Surrounded by a grim desolate land. A church, a broken fence. The sky was slightly dim at nighttime, the moonlit the environment. The grass and plants were withering, and the soil was dry but warm while the winds were active but mild. The church itself seemed abandoned, but it wasn't. There was a head poking out of the large door of the church as if waiting for someone.
The being opened the door halfway as the light outside partially filled inside of the church. It was a small creature with a brown cloak and a mask with scribbles on them like a child drew on them. There were 5 other small creatures within the church with the same things on. Some of them build things for fun, and some chase each other. One of them went beside the child near the door and looked at him. She was a little taller than the others. "It'll be fine, we are safe here. Our leader said so." The child who opened the door lowered their head, rubbed their arm, and proceeded to sit on the floor. They stare into the distance, still waiting.
The surrounding area looked like the church was in the middle of nowhere. Almost like a desert, but not a hot or cold one. One of normal room temperature and some plants covers random areas. There was never daytime, it was always night. Some clouds floated by, but they never covered the sky. There were a couple of mountains and hills, and dead trees nearby, and sometimes the sky would have a small sprinkle of rain.
As the two were waiting, a sudden strong wind went by then for a short while, causing their ears to perk up. They could see someone approaching from the distance who had brown clothing similar to them. As the figure got closer, they could see they too wore a mask, but for some reason, this alerted the two children and the one sitting ran behind the other child near the door. The figure kept walking toward the front of the church but stopped before the two children. The figure had long black hair, and they combed it to the side of their body as if showing off. The taller child covered the smaller child's mask with their hand. "What do you want this time, Jelle?"
The taller child stomped the floor with a hoof and made a threatening gesture toward Jelle. Jelle lets her hair drop before speaking, "Where's 'father'?" As she said, father, she used her paws signaling air quotes as she tilted her body slightly, as if mocking them. After a short pause, the child responded with, "None of your business". Jelle swishes around and shrugs while walking around. "Well, maybe it isn't the business with my other partners, but it definitely is MY business. But that is MY secret." Jelle stares at the children and crosses her arms. The taller child steps forward, clashing dust into the air with her hoof. "Leave, or else." Jelle just snickers into a big laugh. "Or else what? What can YOU do to me? Please, you know I could kill you before you realize you are dead. And there is a reason you aren't crossing past a certain distance."
The tall child made fists of her own hands, giving body language of frustration and looking down at the floor. Jelle just laughs at her. "No worries little ones, I'm not here for you children. Perhaps this is a bad time." She lifts her mask to show her mouth and gives a grin. "Ya know, he doesn't have much time left. Today is the day that freedom will finally come." Jelle then starts walking away from the church as she puts her mask back down. The small child grasped the taller one, hiding behind her even more. The taller child pats the small one's head, "Yea... we'll see about that, you bastard".
From a distance, further from the church, a cliff, there was a crimson creature in black clothing. Hours, or perhaps a day or two have passed since he has been here. And nearby, Jelle came near this crimson body. Jelle slightly kicks the creature, "Well-well, looky who's here. It's Xackt." Xackt made a small groan and rolled over to his side since he was on his back. "Hey... wake up", she said, kicking his back a little harder. Xackt didn't respond, which made her sigh. She bent down and turned him around, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him. She tried setting him by his feet, but it was pretty hard since Xackt was a bit taller than her.
"Hmph, sleepy are we, or a headache?" She slapped his face, waking Xackt from his sleep, "Ghhh, w-what? W... where am I?" She rested him on his feet. Xackt's legs wobbled as he tried to stay standing, and his eyes were slightly blurry. And then he realized who was in front of him. His eyes widened and he swiped his claw at Jelle, his weapon extracting out of his paw right at her. Jelle dodged it perfectly and caught his arm, "Hey now, is that how you treat a lady?" Xackt growls a bit as he tries to use his other claw to scratch her, but before he could, Jelle punched him in the nose with enough force for him to fall onto the floor. It was sudden, Xackt retracted his weapon back into his paw, holding his nose from the pain.
He felt too weak to get back up and fight, but he did feel his body recovering from pains faster than ever. Jelle looked down upon him, putting her paws on her hips, "Tsk-Tsk Xackt, I'm not here to fight. If anything, I'm here to help you silly." Xackt, rubbing his nose, looked up at her, "Ugh... what? Help me?... why?" Jelle walked closer to Xackt and crossed her arms, "Well, I meeeean, you have no reason to trust me, but noticed that I have never attacked you once?" She spins around in a circle while her arms spread. "Will you listen to what I have to say? Curious at all?" Xackt adjusted the way he was on the floor, changing into a more comfortable position, but he readied his paw on the floor for a chance to strike. "What... do you want from me?", Xackt said while his eyes closed halfway.
Jelle stopped spinning and faced Xackt, lending her paw towards him. Xackt was reluctant, but he took her paw as she helped him stand up. Jelle slid her paw off his as she turned the other way and looked up at the sky. She crossed her arms again, "Do you feel like you are in a nightmare, a cruel life? Such a short amount of time without knowing what the hell is going on?" Xackt tilts his head a bit, "Ex...cuse me? uh..." Jelle slightly looks back, "You heard me. Like your name, Xackt. Nothing rings a bell, right?" He looked confused but wondered about his name from time to time. "What about my name?" Sighing heavily, Jelle turned to him, "Fine, I guess the easy way it is... kiiind of. You see, there is this guy that lives at that church over there. He is the source of our misery, you and I. Aaaand, I need you to rid of him." Xackt made a slightly disgusted look as I looked to the floor, "I'm no killer..." Jelle snickered at him, pointing at him, "You'd be amazed if you knew the things I knew, buuuut I'd be in troooouble."
He looked at her as she teased him, but then made an expression that gave a look of whatever. "Hmm... What if I told you he has information that you need, specifically about yooou? and that he was created in the same lab as you?", Jelle insisted as she walked past and around him, pointing in the direction of the church. Xackt's ears perked upward a little as his eyes widened. He walked near her, looking at the church far off in the distance. He closed his eyes and thought to himself, then turned to her replying, "Same lab? Me and him?" He thought deeply for a minute as Jelle stared, smiling.
Xackt scratched the back of his head, "So... I go and meet them. But I don't want to kill them. So, I won't. Agreed? Or else, I'm not going..." Jelle grunts and crosses her arms, thinking, but then lifts her mask with a devious smile and nods. Xackt sighed, "...Some answers about me would be nice... Fine, what does he look like?" Jelle put her mask down and turns, looking away from him. "You'll know him when you see him or talk to him. Trust me on that." He looked confused and tilted his head a little, as then Jelle turned her head to him slightly. "Hmm-mm... I will tell you; he is of blue colors mostly." Xackt took a deep breath and started heading for the church. Jelle put her mask on again, rubbing her paws together. "That's right, that's a good boy".
As Xackt went further away, Jelle took out a glass-looking orb the size of her palm and spoke into it in a somewhat annoyed manner. "Alrighty guys, I finally triggered the plan, Xackt is going to meet hiiiiiiim. Shall he do the work for us?" She listens and then responds, "Yea-yea, I'll see ya later. You don't really need to bother but I guess you wanna pick em up yourself, huh?" There was no response in the device. "Heh... bastards... I just can't wait to get this over with."
As Xackt approaches the church, he spots a broken fence. As he passes by it, he started rubbing his head as he got a slight headache. He felt a slight tug on the back of his clothing and a feel of warmth from behind him which felt peaceful. As he kept walking turned his head around, but nothing was there. He continued, a bit weirded out, as he made his way closer to the church. As he made his way near the church's big front door, he spotted the taller child who wore a mask, standing between him and the door. Xackt stops and stares at them. "Hmm... who are you? You aren't wearing a mask...", said the child. Xackt looked puzzled, "Mask? Why would I wear one?"
The taller child planted their hooves on the ground in a defensive stance, "There is a creature that can take you away with her eyes, and in this world, her powers are amplified." Xackt didn't know what to make of what the child said. He then remembered why he was there, "I... see. Well... I'm here to talk to someone. Someone... blue?" Another child from behind the large door popped their head out. "Blue?" The taller child turned at the other with a firm tone, "Stay inside little one, it is just an unknown visitor, the leader isn't here." Xackt took a deep breath and replied, "Blue... is he your leader? Because I need information from him." The taller child stomped the ground and then slowly turned around, facing the door, and then at him, "Get out of here! we don't know you."
Xackt looked down at the ground but then made a fist with one of his paws near his hip. "Your leader... he might know me. I'm not leaving...", Xackt stayed calm as he made his choice, while the taller child huffed, feeling irritated. "I said go away! You'll attract HER here, and we don't need that kind of trouble. I'm not going to tell you where our leader is, so you can forget it!" Xackt took a small step forward, with a slightly determined face as he spoke, "I... I can't leave, I don't have anywhere to go, and this is my only lead." The taller child made a longer huff as she balled her paws into fists. She suddenly charges at Xackt, floating towards him fast, leaving dust behind her. As she reaches within kicking distance, she makes a sudden stop, as she slid on the soil ground and prepared a backspin kick. Her hoof came close to his face but did not hit him. As the kick near his face stopped, a strong wind blew at Xackt's, as he grits his teeth and squints.
Xackt almost fell back but his balance was good enough to keep him on his feet. He took a step back looking hesitant but changed back to a determined look seconds after thinking about the information he wanted. "I'm not scared of you... just let me see your leader." As the taller child's hoof was still at his face, she balled her hands into fists in anger as she spins her body and switches her hooves positions as she followed up with a roundhouse kick at Xackt's head. It sent him more than 10 feet to the side, him sliding and tumbling on the soil. As the taller child landed on her hoof, the child from the entrance of the door called out to her, "Le-!" The Taller child yelled back at them, turning her head. "Quiet young one! Don't say my name!" She turned back at Xackt, as he was still for a few moments, but then slowly moved his arms, trying to get back up. "Just go away!"
Xackt's head lifted from the ground feeling wobbly, "I can't... not until..." The taller child walked over to Xackt and stepped on his head, pushing it back on the ground. "If you don't leave, then I'll kick you around until you do. And when you faint, I'll drag you outta here!" She prepares a kick towards his head, but before she did, a staff got between her hoof and Xackt's head. Taller child gasps, "L-Leader, you are back!"
This one named leader was wearing a black cloak, had blue-styled hair. His anatomy was that of his enemies and Xackt, which Xackt looked up and his eyes widened a bit. The Leader seemed a bit confused, "What's going on here? Why are you attacking him?" The taller child slammed her hoof on the ground, "He is putting us in danger! He has those eyes, see? We don't know him, and earlier that purple-clawed moron came here!" The leader sighed as he took a look at Xackt and then at the church, "Is that so... child, we are all going inside then. We will treat to our guest." As he said that, he reached out to Xackt, asking for his hand.
He was somewhat reluctant, or perhaps shy about it, seeing as he didn't know him at all, but he slowly grasped the leader's hand. He helped him stand up and everyone walked into the church, with the taller child looking a bit disappointed. She looked back at the leader, "Leader, but this isn't right..." The leader pats her head, "You know what we should be doing..." The taller child reluctantly pulled out an ancient-looking pin and gave it to him, and he took it as she looked down at the floor. The leader then walked towards Xackt. The other children who were playing in the church all looked at their leader and Xackt, gossiping as the two went inside the church.
Xackt and the leader went near a table and the leader sat at a chair, "Go ahead, sit here. I'd like to ask you some questions before you ask me anything. Is that alright?" Xackt stared at the chair, then looked around the church as he sat down. As he looked at the floor, he spoke back, "Sure... that would be fine." Xackt started fiddling with his fingers while the leader sat back, huffing through his nose. "So, what is your name? Why have you come here?" Xackt looked at the leader, but then at one of the big glass decorative windows on the walls of the church. "Um... I didn't choose to be in this area. I... was taken, swallowed up by a creature." Xackt looked at the table, "And then I was told by a very weird stranger that you knew me from a lab. Do you know who I am?" The leader looked at him and huffed a little, asking for his name. As Xackt told him his name, the leader rubbed his chin. "Hmm... I don't know a Xackt... I'm assuming the stranger might be someone I know. But I should tell you mine..."
Xackt looked at the leader with one of his drooping ears twitching. "...Mine?" The leader sighed as he looked at the children playing and looked towards Xackt again. "My name, it is Trance" As he said his name so casually, the children along with the taller one looked towards the two, with the taller one looking away. The leader was known as Trance. As Trance looked back at the children, he stood from the chair and walked towards the back of the church. "Xackt, come follow me, over here." Xackt got off the chair and followed Trance as he led him to the backdoor of the church. The taller child looked down at her paw and remembered the pin she gave to Trance. She sighed and sat down on the floor, as another child went to her and hugged her.
Trance opened the back door of the church and walked outside to a somewhat empty-looking field that looked like it used to be a huge garden. Some more broken fences and a bit of grass growing around, several flowers. They both walked further onto the field, looking up at the sky. The skies on this side of the church were almost the same, but over the distance at a hill, the sky had a circle full of stars and a dark blue sky. It slowly shrank a bit and Trance checked his pulse on his wrist. "So, Xackt was it...? That stranger you mentioned earlier... did she have long black hair?" Trance looked back at Xackt and he nodded as an answer. Trance looked forward again and sighed, "How troubling, but predictable I suppose... so that's her plan. Perhaps... this time, I should give her what she wants. Let's see what..."
In front of Trance, there was a black staff sticking in the middle of the field. He stared at it as he asked more questions. "So, do you ever hear voices in your head?" Xackt looked at him with slightly wide eyes, then he slides his paw on his arm, "Well... I think so. There was... this soothing voice. A girl I guess..." Trance seemed confused, "Huh? a soothing female voice? Not a male one though... Strange." Trance took the ancient-looking pin from his cloak and started fidgeting with it. "So, what did that stranger want anyways?" Xackt bit his lip, "She wanted me to...rid of you, but I said no... Then she told me you knew something about me. I just want information." Trance then balled his fist a bit, saying to himself, "Tch... and I said my name already. I was afraid of this... I predicted she would have told him at least some important stuff, but she didn't say anything at all..."
As he then looked at the pin he held, he walked toward Xackt, "Fine... might as well give this ancient one what he wants. A terrible trade for me, but in the long run...it'll be..." As Trance got to Xackt, he was raising the pin to the right of Xackt's forehead, placing it. Xackt was confused and he poked at it, "What is this for?" Trance then sighs as he steps back and stops near the black staff on the floor. "It is a gift from Maya, the origin of the one you should know. Remember the name, Dani?" As he said the last name, Xackt's eyes twitched and he put a paw on his head, rubbing it. His eyes were slightly blurry, and he felt slightly tipsy. "Oh... that does sound familiar..." Trance then went on, "And what about Cloudy? Socom? Perhaps... Techi?"
As Trance said these names, Xackt felt a flow of emotions running through his mind, him pressing his head with both paws. Trance huffed a bit and went on, "And what about the moon that you adored so much, it killed you inside, and the hot desert. An angel you abandoned?" Xackt closed his eyes shut, he was quietly talking to himself at a fast pace, wanting the crazy trip in his mind to stop. Trance didn't show any change in emotion as he kept speaking, "And... Moon Bea-" And before Trance could finish his sentence, Xackt was near in front of him with a new weapon that appeared out of thin air. It was a black sword with a red outline design. Xackt has this new weapon to the left side of Trance's neck as if he was about to slice it off, "Heeey... Shut up."
Trance didn't show any fear. If anything, he was calm. "That'll depend on who is talking. Xackt? Ares? or..." As Xackt was still. He grinned after a few seconds, then chuckled. "Now, who would react this way after hearing about the moon? And then laugh? Huh?" Trance sighed and moved the sword out of the way with his arm, "Leave him be, it isn't your turn just yet... Ares. Lest I take back that pin from that body again." This 'Ares' in Xackt's body backed off and laughed at Trance, "So, that is your decision? Don't want MY help? Are you sure? 'Brother'? Hahaha..."
Trance took the black staff and lifted it off the soil and slammed it at the top of the soil ground. Ares gave calmer smile, "Hmph... a shame. I really liked you, ya know? Fine. Have your precious brother back, or what is left of what YOU left him with. I shall have my spotlight. Soon!" Ares snapped his fingers and Xackt assumed the body, falling forward slightly as he dropped the new weapon in his hand. Trance looked at him struggling to stay up, "So... Xackt..do you know me? Remember anything?" Xackt grasped his new sword but kept his head downward. He breathed deeply and opened his mouth, "I... remember."
End of Chapter 4
