Chapter 10: Shadows of the Past (pt. 1)
Unknown Location
Axel
"What the-where the hell am I?!" said Axel as he looked about.
The redheaded nobody had just been standing next to Hisana and Evelyn mere moments ago when they entered the portal to the next world, when suddenly everything had gone dark and his companions had vanished. Now Axel was standing in what appeared to be an enormous cathedral (for reference, think the size of St Ignatius cathedral in San Francisco), with painted windows that depicted various scenes from his past. Upon closer inspection, Axel found that one side of the cathedral showed his distant past, and the other his most recent past. On the left side, there sat a panel depicting a scene he would never forget. It was an image of him and Roxas, sitting atop the clock tower in Twilight Town eating ice cream. He sighed and smiled softly at the memory of days long past. On the right side of the room, he found himself staring at a panel that showed an image of him and Hisana smiling brightly, walking hand in hand. The image filled him with happiness just as the other did, but then a wave of guilt crashed over his mind. Axel looked back and forth at the two images, unsure what to make of them.
"You can't decide, can you?"
Axel froze at the voice. It was unmistakable. The lightheartedness and generosity of its tone was all too painfully familiar. Slowly, the redhead turned around. Upon laying eyes on the speaker, he found himself torn between relief and guilt. He hadn't misheard, it was exactly who he thought it was.
"Roxas…" Axel whispered.
The short boy smiled softly at him with sky blue eyes. He was dressed in the familiar black robes of Organization XIII. His spiky blonde hair shook slightly as he nodded.
"That's right, you remember me."
"Wha-how could I possibly forget you? You're my best friend!"
Roxas's smile faded slightly as he pointed at the wall behind Axel. "I used to be."
Axel shot his old friend a confused look before turning around. Roxas was pointing at the image of Axel and Hisana walking hand in hand. Realization dawned on the redhead as he turned back around.
"That? She's just a friend, Roxas. No one besides you could take the place you have in my heart." he said.
Roxas's smile faded completely now. "You're lying."
"What?"
"You have feelings for that girl. The same kind you had for me."
"N-no I don't! I told you, Hisana is just a friend!"
"Hisana, huh? That's a pretty name, perfect for a pretty girl like her."
"Shut up! What the hell do you know!"
Axel's eyes widened as he registered his own words. His gaze fell to the floor.
"What was I supposed to do…you died, and then I didn't have anyone left. When I came back to life, I hoped that you would come back with me, but you were still gone. I knew then, that you would never come back. So I set out…I never thought I'd meet Hisana, or that I'd become friends with her. Or…or…"
"Or that you'd fall in love with her." Roxas finished.
Axel directed his gaze to the side. "Why are you here, anyway? Am I dead too now?"
Roxas shook his head. "No, you're still alive. I'm here to test you."
"Test me? On what?"
The next thing he knew, Axel was dodging a swing from a pair of black and white keyblades. The pyro looked in surprise at Roxas, who now stood brandishing his weapons in an offensive stance. The short blonde glared straight into his eyes.
"Show me where your heart lies! If I really am the one closest to your heart, then you won't dodge the next attack. But…"
"Roxas, please…" Axel felt a weight in his chest.
"…if she really is the one you long for…"
"Please don't…" he closed his fists.
"…then take your weapon in hand…"
"Don't make me do this!" Axel summoned his chakrams.
"…and strike me down."
Gritting his teeth, Axel waited until the shorter nobody was lunging at him before yelling in absolute frustration and basting Roxas back with a burst of fire. The shorter nobody landed on his feet, mildly surprised by the sheer power of the blast. Flames were now raging around the former friends as Axel charged at him, swinging and slashing with all his might. Roxas found himself barely able to counter the blows. Axel glared at him the entire time, struggling to keep back tears of pain and frustration.
"Why do you always do this?!" Axel demanded as they fought.
He blocked a volley of blows from Roxas before countering with a fire-enhanced kick that knocked the blonde back.
"You think you can just go around saying and doing whatever the hell you want! You never care what happens to me or anyone else! All you can think of is yourself!"
Roxas scowled and caught the pyro with a double uppercut between blows. Axel was knocked flat on his back, and felt the end of a keyblade against his chin. Roxas glared down at him.
"And what about you? You say you love me, and then you toss me aside the moment some sad little whore comes along! Are you really certain you have a heart, Axel? Because you seem to excel at breaking them! I'll bet you're just into her for the fun of it! You just want someone to force your emotions onto, all so you can pretend to have a heart!"
Axel froze for a moment, then the ground around him and Roxas started to shake violently. Fissures began to open up around the nobodies, and out of them rose enormous pillars of flame.
"How dare you…" Axel began.
The flames rose higher, and he smacked Roxas's weapons aside. The pyro sprang to his feet and glared straight into the blonde's eyes.
"You think I'm just some pretender…you think I don't feel a thing for anyone?! Bullshit!" then, summoning all the courage he could, he declared, "I love Hisana!"
Before Roxas could even try to react, Axel exploded toward him via a jet of flame. The pyro slammed into the blonde, knocking him back a few steps. Roxas tried to regain his ground as Axel launched a barrage of lightning fast strikes, but to no avail. After a short exchange of blows, Axel disarmed Roxas and knocked him to the floor. As the shorter nobody began to rose, he felt the tips of the pyro's chakrams at his throat. Axel frowned at his beaten opponent, and the raging flames around them slowly died out.
"…she reminds me of you." he whispered once the flames had gone. "She's kind, and willing to stick up for herself. She puts the wellbeing of others before her own, and trusts me as she would her best friend. I love her, just like I loved you."
Roxas was still for a moment, letting the words sink in. Then, he began to laugh lightly. Axel gave him a puzzled look.
"What's so funny?"
"You're cool when you're honest like that. You should really try to be that way more often. Got it memorized?"
Axel smiled lightly. "Hey, that's my line."
Roxas nodded and relaxed against the floor. "You passed the test. Now all you have to do is finish me off, and you'll be out of here." he saw the hesitation in his friend's eyes. "Don't worry, I won't feel a thing. And besides, she's waiting for you. I want you to be happy, Axel."
Axel paused, but managed to breath a sigh of relief. "I got you. I'll make it quick."
Roxas nodded. "It was good to be able to see you again, Axel. Goodbye."
Axel nodded and closed his eyes. "Same to you."
He swung his blades, and the shadow beneath him disappeared.
"Goodbye, Roxas."
Tsuyo-sa
She was running out of time. Mere moments ago, she had gone with Yasha through the portal that appeared after their confrontation with the strange blonde girl. Then, as they were about to come up on the next world, everything around her went black, and Yasha was no longer by her side. She then found herself alone, standing on the bottom of a bell tower of what seemed like a massive cathedral. Before she could even try to investigate her surroundings, an enormous mass of darkness descended on her from above. She acted quickly, summoning her gauntlets and catching the mass before it could crush her. The dark mass was heavier than she had originally thought, and even with her great strength she had been forced to squat in order to hold it up. That was all three minutes ago, and she was still holding the weight of the dark mass. As time went by, the mass seemed to get heavier and heavier, and soon she found herself down on a knee. I won't give up… she thought to herself. Whatever this is, I'll keep holding on until it lets up. I've got to be strong!
Five minutes pass…
The mass had seemed to double in weight, and now she was on both knees, struggling to keep the dark mass at bay.
"Just a little longer (pant!) it won't beat me! (pant)" she told herself.
Twenty minutes…
The weight of the mass had quadrupled. Tsuyo-sa was now resting her elbows on the floor to keep it up.
"Gotta…stay…strong…" she gasped.
Forty-Five minutes…
The short brunette was now reduced to her shoulders. The weight of the mass had increased so much that her gauntlets had been crushed to pieces. She knew that any minute now, she would collapse, and the darkness would crush her.
"Someone…please help…I'm not…strong…enough…please…I can't…do it…alone…anymore…" she managed to wheeze.
"All you need to do is ask." a gentle voice whispered softly.
Tsuyo-sa suddenly felt her strength return, and the weight of the dark mass vanished. She looked up to see a tan girl around the same height as her, clothed in a black hoodie embroidered with white flame designs and boots, with a black vertebrae like tail flitting back and forth behind her, holding up the mass of darkness with a pair of huge black gauntlets that concealed her lower arms. The girl's face was hidden beneath the shadow of her hood, but Tsuyo-sa could make out a kind smile as she sent the mass flying back to wherever it came from with a single shove. The girl dematerialized her large gauntlets and offered her hand to Tsuyo-sa.
"You can't do everything on your own. When things get hard, don't be afraid to call on your friends to help you. They will always come to your aid." the hooded girl continued.
The brunette gladly accepted her hand, and was pulled to her feet.
"Thanks for the advice, and for saving me. I don't know how much longer I would've lasted." Tsuyo-sa began.
The hooded girl nodded. "Anything for you, Tsuyo-sa."
"Huh? How'd you know my name? Who are you?"
The hooded girl's smile seemed to widen. "Well, this is going to sound a little strange, but I don't know how else to put it…"
The girl pulled down her hood, revealing a head of short snow-white hair and a tanned young face framed by two ringed amber eyes. The tan girl put her hands on Tsuyo-sa's shoulders.
"My name is Strength. I'm…your 'father'." she said softly.
Tsuyo-sa fell silent. The girl in front of her, Strength, who had saved her life only seconds earlier, now claims to be her long lost parent? It could have been some weird joke, but the tan girl had spoken with pure honesty, and looked overjoyed to see her. Taking a closer look, Tsuyo-sa saw the resemblances between her and her 'father'. Like Strength, she wasn't very tall, and her hair and face were shaped in the same way. Even their choice of weaponry was the same. Yes, there was no denying it. This girl was undoubtedly her missing parent. Tears of joy began streaming from her eyes.
"I…I understand that this is a lot to take in, so if you need a moment-" Strength continued.
"Father!" Tsuyo-sa cried as she embraced the other girl.
(A/N: from now on, we will refer to the more patriarchal parents in these yuri-couples as 'father'. Just makes things easier.)
Strength paused for a moment, then smiled and returned the embrace. Tsuyo-sa cried into her father's chest and held her tight, for fear that she might disappear. Strength let her daughter cry to her heart's content, softly running her fingers through the younger girl's hair as her own tears began to fall. They remained like this for a time, 'father' and daughter locked in each other's arms. Finally, Tsuyo-sa pulled away to look her father in the eye.
"I'm so glad I found you. Now you can come with me and Yasha and we can go see mom! She'll be so glad to see you!" the brunette said hopefully. "We can finally all be together!"
Tsuyo-sa turned to leave, holding tightly to her father's arm. Strength didn't budge. Tsuyo-sa shot her a confused look, and found her parent smiling sadly as tears cascaded down her face. Strength dared not look her in the eye.
"I can't. Believe me, I want to be with you and Saya as well, but…I just can't." she said.
Tsuyo-sa felt her heart sink. "Why not? Why can't we be a family?"
Mustering her courage, Strength managed to face her daughter. "Because I haven't been alive for three years. Tsuyo-sa, I'm dead."
Tsuyo-sa couldn't believe it. She shook her head in denial. "No…you're alive, you're standing here with me right now!"
"I've been allowed to visit you in this place for the duration of your trial. Now that it has ended, I don't have much time left." she held up her hand. It was invisible from the wrist down. "See? I'm already beginning to fade."
"No! Please, don't go! I need you! I don't want to go back without you!"
Strength closed her eyes and smiled softly. "So stubborn…just like me…" she opened her eyes to face her daughter one last time. "I'm glad I was finally able to see you, Tsuyo-sa. I'm so proud of you."
Tsuyo-sa wrapped her arms around her father as her lower body faded into nothing. "Father…please don't leave…"
Strength swallowed back a cry of sorrow that threatened to escape. "Remember my words, Tsuyo-sa. Live well, and be safe. Who knows, maybe someday, once the worlds are safe again, I'll be able to join you and your mother. Until that time comes, know that I will always love you, my daughter."
Placing a loving kiss on her daughter's forehead, Strength faded away completely, and returned to the afterlife.
Evelyn
It was dark on the other side of the gateway. After emerging from the portal, Evelyn had found herself in a large courtyard, complete with a large white cross placed decoratively on the wall furthest from her. A pool of crystal clear water sat at the base of the cross. The tan woman had already entered her demon form after taking a few steps into the room. Wherever she was, she was more likely than not bound for a fight. Taking off her face mask, Evelyn observed her surroundings with interest. There were carvings etched into the walls of the courtyard, and something seemed quite odd about them. She realized with a start that all of the carvings were depictions of scenes from her life. As she looked over the carvings, she caught sight of a scene from the earlier moments of her life. The carving was of her, still a child, being held gently by her 'father'. Memories of days in the palace of her birth came flooding back to her, and she closed her eyes and managed a soft smile. Her father had taken good care of her, and had placed her safety in the highest priority on the day that she...that she...
"On the day that she died."
Evelyn opened her eyes and looked about in surprise at the sound. She scanned the courtyard, but could find no trace of anyone besides herself.
"Oh, did I startle you? Hehehehehehehehehe!" the voice came again. It sounded both male and female at the same time, and somehow oddly familiar.
Summoning her hooks to her hands, Evelyn ran out into the center of the courtyard.
"Who's there?" she demanded. "Show yourself!"
"Well, aren't we feisty. But I like that, it shows me just how much you've grown over the years." the voice let out a 'hm' of approval, as if carefully observing her. "Oh yes, you've grown quite a bit. Such a tall and slender body, such long and brilliant lavender hair, just like your mother's, and also the same bosom she had. Yes, all very nice hehehehe!"
Evelyn grit her teeth in annoyance. "I don't have time for games! Come out and face me, you coward!"
The voice laughed again. "If you insist."
It sounded very close that last time it spoke. Wheeling around in a defensive stance, Evelyn came face to face with the owner of the voice. Standing before her was a tall woman completely covered in white exoskeletal plating, with a fist sized hole in her waist just above her belly button. The demon woman also had hooves in place of feet, and a vertebrae shaped tail swung from the back of her waist. Her face was shaped like that of a skull, smiling eternally with fiery blue eyes and red pupils. The demoness's hair was composed entirely of blue flame, and it raged lightly down to just past her shoulders. Evelyn realized that the demoness looked eerily similar to her in her current form, and shot the strange creature a look of confusion. The demoness just seemed to smile wider, and narrowed its eyes at her in a mischievous fashion.
"Yes, that's right. I'm a demon, same as you." it said, small bursts of fire spewing from its mouth each time it opened its mouth.
"You're wrong! I am not a monster like you!" Evelyn countered.
She swung her hooks at the demoness, and to her surprise the weapons bounced off harmlessly. The demoness sighed and shook its head, and the next thing Evelyn knew, it was standing in front of her, with its fist in her gut. Evelyn spat out saliva as the force of the blow catapulted her into the wall behind her. As she struggled to get to her feet, the demoness appeared in front of her, kneeling down and watching her intently.
"Is that any way to treat a fellow monster? If you're going to hit someone, then make sure you do it with everything you've got." it taunted.
Evelyn responded with a punch that struck the demoness square in the face, sending it flying back.
"Like that?" taunted the tan woman as she rose.
The demoness caught its ground just before it crashed, and rose back to its full height.
"Not bad, but you are still only using your normal strength. If you really want to hurt me, then come at me as the demon you know you are inside."
Evelyn charged toward the demoness with her fists ready. The demoness smirked mentally before striking its own stance and charging forth to meet her. The two warriors collided, and launched into an exchange of blows. Evelyn refused to give the demoness what it wanted, and only used the bare minimum of her power. As the fight carried on, she noticed that her opponent's movements mirrored that of her own. Not only that, but it seemed to be holding back its true abilities. The demoness caught her while she was dwelling on these facts, and sent Evelyn to the ground with an elbow to the forehead.
"Please, is that all you can do? Do you honestly hope to win the tournament with only that strength? At this rate, that pathetic weakling Hisana will surpass you." it spat.
Evelyn ground her teeth in frustration. "Shut up!"
She rose to her feet and lunged at the demoness. It caught her fist with a minimum of effort.
"Weak, so very weak. No wonder she's the preferred one."
The demoness suddenly twisted Evelyn's arm, resulting in a grotesque snap as it dislocated. The tan woman swallowed her cry of pain and struck with her knee. The demoness was caught by surprise, and stumbled back a couple feet. Popping her arm back into place, Evelyn glared hatefully at her opponent. The fiery blue aura that surrounded her form grew with her anger, and now encompassed everything within two feet around her.
"Don't compare me to Hisana! If it weren't for me, she'd still be sitting back home crying in a corner!"
"And yet she has everything. The love of the people, a bond with both her parents, and most importantly, her attention." the demoness's smile seemed to grow to exponential lengths as Evelyn's aura of rage skyrocketed.
"I said..." the tan woman exploded toward her, propelled by the aura of flame. "SHUT UP!"
Evelyn's eyes turned a fiery blue, and the demoness widened her eyes in joy as her fist connected with her face. It began to fly back, when an aura of blue flame the same size as Evelyn's erupted around it, and it resumed its fighting stance in time to send a punch of its own at the tan woman. Evelyn's fist met her opponent's, and the blue auras that burned around them combined into one enormous column of hellfire. The demoness began to laugh hysterically.
"Yes! I knew it all along! Deep down, you and I are exactly the same! There is no difference!" it screamed.
Evelyn bared her teeth. "We are not the same!"
"Oh, but we are! We have everything in common! THE HATRED OF THE WORLD THAT SCORNS US! THE POWER OF THE HELLFIRE THAT CONSUMES US! THE CHAINS OF THE LONELINESS THAT BINDS US!" the demoness lowered its voice for emphasis. "Even our love for the women who are blind to us."
Evelyn's eyes widened in shock. "What are you-"
"Did you really think you could hide it? Foolish child, there is nothing about you that I do not know. After all..." the demoness's skull face began to dissolve, and its fiery blue hair disappeared. As its true face was revealed, so too was its solely feminine voice. "...you are my precious daughter, Evelyn."
Evelyn stared in disbelief at her opponent's true face. Beneath the skull mask was the face of a young woman with chestnut brown hair with an orange barrette in it, and a pair of shining amber eyes, exactly the same as Evelyn's. The woman gave a smile that was both motherly and scheming at the same time. In an instant, Evelyn realized exactly who the demoness was. A lone tear escaped her eyes.
"It can't be...father?" her tone shook with surprise, and the aura of hatred around her vanished along with her father's.
Yuu nodded slowly at her daughter as she relaxed her grip on her hands. "Yes, Evelyn. It's good to see you again."
"But...I don't understand! You...you're dead!"
"That's right. I am not among the living. What you see here is only my spirit, for I have long since left the mortal plane behind."
"Why are you here? Why did you say those things to me?"
Yuu shook her head. "Oh Evelyn...you have made me very disappointed."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you remember? You promised me that you would be a good girl, that you wouldn't end up like me. And yet you couldn't have followed in my footsteps any more perfectly. You are in love with the Takanashi girl, the one who so closely resembles the Mato I loved so dearly. And just like me, she has turned a blind eye to you in favor of someone else."
Evelyn averted her gaze.
Yuu sighed before continuing. "You are jealous of Hisana, because even though you have always been by her side, Shinzo still loves her instead of you. She would not hear your feelings, and so you kept them bottled up inside where no one could reach them. But what I don't understand is why you continue to keep her feelings a secret, and allow Hisana to love someone else."
"I...I just want them to be happy...they're my best friends..."
"And what of you? What about your happiness? Does that mean nothing to you?"
Evelyn glared at her father. "Of course it does!"
"Then why do you insist on hurting yourself? Why do you continue to value their happiness above your own? You know that Hisana will reject Shinzo, you know that she is unwilling to become a being of darkness like me, so why do you hesitate? Why not accept what you are, and show Shinzo your true feelings?"
Evelyn opened her mouth to reply, then fell silent. She whispered something that Yuu could not hear.
"What?"
"I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what I'll become if I accept that I am a demon, hell, more like the queen of demons considering my heritage. If I did that, then I'd truly be just as bad as you."
Yuu narrowed her eyes. "I see...so you are afraid of joining me in the depths of hell. Very well, if you will not accept your gift, then I will not force you. However, I think you'd better hear your mother's opinion before you make your final decision." Yuu looked to somewhere beyond Evelyn. "What say you, Rider?"
In shock at the mere mention of her birth mother, Evelyn turned sharply around to face a tall, busty woman clothed in black and purple, with long lavender hair and very pale violet eyes. Now Evelyn understood what her father meant by looking a lot like her mother. Rider smiled and walked toward her daughter. Evelyn could only watch as the tall woman wrapped her arms protectively around her.
"It is good to finally meet you, Evelyn." Rider said in a motherly tone.
Evelyn felt tears begin to form at the edge of her eyes as she subconsciously returned the embrace.
"Mother..." she whispered.
"I am sorry that I was never able to meet you, my daughter. I would love nothing more than to stay with you, but I cannot linger here for long. Our time is almost up."
Evelyn looked over at her mother in confusion. "What?! But why?"
"We can only see you as long as your trial remains incomplete." Yuu answered.
"Trial? I don't understand. What is this place?"
This time it was Rider who answered. "This place is called the Monastery of the Lost. It is a mysterious place between dimensions, and all who enter it must undergo a test of heart. It is a place where the secrets that lie dormant within you are either brought to light, or will cause you eternal sorrow for the remainder of your days."
"In other words, if you do not accept the truth's that you keep hidden inside you, then you will be doomed to suffer eternal sorrow when you leave this place." Yuu rephrased.
Evelyn took a moment to take it all in. She could see where this was going, and the choice that had to be made. After taking a few moments to weigh her options, she made her decision. She looked at both of her parents, who stood waiting patiently for her answer. Evelyn took a deep breath before finally speaking.
"Very well. I choose to accept my heritage, and to become a full demon."
Yuu smiled proudly, and Rider nodded.
"However," the daughter continued, "I will not reveal my feelings for Shinzo. At least, not until I can see her again."
Her parents nodded in agreement, then they both smiled and stood on either side of her. They each took one of her arms and began to lead her to the pool at the end of the courtyard. They stopped at the edge of it.
"All you have to do is walk in. Don't worry, you won't look that different than you do now, but there will definitely be some noticeable differences." Yuu said reassuringly.
"Thank you, father."
"Although we cannot follow you once you leave this place, know that we will always be watching over you, even in your darkest hours." Rider added.
"Thanks, mom. Well, I guess I'll see you later." Evelyn took one last look at the beings who brought her into existence before stepping into the water.
The moment the water passed over her head, she began to change. Her ears grew long and pointed, and the tail at her waist straightened and ignited a small blue flame on its tip. Her eyes remained amber, but a pair of ram like horns grew from the top of her head, circling around her long ears and through her long hair. Her transformation completed, Evelyn gently closed her eyes as a sudden drowsiness overtook her, and she departed from the Monastery.
21 Guardians Remaining...
(the guardians in chapters 10 and 11 are not a part of the tournament)