A/N: The last chappie! Huzzah! Another finished fic for me! That makes… what, four? Waah, sorry it's late! I was supposed to update last week, but I kept forgetting. My bad.
Day 10: …But if you've got a good medium, you should be okay.
Axel stood in the center of the living room, turning around and around, trying to find Zexion. The room was completely empty, as was the room next to it. Axel looked around, and decided to try to find a way out. He was beginning to think Ian had pulled a fast one on him, since he didn't see any sign of Zexion.
He headed to the next room and paused, hearing something in the kitchen, behind the closed door. He frowned and pressed his ear to the door.
"…Should have killed you immediately. But that wouldn't be any fun, now would it?"
"You're sick. You're a sick, twisted, evil, foul little…"
"Temper, temper. We must watch our language, mustn't we?"
"Make me, you bastard."
"What did I tell you?"
There came a sound like that of someone being slapped. Axel frowned.
"I'm still a little sore over my defeat earlier. Your precious lover managed to torch me, didn't he? I still have the marks from that. I shall have to do something about it."
Axel heard a slight growl behind him. He turned, and covered his mouth with a shaking hand.
Another of the horrible things stood behind him, this one slightly different from the one that had fought Ansem. Its jaws were lined with row upon row of vicious, needle-like fangs, a yellowish fluid dripping from the upper row. Its skull was stretched out so that it had a muzzle rather than a regular face, swaying back and forth on a long neck.
Its stretched arms were planted firmly on the ground, the elbows rising up to brush the ceiling. Its legs, also grotesquely stretched, were bent back like those of a dog. Its tailbone was drawn out as well, the bones cracking as it twitched back and forth.
Axel gasped as his eyes locked with the thing's black pits where eyes should have been. He swallowed, and backed against the wall. The thing advanced slowly on its stretched limbs, hissing softly. It lashed out with its clawed hands, catching Axel on the shoulder. He cried out as he hit the wall.
Meanwhile, Zexion could hear the battle, but could do nothing, imprisoned as he was. Ian had tied him to a pole in the middle of the room. Ian himself reappeared.
"Your lover's not doing very well," he sneered, laughing horribly. "Would you like to watch?" Without waiting for a reply, Ian waved his hand. The wall became translucent, and Zexion could see everything that was happening to Axel.
Axel was not doing very well at all. He was bleeding from numerous cuts, including one above his eyebrow. The beast once again slammed him into the wall, and his face twisted in pain.
"Axel!" Zexion cried. He strained hard on the ropes, praying for them to give way. To his surprise they did, falling loosely about his feet. He glared at Ian. "What the hell are you doing?" he snarled.
"Giving you a chance to help your lover, you fool," Ian snapped. "Stop being so mistrustful." The wall disappeared, and Axel flew through the air to crash into Zexion. They both fell over.
"Zexion!" Axel cried as he rolled over, seeing who was under him. He hastily got up, and pulled Zexion to his feet. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Zexion said. "But you aren't." Axel shrugged and turned, hearing the creature hiss. "What is that thing?"
"I don't know."
The creature lashed out at them and they sprang away.
"Can we kill it?" Zexion yelled.
"Maybe, but I don't know how!" Axel replied. The two were forced to separate as the creature came for them again. Zexion leapt onto the creature's back, grabbing its arms. It screeched, and Axel fastened around its neck. With their combined weight, the spindly thing was unable to stay standing. It toppled over with another screech, and Zexion and Axel both stomped hard on its neck. Its neck broke with an audible snap, and the thing's head flopped over.
It disappeared, and the kitchen resumed its normal appearance. Axel and Zexion heaved sighs of relief as they sank to the floor and collapsed against each other.
Their relief was short-lived however, as the room tilted and spun, slipping into nothingness.
The room reappeared shortly thereafter, but it was the swirling alternate dimension they'd been in before. This time, Marluxia, Sephiroth, and Zexion were there as well.
"What happened to you?" everyone asked at once. Everyone, that is, except Ansem and Sephiroth. They weren't paying attention to anyone. Sephiroth was leaning against Ansem, who was tenderly stroking his hair. Sephiroth looked content, his eyes half-closed, and Ansem rested his head against Sephiroth's.
They looked like the utter embodiment of unconditional love.
Axel glanced over at them, and smiled. He nudged Zexion and pointed. Zexion also smiled, and slipped his hand in Axel's. Vexen and Marluxia also looked and smiled, Vexen wrapping an arm around Marluxia's shoulders and pulling him close.
Such a tender moment. I hate to interrupt, but I have a house to destroy.
Everyone started at the sound of Ian's voice. He reappeared in the middle of the space again, grinning maliciously.
"A lesson in demolition aesthetics, you see," he said, pacing around the six. "I was lying before. I'm going to destroy the house anyway, and I don't need any help from anyone."
"You bastard," Marluxia snarled. Ian turned to him.
"You'd do best to keep your mouth shut," he said sternly. "I almost had you before Vexen saved you, and it would be so easy to steal you back."
Marluxia didn't reply, but a slightly haunted look came into his eyes. Vexen hugged him close.
I don't think so.
Everyone, Ian included, looked around as Tobias' voice rang through the space. He also appeared in the center of the room, right next to Ian.
"Blade!" Ian gasped.
"Not quite," Tobias said. "He was my great-grandfather. I have heard from many people that I am like a carbon copy of Blade, however, so your mistake is forgivable."
"What? Blade Harper was childless!" Ian snarled, hands clenching.
"Not quite," Tobias said again. "He had a bastard son by a woman who lived on the edges of the town, who, incidentally, was a witch."
"Lily? Hah," Ian scoffed.
"True. That son was Tobias, my grandfather. I am Tobias Harper the third. I live in Sussex in Blade's old manor," Tobias said. "And my great-grandmother's powers have been passed down the line. They also mixed with the powers of Blade Harper to create three powerful clairvoyants and one telekinetic of notable power. Me."
"Impossible!"
Tobias smiled, and waved his hand lightly. "Blade was a telekinetic of mediocre power, but when combined with the powers of Lily, as well as a few latent genes, they were amplified considerably in me." Ian flew through the air and struck the wall. Tobias waved his hand again, and Ian flew forwards and back again. Tobias waved his hand like a conductor, and Ian was slammed into the wall over and over.
"Had enough?" Tobias asked calmly.
Ian slumped down, panting heavily. He looked up at Tobias, and bared his teeth.
"You cannot beat me!" he snarled, his teeth lengthening. Tobias frowned slightly, looking somewhat perturbed. Ian's back arched, and his shoulders began to broaden. His arms expanded and stretched; he cried out as the vertebrae in his neck began to stretch. His lower jaw jutted out, and his upper jaw soon followed, giving him a muzzle. His legs stretched as a pair of horrible, bony wings ripped out of his back with a spray of blood. His neck cracked, and his head shot down briefly.
Ian's head snapped up again to stare at Tobias, his eyes dark pits. He now resembled one of the creatures.
"You are a fool to challenge me!" he snarled, his voice sounding both bassy and high-pitched, as though two people were speaking at once.
"Stay behind me," Tobias warned the others. Ansem and Sephiroth, however, stood.
"We won't leave you to fight him alone," Ansem said.
"Besides, you're not the only one with powers," Sephiroth said as Axel stood.
"Ditto," he said. Zexion, Vexen, and Marluxia also rose.
"We aren't as helpless as you think," Vexen said.
"What can you do?" Tobias asked, watching Ian warily.
"We've got two pyrokinetics, two precognitists, and a lycanthrope," Axel replied.
"Who's what?" Tobias asked.
"Pyrokinetic," Marluxia said, pointing to Axel and Sephiroth. "Precogs," (here he pointed to Zexion, Vexen, and himself) "and the lycanthrope." He indicated Ansem. Tobias raised his eyebrows.
"You're a werewolf?" he asked. "Or is there a specific difference between werewolves and lycanthropes?"
"Lycanthropes can transform whenever they feel like it," Ansem replied. "I haven't tried in about two years." Tobias nodded, and turned back to Ian.
"Transform now," he said. "As fast as you can."
Ansem nodded and closed his eyes. He gasped slightly, bending forward somewhat as his ribs started to shift around. He doubled over as his spine began to lengthen. Within the space of about a minute, a large silver wolf stood where Ansem had been previously.
"That was fast," Tobias said in awe, turning to look at him. A fireball exploded behind him, and he whipped around to find Ian with a large burn on his front. Axel stood not far away, palm smoking. He smirked. Sephiroth joined him, and the two released a pillar of flames that enveloped Ian in a roaring inferno. The flames died, and the smoking form of Ian was slumped on the ground. Sephiroth and Axel turned and high-fived each other.
"He's getting up!" Zexion warned. The others turned and saw that Ian was stirring feebly. Shakily, he stood, and charged forward.
"Ansem, your left!" Vexen called. The silver wolf sprang aside just as Ian raised a needle-like arm and slammed it into the ground. Ansem howled loudly, and leapt at Ian, burying his fangs in one of Ian's wings. Ian screeched, and Axel and Sephiroth took the opportunity to loose a few fireballs in his mouth. Reeling with pain, Ian rose up briefly on his legs, still screeching loudly as his mouth smoked.
"Ansem, jump off!" Marluxia cried urgently. Ansem released Ian and leapt aside, only moments before one of Ian's claws stabbed back at him. Ian screamed as he hit his wing instead of Ansem. Tobias waved his hand, and Ian was once again flung into the wall. This time, his impact was accompanied by a loud cracking noise. Ian's wings, broken in half, hung limply from his shoulders.
Ian screeched again. "You little insects!" he roared, making everyone present clap their hands over their ears. Ansem's ears flattened against his head and he howled loudly. Marluxia started somewhat, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.
"Quick! Do as I say!" he yelled. Zexion and Vexen also started, the same looks of comprehension crossing their faces. "Ansem, when I say so, bite Ian's neck! Sephiroth, Axel, when I give the signal, torch him like before!"
"What about Ansem?" Sephiroth exclaimed.
"Trust me!" Marluxia insisted. Zexion and Vexen nodded. "Now, Ansem!" Ansem sprang forward, sinking his teeth deep in Ian's neck. Ian screeched, his mouth opening wide. Marluxia ran forward, followed by Zexion and Vexen. They each grabbed one of Ian's limbs, pulling them out straight, forcing Ian down onto his stomach. Ian squawked as he smashed into the ground.
"Tobias, help! Ansem, let go!" Marluxia said as he ducked Ian's free arm. Ansem jumped clear as Tobias waved his hand, snapping Ian's arm and leaving it dangling limp and useless. "Axel, Sephiroth, aim for his head! Now!"
Axel and Sephiroth fired massive fireballs at Ian's head, and the flames quickly ate at his skin and flesh, spreading to all parts of his body. Marluxia, Vexen, and Zexion released Ian and ran back, watching as Ian gave one final screech, and his smoking form fell to the ground. He tried to stand again, but he slipped and fell. Slowly, the flames consumed him, leaving him a pile of ash. Tobias heaved a great sigh.
"He's gone for good," he said, collapsing to his knees. There was a bright flash of light, and they all stood in the living room. There was nothing out of the ordinary, no Ian, no pile of ash. Ansem turned back into his human form, and Sephiroth embraced him tightly. Axel and Zexion shared a deep kiss, and Vexen and Marluxia collapsed against each other. Tobias closed his eyes and smiled.
-
"You know what?"
"What, love?"
"I think, despite everything, I'll miss this place."
Ansem stood in the driveway to the house, a few strands of hair drifting around his face from the wind.
Sakkaku and Tobias had returned to England the day before, and the others were moving out of the house, despite Ian's defeat. Cloud, Aerith, and the rest of those who'd been on the road trip had come and gone, taking their belongings with them. Vexen and Marluxia had headed to California. Axel and Zexion had decided to move to the New England area, professing a desire to see more ghosts.
And Ansem and Sephiroth were moving to Inverness, on the shores of Loch Ness.
Sephiroth smiled affectionately at Ansem. He shut the door to his truck, and walked up to Ansem, putting an arm around his lover's shoulders. He kissed Ansem, linking their fingers together. They parted, and Ansem smiled, before embracing Sephiroth.
"I'll miss it too," Sephiroth said. "I liked sleeping in the attic. And even though they got annoying sometimes, the others all kept things interesting. And I'll bet old Ben'll be bored with no one around." They looked up at the attic window. Ansem could have sworn that he saw the figure of a handless monk looking down at them.
Hand in hand, the two lovers walked to Sephiroth's truck and drove away from the house. Ansem glanced behind him at the house slipping into the distance. He smiled, realizing that despite (or because of) everything they'd been through, he and Sephiroth were closer than ever before.
He owed the house and all of its ghosts for that.
-End.
A/N: Yep, the end of another fic! Yay, I've got another finished fic in my repertoire! Go me! This sure had a jerky update-sequence, didn't it? Two sabbaticals and four chapters after the first… damn…. At least it's done.
If anyone's wondering how Ansem ended up a lycanthrope, watch for a fic of mine called "Okamiotoko", a oneshot prequel kind of a thing that takes place sort of before Ansem and Sephiroth were lovers (even though they end up lovers shortly after the fic starts).
I sort of insinuated a few sequels, there, didn't I? Well, maybe I'll do something with Vexen, Marluxia, Axel, and Zexion, since there're so few fics with those pairings. Of course, this is the ONLY VexenxMarluxia fic out there anyway, and there's only one other AxelxZexion. I think after "Okamiotoko" I'll lay off the AnsemxSephiroth for a while.
Anyway, yay! I actually finished a fic! I owed a lot to "Poltergeist", the Korean manga "Rebirth", and even "Sleepy Hollow" for the completion of this fic. So arigatou to Kangwoo Lee, Tim Burton, and Steven Spielberg! I'll see you all in "Okamiotoko" and the possible sequels to this! Rock on!