Going as fast as I can guys! Arc will be over before you know it at this rate!
The area itself had become a gigantic wasteland. Buildings fell apart and their remnants sat depressingly against the slowly darkening backdrop of the city. And sitting around the middle of the wasteland, was a puddle of water. After a few moments, the puddle started to glow, and Ultear morphed back into a human shape from the puddle. She managed to transfer her body into water before the explosion hit her hard, so she was pretty much unscathed.
"What the hell was that?" She asked, coughing as her body returned to normal. "I've never seen Arc of Time malfunction like that..." Ultear looked around at the devastation the explosion had caused, and whistled. "And damn is it a good thing I avoided the wrath of it." Trying to stand, Ultear gasped as her right leg throbbed. She knew she was a fool to push herself to such a degree for a plan as intense as the one she'd concocted, but she'd honestly not felt the pain until now.
"Wow," Someone said, making Ultear look up from massaging her leg to see Drake standing near the crater Kyoko was in. "You sure did some damage, Ul." She laughed weakly as she crawled towards a wall to lean against.
"I beat her though." She replied. "That's what counts, right?" Drake chuckled and nodded.
"I suppose it is." The Poison Dragon made his way over to her, and looked down. "You okay?" He asked. Ultear shrugged.
"Nothing a rest won't fix." She told him. "Leg's acting up again."
"You really ought to get that checked if it bothers you so much, Ultear." He said. "They're maybe be something seriously wrong."
"I doubt it. It's just because Zindo's blade were enchanted." Ultear shifted so she could massage said leg, and continued to speak. "What're you doing?" Drake pocketed his hands.
"I defeated Rina." He said. "But I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing. I've just got to find Nashi. Whatever it is, I have a feeling it has something to do with her."
"As usual, hm?" Ultear asked with a smile. The two went quiet. "...Hey, Drake?"
"Yeah?" He asked, looking over at her. Ultear looked down at the ground.
"Why...Why does this kind of stuff keep happening? It seems like, for the past few months before Silverridge, we've continued to get ourselves into life or death situations. First it was Phantom Dove, then Edolas and those trials, and then Devil Advocate...One after the other." Drake looked back in the direction of the other explosions, and sighed.
"I can't fathom why." he said. "But whoever is after us is going regret it when we find them."
"...Yeah. You're right." Ultear looked in the direction Drake was. "If you really think something's up, find her as fast as you can. If this is another case of someone going after us, she's probably going to be the one who gets herself into trouble knowing her."
"Yeah, I know." Drake walked off in the direction of the blasts in the distance, although Ultear wasn't sure just who was to blame for them. Shifting, Ultear looked up at the sky.
I wonder why this shit keeps happening to us...
"He's mine!"
"Fuck off, he's mine!"
"Ladies I'm sure we can come to some kind of agreement!" Terra pulled as hard as she could on Damien's left arm, while Bella pulled on the right. "Please, I'm not capable of splitting in two!"
"Then make up your mind!" Both girls shouted angrily. "And stop acting so confused!"
"I can't!" He cried out as Bella pulled harder. "You're both pretty amazing!" Terra gritted her teeth. She was very close to completing her task, she could feel Damien's resolve weakening. Bella jerked her arm up, pulling Damien closer to her.
"Sweetheart I'll do things to you you'd think were only possible in your wildest dreams!" She said. "Just stop listening to her!"
"She's full of it!" Terra shouted back. "She may be hot, but she can't fulfill any of your fucking fantasies!"
"As if I can't and you could, Neekis!"
"At least I'm realistic!"
"Ladies, please!"
"You shut up!" They shouted. Terra needed to get Damien out of the way as fast as she could. But how was she going to do that if he was acting so confused?
"You know what, Bella?" Terra said. "This is getting ridiculous."
"Agreed, so fuck off."
"Actually, I was thinking of something else." Bella made a face, and Terra smirked. "How about we remove Damien from this equation? You and me."
"Didn't realize you were a lesbian, Terra."
"Wha...! No! That isn't what I meant!" Bella shrugged innocently, and Terra gathered her thoughts. "Make Damien go away, and wait. And you and me will finish this." Bella rolled her eyes.
"Please." She said. You don't have any effective way of defeating me, so why the hell would I waste my time?"
It may not be effective, but it'll sure as hell do the job if that fucking demon didn't lie to me.
"Scared?" Terra asked, smirking. "Want to me keep your impromptu lapdog around because your scared?"
"Who said that? I'm not scared of you."
"Then get rid of Damien and we'll see what you are." Bella narrowed her eyes at Terra. the girls stared at each other for a long time before Bella exhaled loudly.
"Damien, sweetie." Damien looked over at her. "I want you to go and wait for me somewhere else, okay?"
"Where?"
"Ah I don't care. Make sure you're close enough to hear me beating the shit out of Terra though."
"Got it. Close enough to hear." Damien paused for a moment, and looked at Terra. She shooed him away, so he complied as they both released him, spreading his wings and disappearing. Terra watched him go before turning her eyes on Bella, who was also watching her.
"I hope you didn't come to this conclusion by thinking seduction was all I was capable of." Bella warned, her wings spreading out, giving her an incredibly menacing feel. "Just because it's my main way of attacking doesn't mean I'm useless."
"Oh is that right?" Terra asked. "Because watching you lose to those girls the other day was incredibly disappointing." Bella's wings twitched in irritation.
"Sorry I didn't want to reveal myself to a pair of useless girls, of all things." She replied. "If I'd fought any guys, then Nikki and I would have won that easily. But that doesn't matter right now." The girl tensed, as did Terra, Both waited for a moment, trying to see any openings.
And then Bella sped forward, striking Terra in the midsection.
Terra gasped in surprise as the strike knocked the air from her lungs, and she flew backwards away from the girl. She looked up just in time to see Bella become merely a blur as she sped towards her, striking her again.
Jeez, she wasn't kidding...Her speed and strength are insane.
Terra stomped the ground and brought up earth pillars, throwing them at Bella. But the demon easily avoided every single one and and was at Terra's throat again before she had any time to realize what was happening.
"Is this all you have?" Bella asked. "And here I thought you actually had a plan." Groaning, Terra tried to stand and come up with some kind of plan. Bella's speed and strength, not to mention resistance to her magic, left Terra in a bad position, Maybe it would've been smarter to keep Damien around so that he could have helped her. Then again, he'd have been too busy getting into Bella's pants to help her.
"How goes the planning, Terra?" It was Xisplate talking to her again, and Terra sighed.
"At least I got Damien out of the way, right?" She asked. "So why don't you follow him?"
"He'll reappear soon enough. Meridia's seduction wears off after a period of time if she so chooses it too, or the victim gets to far away. He'll hear the battle and come rushing back, probably in confusion."
"Confusion?"
"The seduction magic leaves the victim with no recollection of what happened to them. So congrats, Damien won't remember you being in your underwear." Terra felt her cheeks flush, but the news was relieving anyway. Terra returned her eyes to Bella, who was casually picking at her nails.
"What should I do?" She whispered. "She can get around my attacks so easily."
"Well that's simple." He replied. "If this Rumbling Mt. Fuji spell is as strong as you say it is, it should be a one shot knock out. From what I saw during her run during the Games in the arena, Bella is not very resistant herself. And Meridia's takeover only gives her so much more. I'd say if you can get a few got hits in with stone pillars, and then hit her directly with Rumbling Mr. Fuji, it's a done deal. At the very least it'll keep her down long enough to make Ross declare her a loss." Terra nodded and turned her eyes back to Bella, who looked over at her.
"Any good ideas over there?" the girl asked innocently. Terra nodded.
"A few. Can I ask you something first though?"
"I guess."
"Can I put my pants back on?"
Keita dodged Elise's attempt to strike him and landed upright, watching the girl cackle.
"What's the matter, Keita-chan?" She asked. "I just want you near me!"
"That's kind of my problem..." Keita hissed under his breath.
Elise had been tainted by the darkness. As the memory magic keeping her memories at bay faded, the void had been filled by the very same darkness Keita felt from her all of the time. And now, her in this state of near insanity, Keita was left with a choice. He could run and not fight her, which was not something he wanted to do. Or he could fight and defeat Elise, and get close enough to absorb the shadows from her.
He looked over at the scoreboard and lacrima vision high above the Domus Flau in the distance. He regarded every match up currently on the board, and gritted his teeth. No other battle seemed very appealing to get involved in.
If I just get out of her way, if I just get far enough away...
...No. I'm not running.
Keita looked back at Elise, who was still hunched over and cackling softly.
It's my fault this happened...I poked and prodded her and now she's relived the one thing her family wanted to be kept a secret from her. It's my fault she's like this...
Keita clenched his fists.
But what do I do? I need her to let me get close enough to locate the darkness inside and purify her...But she's as strong, if not stronger, than me...
Keita didn't know what to do. Elise was a formidable opponent outside of this state. But not, left with no remorse, she was downright deadly. What was he going to do?
But...
Keita didn't know what he was supposed to do today to kill the time, and to boot he'd lost everyone else in the crowd.
"Seriously, you guys could at least wait for me..." he hissed under his breath. As he walked forward, he felt someone bump into him rather hard, causing him to stumble and lose his balance slightly as they passed. No big deal, the street was rather crowded.
Hey!" Keita heard a voice call out, presumably to him. Turning, the person who'd run into him, a short girl with black hair and piercings, was frowning at him. "You could at least apologize for hitting me. And what are you staring at?"
"You'd be surprised how much Nashi can shove into that small stomach of hers." Keita rolled his eyes at this statement. Elise really didn't need to say that, it was obvious from the contest that Nashi was a heavy eater. And truthfully, all afternoon, it became apparent the girl didn't know how to shut her mouth.
"You've been a little quiet over there, Keita." Keita looked up from his food to see Elise looking at him weirdly. He hated the way she looked at him, it was like she was internally screaming "Try me bitch"
Keita dodged another volley of iron lances, but truthfully, his mind was elsewhere.
...I've only known this girl for about a week...
Keita was completely fine with taking on the Cross-Crocus Footrace, it seemed like fun.
That was until, of course, he viewed the other competitors and say a certain someone. He sighed as Elise got closer to him.
"You competing I suppose?" He asked. The look in her eyes made Keita feel as if she was judging him heavily for such a simple question.
"Of course I am, what other reason would I have for jumping into the arena?"
Keita's mind was still swimming from his encounter with the metal man, so hearing Elise's voice did nothing for him.
"Took you long enough." It took a lot of his self control to not sarcastically quip back at her.
Keita clenched his fists and stared at the ground. His body was still a shadow, so Elise's attacks were just phasing through him. He could hear her screaming obscenities.
"I hate it when people run from me!"
"You don't look so hot, Keita! Please don't tell me this was so hyped up for me to kick your ass!"
She's easily the most irritating, insufferable, sassy, too loud for her own good, nosy, rude, touchy and sarcastic girls I know...
But...
As the crowd roared in approval of the amazing tag battle they had just witnessed, Keita was focused with keeping Elise upright. The girl had collapsed into him immediately after helping his sorry ass off the ground, and it was truthfully a little sad that the girl who talked so much shit was just as exhausted as he was.
"Hey, Keita." Oh boy, here came the shit talking.
"What?" He asked, looking over in Michael and Nashi's direction.
"Do you... not like me or something?"
"What?"
"Whenever I talk to you, I can see a flare of indignation in your eyes. Like my very existence is a blight on your own." Keita felt shame start to swim around in his head. She could tell he held a slight disdain for her.
"That's...that's not it at all. Your just a little rasher than most people I know. And we've barely spoken outside the battlefield, so don't take it personally." Elise chuckled lightly.
"I guess I do take some getting used too." She shifted a bit and looked up at him. "But if it helps you any, I think your alright." Keita looked anywhere but at her, before he sighed.
"Yeah yeah, same here..." Elise laughed, and then coughed.
"Don't lie to me."
She may the most annoying person I've ever met...
Keita felt power surge through his body. Shadows leaked from his form.
But I'm not going to let someone with such a bright future ahead of them become tainted by darkness.
"Here's what we're going to do, Elise." Keita said, looking up. "You're going to come over here, and I'm going to absorb the darkness inside you. That way, you'll go back to your normal self." Elise cackled.
"And why the hell would I do that?" She demanded. Keita didn't back down.
"Because if you don't..." He raised a hand, and shadows formed around it. "You leave me no choice but to beat it out of you by force." Elise watched him before she started cackling even louder.
"So if I don't bow down and submit, you'll fight me like I wanted originally?! Damn, I should've become lost in my own negativity years ago!" Elise hunched over, and her body grew shiny. "Try me, Keita Cheney."
"Gladly." Keita rushed her as fast as possible, and landed a solid blow.
He wasn't fighting for the Games anymore.
He wasn't fighting for Sabertooth.
He wasn't fighting to regain some semblance of his pride that Elise had destroyed two days prior.
He wasn't fighting to vent his irritation with the girl.
He was fighting to free a girl, a friend, someone who needed him, from her darkness.
Because at the end of the day, it was his fault.
And he'd go to hell and back to somewhat rectify that mistake.
Some more flashbacks today, and a little insight into the Keita side the Keita/Elise rivalry. I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! let's try and get five!