluxia can be WRECKED by physical attacks. As he tends to break sleights. So that's basically what I did with Ruby, I also wanted her to use more physical attacks too as it helps her grow stronger.
And then I stole her heart.
Yep.
It happened.
But...but...will Ruby come back!? She HAS to come back!
I guess you will find out soon enough.
And I hope I don't seem repetitive with Xehanort showing up at the end twice in a row (it'll happen a third time by the way) after all, he's going to certain places and putting certain things in place so he can further his plans. So I really don't have much other way to do that.
Anyway...
I guess that's all for now!
Later peoples!
IMSOAWESOME
