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 6: End Of All Hope

Robius slowly looked up as Celos charged into the house, instantly going to her sister's side. Kidria didn't move from her seat, still staring creepily at Robius without blinking her dark, emotionless amber eyes. Celos waved a hand over her face, but no response.

"Don't bother," Robius muttered. "She's been staring at me like that ever since I made her eat. I think she's trying to freak me out."

"Kid?" Celos shook her, and Kidria's eyes moved to the side to look at her, but nothing else moved. "Kid? It's me. Celos."

"I know a Celos." Kidria replied, almost like a Cardian. Chase winced when he heard it as he walked in. Kidria moved her head slightly to look at him. "I know a Chase too. Don't bother telling me."

Celos sighed. "Kidria… Taija and Vunebent are coming to see you later. Do you know them?"

"Taija's mom." Kidria mumbled.

"And Vune?"

"Money-greedy brother."

Chase laughed; a good, hearty sound of relief. "At least she has the correct facts."

Kidria looked at the door as Daleth walked in, his shoulders not as square, his head not as high, and his eyes not as proud as they used to be. He looked at Kidria and smiled slightly. The smile was lost when Kidria turned away, silver hair shimmering. He felt his chest tightened at the very many things that could mean.

"Everyone go away." Kidria muttered. "Everyone is about to go away…"

"We aren't going to leave you alone." Celos comforted her, unsure if that is what she meant.

Kidria shot up and ran for the door so abruptly most of them drew their weapons out of shock. Daleth sidestepped and let Kidria's body slam into his. Her hands grasped onto his armor for support on instinct, then she looked up at him. Tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "It's my fault, isn't it?" Daleth shook his head and wrapped one arm around her.

"It's not your fault, hon," Daleth said, the best he could. He tried not to show the disappointment at his own helpless tone.

"It is! It is! I was too weak to kill it!!" Kidria screamed. She started to beat on his chest with surprising strength, but Daleth didn't stop her, only wincing as some of the blows actually hurt him through the armor. "I couldn't kill it! I let it live! I let it live and look at what it did to her!!!!"

Suddenly she stopped and her eyes widen, and Kidria shoved herself off Daleth, falling to the ground and holding her chest. Everyone stared at her, almost afraid to touch her. Kidria began to sob.

"That wasn't me," she mumbled through little gasps of tears. "That wasn't me."

Robius, whom by now was used to Kidria's little episodes, walked to her and knelt beside her. "Who, then?"

Kidria looked up at him, and refused to acknowledge Daleth. "It was Taea."

"I highly doubt Taea actually possessed her," Fxeni said after a minute of silence. "But I think in her lapse into, let's say less then normal sanity, Kid just may be feeling what she thinks is what Taea would feel, and blames it on Taea speaking through her. Or something like that."

"But what if it's true?" Daleth jumped in. "What if somehow Kid can tap into the Planes of the Deceased? Robius already said earlier it was like she was conversing with the killer. Maybe it did something to her to throw us off, but could very well help us?"

Ithuthus looked at him. "And what? We use Kidria's "new power" to contact Haly, Fupac, and Taea and get them to relay messages on what the killer was like? May I suggest how we can do that? Kidria's in terrible shape—she can barely last fifteen minutes without going completely bonkers."

Takmir scratched his nose a bit. "I'm getting tired of the stares these Ducal guards give me."

"What?"

Chase looked over and sure enough, the Ducal guards around them kept giving Takmir dirty glares, shifting every time the Summoner moved. Takmir ducked his head slightly, moving a little closer to the group, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Everyone was, really, in everyone else's presence. Daleth felt a bit uneasy when Takmir moved closer to them. He knew Chase and Celos were not the killer, but everyone else was fair enough suspects in some way or another in his panicked mind. He thought back to that moment with Kidria claiming Taea had spoken through her. He wasn't all that sure that Taea would act like that, but in the back of his mind, a voice said it was. In his gut, he felt like Kidria was telling the truth. But how can she suddenly speak with dead people, see them, feel them? And if the killer isn't dead, how can she "speak" with it?

And what the fuck was those guards' problem??

Daleth shot them the cruelest glare he could muster, which was done well enough with his narrow, Elvaan eyes, as the Hume and Galka turned away upon seeing his expression. Takmir gave Daleth a thankful look, and watched with a slightly goofy look as the guards moved on farther away from the group. The dark-haired Elvaan rubbed his temples, listening to any odd sounds that might give away a traitor or even the killer stalking them.

"I'm gonna go check on Kid," Daleth finally muttered. He couldn't stand the tension and he quickly walked off to the mog houses. He dodged by other adventures, weaving his way through the city. He stopped suddenly.

"Kid?"

Kidria looked up from the side of the railing and smiled at him. "Hi Daleth."

He walked over to her, cautiously. He prayed to Altana she wouldn't have an episode while she was out. Did she come out by herself? "It's good to see you out and about on your own, hon."

Kidria nodded and leaned against the railing, quietly looking at him. "Why? Did you think I wasn't smart enough to pull her out when she was aware of it?"

Daleth stared at her. "What?"

"Look, don't go poking around in her head," Kidria went on. "You'll end up making it all worse, so best just let us worry about it."

"I don't—"

"Like hell you don't understand, Dal." Kidria snapped. "Now just listen."

The dragoon stood rigidly, but listened closely.

"Bad things are about to happen, and you need to stay calm and rational. You may be confused but everything will piece itself together. I can't say much more, I don't have much time and I have limits."

"Limits? Set by who?"

"I can't say," Kidria said quickly. "Just…protect them all. This is so horrible, this purgatory we're suspended in."

Daleth winced. "You aren't…allowed into Paradise…?"

Kidria shook her head. "Not yet. Not until we're freed from this sick freak who killed us."

"Who…"

"Don't ask!" was all Kidria uttered sharply before she fell on her knees and screamed.

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Takmir failed his arms out, trying to reach for his staff. The nearest guards, however, grabbed his arms and pinned them to behind his back, and brutally they removed his staff from his person. The Galka slammed a meaty fist into the back of Takmir's skull and he grunted, going slack, but not unconscious. The Galka muttered angrily about Elvaan endurance as the other guards shoved Amelin back rudely.

"What are you doing?" the Mithra screamed.

"This man is being arrested, stand back miss." The Elvaan ducal guard said. He, unlike the rude Humes pushing her, did not attempt to stop her. "Please, the sooner we can take him, the less charges I'm sure the Duke will place on him."

"What charges are there?" Amelin demanded. The great sword near her made the other guards wary, but Takmir looked up and tried to grin.

"Don'tcha worry, kitty." He tried to reach out to playfully scratch her ears, but the guards held him firmly in place. "I'll be back! The Duke can't resist my charm!"

Amelin stared at him. Takmir could always make a joke of a bad situation… "Tak…"

The Summoner grinned more profoundly. "Be a good kitty."

Amelin swallowed, nodding. The Galka guards pulled Takmir away, the Humes following. The Elvaan watched, then sighed and turned to her. She looked up at him, her eyes widen and searching his for a clue. The Elvaan glanced away slightly, battling his loyalties and duties with his own gut feelings and pride. In the end, he couldn't help it. She looked too much like his own…

"The Duke of Jeuno blames your young man for the murders around here recently," the guard said. He ignored her shocked face. "And I am sure, unless he is proven innocent…he will be sentenced to death."

"No!!" Amelin cried out before she could stop herself.

"No!!" The Duke slammed his fists on the arms of his chair. "No you say? Altana damn you, the evidence proves it all!"

Takmir winced. "I didn't kill anyone… They were my friends! Why would I kill them??"

A guard slammed the butt on his sword into Takmir's back and he hit the floor. "Don't speak unless ordered to." The Hume grunted.

Takmir glared at the white boots and then looked up at the Duke, pulling himself up to his knees. Let him have some dignity, the assholes. The Duke stood, a scowl on his face.

"Fool, you come at such a convenient time," The Duke growled. "And even if they are your 'friends'… you must know their weaknesses, how to ambush them. It's obvious you could easily kill them!"

"I'd never kill my friends!" Takmir yelled. He stood up, not caring for the beatings the Humes were trying to inflict in him. He was able to handle it. "I'd never hurt Haly, or Fupac, or Taea! I wouldn't traumatize a little girl! You got the wrong person!"

Finally the Hume pulled back his hand and slammed his sword's hilt into Takmir's head, and the Elvaan was down. The Duke waved his hand to dismiss them, and ordered the throw the 'killer' into the prison and in three days, prepare to carry out the death sentence.

Takmir groaned.

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I didn't know what the hell was happening to me. I couldn't even think of how Amelin was coping. We were just hanging around, I was watching her craft, when all of a sudden ducal guards come and start beating the shit out of me as she's screaming? I don't get it, why would anyone think I kill my own friends? How could I anyway? I'm a Summoner for Altana's sake! I can't do anything like the killer did without my avatars. And I bet someone would have seen those rampaging around Jeuno! I just got here anyway! What made me such a perfect suspect? Is everyone that edgy?

I guess you can't really blame them. It…was gruesome, from what I heard. The way everyone looked so distressed when they told me about it. Everything is falling apart.

This is serious.

Goddess I can't stand it. It hurts just to think about it, and now, the Duke might even pound it into my friend's skulls that I am the killer. Would they believe it? Would they try to help me out?

…what if they already thought I was, and that's what tipped the Duke into coming for me?

No, they wouldn't do that. Even if they had their doubts, we're all just way too close to really blame each other. I highly doubt anyone would turn anyone else in. We're all the type to handle things ourselves, not get the public rulers involved.

This sucks.

It's dank and nasty in here. Is my head in a puddle? Yuck. That'll take a while to clean. That is… if I live to clean it. I can't see, I can't even open my eyes. Damn Hume. If I ever get out of here, he's gonna get Ifrit on his ass.

Amelin… Be safe, kitty. Get everyone out of Jeuno if I end up meeting the axe of the executioner. I can't believe this, I just can't. It hurts. Ah, I can open my eyes…to only darkness. I can't see. I don't think I want to see.

…I'm not alone.