The beginning was by me, the fight scenes are majorly my sister, Maria's point of view is my sister, and Irene's parts are all done by me. As are most of the dialogue between characters. I.E Demyx, Axel manhandling Maria, Saix- that sort of thing. She edits them though.
To say the castle was being wrecked with havoc would be an understatement. Nobody was prepared for the onslaught of flames that came once the ice Vexen had locked the woman in broke. There, in the middle of the lounge, Maria was slicing and slashing at Vexen and Luxord with a vicious vigor; Lexaeus, Zexion, Saix, and Marluxia watching from their various places in the room.
Zexion and Lexaeus had been casually sitting on the couch, Zexion reading his book and Lexaeus working on his chain link puzzle again, whereas Marluxia was arranging a vase of flowers on the couch on the opposite end of the room. Saix, with his long blue hair and menacing amber eyes, stood straight and still, composure calm and cold as he remained beside the window that revealed the giant half-shaped heart of a moon outside.
Vexen was struggling against the woman's attacks, her fiery swords hacking away at his shield of ice faster than one could think. Luxord was out cold, having only lasted eight minutes into the fight before he got a rather nasty gash across his chest and was slammed into the wall. Maria let out a yell, bringing both her blades down and finally breaking the dirty blonde's shield into chunks of ice.
He let out a shout in response, the force of it breaking sending him stumbling back as pieces hit him in the front, and Maria quickly slammed the butt of her right sword handle into his stomach before stepping back just far enough to to slam her knee into his side, crunching against his ribs and causing him to fall sideways, rolling and crashing into the coffee table in front of the couch Marluxia was at. He groaned, struggling to push himself up, but the books and flower vases that were residing on the table had fallen on top of him, knocking him back down.
Marluxia stared down at the man lying unconscious in front of him distastefully, his sky colored blue eyes showing just how unimpressed he was with Vexen's failure. The only amusement he received from his plunder was the way the flowers were surrounding his body-almost as if he were in a coffin of roses and carnations. Picking up a daisy that had landed on the top of Vexen's head Marluxia stood, the graceful assassin holding the flower up to his nose and inhaling the scent softly with closed eyes.
Maria was breathing heavily, swords held tensely at her sides as she looked around, her eyes darting around the room warily. She turned, getting into a stance as she glared with narrowed eyes at the men opposite of her. Her gaze latched onto Marluxia, him being the only one standing aside from the blue-haired man in the corner with the scar. "What do you want?" She growled.
The pink-haired man ignored her, simply opening his cold eyes and gazing at her with no expression aside from a frown. "Flowers are such delicate things… but their fragrance have always been more alluring than that of a human. A Nobody, Somebody, even a Keeper such as yourself… to act without care towards your surroundings…" Raising a hand up and dropping the daisy, rose petals materialized into the air as he swung his right arm out at his side. A long pink-bladed scythe appeared, his fingers wrapping around the pole delicately. "I refuse to forgive someone who treats flowers so horribly!"
And then he was running, lunging at her and swinging the long-distanced scythe without remorse. Maria's eyes widened before she jumped back, letting out a shout of surprise when the blade nearly sliced her stomach open. "Shit!"
She dashed back as he continued to swing his scythe, dodging and evading as best she could before flipping over the couch between Zexion and Lexaeus. She moved into the large open space in the lounge, glaring as Marluxia jumped over the couch; watching as he gracefully landed softly on his feet as rose petals fell around his feet.
"I suggest accepting your death with dignity. It's more than what you allowed the flowers." He seethed as he slowly stepped towards her, the metal of his scythe grinding across the ground, causing a high pitched screech to echo throughout the room before he changed his stance. Adjusting his hold on his weapon so the curve of the blade was sent parallel to the floor, he lunged again. He swung wide, sweeping in a large arc as he made to close the distance between he and his new found prey. Maria cursed, readjusting her blades in her hands as she jumped back, moving her arms in an X like motion, fire surging out before her. Marluxia's eyes widened, skidding to a stop as he swung his blade back around him to hold it with both hands; scowling at the crimson flames set before him.
He looked her over through the flames, watching as the light cascaded against her pale skin and hazel eyes. He could see the anger there, the emptiness. The hollow feeling of betrayal. Like a skeleton flower wilting in the rain.
Hollow though she may seem, she knew nothing of the emptiness they felt. Of the true hell of a Nobody. And that he could not withstand.
He flipped his scythe around in his hand until it resided behind him, held upside in his hand. His left arm now raised out before him, vines swirled forth; rose petals and thorns snaking out in a flurry of pink and green, lashing over the fire in an attempt to smother it. Maria glared, sending out more of her crimson heat to battle against his unruly plants. This lasted for several minutes, plants and flame darting back and forth across the wide expanse of the lounge before they eventually stood, staring at each other over the smoking remnants of Marluxia's favored flowers.
Rage bubbled inside Number XII. The anger scorching his insides much like the fire he saw within the girl across from. Elements would do him no good. He needed to end this. Now.
He slid his left foot forward, taking his scythe once again in both hands as he crouched down, eyes narrowing as the assassin in him came alive. He dashed forward, much faster than before, catching Maria off guard and causing her to rush back to avoid his blade. She dashed to the side quickly, her foot catching on the ash left from his ruined flowers, causing her to slip and fall to the floor, sliding until she collided roughly with the wall. Her momentary lapse gave Marluxia the opening he needed to strike down at her, his scythe narrowly slashing into the skin of her thigh as she rolled out of the way; avoiding what would most likely have been a lethal strike.
Think, damn it! She thought as she jumped back again, sliding along the ash before an idea dawned on her. The ash prevented them from gaining any traction; you could see their movements drawn across the floor in dark patterns. And that was her way in. I can't beat him from a distance, but he can't defend up close. She looked him over, fixing her pose into a more offensive position, taunting him by twirling her blades before her.
"Come on then, princess. Come at me!" She yelled, watching as Marluxia's scowl turned into a face of outrage. He snarled, dashing forward as he gripped his weapon in hand, angling the blade for a final strike as he charged her.
But Maria was ready. She rushed at him, waiting until he began to swing his scythe down before dropping to her knees, her momentum propelling her forward across the ash as she brought up her right arm, her long sword held aloft as it caught against Marluxia's blade. Sparks flew as the metals clashed against each other, her sword sliding along the length of his scythe as she closed the distance between them.
Her sword finally reached the end of his scythe, angling her blade so the end of his scythe slid off, slamming into the ground and cracking the tiles with so much force, marble pieces flying in every direction. But she wasn't worried about the debris, her focus was keen as she slid up next to him; she tightened her grip on the short sword in her left hand, the blade held reverse style as she quickly lashed out in an arcing punch, allowing the steel of her blade to slice across Marluxia's hip and down across his left thigh.
The outcry of pain echoed against the walls as Marluxia hissed, yanking on his scythe in an attempt to pull it free from the ground and failing as it caught against the hard stone. Maria brought up her right knee, bracing her foot against the ground and allowing herself to spin on her heel, bringing her right arm out to slash against Marluxia's unprotected back as she pushed herself to her feet in a long diagonal thrust.
Deep red droplets coated the edge of her blades as she jumped back, chest heaving as she watched the pale haired man falter and fall to one knee, gripping the long handle of his treasured scythe in an attempt to stay on his feet. A hiss of pain sounded between his gritted teeth, his shoulders taut with strain as he glared over his shoulder at her, his bangs covering the fierce glare of his blue eyes. Eyes that spelled of murder much worse than any the assassin had dealt before.
"Fire vs flower, princess. Next time you should think it through." She snapped, glaring at him as she adjusted her grip on the bronzed swords in her hands. She turned, eyeing the others in the room distrustfully before speaking again.
"Well, anyone else want to try it?" She snarled, knuckles turning white from her intense hold. From the couch that she and Marluxia had leapt over during their fight, a man with intense blue eyes stared at her-inquiring yet cold, and filled with an intelligence that most his age did not have. He set the book he was reading down beside him, the giant beside him eying him most curiously as the young male stood.
He couldn't have been under eighteen-multiple years younger than Maria herself. As he raised a hand up a book materialized out of thin air, heavy and thick and greatly resembling that of a dictionary. Maria raised an eyebrow at that, watching as he opened the book and turned the pages with the utmost of care, stepping forward towards the man she had just beaten into the ground.
"Don't even think about continuing a failed battle, number XII. She's clearly an opponent you can not defeat." His words were cold yet indifferent, and he carried an air of pride and authority.
Marluxia simply glared at him, furious at the implication but knowing he did not have the strength to fight much longer. His blood was staining the black of his clothing, dripping onto the floor and creating small puddles. The Graceful Assassin decided to remain silent, scowling as he turned his away to glare at nothing.
"Zexion," The giant man from the couch spoke. The deepness of his voice startled Maria, but she remained poised and ready for battle. "Are you sure about this?"
"Do you doubt my abilities?" He asked, a small smirk spreading across his face. "I've seen more than enough. Come, Keeper. I wish to see how strong the darkness you hold truly is…"
Maria narrowed her eyes, spinning the blades in her hands before gripping tightly to them, both blades now held in reverse style as she got into her stance, much different than the stance she had used against Marluxia. She held both arms out before her to where one wrist hovered over the other, her blades sloping back along the length of her arms as she brought her left leg forward, prepared for whatever her new opponent might throw at her.
"Try it." She challenged, her voice as cold as the steel held aloft in her hands.
Zexion merely hummed his response, raising out his arm with book in hand. The black leather book floated from his grip and into the air as the pages flipped through themselves restlessly.
"Let's begin." He retorted before whipping his hand out in front of him, pages flying forth as an intense light flooded the room, momentarily blinding Maria with its brightness. She tensed, closing her eyes to the harsh white. She flexed her arms, pulling from within herself as she sought the deepest crevices of her heart. Feeling the darkness she had grown to know so well seeping from her bones. She felt it resonate within her, her muscles pulsing with its power as she felt it call out.
Like calls to like, she thought as she let her mind reach out, pulling towards the black shadows of the others in the rooms, their emptiness, their darkness. And that was all she needed, she twisted on her heel, dashing to the side and lashing out quickly. A deep grunt of pain sounded as she felt her blade connect, the light flashing before dying out as she opened her eyes, seeing Zexion grip his side with wide eyes.
"How did you find me in the light?"
"If you're wanting to fight the bane of Darkness with light, it's best not to have darkness yourself." She answered easily, adjusting her stance once again as she brought her left thigh forward, keeping her good leg braced forward in case she needed to lunge quickly.
With a slight nod of approval at her words, the Cloaked Schemer stood up to his full height, his book fluttering around him in lazy circles as he looked her over. Plans and calculations forming in his head as fast as thought before he decided on his next strategy. If light over darkness would not work. Then perhaps illusions of his realms instead. With a flick of his wrist pages flung forth, flying and slashing around Maria with intense speed. The papers fluttering and unfurling as they slashed against her skin like knives, cutting through the tatters of her sleeves and slicing across her pale skin.
With a curse at the sudden stinging pain the pages caused, she withdrew into herself, creating a smaller target for the pages, before lashing out wildly. Her blades a burning wash of molten metal as she sliced through the pages, the paper catching aflame from the red hot steel. More pages surrounded her as she lashed out, her focus solely on destroying the wicked parchment before her.
And that was all Zexion needed.
For Maria didn't see the cloaked man sneak up behind. Nor did she see the deep green glow of magic radiate from the Slate haired man until after she was already being sucked into the realm of Zexion's book.
Parchment and journals flew about her in a ferocious cascade of ink and paper; the harsh slope of leather and the acidic tang of magic heavy in the air. Darkness swirled about in inky tendrils, mixing with the heavy ink residing on the floating pages. She looked around, searching furiously for the Cloaked Schemer but failing to locate his darkness as she had before. After all, the realm itself was not but darkness. How was one to find a single strand amidst a thousand others?
She grit her teeth together, grinding them in agitation before taking a step out towards one end of the plain. And in that one moment, the pages erupted from their leather bindings, soaring together in a single mass as they spiraled towards her like a missile. Green waves of magic flowed off the enchanted paper.
With a jolt, she leapt to the side, landing roughly on her side as the papers crashed into the space she had been but moments before. Torn pages and parchment bursting forth like a wave crashing against the cliffside before flowing together again; raising high into the shadowed air before spiraling back down towards her with devastating fury. She rolled, surging to her feet despite the harsh pain in her leg, running to the edge of the platform in an attempt to put distance between herself and her attacker. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, fear and rage coiling deep in her gut as she thought frantically for a plan. She cried out as she was struck from behind, the pages having wound together and spiraling into her left shoulder like a spear, knocking her off her feet and slamming her into the floor.
Blood pooled down her arm and onto the slate toned floor, the gruesome pages pulling free from her flesh, her blood coating the yellowed paper in a deep and sickening red. Tears stung the backs of her eyes; nausea settling in the pit of her stomach as she forced herself to her knees, one hand braced against the floor with her blade while the other gripped her bleeding shoulder. Black coated the edge of her vision, turning the world into a hazy mass as she saw the shadow of the pages rear back again. She knew they were preparing to lash out again. Knew she wasn't fast enough to fight the speed of magic as the black crept farther across her sight.
But this black wasn't the black of unconscious or the black of sleep. It was not the black of fear or pain.
This black was the black of rage. The black of hearts thus lost into their despair long ago. This was the black of darkness. And as the black swallowed over her eyes completely a single thought ran through her head.
Darkness was hers to control.
Shadows erupted from her skin as fast as lightning, and as sharp and twisted as thorned vines. It spread out across the plain, consuming the pages and herself in it's deep and never ending abyss. It spread out quick than fire and drowned out all sound. Despair and anguish filling the air, thickening it and weighing down all thought. It pressed down on them, crushing thought and feeling until a spark, a single crimson ember burst into form on the plain.
It flickered, darkening before bursting forth, flooding into the plain and erupting into an inextinguishable flame; covering the realm in heat and fire as it flames deepened in an almost black glow, all of the books perishing to ash before one burst open. Zexion's form emerging with a deep set wail before he too vanished. The acid green glow of magic flashing brightly, contrasting with the deep set red of the flames before they crashed down on one another, all light and and form vanishing within it's depths.
The other members of the organization watched Zexion's book float near the edge of the room, seeing his magic swirl around it before it jerked. Inky black tendrils spilling from it's pages and wrapping round it like a vice. The edges of the pages slowly started to char, smoke billowing from its edges.
Lexaeus narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists as he stood, glaring at the darkness that bound his friend's treasured weapon. He tensed as the book burst open, watching as flame and shadow and magic shot out from its pages, bathing the whole room in black for a long moment; a deep wail echoing off the walls before the black dissipated. The Silent Hero inhaled sharply as he saw his companion slumping against the far wall, barely able to keep himself aloft as his chest heaved. He turned to see Maria hunched over on the other side of the room, one blade lying at her feet, the other held tightly in her blood coated hand as her breath came out in ragged pants. He felt a growl rumbling deep within his throat as he saw her eyes; eyes of hazel green they had been, yes. But now, those rapt eyes shone brighter, more sadistic against her pale skin; her hazel eyes burned with a golden starburst around her pupils, but it was what lay around those irises that unsettled him. The white of her eyes were no more, now replaced with a deep and endless black.
Maria took a step forward, making to advance on Zexion when Lexaeus stepped forth, cutting off her path before she had even made it.
"Enough." He growled, his iron voice cutting into the heavy silence. Bringing his hand up, a giant weapon similar to that of an ax materializing. It was almost as large as he was, which was a terrifying seven foot. Bending a knee and getting into a firm, powerful stance that would not be broken easily, his eyes turned stern and cold- an aura of protectiveness surrounding him as he shielded Zexion who was still struggling to recover from behind him. "I will be your final opponent."
"Lexaeus?" The shorter man from behind him breathed, the slightest hint of surprise shimmering in his azure orbs. The man named Lexaeus did not respond in words, but merely turned his head slightly in his direction and gave a small nod. "...Alright. Go ahead."
And with that, the giant focused his attention on the beaten Maria once again.
Maria let her gaze roam over the giant before her, the black of her eyes like shimmering obsidian, moving and flowing around her gleaming irises. Her breathing had evened out, her stance loose yet certain despite the heavy signs of fatigue she had shown whilst fighting Marluxia before. The darkness had soothed her, driven away her exhaustion and filled her with an overwhelming sense of calm and certainty. The anger that once sat burning in her gaze was replaced by a deepset resolve. A firm undeniable drive to break down everything within her path.
And that meant Lexaeus.
She moved the toe of her boot underneath her discarded blade before easily kicking it up into the air, catching it in her free hand with a sense of grace that was not shown before in the fiery girl. She flipped her blades until they both rested in their forward positions in her hands. The man before her was a being of power and destruction. Relying solely on speed and close attacks would do her no good. A longer range was needed; and even then, Lexaeus's size alone gave him an advantage. She needed tact and precision.
She needed the dark.
And so she would use it.
Ash billowed up behind her like dust clouds as she lunged forward; the darkness pulsing in her bones allowing her to propel herself forward with far more speed than she would have had on her own. She rushed Lexaeus, arms crossed over her chest as she charged; she stopped just shy of Lexaeus's position and lashed out, her blades cutting an X through the air and releasing a wave of power so large it shook the very foundation of the room.
But the Silent Hero was prepared for the force. He was ready for the burst of energy she undoubtedly would release against him just as she had against Zexion.
He gripped his weapon tight when he saw her move, his shoulders drawn taut in anticipation before he brought his axe forward, waiting until the last possible moment before he slammed its tip down into the ground just as she had lashed out with her blades.
The sound of scraping metal filled the air, along with another unfamiliar sound. The sound of screams, of anguished souls howling in pain; a deep set ache resounding against the walls as the metal of her blades ran across that of Number V's axe. He narrowed his gaze, eyes fixing on the black tendrils running along the length of Maria's swords like veins.
The darkness screams, he thought before he adjusted his hold on the handle of the blade, twisting his arm as he broke his axe free of it's mottled restraints; chunks of marble flying in different directions as he continued to swing his axe skyward in a power arc.
Jumping back to avoid being hit, Maria landed several yards away, balancing on the balls of her feet as she eyed him, taking in the size and force of his black and onyx weapon. She changed her footing, black vein-like markings running around the exposed flesh of her wounds. Bracing, she rushed again, charging at him with intense speed before stopping just a few feet before him and leaping into the air; twisting as she flipped over him, aiming to land a blow to his back.
It was expected, however, as Lexaeus swung his axe round, spinning on his heel as he slashed at the place she would have landed.
Steel met steel again as she pressed her blades down in a hard cross, using her upper body strength to keep her held aloft from atop their crossed weapons. Their eyes met, cold blue against fierce hazel. Fierce, yet lacking their normal vibrancy they held whilst fighting Marluxia and Zexion, Lexaeus noticed. Those deep irises had darkened, the black of her eyes slowly bleeding into the bright color. She was using her darkness, letting it take over her just to beat them, for a chance to be free.
It's not enough, instead of swinging up, like he knew she expected, he let his axe drop, causing her blades to slip and her balance to waver. He took her momentary surprise to bring his fist down roughly on her wounded thigh, the force of his hit slamming her down into the ground.
If she was in pain, she only showed it by the clenching of her jaw and the tensing of her spine as she hit the marbled floor. He reared back, launching into another painful thrust of his fist only for it to collide with the ground as Maria rolled out of harm's way.
He let out a soft grunt as he turned, gripping the handle of his axe before bringing it up over his head and crashing towards where Maria had chosen to get to her feet, the blade arcing through the air in a flash of black and red.
A crash as loud as thunder filled the air as his axe connect, but it was not the the ground he hit, nor did it with Maria's blades. Instead, an arcing mass of black arched above Maria like a spider's limb, keeping the axe at bay as she stared up at Lexaeus with a cold, unfeeling expression. She sat there, one knee pressed to the ground with the other brought towards her chest; one arm hand at her side, both swords gripped loosely in hand as her free hand hung in the air in front of her as if keeping sun from one's eyes.
Straining, Lexaeus tried to force his blade down, the axe trembling from pressure and strain on the metal. He let out a low grunt as the Keeper began to stand, the wiry black limb pressing up as she did so, forcing his blade back and causing him to readjust his stance to keep from falling back.
Cocking her head to the side, she watched him, her expression far more void than he would have thought possible. The only color left in her irises was the golden starburst surrounding her pupils, deep shadows adorning her pale cheeks. As she stepped forward, her darkness pressed harder, forcing the titan back as his boots skid across the ground, knocking aside debris in his wake.
From the other side of the room, Saix watched the scene play out. Watched as more of the dark limbs sprag forth, pushing against Number V's axe and forcing him down to a knee.
The golden eyed male also saw how blood pooled down the girl's leg, leaving deep crimson footprints behind her as she walked.
It was time. The Lunar Diviner had had enough.
He stepped forward, the other members shifting back as he did so. Lexaeus noticed him before Maria did; the Silent Hero nodding at him in understanding before drawing back and diving out of range of the dark spindles.
Maria made to advance before a large claymore stabbed into the ground in front of her, her gaze shifting to meet the of amber eyes as a rough hand gripped her arm, a voice as stern as stone and cold as iron sounding from an even colder face, "Recall your shadows or fall to them. Now."
Blinking slowly at him, the keeper gazed about the room, taking in the wounded members and the blue haired man before her. She let her free arm drop to her side, her swords vanishing into embers as she flexed her hands, feeling the strain seething her muscles. She closed her eyes with a deep inhale, letting the shadows dissipate as the black veins left her skin. Tilting her head down, she let out a soft sigh, opening her eyes to gaze up at Saix as the black left them; returning her irises to their normal hazel hue.
Along with her normal sight, the lack of darkness flooding her bones let the fatigue seep back in, making her body ache and muscles scream in pain. If not for the hand gripping her bicep she would have most likely swayed and fallen.
Saix stared down at her, eyes cold and unfeeling, and at the sound of footsteps he raised his head and stared at the newcomes. Emerald eyes wide, Axel stared in shock at the sight that resided within the lounge, his companion beside him squeaking and jumping back with his hands held over his mouth. "The hell happened here!?"
Before Demyx could sneak away from fright, Axel reached a hand out and snatched his arm, the blond letting out a frightened yelp as he yanked back towards the redhead. "I-I don't wanna die!"
"Aw, shut it. You're not gonna die." Axel scowled, frowning at the blond before focusing his eyes back on Saix. "Hey-answer me. What happened here, Saix? Who's the chick?"
Maria, though dazed, was still aware enough to that she was being talked about. Feeling a bit of blood in her mouth, an aftereffect from the overuse of the darkness, she spat it out in his direction. Axel just raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by her actions. "Fuck… Fuck you. All of you."
The redhead snorted at that, releasing the squirming blond in his grasp and allowing Demyx to run out of the room. "Is that how you greet everyone you first meet?"
"Axel." Saix said, cutting into their conversation and gaining the redhead's attention. Axel, bringing a hand up and placing it on his hip, stared at him with bored eyes.
"Fix her." Multiple eyes looked at Saix incredulously, but he paid them no heed. With that he pulled Maria back, knocking her off balance, and she could only curse as she was sent fumbling forwards in Axel's direction. Legs giving out from beneath her she cried out as she hit the ground, pain flaring through her injured body. Her muscles aching to the point she could barely move.
Axel looked down at the woman for a moment, eyebrows raising, before he leaned his back and sighed. "Whatever you say, Saix... so lame. Okay, come on, lady; get up." He walked forwards, kneeling down, and went to grab her arm and help her stand. Stubborn and furious, Maria just slapped his hand away and glared. His green eyes, though lifeless, flickered with a bit of annoyance. "Don't be stupid. If we really wanted you dead, there'd be nothing you could do to stop it. Marluxia and Lexaeus aren't pushovers- if they were serious, you'd be dead."
"Marlux-? Oh... " A smirk slowly started to spread across her face, almost unnerving Axel as her hazel eyes flashed dangerously. "You mean princess. I got him pretty-" Her eyes widened, a tremor wracking her body as her heart started to beat out of control before stalling to then pound dangerously slow. She wheezed, gasping as her throat closed up on her. Fear filled her expression and the remaining Organization members could only watch as she struggled, clawing at her chest and at her throat.
She doubled over, her fingers digging into the ground as her body tensed and her eyes opened wide-white tendrils slowly leaking their way into her irises. The light was suffocating- eating away at her existence gradually and becoming only more powerful when she gave in to her darkness. Soon, very soon, if something wasn't done Maria would die.
And that was when the blond from before ran into the room, a girl multiple years younger than she being dragged along by him. Pastel brown eyes, tinted with the barest hints of green, widened in shock upon the sight of Maria-horror dawning upon her facial features.
…
"Wake up! Wake up! Irene~!" I groaned at the sound of someone shouting, fists slamming loudly against the door. Groggily pushing myself up and removing myself from the covers, I got up and made my way over to the nightstand where I had my glasses resting. "Irene!" I put them on, blinked a few times, and ruffled my hair with a yawn as I walked over and opened the door.
"Hold your horses, jeez… What is it?" I looked up at the tall blond tiredly, praying that it wasn't already morning. I liked my sleep. I frowned and knit my eyebrows in concern when I saw how panicked Demyx looked. "Wh-What's wrong?"
"S-Some crazy chick arrived in the castle and beat up some of our strongest members!" He cried out, flailing his arms in the air.
W-Wait, what? Seriously? "W-Wait, I'm confused. Who did who beat up?"
"I don't know; some crazy chick! She beat up Lexaeus and Marluxia! Zexion doesn't look like he has any injuries, but… he seemed to have trouble standing... " He frowned, biting the inside of his cheek nervously. Demyx spoke with his hands, waving them about in the air frantically as he explained. He shook his head, hugging himself as he stammered, "A-Anyway, can I hide out here? I-It's really scary…"
"B-But they're hurt, aren't they!?" Shouldn't we… I-I dunno, go make sure they're still alive? Oh god, but what if that crazy chick is still out there? She might try and hurt us, too. But the castle is really big, so she might not even find us. What to do? Um… god dang it. I don't know.
I mean, yeah they're my "kidnappers" so to speak, but I'll probably die without them seeing as I haven't any idea of how to get home. Some of them were actually really nice and Demyx said it was Lexaeus, Marluxia, and Zexion who got hurt… No. No, they'll be fine. I shouldn't worry about it; I mean, they got magic. They can make portals appear out of nowhere and Lexaeus is super buff! No one would be able to beat him in a fair fight, right?
I- I shouldn't… worry.
I heaved a sigh, reluctantly dragging my feet to my dresser so I could get changed. Demyx blinked, looking confused by my actions. "I'm going to get dressed. Then…" This was a bad idea. This was a really, really bad idea. "Then we'll go back to make sure they're still alive."
"Wh-What!? B-But-" He started to protest, staring at me incredulously with big horrified eyes, but I just gave him a look. Demyx closed his mouth, pouted, and shook his head as he brought a hand up to ruffle his hair. "I don't understand you… Aren't you scared? Shouldn't we be avoiding the danger?"
"Normally." I muttered, pulling a shirt out and balling the clothes up in my arms before closing the drawer with my foot. Ignoring the fearful racing of my heart I took a deep breath and gave a closed-eye grin. "But what kind of a future-friend would I be if I let my not-yet-friends die? I quite like you and the others living."
He blinked, startled by my words. Or, at least, pretended to be startled. I'm still trying to grasp how "Nobodies" worked. Making my way to the bathroom I opened the door and closed it, getting dressed quickly and brushing my teeth. Once I was done I went to make my way back to Demyx, but before we left to go wherever the other members were I made sure to grab my Hufflepuff jacket.
Demyx looked deep in thought the entire way down-something rather odd despite having only known him for such as short time. He seemed like a really childish, outgoing kind of person who didn't take much of anything seriously. He actually appeared bothered by something. Pulling my jacket on and zipping it up, I stuff my hands in my pockets and followed him.
Did I say something wrong or is he really just that scared? I felt a little lightheaded as we walked-a feeling of my blood becoming heavy in my veins. Something was trying to suffocate me, a pressure against my heart and something akin to needles stabbing it repeatedly. Th-That… I flinched, bringing a hand up to my chest and digging my fingers into the cloth of my jacket. This was certainly a new and more intense sensation than before- one I was quite unfamiliar with. I-I can't…
Black spots started to dance in my vision, but before I could open my mouth to say anything about it we came to a halt just outside the lounge. Opening my eyes, I gazed on in horror at the sight before me. Blood and disaster decorated the lounge, people I didn't recognize unconscious against the ground and against tipped-over coffee tables, broken vases with flowers littering the ground. Zexion was hunched over against the wall, no visible injuries but breathing heavily, a silently concerned Lexaeus hovering beside him and looking ready to catch him if he fell. Marluxia was slumped on the ground nearby the man with the scar, dark crimson droplets trickling from a massive wound on his hip and creating a puddle on the marble floor.
Lexaeus barely looked battered, but it was clear to see he was at least a little exhausted from something. Then there was the young woman curled up on the ground, gasping and choking on nothing as she squirmed and writhed on the ground. I stepped forward, not entirely sure what I should do or how to help, when the pressure in my body and the weight in my veins became too heavy.
Black colored my vision, an invisible force of pressure knocking me down and wrapping around me, strangling me and gripping my heart in a vice. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I wasn't able to see anything. All there was in my vision was endless black. To the people seeing this, the veins in my body started to darken, becoming visible black and purple streaks that went and covered my hands, trailing from my chest where my heart was and going all the way up to my eyes.
The woman in front of me, just a few feet away, was in a similar position. Her eyes, though once a vibrant hazel, now shimmered with white streaks. Golden and white lines trailed across her skin, like golden tree branches covered with snow. I could make out the white of the light through the black and, while digging my fingers into my throat as I wheezed, mine and the woman's gazes locked.
It was as if a thousand bricks just slammed into my chest, the poison in my body burning like acid for the longest of moments before suddenly pulling itself out of my body. White exploded from the the young woman, eyes shining a brilliant gold before flickering with black as the room became filled with color. The lounge flickered white and black, blinding all those watching and making them avert their eyes.
I wasn't entirely sure what to describe what happened next; one moment the pain increased to such a degree I thought I was going to faint, then it vanished all at once and relief washed over me. My vision colored white and gold, and my heart felt… whole. I was dizzy, lightheaded from the experience, and as the room stopped flashing me and the woman just stared at each other, both of us gasping and breathing heavily in exhaustion and confusion.
Then, without another word, I fell forward and collapsed. She managed to remain awake longer, but by the time Demyx opened his mouth to say something she was already falling onto her side, blood staining her clothes.
…
Saix was silent, having not moved an inch since Demyx and Irene so rudely burst into the lounge. He had been expecting some sort of transaction to occur when she and the Keeper of Darkness locked eyes, but for the clash of the light and darkness to blind everyone and be so hard on their bodies surprised him just a little. Both girls were completely out of it, unconscious on the ground. Saix looked at Axel, who grimaced when he caught his gaze. He reluctantly made his way over to Maria, kneeling down and picking her up.
Demyx was having a massive panic attack in the background, kneeling beside his new friend and looking around frantically as he looked for help. His eyes landed on Zexion, then shifted back to Irene, then back at Zexion. "Z-Zexion, wh-what do we do!? What's wrong with them; what just happened!? Are they okay; why did they faint like that, oh god! Vexen is unconscious too! H-He's our doctor, we need him to-to-Zexion!"
The blond was about to have a mental break down, falsetto tears welling up in his eyes as he brought his hands up and started to pull his hair, and only snapped out of it when he received a firm smack in the back of the head from Axel. The blond yelped in response, flinching and whining at the sudden sneak attack. "Shut up already." The redhead ordered, the young woman who attacked everyone held up and pressed against his side with one arm. "Grab the girl. We don't have all day."
"B-But-" He stammered, looking at Axel, then down at Irene, and at Zexion who was finally able to stand without support from the wall. He looked at Irene, then Zexion, then Irene, then back at Axel, and shut his mouth and picked the younger girl up without complaint. Why do they always pick me for this stuff!? Demyx was a musician, not a doctor. Don't they ever realize I'm the wrong guy for these things?
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