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"Thank you! I think," he said, smiling somewhat as his brows furrowed, if only for a moment. "Probably gonna get started here in a bit. The sooner I finish this, the sooner I can get to plenty of other things. Hopefully before dinner."

He paused in thought, his eyes still scanning over the pages before he tore them away to look back at Az. "Oh. And keep away from Kuro Oni, if you can help it. He's definitely on their side."

{ATE .:. The Bright Side .:. 73}
{Kyla .:. Bobbi's Heart .:. Station of Awakening}

Kyle’s words dropped like heavy stones on her head, making her heart feel even heavier.
It didn’t help to see the angelic visage of his version of Louis smiling at her, or feel the comforting touch of her own grasp her shoulder. Though the difference from phantasmal, to physical was a welcome change, it didn’t change the fact that impossible scenario was coming.

“…he won’t listen to reason or peace...” she repeated eyes going distant.

“It’s sick how evil can pervert people’s hearts like that...” her voice was soft and laden with a hitn of bitterness.

The Louis on the throne, Kyla recognized that description, she’d seen it, just for a moment, one of the flashes of distorted memories her shard had given her after the incident in Atlantis. She couldn’t take comfort in the fact she wasn’t wrong how his original desire was to help them, but in the face of the reality of what Louis had become, did it even matter she cared about the person he used to be?

The horrible things Ajora said, the things everyone said, they came back to haunt her.
Bobbi’s little quip, lifting her hand up just buried some invisible knife deeper.
‘You need to put them both out of their misery.’

She could feel unseen eyes judging her, and shame, shame she dared to hope, to stand up for what she believed in, and shame she still, stupidly, and stubbornly clung to this pitiful hope.

Realizing she’d fallen into silence a beat or two too long Kyla looked away from everyone taking a step back, slightly closer to her shard- “ you said something about Rachel and Zexion?”Kyla's voice returned to a more neutral tone again and looking upwards Kyla squinted- then continued, “ Or is this best talked about- ..um.. back in the real world?”

Kyle's expression softened as he watched the two women both deal with a wave of emotions, each for their own reasons. He couldn't really help either of them, though he wanted to.

"Well, I kind of just meant what he was trying to say at the end there, before Kuja and Seymour cut him off," Kyle explained with a shrug--though, there was more now, he supposed. "Still, it might be best if we hop out anyway and give Bobbi's heart a break. We need to get going."

As the others seemed to conclude the conversation, one individual seemed displeased by it all, Bobbi's shard, who stood there with his hand raised expectantly, looking between Bobbi and Kyle, Bobbi and Kyle. At last when things had finished up for the most part, he spoke up with a gleam in his eye, "I'm surprised," he blinked at Bobbi, "Bobbi even raised two hands, albeit only for a short time, but I for one am genuinely surprised at this Louis character."

There was a simultaneous twitch between the other two shards as they gave a match glance of disbelief in Bobbi's direction. Then, collectively sighed.

"I've nothing that needs to be added here," the angelic one stated, "We can talk later, Kyle."

As the angelic Louis vanished into a sea of swirling light and fire, the bestial one showed a mild dimming in the luminescence of his coat before he too dismissed himself and returned solely to the company of his host.

[[Cue: Dance of Death from Shiki]]

"Was it really wise to antagonize him like that," a soft female voice filled the void of a decrepit, lonely room filled with rotting furniture, tattered, moth-eaten curtains, moldy cobblestone, a broken piano and a permeating putrid smell.

Louis lied there on the floor, head on the woman's lap, staring up at her as she ran her cool fingers through his hair. He smiled, squinting his eyes pronouncing the dark circles beneath, "Don't worry, it'll all work out. I just gave him a bit of a push is all."

"They'd have come for you regardless you know," she said, brushing a stray hair from his eyes before parting each finger and running them back along his scalp slowly, "You didn't need to do that. It was meaningless."

"Do you doubt me, my goddess," he replied, not opening his eyes, instead relaxing his expression and sinking into her thighs, "They will come regardless, this much is true. But unless they're in the right mindset, this plan will fail."

"Do you want them to hate you," she cupped his cheek with her free hand and continued her rhythmic motion.

Louis laughed softly, "They already hated me, they just never knew it was me they hated. If they didn't, they were merely ignorant or delusional."

"And that part about that boy's replica, what of him?"

Louis was silent for a moment, then sighed, "I lost my temper. And for that of all things..." he parted his eyelids slightly, "what a pointless reason to. Of course, Ajora never felt anything towards me besides perhaps a good tool to use in his plots and ploys. It was one sided, whether I saw him as someone who could understand me or not. I was deluded enough to imagine a friendship midst that, his heart was undeniably pure darkness. I lost sight of that crucial point, and tried to trick myself into believing there was someone in this world who saw me as I truly was and still liked me. I didn't like Bobbi taking pleasure in his death... or Kyle laughing at my feelings towards Ajora. So maybe I went a little too far."

The woman sighed, "And that lie about the spell?"

"It wasn't a lie. Mostly. I had no connection to the spell until recently. It wasn't until it gathered enough darkness to stabilize the doorway that I regained a slight bit of control... and even then I could only support it remotely, let alone command it directly."

"I really don't understand you," she stopped soothing him and rested her hands on the floor.

"I never expected you to. You're just a prisoner like all the rest, and I your executioner. I neither hope nor ask you to understand me. I only ask you obey. Follow my directions, and we might just make it through this and save everyone," the boy coughed violently out of nowhere, cupping his mouth in the bend of his elbow. When the fit subsided he reached up and brushed the goddess' cheek with the back his his index finger, "Come, let's go and see the others."

Louis stood and made his way through the door which barely hung on the hinges attached to termite devoured wood. His footsteps echoed dully as he proceeded down a spiral staircase, emerging in a large hall. Here, the smell of death was strongest. The dim chasm of stone and mortar lit by only a few dying candles was given life only by a few moving figures. Louis made his way to a throne, on which sat a large suit of demonic armor. He brushed aside dust that has settled on the gauntlet as he turned and faced a group of people who had gathered at the foot of the short flight of stairs to the throne's platform. They each took a knee and lowered their heads.

"Stop," Louis stated sharply, "raise your heads and stand. Atir, Nashir, Rera, Fahna, Freed, Bael... I'm not your king. I'm no one's ruler."

"But you do command us," a young woman among them stated, her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail and draped over her left shoulder, still reaching her knees, "and you freed us from our prison. Gave us new life. We owe you our lives, you deserve to be treated as a king."

"Atir, I told you before. I did nothing of the sort. I'm worthy of no one's respect. i deserve nothing," a strong, well built man with medium length, messy black hair stepped forward to object, but Louis cut him off, "Rera, no. I'm not here to argue over my position. I will not rule you. I command, but I will not rule. There is no kingdom where I lead."

"Then what are you orders," the largest of them wielding a massive sword stated calmly, though by his expression, he too objected, "I, Nashir, have sworn an oath to follow you till my dying breath. I will do anything you ask."

"Ready the castle, we're going to have guests soon."

"Are we being attacked? So soon," Beal, the a male youth no older than 15, draped in furs of various kinds wrapped his arms over his chest as he burred his face in the exaggerated mane as he looked innocently up to Louis.

"Not yet. But, it won't be long. When they arrive, we must make sure we greet them properly. Atir, I want you on the battlements on lookout. The rest of you will remain inside."

"But I wanted to be out there where the action is," Came the voice of the last male who'd yet to speak, "Come on."

"Don't worry so much about action, Freed. What's important, is that we succeed. When this is all over, I promise, it will all be worth while."

The young man grumbled but resigned himself, only to raise his gaze again swiftly as Louis let out a series of violent coughs before clearing his throat to continue.

"That said, tonight, we open the curtains on the last act. Those who come, seek to soil all of our work. Everything we've managed to accomplish till now is for this moment. If we can crush them here and now, we'll have nothing left to stand in the way. We'll finally be able to wrest control of this world from the hands of gods and voiceless deities who dare to play games with the lives of mortals for the sake of their own inconceivable, sick amusement!"

A god's judgement is an empty one.

Louis threw out his arm, black flames coating it from his shoulder to fingertips, a burst of shadow and multicolored mist scattering about, "Tonight, we bring true justice to this world. Tonight, we show the inhabitants of this world a true act of kindness."

Kindness can be cruel.

Louis spun around and his his hand coated pitch black, he cleaved the helmet off the suit of armor, sending it clattering to the floor, the contents within invisible, shrouded in the same black flames, "Tonight, we strip away the line between murder and mercy."

There can be mercy in murder.

Louis grabbed the inside of the armor's collar and pulled, launching it to the floor at the base of the stairs, its form crumbling into hundreds of pieces. The impact releasing a loud boom akin to a far off explosion. The man then extended his black palm and released a blast, obliterating the back of the throne. Rubble, dust, and spits of dark flame engulfed the boy. He was out of sight for a few seconds, till as it began to settle a red glow could be seen within.

[[Cue: White Silence from Tokyo Ghoul]]

"Tonight," he whispered just loud enough to hear, turning back to the others who continued to watch on silently, his expression exhausted and worn, his breaths heavy, and his teeth gritted together. His eyes glowed as it was joined among every shadow of the throne room with a burning red hue, "we save this wretched world."

Is it still justice, if that judgement is blind?

They all bowed, despite his previous objections and left his presence. Even though in his heart, he wanted to reprimand them before they dispersed he was not allowed the luxury as he proceeded to cough uncontrollably once more.

The goddess approached and laid her hand on his shoulder as he fell to his knees and lurched over. She massaged gently, knelt beside him as his coughing grew so intense, they began to sound more akin to someone vomiting... and perhaps he might have, if anything remained in his stomach.

After several minutes of repeated fits, it passed and he was able to raise his head and look at the woman who supported him throughout his ordeal. Around his mouth were several strings of black liquid which still dangled from his lips. The woman wiped them with her sleeve, ignoring what it might do to the priceless fabric.

"The corruption has spread too far. You must rest."

"No, you... you..." Louis seemed as though he'd fight her on it, but took a deep breath, afraid he might incite another fit, "may be right."

"Come, I've prepared a place for you to sleep. No one will disturb you there."

"Heh..." he laughed as he took her offer to lean on her shoulder. After a few steps he proceeded with a question, "Say, you think I'll have good dreams?"

"Hmm?"

"I've only managed to have nightmares. Ever since... since I can remember. I've never had a night of sleep where I've not been plagued by them."

"Worry not. Your sleep will be long and restful... neither nightmares nor dreams shall wake you from this slumber."

"Ah... that, sounds nice," As they walked to a door that led to another stairwell leading up he added, meekly to the woman who worked as his crutch, "And... ah... it seems I've forgotten your name-"

"I... never had one."

"Right... sorry."

"Was there something you wanted?"

"I... no, never mind."

The rest of their trip up the stairs was silent. Eventually they reached a room, oddly preserved in comparison to the rest of the castles abandoned, lifeless feel. There was something like a muted, cool warmth here. There, in the center of the back wall was a bed next to it a single lit lantern that glowed invitingly. Louis was led to the bed, where he slipped under the red and blue comforters and was engulfed by the soft mattress and feather pillows.

The goddess reached for the lantern to extinguish its flame, but Louis held her arm gently.

"Wait... I... what I wanted to say earlier."

"Yes?"

"Thank you... for everything."

She paused and pulled her hand back from the lantern, cupping Louis' outstretched hand in both of hers, "Louis, if I might ask you something,"

"Hmm?" Louis opened his eyes slowly, each lid heavier by the second.

"After you're done... when you'e saved the world. What then? What will you do?"

Louis smiled weakly, "You mean who will save me? Don't worry about that," Louis pulled his hand away slowly and rested it over his chest, "I'm not worth saving."

The goddess said nothing else, instead she knelt over Louis and placed a kiss on his forehead, like a mother would a child. Louis opened his eyes fully for a moment. Surprise that swiftly softened. Light left his eyes as they lost focus and finally closed. The goddess extinguished the lantern and looked over the boy's body, "Rest peacefully young one. I'll watch over you until you wake again."

And there in the dark she sat, watching the window as snow and wind battered against it as the storm outside raged, unrelenting and with renewed vigor.

Come... your judgment awaits.

In the thick of a distant forest, isolated from most of society, there was a darkness which sought not to be disturbed. A shade consumed by thoughts of the future and goals, such that any disruption would be met with the most venomous disdain imaginable.

It's a pity he didn't give a damn.

"Hey, wannabe!"

The grating voice came from close by--much closer than he should have been able to reach. She'd laid protective spells here and there, meant to ensure she wouldn't have to deal with such gnats; it wasn't as if she needed the mana at the moment. Still, there he was, mere meters below her, as if he'd simply Burst past each and every one. The ronin stood in the shade of her perch, as casually--as arrogantly--as anyone would expect, Rev-blade held in one hand and resting on his shoulder. He was gazing straight up, staring up at her, the real her, his right eye the normal gray, his left, enveloped in azure flames.

Cory was as irreverent as ever, and considering who he ws calling out, perhaps even moreso.

"You didn't really think you could hide, did you?" he said, smirking, his flaming eye gleaming in the occasional beam of sunlight that got through the tree canopy. "Dark as you are? Smells like a shitstain, even from miles away."

For all her talk and wannabe eloquence, Cory seemed as interested as if she were just another pebble in the ground. He jammed his free index finger in his nostril, itched a bit, and flicked something off to the side by the time she was done.

"Death? Ha! Guess you didn't hear the news. I beat death," he said, still smirking, completely unfazed. "Here I am, living proof. And I've got a job to do."

With that, he nonchalantly lifted his blade, revving the engine in the process, and pointed at her. There was no threat, no hostile toss, just pointing the business end.

"You wannabes are all garbage. The pesky mouse-lovers wanna ignore you and deal with the big bads, that's fine," he said, his smirk growing. "But you losers are still threatening this kickass new world. I may not work well with a team, but that doesn't matter when all you doppel-dumbasses decide to work alone. Picking you off one by one? I've had bowel movements harder than that."

He once again shouldered the blade, though his flaming eye never steered from her gaze. "You should feel honored. You're the greatest threat to me--all magic to my raw muscle. That's why I picked you first," he said, before laughing. "After all, if I can't beat a little artist, why bother trying for the bigger leagues."

"Come on, wannabe. I figured you'd have more guts than the real deal, not be more of a scared child," he said, his smirk widening into a downright shiteating grin. "Maybe you need incentive. How about a bet?"

Suddenly, deep azure flames erupted around the two of them, rising from the ground, from her tree branch, and closing them in within a cold, fiery barrier. The flames did no damage to her tree, her nest, or anything else, but it kept the two of them in--and anything else around, out.

"I've got some neat prizes to offer, but how about we start with this: you face me at all, and afterward?" he said, eyes narrowing, though the grin remained. "I'll tell you all about that mark the Kyle-faker put on your back. I wondered why I smelled both of you, but I can see it clearly now. Probably a memento from the last time he had you on your knees, ha!"