Company and Calamity

Kyuubi blinked, "ah, yes...I see..." he said the others looked at themselves and eachother and then Kyuubi "I knew something was off..." "we're right back where we were before..." Daybreak looked around and saw the other guards. Everyone stood still for a moment, they looked at all the other guards bit didn't move. Daybreak looked at his wrists and seemed to get lost in thought again "w-we...reset?..."

Simon’s crystal faded away and he sat tall looking at the group. ”Ivan is quite the opponent. He has figured out how to utilize sound as a weapon and only focuses on the strongest attacks his magic allows him to use. Gigantism, Galvanize, Dark Network, and Time Gazer are the strongest attacks of the four Zeta types.” Simon reignites his wisps. ”The other guards are deep in their respective barriers, so i guess I’m the only one active. How will you fair against the Omega types?”

"I wish it didn't have to go this way..." Kyuubi spun his blades around "but that doesn't mean I'm going to hold back." he took a fighting stance the others did the same. "this little trick was intended to be for you. But this time, no distractions." Shade cloaked himself in black again and began running towards Simon the others waited for a moment before following behind.

"I too wish it wasn't so." As if Simon was always right in front of Kyuubi, Simon tucks his tails behind Kyuubi. "Perhaps we could meet up again and chat sometime. Like friends." Kicking off his back feet, Simon grabs Kyuubi and rolls, repetitively slamming Kyuubi while the crystals from his tail feel like falling on a bed of nails. The pair roll around the room, coming close to crashing into the others on occasion.

Something grappled around Simon's neck and pulled back on him, Shade had somehow managed to wrap some sort of vine around him "that's enough of that" he said, he yanked back on him like a leash "I need you over here instead." Kyuubi tried to push Simon away to free himself.

Simon, happy to oblige, uses Kyuubi like a launchpad and lands next to Shade, whirling the blazing wisps at him. Like Ivan, Simon had also developed four different colored auras. Simon intently stared at Shade with all three eyes.

Kyuubi gasped for air as Simon leaped away, he remained on the floor for a moment before attempting to stagger back onto his feet. It was hard to tell what expression Shade had due to the shadow cloak but it almost seemed like he was smileing, the vine leash started to grow and continued to coil around Simon, Shade stepped closer "this is great, now I've got all eyes on me." the shadow figure of Shade melted away and in it's place stood Desire, but not as a shadow. he smiled the vine did not have thorns but instead had flowers scattered among them, the vine smelled sweet, The familiar smell of Desire's. "come now, you don't want to harm me now, do you?" the group retracted a little, they all stood together but did not move, "you are probably the greatest out of all of these royal guards. I'll admit, you are definitely the most handsome." she smiled happily, she continued to slowly walk forwards.

Simon, clearly blushing, smiled. "Thanks, but...." Simon's eyes change. The left shows Daybreak. The right shows Shade. The mind's eye show Desire. "...I'm nothing special." In a quick 'sneezing' motion, the vision and senses of Daybreak, Desire, and Shade vanish. Shade sees and feels a room devoid of sound and smell. There are only mirrors. Mirrors forever, but there is clearly a path which leads into what can only be assumed to be a maze. The mirrors seem to be made of crystals sturdier than even concrete. He is alone. Daybreak is in a similar situation: a room without sounds or contact with the others. Everything is dark. Close by, a familiar figure stares back, menacingly. The form of Sunset glares back at Daybreak as he stands in the center of a ring, formed by his defeated allies. Desire sees herself, more specifically, Desire looks down on herself. Her body jerks and twitches. She has been severed from her own body. The body, grows a grim grin. The ones not affected by the attacks hear a loud noise as the final attack goes off. At the far end of the room, a massive black hole opens up and the gravity of the room quickly shifts in favor of the black hole.

Kyuubi, Sky, Life and Tide looked around for a moment at the others, but didn't have time to say anything. Everyone, unaffected by the attack, tried moving away from the black hole, Sky grabbed Shade, Life grabbed Daybreak, Kyuubi picked up Desire. / Desire looked around confused, she didn't seem to understand what had happened, she saw Kyuubi pick up her body and run from the black hole but, why was she seeing her self? She looked down at what she was sure should have been her body, if that was her body than what was she seeing through? She begun to panic. She attempted to calm herself, she turned to look at Simon ^^what did you do to me?^^ she tried asking ^^what's happening?^^ /Shade looked around, he wasn't sure what exactly to think he stood in the room looking at the mirrors "where am I now?" he thought to himself, he turned to the doorway "I guess the only other option is to advance..." he walked forwards.../ Daybreak stood there starring at Sunset, he didn't dare look anywhere else. "h...h...he...he k...ki..." he couldn't finish the thought "y...y...you...b-b...but h...how..." he started to cry "it's not true, this is a lie..." he told himself "a nightmare...a nightmare...a nightmare. I'll wake up...I'll wake up..." he started repeating to himself, it didn't seem to help, he cried even more...\

Surprisingly, Simon answers Desire. ”I’ve seperated you from your body. Sit back and enjoy being a spirit for a little bit.” Desire’s body suddenly springs into action, violently punching Kyuubi before attempting to trash out of his hands. Daybreak was having a similar reaction, crying actual tears and shaking slightly. In his mind, Sunset chuckles before begining a slow walk towards Daybreak. Shade’s body began to drool a little, but he was having a much easier time in the maze. Simon turns to the group and howls, causing pink cables to apear from the tips of his tails. The cables fly towards Tide and begin tightly binding to his limbs.

Kyuubi dropps Desire "they're under some kind of mind control." Life shouted "What have you done?!" Sky practically screamed at Simon, negative energy seemed to eminate from Sky. / Desire stood, horrified at what she saw, ^^Put me back! NOW!^^ she attempted to attack Simon, she launched herself at him going in for a punch/ Daybreak stood very still, he seemed frozen he did not move at all, he hardly even blinked "nightmare, just a nightmare. Its not real it...I'll w...ake...up... Its... Just my nightmare." Sunset's voice suddenly sounded. "this is just my nightmare." Sunset spoke, "no...stop...STOP IT! Go a...AWAY!" Daybreak held his head and shook it back and forth. "YOU CAUSED THIS! THIS IS YOU, LEAVE ME ALONE, I WISH YPU WOULD JUST...Just...JUST DIE!...n...no..." he looked at the figure of Sunset "Daybreak...Sunset...those are basically just titles there is no difference. We are the same, I am Daybreak, You are Sunset. You can deny it, but you'd be lieing to yourself, and you know it." Sunset's smiled "the question is, who really is the monster? But the answer is simple it's you...because we are the same." his grin widened. Daybreak's tears increased, he nearly screamed "SHUT UP! SHUT, UP!"/ Daybreak's fists tightened, his tears were streaming, Tide coated himself in water making it harder for Simon to hold on, he wriggled out of his grip. Life shot vines out at Desire Shade and Daybreak to hold them in place

”I’m... just following... your orders.” Simon let go of Tide. ”Yeah, I’m holding back!” It was clear Simon wasn’t talking to any of the group. ”To stand as trial.” Simon grew furious. ”I refuse!” Suddenly, Simon was lifted into the air and violently slammed against the walls before being cratered in the floor. Clearly crying and couching up blood. ”I hope this is the end of the cycle you forced us all to relive!” Simon was violently slammed once more before he slowly encased himself in crystals and a celestial aura danced within the crystal. Desire returned to her body. Shade was released from the maze. Daybreak awoke from his nightmare. The black hole had disappeared.

Kyuubi stood confused and concerned about Simon, he looked over at Desire, she moaned a little, "ugh...oh...I feel sick..." she staggered to her feet "I take it back...you are the worst..." she said to Simon. Shade stood as well "that was boring. You could have done better." Daybreak awoke, he gasped, his breathing was shaky, he let out a horrifying scream he turned on his side and continued to cry, screaming after every couple breaths. Life turned to Daybreak, he ran to him and grabbed him in a hug. "calm...it's ok...you are awake..." Life appeared to be crying silently. "is no one in this twisted world sane enough to care?!" Life shouted, the air around him was calm and tranquil, he comforted Daybreak, his screaming stopped but his crying continued. "heartless, soulless beings, the lot of them. I don't care about justifications, there just exuses for torture." he clutched Daybreak closer and tighter "sick, corrupt..." he mumbled to himself, he sniffed, the two Sat crying, each holding the other, the others stood in silence, they looked at the ground and at eachother, Shade started to pray "by Aroura's light and shadow...save his soul..." he turned to Daybreak. The group did not move, or speak, they all waited for the dispair, to go away...

”ALRIGHT! WHO IS READY TO-“ Magnus, now emerged from his hiding, stops and sees Simon. ”...party?” Magnuc dropped to his knees and slammed the floor with his volcanic fist. Pip crawled out of her hiding. ”Wow, Magnus! Calm-“ She too saw Simon and had a similar reaction, instead choosing to take off her mask and throw it on the ground. Her face, now revealed, had bright red eyes. Her braids hissed in agony as she covered her face with an arm. Once thiught to be a Naga, Pip is now revealed to be a winged gorgon. ”WHY ARE WE ALL TO SUFFER SUCH FATES?!” Both guards ignite into their four aruas respectively. ”We can’t even die but maybe the worlds would rather have it so we could.”

Kyuubi stepped forward "Hyrax did this...didn't he?" he said to the guards "Simon spoke to someone, we couldn't hear, and then..." he looked away "I never wanted this" Kyuubi whispers to himself, his eyes changed again, he closed his eyes the others turned to look at the royal guards their expressions, grim. Life stood, Daybreak sniffed and stood as well, his stance wobbly. Desire put an arm around him. Life clenched his fists and teeth, he growled a little.

The guards looked at each other. ”Landfall into Supernova?” The two nodded and the floor beneath Magnus gave way. Pip’s brown arua disappeared. Pip flew over the hole as a geyser of flame erupted out. Pip crashed to the floor and a loud bang from the hole indicated Magnus had hit the bottom. The sixteen familiar symbols glowed, followed by the four new ones. The door shuttered before opening. The veil wasn’t gray this time. It was black, purple, white, and pink.

"once again, my judgment has been proven wrong...I judged all these people as evil, soulless...but... Life stepped forward "I was wrong to say so...these people are different...once again I realize...for the second time...that Hyrax is the soulless one, the evil cruel one..." he growled "I choose to see the best in people, Everyone has some good in them, that's what I look for in people, no matter what the person, there is good somewhere...but I think that's why I can't get an understanding on Hyrax...his lack of his soul and heart make it hard to understand him..." negative energy seemed to pulse around Life, Sky put his hand on Life's shoulder "he is cruel and..." "Life...it's alright...calm down..." Life pulled his shoulder away from Sky, he walked to the door, the energy still pulsing, he stopped right in front of it, he turned to the rest of the group "I trust you all are coming?" Life said, the group looked at one another and then turned to Life, they all joined him in front of the door. They all walked in together.

The next room was... incredible. This room was absolutely titanic in size and grandeur. If this was the real throne room, it would not come as a surprise. Also not a surprise was Hyrax, laying in the middle of the gargantuan room. He looked as if he was both asleep and awake. "I trust you've had enough practice for this moment." Hyrax opens his eyes and stands up. "I'm sure by now you've come to expect what will happen in this room. Strangely enough, with just one person, Katie is able to go through the gauntlet with little issue. Even more strange is: she hasn't shown up yet. This really is one strange cycle of events."

The group stood and hardly moved, Life looked away in disgust, and to add on to the strange events, Daybreak stood absolutely still, his face displaying no emotion, he looked at the ground, his eyes we're just barely blocked by his hair, he refused to move his head or anything else for that mater. Kyuubi stepped forward, he stopped in front of the group "we didn't want to do what we have done to get here...but...we are here now..." he looked down "and at this point, I'm sure none of us are to surprised about what is going to have to happen in this room..." "you are a sick excuse for a living being." Life burst out, the energy intensified, Sky grabbed Life's shoulder again "Life please!" Sky shouted Life looked at the ground. "This is highly irregular." Tide said looking at the group, he held a glass in his hand that was formed out of ice "I didn't imagine a very formal meeting but, I wasn't exactly expecting this either." he put the empty glass up to his mouth. Desire, who was still standing next to Daybreak, looked at Hyrax "perhaps there's a way that we could just...talk it out?" Desire said hopefully, her scent could only just barely be sensed as she said this. Daybreak remained the way he was, it was as though he wasn't even there...Shade looked at Hyrax "I can't say it's nice to see you again. But it certainly is interesting to see you again after all we've been through." Shade crossed his arms. The Hollow came sprinting forwards "Hyrax!" it bounded towards him and stopped "Hyrax!" it stood and almost seemed to wag it's tail.

Hyrax seemed amused, by both Life and the Hollow. "There is quite the contradiction between members of this group, and as much as you would rather talk it out, Desire, I don't think it will be possible." What Hyrax was referring to is unknown, but he takes a few steps away from the group and the smell of smoke ever so slightly arrives. While it was still easy to breath, the feeling mimicked the feeling the group had climbing the mountain for the first time. "This will be interesting."

"Ullo!" Life shouted in his native tounge, he thrust his arm forwards, Vines launched from the walls towards Hyrax, there were 7 of the vines, three on one side, three on the other and one from behind Hyrax. Life clenched his hand into a fist and each vine wrapped around one of Hyrax's limbs. Life pulled his hand towards him and the vines pulled back towards the walls that they came from "I'll tear you appart!" the negative energy flared up, it seemed it pulsed faster than it was before, Daybreak's finger twitched, he looked up at Life with curiosity, he seemed to be thinking. Everyone else looked extremely surprised, even Shade looked somewhat shocked, "I never thought Life was the type too..." "He usually isn't...he's also usually calmer than this...but I suppose one person can only take so much of something before...they can't take it any more..." Desire looked almost sorrowful. Life continued to pull his hand back and the vines continued to pull as well.

"And the first blow is performed by Life. Such negativity leads to quite the tantrum." Surprisingly, Hyrax falls apart, literally. His arms squirm around as his tail began furiously thrashing around, spraying spines everywhere. The head, however, hopped around chuckling before firing a massive laser at Life.

Life blinked in surprise before he dodged to the right nearly getting his by the beam Hyrax fired, Kyuubi draws his blades and uses them to block any flying spines from hitting him, the vines loosened their grip and retracted when Life dodged. Sky created a dome around him, Life and Shade. The glass Tide was holding now had water in it, thoug no one was really sure where it came from, which he used to protect himself, Desire and Daybreak who had finally looked up to see what was happening. "Not what you expected?" Sky said turning to Life. Shade stepped next to Sky and built up energy in his hands which he fired as multiple balls of energy towards Hyrax's head, the dome Sky made opened slightly for every shot to pass through with no disruptions. The water Tide used had become ice and stopped or deflected the spines headed towards them. Desire peeked around the corner for a second "Its the tail!" she said to Tide "then stop it if you can." Tide replied. Desire peaked around again for another second, she looked at the tail and then hid behind the ice wall "we need to get a bit closer." Tide nodded to this and he made a motion with his hands, the very bottom of the ice wall became liquid and Tide could freely move the wall wherever, he and Desire started walking around to get closer to the tail, carefully and behind the wall for extra protection. Kyuubi dodged in front if the Hollow and deflected a few spines that were headed for it, "move back!" he told it "it not safe this close." the Hollow looked confused but started backing up any way, Kyuubi continued to block it from incoming attacks. Daybreak stood at the very back of the room away from Hyrax and the others, the Hollow stood with him, Daybreak didn't seem to notice, he sat down and put a small barrier around himself that reflected any spines that might come in his direction, he seemed upset about something. "how do I protect my friends...from my friend..."

Hyrax's head take the blasts and flies back to his body, which reassembles itself. Following this, Hyrax grinds his tusks against the floor before rearing up on his back legs. Fanning his massive arms outwards, Hyrax slams them down, causing the ground to violently quake. The spines continued to barrage the group.

Everyone was knocked off balance and stumbled a bit, some of them fell over. Tide staggered "this needs to go faster." he grabs Desire and uses some of the ice to make a platform type object under them, Tide leaned forwards and the two of them were propelled across the floor. Kyuubi kneels down and stabs one sword into the ground and used the other one as defense "this is and issue" Syrix said. Sky removed the dome, he spun around and then trust both arms upward, a gust of wind made Life, Shade and himself rise into the air and the levitate in the air. Shade built up more energy and held his hands behind him. Desire wrapped the rose vines around her hands, the ends of the vines hung down "get ready because your only gonna have a second." Tide said quickly, Desire nodded.