Brink of Disaster [Raen, Zack, Zexion]

[Nothingness]

Well, I Had Fun

Raen laughed a little at Zexion's reply. Laughing in the face of death--that was a good sign. Still, all good things had to come to an end.

Surrounding himself in a a shield of cold, he walked towards the cyclone, taking most of the rocks Lanying's knocked towards Zexion. Luckily for him, those didn't hurt more than a little punch to the shoulder. Getting sucked in to the Lexcion for the third time, well, that still sucked. As did getting shot at the castle gates...again.

It didn't take him long to get up after hitting the ground, and once he staggered on to his feet, he walked towards Zexion, blade in hand. "Well, I think we've had our fun. Now, before the cops show up," he stopped next to Zexion, and dispelled his icy aura, "Up and at 'em!" Reaching a hand down, he grabbed Zexion by the elbow and lifted him up. "Oh, looks like you got a bit of ice on your cloak, there." Dusting off Zexion's shoulder, he stepped back a bit. "Alright, then. Now we're even."

Putting his sword away, he opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. "Nah, I'll tell you when you can think a little better. And write, too." He looked at Lanying and shrugged his shoulders; what else was he supposed to do?

[Fate]

-Wind + sub-zero temperature = bad.-

The good news was that the cyclone did indeed get Raen away from him. The bad news was that it made the cold even worse. He couldn't feel his hands anymore and the rest of him was becoming numb real quick. His hair whipping around in the wind was also somewhat distracting, as were the couple of rocks that kept hitting him from Lanying. He didn't move, couldn't move, from his huddled position inside of the cyclone, his teeth chattering as the rest of him kept shivering.

Thankfully, Raen was shot out of his Lexicon and the cyclone disappeared. The book fell in front of the Schemer as he remained perfectly still, closing his eyes and ducking his head into his chest in an attempt to keep himself warm. If they wanted to continue to attack him, fine. He left himself wide open for them. Though, he found it rather odd that nothing happened after the cyclone vanished. This was the part where Raen, after being shot out of the Lexicon again, would come after him and embed even more ice, or his sword, in him. Why wasn't this happening?

Though, Raen did make his way toward him. He was saying something now, causing Zexion to look up to him briefly. He was ending this fight? The Tactician raised an eyebrow at him as he dispelled the cold aura around him, even more so when he was heaved up. He didn't resist, instead merely giving Raen a somewhat confused look as the other dusted the ice off of the Nobody's cloak. Now they were even? What did he mean by that?

With his hands now warming up, though still breathing with slight difficulty, he knelt down to grab the Lexicon once more, cradling it as he continued to give Raen the same look. Tell him what? Goodness, did all ice users have to be cryptic? "What do you mean exactly?" he said, not hiding the confusion and curiosity from his voice.

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[Aerith]

Impasse
--------

Had Lanying not been confused by what Raen did, she would have eagerly torn into an obviously weakened Zexion with her Keyblade. As things stood, it seemed the fight was over. Why? A few more minutes, and the Nobody would have been gone for good.

She chose not to say anything, but she did not dismiss her Keyblade. If Zexion moved at all without her approval, she would cut him down so fast, he would not have time to blink.
_____________________

The sights and sounds of fighting had not escaped Aerith's notice. She had even thought she had seen some creature, perhaps a dragon, appear. What was going on up at the ruined castle? Whatever it was, she was going to put a stop to it.

After she ascended the stairs, a strange scene met her eyes. There were three people here she did not recognize, and one of them was holding a very strange Keyblade.

Zexion was here, too, and he looked at least quite winded if not also terribly injured. It was hard to tell with Nobodies, sometimes. The usual signs, like blood, were absent.

"What's going on here?" Aerith fixed them all with with an admonishing glare. She imagined her expression was very intimidating, though in reality, it probably wouldn't have threatened a baby goose. "I won't have you fighting."

[Nothingness]

Nooooooothing

"Well, to put it simply," he began, taking a step away and turning his back to Zexion, "I intended to repay you for the three things I owe you." Turning back around, he began counting on his fingers, "First and foremost I wanted to even the score from back on Neverland. Secondly, for saving my life, though unlike when you saved mine, Lanying and I were sort of the cause for the endangerment. All the same, you're okay because I chose not to kill you." He paused for a moment, thinking about what he just said. "On second thought, don't bother thinking about that one--it makes better sense that way. And thirdly, for telling me information back then as well, I'm going to tell you a bit more about the Champion."

Just as he was about to tell Zexion, he heard a rather soft, though aggravated, voice coming from behind him. Turning around, he saw a rather pretty brunette glaring at them. Well, it was a good enough attempt at a glare. Raen sighed. "Oh, we weren't really fighting. It was more like, uh, 'reenacting'." He smiled a little, even though that probably didn't help the situation.

[Fate]

-Pfft, step aside and let the good liar tell her.-

... What?

Zexion couldn't help but be even more confused by what Raen said. Repaying for what? The Schemer didn't remember doing any kind things for Raen or his friends, unless nearly killing them was a kind deed of some sort. Though, as the other continued to speak, he started to understand. He wanted to settle the score from Neverland in regards to making them even; he had won last time, and the trio won this time. That seemed to be fair. He nodded his head, listening to Raen continue.

Oh, this was considered saving his life by not killing him. Zexion gave him a weak glare as he said this one. Saving's one's life from certain death was vastly different than choosing not to kill someone. Though, Raen most likely knew by now that when his life had been saved, it was done with an ulterior motive and not out of any kindness. They were even in that regard now as well. He let the glare go, listening intently to the third thing.

Now this was something he could actually use. Anything at all about the Champion could be used. He took out a pen from seemingly nowhere and opened the Lexicon, giving Raen his full attention. Though, unfortunately, they were interrupted by Aerith coming onto the scene of their battle. She seemed quite angry with them, though her glare was not even close to intimidating. He would have laughed if he had the heart.

Now Raen was attempting to say that they weren't fighting and 'reenacting'. Right... He may have been decent at taunting, but he could have come up with such a better lie than that. "Actually, we were fighting," he corrected, "I was testing their abilities actually to see if they would be strong enough to help aid our effort against the Champion in two days. They have proven to be quite the challenge and necessary allies in that fight." He spoke the truth there. Not only could they fight together very well, but they each had abilities that would be helpful against the Champion-- particularly Lanying's darkness-nullifying attack...

Onto business. "I do have something for you Aerith, and for you three as well." He flipped around in the Lexicon for a second before pulling out the page that had the sketch on it. If he wasn't quite as tired, he would create an illusion of the Keyblade Graveyard for them. Alas, he couldn't. "This is the world that we will be fighting the Champion on. I can assure you that the Organization will be fighting alongside you in an effort to defeat our common enemy." He kept his Lexicon out, handing the page to Aerith so she could look at it closer.

[/size]

[Aerith]

Information trading rather than fighting? Well, all right.
--------

Lanying finally dismissed her Keyblade, though she was reluctant to. The fight really did seem to be over. Unfortunately. She had not gotten all of her pent up aggression out. But this new woman--Aerith, Zexion had called her--seemed to be the peace-keeping type. Strange. If she knew Zexion, why was she so intent on keeping him alive?

What an odd woman. She seems so... gentle. And yet commanding at the same time.

Aerith, meanwhile, was focused on Zexion. She took the page he offered and studied it for a moment. The picture was unfamiliar to her, but perhaps one of the others might know something.

"Could I have this, Zexion? I want to show the others."

The news that the Organization was going to be fighting with them caught her by surprise, and her face clearly showed it. "Really? ...Why? Ah. Not that we wouldn't appreciate the help, but..." She trailed off and put a hand to her chin thoughtfully.

[Nothingness]

Well, Now That All of This is Out of the Way...

Well, Zexion's lie was a bit more convincing than his, which wasn't all that surprising. When Zexion showed them what world the Champion would be on, Raen immediately recognized it. "The Keyblade Graveyard." He muttered. He was quite glad to know that the Organization would be fighting on their side, and that the people of Radiant Garden would be joining in. It didn't take much thought to put two-and-two together--the Champion would more likely than not have plenty of people fighting for him, too. And on such open terrain, this wasn't going to be easy.

"Oh, yeah," Raen said, pounding a fist into his hand, "I've gotta tell you about what the Champion told me. I guess it was some sort of 'Awakening' ceremony for me or something." Pausing for a moment, he focused on everything that the Champion had said. He began to recite it, though not in the chant that the Champion had done; he could never give a rhythm to his voice. "Light can be kind, warm, and comforting. It can show you the way and drive away your fears. Everything has light, and it shines no matter where it is located and how little it is. Yet, beware, for it also can become harsh and searing, an intolerance that burns to the bone with hatred, and can blind you to the truth. Open your heart to those words and understand." Drawing his sword, he scratched a four-pointed star into the concrete with the tip of his sword.

"The shadows, enfolding and enclosing, surrounding all. The hidden side of things, able to alter something's appearance in the dark shade. Rage, burning, yet within lies the center, the eye of the storm. It is the lovely night sky. It is the veil, protecting your sight from things to harsh to survive. It is the cool stillness that grasps those who are both arriving and leaving life. Open your heart to those words and understand." He scratched a circle around it. "These are the two great forces known as light and darkness."

He waited a moment for the speech to sink in before continuing. "After telling me each of those, it felt like some part of my mind and heart opened up. It's not really a sensation that I can put in to words. After it, he seemed really intent on separating me from Zack and Lanying, but said that I'll be kept safe because of the darkness in me." For whatever reason, it felt strange to say to say what came next, probably because he was a bit embarrassed about it. "He told me that he had saved me from those willing to control me, and from myself if I were to lose control of the darkness."

[Fate]

Time for me to find another toy.

"Of course," he replied. Though, her next statement made him raise an eyebrow. Nervous about having former enemies stand next to you and fight? It would create quite the odd group dynamic, wouldn't it? He could have easily finished her statement for her, but he didn't. He went in a different direction instead. "If the Organization aids the fight against the Champion, it will be less likely that he'll affect the worlds. We have something to lose from the darkness growing too strong as well." That statement sounded odd coming from his mouth. They obviously hadn't been worried about the darkness growing too strong when Radiant Garden fell now had they?

Zexion's attention was immediately diverted when Raen told him that he had something the Champion told him. Curious, he kept his gaze on him as he took a pen out of seemingly nowhere, intent on writing everything down; one learned how to be able to write without looking when one's weapon was a book. Everything he said about light, even though the Schemer was well aware of all of this already, was written down. None of that would need to be analyzed any further, though the symbol was drawn in the Lexicon with a question mark next to it.

Though, the words of darkness made him narrow his eyes. His perception of the darkness was seemingly different than the Champion's-- though, that made sense giving the latter's position and his extensive use of the darkness. It wasn't one that was often heard, though it made some sort of sense. There was both good and bad to both entities; light was not simply good and darkness was not simply evil. Everything wasn't as black and white as they seemed, as he had been led to believe by Ansem himself.

But that was neither here nor there. He stopped writing after the explanation of darkness and drawing the circle around the symbol; he could analyze it later when he had time. The sensation Raen described he couldn't really understand, though the last words definitely had their affect. The Champion had saved him and didn't allow him to lose control of the darkness. He saved Raen from those who would have controlled him-- in other words, this Nobody. If he had a heart, he might have felt a little frustrated that the Champion took him away before the Schemer could play with him, but nothing he could do about it now.

Might as well play nice with Raen and his friends then, right? "Interesting. Through giving you control of the darkness, he also showed that both light and dark carry good and bad qualities." He wasn't going to tell the ice user that the Champion had saved him from the illusionist-- that might be a bad idea. "Unfortunately, even with the good qualities of the darkness, it does not change the fact that the Champion has used it to kill King Mickey and fifty three other Keyblade Masters. This sort of darkness cannot continue to survive."

He didn't want to stay here any longer. He cast a Corridor of Darkness behind him, closing his Lexicon and letting it vanish. "I will see all of you in two days time." With that, the Corridor absorbed him and he was gone.

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[Aerith]

We have very different frames of mind.
--------

Zexion was gone. But Lanying did not care so much about the actions of the Nobody. No, she was absorbed in what Raen had said. This was the first time he had given any details about his meeting with the Champion. The words were at once simple and complex.

Part of her could see the truth in them. She had been born and raised on a world where balance was taught. Balance in emotion, in behavior, in thought. But she had never thought to apply that to the entities of light and darkness. Of course, just because they were supposed to be in balance, that did not mean she found the darkness any less evil. It was a necessary evil, yes, but evil nonetheless.

Are you sure of that, Small One? Are the entities themselves evil or good? Or is it perhaps those who wield them who should be labeled as such?

That gave Lanying pause. For a moment, she did not have an answer. Then, she found one.

If that is true, the Champion is still evil. He killed King Mickey and destroyed this world. Those actions are certainly evil.

Yes. Perhaps. The dragon retreated back into quietude without another word.

Aerith, meanwhile, was on a completely different train of thought. If the boy's words were true, then she would have to pass them along to Cloud. They gave her hope, and certainly, they should give Cloud hope as well. Light and darkness both had their good and bad qualities. So, even if Cloud struggled with his inner darkness, that did not automatically make him some evil monster.

He won't believe me. He never seems to believe me about anything. And if he won't listen to me when I tell him he is not a monster, why will he believe the words of someone who destroyed our home?

She decided then to keep these words to herself for the time being. There were far too many other things to worry about, and it would be best if Cloud was not distracted with his internal fight.

Suddenly, she came up for air and noticed that Zexion had left. Looking at each of the three strangers in turn, Aerith settled for the briefest moment on the man who had not spoken.

...Why does he look so similar to Cloud?

Shaking her head gently, she focused back on the more important things. "I don't think I've introduced myself yet. Although, Zexion said my name already. I'm Aerith. Could I ask who you three are and what you're doing here?" She smiled warmly.

[Nothingness]

A More Pleasant Meeting

And with that, Zexion was gone. Raen was going to call Zexion out when he said "that sort of darkness can't exist", but noticed the key-words "sort of". He gave a short chuckle before shaking his head and turning around to face the young woman that had shown up as the fight ended. "Nice to meet you, I'm Raen." He reached over and shook her hand. "I'm from Traverse Town, and a member of Shield--you guys' efforts pretty much inspired the Town Watch we've got."

He didn't outright say it, and it took him a bit, but he recognized Aerith from when he used to work at the cafe. Her and two or three others would show up from time to time, and they had a reputation for protecting the town. While not equivalent to meeting a celebrity, it was nice to get to meet her. Even nicer to know that he, Zack, and Lanying would be fighting beside them in two days.

[Aerith]

Let us return to familiar places.
--------

The Aerith woman was certainly far more pleasant than Zexion. Of course, in Lanying's opinion, it was very easy to be far more pleasant than Zexion.

"My name is Lanying." She offered Aerith a polite bow, as was customary for her people. "As for what we are doing here, we were simply visiting. However, we encountered Zexion." Her tone turned cold at the mention of the Nobody.

Aerith was more absorbed in the page Zexion had given her, so she missed the subtlety of Lanying's dislike. But she eventually looked up, noting that the third person present had not said anything or made a move to introduce himself. Curious. Still, Aerith was far from being easily offended.

"It is nice to meet you. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. If you'll excuse me, I have to take this to the rest of the Restoration Committee."

With another smile, Aerith turned and descended the stairs, leaving the trio alone again.

Lanying looked at Raen. "The Champion will be at the Keyblade Graveyard. I take we'll be going back there?"

Perhaps this time, she would not have to fight that empty suit of armor.

[Nothingness]

Looks Like It

And she was gone. "Seems like we are." He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around. Geez, what a pain this was all becoming. He had never expected that by just leaving Traverse Town that he would get sucked in to something like this. It didn't matter in the end, though. He couldn't very well run away from all of this.

"We should probably get anything we need here before we leave. We'll meet up at the ship in a couple hours." This wasn't so much a suggestion to the others as it was him wanting to get a little bit of time to himself. He needed a little bit to think.

[Aerith]

This is it, then. The calm before the storm.
--------

Raen's frustrated mood was noticeable, but Lanying chose not to acknowledge it with a verbal response. Instead, she nodded and moved on to more general topics of conversation.

"Yes. We should all be as prepared as possible. And we should not underestimate the Champion, no matter how much stronger we have gotten."

Her eyes went to both Zack and Raen for a moment, though they lingered longer on Raen. "I will see you both back at the ship in a little while. I would like to gather some information. Anything could be helpful."

She turned and headed back toward the town, glad of the chance to wrestle with her own thoughts for a little while.