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Chapter 9: Fight! Rise And Be Strong! Part III

A chiming echoed in the room and started to die away. Aro set Guzen on the ground and looked up at the four people on the balcony. Veldoro stood out as the tallest of the three. His hair was red as fire red and slicked back so his bottomless black eyes could been seen. His gaze could trap anyone and stop him or her in their tracks. His face was rough, and held no kindness at all. She pulled her gaze away, looking at his clothing. He dressed simply: black dress pants, dress shoes. He had no shirt, showing off his tan body and marble-like muscles, and had a woman on his right arm. Aro felt a chill run down her spine when she looked at her. The red eyes that she had seemed to hold nothing but anger. Her blond hair was braided and pulled in a bun. She didn't seem dressed for the event. She had on all black: a piece of cloth used like a chest rap, shorts, and dress boots. Fishnet came from inside the shorts and went into the boots. She was slightly shorter Veldoro. "Well… seems you were right as always, Vel-kun…" She had on gloves with no tips to let her long red nails poke out.

Aro stiffed a laugh. 'Seems even evil has a taste in women…' She looked to the other two. One had on a black cloak and a black hat that hid him from a full view. His hat, though, had an off-white cloth wrapped around the base and a small gold cross barely sticking out of the side of it. The last, shorter than her, made her want to burst into laughter. She didn't think that would be a good idea in front of the bad guys though, so she kept it in. It was obvious this man was probably older than Veldoro by the gray and black hair that was balding. His eyes, though, were a green that would make any cat jealous, and they glittered with energy and excitement. Aro shifted uneasily under his gaze. Something told her he was trouble. He was a little round; not really needing the black leather belt hung loosely on his dark blue jeans. Perhaps he used it to hold up the leather chaps that were over his jeans. His black and red plaid shirt made his stomach look even larger. Snake skin boots came over the jeans, but under the chaps. He approached Veldoro's other side, and came just above his elbow, "Veldoro," His voice was thick and seemed to touch Aro's skin, "… let me at her first… I've never had to fight a monster before…"

"No, Robrion. There is no reason to jump to those conclusions. She could be quite… useful…" The man in black said in a deep and mesmerizing voice. Veldoro glanced at him then back to Aro and Luffy. "Aro. You come here to fight. I want to offer you the chance to live. If you—"

"No." Aro said firmly. Veldoro paused, staring as if surprised.

"How dare you do that to Vel-kun!" The girl spoke again, pulling away from Veldoro to put her hands on her hips, "I'll make you bleed for that!" She glared down at Aro.

"Serisha." Veldoro spoke in a warning voice; "You will wait until I give you the ok. Now Aro, why would you want to be so—"

"Nope." Aro looked at him dead in the eyes. She watched the anger fill them and try to poke around his cool gaze. "You're all alike." She then spoke in a different voice, " 'Join me… and you will live…' " She rolled her eyes, going back to her normal voice, "pointless! It's all talk. So why bother saying it or even offering it? You know I'll turn it down." She smiled at Serisha, "you, my short tempered friend, have chosen to work under a great idiot." She watched for a reaction, and to her luck, she got the one she was looking for.

"You little!" Serisha jumped the edge of the balcony and landed without harm.

"Serisha!" Robrion called out, "Stop!" She didn't listen. Aro raised her fist and got into a fighting stance. She lifted her hand, as if her nails were claws. She lunged as she came to Aro's face. She stepped to the side slightly, and grabbed Serisha's wrist, pulling it downward as she brings her knee upward to her ribs. A loud crack sounded, and Serisha dropped to her knees, hugging herself with her free hand and gasping for breath.

"Not here for you toadies and girlfriend, Veldoro… I came here to face you." Aro let go of Serisha and started towards the others.

"Girlfriend?" Veldoro asked, raising an eyebrow, "You must be mistaken, I see no girl."

"Whatever, just get down here and face me."

"Dear Aro, you must have been seeing things. There is no girl."

"Bull!" Aro pointed behind her, "She's right there!" She could feel her anger building.

"Look for yourself." Veldoro nodded behind Aro. She turned and her face paled. Serisha was gone.

"Wh-where did she go?" Aro looked around, seeing Luffy staring at her. "Luffy, where did she go?"

"Hmm? Who?" He blinked. She frowned.

"Where did—" She paused, looking around. "Where's Guzen?" She stared at where Guzen once laid. Luffy looked as also, and his jaw dropped. Aro looked around the room franticly. A loud chiming came from all around. Aro went to a state of full alert.

"Don't tell me, my dear, that you didn't notice…" Veldoro said, getting her to look at him once more. Serisha was back at his side and Guzen lay in a scratched up heap beside her. Anger filled her, burning her through as it tried to come out in furious yells. She stopped, seeing a large clock behind the four. The face of it was a black and white swirl, and the pendulum was bright white on the blackness behind it. Her eyes fixed on the motion, watching it sway back and forth… back and forth…

Her eyes started to droop, her legs bent slightly. The clock face seemed to be spinning.

Back and forth… spinning… back and forth…

A distant voice called her name.

Back and forth… spinning… back and forth…

The voice was louder again. It was a boy. She didn't know who it was though.

Back and forth… spinning… back and forth…

Something washed over her, holding her and dragging her down somewhere. She flailed, trying to find something to grab, to hold. The voice called again, this time, she under stood it: "Aro! I'm sorry!"

Back and forth… spinning… back and forth…

'Sorry?' She thought to herself. Pain suddenly shot up her left arm. She screamed, and everything stopped suddenly. She was kneeling in the middle of the room, panting and hugging herself. She looked at her arm, and a card stuck out of it. A loud crack echoed in the once silent room. Aro looked up at Veldoro and stared. Guzen was a bloody mess, pinned to the wall by his own cards. Robrion stood in front of him with a sword in his hand. The mystery person was gone, and Serisha was back by Veldoro's side, arm in his. She looked over at Aro.

"Veldoro… she's awake…" She sounded annoyed, "The other one is still out of it though… he should be dead soon…" She looked back at Guzen. "Can I kill him?"

Aro quickly looked around. A few yards away, Luffy was on his knees as well, his own hands wrapped around his neck, and his eyes pure white. "Luffy! Stop!" She cried. Everything came together at once. She got up and tried to run to Luffy, but collapsed. She felt her neck, and she could feel where she had tried to strangle herself just now. She pulled the card out, and pulled back her arm. "Luffy!" She threw it, and it grazed his arm. His eyes came back and he, too, started gasping for air, hands falling to his sides.

"She's a pest…" Veldoro looked down at the two. "If Guzen hadn't broken the hypnosis so soon, they both would have been dead by now… Robrion, take care of these pests… I shall finish Guzen…"

"Alright… a hunt!" He turned and jumped down, grinning with crooked teeth. "I can't wait to get a panther pelt for my bed… it will be so nice and cozy…"

Aro frowned. She looked at the clock once more. Had it been hypnotizing her from the beginning? She wondered. She looked back at Robrion. He held is sword loosely in his hand. She burst into laughter at the site. The sword was twice his size and as thick as his arm. "What's so funny, girlie?" Aro's laugher stopped suddenly. She glared at him.

"What did you say?"

"Are we gonna fight, or talk? I'll make you a deal. Fight me in your beast mode, and win or lose, your friends leave this place alive." He grinned as excitement filled his eyes. Aro pondered on this, and nodded.

"Deal… but, no outside help for either of us."

"Alright then." He kissed his sword, "I can't wait to see your head mounted on my wall…" Aro started to stand as Robrion charged. The vibrating started in her body again. Everything got louder, slower, and more defined. She felt her hands start to turn furry, and her bones moved to places that they should never move, bent in angle that should not happen safely. She pulled her bini off and dropped it to the ground. He was almost on her. She dropped down at the last minute on all four, and she felt the transformation explode and her clothes stretched as the form of Aro, once part human and part cat, went to a full-fledged panther. The sound to the blade cutting through the air got Aro to look at the coming blade. Something filled her eyes in this split second. Fear? No. Anger? No. Excitement? Perhaps. All that could be told was that it was something only animals could hold. Something beastly.

(Author's Note: Yeah… this one was kind of… fast paced… sorry! ')