TITAL 2: Why did It Take Me So Long To Do This?

"Well, I enjoy singing, theater, airsoft, and video games. And right now, my mind is thinking a million thoughts a second." He said this to Rexial.

<Edgar. This is AL we're talking about. It would be all too easy for Zexion to make the situation worse... given Aleri's reputation.>

Rexial nodded. "Theater? That's a new one. And what do you mean by that last statement?"

<By way of bringing him over to the dark side? Or using his rebellious and zealous warrior of light shtick against him?>

Blake grinned a bit.

"Yeah. It started off as a hobby, haha. But my mind is racing because... Well..." He sighed.

"Before I met everyone at the house, I was the one everyone went to. That scared me shitless. At school, everyone asked me for almost every answer. 'Blake, what's this answer?' 'How do you do this?' It feels pretty awesome talking to people on my intelligence level."

<I think it's because Al is known to be a total f*ckup who can't do anything properly without going Uber Mode. Though the second one might definitely work. Also, you're under attack.>

<Yeah, Haar pretty much nailed it. I mean, Al's out-growing that lately, but he can EASILY still screw everything up by being there. Having somebody who specializes in manipulation being the enemy kind of helps with that. He's a wild card in this situation: Either his abilities make Zexion's illusions nearly useless, or he screws EVERYBODY over.>

"It's tough being the leader." Rexial nodded again. "Minato can tell you all about it... he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders way too much of the time. It's a big House, so we've got other people to turn to as well, but sometimes he just needs to get involved. In fact, it's been happening a bit too much lately... he's had to personally deal with a bunch of major threats lately. That or my memory is f*cked up. I'd like to note that it's not unlikely for that to be the case."

He took a bite of his jerky, chewed, and swallowed quickly before continuing. "I'm in charge of taking care of this castle and everyone in it. It's... time-consuming, but I gotta say, it's better than just running around doing whatever the hell I feel like. What was I DOING with my life before? Ah, whatever. So, it's refreshing to have people to talk to properly, huh? Nicole, you have anything to say? Like, what you do in your spare time, for instance?"

<Still waiting on Admin>

< Well....I was waiting for admin to post myself before I complicated things even further....but dammit Gregar...you had to have Rexial open his big fat mouth... >

<Retconned to a later time....leaving the paragraph here so I don't have to retype it.... >

Large black flames swirled about on the floor growing into large tower, as a hulking figure lifted itself in front of the group before growling, "Soooooouuuuulllllssssss....." Nightmare charged at Minato and tackled him through the wall as a hexagon barrier went up behind the duo, cutting them off from the house. Lifting himself off Minato, Nightmare stood towering over him Soul Edge in his right hand pointed down at him. The Nightmare that Minato saw before him was changed from the time he fought with Lenox. His legs were those of a goats, his left arm that of a lobster, his head a lion's with a large mane flowing behind it. Raising Soul Edge high in the air preparing to swing down the massive sword, Nightmare stared down intently and spit through his teeth, " More souls are required."

<Fucking hell guys. I have finals week and you all start plot stuff. PM me before you go and do that. And Zeldaman, godmodding is not OK. Gauge never went up the stairs and you just went and guaranteed the hit. That's not good RPing, bro we both know it.>

<Mala, can we please have Nightmare at some other kind. I was trying to keep him out of the way period. Having him do anything right now will just get the others overshadowed.>

<That said its Christmas break so I have a lot of family stuff to deal with so if you need to reach me, PM me. I'll have a post up in an hour or two max.>

"Don't treat me like a child! I control MEMORY, Zexion!" Namine glared as the mass of magic became a ball of ice, a powerful Blizzaga charging.

"I know you're the one behind this. I can see the others that you trapped downstairs!" Namine stomped her foot adamantly, "Now, let Aerith go. Or I'll freeze you to your core. Nobodies can't feel emotion... But, we still feel pain." Namine's focus tightened as she prepared to let the magic fly.

Gauge tumbled to the bottom of the stairs and then stood back up, "Aww... my stacks." She pouted momentarily before drawing Maggie again and firing the revolver at Zexion, "I'll just have to build them up again."

<Yea of course we can in fact I was actually wanting to do it with Ventus moreso than Minato....and I  wanted to hold off on it anyways but Gregar was tempting me too much with his Minato's had to deal with everything lately lol....went and edited the post to be retconned to a later time... >

The fighters in the basement are apparently transported to Destiny Islands, once Aleri shows up. Despite being near the ocean, though, the smell of brine doesn't reach their nostrils. "A magician, wizard, whatever title you'd care to name. I have dabbled in illusions, you are correct, but not all of my spells are. Graviga!" His hand shoots to his side and a gravity sink forms under TELOS, causing in to become entrenched in the sand, with the handle sticking out. "Aeroga!" With another wave of his hand, a wind shield forms around him, kicking up the sand around him. "I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with the BEAST, but I've taken his essence and formed it with my own paopu-based pollen. You cannot stop me. I am bending reality, and you will SUBMIT."

"Namine," the upstairs Zexion said softly, in a tone he often used for his own son, "Memories, if fabricated, are LIES. Your powers are based on the same principle my magics are: If it is real to them, then they will experience it, and will respond accordingly. You know what you did to Sora. Poor dear, he had no idea for the longest time he was LIED to. And the Replicas? Riku's you gave him the same false hope that you did Sora, and poor Xion... You sent her off to commit suicide just to fix an old error." He lets go of Aerith, and still in her stupor, she moves over to the table and sits quietly. Zexion's mouth widens into a grin, and his teeth become sharper, elongated, as does his face, his whole body changing until he is in a man-lupine form. "Such insolence. You would harm me? You must be reprimanded."

<Note: The spells Zexion casts are real, though the scenery and his downstairs self is an Illusion. Notes for Gregar in case ya need them.>

<I kinda figured, but thanks.>

Aleri looked around in confusion. These islands? That's weird. I don't remember the Paopu smell being this strong. ...Wait, wait, Xion set the place on fire a while back, and that released hallucinogenic fumes everywhere. So how come I'm not tripping balls yet? ... ...My hallucinations are surprisingly sane and tactile. ...Man, I can't even smell the ocean over this.

Re-summoning TELOS to free it, Aleri planted it properly into the sand in front of him and knelt behind it, using the weapon as a shield while he planned out his next move. That's weird. I wouldn't think the sand would be so hard to push TELOS into. Maybe my body's weaker as a result of be being high as a kite right now. Why am I thinking this goddamn straight, then!?

Fed up with it, he cast Stopra on the whirlwind. "Put a lid on it, I can't hallucinate properly over that noise!"

Riku and Xiruk shared a simultaneous look around. "These are..."

"...Destiny Islands?"

The thought occurred to both of them at the same time, and they both said the same thing. "No."

"There's everything wrong and nothing right," said Riku. "There's no smell of the sea or sounds of my friends laughing and having fun. This may look like home, but it's anything but." He raised his Keyblade. "And I won't allow you to use such a poor copy in an attempt to destroy this house."

Xiruk merely added a smirk and a quick word of, "Illusions only fool the blind!"

The two of them lunged together at Zexion.
---
"Who deserves a reprimand?" came a voice. Kazuya stepped into the room.

"Fabricated memories may be lies, but ultimately, even a lie is a part of who we are. You talk about response to stimuli as if humans are nothing more than robots. But if that were true, I'd never have fought to save them. I may be the King of Bel, the ruler of demons, and the reincarnation of Abel...but ultimately, I am also Kazuya Minegishi. Even as the king of demons, I remain human...more than I could say for anyone who would create illusions to trap people in basements. I don't need any demons to face the likes of you."

Kazuya outstretched a palm, creating a glowing purple ball of energy. The wind whipped through his blue hair and tugged at his shirt as he prepared to attack.

<Haar. -_- I tried to make it kind of obvious that Namine was clouding everyone so that they couldn't become involved. Minato was affected. So would Kazuya. >.< >

Gauge yelped as she summoned Deathtrap again, "Yeah, like we're just going to sit down and give up. How deluded are you?" The mechanical menace lurched forward slashing at the wall of sand with quick laser claws.

----------------

Namine smirked, "You called me a witch for so long. Now, after all these years, I understand. People are labeled a witch when the powers they control scare those that would judge them. You know that your illusions are paltry replicas of the experiences I can produce."

She fired the Blizzaga letting the spell shatter into a shotgun effect, "I'm not the scared little girl that I used to be Zexion. The things that I did, I did because I didn't realize I was strong enough to fight back. I was scared that I would be killed, extinguished just like the others."

"But, now I know. I shouldn't be scared of you. You should be scared of me!" She lashed out with her keyblade with a quick drop step sweeping up at Zexion.

<Kazuya wasn't in the room at the time, so I kinda figured it'd be okay. I can nix that bit if you want, I just wanted to write that scene ^_^>

<Alright... I don't know if I even wanna use my old characters. If need be, I will, but I kinda wanna start new. Where can I fit back in?>

<Assuming you haven't read the previous posts, which it sounds like you haven't (given the flood that you'd have to wade through, it's chill) Zexion has finally shown his real true colors and is trying to subjugate the entire house. Or you could wander into the Realm of Darkness and hang out at Rexial's Castle.>

<Rexial: It just seems like my castle is the place to be at the moment, since characters keep popping up out of nowhere... Sukiru brought Nicole and Blake there, Ienzo just kinda appeared there... and even before that, some other guy apparently showed up, and we haven't had the chance to meet him yet. This is getting out of hand... ah, screw it, I can deal with it if somebody else shows up. I've got no reason to be inhospitable. >

He was running.
Running from something.
His memory was failing him.
He couldn't tell if he had really been physically running. Maybe it was just his attempt to make his struggle bolder in his mind, to convince himself that there was an evil behind his problems.

He didn't know where he was going. That much was clear.
His vision had failed him. He couldn't see anything in front of him. He didn't know where he was. All he could tell was that he was hurtling through space.

He ran, not sure if he was being pulled or pushed to his destination.
After a seemingly endless time distancing himself from his home, he collapsed in the corner of a wall and the ground. He had barely any time to see Rexial's castle towering above him before it smacked him in the face.

An unfamiliar face poked over the edge of a wall, looking down at the one who had smacked into the castle. "...Hello? Are you oka- I mean, state your name and intentions!"

The man lay there, limp on the ground. He could not have given a response even if he had heard the statement directed at him.

The guard turned back around and yelled to somebody. In a couple of minutes, a pair of uniformed men came through the front gate carrying a stretcher.

One of them knelt next to the stranger and checked his pulse before the two of them slid him onto the stretcher, carrying him inside.





Rexial stopped for a second. ...Somebody was found unconscious outside? Bring them to one of the guest rooms and keep a medic posted outside. Alert me if this person wakes up, I'll want to have a talk to find out what brings them here. Passing the odd pause in eating off as stretching his neck, he continued to chomp away.

A short while went by, the man tossing slowly and painfully in the bed, until he managed to come to. He began to prop himself up into a sitting position, but winced, clenched his teeth, and fell back down. A hot, aching pain had formed in his ribs and head and he could hear nothing but his pulse as he plummeted back down onto the mattress.
He groaned and attempted to open his eyes and survey his surroundings.

He was in a decent-sized room, every surface either gray or white. The bed was set against the wall furthest from the door, which opened to allow somebody through. "...Ah, you're awake! Can you speak?"

This person turned back for a second to mutter something to the guard outside. "Go tell him that our guest has woken up, alright?"

"So," He started as he laid something on the bedstand, opening it up. "How are you feeling?"