Of sacrifises
Gula stumbled, his hands on his chest. His legs buckled, and he fell down. He was shuddering from head to toe, shadowy wisps emanating from his body.
"You… get back you! You are not going to win this. You won't get control. Not today. I have things to do. I have to find her. You won't… stop me from doing that." He snarled between gritted teeth. There was a strange echo in his voice, like someone else was repeating his words in synch with him.
A dark corridor began to open. Gula growled again, this time in frustration. "No. Not you…"
From the corridor emerged Invi. She looked around for a moment, then spotted Gula. She gasped and ran over.
"Gula? Gula! Thank the light I found you in time." She said, as she knelt down next to him.
"Here. Quickly. I brought you light." She continued, pulling several vials from a pouch on her belt and offering her one. But to her surprise he pushed her hand away.
"Get that way from me." He hissed.
"What? Gula, what are you talking about? You need to-" She began to say, again offering the vial. And again she was rebuffed.
"I said get it away! I know how you came by it! And I will have no part…"He told her before his final sentence was cut off by a pained groan, a bit more darkness flowing out of him.
Invi shook her head in frustration. "You're being stupid! You need this. You're going to end up taken over without it. You have to take the light!"
She opened the vial and poured the light onto her palm, then tried to put her hand on his chest. But Gula unexpectedly grabbed her wrist with both hands, stopping her short.
"No! I said… NO!" He shouted.
"Gula! For goodness sakes…stop… fighting me!" Invi growled between clenched teeth as they struggled. She could feel his strength slowly grow, and realized what was happening. The darkness trapped within him had sensed an opportunity, and was now trying to lend Gula its strength. She had to get this done quick.
They fought for a good long while, enough that Invi began to worry she might be too late already. But eventually she managed to push her hand to Gula's chest, the light disappearing into him. He let out an involuntary gasp of relief, going still. For a moment she dared hope that he would actually be grateful now that he had more light and could think clearly. But her hopes were dashed by the angry expression he gave her.
"How dare you!? HOW DO YOU DARE!?" He shouted in fury, jumping to his feet and summoning his keyblade. In response she launched herself into air, landing on her feet a considerable distance from him. She called for her weapon and readied a spell in her mind. Should Gula actually attack her she would trap him in a barrier bubble. That way she could stop him without hurting him. Then it would just be a matter of holding her ground until he exhausted himself.
But Gula did not make a move, and so she waited. An uneasy standoff followed, both of them unwilling to attack the other. They just stood in place, their weapons at the ready, waiting for something to happen. After what felt like an eternity he finally lowered his blade, Invi following suite moments later.
"Why did you have to do that? I told you not to and you did it anyway. That little respect for my wishes, eh?" He said.
"Gula… I saved you." She said incredulously.
"You know better than that. You've saved nothing. There is no saving us. Nor do we deserve to be saved." He countered.
She sighed heavily and cast her eyes down. "Maybe so. But even so we must postpone the inevitable. There is more at stake. There are still things that can be saved, but only if this plays out just so."
"Please… explain it to me. Why do you refuse this light? You know what you put in jeopardy. Why would you risk that?"
There was a long, sullen silence. Long enough that Invi thought he was not going to give her an answer.
"The Darkness trapped in you… how is it for you? Can you feel its presence?" He suddenly asked.
Invi was silent for a time. "Yes. Of course. All the time." She finally admitted. "Even when it's not pushing to take control it's constantly lurking around. Like a stranger following you in a crowd. Now and then you might catch a glimpse, but you're never quite sure. You just have this strange feeling."
"Does it speak to you?" He asked.
"All too often. When I become distracted and lose my concentration I get images… unbidden thoughts that I end up realizing are not actually my own. And when I've not taken my light rations for a while it can get dangerous. *Vivid illusions and involuntary thoughts trying to trick you into giving in* kind of dangerous." She said. "Which is why it is important for us to…"
"Then if you can hear it… then you must know. About what it claims? How light is in part responsible for this war?" He asked.
After a pause Invi nodded slowly. "I know it. Darkness isn't the sole instigator of this conflict. And that by defining good, we inevitably defined evil. But even if it is so, what does that change? Our charge is to protect the worlds, and the people therein. What these Darknesses want… there won't be a chance for people to exist in that kind of reality. And we wish for them to thrive. For that to be possible light must live on."
He scoffed. "You speak of serving the people. Yet look at what we have done. An ocean of keyblades in the badlands. They graves of countless innocent children we led astray. This splintered, divided reality? We are to blame for it. We caused the war that broke the world. And what happened to us as a consequence? Just look at us. Vampires. Light sucking vampires. That's all that we are now. Light forcibly torn from the hearts of others. Those poor people have been destroyed so thoroughly there is no method for them to ever come back. Do those losses not move you? Or have you managed to forget about them in your righteousness?"
Feeling the stings of his accusations, Invi clenched her fists. "I remember them. Better than you do. I've thought of little else in fact. And it's cruel of you to remind me. I built that machine with my own hands. These sacrifices… they haunt me. Like you wouldn't believe."
"Then you can understand why I wish no part in such tainted light. My hands are stained with enough. I will not add this." He said.
"And what do you suppose will happen if you refuse it?" Ira said as he suddenly arrived through another corridor.
"Be reasonable my friend. Without light this darkness will take full control of you before long. We have been trained to be resilient, but will alone is not going to suffice against a foe like this. And if you fall to it, you know what it will use you to do. Then what was the point of your refusal? What have you saved if that happens?" He argued.
"So some will be sacrificed so the rest can live? You sound like Luxu. Well I'm sick of thoughts like his. I'm sick of making sacrifices." Gula said.
"…None of us want to do this. We are all hurting because of it. But we share our sins between ourselves. It makes it easier to bear. Please, Gula… come back with us. Help us do what has to be done." He implored.
Gula shook his head. "I cannot. Even if you're right and this has to be, I still can't help you. This is wrong, and what's left of my conscience won't bend to accommodate it."
"Then… what is it that you intend?" Ira asked.
"I'm a cage, meant to take out a Darkness with me when I go down. Until that day I intend to live for myself for the one and only time in my life. I want to see Ava again before the end. So I'm going to look for her, to find her if I can." Gula said.
"You do realize she may just show up when the time is right? For all you know you are just wasting time when all you need to do is wait." Luxu said as he arrived on the scene.
Gula scowled at him. "That might be. But I have no reason to trust anything you say ever again. And I wish to do this. I'm not going to be playing the Master's game until I have no other choice. Or yours for that matter."
"And if there is nothing for you to find? If she is already gone?" Invi asked.
Gula considered. "Then I'll join her." He finally declared.
Luxu rolled his eyes. "You know that is not possible. These shadows won't allow it. And even at this stage they have enough control to stop us."
"I'll find some way to do it if it comes to that." Gula said defiantly. "If nowhere else, then it will happen together with the rest of you when the right time comes."
"So are going to let me do this? Or are you going to try and stop me?" He asked, subtly improving his grip on his weapon.
"That depends on you, and your ability to agree to some ground rules." Luxu replied. "I'm not your mummy, so you're free to have this tantrum of yours if you want. Kind of a lousy move from you, since it means the rest of us are going to have to do your share of the work for you, but whatever. But where I'm going to draw the line is when your recklessness puts everyone else at risk too. So here is how this is going to go: You're going to stay well away from the Guardians. They are needed alive and intact for later, so you are not allowed to mess with them. When the time comes, if you've managed to not get yourself murdered already, you're going to come back and play your part along with the rest of us. And you're going to take your light like a good little boy. No more taking risks like this."
"Luxu…" Invi breathed, disliking the harshness of his tone.
"That's the price of this! If he'll agree to that then he can waste as much time as he wants on this stupid goose chase of his. But I'm not about to let him endanger the worlds." He told her.
"So how about it? Are you willing to do that? Otherwise we are going to have to bring you in and lock you up." He said to Gula.
Gula pondered his options. "Fine. I'll partake in this light." He finally said with reluctance, sending his keyblade away. "But I'm not going to be lifting a finger to help any of you collect it. That crime is where I draw the line."
Luxu shrugged. "Lousy move, like I said. But fine, fine."
He took several vials containing light and tossed them on the ground in front of Gula.
"Take those. And be sure to remember to use them. I'll send someone to bring you more in good time. If you run out first then come to us. Consider that part to be an order." Luxu said, then turned around and left through a Dark Corridor without another word.
Ira stepped forth, placing more vials in Gula's hand.
"I'm sorry my friend. I wish there was some other way than this. Truly I do. But I can't see another way for us to survive until the right moment." He said, putting his hand on Gula's shoulder for a moment before he too departed. Invi lingered behind the longest.
"You know… I have been looking for another solution. Some way to get us the light we need that doesn't involve ripping hearts apart like this." She said as she handed over the vials she carried.
"Oh? You have? And have you found any leads yet?" Gula asked, sounding hopeful.
She shook her head. "Not yet. But I do plan to keep on looking. For as long as I'm able."
"I do hope you find something in that case. It does sound better than the other things that have been up to lately. Actually… if you need some help with that at some point… I might be able to spare the time." He said.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." She said. With those parting words she too left, while Gula went to collect the vials on the ground. While he had been reluctant to accept this light on principle, there was an undeniable craving for it burning through him. That one dose alone had made him feel much better. Vampires indeed…
