Ambivalence [Raen, Zack, Zexion]

[Fate]

Are You Sure?

The girl seemed uneasy already while the male that had walked up to Zexion and said hello was blissfully unaware. He waited only a moment or two for Raen to come up with an answer, the disdain in his voice plainly obvious; seeing the Schemer was not something he wanted to deal with on this little excursion of his. Though, he had to wonder how his friends were going to react to this, neither of them having met the Nobody. Zexion glanced at both of them briefly, raising his eyebrow slightly; both of the others had a lot of light in them while Raen... not as much. How peculiar.

He was quite demanding as well, quite nearly ordering Zexion to get out of his disguise. Of course, this only served to slightly amuse the Schemer as he let the illusion melt away. He gained maybe a couple of inches out of it, though both Raen and the other male present towered over him. Bluish-silver hair fell over the right side of his face, blocking one of his cold blue eyes that he did not bother changing in the illusion, and his clothes morphed into the Organization cloak. He did not bother to gage the reactions of the other two, his focus set on Raen for the moment.

"I did not come here for you, if that is what you are asking" he told the other blankly in his normal tone of voice, his right arm over his chest as his left elbow rested on said arm, his left hand going near his chin. He did not bother to answer Raen's other questions. He did not need to know about his search for answers about the mysterious force of darkness nor did he need to know why he chose that particular disguise. Though, his friend might not be pleased to find out that he just tried to make advances on someone of his own gender; if the Nobody could laugh, he would.

"And yes, I received your message," he answered, "Tell me, have you made your decision? Are you prepared to deal with the consequences?" There was a bit of innocent curiosity in his question as he waited to receive his answer, his gaze traveling to the others for a moment; what would they think of this decision of Raen's if they did not already know? Zexion had watched a similar decision like this be made in the past, though there were obvious differences. Unlike Riku, Raen had not come back from the Realm of Darkness and tried to deny the darkness in him. Though, if he was not careful, he would follow a very similar path very shortly.

And Axel wasn't here to meddle in Zexion's plans this time.

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[Zack]

Zack tilted his head in confusion as Raen spoke. He had named the girl Zexion which was probably one of the weirdest names he had ever heard and asked her to drop the disguise. He didn't really know what he was talking about....until the girl suddenly became a guy. He jumped back shocked. "W-w-what?!" he said aloud completely shocked. "You're a guy?!"

That girl was a guy the whole time?! He suddenly didn't feel all that great. He wanted to NEVER remember this moment ever again. Maybe he should stop hitting on girls in case something like this ever happened again. At least, stop hitting on them for awhile....possibly. All the same he tried to put the thought that he had been about to hit on a guy out of his head and focused on what was being said.

Apparently Zexion was asking Raen if he had made a decision yet. Zack, confused, wondered what this decision involved. He decided to keep his mouth shut and wait until Raen said what his decision was since all he would probably end up saying was more disbelief about that girl really being a guy.

[Aerith]

Please Tell Me You Also Think He's Acting Like a Stalker

The moment Raen said Zexion's name, everything became clearer. The girl who had been standing before them now melted away to reveal a male, oddly enough. That certainly should have made Zack feel awkward. Unless, of course, he was into that sort of thing. She had heard about people like that, though she had never personally met anyone who swung both ways, so to speak. From the look on Zack's face, she would guess that he was not a person interested in his own gender, though. Maybe this would teach him not to be so quick to flirt with every woman he ran across.

She turned her full attention back onto the Nobody in front of her. So, this was Zexion. Going strictly off appearance, he did give off a bit of a "pompous jerk" vibe. Demyx had been much friendlier. Though, now that she knew what a Nobody really was, every little action and gesture was suspect. He was made even more difficult to read by the mess of hair hanging over half his face. The style struck her as impractical, though she was not about to say anything to that effect. He, just like everyone else she had ever or probably would ever meet, was taller than she was. But the height difference was not the cause of her uneasiness. He had fooled them into thinking he was someone else entirely. What else was he capable of?

This decision of Raen's was mentioned yet again, and she suddenly had a thought. While keeping her eyes on Zexion, she spoke to her companion. "Why does he need to know what your decision is? Is that not a personal choice?" It did not make any sense to her as to why Zexion needed to know anything at all about this decision. The Nobody might have saved Raen's life, but that did not entitle him to knowing every intimate detail there was to know about Raen. In her personal struggles against the Heartless, she had saved many men's lives, yet she did not demand they tell her all of their personal issues. Maybe Raen would see her point, and they could just leave. And maybe, as they were leaving, she could put an arrow in Zexion's throat.

[Nothingness]

No Going Back...

Raen heard Lanying's question, but for some reason he was finding it harder and harder to look at both her and Zack. Was it shame? He shook his head--he couldn't let himself start to regret his choice. It was too late for that. Answering Lanying's question, his voice was rather cold. "He and I both want the same thing. And we aren't so different from one another, either." Taking a few steps toward Zexion, he ripped all of the courage he had from the very bottom of his heart. Staring the Nobody dead in the eye, emotionless, he stated, "The Darkness will be my power."

All of the dread and misgivings he had before left his body like water bursting through a dam. His choice was made, and now all he had to do was stick with it until the end, bitter or otherwise. Feeling that a justification would be best, mostly he felt for Lanying's sake, he continued. "The Darkness is weak. The Heartless are nothing more than useless pawns now, blinded by brilliance. I don't intend to ally myself with the likes of them, nor do I intend to destroy with the Darkness. If the Light can destroy as well as repair, then so can the Darkness."

Turning to face Lanying, he found it incredibly hard to stare her in the eye, even harder so to tell her, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." His voice was barely audible when he said this, and as soon as he did, he broke eye contact and returned to face Zexion. Trying his best to block how his friends would react, he waited to hear what Zexion had to say. Raen knew that he couldn't trust Zexion, especially seeing as how this Nobody could apparently change his appearance. He wondered what other tricks were up his sleeve.

[Fate]

Doesn't This Look Familiar?
Seymour's Ambition

For being one that tended to blend into the background more often than note, Zexion knew how to grab the attention of those around him. Everyone's gaze was focused on him as he kept a serious look, keeping his gaze on Raen. He ignored the words of the other male, particularly since it was obvious that he was a male and that he had just led the other into making a fool of himself. He could feel the girl's eyes on him; she had very good reasons for not trusting him at this moment, especially with the abilities he possessed.

Her words made Zexion's serious face change to a slight grin. Indeed Raen, why did Zexion have to know? He may have saved his life back in Twilight Town, but that was for his own benefit and no one else's; it was always the way the Schemer worked. At that point, Zexion was gathering the trust of others to fall back upon; things often went smoother when others trusted you. However, things had changed in the short timespan of three weeks. Right before his eyes, Raen had changed... and was starting to become something the Schemer could use if necessary. Would he? Perhaps... if things went the way he thought they were.

Raen's answer was slightly surprising, the man taking a few steps closer to Zexion and away from his friends; one could find symbolism in that, he supposed. He mentioned how the two were alike, making the Schemer narrow his gaze and study the other. Looks were obviously not what he meant, the Nobody standing a few inches shorter than the other. Their nature was what Raen was talking about, which Zexion had not seen enough of when he met him the first time. Was he truly attributing himself to the Nobody? Though, this time he heard that cold tone, one that he had often heard himself use; he could understand why now.

He waited calmly for Raen to tell him his answer, keeping his eyes completely focused on the other. There was no physical response when the words left the other's lips other than Zexion lettings his hands fall to his sides, remaining completely still with the same look in his eyes while the gears behind them were turning. Was he truly making that decision? He was going to fight for the darkness? He then explained his answer, which did not seem to before Zexion but for his friends instead. The Schemer did not need an explanation, but obviously his friends did; how interesting...

"Are you sure you are strong enough to handle such a decision?" Zexion asked, his tone just as cold as Raen's had been before. The Schemer shook his head to this. "No. The Darkness is already growing in your heart; you've already started letting it. It will corrupt you, tear you apart, until you're nothing better than the creatures you despise." His voice had grown louder in pitch with his last words. It then quieted once more, his voice now only above a whisper. His eyes went to the girl; Raen had barely been able to meet her gaze. Perhaps he could use that...

"Are you so sure you want to put your friends in danger as well? If you choose the side of the Darkness, you do not get to keep the Light. I do not think your friends would take kindly to that." He let his sly words fall, waiting patiently to see what would unfold next. He remained completely stationary, preparing himself for any number of possibilities for what was about to take place.

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[Aerith]

Inadequacy and Failure

They were not leaving. Why were they not leaving? And if they were not leaving, why was it taking Raen so long to give his answer to Zexion? There was not a question about what the decision should be. Right? Lanying felt a horrible hollowness forming deep in her stomach. Raen was not looking at her anymore, for some reason. She was just about to speak to him again in an attempt to coax words from his mouth, but then he started talking. The emptiness in her stomach grew. His tone was icy. She had never heard him sound like this before.

No, she must have been hearing him incorrectly. He was comparing himself to...Zexion? To a Nobody? And then his next words hit her like a ton of stones. She did not know whether to feel shocked or betrayed or angry or sad or perhaps a combination of it all. The one thing she could clearly feel was numbness. That was the only way she could describe it. It was as though all of her emotions had overloaded and shut down completely out of sheer confusion. It was a defense mechanism, she knew, one she had learned long ago as a child.

His explanations for his decision barely registered in her ears. There was no room for justification here. Promises to only defend and not destroy were useless. At least the light sought to preserve the worlds. The darkness sought to eradicate them. She was still inside her protective shell of numbness when Raen turned to offer her a faint apology. He thought...an apology would just make everything better, did he?

Again, she would have tried to say something, but this time, Zexion spoke first. She wanted him to go away. She wanted that very much right now. His words only further confirmed her fears. You could not go halfway into the darkness and expect to retain yourself. And then, if that were not enough, the Nobody went on to say that by making this choice, Raen was effectively lost to her. No. No, she would not take kindly to that. She had sworn to keep the Heartless from visiting upon others the same fate that her family and household had met. If Raen went down this path and became one of them, then she would have to...

She took a few steps away from Raen. Her eyes were, for the moment, glued to the stone beneath her feet. She slid her arms around her stomach, trying to stop the hollow feeling from expanding. When she finally found her voice, it was laden with sorrow. "Why...? How...? How long have you known your choice?" She knew it did not truly matter when the exact moment was that he had made the decision. The fact that he had made it was terrible enough.

She searched for something else to say, and the one thing that she had not told him suddenly spilled out of her. "They...they killed them, Raen." Her head shot up to fix Raen with an anguished stare. "The Heartless killed my family, Raen! Every last one of them! All but...all but me..." Her voice dropped to a soft whisper. "And you...you will become just like them... You said so yourself... People who cannot control the darkness...are consumed by it." She was at a loss for what to do now. Irrationality that she normally did not experience was creeping into her mind. Any minute now, she half-expected him to turn on her. Feelings of inadequacy were sprouting in her chest. She knew that Raen's actions were not hers to control, but somehow, she still felt responsible. And a deep sense of failure inevitably followed.

[Zack]

Zack didn't know what exactly was happening. He moved closer to his two new friends, hand on the hilt of his sword ready to use it if he needed to. Now that Zexion's disguise was dropped, their was this bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something didn't sit right with Zack about this guy...besides the fact he had appeared as a girl moments ago. He wasn't sure what kind of vibe he was getting from the guy, all he knew was that it made him uneasy.

Though what Raen had said next shocked him. He was allying himself with the darkness? Why would he do that?! Darkness never had helped anyone. He had his run in with darkness, Hades had even used whatever darkness was inside him to use him to fight once before. The use of darkness never brought about anything good. He didn't understand why the darkness needed help, wasn't getting rid of it a good thing? What exactly had happened to the state of things since he had been gone?

Then Zexion started talking about how the darkness would eventually corrupt Raen and Zack refused to believe it. No, there had to be some sort of explanation for this. Before he could really say anything though Lanying started speaking about how the heartless killed her family. He was shocked to hear that as well. He wanted to comfort her somehow, but he really couldn't do much about that right now. Right now he had to focus on Raen and what would happen now.

"I don't understand!" he told him a bit frustrated by all of this. "Why side with the darkness? nothing good can come out of it!" He didn't like that that Zexion guy was here and he thought maybe he had a hand in Raen's decision. He also didn't understand this decision. He had been gone for years according to Phil, what could have happened that one would want to side with the darkness? He had mentioned it having become weak, wasn't that a good thing?

Zack still had his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for any fight that may come. He didn't want to have to fight Raen, but he needed to be ready for the possibility.

[Nothingness]

Salvation's Light

What the Future Holds[/center]

Raen couldn't feel more terrible than he was feeling right now. Yet somehow he felt even worse as Zexion spoke to him, asking him if he could handle the Darkness, and telling him that how even now that same Darkness was already beginning to consume him. Zexion began to question the safety of the others around him, telling him that he would be forsaken by the light for this choice, and there was no way he could get it back. But did that really matter to him? Did he need the light that badly? Wouldn't he still be able to protect his friends without it? Then it hit him: would he even still have friends to protect?

Then he heard Lanying's voice, riddled with despair, and her footsteps as she moved away from him. He could understand her anguish, but knew that nothing he could say would make it better. Words were all but useless in this situation. The most painful blow came to him when she told him that her family was killed by the Heartless, and that he would end up becoming just like them. Did she truly think that he was going to become something like that? Did she think that he was going to turn on her at any moment and kill her and Zack, finding some sick, dark pleasure in that act? Even as he thought that, he heard Zack's voice. Was he turning on him, too?

He couldn't blame either of them for their reaction--it was completely justified on their part. Hell, he probably would have reacted the same way. He couldn't even blame them if they were to leave him right now. If he were to walk his own road, separate from theirs, then so be it; he'd rather sacrifice himself than drag those two down with him. A part of him felt completely alone now, and another part felt utterly crushed by regret. Why did Zexion have to save him? Why couldn't Zexion have let him lose his heart on those fields of Twilight Town? It would have been so much easier for all of them if that happened...

"Except it wouldn't have been." That small, small voice in the back of his head told him. Raen tried his hardest to block that voice out, but he couldn't. The voice was telling the truth, and he knew it. And as if to accentuate that fact, the crystal on Fimbulvetr began to glow, as well. He wanted to smile as some silly, stray thought crossed his mind, "I forgot to ask the Moogles about this..." But he was finding it hard to do or look anything remotely cheerful at this point. Still, he found a small glimmer of salvation in his conscience.

"If the darkness consumes me, then so be it!" Raen's voice was quivering, but not with sadness or regret. He was going to hold onto that small buoy of salvation for dear life, and not let go of it. "But I won't give into it. I'll control it--I'll master it!" He glared at Zexion, his eyes filled with a hateful determination. Drawing his sword, he pointed it at Zexion, his voice burning with the coldness from before, but much different--this was full and rich, not regretful and ashamed. "And if you so much as attempt to interfere, I'll cut you down where you stand! An abomination like you would never be missed."

[Fate]

Try As You Might...

The Schemer did not even need to raise a finger as Raen's friends gave their input. Naturally, neither of them were pleased with his decision. Zexion could not truly say that they were rightfully not pleased, being the impartial Nobody that he was, though it was truly intriguing to listen to the girl's story. The Heartless had destroyed her family and took away almost everything that she held dear, a tragic tale. He supposed that if he had a heart, he might take sympathy on her. Alas, he only found it something of interest and waited for more to unfold, his face impassive and blank.

Was that fear he heard in Raen's voice when he spoke? Zexion heard his voice quivering, though the emotion behind it he couldn't clearly place. Though, the Nobody truly had to wonder if Raen knew what he was getting himself into by saying such things. Riku had made that same mistake and thought he could control the darkness; later on, he was able to with newly found strength. However, when Zexion had found him, he was just starting to gain that control. The Schemer shook his head yet again to Raen's words, the sound of them quite foolish to him. He had once thought like he did; he could control the darkness and he could master it, not letting it take his heart away. That obviously was not the case anymore.

He could only grin at being called an abomination, threatened to be killed yet again. Ansem himself had called them something similar, had he not? Still, he supposed he could give Raen a retort of sorts. "You may want to consider what you just said. You could join in being an abomination if you let the darkness consume you," he replied, a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "Or will you even make it that far? You may think you can control the darkness. There were many others that thought as you did; not many of them are around today, most of them Heartless... like these." Without another word, he summoned four Neoshadows in front of them, stepping back into the background. He was going to linger a little longer, see if Raen would actually hold to that threat.

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[Zack]

Zack wanted an explanation from Raen. He wanted to know why choose to use the darkness. He had mentioned the darkness being weak, was that so bad? Though he had also said he wanted to use it to use it to repair, not to destroy. Was it even possible for one who wielded darkness to do that? Could one manage to use the darkness to help people?

He then watched as Raen turned and point his sword at Zexion, sounding determined to use the darkness to help and that Zexion would not interfere with his decision. Then that Zexion guy talked about how others had thought to use darkness and were consumed by it. Which was followed by more of those heartless creatures appearing, these ones looking more like a challenge then the others had been.

Zack wasn't entirely sure about Raen's choice...but he knew what he had to do. He ran up next to him and drew his sword, ready to fight those heartless things. "I'll make sure you aren't consumed by the darkness," he told Raen with a smirk. "I'll just drag you back into the light if that happens! A hero is always willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt!" He then gave a big goofy grin towards Raen. "After all we're friends aren't we?" he then turned his attention back on Zexion. "Plus, I'm sick of hearing this guy talk,"

Zack would make sure Raen's use of the darkness wouldn't consume him. Maybe he was naive in hoping that one could use the darkness like how another would use the light. However, it was worth a shot. He didn't know everything that was going on currently or understand it, but if darkness was needed somehow then he wouldn't exactly be a hero if he didn't do something about it.

[Aerith]

I Know Who the Problem is Here...and it is Not Raen
Seized with Fury remixed by housethegrate; original tracks by Nobuo Uematsu from Final Fantasy VI

Lanying took some small comfort in the fact that Zack was just as confused and frustrated as she was. Even if Raen did fall prey to the darkness, she would still not be alone. Though, considering that Zack was about as clueless as she had been only a week or so ago, that was a very small consolation. Still, she would take that over feelings of abandonment. From the looks of things, Zack was anticipating a fight. She did not want it to come to that. But if things took a turn for the worse, she would have no choice.

Raen's voice reclaimed her attention. He was insistent that he could control the darkness, but she would rather him not run that risk at all. The thought of him becoming a Heartless turned her stomach a little. She knew she should have more faith in him. She knew that. But why had he not talked to her about this decision first instead of waiting to hit her with it now? He threatened Zexion, and her eyes shifted to the Nobody. Zexion responded by claiming that very few who had set out to master the darkness had actually succeeded. Any who had survived were now Heartless. Then, the Nobody summoned four Heartless she had never seen before. They looked as though they could be cousins to the regular Shadow Heartless. Larger, tougher, and much more intimidating cousins.

Zack moved to Raen's side. He expressed his confidence that Raen would not succumb to the darkness, and he even said he would pull Raen back into the light if need be. And then, he said that Raen was his friend. That caught Lanying by surprise. Zack had only just met them, and he was already willing to stick by Raen, even if his choice of paths was less than desirable. Shame crept into her heart. She had almost been ready to write Raen off as a lost cause, and he had not even done anything yet.

Gripping Resonance tightly in her hands, she also went back to Raen's side. "I am sorry, as well," she murmured. "But I cannot deny that I am afraid. For you, mostly." The Heartless were getting restless, and all the while, Zexion was just standing there with that blank expression on his face.

Something inside her finally snapped.

An arrow was nocked to her bowstring in a matter of seconds. Since Raen had said he would not hesitate to cut Zexion down, she took that as permission to try it herself. Perhaps it was foolishness on her part. But so far, all she had seen him do was create illusions and summon Heartless. Without a word, she took aim, envisioned the way her arrow would hopefully pierce his throat, and then released her hold on the bowstring.

[Nothingness]

Enough Talking

By this point, Raen wasn't really in the mood to listen to Zexion spout off his insipid mind games. The Nobody's words were just taunts and warnings meant to spread doubt and fear: two things Raen was sick of at this point. His heart warmed as he saw Zack take his side, ready to fight with Raen and even promise to save him if he got in too deep with the darkness. Raen smirked when he heard Zack say that he was tired of Zexion talking. "Well, it's good to know that we both agree on that issue. And it's an honor to be your friend, too."

He heard Lanying mumble an apology, and that made him feel even better. She admitted that she was afraid for Raen, and that sobered him a little--he knew that he should have considered her feelings more carefully before making his choice so suddenly. "It's alright, I don't blame you at all. It was my fault." Looking back, he probably should have told both of them all of this earlier, at the very least Lanying, but he couldn't very well go back in time and fix that. No, he'd just have to face forward and just follow wherever this path took him. Consciously, he made a note to try and not be so secretive in the future.

Seeing the four Neoshadows start to walk around them like a pack of wolves, Raen tightened the grip on his sword. Then he heard the distinct twang of a bowstring firing. He saw Lanying send an arrow straight towards Zexion. In that moment, he ran towards the nearest Neoshadow, and went to stab it, but just as his blade was about to hit its mark, the Heartless dove into the ground, as did the others. "Move! Don't stay in the same spot!" He knew that these things would pop out of the ground at any moment, and when they did they could pretty much do anything.

Looking at the ground, he saw the amorphous shape of a Neoshadow swim towards him. Raen leaped backward as the Heartless lunged out of the ground, attempting to tackle him to the ground. Just as the creature landed, Raen used that opportunity to rush towards the beast and land an uppercut beneath its chin, releasing Winter's Wail. The impact of the attack didn't kill the Heartless, but weakened it quite a bit as well as knocked it back a good ten feet. The fresh ice and chill in the air gave him some more determination. And he would need as much of that as he could get.

[Raen used Winter's Wail, three posts until next use]

[Fate]

Different Name, Same Fate
The 13th Reflection by Yoko Shimomura

Raen and the other male present went after the Heartless, clearly agreeing that they did not want to hear what Zexion had to say anymore. The Nobody was indifferent to this, not truly caring if his words were not heeded, even if they were true. Zexion had not lied to them with his last words; the only ones who controlled the darkness while managing to stay whole were few, though the Schemer only knew of Riku. Raen's strength, at least what Zexion saw, was unparalleled to the Keyblade Master's; he had never seen someone who had worn the darkness quite like he did.

The girl was the only one of the group not attacking the Heartless, instead choosing the Nobody as her target; at least she was not useless like in the case of the infamous Keyblade Trio. Still, he did not let her attack meet its target, quickly maneuvering by jumping out of the way. She wanted to fight him did she? He was not one to start combat and was one to avoid it if he could to not get his hands dirty. She could prove to be interesting anyhow; he wondered if she could handle him. He brought both arms across his chest, crossing his hands and creating a sort of pyramid symbol before pointing his right arm upward. Pages seemingly shot out of his hand and the Lexicon settled in his arm, his eyes on her now as he continued to wear that blank face.

"Care to share his fate then?" he asked, the Lexicon glowing in his hand. A whirlwind appeared shortly after it started glowing, seemingly coming out of nowhere. The winds kicked up instantly around the four of them up to sixty miles per hour, debris starting to fly around in the whirlwind as well. Not only was it doing that, but it was drawing in not only the girl but the others well. All of them had to tread carefully now... unless they wanted to be drawn into the Cyclone's wrath.

[Zexion used Cyclone, five posts until next use, two uses remaining]

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[Zack]

Soon after Zack had let it be know what he would do, Lanying joined them. She apologized to Raen, though Zack didn't really feel like she needed to apologize. Raen seemed to share his sentiments. It felt good they were all on the same page. He didn't really like the idea of Raen using the darkness, but if he could use it to help instead of destroy, that was worth giving him a chance.

Soon Lanying launched an arrow at Zexion, while Raen went for the heartless. Zack followed his lead to go after these new heartless. However before he could really do anything, they sunk into the ground. Great, these heartless had a few tricks it seemed. He jumped back to wait for one to come back up, while Raen had used some ice attack thing. Zack barely noticed the neoshadow creeping up on him and barely dodged its attack when it came back up. He then countered and slashed it once. Then twice. He kept going until he had attacked it seven times and then jumped into the air and came back down with a powerful blow. It managed to destroy the heartless.

Though it was at this point he felt a strong gust of wind and saw that that Zexion guy had somehow managed to summon some sort of tornado or something. He started feeling himself get pulled in and so to stop that he plunged his sword into the ground, holding on to it hoping he could wait out the tornado. He looked towards Raen and Lanying. "Any ideas on how to get rid of that thing?!" he called out to both.

[Zack used Octaslash. 4 posts till next use]

[Aerith]

An Attempt at Resourcefulness
Yamato-no-Orochi's Extermination II by Rei Kondoh from Okami

It was never that easy. Zexion had simply dodged her arrow, which disappointed her. Though, she was not given time to linger long in this sentiment. While the other two were busy dealing with the Heartless, she was watching him summon something new. This was not a Heartless this time, but rather a large book. She arched an eyebrow. What he was planning on doing with that, she had no idea. He then spoke to her. It was the first direct piece of conversation he had offered her since she had laid eyes on him.

"Care to share his fate then?"

Before she could respond, though, the book glowed, and suddenly, everything changed. The wind picked up, creating a column of spinning air with tremendous pull. Instinct had told her to move just as soon as the air shifted, so she was now clinging desperately to one of the large boulders scattered about the small area. Her hair was whipping about, making it a bit difficult to see and concentrate. Though, she did notice that Zack had taken out one of the Heartless and was now attempting to anchor himself to the ground using his sword. Raen had very nearly destroyed another Heartless and had created a large sheet of ice in the process. Zack was shouting at them both, asking how they might dispel this rather giant problem they now faced.

She was beginning to feel her grip on the boulder slipping, and she knew she needed to come up with an idea quickly. The smartest thing to do would be to figure out how to stay as far away as possible from that cyclone. But running away was never her favorite option. She shouted over the wind to her companions. "Zack! Raen! Can you both swim?" She didn't wait for an answer from either of them. "Into the water! Now!" The wind shouldn't be able to pick them up from down below in the sea. None of the water surrounding their little island was being pulled into the air, in fact.

The ice was key. So was the pull of the wind. And that book. If she was moving fast enough, she just might be able to reach Zexion before she was caught in the cycle of air. If she did, she would need only a few seconds. If she did not...then she was willing to pay the price. She crouched down, still holding onto the boulder with one hand, and retrieved a fist-sized stone from the ground. That should do. She closed her eyes briefly, gathered herself, and then released her hold on the boulder.

The ice patch was directly between her and Zexion. The wind was pulling at her, and she suddenly broke into a run, letting the pull increase her speed. Then she hit the ice, intending to slip, and shot forward, fierce determination in her eyes. In mid-flight, she hurled her stone with every ounce of her strength straight at the book in the Nobody's hands. Within a second or two, if everything went as she had pictured it in her head, the book would be flying out of his hands, hopefully into the sea, and she would be smashing his nose in with the heel of her palm.