Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Good Friends are Impossible to Find ( Chapter 25 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Castlevania, or Death Note. Do I really have to list who does? I mean, honestly, we'd be here all night. I already wasted enough time saying all this. Sorry, Takahashi, SquareSoft, Enix, Ohba, and Konami.

 

Katt had never had such a frantic week in her life. She had lived a long time - nearly as long as Sith had! - and never before had she wanted to run away and avoid everyone and everything like she did now. Ever since Falnika showed up, and ever since Sith had been trapped, Katt made it a priority to get as fast and as far away from everything as possible. The last thing she even remembered from her friends was running away as Bakura tried desperately to stop her, wanting to know why Sith was gone and what was going on. She didn't blame the old thief for being curious. But she certainly wasn't about to tell him everything. Not about Sith's past, not about Mello, not about herself or Rath. Absolutely nothing. And for about a week, her frenzied escape managed to work. She had found a good hiding spot and had stayed, as everyone around her fled the city or was killed outright. Once or twice, she thought of helping them out, but Katt knew this fight was beyond her. She couldn't even begin to put up a hand against Falnika.

 

Then, of course, Rex Raptor found her. He hadn't meant to, but he found her in the ruins of what had once been the sports bar in the eastern shopping district. And he knew, simply because of his exposure to Mystics beforehand, that Katt was hiding something. And like all good cops, he jumped the gun and took her into custody. Now, Katt found herself sitting at a scuffed table, right across from Rex. The latter watched her for a long time, taking a swig of beer every few moments. Never mind that he was only seventeen.

 

“So, you want to tell me why you're hiding here instead of helping us out there?” Rex asked her quietly, and there was something in his tone that suggested he already knew. Katt had to admit, she was already a little scared. She shook her head.

 

“There's nothing to say,” she told him, “I can't fight Falnika.”

 

“What a load of bullshit,” Rex snapped, shattering her innocent approach, “You're Sith's sister, and you're going to sit here while we die? I should arrest you right now for negligence. The only reason I can't is because most of my department is dead. So cut the crap and tell me the truth. What's really going on, Katt?” Katt backed away. Rex wasn't in the mood for tricks, and she knew there was no lie he'd believe. For a lousy duelist, Rex was incredibly intuitive; even Sith was more inclined to believe her own sister. Her lips thinned.

 

“Trust me, Rex, if I could tell you, I would,” she finally said, and Rex softened a bit at her defeated tone, “I want to help, but Rath is going to destroy Sith if I tell you what this is all about. You don't know what's happened in the past, and the only thing you'll see is that magic is corrupting this world, and probably several more. You won't believe me if I say that Sith is the good guy.”

 

“Why not? Anything's better than those Mystics,” Rex retorted, but his tone was more than a little curious. He arched a brow when Katt didn't respond, “…anything is better, isn't it?” Katt looked away for a moment. Rex thought he saw a few tears well up in her eyes, but the lack of light made it hard to tell.

 

“I don't know,” Katt replied quietly, and looked back at Rex, “There's a lot to this story that you don't know, and I do.”

 

“Then why can't you tell me?” Rex asked her, and sighed, shaking his head, “Look, Katt, I want to believe you. I really do. But people are dying, and dead, and you're hiding here while your sister's missing. That's too suspicious for me to ignore. Give me something to work with, and I'll believe you.” Katt narrowed her eyes. She knew Rex was desperate, and truly wanted to defend his world. But what she had to say was enough for everyone else to blame Sith for all of this, not just the Mystics. And suppose Rex didn't believe her? He'd pass it off as insanity and haul Katt to prison. Then Sith was screwed eternally.

 

Katt decided quickly, however, that she needed to take the risk. Sith needed her to do something, and right then, Rex was her ally. He was willing to listen, after all. She leaned forward, spreading her hands on the table.

 

“Let's just say that, a long time ago, Sith unleashed a spell that no mortal should ever control,” Katt summarized, “And now Rath wants revenge because that very spell was what should have killed her.” Rex hummed. That wasn't quite what he wanted, but it was a start. He smirked.

 

“Bitter rivalry, eh? No worries. I can work with that.”

 

“It's more complicated than that,” Katt was quick to protest, and Rex's grin vanished, “Sith was… Sith was exiled from our world because of that. She took the fall for the five forbidden spells being released in the first place.” Rex didn't respond at first, but slowly, the pieces fell into place. Katt had a feeling they would, for she said, “You know the Mystics didn't show up until only two thousand years ago…”

 

“You're implying Sith was the reason for it,” Rex told her slowly, and she nodded, “Which is why they want her dead. I know these Mystics; they feel like they were cheated somehow. Now I know why. Whatever Sith did, whatever she was, it created them, didn't it?” Katt looked away again. The true event took place over three millennia ago, and the actual incident was hazing at best. But Rex was ultimately right. Sith was the catalyst for it. More importantly, Rath had been as well.

 

“Partly. Mostly,” Katt admitted, and then realized what Rex actually said, “…you believe me?”

 

“At this point, why shouldn't I?” Rex asked her seriously, “Look, I don't like magic, but I believe you, and I trust your sister. Too much shit's happened for me to not have some level of faith here. I have my own conclusions, but I want to see this through. I just have one question.” Katt's brow arched at the request. She honestly hadn't expected him to receive the news so well. Obviously, Rex was far more intelligent than he wanted everyone to think. She couldn't refuse.

 

“And that question is…?”

 

“Who is Sith?” he asked, and Katt froze. That was the question she didn't want to answer, the one she was terrified Bakura was going to ask. She had felt his curiosity, and knew he had come to a similar conclusion as well. That was why she ran, after all. To protect her sister and their family's legacy. But now, there was no reason to hide it. Not if Rex was going to help. She took a deep breath. Then, she answered.

 

“Sith is the queen of Nesce, the world of the Espers. And Rath… is her cousin.” Rex nodded. He wasn't the least bit surprised about either of those answers.

 

---

 

Ryou looked upon the two large, oak doors of the tower, and could hardly believe that there was no way for mortals to open them. They had stopped half an hour ago at the docks, and while the distance to the doors was minimal, it had taken well over twenty minutes for Saix to examine the entire area, and then admit that he couldn't see a way inside. To Ryou, it looked simple enough; the doors should have normally broken under any huge weight. Saix should have been more than capable of the feat. Yet, when they approached the doors, and Ryou tried to open them, they didn't budge. Nor did they appear to be locked in any true way, and there was no keyhole or opening, either. They were simply sealed, much like the mystical mirror Sith shattered in the last fortress Falnika had hidden in. And this time, not even Zexion could summon the magic needed to open the door. At least, not within his book.

 

“Idiot! Didn't I say we couldn't open it!?” Saix yelled, when he saw Ryou's pathetic attempts to open the front doors. For once, in the three hours he spent in silence, Ryou finally had it with Saix and his constant snappiness. He turned and glared at the bigger man, half expecting to meet a sword in his face as he spun.

 

“At least I'm trying,” Ryou spat, and knew immediately that it was a mistake to say. He was met with a backhanded slap so powerful that it sent him sprawling, and drew blood from his cheek. He was lucky that Saix left it at that. The man turned to Zexion this time.

 

“You said you had the Espers' power. Use them,” Saix growled angrily. Zexion just sighed. Obviously, he didn't want to waste such power on a door. But he was too smart to anger Saix further, and so he obeyed the order. He walked up to the door and closed his eyes. Then, he said a few words in the Esper tongue… but nothing happened. He opened his eyes and stared, and then tried again. Again, there was no response.

 

“What's wrong?” Vexen asked, as Zexion's brows creased in frustration. It was clear that none of them expected their plan to fail.

 

“It appears that my power isn't strong enough to unlock this door,” Zexion told them simply, and frowned, “Perhaps we needed that red-head, after all.” Ryou was about to laugh at them for letting Matt die that way, but just as he stood up, there was an explosion within the castle, and the front doors were blown clear off the hinges, shattering into millions of wooden shards. It was all he could do to duck and cover.

 

When the smoke cleared and the shards gone, Ryou dared to look up. And his mouth dropped in horror. Another man in a similar dark robe stood there, but unlike the other three, he was actually grinning. Ryou shook his head and stared. He was grinning as if everything in the world were absolutely perfect, as if he were the sole reason everyone else was even alive. His hood was down, and his fiery red mane of hair only added to the already confident look he displayed. To Ryou, he was a Nobody who should've been human. He certainly didn't look as emotionless as Vexen or Zexion appeared. Saix could scarcely believe what he saw, either.

 

“Axel!?” he cried, “What the hell are you doing?”

 

“New orders. We have to kill Sith Winchester now,” Axel replied with a grin, “Ready to have some fun, Saix?”

 

“Oh goody, we have to kill an Esper,” Saix growled, shaking his head in disapproval, “So what did we bring this human for? Fun?” Ryou had the impression that, if Saix could get away with it, he'd have shoved him clear off the cliffs. Axel just looked at the boy for a moment, and then shrugged. Their leader hadn't actually said anything about Ryou Bakura. Probably because he just wasn't that important.

 

“I don't know, but let's keep him,” Axel suggested, and snorted, “We always need new members, right?” He laughed heartily at his own words, but no one else seemed to share his amusement. Probably because three of them couldn't feel amusement, and the fourth was too terrified to find anything particularly funny. Ryou's eyes widened.

 

“I'm not joining you freaks for any reason!” he screamed, and Axel finally turned to him. A weird look came across the older man as he stared down at Ryou. It was a mixture of confusion and pure fascination. Then, it returned to mild amusement as that grin came back across his face. He patted Ryou's back, and the boy nearly buckled from the strength.

 

“Relax. I don't think Xemnas would actually kill you,” Axel tried to reassure him, and then tapped his chin and said, “Wait… you're a human, so he might…”

 

“Axel, what the hell are you trying to accomplish?” Saix asked him flatly, cutting the red-head off. Axel blinked, looking at his friend for a long, overly-drawn-out moment. His grin had vanished momentarily, but it returned ten-fold, and now he looked ready to do something really, really stupid. In any case, it would be something Saix would not like.

 

“I'm just working for mutual benefits,” he replied easily, and threw an arm around Ryou's shoulder, “Look, we're all here for one reason: To make sure Falnika the Wench is dead, right? Why don't we all just work together and get this over with? The Superior didn't say we had to kill Sith. He just said someone probably should.” Ryou was right when he thought Saix would disapprove. Saix definitely didn't like where this would lead, and neither did the other two Nobodies. But there was something about Axel's grin that made them follow his lead regardless. Ryou just looked up at him.

 

“You know where Sith is?” he asked innocently, and Axel nodded, arching a brow.

 

“Of course! Why would I spend two hours following such a cute girl around, and not remember where she is?” Axel commented, and saw how pissed off Saix was getting. He bent down and whispered to Ryou, “Be careful. Saix is jealous because he didn't get to stalk a girl.”

 

“AXEL!” Saix roared, his eyes glowing orange, “Get to the goddamned point!”

 

“It's really just `cause she's so strong. Saix likes his women strong,” Axel said to Ryou, as if Saix hadn't just screamed at him. Ryou was too frozen to laugh, though. If Saix was berserk before, he completely lost himself now. His hair flew up in wild spikes, and there were no longer pupils in his eyes. His fangs, so small in his normal form, grew very long and sharp. Ryou was ready to faint; it was like watching a werewolf.

 

“AXEL!” Saix screamed so loudly, that the castle shook from his fury, “Tell us where Sith is and take us to her, or I'm going to kill each and every one of you! NOW!” For once, Axel's amusement seemed to subside, at least a little bit. He was still grinning, but it wasn't nearly as wide, and now he looked rightfully nervous as he backed up a step, arms held up in mock surrender.

 

“Chill a cycle, Moon Man. I'm just teasing you,” Axel said, and turned to lead them inside, “Damn, for someone without a heart, you sure are pissy today. She's up on the eight floor, anyway, so you'll get to see her.” Ryou could hear Saix snarling and cursing under his breath, and silently laughed to himself. The thought of anyone as insane as Saix actually trying to hit on Sith was pretty amusing. But the actual possibility of Sith accepting him was even more frightening. Because there was a good chance she might. With a few shots of whiskey, Sith was pretty open to trying anything. Even dating a psychotic, heartless bastard like Saix. And that was assuming he didn't kill Mello first.

 

“I thought you guys didn't have hearts,” Ryou said, and glanced back as he saw Vexen trying to carry both Malik and Yugi inside. The poor guy wasn't very successful.

 

“We don't,” Axel answered, and grinned again, “But that doesn't mean we can't pretend. Besides, we still feel attraction. I mean, hell, any guy can look at Marluxia, and they'll fall in love no matter how straight they are!” Ryou's face went crimson with embarrassment, but Axel didn't pay him any heed as he turned to see Vexen crash into the ground, both boys falling right on him, “Hey, idiot, leave those two on the boat.”

 

“Those are my friends!” Ryou protested in outrage, but Axel just shrugged him off, rolling his eyes.

 

“My god, is everyone just angry with me today? Fine, don't dump them on the ship,” he said, and gave the thumbs-up, “I'll get Demyx to send them right back to their world!” Ryou had no idea what that was supposed to mean to him, but judging by the incredulous stare Zexion gave, it was clear that whoever Demyx was, he wasn't Nobody of the Year.

 

“We might as well send them to Oblivion,” Zexion said curtly as Ryou asked, “Who's Demyx?” Axel just groaned at Zexion's constant disapproval.

 

“You act like the man's a damn idiot! I mean, he is, but he's got some level of skill,” Axel told him, and looked down at Ryou, “As for who he is, he's the world's worst fighter and Oblivion's newest hotshot musician.” That still meant nothing as far as Ryou was concerned. But as long as his friends were in… mildly capable hands, he was inclined to believe Axel. Yet his own stare said otherwise, for Axel just shook his head and gave up trying to `help' them.

 

“Just how many of you are there?” Ryou asked, when Axel decided to leave Vexen and continue into the front hall. It was surprisingly bright, as torches lit the corners and halls that branched from the main one. He could see that Axel was about ready to laugh.

 

“Are you really this dense!?” Axel asked him, finally laughing a little, “We're Organization XIII! That means thirteen in Roman numerals! Does that spell it out for you?” Ryou's face paled as Axel moved from the doorway toward the double staircase leading to the next floor. He didn't like the idea of Sith facing thirteen opponents with little more than her sword and an exhausted magical arsenal at her disposal. Nor did he like the fact that they both might be joining those thirteen soon, either.

 

As Axel continued explaining more about the Organization, the four of them moving up the large stairs, Ryou began to consider how he might move next. Now he was inside the castle, and now he was closer to Sith. But that didn't mean his power was back; Saix still had his sword, and Axel was probably stronger than Vexen. If anything, fate dealt him an even worse hand than before. But he'd learn to work with it. He wasn't sure Mello would've been a much better adversary, after all.

 

The second floor was more complicated than the first. The overhanging balcony that served to overlook the front hall led down the front of the left and right wings, but Axel took the passage that opened immediately in the large arch beyond the stairs. Here, the passage was thrown into darkness, and only the thin slits on the outer walls provided any sort of light with which to see, once they were in the very back and the corner turned left. On the left side were various doors as well, but most were closed. Wherever they were heading, they were obviously taking a back route.

 

The passage turned again, however, and the arch they went under opened up away from the thin path, into a large chamber where no light entered in. Axel fixed that with a blast of fire that, not only seared the chandelier above them, set the immediate furniture ablaze as well. It managed to scare off several large bats, and cook a few others. The acrid smell of burning leather reminded Ryou bitterly that they were ascending the equivalent of hell in this tower.

 

Despite the burning of a couch and an old table, however, the rest of the room seemed to have served as some form of parlor. There were two other couches in the center of the room, facing each other, and a table in the middle of that. And off to either side was a small circular table surrounded with chairs, and a few bookcases on the far wall with a chair to serve as a miniature study. By now, thick cobwebs and years of dust had lessened the quality of the furniture, but Ryou could see that in the past, this room was well-kempt. But why Axel would lead them here, he couldn't guess. There was nothing of particular value unless they wanted to try stealing the couches.

 

“Okay, I think this is far enough,” Axel said after his own inspection, and proceeded to walk over and lounge on the nearest couch. He let out a content sigh as he propped his legs onto the couch and stretched. Saix and Zexion, however, simply sat down on the other couch, and Ryou remained standing. This was curious indeed.

 

“Far enough for what?” Ryou asked them, and pointedly said to Axel, “You aren't taking me to Sith!” Axel waved him away with a lazy hand, his grin widening again.

 

“Relax, Ryou. I'll take you to see her,” the red-head assured him, “But we can't just walk right up there. She's probably fighting something by now, and I'd rather not stain my coat with blood.” Saix snorted and turned away, and Zexion just stayed silent. But Ryou was getting frustrated. He didn't want to spend any more time with them than was necessary. And he doubted they'd take well if he acted on his own. He huffed and sat on the arm of Axel's couch.

 

“So we're going to sit here and wait until someone dies?” Ryou asked sarcastically.

 

“We're not cruel. If Sith needs us, we'll intervene. But we're not going to give her a reason to kill us, kiddo,” Axel replied honestly, and sat up to look directly at the younger boy, “Listen. I know we're using Sith and I know Xemnas wants her dead right now, but we don't hate her. Like I said, I'm working for mutual benefits. That includes Sith, too.” Ryou risked a glance at the other two. Saix didn't agree, but there was something to Zexion that suggested he did. Maybe he respected the power the older woman held, or maybe he was the Nobody of a half-Espers, but there was a reason he didn't kill Sith and take her power.

 

“What do you have to do with the Mystics?” Ryou asked them after a moment, and all three stared at him, “I know you want power, but why involve yourself here? This isn't even concerning your world, and as far as I know, Sith doesn't know you.” Axel just snorted, and then just laughed. Humans never saw the bigger picture.

 

“And we don't want her to know us. Our part isn't about her,” Axel told him, and his voice began to grow grim, “It's about the Mystics and their power. I'm sure by now you've noticed they use dark variations of the Esper spells.”

 

“With the exception of the forbidden spells, yes,” Ryou agreed, wondering what that had to do with anything, “I thought it was because they were spawned from Oblivion, not from Nesce.” Axel shook his head, but surprisingly, it was Zexion who answered next.

 

“Untrue, even though that is what Rath says. They have their own world, and they are born there,” Zexion told him, “But it sits so close to the voids of Oblivion, it is considered part of it. And it is only partially true that Oblivion lends them some of its black magic.

 

“But when you stop and think, what was Amber Rhodes's primary source of power?” Zexion continued, and Ryou remembered that Amber attacked with darkness. Zexion knew this, and answered for himself, “Shadows. Oblivion can spawn monsters, but shadows come from nothingness, and do not truly exist. That is why we've come here.”

 

“See, as Nobodies, we don't really exist either,” Axel added, and Ryou blinked, “There are the primary planes, like Space and Time, and then there are secondary ones, like the Shadow Realm and the Realm of Nothing. We, and the heartless, come from the Realm of Nothing, and the latter appears as a bunch of shadows. See where I'm getting at?” Truthfully, Ryou didn't, but he had a feeling that somehow, Amber tapped right into the wrong plane and alerted the Organization of it. And without realizing it, Falnika assumed it was directly linked to Oblivion.

 

“So what you're saying is that Amber released heartless into our world, and that's why only shadows attack the city,” Ryou guessed, and Axel nodded, “But how? How'd she do it?”

 

“We don't know, and that's the problem,” Axel told him, and once again that grim tone threw Ryou off guard, “Only Nobodies can control that plane and not get hurt from it. What the Mystics are doing is causing some nasty shit to hit you. That's why your world's so unstable, and why Sith can't actually do anything. She's literally battling nothing.” Now Ryou saw why Falnika sent her here. If she realized the fatal error, then battling Sith in their world was no victory. Despite the hatred, Falnika wanted to play on relatively fair terms. And that also explained why only magic could defeat the monsters in Domino. Magic could hit nothing. Weapons could not.

 

“So you want to stop her,” Ryou concluded, “And you know that you can't because you're nothing, but Sith can because she's not fighting a heartless. And once you absorb Falnika's power…”

 

“Bingo. Our existences become a little bit more real,” Axel stated, and smiled, “You're getting it already.” Ryou felt relief in knowing that they weren't thrilled to be killing Sith off. But suppose Sith failed to kill Falnika. That left him to finish the deed; if Sith died, it'd be because Aeon and Mello went down with her. And with only Zerrkandr to stop Falnika, Ryou would have no choice. The sword wouldn't work for Saix.

 

“Then that's all the more reason to go up there and help Sith,” Ryou urged, and Axel frowned. He was sure Ryou had understood their motivation and method, but obviously, Ryou was more intent on making sure Sith was okay. That's why feelings were so bad; they often impeded on a person's judgment.

 

“And just what will we do when we find her?” Saix asked him sarcastically, and Ryou froze for a moment. He thought the answer was pretty obvious: to kill Falnika before Sith was destroyed. But when Saix said, “We'll simply be in the way,” Ryou saw why him following her was not a smart move. He had never considered that he might just distract her. That explained why she never wanted him to actually fight at all. He wasn't suited for it. He bit his lip and found he couldn't look any of them in the eye. He had a feeling they saw right through him.

 

“Relax. It took us some time to get that our feelings made our lives harder, too,” Axel told him gently, but it felt hollow in Ryou's ears. For a long while, they remained silent. Axel understood that Ryou didn't want to wait and do nothing, and Zexion was respectful enough not to comment on it himself. Saix, of course, was ignoring him entirely, but Ryou didn't care much for the berserker. As far as he was concerned, Saix was a bastard, and he'd bribe Mello into killing him later if he had to. The thought almost made Ryou laugh. Except that the reality that Saix might just kill Mello first crashed in on him a second later. Right about then, he wished he was a Nobody.

 

Finally, a large bell somewhere in the distance sounded. It was a frighteningly powerful sound, reverberating off of the crumbling walls and stained glass windows, bouncing down the corridors. Twelve more chimes followed it, and each one sounded louder than the last. Ryou looked out the window, trying to discern which way the sound had come. But he couldn't tell; it was almost as if multiple bells had rung. For once, though, Saix didn't ignore it. His eyes widened, and he ran to the window beside Ryou, looking out of it. His eyes shined in the moonlight.

 

Zexion and Axel joined them as the final bell tolled, and it took several minutes for the sound to dissipate. Ryou felt shivers run up his spine as it died away. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt something stirring on the upper floors. As if a great power had been awakened, or perhaps a great war being waged. If Sith was truly there, that was easily the case. He just hoped she was the current victor. He did not want those bells to be the sound of her doom.

 

“It is time,” Zexion said quietly, almost shyly, and Ryou glanced at him as he continued to stare outside the window.

 

“Time for what?” he asked, not understanding what could have possibly been diverting the three's attention. He felt another shiver, and looked up at the ceiling as a crash on the floor above resounded. Something was happening.

 

“You wanted to see her, didn't you?” Saix reminded him, and Ryou saw him smirk in the moonlight, “Well, it's time to go and see your friend. Aren't you happy?”

 

“Probably not as thrilled as you, Scar-face,” Axel joked, and was rewarded when Saix punched him right in the gut. He doubled over, and Ryou was surprised he hadn't been thrown through the glass. Then again, Nobodies could take physical pain far better than humans could. For all he knew, all Saix did was tickle Axel. And break the poor man's ribs.

 

“Let's go,” Saix growled, and stormed out toward the far wall, opposite the arch that they had entered through. Ryou glanced at Zexion, and they ran out after Saix. The hall was long, narrow, and dark; again, the only light was the moonlight that slipped through the slits in the outer wall. But Ryou noticed now that he could hear the ocean clearly, and looked down one of the slits. Waves crashed against this side of the citadel. He was relieved that they weren't leading him in a circle.

 

The stairs on the other end of the hall led them to the third floor. On the outside, Ryou had thought the tower was at least several tens of stories high; he was mildly surprised to find that this floor seemed to be more of an attic than an actual part of the tower. The stairs had led to a small room with an arch that opened to a central chamber that took up the entire third story. And from what he saw, there was nothing within the chamber. Though, Ryou had to admit that he could only see about five feet ahead of him, if that.

 

When he tried to pass under the arch, Zexion and Axel stopped him abruptly. Ryou jerked to a halt, and looked up at both of them. They had said they were going to see Sith, and so it was hard for him to see why they were stopping him. He peered into the dark again. But he saw absolutely nothing. Just pitch black. Nor did he feel any evil around them. If there was any, it was suppressed. Yet, he could sense that both Nobodies were hesitant to just run inside. Even Saix, who seemed undefeatable, seemed unwilling to rush in, with Zerrkandr, no less.

 

“What's wrong?” Ryou whispered, but even then, his voice bounced around the walls and was magnified beyond his comfort. He winced; he didn't mean to be that loud.

 

“We're not alone,” Saix told him grimly, looking into the darkness, “Falnika has gone too far now. She's awakened the three Statues of the Magi.”

 

“The… what?” Ryou asked, tilting his head. He had never heard of such a thing before, and he doubted Sith would've kept it from him. Unless, of course, she felt that telling him would be for the worst. Zexion glanced at him for a moment.

 

“She never told you,” he guessed, and that almost hurt Ryou, “There were once three gods of the Espers, before even Bahamut's time. They were: Poltzghast, Druehg, and Dihanna, and all three had the power to create the Esper race. But when their power became too great, they were turned to stone so that Oblivion would not fall to complete ruin.

 

“They did it to themselves, of course,” Zexion continued quietly, “But it was said that copies of them were erected to fool any who would try unleashing them again. And we've run into one.” Ryou's mouth dropped. The horror Falnika could instill never seemed to cease. Had she truly woken up one of the three gods? If so, then the Light of Judgment was not their worst worry. The only question was, which god was it? When he asked, though, Zexion shook his head and said, “I do not know.”

 

“Now's not a good time to be getting into a fight with one, though,” Axel admitted, and for once, his voice sounded shaky, “Zex, tell me you can get us out of here.” Zexion's skin paled a bit, looking almost white in the dark. He was smart, and he was powerful, but against an Esper, he was only mildly threatening. Against a god, he was nothing.

 

“You're asking me to work miracles,” the young man stated blandly, clutching his book, “The best I can do is cloak us, and that won't work. Not against one of them.” Ryou dared to glance at Saix, just to see his opinion. What he saw was that Saix wasn't as willing to back down as the other two. Then again, the sword on his hip and the claymore in his hand might've helped him with that; Zexion was unarmed save for a book, and Axel seemed more intent on running than facing off against an Esper.

 

“Leave your enchantments at the door. I'll go and face it alone,” Saix told them, and for once, he almost sounded sincere. Zexion was more than a little concerned, and Axel was downright surprised by the statement.

 

“Are you insane!?” Axel blurted out, “Saix, we're talking about Esper gods! We could've handled Falnika and Sith, but now we're stepping into a monster pit! You can't! You'll be murdered!” Unfortunately, it took more than a threat to discourage Saix. He stared at Axel for a long moment, his eyes narrowing flatly as he considered the words. It was true that he was at a disadvantage, but he could just go completely berserk and do some slaughtering of his own if needed. His own fury was normally enough to even out the odds.

 

“I think I'll be just fine,” he replied, and went to step forward. Axel, however, wasn't convinced. Sure, Saix was a jerk and never actually listened to him, but they were friends. At least, they almost were. Axel couldn't let him commit suicide. He grabbed Saix's arm.

 

“Seriously, don't be a moron, Saix,” Axel insisted, and his brows creased, “Even if it's a copy, an Esper god is nothing to joke around with. You won't survive.” Saix obviously didn't agree, but he could see why Axel was worried. Sith had been hard enough to track down, and he could already feel her battling up there. But what she was fighting, he didn't know. He looked down for a minute.

 

“Then I suppose it's time to die,” he said with a shrug, and Axel's eyes widened. Without so much as a goodbye, Saix walked right into the room beyond, leaving the three to stare in complete and utter bewilderment. Ryou had to admit that not even Sith was so coldhearted when death was so close to her. But Sith wasn't a Nobody; she still knew what fear was.

 

“Saix! Get back here, you lunatic!” Axel yelled, running to just the edge of the arch, “Saix!! Seriously, I'm going to get the Superior if you don't get your berserker ass back here! SAIX!” Saix either didn't hear him or completely ignored him. Ryou banked on the latter, for Axel just shook his head and said, “What a fucking idiot…”

 

“Shouldn't we go after him?” Ryou asked, and Axel looked down at him in mild amusement. The thought that Saix would need any of them was ridiculous; he was second-in-command of the Organization, after all. And he was in that position for a reason, a reason Ryou quickly realized he didn't want to see. If the psychopath wanted to get himself killed, who was Ryou to stop him?

 

“Nah, I think we should wait here and see if Berserker Boy comes back scooting on his ass,” the red-head replied, and suddenly he sounded confident again, despite his friend having just sealed his fate, “Saix is stubborn. If he wants something, he gets it. Besides, I'm sure he'll let us know if he needs any help.” That simply confused Ryou even further. Didn't Axel just get through begging Saix to stay with them? Quietly, the boy turned to Zexion, but the latter seemed to be pretending that the ceiling was far more interesting than anything they were talking about. Ryou just shook his head.

 

“How will he…” Ryou began to ask, but a snarl, followed by a feral roar immediately afterward, cut him short. Ryou's eyes widened, and he heard a crash as something very heavy was just slammed into the wall. It barreled through, spitting stone and dust as the creature within continued rolling, slamming right through the other wall and into the other side of the chamber beyond. Axel laughed hysterically, and drew out two chakrams from his cloak.

 

“Well, time to go join the fun!” he exclaimed with a grin, and beckoned toward the other two, “Zex, Ryou, let's go! Saix is going to get all the gory parts!” Zexion just sighed as Axel ran in next, but Ryou just stood there, frozen in horror and disbelief. So far, he learned two things about Nobodies: that they were raving lunatics, and that they were obviously very, very stupid. And now he'd have to fight alongside them. It truly was time to die. Assuming Saix didn't kill whatever was in there first.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

Ryou, and about half of Organization XIII, managed to get inside of Kefka's tower, and now they just need to find Sith and kill Falnika. Sounds easy enough, except that they've come face to face with one of the three original Esper deities. With Saix in his berserk state, and Axel in his overconfidence, can Ryou and his would-be teammates win the battle and move on? Will Sith be able to dispose of Falnika before the rest of Organization XIII finds her? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!