Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Poltzghast's Proposition ( Chapter 27 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Final Fantasy, Death Note, Castlevania, or Kingdom Hearts. I don't, and I had to pay ungodly sums of cash so I didn't have to say who did. And it was just for this one chapter.

 

Matt had managed to get into the castle through the waterways below. It was a miracle he managed to live through the sheer cold of the water, but he'd done it, and he was rewarded with a tunnel that wasn't guarded, and wasn't teeming with monsters. That was the good news, he quickly decided, because as soon as he set toe in the water, his gun had short-circuited. And that left him without a weapon. The bad news was, now he had no weapon and he was in a castle with monsters on the upper floors. It didn't take him long at all to remember that Mail Jeevas was not good when it came to long-term plans. Now he wished he had strangled Zexion when he had the chance.

 

The tunnel was dark and damp, and the walls were slimy with grease. As much as Matt wanted to light a torch, he knew that doing so would ignite him, so he had to crawl in the dark. Only in a few spots was the tunnel big enough for him to stand, and that made the going even slower than it would have been; he was constantly on the verge of slipping because of his unbalanced stance. But he was patient, and he had learned from Mello how to get around sewers and aqueducts. This wasn't much different. It might simply just have a nasty, little monster waiting for him at the end. No big deal, not with his magic, anyway.

 

The tunnel was straightforward. Matt was eternally thankful for that, because any time saved was a moment where he could kick the Organization's ass for tossing him into the sea. And that meant he'd be saving Sith and Mello a few bullets, too, which was always good. Mello had a tendency to go overboard, and Sith had a tendency to take a few too many hits before she even reacted. At least when it came to a shoot-out. Then again, Sith wasn't skilled with guns. Swords had always been her best bet, and many foes found their hands sliced off and their legs amputated long before they even realized they had been her target. It was almost sad, except that most of her enemies deserved to go around leg and handless.

 

The tunnel eventually climbed up, and then Matt found himself in a toilet stall. The smell was putrid, and he would have rather killed himself, but no one was there to hurt him. That was a plus, in his mind. Unfortunately, also in his mind was the knowledge that this was originally a video game. Matt had an even worse tendency to think of life like a game, so when he exited the stall, he immediately threw open the medicine cabinet. And he couldn't begin to guess why he couldn't find potions, ethers, PP Maxes, Rock candy, or stimpaks in there. To him, that was a crime against the gods.

 

“What the hell!?” he yelled, slamming the door closed, “We're going into the last battle and we don't have shit to heal ourselves with! Is Sith insane!?” He remembered that the last time he asked that, the woman in question nearly stabbed him. And without said restoratives, a stab was as bad as the bullets he'd been shot with, if not worse.

 

“Man, she'd better have a plan, or I'll kill her,” Matt grumbled, and stalked out of the bathroom and into the hall. All was silent there, though he did notice the place was a wreck. There were knife marks and bullet holes dotting the stone walls, and chunks of said walls were missing as well. Not to mention the fact that the lack of light was already disorienting him. The thought of heading right into a battle didn't please Matt in the least.

 

He followed the corridor to the open area where Xigbar had squared off against Mello and Aeon, and looked up. He saw the decimated railings, and saw that one of the two stained glass windows had been shattered by bullets. But more importantly, he saw an arc of blue blood sprayed across the chasm. It was Sith's blood; he could smell her scent already. His body froze. Sith was already in bad shape when he last left her. She couldn't take much more punishment before the old girl finally died.

 

“…Sith!?” Matt called, but received no response. Quickly, he moved toward the edge of the room. There were no stairs to the balconies, but the columns had been broken and they formed ledges he could easily scale. He used those and leapt up toward the railing. The footing wasn't ideal, but he was relatively safe, and he was strong enough to pull himself up.

 

When he reached the balcony, Matt saw that there had been a scuffle of some sort. Blue blood had been sprayed here, but there was also a mixture of red blood, and black liquid that he prayed wasn't blood smeared across the floor and walls as well. Bullets lined one wall in a diagonal pattern, indicating that Mello, or someone else, had gone trigger-happy. Matt walked over, touching the pattern. He knew instantly it wasn't Mello; Mello's gun wasn't a rapid-fire variety. He had taken his specific weapon for power, not for reload time. Whoever this was, they had aimed to kill quickly and leave no prisoners.

 

Matt leapt across the chasm, worrying for his friends' lives. Sith had taken a fair share of blood loss, and so had a few others, considering the stains on the walls. As he landed hard on the other side, Matt could only pray. From there, the passage was straightforward, and the lighting only marginally better with the slits of moonlight. He didn't dare light a torch in case more of those Organization bastards were waiting for him. Not that they'd live, for he had his own gun, and he wasn't afraid to take a few shadows down with it, either. When the long corridor ended with a staircase heading downward, Matt didn't hesitate. He stormed the steps, taking three at a time, and whipped out his gun as soon as he heard roaring and snarling beyond. There was a fight, but it wasn't in the immediate area.

 

He stopped when he reached the bottom. The stairs ended in an archway, and beyond that was a large chamber, taking almost an entire floor in and of itself. Someone had lit torches to try and throw some light into the chamber, but it was so vast, the light barely drove itself three feet into the darkness. The room was dim, though Matt could see that there was indeed a battle going on. Or, there had been, at least. The roaring seemed to have stopped, but as he stepped in, Matt saw that everyone who had participated was backed into a corner by a blue-haired, black-cloaked beast of a man, whose eyes were yellow and furious. Matt recognized him instantly: it was none other than Saix.

 

“Sith, are you okay!?” Matt asked, running toward them. But he stopped when Saix turned on him, snarling and baring his fangs. He barely looked human, his face was warped with such a feral expression.

 

“You… AGAIN!?” Saix roared furiously, drawing his claymore. He lunged, but a chakram slammed right into him, and Saix went skidding across the room as if he were a small puppy. Axel just grinned, whistling to call his weapon back.

 

“Well, if it isn't Mail Jeevas,” the spiky red-head said excitedly, “Welcome to the party.” Matt blinked, looking around. He couldn't see much, but what he saw looked pretty destroyed. Saix must have gone completely insane over something, but he couldn't see what had caused it. All he saw was that the room was in shambles; books had been torn apart, their pages scattered, and the windows had been shattered by some form of attack. Glass littered the floor in a glittering display.

 

“What the hell happened here?” he asked, looking at everyone assembled. The entirety of Organization XIII, save for Vexen, was there. As well as Ryou, Aeon, Sith, and an unconscious Mello. At least everyone was relatively safe. Almost. Sith gave a half-smirk, a look that said that whatever had happened, she wasn't pleased with.

 

“It appears our little berserker over there has already killed one of the three Esper gods,” she answered grimly, and Matt stared, “Druehg did not survive the full onslaught of Saix, let alone Saix in his berserker mode.” That didn't help Matt understand it any better, so Sith simply pointed toward something far behind Matt. The red-head turned to see. And, quite frankly, he was shocked.

 

He had expected to see a body, for sure, but what he saw was so massive, no mortal creature could have been created from it. Standing over thirty feet tall, or had once stood, was a six-armed creature with a bull's head, two spikes protruding from its large skull, and two demonic wings on its back, similar to Sith's save for being pure black. It had the bloated torso of a man, but from the waist downward, it seemed to melt into a mutation between writhing plants and a beast crafted from stone. One horn was cut in half, and both eyes had been torn out. Blue blood littered the floor around it, and when it fell, a crater took the place of the marble floor. It was almost hard to believe anyone had actually done this.

 

“He… he killed Druehg?” Matt whispered in disbelief, looking back at Sith. She was tense, her visage dark in the gloom that surrounded them. As much as she wanted to be wrong, they all saw that she wasn't. She nodded stiffly.

 

“Not only that, but he has attracted Poltzghast as well,” the older woman added dryly, but no one missed the shiver that ran up her spine. Even Xemnas, who seemed perpetually detached from his emotions, was shaken a bit by this news. He was a Nobody, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew the consequence for killing a god.

 

“Hey, Sith, if you got a plan, now's a good time to share it,” Joey said to her from inside the sphere, and the Esper looked down into it. To her, her plan was to go with only Aeon and Mello, and seal up the power that Falnika had managed to unleash. No one else was to be involved; now that they were, any plans she had would be hindered. The look of extreme annoyance in her eyes said as much. Ryou couldn't help but feel responsible for it.

 

“Even I am a baby in the face of the gods,” was the somber reply, and Joey understood that she had no way to face Poltzghast, “The best thing to do is to run, but we've come too far to do that.”

 

“So we stay up here to die?” Saix asked her, and Ryou noticed that he was no longer completely insane. Apparently, his lust for blood was sated when he managed to slay the first Esper god. Sith was not even impressed. She turned and looked at the berserker flatly, as if that was supposed to convey her feeling about him.

 

“We are not the ones who've slain Druegh,” she reminded him, or more accused, “That was you.” Saix's ears drooped, just a tiny bit, from the remark. Ryou could only shake his head. Now, when they were about to stare death in the face, he chose to feel remorse. Or perhaps what Axel said about him earlier was true, too. Sith was rather harsh at times. But in her words, she was truthful.

 

The reminder was enough to silence everyone, not just Saix. And that was a good thing. Sith took the time to step away from the group, and to see if what she feared was the truth. Druegh did not die silently; the entire castle shook when his body finally slumped to the floor, and Sith's ears could hear his blood pounding on the floors below. Not only that, but both she and Zexion could smell that blood, and its scent was overwhelming. By all rights, many creatures should be arriving to tear them all apart in a matter of moments. The fact that they were safe was just another miracle. A miracle that could just as quickly become a curse.

 

Sith went close to the body, though Ryou saw she kept a respectful distance from actually touching it. For a moment, she stood, watching it. It did not move, but something held her attention, and now Ryou worried that Saix hadn't finished it off. Another moment, however, and she shook her head, returning to the group. Everyone else held their breath as they waited for her. Even Aeon seemed to want to hear her synopsis before making an assumption and walking into what could be a death trap.

 

“Well?” he asked her, when she neared. Her expression told him everything: Poltzghast was definitely on his way.

 

“Anyone who wants to live should run,” she told them all, and wasn't surprised when more than one member of Organization XIII made to flee. Xemnas, however, wasn't about to be ridiculed with cowardice. He merely dragged them right back.

 

“We will not leave,” he told her seriously, and she shrugged as if to say `Suit yourself.'

 

Poltzghast did not keep them waiting long. He had heard that earsplitting screech, one that could only be heard above a certain pitch, when his dear friend finally left the mortal plane. And accordingly, he descended his topmost tower to investigate the disturbance. It was a silent march - death never walked where mortals could hear it - and within seconds, he was in the room where his friend had fallen. As a god, he could mask himself so no one could see him, and he watched as Sith Winchester approached Druegh's body. And when she turned, he appeared.

 

Druegh was huge, but Poltzghast was colossal. His frame was so massive, he had to hunch just to fit inside of the room; the upper half of him was humanoid - clad in spiked, red armor, no less! - but the lower half, like Druegh, was mutated and fused into a mount of some sort. In his hands was a large lance that could easily crush all of them in one swoop, and his back was adorned with two large angel wings. But despite the angelic wings, Ryou could feel the horrible aura emanating off of the terrifying beast. He was death personified. Even that god Sith mentioned, Kratz, could not possibly compare. And what made it worse was that Sith did not see him.

 

“Holy shit!” one of the Organization members screamed, as Zexion backed away and said, “What on earth is that horrifying creature!?”

 

“Are you talking about me!?” Sith yelled, still not having noticed the huge beast lurking just behind her. Everyone stared at her, though it was only for a few seconds. Ryou had to admit that, while Sith was highly intelligent, she had her moments. This was a bad time to have such one. He shook his head and pointed.

 

“Sith, turn around,” he said seriously. Sith normally didn't heed him, but his tone told her she was an idiot if she didn't. So she turned. And when she did, she nearly died of cardiac arrest.

 

“P-p-Poltzghast!?” she screamed, blood draining from her already gaunt face. She stumbled as she backed away, but she got her sword up in time to deflect the blow as his lance came whooshing in. But despite her skill, the sheer force of the blow knocked her clear sideways. She was thrown right into Saix, and the two crashed into the wall, taking Zexion and Aeon down with them. Ryou was frozen; in a matter of just a few seconds, some of their best were knocked down.

 

“Uh… boss? I think we should just run,” one of the members said worriedly, “That thing won't release any hearts, so let's not try to die.” But Xemnas had no intention of fleeing. He'd already drawn his ethereal blades, and was ready to hack and slash his way to victory. Inside the sphere, Bakura just laughed.

 

“That's right, you fucking cowards. Go ahead and run like the shadows you are,” the old thief mocked, “I'm sure Sith won't murder you, if she manages to live.” Xemnas glared down at the sphere, and was close to cracking it apart. He spat and then turned to face Poltzghast.

 

“I have made it clear I will not abandon Sith,” the Nobody growled at Bakura, and then to Poltzghast, he said, “I see you have come to investigate the death of your friend. I'm sorry to say, my group was responsible.” Poltzghast looked down at the man, seeming so tiny amidst the tremendous creature, and nearly laughed. The movement alone rocked the foundation of the citadel.

 

“So it was not Sith Winchester? How very… disappointing,” the god said, his voice rumbling in the large room, “Though we are glad one of our own has returned after three thousand years. Even if it means we must kill her.” That only served to piss Xemnas off further, and he crossed his blades, either preparing to strike twice-in-one, or to defend. But Ryou wasn't yet ready to see another Esper fall. He, as well as Sith, needed answers. They were about to get them. Even if it killed him as well. He ran in front of Xemnas, nearly knocking the man off balance.

 

“Don't!” he pleaded, skidding just before the beast, “Please! Why? What has she done wrong?”

 

“She has broken several laws of the realm of Magic, slain over thirty thousand of her kind, has endangered three hundred and eighty two worlds with her actions, has slaughtered thousands of the lesser races, and has released the forbidden spells unto the worlds at large,” Poltzghast replied calmly, and arched a brow, “The correct question is: what has she not done?” Ryou found himself speechless. Sith had truly done all of that? He couldn't understand how, but he knew instinctively that the Espers did not lie. If they charged her with these crimes, it was truly because she had committed them. But… over thirty-thousand men?

 

“None of that was her fault!” he heard Mello scream suddenly, “You bastards forced her into this mess!” Ryou turned, stunned to see that Mello had recovered so quickly. But there he was, up, and glaring at the large Esper with a hatred that surpassed even his own for Ryou. Poltzghast looked down, narrowing his eyes. He was not surprised by who he saw.

 

“Mihael Kheel, the only human to have ever caused us such hardship in the past twenty-three years,” the Esper said grimly, frowning, “We have tried… so hard, to keep you from finding her. Like a roach, you have survived everything. Even so much as a god of death cannot keep you down like the maggot you are.” Mello grinned wickedly, spitting as he loaded his gun and took aim.

 

“Kira was a fucking joke,” Mello spat furiously, his good eye gleaming as he continued to grin, “You, and your brood of half-assed, lazy, good-for-nothing witches are the ones I'm after.” Ryou stared at him dumbfounded. Considering that Poltzghast was a god, Mello should not have been making such crude insults to him. Even for Mello, that was a bold and stupid thing to do. Poltzghast's wings rattled hatefully.

 

“You should not even be alive right now,” the Esper hissed, and took his lance, “I shall end your existence.” He moved faster than Mello could perceive, and the blonde closed his eyes, fully preparing to be skewered in the next second.

 

It didn't happen. Poltzghast was fast, but the Organization was far faster. One member crossed by so quickly, and deflected the blow so perfectly, that it sent Poltzghast reeling. And when she spun and kicked his large hand, he dropped his spear. It crashed heavily into the marble flooring, sending shards of the stuff flying off. Mello opened an eye; only Sith had ever been able to deflect such a blow, and that last attempt sent her sprawling on the ground. The member who had just saved his life removed her hood. She laughed hysterically as she looked upon her foe.

 

“The only ones who shouldn't exist is US, jackass!” she taunted, and Mello saw she had deflected the blow with six knives, “Thanks for the insult! Now it's time to DIE!”

 

“Larxene, stand down!” Xemnas called, as Poltzghast stared at the young woman and said, “Why do you all ally yourselves with this exile? Do you not know that she could have killed each and every one of you?” That was a question not even worth asking. Mello spat again, and this time he took out something Ryou had never seen him use before. It was another sword… one similar to Zerrkandr and Zealacht! But this one was glowing green, brightly so.

 

“You think we don't know that, you idiot?” Mello shot back, and laughed, “We all knew from the start that Sith could kill us. Hell, she probably would, if she hated us enough! But she hasn't, and we're loyal to her because she has some goddamn compassion for us all! That's more than we can say for you sons of a submariner.” That was harsh, but to Ryou, it was true. Fenrir had nearly devoured both of them just a year before, and only because they were human, not Esper. And the Chesiers? They trusted humans even less. This did not affect the god, however.

 

“You all are fools,” he stated seriously, and suddenly, the air around them felt oppressed and constricted as Poltzghast raised his arms, “I shall make you all see what happens when you go against the words of a god.” Suddenly, the roof of the tower ripped off, revealing thousands of stars against a black sky above them. The walls shook, crumbling, as Poltzghast laughed into the night, releasing the horror his body could emit all around the group. Everyone huddled; there was a good chance they would not survive now.

 

“Not even all of us can stop him,” Xaldin growled, as Aeon stood and said, “He's ripping the fabrics between the realms!”

 

“How do we stop him!?” Axel cried out, as Sith finally stood, supported on both sides by Saix and Zexion. She looked up; this was what she had feared from the start. They had no choice but to slay the gods themselves. Even Rath, so ruthless and cunning, was far easier to deal with. But now, she had one thing that Poltzghast had not counted on. The blow to her head was enough; the power surged from the blast had done it. She remembered what she had done. And now it was time to make amends.

 

“Here it comes,” she growled, and when the god released a bolt of energy, Sith was in the air. Her wings were damaged badly, but her body was able to get her to leap high enough. She used the blast to propel herself, and aimed her sword. The claws from the mutated mount lashed out, but Sith was faster, even without her regained skill. She spun in a flourish and cut the left claw clean off. But the move had thrown her short. She landed just before the beast.

 

“Ready to die this time?” she asked gravely, sword still drawn. Even if her opening was gone, she had more than enough fight to buy everyone else time if things went ugly. Poltzghast was surprised, however. She was much faster than he remembered. Obviously, three thousand years of warping across Oblivion only strengthened the woman.

 

“Sith Winchester, you dare to disrupt your own sentence,” he spoke, but Sith was quick with words as well. She cackled and spat on the ground beside her. It was an insult, Ryou understood.

 

“Shut up,” she growled, and Ryou saw her eyes flash red, “I've had quite enough of your punishment. I have already dealt with the fact that this mess between my cousin and I was done by my hand. Now shut up and let me finish the job.”

 

“How dare you!” Poltzghast roared, as Ryou gasped and said, “Rath is your cousin!?” Sith turned to him, and there was that look she rarely had, as if she were years and years older. It was in her eyes. She nodded grimly, almost infuriated at the admittance.

 

“It was a long time ago,” she began, and turned back to Poltzghast, “But there is a reason Rath is after me. A war would not cause such hatred. But the fact that she is my only living relative, separate from Katt, is. My family exiled her from the kingdom, and she wants her revenge.” Ryou thought that was a childish reason to endanger so many worlds at once. He shook his head.

 

“But she had it when you lost your magic!” Ryou cried, and Sith's shoulders relaxed a bit. She closed her eyes, as if the statement were painful to hear.

 

“I've regained my power tenfold, Ryou,” she reminded him quietly, and looked back, “You will never understand the dynamics of this battle. But one day, I will tell you what happened and why. Maybe then… you can build my legacy for me.” She turned back, her brows creasing as she considered her foe, “For now, however, I'll forge a tale where I slay a god in addition to the numerous crimes I've already committed.”

 

“At least you're honest,” she heard Ishtar mumble from inside the globe, and she let herself laugh. But it was short-lived. Poltzghast was not amused in the least, and the fact that Sith was willing to kill him was enough to end her life with a thought. Yet he didn't. Druegh was a fool to side with Rath, and Dihanna was imprisoned by her. He had no such ties, and he had no need to be killed. Despite the ease with which he could end the woman's life, he knew that if he did, she'd take his before her last breath. Sith was not to be underestimated, even by the eldest of Espers.

 

“Slay a god? I do not think you will,” he replied, and Sith looked up, “I should end your existence for your slander against me, but I have a proposition for you.” Sith lowered her blade, but did not dare to sheath it. That would be a foolish move.

 

“I'm listening,” she replied, and her ears lowered, “Speak before I change my mind.”

 

“You intend to pay for your crimes by ending the threat and erasing what has been done to our race, correct?” he asked, and at her nod, he continued, “Then do this. You have what you need and the time is upon you. End Rath's life and fulfill your family's legacy, and then we will consider freeing you from your internal hell.” Sith listened; that was a deal made long ago by Bahamut himself, and yet she still had not been able to fulfill it. But now was different. She had more allies and the world was highly resilient despite the magical onslaught it endured. The truth was revealed: they did not care what she did, so long as she merely ended Rath's life and came out the victor. She could try that again.

 

“I'll end her life simply because she has nearly taken my own,” Sith told him, “As for you all, I am not sure if I care to know who you want to be the victor. But know this: if you kill me, then you will have everyone assembled on your throat for it. Do not think they will take kindly to any additional punishments you put upon me.” Ryou thought those were bald statements, considering that Xemnas was no ally, and that the other Nobodies weren't likely to be, either. But Mello and Aeon would definitely go after the Espers if they took Sith, and Ryou knew he'd join them for the chase. Poltzghast already seemed to know this. He nodded.

 

“I have no wish to see your life destroyed,” the god told her truthfully, “I can only enforce the laws we have set. Rest assured that if you rid us of the curse your family has wrought, you may resume your place in the hall.” With that, Poltzghast disappeared as silently as he came in. Sith watched quietly, contemplating what was said to her. Rid them of Rath, and she could finally return to her world. But could she kill her own cousin?

 

Everyone waited patiently as Sith stood there, unable to decide what to do. As much as she wanted to kill Rath, she knew now that this was a battle neither of them truly started. It was thrust upon them as soon as they were born; Rath merely kindled the flames until it turned into a raging inferno that could not be quelled. Now it was her job to do damage control. So be it. She could do that, and had been for the past three thousand years. Albeit trying to avoid the other Espers, but that was a separate issue.

 

Finally, Ryou couldn't take the suspense. He knew the decisions would take time, but they still had to find Falnika, and Dihanna hadn't yet appeared, either. He glanced at Mello, but the blonde did not respond. He was focused on Sith, deciding whether to comfort her or let her be. Aeon was similarly affected. Ryou took a breath. It was either ask right then, or never know the truth. He opted the former.

 

“What does he mean, `you'll return to the hall?” he asked Sith, and she looked up for a moment, “Sith, what happened? Are you going to leave when this is done?” Sith looked away, and Ryou noticed that she hesitated with her answer. He didn't want to hear it, but he understood it was her choice, not his.

 

“He is referring to the Hall of Heroes in Nesce. That is where all legends go when they pass the mortal plane,” she told him quietly, and looked back at him, “Rath is the one who unleashed the five forbidden spells, three thousand years ago. In order to stop her, I had to use them as well. They cancel each other out, and are the only ones who can.”

 

“But that's not your fault!” Ryou exclaimed, “Rath is the one who… who…”

 

“Rath does not dictate what I chose to do,” Sith cut him off calmly, and he stopped, “I have killed my own people, Ryou. That is unforgivable, no matter the ends. I've accepted that, even if I chose to run from them as well. Because of that, I am forbidden to go to the hall, should I die. But if I kill Rath…” Ryou understood now. He nodded.

 

“You kill Rath, you redeem yourself,” he said bitterly. Sith nodded, but something told him it wasn't really that simple. If it were, Rath would have been dead. There was something more to it, something Sith was hiding. Was it because Rath was her cousin? Ryou couldn't be sure, though he knew he couldn't kill his own family if he had to.

 

“So, you going to kill Rath or what?” Axel asked her, and Ryou glared. At that moment, it wasn't a smart idea to ask Sith such a stupid question. The answer was obvious, anyway. She nodded, tapping her sword on the floor. Zealacht made a nice dent where its tip hit.

 

“Of course,” Sith replied seriously, and looked at Xemnas. He seemed bored with the conversation at large, but smiled when he saw he had her attention. She said, “Thank you for your assistance. Let me handle it from here.” Xemnas's smile faded. That was not what he wanted to hear from her. Ryou almost laughed. For a person with no emotion, it was easy to annoy him.

 

“There is still the matter of the void left behind by Falnika,” he reminded her. She seemed to wave that away, however. Ryou wondered if that matter held any significance to her at all, considering her other problems.

 

“Yes, I know,” she replied grimly, “I see no point in sealing it right now. Rath will undoubtedly release it when the time comes. If you want it so badly, then I'll allow you to watch it and make sure that nothing else comes to take it, so long as you don't try and kill me with your new power later.” Ryou's eyes popped. She was actually willing to trust Nobodies with the power they wanted. Either she was really angry with the other Espers, or she truly did not care. It was hard to decide which was the truth.

 

“Wouldn't dream of it!” Axel told her, as Xemnas nodded and said, “Consider yourself protected from the Heartless, Sith.” Sith smiled, and Ryou just watched as she and the older Nobody shook hands on the deal. It was interesting to see; by the sound of it, most people shunned or ignored the Nobodies. Sith obviously felt they had higher value than that, at least in terms of forging an alliance. Xemnas accepted it appreciatively.

 

A chuckle from behind them all, however, disrupted the moment.

 

“And so you continue to grow your army by the second, lady Sith,” came a gentle voice, and Sith turned sharply, sword drawn and ready, “It is nice to see you've returned after so long.”

 

“Who are you?” Sith demanded, disregarding the compliment entirely. A figure emerged from the darkness: a young woman clad in nothing more than a blue wrap that covered her chest, to just around her thighs, with white wings and a halo atop her head. She stood on a skull with two horns protruding from it, and brown hair cascaded down her face and shoulders. She looked radiant in the dark, and Ryou felt a warmth just by being near her. As she looked at Sith, her expression held nothing but sympathy. But her answer, despite it being expected from Sith, still managed to shock them all.

 

“Dihanna, the Goddess of magic,” came the reply. Ryou knew right then that there was a reason such a beauty had come. And so did Sith.

 

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

 

With Druegh dead, and Poltzghast fleeing back to his realm to watch the battle between Sith and Rath, only Dihanna remains to see the Esper through it. But will she be forced to fight Sith, or will she lend Sith mercy, as Poltzghast had? What else does she know about Sith, that Sith has yet to remember? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!