Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ixb followed the sound of the thudding until he'd found the box. The feeling of terror hadn't left and he felt uneasy all over when he saw what looked like an arm. He wasn't feeling as enthusiastic about this now that he was here but he knew that he had to do it. For the Goddess.

"Hello?" His hands slid over the box in the dark and the sound of the heart was louder. The feel of flesh was strange, foreign to him. It was almost disgusting. "Hello?" He shook the arm. Was it alive? The heart was beating but.... it wasn't responsive.

Ixb leaned to look in and saw the thudding, glowing prize. He was almost mesmerized by it. Staring at it, hearing the steady pulse. If he focused on that he could fight through the terror. A steady constant. A routine. He liked having something to follow.

Ixb reached in with his scissors and grimaced at the work. Flesh and slime, things pulsing, throbbing, moving, inflating. The steady thud thud thud kept his mind on the prize. He convinced himself that he wasn't hurting anything.. anyone.. this flesh was weird and foreign. He only knew beings of fragment and fog and heart.

This heart had to come home.

He hollowed out the thing in the box, blindly, before it was all that was left. With a careful removal the heart finally stopped.

There was a moment of silence. The blackest of black and the most quiet he'd ever heard. It was then that the terror struck. In that split second of silence the dread hit him and he knew something terrible would happen.

"IXB!!" A shrill voice, a boy child. Had it been alive? It knew him? It felt this? It knew him?

He was tiny in my arms. Like doll.
"Your baby brother." Smiling mouth. Tall.
I was so careful with him. So afraid to drop him.
I'm terrified but excited. A brother to do things with.
I can teach him stuff. He was kind of cute.
"I guess you guys can keep him." I fought back a smile to my parents.

Ixb was sitting away from the box, still holding the heart still in his hands. What? His chest felt tight, his heart fluttering in fear, tension locked in his entire body.

The Task. The Goddess.

He struggled to his feet and walked unsteadily out.

And then he couldn't breathe again and it was holding him but the vision... memory.. whatever it was, had snapped him aware long enough to clear his head.

He had to finish this. It was a task. A challenge.

Overcoming fear.

That's the line he fed himself when he went through the door in the first place. Ixb finally screamed, nothing but bubbles in the water, and struck out with the scissors towards the ambling body.

It screamed and as he squeezed his eyes shut it burned into his mind. The water was gone. He was standing there, clutching the bag and panting. Alone.

Ixb started to walk again. Slowly. No more thudding. No more sloshing.

There was silence and now memories that he'd never forget. His brother. Someone to teach.

Someone to be a hero for.

He was gone.

Ixb felt eyes on the back of his neck and turning, swore he saw him there. Watching him back. Holding the scissors.

"My heart..." The follower's voice was distorted, like auto-tune meeting 'possessed by the devil' and Ixb already hated it. He slammed himself into the door, shaking the handle a moment before he noticed the keypad.

"What?" He glanced around and saw a slip of paper.


"What!?" He got it. Letters to numbers. Not hard but... what was the combination?

"Gonna get it..." and then it remixed weirdly with a laugh and a snippet of song.

[Distance: 45]

Finally he saw another paper stained in red.




"Awesome.." Ixb smiled despite the encounter and pressed the numbers into the keypad. The door slid open with a hiss.

TASK 3

Ixb was wistful as he walked through the falling white. He couldn't help but smile and knew that this task would be a good one. Why? Because his goddess gave it to him. He looked down at the footprints he was leaving and took a moment to stop the walk and dance around in it a little.

Ixb laughed, drew a happy face with this toe, and continued along.

The table wasn't far. It seemed pretty obvious which he'd picked. Each of his tasks had been hard, scary, and disturbing. No more of that. He reached for the pink jar. He was flooded with happiness and even laughed a bit as he closed his eyes and soaked it in. When Ixb opened them again the table had changed. There was cake and cookies. Something about the cookies made a memory tingle, just a hint of something he couldn't place. An old lady maybe? Whatever it was... cookies were involved and gave him happiness. He took the cookie.

It was good, not too sweet, and calmed him a bit. Ixb didn't feel as giddy but he was definitely thirsty. Before him, he'd barely noticed the change again, were some teacups. He didn't really think about it and took the first one his eyes laid on. It happened to be pink.







"What the..?" Bix hit the sand hard and came up with a bit of a sputter. He did his best to wipe himself off but once again Allan had dragged into something that made him simply bewildered. "Allan?"

The division lead was only steps away with some odd looking block of clay. It was... well it was bigger than any piece of clay he'd ever seen.

"This isn't just a mission Bix-kun, it is about discovering yourself, your kokoro." Allan tapped at his chest solemnly. "And the greatest mission of all is to unlock yourself, and obtain true Bankai. You can only do this if you defeat your greatest enemy yet."

The weird nondescript clay block was wheeled in a little closer to the Sun trainee. "Now, when you are ready, place your weapon into the spirit totem!"

Internally Bix was confused but there was almost a hopelessness in everything the hunters did. What were his options? 1) Put your weapon in the cutout. 2) ...don't?

You know what you think doessssssn't matter. He'sss your leader. Stop thinking fool thoughts and do asss he says.

Mina's voice broke him from his pause. She'd been quiet with him lately and it had been frustrating. Why now did she choose to speak up? He sensed curiosity in her.

"Ah.. alright.." With a flash the golden feathered bow was in his hand. It sort of made Bix wince when he took a few steps forward and pushed the weapon into the 'spirit totem'. The sight of the clean white feathers getting soiled always made him a bit sad. Mina was usually very particular about her appearance.

At first nothing happened.

"Huh." Allan scratched his head, circled the thing, and then very slowly pulled out a very long and heavy manual. He managed to flip the cover open before he tossed it over one shoulder, instead, giving the thin wobbly golem a small kick. It fell over with the weapon embedded into it.

And then the clay began to bubble and mutate over the weapon, glowing rather malevolently a deep red until-

In its place and in the weapon's place stood Bix's weapon. The clay morphed and shifted, compacted and formed into slender limbs a thin waist and a large feathery mass of white hair. She was white, milky white, and let out a relieved sort of moan, almost inappropriate.

"Ohhhh.. yessss.." Mina's hands slid over the shimmery scaled minidress she wore and her limbs shimmered with scales of their own. "Bixy.. sssnooowflake." She cooed in a latin accent. "It's about damn time!"

Allan seemed ecstatic. "This is awesome, I knew I should have borrowed these from the Life Labs before testing period! Anyway, this golem basically manifests the true spirit form of your weapon. They can even use some, not all, just some of your weapon's powers! But of course, with great power comes great friendship. Can you win your weapon's respect? Are you really using their full power? You need to fight your weapon in their golem form and win to obtain true Bankai!"

"And I have just the thing!" Allan opened his duffel bag, giving Bix a really small and ordinary looking wooden sword. "It is important that as a Sun Hunter, you are ready for all situations."

Bix caught the wooden sword but was completely shocked. It was enough to feel Mina's consciousness peeling free of his own. He hadn't been without her in his head since he'd come to the island and now, despite still feeling their connection, he felt like his conscience was missing. When had his own inner voice been so thoroughly replaced by someone else?

He could feel his face burn when Bix became keenly aware of her body. Short skirt, too short, and a sultry saunter. He gripped the sword, unsure what she would do now that she was free of him. "Ah.. Hi.. Mina.."

"Just.. hi?" She was only about 17 in appearance and played with her as if her style had been thoroughly cramped. Bix could only gulp as she approached him like a predator towards her prey. She slung an arm around his shoulders and Bix's body instinctively shrunk. Why was he percieving her as a threat? They were a team.. weren't they?

"Are you going to fight me?" Her serpentine tongue flicked against his skin as she wrapped around him and squeezed. "It is nice to hug and squeeze you, sssssnowflake."

"Come on Mina this is important.." He tried to shift and feel not as crushed but his words only came out like a whine. She could be so exasperating. One minute she was serious about him fighting and the next she treated the world as a joke. "I don't want to fight you but.. I think I have to. For the mission. Bankai.. right?" His training sword had sagged, the tip now dipped and making a divot in the shifting sand. "You're my weapon. We're a.. team."

Bix could feel her body shifting and a rattle of displeasure seemed to hiss upwards from her toes and out of her mouth. "I do not know what a.. ahhh.. bankai? I do not know what it is but I think I do know that you are mistaken." Mina pressed herself to Bix's chest, her fingers began to knead into his neck and the albino hunter suddenly felt trapped. His hand tightened on the sword.

"You have it backwardssss as always. You are my hunter. I chose you. I hold the power. Without me you are jusssst a boy with a body.. and thank god you at leasssst have gotten that without my help." She whispered it against his lips and Bix felt an uncontrollable shiver run up his spine. Just as soon as she was sensual, Mina was harsh. She bared her fangs and attempted to bite him.

Bix's mind was already racing. It was as if his cherished companion had become a dangerous enemy all of a sudden. It was disconcerting and he didn't like it. Thankfully that edge allowed him to push away from her. Her attacks hurt him a bit, but without a voice to guide his thoughts he felt.... a bit unguided. All he could do was raise his sword to her. "Is that all I am? Just a hand that you guide? I thought we were closer than that.."

Her narrowed eyes were a signal. This was going to be a fight. Bix knew it already but there was a difference between a true confrontation and a forced spar. Knowing Mina, the intentions could change from one second to the next, but he had no doubt she'd hold her own.

"We are clossse. We are the clossest. Do you not see?" The snake-ghoul grinned a bit as she came at him. She slashed him with her claws and he parried with the sword. Without her aid, his body was vulnerable. He'd never felt as vulnerable in his life. Red lines of blood showed on his bicep where he nails had sliced and he hopped backwards to avoid another shot. He was poor with a sword and barely managed to hit her with it when he tried.

"What am I supposed to get? If we are so close, why have you been so quiet lately..? Why do you seem mad at me all the time? Can't you ever just not act like I am your property?!" Bix yelled over whipping sand as he attempted to avoid her strikes again.

No matter how far he fled, she seemed to be on him again. Before he knew it she was wrapped around him in a stifling embrace. She squeezed and squeezed, like the snake she was, whispering into his skin now, "Because you act like property, ssssnowflake. I only sssay what you think. 'Oh I am worthless' 'my life isss not important as otherss' 'i mussst go back for everyone even if I will die'." She purred and sunk her fangs into his neck.

Once more he tore himself from her, clapping his hand over the wound. "So what? I care about others. I want them to be safe. That's an admirable quality!" He knew though. He knew he disregarded his own safety. Years of bullying. Years of self esteem issues. Even here on Deus being treated like a peon. His self-worth was at an all-time low.

"Oh yesss." Mina stalked towards him with rolling hips and narrowed eyes. Dribbles of his blood trailed down her chin and she truly looked to be the creature of her former life. "They will sssurely be admiring your grave when you are dead. SSsssso admirable to be another sun hunter sstatissstic."

Bix drew his head back, pulling to full height, as Mina got up in his face. He could feel a chill run over his body, much more keen without the buffer of a shield. FEAR. Razor sharp feathers were sliding out of her forearms, they shimmered as her red eyes burned in a frenzy. "But what about me, Bix? WHEN YOU DIE?!"

And then she was a whirling dervish. Like a kamikaze pilot she flew at him with slashing blades. She slashed at the air. She slashed at him. She slashed herself and Bix felt the hot rush of panic. It wasn't fear. There was nothing chilling or frightening about it. It was the sort of panic that rose from concern. It was the feeling that usually had him tossing himself in front of danger for his friends. He couldn't do anything to her in this state and merely raised his arms, took the pain, and blocked what he could with the sword until he felt her relenting and Bix found her looking frail and tired. Her golem body was cracking in places and she fell against him. "What about me, ssssnowflake? What happens to me when you die?"

Bix caught her, held her, and once more felt the concern flooding him. It hurt him, his chest ached, but he knew this was partly his fault. He'd never really thought about what would happen to her. He'd never viewed her as more than a weapon if he had to admit it. He was embarassed by himself and then, as it came, the feeling passed and left in it's wake a genuine care for her. It was like a warm flood of realization. "What was that? Why would you do that if you hurt yourself?"

Mina sunk further against him, even as her body broke apart. She clung to him like a child who needed protection and Bix knew suddenly that she was his to protect as well. And that meant protecting himself. He was sharing his life with another living thing. It was a partnership. Closer even than a marriage. Without one there would not be the other.

"I'm more than you think. I'm not just a weapon." She hissed into the fabric of his coat.. "Do ssseee? I can do other thingss? I have feelingss.. I am living. I am not sssome video game toy for you." Mina sat up now and began to primp herself in vain. Bix couldn't help but grin a bit at her efforts and a wave of uncontrolled fondness shot through him. She was funny in her own way. Almost cute sometimes. "You sssssee what you made me do? I look dissssgusting now." Mina was pouting.

"I hurt myself.." Mina continued quietly now that she was done preening. Chunks of her were falling off and Bix frowned. "Because to hurt you hurtss me too. When you hurt, I hurt Bix. We are a team and I do not want to ssseee you die. Do you ssee? Do you?"

"I'm sorry.." He'd reached for her shoulder but it crumbled under his hand. "I never considered your feelings.. I.. You are more than just some weapon and I took advantage." He'd realized his wrongs but now he had to get her back onto his side. Though he knew she'd never truly left it. "And I clearly haven't been tapping into some of that power of yours. That move was... crazy cool." Bix was geeking at her, blushing, but playing the compliment card pretty cooly.

It seemed to work and the compliment had the snake-ghoul suddenly cuddling up to him. She curled against him, even as her body fell to bits, and smiled a fanged smile, "I told you I am a jacking goddessssss, Bixy. Didn't I sssay that I wass more woman than you could handle?" She seemed tired but as she dissolved away, Bix could feel their bond strengthening again. Her power seeped into him and filled him up where there had only been empty holes before. As she slipped away, his wounds slowly closed. He held her gently but it just wasn't her nature to go so quietly. "This body is rather weak.. hmm?" She commented idly. The red serpentine eyes closed in relief. "If only you could sssssee the real me. Oh yess. Very impressive. A true wonder. True power."

"The real you? You mean a giant snakey monster? I dunno.. I like this body well enough." Bix commented back. Second by second he felt more fulfilled. He felt more close to her than ever. He couldn't define the feeling really but he knew he'd be lost without the ghoul in his life. They were bonded forever.

"You'll help me too?" The ghoul's red eyes cracked when he asked her, curious. Bix met her gaze. "Use you to my best ability, really show people what you can do? Maybe uhh.. if you're too much woman to handle.. than you can help me turn into the man who can?"

"Sssss.." Mina's tongue flicked between her lips. "Yesss maybe you can be that man, Bixy baby." She turned, shifted, and laid herself with her head in his lap.

"I took it easy on you thisss time snowflake." She grinned a devilish, fanged grin. "Next time I'm in a body, good luck keeping up!" She poked Bix in the nose. Her seconds were slipping away.

"You're lucky." She hissed. "I just can't resist you. I could have beat you, you know?"

She stretched, wriggled in the sand, and after a moment she gave him a nod. "You win."

It was strange when the golem finally dissolved into nothing but messy mud and clay with sandy dry bits around the edge. He ran his fingers through what used to be her feathery hair and could only think of a strange phrase as he fished the bow out of the mess that used to be a golem.

Til death do us part.
I can hear you, you know... She sounded amused.



He awoke to find the tea diary but.. Ixb really didn't know what to think. At least it had been a nice memory.