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Erebus replied Remi's look with a glance and a nod, letting the blue kitsune go forward and did what he had to do. His mission in this was to protect them, especially Tomoko. No one else could fall here, not when they were all determined to save Thack.

"I'm okay." He told Tomoko, slowly inching backwards to follow her, back facing hers. "Look out for the others. I'll protect you." And yet, even as he moved, he grasped Saya's wrists gently, attempting to reason with her.

"It's hard to believe, I know." He told her, biting his lip. "But we have to do this. This is the only way to save the real Thack." She probably didn't understand. She probably couldn't. That saddened him even more. But at least, at least they had an understanding in their pain. To protect those they loved, but being unable to lash out at those that they once knew.

"I won't stop you. We both have to do what we have to do."

"What do you mean, what happened?" Crispin muttered, wandering up to the three of them. How nice-- everyone seemed to be resting. He smiled, and then slowly sat down, wanting to join the bedraggled group.

"Have we met before?" he looked from face to face. Each looked progressively more tired, and more worried. Crispin's cheerful demeanor faded after a moment.

"I'm sorry, but are you three well? Who is this Crispin?" he asked, impulsively rubbing at his neck, where the faint purple band stretched around it. "I just came here, so I was told, and I've got little idea of where this place is."

He nodded to himself. "Ah, I understand. You three have been here longer than I." Crispin rolled up one of his fancier tunic sleeves, revealing the dark key tattoo, practically engraved on his glowing pale arm. "See? I've only just woken up."

He really was getting worried for these three men, however. They looked like death! Crispin brought the bare arm up to his chin, thinking to himself on how best to assist these people.

((... Weird things happen when you hit quote instead of edit by accident. XD Bulk of post is down there. v v v))

"Because he's family."

The only evidence outwardly he had heard those words was a simple flick of the ears as they pinned backwards. ...Family? She called him, Family? Even through all the times where his, and her, family told them they should hate each other, she still insisted on giving him such a title? A lead balloon had firmly lodged itself in his gut, causing him to falter some and take a few steps away from Thackery. Really he should not let himself get this distracted in battle, but how...how could he respond to that?

Did Tomo even know he heard it? What she just suggested? Did she care? Was her answer to Saya honest or...?

The distraction had, indeed, come with a price. Tomo was defending him once more, and had taken the force of the hit as Sparrow once more came from him. Remi would need to talk with Tomo later, if he could muster up the courage, but for now... his friend was needing attention.

"We were more than friends once." Remi replied instinctively towards Sparrow, a look of pain crossing over his features at the thought of such things once more bubbling to the surface. it distracted him enough for Sparrow to grab him, to pull him backwards. For the briefest of moments he was quiet, allowing the other man to pull him away from the battle.

He dug his heels in.

"I cant stop, Sparrow. Why cant you see that? Your king is a Lie, this world is a Lie. YOU are all a lie. This is not real, this is not you. The gatekeeper might have been kind, trust me... i remember. I remember everything, but he is a lie." He took a second to catch his breath, it hitching in his throat. Call him weak if you must. Call him foolish. Remi had a protective streak a mile wide, he would never intentionally hurt anyone he cared for, anyone he loved. Be it friend, brother, mother, sister, lover. He would not hurt them. Could not hurt them.

But he had to, he had to harm those wearing the faces of his loved ones, and it was killing him slowly inside. "Let me go." He started off weakly, only struggling briefly. "...i said let me go." His attack was weak, barely enough to hurt. Just enough to get out of the reapers embrace.

He had jsut gotten away from Sparrow, enough time to separate himself from his 'friend'. Just took a step away to allow himself some room to breath, room to settle down. That was when the grip came, the hand latching on to his and PULLING. That was enough to garner a reaction, and not a very healthy one. Still vulnerable feeling, he lashed out with the first thing he could think of. That being? His free arm was suddenly a balled fist, and was flying in the direction of Sayid before he could stop it.

Connecting, he ripped his arm once more out of the others grip and took a step back, away from the once-silver kingdom member. Remi knew he should feel bad that he hit someone, but he did not know Sayid back home. This one was a mystery, one that he had never seen before. He did not get a look of pity, an apology, just a bit more of an explanation. "Nothing here is real. You are not real, this kingdom is not real, Your king is not real. It is all a fabricated lie for the enjoyment of the sadistic b*****d called the 'Voice'. HE is the reason for all of this." He waved a hand in the air, indicating everything around them. "He is the lie."

Harland's eyes narrowed as he listened to the once-Crispin speak. The appearance was so different that Harland did, at the back of his mind, doubt himself: was it possible he had mistaken this man for Crispin based on haircut and tunic alone? And yet, Harland was certain that this was him; he had gone off with those two, and not returned. In his place there was this creature, pale and disoriented and far too calm.

"Would I have forgotten you, too, if we'd gone through with it?" Harland looked down at the newly-awakened Alastair, though his voice was quiet, as if he hardly expected the man to reply to that. He looked back up at the man-once-Crispin: "My apologies, I mistook you for a friend we once had," Harland replied. His voice was heavy, but the smile that followed it was meant to reassure.

He looked at Vaska, and said: "Look at that ring around his neck; what do you think could have caused it? I don't know as much about Violet as I wish I did, but it appears that there are more ways to die than one in this place. And death, perhaps, does not end with the body."

Harland felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment, and in the basest part of his nature he felt a surge of distaste at having lost his friend to whatever this was.

And, in part, he felt a pang of guilt: if he had made Crispin's decision his business, if he had stopped the man, maybe they could have prevented this. But he had had no way of knowing... Why would he base his actions on a "gut feeling?" He had never been one to trust such things before. Only fact.

[[OOC: I have to work eight hours today *weep* and won't be home until quite late... like 9:30 EST; Cups has my permission to drag Harland around etc and I may bug her for some proxyposting or post from my stupid phone during break. Ily guys <3]]

Despite the valiant defense from his subjects and the Lost alike, Thackery still felt the sharp claws that raked across him. It was nothing to be bothered by - a scratch in the long run - but the accusation that came with them stung like a poison. He could only stare at Remi for a few moments, shaking his head, too angry to speak.

"Not a King?! I AM a King! I am THE King! There has never been a better King than I am!" The snarl that finally rose to fight the implication was incredulous, so far past offended that the words didn't even seem to make sense to him. They'd gone mad. Something broke them out there, somewhere in those Miasma fields, because...because they were...

There was no reason for them to act as they did, but they did, so it had to be his fault. Doubt encircled him again, needling his mind with regrets. But regrets meant things he could fix, ways to repair the damage they'd done. Yes, of course; a simple puzzle to solve, and everything would be just back to normal. His eyes flashed towards the Guardian, as if the answer were just something to be read from his body.

Pain. He saw pain on Henry's face in a way he didn't think he'd ever seen it before. There were pinpricks of need running through his arms, urging him to wrap them around him, part of the path towards solving this. He might have, had he not spoken, words that struck harder than the blade.

"What you fear is...you do make--" he broke away, trying to find the word to vocalize that rousing sensation that came with Henry's presence. Instead, he managed a visual definition, wiggling his fingers into a little knot above his stomach. "--that inside me! Stop being stupid. You know what you make me feel! You saw it in your memories. I know you did, because you wouldn't look like this otherwise." He accented 'stupid' with a strike to his temple, 'this' with a shove to his distractingly sturdy chest.

"You're a liar, and a traitor, and you should be happy I care enough to want you to stay! Because nobody else would!"

Thackery's nails dug into his flesh. It seemed that, in spite of how much he said he cared, he still hadn't quite come to terms with this betrayal.

It seemed to her that Remi had this more under control than their resident juggernaut did. Then again, she would have to question if he'd had anything under control, besides rampaging. But that wasn't really 'control' at all. Still, there was something about watching a visage of Thackery attacking Ash that didn't settle right with her. Ash hurting Thackery? Certainly there were feelings there - but she didn't know Ash like she knew Thackkun.

And even though this was not said Thackkun, she threw herself into his attack on the pyramidkind anyways, a pained look on her face. But she said nothing.

There was nothing she could say to this imposter that she felt would get through.