It was quiet outside as we waited. The muffled sounds of voices from behind the door was all that could be heard, yet no move had been made to let us in. I was starting to worry about Nyx, but there was little to nothing I could say or do that would console her...gently reaching out, I placed my hand on her shoulder...trying not to give her a sympathetic look. Yet at that moment, I felt a surge of ice sweep the lower level of the citadel. The burst of energy was so very strong...it sent a shiver through my spine of excitement. I knew exactly who is was...and so did my other half.
My eyes rolled back for a moment as I tried to suppress my sudden urge to seek out that energy and fight it...how I wanted to fight her with all my might....but I had to remain strong...to fight that urge. I felt my grasp on Nyx's shoulder tighten a moment...and then I realized that I could no longer ignore this foe. Such a strong rampage would cause us only chaos on our mission anyhow...and I would allow no interruptions...this negotiation would be touchy enough as it was.
Restraining my need to run off, I was only able to hold in the desire for a moment, casting a fierce glare in the direction of Tanex, he understood just what it implied. The moment I opened the portal beneath my feet, only my fighting spirit coursed through me. Nyx's head turned in that moment, to watch me fall. I cast her a malicious grin, and the portal closed in an instant.
Reopening on the level in which the energy surged, I fell through the ceiling of that floor...to my great luck....directly before my opponent. She was desperately running to escape something...I knew not what...my only target was her. Seeing me as yet another obstruction in her path, she shot spires of ice before her. Their only purpose to divert me from her path...yet...it was futile. I would not allow her to escape me. A brush of my hand, I sent them flying to the right, simultaneously shooting up a wall of ice behind me. Drawing out Lunaria I thrust it into the ground with such force it sent shards of ice flying in every direction(instantly freezing whatever it landed upon) and effectively declaring my challenge to her. For only then did she completely understand my sudden appearance...that I had come for her.
"Stay out of my way!!!" She shouted fiercely, rushing directly at me. I smirked and took hold of my sword. I expected an attack from her ice...yet she came in with a roundhouse kick. Pulling Lunaria out of the ground I protected myself, yet the moment she landed she spun around with a second kick, aimed for my side. She hit me with this one, sending me colliding with the nearby wall. As she attempted to pursue me however, I sent spires of ice jolting up at her every which way from the ground, forcibly making her pull back to evade them, and giving me a second to recover. As she landed a good distance from me, I quickly rose my palm up, signaling for one of my signature moves...the Ice Maiden. It enveloped her flawlessly, but just as I was about to invoke the spires within, it all came crashing to the ground. As the dust cleared, I found her returning to a standing position after having literally punched her way out.
Of course...as one of ice herself, she has an edge on my attacks...just as I do hers... I contemplated. Looking back to my opponent, I noticed her continually looking over her shoulder. She seemed distressed. It would make the fight easy for me, but absolutely no fun. My eyes narrowed as I slowly approached her. Then I saw the crystals frozen to her face. Had she been crying?
"YOU! What the hell is your problem? Do you want to die?" I shouted. "That is your fate...if you take a battle with me lightly!"
"Shut up!" She shouted back. "I don't care who's in my way...I'll NEVER GO BACK! Just leave me alone! I want to be FREE!!"
I stopped in my tracks. What in the world was she going on about? Was she even talking to me? Freedom? I didn't seek to chain her...I only wanted to fight...TO FIGHT! I slammed Lunaria back into the ice and charged her with nothing but my fists. The rage inside was beginning to fizzle out though...the more I noticed how distracted she was...it just wasn't a match... I was able to block her attacks, but as they made contact I could feel my frame tremble from her incredible strength. She had so much potential, if she would only focus in our match...but alas...I would be the victor as long as she remained in this state.
When she came in for her next punch, I ducked quickly, all the way down to the floor, instead of blocking like all the others. Coming up with my foot, I landed a hard kick on her, causing HER to fly back. She forced her body forward and landed on all fours, scratching deep holes into the ice as she skidded to a stop. She glared at me but not with hate. More like...desperation. Right now she was acting the role of a cornered mouse.
I sighed loudly and turned my back to her as I went to recover Lunaria. "Just what is your deal? Can't even fight me seriously?"
"What's YOUR Deal?! Attacking me out of nowhere...are you with THEM?!" She shouted pointing to a blatant void of nothingness.
I raised my eyebrow curiously. "Pardon?"
"You are! Aren't you? You want me to return to being a pathetic summon as well...living the life of one chained to another?!" She continued on. Something was obviously wrong... "No, I said STAY BACK!" She cried out, backing away from the invisible mass. She ran to my wall and tried to break it down...but that was different. Even her strength wouldn't be able to shatter that one.
"A Summon? A chain? Like a...pact?" I queried. I hadn't heard much of this...it was beyond me...though I thought summoned creatures and such could only be created through materia? "Wait! Like XRAKTOS!"
She turned and looked at me. "I will NOT serve him!"
I smiled at this. She wasn't a nobody like she was posing to be. Somehow she was linked to Xraktos...yet was resisting him. This was good...now if I only I could convince her to...join me in the fight against him...Once I came to this realization, my rage had subsided completely and turned into determination. To get her on my side...by whatever means necessary. "Pact with...me...." I stated flatly. "Bind yourself to me AGAINST Xraktos...and help me end HIS pathetic existence." I offered her.
She froze. "I will NOT pact with anyone! Besides...you aren't even a Pact Maker...it's impossible."
"A 'Pact' is merely an agreement or a contract. It is quite possible. All that needs to be done, is for two parties to adhere to an agreement, correct?"
She thought for a moment. "...that's true...there are rules..."
I smiled. "As with all things..."
"NO! Celsius don't do it!" A Voice suddenly erupted, a monkey taking form and rushing toward her. As he appeared, two others did as well. They all began moving towards her.
With a slight glare I threw up another wall, keeping us isolated. "I see, so they are who you meant earlier...I don't know how they managed to hide from me...but none can enter my realm. Come with me, we'll speak more on this where you can concentrate with no interference." The Monkey growled as he started bashing on my wall, to no avail. I opened up a portal to my realm, the markings on my face instantly darkening. "Go now."
She looked at me with a questionable expression...but perhaps her desire to be free meant more to her than asking unnecessary questions. She stepped through quickly. I followed her and closed it immediately. "I don't want to be chained to anyone..." She began.
"I have no desire to chain you or to be 'chained' myself." I conveyed. "I myself have a deep rooted hatred for them...thus I am fighting to defeat Xraktos and all that he is." I snarled. This was a first...using my realm for a meeting place...instead of murder. "Form an agreement with me...bind yourself to it...and then they cannot pursue you, correct? Those three we just met...they are who wish to trap you?"
"It's not their fault...they're just following what they know...but I don't want to go back to that! I want to be free to make my own choices! I would choose a mortal life over that any day..." She spoke openly.
I snickered. "Mortal? Well, you took the wrong form. A Nobody is FAR from being mortal, child." I criticized. Yet instead of going into further detail, I kept to my persuasion. I had to convince her to join me...one more strong soldier...one more to fight him. "I offer you this. That you will fight with me against Xraktos...destroy him. That is all. You have no other duty or obligation to me."
She began to pace, rubbing her hands together as she deliberated. "I have two demands in return."
"State them."
"First. I will not fight those of my kind who are currently bound to him. The other summons...I will not harm them." She spoke looking me dead in the eye. "And Secondly, you must allow me to leave anytime of my choosing. I will aide you...but I will have my freedom as well."
"Done." I stated without hesitation. "As I said, I will not chain you. You are free...this 'pact' is merely to avert their attention from you. If you are bound, then they cannot force you to Xrakto's side. However, in payment for MY service to you...you must aide me by having my vision realized. Xraktos...silenced. While I allow you your freedom, I will consider it an act of forfeit should you decide to 'leave' me in the final battle. Do you agree by the guidelines we have laid out?" Holding out my hand, I waited for her decision.
She looked at me strangely. Slowly she reached forward, hesitated a moment, but took my hand. "You need only call for me, and I shall fight at your side. I agree to the pact-terms laid out before me."
"As do I." I accepted. Ice formed around our hands, sealing us together for a moment, before falling to the ground in pieces. I opened an exit beneath our feet and we fell back into the hallway where the other 'summons' were still waiting, frustrated. "Would any of YOU like to pact with me as well?" I joked. They all snarled at me as I dropped my walls of ice. "Too bad then...farewell....my business is done here." Walking past them nonchalantly, I stretched my hand out and called Lunaria back to me, then stepped back through a portal returning me to the others.
I was appalled by what I found there. Marlex, Tanex and Xeros still outside the door...yet Nyx was gone. "TANEXXXX!!" I snarled.
He gave me a glare. "RaXi...calm down. This is necessary for Nyx to move on...you can at least do them the kindness of having privacy to settle their problems."
"Privacy hmm?" I stated condescendingly. "OH Yes....Give them Privacy Tanex...all the better to slit her throat and make an escape!" I glared at him, my eyes beginning to glow with rage. "If this ends badly Tanex..." I began, but was unable to finish. The doors began to open slowly.
"Now Now, there's no need for all this tension...is there?" Karonx stated as he emerged. "Xerebus has asked you all inside now."
While they hesitated I started forward. Nyx had better be alright...
~RaXi
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OMG...the PAIN! LOL It took me so long to get this all right. >.<' I had forgotten Celsius's mental instability...and as you all know that effects battle. -_-' THUS it turned out like this. I hope it was semi-enjoyable, and not totally pointless. T.T
RaXi made it back just in time to see just WHAT went on in her absence, but she's not the only one in the dark!! What happened to Nyx...how in the world was she coaxed into going inside alone?! And just WHAT is her connection to XEREBUS!!!! Find out next time on....wait a sec. LOL Yeah, I'm in a weird mood.
Take care everyone, and sorry for the long post XD
