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“I’m here to protect you.” Her voice was low, a hushed whisper. It carried through the heavy wind, somehow making it audible. Her stance was wide, Three Wishes held strongly in hand,
“Skuld, are you crazy?” He screamed, from somewhere behind them, “You’ll get hurt!” It sounded pained, which only made sense. He had a gash on his side, pulsing with each beat of his heart,
“I’m not going to lose you again!” Skuld insisted, turning her head to look at Ephemer. Her hair, flowing in the wind, blocked some of her view, but she could still see him on the floor. Ventus was hunched over him, Olympia glowing as he tried to heal him. Skuld closed her eyes, concentrating. The winds had not died down, if anything she had to struggle to stand even more with how powerful they were.
No, she would not back down. That smiling face only egged her on. The way his eyes caught the light of the tower, made him look powerful. But he is not. She can tell from the way he stands, and the way he acts, that he is weak. Everything he does is to disguise his insecurity and fear of losing himself. Yet he is already lost, in the hunger for knowledge. Skuld looks at Blaine and sees greed, seeping from every orifice.
“You afraid yet?” His voice cracked, “I can kill you right here.” Blaine held Lady Luck firmly, pointing directly at Skuld’s head, “You lonely whelp, I know how you feel. Betrayed.”
“It’s not betrayal I feel.” Skuld projected, for once in her life, she felt power, despite being backed against a wall, “I cannot be betrayed by someone I didn’t trust in the first place.”
The wind stopped. Hesitating for just a moment, and in that moment Skuld saw the look in Blaine’s eyes. She expected to see fury, or maybe the lust for power. Instead, she saw the look of longing written all over his face. The way his lower lip trembled, his cheeks dark. And his eyes. They were glinting, she could see the tears pooling in the bottom of his eyes. Then it returned, harsher than ever.
Skuld could feel her hair get yanked by the wind in every which way. Despite being disoriented, she did not look back, not again. She knew she had to fight, one way or another. It was the one thing she was good for, after all. Skuld once again took a step towards Blaine, “I can see it,” She began, “The way you toiled over us.” She took a step, “They were all lies, weren't they?” Another step, she watched him stumble back, “Trying to get close to us, just so you could watch us break down,” Another, “That's about as cruel as you can be.” She was up in Blaine's face now, and she could get a good look at him.
He was pathetic, to put it bluntly. He stared at her with wide eyes, tears spilling over his cheeks. The way he trembled under her stare, his hair getting tossed around by his own storm. It was pitiful, and almost seemed human to Skuld. She would feel sorry for him, if he was not a monster.
“Skuld!” Oh great, the sympathizer was here, “Wh- What's going on?” Skuld turned her head to see the boy shielding his face, squinting into the middle of the storm, “Why are yo-” A blast grazed his cheek, he just barely moved his head out of the way. The orange ball whizzed passed him, and collided with the wall. It crumbled on impact, and for a moment, they could all see it retain a shape. Then it flickered again, becoming consumed in the glitch yet again,
“Tch,” Skuld turned her head, to see Blaine pointing his key at Lauriam this time. The hat returned to its original position, hiding his eyes, “I missed.” it wavered in his hand, “Leave Lauriam.”
“What is going on!?” Lauriam demanded, summoning Divine Rose. It was always his favorite, if Skuld remembered correctly, “Why are you two fighting?”
“Are you daft?” Skuld asked, turning her blade at Lauriam, “He's insane!”
“I'm right here, guys,” Blaine frowned, “At least show some respe-” Skuld charged at him,swinging her blade at his head. He just barely blocked it, struggling under her strength. On his face, she saw the tears fall, as she glared and attempted to bore into his soul. His feet skidded on the ground, trying desperately to push himself up, trying not to fold and cause a blow,
“He killed your sister!” Skuld yelled, not facing Lauriam. Despite that, she could still see him out of the corner of her eyes, “Didn't she mean the world to you?!” Blaine pushed against her blade harder, causing her to fall back a bit. He looked strained, and cast a fire spell.
Lauriam and Skuld took a step back, turning their heads to Ephemer and Ventus. His wound seemed nearly healed enough to continue, but the combination of fire and wind was a dangerous one. Perhaps they were lucky the world was glitching and reacting violently, otherwise the clock tower would catch fire.
Ventus stood up, and pointed Olympia at the trio now, “I-I'll fight too.”
“Ven! You can't!” Lauriam yelled, running over to the younger child, “He won't hold back, you're… You can't fight.”
“Let the kid grow a spine, will ya?” Blaine commented, making Skuld look back at him. God this was confusing, “I'm sure he's a great fighter.”
“Shut up!” Skuld ran over to Blaine again, stepping over and through the flames. She went for a low slash at his feet, only causing him to jump back. Did he just do a backflip? Wow, what a show off. Luckily, he had successfully backed himself into a wall. There was no escape, with a two on one battle,
“I still don't think this whole attacking thing is getting us anywhere,” Lauriam said, despite having his keyblade brandished and steady steps towards Blaine. Ventus had arrived at Skuld's side, his keyblade now held backhand. She never understood how that could be practical, but it worked for him, “I mean, look at yourself! Isn't there a way to discuss this calmly? You usually aren't one to just punch without thought.”
“Who's to say I didn't think?” Blaine laughed, the snarky tone that resided within his voice seemed to return, “Do you honestly think I did this on impulse?”
“Yes!” Lauriam insisted, “If you used your head, you wouldn't just attack everyone all at once. Taking us down individually, that sounds more like you.”
“Why would you know what I would and wouldn't do?”
“I second that question,” Skuld said, “Wha-” There was an elbow in her gut, eyes wide. It was completely unexpected, catching her entirely off guard. She stumbled back, falling down. There was a blade to her neck, one she had never seen before. It was brown, slightly curved, with gold accents. It seemed as though it were cut from bronze, treated like wood. It would have been beautiful, if not for the fact that Skuld was terrified. Her hands felt empty, and her heart stopped. Three Wishes was not there anymore,
“You're fighting the wrong guy,” Ventus said, eyes closed, brows furrowed. He opened them wide, nothing having changed about them. Still the big blue spheres, “The one you should fight- is me!”
“Ventus!” Blaine yelled, causing Skuld and Ventus to snap their heads to face him. Lady Luck was no longer in his hand, just like how she lost Three Wishes. Instead there was a long blade, one she has not seen before. It was silver, showing a craftsmanship of a sword hilt. There were intricate designs running up and down it, all angular like the data heartless that had been popping up. The blade curled in on itself, creating a hook for the tip in the shape of a heart, “What are you doing?”
“What kind of question is that?” Ventus now pointed his blade at Blaine, giving Skuld the opportunity to scurry away and stand beside Lauriam, “Isn't it obvious?”
“We had a deal!” Blaine charged at Ventus, their blades clanging at the impact, “I would get you the book, and then I would be able to carry out my plans!” They both jumped back, before charging at each other again. The clash of metal on metal rang in Skuld's ears as she watched with fixed curiosity and confusion,
“No offence, Blaine,” Another clang, “But your plan kinda sucks!” They were relentless with each other, blocking each other's blow with adept skill. It seems that they knew what the other would do next, as if they had fought hundreds of times before,
“This is insane.” Lauriam breathed, and Skuld could not agree more. A hand clamped hard on her shoulder, and she jerked her head around. It was Ephemer, out of breath and looking weak. He managed to get up and walk towards them, Skuld sighed as she wrapped an arm around him. Now with Ephemer next to her, she felt a little more safe, a little more real. It seemed that, somehow, the two were still talking, despite being in the middle of a battle. Skuld strained to listen, focusing her attention on the noises. The task was easier said than done, considering their keyblades we're still being smashed together,
“So what, you're saying it was for nothing?” Blaine seemed to be elaborating on something Ventus said, “I vouched for you! I gave you opportunities to make friends!”
“Some opportunities those were.” Ventus scoffed, a loud crack following the sentence. He struck Blaine's ribs mid jump, causing him to crumple to the floor, “All those three do is pity me! I played dumb and put up with you for so long! And now it's my turn to pick on y-”
“That's enough!” Skuld had not noticed the missing spot behind her until she saw Lauriam standing beside Ventus. At first glance, she thought he was still holding Divine Rose, but the more she looked at it, the more she realized that it too was a unique keyblade. The metal was green, creating the impression of vines growing into the shape. It was short, only appearing to be as long as Lauriam's forearm. Despite this, it looked like getting hit by it would hurt a lot, considering all of the flowers blooming from it on all sides, “Ventus, stand down.” Lauriam's voice was booming, a bit out of character for someone so calm and collected all the time.
Ventus remained still, standing above the now writhing Blaine. He struggled to get himself off the ground, and when he tried to stand, Ventus kicked him hard in the gut, “I said stand down!” Lauriam took a shaky step forward, pressing the tip of his blade to Ventus’ back,
“Why should I?” Ventus asked, regaining the innocence he has kept on his face for so long. He tilted his head in confusion, “I'm protecting you guys. Skuld's right, he's dangerous.” Lauriam hesitated, eyes flicking back and forth between the two boys.
“He has a point,” Blaine had successfully pushed himself off the ground slightly, only to drop back down onto the floor, “I am only h-here to hurt you.”
“Let him, Lauriam,” Skuld found her voice, and took a step towards them. If she needed to fight them to convince them she was right, she would, “Let Ventus handle this.” She felt the familiar weight of a keyblade enter her hands, and when she looked down, she almost mistook it for Starlight. The handle had wedges protruding out of it in the shape of a star, things almost like fairy lights winding around the shaft of the blade, the tip crowned with a pink star, akin to her earrings.
“Skuld he's just a kid!” It was Ephemer's turn, but she could hear the hesitation in his voice, “Why not le-”
“Exactly!” Lauriam cut him off in agreement, “Let me do it.” He insisted, hand over his heart, “Please? He… he killed my sister.”
“What kind of motive would make someone do that?” Ephemer vocalized the thought that immediately came to Skuld's mind,
“Infiltration,” Ventus said, shrugging, “My best guess is he killed her because she was supposed to be a le-”
“Ventus you lying sack of garbage !” Blaine had managed to get to his feet, free arm clutching his bleeding side, “I got you in here! I did it for you! You double crossed me!” He looked like he was about to cry again, the keyblade in his hand wavering. He staggered forward, looking hurt not only emotionally, but also physically,
“I'm not lying!” Ventus whined, stomping his foot on the ground, “You're just a scary teenager!” Skuld could see right through Ventus’ attempts at infantilizing himself. Yeah, he was the youngest, and he may have not read the book of prophecies, but he was not stupid.
Ephemer smiled as he walked up to Ventus, the kind of warm and sweet smile he gave to everyone. He embraced him, ruffling his golden hair. It would have been a sweet moment, if the world around them was not collapsing in on itself, and Ventus had not just tried to kill Skuld and Blaine. Lauriam rushed over to Blaine's side, his blade glowing green, trying to cast cure. Yet Blaine pushed him off, frowning. Of course he would refuse help, typical.
“Ventus,” Ephemer spoke, voice a hushed whisper, “Why would you manipulate us like that?” He kept his voice surprisingly calm, a tactic Skuld had watched Lauriam utilize before when trying to calm younger Dandelions around the town,
“Wh- I’m not manipulating you!” Ventus pushed Ephemer away, and backed up, right into Skuld, “I’m trying to protect you guys from the virus!”
“Right, that virus metaphor.” Ephemer sighed, shaking his head, “I think you might be the one we’re really after. Blaine was just-”
“An accomplice. I did all the work, he gets all the credit. ‘Cept I got all the credit and Skuld got mad at me,” Blaine had cut Ephemer off, explaining his side of the story. It was all surprisingly calm, despite being in the presence of a murderer. “Not that I blame her, of course.”
“Thanks. That’s so reassuring.” Skuld deadpanned, grabbing Ventus’ shoulders, in case he tried something (run away, probably),
“You’re very welcome. I pride myself in my consolation abilities.” Blaine took a bow, and winced because he was still very much bleeding.
“Hate to burst everybody’s bubble,” Lauriam said, interjecting, “But the world is still kind of falling apart around us.” He gestured to the walls and floors. Indeed, the world around them had devolved into wavering static. Nothing was still, and the defined shapes had all but vanished. They could hardly recognize the area they were in as a building,
“Well,” Ephemer said, summoning his blade. It was the simplest of all of them, surprisingly. It was black, with a red gradient to the tip, the pattern of his scarf all over the blade with a deep red. It looked just like a key, the end shaped like a stereotypical skeleton key, “I say we get to the bottom of this.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Blaine nodded, looking up at the sky, “I already have preparations for everyone, but I need to talk to Ventus first.”
“For the last time, call me Ven,” Ventus huffed, “And if I remember correctly, you had something set up for us?”
“Right on the munny,” Blaine gave the younger boy a shot from a finger gun, “I only have enough for four of you, so I figured I’d stay behind, and watch over the ruined destiny for myself. With the data being corrupted, I’m afraid that they’ll remember the keyblade war, no matter what we do.” He sighed, as if disappointed. It was interesting, seeing as he was the one who wanted them to remember in the first place,
“There must be something we can do, to meet Master Ava’s requirements.” Ephemer insisted, “Like, we could just wipe their memories entirely o-”
“Nah- Not possible.” Blaine shook his head, “As the brains of the operation, I already tried and thought of everything to prevent this from happening. It would’ve worked too, if a certain someone’s sister hadn’t gone and been memorable. If it were anyone else, it probably would have worked.”
“So you’re saying you would have killed any of us,” Skuld frowned, letting go of Ventus, “You’re disgusting.”
“Disgusting is a bit harsh,” Blaine shrugged, “But I’m inclined to agree with you. I’m not proud of what I did.”
“And yet you did it anyways.”
“I didn’t give him much of a choice,” Ventus said quietly, staring at the floor, “I mean. Being important to the world has always been something I wanted. I was afraid of never amounting to anything. S-so, when I overheard that someone was going to become the leader of new unions. When I heard of leadership…” He looked up, tears pouring out of his eyes, “I decided I that I would do anything in my power to become someone special!”
The silence that washed over the kids was deafening. Well, it was not silence, the glitches made noise, that was not something they could control. But, something about it seemed to warm Skuld’s heart. It felt real to her, even if not all the truths were spoken. Not all the details were revealed, and maybe they never would be, but for now, it was good enough for her.
“You got your wish, that’s for sure.” Lauriam said, voice cold. Right, of course he would be upset. Losing someone important to you, only for someone’s wishes… The selfishness that person must have. It would be immeasurable.
“There isn’t enough time,” Blaine pointed his blade to the sky, and took a deep breath. Almost instantly, a beam shot out of it. The shifting colors peeled away, and turned to pitch white. It expanded, and took over everything, stretching out for forever, “Darkness will be here soon. You all need to leave. Once you go through that door,” He pointed his blade in front of him, and fired something off of it. The recoil was enough to knock him back, onto the floor, “You won’t be able to come back.”
“What about everyone else?” Lauriam asked, staring mesmerized at the horizon. Whatever Blaine shot out of his blade collided with nothing, yet made an impact. Slowly, a door appeared, tall and white, stained glass and ornate carvings along the edges, “What will happen to them?”
“They’ll be safe,” Blaine said, reassuringly, “They’ll remember the war. It’s up to them to keep the world going. I believe in them. Now get out!” Blaine smiled, and for once, Skuld did not feel anything sinister from him.
Ventus was the first to leave, sprinting at the opportunity to leave. He left without a word. But perhaps words were not necessary anymore.
Lauriam was the second to leave, hesitating. He gave the four of them a small wave. It meant see you later to Skuld and Ephemer. But for Blaine, it was the last time.
Skuld was the third to leave, giving Ephemer a hug before she left. She refused to acknowledge Blaine’s existence, it was probably for the best. But that does not mean it did not hurt
Ephemer was the last to leave, that is what was planned anyways. Ephemer and Blaine walked to the door, staring up at it. It was surprisingly big, and looked as though it would hurt to close. You would probably need someone on both sides to close it, “Blaine,” Ephemer began, smiling sadly. It was the first word that had been spoken in minutes, “I’ll see you soon.”
“What do you me-”
And he was pushed.