Ch. 3 Vixsila

{Nix's point of view}

The old man sat back and looked at me. I decided to pay more attention to him and noticed he was wearing a black cloak to cover his body. His eyes were pale and empty as if he was blind.

"So... what side are you on?" I asked.

He looked at me with a toothless smile, "Now that's a good question. I guess I'm on the Dark's side. I, like you, am a nobody but really... I'm on no one's side. I did my job and looked after the bracelets until those that were destined for it, retrieved it. After you leave, I'll just stay here and watch over the stone sanctuary as I've always done." he answered.

"Who else have come here?" I asked.

"The ones from before were rather... interesting individuals. All nobodies with powers I've only heard of in legends." the old man replied.

"Hm? Powers? Like mine?" I asked.

He started laughing, "You have no powers. When you are reborn, you will no longer be a person per say." He told me.

"What will I be?" I asked.

"A Nobody. As such, you need a name befitting a Nobody. When you are reborn, you shall be known as Nix." he told me.

"Huh. Nix? Not a bad name. I think I can work with that." I told him.

"Good. Now... the bad news." He told me with a shrug.

"Bad news?" I asked.

"Yes. As a Nobody standing against the dark, your about to face your first real challenge." he told me with a dark chuckle.

"What's the challenge?" I asked as I put the bracelet around my left arm.

I examined it for a moment before trying to look back at the old man. Instead, he was gone without a trace. I looked around and figured out that I wasn't in the Stone Sanctuary anymore. Instead, I was in an entirely different world. Pieces of rocks floated around in an awkward path towards a half destroyed castle. My bracelet started to glow as a person formed in front of me. He stood up at about 5 foot 10 with short brown hair. He wore black leather armor with red metal shard embedded along the chest, arms, and legs. A necklace hung from his neck with a silver X attached to it. He wore a red metal helmet with a cover that hide the lower half of his face. Only his eyes, forehead, and upper nose was exposed. Strapped to his back was a bow but no quill for arrows. A chain looped from his waist down to his knee and back up into his armor.

His voice was deep yet courteous, "Are you my partner?" He asked.

"Partner?" I asked.

He pointed at the bracelet, "Wearing that means your a Nobody like me but your capable of doing something that can change everything." he explained.

"Huh. So, he was telling the truth. We just need to get the other bracelets then?" I asked.

"Yes." he answered.

"Alright. Then where are we? I've never seen this place before." I questioned.

"This is the Reverse World. The place where all Dark Spawn and Nobodies go. Originally that is." he shrugged.

"So, we're both Nobodies but why do we look so normal?" I asked.

"It could be various things. Fate, will, etc. The point, though, is this. We can't focus on the why or if. We can only do as Nobodies do. Exist. Even if we technically shouldn't, we might as well. We are here, that is a fact, and we need to do something." He told me as he cracked his neck.

"Well, I want to gather the other pieces and save the world." I told him.

He seemed genuinely surprised, "Really? That's different." he murmured.

"Is that bad?" I asked curiously.

"It makes me ask this in order to be sure. What is your name?" He asked.

"My name Nick... I mean Nix." I answered.

"Passed. Your definitely a Nobody. My name's Rexdek." He told me.

"Rexdek? That's weird?" I replied with a puzzled expression.

He looked aside nervously, "My original life was strange. I ended up being brought back when I shouldn't have. When my life died a second time and moved on, I woke up here. As a Nobody, I don't really know much about my original life. The emotions he felt... his strife... it's all foreign to me. I can't understand who I am. It's impolite for us Nobodies to ask but... do you remember?" He asked.

"Of course. I... I... ...huh?" My mind was foggy.

"Can't remember?" Rexdek asked.

"I can but it's... foggy. Like a mental haze is forcing me from remembering the details. I remember conversations. What food tasted like but places... faces... are all hazy. I remember one name in particular that seems to stick out. Charles. I can't remember who that is though..." I whispered.

Rexdek pat my shoulder, "Don't sweat it Nix. We can focus on that, after we get the other bracelets." Rexdek supported.

I hung my head in defeat and sighed, "Yeah, your right. How do we get back to our world?" I asked.

He pointed at the half destroyed castle, "There. Oblivion Castle. In there is a gateway to the real world. It's how the Dark Spawn and other Nobodies are getting there." Rexdek explained.

"What are the other Nobodies like?" I asked.

"That's an interesting question. What do you think?" Rexdek asked.

"I'm... guessing like us?" I asked Rexdek.

"No." Rexdek looked ahead with a look of sorrow and disgust, "The others can be like us... or husks..." He muttered.

"What do you mean by Husks Rexdek?" I asked.

"Like the Dark Spawn, there are lesser versions with variety. The main ones are called husks. They have no emotion... No intelligence... No... existence. They're a Nobody. The meaning of the word through and through. They feast on other beings to inherit their memories in order to... feel... Then... like all other Nobodies... they forget. Even you will forget everything. I... I've forgotten so much. I can't remember the names of my old friends... what they were like... when I was a person." Rexdek looked down in sorrow before sighing in defeat.

I pat his back, "Don't worry. We have to exist. It's not like we're empty." I told him confidently.

"Nix. You know very little about being a Nobody." He pulled out a knife and started cutting his right arm off.

I started freaking out, "What are you doing!?" I screamed in shock.

His right arm fell off to the floor and disappeared, "Look inside Nix." Rexder ordered.

Hesitantly, I looked to see nothing but an empty black void. Nothing seemed to fill his body. It was hollow. We have no hearts... no mind... no blood... Is... Is that why we don't exist?

"Every Nobody is like this. Right now, you can feel pain because you remember it. However... that memory is start to disappear just like everything else." Rexdek warned.

I watched as his arm started to form back in its original position. Rexdek turned his body towards the castle and stared at it. I did the same and started to feel everything sink in. The floating rocks seemed to be shifting. Then... there was something white atop those rocks but hid from sight.

Rexdek pulled out his bow, "Shit. Looks like we've been spotted." Rexdek whispered.

"By who?" I asked.

A slim white figure jumped up from one of the rocks. It stood at 4 and a half feet with a strange white featureless face. The only thing on its face was a crooked line that made a mouth. The body was extremely thin and silvery with nothing to distinguish itself as male or female. Just a... thing I guess. It had no hands or feet, just pointed stubs. As it fell towards us, a red lazer arrow shot through its chest. Its chest ripped open, showing nothing in its shell of a body. It landed in front of us before disappearing into nothing.

"So... that was a Husk?" I asked.

"Yes..." Rexdek answered.

"What's... the difference between Dark Spawns and Nobodies? Why... Why do they deserve to exist while we were cursed not to!?" I demanded.

Rexdek was taken aback by my sudden anger, "That's a difficult question to answer Nix. Nobodies are beings that exist when they shouldn't. Dark Spawn exist from... unfair circumstances and are MEANT to exist. They belong here. They were meant to be. We were not. We exist outside the flow of time and space, created by accident. Never meant to be." Rexdek answered the best he could.

"Rexdek... how long have you been a Nobody?" I asked.

Rexdek sighed, "I... can't remember. The days melded together. The experiences... are gone. My old life. My original life... gone. I'm... a Nobody. All I have is my name. One I cherish with all my heart even if it was given to me." Rexdek explained.

"Who gave it to you?" I asked.

"...I don't remember..." Rexdek sighed.

I sighed, "Well... what if we collect the other pieces for... ourselves..." I suggested.

"I thought you wanted to save the world?" Rexdek reminded.

"I did but... if we don't exist, I don't want to save it. I want to exist and you should exist too." I told him with a smile.

Rexdek looked at me for a moment before focusing on the castle, "Maybe... but we won't accomplish anything standing here. Let's go." Rexdek nodded.

Hundreds of Husks appeared on the floating rocks as I pulled out my blue bladed straight sword. I jumped towards them; the first rock was about 10 meters away from us. I landed on the rock and instantly stabbed a Husk. Three tried to grab me but I forced them back with a wide slash. I saw the F form on my sword as I rushed forward to slice a Husk in half. A husk behind me, tried to attack me but I blocked it. A L formed next to the F. However, his arms moved like liquid metal to slip under my blade and stab my chest. Injured, I fell back in pain as my FL disappeared. Angry, I got up and impaled the Husk. Two more came behind me but I did a 360 spin with the blade extended. It sliced all three of them in half. F appeared as I turned to see thirty-two Husks jump towards me. I looked at Rexdek to see him shot an arrow and snap his fingers 5 times. The arrow turned in 2, then 4, 8, 16, 32 and impaled every Husk in either its head or chest. Rexdek nodded towards me as I jumped to another rock and started a string of combos. I dodged, blocked and countered every Husk as the word Flow started to form. Three attacked from behind as the word Flow started to glow on my blade. They went right through me as I stood there and charged an attack.

'How do I know how to fight like this?' I wondered, "Flow Style-Thorn of Shadows!" I yelled as I stabbed the floor.

Barbed black thorn vines grew from underneath the countless Husks around me. They coiled around every Husk and started shocking them with dark energy as the life was squeezed out of them. The vines disappeared along with their bodies as Rexdek started shooting hundreds of arrows at the others. I looked at the castle to see it seemed to be building itself. The castle was teal in color with huge wooden front doors. Large circle windows decorated the castle in various places with three specific towers that make a weird crown shape. I stopped observing the castle as Rexdek jumped to the rock I was on.

"Ready for round 2?" he asked in a joking manner.

I chuckled, "I guess so."

I held one arm forward with my blade extended behind me. With a sigh, I ran forward and jumped to a rock that was about 10 meters from us. On the way down, I pulled up my sword with the sword extended downward. I thrusted the blade through a Husk's head and went all the way to the ground. Its body disappeared as three slithered on the ground to surround me. I examined them as Rexdek covered me from the other Husks. One jumped up and started throwing its hands at me. The arms extended as if made of rubber but I jumped forward and cut him in half with a horizontal slash. The other two started merging together until they transformed into a new creature. It looked like a headless bird with a silvery featureless body. Its wings were Edged with sharp blue crystals. Its feet were tiny, about 7 inches, with pointed edges. The thing melded into the floor and seemed to act as a shadow. Its wings extended out of the ground and tries to hit me. I blocked it with my sword and jammed my blade between the bladed crystals. With a grunt, I pulled it up and out of the ground. It coiled with a low pitched shriek as I started hitting it with my blade. Tiny cut formed until I gripped my handle with both hands and cut through it with force. It disappeared into nothing as I turned to look at the castle. The other Husks started slithering away, granting us passage to the castle.

Rexdek came up from behind, and ended up surprising me, "Looks like they backed off. We can go to the castle now." Rexdek observed.

I nodded in agreement, "Yeah... What do you think we'll find inside?" I asked.

Rexdek crossed his arms in thought, "No clue but if I could feel, I'd probably say I have a bad feeling about this." He replied.

His words almost felt hollow, "So... as our memories fade... will we really lose everything we feel?" I asked.

"You saw me cut my arm off and I didn't even flinch. You'll forget pain as well. You'll forget joy. Sorrow. Everything until your an emotionless puppet that fakes emotions to 'feel alive'." He explained.

I looked at the ground feeling a bit of panic but then... it was suddenly gone. Did I... already forget what panic feels like? I've only been a nobody for... for... wait... how long has it been? I held my head in shock earning a worried glance from Rexdek. Without uttering another word, I started jumping from one rock to another. I needed to get back to the real world and get the other pieces. I don't want to forget everything! I want to live! I want feel! With an aggressive shoulder tackle, I forced the front door open. Most of the first room was nothing but a black void. Pieces of white flooring, wall and ceiling were visible with absolutely nothing distinguishable. They were just... white. The black void was just that. A black void you couldn't touch or feel. An invisible barrier surrounded those areas to cut me off from touching them. A staircase was on the far side of the room that led up and curled along the wall of the room. One ended in a black void while the other led to a door to the second floor. Avoiding the invisible barriers surrounding the black voids, I started running. I got to the staircase and saw a Husk slither past me. It got up to attack me but I dodged it to the left and extended my blade as I ran by it. The speed I ran gave me enough speed to slice the husk in half. I looked towards the front door to see Rexdek running in after me. I grunted in regret as I sprinted up the stairs faster and reached the door. The door opened up into a long white corridor with... nothing. No paintings. No furniture. Nothing! It was just plain white! I kept running down the corridor until I saw a black portal appear from a ceiling. A marauder fell through it and landed with a heavy thud. Black smoke came from under it's bubble shaped helmet. The Marauder looked up and saw me before arming one of its flamethrowers at me. A stream of fire was shot out but I sidestepped it and ran along side the stream of fire.

"Flow Break!" I yelled as I ran at the Marauder.

My blue blade started to glow a light green. I slashed the Marauder's left leg but didn't do any damage to its armor. I looked up at it in shock as it tried to use flamethrower from its mouth. A barrage of red laser arrows started hitting its upper body. It turned its attention towards the new attacker. I looked back to see it was Rexdek with his bow drawn again. The Marauder walked past me as he tried to shoot Rexdek with his flamethrower. On it's back was a large fuel tank with several tubes attached to it. I follows the tubes to see they led to his flamethrowers. I threw my sword, blade first, at the fuel tank. I expected it to explode but didn't as my blade tinged off it harmlessly, leaving a tiny cut.

I started at my sword in disappointment, "...What good are you if you can't kill everything!?" I complained.

The Marauder used both of his flamethrowers to try and incinerate Rexdek. Rexdek jumped overhead and charged a laser arrow. The lazer arrow changed from red to blue as he aimed it at a scratch my sword created. Rexdek shot the Arrow right on it as the fuel tank suddenly exploded. Rexdek did a front roll and spun to face the Marauder as he slid back to stand beside me. The Marauder's outer armor and helmet came off. It turned to face us and showed a human face. Half of it was burnt however and his eyes were missing, His skin was decaying as black smoke came out of his mouth. With the outer armor blown off, He stood only at 6 feet tall. He ripped off the remaining pieces of his armor and seemed to glare at us. He turned to run but Rexdek beat him to the punch. He shot an arrow right through the Marauder's head. It fell to the ground before turning into ashes.

"Wait, how is that fair? Why did he turn into ashes!?" I demanded.

"He's a Dark Spawn. They exist so they become something." Rexdek answered simply.

"Not fair..." I muttered.

Rexdek turned around and started walking down the hall. I did the same and we quickly found ourselves in a large grey room. At the back of it was a heart shaped black portal. Light seemed to pulsate towards it as if fueling the portal with energy. A radio sat in the middle of the room. Loud Static was coming from the radio as a voice started talking.

"In my short life... I wonder... did I know the world was doomed? If not... why? Why am I a Nobody before and after my birth? It's unfair. Unreal. My parents loved me. Wasn't that real? I was born into the world and taken out several times. Why did the world let me be raised only to be forgotten? But this time. I'm coming back and I'm not going anywhere. I told them, 'Just. You. Wait.' Now, it's time." The voice spoke with a demonic and evil demeanor.

The radio turned off as I blinked and noticed a girl was standing where the radio was. She looked like a human/Gardevoir hybrid. Her waist was rather luscious as her stomach was unhealthily thin my human standards. She stood at 5 foot 7 with long flowing light green hair. Her eyes were light green as well with her skin almost as white as a Gardevoir's. Her nose and mouth were cute and tiny with no visible lips like a Gardevoir. Her chest protruded from a tiny chest blade with her C cup breasts. She wore a green blouse with a white miniskirt. She wore a gown like the bottom half of a Gardevoir that's tied around her waist. It went down to her legs with four splits to show off her skirt and legs. She didn't wear shoes as her feet were pointed like a Gardevoir. Her arms were thin and slender with light green gloves that go up to her elbows. She had five fingers.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I could use my real name or the name given to me." She grinned, "I love my new name. Irony because it involves one of my parent's names. Call me, Vixsila." She grinned as a Black bladed Zweihander appeared.

The Zweihander was about 4 feet in length, .5 inches in width, and 7 inches in height that decreases and curves to the point. On the base of the blade was a drawing of three triangle connected by a center circle as well as a curved line to each making an outer circle. Each of those were red matching well with the black blade.

Rexdek was in shock, "Oh crap. We may have a slight problem." Rexdek whispered.

"Same." I swallowed hard, "I think I just shit my pants." I replied.

"I don't blame you. My original life's parents were top of the line. Amazing. Now, I, Vixsila, am amazing. With my powers I created this portal and refuse to let nobodies like you pass through it!" Vixsila yelled.

"Why can't we use it?" I asked.

Vixsila started laughing, "That old man told me you stand against the Dark. I..." She pulled up her blouse to show a black pentagram with a heart ripped in half on her stomach, "Am with the Dark. Your on the wrong side and no one will mourn for you when your dead!" Vixsila yelled as she threw her Zweihander at me.