Twisted Temptations
Story by: Kidria
Title Ownage: Celos
Disclaimer: Vana'diel and such belong to SquareEnix, the characters' personalities belong to them and myself, the story belongs to me, title to Celos. Do not steal. I have no rights to Vana'diel, San d'Oria, or any areas/elements belonging to SquareEnix.
Rating: PG-13 for violence, language mostly.
Chapter 5: When I'm Gone
"Kidria, talk to me." Robius commanded. The young Elvaan looked up and stared at him with the most empty, dead look he ever seen in his life. Hours upon hours had gotten Kidria to the point where she could step outside for air, but only for at the most, five minutes.
He felt the nagging guilt of forcing her to talk about it so soon, but sooner they got the information, the better. Sagome was there, either way, to make sure he wasn't "too harsh." Robius knew when to quit—he cared for Kid enough to not push her too much. Sagome sat next to Kidria.
"C'mon dear," she said. "Please tell us what the...person...looked like."
Those blank, dull eyes turned to her. "Death." Kidria muttered. "Looked like..."
Robius felt frustration. He remembered when talking to Kidria was like having the best, most interesting debate in his life. Now, it was like talking to a child who just learned to talk! "Like...?"
"...black." She finally answered. "And blood."
"Kidria! You're not making any damn—"
"Rob! Please." Sagome warned. The Dark Knight frowned slightly, and brushed away blonde hair.
Kidria's eyes filled with tears, but they were still emotionless. "I'm hurting." She whispered. Robius instantly felt all guilt slam onto him with tremendous force. Here he was, yelling at her, after all she went through. He had seen death and killing...but never the gruesome murder of a friend.
"Kid—"
"Shut up." Kidria suddenly growled. Sagome and Robius jerked back. "Shut the fuck up, you heartless beast!!" Kidria shrieked. "You're black, just like the killer! Black black black!!" during her outburst, she still had no emotion in her eyes, not even anger.
Sagome turned to Robius sadly as Kidria stood out of her chair and turned her back to them. Robius looked back at her.
"We've lost her," Sagome whispered. "I don't think she will recover."
Robius could only copy what Kidria herself would have said. "She won't if you quit hoping." He silently hoped Sagome would buy it. He honestly didn't. He also thought she was beyond saving.
However, such thoughts disappeared as Kidria turned back to them and spoke.
"I want Daleth back. He makes it better then you." She muttered. She actually attempted a pout. "He doesn't yell at me either...and he isn't black."
Well. Progress. Kinda. Robius thought, feeling a bit insulted. But then again, for all he knew, the murderer could have worn the same armor that he did, so no wonder Kidria was a bit scared of him. He sighed and slumped in his chair.
"Believe what you will," Kidria went on, and then she turned to the side as if someone else was there and started to speak to this empty space. "But you won't find her. You said she was gone, well, it means she's gone. Grow up. Go away. Go kill someone else."
Robius jumped. "K-Kidria!"
"You heard me," the insane Elvaan went on to the empty area. "No matter who you kill, how many kill you, you're screwed. Don't try to come after me, because Robius, Daleth, Fxeni, and lots of other people will get you. They'll kill you." She paused, then went on, quietly. "You're not real...so why do you want to talk to me?"
Sagome stared at Kidria, who turned away from the space and started to talk to another imaginary person, this time something about weapons and pebbles. Robius had the urge to get up and knock the girl out to put her out of her insane stage, but a doctor said to let it pass. As Kidria spoke to nothing, she waved her arms oddly. He tried to make sense of it, but when he couldn't, just memorized the movements to later relay to everyone else.
"And..." Kidria said, a bit loudly. "May the Summoner get out of trouble before the guillotine nicks off his long ears!" she laughed. "Because the girly man thinks he did all the bad things!"
Robius blinked. Summoner? Trouble? What the hell?
"I don't understand." Fxeni said for the hundredth time. "But it could be important."
Robius hated this football, but he knew of no other Summoners aside from Daleth that Kidria knew with 'long ears' and a 'he'. "I already figured out half of it," he mumbled. "Summoner, long ears, and he I pretty much know. A male Taru or Elvaan Summoner. I figure the 'bad things' are the murders. So what about trouble, guillotine, and girly man?"
Fxeni snorted. "Girly man? First thought is the Duke, but for all we know, it could be a murder suspect."
Robius felt like he was trapped in a terribly written horror and mystery play. "And the others?"
"Dunno."
Dammit. "Well, pass it along," the Hume muttered. "I'll go back to Kid. She and Sagome are waiting for me."
The Taru nodded curtly. "Sure."
As Robius walked off, Fxeni thought about it. Was Kidria trying to pass on a message the best her insanity will let her? He sighed.
Ithuthus waited outside the San d'Oria port of Jeuno, waiting for the sight of brilliant white of Chase's armor, the striking purple of Daleth's armor, or the bright orange of Celos'. He pulled his feathered hat lower to cover his face, peeking out from under it.
I can't believe this is happening. I never imagined something like this would tear everyone apart. Behind the scenes, I can tell everyone is wary of everyone else. They want to point fingers. They want to know who is responsible. It's so hard to deal with this pressure without someone or something to blame. But the thing to blame is unknown, and it's driving everyone crazy.
I'm sure Cel would get a crack of out this. Me, Ithuthus, the wild red mage, actually thinking seriously. But I suppose the same could to said for her, because I know she's probably thinking more serious, morbid thoughts then me. I can't blame her...her sister's a prime example of why. Taea's death drove her and many of the others over the edge. Those still teetering on the edge only need the most delicate of pushes...
Like me.
If one more person I know gets killed, I swear I'll be ruined. I can't stand to lose friends, but to lose them like this...it just hurts so much. Sure, we all fight and argue, but what friends don't? We never wanted someone to die for Goddess' sake! Or...did someone?
Even I want to blame someone we know. It'd be so easy to point the finger at someone we all know, because it'd be logical that someone we all know could kill those three. But it isn't right; we don't have proof. But for the love of Altana, I'm surprised I've yet to break. I wasn't particularly close to Haly or Fupac, but Taea was a good friend of mine, and now she is under dirt and never going to wake up again. Whoever killed her was a sick bastard to have cut her heart out...and let a little girl witness it all.
I hate to say it, but if I were the murderer, I would have—Altana forgive me for this statement—given Kidria mercy and killed her as well. I couldn't live with killing someone, and knowing someone else so young was alive and now losing her mind and soul. Whoever, or whatever, is doing this has no heart, soul, moral, or anything. It has to be a monster...or a true madman.
But who's next? Who's next to be killed brutally? We all suspect it will come for Kid, but it could want us to think that. So all we can do is huddle in corners and wait until someone else dies? I hope we can put a stop to it before...
"Ithu?"
He looked up. "Takmir..."
The Elvaan nodded slowly, spiky hair not bobbing. "I heard...and came from Windurst to give my..." he looked for the right words. "...regards..."
"...thank you." Ithuthus whispered. Takmir reached over and gave Ithuthus' shoulder a comforting squeeze.
"How's the kid?" he muttered. The Hume shook his head.
"She might as well be dead, too."
Takmir winced visibly. "That bad...huh?"
"Yeah. Worse." Ithuthus said glumly. "Tak, you shouldn't stay here. It's way too dangerous."
A determined look came to the Elvaan, and Ithuthus couldn't help but admire the leadership in his face. "I made this linkshell group, and I helped make everyone the friends they are by offering them a shell to communicate with. I'm not going to abandon you all for my own safety. If we all die...well... I'd rather die with my friends." A bitter smile.
Ithuthus couldn't smile back. Takmir would die with, or for, this group that he started. But only Altana would choose either 'for' or 'with'...